MAYBE THEY JUST HAD A LITTLE EXTRA TIME ON THEIR HANDS

 WORK CONTINUES AT BAYFIELD'S BEACH

For the first time in weeks, we finally got up to and surpassed the freezing mark today.  33F. 'Wow'.  Had we been in the high 30's or low 40's these past weeks, then today I would have been complaining how cold it was.  But, coming from the below-freezing weeks that we've had, I simply enjoyed being outside for a while in the almost balmy air.  Crazy thinking huh.  Aside from a short drive into Bayfield this morning, it turned out to be a quiet day.  Oh, and a big thanks to the commenters for suggestions as to what that 'cotter pin' looking thing was that had been left over from my exercise bike assembly.  Yes indeed, when the bike is folded up (for storage) that pin can be inserted into a couple of holes in the frame to secure the bike in that storage position.  I meant to take a photo showing that today, but I forgot.  I'll try to remember to do that for tomorrow's post.  But, here's my question, why wouldn't they have mentioned that in the instructions or shown that in the assembly diagram??  Not everybody is a mechanical Einstein, eh!!

 I STILL HAVEN'T A CLUE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE

Al's Music Box:: I'd Really Love To See You Tonight by England Dan and John Ford Coley.

 I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THE WORKERS   HAD A SENSE OF HUMOR AND CREATIVITY WHEN THEY CONSTRUCTED THIS LARGE INUKSHUK ON THE BEACH....MAYBE THEY JUST HAD A LITTLE EXTRA TIME ON THEIR HANDS:))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Mo attends a revival and listens to the sermon. After a while, the pastor asks anyone with needs to come forward and be prayed over. Mo gets in line and, when it’s his turn, the pastor asks, “Mo, what do you want me to pray about?” Mo says, “Pastor, I need you to pray for my hearing.” So the pastor puts one finger in Mo’s ear and the other hand on top of his head and prays for a while. He removes his hands and says, “Mo, how’s your hearing now?” Mo says, “I don’t know, pastor, it’s not until next Monday.

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Our computers went down at work today, so we had to do everything manually...It took me twenty minutes to shuffle the cards for solitaire.

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Last year I replaced all the windows in my house with those expensive double-pane energy-efficient kind, but this week I got a call from the contractor, complaining his work had been completed a year ago and I had yet to pay for them. Boy oh boy, did we go around and around. Just because people think I am a Moron does not mean I'm automatically stupid. So, I proceeded to tell him just what his fast-talking sales guy had told me last year - namely, that in one year, the windows would pay for themselves... There was silence on the other end of the line, so I just hung up. I have not heard anything back.

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The Priest was preparing a man for his long day's journey into night. Whispering firmly, the Priest said, "Denounce the devil! Let him know how little you think of him!" The dying man said nothing. The priest repeated his order. Still the man said nothing. The priest asked, "Why do you refuse to denounce the devil and his evil?"
The dying man said, "Until I know for sure where I'm heading, I don't think I ought to aggravate anybody."

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AS OPENING A JAR OF OLIVES

 JUST A BIG OLD FREEZING COLD PILE OF LOGS IN A FIELD

My exercise bike exercises are still going well. I am spending one hour a day on the bike so far, and I have that divided into six blocks of time.  I am close to the point where I will soon begin stretching those ten-minute time slots to fifteen minutes.  When I finished assembling the bike just over a week ago, I ended up with a part that I have no idea what it is, where it goes, or why.  Not even in the instructions could I find a picture of, or an explanation, as to what this part is.  Below is a picture of that part.

Up until today, I have been doing reasonably, if not remarkably well, (in my opinion) dealing with this cold and snowy winter.  My attitude has been good, but with the thermometer sitting at 0 degrees Fahrenheit this morning, and despite sunny skies and no overnight snowfall, I felt my positive attitude just roll over and crash to the ground.  And, for the rest of the day, I couldn't seem to drum up enough enthusiasm to even pick up the pieces.  I had about as much interest in taking a few photos this morning as opening a jar of olives.  But, here's the bright spot...tomorrow is a new day, a month from now, we'll already be beyond the first week of March with hopes of seeing some early Crocus flowers by the end of the month.  Oh, I hope that is so:))      

 I TRIED TO PULL SOME SNOW OFF OUR REAR DECK ROOF WITH MY LONG SNOW RAKE THIS MORNING, BUT I MIGHT AS WELL HAVE BEEN FLAPPING MY ARMS AND TRYING TO FLY TO THE MOON

Al's Music Box:: Without A Song by Frank Sinatra.  My favorite Sinatra song.

 MORNING SUNRISE

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A contestant on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" had reached the final plateau. If she answered the next question correctly, she would win$1,000,000. If she answered incorrectly, she would receive nothing. As she suspected, the million-dollar question would be no pushover. So, the question was asked: Which of the following species of birds does not build its own nest, but instead lays its eggs in the nests of other birds? Is it

A) the condor;

B) the buzzard;

C) the cuckoo; or

D) the vulture?"

The woman was on the spot. She did not know the answer. And she was doubly on the spot because she had used up her 50/50 Lifeline and her Audience Poll Lifeline. All that remained was her Phone-a-Friend Lifeline, and the woman had hoped against hope that she would not have to use it because the only friend that she knew would be home happened to be a fair-haired lady on the slow side. But the contestant had no alternative. She called her friend and gave her the question and the four choices. Her friend responded unhesitatingly: "That's easy. The answer is C: The cuckoo." The contestant had to make a decision and make it fast. She considered employing a reverse strategy and giving Regis any answer except the one that her friend had given her. And considering that her friend was a little on the slow side, it would seem to be the logical thing to do. On the other hand -- her friend had responded with such confidence, such certitude, that the contestant could not help but be persuaded. "I need an answer," said Regis. Crossing her fingers, the contestant said, "C: The cuckoo." "Is that your final answer?" asked Regis. "Yes, that is my final answer." Two seconds later, Regis said, "I regret to inform you that the answer is-...... absolutely correct. You are now a millionaire!" Three days later, the contestant hosted a party for her family and friends, including her friend who had helped her win the million dollars. "Jenny, I just do not know how to thank you," said the contestant. "Because of your knowing the answer to that final question, I am now a millionaire. And do you want to know something? It was your assuredness with which you answered the question that convinced me to go with your choice. By the way......how did you happen to know the right answer?" "Oh, come on!" said her friend. "Everybody knows that cuckoos don't build nests. They live in clocks."

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- "The best time to add insult to injury is when you’re signing somebody’s cast."

- "A cement mixer collided with a prison van. Motorists are asked to be on the lookout for 16 hardened criminals."

- “I have kleptomania. But when it gets bad, I take something for it.”

- “I hate sitting in traffic, because I always get run over.”

- “This bloke said to me: ‘I’m going to attack you with the neck of my guitar.’ I said: ‘Is that a fret?'”

- “Somebody actually complimented me on my driving today. They left a little note on my windshield, it said ‘Parking Fine.’”

-“Crime in multi-storey car parks. That is wrong on so many different levels.”

- “I met this bloke with a didgeridoo and he was playing Dancing Queen on it. I thought, ‘that’s Abba-riginal.'”

- “I went to buy a watch, and the man in the shop said ‘Analogue?’ I said ‘No, just a watch.'”

- “Uncle Ben has died. No more Mr. Rice Guy.”

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AND THERE WAS SOME WARMTH IN THE SUN TODAY TOO

A DRIVE TO GRAND BEND ON THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Saturday::  There wasn't much going on to write about this day.  Picking up an extra snow shovel in Monica's garage, Woodsy was out with me late Saturday afternoon after another snowfall, shoveling snow.  I told her I can do that no problem, but she would have none of that, so I did the front yard and driveway, and she took care of the back yard paths and deck.  I did take a wee drive around the Park earlier in the day and again snapped a few shots with a touch of color in them.

 A FEW MORE TOUCHES OF COLOR AROUND OUR PARK

 A DRIVE TO ELLIOT'S LIQUIDATION IN CLINTON SATURDAY AFTERNOON

 WOODSY POPPED INTO ELLIOTS IN SEARCH 0F A FEW BARGOOONS WHILE I WAITED OUTSIDE AND TOOK A FEW PICS OF ALL THE BIG ICICLES ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING

 SOME BLOWING SNOW ACROSS THE HIGHWAY ON OUR WAY HOME FROM ELLIOTS

Sunday:: We were both out this morning shoveling snow again after another overnight snowfall.  Oh well, it keeps us in shape.  With clear blue skies and lots of sunshine overhead, we decided to get out of the house today and take a drive to Grand Bend.  Nice to see something different for a change. Driving west along the Bend's main street, we were soon down to the beach area and harbor mouth.  Ice and snow on Lake Huron for as far as the eye could see.  Following that, we slipped back up into the little village, and Woodsy popped into the 'No Frills' and Sobey's Supermarkets.  In between those two stops, we grabbed a couple of yummy morning glory muffins at the Highway Girl Cafe and a couple of coffees to go at McDonalds. I think we were back home around 3:30 p.m.  Soooooo nice to see blue skies and sunshine today, and there was some warmth in that Sun today too.  Very encouraging despite the bleak-looking 14-day weather forecast. 

 GRAND BEND'S PIER IS COVERED IN ICE AND SNOW

 A FEW FOLKS WALKING OUT TO THE LIGHTHOUSE AND BACK

I THINK THIS LITTLE FELLOW WAS QUITE HAPPY TO BE CARRIED IN DAD'S ARMS

 TO ME, THIS FROZEN IN LITTLE TUG BOAT APPEARS TO HAVE A SLIGHT LIST TO PORT

THESE COLORS CAUGHT MY EYE ALONG GRAND BEND'S MAIN STREET

 I'VE BEEN COMING TO GRAND BEND SINCE THE LATE 50'S AND EARLY 60'S AND THE 'CHEYRL ANN' HAS BEEN HERE SINCE THEN...PROBABLY THE LONGEST OF ANY BUSINESS ON THE MAIN STREET

BACK TO BAYFIELD WE STOPPED AT PIONEER PARK TO GAZE OUT OVER LAKE HURON AT ALL THE ICE AND SNOW RIGHT OUT TO THE HORIZON

STILL A FEW CHRISTMAS BOWS AROUND

 ALMOST HOME NOW

Al's Music Box:: Magnolia by JJ Cale.

 NO, THESE ARE NOT REAL BIRDS.... THEY ARE PART OF COPPER DECORATION, WHICH, WITH MY PHOTO EDITING PROGRAM, I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE METAL POLES THESE BIRDS WERE MOUNTED ON

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man realized he needed to purchase a hearing aid, but didn't want to spend a lot of money. "How much do they cost?" he asked the salesman. "Anything from $2 to $2,000." "Can I see the $2 model?" said the customer. The salesman put the device around the man's neck, and said: "You just stick this button in your ear and run this little string down into your pocket." "How does it work?" asked the customer. "For $2, it doesn't work," said the salesman. "But when people see it on you, they will automatically talk louder."

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- What do you call an encyclopedia in the fridge? Cold, hard facts.

- What do you get if you cross a stereo and a fridge? Very cool music.

- Why is cold milk always so relaxed. Because it chills in the fridge.

- What did the ranch say to the refrigerator? Close the door, I'm dressing.

- What’s the easiest way to get a six-pack at the gym? Take the beer from your fridge and smuggle it in.

- How can you tell if there is an elephant in your fridge? There are footprints in the butter.

- Why did the man throw the contents of his fridge out of the window? He wanted to see the butterfly.

- Did you hear the one about the ice cube’s great escape from the freezer? You could say it was a well-thawed-out plan.

- What do you call something that runs but never gets anywhere? A fridge.

Why was the little Moron sitting in the fridge? Because the label on his juice said to refrigerate after opening.

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The little Moron goes to a soda machine. He puts in a dollar and gets a soda. He does this again and again. A man in line behind him asks why he is taking so long. He says, "Can't you see I'm winning?"

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After eight days of backpacking with my wife, we were looking pretty scruffy. One morning she came to breakfast in a baseball cap, her shoulder-length hair sticking out at odd angles. "Darling," she said, "does my hair make me look like a water buffalo?"  I thought for a moment, then said, "If I tell you the truth, do you promise not to paw the ground and charge?"

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