A FEW ‘COOL’ PHOTOS AND SOME 6 YEAR OLD BLOGGING THOUGHTS STILL RELEVANT TODAY

I HAVE LINKED TO AN OLDER POST OF MINE TELLING YOU WHAT THE PHOTOS IN TONIGHT’S POST ARE AND HOW THEY WERE ALL ACCIDENTALLY CREATED ONE VERY COLD ARIZONA NIGHT HALF A DOZEN WINTERS AGO

Yukky icky sticky makes me kinda sicky and that pretty much sums up our issued Heat Warning for today.  And that’s about all I want to say about the weather!!

This is the second day in a row that I have not taken any photos so while looking for some file pictures I came across a post I wrote back in 2010 concerning our ‘Ranch Sitting’ days near McNeal Arizona.  My photos from that post should help cool you all off during these hot summer days.  The title of that post is 'Blog Evolution'..... And So It Grows:))  Keep in mind I wrote this post half a dozen years ago but my blogging thoughts are still very much the same today as they were back then.  Some may find it interesting while others….maybe not so much.  Oh and you may find the comments at the end of the post interesting as folks express their own blogging thoughts as well:))

Two best friends in two days pretty much sums up Wednesday and Thursday for me.  Coffee blow-out with Jim (Lifetime Sentences) Thursday and this morning Richard and I took to the back country roads for our semi-monthly Thursday morning coffee tour.  Oh it’s quite the conversations we get ourselves into.

TOOK THIS POND REFLECTED SUNSET PHOTO OVER ARIZONA’S MULE MOUNTAINS FROM ‘THE RANCH’ ….. BISBEE IS ONLY A 20 MINUTE DRIVE AWAY NESTLED IN THOSE MOUNTAINS…. BISBEE IS ONE OF OUR ALL TIME FAVORITE PLACES IN THE SOUTHWEST

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Mr. Jones had a leak in the roof over his dining room, so he called a repairman to take a look at it. "When did you first notice the leak?" the repairman inquired.
Mr. Jones scowled. "Last night, when it took me two hours to finish my soup!"

WE TIMED OUT AT 5 HOURS

A FEW  FILE PHOTOS TONIGHT

How refreshingly cool the morning air at 7:15 as I puttered around in the dirt planting a few more flowers.  By 9 a.m. like a panicked Vampire I had to quickly haul my old sack of sweaty bones into the house and throw them straight away into the shower.  Our morning’s hot sun had swung up and over the tree tops pouring it’s heated rays right into my shaded working area and that was it for any further outdoor activities for this guy.  Will this yukky hot and sticky heatwave ever end!!!!!

Half an hour past high noon found me in the Jeep heading for Tim Hortons in Clinton.  But just me this time and no Pheebs. Met my good buddy Jim (Lifetime Sentences) at 1 o’clock for one of our marathon coffee blow-outs.  We timed out at 5 hours this time.  Covered and updated a lot of our usual topics plus hit on a few new ones.  Jim and I as a rule don’t touch on politics too much but today with all the shenanigans going on south of the border how could we not talk about it so talk about it we did.  We’re both on the same page with our views so it made for an interesting hour’s discussion.  If you haven’t read Jim’s blog yet you might want to slip on over and check it out.  His topics vary from day to day and you will find topical issues twinged with clever humor, insightful opinions and thought provoking mind wanderings.  You may find a limerick or six and you will for sure find Jim a great story teller.  We have been best friends now for nearly 37 years.

Would you believe I never took a single solitary photo today.  I’ll have to get cracking tomorrow or I fear I may forget what button is for what or even which end of the camera to look through…….it’s a Senior thing:((

GROANER’S CORNER:))  A patient was waiting nervously in the examination room of a famous specialist. "So who did you see before coming to me?" asked the doctor. "My General Practitioner."
"Your GP?" scoffed the doctor. "What a waste of time. Tell me, what sort of useless advice did he give you?" "He told me to come and see you."

OK-OK HERE’S THE MAPLE PECAN DANISH RECIPE

HIKING THROUGH ONE OF HURON COUNTIES EARLY AUGUST STRAW CANYONS

We have lots of Chicory growing along our roadsides so with that in mind Pheebs and I headed off this morning to see if we could dig us up a couple small plants for our flower garden.  First 2 clumps I tried I couldn’t even get the shovel into the hard concrete like soil.  Spotted a third clump growing back from the road alongside a cornfield so figured the ground might be a bit softer and it was….but only barely.  Got a few roots so I’ll plant it and see if it comes up next summer.

ON OUR MORNING JEEP RIDE WE FOUND OURSELVES A STRAW CANYON

REMINDS ME OF SOME OF THE SLOT CANYONS WE HAVE HIKED IN UTAH, ARIZONA AND CALIFORNIA

ARE WE GONNA EVER FIND OUR WAY OUT OF HERE DAD

I THINK I SEE A WAY OUT PHEEBS

THOSE TOWERING JAGGED SHADOW MOUNTAIN PEAKS REMIND ME OF MONUMENT VALLEY IN ARIZONA

 

STEEP CANYON WALLS

WHEWWWW, THAT WAS QUITE A HIKE

AND HEY THERE GO SOME OF THOSE CANYON WALLS NOW

Dropped around a couple garden centers this morning looking for Hollyhocks but nobody had any.  One garden lady said Hollyhocks are old fashioned now and not as popular.  I thought ‘WHAT’!!  Hollyhocks have a beautiful flower and since when did a flower go out of fashion.  I walked away more determined than ever to find me some Hollyhocks just for old time’s sake.  Out of fashion indeed!!  What is this world coming to anyway.

THIS IS AT A GARDEN CENTER AND NOT AT OUR PLACE

By the time Pheebs and I arrived home about 10:30 it was already too hot for me as I cursed this miserable heat wave again.  Did manage to trim some very low hanging branches on neighbor Monica’s Magnolia tree and was very surprised to see a few Magnolia flowers blooming.  Think I’m going to have to work the cooler ‘night shift’ if I’m ever going to make any headway on our front yard project.  When I start something I generally like to finish it so I’m having quite a time with myself over how slowly I have to do things in this heat.  If I just walked outside and sat quietly under a shady tree with a slight breeze blowing I would probably be just fine but I don’t have the patience needed to sit long enough doing nothing. 

DESPITE THE HEAT AND HUMIDITY I DID MANAGE TO MAKE SOME PROGRESS TODAY AFTER ALL AND ESPECIALLY IN THE THE EVENING’S SLIGHTLY COOLER AIR

ONE END OF THE FLOWER GARDEN IS FINALLY STARTING TO COME TOGETHER

A few posts ago I wrote about Kelly making some absolutely yummy Maple Pecan Danish pastry.  We have had a few inquiries about the recipe so here it is…….. Maple Pecan Danish.  Careful now, one bite of this and you will be compelled to eat the whole darn thing.  Ever eat just one Oreo cookie!!  I rest my case:))

A FEW FROGS KEEPING WATCH OVER OUR POND

Despite our hot weather I sure am enjoying myself working away on our front yard project.  I had kind of lost interest in our grounds a number of years ago after landscaping our featureless yard beginning back in the Fall of 2002.  How nice to have the creative gardening juices flowing again as I scrounge around the property for materials such as rocks, plants, pieces of decorative wood and just about anything else I can find to fit in in some sort of reasonably natural way.  The added bonus is exercise of course and I sure have been dealing with some aching seldom used muscle groups at the end of some of these days.  Good feeling though to have a creative gardening project underway again to stimulate my aging mind………………………:))

ONE OF HURON COUNTIES MANY EARLY AUGUST STRAW CANYON MOUNTAIN RANGES

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. Over the years they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures. Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards.  One day they were playing cards when one looked at the other and said, "Now don't get mad at me... I know we've been friends for a long time... but I just can't think of your name! I've thought and thought, but I can't remember it. Please tell me what your name is."
Her friend glared at her. For at least three minutes she just stared and glared at her. Finally she said, "How soon do you need to know"?

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A lady is throwing a party for her granddaughter, and had gone all out..... a caterer, band, and a hired clown. Just before the party started, two bums showed up looking for a handout. Feeling sorry for the bums, the woman told them that she would give them a meal if they will help chop some wood for her out back. Gratefully, they headed to the rear of the house. The guests arrived, and all was going well with the children having a wonderful time. But the clown hadn't shown up. After a half and hour, the clown finally called to report that he was stuck in traffic, and would probably not make the party at all. The woman was very disappointed and unsuccessfully tried to entertain the children herself. She happened to look out the window and saw one of the bums doing cartwheels across the lawn. She watched in awe as he swung from tree branches, did mid-air flips, made amazing faces and leaped high in the air.
She spoke to the other bum and said, "What your friend is doing is absolutely marvelous. I have never seen such a thing. Do you think your friend would consider repeating this performance for the children at the party? I would pay him $50!"  The other bum says, "Well, I dunno. Let me ask him. 'HEY WILLIE! FOR $50 WOULD YOU CHOP OFF ANOTHER TOE?"

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A woman has twins, and gives them up for adoption. One of them goes to a family in Egypt, and is named "Amal." The other goes to a family in Spain; they name him "Juan."  Years later, Juan sends a picture of himself to his mom. Upon receiving the picture, she tells her husband that she wishes she also had a picture of Amal. Her husband responds, "But they are twins--if you've seen Juan, you've seen Amal."

IT WAS 23 YEARS AGO TODAY KELLY AND I MET FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME

SPOTTED THIS LITTLE FELLOW UNDER A ROCK OVERHANG IN OUR FRONT YARD POND THIS AFTERNOON

Pheebs stayed home for an hour this morning while Kelly and I slipped on over to the Bayfield Berry Farm a short distance away to meet a couple who just took up RVing about a year ago.  We hadn’t seen our friend Chris for about 10 years and he sent us an email a week ago suggesting he and & his friend Lorraine take us out for breakfast so we all met at the Berry Farm.  By the way if anyone is in our area I would recommend the Berry Farm not just for the food but for the ambience and all the other things it offers especially if your into fresh fruits and berries.  A very airy bright spacious setting.

TURNED OUT TO BE A BIG ONTARIO SKY DAY

Great breakfast and how nice to touch base with Chris and meet Lorraine.  Retired for about 2 years now hard working Chris is still adjusting to a much slower retired lifestyle.  They bought a 40’ Damon Toy Hauler Motorhome from our good friend Ron at Four Seasons Performance down in Grand Bend about a year ago.  This Fall they plan to head West out to BC then down the Oregon coast to California then across country to Florida’s Daytona Beach for bike week in March.  They carry two motorcycles in their toy hauler.  After breakfast we all slipped back to our place for a tour of our Triple E Commander.  Nice folks these two and we hope to see them again.

The day turned out to be way too hot and humid for me to be outside so Pheebs, Kelly and I hopped into the Jeep, cracked on the A/C full tilt and headed over to Grayhaven Gardens  just west of Londesborough where Pheebs and I picked up some small cedar trees and flowers a few days ago.  Needing a few more flowering plants for our new front yard flower bed we came home with 1 pot each of Georgia Blue Peduncularis, Helenium Mardi Gras, an Ice Plant, Meadow Sage, a Reblooming Torch Lily and a Moody Blue Veronica plant.  Too hot  this afternoon for planting so will have to wait for either cooler evening or morning air before getting them into the ground.

EVEN THE PHEEBS WAS HELPING PICK OUT SOME FLOWERS

KELLY’S LOOKING AT THE ‘GEORGIA BLUE’ PLANTS HERE

‘WHAT’S THE PRICE OF THIS ONE AGAIN’??

It was one year ago today Kelly downloaded Windows 10 to our desk top computer and looking back over the year I would have to say we’re happy with it and so much so that we have it on both our laptops as well.  No big beefs and no big complaints.  Sometimes in this fast paced technical world of ours things do work out despite the best efforts and tendencies of some of we Seniors to botch things up. 

GARDEN CENTERS ARE ALWAYS SO PRETTY

HERE’S OUR PLANTS READY TO BE LOADED INTO THE JEEP

And it was 23 years ago today Kelly and I met for the very first time in a little coffee shop near Doon Ontario south of Kitchener.  I have been carrying a pen and little black note book in my shirt pockets every day for 33 years and in September of 2009 I wrote a post about how that pen and notebook nearly sunk my chances that very first day I met Kelly.  (I carry notebooks to write everything down I need to do each day) Here is an excerpt from that post……..”As helpful as my little black (yes, it's actually black) book has been over the years it did very nearly cost me a second date with a very good looking blonde I had just met in a coffee shop one afternoon in Doon, Ontario. It was my first time meeting Kelly & I had pulled out all the stops. Wore my very best used Thrift Shop shirt and Sally Ann jeans.  Newest pair of old running shoes and I even think I remembered to wash behind my ears that morning.  To put the icing on the cake I even bought her a coffee as I recall. My pen & notebook were securely in my pocket and I never gave them a second thought. Everything went well (I think it was that free coffee I bought her that made the big impression) & we agreed to meet again later in the week for a movie. It wasn't until a few years later that she told me when she came into the coffee shop that day & saw the pen & notebook in my pocket that she had me pegged for a nerdy type guy & she definitely was not looking for a nerdy type guy. (good thing I had taken my glasses off & stuck them in my back pocket) Well, somehow me, my pen, & my notebook all survived the close coffee shop encounter that day & we have all been a part of Kelly's life ever since. Who would have ever thunk it huh. Now, how's that for a happy ending to a story between a man, a woman, a pen, & a notebook................:))

NOW DO AS YOUR TOLD AND JUST SET THAT PLANT ON THE CART LIKE I TOLD YA’!!!!
GROANER’S CORNER:(( A dentist ran out of anesthetic just before the last extraction for the day was scheduled.  He gave the nurse a very large needle, instructing her to jab it hard into the patient's butt when the signal was given, so it would take his attention away from the tooth extraction.  It all happened in an instant.
The nurse, patient, and pliers were in place. The signal was given, and the nurse bayoneted the patient with the needle just as the dentist yanked the tooth.  Afterwards, the dentist asked, "Hurt much?"  The patient hesitated, "Didn't hardly feel it come out but boy oh boy those roots were really deep!"

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A little boy who wanted $100 very badly prayed and prayed for two weeks, but nothing happened. Then he decided to write a letter to God requesting the $100.   When the postal authorities received the letter to "God, USA," they decided to send it to President Clinton. The president was so impressed, touched, and amused that he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a $5 bill. Mr. Clinton thought this would appear to be a lot of money to a little boy.  The little boy was delighted with the $5, and immediately sat down to write a thank you note to God which read "Dear God, Thank you for sending me the money. However, I noticed that for some reason you had to send it through Washington D.C., and as usual, those doorknobs deducted $95."

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I just had a call from a Charity asking me to donate some of my clothes to the starving people throughout the world.  I told them to buzz off!!!!! Anybody who fits into my clothes isn't starving!!

I KNOW IT’S EARLY BUT I SPENT SOME ENJOYABLE TIME TONIGHT WITH MY ROAD ATLAS:))

CAN YOU SEE THE ‘BIG EEE’ PEAKING THROUGH THE TREES
Woke up with gardening thoughts this morning so I wasn't long in getting myself outside and into the front yard with shovel and rake in hand.  Managed to put my cedar rail fence decorative piece together and worked away at transplanting some shrubs and flowers taken from other areas around the property.  For me it was hot and sweaty work but I stuck with it to about 1 o'clock this afternoon before dragging myself back into the house.  Still not sure where I'm going with this little project but I imagine I’ll get to wherever that is eventually.

A COUPLE FARM DOGS OUT FOR A SATURDAY MORNING ROMP

‘HEY WHERE DID HE GO’

A SMALL GROUP OF CANADA GEESE TAKE TO THE AIR

Well here we are at the end of July already and well over half way to our annual southern departure which I am again hoping will be about the 3rd Saturday in October.  This year we will be taking a different route as we first head to Florida before swinging west to Arizona.  Aunt Jean in Sarasota is having some health issues so we want to get down and see her.  No idea yet which route we will take but a couple are under consideration.  Spent some enjoyable time with my Rand-McNally Atlas tonight and oh how I like looking at maps seeing the names of so many familiar places.  Each name brings forth many fond memories of our traveling days these past 10 Snow Bird winters.  As much as I like the adventure of traveling new routes I also love traveling the old routes we have taken in the past as well.  So many memories to touch base with and I like the overall nostalgic aspect of that.                                        

GROANER’S CORNER:((  (Caution, this one is a real ‘groaner’ for sure)
A very wealthy lawyer retreated for several weeks each year to his summer home in the backwoods of Maine. Every summer, he would invite one friend or another to stay with him there for a week or two.
One summer he invited a Czechoslovakian friend to visit him. The friend, happy to get anything free from a lawyer, eagerly agreed. When the time came, they spent a wonderful time, getting up early every morning and enjoying the great outdoors.
One morning, as the lawyer and his Czechoslovakian friend were picking raspberries and blueberries for their breakfast, they were approached by two huge bears--a male and a female.
The lawyer noticed them in time to run for cover. His friend, however, was not so lucky. The male bear reached him and swallowed him whole.
Seeing this, the lawyer ran back to his Mercedes and raced for the nearest town to get the local sheriff. The sheriff grabbed his high-powered rifle and raced back to the berry area with the lawyer. All the while, he was plagued by visions of lawsuit from his friend's family. He just had to save his friend.
Luckily, the bears were still there. "He's in THAT one!" cried the lawyer, pointing to the male.
The sheriff looked at the bears, leveled his gun, took careful aim, and shot the female.
"What did you do that for?!" exclaimed the lawyer, "I said he was in the other bear!"
"Exactly," replied the sheriff. "Would you believe a lawyer who told you that the Czech was in the male?"