SEEDS FOR THE BIRDS, SUET FOR ME, ICY COLD WINDS AND A TURTLE IN A TREE

AFTERNOON WALK

The bluest of blue skies and the iciest of icy winds this morning made for more than a half Okay day.  Running low on birdseed Pheebs and I headed for Sun Country in Clinton and picked us up some seeds.  They make their own suet and the lady at Sun Country told me they use a lot of peanut butter so instead of getting one block of suet I got two.  One for the birds and one for me to keep in the Jeep for whenever I'm feeling the need for a little something to nibble on.  A stop at the Clinton Hospital to double check the date of an upcoming Doctor's appointment then off to Tim Hortons for a coffee to go.  Country roads were still frozen so no mud sloggin this morning.

NOW THAT'S A BIRDHOUSE....SEEN AT SUN COUNTRY IN CLINTON

YESIREEEEEE LOTS OF PEANUT BUTTER IN THERE FOR ME

COUNTRY ROADS WERE FROZEN SO NO MUD OR  DUST

AFTER A WINTER IN THE BARN THESE FELLAS ARE SOAKING UP SOME WARM SUN ON A COLD SPRING DAY

Back home I was able to get the Jeep vacuumed out.  Hadn't done that since late last year sometime and I was almost into hip waders to get in with all the muffin crumbs, dropped French fries and onion bits as well as spilt doggy treats and what looked like half a dozen half eaten ice cream cones.  Even found the remains of a Burrito.  That done it was on to some more enjoyable yard work.  Even managed to haul out a few summer lawn ornaments. Despite today's cold air I could feel some heat in the Sun's rays.  Good stuff even if there wasn't much melting going on all day.

I FIGURE THAT'S GOTTA BE A TREE CLIMBING SNAPPING TURTLE:))

Now here's something a little unnerving.  At Goderich's Home Hardware today Kelly out of sheer curiosity happened to stop and look at a Traeger Grill.  That was all she did, stopped and looked at it.  Later when she got home and turned on her computer the first thing to pop up on her screen was an ad for........Traeger Grills'.  Okay so how did that happen.  She said her smart phone was in her purse and turned on but she never took it out.  Yes, I think 'Big Brother' is doing much more than just watching us these days!!

WE STILL HAVE SNOW PATCHES ALONGSIDE SOME OF THE ROADS

BAYFIELD'S VERSION OF 'SITTING ON THE DOCK OF THE BAY'

Despite our day's cold North wind Pheebs and I did get out for an afternoon walk and by staying in our Park's pine forest we avoided much of the wind's icy chill.

OUR PARK'S POND STILL HAS ICE ON IT AND THE TWO CANADA GEESE BELOW ARE KEEPING A LOW PROFILE WHILE PATIENTLY WAITING FOR IT TO THAW

I'M WONDERING IF OUR PARK'S BULLDOZER MIGHT BE STUCK HERE

HOLLY GROWING IN THE FOREST

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A young man called his mother and announced excitedly that he had just met the woman of his dreams. Now what should he do?  His mother had an idea: "Why don't you send her flowers, and on the card invite her to your apartment for a home-cooked meal?  "He thought this was a great strategy, and a week later, the woman came to dinner. His mother called the next day to see how things had gone.  "I was totally humiliated," he moaned. "She insisted on washing the dishes.""  What's wrong with that?" asked his mother.  "We hadn't started eating yet."
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For the first time in many years, a an old man traveled from his rural town to the city to attend a movie. After buying his ticket, he stopped at the concession stand to purchase some popcorn. Handing the attendant $1.50, he couldn't help but comment, "The last time I came to the movies, popcorn was only 15 cents.""Well, sir," the attendant replied with a grin, "You're really going to enjoy yourself. We have sound now.
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LOOKING BACK WITH A TOUCH OF ADVICE

BAYFIELD'S BEACH SUNDAY MORNING

Looking  back at our RV Snow Bird winter travels over the past 13 years I have a few thoughts, a few regrets, and maybe a touch of advice.  In my opinion the sooner one can begin their RV travels the better.  Looking back over my life I see it was around the age of 40 that I remember as being the best time of my life both mentally and physically.  Wished I could have begun my RV travels at that period of time and my advice to anyone is, if you are financially stable and have the urge to experience the RV lifestyle the sooner you can get yourself on the road the better.  Full timing or Snow Birding doesn't matter, just get out there.  On average the younger you are the more adventuress you probably will be and the more able to physically and mentally enjoy all the challenges and pleasures RVing has to offer.  No matter if you are a Full-timer or a Snow Birder your younger attributes will serve you well especially if you are an active outdoors person.  Hiking, biking, etc.  For Kelly and I my biggest regret is that we couldn't have started our RV adventures together years before we did at an earlier age....................... 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Miscellaneous Terms

Arbitrator \\ar'-bi-tray-ter\\: A cook that leaves Arby's to work at McDonald's.

Avoidable \\uh-voy'-duh-buhl\\: What a bullfighter tries to do.

Baloney \\buh-lo'-nee\\: Where some hemlines fall.

Bernadette \\burn'-a-det\\: The act of torching a mortgage.

Burglarize \\bur'-gler-ize\\: What a crook sees with.

Counterfeiters \\kown-ter-fit-ers\\: Workers who put together kitchen cabinets.

Eclipse \\e-klips'\\: What an English barber does for a living.

Eyedropper \\i'-drop-ur\\: A clumsy ophthalmologist.

Heroes \\hee'-rhos\\: What a guy in a boat does.

Left Bank \\left' bangk'\\: What the robber did when his bag was full of loot.

Misty \\mis'-tee\\: How golfers create divots.

Paradox \\par'-uh-doks\\: Two physicians.

Parasites \\par'-uh-sites\\: What you see from the top of the Eiffel Tower.

Pharmacist \\farm'-uh-sist\\: A helper on the farm.

Polarize \\po'-lur-ize\\: What penguins see with.

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DIDN'T FIND THE TUNDRA SWANS

SPRING CLEAN-UP HAS BEGUN

It was 8:30 a.m. and all three of us were in the Jeep under clear blue skies heading south on highway 21 towards Grand Bend.  Air was cold and winds made it colder but with sunshine beaming through the Jeep windows we were toasty warm.  This is the time of year thousands of Tundra Swans annually stop for a weeks rest on their way to the Arctic Tundra.  I've seen them south of Grand Bend in the Thedford Bog and they literally turn the ground white with so many of them being there.  I guess we just missed them because we heard they were there a few days ago.  Aside from seeing a couple small gatherings half a mile away around some  water in a feield we did not see what we had hoped to see.  Oh well no matter, it was just nice getting out for an outing this morning.

ONLY TUNDRA SWANS WE SAW WERE HALF A MILE AWAY

IN GRAND BEND FOR A COFFEE AND MORNING GLORY MUFFIN STOP

Returning home close to noon I was quite content to get myself out into the yard with my leaf rake and begin the Spring clean-up.  Would I have rather still been somewhere in the Southwest??  Nope, I was quite happy to be right where I was doing what I was doing.  But to be fair I should also say that I have much the same feeling near the end of each year when we arrive in the great American Southwest and cross the New Mexico State line heading on through to Arizona and California.  At that time I am quite happy to be there doing what we do:))

AWWWWW NUTS NOW THERE'S TWO OF THEM!!

DAM RACOONS ARE BACK AGAIN

I ENJOY THIS KIND OF YARD WORK

WHEN ONE LIVES IN A PINE FOREST ONE HAS A LOT OF PINE NEEDLES

MIGHT HAVE TO GET ME A CAMP FIRE GOING SOON

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A minister has just died and is standing on line waiting to be judged and admitted to Heaven. While waiting he asks the man in front of him about himself. "I'm a taxi driver from New York City".  Suddenly the angel standing at the gate calls out next, and the taxi driver steps up. The angel hands him a golden staff and a cornucopia of fruits, cheeses and wine and lets him pass. The taxi driver is quite pleased, and proceeds through the gates.  Next, the minister steps up to the angel and the angel hands him a wooden staff and some bread and water. The minister is very concerned and asks the angel, "That guy is a taxi driver and gets a golden staff and a cornucopia! I spend my entire life as a minister and get nothing! How can that be?"  The angel replies, "Up here we judge on results.  All of your people sleep through your sermons and in his taxi, they pray."

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'SIMPLIFY'

I HAD A FEELING I WAS BEING WATCHED TODAY

Simplify has become the new norm for me.  Well maybe not new but norm does take center stage.  Although it has been coming for quite awhile it's only recently that I have finally recognized and am trying to accept it.  And I chose to accept it rather than fight it.  Being a reality based person I basically understand how the normal aging stages of my mind are taking place.  This change doesn't happen overnight and it has and is taking time for my mind to deal with itself.  There has to be a reason for my impatience and daily frustrations and I'm realizing I have to back off those areas that cause me to be so upset with myself at times.  In other words, I have to back off and simplify my life.  Like water running down hill I have to, for my own good, seek the path of least resistance.  The days of plowing and powering through obstacles is mainly behind me and I have no interest in being the waterfall anymore and am finding more mental comfort in being the trickling stream.  And I have to learn how to think accordingly.  Case in point::  Two summers ago I got a Smartphone. (Samsung Galaxy A5) I have not used that phone once in the two years I've had it.  Thought originally I would enjoy all the Apps and use the camera.  Nope, didn't happen.  I think Smartphone cameras are technically great but I found it awkward to use and trying to compose a photo looking at the display for me was like trying to read an old faded print out at a self serve gas bar.  Some of the Apps were kinda cool but I never really used them.  The straw that broke the Camel's back for me occurred late last summer when I tried to download a compass app.  My phone was soon flooded with stupid ads and things popping up I had no interest in whatsoever.  It took Kelly quite awhile to get all that junk cleaned out of the phone.  But that was it, I was done with the whole Smart Phone thing.  I laid the phone down on a table and never touched it again.  In other words I had to deal with my impatient frustrations with the phone and make a reality based decision.  Not being a phone person to begin with and being discouraged with the phones learning curve etc. I walked away from it and that technology was another part of my Senior life I had to accept I didn't need.  Bottom line....I had to simplify an area of life that I was no longer coping well with.  Must say I feel much better not having those Smart Phone aggravations over my head.  By the way, that 'very little used' phone is now for sale and comes with two cases.  I carry a simple little 'flip phone' now (for emergencies) which is a third the size of the smart phone and doesn't come with all the annoying glam and glitz to confuse the absolute hell out of me.  Simplify carries on into other areas of my life now as well and I am slowly and sometimes reluctantly coming to grips with how to handle them.  No I'm not ready for a wheelchair in a Nursing home yet and I don't consider myself being anywhere close to that but I do have to work at understanding how to better deal with things I never had to deal with before.  I don't have a little boys mind anymore, nor a teenagers mind, or even the standard middle aged mind.  I have got to go with the changes this Senior mind of mine is demanding.  The mind that is in the process of taking over and running the ship.  Yes, my world is shrinking and it is imperative that I understand how to deal with that.  Simplifying my life is only one of the changes I am facing...….but it's a start.

BLUE JAY

RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER

MOURNING DOVE

It was a cold North wind blowing this morning as Pheebs and I headed out for a short snort under cloudy skies into Bayfield and a couple country roads south of there.  A few snow flakes in the air later on with bouts of early afternoon sunshine.  Temperatures barely made it above the freezing mark and the wind chill made it too cold for doing anything outside.  It was another afternoon sitting beside the fireplace reading.

A COLD GRAY MORNING

CANADA GEESE ON THE BAYFIELD RIVER

GROANER'S CORNER:(( An old Jewish couple were having an argument.  Sadie, the Wife: "It's Ha-WAI-i!"Morris, the Husband: "No, it's Ha-VAI-i!"Both being extremely stubborn and too proud to look it up, they continued on like this on their way to the grocer's. On their way they bumped into a stranger and decided to finish it once and for all.  Morris: "Hello there. Tell me, please. Is it Ha-WAI-i or Ha-VAI-i?"The stranger: "Ha-VAI-i."Morris to Sadie: "See, Sadie? Never doubt me.  "Morris to stranger: "Thank you very much.  "Stranger: "You're velcome."
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“What do you call a neighborhood where several authors live? A writers' block.”

Q: Where do sheep get their hair cut?
A: At the baa baa shop!

Julia's mother asked her, "Why are you feeding birdseed to the cat?"  "Because," Julia answered, "that's where my canary is."

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