SO COLD THIS MORNING EVEN THE SNOW WAS SHIVERING

FROST ON OUR KITCHEN WINDOW THIS MORNING

Out with Pheebs Sunday night re-stocking the bird feeders for morning I glanced up through our tall pine trees and found myself looking at a clear winter night's sky.  And through those pines I readily recognized the unmistakable constellation Orion.  Thought of my Aunt Jean right away because Orion is her favorite constellation and the one she looked for on her early morning Florida walks when she was still able to get around a little easier.

SUNRISE THROUGH THE PINES AND DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERMOMETER IT'S HALLUCINATING

Under nearly clear morning skies we woke up to 12F temperatures.  Luckily there was no wind so being out and about later was doable but limited.  

CALMER LAKE HURON WATERS

THE BAYFIELD RIVER IS IN THE PROCESS OF RE-FREEZING AGAIN

GOOD TIME OF YEAR FOR LOGGERS 

A FARMER WITH HIS BLOWER HEADING OFF TO BLOW OUT A FELLOW FARMER'S LANE

NOTICE THE ICECYLES IN THIS SNOW BLOWER FELLAS MUSTACHE

SNOWPLOWS WERE OUT EARLY MAKING SURE ROADS WERE CLEAR FOR SCHOOLBUSES AND ACTUALLY THIS IS ONE OF THE ROADS I DROVE SCHOOL BUS ON YEARS AGO

I DON'T THINK THIS TRACTOR WILL BE PLOWING ANY SNOW THIS YEAR

I BET THIS FLYING FARMER IS PATIENTLY WAITING FOR A SPRING TAKE-OFF

Our back road wanderings took us once again southeast of Bayfield where we doddered along slowly enjoying winter's frosty landscape.  It's a beauty all it's own and I hope I've captured a little bit of that in this morning's photos many of which you can find in an a new photo album idea near the end of this post.  Even though I'm managing to get through this winter reasonably well so far I still would much rather be walking in the deserts of the southwest.

SO NICE TO SEE A BIG PATCH OF BLUE SKY FOR AWHILE THIS MORNING 

THERE'S A FARMER AND HIS DOG HEADING INSIDE FOR A PEANUT BUTTER SANDWICH

DECIDED TO TAKE THIS ROAD LESS TRAVELED AND I'M GLAD WE DID BECAUSE WE FOUND SOME NICE PHOTOS DOWN THERE

STOPPED FOR A DOGGY BREAK

I THINK PHEEBS IS ON THE TRAIL OF A MOUSE

OH-OH I NOTICED SHE WAS LIMPING HERE

'MY PAW IS FROZE UP DAD AND IT'S OUCHY'

'I THINK IT'S TIME TO GO HOME NOW'

PHEEBS IS HAPPY TO BE BACK IN THE WARM JEEP

'OOOOHHH THAT SUNSHINE FEELS SO NICE AND WARM'

A phone call from the Maitland Valley Health Clinic brought me the results of my blood test late last week.  As suspected I have gone from pre-diabetic to diabetes now and have an appointment with a diabetes nurse person on February 14th.  The test results were not surprising with my sedentary lifestyle this winter compared to our much more active winters in the southwest these past number of years.  It's my own fault of course.  I'm eating more in this cold weather and hardly getting any meaningful exercise at all.  I've never been good at exercising just for the sake of exercising.  I remember when we bought the house in Congress Arizona years ago and I was out and about most every day working on the grounds, daily walks in the desert, rock scrambles, digging fence post holes, wheelbarrowing gravel, planting cactus, etc. etc.  Oh well, no use lamenting about days gone by.  It is what it is and I am where I am now.  We had our time in the sunshine and I have to be grateful for that.

WISHED WE HAD A FEW MOUNTAINS ON THE HORIZON

January 20th now and I consider us to be past Winter's half point.  That is always the way I looked at it when we were traveling as well.  By the time mid February rolled around my thoughts were turning more to home and by mid March we were already planning our route to the northeast.  I figured traveling like we did always broke up the year in a great way and kept the 'same-old-same-olds' nicely at bay.  I don't know if we will ever see our beloved southwest again but if there is any chance we can head off for one last RVing adventure then count me in.  Even if we found the ideal RV tomorrow I doubt we could go now because of scheduled medical appointments coming up.  Yep, we're in our Senior years alright:((

IT'S THE GREEN TRACTOR BLOWING THE SNOW

GUESS THIS FELLOW IS DOING SOME EARLY PLOWING AND DID YOU NOTICE THE HIGHLAND FURRY FACE GUYS

I took well over a hundred photos again today so I've decided to put some of them into a photo album instead of trying to ram a large number into my post again.  In the album you will see some of the photos in this post plus more of the winter wonderland I saw this morning.
::Today's Photo Album:: Winter Landscape January 20th 2020  When you get to the album click a photo to enlarge it then use the white arrows on the left or right of the photo to continue on through the album.  Been a long time since I've created an album so hope it works.  If it does it might be a way for me to put less pictures in a post on those days when I take too many pictures.  124 today, 75 yesterday, and 133 on Saturday.  My 'stock photo file' is bursting it's seams.  Let me know if you think this might be a good idea...……...

::Al's Musical Favs:: Seduction by Intrusion.  Love this one for it's quiet simplicity.  It doesn't come from anywhere and it doesn't go anywhere.  It's just there.  And I like that.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( How many dogs does it take to change a light bulb?" - 

Golden Retriever: The sun is shining, the day is young, we have our whole lives ahead of us, and you're inside worrying about a stupid burned out bulb?

Border Collie: Just one. And then I'll replace any wiring that's not up to code. - Dachshund: You know I can't reach that stupid lamp!

Rottweiler: Make me.

Boxer: Who cares? I can still play with my squeaky toys in the dark.

Lab: Oh, me, me!!!!! Pleeeeeeeeeze let me change the light bulb! Can I? Can I? Huh? Huh? Huh? Can I? Pleeeeeeeeeze, please, please, please!

German Shepherd: I'll change it as soon as I lead these people from the dark, check to make sure I don't miss any, and make just one more perimeter patrol to see that no one takes advantage of the situation.

Jack Russell Terrier: I'll just pop it in while I'm bouncing off the walls and furniture. 

Old English Sheep Dog: Light bulb? I'm sorry, but I don't see a light bulb! 

Cocker Spaniel: Why change it? I can still pee on the carpet in the dark. 

Chihuahua: Yo quiero Taco Bulb. 

Pointer: I see it, there it is, there it is, right there..... 

Greyhound: It isn't moving. Who cares?

Australian Shepherd: First, I'll put all the light bulbs in a little circle... 

Poodle: I'll just blow in the Border Collie's ear and he'll do it. By the time he finishes rewiring the house, my nails will be dry.
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