BUT WHEN I SNEAKED A PEEK IT WAS 'POOF' 'POOF' 'POOF' AND 'POOF' 'POOF' 'POOF' AGAIN

 GRACKLE

Rain came in the night knocking out our power just long enough to have to reprogram all the timers yet again this morning but at least it brought slightly warmer temperatures along with it.  About time!!  A rainy drive into Bayfield for Pheebs and I to pick up a couple more bags of birdseed at the Porter's Hill Wild Birdseed Company  I thought the Grackles would have backed off our bird feeders by now, but no....the feeders are still being Grackleized.  The problem also is, the Grackles scare away all the smaller songbirds that are here now and it's the songbirds I would like to have at the feeders.  I get so frustrated with the Grackles that I sometimes go storming out the door, grab the three birdfeeders, and bring them all back into the house.  It's a poor solution that doesn't last long because I feel sorry for all the smaller birds.  Thankfully, I have not had any squirrel problems for quite a while to add to my birdbrain woes.

A WEST START TO OUR DAY

Skies began clearing around noon and we soon had sunshine overhead to boot.  And with those clear skies and sunshine came two things, 73F temps and humidity.  Not enough humidity to set me off yet and it was sure nice to finally feel some slightly moist warmth in the air again.  So, without further ado, Pheebs and I were off for our afternoon walk down to the south end of the Park and back.  Before we left I was determined to give readers a break and not take any more turtle, frogs, or Canada Geese photos.  So, walking past the pond I saw a pair of Canada Geese and 'poof' 'poof' 'poof' 'poof' 'poof' 'poof'.  Then I saw some turtles and thought oh no, 'poof' 'poof' 'poof'.  When we got home I tried to slip around our front yard frog pond with my eyes closed but when I sneaked a peek it was 'poof' 'poof' 'poof' and 'poof' 'poof' 'poof' again.  Sorry folks, some days I just can't seem to help myself.  I'll try to get through tomorrow's post without one single frog, turtle or goose.     

 I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE COUPLE THAT HAD THE TWO GOSLINGS OR NOT BUT I DIDN'T SEE ANY LITTLE PUFFS OF YELLOW

A BIT OF TURTLE CROWDING HERE AT A FAVORITE TURTLE SUNNING SPOT

IT LOOKS LIKE A THREE-WAY FROG MEETING TO ME

SOME FROGS ARE DARKER THAN OTHERS AT TIMES AND IT HAS TO DO WITH BOTH TEMPERATURE AND THE COLOR OF THEIR PROTECTIVE SURROUNDINGS

 I CALL THIS GUY 'OLD GATOR JAWS'

Early Friday evening found Kelly and I at our Park's recycling area.  Kelly was on her cell phone dialing a number while I was about ten feet away near a pile of old bamboo grass I had dumped there the previous day.  I listened intently with my ears focused around that pile of grass.  But, all was silent and there was no response to the number Kelly had just dialed.  In other words, my cell phone did not ring.  So why were we there and why was I listening for my cell phone to ring??   I had realized earlier in the day I had lost/misplaced my cell phone and thought maybe it had slipped out of my shirt pocket when I was unloading all that bamboo grass from the utility trailer.  To make a short story shorter, I later found my phone in the pocket of a different shirt I had been wearing on Thursday.  'Walla', another one of life's daily mysteries solved.

A GRACKLE DRINKING AT THE PARK POND'S EDGE

 I SAW THE BUNNY AND THE BUNNY SAW ME....PHEEBS DIDN'T SEE THE BUNNY HEE HEE HEE

Ellen's Groove It's amazing how fast Ellen is progressing with her bass guitar.  Check out this short practice video on Dream Theater.  And, check out this short video of Ellen in a bass battle with Davie 504.  I don't think I've mentioned this before but Ellen is also quite an artist when it comes to drawing and painting as well.  So much fine talent all wrapped up in just one little person. 

Al's Music Box:)) Whispering Pines by Johnny Horton.  John LaGale Horton (April 30, 1925 – November 5, 1960) was an American country, honky tonk and rockabilly musician during the 1950s. He is best known for a series of history-inspired narrative country saga songs that became international hits.  Horton died in November 1960 at the peak of his fame in a traffic accident. On the night of November 4–5, 1960, Horton and two other band members, Tommy Tomlinson, and Tillman Franks, were traveling from the Skyline Club in Austin, Texas to Shreveport when they collided with an oncoming truck on a bridge near Milano in Milam County, Texas.  Horton died en route to the hospital, and Tomlinson (1930–1982) was seriously injured; his leg was later amputated. Franks (1920–2006) suffered head injuries, and James Davis, the driver of the truck, sustained a broken ankle and other minor injuries.

 MUSHROOMS IN THE GRASS ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE PARK'S POND

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man observed a woman in the grocery store with a three-year-old girl in her basket. As they passed the cookie section, the child asked for cookies and her mother told her "No." The little girl immediately began to whine and fuss, and the mother said quietly, "Now Ellen, we just have half of the aisles left to go through; don't be upset. It won't be long."  He passed the Mother again in the candy aisle. Of course, the little girl began to shout for candy. When she was told she couldn't have any, she began to cry. The mother said, "There, there, Ellen, don't cry. Only two more aisles to go, and then we'll be checking out."  The man again happened to be behind the pair at the check-out, where the little girl immediately began to clamor for gum and burst into a terrible tantrum upon discovering there would be no gum purchased today. The mother patiently said, "Ellen, we'll be through this checkout stand in five minutes, and then you can go home and have a nice nap."  The man followed them out to the parking lot and stopped the woman to compliment her. "I couldn't help noticing how patient you were with little Ellen..."  The mother broke in, "My little girl's name is Tammy... I'm Ellen."

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A guy who had forgotten the dates for a number of his friends and relatives' birthdays and anniversaries, decided to compile a list on the computer and have the dates highlighted on screen when the machine was turned on.  He went to a number of computer stores to find a software program that would do the job but had no luck at the first few. Finally, he found one where the clerk seemed experienced.  "Can you recommend something that will remind me of birthdays and anniversaries?" the guy asked.  "Have you tried a wife?" the clerk responded.

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READING SOMETHING MORE CHALLENGING

Another bright sunny day and another cold windy morning with below freezing temps overnight.  A short Jeep ride for Pheebs and I and we were home again.  With the wind blocked from getting into our Park by the pine trees, I spent an hour or so raking up a couple wheelbarrow loads of small branches and pine needles in our backyard.  I also raked another couple of wheelbarrow loads of pine needles and leaves on the little path across the road leading through of copse of trees to the Park's pond.  

 SPRING IS TAKING ITS TIME THIS YEAR BUT IT'S COMING

 PERIWINKLE

 THIS MIGHT BE COLTSFOOT FLOWERS

 A SINGLE DANDILION

With temperatures finally warming up this afternoon, Pheebs and I took a longer walk down to the southern end of our park around a loop road.  It's the farthest I have walked since my hip replacement and my hip didn't give me any trouble.  I'm still wobbly on my feet though and I can tell I am not walking right, and I chalk that up to the weakness of my leg muscles.  I wished we had room here for a static bicycle thingy or some kind of leg exerciser, but we don't.

 AFTERNOON WALK

I didn't get too far in my latest free book, 'Forgotten Fairytales' before realizing there was probably a reason they were forgotten fairytales.  I read maybe six of them and bailed out thinking to myself, maybe it's time I again get my head back into something more mind-challenging.  So, I am currently reading, The True Meaning Of Life by author Judith Hindle.  And yes, it is certainly challenging my mind alright.  I like when that happens:))

HANGING OUT AT OUR FRONT YARD FROG POND

Al's Music Box:)) At Seventeen is a song by American singer-songwriter Janis Ian from her seventh studio album Between the Lines. Columbia released it in July 1975 as the album's second single. Ian wrote the lyrics on the basis of a New York Times article and used a samba instrumental, and Brooks Arthur produced the final version.  A pop and soft rock ballad, the song is about a social outcast in high school. Critics have regarded "At Seventeen" as a type of anthem. Critics praised "At Seventeen", which earned Ian the Gramy Award for the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Grammy nominations for Record and Song of the Year.   She was inspired to write the single after reading a New York Times article about a young woman who thought her life would improve after a debutante ball and her subsequent disappointment when it did not.  In the article, the girl was 18, but Ian changed it to 17 to fit with her samba guitar instrumental.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  An elderly couple were killed in an accident and found themselves being given a tour of heaven by Saint Peter. "Here is your oceanside condo, over there are the tennis courts, swimming pool, and two golf courses. If you need any refreshments, just stop by any of the many bars located throughout the area."  "Heck, Gloria," the old man hissed when Saint Peter walked off, "we could have been here ten years ago if you hadn't heard about all that stupid oat bran, wheat germ, and low-fat diets!"

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The farmer met his nephew at the railroad station. “Uncle, I’m mighty glad to see you. “That crate of chickens you sent me bust open just as I was going to take ‘em out and they ran all over the place. I chase them through my neighbor’s yard and only got back eleven.” “You did okay,” said uncle. “I only sent you six.”

- What do you call a man who has suddenly lost 98 percent of his brain?  Divorced.

A Mexican was attempting to cross into America when the border guard stopped him and asked if he was an American.  The Mexican replied, "Si Senor."  The border guard told him, "If you're an American, then use these three words in a sentance:'green', 'pink',and'yellow'."  The Mexican thought about it for a while and replied,"The phone go green-green, I pink it up, and I say yellow?"

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BEING THE SIDEWALK SUPERINTENDENT TYPES THAT WE ARE

 A BUMBLE BEE IN OUR RHODODENDRON

A big bright sunny morning, but once again we woke up to two degrees below the freezing mark.  This persistent cold air every day is really getting annoying!!!!  And, here we are, less than a week away from May.

 CEDAR BRANCHES AT THE END OF OUR DRIVEWAY

 PRIMROSE IN OUR FRONT FLOWERBED

OUR FRONT YARD WHITE MAGNOLIA IS IN BLOOM

It was Richard's turn to drive so he picked me up at 9:30 and we headed off on our semi-monthly Thursday morning country road coffee run.  Our travels this morning took us up around and north of Goderich.  Despite the morning's cold air, it was a nice day for a drive and we easily put in a couple of enjoyable hours cruising around and being the sidewalk superintendent types that we are.  

 OUR HOSTAS ARE GROWING QUICKLY

 FRONT YARD FROGS

My project for this afternoon was to hook up my utility trailer and slip over to a neighbor's place and cut down a couple thick patches of last year's dead bamboo grass growing alongside her garage.  With that done and the grass loaded into the trailer and hauled off to the Park's yard waste area I was home again inside of an hour.  Nice feeling to have accomplished something today.

A late afternoon walk around the Park's pond for Pheebs and I but we didn't see the two baby Goslings.  Only one adult Canada Goose on the pond.  What sometimes happens is that shortly after Goslings are hatched and spend a day or two on the Park's pond, the parents will then walk them to a small lake a short mile east of our Park.  I think the parents know it is much safer for the little ones over there with the bigger expanse of water and no humans nearby.   

 ONLY ONE CANADA GOOSE ON THE POND TODAY

 A YOUNG PAINTED TURTLE

Al's Music Box:)) Summer Wind  The song is best known for a 1966 recording by Frank Sinatra.  The Sinatra version originally appeared on his album, Strangers in the Night.  Der Sommerwind" was a song composed in 1965 by Heinz Meier, with German language lyrics written by Hans Bradtke. The song was rewritten into English by Johnny Mercer, who had heard the song being sung by Danish singer Grethe Ingmann who had also recorded the song in her native language as "Sommervind". He wrote replacement lyrics along the same theme.  The song talks of the Sirocco wind which passes from North Africa into Southern Europe at the end of summer, and uses this as a metaphor for the changing of the seasons and the passing of time.  The best-known version of the song is by Frank Sinatra.  He had previously worked with Mercer on a number of songs, including "One for My Baby (and One More for the Road)" and Nancy Sinatra would later recall Mercer being Sinatra's favorite lyricist.  It was recorded for the singer's album Strangers in the Night, which was the final album he worked on with arranger and conductor Nelson Riddle.  The composition of Sinatra's version used both an electronic organ and a big band, and the lyrics were modified to drop the second chorus.  This was Mercer's final work to reach the top forty within the United States.  Sinatra would later re-record the song with Julio Iglesias for the 1993 album Duets.  During an appearance on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Bruce Springsteen said he would choose Sinatra's version of the track when asked to hypothetically pick only one song to listen to for the rest of his life. 

GROANER'S CORNER:(( My nephew was getting married to a doctor's daughter.  At the wedding reception, the father of the bride stood to read his toast, which he had scribbled on a piece of scrap paper. Several times during his speech, he halted, overcome with what I assumed was a moment of deep emotion.  But after a particularly long pause, he explained, “I'm sorry. I can't seem to make out what I've written down.”  Looking out into the audience, he asked, “Is there a pharmacist in the house?”

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- A man consults a therapist and states, “Doc, I’m suicidal. What should I do?”

The doctor replies, “Pay in advance.”

- “Did you hear the one about the woman who threw her toaster away because it kept burning the bread? She was black toast intolerant.”

- Little Johnny wasn't very good at spelling. During an oral spelling exam, the teacher wrote the word "new" on the blackboard.

"Now," she asked Johnny, "what word would we have if we placed a 'K' in the front?"  After a moment's reflection, Johnny said, "Canoe?"

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