DID THAT SCARE ME?? DARN RIGHT IT DID!!

 LAST SATURDAY NIGHT'S SUNSET AT BAYFIELD'S PIONEER PARK

I could see through the pine trees a thin yellow pencil line along the horizon to the east this morning.  I was hopeful for a firey sunrise but it vanished quickly into heavy snow-laden cloud cover that remained for the whole day.  Pheebs and I rolled out of the Park heading east on Bayfield River Road and as soon as we exited the protective forest it was readily apparent that high winds were at work whipping up twirling whirligigs of dancing snowgypsies across farmer's fields.  Luckily the wind direction was coming from behind us so it wasn't blowing across the road.  Visibility was fine.  Or so I thought.  Reaching the end of Bayfield River road after passing a logging operation in progress, I had planned to make a U-Turn and head back home.  However, a snowplow was sitting in the middle of the road at the T-intersection contemplating how to get around the logging truck up the road from him.  I had to squeak around him to the right so decided to just turn left on Parr Line and drive the short mile or so north to Bayfield Road then turn left and head home that way.  However, there was an immediate problem.  The strong winds were blowing snow straight across the northbound highway from west to east and I right away encountered a couple small whiteouts.  The oncoming southbound lane beside me had just been cleared by the snowplow but not the northbound lane I was in which was driveable.  I accelerated and within seconds I drove right into a larger whiteout and didn't know there was a hidden snowdrift in the unplowed lane on my side of the road.  I immediately had about five seconds of scary excitement as that snowdrift tried its best to pull me off the road and down into the ditch on the right side.  And, had I been driving a rear-wheel drive car or possibly a front wheel drive vehicle, that is right where would have gone.  But, keeping my hands firmly at the 9 and 3 o'clock position on the steering wheel and making small corrections while continuing to add power, Subies all-wheel drive unwaveringly pulled and pushed me through that snowdrift in the direction I was steering.   We popped out of the whiteout on our side of the road still heading north.  Did that scare me??  Darn right it did!!  Took a little wind out of my sails too.  A minute later we rolled up to a stop sign, turned left on Bayfield Road, and headed west into the wind. Less than ten minutes later I was backing safely up our plowed driveway (Frank) and into our carport.  I was needing a hot cup of coffee after that one.  I think Pheebs and I might stay off the roads tomorrow:))

I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE A LOGGING OPERATION GOING ON HERE

EASING BY THE LOGGING TRUCK

SQUEAKING AROUND THE SNOWPLOW TO THE RIGHT FOR MY LEFT-HAND TURN

OH OH IT'S NOT LOOKING GOOD UP AHEAD

PUNCHING INTO A WHITEOUT

 PUNCHING OUT OF THE WHITEOUT

 HEADING INTO THE WIND IT WAS CLEAR SAILING THE REST OF THE WAY HOME

 PHEEBS USES A RAMP TO EXIT THE SUBARU

 I MADE THIS RAMP BACK IN 2006 FOR OUR DOGS, MAX, CHECKERS, AND CORA TO GET INTO AND OUT OF THE BACK SEAT OF OUR GMC SIERRA PICK-UP TRUCK

A Blast From Our Past:))It was in January of 2011 that I was able to show some members of a Bisbee Arizona hiking club an area in the Chiricahua Mountains where they might find some new hiking trails.  Another Fine Day In The Chiricahua Mountains Rucker Canyon   

 BOONDOCKED WEST OF GILA BEND AND IF YOU LOOK CLOSE YOU CAN SEE KELLY AND MAX AND A CAMPFIRE

Al's Music Box:)) Stay is a doo-wop song written by Maurice Williams and first recorded in 1960 by Williams with his group the Zodiacs. The song was written by Williams in 1953 when he was 15 years old. He had been trying to convince his date not to go home at 10 o'clock as she was supposed to. He lost the argument, but as he was to relate years later, "Like a flood, the words just came to me."  In 1960, the song was put on a demo by Williams and his band, the Zodiacs, but it attracted no interest until an eight-year-old heard it and impressed the band members with her positive reaction to the tune. The band's producer, Phil Gernhard, took it along with some other demos to New York City and played them for all the major record producers that they could access. Finally, Al Silver of Herald Records became interested but insisted that the song be re-recorded as the demo's recording levels were too low. They also said that one line, "Let's have another smoke" would have to be removed in order for the song to be played on commercial radio. After the group recorded the tune again, it was released by Herald Records and was picked up by CKLW radio. It entered the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on October 3, 1960, and reached the number one spot on November 21, 1960. It was dislodged a week later by Elvis Presley's "Are You Lonesome Tonight". On the recording, Williams sang lead and Henry Gaston sang the falsetto chorus.  The original recording of "Stay" was the shortest single ever to reach the top of the American record charts at that time, at 1 minute 36 seconds. (According to the record label, the Four Seasons' version was even shorter, at 1:30, and remains the shortest charting record of all time, although it did not reach #1.)  By 1990, it had sold more than 8 million copies. Its popularity revived when the Dirty Dancing soundtrack included it.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A married couple in their early 60s were out celebrating their 35th wedding anniversary in a quiet, romantic little restaurant.  Suddenly, a tiny yet beautiful fairy appeared on their table and said, “For being such an exemplary married couple and for being faithful to each other for all this time, I will grant you each a wish. “Ooh, I want to travel around the world with my darling husband.” said the wife.  The fairy moved her magic stick and – abracadabra! – two tickets for the new QM2 luxury liner appeared in her hands.  Now it was the husband's turn. He thought for a moment and said: “Well this is all very romantic, but an opportunity like this only occurs once in a lifetime, so, I'm sorry my love, but my wish is to have a wife 30 years younger than me.”  The wife, and the fairy, were deeply disappointed, but a wish is a wish… So the fairy made a circle with her magic stick and -abracadabra! – the husband became 92 years old.  The moral of this story: “Fairies are female.”

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A hillbilly was making his first visit to a hospital where his teenage son was about to have an operation.  Watching the doctor's every move, he asked, "What's that?"  The doctor explained, "This is an anesthetic. After he gets this he won't know a thing."  "Save your time, Doc," exclaimed the man. "He don't know nothing now."

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- Why was 6 afraid of 7?  Because 7,8,9.

- What kind of shoes do frogs love?  Open-toad!

- How did the baby tell his mom he had a wet diaper?  He sent her a pee-mail.

- How did Benjamin Franklin feel holding his kite when he discovered electricity?  Shocked!

- What is a room with no walls?  A mushroom.

- What is brown, hairy, and wears sunglasses?

A coconut on vacation.

- Why is a football stadium always cold?  It has lots of fans!

- What did the Dalmatian say after lunch?  That hit the spot!

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Pappy sees Elmer walking with a lantern and asks, "Where ya going, boy?" The son smiled and replied, "I'm a-going courting Peggy Sue." The Father said, "When I went a-courtin', I didn't need me no dang lantern." "Sure Pa, I know." the boy said. "And look what you got !"

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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kelly's Corner

 IN OUR FAVORITE LITTLE MOUNTAIN TOWN OF BISBEE ARIZONA

 BISBEE WAS NEAR OUR RANCH SITTING JOB SO WE VISITED BISBEE OFTEN....BE SURE TO CHECK OUT MY BISBEE PHOTO ALBUM ON OUR SIDE BAR

 WITH BLOG READER AND NEW FRIEND PAULA

 THAT'S OUR JEEP TO THE RIGHT

Al's Art Gallery

MY USUAL MID WINTER SLUMP....BUT IT'S OKAY

Some early blog readers last night noticed I hadn't put any photos in 'Kelly's Corner' last night.  Yes, it was an oversight on my part but thanks to a reader I was able to add three photos later last night.  I've got so many things going on in my blog now that if I don't have my aging brain cells laser focused on exactly what I am doing it is so easy for me to mess things up by forgetting stuff.

I'm kind of in my usual non-traveling mid-winter slump at the moment but it's okay and nothing to worry about.  I will bubble out the other side shortly.  I kind of think of them as 'the dog days of January'.  But hey, Groundhog Day is almost upon us already, and with the right prediction, we'll all be skedaddling for an early Spring.

Pheebs, although aging is still doing good.  The growth on her eye is growing outward and not inward so the Vet did not suggest surgery.  The results of her tests last week showed she has kidney issues and her teeth are not good.  But, she is still eating reasonably well, has exhibited no signs of pain or discomfort and overall is still a happy tail-wagging little doggy.  She's my most bestest Pal of ever. 

Al's Music B0x:)) Wake Up Little Susie is a popular song written by Felice and Boudleaux Bryant and published in 1957.  The song is best known in a recording by the Everly Brothers, issued by Cadence Records as catalog number 1337. The Everly Brothers record reached No. 1 on the Billboard Pop chart and the Cash Box Best Selling Records chart, despite having been banned from Boston radio stations for lyrics that, at the time, were considered suggestive, according to a 1986 interview with Don Everly. The song was ranked at No. 318 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All TimeA". In 2017, the 1957 recording by The Everly Brothers was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.  The song is written from the point of view of a high school boy to his girlfriend, Susie. In the song, the two go out on a date to a cinema (perhaps a drive-in), only to fall asleep during the movie. They do not wake up until 4 o'clock in the morning, well after her 10 o'clock curfew. They then contemplate the reactions of her parents and their friends. The boy fears that having stayed out so late, they've both now lost their good reputations.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A kindergarten student was having trouble putting on his boots, and asked his teacher for help. Even with her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn't want to go on. Finally they got both boots on. She grimaced when the little boy said, "They're on the wrong feet." Sure enough, they were. The teacher kept her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on - this time on the correct feet. The little boy then announced, "These aren't my boots." The teacher sighed and pulled the boots off.  The boy then said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear them."  The teacher felt like crying, but she mustered up the strength to wrestle the boots back onto his feet. "Now," she said, "where are your mittens?"  The boy replied, "I stuffed them in my boots...."

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A new hair salon opened up for business right across the street from the old established hair cutters' place.  They put up a big bold sign which read: "WE GIVE SEVEN DOLLAR HAIR CUTS!"  Not to be outdone, the old Master Barber put up his own sign: "WE FIX SEVEN DOLLAR HAIR CUTS!"

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A crumbling old church building needed remodeling, so, during his sermon, the preacher made an impassioned appeal looking directly at the richest man in town. At the end of the sermon, the rich man stood up and announced, "Pastor, I will contribute $1,000."  Just then, plaster fell from the ceiling and struck the rich man on the shoulder.  He promptly stood back up and shouted, "Pastor, I will increase my donation to $5,000."  Before he could sit back down, plaster fell on him again, and again he virtually screamed, "Pastor, I will double my last pledge."He sat down, and a larger chunk of plaster fell on his head.
He stood up once more and hollered, "Pastor, I will give $20,000!"  This prompted a deacon to shout, "Hit him again, Lord! Hit him again!"
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Al's Doggy World

Meanings:

Kellys Corner

 SITTING  IN THE EXACT SAME SPOT WHERE WE SAT WHEN WE FIRST MET IN A COFFEE SHOP IN DOON ONTARIO BACK IN THE SUMMER OF 1993

 AT HER MOM'S IN SPENCERPORT NEW YORK

A COLD WINTER'S MORN WHEN WE ALL CLIMB ABOARD OUR RV AND HEAD OFF TO THE GREAT AMERICAN SOUTHWEST

Al's Art Gallery