GODERICH TORNADO (BEFORE AND AFTER) A DAY THAT CHANGED OUR TOWN

It was Sunday, August 21 at 3:51 pm. We live in a small town of 8000. Our downtown is unique in that it is in the shape of a circle with streets running off of the circle. Like the spokes of a wheel. In the center of the circle is our courthouse, surrounded with beautiful trees and a gazebo.My sweetheart and I moved here 5 years ago and we LOVE this town. On August 21st an F3 tornado (winds up to 300 km per hour) came through and did a lot of damage.

 

Above is a music video of our town before and after this tragedy. Below are pictures of our town circle before the tornado struck and then right after. Please include our town in your prayers this Christmas.



Some t-shirts now say FUF3.

AGEING AND GROWING OLDER

Well it finally happened. I have aged and gotten older. I noticed this strange phenomenon about two years ago. I was brushing my teeth one morning and noticed that the person whose teeth I was polishing was not the same as my previous thousands of brushings. This person had lines and wrinkles, grey hair, grey beard and hair growing out of his ears. What the Hell happened? Time, that's what happened. It sneaked up on me. That tight, rippled tummy of mine is a bit bigger and jiggles. It never did that when I was younger. My blonde curls are now completely grey. That thick mane of long curly locks is now sparse and receding. And yes, I get tired a little bit faster than I used to. What happened to that six foot six, two hundred and fifty pound giant of a man that my lovely wife felt so safe walking into a bar with. He grew old. That's me. I aged. I bet that every man will eventually have this epiphany. The good side of this is simply the fact that I like myself more now than I did when I was younger. This is a gift I give to myself.  Maturity makes you see the world in a much different light. I don't care if my hair is not as easy to manage. I don't dwell on the fact that I have a bit of a paunch. I may tire faster but I have learned to like the occasional nap. I endeaver to smile more as I journey through my life. It takes less muscles to smile than it does to frown so I'm saving myself some energy. Burps and farts are more common now so I use them to propel me forward or to sit down. It's all in how you look at things. Life is good. That is why I have a smile on my face when my eyes open in the morning. It doesn't hurt to be waking up to a terrific, loving woman such as my wife, Karen. One night as she lay sleeping I gazed at her angelic face and noticed that she too has a few wrinkles and lines. I see these as roads that we have travelled and they have left their imprint on her as well. The roads we have journeyed were well worth the mark they have left on us and we would, without hesitation, do it all over again. Ah, that feels better. Had to get this of my chest. (Oh, that's another thing, GREY CHEST HAIR) I could go on and on.

Trivia:  Forty per cent of car theft victims admit they left their keys in the ignition. (That's what I call "bad car-ma.")


Did You Know?  Several species of Southeast Asian ants have exploding glands in their heads, allowing them to launch suicidal chemical attacks on their enemies. Kamikaze warfare by insects.

VINTAGE 1949 FORD STATION WAGON TOY (BANNER PLASTIC TOY CAR)

This is a Banner Plastic toy Ford 1949 Stationwagon. It is in excellant condition for its age. It is made of red styrene with steel axles and plastic wheels. It was made in the early 1950's. Nice for a 60 year old toy car.  Thanks for stopping by.

Trivia: The Chinese have been painting their fingernails for 5,000 years. ( My precious wife has enough nail polish for that many years, Check out my April 2nd post, THE LITTLE THINGS)

Written on a pay toilet wall:  Here I sit brokenhearted,

Paid a dime and only farted.

Yesterday I took a chance,

Saved my dime and crapped my pants.

TIN FRICTION STATION WAGON TOY WITH LUGGAGE RACK , MADE IN JAPAN, 1950's

This over 60 year old friction powered Station Wagon still runs like new even though its age is starting to show. It even has a luggage rack on the top. I never saw one of these in the fifties but there must have been some kicking around somewheres. Like many older toys this one was made in Japan. As kids we would say that it was made by the J. A. Pan Company. Japan never had the names of the companies on their products such as other companies do like Hasbro, Renwall, Corgi, etcetera, etcetera. But the quality is still there today. Not many toys that are made now will stand the test of time as the older ones.We seem to be going backwards and not ahead. Thanks for stopping by.

Trivia: What crime led to Billy the Kid's first run-in with the law? ----Stealing butter.

Did You Know? The giant Gippsland earthworm, which lives in Victoria, Australia, can reach lengths of 10 feet (3 m). The young are already 8 inches (20cm) long when they hatch and take about 5 years to reach maturity. When the giant worm was first discovered in the 1870's, its size led scientists to think it was a snake. (I would too!)

HALLOWEEN 2011

Great memories are created for kids when Halloween comes around every October 31st. I remember as a youngster, that I dreamt that I had slept right through the day and missed the "trick or treating". What a disaster!! Could you imagine, missing out on all the candy and treats. What a nightmare that was to me as a little boy. The good thing about this past memory is the fact that it was only a dream and I did go out trick and treating with a renewed gusto. But just to be on the safe side I would borrow an alarm clock and set it , just in case. It was always a nuisance when people would give you an apple because they got heavy after awhile. We wanted potato chips, chocolate bars, candy and homemade goodies. That is probably why the next morning the streets would be covered by discarded apples and other unappealing items. I never got to buy a costume so I would just make do with some old baggy clothes and maybe a cheap fake beard from the 5 and dime store. Good memories . Nowadays it is nice to go into stores on that day as the bosses will allow their staff to wear a costume to serve the customers. Never saw this happening 30 to 40 years ago. I guess we are still maturing and learning how to have a bit of fun. Here are some pictures of my wife and others at the store she works at. Enjoy.

Trivia: It's against the law to hunt camels in Arizona.Well, there goes my hunting adventure. 

Did You Know? Thousands of generations of Bogong moths have been spending their summers in caves in the Australian Alps, their dead bodies forming a carpet 5 feet (1.5m) deep. The Corpse Carpet.