PHEEBS SAYS, "AWWW NUTS MY DAD GOT THE JEEP STUCK THIS MORNING"

With icy winds pushing below freezing air across warmer Lake Huron waters overnight and this morning we ended up with heavy snow streamers coming in off the lake.  In other words we woke up to another two inch snow dump.  However, we're on the cusp of an uptake as skies brightened later in the morning and temperatures began to rise from a frigid 18F.

AT TIMES IT WAS SNOWING HEAVY

AND AT TIMES IT WAS CLEAR

SMALL DRIFTS ACROSS A SET OF RAILWAY TRACKS

Although snowing heavily Pheebs and I made our way slowly along Porter's Hill Line to Goderich.  Not another vehicle on the road and winds weren't nearly as bad as the three previous days.  It was an enjoyable ride through Huron Counties Christmas like countryside.

With not a lot of traffic out and about we took a swing down around the downtown core of Goderich.  The town is laid out like a huge wagon wheel with the County Courthouse in the center hub.  Streets branch out from the city core like spokes in a wagon wheel.  A one way 3 lane street with parking on either side rings the Courthouse so we circled around snapping a few pics.

GODERICH'S COUNTY COURTHOUSE

I BORROWED THIS AERIAL VIEW OF GODERICH FROM THE INTERNET

GODERICH'S BEDFORD HOTEL

SUMMER OUTDOOR CONCERTS ARE HELD HERE

A FEW GODERICH PEOPLE OUT BRAVING THE MORNING'S COLD

From uptown Goderich we slipped down around the north side of the harbor for a few pics.  

HEADING DOWN TO THE NORTH HARBOR

THAT BIG SHIP IS THE ALGOMA ENTERPRISE

DESPITE AIR HOSES IN THE WATER TO KEEP THE ALGOMA ENTERPRIZE'S RUDDERS AND PROPELLER FREE IT LOOKS LIKE THE HARBOR ICE HAS WON OUT

HARBOR WATERS ARE FROZE RIGHT UP

DON'T THINK THESE FISHING BOATS WILL BE GOING ANYWHERE FOR AWHILE

HARBOR WATERS DIDN'T FREEZE UP SMOOTH AS GLASS BY THE LOOKS OF IT

AND THIS FISH & CHIP PLACE IN THE HARBOR HAS FINALLY BEEN SOLD

Popped into Walmart for a few grocery items then headed east out of Goderich.  Decided to turn left off  highway 8 onto Orchard Line with the intent of stopping at the roads dead end to let Pheebs out for a run.  The road was only plowed in a few hundred yards to a building on the right and I could see there was no point in going any farther so decided to turn around at the building.  It had two driveways so I turned into one driveway, made my way the length of the building's parking lot and attempted to exit the second driveway.  Little did I know the second driveway had not been completed and within a couple seconds I was into deep snow and the ditch!!  And I was in there real good.  Despite the Jeep's four wheel drive and rugged tires I was beat.  Wheels were moving but the Jeep wasn't.  Oh Dear:((  Only one thing to do so it was out with my snow shovel which I always carry and I started shoveling snow and shoveling snow and shoveling snow.  The wind seeing my dilemma hurried over picking up and extra batch of snow along the way to hurl at me.  I worked away non stop digging out the tires and as much snow from under the Jeep I could get at.  The front end had plowed up a mound of snow as well so I got all that out of the way.  I was over half an hour digging myself out and my legs were beginning to feel a little weak.  I put two floor mats ahead of the rear tires and knew if I could just get the Jeep another foot forward the front wheels could grab onto the snow covered gravel road and maybe gain some traction.  In four wheel drive 'low' I carefully began my extraction.  Took a little finigilling back and forth a few inches until I had myself a short runway.  With a little more gas the rear tires grabbed the floor mats and lurched forward just enough for the front wheels to grab the road and with the front wheels pulling and the back wheels pushing the Jeep crawled itself out of the snowy ditch and up onto the road.  Bottom line......It was a combination of 3 factors which freed the Jeep.  Four wheel drive, the snow shovel, and me supplying the elbow grease.  Take away any one of those three things and we would have had to call a tow truck:((

BEFORE I COULD EVEN BEGIN SHOVELING OUT THE WHEELS I HAD TO DIG THE LENGTH OF THE JEEP SO I COULD GET AT THE SNOW UNDERNEATH HOLDING THE JEEP UP

SNOW WAS ABOUT 2 FEET DEEP

AT THIS POINT I HAVE THE JEEP ALL SHOVELED OUT BEST I CAN AND IT WAS TIME TO GIVE IT A GO

'WALLA' I'M OUT AND YES I DID REMEMBER TO PICK UP MY SNOW SHOVEL AND TWO FLOOR MATS

'YAHOUIE LOUIE' I'M BACK ON THE ROAD POINTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

LOOKS LIKE I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE DIGGING OUT THIS MORNING

TOOK A FEW HORSE PICS ON THE WAY HOME AND HOW GREAT IT WAS TO SEE PATCHES OF BLUE SKY

GROANER'S CORNER:((  As the after dinner speaker gushed on and on, Deacon Miller nodded, and nodded until his head rested on the table cloth. The chairman reached over and tapped him lightly on the head with his gavel causing Deacon Miller to mumble, "Hit me harder, I can still hear him!!"
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