GODERICH HARBOR, BIG SHIPS, TIGER DUNLOP'S TOMB, AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR SKIES!!

 THE LAKE HURON SHORELINE AT ROTARY COVE IN GODERICH ONTARIO

Signs of Spring happen in many ways and for me this morning one of those signs had me holding up my hand shading my eyes from the morning sunrise.  From my recliner, the Sun is traversing across our southeast-facing living room window.  Actually, it isn't the Sun that's moving, it's the Earth so we are the ones that are moving.  The Sun is at the point now where it shines in me through the trees and will continue to do so until the Earth rotates to the point where it is not directly in line with the window anymore.  The Sun in my eyes won't occur again until next Fall when the whole process is reversed.

 THREE MONTHS FROM NOW PEOPLE WILL BE LYING ON THE BEACH HERE SOAKING UP THE SUN

 HERE'S A YOUNG COUPLE TAKING THEIR COFFEES FOR A WALK

A nice sunny Spring like morning for a Jeep ride so Pheebs and I headed off to Goderich.  A decaf coffee to go at McDonalds and off down to the harbor we went.  It was nice to see people out walking the boardwalk on this fine blue sky Sunday morning.

 THE ICE IN GODERICH'S HARBOR IS NOT SOLID OR THICK SO I DON'T THINK THE ALGOMA INTREPID WOULD HAVE ANY PROBLEM DEPARTING PORT

 HARBOR REFLECTIONS

 HARBOR TUG OCEAN A SIMARD RESTS QUIETLY AT ITS MOORING

 FISHING BOATS

THE ALGOMA GUARDIAN SIIS DOCKED AWAITING ITS FUTURE

From the south side of the harbor, we slipped through the town and over to the north side of the harbor where the Algoma Guardian has been tied up for nearly a couple months now.  It may be waiting to resume operations or it may be awaiting a trip to a Quebec scrapyard.  I think one of the last ships to be anchored in that corner of the Goderich harbor was eventually towed to the Quebec scrapyard.

 SLIPPING DOWN TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HARBOR AND THAT IS THE ALGOMA GUARDIAN STRAIGHT AHEAD

 A NORTH HARBOR VIEW OF THE ALGOMA INTREPID

 THE SAME THREE FISHING BOATS VIEWED FROM THE NORTH SIDE OF THE HARBOR

 THE ALGOMA GUARDIAN IS SITTING VERY HIGH OUT OF THE WATER BECAUSE THERE IS NO CARGO ABOARD

 THAT'S A BIG BOW IT HAS ON IT

 AT THE STERN OF THE SHIP IS THIS LARGE RUDDER AND PROPELLOR ASSEMBLY AND ONE BLADE OF THE PROPELLOR CAN BE SEEN INSIDE THAT ROUND METAL FARING

 IT'S A LONG WAY UP THERE TO THE CAPTAIN'S BRIDGE

 THREE HEAVY HAWSERS AND A CHAIN SECURE THE FRONT END OF THE SHIP

Heading north out of Goderich we traveled the short distance to an access point along the Maitland Trail.  It was a short walk from there to Tiger Dunlop's Tomb where we have been a number of times before.  Because the day was so Spring like it just felt so good to be outside walking somewhere and especially on green grass.  From the Maitland Trail location, we headed home via the scenic little hamlet of Benmiller.

 ON THE MAITLAND TRAIL WITH THE GODERICH SALT MINE AND OLD RAILROAD BRIDGE ON THE HORIZON TOP RIGHT AND TWO OF GODERICH'S CHURCH SPIRES TOP CENTER OF THE HORIZON

 A 600mm TELEPHOTO SHOT OF THOSE TWO CHURCH SPIRES (NIKON COOLPIX P900)

 A CLOSER 240mm SHOT OF THE MENESETUNG BRIDGE OVER THE MAITLAND RIVER PLUS THE SALT MINE WITH THE WHITE BRIDGE OF THE ALGOMA GUARDIAN IN BETWEEN

 BICYCLE TRACKS ARE VISIBLE IN THE MUDDY MAITLAND TRAIL AS WE WALK EAST TOWARD THE TIGER DUNLOP TOMB AREA

 LOOKING WEST ALONG THE MAITLAND TRAIL

A SIDE TRAIL ANGLES DOWN TOWARDS THE MAITLAND RIVER BELOW

Area roads were bare and dry so I figured it would be a good time to take Scooter for a drive and charge up the batteries.  The tires were needing some exercise as well so we took them along too:))

 TIGER DUNLOP'S TOMB ON THE LEFT

 I WAS SUPRISED TO SEE THIS GATE OPEN

 THE INSCRIPTION ON HIS TOMB CAN BE BETTER READ IN THE PHOTO BELOW

Despite our milder temperatures (39F today) the ground around our place is still frozen.  With all its pine trees our Park is always one of the last places to lose its snow but I did notice today all the snow has melted off our roof.  Above freezing temps will hopefully dominate the weather forecast for the next week and a half and that will move us quite close to the end of February:))

 A VIEW FROM BESIDE THE TOMB SHOWS GODERICH ON THE HORIZON'S LEFT AND THE SALT MINE COMPLEX RIGHT OF CENTER

It's quite a thing going on in our Canadian Airspace these last couple of days.  I've heard it called Balloonaphobia, Balloonapalosa, and Balloonarama, etc.  Whatever it turns out to be we'll not likely find out the truth.  I think it's pretty safe to discount any Alien or Extraterrestrial thing.  Their technology is light years ahead of our technology and there is nothing man-made that can shoot down or destroy any of their technology.  And, if they wanted to make their presence known, this is not how they would do it.  Personally, I think China is behind this!!

IT FELT SO MUCH LIKE A SPRING DAY

Update::  It was announced late this afternoon a forth object has just been shot down over Lake Huron and looking at a map of the spot it's only a couple hours drive north of where we live and very close to the Bruce Nuclear Power Plant.  Now that is scary!!   

 AND HOW NICE TO WALK ON GRASS AGAIN

GROANER'S CORNER:((   Two little boys were at a wedding when one leaned over to the other and asked, "How many wives can a man have?"  His friend answered, "Sixteen... four better, four worse, four richer, and four poorer."

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Me: {sobbing my heart out, eyes swollen, nose red) "I can't see you anymore. I am NOT going to let you hurt me like that again!"
Trainer: "It was a sit-up. You did one measly sit-up!!"

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Why does the bride always wear white? Because it's good for the dishwasher to match the cooker and the fridge.

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NOW WHERE'S MY PEANUT BUTTER AND QUIT CALLING ME A CHEAPSKATE

   DOIN A BIG SNOOZE THIS AFTERNOON

It was an icy wind coming in off the cold lake this morning but at least the cloud cover cleared and we had sunshine and blue skies.  A drive into Bayfield for Pheebs and I then off to the cemetery for a short walk in the East side adjacent forest there.

 A NICE LOOKING SATURDAY MORNING FOR A JEEP RIDE

 EVEN IN THE FOREST, THE ICY WINDS WERE FREEZING US GUYS

 'HEY DAD COME ON OVER HERE BEHIND THIS TREE OUT OF THE WIND'

 NICE LOOKING BUT OH SO COLD OUT THERE

Kelly has had a hankerin for Swiss Chalet chicken lately so with a number of errands on her list we headed for Goderich.  Pheebs stayed home to hold down the fort.  Errands done, we popped into Harvey's which also has a Swiss Chalet franchise.  Swiss Chalet was a favorite of ours years ago but not being big on eating out anymore it had been a few years since we were last at a Swiss Chalet.  Well, I would be putting it mildly if I said I wasn't absolutely staggard by the price of a quarter chicken dinner serving now.  Unbelievable!!  The chicken and fries tasted great as usual but I myself would never volunteeringly pay that much money for a meal.  Of course, that is not just Swiss Chalet, it's any restaurant.  Let's just say it kicked the stuffings out of a twenty-dollar bill for just one serving and that didn't even include a drink, but did include soup.  If I was forced to spend twenty dollars on food I'd just as soon allocate five dollars for myself and spend the other fifteen dollars on dog food and birdseed,  Now, where's my peanut butter and quit calling me a cheapskate!!

 I REMEMBER WHEN SWISS CHALET ONCE CAME ON REAL PLATES WITH REAL SILVERWARE

GROANER'S CORNER:((    Smith goes to see his supervisor in the front office. "Boss," he says, "we're doing some heavy house-cleaning at home tomorrow, and my wife needs me to help with the attic and the garage, moving and hauling stuff."  "We're short-handed, Smith" the boss replies. "I can't give you the day off."  "Thanks, boss," says Smith "I knew I could count on you!"

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My son couldn't sleep. So I told him there are cows sleeping in the field outside.  He said: “What’s that go to do with anything?”  I replied: “Because it's pasture bedtime.”

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