THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO ASSUME THE OSTRICH POSITION

BROKEN BRANCH IN A FROZEN POND AND DID YOU SEE THE LITTLE OWL FACED ALLIGATOR

So am I taking this Covid-19 thing seriously and am I doing my part to help?  Well the answer to both those questions is 'yes'.  This is not a time to assume the Ostrich position and bury one's head in the sand pretending everything's fine.  Am I panicked? No I am not.  Between panicking and Ostriching is a zone where common sense, responsible logic, and clear thinking can be found and it is in this zone of clear common sense and reasonable thinking where Covid-19 and all it's repercussions can be dealt with in the best possible way by each and every one of us.  If one wants to help defeat this thing then don't panic and don't bury your head in the sand.  Paying attention to news reports is important.  Do what is advised or suggested and stay up with news reports.  This is no time for the 'nobody's going to tell me what to do' attitude.........….. Okay, so what does my little part of helping out look like??  Unless absolutely necessary I'll not be popping into any stores.  In the Jeep I have a bottle of hand sanitizer.  Put it there a couple weeks ago.  The only two human contacts I usually have (except for Kelly) is picking up a coffee at McDonalds or Tim Hortons and stopping for gas.  Following each coffee or gas stop I have been swashing my hands with sanitizer.  If push comes to shove I can easily give up the drive-thru coffee stop.  It is extremely rare for Pheebs and I to come into contact with people on our country road wanderings so I hope to continue doing that.  As long as I saniwash myself up real good after each contact we should be good to go.  If necessary our morning Jeep rides will be the last thing for me to give up.  For a sobering realistic look of what is happening be sure to read Nina's post at 'Wheeling It'.  Decide Where You Wanna Be, And Go There Now.  Friends and fellow RV Bloggers Nina and Paul are in France right now and they have a rather broad scope on what is actually happening.

ROADSIDE PONDS ARE STILL FROZEN AT OUR FAVORITE SPOT ON 'LITTLE LAKES ROAD'

A FROZEN POND'S SALUTE TO WINTER

Weather wise our Monday was almost a repeat performance of Sunday except it was colder earlier today.  Lots of sunshine for over half the day but not much in the way of warm air until early afternoon.  A simple drive through the countryside for Pheebs and I this morning.  Upon returning home I made an attempt to begin a Spring clean-up in one of our sheds but the biting cold soon drove me back inside the house again.  Later in the day temps did come up to 40F so Pheebs and I hauled ourselves around the afternoon trail.

GODERICH'S STILL ICY SHORELINE

THIS BIG SNOW DRIFT ON PORTER HILL LINE WILL BE THE LAST TO MELT

Kelly was in Goderich's Walmart this morning and aside from the toilet paper and hand sanitizer shelves being empty she said everything else looked perfectly normal just like an ordinary day.  No signs of people panicking with overflowing shopping carts.  And here's a recent update from Tim Hortons concerning their coffee shops and Covid-19 . 

THIS GRACKLE LANDED ON THE BIRD BATH FOR A DRINK OF WATER BUT IT WAS FROZEN

Maitland Valley Medical Center called this afternoon saying I did not have to report in Friday morning for my appointment.  My Nurse Practitioner will phone me at the appointment time and we will do the appointment over the phone.  Good stuff:))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A wife reports, My Husband, not happy with my mood swings bought me a mood ring the other day so he would be able to monitor my moods. When I'm in a good mood it turns green. When I'm in a bad mood it leaves a big frickin' red mark on his forehead.
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'OH-OH' COULD ALL THIS HUGGY HUGGY STUFF BE IN JEOPARDY

Oh how uplifting it was to see sunshine beaming through our living room window first thing this morning.  With all the turmoil going on in the world right now and especially with the Covid-19 dilemma sweeping the Planet I'm sure we are all looking for any little positive thing in our lives to uplift our feelings. Anything to distract us from the obvious dark storm approaching.  Yes this morning's bright and cheery sunrise was greatly appreciated more than ever and especially so as Pheebs and I wandered our way through the countryside.  Despite a bone chilling east wind it was a beautiful looking and very quiet Sunday morning.

NICE TO BE OUT ON SOME BACK ROADS THAT WERE CLOSED ALL WINTER

SPOTTED THESE TUNDRA SWANS IN A VERY FAR AWAY FIELD

A VERY FAINT MOON IN MORNING'S BLUE SKY

Home about 11 I right away grabbed my lawn rake, pitchfork, and wheelbarrow resuming our yard clean-up.  What a great day to be outside puttering around on a bright sunny day.  Noticed some nice signs of Spring in our flower beds.  So glad to be right here at home enjoying these Spring like days in these times of uncertainty.

WHAT A GREAT DAY TO BE OUTSIDE ENJOYING THE SPRING CLEAN-UP

SIGNS OF SPRING IN OUR FLOWER BEDS

PHEEBS TOOK ME FOR AN AFTERNOON WALK.....'COME ON DAD TRY AND KEEP UP'

TRAPPED AIR BUBBLES UNDER A THIN LAYER OF ICE ON THE PARK'S POND

RED DOGWOOD BRANCHES 

GREEN AND BLUE....TWO OF NATURES MOST COMPATABLE COLORS

DESPITE TODAY'S COLD AIR IT WAS STILL NICE TO BE OUT WALKING

In our huggy huggy handshake world who ever thought we would see the day when the words 'social distancing' would take on such a huge meaning.  I think this will be rather traumatic for many people but for Kelly and I not so much.  We've been doing the social distancing thing for years.  For most folks shaking hands has been a natural ingrained cultural thing when meeting people for as long as I can remember but when the heck did all the huggy huggy stuff start and where did that come from anyway!!   It never entered our lives until we started RVing.  RV'ers are a very huggy-huggy bunch.  Have to be honest here and say we were never comfortable with that but it seemed to be the way friends always greeted each other and not wanting to hurt anyone's feelings we went along with it.  I would be totally happy to greet people with a simple 'Hi', 'Hello', 'Wassup', 'How ya doin', 'How's it goin eh', 'Hey Cowboy nice spurs ya got there', without any of the hand shaking or hugging.  Especially the hugging thing.  I think a lot of other people probably feel the same way but 'it's the thing to do', so they tend go along with it for the same reason I do for not wanting to hurt the other person's feelings.  Hugging close family members Okay, but let's be reasonable.  Maybe this Covid-19 will put a permanent end to all this huggy-huggy stuff once and for all.  D'ya think:))

NOTICED A FEW SAIL BOAT OWNERS AROUND CHECKING ON THEIR BOATS

SAILBOAT MASTS IN A BOAT STORAGE AREA

FISHERMEN ON THE BANKS OF THE BAYFIELD RIVER.....BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION IN THE BACKGROUND

BUNDLED UP AGAINST THE COLD MORNING AIR

THOUGHT SOMEBODY HAD A CAMPFIRE GOING BUT NOPE IT WAS JUST THIS GUY SMOKING

I have an appointment with my Nurse Practitioner at the Maitland Valley Medical Center this coming Friday but I'm hoping they will call me and reschedule it.  Appointment was made about 6 weeks ago and I don't think it was anything really pressing anyway.

THIS FLOWERING PLANT IS IN OUR SUNROOM BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS

THE GRACKLES ARE BACK

GROANER'S CORNER:((   On a bus trip to Canada a group of American Seniors stopped at a cheese farm, a young guide led them through the process of cheese making, explaining that goats milk was used.  She showed the group a lovely hillside where many goats were grazing.  "These", she explained, "are the older goats put out to pasture when they no longer produce."  She then asked, "What do you do in America with your old goats?"  A spry old gentleman answered, "They send us on bus tours."
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THIS IS REAL AND NOTHING TO BE SCOFFED AT!!

WE HAVE BUNNIES IN OUR FRONT YARD

With no wind this morning our 32F temperature was fine for a few outside activities.  Busy with my pitchfork loading the utility trailer with a mixture of wet leaves and pine needles I didn't notice the cold too much.  One load to the dump and that cleaned up a big backlog of yard waste that I had piled up from last Fall.  Pheebs and I did get out for a Jeep ride around Bayfield and out into the countryside south of there earlier.  With overcast skies it wasn't a very inspiring day.

AMAZINGLY ENOUGH THESE FISHERMAN MUST HAVE FOUND SOME OPEN WATER AROUND BAYFIELD'S SOUTH PIER

WITH THE RIVER CLEAR OF ICE BAYFIELD'S FISHING FLEET HAS RETURNED

THESE ARE HARDY FISHERMEN ON A COLD SATURDAY MORNING.....SAY, I WONDER IF THAT GUY CROUCHING DOWN IS A PLUMBER

BAYFIELD'S TEMPORARY BAILEY BRIDGE HAS CROSSED THE RIVER TO THE NEW CEMENT ABUTMENT ON THE OTHER SIDE

Try as hard as I did I just could not get used to it.  Tried different flavors, even added my own such as cinnamon and pumpkin spice. etc.  No matter how I tried to disguise the taste, tea is just tea and it's gonna taste like tea no matter what.  And it's the tea taste I simply don't care for.  Readers offered suggestions some of which I tried but to no avail.  Bottom line I guess is that I am just not a tea drinker, never have been, and not likely I ever will be.

'OH GO AHEAD THE WATER'S FINE'

'YOU CAN DO IT'

'AHHHHHH, TOLD YA':))

And how am I making out since I quit adding honey to my peanut butter flat bread sandwiches every day about a month ago??  Well, pretty good actually.  I still eat lots of peanut butter but instead of adding honey I add slices of banana and that works just fine.  And I've successfully traded in my diluted Cranberry juice for sugar free orange juice.  I'm still muffin free as well and haven't so much as even ate a doughnut crumb.  No occasional ice cream, pie, cake, tarts, or cookies either.  So you would figure I'd be down about twenty five pounds by now but nope, only down two.

I DON'T KNOW WHO FARMER KOOS IS BUT HE OR SHE MUST HAVE JUST TURNED 50

St. Marys Ontario is 65 miles from Bayfield.  On March 12th a 64 year old man recently returned from Mexico tested positive for the Coronavirus.  While at emergency in St. Marys Hospital his condition suddenly worsened and he was taken to the Stratford General Hospital where he now remains in serious condition.  It's getting closer.  This is real and nothing to be scoffed at!!!!

GROANER'S CORNER:((  The Policeman recently stopped a woman for exceeding the posted speed limit. He asked the driver her name.She said, "I'm Mrs. Ladislav Abdulkhashim Zybkcicraznovskaya from the Republic of Uzbekistan visiting my daughter in Tallahassee."The cop put away his summons book and pen, and said, "Well... OK... but don't let me catch you speeding again."
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 Confucius say, "When you are angry at neighbor, walk a mile in his shoes. Then you will be a mile away from him, and you will have his shoes!"
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GETTING MY PANDEMIC PRIORITIES IN ORDER

MALE MALLARD DUCK ON OUR PARK'S POND THIS AFTERNOON

Figured under the current pandemic conditions world wide I had better get my priorities in order so it was off to Goderich's Walmart to get myself stocked up on peanut butter.  Kraft All Natural 'Only Peanuts' that is.  They were on sale 2 for eight dollars.  I got 25 cases.  Okay, well maybe not than many but I did buy two jars.  Walmart was busy with most people having their carts overflowing with groceries.  Out of curiosity I walked down the toilet paper aisle and saw a lot bare spots.  They had a door crasher special on 24 roll packs of TP at the front door with a limit of 4 packs per customer.  I was surprised not to see everyone I saw loaded down to the water line with toilet paper.  But I did see one lady trying to juggle 3 packs and hang onto a couple kids and that was really the only frenzy I saw.  So did I grab 4 packages??  Nope, wouldn't feel right about doing that but I did take one.....just in case.

ME AND THE KID OUT AND ABOUT THIS MORNING

Had it not been for a strong wind chill factor driving down temperatures it would have been a pleasantly doable outside day.  Did manage to get a little more raking done but that was about it.  Inside was simply more pleasantly comfortable than outside.

ALL OF TODAY'S PHOTOS TAKEN WITH MY NIKON COOLPIX P900

A slight dribble of mid afternoon sunshine enticed me out of the house so dressed warmly Pheebs and I made our way around the trail through the forest.  At least in the bush we had some protection from the wind.  Ducks and Geese on the Park's pond.  Sure is nice being able to walk on bare ground again.  We may still get a couple nasty winter storms but how nice this weather reprieve has been for most everyone and if it continues on into Spring I for one will chalk it up to one big happy unexpected bonus:))))

GROANER'S CORNER:((    When Peters learned that he was being fired, he went to see the head of human resources. "Since I've been with the firm for so long," he said, "I think I deserve at least a letter of recommendation."  The human resources director agreed and said he'd have the letter next day. The following morning, Peters found the letter on his desk. It read, "Jonathan Peters worked for our company for eleven years. When he left us, we were very satisfied."
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- The spread of Walmart is like a plague of low-costs.

- Late one night at the insane asylum, an inmate shouted, "I am Napoleon!" Another inmate asked, "How do you know?" "God told me!" A voice from another room suddenly shouted, "I did not!"

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Quasimodo goes to a doctor for an annual checkup. "I think something is wrong with your back," the doctor says.  "What makes you think that?" asks Quasimodo.  "I don't know," the doctor replies. "It's just a hunch."
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