IT DEFINATELY FELT LIKE FALL WAS IN THE AIR TODAY

THE FUNGUS BESIDE OUR FRONT YARD FROG POND IS AGING GRACEFULLY

Well-well, here we are at September 1st already.  And how nice that September has brought cooler air with it.  Nice to feel that cool fresh and clean air again instead of that humid and muggy stickiness.  Pheebs and I headed into Bayfield for a drive-around and then to the cemetery for a walkaround.  We were home again just in time to say goodbye to our New York friends.  I didn't think they would be heading home till around noon.  Kelly's sister Kathy, son Zack and Zack's friend Evin and her son Wes rolled out of our driveway around 10:30.  It was nice to see Kelly's sister Kathy again and nice to meet for the first time, Zack, Evin, and Wes.  Wes is taking photography in high school but we never had a chance to talk about it.

 A MORNING VIEW FROM NEAR BAYFIELD'S PIONEER PARK

 ARRIVING HOME I SAW EVIN AND WES LOOKING AT SOMETHING MOVING IN THE POND AND I TOLD THEM IT WAS PROBABLY OUR PET ALLIGATOR

TIME TO SAY GOODBYE:((

 ZACK FIRES UP THE BIG TRUCK

 AND THERE THEY GO

Kelly whooped up a dozen Bluesberry muffins this afternoon and they were the best muffins I have ever had bar none.  So good in fact I ate three of them in a row and would have gone back for a forth had it not been for Kelly standing defensively in front of the remaining muffins with a glaring stare and her hand on a nearby frying pan!!

 KELLY'S BEST EVER BLUESBERRIES MUFFINS

With the afternoon's refreshingly cool breeze, Pheebs and I headed off for a 3 turtle walk over to and around the Park's pond.  It definitely felt like Fall was in the air today and what a great feeling it was too.

 A NICE AFTERNOON WALK AROUND OUR PARK'S POND

 TWO OF THREE TURTLES

There was a time in my younger life when I looked forward to watching many favorite TV shows each week.  Those times are long gone of course and there is only one television show anymore that I have any interest in and look forward to watching each year.  It's on Sunday nights, starts in September, and only lasts about 6 weeks.  That show started tonight and is called, The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch. Regardless of what people may think of this series, it grabbed my attention right out of the gate when it first aired back in 2020 and has held my attention ever since.  So, with eager anticipation, you can rest assured that I will be parked in front of my sunroom TV set tonight at 7 p.m. as the series begins Season 5 on the History Channel.  Also, an extension of Skinwalker Ranch called Beyond Skinwalker Ranch follows at 9 p.m and I will be watching that one too.

Al's Music Box:)) The White Cliffs Of Dover is a popular World War 2 song by Vera Lynn.  Her 1942 version was one of Lynn's best-known recordings and among the most popular World War 2 tunes.  The song was written about a year after the Royal Air Force and German Luftwaffe aircraft had been fighting over southern England, including the white cliffs of Dover, in the Battle of Britain. Nazi Germany had conquered much of Europe and in 1941 was still bombing Britain. With neither America nor the Soviet Union having yet joined the war, Britain was the only major power fighting the Axis powers in Europe. The American lyricist, Nat Burton, wrote his lyric (perhaps unaware that the bluebird is not indigenous to Britain, though the migrant Swallow 'Bluebird' is a well-known British harbinger of Spring and Summer) and asked Kent to set it to music.  Notable phrases include "Thumbs Up!" which was an RAF and RCAF term for permission to go, and "flying in those angry skies" where the air war was taking place.  The lyrics looked toward a time when the war would be over, and peace would rule over the iconic white cliffs, Britain's symbolic border with the European mainland.  The full song includes two verses rarely found in recordings:

I'll never forget the people I met braving those angry skies.
I remember well as the shadows fell, the light of hope in their eyes.
And tho' I'm far away, I can still hear them say "Thumbs Up!"
for when the dawn comes up,... There'll be blue birds over...

When night shadows fall, I'll always recall out there across the sea
Twilight falling down on some little town;
It's fresh in my memory.
I hear mother pray, and to her baby say "Don't cry,"
This is her lullaby.... There'll be blue birds over...

GROANER'S CORNER:(( The man told his doctor that he wasn't able to do all the things around the house that he used to do. When the examination was complete, he said, "Now, Doc, I can take it.  Tell me in plain English what is wrong with me?"  "Well, in plain English," the doctor replied, "you're just lazy."  "Okay," said the man. "Now give me the medical term so I can tell my wife."

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- If you think Thursdays are bad, just wait two days...It will be a sadder day.

- What is the difference between a golfer and a skydiver?  A golfer says "whack....DAMN!" and a skydiver says " Damn ..... WHACK!!"

- When I was married, my wife used to call me handsome. As a matter of fact, we are now divorced but she STILL calls me handsome.  Every time I have some money,   she says, HANDSOME OVER.

- Two monsters went to a Halloween party. Suddenly one said to the other, "A lady just rolled her eyes at me. What should I do?"
The other monster replied, "Be a gentleman and roll them back to her."

- A Sunday school teacher asked her second graders if anyone knew another name for God. She was picturing answers like 'Lord' or 'Almighty'.After a long moment of silence, a little boy raised his hand and said, "Howard." "Howard?" replied the confused teacher. "You know," continued the boy, "Howard be thy name."

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WE MET UP WITH OUR ROCHESTER NEW YORK COMPANY TODAY

 THE AQUA BLUE WATER OF GODERICH'S INNER HARBOR

Needing to pick up a prescription at Walmart's Pharmacy, Pheebs and I were off to Goderich under sunny skies this morning.  It was nice enough to have our front windows down and the Moonroof open.  

PHEEBS AND I CHECK OUT THE PARK'S LOG PILE

 SAW THIS FARMER MAKING HAY BALES

THE GREEN BALER GATHERS UP THE GRASS AND FORMS IT INTO A ROUND BALE INSIDE

 THE BACK END OF THE BALER OPENS UP AND OUT ROLLS THE BALE

 THE BALER THEN CLOSES UP AND THE FARMER HEADS OFF DOWN THE FIELD WHILE THE BALER SCOOPS IN MORE GRASS FOR THE NEXT BALE

Topped up the gas tank, grabbed a coffee to go and down to the harbor we went.  Lake Huron's deep blue waters were looking calm with Cumulonimbus clouds on the distant horizon probably over the State of Michigan.

'HEY DAD, WANNA SPLIT A BIG ARCH'

THE COAST GUARD RESEARCH VESSEL LIMNOS IS IN THE PORT OF GODERICH

 THE ALGOMA SAULT IS AT THE SALT DOCK TAKING ON A LOAD OF SALT

 A PERFECT WEATHER MORNING TO BE AT THE BEACH

 BIG CLOUDS OUT OVER THE LAKE AND MAYBE THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AS A DISTANT JET SKI CUTS THROUGH THE WATER

 MAYBE THIS IS A FATHER AND SON MOMENT

 A RELAXING SATURDAY MORNING AT ROTARY COVE

From the harbor we headed for Walmart, picked up my prescription along with a few other things then headed for home.

 A MAMA FUZZY-WUZZY CATERPILLAR TAKES JUNIOR FUZZY-WUZZY FOR A WALK ON ONE OF OUR DOGWOOD BRANCHES

 HOSTA FLOWERS

There was a big pick-up truck in our driveway so I knew our company from south of the border had arrived.  Kelly's sister Kathy, with her son Zack, and his friend Evin and her son Wes.  They didn't get into Bayfield Friday night until after 10 and they came through a full-blown thunder and lightning storm with torrential rains.  When Pheebs and I came into the house Kelly had the folks on a tour of our little abode here.  Following that, it was a grand tour of our outside gardens.  The New York folks were anxious to head into Bayfield to check out the shops and then head off to Goderich to have a look around.  Kelly wasn't up for that so the folks headed off to see what they could see.  Kelly wasn't long in heading for her room for a big rest.  She has two medical appointments coming up in London next week.

 YUP, THE FOLKS FROM ROCHESTER NEW YORK ARE HERE:))

 KELLY AND HER SISTER KATHY

ZAK

 ZAK AND PHEEBS

KATHY, ZAK, KELLY, AND EVIN

 EVIN AND HER SON WES

 PHEEBS WAS ALL TIRED OUT FROM THE GARDEN TOUR

I don't normally care too much for going out to eat anymore.  Too noisy, too expensive, and too many people crowded into a small space where everybody is chattering all at once.  However, lured by the thoughts of Fish and Chips, it was 5:30 late this afternoon when we met the New Yorkers at the Black Dog Village Pub & Bistro in Bayfield.  Oh my, the noise in there....but I'll save my comments for another post.  After the Black Dog, we all meandered down the street to the ice cream shop where 3 out of the 5 of us had ice cream cones.  From there they piled into their truck and followed Kelly and I in the Subaru down to Bayfield's beach and that is where we left them.  We'll all meet again in the morning.    

 A LINEUP AT THE 'BLACK DOG'

 EVIN AND HER SON WES

 HEADING FOR THE ICE CREAM PLACE

 ZAK, MAN ABOUT TOWN

 SISTERS DECIDING IF THEY SHOULD POP INTO ONE OF THE SHOPPES

 EVIN DOING THE BAYFIELD TWO-STEP

 A LINE UP AT THE ICE CREAM SHOPPE AND THAT''S OUR GANG AT THE END OF THE LINE TO THE LEFT

 NO ICE CREAM FOR WES

 OH GEEZZZ WES, ARE WE KEEPING YA UP:))

 HEY!!

Just as I was about to post this tonight, Kelly said she had a couple photos in her smart phone so here they are........

 PHEEBS FINISHES OFF KELLY ICE CREAM CONE

Al's Music Box:)) Love Is All Around is a song recorded by English rock band The Troggs. Released as a single in October 1967, it was a top-ten hit in both the UK and US.  Reg Presley, lead singer of the Troggs, wrote "Love Is All Around" in about ten minutes, inspired by a TV broadcast of the Salvation Army band Joystrings performing an evangelical song titled "Love That's All Around".  The Troggs recorded Presley's song at Pye Studios for the record label Page One owned by their manager Larry Page, who also produced the recording.  The single was released in the UK in October 1967. The Troggs had intended to sever ties with Page and his record label earlier that year; however, after the success of the single they decided to stay, though changed managers.  The single was released in the rest of Europe and North America on Fontana Records.

 PEG LEG PETE....GULL STYLE

GROANER'S CORNER:(( At the height of a political corruption trial, the prosecuting attorney attacked a witness. "Isn't it true," he bellowed, "that you accepted five thousand dollars to compromise this case?" The witness stared out the window, as though he hadn't hear the question.  "Isn't it true that you accepted five thousand dollars to compromise this case?" the lawyer repeated. The witness still did not respond.  Finally, the judge leaned over and said, "Sir, please answer the question." "Oh," the startled witness said, "I thought he was talking to you."

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- "I'd like to order a bar pizza,” the drunk says. “Shall I ask them to cut it into six or twelve slices,” the barmaid asks.“Six, please. I could never eat twelve pieces.

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- Seen on the door of a music shop: "Gone Chopin with my Liszt. Bach at 2pm. Offenbach sooner."

- Grandpa, did God make you?  Yes.  Did he make me?  Yes.  I guess he's doing better work now.

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The telephone rings in the principal's office at school.  "Hello, this is Dunn Elementary," answers the principal.  "Hi. Jimmy won't be able to come to school all next week," replies the voice.  "Well, what seems to be the problem with him." "We are all going on a family vacation," says the voice.  "I guess that would be fine," says the principal. "May I ask who is calling?""Sure. This is my father!"

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