SUNSHINE, OH-OH WE GOT SNOW HEADED FOR US..... WAIT A MINUTE, IT'S NOT SNOW!!

My recliner faces our largest living room window which in turn faces East.  At dawn's first light I saw a tickle of yellowy pink through trees on the Eastern horizon.  Pink sky in the morning here is always a good sign for blue skies and sunshine.  And so it was today.

Needing some peanut butter suet for our outside Woodpeckers little Monkey Buns and I headed for Clinton's Sun Country Eco Store.  Driving headlong into the rising Sun about 8:15 I knew we were too early for their 9 a.m. opening so I grabbed a Horton's small decaf coffee with cream and headed on over to Huron Counties Hullett Marsh.

ON OUR WAY TO THE MARSH

About half way to the Marsh I noticed our sunlight fading fast and looking to the east I saw what I thought were snow clouds coming in.  We were soon surrounded......but there was no snow.  Not even an errant snowflake.  Took me a minute or two to figure out what it might be.  Ice Fog.  

IT WAS ABOUT HERE WE LOST THE SUN AND I THOUGHT A ROGUE BAND OF SNOW WAS HEADED FOR US

AN ICE FOG SETTLES IN

A DIFFUSED SUN THROUGH THE FOG

Did I mention it was really cold this morning.  Visibility was about half a mile so no problem driving.  By the time we drove into the marsh on a long snowy single lane pot hole laced dirt road, took a few pics, and headed back out again the fog was already dissipating.  Back into Clinton, grabbed three peanut butter suet cakes and headed on home.  Oh how nice to feel the Sun's warm rays beaming through the Jeep's windows.  

FOLLOWING A SNOWY DIRT ROAD INTO THE MARSH

THE ICE FOG SLOWLY LIFTS

THE MOON??  NOPE, IT'S THE SUN

WE DIDN'T STAY AT THE MARSH TOO LONG.....'TOO COLD'

Home again and not being a cold weather person I enjoyed the remaining sunny day from our warm and toasty sunroom.  Watched the birds at the feeder and the antics of the Squirrels trying to figure out how to get onto the feeder.  Those Squirrels are a laugh a minute....until their not!!

A WINDOW REFLECTION PUTS A TIGER IN SQUIRRELY'S TAIL

A week ago I had a couple 'Memory Lane' posts centered around the Alabama Hills in Lone Pine, California.  An absolutely unique and beautiful area.  However, it seems there are changes afoot for the Alabama Hills in the coming future.  People interested in that area or planning a trip there should slip on over to Jeff's latest post at Ruffin it with Rufus and read about proposed upcoming changes.  You can read about those proposed changes on his latest post entitled, Alabama Hills Follow-Up.

KELLY PUTS UP ANOTHER STRING OF CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TODAY

I can't help but feel it is a shrinking Southwest for boondockers.  Areas once accessible are closing or already closed such as the Clark Dry Lake Bed near Borrego Springs California.  The Darby Well Road area near Ajo Arizona is a mere shadow of itself compared to years ago before the Cornelius Mine fenced off a large section of it's property.  The Ogilbie Road area west of Yuma has also shrunk due to new rules and regulations and it appears the wide open free area of the Alabama Hills will soon be under rules and regulations as well.  I feel Kelly and I were very fortunate over the course of our 13 Snowbirding years to have experienced the beauty of all of these places.

::Al's Musical Favs::Take Your Mind Off by Kaskade.  I like this upbeat instrumental backing an easy voice.  Remember, the voice is also an instrument and this instrumental voice blends well.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Shortly before Christmas, a business man was anxious to get home. The business trip had been grueling and he was not in a particularly good mood. The airport loudspeakers blared Christmas carols he was sick of hearing. He thought their decorations were tacky. The worst decoration, he thought, was the plastic mistletoe hung over the luggage scale.  Being in a grumpy mood, he said to the woman at the counter, "You know, even if I weren't married, I wouldn't kiss you."

"That's not what it's there for," said the attendant. "It's so you can kiss your luggage goodbye."

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Q: What do snowmen eat for breakfast?

A: Snowflakes.

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It’s been raining for days now and my husband seems very depressed by it. He keeps standing by the window, staring.  If it continues, I’m going to have to let him in.

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