I WOULD MUCH RATHER SEE FOREST HERE THAN MORE HOUSES

With the dog days of winter hard upon us now I am sometimes having trouble finding my motivation on these colder mornings.  Looking out the window at the falling snow and cold 23F temperature I had no desire to even step out the door but Pheebs was raring to go so it was out the door we did go and hopped into the Jeep.  Our drive was basically a repeat of the day before and half an hour later we were home again.  Just in time to re-stock the bird feeders.  Almost a full-time job in this colder winter weather.

 SNOWING AND BLOWING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

 WITH BELOW FREEZING TEMPERATURES ICE IS BEGINNING TO FORM ON THE LAKE AND BUILD UP ALONG THE SHORELINE

 ICE CHUNKS ARE FORMING AND WILL SOON BOND TOGETHER IN A SPAN OF SOLID ICE

 THE BAYFIELD RIVER IS FREEZING UP AND I AM SURPRISED A COUPLE FISHING BOATS ARE STILL TIED UP THERE

 THIS IS A FLOWING RIVER AND WHEN THE ICE BREAKS UP HUGE CHUNKS OF ICE COME DOWN THE RIVER AND COULD PUNCTURE THE HULLS OF THOSE BOATS

Periodic heavy snows today and I was on the end of my snow shovel several times keeping my pathways clear.  The snow was light and fluffy so it was not hard to move around.

With a snow-blower and road grader clearing roads in the Park making them walkable, Pheebs and I headed off down one of the new roads where a lot of tree cutting and clearing has been going on.  It was a refreshing walk on a cold winter's day.  

 SAD TO SEE SO MANY PINE TREES COMING DOWN BUT I GUESS ITS WHAT THE PARK OWNER CALLS PROGRESS 

 I WOULD MUCH RATHER SEE FOREST HERE THAN MORE HOUSES

It was four years ago on this day Kelly had to come to my rescue in the night.  Nothing serious, just embarrassing.  Kelly Comes To My Rescue

GROANER'S CORNER:((  College student: "Hey, Dad! I've got some great news for you!"  Father: "What, son?"  College student: "Remember that $500 you promised me if I made the Dean's list?"  Father: "I certainly do!"  College student: "Well, you get to keep it."

----------------------------

Mother: Now, Little Johnny, eat your spinach. It’s good for growing children.  Little Johnny: Who wants to grow children?

---------------------------

Sleep? There's a nap for that.

===================

THE WORSE THE WEATHER THE MORE BIRDS WE HAVE

Well of course our well thought out decision to err on the side of caution and not venture off this morning for Kelly's ultra-sound appointment due to bad weather was all for not.  Weather was fine of course and we could have easily been to London and back having never encountered so much as a snowflake.  I'm sure for her re-scheduled appointment Tuesday morning we'll be driving in what will go down as the biggest winter storm of the century!!

Pheebs and I didn't venture far and were home fifteen minutes after we left.  Couldn't seem to get myself interested in a Jeep ride this morning.  Snowed once and a while through the afternoon and evening and that was about it.  Nothing serious but we do have a weather advisory for tonight.  I never ventured out of the house for the rest of the day and spent most of my time tucked away in my sunroom recliner reading and watching all the birds coming and going.  The worse the weather, the more birds we have.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( These are real notes written from parents in a Mississippi school district.

- Please excuse Roland from P.E. for a few days.  Yesterday he fell out of a tree and misplaced his hip.

- John has been absent because he had two teeth taken out of his face.

- Ethel Pearl could not come to school today because she has been bothered by very close veins.

- Please excuse Tommy for being absent yesterday. He had diarrhea and his boots leak.

- Please excuse Jennifer for missing school yesterday. We forgot to get the Sunday paper off the porch, and when we found it Monday, we thought it was Sunday.-

--------------------------------

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth, and then He rested.
Then God created man, and then they both rested.
Then God created woman, and since then neither God nor man has ever rested.

==================

THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TREE CUTTING OVER THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS

Richard picked me up at 9 and we were off for our semi-monthly coffee run.  It was a nicer weather morning than predicted and we had a few brief spots of sunlight early on.  Our travels took us to Goderich where we dusted up a few streets and a couple country roads outside of town.  We worked on life's usual challenges and made some headway.

 SUMMER CHAIRS PATIENTLY AWAITING THE END OF WINTER

 DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS HALF A TRACTOR OR A MOBILE GENERATOR......MAYBE BOTH

Temps were a degree or two above freezing so we had a wee bit of melting going on all day.  However, this will be our last above freezing day for the next couple of weeks by the looks of it.  A cold spell is moving our way.

Friday morning was to have been a different start to our day with all three of us heading out in the Jeep.  Kelly had a morning ultra-sound appointment at London's University Hospital.  I say 'had' because with today's weather advisory warning of heavy snow, plunging temperatures, and the 'potential for a 'high impact storm' overnight with snow squalls, Kelly canceled her appointment.   Luckily she was able to re-book it for next Tuesday whereupon the weather folks are calling for a big bright sunny day.  Hey, did you know it is only 8 weeks until the first day of Spring.  Or, did I already mention that.  Ya, knowing me as well as I sometimes do, I probably mentioned it before.  Maybe even half a dozen times.

 CROW

Pheebs and I did make it out for an afternoon walk and came upon a couple brush piles burning.  There has been a lot of tree cutting over the past couple of weeks with a logging truck taking out huge loads of logs.  Our Park is slowly losing more of its treasured pine forest.  New Park owners??  Nope, we are still under the same management we have been since moving here over 18 years ago.

 NOPE, THAT AIN'T NO BACKYARD MELLO AND WEENIES FIRE

 THERE IS ANOTHER PILE ABOUT 3 TIMES THIS SIZE BURNING ELSEWHERE BUT I DIDN'T GET OVER THAT WAY

Thirteen years ago on this day we were quite comfortably boondocked in the desert about 6 miles south of Quartzsite Arizona.  However, it didn't turn out to be a good day.  We had to pack up all our stuff twice in one day and move.  I sure turned the air blue!!  We Had To Move Twice!!!!

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man named Ronald bought a horse from a farmer for $250. The farmer agreed to deliver the horse the next day. The next day, the farmer drove up to Ronald's house and said, “Sorry, son, but I have some bad news. The horse died.”  Ronald replied, “Well, then just give me back my money.”  The farmer said, “Can’t do that. I went and spent it already.”  Ronald said, “Ok, then just bring me the dead horse.”  The farmer asked, “What ya gonna do with him?”  Ronald said, “I’m going to raffle him off.”  The farmer said, “You can’t raffle off a dead horse!”  Ronald said, “Sure I can! Watch me.  A month Later, the farmer met up with Ronald and asked, “What happened with that dead horse?”  Ronald said, “I raffled him off. I sold 500 tickets at five dollars apiece and made a profit of $2495.”  The farmer said, “Didn’t anyone complain?”  Ronald said, “Just the guy who won. So I gave him back his five dollars.”  Ronald is guaranteed to have a bright future in politics.

------------------------------

People are usually shocked when they find out I am not a good electrician.

==================

 

I WAS THE STAND-BY DRIVER IN CASE OF BAD WEATHER

 BLUE JAY

The predicted overnight snow squalls never materialized and it was only a dusting of snow we had.  Of course, I had to go out and re-arrange some of it a bit.  I like to keep the snow beneath the birdfeeders clear so the ground feeding birds like the Juncos can easily find the seeds I scatter about there.  Easier for the Squirrels and Bunnies as well.

 JUNCO

Not a long Jeep ride this morning and it was basically into Bayfield and back.  I wanted to watch the Inauguration happenings south of the border.  Normally I don't pay a whole lot of attention to ceremonial things but I felt what took place this morning was special.  And especially historical under the conditions.  All the very best to you America:))

 THIS IS WHERE WE BUY OUR BIRDSEED IN BAYFIELD.....PORTERS HILL WILD BIRDSEED COMPANY

Our neighbor Monica had an early afternoon medical appointment in Stratford today and with our weather being surprisingly better than we expected, Kelly drove her there.  I was the stand-by driver in case the weather had been bad and we needed to take the Jeep.  They were home again about 3:30.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( We got lucky when we heard the old Piedmont Hotel in Atlanta was getting a face-lift and its beautiful maple doors became available for sale as salvage items. We bought several and had them installed in our 19th-century home.  Showing a friend around the house, I pointed out, "You know, these doors are from the Piedmont Hotel."  He raised an eyebrow. "Most people just take the towels."

--------------------------------

Q: How do you confuse an intelligent person?
A: Put them in a round room and tell them to stand in the corner.

---------------------------

Late one night at the insane asylum, an inmate shouted, "I am Napoleon!" Another inmate asked, "How do you know?" "God told me!" A voice from another room suddenly shouted, "I did not!"

=======================

A FEW PHOTOS AND WE WERE SOON ON OUR WAY HOME

 WESTERLY WINDS CAUSED SOME GROUND DRIFTING TODAY

Had us a couple inches of new-fallen snow in the night.  Looked pretty but not near as nice as the morning before.  Overnight winds had blown a lot of the snow off our trees and driven our 28F temps even lower.  Not an especially nice day to be outside, but outside we did go.  Shoveled around the birdfeeders first then it was into the Jeep and away we went.  Secondary roads were snow-covered but okay.  Needing some gas we made our way up to the Solo gas bar in Goderich's south end.  Pheebs always gets a doggy treat from the nice lady there.  Sometimes two:))

 PATCHES OF BLUE SKY OUT OVER LAKE HURON THIS MORNING 

 HEADING DOWN THE FARM LANE TO CHECK THE MAILBOX

DESPITE THOSE PATCHES OF BLUE SKY, WE ENDED UP SOCKED IN UNDER A HEAVY CLOUD COVER 

Of course, from there it was over to McDonald's for a coffee to go and down to the harbor.  Icy winds were coming in right off the lake so we didn't linger long out at the Cove.  A few photos and we were soon on our way home.

 WITH ICY COLD WINDS BLOWING IN OFF THE LAKE WE DIDN'T STAY HERE LONG

 A GREAT LAKES FREIGHTER A COUPLE MILES OFFSHORE PROBABLY AWAITING ITS TURN TO DOCK AT GODERICH'S SIFTO SALT MINE

 CHECKING OUT SOME SMELLS AT THE BIG MARBLED ROCK

 HEADING HOME

Didn't take me long to clear my snowy pathways and re-stock the bird feeders.  Spent the rest of the day inside roasty and toasty.  Facebook threw me a memory today which took me back to January 19th, 2009.  Every year at this time, the world's largest RV rally takes place in Quartzsite Arizona and over the years we made it there about half a dozen of them.  Here are my thoughts a dozen years ago about venturing into the moshpit of humanoids and the 'Big Tent'.  Quartzsite!! If It Wasn't For The Hordes Of People I Might Like This Place  

 'OLD LONESOME'

GROANER'S CORNER:((   A man returned from vacation feeling very ill. He went to see his doctor, and the doctor has him immediately rushed to the hospital for a range of tests. The man woke up after the tests in a private room at the hospital, and the phone by his bedside was ringing. "This is your doctor," said the voice on the other end. "We've reviewed the results of your tests and we've found you have a very nasty virus, which is extremely contagious."  "Oh my gosh! What are you going to do, doctor?"  "We're going to put you on a diet of pizza, pancakes and pita bread."  "Will that cure me?"  "No, but it's the only food we can slide under the door."

-------------------------------

While Mark was shopping for pet supplies, one of the salespeople came running up to him. “Mark! Mark! I just saw someone driving off with your BMW!”  “Dear God! Did your try to stop him?” “No,” said the clerk, “but don’t worry. I got the license plate number!”

--------------------------------------

"Don't swallow these pills," the doctor said, handing the overweight patient a bottle of pills. "Instead, spill them on the floor three times a day and pick them up one by one."

=====================