FOR A BRIEF MOMENT I BECAME A PART OF IT

After publishing my post Tuesday night I got a hankerin' to go for a drive somewhere so I hopped into the car and headed for Bayfield.  Not a creature was stirring anywhere, not even a mouse, although I did see one raccoon.  It was like I was the last person on the Planet as I cruised along at a slow 10mph under the softly lit street lights with my quietly haunting ambient music playing low.  The lights on people's properties and in people's homes looked so warm and inviting it gave me an overall sense of peace and well-being in this ever-maddening world we are all struggling with right now.  I felt like I had driven into the Twilight Zone and wanted to stay there forever.  No more harsh realities of life.  The quiet night wrapped me in a magic all its own and for a brief moment, I became a part of it.

THE FRONT PORCH IS BEGINNING TO TAKE SHAPE

With our nice weather about to backslide Thursday, I was up, out the door, and right at my outside Spring clean-up this morning.  I got so many things done today I can't think of them all so I won't bore you with my day except to say, Pheebs and I took our first walk around the Park's pond for 2025.  Oh, and I turned the outside water on today too.  I can't even begin to describe how nice it is here this afternoon with all the doors and windows open and me in a short-sleeved shirt.  I think we might have hit 70F.  And oh my, to hear all the excited Spring birds twittering.   A fabulous time of year and even more so this year than ever before.  The sun is shining and I feel a breath of fresh air in my life again. 

I STARTED WITH A BIG CLEAN-UP IN THE CARPORT THIS MORNING

HAULED OUT OUR TIRED OLD SUMMER STUFF FOR ANOTHER SEASON

 THERE IS STILL ICE IN OUR FRONT YARD FROG POND

Al's Music Box Jambalaya is a song written and recorded by American country music singer Hank Williams that was first released in July 1952. It is Williams' most recorded song. Named for a Creole and Cajun dish, jambalaya, it spawned numerous recordings and has since achieved popularity in several different music genres.  In 2002, the 1952 Hank Williams recording of the song on MGM Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.  Williams began writing the song while listening to the Cajuns talk about food on the Hadacol Caravan bus.  With a melody based on the Cajun song "Grand Texas", some sources, including AllMusic, claim that the song was co-written by Williams and Moon Mullican, with Williams credited as sole author and Mullican receiving ongoing royalties. Williams' biographer Colin Escott speculates that it is likely Mullican wrote at least some of the song and Hank's music publisher Fred Rose paid him surreptitiously so that he wouldn't have to split the publishing with Moon's label King Records.  Williams' song resembles "Grand Texas" in melody only. "Grand Texas" is a song about a lost love, a woman who left the singer to go with another man to "Big Texas"; "Jambalaya", while maintaining a Cajun theme, is about life, parties and stereotypical food of Cajun cuisine. The narrator leaves to pole a pirogue down the shallow water of the bayou, to attend a party with his girlfriend Yvonne and her family. At the feast, they have Cajun cuisine, notably Jambalaya, crawfish pie and file' gumbo, and drink liquor from fruit jars. Yvonne is his [ma] "chère amie", which is Cajun French for "my dear (female) friend" or more likely to mean "my girlfriend".  Williams recorded the song on June 13, 1952, his first recording session in six months, at Castle Studio in Nashville with backing provided by Jerry Rivers (fiddle), Don Helms (steel guitar), Chet Atkins (lead guitar), Chuck Wright (bass) and probably Ernie Newton (bass).  The recording Williams made differs significantly from Mullican's, which was released in the same month as Williams' version but with a different order of verses and extra rhyming couplets.  Since the original melody of the song was from "Grand Texas", the song is a staple of Cajun culture. However, although Williams kept a Louisiana theme, the song is not a true Cajun song, which helped the song gain widespread popularity:  Ethnic music is usually unpalatable for a mass market unless it is diluted in some way (Harry Belafonte's calypsos, Paul Simon's Graceland... the list is endless). The broader audience related to "Jambalaya" in a way that it could never relate to a true cajun two-step led by an asthmatic accordion and sung in patois.  Released in July 1952, it reached number one on the U.S. country charts for fourteen non-consecutive weeks.  Williams performed "Jambalaya" at the Louisiana Hayride as part of his "homecoming" in fall, 1952 (after being fired from the Grand Ole Opry). A live recording released as part of a series of Hayride performances includes outbursts of applause.  Another unreleased version is included in the 2017 CD set, At the Louisiana Hayride Tonight.  After Williams released his version, Cajuns recorded the song again using Cajun instruments. However, they used Williams' lyrics translated into the Cajun French language. "Jambalaya" remains one of Hank Williams' most popular songs today. International, translated or derived versions exist at least in Chinese, Dutch, Finnish, French, Italian, Polish, German, Spanish, Estonian and Swedish.  A demo version of Williams singing "Jambalaya (On the Bayou)" with just his guitar, likely recorded in 1951, is also available. Williams composed a sequel to the song from the female perspective, "I'm Yvonne (Of the Bayou)", recorded by Goldie Hill. It was not as popular. As with "Jambalaya" there is speculation that Williams may have written this song with Mullican and their friend Jimmy Rule.

 I'M SLOWLY GETTING THINGS LOOKING BETTER

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A Sunday school teacher was teaching her young students about Noah and the ark. She asked them what they thought Noah may have done to pass the time in the ark for forty years. After waiting a few moments, the teacher suggested, Maybe he did a lot of fishing. How about that?  One little boy gave her a funny look and said, I don't think so. It's kinda hard to fish with just two worms!

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Picking up this tiny piece of paper would take 2 seconds...But instead I'm going to run it over 100 times with my vacuum at different angles.

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You know you've reached middle age...
When you're cautioned to slow down by your doctor, instead of by the police.

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One Day the Devil challenged the Lord to a baseball game.  Smiling the Lord proclaimed, "You don't have a chance, I've got Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and all the greatest players up here."  "Yes", laughed the devil, "but I have all the umpires!"

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Late one night, a mugger wearing a ski mask jumped into the path of a well-dressed man and stuck a gun in his ribs. "Give me your money," he demanded.
Indignant, the affluent man replied, "You can't do this - I'm a United States Congressman!"  "In that case," replied the mugger, "give me MY money!"

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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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Al's Doggy World

Meanings::

Kelly's Corner

 A MORNING WALK IN THE LAND OF MAGIC NEAR OUR ARIZONA HOUSE

 A RELAXING DAY IN OUR FIRST MOTORHOME

 A QUIET EVENING CAMPFIRE AT OUR ARIZONA HOUSE

Al's Art Gallery

YES, HER NICKNAME SURE DOES FIT HER...TENACIOUS:))

 NO, I DON'T NEED A HAIRCUT YET

An hour after publishing Monday night's post I hopped into the Subaru and headed on out into the countryside.  With the day being clear and the night air crisp I figured it would be a good time to slip out under the stars and have myself a few thoughts.  However, I hadn't figured there would still be snow on the road where I go.  (Stirling Line) After doing some backing up I decided to have a look up and opened the Moonroof.  Not a star to be seen.  I stepped out of the car and again looked up.  Aside from 4 stars directly slightly to the south, the sky had clouded over.  Drats!!  Home I went and there basically ended my day.  

 I DIDN'T GET TOO FAR ON STIRLING LINE LAST NIGHT BEFORE HAVING TO BACK  UP

An early morning sunrise through the pine trees is always an encouraging way to start my day. And above-freezing temperatures at 33F too, knowing the day is only going to get warmer. I think we might have hit 60F today. Pheebs has again been hesitant about getting into the car for our morning car ride.  Instead of boosting her, I had to lift her up and set her on the seat the last couple of days.  I don't like doing that because at her age it could break a rib or something.  So, no car ride this morning.  With lots of Spring clean-up work here I soon had myself on the end of my wheelbarrow again and commenced with the yard work.  Before too long I had me a little campfire going in the backyard as well.  I like when that happens:))

THIS IS THE PILE OF BROKEN PINE BRANCHES I HAVE BEEN PILING UP ACROSS THE ROAD

 FIGURED I'D WORK AWAY AT REMOVING THIS OLD STUMP TODAY.....BY THE END OF THE DAY THE STUMP WAS STILL THERE AND I WAS THE OLDER ONE

Checking first to see if the road to the Park's recycling area was doable, I deemed it okay and went back to hook up the utility trailer to the Subaru.  Loaded two more wheelbarrow loads of pine needle debris into the trailer and then a bunch of broken branches from our Basswood tree and it was off to the recycling yard to unload it all.  Back again I brewed myself up a coffee, took a break, and then loaded up the utility trailer with a second load of broken pine branches from our backyard.  Oh my, it is soooooo nice to once again be outside accomplishing something instead of all that sitting in the house winter stuff!!  What a waste of precious time that is each year.  By late afternoon it felt like I was dragging two concrete posts around with me.  Looking down, I realized it was just my legs so I finally had to come into the house and sit down.  Cushioning into my comfy cozy recliner my first thought was, I'm never getting out of this chair again!! ................ I called Aunt Jean tonight and she's on the mend gaining a bit of strength each day.  She's optimistic about her future and her positive attitude has pulled her through another close call.  Yes, her nickname sure does fit her....Tenacious:))

 MY FIRST UTILITY TRAILER LOAD OF YARD WASTE FOR 2025

 OFFLOADED AT THE RECYCLING AREA

 MY SECOND LOAD

Al's Music Box Seventh Son sung by Johnny Rivers is a rhythm and blues song written by Willie Dixon. The title refers to the seventh son of a seventh son of folklore, which Dixon referenced previously in his "Hoochie Coochie Man". The lyrics include: "Now everybody's talkin' about the seventh son.  But in the whole round world, there is only one.  I'm the one, yes, I'm the one.  I'm the one they call the seventh son".  Johnny Rivers recorded the song as the lead track for his album 'Meanwhile Back at the Whisky a Go Go' in 1965. Also released as a single, "The Seventh Son" was one of Rivers's most popular singles.  In the early 1960s, Johnny Rivers recorded several albums at the Whisky a Go Go,, a popular music venue in West Hollywood, California.  In an AllMusic album review, Bruce Eder noted about the opening track, 'Seventh Son' – Rivers takes an approach that manages to intersect with swamp rock, white soul, and garage punk, all neatly wrapped up in three minutes so potent that it shot to the Top Ten on the Billboard Hot 100." The single version peaked at number seven on July 2, 1965, and topped RPM magazine's Top Singles chart.

 WHAT DO YOU THINK THE CHANCES ARE OF ME LOSING MY MITTS BEFORE THE END OF THE DAY

GROANER'S CORNER:(( The Reverend Francis Norton woke up Sunday morning and realizing it was an exceptionally beautiful and sunny early spring day, decided he just had to play golf.  So... he told the Associate Pastor that he was feeling sick and convinced him to say Mass for him that day. As soon as the Associate Pastor left the room, Father Norton headed out of town to a golf course about forty miles away. This way he knew he wouldn't accidentally meet anyone he knew from his parish.  Setting up on the first tee, he was alone. After all, it was Sunday morning and everyone else was in church!  At about this time, Saint Peter leaned over to the Lord while looking down from the heavens and exclaimed, "You're not going to let him get away with this, are you?"  The Lord sighed, and said, "No, I guess not." Just then Father Norton hit the ball and it shot straight towards the pin, dropping just short of it, rolled up and fell into the hole. It WAS A 420 YARD HOLE IN ONE! St. Peter was astonished. He looked at the Lord and asked, "Why did you let him do that?"  The Lord smiled and replied, "Who's he going to tell?"

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A little girl is sitting on her grandpa's lap and studying the wrinkles on his old face. She gets up the nerve to rub her fingers over the wrinkles. Then she touches her own face and looks more puzzled. Finally the little girl asks, "Grandpa, did God make you?"  "He sure did honey, a long time ago," replies her grandpa.  "Well, did God make me?" asks the little girl.

"Yes, He did, and that wasn't too long ago," answers her grandpa.  "Boy," says the little girl, "He's sure doing a lot better job these days isn't He?"

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- "I married an Irishman on St. Patrick's Day."
"Oh, really?"  "No, O'Reilly!"

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A parish priest was being honored at a dinner on the twenty-fifth anniversary of his arrival in that parish. A leading local politician, who was a member of the congregation, was chosen to make the presentation and give a little speech at the dinner, but he was delayed in traffic, so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited.  "You will understand," he said, "the seal of the confessional, can never be broken. However, I got my first impressions of the parish from the first confession I heard here. I can only hint vaguely about this, but when I came here twenty-five years ago I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first chap who entered my confessional told me how he had stolen a television set, and when stopped by the police, had almost murdered the officer. Further, he told me he had embezzled money from his place of business and had an affair with his boss's wife. I was appalled. But as the days went on I knew that my people were not all like that, and I had, indeed come to, a fine parish full of understanding and loving people."  Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies at being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and give his talk.  "I'll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived in this parish," said the politician. "In fact, I had the honor of being the first one to go to him in confession."

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Al's Doggy World

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Kelly's Corner

Al's Art Gallery