SOAKING UP GREAT VOLUMES OF NOSE DRIPPINGS

Monday's Post::  Our Sunday night snow turned to freezing rain and as temperatures rose it was just plain cold rain.  Roads were fine as Pheebs and I headed for Goderich where I had a prescription to pick up.  Gas, McDonalds, and down to the harbor we went.  It was obvious from the dark skies out over the lake we were in for some nasty weather.  Wind warnings had already been issued and I could see the wind blowing the tops off a few waves.  Soon, the mass of wind driven rain on the windshield turned to sleet bouncing off the engine hood.  Not a nice morning.  By the time we got to Walmart I had to tightly hang onto my hat as wind-driven sleet swept across the parking lot.  Had I let go of my hat it would have ended up in the next county.    Heading inside I went directly to the pharmacy counter and it was there, after seeing the pharmacy lady approaching with her mask on, that I right away realized I had completely forgotten to wear my mask.  The lady didn't say anything to me as I nervously glanced to my left and right in case of incoming encounters.  Picking up my prescription and with my head tipped down and tucked tightly into my chest I made a hasty exit out of the store without any confrontations.  The thought did occur to me that maybe I should have pulled my coat over my head.  Now, I'm not against wearing a mask, I had just forgotten to put it on.  In fact, there is an upside to me wearing a mask.  It thankfully covers the lower half of my grumpy-looking face and I don't hear people nearby uttering, "oh that poor man looks so mad about something".  Also, nobody can see my lips moving when I am having a rather deep conversation with myself, nobody can see I've trimmed one side of my mustache shorter than the other side again, and the mask nicely soaks up great volumes of nose drippings on cold winter days.

 ICY COLD LAKE HURON WATERS

 GUSTING WINDS MAKE FOR SURGING WAVES

ANOTHER TRUCKLOAD OF BOULDERS FOR GODERICH'S BEACH RESTORATION

 I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WALKING HERE WHEN ALL THE RESTORATION WORK IS DONE

On the way home there were small branches and twigs on the road here and there from the increasing winds.  Kelly said our power had gone out shortly after Pheebs and I left earlier and that it had come on again minutes before we got home.  I reset all our light timers inside and out.  Winds increased in the afternoon and around 2 p.m. our power flickered off and came on again but this time our internet was gone.  And it stayed gone.  I reset all our light timers inside and out.

 THIS IS THE BULK CARRIER ANDEAN AT THE GODERICH GRAIN ELEVATORS

 LAKE LEVELS ARE DOWN BECAUSE 2 YEARS AGO THIS PIER WAS AWASH UNDER WATER

Somewhere around 4 p.m. while I was typing this post the power went out again.  Frustrated, I did not reset all our timers this time!!  That power outage lasted to nearly 10 p.m.  In the meantime, we had cold turkey sandwiches by candlelight.  Luckily my lighted Kindle reader had a good charge on it so I was able to read for a few hours.  Kelly read her book by candlelight which was no problem for her.  I'm convinced she can read a book in total darkness.  Not knowing if it was just our Park out of power which is usually the case, I took the Jeep for a spin into Bayfield to see if it was a widespread outage.  Nope, everybody had power except our Park.  That made everything normal of course.  Home again, I settled in with my Kindle reader when suddenly about 9:45 there were those oh so welcome sounds of our power coming back on.  'Snap, Crackle and Pop' plus 'Plop Plop Fizz Fizz Oh What A Relief It Is' I thought to myself.  Of course, I didn't have my mask on so anybody peeking in the window could have seen my lips moving:((  And holy smokes, our internet was finally working again by then as well.  Geeeezzzz, all the good stuff just up and happened all at once.  It was already too late to finish Tuesday's post so I published a quick power outage update and went to bed.

 THIS IS THE ANDEAN AS SEEN FROM THE NORTH SIDE OF GODERICH'S HARBOR

 I'M GUESSING THE CAPTAIN DOESN'T WANT THE CREW SMOKING ON DECK..D'YA THINK

THE TUGBOAT IN THE FOREGROUND IS FROM 'THE WAY IT WAS' ERA AND HAS BEEN REPLACED BY THE MODERN TUG OF TODAY IN THE DISTANCE AT LEFT

Tuesday Post::: We woke up to a thin layer of snow on the ground.  The big winds were gone and had left us with a slate-gray sky and cold 23F temperatures.  Needless to say, it was an uninspiring morning for a Jeep ride but Pheebs and I did slide into and around Bayfield before returning home well less than an hour later.  And that was it for the day.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Two English butchers, who hated each other, were doing business across the street from each other for ten years. For the full ten years they always competed for the other's business.  One butcher would put up a sign reading, "Sirloin: $2.50 a pound" and the other would put up a sign "Sirloin: $2 a pound." The first would put up a sign reading, "Whole pork loin: $1.85 a pound" and the second would, again, under-price him.  This went on for the full ten years; back and forth, back and forth. One day the first butcher got a bright idea. Instead of advertising his prices, he placed a professionally painted sign reading, "The Queen buys all her meats here."  The next day another professionally painted sign appeared in the window of the butcher shop across the street which read, "God save the Queen."

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BOY : I would go to the end of the world for you!
GIRL : Yes, but would you stay there?

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POWER OUTAGE---POST DELAYED

THIS IS WHAT OUR POWER OUTAGE LOOKED LIKE

Due to high winds our power went out around 4 p.m. late this afternoon for 6 hours so I didn't get today's post finished.  I'll catch it up Tuesday:))  

MY ON-GOING SQUIRREL WARS!!

 WHEN I TOOK THIS PICTURE TODAY I DIDN'T NOTICE THE DARK-EYED JUNCO ON THE LEFT UNTIL I EDITED THE PHOTO LATER...AND THAT'S A MALE CARDINAL ON THE RIGHT

For the second morning in a row, it was a short Jeep ride into Bayfield and back.  A walk around the cemetery roads and we were soon home again.  At least it wasn't windy today for a change and that was a plus.

 ALL BUNDLED UP AN AN EARLY DECEMBER WALK ON BAYFIELD'S SOUTH PIER

 NOT A STITCH OF SNOW ON THE GROUND

 DID YOU SEE THE LITTLE MONKEY FACE?

After quite a few months with no Squirrel problems at the birdfeeders, the long truce has come to an abrupt end and the pesky Squirrel wars are back on again.  I have counted as many as six black squirrels in our front yard at one time last week and there are two main factors why they are there.  Me and the weather.  I like to help the little guys through the cold snowy months so I put corn and some birdseed out for them on the ground.  Of course with all the new technologies out nowadays, squirrels are able to readily communicate with each other faster and word soon spreads about all the free corn treats at Al's place.  That is all okay with me if they would just stick to the corn and birdseed on the ground and not clamber up on the birdfeeders.  This situation of course is a good example of a love/hate relationship.  I love to help the little black furry critters out and watch them playfully chase each other around all over the place.  However, I hate the little buggers when they inconsiderately go to absolutely great lengths to get onto our two birdfeeders and vacuum all the seeds up.  When the weather brought colder air and snow a couple weeks ago it also brought in the first signs of the coming battle.  The Squirrels, sensing winter approaching attacked first with an all-out assault on the feeders.  Our standing bird station had not had a squirrel on it in about a year and a half after I had finally built myself a formidable squirrel-proof fortress.  Well, that is until last week when I saw a big fat squirrel sitting right on top of the bird station gluttony helping himself to massive amounts of birdseed.  Other than an overhead para-drop from a C130 Hercules aircraft I could not figure out how he/she got onto the feeder.  So, after chasing him (I think Hims cause more trouble than Hers) off the feeder and with diligence on my part watching closely from the sunroom window, I waited for him to make his next move and show me how he did it.  And I didn't have to wait long.  Years ago we had planted a small pine tree about ten feet from where the feeder now sits.  Well, that pine tree did what pine trees do.  It grew.  And not only did it grow tall but if offered the perfect springboard for....well you know who.  Squirrely would go flying part way up the twelve-foot tree, zip out one of the branches, and absolutely fling himself through the air to land on top of the bird station.  Aha I thought, I'll fix that guy so out I go with my clippers and trimmed those branches way back.  Problem solved.  Well until the next day when I watch Squirrly go flying up the tree and past the trimmed branches right to the top.  As his weight bends the top of the tree in the direction of the bird station, (of course) Squirrly, in one smooth fluid motion absolutely rockets himself through the air like a Space-X mission and does a four-point landing on the feeder.  I go roaring out of the house with arms flinging and off the feeder he goes.  Less than two minutes later I'm back to the tree with my saw in hand.  No, I didn't cut the whole tree down but I loped the top half off.  I did apologize to the tree of course and I'm hoping it will continue to grow as a fine pine shrub now.  That was Friday and to date, there have been no flying black furry vacuum cleaners on the bird station.  Of course, it's only a matter of time until they figure something else out!!

FOUR OUT OF FIVE SQUIRRELS ARE VISIBLE HERE

 THESE ARE THE CRITTERS I AM DEALING WITH

THIS IS THE PINE TREE I CUT

 THE SQUIRREL WAS JUMPING FROM THAT LIGHTER COLORED PINE RIGHT OF CENTER TO THE TOP OF THE FEEDER

 RASCALLY LITTLE DEVILS

If you remember from the last paragraph, I said we have two bird feeders and yes, the hanging bird feeder has been under heavy attack as well since the colder weather has arrived.  I had this feeder suspended about five feet from a branch on a thin rope outside right in front of our sunroom's computer desk.    Sitting at the computer I am eye to eye level with that feeder.  Makes it really nice for watching the birds up close.  So one day last week I glance up and there's a squirrel wrapped right around the feeder just gorging himself.  He had shinnied down that cord and despite a plastic garbage can lid I had fitted over the feeder to keep it dry from rain Squirrely managed to circumvent that and in the twinkling of an eye twist and contort himself into something that would make even a pretzel blush.  Okay, away I go out to the carport and come back with my twelve-foot step ladder.  Up I go, untie the cord, and lower the bird feeder to the ground.  Into my shed I went and scrounged around until I found a small roll of wire that was so thin I could hardly see it.  Up the ladder again I go and attach that wire to the branch and re-hung the feeder.  Problem solved, right?  Wrong!!  Wasn't long and I see Squirrly go racing past the window, up the tree, out along the branch, and then just like riding an escalator he very leisurely descends down the invisible thin wire to the feeder all the time looking at me with a big sneer on his face.  It was then I realized I had forgotten to put the garbage can lid back on so out I go in a big huff again and re-attach the lid, but not before I shortened the feeder's hanging attachment.  I'm hoping by having the feeder and lid closer together maybe Squirrely won't be able to twist himself all up and grab onto the feeder in the process of sliding off the garbage can lid like before.  So, that is where the situation stands right now at this moment.  December 5th, 2021 at 7:08 p.m.  There is no point in wishing me good luck with this squirrel problem because when it comes to bird feeders, squirrels, and humans all the luck involved is definitely on the squirrel's side:((

 LAST WEEK'S SHENANIGANS

MISSED IT:))

NAILED IT:((

I SHOULDN'T GET MAD AT THESE LITTLE GUYS BUT I DO

TODAY'S SHENANIGANS COMING DOWN THE INVISIBLE WIRE

 SO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY AT

At the time of posting this tonight, it is snowing so I expect we will wake up to a white landscape in the morning.  'Oh-Oh' the wind has picked up and we just got a freezing rain warning:((

 WHO, ME??

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A police officer pulls over this guy who's been weaving in and out of the lanes. He goes up to the guy's window and says, "Sir, I need you to blow into this breathalyzer tube."  The man says, "Sorry, officer, I can't do that. I am an asthmatic. If I do that, I'll have a really bad asthma attack."  "Okay, fine. I need you to come down to the station to give a blood sample."  I can't do that either. I am a hemophiliac. If I do that, I'll bleed to death."  "Well, then, we need a urine sample."  "I'm sorry, officer, I can't do that either. I am also a diabetic. If I do that, I'll get really low blood sugar."  "All right, then I need you to come out here and walk this white line."  "I can't do that, officer."  "Why not?"  "Because I'm drunk."

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To maintain an open mind is extremely difficult but it is the only way to search for ultimate knowledge.

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'AWWWWW NUTS' I CAN SEE THE TOP OF MY HEAD THROUGH MY HAIR!!!!

 A FEW SUN SPLASHES THIS MORNING

I have been noticing the 'oh so subtle' changes in my hairline for the last few years.  A small off-center bald spot developed first maybe as far back as a decade ago but luckily it stayed there and didn't expand for a long time. (some would say that off-center bald spot matches my off-center personality) Occasionally I would get a mirror out and twist myself around between a couple more mirrors to check on its progress.  With each observance, I uttered an unprintable threat to that bald spot towards the back of my head which I am sure kept it from spreading.  Simply out of fear of course.  But then, I noticed something else beginning to happen.  Running my brush through my hair each morning was beginning to become just way too easy.  I checked the brush to see if half the bristles were missing.  No luck.  I've always had a full head of slightly curly hair over the years and it was often a major feat to drag anything through it.  Like a thick jungle, the top of my skull lived in darkness except for an occasional sliver of sunshine on a really windy day.  But then, it began to happen even more.  My forehead started to expand and looked much bigger than it had previously.  How was that possible.  I thought my head had stopped growing when I was a teenager or something.  Could it be my brains were expanding with all the reading I have been doing lately?  Well, I guess it's possible but highly improbable.  Of course, I had heard of receding hairlines but come on.....not me!!  And then, about a month ago I saw something I had never seen before.  There it was one morning after a shower, a thin line running from front to back right across the top of my head, and oh horror of horrors, that line was the same color as my skin.  And yes, I held my bare arm up there alongside that line to check the color, and yes it was me alright.  Of course, I am in denial now.  How can this be happening to me!!  The guy with the full head of hair for all those years.  The words 'comb over' came to mind and has now taken on a personal meaning for me.  I might even take to wearing a hat around the house.  Well, it's either that or I am going to have to remove a few mirrors.  I did briefly contemplate trying some sheep manure to promote hair growth but had to give that idea up.  Well, with the price of sheep manure these days eh.  So, I guess my future is fast upon me at last as I must now begin to contemplate moving forward not only as a Senior but a balding Senior.  Never thought I would see the day, but here it is, staring right back at me every morning from that damn bathroom mirror.  I think the removal of that mirror just might be my ticket to not having to worry about all this anymore.  Wish me luck.....and don't think somewhere down the road about calling me 'Baldy either':((

IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP BAYFIELD'S BEACH FROM ERODING, LARGE ROCKS ARE BEING PUT INTO PLACE

 SAW THIS TRUCKLOAD OF NUHN INDUSTRIES MANURE SPREADERS IN BAYFIELD THIS MORNING...CHECK THE LINK FOR THEIR VERY WELL DONE WEBSITE

THESE MODERN MANURE SPREADERS ARE MADE LOCALLY JUST WEST OF STRATFORD ONTARIO

 STORMY LOOKING SKIES TODAY BUT NOTHING HAPPENED

 A LOAD OF BIG BOULDERS FOR GODERICH'S LAKESHORE RESTORATION PROJECT

THIS COLD AND LONELY BENCH AT GODERICH'S ROTARY COVE PATIENTLY AWAITS THE BUNS OF NEXT SUMMERS TRAVELERS

GROANER'S CORNER:((  In An Atlanta Newspaper Ad::  SINGLE FEMALE seeks male companionship, ethnicity unimportant. I'm a very good-looking girl who loves to play. I love long walks in the woods, riding in your pickup truck, hunting, camping, and fishing trips, cozy winter nights lying by the fire. Candlelight dinners will have me eating out of your hand. I'll be at the front door when you get home from work, wearing only what nature gave me. Call (404) 875-6420 and ask for Daisy, I'll be waiting...

Over 15,000 men found themselves talking to the Atlanta Humane Society about an 8-week-old black Labrador retriever.

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What does a Redneck and a Tornado have in common? Trailer parks......sooner or later they both end up in one.

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FRIDAY POST

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GROANER'S CORNER:(( A Polish immigrant went to the DMV to apply for a driver's license.  First, of course, he had to take an eye sight test. The optician showed him a card with the letters: 'C Z W I X N O S T A C Z.'  "Can you read this?" the optician asked.  "Read it?" the Polish guy replied, "I know the guy."

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