Good morning to everyone on this rather cool and cloudy day in May with the sun just starting to peek out a little now and then adding some heat though not much but every little bit helps on these cool days of spring but yesterday was just fantastic with the sun shining brightly and the temp more summer like at a very nice at about 82F which for some people seems actually too hot but for me it is just a nice pleasant day especially after the very long and cold winter we had so really I don’t see how anyone could not enjoy a day like yesterday but here we are back to a more normal day for us at only 54F and for me that is just too cool but that’s the way it goes.  Feels good to get back to one of those longer greetings again.  So what does Sir George have to do with insulators?  Nothing really.  I just needed a title and that was the first thing that came to mind.  My mind works a little different than most people.  But you know that already if you have been reading my blog for any length of time.  I have been trying to get more photos of Sir George and friends, Lady Pearl and Henry.  There are 3 of those huge gulls coming to my feeder now, though only 2 can fit on it at a time.  And even that is crowded.  Have been trying to get pics of other birds as well.  And that has been even more challenging than the gulls.  Those little birds just don’t like to sit still.  Oh well.  Dad managed to retrieve his glasses from the mud okay, but the frame was broken a bit.  Just cracked really.  Not too bad, I said, wiping the mud off.  Dad was still rubbing his head where the stick hit him.  Just a small crack right in the middle, I continued.  What?!  Where, I don’t feel anything, yelled dad rubbing his head.  Not your head, your glasses, said I.  You broke them, he said.  No, no me, you did when you dropped them in the mud, I said.  You’re the one that hit me on the head, said dad.  Actually, the branch did, said I, but it didn’t hit your glasses.  Haha, said dad, BONEHEAD!  At least he is still enjoying himself.  I’ll go wash them in the creek over there, I said.  NO, I’ll do that, said dad.  Odd.  Almost like he didn’t trust me with them.  While dad was doing that I went to investigate some shimmering glass in the mud.  Sure enough, there was several insulators sticking up out of the mud and all in very nice condition.  Hmm, all Canadian Pacific types, I said, nothing too exciting, various blues and greens.  Hey, there’s a purple one, I said and went over to the spot.  Rats, just a piece, and such a nice dark purple too.  Oh well.  Dad was still at the creek trying to clean himself a bit.  I kept looking around.  There are a lot of poles in this dry swamp, should find a lot more insulators.  And we did, but all common types that we had already, except for one in a beautiful blue.  Okay, some of the colors were nice, I admit that, but still a waste of time when we could be out digging for old bottles.  Sigh.  Finally at the last pole there were several crossarms solidly planted in the mud and still full of insulators.  And 3 purple ones in excellent condition, one each in light, medium and dark.  Not bad.  There was another little creek at that spot so we decided to wash some of our prizes.  Dad was close to the creek and said, toss them over and I’ll wash them while you continue looking.  Naturally.  He gets the fun part.  Sigh.  Toss them higher, he said, easier to catch.  That’s what he said.  So I did.  AAAAAA!!!!!  I could hear the breaking glass.  That one insulator, just a regular aqua, destroyed 2 of the purple insulators, only the lightest one remained.  I went over to see.  Dad was just looking at all those pieces of glass.  Amazing, he said.  Oh well, less to carry back, I said.  Bonehead!, said dad.  Sir George is back, looking for another meal.  Those herring gulls can sure eat!  Sorry, you will have to wait until next week for the rest of the story.  Wheehee!  HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY to all of you mothers out there.  And even if you are not.  And happy birthday to 2 of my faithful readers, whose birthday happens to be on Friday.  Even if you are not.  Sigh.  I hope you all enjoy your week, cool or hot, and God bless!

Steve and Muffin (my sleeping kitty).

Good morning to all of you out there and around the world and wherever else you are while reading this funniest, most enjoyable blog you can find!  Well, okay, maybe not quite the most enjoyable.  And perhaps not the funniest.  But it is a blog.  Sigh.  But I do have readers from around the world.  I’m actually aiming for 20 countries right now.  Once I achieve that then I will aim higher.  Okay, might take a while.  But that’s part of the fun.  I think.  Sometimes.  But usually it gives me a headache.  Sigh.  Spring has definitely arrived here in the cold north, the snow has finally melted, the birds are returning from their southern get-away locations, some birds are nesting, some are building nests, and dad and I are hiking mile after mile down the tracks.  Tromp, tromp.  Mile after long mile.  Tromp, tromp.  Finally we arrive at the first hill leaving behind that long section of lowland.  That was a long stretch, I said.  Dad looked at me and said, we’re only about 500 feet from the car!  That’s all?  Seems like we have been walking for miles, I said.  Bonehead, said dad.  At least he is enjoying this.  It is a nice warm, sunny day.  Being wasted looking for some blobs of glass.  Amazing.  Why waste time collecting something that just holds wire to a pole?  Chunks of glass with no historical significance.  We should go back and find a nice spot to dig for some old bottles, I said, certainly a nice day for it.  Dad just looked at me.  Why waste time collecting bottles, he said.  They don’t even look nice.  Just look at those beautiful insulators sparkling in the sun, he continued, now that’s something to collect, with a lot of history behind them too.  We obviously look at those chunks of glass a little differently, I thought.  I was hoping this higher ground would last for a while.  It was not to be however.  Just a small hill.  And a curve in the tracks.  Leading to miles of swamp.  Sigh.  Look at all the swamp, I said, might as well turn around now.  That’s opportunity, said dad, that swamp is dry and there will likely be a lot of insulators laying around just waiting for us.  Well, he might have a point.  Around here we have discovered that as insulators were removed, the linemen would toss them into the water, if there was any nearby.  Just wait, said dad, we will find a lot when you go down there looking for them.  Hmm, certainly went from we to me in a hurry, said I.  Well, the mud might be soft and you are lighter than I am, said dad.  I need to gain weight.  Off I started down the embankment, which at this spot was only about 20 feet high, not as bad as some we have had to go down.  Maybe you should come along, I called back, after all, if I need help in a hurry it would be nice if you were closer.  Okay, said dad, and he started off.  Right then a train came roaring around that curve.  We didn’t hear a thing until it was right there, a common problem around here, those rock cuts always seemed to block the noise of those trains.  But it startled dad this time and he slipped.  And was he moving along down that embankment!  Right behind me.  No way I could go anywhere, there was wild rose bushes on both sides of me.  Only thing to do is run down and try to stay ahead of dad.  Right.  Suddenly, whump!  He hit me and I landed on his stomach, my backpack on dad’s face.  Ooohhhh, groaned dad.  But amazingly his glasses stayed on, usually they fall off quite easily.  As we came to the bottom I quickly rolled off dad and sploop!  Dad landed in a patch of wet, sloppy mud.  Bonehead!  Amazing that he could actually be enjoying sitting in that wet mud.  For my new readers, dad said bonehead a lot when we were out together.  I finally figured out it must mean he was enjoying himself.  Couldn’t think of any other reason for saying it.  Anyway, back to the story.  Why don’t you get out of there, I asked.  A little help would be nice, he said.  I’ll get that old branch and pull you out, said I.  NO, you don’t need a branch, said dad.  Hey, no problem, I said, and picked it up and swung it around.  Whack!  Oops, hit dad on the back of the head.  My glasses, he called out, they fell in the mud.  You’re always losing your glasses, I said.  Only when you’re around, said dad.  Right.  Finally managed to pull him out.  You’re covered with mud, said I.  What was your first clue, said dad.  Good thing it is such a nice sunny, warm day.  The birds are singing and chirping.  Probably looking for food.  Might be a good time to get some pictures, like,

the junco above.  Sorry no pics of our insulatoring trip.  The story will continue next week.  Unless I forget.  That happens sometimes.  Sigh.  Sorry this is late this week as well, should do better next week.  I hope you can get out and enjoy what is left of the week and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.