RED BARNS AND WHITE HOUSES MEAN YOU MIGHT BE IN AMISH/MENNONITE COUNTRY

PARKED ALONG THE SHORES OF LAKE WAWANOSH

Despite Tuesday night's thunder, lightning, heavy rains, and wind, Wednesday morning dawned clear and bright so it was paws and boots on the ground for Pheebs and I.  After our morning walk, we headed the Jeep north through Goderich to see if we could find any storm damage up that way.

 LAKE HURON'S CHOPPY WATER FROM TUESDAY'S STORM

 A BEAR WAS  SEEN IN GODERICH A COUPLE DAYS AGO AND THIS MORNING PHEEBS AND I SPOTTED THIS BEAR ABOUT 2 MILES NORTH OF GODERICH

 GETTING READY FOR THE UPCOMING BEAN HARVEST SOON

THIS MARSHMALLOW FARMER HAS FIGURED OUT A WAY TO ADD A 'MINT' FLAVOR TO HIS MALLOWS

 HERE'S A HAPPY FACE BARN ENJOYING A NICE BREAKFAST OF SHREDDED WHEAT AND COUNTRY MARSHMALLOWS

The bulk of late Tuesday afternoon's storm-laden tornado swept through well north of Goderich up in the Port Elgin and Southampton areas heading east from there.  I wasn't up to driving that far north so we toddled along the back roads up about as far as highway 86 before swinging east and making our way over to Amish/Mennonite territory.  Along the way we did see tree branches down, an aluminum grain storage destroyed, and a large cornfield with about half of the crop flattened and ruined.

 NO, TUESDAY'S STORM DIDN'T DO THIS BUT MANY DECADES OF WEATHER HAVE CERTAINLY CONTRIBUTED TO THIS HOUSE'S SLOW DEMISE

 WE DID SEE A NUMBER OF BROKEN TREE BRANCHES

I always enjoy driving through Mennonite country looking at all their neat and well-kept farms.  Also the farm animals grazing in the fields.  I didn't see many of the folks out and about anywhere this morning but their buggy tracks were evident on the damp country roads.

 I ONLY SAW TWO AMISH/MENNONITE FOLKS.....THE FELLOW ABOVE AND THE HARD-TO-FIND LADY BELOW...HERE'S A CLUE, LOOK FOR BLUE

 A MODERN MENNONITE SAWMILL

WELL MAYBE MODERN BUT IT HAS SOME GOOD OLD FASHIONED RELIABLE MACHINERY ON STAND-BY JUST IN CASE

 SO NICE TO SEE THESE COOLER BIG SKY SEPTEMBER DAYS

 WHEN YOU SEE RED BARNS AND WHITE HOUSES IT'S PROBABLY A SAFE BET YOU ARE IN MENNONITE COUNTRY

Lake Wawanosh is located in the heart of Amish/Mennonite country so Pheebs and I stopped there for a leg stretch as we generally always do.  Nobody there today, not even a fisherman or two.  It was 11:35 when we left Lake Wawanosh and slowly began wandering our way south along a number of country roads finally arriving home an hour later.

 LAKE WAWANOSH

 NO BIG FANCY COMBINES TO WORK THESE FIELDS IN AMISH COUNTRY.....IT'S ALL DONE WITH A LOT OF ELBOW GREECE AND REAL HORSE POWER

The rest of the day was a mixture of sun and cloud as I caught up on some reading tipped back in my recliner.  There were things I could have been doing outside in the nice 72F temps but I was quite comfortable staying inside reading and of course listening to music which in our house plays 24 hours a day sometimes.

 A LAZY EARLY SEPTEMBER MORN

 THE HORSE IS HEADING WEST AND THE COW IS HEADING EAST

 THESE TWO NEIGHBORS HAVE STOPPED FOR A CHAT ALONG THE FENCE LINE

It was about 5:30 p.m. this afternoon when skies darkened again and I heard thunder.  It started raining.  Quickly checked our live radar weather site and saw it was only a small storm cell passing through.  No need for Pheebs and I to go scrambling out the door and into the Jeep chasing angry dark clouds around all over the place again.  Darn:((   

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Here in Kentucky, you don't see too many people hang-gliding. Bubba decided to save up and get a hang-glider. He takes it to the highest mountain, and after struggling to the top, he gets ready to take flight. He takes off running and reaches the edge-------into the wind he goes!  Meanwhile, Maw and Paw Hicks were sittin' on the porch swing talkin bout the good old days when maw spots the biggest bird she seen!  "Look at the size of that bird, Paw!" she exclaims.  Paw raises up," Git my gun, Maw."  She runs into the house, brings out his pump shotgun. He takes careful aim. BANG...BANG.....BANG.....BANG! The monster size bird continues to sail silently over the tree tops.  "I think ya missed him, Paw," she says.  "Yeah," he replies, "but at least he let go of Bubba!"

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A grade school teacher was instructing her students on the value of coins. She took a half-dollar and laid it on her desk. "Can any of you tell me what it is?" she asked.
From the back of the room came the answer: "Tails!"

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A NASTY STORM RESULTS IN A TORNADO NORTH OF US

INCOMING STORM AT BAYFIELD'S SOUTH PIER LATE THIS AFTERNOON

If it wasn't for me constantly saying how nice the weather has been lately I wouldn't have much to say at all these days.  Today was another one of those nice days. (well almost)  I'll just let the following few photos from this morning carry tonight's post..........  Just as I finished typing this the TV screen suddenly flashed an 'EMERGENCY ALERT'!!  But first.....my few photos from our Jeep ride to Goderich and back this morning.

 A SPIN DOWN AROUND THE GODERICH HARBOR AND BEACH AREA THIS MORNING

 I'M GLAD GODERICH HAS ALLOWED PEOPLE TO WALK THEIR DOGS ON THE BOARDWALK....IF YOU LOOK CLOSE, THERE ARE TWO DOGGIES HIDING UNDER THE BENCH

ON MY, A LITTLE HANKY SPANKY ON THE BEACH THIS MORNING

 'HELLO 911......I'M CALLING TO REPORT SOME HANKY SPANKY ON THE BEACH'

As soon as the warning flashed across the TV screen I checked our live radar weather feed and saw that we had a big smasher of a storm heading across Lake Huron right for us.  And it was almost here.  Pheebs and I didn't waste any time heading out the door and into the Jeep heading for Bayfield's beach area in hopes of catching the big storm clouds coming in.

 THIS WARNING SUDDENLY POPPED UP ON MY SUNROOM'S TV SCREEN

 QUICKLY HEADED INTO BAYFIELD TO HAVE MYSELF A LOOK OUT OVER THE LAKE

 I COULD SEE RIGHT AWAY THE BULK OF THE STORN WAS TO THE NORTH

As soon as I had a few pics from the beach area I was quickly into the Jeep heading back to the highway.  The storm was to the north so that is the direction we headed.

 HEADING BACK TO HIGHWAY 4 WE TURNED LEFT ACROSS THE BRIDGE AND DROVE NORTH

 REALLY DARK SKIES AHEAD

Just north of Bayfield, I turned right on Bayfield Road and headed about a mile and a half east out into open farmland where I could get an overall view of the sky.  And what a turbulent sky it was as I pulled over on Whys Line and got out of the Jeep.  No rain yet but the winds were fierce.  I had to quickly throw on a jacket as temperatures took a dive.  Again, I scanned the darkened sky for any signs of a funnel cloud.  Skies were darkest to the north towards Goderich.  We are prone to tornados here and it was a decade ago when a tornado came in across the lake and devastated Goderich's downtown core and outlying areas.  One death.

 HEADING EAST ON BAYFIELD ROAD LOOKING TO THE NORTHEAST

 BUFFETING WIND GUSTS BLEW ME AROUND A BIT HERE ON WHYS LINE

 THE SOUTHERN EDGE OF THE STORM CAN BE SEEN HEADING FROM RIGHT TO LEFT

 LOOKING NORTHWEST

 LOOKING EAST IN THE DIRECTION THE STORM IS HEADED

 LOOKING SOUTHWEST

 LOOKING SOUTH ON OUR WAY HOME

About 5 minutes after pulling over on a side road (Whys Line) I noticed skies began to lighten a wee bit.  I could see some thunder and lightning on the western horizon and it wasn't long before the rains began.  We headed home and got inside before the heavier downpour started about 20 minutes later.  From there on it was a medium rain as the storm passed and headed inland.  But wait....there's more, and here is an update::  Looks like Port Elgin, 70 miles north of Bayfield along the shores of Lake Huron reported a Tornado late this afternoon.  Also widespread Power Outages in that whole area and especially inland from Lake Huron.  As I post this tonight about 8 p.m. it is still raining (heavy at times) and we have thunder and lightning happening.   

 THIS IS WHAT SKIES LOOKED LIKE ABOVE US WHILE PARKED ON WHYS LINE LATE THIS AFTERNOON

GROANER'S CORNER:((   The woman applying for a job in a Florida lemon grove seemed way too qualified for the job.  Look Miss," said the foreman, "have you any actual experience in picking lemons?"  "Well, as a matter if fact, yes!" she replied. "I've been divorced three times."

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Yesterday my spouse was berating me for checking my email all day as I work from home.  "You know," she complained, "I think that work rules your life."  "No dear," I replied, "you rule my life... I just prefer work."

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