ALL THREE OF US IN THE JEEP THIS MORNING AND THE EARLY SNOWS OF WINTER ARE UPON US

GODERICH’S BEACH STREET STATION RESTAURANT ON  THE SHORES OF LAKE HURON IN GODERICH’S HARBOR AREA

Sometime in March of 2006 was probably the last time we heard a snow plow go by our house in the early wee hours of the morning.....until earlier today that is.  It was 5:05 a.m. when I heard a snow-blower go by and saw it's flashing light.  Needless to say I was again on the end of my snow shovel a few hours later.  Aside from paths to the bird feeders and carport I have to keep both sides of the Motorhome shoveled clear to have access to our bins.  Not going to worry about getting the driveway plowed, I'll just use the Jeep to keep a track open and if I have to shovel out behind the Motorhome later next week then I'll do that.  Only a short distance behind the rig to the road anyway and besides, my upper body could use some good old snow shoveling exercise anyway.

I wrote the above paragraph about 7 o’clock this morning and instead of just shoveling a few pathways like intended I ended up shoveling the whole drive-way out.  Oh well, like I said, the exercise is good for me.

ONE PATH SHOVELED TO THE WOODEN SHED AND ONE TO THE BURNING BARREL

HADN’T PLANNED ON SHOVELING THE DRIVEWAY BUT ENDED UP SHOVELING THE  WHOLE THING ANYWAY

BACK DECK

WE WILL BE BUSY RE-LOADING THE MOTORHOME NEXT WEEK SO HAVE TO KEEP THE SNOW SHOVELED AROUND IT

With area roads snow covered and slippery and with the threat of more snow at anytime Kelly wasn’t too keen about driving her car to Goderich this morning to do a few errands.  ‘Walla’ it was Pheebs and I and Libby to the rescue and we were soon all in the sure-footed Jeep on our way to Goderich.  While Kelly popped into a few places downtown Pheebs and I buzzed ourselves down to the harbor and back.  Not too much in the way of photos and we were all home by noon.

IT’S A BUSY TIME OF YEAR FOR MAILMEN

PARCELS GOING INTO THE POST OFFICE

AND MAIL COMING OUT OF THE POST OFFICE

‘OKAY I’M GOING DOWN THIS SIDE OF THE STREET AND YOU CAN GO OVER THERE’

Since temperatures have turned colder and snow has arrived I’ve noticed a big increase in our front yard bird and squirrel traffic.  Dark Eyed Juncos dominate the air followed by Black Capped Chickadees, Red and White Breasted Nuthatches, Blue Jays, a pair of Cardinals, and Woodpeckers both Downy and Hairy.  Nice to see them all out there flitting about.

I’M GUESSING THIS AT A FEMALE HAIRY WOODPECKER

 

DARK EYED JUNCO

    

HAVING A GOOD SCRATCH

Although we had light snow coming down for most of today the heavier stuff went went around us to the North.  With a bit of luck I may get away without shoveling in the morning.  So far I’ve been doing Okay with the winter weather and part of the reason is it’s only just begun and after not being here for 11 winters I’ve been enjoying the snowy landscape, Christmas lights, decorations, Christmas music on the radio and overall the festive feeling of the season.  Ever since we began our RV travels years ago I have always dreaded the day when I knew our travels would some day be over.  Well there not over yet but I do think my mind has been laying the groundwork for when they are.  And I think I’m going to be Okay with that………. 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A multinational company held a reception to celebrate Christmas. The waiter gave each guest a glass of Champagne, but on inspection each guest noticed that their glass contained a fly.

The Swede asked for new Champagne in the same glass.

The Englishman demanded to have new Champagne in a new glass.

The Finn picked out the fly out and drank the Champagne.

The Russian drank the Champagne, fly and all.

The Chinese ate the fly but left the Champagne.

The Israeli caught the fly and sold it to the Chinese.

The Italian drank two thirds of the Champagne and then demanded to have a new glass.

The Norwegian took the fly and went off to fish.

The Irishman ground the fly and mixed it in the Champagne, which he then donated to the Englishman.

The American sued the restaurant and claimed $50 million in compensation.

The Scotsman grabbed the fly by the throat and shouted: “Now spit out all that you swallowed!”

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- How do you know Santa Claus has to be a man?
No woman is going to wear the same outfit year after year!

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Oakham
Oakham who?
Oakham all ye faithful...!

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METHINKS OUR SNOW IS HERE TO STAY AND ANOTHER WEATHER ADVISORY IS ON IT’S WAY

Been quite awhile since I was last hanging off the end of a snow shovel but that is exactly where I found myself this morning.  It’s not that the snow was 3 feet deep or anything but we did have about 2 inches of the white stuff.  With more snow on the way I like to get the pathways to the bird feeders started.  We have 5 feeders in the front yard.  According to the the news tonight there is a weather advisory out and it’s looking like the next couple days could be very wintery complete with very cold temperatures and a large dump of snow.

Being in a sheltered forest it’s always hard for us to know what the weather is doing and often times we’ve driven out of our sheltered little paradise right into a blowing snow storm.  With that in mind Pheebs and headed out and although it was snowing and blowing a bit it was totally acceptable to be out and about.  Many of my driving jobs years ago were in bad winter weather so hazardous winter driving conditions are nothing new to me.  Plus this year for the first time we have a 4 wheel drive vehicle and ‘WOW’ what a welcome and additional safety factor that is.

ICY WINDS WHIP UP WHIRLYGIGS OF LOOSE SNOW BLOWING THEM ACROSS OPEN FIELDS

Down around the Goderich harbor for a few photos and  with strong icy winds off the lake it was brutal on bare skin so I had to quickly switch out my Arizona cowboy hat for a toque and put a pair of gloves on for picture taking.  Needless to say Pheebs and I were back into the warm Jeep right quick.

Another large freighter in the harbor that I don’t remember seeing before.  The Federal Baltic was docked at the Goderich Elevators.  At some point Goderich’s harbor will be closed to shipping for the winter but I’m not sure when that is.  I remember years ago when I drove for the Stratford Airporter coming to Goderich just before Christmas to pick up ship’s crew members and drive them to Pearson International Airport in Toronto to catch their flights home for Christmas.

WHEN I SAW THE FREIGHTER FROM A DISTANCE I THOUGHT THEY HAD HUNG A CHRISTMAS WREATH OUT BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE AN ORANGE LIFE RING

THAT’S THE ‘FEDERAL BALTIC’S’ STERN STICKING OUT THERE FROM BEHIND THE GODERICH ELEVATORS

AND THAT’S THE ALGORAIL WHICH HAS BEEN DOCKED THERE FOR A FEW YEARS NOW…..AND NO THOSE ARE NOT THE STACKS OF MISSISSIPPI STERNWHEELER LOWER LEFT, IT’S A WORK BARGE AND THOSE POLES HELP ANCHOR IT

PART OF THE GODERICH ELEVATORS

A few things to pick up so I mixed it up with the pre-Christmas Walmartians for 10 minutes or so.  Of course I probably outmartioned most of them with my big out of place 25 gallon Tombstone cowboy hat on.  Not out of place in the American south-west of course but certainly out of place in December’s south-western Ontario Canada. 

PHEEBS AND I DECIDED TO CHECK OUT SOME CHRISTMAS DECOS

HEY FURRY WAY OVER THERE IN THAT LONDON TOWN FOR A WEEK HERE’S A COUPLE PHOTOS YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE:))

IN GODERICH THESE RED CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS ARE MADE FROM TIM HORTON COFFEE CUPS

Kelly’s been busy in the kitchen this past week cooking up a lot of goodies.  Can’t leave anything in our fridge while were gone so with less than 2 weeks before we leave things have to be used up.

A LITTLE SNOWY BLOWY HEADING HOME BUT NOT TOO BAD

It was late afternoon when Pheebs and  I decided to take my new Merrell snow boots and winter hat for a spin around the pine tree trail.   Snow was falling but no wind so it was a nice walk in the woods and I was very happy with my new winter gear.  The reason I updated my winter wear is a good example of how efficiently my mind convinced itself over the past month that we would most likely not be going south this year and I would be spending the next 3 months playing in the snow.  Well no matter, some of the gear will be going south with us because it can get mighty cold in the southwest as well.  Not unusual for those high desert nights to drop down around freezing and over the years we have been snowed on half a dozen times with one winter cold spell in Arizona’s Cochise County breaking water pipes in homes and business’s for miles around. 

VERY HAPPY WITH MY TOASTY NEW BOOTS

OOOPS, MY SONY RX100-3 MUST HAVE BACKFIRED

THERE’S PHEEBE’S PAL DEXTER TAKING HIS DAD GERALD FOR A WALK

OUR LANDSCAPE IS LOOKING A LITTLE DIFFERENT EVEN FROM A FEW DAYS AGO

DOGGY RUNNING FAST IN THE SNOW

STILL SOME LOGGING GOING ON IN OUR PARK

THOSE ARE ALL HARDWOOD LOGS FROM A HARDWOOD BUSH ON THE PROPERTY

I BET THERE’S A COUPLE READERS OUT THERE WHO WILL RECOGNIZE THIS HOUSE:))

Now as odd at this may sound I am already looking forward to getting home in the Spring just as much as I am looking forward to heading off for the great American Southwest soon.  I  have always found myself a bit  apprehensive before heading off on these long journeys every Fall and even more so these past couple years.  Just seems to be the way it is with things now.

LIGHT’S ON OUR BACK PORCH

GROANER’S CORNER:((  It was slightly before Thanksgiving. The trip went reasonably well, and I was ready to go back. The airport on the other end had turned a tacky red and green, and loudspeakers blared annoying elevator renditions of cherished Christmas carols. Being someone
who took Christmas very seriously, and being slightly tired, I was not in a particularly good mood.  Going to check in my luggage (which, for some reason, had become one suitcase with entirely new clothes), I saw hanging mistletoe.
Not real mistletoe, but very cheap plastic with red paint on some of the rounder parts and green paint on some of the flatter and  pointier parts, that could be taken for mistletoe only in a very
Picasso sort of way. With a considerable degree of irritation and nowhere else to vent it, I said to the attendant, "Even if I were not married, I
would not want to kiss you under such a ghastly mockery of mistletoe."  "Sir, look more closely at where the mistletoe is."(pause) "Ok, I see that it's above the luggage scale, which is the place
you'd have to step forward for a kiss."  "That's not why it's there." (pause) "Ok, I give up. Why is it there?"  "It's there so you can kiss your luggage goodbye."

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- What do you call a kid who doesn't believe in Santa?  A rebel without a Claus.

- Why is Christmas just like your job?
You do all the work and the fat guy with the suit gets all the credit.

- What do you get if you eat Christmas decorations?   Tinselitis!

- What did Adam say to his wife on Christmas?
It's Christmas, Eve!

- What is the popular Christmas carol in Desert?
Camel ye Faithful.

- What do you call Santa living at the South Pole?
A lost clause.

Q: What do you get from sitting on the ice too long?  A: Polaroids!

Knock Knock!
Who's there?
Rabbit.
Rabbit who?
Rabbit up carefully, it's a Christmas present!

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