BUSY DAY IN THE GODERICH HARBOR

THE CAPT. HENRY JACKMAN AT THE HARBOR MOUTH

With wind and rain in the night continuing through until morning I had pretty much resigned myself to staying in so crumpled me old self into my recliner and snapped on the TV.  Wallowed there for a couple hours.  It was exactly 10:14 while watching something on the Smithsonian channel that my attention was suddenly drawn to a bright patch which had just alighted on my left pant leg above my shoe.  Sunshine!!  A ray of sunlight had somehow pierced the heavy cloud cover and made it’s way down through the pine trees into our living room striking me on my leg as if to say, ‘C’mon Al it’s time to load up your camera and the Pheebs and come out to play’.  Seconds later I was on my feet gathering up my shoes, my hat, a warm nylon jacket, and my camera.  Pheebs was already right on my heels as we sailed out of the house, jumped into the Jeep, and headed on out the driveway.

SWINGING DOWN AROUND THE HARBOR I SPOTTED THIS FREIGHTER WHICH I THOUGHT WAS JUST LEAVING THE PORT……TURNS OUT IT WAS JUST BACKING IN

A HARBOR TUG LENDS A HAND

WITH THE TUGBOATS BOW AGAINST THE FREIGHTER’S HULL IT GENTLY NUZZLES IT BACKWARDS ALONG THE SALT MINE PIER

I’LL BET THE THE FREIGHTER’S CAPTAIN IS UP THERE IN THE BRIDGE SOMEWHERE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THINGS

Knowing overnight rains had washed the Jeep down I didn’t feel much like muddying it all up again on the gravel roads so we stayed on pavement following it right up to Goderich.  Had an A&W coupon for a Papa Burger so we grabbed one to go and headed ourselves down to the harbor.

MY FIRST TIME SEEING THE NOMADIC MILDE IN PORT

CREWMEN LOOKING DOWN INTO THE  deepHOLD

I’M THINKING THAT BIG GREEN PATCHY THING IN THE BACKGROUND MAY BE ONE OF FOUR BIG FOLDED UP HATCH COVERS

DID YOU SEE THE IN-LINE PARADE OF CANADA GEESE??

THE NOMADIC MILDE AT THE GODERICH ELEVATORS IS DOCKED MAYBE LESS THAN A THOUSAND YARDS ASTERN OF THE CAPT. HENRY JACKMAN  OVER AT THE SIFTO SALT MINE DOCK……THIS LINK IS A ‘YOU TUBE’ IN THE MINE AND KELLY AND I HAVE BEEN DOWN THERE

STERN SECTION OF THE NOMADIC MILDE SHOWING THE BRIDGE

With temperatures around 45F today the icy wind blast coming in off Lake Huron made it feel 10 degrees colder than that so it was good I had my zipped and lined winter jacket on.  No problem for Pheebs and her toasty warm fur coat though. 

WIND WHIPPED LAKE HURON WATERS

EVEN THE SEA GULLS BATTENED DOWN THE HATCHES TODAY

After cruising around the south side of the harbor we slipped over to the north side for a few more photos before setting our sites for home.  The few sun splashes we had been enjoying soon diminished as clouds thickened and temperatures dropped even more.  Not too inspiring for me to drive around on a cold cloudy day.

SLIPPED OVER TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HARBOR FOR A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE ON THE SHIPS

FINALLY IN PLACE THE CAPT. HENRY JACKMAN WILL SLOWLY MOVE FORWARD AS EACH BIN IS FILLED WITH SALT STARTING WITH THE FORWARD BINS

YEP THEY LOOK LIKE BIG GREEN HATCH COVERS TO ME

Mike the Plumber guy came this morning to finish up winterizing the last of our pipes underneath our unit and the only thing left for me to do now is slip under and turn off our outside water when I’m ready to do that.  I don’t want to put any more water into the rig’s fresh water tank until Kelly’s Doctor phones back again hopefully in a couple days and gives us the green light to head south.

A COUPLE OLD FELLERS  OUT FISHING IN THE HARBOR

A CIGARETTE AND HOT CUP OF TIM HORTON COFFEE ON A COLD LATE OCTOBER MORNING

I NOTICED THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HARBOR WAS A VERY BUSY PLACE AS THIS FELLOW ON A BARGE IN THE HARBOR WELDS SOMETHING

A CREWMAN ON THE CAPT. HENRY JACKMAN KEEPS AN EYE ON A HEAVY STEEL CABLE AS THE SHIP SLOWLY MOVES A FINAL FEW FEET INTO PLACE

A LOWER DECK CREWMAN GRABS A SMOKE AND SOME FRESH AIR AT AN OPENING IN THE HULL NEAR THE STERN

HEY DO YA SUPPOSE THE CAPT. HENRY JACKMAN  IS EMPTYING HER GRAY TANK GUYS

Still haven’t had any luck in getting my photo albums back into the blog since accidentally deleting them a week or so ago.  Kelly tried as well but it was a ‘no-go’.  So I’ll either have to just forget about the photo album thing or go with something like Smug Mug.  I know some might recommend ‘Flicker’ but I’ve tried that program and didn’t much care for it.  Oh well, who bothers to look at photo albums anyway eh…………………….

‘OKAY BOYS EYES LEFT’

GROANER’S CORNER:(( The summer band class was just getting under way when a large insect flew into the room. The Sixth Graders, eager to play their shiny new instruments, tried to ignore the buzzing intruder, but eventually one student, Tommy, could stand it no longer. He rolled up his music book and swatted the insect, then he stomped on it to ensure its demise. "Is it a bee?" another student asked. "Nope," Tommy replied. "Bee flat."

---------------------------------------------

Dr. Jones enters the student classroom and starts shouting, "Tetanus! Insulin! Booster!"
One student asked another, "What the hell do you think he is doing?" The other student replied, "Calling the shots."

-------------------------------------------

Liam had left Dublin to go up to Belfast for a bit of skydiving, Late Sunday evening he was found in tree by a farmer. What happened said the farmer, Liam replied, that his parachute failed to open, well said the farmer if you had of asked the locals before you jumped, they would have told you nothing opens here on a Sunday.

----------------------------------------------

Knock, Knock
Who's there?
Pudding!
Pudding who?
Pudding your shoes on before your trousers is a silly idea!

=================================