GOODY GOODY GUM DROPS

Sometimes it's nice to hear things go bump in the night.  In our case, it was big chunks of heavy snow sliding off our roof and thumping to the ground.  Nearly half our roof on the northwest side is already free of snow and ice.  And for the first time in a very long time our overnight temps didn't dip below freezing.  'Goody Goody Gum Drops':)) (now how's that for an old saying)

 SO NICE TO LOOK OVER THERE AND ACTUALLY SEE OUR STEEL ROOF AGAIN

 FREE OF ICE AND SNOW UP THERE:))

On a swing through Bayfield this morning I noticed the big Mama Crane is being dismantled.  Flat-bed 18 wheelers were lined up to transport the long sections of the crane's boom.  When the crane part is all disassembled the crane will be driven to it's next location.

 THAT TALL SKINNY CRANE IS DISMANTLING THE BIGGER CRANE

 THESE HORIZONTAL RED CRANE SECTIONS WILL BE LOADED ONTO WAITING FLATBED TRUCKS

 SIGNS OF OPEN WATER BEGINNING TO APPEAR IN THE LARGE ICE PACK

 SOMETHING OR SOMEONE HAS BROKEN THE ICE AROUND THESE TWO BAYFIELD FISHING BOATS

 I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO VENTURE A GUESS ABOUT THE IDENTITIES OF THESE TWO BIRDS AT THE PURPLE MARTIN HOUSE

 THIS SMART CAR ON BAYFIELD'S MAIN STREET CONTINUES TO SLOWLY EMERGE FROM ITS WINTER HIBERNATION

As usual, it was quietly peaceful in the countryside.  Nice to see the gravel roads reappearing from under all the built-up ice and snow.  Noticed a few patches of dirt showing through in a couple plowed fields and for the most part, Pheebs and I were able to have our front windows down. (heater going of course)

 NICE TO SEE GOOD OLD GRAVELY ROADS AGAIN

 PHEEBS LOVES TO GET HER FACE RIGHT INTO THE SNOW

 CHECKING OUT SOME WINTER SMELLS

Home about 10:30 I was again outside with snow shovel and snow rake.  Wasn't really any new snow to shovel but I just touched up a few areas and shoveled some of the snow off the paths where I had pulled snow down off the roof.  And I can see a bit of shrinkage in our large snowbanks.  All in all, it's just nice being outside in these balmy 41F temps.  Makes one almost want to kick up one's heels and shout 'Yahouie Louie':))

 STILL A LOT OF SNOW ON OUR CARPORT ROOF

 SNOW IS ABOUT 2 FEET DEEP ON OUR SHED ROOF

 NO NOT A DOG HOUSE, ITS A COVER OVER OUR AIR CONDITIONER TO PROTECT IF FROM THE HEAVY SNOWLOAD COMING OFF THE ROOF

Due to the really cold and snowy weather lately, Pheebs and I hadn't been out for an afternoon walk for awhile.  Still too much snow on the bush trails but we did get out for a walk on the recently plowed new roads that run back through the bush.  Felt good to get the legs going again.  I will be so glad when this snow melts and we can walk the quiet bush trails again.

 THE FOREST IS NOT VERY PRETTY HERE ANYMORE BUT AT LEAST WE ARE ABLE TO WALK ALONG THE ROAD

 A QUIET LITTLE FOREST PATH ONCE RAN THROUGH HERE

It was a small Class C Shamrock RV I saw in Clinton Ontario over 30 years ago that set my mind to dreaming about RV travels.  Shamrock RV   

GROANER'S CORNER:((    A man was sitting in a bar and noticed a group of people using sign language. He also noticed that the bartender was using sign language to speak to them.  When the bartender returned to him, the man asked how he had learned to use sign language. The bartender explained that these were regular customers and had taught him to speak in sign. The man thought that was great.  A few minutes later the man noticed that the people in the group were waving their hands around very wildly. The bartender looked over and signed, "Now cut that out! I warned you!" and threw the group out of the bar.  The man asked why he had done that and the bartender said, "If I told them once I told them 100 times - no singing in the bar!"

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Knock Knock
Who's there?
Odysseus!
Odysseus who?
Odysseus the last straw!

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Ogre!
Ogre who?
Ogre take a flying leap!

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Ohio!
Ohio who?
Ohio Silver!

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 LATEST PHOTO IN FROM THE PERSEVERANCE MARS LANDER

    

I WONDER WHEN SATURDAY IS??

Thought all day it was Sunday.  I don't know why because I  thought yesterday was Friday.  If I make it to Monday I may think it's Thursday when really it was the day before Wednesday.  I wonder when Saturday is??

 WE HAD US A TOUCH OF BLUE SKY TODAY

Goderich's Walmart Pharmacy phoned late Monday afternoon saying my prescription was ready for pick-up.  Great I thought, Pheebs and I had a destination.  Snowed in the night.  Maybe I should see if they have a special on snow shovels because mine is almost worn out.  Aside from roads being a bit slushy our drive up to Goderich was fine.  Even managed to make it out to the cove and go for a walk around the Jeep six times.  A couple ships in port.

 I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE THE ALGOMA NIAGARA DOCKED IN THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF GODERICH'S HARBOR....IT MAY BE WAITING HERE UNTIL ITS TURN AT THE SALT DOCK

 IN THE BACKGROUND IS THE ALGOMA SAULT ALREADY AT THE SALT DOCK

 A DIFFERENT VIEWPOINT OF THE ALGOMA NIAGARA'S SUPERSTRUCTURE AND BRIDGE

 IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME I DRIVE DOWN TO THE NORTH HARBOR I TAKE A PICTURE OF THIS TUGBOAT....I MIGHT NEED SOME TUGBOAT THERAPY

 THE ALGOMA SAULT LOADING SALT AT THE GODERICH SALT MINE

 ANOTHER VIEW OF THE ALGOMA NIAGARA FROM ACROSS THE HARBOR

 A COMBINATION OF CANADA GEESE AND DUCKS ON THE ICE IN GODERICH'S HARBOR

A quick stop at  Walmart's Pharmacy for my prescription plus one for Kelly and we were on our way home.  

 HEADING HOME THERE WAS STILL SOME ROAD CLEAN-UP GOING ON

 I GOTTA BACK OFF THOSE UFO BOOKS BECAUSE I AM SEEING ALIENS ALL OVER THE PLACE NOW

 PULLING SNOW DOWN OFF THE ROOF

Figured I'd get myself right at the snow shoveling.  Actually, there was only maybe an inch or so but with it being wet each shovel full weighed a ton.  Only took me about half an hour to wear myself out.  Headed inside, wolfed down a bowl of cornflakes, and crashed in my recliner for a while before heading back outside to pull some snow off the roof with my long snow rake.  We got up to 36F today.  Four more degrees and we can break out the Bermuda shorts eh:))

 AN EASTBOUND TRAIN CROSSES PORTER'S HILL LINE

 PROBABLY HEADING TO STRATFORD ONTARIO

 BYE BYE CHOO CHOO

Below is a few more catch-up photos from a few days ago.  See if you can guess what you are looking at from the first two photos.

 AWWW YES, THOSE ARE BALES OF HAY WRAPPED IN WHITE PLASTIC AND IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY YOU CAN SEE THE LOCATION OF THE FIRST PHOTO IN THERE

Twelve years ago on this day, Kelly and I hiked into the Cochise Stronghold in Arizona's Dragoon Mountains.  We were so glad to get back to the car and I had to drive back to the ranch in my socks.  Hiking To The Cochise Stronghold  And the chickens were mad at us when we got there!!

GROANER'S CORNER:((  The bell-ringer for the church had just passed away, so the priest was looking for someone new to ring the bell.  Then one day this man comes out of nowhere and starts banging on the door.  The priest opens the door and sees that the man has no arms.  The priest asks him, "How can you ring the bell?"  The man said, "Let me show you."  So they went up to the top of the bell tower and the man started hitting the bell with his head.  The bell starts to swaying and the man misses, and then he goes flying through the window.  Two more priests come running and ask, "What happened? Who was that?"  The second priest said, "I don't know but that face sure rings a bell!"

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'YAY' WE MADE IT ABOVE FREEZING TODAY AND ANZA-BORREGO'S 'MIGHTY MOUSE'

Had myself another 9 a.m. appointment with the Denturist in Clinton.  Rained all the way there and all the way back.  A couple weeks age eating a handful of mixed nuts I bit down and cracked my lower denture.  I figure somebody must have tossed a handful of steel ball bearings in with those nuts.  Some of them seemed unusually hard.  Impressions were taken this morning and I return next Tuesday to see how the new dents fit.  Maybe I will soon be able to chew-up those steel ball bearings too.

 THIS IS A PURPLE MARTIN HOUSE COMPLETE WITH A NUMBER OF FEMALE MARTINS UMMM, I MIGHT BE WRONG ABOUT THIS AS A READER HAS SUGGESTED THEY ARE HOUSE SPARROWS

 THIS MARTIN HOUSE ALONG WITH ANOTHER ONE ARE LOCATED AT BAYFIELD'S BEACH AREA

 I THINK SEEING THESE PURPLE MARTINS HERE IS AN EARLY HARBINGER OF SPRING

Didn't get around to taking any pictures today.  Too dull and sometimes rainy.  Luckily, I have some photos left-over from Monday's sunny morning Jeep ride. Looking ahead at the 14-day forecast we have only two days slightly below daytime freezing. We even have a few sunny days in the mix.  We hit 34F today and maybe 40F Tuesday.  Let the big darn snowmelt finally begin.  

 GLAD TO SEE THE TIPPY FISHING BOAT 'LAST TIME' IS STILL ON AN EVEN KEEL

 THE BAYFIELD RIVER MOUTH AND BOTH PIERS ARE ALMOST TOTALLY ICED OVER

 AND TO THINK IN LESS THAN 3 MONTHS PEOPLE WILL BE SWIMMING HERE AT BAYFIELD'S SMALL BEACH

 AN OLD BARN IN THE COUNTRYSIDE??  NOPE, THAT BARN'S RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF BAYFIELD

 THAT'S A SMART CAR SLOWLY EMERGING FROM A SNOWBANK ON BAYFIELD'S MAIN STREET

 WELL HOW'S THEM FOR BIG ICICLES ON AN OLDER BAYFIELD COTTAGE

 LOOKS LIKE THE FOLKS HERE HAD TO BREAK OFF A FEW ICICLES TO GET IN AND OUT OF THEIR COTTAGE

Ella's little puppy is named 'Lucy' and Ella picked that name her very self.  No end to the excitement over at little Ella's house these days:))

 HOW NICE TO BE BACK OUT INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE 

 DESPITE THE NICE LOOKING DAY IT WAS BLISTERING COLD AS EVIDENCED BY PHEEBS HOLDING UP HER REAR PAW...WE HAD ONLY BEEN OUT OF THE JEEP LESS THAN 5 MINUTES

 LOOKS LIKE THE SATURDAY NIGHT SNOWMOBILE COWBOYS HAD THEMSELVES A RODEO

Wanted to get Sunday night's wet snow shoveled up before it freezes tonight and turns hard.  Did that.  Wet snow is sure a lot heavier than the fluffy lite stuff.  Weight on everyone's roof will now be greatly increased and some of us may very soon see a few leaks appearing from all the ice backed up under the eaves.

 LOOKS LIKE DEER MAY HAVE BEEN HERE DRINKING FROM THE CREEK

It was 11 years ago today in Borrego-Springs California that we met a Park Ranger I nicknamed 'Mighty Mouse'.  And for good reason.  It was also the day we met a fellow RVing Blogger and his wife.  Many long-time readers will remember Rick Doyle.  He was very helpful to a lot of fellow RV'rs with their computer problems.  Anza-Borrego's Flying Park Ranger Pilot and Afternoon Visitors

MIGHTY MOUSE AND HER AIRPLANE

With the official first day of Spring less than a month away I have been feeling a few early RV stirrings and have been looking on the internet for activities going on and places to go.  With weather beginning to warm up in May I'm hoping we can get Scooter's wheels rolling and venture off somewhere.

GROANER'S CORNER:))   George W. Bush was getting off of Airforce One in Israel when he walked past Moses, who didn't seem to notice him. He turned to Moses and said, I am George W. Bush, the President of the USA, the most powerful nation on earth. Why didn't you greet me?  Moses replied, The last time I spoke to a bush, we starved for 40 years!

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What sound does a grape make when an elephant steps on it?  None.  It just lets out a little wine.

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- Why did the cookie go to the doctor? Because he felt crummy.

 - Schoolboy doing homework: Dad, how do you spell "erbivore"? Dad: Don't you mean "herbivore"? Schoolboy: No -- I've got the "h" down already.

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