HAD US A BIG DUMP OF SNOW OVERNIGHT SO MY POST IS OVERLOADED WITH PHOTOS AGAIN

Checking Thursday night's live radar cam around 10 p.m. I saw a long snow-filled snow streamer coming in off Lake Huron right over Bayfield.  Well, that streamer kept up all night and most of this morning dumping at least a couple of feet of snow on us.  Before Pheebs and I headed for the Jeep I welded myself to the end of my snow shovel and began shoveling.  Cleared a path to the bird feeders and re-stocked them.  With that done, and the Jeep in 4-wheel drive, Pheebs and plowed our way out the driveway and headed for Bayfield.  

 SURE WAS SNOWING REAL GOOD THIS MORNING

 ALL THAT CAME DOWN OVERNIGHT

 SOMEWHERE OUT THERE IS OUR FRONT YARD

 I DON'T THINK OUR RIG WILL BE GOING ANYWHERE SOON

 THE JEEP WAS PLOWING SNOW GOING OUT OUR DRIVEWAY THIS MORNING

Snowing heavily we made our way into town, grabbed a coffee, and took ourselves for a drive around town.  No point in heading out into the countryside because of poor visibility.  We couldn't have seen anything anyway.

 HEADING INTO BAYFIELD

 GRABBED A TIM HORTONS COFFEE IN THERE

 THE FISHING BOAT 'LAST TIME' IS STILL UPRIGHT

 SNOWING SO HEAVY I COULD HARDLY SEE THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BAYFIELD RIVER

 SNOWING SO HEAVY I HAD TO TURN ON MY GPS TO SEE WHERE WE WERE:))

A number of snowplows, snowblowers, and people out shoveling their sidewalks and driveways.  A few people dressed up warm walking their dogs.

 BAYFIELD'S MAIN STREET IS LOOKING PRETTY QUIET

 A SNOWY MORNING FOR A DOGGY WALK IN BAYFIELD'S PIONEER PARK

 NICE TO SEE FOLKS OUT AND ABOUT BRAVING THE ELEMENTS

 THIS SNOWBLOWER FELLA JUST KINDA POPPED OUT OF THE SNOWY STORM LIKE A GHOST

 HOW NICE TO SEE A PATCH OF BLUE SKY BETWEEN SNOW SHOWERS OUT OVER LAKE HURON THIS MORNING

We cruised around town taking a few photos for about forty minutes before heading home.   All of the houses below were on one of Bayfield's older picturesque streets adjacent to Pioneer Park.  Most of the time we were out for our Jeep ride it was snowing heavily so I figured I had better get on home and park myself on the end of my snow shovel.

 LOVE THIS PINK DOOR

 A GARAGE, NOT A HOUSE

Home again, I had to get back onto the end of my snow shovel and start all over again clearing my paths.  That took me about half an hour and it was a lot of shoveling.  Luckily, I don't mind shoveling snow so it was no big deal for me.  Before the day was over I was back outside 3 more times keeping those paths open.  The snow just kept falling and falling.  It's easier to keep the paths cleared out than to have to start from scratch.  We sure have a lot of snow on our roof and that may present a problem later when temps warm up a bit and the light fluffy snow takes on moisture and doubles or triples in weight.

 OUR PARK'S MAILROOM

 HEY MO, HERE'S A COUPLE PICS FER YA WAY DOWN IN THAT THERE TEXAS PLACE

 WELL BY GOLLY IT LOOKS LIKE OUR GPS LED US HOME

 HEY, THERE'S A BIG GREEN JOHN DEERE SNOWBLOWER GOING BY OUR HOUSE

 SNOW CONTINUES TO BUILD UP ON ROOF

Facebook threw me a memory today and I see it was ten years ago this last week of January Kelly and I were able to lead a few members of Bisbee's Muleteam Hiking Club to a new trailhead in Arizona's Chiricahua Mountains.  Rucker Canyon Trailhead

 AL IN RUCKER CANYON

 AND THIS IS WHERE WE WERE STAYING AT THE TIME NORTH OF ELFRIDA ARIZONA....THOSE ARE THE SWISS HELM MOUNTAINS IN THE BACKGROUND

We've all seen big wooden kegs and barrels.  Ever wonder how they are made?  Well, wonder no longer.... Barrel Making

 'OH GEEEZZZ DAD I THINK I SEE ANOTHER BIG WONK OF SNOW COMING'

 IN THE BACK YARD WORKING ON MY PATHWAYS

SHOVELING A PATH TO ONE OF OUR TWO SHEDS

 THIS PATH GOES TO THE BURNING BARREL

 I'M ABOUT TO RE-SHOVEL THE PATH THROUGH THAT ARCHWAY

 THIS PATH IS BETWEEN OUR PLACE AND OUR NEIGHBOR MONICA'S

 PUTTINGA BIG BUNCH OF 'OOMPH' INTO MY SNOW SHOVEL

 FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON MY PICASA PHOTO PROGRAM WOULD NOT EDIT THIS PHOTO KELLY TOOK WITH HER SMARTPHONE

Snow finally eased up a bit sometime in the early afternoon and I was able to start shoveling out our 6 car driveway.  Didn't get it all done but I did make a bit of a dent in all the snow,  Kelly should be able to get her car out now if she gases it a bit.  Too tired for an afternoon walk but maybe Pheebs and I can do that Saturday.

 YEP, WE SURE HAVE A LOT OF SNOW IN OUR FRONT YARD AND I HAVE A FEELING THERE IS MORE ON THE WAY

GROANER'S CORNER:((   The teacher was warning the class about the dangers of going out in cold weather improperly dressed.  "There was one a boy," she said, "who was so eager to go out and play with his sled that he didn't put a coat or scarf on. He caught a chill, the chill led to pneumonia... and he was sick for two weeks!"    The teacher paused to allow the moral of this story to sink in, when a small voice asked, "What happened to the sled?"

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My boyfriend and I broke up.  He wanted to get married... I didn't want him to.

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A hillbilly was making his first visit to a hospital where his teenage son was about to have an operation.  Watching the doctor's every move, he asked, "What's that?"  The doctor explained, "This is an anesthetic. After he gets this he won't know a thing."  "Save your time, Doc," exclaimed the man. "He don't know nuthin now."

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THEN IT'S TWO TO GO UNTIL APRIL FOOLS DAY

 JUNCO

With snow squalls periodically coming in off the lake Pheebs and I headed off to Goderich.  Roads were snow-covered and visibility wasn't too bad.  Snowing and blowing one minute, clear the next.  

 SNOWY ROADS THIS MORNING

Down to the Cove we went but didn't get out of the Jeep because of the freezing winds.  Quick stop at Walmart and we were home again.  

 YES IT IS AS COLD AS IT LOOKS

 ROCKY SHORELINE

 MOUNDS OF ICE AND SNOW ALONG THE BEACH

 GODERICH HARBOR IS FROZEN OVER

With snow shovel in hand, it only took me about twenty minutes to clear my paths before heading inside.  With the wind chill factor making our 21F feel like 5F I could not muster up any enthusiasm for an afternoon doggy walk.  Snowed most of the afternoon as well.  Winter certainly has us in its grip.  But, we're quickly closing in on the end of January and we'll soon have another winter month thankfully behind us.  Then it's two to go until April Fools Day:))

 OUR SNOWY DAY HAD OUR FRONT YARD AFLUTTER WITH BIRDS

 FOUR OUT OF FIVE MALE CARDINALS IN THIS PHOTO

 FEMALE CARDINAL

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A kindergarten student was having trouble putting on his boots and asked his teacher for help. Even with her pulling and him pushing, the boots still didn't want to go on. Finally, they got both boots on. She grimaced when the little boy said, "They're on the wrong feet."  Sure enough, they were. The teacher kept her cool as together they worked to get the boots back on - this time on the correct feet. The little boy then announced, "These aren't my boots." The teacher sighed and pulled the boots off.  The boy then said, "They're my brother's boots. My Mom made me wear them."  The teacher felt like crying, but she mustered up the strength to wrestle the boots back onto his feet. "Now," she said, "where are your mittens?"  The boy replied, "I stuffed them in my boots...."

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A new hair salon opened up for business right across the street from the old established hair cutters' place.  They put up a big bold sign which read: "WE GIVE SEVEN DOLLAR HAIR CUTS!"  Not to be outdone, the old Master Barber put up his own sign: "WE FIX SEVEN DOLLAR HAIR CUTS!"

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DRIVING MISS KELLY TO LONDON'S UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL AND BACK

 A LUCKY DRIVE-BY SHOT ON OUR WAY TO LONDON THIS MORNING

With a light snowfall and an orangy pink sunrise on the horizon, we were out the driveway and on the road to London at 8 o'clock this morning.  Secondary roads were snow-covered and highways wet and bare.  Snow increased from light to moderate but we didn't have any problems or slow-downs.  The snow lightened up again about two thirds the way to London.  Pheebs and I dropped Kelly off at University Hospital at 9:05 and headed over to Masonville Mall's huge parking lot.  

 TURNED RIGHT OUT OF OUR PARK AND HEADED EAST INTO THE SUNRISE

 SOUTHBOUND

 DROPPING KELLY OFF AT THEHOSPITAL'S FRONT DOOR

With all this Covid going on we seem to be living in a little protective bubble in Bayfield.  We really don't notice much of a change anywhere but I sure noticed the change once out on the highway to London and in London itself.  Not nearly as much traffic on the roads and to see the Masonville Mall parking with only a handful of vehicles in it was almost unbelievable.  There is parking at that big Mall complex for hundreds upon hundreds of cars but we only saw maybe half a dozen.  Can't help but feel sorry for all those business owners.

 A SMALL SECTION OF EMPTY PARKING LOT AT THE MASONVILLE MALL

 PHEEBS AND I HAD PARKED OVER THERE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT SNOW REMOVAL EQUIPMENT

Pheebs and I went for a walk in the parking lot.  Back to the Jeep I pulled out my Kindle to read but it wasn't long and my cell phone rang.  Kelly was ready to be picked up.  Only about 40 minutes had elapsed from when I dropped her off.  Before heading home we made our customary stop at McDonalds for a snack and coffee to go.  By 10:15 we had London in the rear view mirror and it was clear sailing under patches of blue sky and bouts of sunshine almost all the way home.

 PICKING UP THE BOSS

 SOOOOO NICE TO SEE BLUE SKIES

 FOLLOWING THOSE BLUE SKIES HOME

 I HAVE ALWAYS LIKED THIS NEWER HOUSE ON A HILL

 HEADING WEST SKIES DARKENED

 DRIVING MISS KELLY

ONLY 3 MILES TO GO AND WE'RE HOME:))

Dropped Kelly and Pheebs off and headed down to Bayfield's harbor to see if there had been any changes to the fishing boat story.  Nope, all looked well there so I turned around and headed back home.  Ran the snow shovel over my paths and that was about it.  Sat down around 2 with my Kindle to do some reading and woke up at 5:15.  Guess that kinda sums up how my winter's going.

 THE FISHING BOAT IS STABLE AND I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THE RIVER ICE BREAKING UP

 SUMMER BOATER'S CABINS

 ICE CONTINUES TO BUILD ALONG THE LAKE HURON SHORELINE

GROANER'S CORNER:((  There were two elderly people living in Trailer Estates, a Florida mobile home park. He was a widower and she a widow. They had known one another for a number of years.  One evening there was a community supper in the big activity center. The two were at the same table, across from one another. As the meal went on, he made a few admiring glances at her and finally gathered his courage to ask her, "Will you marry me?"  After about six seconds of 'careful consideration', she answered. "Yes. Yes, I will." The meal ended and, with a few more pleasant exchanges, they went to their respective places.  Next morning, he was troubled. "Did she say 'yes' or did she say 'no'?" He couldn't remember. Try as he would, he just could not recall. Not even a faint memory. With trepidation, he went to the telephone and called her. First, he explained that he didn't remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the lovely evening past. As he gained a little more courage, he inquired, "When I asked if you would marry me, did you say 'Yes' or did you say 'No'?"  He was delighted to hear her say, "Why, I said, 'Yes, yes I will' and I meant it with all my heart." Then she continued, "I am so glad that you called because I couldn't remember who had asked me."

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