NOTICE I SAID 'COOLER' AND NOT 'COLDER'

 A GERANIUM FLOWER

With our morning temperature at 53F I wasn't long in cranking up Subie's heat when Pheebs and I headed off to our morning walking spot under mainly blue skies.  Pheebs wasn't up for a walk so we didn't go far and were soon home again.  With the Subaru so full of dog fur I wanted to take advantage of this cooler weather and get it cleaned up.  I hauled out our big yellow shop vac and got right to work.  Even took the covering out in the hatchback and vacuumed out around the spare tire.  I spent over an hour on this clean-up and had it been hot and humid I wouldn't have done it.  So two thumbs up for the benefits of cooler weather:))))))  Notice I said 'cooler' and not 'colder'.

 EARLY MORNING FOREST SHADOWS ON A CORNFIELD ALONGSIDE OUR WALKING ROAD 

 SUNSPLASH ON A TUFT OF GRASS BY THE ROADSIDE

 CANADAY GEESE PRACTICING THEIR FLIGHT PATTERNS BEFORE HEADING SOUTH LATER

Kelly, tired from driving the short distance to Bayfield's Library and back late this morning spent the afternoon resting in her room.  The 'itching' has ramped up again.  Tomorrow morning I will take her to Goderich for a ten o'clock appointment to see her Nurse Practitioner.  Maybe the bloodwork she had a couple days ago will show something or require a change in her meds.

 A LITTLE MONKEY FACE IN OUR FRONT FLOWERBED

Under sunny skies with a refreshing breeze, Pheebs and I took ourselves for a walk over to and around the Park's pond.  It turned out to be a four-turtle walk and we even saw a Green-Backed Heron.  Great Blue Herons always came to this pond but I have not seen even one this year.  In fact, I haven't seen any Blue Herons anywhere when I come to think of it.  Oh no, don't tell me they are becoming extinct too.  And, speaking of extinct.....I have not seen any Monarch butterflies again this year either.  There should be all kinds of them around right now.  Seems to be no shortage of people though...........  

 PARK OWNER ADAM GRADING A ROAD NEAR THE POND THIS AFTERNOON

 THIS GREEN-BACKED HERON KEPT A CLOSE EYE ON ME FROM ACROSS THE POND

 A PAINTED TURTLE SOAKS UP SOME WARMING RAYS OF SUNSHINE

 MOM AND HER SET OF TWINS

 SAME TURTLE AS THE FIRST PIC AND NOTICE HOW ITS SHELL PLATES ARE KIND OF PEELING UP

Al's Music Box:)) Rave On by Buddy Holly is a song written by Sonny West, Bill Tilghman and Norman Petty in 1958. It was first recorded by West for Atlantic Records, which released his version in February 1958. Buddy Holly recorded the song later the same year, and his version became a hit, one of six of his recordings that charted in 1958. Holly is instantly recognizable as the artist: the record begins with a drawn-out "Well…" as stylized by Holly's distinctive hiccup ("A-weh-uh-heh-uh-ell…").  Most of West's recordings were produced and engineered by Norman Petty, who also managed Holly, and recorded in Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico. "Rave On", however, was produced by Milton DeLugg and recorded with Holly's group the Crickets at Bell Sound Studios in New York City.  The title was inspired by the 1956 Sun Records recording "Dixie Fried" by Carl Perkins, which uses the refrain "rave on." The B-side was Holly's composition "Take Your Time".  Holly's rendition of "Rave On" is ranked number 154 on Rolling Stone magazine's 2004 list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time."

 A NEIGHBOR'S BENCH OVERLOOKING THE POND

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Walking through Chinatown, a tourist is fascinated with all the Chinese restaurants, shops, signs, and banners. He turns a corner and sees a building with the sign, "Hans Olaffsen's Laundry."  "Hans Olaffsen?", he muses. "How the heck does that fit in here?"  So he walks into the shop and sees an old Chinese gentleman behind the counter.  The tourist asks, "How did this place get a name like "Hans Olaffsen's Laundry?"  The old man answers, "Is name of owner."  The tourist asks, "Well, who and where is the owner?"  "Me, is right here," replies the old man.  "You? How did you ever get a name like Hans Olaffsen?"  "Is simple," says the old man. "Many, many year ago when come to this country, was stand in line at Documentation Center. Man in front was big blonde Swede. Lady look at him and go, "What your name?" He say, "Hans Olaffsen." Then she look at me and go, 'What your name?'"  "I say, Sem Ting."

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Young Actor: "Dad, guess what? I've just got my first part in a play. I play the part of a man who's been married for 30 years."
Father: "Well, keep at it, son. Maybe one day you'll get a speaking part."

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The man was in no shape to drive, so he wisely left his car parked and walked home. As he was walking unsteadily along, he was stopped by a policeman. "What are you doing out here at 2 A.M.?" asked the officer.  "I'm going to a lecture." The man said.  "And who is going to give a lecture at this hour?" the cop asked.
"My wife," said the man.
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KELLY AND I TEAMED UP TO RUN SOME ERRANDS IN GODERICH TODAY AND SOMETHING FROM MY HEART ABOUT YESTERDAY

With our temps dipping into the mid-50s (Fahrenheit) overnight I was inclined to put a T-shirt on under my warm flannelette PJs.  The thought of snapping on the furnace for a few minutes early this morning occurred to me but I held off.  Had I bin here by meself I'da snapped er on fir shure.

 THIS IS MY VIEW EACH MORNING FROM MY OVERNIGHT RECLINER IN OUR LIVING ROOM

It was just Kelly and I in the Subaru heading off to Goderich about mid-morning.  Pheebs was sound asleep when we slipped out the door.  Our first stop was the Dynacare Lab where Kelly had some blood work done.  Next stop was Zehr's Supermarket where I went in with Kelly in case she needed some help with anything.  From there it was over to Walmart where Kelly slipped in to stock up on some protein drinks.  At Pet Value I again went in with her to pick up some doggy food.  Our next stop was Wendys for a sit-down lunch complete with a couple Frostys.  Our last stop before heading home was the Goodwill Store where I couldn't find any pants three weeks ago.  Within three minutes Kelly had four pairs of pants in hand for me to try on.  I did that and kept three of them.  Buoyed by my good fortune I was on a role so also picked myself out three new to me shirts.  It makes a big difference to a fella when he has some help with these kinds of things.  We were back home shortly after 2 p.m.  Kelly right away slipped into her room, and climbed into her PJ's for a big afternoon rest.  I headed for my living room recliner to do the same thing but without my PJs.  I had intended to clean Subie's interior when we got home but I was already overextended on my daily quota of energy units.  Oh, don'tcha just love all this growing older baloney!!

A FEW AFTERNOON PICS FROM AROUND OUR FRONT YARD

 HOSTA FLOWERS

However, it was late afternoon when the thought of an afternoon walk jolted me out of my lethargic state, and Pheebs and I soon had ourselves out the door heading for the Park's pond and beyond.  It was a beautifully cool sunny afternoon with a refreshing breeze coming in off Lake Huron about a mile to the west of us.  Again, the early stillness of early Autumn was in the air.  No dragonflies flitting about, no bird sounds in the air, and no signs of any frogs or turtles anywhere.  It's the long slow lull leading us all toward Autumn's beautiful days.   

 A LATE AFTERNOON WALK AROUND OUR PARK'S POND

 THE 'REST-A-BIT' BENCH

 SPARKLY WATERS

I have a few extra pics from Monday's Rebecca, Ricardo, and Ella visit.  And, I have a little something from my heart as well.  Over the years I have always had difficulty communicating with younger people, and especially children.  I never had any brothers or sisters to grow up with.  Family for me growing up was my Mother, my Stepfather, My Uncle, and my Grandfather.  I grew up with adults.  And, I have never been a Father.  Yes, I have a son who I first saw when he was few hours old and briefly held him in my arms a week later.  I never saw him again for twenty years.  So, I don't consider myself a Father with any experience of raising children.  The only little person I ever got to know really well and absolutely loved so much was in the mid-eighties when her mother and I were together for four years spanning this laughing little girl's age from six to ten. (I think I may have written about this before but I'm getting at something) Kelly's daughter Sabra and her husband have two boys and her son Ben has two boys but over the years I was never able to communicate with them.  Not their fault, my fault.  I just never knew what to say.  After a while they just ignored me and I didn't pay them the attention I could have.  It also happened with Rebecca and Ricardo's daughter, Ella.  I just never knew what to say to her over the years.  I remembered oh so well that little girl of the mid-eighties and all the crazy and zany things we used to do to drive her mother bonkers and then we would end up laughing together.  I would take her places and one time she and I hopped an east bound train to Kitchener,  browsed some shops on main street, had lunch, climbed back aboard the westbound train, and headed back to Stratford.  She was only about 9 years old at the time.  I would often pick her up and drop her off at school.  We took her to Puerto Vallarta Mexico one time, and I'd often take her with me if I had to get something at the store.  Her and I were like two peas in a pod and she was the only little person I ever got to know and love in my life.  But, that was then and this is now.  I would see flashes of that little girl I once knew in Ella but I could never seem to make contact, until yesterday.  It only lasted maybe twenty minutes but it was a 'breaking of the ice' for me.  Being in transition from being a little girl to being a young teenager in a couple years, I sensed a maturing and curious mind in Ella.  She has a little Polaroid type camera which pops out small pictures.  She was sitting alone in the sunroom late yesterday afternoon when I walked in so I made it a point to see if I could strike up some kind of a meaningful conversation.  I asked her a few questions about Spain and then I don't know how it came up but the next thing I knew we were talking about cameras.  Now in my element with a topic I know a little bit about and sensing a curiosity in Ella, I was soon showing her some of my cameras and lenses and how easy it was to use the free Picasa photo editing program.  I knew she was interested by the questions she was asking and I was happy to answer those questions and show her on the computer the creative side of using a digital camera and a simple photo editing program.  I felt her mind was beyond the little polaroid camera she had.  Nothing may come of this but maybe I have planted a seed in her mind and maybe someday that seed may begin to grow.  Photography is a wonderful hobby with many benefits in many ways.  It sure trains the eye to be on the lookout for beautiful and unusual things.  I think some of the greatest photographers today are women.  It's an honorably artsy and creative profession and especially so for those who are good at it.  Anyway, that twenty minutes talking with Ella and showing her a few things about cameras and photo editing sure turned out to be the highlight of my day and not only that, it almost brought tears to my eyes in thinking of it later back to a time when I knew a little person who I had so much fun with and who I knew so well and felt so comfortable being with.  I think buried under all the heavy debris of life I carry with me there is still a big kid underneath it all whose mind still runs and frolics with all the little children he never got to meet and play with all those years ago.  I guess it is why I have found so much joy in Lucy Maude Montgomery's books.  I feel a part of all the children's lives she writes about.  I feel like I am one of them..................

SOME CAMERA TALK FOR ELLA AND I

 YOU CAN'T IMAGINE HOW EXCITED I WAS HERE TO SHOW ELLA A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A DIGITAL CAMERA AND A PHOTO EDITING PROGRAM

 THIS WAS THE VERY FIRST PICTURE I TOOK YESTERDAY AFTER OUR COMPANY ARRIVED

ELLA CHECKS HER IPAD WITH MOM LOOKING ON

 RICARDO, A FITNESS COACH DEMONSTRATES SOME HELPFUL EXERCISES FOR KELLY

 ELLA TRYS OUT ONE OF HER DAD'S SINGLE LEG BALANCING TECHNIQUES

 PHEEBS SUSPECTS ELLA IS HIDING A SNACK

And, mentioning Lucy Maude Montgomery for perhaps the last time now I have just sadly finished the last in a long series of books she wrote over the years.  I am so going to miss all the creative stories and adventures that came out of this woman's mind.  With a world seemingly going madder by the day, these books for me came along at the right time starting a year or two ago.  What a helpful, although temporary escape route from reality these books have given me starting with the Anne Of Green Gables series, following through with Emily Of New Moon and all the other books........and now sadly ending with The Golden Road.  Keep your tissues close at hand.  Maybe in a few years, I could begin reading them all over again and let the troubled mind but beautiful words of Lucy Maude Montgomery whisk me away to never-never land yet one more time......................      

WALKING ALONG THE FOREST TRAIL THIS AFTERNOON

 SIGNS OF TREE CUTTING EVERYWHERE

 WE PASSED BY THIS MUSHROOM ALONG THE WAY

A Blast From Our Past:)) 'Elvis Has Left The Building'....But, He's Waiting Outside

Al's Music Box:)) Tallahassee Lassie is a song written by Bob Crewe, Frank Slay, and Frederick Picariello and performed by Freddy Cannon (Picariello's stage name). The song was featured on his 1960 album The Explosive! Freddy Cannon. The song was produced and arranged by Bob Crewe and Frank Slay.  It reached #6 on the U.S. pop chart, #13 on the U.S. R&B chart, and #17 on the UK (United Kingdom) Singles Chart in 1959.  The song was ranked #40 on Billboard's Year-End Hot 100 singles of 1959. It sold over one million copies and was awarded a Gold Disc by the RIAA. (Recording Industry Association of America)  

BACKGROUNDED BY THE PARK'S POND THIS CLUSTER OF LEAVES HAS BEEN TOUCHED BY EARLY AUTUMN

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Little Johnny was caught swearing by his teacher.  "Johnny," she said, "you shouldn't use that kind of language. Where did you hear such talk, anyway?"  "My daddy said it," he responded.  "Well, that doesn't matter," explained the teacher. "You don't even know what it means."  "I do, too!" Little Johnny retorted. "It means the car won't start."

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- How many racists does it take to screw in a lightbulb?  None -- they don't want to be enlightened!

- Good judgment comes from experience.  And experience?  Well, that comes from poor judgment.

- It's strange to think that before Facebook all this nonsense just stayed in people's heads.

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To get his mind off his losing streak at the racetrack, I took my friend horseback riding. Being a novice, he freaked out when his horse took off.  "How do I get it to slow down?!" he yelled.  "Bet on it!" I hollered back.

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