WHY IS IT SOME WOMEN ALWAYS HAVE TO BE SO DARNED RIGHT ALL THE TIME

 EVEN THIS ROBIN HAD SOME GRAUPEL ON HIM THIS MORNING

Thanks to all readers for your continuing support and reassurances.  Every time over the years I have lost confidence in myself and stumbled along the way with my blog you have always come to my rescue propping me up and setting me off in the right direction down the trail again.  You are good people and I thank you:))

 LOOKS LIKE WINTER IS ATTEMPTING TO RETURN TO OUR FRONT YARD

 AND THIS RHODODENDRON DOESN'T LIKE IT ONE BIT

 A BIT OF SNOW ISN'T BOTHERING THIS HARDY MOURNING DOVE

 EVEN THE DARK WATERS OF LAKE HURON WERE LOOKING EXTRA COLD TODAY

The bulk of the current snowstorm south of us moving east mainly missed us but left our area with below-freezing temperatures first thing this morning and later a light dusting of snow.  It's a good thing we are on the upswing of April and not the downswing of November.

 A LITE DUSTING OF SNOW IN OUR PARK

 THIS KINDA LOOKS LIKE A CONTRAST OF SEASONS

 WE CALL THIS 'STOP AND SNIFF'

 THOSE PURPLE FLOWERS ARE PERIWINKLE

 IF YOU LOOK CLOSE YOU CAN SEE IT'S GRAUPEL AND NOT SNOWFLAKES

Dressed in my winter attire and with the Jeep's heater going and windows up Pheebs and wandered around one of our usual routes south of Bayfield.  Checked the Eagles nest on Blue Bluff Road and did a short walk at the Linfield Wildlife Area on Pavilion Road.  A cold northerly wind made it too cold to be enjoyable so we weren't long piling back into the Jeep and heading for home.  

 MAPLE LEAVES ARE UNFOLDING

 GETTING HER NOSE RIGHT INTO SOME GROOVY GROUND SMELLS

Kelly had a dental appointment in Exeter early this afternoon and headed off shortly after noon.  There was a lite corn snow (Graupel) in the air and I offered to drive her but she felt comfortable going on her own.  I stuck close to our sunroom's fireplace reading and watching our front yard get graupelized.  Kelly was home again shortly after 2 and brought blue skies and sunshine with her.  And despite the wind-driven icy cold air, it was the sunshine that enticed me out of the house for an afternoon walk with the Pheebs. 

 ON THE TRAIL TO THE PARK'S POND

 I THINK THESE MIGHT BE CALLED 'HORNPIPES' AND THEY ARE ABOUT 6 TO 8 INCHES TALL

 OUR PARK'S POND WATER LEVEL IS HIGH AND WILL PROBABLY KILL THIS PATCH OF BAMBOO GRASS I PLANTED ON THE BANK A FEW YEARS AGO

 ON THE HOMESTRETCH PATH TO OUR HOUSE

 OUR RHODODENDRONS WERE FEELING MUCH BETTER THIS AFTERNOON

Up until a week ago I thought I was 76 but Kelly said 'no' you are 77.  She made me count the years out on my fingers.  (quite a feat for a severely math-challenged fella like myself) Why is it some women always have to be so darn right about everything anyway!!  

 STANDING QUIETLY LISTENING FOR WORMS

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A Texan was taking a taxi tour of London and was in a hurry. As they went by the Tower of London the cab driver explained what it was and that construction of it started in 1346 and was completed in 1412.  The Texan replied, "Shoot, a little old tower like that? In Houston we'd have that thing up in two weeks!"  Next they passed the House of Parliament - started in 1544 and completed in 1618.  "Well, we put up a bigger one than that in Dallas and it only took a year!"  As they passed Westminster Abbey the cab driver was silent.  "Whoah! What's that over there?" asked the Texan.  The driver replied, "I don't know, it wasn't there yesterday."

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AND AWAY OLD MR. BLABBERFINGERS GOES AGAIN

 I THINK THIS IS WINTER WHEAT PROBABLY PLANTED LAST FALL

With a 10:30 Monday morning appointment at Exeter Ontario's Chrysler/Jeep dealer, Pheebs and I were there on time.  They had the Jeep inside for about 20 minutes to determine the problem with the rear door and window latch.  Turns out the micro-chip in the latch assembly has failed and to replace that chip and an additional related mechanical part was going to cost over $300.00.  With the Jeep being 14 years old I decided not to get it done.  Although more inconvenient, I can easily trigger the faulty latch to work by using my finger so that is just the way it will have to be from now on.  No big problem and a heck of a lot cheaper.

CHATTING OVER BREAKFAST 

 SOME CRITTERS DON'T GET UP AS EARLY AS OTHERS

 NICE TO SEE SHEEP IN THE FIELDS AGAIN

WELL ISN'T THIS YOUNG LLAMA SPORTING A SPIFFY NEW LOOK HIS SPRING 

SITTING ON A PARKING LOT CURB AT THE DEALERSHIP WHILE THE JEEP'S REAR LATCH GETS CHECKED OUT

 'I KNOW PHEEBS BUT WE GOTTA BE PATIENT GUYS'

 'I'M GONNA WATCH THE DOOR DAD'

AFTER THE DEALERSHIP PHEEBS AND I SNAG US AN A&W TEEN BURGER ON SALE FOR $3.99

 ALL IN ALL IT WAS A PRETTY NICE MONDAY MORNING

Sunday morning Pheebs and I took Scooter out for a toot to see if the front wheel's scraping sound had returned.  It had not, so it was nothing more than a bit of rust just as the mechanic had said.

 WE TOOK SCOOTER FOR A TOOT SUNDAY MORNING

 A ROADSIDE STOP ON THE WAY HOME

 TICKS ARE BAD THIS YEAR AND WE HAVE ALREADY PULLED 3 OFF PHEEBS

There really isn't much of anything going on around here lately and I've been struggling to keep my blog interest up and running.  I'm hoping it's just another one of my usual but temporary setbacks.  I know this blog has to come to an end at some point but I just don't know when that will be.  Every time I have one of my little setbacks I think to myself, 'well that's it, I'm done.'  Then, after a few days away from the blog I seem to catch my second wind, and away old Mr. Blabberfingers goes again until the next time.  Every once and a while an extra monkey wrench gets thrown into the gears like this time but here I am back at it again.  Guess I just don't know enough to stay down for the count.

IT'S REALLY BEGINNING TO LOOK LIKE SPRING

 OUR FLOWERBED TRILLIUMS ARE BLOOMING

Not much of a Jeep ride for Pheebs and this morning but we did get out for about an hour or so.  With not a lot of traffic anywhere it felt like a Sunday.  Seen a few farmers out the fields but not as many as I thought there would be.  Maybe the grounds still a bit too wet.

 SOME FARMERS WITH THEIR RIDING LAWNMOWERS ARE ALREADY MOWING SOME OF THE DITCHES

We still don't know what's happening with the sale of our Park but the trees keep coming down anyway.  It's quite an unknown schmozzle we live in here.

 EVEN TREES AROUND OUR CLUBHOUSE ARE COMING DOWN

 A GROUP OF LADIES IN OUR PARK ARE DOING A FINE JOB IN KEEPING THE ENTRANCE TO OUR PARK LOOKING NICE

 THIS IS PARK SECURITY KEEPING A WARY EYE ON THE COMINGS AND GOINGS OF PEOPLE AT OUR MAIN ENTRANCE

It was a cold gray 36F day and we were half expecting to wake up and find snow on the ground.  It might happen tonight with Wednesday expected to be even colder.  And here you thought I was going to get all the way through this post without a weather report eh.  I guess some things just don't change......

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A squirrel was sitting in an apple tree. All of a sudden a cow started climbing up the tree. Surprised to see a climbing cow the squirrel asked the newcomer, "What the heck are you doing here?"  The cow replied, "I thought I'd eat some oranges."  "But this is an apple tree."  "I know. I brought my own."

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After a quarrel, a wife said to her husband, "You know, I was a fool when I married you."  The husband replied, "Yes, dear, but I was in love and didn't notice."

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BEFORE TOO LONG

 BLUE SKIES IN OUR PARK'S POND THIS AFTERNOON

Sorry folks, I'm a little short on words and photos again tonight but hopefully things will pick up soon and I will be back in my old groove before too long.

GROANER'S CORNER:((