THE PINERY PROVINCIAL PARK AS BEEN CLOSED SO PHEEBS AND I WENT THIS MORNING TO HAVE US A LOOK FOR OURSELVES

GRAND BEND ONTARIO

Another gray sullen morning but Kelly had checked the weather and said skies were due to clear around noon.  As it turns out they began clearing about 9:45 when Pheebs and I were cruising along east of Grand Bend.  Temperatures came up Monday morning and eventually melted Sunday night’s snow.

CHRISTMAS COLORS IN A CORNFIELD

I WONDER HOW MANY FOLKS REMEMBER ICE SKATING ON SMALL FROZEN  FIELD PONDS LIKE THIS WHEN THEY WERE KIDS

WELL AT LEAST THIS FARMER HAS ‘THE MIDDLE’ OF HIS CORN FIELD HARVESTED

MIGRANT WORKS IN THE THEDFORD BOG ROLLING UP LONG STRIPS OF PLASTIC FROM THE FIELDS

Coffee and Morning Glory muffin to go at Bayfield's Charles Street Market Cafe and Pheebs and I were off south of Bayfield with a destination in mind.  Some sections of road were wet and a touch icy while other stretches were bare and dry.  It all depends on where the snow feathers in off the lake.  Some fields had a touch of snow and some no snow at all.

SPOTTED THIS PINK DOOR ON A HOUSE IN BAYFILED THIS MORNING AND I LIKE IT

DUCKS ON A POND BUT I DON’T KNOW WHAT KIND

JUST SOUTH OF GRAND BEND OIL COUNTRY BEGINS

THIS FARMER HAS HIS OWN OIL WELL AND HERE HE IS FILLING UP HIS TANK OUT IN THE BACK FORTY

A RURAL GRAIN SILO COMPLEX

THIS WAS THE SECOND OF TWO FELLAS I SAW WITH THEIR PLOWS IN THE GROUND THIS MORNING

ALWAYS NICE TO SEE SENIORS OUT WALKING

I was curious to have a look at something I had heard about south of Grand Bend.  I wonder how many area people know the very popular Pinery Provincial Park  has been closed indefinitely!!  For anyone interested to know why you can read about it here.  ‘Pinery Closed’  My many memories of happy camping times in the Pinery go way back to the early 60's and it is unbelievable to me that one person has been able to shut down the Pinery Provincial Park.  And that's all I had better say about that!!!! 

THE PINERY’S MAIN ENTRANCE

JUST A FEW HUNDRED YARDS OFF THE HIGHWAY THIS TRAILER BLOCKS ENTRY TO THE PARK

NORTH OF THE PINERY I SPOTTED THIS OLD PIECE OF FARM MACHINERY WHICH I THINK MIGHT BE A THRESHING MACHINE

  

With skies continuing to clear and sunshine beaming through the windows Pheebs and I cruised through Grand Bend and headed off down to the beach.  Cold wind off the lake but with the sun out the day was pleasantly doable. 

THIS SIGN SUMS UP WHAT GRAND BEND IS ALL ABOUT IN THE SUMMER

I WAS CURIOUS TO SEE HOW CONSTRUCTION WAS COMING ALONG ON THE PROBABLE BEACH CONDO

LOOKS LIKE IT’S STARTING TO TAKE SHAPE

ONLY EVER BEEN ONE CONDO ON GRAND BEND’S BEACH AND IT’S BEEN THERE FOR QUITE AWHILE

GRAND BEND’S BEACH AND HARBOR BEACON

GRAND BEND HAS DONE A MARVELOUS JOB ON THEIR BEACH FRONT

BUNDLED UP AGAINST THE COLD WINDS THIS ARDENT BEACHCOMBER MADE SURE TO BRING A HOT CUP OF TIM HORTONS COFFEE WITH HER

YEP, THAT’S LIBBY PARKED BY THE BLUE GAZEBO AND GRAND BEND DOGS ARE A FRIENDLY LOT

Looking at the clock Pheebs reminded me it was lunch time so we slipped into Grand Bend’s Subway Sandwich Shop and grabbed ourselves a 6 inch Tuna Sub.  Didn't take us long to have ourselves a big mess going on in the front seat but we made it through the sub Okay and I'll just have to clean things up when we get home.  That honey mustard sure is sticky stuff. 

‘DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD GET A SCOOP OF ICE CREAM ON OUR TUNA SUB PHEEBS’

‘OH THAT WOULD BE JUST SUPER DAD’

‘OOPS I FORGOT THE ICE CREAM PHEEBS BUT HERE’S SOME MORE TUNA’

We were back home shortly after noon and amazingly enough the sun followed us all the way.  How nice to see sunshine in November.  However, weather forecasters are predicting a tough winter with a lot of snow and storms to boot.  I always told Kelly that if we ever had to stay home for a winter it would probably turn out to be the worst winter of ever.  I think my words may come true………………:((

LOOKS LIKE RURAL FOLKS ARE ALREADY FEELING MIGHTY CHRISTMASY

A BUNCH OF NEWLY PLANTED SOMETHING OR OTHEERS

IT WAS TIME TO GET SOME MUD OFF THE JEEP BEFORE WE GOT HOME

THIS VACANT LOT ALONGSIDE HIGHWAY 21 BETWEEN THE CAR WASH ON THE LEFT AND FOODLAND ON THE RIGHT IS WERE BAYFIELD’S NEW TIM HORTON’S COFFEE SHOP WITH ACCOMPANYING GAS BAR WILL BE LOCATED

As a rule whenever entering a supermarket or big box store my first defensive action is to get me a mobile battering ram and immediately get myself safely behind it.  Now some people may call them shopping carts but to me they are defensive mobile battering rams and with the frantic Christmas season ramping up I know shopping aisles will be a place of great danger filled with maniacal madcap shoppers.  Even if I am only in the store to pick up a half ounce bag of toothpicks I'm not going to take a chance and walk around without rolling protection in front of me.  Frenzied shoppers come roaring out of those blind side aisles about 45 mph pushing cart loads of bargooons that can do a lot of damage to people walking around with no protection in front of them.  And don't even think about being anywhere near the meat department area when turkeys go on sale.  Gruesome!!  Seniors day can be especially hazardous.  I remember getting caught in a Fry’s Supermarket on Seniors Day in Sierra Vista Arizona one time and my life hasn't been the same since.  I unthinkingly waded into a mass of scrambling Seniors without a mobile battering ram in my pocession and was severely pummeled.   I think it was that day I realized if I was ever going to live to be any kind of age at all I had better not take any more chances like that.  I'm even in the habit now at any Supermarket of looking for a cart  in the parking lot as soon as I get out of the Jeep.  I prefer the smaller ones and can usually find one in a cart stile.  I have even been known to use my trusty battering ram cart to fend off a few rambunctious smart cars on occasion.  If you ever see me in a Supermarket without a cart in front of me you will know that I must be temporarily confused and having a Senior moment………..Say, did I just use the word ,‘temporarily’ in regards to my confusement??

GROANER’S CORNER:(( I went to the hospital for a colectomy and instead got a lobotomy. Now I have half a mind to complain.

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There's quite an art to falling apart as the years go by and life doesn't begin at 40. That's a big fat lie.

My hair's getting thinner, my body is not;
The few teeth I have are beginning to rot.

I smell of Vick's-Vapo-Rub, not Chanel #5;
My new pacemaker's all that keeps me alive.

When asked of my past, every detail I'll know,
But what was I doing 10 minutes ago?

Well, you get the idea, what more can I say?
I'm off to read the obits, like I do every day;

If my name's not there, I'll once again start
Perfecting the art of falling apart!

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