A BIG IMPROVEMENT IN KELLY'S CONDITION TODAY:))

 WITH A HAZE IN THE AIR IT WAS HARD TO TELL WHERE THE LAKE MET THE SKY ALONG GODERICH'S ROTARY COVE SHORELINE

Just the Subaru and I heading to the Napa Autopro garage in Goderich this morning.  One of the wheels has occasionally been making some screechy, squealy, noises lately so I figured I had better get that looked at. 

 A FEW SUNFLOWERS ON MY WAY TO GODERICH THIS MORNING

McDonalds' is only a block south of the Napa dealer so after dropping the car off I walked to McDs' for a coffee.  It's been years since I've been inside that McDonalds and it will be years, if ever, that I go in there again.  I was 15 minutes in a 7 people line-up just to get a coffee.  Three of those 7 walked out in disgust.  Two others had 'angry words' with the lone girl behind the counter that I actually felt sorry for.  What a poorly run place that is!!  Back to Napa, I read my Kindle for awhile and finally the Subaru was done.  They couldn't find anything wrong with it, despite pulling the wheels and checking brakes, etc.  It still cost me $71.53 with the diagnosis saying........'Inspected for noise.  Could hear noise from brakes.  Removed wheels and inspected brakes.  Brakes have good life left on them.  Suspect brakes are of cheaper quality is why they are making noise.'   

 I FELT SORRY FOR THAT WORKER ON THE RIGHT BECAUSE SHE WAS DOING HER BEST IN AN OVERWHELMING POORLY MANAGED SITUATION

 SPOTTED THIS IN MCDONALDS PARKING LOT......DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS I GUESS

 THERE'S SUBIE (WHITE CAR) UP ON A RAMP AT NAPA

SITTING IN A CORNER QUIETLY READING MY KINDLE

After NAPA, I took a quick spin down around the harbor and beach areas before heading home.  Amazingly enough, I never heard any noise coming from the wheels.  Maybe when they took the wheels off a small stone or something fell out from somewhere. 

 THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT ENJOYING THEMSELVES ALONG GODERICH'S SHORELINE BOARDWALK TODAY

 I ALWAYS SEE A LOT DOG WALKERS ON THE BOARDWALK

 THIS GROUP OF BEACHGOERS MUST BE IN FOR A SWIM....I SHOULD HAVE STOPPED, PUT ON MY YOKI BEAR SUIT AND SNITCHED SOME PICINIC SNACKS

 THE CALM WATERS OF LAKE HURON WERE ALMOST AS SMOOTH AS GLASS BUT THESE WERE THE ONLY TWO I SAW IN OR ON THE WATER

BEACHES ARE FOR BOTH THE YOUNG AND OLD

 THERE IS NO HORIZON OUT THERE AND I SUSPECT THE HAZE MIGHT BE FROM FOREST FIRES OUT ON THE PRAIRIES....TWICE THIS MORNING I DETECTED A SLIGHT WIFF OF WOODSMOKE IN THE AIR

 WILDFLOWERS AMONG THE BOULDERS ALONG THE LAKE HURON SHORELINE

 THE BEACH STREET STATION IN THE HARBOR ON THE SHORES OF LAKE HURON WAS A BUSY PLACE LATE THIS MORNING

 PEOPLE WAITING IN LINE FOR A TABLE

With the humidity rising, my time outside was limited.  Hauled out my tall 10' step ladder and rehung a suet feeder that I think a squirrel probably pulled down.  Also repaired a set of windchimes that had fallen from a tree branch as well.

 TUCKERSMITH COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS WERE BUSY IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE THIS AFTERNOON LAYING CABLE FOR FIBER OPTICS

 OUR HOUSE IS BEHIND THOSE TREES ON THE LEFT

 OH GEEZZZZ, I HOPE THEY HAVE ENOUGH SAFETY CONES TO WARN OF A COVERED HOLE IN THE GROUND 

I saw a big improvement in Kelly's condition today.  Not as tired as the previous 3 days and her walk with Pheebs this morning was longer.  She was also busy doing things around the house as well as on the phone setting up appointments and stuff.   She's a long way from being out of the woods but at least today was a better day for her. 

Al's Music Box:)) Midnight In Moscow by Kenny Ball and The Jazzmen UK originally titled "Leningrad Nights", is a Soviet Russian patriotic song written by Mikhail Matusovsky and composed by Vasily Solovyov-Sedoy. It was later covered as "Midnight in Moscow" by Kenny Ball.  This version peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart in January 1962. "Midnight in Moscow" also reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart in March that year, kept out of the number one spot by "Hey Baby" by Bruce Channel, and it spent three weeks at number one on the American Easy Listening chart.

ONE OF OUR FRONT YARD FROGS

GROANER'S CORNER:((  It’s not my age that bothers me, it’s the side effects.

I’m not saying I’m old and worn out, but I make sure I’m nowhere near the curb on trash day.

As I watch this generation try to rewrite our history, one thing I'm sure of .. it will be misspelled and have no punctuation.

As I’ve gotten older, people think I’ve become lazy.  The truth is I’m just being more energy efficient.

I haven't gotten anything done today. I've been in the Produce Department trying to open this stupid plastic bag.

Turns out that being a "senior" is mostly just googling how to do stuff.

There is no such thing as a grouchy old person.  The truth is, once you get old you stop being polite and start being honest

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I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change.  I am changing the things I cannot accept.

MADE A SUBARU TIRE DECISION AND KELLY HOLDS HER OWN FOR THE DAY

Try as I did, I could not push myself out the door last night.  The Northern Lights had been in the sky Sunday night and the Perseid Meteor shower was at its peak Monday night but I was just too darn tired to get myself out the door, down the road, and out under the starry night sky.  I hope this tiredness goes away soon!!

 A SINGLE SHAFT OF  MONDAY EVENING SUNLIGHT MAKES ITS WAY THROUGH OUR PINE TREES AND LIGHTLY TOUCHES UPON A FEW OLD COLORED BOTTLES IN OUR FRONT YARD

We sure have had a series of beautiful sunny mornings this summer and this morning was no exception.  Kelly made it around the block with Pheebs again but it really tired her out.

 AN EARLY TOUCH OF AUTUMN

Pheebs and I headed straightaway to Clinton's Huron Tirecraft to get a quote on four new tires for the Subaru.  Luckily a friend of ours and a former Subaru owner had sent us an email suggesting the Michelin Cross Climate 2 tires which he installed on his Subaru when he had it.  I did a lot of reading about tires and checked the reviews on the Cross Climate 2 Michelin tires. The reviews were good.  They are not summer, seasonal, or winter tires.  They are classed as 'weather' tires and are designed for year-round performance.  At Huron Tirecraft I didn't pull the trigger on my tire decision just yet.  I had a second place to go and a second quote to get.  

 TENT CATERPILLARS SEEN ON OUR DRIVE THIS MORNING

From Huron Tirecraft, Pheebs and I slipped through Tim Hortons for a coffee to go, topped up the gas tank in Clinton's north end, and set a scenic roundabout course for Goderich.  Traveling in a northerly direction on Bass Line road, we soon turned west onto Little Lakes Road and ambled our way over Ball's Bridge.  How great I thought to myself to be out and about in the countryside taking in all of the morning's beautiful scenery.  It was while making our way slowly along this gravel road that I took most of today's photos.  

 ABOUT TO VENTURE ACROSS BALLS BRIDGE

 A LONE INUKSHUK SENTINAL STANDS STRONG IN THE MAITLAND RIVER

 A COUPLE FISHERMEN ON THE BANKS OF THE RIVER

 REGARDLESS OF WHETHER HE CATCHES ANY FISH, AT LEAST THIS FELLA HAS GOT HIMSELF A COUPLE OF SOAKERS TO TAKE  HOME

 BALLS BRIDGE HAS ONE OF THESE PLANTERS AT  EACH OF ITS FOUR CORNERS

Our second tire destination after traveling through the picturesque hamlet of Ben Mill was Goderich's Canadian Tire Store.  I had a feeling Canadian Tire might have a better price on the tires I was looking for.  And they did.  So, I have an appointment this Friday to have the new tires installed at Canadian Tire and as part of the deal, they have a reduced price on the undercoating of the Subaru as well.  That's a bonus because I had planned to have the Subie undercoated at Canadian Tire this Fall anyway.  Undercoating goes a long way in helping to prevent and slow down rust from all the salt they use on the roads here during the Winter.  Pheebs and I were home before noon.

 BUSH LANE LEADING TO A PASTURE

 LILY PADS AT THE LITTLE LAKES

This afternoon, Kelly had a short dental appointment in Exeter so I drove her there for that.  She was in and out of that dentist chair in well less than half an hour.  On the way home we stopped at Zurich's Jerry Rader's Homestyle Catering and Market and stocked up on a number of food items.  We had so much stuff that I think we broke the bank.  Following our stop in Zurich we made a quick stop at Bayfield's Farm Little for a dozen eggs.  We rolled into our driveway minutes later and Kelly was glad to be home.  She needed to lay down for a rest..............      

 PHEEBS AND I STOPPED TO HAVE A LOOK AT THIS OLD BUILDING WHICH MIGHT HAVE ONCE BEEN A LONG AGO SCHOOLHOUSE

 IF ONLY THESE OLD WALLS COULD TALK

 I WONDER IF BATS ROOST IN THOSE RAFTERS 

Al's Music Box:)) Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow is a song with words by Gerry Goffin and music composed by Carole King. It was recorded in 1960 by the Shirelles at Bell Sound Studios in New York City, and hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The song was the first by an African-American all-girl group to reach number one in the United States.  In 1960, the American girl group released the first version of the song with "Boys" on the B-side. The single's first pressing was labeled simply "Tomorrow", then lengthened later. When first presented with the song, lead singer Shirley Owens (later known as Shirley Alston-Reeves) did not want to record it, because she thought it was "too country". She relented after a string arrangement was added. However, Owens recalled on Jim Parsons's syndicated classic radio program, Shake Rattle Showtime, that some radio stations had banned the record because they had felt the lyrics were too sexually charged.  This version of the song, with session musicians Paul Griffin on piano and Gary Chester on drums, was ranked at No. 126 among Rolling Stone's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Billboard named the song No. 3 on its list of 100 Greatest Girl Group Songs of All Time.

GROANER'S CORNER:((A police officer pulls over a speeding car. The officer says, "I clocked you at 120 kilometres per hour, sir."  The driver says, "Gee, officer, I had it on cruise control at 100 kilometres, perhaps your radar needs calibrating."  Not looking up from her knitting the wife says sweetly from the passenger seat, "Now don't be silly, dear, you know that this car doesn't have cruise control."  As the officer writes out the ticket, the driver looks over at his wife and growls, "Can't you keep your mouth shut for once?"  The wife smiles demurely and says, " You should be thankful your radar detector went off when it did."  As the officer makes out the second ticket for the illegal radar detector unit, the man glowers at his wife and says through clenched teeth, Darn it, woman, can't you keep your mouth shut?"  The officer frowns and says, "And I notice that you're not wearing your seat belt, sir. That's an automatic $75 fine."  The driver says, "Yeah, well, you see officer, I had it on, but took it off when you pulled me over so that I could get my license out of my back pocket"  The wife says, "Now, dear, you know very well that you didn't have your seat belt on. You never wear your seat belt when you're driving."And as the police officer is writing out the third ticket the driver turns to his   wife and barks, "WHY DON'T YOU SHUT UP??"  The officer looks over at the woman and asks, "Does your husband always talk to you this way, Ma'am?" "Oh, heavens no, officer! Only when he's been drinking."

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A teacher was taking her first golf lesson.
"Is the word spelled 'put' or 'putt'?" she asked the instructor.
"'Putt' is correct," he replied.
"'Put' means to place a thing where you want it. ' Putt' means a klutzy but unsuccessful attempt to do the same thing."

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Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?
A: To show the armadillo that it was possible.

Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?
A: To get away from Colonel Sanders!

Q: Why did the chicken cross the road twice?
A: Because it was a double-crosser.

Q: Why did the Iraqi chicken cross the road?
A: To take over the other side.

Q: Why did the chicken cross the playground?
A: To get to the other slide.

Q: Why did the dinosaur cross the road?
A: Chickens hadn't evolved yet.
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A SLIGHTLY BETTER DAY FOR KELLY:))

 ANOTHER BIG BRIGHT SUNNY BLUE SKY DAY WITH WHITE BILLOWING CLOUDS

A  slightly better day for Kelly but she is still dealing with a lot of tiredness.  With Pheebs walking with her this morning she was able to walk around the block here in the Park.  A restful morning and a big afternoon snooze also helped.

Pheebs and I headed for Clinton's Huron Tirecraft this morning but they were closed.  I'm thinking maybe it's time to replace all of the Subaru's aging tires and if so, I'd like to get it done before winter.  Three of the four tires have slow leaks.  We'll slip back to Huron Tirecraft in the morning and get a quote.  I have several other places to stop into for tire quotes as well so we'll see.  From Huron Tire, Pheebs and I took the slow scenic road home along the Bannockburn Line and snapped a few pics along the way.

The air still had a nice touch of coolness by the time we got home so I figured it would be a good time to get a few outside things done.  All four tires on the Jeep were flat from sitting idle these past couple of months, so out came my small air compressor.  Needless to say, it took a while.  In the meantime, I hauled out the lawnmower and cut some grass, whacked some weeds, burnt up some garbage, and loaded 4 wheelbarrow loads of pine tree needles into an already full utility trailer.  When I finally had enough air in the Jeep's tires I hitched it up to the utility trailer and hauled the load down to our Park's recycle area.  Picked up a few more branches along the way.  By the time I got this all done, and due to the increasing humidity, I had to throw my old sack of bones into the shower when I got home.  It was my second shower of the day.  I don't know how people got through hot humid days years ago without A/C, fans, and showers.

 CHICORY FLOWER ALONG THE ROADSIDE

 ON THE EDGE OF A FOREST

It was too hot for an afternoon doggy walk and I was tired from my earlier outside activities so I spent my afternoon inside staying cool.  Besides, I had already used up 15 of the 10 energy units my body had allotted me today.   

 GOLDENROD

Al's Music Box:)) Running Gun is a country ballad song written and performed by Marty Robbins. Originally released as an album track on Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs in September 1959.  It is the story of a young gunslinger for hire who flees his home after he can't take the guilt of his profession anymore. Heading for Mexico, he is gunned down by a bounty hunter in Amarillo, Texas.

 LOG PILES AT OUR PARK'S RECYCLE AREA ARE GROWING

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Bubba decided it was time to purchase a new saw to help clear his heavily timbered property. A salesman showed him the latest model chain saw and assured him that he could easily cut three or four cords of wood per day with it. But the first day, Bubba barely cut one cord of wood. The second morning he arose an hour earlier and managed to cut a little over one cord. The third day he got up even earlier but only managed to achieve a total of 1 ½ cords of wood.  Bubba returned the saw to the store the next day and explained the situation.  "Well", said the salesman, "let's see what's the matter." He then pulled the cable and the chain saw sprang into action.  Leaping back, Bubba shouted, "What the heck is that noise?"

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- My mirror: You look great.  My camera: What's up Shrek

- We do not throw away perfectly good food in this household.  We put it into a tupperware dish until it goes bad.  THEN we throw it out.

- Getting old is a terrible thing.  I blacked out for twenty minutes this morning.  Then I realized I had put on my hoodie back to front.

- If money is the root of all evil, why do they ask for it at church.

- My wife called to tell me she had seen a fox on the way to work.  I asked her how she knew it was on its way to work.  She hung up on me.

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A preacher was completing a temperance sermon: with great expression, he said, "If I had all the beer in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river."  With even greater emphasis he said, "And if I had all the wine in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river."  And then finally, he said, "And if I had all the whiskey in the world, I'd take it and throw it into the river." He sat down.  The song leader then stood very cautiously and announced with a smile, "For our closing song, let us sing Hymn # 365: "Shall We Gather at the River."

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