WINNEY WANTED TO MAKE A BREAK FOR THE BORDER AND HEAD SOUTH

 SNOOZY FACE AND I TOOK THE RIG FOR A SHORT DRIVE AROUND THE BLOCK THIS AFTERNOON

I think the best part of the day was seeing a pinkish sunrise through our pine trees about 7:30 this morning.  That of course meant blue skies, and blue skies it was as Pheebs and I rolled out about an hour later.

 A MILE EAST OF OUR PARK LIVES THE TULIP LANE FURRY FACE GUYS

 LOOKS LIKE PHEEBS AND STOPPED BY JUST ABOUT BREAKFAST TIME

 NOW THAT IS GETTING ONES FACE RIGHT INTO ONES BREAKFAST

 THESE HIGHLAND CATTLE PICS ARE FOR YOU DEB WAY UP THERE ON THAT MANITOULIN ISLAND PLACE

Coffee to go in Clinton and out around the Hullett Marsh we went.  Our favorite road into the Marsh is now closed for the Winter so we took another road into a different area where there is a viewing stand.

 HEADING INTO THE HULLETT MARSH'S VIEWING STAND AREA

 WE HAD TO BE VERY CAREFUL COMING UP AND ESPECIALLY GOING DOWN THESE ICY STEPS

 BUNNY TRACKS IN THE SNOW

With sunshine competing for equal space in this morning's slightly cloudy sky, it was still a bright-looking day casting a diffused light across Huron County's snowy landscape.

From the Marsh, we took the scenic route home picking up a few more photos along the way.  With temps nearly back up to the freezing mark and no wind, it wasn't too bad of a morning at all.  

Once home I fired up our little Winnebago and after a quick bite to eat for us guys we piled into the rig and took it for a short spin around a big country block.  After sitting stationary for a month the tires were definitely needing some exercise.  The little Winney ran great and I could tell it wanted to make a break for the border and head south in search of warmer weather.  Well Jeeeeezzzz, don't we all.

 ROADS WERE BARE AND DRY SO WE TOOK THE RIG OUT FOR A SHORT DRIVE

Despite the cold winter air Pheebs and I did manage an afternoon walk.  Footing was treacherous with a lot of ice underfoot so it was slow going in many spots.

 AN ICY AREA IN OUR PARK AND YES IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY YOU CAN SEE PHEEBS UP THERE 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  About a century or two ago, the Pope challenged the Jewish community of Rome to a debate.  The Jews looked around for a champion who could defend their faith, but no one wanted to volunteer. It was too risky. So they finally picked an old man named Moishe who spent his life sweeping up after people to represent them. Being old and poor, he had less to lose, so he agreed. He asked only for one addition to the rules of debate. Not being used to saying very much, he asked that neither side be allowed to talk. The Pope agreed.The day of the great debate came. Moishe and the Pope sat opposite each other for a full minute before the Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers. Moishe looked back at him and raised one finger. The Pope waved his fingers in a circle around his head. Moishe pointed to the ground where he sat. The Pope pulled out a wafer and a glass of wine. Moishe pulled out an apple. The Pope stood up and said, "I give up. This man is too good. The Jews win."  An hour later, the cardinals were all around the Pope asking him what happened. The Pope said, "First I held up three fingers to represent the Trinity. He responded by holding up one finger, to remind me that there was still one God common to both our religions. Then I waved my finger around me to show him, that God was all around us. He responded by pointing to the ground, showing that God was also right here with us. I pulled out the wine and the wafer to show that God absolves us from our sins. He pulled out an apple to remind me of original sin. He had an answer for everything. What could I do?"  Meanwhile, the Jewish community had crowded around Moishe, amazed that this old, almost feeble-minded man had done what all their scholars had insisted was impossible. "What happened?" they asked.  "Well," said Moishe, "first he said to me that the Jews had three days to get out of here. I told him that not one of us was leaving. Then he told me that this whole city would be cleared of Jews. I let him know that we were staying right here."  "And then?" asked a woman.  "I don't know," said Moishe. "He took out his lunch and I took out mine."

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A SKIFF OF ICE ON HARBOR WATERS

 COLD BOULDERS ALONG THE LAKE HURON SHORELINE IN GODERICH

Cloudy morning, sunny afternoon, and if I didn't write anything else that could very well sum up the whole day.  However, being a daily blog writer I have to try harder than that.

 I HOPE THEY FIX THAT HOLE IN THE ROOF BEFORE WINDS GET IN THERE AND TEAR THE BARN APART

 THIS FINE OLD BARN BIT THE DUST TODAY

 CAN YOU TELL WHICH VEHICLE OWNER LIVES IN THE COUNTRY

Goderich was in the rotation slot for our routine morning travels.  Standard coffee to go at McDonalds then down to the harbor.  Disappointed to see Cove Road still blocked by a large pile of dumped snow.  One ship in the harbor at the Salt Mine dock.  A skiff of ice on harbor waters.  In other words, not too much of anything else going on.

 LAKE HURON WAS CALM TODAY 

 SEAGULLS SIT ON A THIN SKIFF OF ICE IN GODERICH'S HARBOR

 ONE SHIP AT THE SALT DOCK

 ICE LANDING

 THIS GULL FOUND A SMALL PATCH OF OPEN WATER IN THE HARBOR

From Goderich, we ventured northeast towards the hamlet of Ben Miller.  After a pit stop for Pheebs along the way, we were soon headed home.  Paved roads were bare and dry and no wind to blow our 21F temps around.  Had there been any wind it would have been even more bitterly cold than it already was.

 A PIT STOP FOR PHEEBS

Of course, we waited for the coldest cloudy day of the year so far to take down our outside Christmas decorations.  Fifteen minutes after coming back into the house with frozen fingers, the Sun finally came out for the remainder of the day.  And yes, the lengthening days are slowly becoming more noticeable now and even more so on these rare clear sunny days.  Just think, in three short weeks it will be February already.  Only a few years ago it was usually late February in the southwest when we would have the first thoughts of returning home to Ontario sometime in late March or early April.

 TAKING DOWN THE CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS

Facebook threw me some blog memories today and I came across this post of mine from late December 2010.  It's not so much what I wrote about that day as it is about the ice sculpture photos I included that day.  We were acting as security for a few months at a property near Elfrida, Arizona when I wrote the post.  Photos in the post were actually taken at a ranch we used to look after near McNeal Arizona the previous year.  Really Interesting Ice Sculptures  And you will be surprised to see how these ice formations came about.

GROANER'S CORNER:))  A couple was dining out when the wife noticed a familiar face at the bar. She recognized him as an old flame.  "Honey," she said to her husband, as she pointed out the man, "that guy at the bar has been drinking like that since I left him seven years ago."  Her husband said, "That's silly, no one celebrates that much!"

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Simon: How were the exam questions?  Peter: Easy.  Simon: Then why do you look so unhappy?  Peter: The questions didn’t give me any trouble—just the answers.

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Black Fellah to White Fellah
Dear white Fellah,
There are a couple things you oughta know.
Firstly
When I am born, I'm black.
When I grow up, I'm black.
When I get sick, I'm black.
When I'm cold, I'm black.
When I go out in the sun, I'm black.
And when I get scared, I'm black.
And when I die, yes, I'm still black.
But you white Fellah ....
When your born, your pink.
When you grow up, you're white.
When you get sick, your green
When your cold, you go blue.
When you go out in the sun, you go red.
And when you get scared, your yellow.
And when you die, your purple.
And you call me colored !!

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