AFTER A STOP IN GODERICH PHEEBS AND I WANDERED UP THROUGH AMISH/MENNONITE COUNTRY EARLIER TODAY

It occurred to me a few days ago I had never taken a drive up through Amish/Mennonite country northeast of Goderich In the winter time before.  Would the folks still be using horse drawn buggies on snowy roads or would they be using sleighs

STOPPED DOWN AROUND THE GODERICH HARBOR AND FOUND A FEW ICICLES

With skies brighter to the east and a few sun sprinkles making their way through the clouds Pheebs and I headed up through Goderich grabbing a McD's coffee along the way.

ICE COATED ROCKS ALONG THE SHORE REMINDED ME OF THIS PAST APRIL 2ND WHEN I HAD MY FLOPASODE

Seems every time in Goderich we have to slip ourselves down around the harbor and have us a drive alongside the lake so sticking with routine we did just that. 

DON’T THINK I’VE SEEN THE BBC GEORGIA IN PORT BEFORE

From Goderich we headed for Amish/Mennonite country.  Being a Sunday morning there were very few vehicles on the road and especially up in Mennonite country.  in fact we never saw a single person despite the roads we traveled and the farms we saw.  Not one and I couldn't pick up any buggy or sleigh tracks in the snow because all roads had been plowed and judging by the road surface I doubt they would be using sleighs.  From experience I knew all the folks would be gathered together at someone's farm for Sunday morning services but with no tracks to follow I wasn't able to find where.  Buggy tracks are easy to follow in the summertime on gravel roads but not so much on plowed roads in winter unless there had been a light overnight snowfall.  Only signs of life on the picturesque farms this morning were horses and cattle out grazing in snow covered fields.

ON OUR WAY TO AMISH/MENNONITE COUNTRY

AN AMISH/MENNONITE SAWMILL OPERATION WEST OF ST. HELENS

With temperatures hovering around 27F with a cold wind blowing we only stopped for a couple short leg stretches.  Looking ahead at the 14 day forecast we are supposed to be above freezing all next week and the following week with some of those days being close to 40F.  If that forecast holds we should lose much of the snow we have.  We'll see.

LOOKS LIKE THESE AMISH FOLKS HAVE SOME RV INTERESTS

Because I now have another medical appointment coming up regarding blood pressure and this growth on my chin which by the way didn't go away after the Nitrous Oxide spray I am still holding off loading anything else into the Motorhome.  It is still a 'wait and see' thing for us because of these unexpected medical problems.  Kelly said today she still is not feeing up to par either.

MENNONITE SCHOOL AND I LIKE HOW THEY PAINTED THEIR DOORS A LIGHT BLUE

ONE CAN MOST ALWAYS TELL WHERE THESE AMISH/MENNONITE FOLKS LIVE BY THEIR WHITE HOUSES AND RED BARNS

I figure I’m going to have to get me some binder twine, a couple 2x4’s, a few clamps, half a dozen nails, and some glue together and figure out a plan on how to improve the reception on my Sirius Satellite Radio.  Biggest recurring problem I have with the radio is reliably clear system strength.  I’ve gone through 2 radios and half a dozen antennae's over the past 15 years but have never been able to  totally solve the problem.   And the latest reception problem I’m having has to do with me and the Jeep’s steering wheel.  Signal strength is clear until I place my hand on the steering wheel and the only sound out of the radio is static.  Remove my hand and the station is clear.  It makes driving the Jeep and listening to the radio at the same time a little sketchy.  So here’s my plan…….. I figure if I can nail some 2x4’s together and glue some binder twine around the ends with a couple clamps on each side of the steering wheel I can maybe affix parts of my contraption to each leg.  Now I raise my right leg and the Jeep turns left, move my left leg right and the Jeep turns right, no wait a minute, right leg left and the Jeep backs up.  Oh Dear, I see I am going to have to put more careful thought into this little project of mine.  Okay if I look to the right and my hip shifts to the left I’ll have to……!!#*%@!!

DESPITE A FEW SUN SPLASHES THIS MORNING THE DAY REMAINED MAINLY CLOUDY AND GRAY

AND REMEMBER WHEN YOUR OUT AND ABOUT,  MOTHER NATURE’S CHILDREN WILL BE KEEPING AND EYE ON YOU

Finished another great book entitled, Pathfinder Pioneer by Raymond Brim.  It tells the story of a young lad born in Dividend Utah who went on to fly B-17 Flying Fortresses over Germany during the second world war.  I especially like when a book like this follows a young persons life from early childhood through their schooling and military training on to their active military service then follows through with what they did with their lives in the post war years.  I am always inspired by how these young people suddenly came of age in times of such turmoil and strife.

GROANER’S CORNER:((  The True Origin of the Internet::
In ancient Israel, it came to pass that a trader by the name of Abraham Com did take unto himself a young wife by the name of Dot.  And Dot Com was a comely woman, broad of shoulder and long of leg. Indeed, she had been called 'Amazon Dot Com.  'And she said unto Abraham, her husband, "Why doth thou travel far from town to town with thy goods when thou can trade without ever leaving thy tent?”  And Abraham did look at her as though she were several saddle bags short of a camel load, but simply said, "How, dear?"  And Dot replied, "I will place drums in all the towns and drums in between to send messages saying what you have for sale and they will reply telling you which hath the best price.  And the sale can be made on the drums and delivery made by Uriah's Pony Stable (UPS).”  Abraham thought long and decided he would let Dot have her way with the drums.  And the drums rang out and were an immediate success. Abraham sold all the goods he had at the top price, without ever moving from his tent.  But this success did arouse envy.  A man named Maccabia did secrete himself inside Abraham's drum and was accused of insider trading.  And the young man did take to Dot Com's trading as doth the greedy horsefly take to camel dung. They were called Nomadic Ecclesiastical Rich Dominican Siderites, or NERDS for short.  And lo, the land was so feverish with joy at the new riches and the deafening sound of drums that no one noticed that the real riches were going to the drum maker, one Brother William of Gates, who bought up every drum company in the land.  And indeed did insist on making drums that would work only with Brother Gates' drumheads and drumsticks.  And Dot did say, "Oh, Abraham, what we have started is being taken over by others.”  And as Abraham looked out over the Bay of Ezekiel, or as it came to be known "eBay" he said, "We need a name that reflects what we are."  And Dot replied, "Young Ambitious Hebrew Owner Operators.""YAHOO," said Abraham.  And that is how it all began. It wasn't Al Gore after all.

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Q: What was wrong with the boy's brand new toy electric train set he received for Christmas?

A: Forty feet of track - all straight!

Q: What nationality is Santa Claus?

A: North Polish.

Q: What do elves learn in school?

A: The Elf-abet!

Q: Why did Santa spell Christmas N-O-E?

A: Because the angel had said, "No L!"

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