YOUR CONCERNED AND NEIGHBORLY FRIENDS JUST ACROSS THE BORDER

WE STILL HAVE COLOR IN OUR FRONT YARD

For our semi-monthly country road coffee tour it was Richards turn to drive and he picked up at 9 a.m. sharp.  Cloudy and cold but at least it wasn't raining.  However, snow is predicted over the next few days.  Looks like it could be a looooooong winter.  Our travels this morning took us up around the Goderich area whereupon we loaded ourselves up with an ample supply of McDonalds coffee and carrot muffins.  Okay, one coffee and one muffin apiece.  For us two old guys I would say that was ample:))

OUR HOSTAS ARE DONE FOR ANOTHER YEAR

BLACK CAPPED CHICKADEE

I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER AT OUR FEEDER

With winter fast approaching I'm trying to decide whether to put on the Jeep's heavy-duty tires or not.  If Pheebs and I stuck to paved roads all winter in the 4 wheel drive Jeep we might be alright but of course, that is not what we are in the habit of doing.  It's basically a hundred dollar bill to switch tires in the Fall and another hundred dollar bill to switch them back again in the Spring.  I guess maybe that should be my answer. 

DID YOU SEE THE FROG??

Kind of a dull afternoon with a short Pheeber walk thrown in to brighten the day.  Hadn't taken any photos this morning so I took my camera for a walk around our yard late this afternoon.  No matter what, there are always photos to be found if one has the interest to look for them.  Sometimes that interest can be a wee bit hard to find.

NICE AFTERNOON FOR A WALK ALONG THE FOREST FLOOR TRAIL

RHODODENDRON LEAVES

Not much going on in our neck of the woods these days and in this day and age of tumultuous stressful events, I guess we should be very thankful for not having a lot of that stress going on right here where we are.  Next week about this time many folks might be wishing we could turn the clock back a week to what might seem like simpler times.  Good luck America in holding your great country together through the approaching storm now swiftly bearing down on you and darkening your doorstep.  Just know you have your concerned neighborly Canadian friends just on the other side of the border from you.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Children's Logic: "Give me a sentence about a public servant," said a teacher. The small boy wrote:  "The fireman came down the ladder pregnant."  The teacher took the lad aside to correct him. "Don't you know what pregnant means?" she asked. "Sure," said the young boy confidently. 'It means carrying a child."

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They say that an apple a day will keep the doctor away...Why stop there?  An onion a day will keep everybody away!

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WE ARE NOT ALONE HERE IN THE UNIVERSE

PEEK-A-BOO

Although we had some nice sunny breaks in the morning we also had an icy cold wind blowing in on us across Lake Huron.  With our 43F high the wind chill factor drove it down to feeling like the lower to mid 30's.  It was a short Jeep ride into Bayfield and back for Pheebs and I.  I've noticed over the past couple months Pheebs has been a little hesitant about going sometimes and this morning was one of them.  She also has a tendency to sleep on the back seat more often now too.

FINDING SOME AUTUMN COLOR IN BAYFIELD THIS MORNING

Home by 9:30 I at first had no urge to head back outside.  I have about 90% of our outside stuff done anyway and about all that is left to do is turn off the outside water which will only take a few minutes whenever I get around to doing it.  Luckily, having done it once a year for the past 18 years I still remember how it's done.  Not the case in so many other things.  I did end up going out later and raking pine needles.  It wasn't as cold out as I had thought it was and the sunshine felt good.

THESE FURRY FACE HIGHLAND CATTLE GUYS (AND SHEEP) CAN BE FOUND AT THE RIVER ROAD BREWING AND HOPS FARM ON BAYFIELD RIVER ROAD

Noticed the movie crew for Trigger Point was in full work mode earlier today in downtown Bayfield.  The same street section was again blocked off and there was a lot of movie crew moving about.  So many white rental stake trucks around too, even down a couple side streets.  Sure takes a whole lot of people to put a few minutes of movie-making on the screen.

SOME LAST MINUTE SET DECORATION PERHAPS

Pheebs and I did get out for a sunny afternoon walk and encountered a big tree cutting monster we hadn't seen before.  This can't be good for our pine forest:((

I had seen a program on television awhile back called 'Skinwalker Ranch' but dismissed it as probably another one of those macho beards and baseball hatted guys reality shows.  Well, that was until I saw the Skinwalker Ranch mentioned in one of the latest books I was reading about UFO's and Extraterrestrials.  That of course led me to a book entitled, Hunt For The Skinwalker Ranch: Science Confronts The Unexplained which I am reading now.  I watched my first Skinwalker Ranch episode a few nights ago, found it very interesting, and decided it was not just another one of those Duck Dynasty or Swamp People type shows.  Also, a like-minded long time blog reader sent me this link Tuesday about a factual up to date recent documentary called, The Phenomenon which I watched this afternoon.  This is a really well done hour and twenty-minute documentary that for me removes any remaining doubt about whether UFO's and the Extraterrestrials who operate these Unidentified Flying Objects are real.  I would recommend this film to any doubting skeptics out there.  One of the first books on this subject I read about 10 years ago was entitled, The Day After Roswell by Col. Philip J. Corso and it was this book that started me on the road of believability.  And, as I have mentioned before, it was my Mother telling me about what she saw one night many years ago that put the first serious thoughts in my mind about the fact we are not alone here in this Universe. 

GROANER'S CORNER:((      Artist Pablo Picasso surprised a burglar at work in his new chateau. The intruder got away, but Picasso told the police he could do a rough sketch of what he looked like.  On the basis of his drawing, the police arrested a mother superior, the minister of finance, a washing machine, and the Eiffel tower.

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How do you start a fairy tale in the modern era?
"If elected, I promise..."

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All Bill asked for was a little good-night kiss, but Anne haughtily rebuffed him with, "I don't do that sort of thing on my first date!"  "Well," Bill replied with sarcasm, "how about on your last date?"

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AND I AM FEELING A SNAP BETTER ABOUT THINGS BECAUSE OF IT

RURAL ONTARIO'S EARLY MORNING PASTEL COLORS

With a moving cloud cover and light drizzle in the air, our day's beginning Jeep meanderings led us out of the Park heading east.  Turning north on Stirlings Line I glanced in my rearview mirror and saw a momentary splash of sunshine far behind us.  Stopping, I quickly hopped out of the Jeep and took this post's first and last photos.  Seconds later the Sun was gone again.  Minutes before that on Bayfield River Road I had spotted the furry face cow guys in a recently harvested cornfield.  (Highland Cattle)

THESE CUTE FURRY FACE GUYS LIVE JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM US

'HEY MR. CAMERAMAN HOW'S THIS FOR MY PROFILE SHOT'

Continuing east again we eventually wandered ourselves over to the Hullett Marsh.  Not much stirring out there and the only sound in the air was a large multi-engine jet aircraft flying low and slow somewhere overhead just above the low hanging mottled cloud cover.  Following its sound, I thought it most unusual as that large jet slowly wandered back and forth around the area for the best part of ten minutes before its engine sound slowly faded away somewhere out over Lake Huron.  In all that time the engines never powered up or down, they remained in a steady idle.  I knew it was a large jet because of the many times I've heard jets coming and going at Pearson International Airport in Toronto plus the many air shows I've attended years ago.  The large jet aircraft was way out of place for this area.

IN THE MARSH IT IS EASY TO SEE HOW FAST OUR COLORFUL TREES ARE LOSING THEIR LEAVES

IN A FEW WEEKS THERE WILL HARDLY BE A COLORED LEAF TO BE SEEN ANYWHERE

Managing a short walk in the marsh dodging around through rain sprinkles I couldn't help but think how fortunate I am having first developed a photography interest many years ago.  How lucky I am in these latter years that that interest has stuck with me for so long and has ended up giving me this wonderful hobby.  If it were not for photography (and the Pheebs) there probably would not be any morning Jeep rides and for sure there would be no blog.  My reward for this photo hobby of mine is simply being able to freely share these many photos of mine with so many people each day.  I don't know what other things I would be enjoyably filling much of my day's with but whatever it might have been I don't think it would have given me the enjoyment and rewards photography has.  Yes, I am truly a lucky fellow to have something to creatively focus on each day as my eyes continuously scan for the beauty I see in so many things.

MORNING'S MOODY SKY REFLECTED IN WHISTLER POND

Morning's rain steadily increased so we headed for home.  More rain followed and continued for much of the afternoon.  Aside from feeding the birds, I stayed inside out of the cold 38F wetness for the rest of the day.  There was no afternoon walk for Pheebs and I so I resumed my familiar daily pattern of reading and snoozing.  Sunshine predicted for Wednesday.

IN THE 30 SECOND SUNSPLASH WE HAD THIS MORNING I WAS ALSO ABLE TO GET A FEW QUICK PICS OF A NEARBY FARM

Maybe only temporary but at least for now, I have managed to sidetrack myself away from the looming possible disaster approaching in American politics and all the worldwide pandemic issues.  Through my Kindle reader, I have re-immersed myself in a subject I have had a long time interest in.  A subject that as of late has once again rapidly been gaining strength in the non-fiction true believability realm.  UFO's and Extraterrestrials.  Fascinating stuff and as evidence continues to grow I am convinced more than ever of its validity.   For now anyway, I have replaced much of my upsetting cable news channel watching with page-turning educational reading time.  And I am feeling a snap better about things because of it:))

JUST A WEEK AGO I TOOK A PHOTO FROM THIS SAME SPOT AND THAT MAPLE TREE WAS COVERED IN BEAUTIFUL YELLOW AUTUMN LEAVES

WHILE TAKING THIS PHOTO FROM THE JEEP I NOTICED SOMETHING IN THE WATER TO THE RIGHT

HOLY SMOKES ITS A RARE 40 FOOT HURON COUNTY  SWAMP PYTHON!!!!

Whether right or wrong I stopped all my medications a week ago in an effort to see if I would feel any different and hopefully better.  With prescribed diabetic, arthritic, cholesterol, blood pressure, and urinary pills I have to wonder sometimes how all those meds could be reacting with each other.  Could they somehow be the cause of my continuous tiredness?  I will give it another week and see if I notice any changes.  Oh by the way, about that Huron County Swamp Python.....ya, it was just a broken-off tree limb in the water:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((   A guy is going on an ocean cruise, and he tells his doctor that he's worry about getting seasick.  The doctor suggests, ''Eat two pounds of stewed tomatoes before you leave the dock.''  The guy replies, ''Would that keep me from getting sick, Doc?''  The doctor says, ''No, but it'll look real pretty in the water.''

- If con is the opposite of pro...Does that mean Congress is the opposite of progress?

- Doctor, doctor, I keep thinking I'm a snail.
Don't worry, we'll soon have you out of your shell.

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