Tuesday, December 27, 2022

WITH MY USUAL MIX OF OPTIMISTIC SKEPTICISM

Another cold, dull, and gray morning as Pheebs and I fired up the Subaru and headed off to Goderich.  I don't think Subies heater is as good as the Jeep Liberty.  Usually, we can crank up the Jeep's heater to the point of melting steel within a few miles but after the same few miles in the Subaru, the heater isn't warm enough to melt ice cream.  Of course, those are two extreme exaggerations but you get my drift.  The Subaru does warm up after a while but it takes its time.  Or, more likely it is just me not understanding how to correctly figure out all that advanced Japanese Subaru heater technology.

GOING OUT TO WARM UP THE CAR I HAD FORGOTTEN THE SHOPPING BAG INSIDE SO KELLY GAVE THE BAG TO PHEEBS AND TOLD HER TO BRING IT OUT....AND SHE DID:)) 

 I HAD A LITTLE HELP WITH THE DRIVING TODAY
 'WHAT GEAR DO YOU WANT ME TO PUT IT IN DAD'
Arriving in Goderich I topped up the gas tank, grabbed a small Mcdonalds' decalf coffee to go, and down to the harbor we went.  I hadn't realized how really cold it was until I stepped out of the car to take a photo and was pummeled by an icy blast of wind coming in off Lake Huron.  Shore ice is building up quickly and is about half a mile out into the lake already.

 ICE IS BUILDING UP FAST ALONG THE SHORELINE
 ONLY SAW ONE WALKER OUT THIS MORNING AND SHE WAS CLIPPING RIGHT ALONG

 NOW, HOW'S THAT FOR A NICE BURST OF COLOR ON A DRAB GRAY LATE DECEMBER DAY
A stop at Walmart and the Canadian Tire Store netted me about a dozen things and it was off for home we went.  Coming out of Walmart I had a momentary scare when I couldn't find the Jeep.  Where I thought I had parked sat a blue car, a white SUV, and a black pick-up truck.  My heart missed a few beats until it clicked in that I wasn't driving the brown Jeep today.  The white car was the Subaru.  Would you believe fifteen minutes later walking out of the Canadian Tire Store I almost did the same darn thing again!!  

 USE YOUR IMAGINATION HERE FOLKS BUT DON'T MISS THE CUTE LITTLE WHITE BIRD ON THE RIGHT
 A CLOUDY GRAY DAY INDEED
 THESE TWO STRUCTURES A MILE AWAY AT THE HARBOR ENTRANCE ARE TOTALLY ENCRUSTED WITH ICE
Kelly's feeling better today and regaining her strength.  New medications can always knock a person for a loop and I don't think Kelly's body is as tolerant to some meds as other people's.  We're looking forward to better days ahead.

 THESE CANADA GEESE ARE TRUE WINTER SNOWBIRDS
I'm about two-thirds of the way through my current book and am really enjoying it.  In the style of Bill Bryson's The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid, Homer Hickams Rocket Boys also reminds me of the movie Stand By Me.  Come to think of it the book also reminds me of a television series years ago.  I think The Wonder Years starred a young fella by the name Fred Savage.
 THE ALGOMA MARINER WAS IN PORT TODAY AT THE GODERICH SALT MINE
Picking a December 27th day at random from the past I see we were at our Congress Arizona house in 2016 where I leisurely spent some time that day tipped back in my recliner taking a few bird photos.  TODAY WAS FOR THE BIRDS

THE HARBOR TUG OCEAN A. SIMARD IS WARMING UP IN THE BULLPEN BEFORE VENTURING OUT TO BREAK UP SOME HARBOR ICE
 AND HERE IT COMES NOW
 WITH PROPELLERS IN REVERSE THE TUG BEGINS BACKING THROUGH THE ICE TOWARD THE LAKE
 INSTEAD OF BREAKING UP THE ICE WITH ITS BOW, IT IS USING ITS STERN
 THE TUG IS SWARMED BY A HERD OF SEAGULLS
 I AM GUESSING THE TUG DOES THIS EVERY SO MANY HOURS TO PREVENT THE ICE FROM SOLIDIFYING AND TRAPPING THE BIG SHIP IN THE HARBOR
BY THE TIME I GOT BACK INTO THE CAR THE ICY WINDS HAD PRACTICALLY FROZEN MY FINGERS TO THE CAMERA......WELL OKAY, NOT THAT BAD BUT YOU DO KNOW HOW I LIKE TO EXXAGERATE LITTLE THINGS FROM TIME TO TIME:))
I always enjoy the psychological boost of letting go of one old year and grabbing onto one new year.  With only four more days left in 2022, I look forward to 2023 with my usual mix of optimistic skepticism seasoned with a generous helping of doubts, fears, hopes, and dreams bolstered of course with the usual sprinkles of anxiety, worry, confidence, and assurances added at critical times.     

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A wife went to the police station with her next-door neighbor to report that her husband was missing. The policeman asked for a description.  She said, "He's 35 years old, 6 foot 4, has dark eyes, dark wavy hair, an athletic build, weighs 185 pounds, is soft-spoken, and is good to the children."  The next-door neighbor protested, "Your husband is 5 foot 4, chubby, bald, has a big mouth, and is mean to your children."  The wife replied, "Yes, but who wants HIM back?"

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What do you call a person that is Happy on Monday?...........RETIRED!

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Monday, December 26, 2022

AN UNEXPECTED GOOD SAMARITAN

Although snowing lightly, the icy roaring winds of the past three days had settled down to a brisk icy breeze this morning.  Pheebs and I climbed into the Jeep and headed out into the countryside to see what we could see.  Maybe go play in some snow drifts.  

 A FEW SNOWBANKS ALONG THE WAY
 A FELLER WOULDN'T WANT TO BE SITTIN TOO LONG DOIN HIS BUSINESS IN THAT LITTLE OUTHOUSE OVER THERE.....OKAY, SO IT ISN'T AN OUTHOUSE BUT I THOUGHT IT LOOKED LIKE ONE FROM DAYS GONE BY
THIS WAS THE ONLY FARM VEHICLE I SAW OUT EARLIER TODAY AND I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE A SNOW BLOWER ON THE BACK OF IT
The winds had been so strong that they had picked up all the light snow on the fields and blown inland dumping tons of it in places like Seaforth.  Fields were still white but stubble was easily showing through.  All roads, including country roads, were plowed and no problem to drive on.  A few snowbanks alongside the roads where drifts had been plowed through.

 AREA ROADS WERE IN GOOD SHAPE
 NOT A S MUCH SNOW IN THE FARM FIELDS AS I EXPECTED AND I THINK THE HIGH WINDS COMING IN OFF THE LAKE PICKED UP MOST OF THE LOOSE SNOW AND CARRIED IT INLAND TO DUMP ON PLACES LIKE CLINTON AND SEAFORTH AND MAYBE EVEN STRATFORD

 NOTICE THAT TREE ON THE HORIZON IN THE CENTER OF THE PHOTO....THERE IS A BARN WITH A RED DOOR TO THE RIGHT OF IT AND A LONG CHICKEN BARN BUILDING TO THE TREE'S LEFT....HOW DO I KNOW THAT??  CHECK THE PHOTO BELOW
 THE ABOVE PHOTO WAS TAKEN AT A NORMAL 50mm AND THE SECOND PHOTO IS A TELEPHOTO SHOT AT 500mm....BOTH PHOTOS WERE TAKEN WITH MY NIKON COOLPIX P900... (KL:))
Although looking for big snow drifts and tall snow banks I didn't really see any with the exception of where winds had blown snow up against houses and farm buildings.  It was hard to find any color in the drab grey and brown landscape.

 ON THIS GRAY LATE DECEMBER DAY I WAS KEEPING MY EYE OUT FOR SOME COLOR
A FEW SLIVERS OF COLOR ON THEM THERE BOATS
 AND A COLORFUL OLD PICK-UP TRUCK ALONG THE WAY
 AND IT LOOKS LIKE A COUPLE OF THESE HORSES HAVE SOME COLORFUL WARM COATS ON THEM
 IT WAS THE RED AND GREEN THAT CAUGHT MY EYE
Well, it's nice having a couple winter signposts finally behind us now.  The dreaded gray month of November is history already and the whole Christmas thing is now in the rearview mirror.  Less than a week to the end of December and the year 2022.  Later this week the weather people are predicting temperatures of 45F+.  In less than a month from now, we will be past our January thaw and beginning the shortest month of the year.  Ahhhhh yes, we're getting there aren't we:))  One long cold day at a time.

 SOME FOLKS ARE BUSY DIGGING OUT AFTER THE STORM
 AND IT LOOKS LIKE THESE FOLKS HAVE TAKEN A BREAK FROM SNOW SHOVELING
 GOOD THING THEIR HOUSE HAS A BACK DOOR
Kelly's having a difficult time with her new medications and her itching has returned.  She did not have a good night and today has been difficult for her.  Headaches, ongoing stomach pains, and weakness.  And this recent winter storm and power outage were difficult for her as well.  We are extra vigilant now in case of internal bleeding again.  Thanks to the person who with his snowblower blew out our driveway late this afternoon.  I caught a glimpse of this good Samaritan bundled up trudging behind his blower as he headed out the driveway and turned in a westerly direction up the road.  

A NICE OLD FARMHOUSE
 A FEW MORE SPLASHES OF COLOR
Has anyone noticed the days getting longer yet??  I haven't, but give it another week or so and we should soon begin to notice daylight lasting a little longer.  That lengthening began to happen six days ago.  Can you stand the excitement:))))
 HEADING HOME
Ellen's Groove:)) 
A short Merry Christmas from Ellen.  Had we not had a power outage over Christmas I would have posted this sooner.
GROANER'S CORNER:((   
Two men arrive at the Pearly Gates at about the same time, both wanting to know if they will be admitted to heaven. St. Peter asks the first man his name, where he is from, and what he did in life.
The man answers that he is John Smith and that he was a taxi driver in New York City.
St. Peter looks through his book, then gives the man a luxurious silken robe and a golden staff, and bids him welcome into heaven for his eternal reward.  St. Peter then asks the second man the same questions. He replies that his name is Thomas O’Malley, and that he was a Catholic priest in Chicago. St. Peter looks in his book, then gives him a cotton robe and a wooden staff, and bids him to enter into heaven for his eternal reward.  Father O’Malley says, Wait a minute! Why did that taxi driver get a silken robe and golden staff while I, a Catholic Priest and a man of God, got a cotton robe and wooden staff?
St. Peter told him that the rewards in heaven are based on results, and while Father O’Malley preached, people slept, but while John Smith drove, people prayed!
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After the church service a little boy told the pastor, "When I grow up, I'm going to give you some money."  "Well, thank you," the pastor replied, "but why?"  "Because my daddy says you're one of the poorest preachers we've ever had."
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ON HIS WAY BACK TO THE NORTH POLE ON CHRISTMAS DAY AND RUNNING LOW ON FUEL, SANTA NEEDED A LITTLE ASSISTANCE FROM THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE REFUELING WING