MORNING LUMBER RUN AND LETS HAVE US A PEEK AT MERIKAY’S MUFFINS

How nice to feel warmer air when I stepped out with Pheebs into the early morning darkness.  Overnight rains still dripped from trees while a fine mist hung in the air.  No wind.

Not long after first light I was outside with pen and paper in hand.  Let me see now, 4 deck blocks, 7 eight foot pressure treated 2x6x8’s and enough 1x6x12 deck boards to cover a 6x12.  And don't forget the hardware and screws that go along with that.  Luckily I have enough 4x4's on hand to do the deck posts.

AIRPLANE IN THE MIST

I still had our utility trailer hooked up from taking a load of pine needles to the recycling area Sunday so little Spoogers and I hopped into Libby and headed for Home Hardware's Langford Lumber in Clinton.  It was a pretty foggy drive all the way there and back again.  And wouldn’t you know it…..I forgot to pick up the deck screws.  I also noticed I was short 1 2x6x8 after I got home.  That’s what I get for not double checking the count after the lumber was loaded into the utility trailer.  There were 6 instead of 7.  I’ll pick up the screws and 7th board next time Pheebs and I roll by the hardware store.  And we all know that won’t be very long. 

LOADED UP AND READY TO HEAD FOR HOME….LITTLE DID I KNOW I WAS SHORT ONE BOARD AND HAD FORGOT TO PICK UP THE DECK SCREWS

Been nearly 6 weeks since I got my new Dell solid state laptop and I am still liking most everything about it.  Boots up in about 10 seconds, is light as a feather, and I have not had any bugs or glitches with it.  No moving parts in this computer so no noisy fan or heat problems.  Nice.  Only thing I don't like is the location of the small 'Start' button on the thin edge of the right side.  Would have preferred the power plug inlet on the right side of the computer instead of the left but aside from those two little things I am totally happy and satisfied with my new Dell:))

THAT TEMPORARILY PLACED  2X6X8 SHOWS THE WIDTH O THE DECK EXTENSION

Puttered myself around outside for a bit prepping the deck extension site.  Rains held off most all day but without a speck of sunshine the air remained damp and nothing dried up.

RE-LOCATED SOME PEA STONE GRAVEL, DUG OUT A CORNER GATE POST, AND REMOVED A DOZEN SMALL PATIO STONES

MOVED THE PEA STONE GRAVEL FROM WHERE THE DECK IS GOING OVER TO THE LEFT WHERE THE NEW ENTANCE WIL BE

Hey if you haven't seen Merikay's glorious muffins yet here's a good chance to slip on over to Jojoba Hills California and have yourself a peak at what she's got:))  Merikay's Glorious Muffins In The Morning

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A man went to the police station wishing to speak with the burglar who had broken into his house the night before. "You'll get your chance in court," said the desk sergeant.  "No, no, no!" insisted the man. "I want to know how he got into the house without waking my wife. I've been trying to do that for years!"

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I'd live life in the fast lane but I am married to a speed bump.

- A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand!

- A clean kitchen is the sign of a wasted life.

- Thou shalt not weigh more than thy refrigerator.

- Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused.

I HAVE RESUMED MY ‘SOUNDS YUKKY-TASTES YUMMY’ SHAKES AND AN OUTSIDE DECK EXTENSION PROJECT IS UNDER WAY

KEEPING A LOW PROFILE
Been in the back of my mind for a couple months now to once again resume my long ago morning soy shakes after a lull of maybe 3 or 4 years.  Long time readers may well remember my posts about this very much most amazing drink concoction I had mixed up for breakfast just about every day for 10 years.  Can't remember why I finally stopped these super tasty shakes and switched over to peanut butter and honey sandwiches for breakfast but I did.  Well as of this morning I'm off the peanut butter and honey wagon and back into my veggies and fruits.  What!!  Yep it's true folks I am back into my Sounds Yukky - Tastes Yummy shakes again and Kelly’s happy about that because she said the honey wasn’t making me any sweeter and the peanut butter was just making me even more nuttier!! 

A COUPLE HEADLESS PIGEONS LANDED AT OUR BIRD STATION THIS MORNING
No rain overnight or this morning so Pheebs and I were out the door by 8:30 with a fruits and veggies mission in mind.  Sauntered ourselves up to McDonalds for a 'drive-thru' carrot muffin and a coffee.  I paid extra special attention to what I was doing and totally focused myself on remembering to go to the second window to pick up my stuff after paying at the first window.  Girl hands me my coffee and muffin and I pull up a few feet......and stop.  Just checking to make sure I had my muffin and coffee beside me.  Yup I did and I was good to go:))

GODERICH’S MARINE MUSEUM IS THE ACTUAL WHEELHOUSE OFF THE ‘SS SHELTER BAY’

THIS MUSEUM HAS BEEN DEEMED UNSAFE AND I BELIEVE THE DECISION HAS BEEN MADE TO REMOVE IT FROM IT’S SPOT NEAR THE HARBOR
It was down to Goderich’s north harbor with us to check on some lake ice and noticed all the chunky ice from a few days ago was gone.  Just nice aqua green water in the harbor now.  An icy cold wind coming in off the lake made a walk in the doggy area unwalkable so we kept on going and headed for our mission destination.

IT WAS ONLY DAYS AGO THIS HARBOR WAS CHOKED FULL OF LARGE FLOATING ICE CHUNKS

STILL MINI ICE BERGS ALONG LAKE HURON’S SHORELINE

A handful of apples, a bag of orange carrots, some big leafy romaine lettuce, half a dozen long celery stocks and a flock of bananas in the grocery department along with a jug of soy milk and a big tub of strawberry flavored Whey powder was enough to get me started on my yummy-yukky morning breakfast binge again.  As I go along I will likely add a bunch of my usual side ingredients such as raisins, flax seeds, cinnamon, oatmeal, sunflower seeds, hemp hearts, wheat germ and whatever happens to be in season such as strawberries, blue berries, peaches or raspberries.  I tried a raw egg a few times and some apple cider vinegar once but they didn't quite seem to do it for me.  It was probably the words 'raw' and 'vinegar' more than anything else that put me off although that cider vinegar really did shake up the overall good taste.

We were home from our grocery mission by 10:30 and I wasn't long in getting the blender out and whipping myself up a big shake.  You would not believe how absolutely great this tastes.  I think I am very happily hooked again:))

Despite today's cold cloudy wind I wasn't long in getting myself out the door and right into our next little outside house project.  Late last summer Kelly suggested the idea we should maybe enlarge our back porch deck and this morning I began getting things ready for that little project which our good friend and neighbor Bruce is going to help me with.  Well alright it’s more like me helping Bruce. 

THE DECK EXTENSION WILL COVER THAT 6X12 FOOT STONE AREA


WE’LL BE GLAD TO GET THAT TEMPORARY PORCH CLUTTER ORGANIZED AND CLEANED UP SOON…..OUR BBQ IS LOCATED THERE AND WE MAY TAKE THOSE REMAINING 2 LATTICE PANELS OUT BUT HAVEN’T DECIDED ON THAT YET
The deck extension will be 6x12 with no roof.  I removed one section of lattice work and railing today as well as a gate leading into our back yard.  That gate will be used again when we change the back yard entranceway to the yard.  I also had to dig out a batch of ferns to make room for a new walkway area as well. 

INSTEAD OF THE ENTRANCE TO THE BACK YARD BEING ON THE LEFT THAT GATE WILL COME OUT AND BE RE-INSTALLED TO THR RIGHT WHERE THE RED HANDLED RAKE IS

Been on my mind for quite awhile now to make some changes to my diet and with a few recent health concerns I figured now’s a good time as any to try and get myself smartened up a bit and try eating better.  I do not like vegetables or salads that much so I have a tendency to avoid them.  For me the only way to make veggies tolerable is to overpower their boring taste by blending them in with things that taste better and that is why I am back on my soy shakes.  Who would have ever thought carrots, lettuce, and celery could be made to taste like a Strawberry-Banana Milkshake eh.  Well I’m here to tell ya it can:))

THIS BLUE JAY IS TOTALLY CONCENTRATED ON HIS LANDING
GROANER’S CORNER:(( A couple in their early seventies were discussing their future plans. The husband asked, "What will you do if I die before you?" The wife thought for a moment before replying, "I will probably look to share a house with three other single or widowed women, maybe people a little younger than me since I am still active for my age. What about you? What will you do if I die first?" He answered, "Probably the same."
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What's round and bad tempered? A vicious circle.

RAINY DAY, NOT MUCH DOING, BREAKFAST AT BARTLIFFS IN CLINTON

We woke up to a wet rainy morning so my day’s efforts were pretty much confined to inside the carport and sheds which was Okay because there are always lots of things to do in those places this time of year.

Kelly wanted to go to Clinton this morning to check out a few things in a couple of her favorite stores but didn’t like the idea of driving in the steady drizzling rain.   I saw it as an opportunity for a mess of bacon and eggs so seized the day. Probably been about 10 years or more since we last stopped into Clinton’s popular Bartliffs Bakery and Restaurant so this morning between a couple store stops that is exactly where we went.  Bartliffs great bacon and eggs breakfast was just as good as always and I was pleased to see they hadn’t jacked the prices through the roof and took short cuts with quality which  seems to be so often the case with things nowadays.  And of course the coffee was included in the price.  Did you hear that AMERICA…..I’ll repeat it…..’the coffee price was included in the breakfast price’.  And the toast was buttered!!!!  Picked up a couple excellent carrot muffins on our way out too.

COMING IN FOR A CRASH LANDING

THE HAZARDS OF LANDING ON STIFF WATER

We were home about noon and I really had convince myself to get back outside in the cold and damp and continue working away in one of sheds. 

Had a couple folks ask about the Morning Glory Muffin Pheebs and I picked up at Bayfield’s Charles Street Market Friday morning.  Here’s a recipe for making them.  Morning Glory Muffins

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Years ago someone in California hollered “Gold,” and people drove from all directions. That’s the way they still drive in California to this very day…….in all directions!!

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What do you call a cow with no legs? Ground beef.

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OLD HIKERS never die, they just trail away
OLD HIPPIES never die, they just smell that way
OLD HOCKEY PLAYERS never die, they just achieve their final goal
OLD HUNTERS never die, they just stay LOADED
OLD HYPOCHONDRIACS never die, they just imagine it
OLD JOKES never die, they just get retold by the young
OLD JOURNALISTS never die, they just get de-pressed
OLD KAYAKERS never die, they just roll back over, and do it again
OLD KEY PUNCH OPERATORS never die, they just punch out

OUR WEATHER TURNED OUT BETTER THAN EXPECTED, A MORNING GLORY MUFFIN AND THE GREAT BARRIER REEF RIGHT HERE IN OUR PARK

Our weather day turned out better than predicted with a light fast moving shower passing by shortly after 5 a.m. this morning.  Although cloudy and damp this morning it was not enough to keep me in the house and we did get up to a balmy 56F by mid afternoon.  Nice:))

STILL A LOT OF ICE PILED UP AT BAYFIELD’S HARBOR MOUTH

A FEW KINDA COLD LOOKING FISHERMEN ALONG THE NORTH SIDE OF THE BAYFIELD RIVER THIS MORNING


It was our carport’s storage area that garnered my attention first thing this morning and I spent maybe an hour getting things ship shape in there.  All the car waxes and stuff came out of our living room and back into their carport cabinet for the summer.  Kelly moved some of her clothes from the rig into the house and I managed to finally get a few boxes and things out of the Big EEE’s bins.  Turned the outside water back on and hooked up our front yard lights for another season.  My lower back and legs were killing me again but no matter, I was enjoying what I was doing.

Around 9:30 or so I was beginning to feel the cold dampness a bit so decided it was time for a muffin and a hot coffee.  Needed a few photos for tonight’s post anyway so Pheebs and I hopped into the Jeep and slipped the short mile and a half or so into the sleepy little lakeside village of Bayfield.  I remembered a coffee shop on Bayfield’s main street that I too often forget about and it’s called the Charles Street Market.  Wow was I ever in luck because they had a fresh batch of Morning Glory muffins just fresh out of the oven and still warm.  Morning Glory muffins were always my fav years ago but they are hard to find.  Coffee was excellent too and the lady in there was very friendly.  Two thumbs up for Bayfield’s Charles Street Market.

Pheebs and I decided to take ourselves for a drive around Bayfield and see if anything had changed over the winter.  I was surprised at the number of new homes going up not only on existing streets but on a few new streets as well.  Lots of beautiful homes for sale.  What an absolutely marvelous little village Bayfield is.  Always has been for as long as I can remember.

BAYFIELD WITH IT’S MANY OLDER AND UNIQUE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGNS IS A REAL TREASURE AND WHAT A  PLEASURE IT IS TO LEISURELY DRIVE AROUND THE MANY CEDAR LINED STREETS AND SIMPLY ENJOY ALL THIS LITTLE VILLAGE HAS TO OFFER

THESE TYPES OF HOUSES KIND OF TYPIFY THE NEWER EMERGING BAYFIELD

WHERE SMALL QUAINT LAKESIDE COTTAGES ONCE STOOD THERE ARE NOW LARGE STATELY HOMES


I WAS SURPRISED TO DISCOVER A WHOLE NEW SECTION HERE CALLED ‘FAWN CREEK’

SOME OF THESE HOMES MUST BE WORTH BA-ZILLIONS OF DOLLARS

SEEMS TO BE A FAIR AMOUNT OF NEW HOUSE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON

SEEMS LIKE IT WAS THE COLOR YELLOW CATCHING MY EYE TODAY

HEY THERE’S THAT ‘CONTAINER HOUSE’ AGAIN
We also drove ourselves down around the south harbor to check on the lakes ice and to see how work is coming along on the wharf where Bayfield’s fishing boats always pull in.  I’m not sure what they are doing there but I see some new construction along the wharf as well as workmen working away.  No sign of any fishing boats.

HAD TO GET OURSELVES SLOWED DOWN TO A COMPLETE STOP TO LET THESE 2 GEESE SWAGGER THEMSELVES ACROSS THE ROAD

WHATEVER THAT YELLOW MATERIAL ALONG THE TOP OF THE WHARF IS, IT’S NEW

WORKERS CAN BE SEEN WORKING AWAY AT THINGS


We were back home about an hour after we left so I resumed my outside activities.  With temperatures steadily climbing it was so nice to hear birds happily chirping and especially the Robins.  There is just something about Robins chirping that heralds Spring like no other sound.

OUR PARK’S POND AND OH HOW NICE TO SEE SOME SUNSHINE THIS AFTERNOON
Pheebs and I took us for a short walk over to the Park’s pond across the road after supper and I was again surprised at the number of Goldfish swimming about.  There were schools of them and I think they were just as happy as every other living thing today with these milder temperatures upon us.   Expecting a rainy day it sure was a nice dose of Spring Tonic we all had ourselves.

IT’S ALMOST LIKE SCUBA DIVING OFF THE GREAT BARRIER REEF

EVEN THESE GOLDFISH SEEMED HAPPY TODAY…..PROBABLY BECAUSE THE PONDS RESIDENT GREAT BLUE HERON HASN’T ARRIVED IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD YET


Must say again how happy we both are to be back home in our sticks and bricks house.  The spacious unending hot water showers, washer and dryer at our finger tips, big kitchen with lots of cupboards and counter space and here’s one of the biggies…..we both have our own space.  That along is worth a thousand words.  Kelly watches her night time TV shows in the living room and I can listen to my music while I work on my blog in the sunroom.   And we can do this without ever bothering each other.  In the closeness of the Motorhome at night I always have to wear my headphones while Kelly watches her shows.  And in this cool and colder weather how nice it is to have the house so toasty warm without ever having to worry about running out of fuel or driving somewhere to fill the propane tank.  No water tank to keep filling either and oh how nice not to have to worry about emptying gray and black water tanks constantly.  Yes indeed it’s nice to be home but you know what……in 6 or 7 months from now I will be chomping at the bit to get back on the road and head for the great Southwest once again.  No I’m not counting the days yet but at some point I will be.  Silly me huh:))

AND HERE COMES PHEEBS RACING AROUND THE POND
 

A TUFT OF BAMOO GRASS FROM A CLUMP  I PLANTED BY THE POND A FEW YEARS AGO
GROANER’S CORNER:(( Always wanted to be a procrastinator, but never got around to it.
My friend has kleptomania, but when it gets bad, he takes something for it.
Never be afraid to try something new, Remember amateurs built the ark - Professionals built the Titanic.
Love is grand - divorce is a hundred grand.
Politicians and diapers have one thing in common, they should both be changed regularly and for the same reason.
One of life's mysteries - How can a two pound box of candy make a person gain five pounds.
Time may be a great healer, but it's also a lousy beautician.
Age doesn't always bring wisdom, sometimes age comes alone.
Life not only begins at forty, it begins to show.
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The doorbell rings. A man opens the door and there's his mother-in-law on the front step.
She asks, "Can I stay here for a few days?"
The man says, "Sure you can." And he closes the door.