I think it’s really happening!! With cautious optimism I can say that I believe Spring has finally put on her boxing gloves and is giving Winter a sound beating to put him out of commission until next year. Now, I’m not saying that we have buds on trees or flowers poking their heads out from under the soil because there is still too much snow for that to happen. However, I have shed my heavy down-filled winter coat for a lighter version and have vowed to not wear my boots again no matter what. The temperatures are above zero for the first time in months and are slowly climbing.
The most exciting sign to me is that the Canada Geese have finally returned to Southern Ontario. Yayyy!!!! Every morning when I drive to work, I see them flying overhead and landing in little ponds created by the melting snow. I know you’ll think I’m crazy, but I put down my window every time and yell out, “Hello geese! Welcome back. I have missed you so much!!” Trust me, after a winter like we have had, you would do the same thing if you saw such a sure sign of Spring :).
With things definitely looking up in the weather department, let’s celebrate with some fun and games. It’s time for the mystery photo. Give me your best guesses. Ok, ready, set, go…
photos from the loonybin 
Just a guess mind you, but it looks like a very large cleat like what a large boat or ship would be tied off to while in port.
Thank goodness!! Someone is up this morning. I think everyone else is still in bed Jeff. What a bunch of lazy bums LOL!
Who you calling lazy?
Not you of course :).
I was being lazy been to the pub for a Bunny Chow, yummy
Lazy bums is right! And I slept in this morning too.
It’s popeye’s pipe. Yach ack ack. 🙄
LOL!!! Now I’m going to be hearing all the Popeye characters in my head all day :).
LOL ive Oil 🙂
I’m trying to think of something clever, but I’m failing completely. Where’s LouAnn? I need help!
Happy spring!
This is awfully late for your partner in crime I must say. She must have gone back to bed, or she ate too much chocolate and is in a chocolate coma. Damn, I had to say the word chocolate. Now I want some! Is 8am too early to eat chocolate?
I am no help today–read my lame guess below–it has a challenge for you
seriously I have no idea–am having trouble even imagining what this is–TBM I am going to be of no help at all–unless it is a huge spigot from a beer barrel–yeah–that is what it is–now TBM it is time for you to name that beer!
Rusty Beer. Must be 18 and over and have a tetanus shot to consume it.
I am going to a place that serves apricot beer tonight–I will raise one to you (since it will probably be my only one you should be pleased)–for Cindy though–I will put an umbrella in it!
Enjoy! don’t get tetanus if the beer spigots look like this in Canada
Hiccup, hiccup, hiccup. Boy, this rusty beer is really good :), but yes LouAnn I need a pretty umbrella in it. Oops, I forgot to get my tetanus shot LOL!
btw–I have been up since 5 a.m. but forgot that this is Friday and the day of mystery pic–where is my mind?
You forgot it was Friday. I don’t even know that to say to that.
there is nothing to be said for someone who forgets it is Friday–just a moment of silence please
Friday, Friday, I love Friday!!! I live my entire week dreaming of Friday, well Friday after work that is. How could you possibly forget LouAnn?!?!
it is a cleat–I really have no idea but that is what someone said on your facebook page
Well, aren’t you a sneaky little devil :). However, Jeff guessed that as well. Look up.
ha ha —
It’s cleat. One winds a rope around it in a figure of eight (there’s another spigot on the near side.
That’s not daft enough. It’s the spring switch. You forgot to fllp it. Flip it, flip it. 🙂 Or, you have some very hardy plants up north. Or, it’s an upside down fondue set for dockers. I need a lie down 😀
Spring switch LOL!!! I love it :). The Spring switch has definitely been stuck this year, but I think someone finally kick-started it.
An antique version of a fire hydrant now found in a dump.
By the way, say hi again to the Geese and the Geeze.
🙂 Welcome Spring!
More good news!! I could hear birdies singing outside my window today. Now I have a permanent smile :).
Of course your Dad knows what it is but we’re not saying, just to keep it a mystery!!!
I figured Dad would guess it right away. I would have been shocked if he didn’t :).
So glad your weather is improving, I’m guessing that it’s a rusty cleat on a dock to tie a boat to
Yes, the weather is definitely improving. I just hope it lasts!!
Hooray for Spring. And I will say IT’S ABOUT TIME!!! Ok no that I got that out of my system on to the mystery photo. That looks like (sorry I don’t know the proper name for it) what you tie your boat to that sits on the dock or pier.
My friend and I have been power walking at lunchtime because I am trying to get in shape for a trip to Europe this summer (yayyyyy), and I actually went for my walk without a coat on today for the first time in months. It felt extremely liberating :).
Definitely a nautical flotboggle, 1960s vintage I believe.
At last a person of intelligence. Of course in the UK (where we drive on the wrong side of the road and river) we calll it a boggleflot. But who cares, as long as doesn’t come to life. 😀
Yes, I’ve heard it called that too but probably your version is the standard because I originally hail (can a hail be anything but original?) from the Canadian province of Quebec where French is the official language and English is not, so being an anglophone I was a minority. French and English leech into one another producing two weird dialects… English- and French-based Franglais (I speak the former) but maybe the whole French noun/adjective switcheroo converted boggleflot to flotboggle in my mind. Pardon.
Granted LOL 😀
If a flotboggle is the same as a bollard (like a cleat) to tie a boat/ship up to, then you are correct :).
Yup, that’s what it is. If you really like those things—regardless of what you like to call them—head south from Toronto (going west first or your car will get really wet) and visit us here at The Welland Canal where we have more of them than you can shake a stick at, if you’re into that sort of thing.
Change the word “east” to “west” in my previous comment, please.
Yay!! A fellow Ontarian. I spent my childhood sailing with my family, so I have seen lots of your flotboggles :).
love the word flotboggle–even if it is not right Hoai wins!
I’d like to thank you for that… I always stood by the idea that correct answers should be thought of as more than just the right words (I developed this philosophy right around the time the results from my French exams came back). Also, in the past six weeks I’ve watched all the Harry Potter movies except the last one (or two, depending on how you count it) so that might be a factor, too.
I agree totally with your philosophy!
My guess: An upside down very rusty saucepan left in the rubble. I believe it may actually be the famous saucepan that Rowena the Brave used to slay the last killer bumble bee which threatened the future of her dystopian world!
Haha!! Love this answer. You imagination is awesome, and it helps that you love reading fantasy doesn’t it?
It sure does. 😛
This looks like one of those poles they use at parks to hang chains between or put at the entrances so people can’t drive right into a park.
All of your other contributors are, with all due respect, full of hooey. It’s quite obviously the gun turret from one of those primitive watercraft that duked it out in your, um, civil war days–er, you surely must have had one of those too, with appropriate salvaged derelicts, right? Like the Monitor and the Merrimac, eh? I’m really not all that clear on my Canadian history, but Daniel Day Lewis did help a lot to fill that partial gap…
Well, I must say I am very impressed with my followers this week because quite a few of you guessed correctly and the ones who didn’t still had a lot of fun with it which is the best part about Mystery Photo Friday :). Many of you called it a cleat, which is what I would have called it to until my sailor daddy told me the correct term. The smaller anvil shaped ones are called cleats, but this is actually called a bollard, and it is a short vertical post to tie a boat up to. Great work everyone!!