HARDLY A FEATHERED OR FURRY CRITTER TO BE SEEN TODAY

 BLUE JAY

I intentionally kept a lid on my picture taking this morning so I only ended up with one photo at the end of a farm lane down the road.  I took a few front yard bird pics a couple days ago so I have included those tonight.

JUST DOWN THE ROAD FROM OUR PARK THIS MORNING

THIS DARK-EYED JUNCO IS FLUFFED UP AGAINST THE COLD

 MALE CARDINAL AND A BLUE JAY

 HAPPY LITTLE JUNCOS HOPPING AROUND UNDER OUR BIRD STATION PLATFORM

 AN OVERALL VIEW OF BOTH OUR HANGING BIRD FEEDER AND OUR PLATFORM BIRD FEEDER

Despite a gray overcast day our thermometer at least topped the 40F mark with a forecast of maybe 55F Saturday.  However, rain and big winds are on their way with that warm front so we may very well be looking at another power outage Saturday night.

 A FEMALE AND MALE CARDINAL PAIR

I couldn't seem to drum up a lot of enthusiasm for a Jeep ride this morning so Pheebs and I were back home within twenty minutes.  Had some odds and sods things to do outside so I busied myself with that for a while.  With the leaf blower, I blew out our carport and front porch.  Burned some garbage, moved a bit of snow, fired up Scooter, and did a bit of a cleanup in our metal shed as well as the storage area in our carport.  Nothing major accomplished but it made me feel good to even get a few little things done.

DOWNIE WOODPECKER

It's been well over twenty-four hours now and not a squirrel have I seen on our hanging bird feeder.  In fact, I have hardly seen a squirrel all day and that goes for birds too.  Thursday, our front yard was a manic-feeding frenzy of both squirrels and birds.  And today, hardly a feathered or furry critter to be seen anywhere until late in the day when half a dozen Juncos and a couple Cardinals showed up.  

 'YA SO WHAT'S IT TO YA '!!

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A cat dies and goes to Heaven.  God meets him at the gate and says, "You have been a good cat all of these years. Anything you desire is yours, all you have to do is ask."  The cat says, "Well, I lived all my life with a poor family on a farm and had to sleep on hardwood floors."  God says, "Say no more." And instantly, a fluffy pillow appears.  A few days later, 6 mice are killed in a tragic accident and they go to Heaven. God meets them at the gate with the same offer that He made the cat.  The mice said, "All our lives we've had to run. Cats, dogs, and even women with brooms have chased us. If we could only have a pair of roller skates, we wouldn't have to run anymore."  God says, "Say no more." And instantly, each mouse is fitted with a beautiful pair of tiny roller skates.  About a week later, God decides to check and see how the cat is doing. The cat is sound asleep on his new pillow. God gently wakes him and asks, "How are you doing? Are you happy here?"  The cat yawns and stretches and says, "Oh, I've never been happier in my life. And those Meals on Wheels you've been sending over are the best!"

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THE SQUIRRELS ARE DRIVING ME BONKERS

At one point this afternoon I counted seven black squirrels in our front yard and one squirrel shinnied down our hanging bird feeder three times in about as many minutes.  That was it.  Despite my total abhorrence to cold winter weather I headed outside and began gathering together a few things like another plastic garbage can lid, a small plastic bird feeder lid, some speaker wire, and a few metal clamps.  I set up a couple ladders, took down the old hanging wire set-up, and spent nearly half an hour in our metal shed fumbling around with cold stiff fingers trying to get my new defense system tied together.  Eventually, I had things sort of assembled and managed to even get it hung up with the bird feeder hanging on the bottom end.  Well at least I got that part right. Will it work??  Not likely, but that's the way it is when one is dealing with an army of squirrels.  And besides, I don't have a good track record when it comes to doing things like this.  And as far as the Squirrels go, I've got nobody to blame but myself for those little antagonizers because I'm the guy who puts out corn every day to feed the pesky little devils.  In fact, I saw a couple cars going by our place kinda slow today and when I looked closer, they were dropping squirrels off right at the end of our driveway.  Well, at least I think they were.........

 ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

 WORKING AWAY AT TRYING TO MAKE THINGS MORE DIFFICULT FOR SQUIRRELY

 WELL IT DON'T LOOK PRETTY BUT THIS IS MY LATEST EFFORT IN MY ONGOING SQUIRREL WARS

 FOUR OF SEVEN SQUIRRELS IN THE YARD TODAY

A jeep ride along a few country roads southeast of Bayfield for Pheebs and I this morning under cold gray skies.  The only thing moving around were a few farmers out plowing under their previously harvested cornfields.  I did see one combine with a load of corn on board so I guess there is still some last-minute corn harvesting going on.

PLOWING UNDER A RECENTLY HARVESTED CORNFIELD

 DID YOU NOTICE THE FARMER WORKING ON HIS COMBINE

SOME OLD BARNS ARE NOT FARING AS WELL AS OTHERS

 SOME RURAL GREEN AND RED CHRISTMAS COLORS IN THIS PHOTO 

MORE COUNTRY REDS AND GREENS

Finished another book last week called Crises Convoy by Sir Peter Gretton.  This is the story of Convoy HX231.  A Turning Point in the Battle Of The Atlantic.  This book is very detailed as to time, dates, and events, and is what I believe to be an accurate and detailed account from both the British and German sides in the war.  It describes well the unending menace of the German U-Boats and the constant vigilance of the Merchant Marine and British Navy.  I thought it was a good book.....I am currently reading Keepers Of The Garden by Delores Cannon.  This book is a page-turner and I am enjoying it very much.  It's tying up loose ends for me.   

A FAMILY WALK DOWN TO BAYFIELD'S HARBOR

 COLD WEATHER DOESN'T DETER THESE BAYFIELD POLE WALKERS

 AND I ALWAYS GET A KICK OUT OF BAYFIELD'S OUTDOOR STAND UP COFFEE GUYS

'BRRRRRR' I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE A JOB LIKE THIS

 I LIKE THE YELLOW DOOR

I hope this link works and if it does, turn your speakers up and your lights down and enjoy this short video from Monument Valley Arizona. the link didn't work  Kelly and I have driven through Monument Valley half a dozen times over our RVing years.  One time in our Jeep Wrangler we took a really rough road right down into the valley and you can see that day right here at Jeep Scramble In Monument Valley . 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Confucius Say::

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: "Best time to buy new mattress, at first sign of spring."

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."

Confucius Say: "A man who sits on tack gets point and will surely rise."

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Whenever my wife uses the phrase, "I was thinking...That means I either have to move, build, paint, or buy something."

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

          

'WHAT ARE YA, DUMB OR SOMETHIN!!

Snowing this morning as Pheebs and I made our way around a few familiar country roads.  With Autumn's corn harvest now over there wasn't a lot of trucks or farm machinery rolling along the roads.  The countryside lay quiet and peaceful in her coat of newly fallen snow.  Not even a whisper of wind so the falling snow came straight down.  With warmer weather and sunshine soon to be upon us we just may lose all the snow we have right now.  Might even be some talk going around about a green Christmas.  That would suit me just fine:))

 A SNOWY COLD START TO OUR DAY

So I'm in Walmart one day a couple weeks ago with a small shopping cart with maybe half a dozen things in it.  I approach the cashier station but am careful to stay the mandatory six-foot distance from the lady in front of me.  The cashier rings her stuff up and the lady loads the bags in her cart and heads out.  I begin putting my items on the belt when the cashier wheels around and sternly says, 'do not put your items on the belt until I have sanitized it' and then her eyes said to me, what are ya, dumb or somethin!!'  That left me a little shaky.  So last week I was again in a Walmart cashier line-up with a few items in a cart.  Still recovering from my last Walmart incident I was very careful not to put anything on the belt lest I be chastised again.  The customer ahead of me packs up her stuff and away she goes.  The cashier (not the same one as the week before) looks in my direction where I am standing feeling quite feebly proud of my lesson learned the week before.  She gives me that stern thousand-yard cashier stare, subtly points to the belt, and mumbles something inaudible which leaves me shaking in my shoes all over again because my mind interprets her mumble as, "what are ya, dumb or somethin"!!  It's sometimes hard for a feller to keep up with all these everchanging Covid rules, regulations, and standards.  But, I do my part.

 I DON'T THINK THIS FLYING FARMER'S PLANE WILL BE GOING ANYWHERE ANYTIME SOON

Just think, a month from now the first week of January will already be behind us.  Maybe not such a nice thought for those of you who have traveled south for the winter but it's encouraging for many of we northern folks who are stuck here at colder latitudes for the season.

 WINTER WALKS IN OUR PARK

The squirrel wars are still on and I have a slight edge at the moment with this snowfall today.  The snow builds up on the garbage can lid over my hanging birdfeeder and makes it very slippery.  When squirrely shinnies down the thin wire to the lid, he steps on the lid, the lid tilts down, and squirrely slides right off in a slippery bluster of snow.  I have an idea how to make that wire more difficult so when it warms up later in the week I will implement my next defense plan.  

GROANER'S CORNER:((  After 50 years of wondering why he didn't look like his younger sister or brother, the man finally got up the nerve to ask his mother if he was adopted.  "Yes, you were son," his mother said as she started to cry softly. "but it didn't work out and they brought you back."

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What is 3/7 chicken, 2/3 cat & 2/4 goat?
Chicago.

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A man mentioned to his landlord about the tenants in the apartment over his.  Many a night they stamp on the floor and shout till midnight.  When the landlord asked if it bothered him, he replied,  Not really, for I usually stay up and practice my trumpet till about that time most every night anyway.

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This one is a local joke.  Wiarton Willie our prognosticated ground-hog and flawless Spring weather forecaster in Wiarton Ontario died a few weeks ago.  Exeter is a town near us and it's known for its white squirrels.  Exeter's town fathers have spoken with the resident white Eutamius Asiaticus clan and plans are underway to maybe send Wiarton a new Willie:))

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