I THINK THEY WERE JUST A LITTLE TIRED FROM ALL THE EXCITEMENT

 THE FIRST OF TWO ARCHES WILL SOON BE SWUNG OVER THE TEMPORARY BRIDGE AND INSTALLED ON THE OTHER SIDE

A soft half-inch of fluffy snow fell overnight and continued on and off throughout the day.  Highways were bare and wet as Pheebs and I slipped over to the northern edge of Bayfield to check on the bridge construction.  It was 9:05 a.m.  A couple quick drive-by photos and we headed up highway 21 to Goderich.  I figured the bridge arch project would be an all-day affair and I wasn't going to sit there and wait for it.

 HEADING INTO BAYFIELD

 THEY'RE ALL SET-UP AND ABOUT READY TO GO

 HEADING TO GODERICH ON HIGHWAY 21 I NOTICED THIS BRACE OF MAILBOXES OBVIOUSLY CLIPPED BY A PASSING SNOW PLOW

Routine drive around the Goderich harbor.  Things were looking pretty cold down there and saw one ship at the Goderich Salt Mine dock.  A quick Walmart stop and we were on our way home back down highway 21.

 THE ENTRANCEWAY TO GODERICH'S ROTARY COVE

 THE ALGOMA NIAGARA IN PORT TAKING ON A LOAD OF SALT

 AN ENVIRONMENTAL TEAM CHECKING SOMETHING OUT AT THE SCENE OF LAST WEEK'S TRAIN DERAILMENT

 THE ALGOMA NIAGARA IS GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF ICE TO GET THROUGH TO REACH OPEN WATER

 LAKE ICE IS OUT AS FAR AS ONE CAN SEE

 A CROW TAKES FLIGHT FROM ATOP A HIGH SNOWBANK

Approaching Bayfield we went around the detour signs and could see the big Mama Crane had stood one of the new white bridge arches up off the ground.  A cluster of workers around one end of it.  Five cranes on sight today.  Took some photos from several different locations for maybe 20 minutes.  It was 10:50.

 BACK TO BAYFIELD I NOTICED THEY HAD THE LARGE ARCH STANDING UP BUT NOT IN PLACE YET

 THAT ARCH HAS TO BE LIFTED ACROSS THE ROAD

 THE LARGE CRANE IS HOLDING THIS ARCH UP WHILE THE SECOND ARCH TO THE RIGHT IS STILL LAYING ON THE GROUND

 THE ARCH HAS TO BE LIFTED OVER THE BRIDGE TO THE OTHER SIDE

 THIS IS NOT THE MAIN LIFTING CRANE

 THAT HAS GOT TO BE SOME REALLY STRONG EQUIPMENT 

 'WELL IT SAYS HERE IN MY LEGO INSTRUCTIONS THAT THIS SHOULD WORK'

 OKAY BOYS, CAN WE HAVE A LITTLE PRAYER CIRCLE HERE FOR GEORGE'S LEGO INSTRUCTIONS'

Home again it was the same old thing, grab my snow shovel and clear out all my pathways for the umpteenth time.  The novelty of winter has long ago worn off for me and shoveling snow is getting old.  No respite in the foreseeable future.

 DESPITE THE DAY'S BITTER COLD TEMPERATURES FOLKS STILL TURNED OUT TO WATCH....SOME BROUGHT CHAIRS AND ONE FELLA WAS EVEN ON CRUTCHES

 TAKE NOTE OF THAT LADY SITTING DOWN AT THE FAR LEFT....WHAT IS SHE HOLDING??

 YEP YOU GUESSED IT....I THINK THEY WERE JUST A LITTLE TIRED FROM ALL THE EXCITEMENT

 HOW WONDERFUL TO BE A SLEEPY LITTLE PUPPY

It was 2 p.m. when I returned to the bridge construction site on Bayfield's north side to see how they were coming along with lifting that big bridge arch into place.  I was too late to see it swung over the bridge and it was already in place on the southeast side of the temporary Bailey Bridge.  Grabbed a few pics and came home.  The second arch is to be lifted into place Thursday.

 THE FIRST ARCH IS NOW IN PLACE HAVING BEEN SWUNG FROM THE WEST SIDE OF THE BAILIE BRIDGE TO THE EAST SIDE

 THEY ARE ABOUT READY TO OPEN THE HIGHWAY AGAIN

 IT WAS A BIG DAY FOR THE MAIN CRANE OPERATOR SO ITS NO WONDER IT LOOKS LIKE HE IS HAVING A SNOOZE

 ARTISTS RENDITION OF WHAT THE FINISHED BRIDGE WILL LOOK LIKE AND TODAY THEY SET THAT FAR ARCH INTO PLACE.....NORTH IS TO THE LEFT AND SOUTH IS TO THE RIGHT

Doesn't look like our cold weather will be leaving any time soon.  Records are being broken as our temperatures continue to drop.

 I THINK THERE IS A LOT OF SNOW IN THOSE DARK CLOUDS

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A teacher asks her class if anyone can use the word 'fascinate' in a sentence.  Brian raises his hand and says, "The sky is fascinating."  The teacher says, "No that's fascinating."  Jennifer raises her hand and says, "When I saw the tigers at the zoo I was fascinated."  The teacher says, "No that's fascinated."  So finally Little Johnny raises his hand and says, "My mom bought a new blouse with 12 pearl buttons, but her chest's so big she could only fasten eight!"

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Why do bagpipe players always walk while they play?  They are trying to get away from the noise?

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OH BOY ARE WE EVER GOING TO REALLY APPRECIATE WARMER WEATHER SOMEDAY

 A SUMMER COTTAGE ON THE BLUFFS OVERLOOKING LAKE HURON SOUTH OF BAYFIELD

These cold grey mornings are not making things any easier for wanting to step out of the house but with Pheebs behind me pushing, out the door I went.  We headed for Bayfield and with construction ramping up at the new Bayfield bridge I was curious to have a look at the preparations being made for two big bridge structure lifts this week.   

 A NUMBER OF FLAT-BED TRUCKS LINED UP ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BRIDGE

 THREE ADDITIONAL CRANES ARE ON SITE IN ADDITION TO THE BIG ONE AND IT LOOKED LIKE THIS YELLOW ONE HAD JUST ARRIVED

 A  THIRD CRANE HAS SET UP BESIDE THE BIG MAMA CRANE

 AND THIS SMALLER FOURTH CRANE IS SET UP FACING NORTH

The temporary Bailey Bridge will be closed Tuesday and Thursday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Bayfield Bridge Closure.  Pheebs and I will head down there Tuesday morning and perhaps a few more times Tuesday to see if we can get any pics of the lift.

 ALL FOUR CRANES ARE VISIBLE IN THIS PHOTO IF YOU LOOK REAL CLOSE

 'OKAY BILL I WANT YOU TO TAKE THE END OF THAT CHAIN OVER THERE AND SWIM ACROSS THE RIVER WITH IT'

I didn't have any interest in venturing too far out into the countryside this morning so we kept our drive short and close to Bayfield.

 WITH EACH FREEZING DAY THE ICE EXTENDS FURTHER OUT INTO THE LAKE

 I'M THINKING THAT ICE HAS TO BE STRETCHING THE BEST PART OF A MILE OUT THERE

 BAYFIELDER'S OUT FOR A WALK AND CHECK OUT THE DOG:))

 IF YOU CAN'T DECIDE WHICH OF TWO COLORS TO PAINT YOUR GATE THEN JUST USE BOTH COLORS

 A FEW SUMMER COTTAGES WITH SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF LAKE HURON RIGHT OUT THEIR BACK DOORS

Home again shortly after 10 I shoveled out my pathways and that was about it.  Only time I went back outside was to re-stock the bird feeders.  With the amount of seeds all these guys are eating I am surprised any of them can even get off the ground to fly.

Looking ahead at the two-week weather forecast we do not have any days above freezing.  Our temps right now at the time of this posting are 14F and it's going to lower than that in the coming days.  Night-time temps will get down to around 3F.  Well, at least we are really going to appreciate warmer days when they do finally come our way.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A wealthy man died and went to heaven. He was met at the Pearly Gates by Saint Peter who led him down the streets of gold. They passed mansion after mansion until they came to the very end of the street. Saint Peter stopped the rich man in front of a little shack.“This belongs to you,” said Saint Peter.“Why do I get this ugly thing when there are so many mansions I could live in?” the man demanded.“We did the best we could with the money you sent us!” Saint Peter replied.

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Applicant: Shows up 45 minutes late for the interview to be a cable  installer.  Interviewer: “You’re hired.”

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WE ARE ALL QUITE THE SOCIALIZERS

Richard and Gayle came over for Sunday morning coffee.  I think the last time the four of us got together for coffee might have been the Fall of last year sometime.  We are all quite the socializers.  A cold winter's day with a few sunny breaks but I didn't get around to taking any photos.  Figured it was about time I gave my camera a day off.

GROANER'S CORNER:((     Once a terrible golfer hit a ball onto an anthill. He went over the anthill to hit the ball. No matter how hard he tried, all the golfer managed to do was to hit the anthill and kill many ants.  At last, only two ants remained. One turned to the other and said, “If we want to stay alive, we’d better get on the ball!”

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