HOUSEBOUND ON A COLD WINTER’S DAY

A WILY CROW HIDING OUT IN ONE OF OUR FRONT YARD CEDAR TREES

A cold gray cloudy day and that’s all it took to keep me housebound aside from going outside long enough to push a recent snowfall off the bird feeding station.  I had put some peanuts out for the Blue Jays this morning and a big old black Crow came in and scooped most of them.  The Blue Jays were not happy about that and set up quite a racket.  The Crow, outnumbered retreated to a nearby Cedar tree to assess the situation and finally flew away.

BLUE JAYS WEREN’T HAPPY THIS FELLOW WAS SNATCHING UP THEIR PEANUTS

ALL BIRD PHOTOS TAKEN TODAY FROM INSIDE OUR WARM AND TOASTY SUNROOM

‘HEY BILL I THINK THAT GUY WITH THE CAMERA IS BACK AGAIN’

‘DON’T LET IT BOTHER YA AGGIE HE DON’T MEAN NO HARM’

Working with her new Instant Pot Kelly soon had the whole house smelling totally yummy.  Said it was a new Pea Soup recipe she was working on.  An Instant Pot is sorta somewhere between a Pressure Cooker and a Slow Cooker.  I felt I was somewhere between a peanut butter sandwich and a couple hot dogs.

HERE’S KELLY BUSY WITH HER ‘INSTANT POT’ TODAY

LOOKING PRETTY DARN HEALTHY I’D SAY….”WOULD YOU LIKE A LARGE FRIES WITH THAT SIR”

It never ceases to amaze me how a simple ray of sunshine can be so overly powerful to one’s well being.  Slumped at our desk top computer in the sunroom with a dull overcast day going on outside I was startled when a sudden ray of sunshine bolted through the window and splashed across the computer desk.  Within mili-seconds I was feeling better, creatively energetic, optimistic, top of the world, giggles inside and a big happy face smile.  Twenty seconds later the sun was gone and I was immediately plunged back into the current doldrums of the day. 

IT WAS THIS LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE SPLASHED ACROSS THE COMPUTER DESK THAT MOMENTARILY LIFTED MY SPIRITS TODAY

Following a link in our Shout Box by a Guest concerning my carrot muffin dilemma it was an eye opener reading about what has happened and is happening with Tim Hortons.  And none of it appears to be good.  Tim Hortons once a proud quality based Canadian company was bought out and taken over by several larger companies a fair while ago and in the usual cost cutting slashes it is once again the buying public who suffers.  When we crossed the border into Canada just over a week ago and stopped for our annual Tim Hortons coffee in Forest Ontario we both noticed something.  Kelly didn’t think the Apple Fritter tasted as good as before and I immediately noticed the Fritter was definitely smaller.  Here is a very revealing link about what is currently going on with our favorite Timmies.  Tim Hortons Franchisees Push Back Against Cost Cutting Changes  And to get a customer perspective on all this be sure to read peoples comments on this article.

 

Only home a week and a few days this cold wintery weather simply reinforces our need to be away from these kinds of days and months no matter what.  Ten winters in the warmer southwest have spoiled us both forever and although it’s inevitable our winters away will end one day it is also totally unimaginable how we and especially me will ever be able to cope with that when it happens.  We don’t dwell on it of course but the thought is there as the specter or reality inches closer each year.

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A farmer got pulled over by a state trooper for speeding, and the trooper started to lecture the farmer about his speed, and in general began to throw his weight around to try to make the farmer uncomfortable. Finally, the trooper got around to writing out the ticket, and as he was doing that he kept swatting at some flies that were buzzing around his head.  The farmer said, 'Having some problems with circle flies there, are ya?' The trooper stopped writing the ticket and said, 'Well yeah, if that's what they are, but I never heard of circle flies.'  So the farmer says, 'Well, circle flies are common on farms. See, they're called circle flies because they're almost always found circling around the back end of a horse.'  The trooper says, 'Oh,' and goes back to writing the ticket. Then after a minute he stops and says, 'Hey...wait a minute, are you trying to call me a horse's ass?'  The farmer says, 'Oh no, officer. I have too much respect for law enforcement and police officers to even think about calling you a horse's ass.' The trooper says, 'Well, that's a good thing,' and goes back to writing the ticket. After a long pause, the farmer says, 'Hard to fool them flies though...'

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A frustrated father told a work colleague: "When I was a youngster, I was disciplined by being sent to my room without supper. But in my son's room, he has his own color TV, computer, games console, cell phone and CD player." "So what do you do?"  The father replied: "I send him to my room!"

‘OH-NO’ TIM HORTONS HAS ALTERED MY FAVORITE CARROT MUFFIN,,,,WHAT TO DO - WHAT TO DO!!

A COLD LOOKING LAKE HURON WITH SLUSHY ICE PATCHES FLOATING ON THE SURFACE

Bitter cold overnight but nice to see blue skies and sunshine this morning and we are also heartened by slowly rising temperatures starting Wednesday.  Might even make it above freezing by the end of the week.  A very welcome thought indeed.

FINALLY SPOTTED SOME BIRDS IN OUR FRONT YARD TODAY

EVEN THE ROBINS ARE NOT CHIRPING IN THIS COLD WEATHER

I SNAPPED THE PHOTO JUST AS THIS ROBIN LEAPED FROM THE BRANCH AND TOOK FLIGHT

I’M THINKING THIS LITTLE PUFFED UP FELLOW IS A BLACK CAP CHICADEE

Still too cold to do anything comfortably outside so I figured with our morning sunshine Pheebs and I might as well get out and get us some of those warming rays beaming through the Jeep’s windows.  Kelly had headed off up to Goderich so Rascal Buns and I wandered off over to Clinton’s Tim Hortons but this morning we did not go through the drive-thru!!

SOME COUNTRY ROADS ARE NOT PL;OWED AS WELL AS OTHERS

EVEN THISE HORSES HAD ON THEIR WOOLIES THIS MORNING

A NICE BRIGHT MID MARCH WINTER’S DAY

ONE HAS TO BE CAREFUL ON THISE SNOWY COUNTRY ROADS WHEN IT’S SOMETIMES HARD TO TELL WHERE THE SIDES OF THE ROAD ENDS AND THE DITCH BEGINS

No Sireeeee, I parked the Jeep and marched myself right in the door and up to Tim Hortons counter.  I had a question for them.  What the heck has happened to my tried and true favorite carrot muffins?!?!  The last two carrot muffins I’ve picked up at the drive-thru were not as I last remembered them back in October.  Although very deliciously tasty they had some kind of sticky filling in them.  Gooey even  What!!!!  Now sticky and gooey is not one of my favorite things and especially not while driving along slow reaching in the paper bag breaking off bits of muffin for Pheebs and I to share.  Had myself quite a sticky mess the last two times after leaving the Clinton Tim Hortons.  Last time I had to pull over to get out and scoop myself a handful of snow to wipe off my stuck together fingers.  Lady at the counter said their old standard carrot muffin has gone the way of the Dodo Bird and the latest Carrot ‘CAKE’ muffin is now the new normal.  As I said, the new muffin is definitely delicious and I’m now thinking the stickiness inside is maybe cream cheese or something like that.  I asked if the Banana Nut muffins had been altered with added stickiness and she said no so I got one.  Don’t know what I’ll try next, maybe an old dried out non sticky Horse bun or something.

BAYFIELD’S SUMMER TIME SAIL BOATS WINTER OVER IN THIS STORAGE AREA

SOON THE WRAPS WILL BE COMING OFF

SUMMER HEAT AND COPOUT ARE ITCHING TO GET THEIR KEELS IN THE WATER

IT WILL BE QUITE AWHILE THOUGH BEFORE ANY SAILBOATS VENTURE OUT OF THE HARBOR HERE…..THAT IS A SOLID MOUND OF ICE OUT THERE JUST OFF THE NORTH BREAKWATER

Pheebs and I headed off on one of our normal country road routes towards the Hullett Marsh but with a cold wind blowing and knowing I wouldn’t be getting out of the Jeep in that we cut our ride short and headed on back to Bayfield.  The Jeep was coated in corrosive road salt from Monday mornings drive to Goderich and back so we headed for Bayfield’s car wash on the south end of town.  Almost froze my hands off washing the Jeep in the below zero temperatures.

EVERY TIME I DRIVE BY THIS BAYFIELD HOUSE IT CATCHES MY EYE

A stop at Bayfield’s picturesque Pioneer Park netted us a few more photos and how nice not to see the lake frozen over for as far as the eye can see as in some winters.  With sunshine on the water this morning it was nice to see the aqua colors.

BAYFIELD’S PIONEER PARK

A LONG SET OF WOODEN STAIRS LEAD TO THE BEACH BELOW

A FINE SPOT IN WARMER WEATHER TO WATCH AWE INSPIRINING SUNSETS OVER LAKE HURONS CLEAR WATERS

PIONEER PARK’S BENCHES AWAIT THE SUMMER’S MANY SUNSETTERS

BAYFIELD’S DISTANT HARBOR PIER JUTS OUT IN THE COLD WATERS OF LAKE HURON

In our Shout Box my blog’s sidebar Don from Oklahoma asked, “In your header picture, what is the rusty brown thing sticking up thru the building in the middle of the photo”?  Well I didn’t have answer for Don so this morning on our way home we swung over to the north side of the Bayfield River to have us a close up look at that ‘rusty brown thing’ in the header photo.  Well, it wasn’t to be.  Driving down into that area I was surprised to see it cordoned off with a wire fence and a sign saying ‘Construction Zone’.  From the number of machines I had seen in that area from across the river Sunday morning I had a feeling there might be something going on over there.  Seems like one of the old riverside buildings beside the dock was missing too.  So Don I still don’t know what that big rusty brown thing is plus adding to the mystery is the question, what the heck are they doing over there in that construction zone.  You can bet I’ll be keeping my eye and camera lens focused on that area now for awhile.

ON THE RIGHT IS THE ‘RUSTY BROWN THING’ IN QUESTION AND NOTICE THE CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT ON SITE…..YEP THERE’S SOMETHING GOING ON OVER THERE ALRIGHT

Whether it be Winter, Summer, Spring, or Fall I am always aware of how very fortunate we are to live where we do and what makes me well aware of that is our twice annual trek to and from the great American Southwest.  The southwest we love of course but many of the areas we travel through on our way west and back again makes me very thankful for our country like setting right here just outside of Bayfield Ontario.  How nice to be located in southwestern Ontario’s rolling rural farm lands with lakes and rivers and forests nestled right up alongside the picturesque shores of Lake Huron.  Small towns with no huge cities near by.  Our closest Interstate type 4 lane highway is a good hours drive away.  No crushing crowds or line-ups for anything,  No bumper to bumper traffic and no noisy industries or factories.  Clear air for as far as we can see.  Lots of birds and wildlife in the surrounding forests.  Yep it’s good to be home:)))))))))))))))

A FEW ADDITIONAL PHOTOS FROM BAYFIELD’S PIONEER PARK THIS MORNING

HEY THAT LITTLE BLACK DOGGY LOOKS FAMILIAR:))

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Lost on a rainy night, a nun stumbles across a monastery and requests shelter there. Fortunately, she's just in time for dinner and was treated to the best fish and chips she's ever had.  After dinner, she goes into the kitchen to thank the chefs.  She is met by two brothers, "Hello, I'm Brother Michael, and this is Brother Charles."  "I'm very pleased to meet you. I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful dinner. The fish and chips were the best I've ever tasted. Out of curiosity, who cooked what?"
Brother Charles replied, "Well, I'm the fish friar."
She turns the other brother and says, "Then you must be...?"  "Yes, I'm the chip monk."

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"How the diet going?"
"Not good, I had eggs for breakfast."
"Scrambled?"
"No, chocolate."

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A few moments after the daughter announced her engagement, her Father asked, "Does this fellow have any money?"
"Oh Daddy, you men are all alike," sighing deeply, she replied, "That's exactly what he asked me about you."