THE DIESEL ENGINES AND TRAIN CARS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THE GODERICH DERAILMENT SITE

 NORMALLY THIS WOULD BE OPEN LAKE WATER BUT ITS ALL SNOW AND ICE NOW

A few days ago I glanced at my watch and right away knew something was amiss.  I immediately realized I must be much further behind than where I actually was.  It was already late afternoon and my watch said 12:30.  'Awww Nuts' I surmised, the watch battery is dead.  Well, at least I hoped the battery was dead and not the timepiece's early demise itself.  Normally I would take the watch to a jewelry store in Goderich to have them put a new battery in.  But not so this time.   With most businesses closed up due to Covid my luck was fast running out.  So, now what do I do?  Just get used to being late to wherever I'm at I guess.  Wait, what is that I hear?  Hey, it's the sound of a trumpet and here comes the Cavalry over the hill to my rescue.  Well, not quite the Cavalry, but something much better.  It was our in-house master of all trades, ace in the hole handyperson Kelly to the rescue.  She wasn't long in grabbing a hammer and chisel to get the backplate off my watch.  Well okay, maybe it wasn't a hammer and chisel but it was her handy-dandy set of small screwdrivers she deftly handled to quickly take the back cover off my watch.  She soon had the situation and me under control and on one of her several trips to Goderich last week she picked up a replacement battery.  With no further ado, she installed that battery into the watch and put the rear plate black on.  Walla, just like that.  Needless to say, I was once again a happy camper knowing there would be no further excuse for me to be late with myself going to wherever it is I sometimes get to.  And that's important to me.  And how nice for a Bumblehead like me to have such a smart and handy wife around eh:))

 DESPITE ROAD CLOSURES IN SURROUNDING AREAS WE ONLY HAD THIS LITTLE BIT OF GROUND DRIFTING GOING ON

' OH GEEEZZZ PHEEBS GET YOUR WINDOW UP HERE COMES A SNOWPLOW'

Although there were road closures overnight due to heavy snow squalls our area missed most of them and we woke up to a clear but cloudy morning.  Figured Pheebs and I would be good to go so we went.  North that is, up to Goderich.

 HANG ON HERE COMES A BIG WHITE-OUT

Despite knowing the two derailed diesel train engines and a number of train cars at Goderich's harbor had been removed and the site mainly cleaned up, Pheebs and I took a drive up there this morning to have a look around for ourselves anyway. Locomotives Removed From Harborfront

 WHERE YOU SEE THE BARE GROUND IS WHERE THE TWO DIESEL LOCOMOTIVES WERE SITTING IN THIS PARKING LOT

 STILL A BIT OF DEBRIS REMAINING AND I SEE A SET OF TRAIN WHEELS THERE

 THIS IS ABOUT ALL THAT IS LEFT OF THE VINTAGE FISH SHANTY THAT THE TRAIN ENGINE PLOWED INTO

 I AM SITTING DIRECTLY ON THE PATH THE RUN-AWAY TRAIN TOOK WHEN IT BURST THROUGH THE END OF THE LINE SOMEWHERE UP AHEAD CLOSER TO THAT TALL NARROW GREY BUILDING

 YOU CAN SEE HERE HOW CLOSE THE TRAIN WAS FROM PLUNGING INTO THE HARBOR TO THE RIGHT ONLY ABOUT 30 FEET AWAY...THE SHIP DOCKED AT THE SALT MINES SOUTH SIDE IS THE ............ALGOMA SAULT

 AND THE TRAIN NARROWLY MISSED THIS RECENTLY COMPLETED TALL YELLOW FIVE MILLION DOLLAR GRAIN LOADER/UNLOADER

The Polar Vortex we are presently caught in is steadily tightening its grip on us.  I know there are lots of colder places in North America than here but it is the dropping 18F temps right now that has my attention.

 THE ALGOMA INTREPID IS DOCKED AT THE SALT MINE'S NORTH PIER

 LAKE HURON'S WIND AND WAVE ACTION COMBINED WITH FREEZING TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO BUILD THOSE SNOWY ICE MOUNTAINS OUT THERE

 ON THE WAY HOME PHEEBS SPOTS A WHOLE GOL DARN GANG OF CRAZY CROWS

With a blisteringly cold wind blowing I had no intentions of venturing out of the house this afternoon at all.  Well, that was until an unexpected small parting of the clouds allowed a bright burst of uplifting sunshine into our sunroom whereupon it washed over me while I was squirreled away in my comfy recliner.  Minutes later Pheebs and I were out the door and on our way for an afternoon walk along the icy plowed roads back through the forest.  More and more pine trees coming down every day now and a local logging truck has been busy hauling loads to a sawmill somewhere in the area.

 A BRIEF PATCH OF BLUE SKY THIS AFTERNOON

 SOMEBODY HAS ALREADY BEEN THROUGH HERE ON CROSS COUNTRY SKIS

 YEP, THAT'S PHEEBS WAY UP THERE PLOWING THROUGH THE SNOW

 OUR PARK'S POND IS FROZEN OVER WITH A LAYER OF SNOW ON IT

Twelve years ago today we had just started our Ranch Sitting adventures 28 miles southeast of Tombstone Arizona near a little place called McNeal.  We were so amazed by the huge flocks of Sandhill Cranes overhead.  And we were having quite a time figuring out which animals received which foods, and when.  Hundreds and Hundreds of Sandhill Cranes

Ever wonder how a Tesla Model S automobile is assembled?  Me neither, but in case your interested, check out this Tesla Robotic Assembly plant.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A man who smelled like a distillery flopped on a subway seat next to a priest. The man's tie was stained, his face was plastered with red lipstick, and a half-empty bottle of gin was sticking out of his torn coat pocket. He opened his newspaper and began reading. After a few minutes, the disheveled guy turned to the priest and asked, "Say, Father, what causes arthritis?"  "My son, it's caused by loose living, being with cheap, wicked women, too much alcohol, and a contempt for your fellow man."  "Well, I'll be damned," the drunk muttered, returning to his paper.  The priest, thinking about what he had said, nudged the man and apologized. "I'm very sorry, I didn't mean to come on so strong.  How long have you had arthritis?"  "I don't have it, Father. I was just reading here that the Pope does."

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Knock Knock
Who's there?
Oswego!
Oswego who?
Oswego marching home...!

I've finally told my suitcases there will be no vacation this year......Now I'm dealing with the emotional baggage

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NOT A NICE WEATHER FRIDAY AND IT MIGHT BE WORSE SATURDAY

 CONSTRUCTION IS ABOUT TO RESUME ON THE BAYFIELD BRIDGE COMPLETE WITH A COUPLE ROAD CLOSURES NEXT WEEK

Our overnight storm did not dump the amount of snow forecasters were predicting.  We might have got half an inch.  It continued snowing most of the day but it was a light snow and didn't really amount to any kind of accumulation.  Biggest problem was the cold southwest wind blowing all that light snow around making it 'not a nice day'.  Pheebs and I cruised into Bayfield for a wee drive but were home again less than an hour later.  A weather advisory says snow squalls overnight and blowing snow in the morning possibly causing bad driving conditions.  We'll see what happens.

 A COLD BLUSTERY WINTER'S DAY AND NOT NICE TO BE OUTSIDE

 HEADING INTO BAYFIELD I SAW THESE TRUCKS PARKED ALONGSIDE THE ROAD

 THIS BAILEY BRIDGE IS GOING TO BE CLOSED A COUPLE DAYS NEXT WEEK

 SLIPPED DOWN TO THE HARBOR TO CHECK ON THE TIPPY FISHING BOAT AND SAW SOME EQUIPMENT SITTING AROUND

 THEY MAY HAVE HAD TO PUMP MORE WATER OUT OF THE BOAT

 STRONG SOUTHWEST WINDS WERE AGAIN WHIPPING UP LAKE HURON

 AND OF COURSE YOU KNEW WE HAD TO TAKE A DRIVE THROUGH THE CEMETERY

 AND PHEEBS DIDN'T EVEN SEEM TO CARE WHEN THE WINTERY WINDS BLEW MY HAT RIGHT OFF

Looks like construction is resuming on the Highway 21 Bayfield Bridge.  Signs are up saying the bridge will be closed to traffic Tuesday and Thursday of next week.  A very large crane is on-site and I think they might be planning to set the bridge's steel arches in place.

 THAT IS ONE MIGHTY BIG DARN CRANE

 I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE LARGE PIECES OF STEEL THEY MAY BE LIFTING

 I THINK THAT RED THING IS PART OF THE CRANE ASSEMBLY

Blog reader Caddie in a comment wondered about the big salt mine in Goderich's harbor.  Here is a link to the largest underground salt mine in the world with its long mineshaft running over four miles out under the cold waters of Lake Huron.  World's Largest Underground Salt Mine and Here Is How The Operation Works.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And how's this for a nice Feeling Good Moment   It just might quack you up:))

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Not So Famous Last Words:

1. It's fireproof.
2. He's probably just hibernating.
3. What does this button do?
4. It's probably just a rash.
5. Are you sure the power is off?
6. The odds of that happening have to be a million to one!
7. Pull the pin and count to what?
8. Which wire was I supposed to cut?
9. I wonder where the mother bear is.
10. I've seen this done on TV.
11. These are the good kind of mushrooms.
12. I'll hold it and you light the fuse.
13. Let it down slowly.
14. It's strong enough for both of us.
15. This doesn't taste right.
16. I can make this light before it changes.
17. Nice doggie.
18. I can do that with my eyes closed.
19. I've done this before.
20. What duck?
21. Well, we've made it this far.
22. That's odd.
23. Don't be so superstitious.

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SO WITH COFFEE AND MUFFINS IN HAND

 JUNCO

It was my turn to drive this morning so with coffee and muffins in hand, Richard and I made our way south of Bayfield to the Grand Bend area.  Beautiful sunny morning with blue skies all around.  We pretty well stuck to the backroads enjoying winter's rural scenery all the way.  I always look forward every couple of weeks to these backroad country drives of ours.  We never run out of interesting things to talk about and I always come home with my batteries charged.

 MALE CARDINAL

 BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE

 GOLDFINCH

Didn't take any photos today but I have a few bird pics in my files that didn't make the cut into my posts this past week or two.

 TUFTED TITMOUSE

Home again about noon I noticed skies slowly clouding over.  We have a winter storm advisory out with snow beginning late afternoon or early evening.  Heavy at times they say.  Doesn't look like a good week coming up with plunging temperatures and more snow.  But at least it's February 4th with Spring to look forward to and not November 4th with dreaded winter's long months still ahead of us.

 BOARDING HOUSE REACH

 'HEY NUTHATCH HOW COME YOU ALWAYS EAT UPSIDE DOWN??

At the time of publishing this post tonight, another winter storm is almost upon us.  Our bird feeders were very active late this afternoon and the frenzied activity indicated to me the birds had already sensed and knew of the approaching overnight snowstorm.

GROANER'S CORNER:((   When she said she was approaching forty, I couldn't help wondering from what direction

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Customer: "Waiter, waiter! What’s this fly doing in my soup?"
Waiter: "Looks like the backstroke sir."

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I have a friend who tried to take a selfie in the shower, but the image was too blurry...He had selfie steam issues.

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