IN SEARCH OF A CHURCH

With temperatures still a touch on the cool side here by the big cold lake I figured Pheebs & I would head inland a bit in search of warmer air.  Awhile back one of our readers suggested I take some photos of old churches in the area so with that thought in mind plus a carrot muffin & Tim Hortons coffee in hand we headed out of Clinton making our way slowly north a bit then east. 

FARMERS WERE AGAIN VERY BUSY ON THE LAND TODAY

THIS IS A LOCALLY BUILT LIQUID MANURE SPREADER

COUNTRY ROADS WERE BUSY WITH FARM VEHICLES

Our travels took us past the Hullett Marsh & due to a cold wind blowing from the north we opted for a short walk instead of a long one.

A BRISK COOL NORTH WIND SWEEPS ACROSS ONE OF THE WATER-WAYS AT THE HULLETT MARSH THIS MORNING

From there we continued east in the direction of Stratford Ontario.  I knew there was a large impressive looking church in a little burg of a place northwest of Stratford but I couldn't recall it's name.  Also my problem was that I had not been through this area for nearly 20 years & I had a little problem remembering exactly where the church was located.  I remembered the large Catholic Church had a very tall spire on top & I remembered it being visible for miles around.  Driving slowly photographing more farm houses along the way my eyes were continue sly scanning the horizon ahead for that tall spire pointing into the sky.  I knew I was in the general area but where was it & why couldn't I see it?? 

HEY DID PHEEBS & I TAKE A WRONG TURN, ISN’T THAT A MOUNTAIN TOP IN THE BACKGROUND……COULD IT BE WE ARE HAVING OURSELVES A FLASHBACK TO ARIZONA

AND LOOK THAT’S GOTTA BE A VOLCANO CRATER CONE

NAWWWW, THE COUNTRY ROAD WE WERE ON PASSED THROUGH A LARGE GRAVEL PIT

Don't know how many 'drive-by' farm house photos I took along the way today but when we returned home later from our 3 hour drive & I downloaded the pictures from my 2 cameras I had taken 232 pictures.  I sure had a lot of enjoyable photo editing to do. 

JUST A FEW OF THE MANY FARM HOUSES WE PHOTOED TODAY

Despite being along a country road I had probably driven on a dozen times decades ago I didn't recognize the cluster of houses I was approaching.  As I rolled up to an intersection I was pleasantly surprised to see the exact Church I had been searching for sitting there across the intersection.  I saw instantly why I had not been able to find the towering church spire.  I was in Kinkora Ontario & the church steeple was missing from atop the church!!  Pulled the Jeep over & hopped out to take a few photos.  The church looked as I remembered last seeing it many years ago..........except for the towering church steeple that is. 

ST PATRICKS CHURCH MINUS IT’S TALL STEEPLE

 

Walking back to the Jeep I met a fellow by the name of Steve so I asked him about the church steeple & what had happened to it.  The church was built in 1882 & he explained how over the years the church had naturally deteriorated & especially it's wooden parts such as the tall spire.  It had to be removed years ago & he said they do plan to build a new one.  Steve went on to explain how the church interior also had to undergo extensive renovations & so much so that the whole main floor had to be entirely removed & replaced.  He said they even had front end loaders right inside the church to aid with the new technically advanced heated floor structure.  Dampness & mold had been hard on the original floor & I suspect rot had set in.  The new heating system will now prevent that from happening again.  Quite an undertaking I'm sure.   

Kinkora marked the turn around point of our journey this morning as Pheebs & I headed one more concession east then swung Libby's nose west with one more destination in mind before heading home.  It was 11:30 & we travelers were getting hungry.  The town of Seaforth was on the way & I knew on Seaforth's western outskirts Pheebs & I could score ourselves a yummy hamburger with all the fixins so with that thought in mind we headed ourselves for 'Uncle Jack's Fish & Chips’.  We usually try to stop in for a burg here at least once a year.  With a sizeable splotch of relish on my blue jeans & a big hungry smile on Pheebs face we didn't waste any time in munching our burger down.  Half an hour later we were back in Bayfield:)) 

‘UNCLE JACK’S FISH & CHIPS’

I LIKE WHEN MY DAD TAKES ME OUT FOR LUNCH 

AND I DO LIKE MY BURGS WITH ALL THE FIXINS TOO

Despite our big bright gorgeously sunny day the air was still cool so rather than busy myself with a few outside things I hunkered down inside editing my photos for the day.  It was nice to travel a different area for a change & see some new things.  Need to do more of that.................

  

MORNING IN THE MARSH

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Gary was having a yard sale.  A minister bought a lawn mower but returned it a few days later, complaining that it wouldn’t run.  “It’ll run,” said Gary. “But you have to curse at it to get it started.”  The minister was shocked. “I have not uttered a curse word in 30 years.”  “Don't worry, just keep pulling on the starter rope—the words will come back to you.”

Q: What do you call an Amish guy with his hand in a horse’s mouth?
A: A mechanic.

I WAS NOT INTO IT SO HAD TO GET MYSELF OUT OF IT

MOST OF MY PHOTOS TONIGHT ARE OF THIS ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK WHICH POSED SO NICELY FOR ME OUTSIDE OUR SUNROOM WINDOW THIS AFTERNOON

Had I made a bet it would be raining this morning I would have lost that bet.  A great green rain monster headed our way seems to have stalled over the State of Michigan.  Hope you were able to get your water wings on over there folks.

  

 

Couldn’t seem to kick the thought all day that it was Saturday.  Looked like a Saturday, felt like a Saturday & maybe from old habits & ways I was wishing it was Saturday.  Saturday mornings have always been my fav.

 

Took me awhile to shift myself into painting mode today or should that be painting mood.  Well, with the exception of a couple letters I pretty much figure it means basically the same thing.  For me painting is just one of those things that one has to be in the right frame of mind to do or it’s never going to get done.  Once I get started I’m usually fine but it’s just that pre-prep thought about it that is the hard part…….. Now having said all that earlier in the day I set about painting this afternoon only to find out about 20 minutes after I started that my mood was not into it & I had to hastily get myself out of it.  Maybe I’ll try that painting thing tomorrow, or next week or how about later in the year when the nice colors of Autumn are upon us.

 

With temperatures ever so slowly warming up how nice once again to have our doors open to to the sounds of Robins, Red Wing Black Birds, Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Orioles, Sparrows, Red Breasted Grosbeaks, Black Capped Chickadees, Canada Geese overhead & the occasional chattering of old Crows in the tree tops.  Background these aerial choruses with Spring’s nearby Peeper Frogs & I’d say things are shaping up nicely here on the outskirts of Bayfield’s quaint little village on the cliffs overlooking mighty Lake Huron.

Thanks to the folks who dropped around to have a look at & leave a comment on my buddy Jim’s new blog.   He emailed me today saying he couldn’t believe the number of hits he had on his site already:))  Lifetime Sentences  And to you folks who sent emails regarding his blog I forwarded them to Jim.  Drop on by & you won’t be disappointed by his often humorous short tales of life’s fancy & folly.

GUESS WHO I CAUGHT EATING OUR AZALEA BUDS AGAIN!!!!

GROANER’S CORNER:((     Two men contracted to paint a small community church. Being very frugal(cheap), they pinched and scraped to spend the absolute minimum on materials. Then, when they were only partway through the job, they determined that they did not, after all, have enough paint to complete the job. Not wishing to spend any more money if they didn't absolutely have to,they decided they would just dilute the water-based paint they were using so that it would last longer. They did this a couple more times before they finished, which caused striping on the church as the paint got lighter each time it was thinned. The painters had just about gotten to the top of the steeple, when, all of a sudden, the sky darkened, and the rain started to pour down. As the paint streamed down the sides of the church, a voice boomed from the heavens: "Repaint, you thinners! Repaint, and thin no more!"

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What happened when a ship carrying red paint collided with a ship carrying blue paint?
Both crews were marooned.

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Recently someone nearly got away with stealing several paintings from the Louvre. However, after planning the crime, breaking in,evading security, getting out, and escaping with the goods, he was captured only two blocks away when his van ran out of gas.When asked how he could mastermind such a crime and then make such a foolish error, he replied, "I had no Monet to buy Degas to make the VanGogh."