HERE WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF MARCH ALREADY AND A CONVENTION OF CARDINALS

 WINTER'S MORN

We started our day off with snow squall and high wind warnings so Pheebs and I kept our eye on the sky this morning.  Luckily, neither one of those two weather events happened while we were out cruising a few quiet country roads southeast of Bayfield.  How nice to see bare earth beginning to show up in larger patches in farmer's fields.  Country roads are now totally free of ice.

 MORE PATCHES OF GROUND SHOWING THROUGH THE SNOW

 THE DARK BLUE ON THE HORIZON IS THE OPEN WATERS OF LAKE HURON

 NICE TO SEE SOME GREEN OUT THERE

 HOW GREAT TO HAVE ICE FREE COUNTRY ROADS AGAIN

Home only a short while and light snow began falling.  With Sunday's 45F temps a lot of snow slid off or carport roof blocking the gate to our back yard so I was busy getting all that shoveled out of the way.  There is still more snow to slide off when temps warm up again.  We are hovering slightly below the freezing mark today.

 CREEKS AND DITCHES ARE FILLED WITH WATER FROM MELTING SNOW

This video gives you an idea of how lake ice along the shoreline of the Great Lakes breaks up at this time of year.  We see this along the Lake Huron shoreline all the time.  It generally depends on which way the wind is blowing.  When the ice pack breaks off with an easterly wind blowing, it is pushed away from our shoreline out into the lake.  If winds change and blow from the west the ice pack will move back into shore.  One day there is ice as far as one can see and the next day it isn't there.  It all depends on the wind and temperature factors.  Ice Breaking Up.

 I THINK THIS OLD TREE HAS HAD A HARD LIFE

 I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT ALL THAT IS STICKING OUT OF THE SNOW

 This afternoon it looked like we had a Cardinal Convention going on in our front yard.  I counted six pairs of Cardinals at one point.

 JUNCO

 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH

 DOWNIE WOODPECKER

And here we are at the beginning of March already.  How encouraging is that for we people living here in this cold winter weather:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A man went to a fancy dress party wearing trousers, a roll-neck sweater, and a balaclava, all light brown. He was carrying a woman, wearing a brown and fawn dress, piggyback style.  His host asked him what he had come as. He answered: "A tortoise.''  The host asked ''What about the woman?"  The man replied ''She's Michelle.''

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John's teacher sent a note home to his mother, saying :  "John seems to be a very bright boy, but spends too much of his time thinking about girls.  The mother wrote back the next day:  "If you find a solution, please advise.  I have the same problem with his father!"

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SUNDAYS ARE KIND OF LIKE THAT

 A FILE PHOTO FROM A YEAR AGO ON THE LAST DAY OF FEBRUARY

Some days time just seems to go backwards.  Sundays are kind of like that and today was no exception.  Never took any photos and spent most of the day in my recliner reading and snoozing.  The only thing I have is a post from a year ago at this time entitled: Pheebs Says, "Awww Nuts My Dad Got The Jeep Stuck This Morning"

GROANER'S CORNER:(( The young preacher started his sermon by explaining the meaning of a substitute. "If you break a window," he said, "and then place a piece of plywood over the hole -- that's a substitute."  After the sermon, a well-intentioned woman wished to compliment the young man. As she enthusiastically shook his hand, she said: "You were no substitute. You were a real pane!"

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GLAD WE STAYED RIGHT HERE IN GOOD OLD CANADA

 AFTERNOON'S WALK IN OUR PARK'S HARDWOOD BUSH

Our dark and overcast morning turned itself into a bright sunny afternoon.  Temperatures slowly rose and shortly after lunch skies cleared and we had us a big melt going on.  The large curving chunks of snow on our carport finally slid off and we're beginning to see some small patches of ground appearing here and there again.  Morning's country roads were smooshy but Pheebs and I made our rounds anyway.  Had the predicted rains materialized the roads would have been a lot worse.  Rain predicted for Sunday so we might have to stay on pavement.

 ON THIS GLOOMY MORNING I ONLY TOOK ONE PHOTO

 LOVE TO SEE SIGNS OF SNOW MELTING

With the sun's appearance in early afternoon picking up my spirits I headed outside.  Aware that both Scooter's roof vents needed cleaning I decided to make that my mission so with screwdriver in hand I tackled the project.  Brought the vents inside and cleaned them up.  Amazingly enough, I even managed to re-install them correctly.  Nothing upside down or backwards and I didn't even lose half the screws.  Will wonders ever cease.

 OUR BATHROOM VENT HAD A LOT OF PINE NEEDLE DEBRIS IN IT

 VACUUMING UP SOME PINE NEEDLES FROM THE FRONT VENT OVER THE CAB

 HAD MYSELF A SIT-DOWN IN THE RIG'S RECLINER

Sad days for little Ella.  The new puppy didn't work out.  Lucy had some medical issues and a decision was made to re-home her.  It doesn't look like there will be another doggy in Ella's life any time soon.  Sad. 

 PHEEBS WAS ABLE TO WALK ON THIS SNOWY FOOTPATH BUT I KEPT SINKING IN SO IT WASN'T A LONG WALK

 WITH THE GROUND THAWING OUT THE PARK'S BUSH ROADS ARE GETTING MUDDY....AND SO IS THE INSIDE OF THE JEEP WITH MUDDY PAW PRINTS

 HAD I NOT HAD THE JEEP IN FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WE COULD HAVE VERY EASILY BEEN STUCK IN THIS SOFT MUD TODAY

Normally, if we were RVing somewhere in the Southwest right now, my eyes would already be cast along northeasterly travel routes thinking about our journey home.  In our first 6 years of travels those thoughts never entered my mind until middle to late March if they even began at all.  For those first few years I never wanted to come home at all and we even spent time thinking and talking about how we could move to the southwest permanently.  In the last number of years though things changed and we always found ourselves anxious to get home.  In retrospect, due in part to America's current political instability we're glad we decided to stay right here in good old Canada:))

 RUNNING IN THE SNOW

GROANER'S CORNER:((   An actor had been out of work for 15 years because he always forgot his lines. Then one day he got a phone call from a director who wanted him for a big part in a play. All he had to say was “Hark! I hear the cannon roar! After much worry the actor decided to take the role. Opening night arrived, and while he waited in the wings, the actor muttered to himself “Hark! I hear the cannon roar! Hark! I hear the cannon roar! The time for the entrance finally came and as the actor made his appearance, he heard a loud brooooom! He turned around and said, “what the hell was that?”

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SUNNY DAY

 GODERICH SHORELINE

We had ourselves a very welcome big bright sunny day.

 AFTERNOON WALK IN OUR PARK

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Doctor: “I’ve found a great new drug that can help you with your sleeping problem.”  Patient: “Great, how often do I have to take it?”  Doctor: “Every two hours.”

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