'CAPTAIN BIG BOOTS' CLIMBS INTO THE FROG POND

 OUR FRONT YARD FROG POND FROGS WERE DOING THEIR BEST T TO STAY OUT OF SIGHT TODAY

An overcast day but that's okay because they say 'variety is the spice of life'.  Too many sunny days in a row can get a little boring.  We need these cloudy days in our lives to really appreciate those sunny days when they do come along.

It wasn't much of a car ride this morning as Pheebs and I slipped around our Park and came home.  Kelly had some errands to run in Goderich and I was anxious to get started on my front yard frog pond project.  And, speaking of frogs, my annual frog round-up began this morning as well.   I had hoped to at least catch half a dozen frogs but it began raining around 11 so I quickly hustled the two frogs I already had in the pail over to Park's pond and eased the little guys into the water.  Half an hour later the rain stopped so out I went again and rounded me up 8 more frogs.  Draining about two-thirds of the water out of the pond made it easier to catch the little fellows with my fisherman's net.  I also pulled on my rubber boots and climbed myself into the shallow end of the pond and was able to lift out a number of rocks that had tumbled into the pond over the past couple of years.  And, I was easily able to get the plastic at the pond's end pulled up.  The next phase of the project is to now rebuild that end of the pond.  Maybe tomorrow, depending on the weather.

 WITH THE WHITE PAIL A THIRD FULL OF WATER I DROP THE FROGS IN AND THEN WHEELBARROW THEM OVER TO THE PARK'S POND AND GENTLY SLIP THEM INTO THE WATER....I USE THAT BLUE FISH NET TO CATCH THE LITTLE FELLAS

 TWO OF THE TEN FROGS I TRANSPORTED TO THE PARK'S POND TODAY

Of course, if this whole idea goes sideways I may go to plan B and pull all the liner out, fill in the hole, plant some flowers, and call it a day.   

 IN THE PROCESS OF PULLING THE SHALLOW END PERIMETER APART

MY SUPER ENGINEERED POND WATER DRAINAGE IDEA

 I MADE THE MISTAKE 20 YEARS AGO OF USING BRICKS AROUND THE EDGE OF THE POND TO HOLD THE LINER DOWN....IN THE WINTER THOSE WET BRICKS FROZE AND SHATTERED INTO PIECES....IT WAS HERE THE LEAK OCCURRED

I UNCOVERED A SURPRISE HERE...I HAD TOTALLY FORGOTTEN THAT I HAD ACTUALLY PUT SOME KIND OF A WHITE THICK LINER UNDER THE DARK PLASTIC LINER....NO WONDER THE POND HAS BEEN HOLDING ITS WATER ALL THESE YEARS

OKAY, HERE GOES' CAPTAIN BIG BOOTS' CLIMBING INTO THE FROG POND

Music plays in our house non-stop 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.  How nice this morning to be brought ever so softly out of my sleep with this tune called Shanghai Super Flight. (wait for the horn)  Oh my, how I love this kind of ambient music and it is the type of music that surrounds me every day including in the car.  And yes, I have a boombox in the washroom with quite a library of favorite music on cassettes too.  About the only times I do not have ambient music in my ears is when I am working around outside or out for a walk somewhere.  At those times it is Mother Nature's music I listen to.  The wind in the trees, the songbirds in the air, the Squirrels and the Chipmunks, the Coyotes, the Crickets, the rumbling thunder of a summer storm, raindrops, and Peeper frogs in the Spring.  Yes, Mother Nature has a whole host of wonderful music for my ears.  And yours too, if you listen:))    

A's Music Box:)) Cowboy Night Herd Song by Roy Rogers and the Sons of the Pioneers.  Roy Rogers (born Leonard Franklin Slye; November 5, 1911 – July 6, 1998), nicknamed the King of the Cowboys, was an American singer, actor, television host, freemason and rodeo performer.  Following early work under his given name, first as a co-founder of the Sons of the Pioneers and then as an actor, the rebranded Rogers then became one of the most famous and popular Western stars of his era.  Roy was 19 when his sister Mary suggested that he audition for the Midnight Frolic radio program, which was broadcast over KMCS in Inglewood, California. A few nights later, wearing a Western shirt that Mary had made for him, he overcame his shyness and appeared on the program playing guitar, singing, and yodeling.  A few days later, he was asked to join a local country music group, the Rocky Mountaineers.  He accepted the group's offer and became a member in August 1931.  By September 1931, Len hired the Canadian-born Bob Nolan, who answered the group's classified ad in the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner that read, "Yodeler for old-time act, to travel. Tenor preferred." Nolan stayed with the group only a short time, but Len and he stayed in touch. Nolan was replaced by Tim Spencer.  In the spring of 1932, Len, Spencer, and another singer, Slumber Nichols, left the Rocky Mountaineers to form a trio, which soon failed. Throughout that year, Len and Spencer moved through a series of short-lived groups, including the International Cowboys and the O-Bar-O Cowboys. When Spencer left the O-Bar-O Cowboys to take a break from music, Len joined Jack LeFevre and His Texas Outlaws, who were a popular act on a local Los Angeles radio station.  In early 1933, Len, Nolan, and Spencer formed the Pioneers Trio, with Slye on guitar, Nolan on string bass, and Spencer as lead vocalist. They rehearsed for weeks refining their vocal harmonies. During this time, Len continued to work with his radio singing group, while Spencer and Nolan began writing songs for the trio.  In early 1934, the fiddle player Hugh Farr joined the group, adding a bass voice to their vocal arrangements. Later that year, the Pioneers Trio became the Sons of the Pioneers when a radio station announcer changed their name because he felt they were too young to be pioneers. The name was received well and fit the group, which was no longer a trio.  By the summer of 1934, the popularity and fame of the Sons of the Pioneers extended beyond the Los Angeles area and quickly spread across the country through short syndicated radio segments that were later rebroadcast across the United States. The Sons of the Pioneers signed a recording contract with the newly founded Decca label and made their first commercial recording on August 8, 1934.  One of the first songs recorded during that first session was "Tumbling Tumbleweeds", written by Bob Nolan. Over the next two years, the Sons of the Pioneers recorded 32 songs for Decca, including the classic "Cool Water".

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man enters a craft chocolate shop and asks if they could make a chocolate model car for him.  “Sure, no problem”  “And can it look like the VW Beetle that my dad had?”“Nice idea, no problem at all.”  “And can you make it so that the chocolate doors open and you can see the interior detailed in chocolate, like with a plastic model car?  Same with the bonnet and trunk?” “That will require some planning, but I think I can manage.” “And I would like the wheels to roll, and if I turn the steering wheel then the wheels should turn as well?”  “Mmmh that is fiendishly difficult in chocolate, I will need to carefully plan and experiment…”“And finally, can you make it so that the chocolate windows can move up and down when you turn the handles?”  “Man this is insanely difficult. But give me 3 weeks and I’ll try my best.”  Three weeks later the man returns and indeed there is a lovely chocolate VW Beetle model on display. The chocolatier proudly shows it in all its glorious details: interior, wheels, steering wheel, windows, everything works perfectly, and after the demo he asks, “Shall I put it in a nice gift box?” “No need, I will just eat it here.”

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How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?

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The United States is the only country where a housewife hires a woman to do her cleaning, so she can do volunteer work at the daycare, where the cleaning woman leaves her child.
Go figure.
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AUNT JEAN HAD A FALL

 TUYLL STREET IN BAYFIELD

A fantabulous weather morning with cooler air and sunshine.  Kelly is 'finally' feeling better now that the antibiotics are beginning to kick in.  Before heading out for our morning drive, Pheebs and I took a short drive around our Park.

 'OH-OH' FOREST FIRE?? NOPE, JUST STUMPS AND BRANCHES BEING BURNED IN OUR PARK

 HANGING FLOWER BASKETS ON OUR PARK'S LAMP POSTS

 IF I  WAS A LITTLE BIRD I MIGHT JUST MAKE THIS LITTLE RED HOUSE MY HOME

We hadn't taken a swing through Bayfield since about a week ago, so off we went to have us a look around.  We always head straight for the harbor and beach area and follow that up with a swing up into the village for a slow cruise along main street.  Sometimes from there, we head off to the cemetery for a walk or out into the countryside south of Bayfield to dust up a few country roads.  This morning we did neither and headed on back  home.

 HEADING INTO BAYFIELD

 LAKE HURON'S PRETTY COLORS 

 A LADY SPEED WALKING ON BAYFIELD'S SOUTH PIER

 I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE SEEN A HOUSEBOAT DOCKED IN BAYFIELD

 ONE OF THE BIGGER FISHING BOATS

 BOAT TALK

 THE HURON EXPLORER 1 WAS IN PORT THIS MORNING

 NEAR BAYFIELD'S PIONEER PARK

It was just me in the Subaru early this afternoon heading to Goderich.  I had a 2 p.m. appointment with my Nurse Practitioner and Diabetes  Lady.  From my blood test last week they were pleased with the results saying, my diabetic numbers have come down and are in a range where they need to be.  That was good enough for me I thought as I later went whistling out the door.  My next stop was at the Motor Vehicle branch to renew my driver's license.  Things went okay there as well.  I was able to let a fellow who had come in after me go ahead of me because I could tell he was a working fella in a hurry.  And, for me, that topped off my day:))

From the Motor Vehicle Branch, I headed down to the harbor to see if I could maybe drum up a few photos and from there I headed home.

LAKE HURON OUT AT ROTARY COVE

I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE TAKING PICTURES OF LAKE HURON'S SPARKLY WATERS

 RESTING BENCHES ALONG THE DOG WALKING PATH AND THIS WOULD BE A GREAT PLACE TO WATCH THE SUNSETS OUT OVER LAKE HURON

Talked to Aunt Jean a few nights ago and she had herself a fall last week.  She had taken her walker outside the main door at Sarasota Florida's Sunnyside Village to walk around the parking lot in an effort to strengthen her steadily weakening legs.  Despite the heat of the day, everything went well so she came back inside and decided to slip out the north side of the building to where she knew I shady porch was located.  Being the only one out there she sat for a while enjoying the quiet tropical surroundings.  After a while she decided to come back inside, but when she stood up from the chair her legs cumpled under her and down she went, landing square on her keester.  Having a medical background in nursing, she quickly determined that she hadn't broken anything.  But, here's where she ran into a second problem.  She couldn't get up despite trying to pull herself up by the chair.  Reluctantly, she finally had no choice but to press a device on her walker that notified the staff that someone had fallen and that they were outside somewhere.  Most folks go outside through the main door where the lobby is, so that is where the staff began their search for whoever it was who had fallen.  Aunt Jean said it was a maintenance lady who finally found her.  She asked the lady to help her up so she could get on her way but the lady said she could get into trouble if she did that.  She notified staff where Jean was and a nurse was soon there.  After the nurse determined Aunt Jean hadn't broken anything, she, with the help of the maintenance lady were able to get Jean up on her feet and back to her room.  Jean said she is feeling fine with the only lasting injury being to that of her pride.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN THE FEDERAL KATSURA

 A LARGE OPEN DECK HATCH

I finished another book last week. Evidence Of Animal Afterlife by author Edward Anderson.  An uplifting read if one reads it with an open mind.  I am currently reading Soul Proof by author Dr. Mark Pitstick.  Also an uplifting read for my ever-inquiring mind.

 I SPOTTED THIS MIATA CONVOY EXITING THE BEACH STREET RESTAURANT PARKING LOY

 A FIELD OF DROOPY HEADED LITTLE SUNFLOWERS ON THE WAY HOME

Al's Music Box:)) Walk Right In by The Rooftop Singers is a country blues song written by musician Gus Cannon and originally recorded by Cannon's Jug Stompers in 1929.  In 1959, it was included in a compilation album 'The Country Blues'.  Another version of the song by the Rooftop Singers, with the writing credits allocated to group members Erik Darling and Bill Svanoe, became an international hit in 1963.  In 1962 group member Erik Darling recruited two friends to join him in this effort after hearing the original Cannon recording. Darling wanted the track to have a distinctive sound, so he and group member Bill Svanoe both played twelve-string guitars, although they had some difficulty in acquiring the instruments. Darling is quoted as saying that prior to the making of this record, "you couldn't buy a 12-string guitar.  I ordered one from the Gibson Company, but in order to record the song with two 12-strings, we had to wait for the company to build a second one for Bill!" (a left-handed model).  The success of the song was a boon to Cannon, who was in his late 70s and had been forced to pawn his banjo the previous winter to pay his heating bill; he received royalties as a songwriter and saw renewed interest in his music, which led to a recording contract of his own.  When released as a single, it spent two weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1963.  It spent five weeks atop the Easy Listening chart, which later became known as the Adult Contemporary chart.  In addition, "Walk Right In" reached both the R&B chart (peaking at No.4) as well as the Country Music chart, peaking at No.23.  It was included on the album Walk Right In, and was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category Best Folk recording.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A couple go for a meal at a Chinese restaurant and order Chicken Surprise. The waiter brings the meal, served in a lidded cast iron pot. Just as the wife is about to serve herself, the lid of the pot rises slightly and she briefly sees two beady little eyes looking around before the lid slams back down.  "Good grief, did you see that?" she asks her husband.  He hasn't, so she asks him to look in the pot. He reaches for it and again the lid rises, and he sees two little eyes looking around before it slams down.  Rather perturbed, he calls the waiter over, explains what is happening, and demands an explanation.  "Please sir," says the waiter, "what you order?"  The husband replies, "Chicken Surprise."  "Ahh so sorry," says the waiter, "I bring you Peeking Duck."

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A man goes to the doctor complaining about constantly hearing the song "Delilah" in his head.  The doctor says, "That sounds like a textbook case of Tom Jones syndrome."  The man asks, "Never heard of that. Is it common?"  The doctor responds, "It's not unusual."

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Prisoner: Look here, doctor! You've already removed my spleen, tonsils, adenoids, and one of my kidneys. I only came to see if you could get me out of this place!  Doctor: I am, piece by piece.

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- Justice is a dish best served cold...
If it were served warm, it would be justwater.

Sure Signs That You've Joined a Cheap HMO::

- Directions to your doctor's office include, 'take a left when you enter the trailer park.'

- Tongue depressors taste faintly of Fudgesicle.

- Only proctologist in the plan is 'Gus' from Roto-Rooter.

- Only item listed under Preventive Care feature of coverage is 'an apple a day.'

- Your 'primary care physician' is wearing the pants you gave to Goodwill last month.

3. The only expense covered 100% is embalming.

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HOLDING BACK THE SUN'S HOT RAYS

 THE GODERICH SALT MINE REFLECTED IN THE CALM GREEN WATER OF THE HARBOR

It was a drive to Goderich and back for Pheebs and I on this overcast Sunday morning.  Picked up some gas and a few things at Walmart while there.  With the afternoon cloud cover still holding back the Sun's rays, the furry Kid and I managed a slow walk around the Park's pond.  There is still a lot of humidity in the air.  Looking forward to cooler air moving into the area soon.....At the time of posting this tonight, it's raining................

 RELAXING BY THE QUIET WATERS OF LAKE HURON READING THE SUNDAY MORNING FUNNIES

 'HEY DAD LET'S HEAD FOR HOME AND GET SOME WEENIE SNACKS GOING'

Al's Music Box:)) Laughter In The Rain is a song composed and recorded by Neil Sedaka, with lyrics by Phil Cody. It includes a 20-second saxophone solo by Jim Horn.  The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in February 1975.  (Sedaka's first single to top the Hot 100 since 1962) The song was released on Elton John's Rocket label in the US.  After hearing a version of "Laughter in the Rain" by singer Lea Roberts on the radio several weeks before the planned release of his single, Sedaka phoned Elton John to have MCA Records rush the Sedaka version to release within five days.  The opening chord of the chorus was based on that used by John in 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road', which Sedaka has described as a "drop-dead chord."  He combined that with a pentatonic melody inspired by Aaron Copland.  Cody recalled experiencing writer's block when initially attempting to write the lyrics at first, but after a two-hour outdoor nap aided by a small amount of marijuana, the lyrics came to him, allowing him to finish the song in about five minutes:  Neil and I started writing the song early in the day and I just wasn't getting it. So, I went for a walk, smoked a very small amount of weed and sat under a tree and took a short nap. It was a bright sunny day, not a cloud in the sky and yet, when I got back to my post at Sedaka's right elbow, the lyric just fell onto the page with very little effort from me. Somewhere, in my consciousness, I guess I was having a Gene Kelly moment.  The song spent two weeks at the top of the adult contemporary chart.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Why Dogs Are Better Than Kids.........

- It doesn't take 45 minutes to get a dog ready to go outside in the winter.
- Dogs cannot lie.
- Dogs never resist nap time.
- You don't need to get extra phone lines for a dog.
- Dogs don't care if the peas have been touched by the mashed potatoes.
- Dogs are housebroken by the time they are 12 weeks old.
- Your dog is not embarrassed if you sing in public.
- Average cost of sending a dog to school: $42  Average cost of sending a kid: $103,000

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"I'm a walking economy," a man was overheard saying..."My hairline's in recession, my waist is a victim of inflation, and together they're putting me in a deep depression."

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A Sunday school teacher asked little Susie, "Who's your favorite person in the Bible?"Susie said, "King Solomon.""Can you tell us why?""Because he was so nice to ladies and to animals.""What do you mean?""He had six hundred wives and three hundred porcupines."

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Teacher: "What is the chemical formula for water?"
Student: "HIJKLMNO."
Teacher: "What are you talking about?"
Student: "Yesterday you said it's H to O!"

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