IT WAS A BUMPY JEEP RIDE THROUGH THE STILL PARTIALLY FROZEN HAY SWAMP

Our days just keep getting better as late March’s strengthening Sun slowly works it’s warming magic on melting Winter’s snow.  Our above freezing warm up begins in earnest Sunday and for the next 14 days temps are all well above freezing.  Even some night’s too.

WILLOW TREES TAKE ON THEIR EARLY SPRING COLORS

ALTHOUGH NOT A BARN BLOCK QUILT I DON’T KNOW JUST WHAT THIS IS

Kelly headed of to Goderich to run some errands while Pheebs and I headed off in the other direction south of Bayfield.  Roads aren’t plowed during winter in the Hay Swamp but I saw well worn vehicle tracks at the south end of Parr Line heading through the swamp so we drove ourselves in.  It was single lane and no turning around.  Had hoped to stop for a few photos but with another vehicle following along at a distance behind me there was no stopping or room to pull over and let him by.  The road itself was pretty rumbly with it’s frozen ruts and ridges and all the way through I couldn’t help but think it was no different than many of the rough and tumble trails and Jeep roads we’ve been on in Arizona and California over the past years.  It was fun to get ourselves bouncing around inside the Jeep again:))

SLIPPED LIBBY INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND AWAY WE WENT

IT WAS FUNNY HOW ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE ROAD ICE HAD MELTED (ABOVE) BUT ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE ROAD IT WAS STILL FROZEN (BELOW)

We were home shortly after 11 and that pretty much wrapped up the day.  I do go out periodically and shovel a little snow around, chop some driveway ice, and see to it the bird feeders are full.  Until warmer air prevails and all the snow is gone that will probably be my afternoon curriculum for the next little while.

A BIG GLOMP OF ICE AND SNOW READY TO SLIDE OFF OUR CARPORT ROOF

 

SPIKED ICE CYCLES

I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THIS SMALL DARK EYED JUNCO PICK UP A FULL SIZE PEANUT AT THE FEEDER THEN FLY TO A BRANCH AND PECK THROUGH THE SHELL TO RETRIEVE THE PEANUT INSIDE

Well I’m glad I don’t have to perform my annual Spring tradition this year.  It’s one I’ve had to do since the mid 90’s.  Here is what I wrote about that yearly tradition on March 30th, 2010……..

’It's a mechanical thing so I know I will likely be beat before I get started today & I also know if I was smart I would get Kelly to do it.  But, I will once again try to do for myself something that Kelly could probably better than me.  It's supposed to be a guy's thing anyway you know!!  I'm talking about the annual spring ritual of getting my motorcycle started.  Things made of metal that sit for very long periods of time in very cold weather have a tendency not to do the things they are designed to do. One of those things is......'start!!'  Pretty much happens to me every year.  It is just my lot in life.  If it's mechanical, I'm toast!!  First thing I struggle with is getting the charged up battery back into the bike the same way it came out.  Never wants to fit & I usually have to put it in backwards at least once.  I am one of those bumblefingers who has to repeatedly fumble with tiny things like screws so it takes me awhile to get the battery terminal wires tightened down.  Have to keep stopping to look for things I have dropped.  I generally sit flat on the ground & make myself as comfortable as possible because with all the fiddling it usually takes me awhile.  Assuming all goes well with getting the battery installed & I don't lose my patience & bounce the screwdriver off my neighbor's garage roof, I move on to the next step.  With the key in the ignition & the choke on full I begin the seemingly endless cranks of the starter.  I swear that sometimes days actually pass as I sit upon that motorcycle cranking that starter.  I can see the sunrises & sunsets go by out the window.  Occasionally I'm forced to remove the battery & charge it up all over again.  I generally take advantage of this downtime to use the washroom & grab a bite to eat before returning & mounting the noble steed once again.  And so it goes until one day the engine actually gives a cough & then maybe another.  If I'm lucky, those few coughs might turn into a few chugs.  If I can get more than 5 or 6 chugs going in a row I consider it my lucky day as once again the annual routine of starting up the motorcycle slips into the past for another year.  If only I was smart enough to get Kelly to do all that in the first place the bike would be purring as smooth as a kitten on the very first crank.  And she would probably put the battery in right side up the first time too………….

‘OH RALPH, JUNIORS SHOWING OFF AGAIN’

‘ALRIGHT ALICE HERE HE COMES SO I’LL HAVE A TALK WITH HIM’

‘NOW LISTEN TO ME YOUNG MAN YOU HAVE GOT TO STOP FLYING AROUND HERE LIKE A GOONEYBIRD SCARING  EVERYBODY’

‘AW GEE DAD I’M SORRY BUT IT’S SPRING AND I JUST CAN’T HELP IT’

‘AWWWW SHUCKS I HOPE I WASN’T TOO HARD ON THE LAD’

‘RALPH I  DON’T THINK YOU WERE HARD ENOUGH ON HIM’……’I WAS SO!!!!!’

‘OH OH HERE HE COMES AGAIN’

IT’S ABOUT TIME YOU GOT HOME’

‘TALK TO HIM AGAIN RALPH’….’NO YOU TALK TO HIM THIS TIME ALICE’

‘ALRIGHT JUNIOR HIT THE ROAD!!’

‘AND DON’T YA COME BACK UNTIL YOU GET SMARTNED UP’

‘AW COME ON MOM I’M A BIG BOY NOW’

‘DON’T YOU BE GIVING ME ANY OF THAT BIG BOY STUFF YOUR JUST LKIKE YOUR  BIRD BRAIN DAD’

’NOW HIT THE ROAD YA BUM’

‘OH DON’T WORRY RALPH IT WAS JUST A BIT OF TOUGH LOVE I WAS USING AND I’M SURE HE’LL BE BACK BEFORE LUNCH’

Saturday morning I will be in the Jeep heading East but I’ll be by myself this time.  A rare occurrence indeed without my furry Pal along.  Hmmmm, what could be up………..

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A well-worn one dollar bill and a similarly distressed twenty dollar bill arrived at a Federal Reserve Bank to be retired. As they moved along the conveyor belt to be burned, they struck up a conversation.   The twenty dollar bill reminisced about its travels all over the county. "I've had a pretty good life," the twenty proclaimed. "Why I've been to Las Vegas and Atlantic City, the finest restaurants in New York, performances on Broadway, and even a cruise to the Caribbean.""Wow!" said the one dollar bill. "You've really had an exciting life!"
"So tell me," says the twenty, "where have you been throughout your lifetime?"  The one dollar bill replies, "Oh, I've been to the Methodist Church, the Baptist Church, the Lutheran Church ..."   The twenty dollar bill interrupts, "What's a church?"

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Old is when...

You don't care where your spouse goes, just as long as you don't have to go along.

You are cautioned to slow down by the doctor instead of by the police.

Someone mistakes you for a sun-dried tomato while you're shopping at the grocery store.

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When my son graduated from high school, he had to give a speech. He began by reading from his prepared text.  'I want to talk about my mother and the wonderful influence she has had on my life,' he told the audience. 'She is a shining example of parenthood, and I love her more than words could ever do justice.'  At this point he seemed to struggle for words. After a pause, he looked up with a sly grin and said, 'Sorry, but it's really hard to read my mother's handwriting.'

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