Saturday, March 17, 2018

IT WAS A GREAT SUNNY SATURDAY MORNING TO BE OUT AND ABOUT CHASING DOWN A FEW WINTER PHOTOS HERE AND THERE

DSC_3595

NO DOCKSIDE FISHING BOATS WITH THE BAYFIELD RIVER STILL FROZE OVER

Since last week-ends daylight savings time shifting ahead one hour I have noticed lengthening days are definitely upon us.   Still a wee bit of light left at 8 p.m. and skies beginning to lighten by 7 a.m. and it was all especially nice with this morning's Sun looming large over the horizon dawning into a clear blue sky.  Shafts of sunlight traveling through our eastern facing living room widow flood through our kitchen and stretch themselves up the hallway almost to our sunroom.  I like when that happens every year at this time and it's always a positive feeling way to start the day.

DSC02150

‘WOWSERS’ NOW THAT IS ONE VERY BRIGHT BLAST OF MORNING SUNLIGHT ON KELLY’S FACE…..AND PHEEBS TOO

After sitting around the house all day Thursday and with this morning's spirit lifting sunshine it was a no brainer for Pheebs and I as to what us guys would be up to first thing.  We were soon down around Bayfield's harbor for a look see before cruising up Bayfield’s main street and heading out south of town to see if we could find anything of interest to take a few photos of. 

DSC_3590

LAKE HURON IS STILL FROZEN FOR ABOUT A MILE OR SO OFFSHORE

DSC_3589

BAYFIELD’S SMALL BEACH AREA

DSC_3591

LOOKS LIKE A BROWN HUMPBACK WHALE OUT THERE JUST OFF BAYFIELD’S PIER:))

DSC_3592

THAT SOLID LOOKING  RIVER ICE WILL SOON BREAK UP AND BE PUSHED BY THE FLOWING RIVER OUT INTO THE LAKE

DSC_3587

THIS FISHING BOAT SPENT THE WINTER HIGH AND DRY NEAR THE FISHING DOCK

DSC_3593

TO THE RIGHT IS THE ROAD LEADING DOWN TO THE HARBOR

DSC_3594

THE BAYFIELD RIVER IS NOT FROZEN OVER FROM THIS POINT INLAND

DSC_3596

OVERLOOKING  LAKE HURON  FROM THE PIONEER PARK BLUFFS

DSC_3597

NICE TO SEE FOLKS OUT WALKING ON THIS SUNNY BUT CRISP SATURDAY MORNING

DSC_3599DSC_3600

MORNING STROLL ON THE PIER

DSC_3601

OPEN WATER ABOUT HALF A MILE OR SO OUT

DSC_3602

IN ANOTHER 4 TO 6 WEEKS TOURISTS AND LOCAL FOLKS WILL BE WANDERING ALONG BAYFIELDS MAIN STREET CHECKING OUT ALL THE LITTLE ARTSY SHOPS…..BY THE WAY IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO BAYFIELD YOU REALLY NEED TO COME AND HAVE A LOOK FOR YOURSELF:))

I have been ‘muffin free’ for nearly 3 months so figured that was a good incentive for me to try and keep it that way.  There is really no need for me to have a carrot muffin every time Pheebs and I head out on our Jeep rides in the morning.  It’s just been a bad habit I got myself into.  Figured the best way for me to work on my muffin habit is to not go where the muffins are so with that thought present in mind I brewed up my own coffee at home before heading out.  Of course the other positive thing about this new way of doing things for me is the cost.  It didn’t take my totally unmathematical brain sponge long to figure out the savings from $$$$$ spent every month on a coffee and muffins.  Yes, I am a slow learner at times………….

DSC_3604

COLORFUL BIRD HOUSES ON DISPLAY

DSC_3605

ICE AND SNOW WAS QUICKLY MELTING OFF COUNTRY ROADS WHETHER PAVED OR GRAVEL

DSC_3606

CREEKS ARE BEGINNING TO GURGLE WITH MELTING SNOW

DSC_3607

ON MY WHAT A BEAUTIFUL BLUE COUNTRY SKY

DSC_3612

PHEEBS CHECKS OUT ALL THE NEAT SMELLS IN A PARTIALLY UNCOVERED PLOWED FIELD

DSC_3613
DSC_3609

<<< CRITTER TRACKS IN THE SNOW

With Libby's heater on and Pheebs window down we ambled our way along Huron Counties partially snow covered rural roads.  Gray lifeless looking stretches of forest broke up great expanses of snow covered fields wandering off to disappear over distant blue sky horizons.  Ahhhhh, tis good to feel alive on mornings like these even if it's still Wintertime.  There was no wind and when out of the Jeep the Sun was so warm I took off my coat.  We had us a nice slow relaxing drive and I thought to myself what a contrast it was from a week ago Saturday morning when we were slugging our way from Montgomery Alabama to Louisville Kentucky with Nashville thrown in between as a major aggravation.

DSC_3619

IT WAS THE SNOW ON TOP OF THESE BIG EXHUAST FANS THAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION

DSC_3618

I’M THINKING THIS MIGHT BE A PIG BARN

DSC_3624

MELTING SNOW ALONGSIDE A COUNTRY ROAD

DSC_3625

IN THE HAMLET OF BLAKE ONTARIO

Stopped at Bayfield’s car wash on the way back and gave Libby a much needed bath.  A lot of road salt on her again.  A vacant lot on the North side of the carwash is where Tim Hortons new coffee shop is to built but i was a little disappointed work had not started on that yet. 

DSC_3627

WAITING MY TURN AT THE CAR WASH

DSC_3603

NOPE SURE DON’T LOOK LIKE TIM HORTONS HAS STARTED ON THEIR NEW BAYFIELD COFFEE SHOP YET

DSC_3628

I THINK THERE’S MORE SNOW RIGHT HERE IN OUR VERY OWN PARK THAN ANYWHERE ELSE

DSC_3629

MIGHT BE A LITTLE EARLY TO COME HOME YET CC AND DIXIE

We were home somewhere well short of noon and with my batteries fully charged from this morning’s drive under bright sunny skies I was soon right at it with the snow shovel and leaf blower.  Leaf blower?!?!.  Yep, blew all the leaves out of the carport then all the birdseed husks and shells off our front porch.  Moved a bunch of snow around, got a load of laundry done, (oh isn’t it great having your own washer and dryer right at home) a load of paper products burnt up in the burning barrel, front porch summer furniture out, shed doors open to the Sun, ran up the rig’s generator and engine for a bit, etc. etc.  Oh how I love it when I have those welcome bursts of energy and set about accomplishing things.  A day without accomplishing anything useful is always the absolute worst for me!!

DSC_3655

YEP, WE SURE LOVE ALL OUR ‘STUFF’ ALRIGHT:))

DSC_3651 DSC_3648

WE STILL HAVE A FEW FRONT PORCH CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS TO TAKE DOWN

DSC_3646 DSC_3649

DSC_3656

THAT BIG SMILE SAYS IT ALL

DSC00524 DSC_3657

HERE I AM WITH MY LEAF BLOWER BLOWING ALL THE WINTER SNOW AWAY

DSC_3639

ICE AND SNOW MELTING OFF THE SOUTH SIDE OF OUR ROOF

DSC_3640DSC_3644DSC_3641

LOTS OF DRIP-DRIP-DRIPPING GOING ON TODAY

With the Sun’s rays beaming in our south facing sunroom windows I actually had to open the sliding patio door to let in some cool air.  I could see and hear the dripping of ice and snow melting.  What a great feeling that always is at this time of year.

DSC_3614

OUR SNOWY FORESTS HAVE A BEAUTY ALL THEIR OWN

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...'

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

It doesn't hurt to take a hard look at yourself from time to time, and this should help get you started.
During a visit to the mental asylum, a visitor asked the director what the criterion was that defined whether or not a patient should be institutionalized.  "Well," said the Director, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the patient and ask him or her to empty the bathtub."  "Oh, I understand," said the visitor. "A normal person would use the bucket because it's bigger than the spoon or the teacup."
"No," said the Director, "A normal person would pull the plug. Do you want a room with or without a view?"

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

Friday, March 16, 2018

SNOW SNOW GO AWAY AND DON’T COME BACK TILL WE’RE FAR AWAY

DSC_0057

I THINK THIS BLACK SQUIRREL JUST CHOMPED A SMALL BRANCH OFF OUR SUNBURST LOCUST TREE

Had us a cold windy and bleakly overcast looking day.  Not nice so Pheebs and I were grounded.  Looking forward to warmer sunny days ahead shortly.  At least late this afternoon skies cleared and bathed us in sunshine spiking my sagging Spirits to take a few photos.

DSC_3552

EVENING SHADOWS IN OUR SNOWY FRONT YARD

DSC_3572

BIRDS ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES IN OUR FRONT YARD EATING BIRDSEED

DSC_3564DSC_3553DSC_3584DSC_3575

Spent part of the day in my cozy warm reading corner in our sunroom.  Am currently reading David L Bashow’s ‘All The Fine Young Eagles’.  Books I recently finished these past few months are, ‘Hawker Typhoon – A Combat History’, ‘The Saga Of Pappy Gunn’, ‘The Things Our Father’s Saw’, ‘Fogg In The Cockpit’,  ‘Five Days In Hell’, ‘Fallen Fortress’, ‘Alarm Starboard’, ‘Last Flight From Singapore’, ‘The Desert Air War’, ‘Command Missions’, ‘Expecting To Fly’, ‘Vietnam Memoirs’, ‘Linebacker’, ‘Nam Sense’, ‘Last Chapter’, ‘Dunkirk’, ‘Scramble’, and ‘Vanished Hero’.  All these books by the way are non-fiction.

DSC_3554DSC_3580DSC_3556 DSC_3557DSC_3566DSC_3586

We always find it takes awhile to get our feet back on the ground after being away and it’s generally a week before the traveling dust has settled down to a point where we begin feeling energized again.  We’re still in the process of putting stuff away that we’ve unloaded from the Motorhome and other than taking Pheebs out for a couple Jeep rides I’ve spent most of my time inside where it’s warm simply doing computer stuff, reading, and watching the occasional relaxing TV show.  Very much looking forward to being outside tackling the Spring clean-up as soon as all this snow melts.

DSC_3560

DO YOU SUPPOSE THIS WHITE PROFILE IS THAT OF ‘OLD MAN WINTER’ WITH A TEAR IN HIS EYE KNOWING HIS DAYS ARE NUMBERED??

GROANER’S CORNER:((  If God Had Voice Mail::

Thank you for calling heaven.  I am sorry, all of our angels and saints are busy helping other sinners right now. However, your prayer is important to us and we will answer it in the order it was received. Please stay on the line.
If you would like to speak to:
God, press 1.
Jesus, press 2.
The Holy Spirit, press 3.
If you would like to hear King David sing a Psalm while you are holding, press 4.
To find a loved one who has been assigned to Heaven, press 5, then enter his or her social security number followed by the pound sign. (If you get a negative response, please hang up and try area code 666.)For reservations in heaven, please enter J-O-H-N 3:16
For answers to nagging questions about dinosaurs, the age of the earth, life on other planets, and where Noah's Ark is, please wait until you arrive.
If you are calling after hours and need emergency assistance, please contact your local pastor.

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

Confucius Say: "Man who drive like hell bound to get there."

Confucius Say: "Man who live in glass house should change clothes in basement.

"Confucius Say: "Women who put detergent on top shelf, jump for Joy!

"Confucius Say: "Never argue with fool...he may be doing the same thing.

Confucius Say: "Adults are just wrinkled kids who owe money.

"Confucius Say: "An old grave digger is called an Elderberry.

"Confucius Say: "People who have gift of gab, not know how to wrap it up.

"Confucius Say: "Time flies like arrow. Fruit flies like bananas.

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

“I have an idea for a chain of Elvis Presley steak houses. It will be for people who love meat tender.”

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

Thursday, March 15, 2018

A COLD SNOWY MORNING ON THE BACKROADS OF HURON COUNTY

DSC_3544

I had hoped for clearing overnight skies but it was not to be.  Aside from a brief dash of sunshine through our living room window and up the hall it turned out to be a dull gray day with heavy snow flurries at times.  After Wednesday’s in house day I knew I couldn’t take two days in a row like that so despite the snowy cold weather Pheebs and I headed out in the Jeep.

DSC_3503

A FEW MILES EAST OF OUR PARK WE CAME UPON THIS CURIOUS SITUATION ON THE ROAD

DSC_3504

THERE WAS A TRACTOR HITCHED UP ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS SHED AFFAIR BUT IT WASN’T MOVING

DSC_3505DSC_3507DSC_3508

Didn’t figure there would be much to see out around the Hullett Marsh but we headed in that direction anyway and I was right, there wasn’t much to see.  Stopped for a leg stretch and the only sounds I heard in the nearby Marsh were Canada Geese, Red Winged Blackbirds and a few quacky Ducks.  I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email last week from Wildlife Technician Raeshawn Parsons at Friends Of Hullett saying, “I came upon your blog and your breath-taking photos of the marsh as well as the Bird Dog & Horse trials. I was wondering if we could use some of those photos for our website, newsletter, etc.”   “Any time your photos are used we will give you photo credit.”  Well that email put a smile on my face and of course I am only too happy to be of help to them with any of my photos they can use.  Just another reason for Pheebs and I to get out and about in the Marsh to take more photos:))))))

DSC_3510

WASN’T LONG BEFORE IT BEGAN SNOWING HEAVILY

DSC_3515DSC_3514DSC_3509DSC_3497

WILD TURKEYS

DSC_3512

FROM A LONG DISTANCE I THOUGHT THIS WAS A HERD OF BIRDS NESTLED INTO A TREE BUT LATER WHEN EDITING THE PHOTO I SAW WHAT IT REALLY WAS

DSC_3513From December 23rd 2017 to March 12th 2018 I watched maybe 5 minutes of television.  While traveling I generally have very little interest in watching TV and these past few months remained true to form.  Since being home I have not clicked on one single cable news channel and have stayed away from watching news of any kind.  And you know what…..I seem to be feeling pretty darn good about that.  Yes I’m back to my favorite Smithsonian channel alright and with a few other entertainingly educational favorites along the same line I’m doing Okay.  

DSC_3525

IT’S HARD TO KNOW JUST WHERE THE ROAD IS SOMETIMES IN THIS KIND OF SNOWSCAPE

DSC_3528

HAD TO HAVE LIBBY IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE THROUGH HERE

DSC_3516DSC_3517DSC_3518

I’M GUESSING THIS MIGHT BE A SNOW BUNTING

DSC_3522DSC_3526DSC_3527DSC_3529

AT LAST WE WERE BACK TO OUR PARK JUST UP THERE ON THE LEFT

We’ve been home 4 days now so am I wishing we were still somewhere south in warmer weather??  Nope, just glad to be home knowing this cloudy colder weather will be gone soon.  Pheebs is especially happy to be back in the land of endless country roads wandering through rural farmlands again.  So nice to glance out the windshield or look in my rear view mirror and not see a single vehicle in sight.  No crazed sea of demented text-headed drivers blindly and destructively racing to get to wherever it is they don’t really need to go in the first place.

DSC_3531

HERE’S A COUPLE ‘OVER-EXPOSED’ BLUE JAY PHOTOS I WAS ABLE TO SLIGHTLY SALVAGE

DSC_3532Happy to say our front yard birds are returning.  Blue Jays, Dark Eyed Juncos, Black Capped Chick-a-dees, Sparrows, a pair of Downy Woodpeckers, Green Eyed Flamingos, a couple Purple Pelicans, and a small flock of Partially Pileated Parrots.  Oh wait a minute….I seem to have got a little ahead of myself there.

DSC_3542

DARK EYED JUNCO

DSC_3536

DSC_3550

BLACK CAPPED CHIC-A-DEE

DSC_3548DSC_3551

JUNCOS

Amazingly enough this morning when Kelly picked up the phone to see if it was working yet….it was.  Imagine that!!  We have been going through all the reasons to get rid of our land line but in the end and for now we’ve decided having a land line still works best for us. 

DSC_3534DSC_3537 DSC_3547DSC_3546

Sometimes I seem to overwhelm myself with silly mistakes and indecisive decisions and it seems to be more of a problem for me now as I have become a little older.  I seem to lack the patience with myself and often as not over react to simple problems.  Maybe I was always like that but I don’t recall it bothering me as much as it now seems to.  Actually i thought I was pretty good at handling a lot of things but somewhere along the line I have become aware of the fact I am changing and I am not quite as I once was.  I find things bother me more than they once did and I have a tendency to be more worrisome.  The subtleties of age creeping in I suppose.  Mentally and physically.  Well that’s my excuse for Wednesdays poor day anyway.  Thanks for your thoughts……………….

DSC_3543

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Letter From a Farm Kid at Camp Pendleton, Marine Corps Recruit Training)

Dear Ma and Pa:

I am well. Hope you are too. Tell Brother Walt and Brother Elmer that the Marine Corps beats working for old man Minch by a mile.  Tell them to join up quick before all of the places are filled.  I was restless at first because you got to stay in bed till nearly 6 a.m., but I am getting so I like to sleep late.  Tell Walt and Elmer all you do before breakfast is smooth your cot and shine some things. No hogs to slop, feed to pitch, mash to mix, wood to split, fire to lay... practically nothing.  Men got to shave but it's not so bad... there's warm water. Breakfast is strong on trimmings like fruit juice, cereal, eggs, bacon, etc., but kind of weak on chops, potatoes, ham, steak, fried eggplant, pie, and other regular food, but tell Walt and Elmer you can always sit by the two city boys that live on coffee. Their food plus yours holds you 'til noon when you get fed again. It's no wonder these city boys can't walk much.
We go on 'route marches,' which the platoon sergeant says are long walks to harden us. If he thinks so, it's not my place to tell him different. A 'route march' is about as far as to our mailbox at home. Then the city guys get sore feet and we all ride back in trucks.  The country is nice but awful flat. The sergeant is like a school teacher. He nags a lot. The captain is like the school board. Majors and colonels just ride around and frown. They don't bother you none.  This next will kill Walt and Elmer with laughing. I keep getting medals for shooting. I don't know why. The bulls-eye is near as big as a chipmunk head and don't move, and it ain't shooting at you like the Higgett boys at home. All you got to do is lie there all comfortable and hit it. You don't even load your own cartridges. They come in boxes.  Then we have what they call hand-to-hand combat training. You get to wrestle with them city boys. I have to be real careful though, they break real easy. It ain't like fighting with that ole bull at home. I'm about the best they got in this except for that Tug Jordan from over in Silver Lake. I only beat him once. He joined up the same time as me, but I'm only 5'6' and 130 pounds and he's 6'8' and near 300 pounds dry.  Be sure to tell Walt and Elmer to hurry and join up before other fellers get onto this setup and come stampeding on in.
Your loving daughter,
Tammy Mason

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

A slice of apple pie in Jamaica is $2.00. It is $2.50 in the Bahamas.  These are the pie rates of the Caribbean.

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