MORNING WALK ON THE BEACH AND STAND BACK AL'S GOT A PAINT BRUSH IN HIS HAND

WHAT THE HECK IS THAT??

With temperatures coming up in the night, a touch of morning sun, and no wind it felt like a nice morning walk on the beach was on order.  Without further adieu Pheebs and I piled into the Jeep and headed south through Bayfield to Pavilion Road.  A westerly right turn took us nearly a mile to the shores of Lake Huron.  Minutes later after descending a set of steep wooden stairs we were shuffling our feet and paws in the lakeshore sand.

PHEEBS LEADS THE WAY DOWN TO THE BEACH

HAPPY LITTLE BAYFIELD BUNCH DOGGIE ON THE BEACH

SOMEONE HAS SCULPTED A FEW DRIFTWOOD PIECES TOGETHER

A DELICATE BALANCE INDEED AND DO YOU SEE SOME ANIMAL FACES

THIS SCULPTOR EVEN SIGNED THEIR WORK

COULD BE THE RUINS OF AN ANCIENT SAND CASTLE HERE

AND IS THIS WHERE ROBINSON CRUESOE CAME ASHORE

Lake waters were calm with small waves gently lapping along the water's edge.  Noticed right away a fair bit of driftwood tossed up on the sands.  Sand underfoot was soft and waterlogged.  Walking was squooshy but I knew it was good for my legs.

THERE ARE MANY CREATURES DEPICTED HERE IN THIS TANGLEMENT OF DRIFTWOOD

LET YOUR IMAGINATON WONDER AND GET READY FOR THE PHOTOS AT THE END OF THE POST

THESE STEEL BARRIERS ARE HERE TO PREVENT BEACH EROSION

LOOKING SOUTH ALONG LAKE HURON'S SHORELINE IN THE DIRECTION OF GRAND BEND

A BEACHED LAKE WHALE PERHAPS??  NOPE, A PIECE OF DRIFTWOOD

LOOKING NORTH ALONG THE SHORELINE IN THE DIRECTION OF BAYFIELD AND GODERICH

Heading south I noticed winter's storms had a made a few small changes to the shoreline and we were actually able to walk farther than we usually do so it way nice to see some slightly different shoreline scenery for a change.

SHALLOW WATER FLOWING SWIFTLY IN A LITTLE STREAM CUTTING ACROSS THE BEACH HAS EXPOSED ALL THE COLORFUL PEBBLES IN THE SAND

AND YES I GOT A SLIGHT SOAKER HERE STEPPING ACROSS THAT LITTLE STREAM

OKAY SO DID MOTHER NATURE PUT THIS LITTLE PEBBLE UPON THE BIGGER ROCK, DID A SPACE SHIP LAND AND AN ALIEN DO IT, OR WAS IT A PERSON....AND NO IT WASN'T ME

BACK FROM THE BEACH AND ATOP A SMALL BLUFF STAND SHORELINE COTTAGES AND HOMES

Walking along I thought how nice it is we live so close to one of the largest fresh water lakes in the world.  If it wasn't for several layers of forest we would be able to see the lake from our Park about a mile and a half away as the Crow flies.  Though close to the lake we've never really taken advantage of it's many pleasures like boating, swimming, water skiing, etc.  But we're Okay with that, it's just nice knowing the lake is there and we can be a part of it anytime we like.

OKAY PHEEBS IT'S TIME TO HEAD BACK

FOLLOW ME DAD I KNOW THE WAY

We were back home by 10:30 and feeling a little Rembrandtish I decided to haul out some exterior paint and begin another little project that's been on my mind for awhile.  A couple wooden screened vents needed a coat of deck paint so that is where I started.  When I get into 'paint mode which isn't very often I have a habit of going like nuts and painting everything in sight.  By the time I put the lid back on the paint can today I had painted 1 large outdoor table, two fence posts for an upcoming gate project, 1 gate, two small tables, and the railing and support posts running around our rear deck.  Considered doing the Jeep and some additional stripes on the Motorhome but luckily I was too tired and after being on my feet for about 4 hours straight I had to force myself to stop, haul my tired old bones into the house and throw them into my recliner.  A couple 'Extra Strength' Tylenol Arthritis pills were in order and the for the rest of the afternoon I stayed right where I was without moving much.  I later had to have Kelly spray me down with a can of WD-40 so I could get myself mobile again.

NOTHING AND NOBODY IS SAFE WHEN I HAVE A PAINT BRUSH IN MY HAND

Walking along the beach this morning my mind was in a reflective mood.  I thought about myself being seventy four and a half years old now, I thought about the person who so generously gifted me a bunch of quality camera equipment a few years ago, and the three members of my family who made our RV travels and where we live today all possible.  I thought about a couple old cars I used to have, thought about why I joined the Navy in 65 when I couldn't even swim and didn't even like water that much.  Thought of the late Rod Ivers post about his Roomba machine.  Wondered how RV friends Ivan, Jean and Skip, and Wandering Willy were doing.  Remembered how my love of writing actually began way back in public school.  Thought about our Motorhome, the rip in my jeans, and how many gallons of water are really in Lake Huron.  Yep, it was a another normal thinking morning alright...……………..  

HERE WE ARE BACK AT THOSE PIECES OF DRIFTWOOD AGAIN SO LET YOUR IMAGINATION GO AND SEE WHAT YOU CAN SEE

I SEE A TWO HEADED TURTLE HERE

A SLEEPY EYED LAKE WHALE

DON'T Y'ALL HAVE ANY NIGHTMARES NOW:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  My boss texted me, "Send me one of your funny jokes, Pete."  I replied, "I'm working at the moment, Sir, I will send you one later.  "He replied, "That was fantastic, send me another one."
----------------------
- “Did you hear the one about the woman who threw her toaster away because it kept burning the bread? She was black toast intolerant.”

- What is the difference between an Irish wedding and an Irish funeral? One less drunk.
-----------------------
A mother was having a tea party on the lawn with her children. A neighbor said, "How can you find time for a tea party when you have three small kids?  "She smileed and said, "They'll always remember our tea parties, but they'll never remember if their clothes were ironed or clean!"
===================

SCENIC VIEWS AND TUMBLING WATER ALONG THE MAITLAND TRAIL

I like how dawn creeps through our east facing living room window earlier and earlier each morning.  Some days it's simply a soft white slowly spreading light and other mornings it's a fiery pinkish orange sunrise flaming it's way through our Parks pine trees.  By the time Pheebs and I rolled out about 8 a.m. skies were already bluing up.

With a yummy homemade morning glory muffin and coffee in hand Pheebs and I slipped up north of Goderich this morning and got ourselves onto the Maitland Trail near the Tiger Dunlop tomb.  The trail is an old CPR (Canadian Pacific Railroad) line which has been made into a rails to trails project.  Walking is easy and it's great for joggers and bicyclists.  The trail along the section of old rail line we were on is wide, hard packed, and flat enough for battery powered wheelchairs Stew.

WE'VE ARRIVED AT THE TRAIL

'COME ON DAD LET'S GET ROLLING'

I TRIED TO IMAGINE A TRAIN STATION HERE

CAN YOU SEE THE OLD BLACK STEAM LOCOMOTIVE COMING DOWN THE LINE TO THE LEFT APPROACHING THE STATION ON THE RIGHT

THIS SECTION OF TRAIL HAS A NUMBR OF RESTING BENCHES

Scenic views across the Maitland Valley to the town of Goderich on the other side.  At the bottom of the valley flows the Maitland River west into Lake Huron. With only one jogger going by and an older fella on a balloon tired bicycle just leaveing we had the quiet Spring trail all to ourselves.  Couldn't help buy let my imagination wander and picture old steam locomotives chug chugging their way along here.  At the end of the line further west down the harbor this rail line ended at another train station which has been located a few hundred yards away and is now the Beach Street Station

HERE HIGHWAY 21 CROSSES THE MAITLAND RIVER NORTH OF GODERICH

A COUPLE 300mm TELEPHOTO SHOTS OF GODERICH

THIS IS THE ONLY PERSON WE SAW ON THE TRAIL

IT'S ALMOST LOOKING MORE LIKE AUTUMN THAN SPRING HERE

PHEEBS CHECKS OUT A BICYCLIST LEAVING THE TRAIL

While walking west along the Maitland Trail I could hear water running somewhere.  The rail line cuts across a steep embankment and back in the early 1900's when the line was put in rail crews had to deal with the water run-off coming down the north bank above the track bed.  Cement waterways had to made to direct the flow of water and some of those water conduits and newer metal pipes are still in use today directing water under the tracks to spill down the southern embankment in streams of tiny waterfalls.  That water makes it's way to the Maitland River nearby which in turn flows out into Lake Huron.

RUN-OFF WATER TUMBLES OUT OF THE EMBANKMENT AND FLOWS DOWN INTO THE OLD CONCRETE DRAINAGE TROUGH FROM YEARS AGO

THE WATER FLOWS THROUGH A PIPE UNDER THE TRAIL AND EXITS ON THE SOUTH BANK CONTINUING IT'S TUMBLE DOWNWARDS

WATER DROPLETS SPLASHING OVER ROCKS

I USED A SLOW SHUTTER SPEED FOR THIS AS WELL FOR THE PHOTO BELOW TO GIVE THE WATER A FLOWING SILK LOOK

SHUTTER SPEED OF ABOVE PHOTO IS 1/30TH OF A SECOND AND PHOTO BELOW OF THE SAME SPOT  IS 1/1000TH OF A SECOND

Home by 10:30 and under sunny but cold air skies I swapped my walking hat for my working hat and tackled the last of my shed cleaning projects.  Things are now cleaned up and organized for the season again.  Bugs me when things are messy and stuff is out of place but I have nobody but myself to blame for letting things get that way.  Our main problem is that we simply have way too much stuff and 'if' we were smart we'd have ourselves a big garage sale or two......or three.

SAW A FEW FARMERS OUT AND ABOUT THIS MORNING

Been back from our winter getaway to the Southwest about a month and a half now and we're still pretty happy to be home.  Our days of spending long periods of time in an RV are behind us but that's Okay.  We certainly enjoyed it while it lasted and how fortunate we were to have the many Snow Birding years we did.  But don't count us out just yet.  Things are in a state of change for us and the option of heading south next winter is still on the table.  If there is a will there is a way.  We'll see what happens and if we do go it will be for a shorter period of time like last year and probably in a smaller RV.  We haven't listed our Motorhome for sale yet...………......

With crazy area Real Estate prices through the roof these past few years making a move  unaffordable for us now we still haven't totally given up on moving some day as evidenced by the touch of excitement an area 4 acre property with house and barn generated a couple days ago.  Way out of our price range of course but how nice it was to feel that dormant pilot light of excitement catch fire for a few minutes while we looked at pictures and read the ad.  We have a nice little place here in the Park but I still long for a small manageable country property with big starry night skies, visible sunrises and sunsets, a forest, a creek, a sweeping view, and most important of all for me, 'no noisy neighbors'. I'm finding the older I get the less tolerance I have with people.  Both Kelly and I are loners and we fit well together.  She isn't to the level of Hermitude I am yet but of course I have a few years on her.  Don't know how much time I have left but it's still way too early to stop dreaming.....................

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And This Is The Way It Happened In Canada Years Ago::

THE ORIGINAL VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he's a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter so he dies out in the cold. 

MODERN CANADIAN VERSION The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks he's a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come the winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while others are cold and starving. 

The CBC shows up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. Canadians are stunned by the sharp contrast. How can it be that, in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so? 

Then a representative of the NAGB (The national association of green bugs) shows up on The National and charges the ant with green bias, and makes the case that the grasshopper is the victim of 30 million years of greenism. Kermit the Frog appears on the Nature of Things with the grasshopper, and everybody cries when he sings "It's not easy being green. 

"Jean Chretien makes a special guest appearance on the CBC Evening News to tell a concerned public that they will do everything they can for the grasshopper who has been denied the prosperity he deserves by those who benefited unfairly during the Reagan/Thatcher summers. Sheila Copps exclaims in an interview with Peter Mansbridge that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and calls for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his "fair share." 

Finally, the Liberals draft the "Economic Equity and Anti-Greenism Act," retroactive to the beginning of the summer. The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the government. John Turner gets his law firm to represent the grasshopper in a defamation suit against the ant, and the case is tried before a panel of federal hearing officers that Chretien appointed from a list of single-parent welfare moms who can only hear cases on Thursday's between 1:30 and 3 PM. 

The ant loses the case. 

The story ends as we see the grasshopper finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he's in, which just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around him since he doesn't know how to maintain it. 

The ant has disappeared in the snow. 

And on the TV, which the grasshopper bought by selling most of the ant's food, they are showing Jean Chretien standing before a wildly applauding group of liberals announcing that a new era of "fairness" has dawned in Canada.

===================