Lexington Kentucky to Crossville Tennessee "America at its Best" (state slogan)

We took Hwy 127 as our new route to Gary and Ann's home in Crossville TN or at least we used 127 as our loosely defined base. The trip could have been done in a little over 3 hours if we stayed on I 75 (or a little more if we'd stayed on 127) but as the consummate shun pikers that we are, it took us 6 hours (9am - 3pm) to finally arrive at our destination since we sought out the very least travelled and obscure back roads along the route. I'm sure some of these old roadways have changed very little in the past 100 years, except for new pavement and even the tiniest, narrowest trail-like interconnections were paved. The weather was a sunny, hot 28 - 30 C with only a short downpour and the scenery was absolutely beautiful. Wendy's new Sonata proved perfect for nimbly negotiating the narrow and curvacious interconnecting roads that intertwined and surrounded Hwy 127 in what I imagined to be like a map of the blood vessels and capillaries branching out from an artery. Today we travelled only about 200 miles in nearly 6 hours.  I'll post some pictures later. Check back. 

You can see some pictures of Gary and Ann's beautiful place from our last visit back in October 2011 if you CLICK HERE.

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Day One: London, Ontario to Lexington Kentucky.

After Cincinnati it'll be anyone's guess where we meander through Kentucky.

Today Wendy began a trip to Tennessee to visit our friends Gary and Ann. We needed to put some miles on Wendy's car to justify a scheduled oil change so we left my old Rendezvous at home this time. It always takes us longer to get anywhere because we meander along the back routes following the GPS.  An 11 hour drive for most people turns into two days for us.

Getting underway 7:30 AM Tuesday put us in Detroit at 10 AM, missing rush hour. We crossed at Windsor in the Nexus (trusted traveler) lane where I somehow must have riled one of the meanest  customs officers we have ever encountered. Not worth explaining the dialog here but suffice to say he was the snarliest, power tripping, goon I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Oh well, I bit my tongue and we made it into USA. We had pretty uneventful ride and relatively light traffic except for hundred and hundreds of trucks. They seem to get worse every year. We breezed down to Cincinnati and across the Ohio River into Kentucky. We got off I75 as soon as possible and lollygagged the last 90 miles in about 4.5 hours down some very scenic, winding and narrow old secondary roads. Arriving in Lexington we had a nice dinner at the Outback and then visited Costco to buy some treats for our hosts tomorrow. We checked in at the Red Roof Inn in Lexington KY (8 PM) as we had good luck staying here last time. We covered about 480 miles in the last 11 hours.

I'll post some pictures soon.
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Retired

"Retired" Click to enlarge.

My "artsy" picture for today from our back yard in London Ontario. This is about as close as I want to get to any wheelbarrow now.
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A Silent Film Siren, Coke Poster

Click to enlarge

Maude Fealy (March 4, 1883 – November 9, 1971) was an American stage and film actress... I've turned an old "out of copyright" image into my "artsy" picture for today. I'll be back with more on this beautiful silent star of the silver screen later. Come back soon. Read about Maude CLICK HERE.
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May 22 Is Bitcoin Pizza Day

The Bitcoin community celebrates the anniversary of the first time that Bitcoin was used to buy something, according to internet lore.

As Calvin Tran of Cryptocoin News reports:

In 2010, Florida programmer and BitcoinTalk user Laszlo Hanyecz offered to pay 10,000 Bitcoins for pizza. This transaction is famously known throughout the cryptocommunity as the first real world transaction/purchase used with Bitcoin. It is now known as Bitcoin Pizza Day.

Hanyecz posted on BitcoinTalk that he would give 10,000 bitcoins to anyone who brought him a pizza. Someone in the U.K. took him up on it, ordered two pizzas from Papa John's in Hanyecz’s area, paid $25 for them, and got the 10,000 bitcoins in exchange.

And Bitcoin Pizza Day, May 22, was born.

Bitcoins had no real value back then. They were estimated to be worth 0.003 cents each, Tran reports. So 10,000 of them were theoretically worth about $30. So at the time, Hanyecz’s was kind of getting the pizza for free.

Flash forward four years. If the person hung onto those 10,000 coins, with bitcoin hitting $500 again on Wednesday, that person would have $5 million worth of bitcoins today. That's more than a fair trade for $25 worth of pizza.

That person would also be able to spend them at a whole bunch of places, including more than 100 pizza joints, according to SpendCoin.com.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/may-22-bitcoin-pizza-day-2014-5#ixzz32R9kwiBG
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Coywolves Are A New Hazard On The Course.

Coywolf - Internet file photo

Our Neighbourhood Watch person sent everyone in the area an alert to watch for Coywolves. Her husband Vince was walking their dog Chester on the golf course at dusk a couple weeks ago. Chester ran after a pack of 3 coywolves who then turned and began chasing Chester back to Vince who was shouting and waving his arms in an effort to scare them off. Chester sustained some nasty scars in the retreat.

This is the letter from Mary Beth, our Neighbourhood Watch president: 

• Coywolves on the golf course - We have had a small pack of coywolves, as some of you know (we think there are three) living on the course since last fall. Coywolves, as the name suggests are a cross between coyotes and wolves and are growing in numbers in Ontario.  I have attached an image and if you google the term, you'll find lots of articles, pictures and videos - the Huffington Post video of a coywolf playing with a domestic dog in Toronto's High Park is amusing, if not misleading. Over the winter we saw the adult male and female frequently while walking on the course and in our backyard late at night.  Two weeks ago Vince and Chester were out walking on the course just after dusk and Chester picked up the scent of the coywolves.  He took off after them as he had done a number of times before, but this time rather than running, the coywolves attacked, leaving several deep gashes in Chester's hind quarters as he retreated.  The animals chased him right back to Vince who yelled and waved his arms above his head to scare them off.  They stalked Vince and Chester all the way back to the house.  Needless to say, we do not go out on the golf course at night anymore. Vince spoke to the grounds keeper and general manager of the golf course and they looked into having the animals trapped and removed.  Unfortunately, they were advised by the appropriate authorities that this would be a waste of effort as they are intelligent and very difficult to trap, and if removed to another location they will either find their way back or another pack will move in to replace them. Cat and dog owners, beware. 

Our son Tim was able get the following shots of the coywolf and 2 deer

My Reply To Mary Beth [our Neighbourhood Watch president]

Hi Mary Beth,

Here's one of the "culprits". This is a picture from our kitchen window at Upper Queen taken at nearly noon (11:40 AM) on May 15. The coywolf is ascending from the valley rough area beside the 17th fairway. He's fairly bold to be out at mid-day I would think. These animals are quite large and I'm sure they are capable of doing great harm to even humans, especially when in a pack. I hope we don't have to wait until some child or adult is seriously injured or killed before action is taken.

Five or ten minutes earlier there were 2 deer in the same spot. Maybe the coywolf was stalking them?

Sorry to hear about Chester. Hope he's recovering OK.

Feel free to use this email and pictures any way you wish.

All the best

Tim Carroll

Learn More:
If you've got a half an hour, my daughter Erin sends this link to CBC's Nature of Things with David Suzuki...
"Meet the Coywolf". CLICK HERE to watch.

Here's Erin's email:

Where there are too many deer, coy-wolves or coyotes are inevitable.

I would say deer are probably more of a hazard in the city.  Many people are injured in automobile collisions with them yearly.  There are way too many deer - maybe because many people feed them so there numbers are in unnatural/unsustainable levels.  The best approach may be educating the neighborhood about subsidizing wildlife -  I think that was part of the solution to the deer overpopulation at the Sifton Bog.

Where there are too many deer, coy-wolves or coyotes are inevitable.

One for the wolves. A great video and only 4 minutes long:

http://www.filmsforaction.org/watch/how-wolves-change-rivers/

 

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Wonder Gas... London's Own Supertest Gasoline

Supertest Petroleum was an oil and gas company in Canada that operated from 1923 to 1973. Its head office was in London, Ontario. We were driving down Richmond Street past the Labatt Brewery when I spotted this old building, now a variety store, that used to be a gas station. To read more about this station CLICK HERE.

Click the pic to enlarge.

I "wondered" what this place would have looked like 70 years or so ago so I brought it into Photoshop and helped it work its magic. Although these tall, glass cylinder, hand-operated, manual pumps were from the 1920's, there were still lots around in the late 30's and I thought they looked better than the more squat electric pumps that were probably installed here later, so I used my "artistic license". Knowing my friend Barry has a 1937 Chevrolet coupe, I parked one similar to his at the pumps. Welcome to 1937.

Speaking of gasoline, if you are planning to drive in the USA and have occasion to visit more than one state, you might find this chart worth printing out to keep in your glove box:

Total US Fuel Taxes by State

State	Gasoline (¢/g)	Diesel (¢/g)	Other Taxes	Comment
Alabama	16	19	3	"Other Taxes" include a 3 cpg UST fee for gasoline and diesel, 0-6 cent county/city/pj tax for gasoline that can vary by county/city
Alaska	8	8	0.0715	"Other Taxes" include a 0.0715 cpg Inspection fee
Arizona	18	26	1	“Other Taxes” include a 1 cpg UST tax.
Arkansas	21.5	22.5	0.3	Plus 0.3 cpg environmental assurance fee, this is assessed at the wholesale level for underground storage tank funds
California	39.5	10	1.4	“Other Taxes" include a 1.4 cpg state UST fee (gasoline and diesel), a 2.25% state sales tax for gasoline, a 9.67% state sales tax for diesel, gasoline and diesel rates are rate + local sales tax
Colorado	22	20.5	1.25	"Other Taxes" include a 1.250 cpg Environtmental Response Surcharge (gasoline and diesel)
Connecticut	25	54.9	8.814	"Other Taxes" is a 8.814% Gross Receipts tax applicable to gasoline only (or about 4 cpg)
Delaware	23	22	1.5472	"Other Taxes" is a wholesaler percentage fee. Additional .9% Gross Receipts tax for the State Hazardous Substance Cleanup Fund is also assessed at the wholesale level (1.5472%) after yearly exclusions are met. (Title 7: 9114)
Washington DC	23.5	23.5	0
Florida	28.3	31.3	5.52	Gas Tax rate can vary from 28.3-36.3 cpg depending on area, "Other Taxes" include 2.071 UST/Inspection fee (diesel) + 1.25 cpg state sales tax, 2.196 UST/Inspection fee (gasoline)
Georgia	7.5	7.5	0.5	The state excise tax is 7.5 cpg on (gas and diesel), additional 13.8 ppg state sales tax on diesel, 11.8 ppg state sales tax on gasoline. Gas and Diesel Tax rates are rate + local sales tax (varies by county and city, charged in PPG), "Other Taxes" include a 0.75 cpg UST (gasoline and diesel)
Hawaii	17	17	0.1191	“Other Taxes” include 0.1191 Inspection fee (gasoline and diesel), 0.1 cpg environmental response tax, 4% sale tax on diesel + local fees, and county taxes can range between .088 to .18
Idaho	25	25	1	"Other Taxes" include a 1 cpg UST
Illinois	19	21.5	7.35	“Other Taxes” include a 6.25% local sales tax (local sales tax can vary between 6.25-10.5%, or higher) and a 1.1 cpg UST. The sales tax calculated off the retail price less federal and state excise taxes
Indiana	18	16	8	“Other Taxes” include a 7% sales tax and a 1 cpg UST (gasoline and diesel), pre-paid sales tax on gaoline is 16.8 cpg
Iowa	21	22.5	1	“Other Taxes” include 1 cpg UST fee
Kansas	24	26	1.03	“Other Taxes” columns include 1 cpg environmental assurance fee, 0.03 cpg inspection fee
Kentucky	29.4	26.4	1.4	“Other Taxes” include 1.4 cpg fee collected for the Underground Storage Tank Fund.
Louisiana	20	20	0.925	"Other Taxes" include a 0.925 UST/Inspection/Miscellaneous fee
Maine	30	31.2	1.5082	“Other Taxes” include fees for a Groundwater Oil Clean-up Fund, Costal/ Inland Surface Oil Cleanup fee, and Market Share Act fee.
Maryland	27	27.75	0.1369	"Other Taxes" include a 0.1369 UST/Inspection/Miscellaneous fee
Massachusetts	24	24	2.6191	“Other Taxes” include 2.6191 cpg UST/Spill Clean Up/Inspection fund tax
Michigan	19	15	6	“Other Taxes” 0.875 cpg for environmental regulation fee, Diesel Tax rate is rate + 6% local sales tax. Prepaid rate on gasoline is 17.4 cpg, prepaid rate for diesel is 21.4 cpg
Minnesota	28.6	28.5	1.9	“Other Taxes” includes a 1.9 cpg UST/Inspection/Miscellaneous fee
Mississippi	18	18	0	Additional 3 cpg Seawall tax in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties (gasoline only)
Missouri	17	17	0.3	"Other Taxes" include a few additional fees on all fuel sales - agriculture inspection fee (.0005 per gallon) and transport load fee (.0025 per gallon) - 0.3 cpg
Montana	27	27.75	0.75	“Other Taxes” include a 0.75-cpg fee toward the state cleanup fund
Nebraska	26.4	26.4	0.9	“Other Taxes” include a 0.9 cpg Release Prevention fee for gasoline, and a 0.3 cpg Release Prevention fee for diesel
Nevada	24	27	0.8	“Other Taxes” include a 4-9 cent County Option Tax (varies in Washoe county, 20.10968 sales tax for gasoline,16.58082 sales tax for diesel), 0.75 cpg cleanup fee, and .055 cpg inspection fee (gasoline only). Clark county has implemented an index rate of 3.24715 cpg
New Hampshire	18	18	1.625	“Other Taxes” include 0.125 cpg for Oil Pollution Control fund, and 1.5 cpg Oil Discharge Fee
New Jersey	14.5	17.5	4.055	“Other Taxes” include 4 cpg Petroleum Products Gross Receipts Tax (included in Diesel Tax rate) and 0.055 cpg "first time purchaser" fee
New Mexico	17	21	1.875	“Other Taxes” include a 1.875 cpg load fee
North Carolina	37.5	37.5	0.25	“Other Taxes” include a 0.25 cpg inspection tax
New York	42.4	24.65	0.35	Gasoline and Diesel Tax rates also include a 8-8.75 cpg state sales tax + 4% local sale tax rate (most areas), "Other Tax" include a 0.05 cpg Petroleum Test Fee (gas only)and a 0.30 cpg spill fee, State excise tax is 8 cpg on gasoline and diesel, Petroleum Business Tax 17.8 cpg gas only and 16.05 cpg diesel ((article 13A))
North Dakota	23	23	0.025	"Other Taxes" include a 0.025 cpg UST/Inspection/Miscellaneous fee
Ohio	28	28	0
Oklahoma	16	13	1	“Other Taxes” include a 1 cpg UST fee
Oregon	30	30	0.0667	"Other Taxes" include a 0.0667 cpg load fee (equates to about $6.00 per load). For diesel, IFTA carrier there is a 16.38 cents per weight mile tax for gross of 80000lbs, this is in lieu of 30 cpg.
Pennsylvania	40.7	51	1.1	“Other Taxes” include a 1.1 cpg UST (gasoline only)
Rhode Island	32	32	1.12	“Other Taxes” includes a 1.12 cpg environmental protection fee
South Carolina	16	16	0.75	“Other Taxes” includes a 0.25 cpg inspection fee and 0.50- pg environmental fee (UST cleanup)
South Dakota	22	22	2	“Other Taxes” include a 2 cpg Tank Inspection fee
Tennessee	20	17	1.4	“Other Taxes” include a 1-cent special tax for gasoline, and a 0.4 cpg environmental assurance fee
Texas	20	20	0.1375	"Other Taxes" include a 0.1375 cpg load fee (based on per 8000 gallons, generally equates to $11.00 per 8000-10000 gallon load)
Utah	24.5	24.5	0.5	"Other Taxes" include a 0.5 cpg UST/Inspection/Miscellaneous fee
Vermont	24.9	30	1	“Other Taxes” include a 1 cpg license fee for UST fund, 0.182 cpg State Tax, Motor Fuel Tax Assessment fee of 6.07 cpg, and 0.0636 cpg transportation infrastructure assessment fee on gasoline. Additional 1 cent clean up fee for diesel rate.
Virginia	11.1	20.2	0.6	“Other Taxes” include a 0.6 cpg petroleum storage tank fee (UST). There is an additional 2.1% sales tax on motor fuels for localities that are part of the Northern Virginia Transportation District
Washington	37.5	37.5	0.096	"Other Taxes" include a 7/10's percent (0.0007 cpg) HASMAT fee, 0.0953 cpg Oil Spill Administration Fee
West Virginia	35.7	35.7	0	12.9 cpg included in state sales excise tax, these rates are 15.2 cpg variable rate plus 20.5 cpg state tax
Wisconsin	32.9	30.9	2	“Other Taxes” include a 2 cpg UST fee (gasoline and diesel) that is included in the tax rates
Wyoming	23	23	1	“Other Taxes” include a 1 cpg UST fee (cleanup fund for gasoline and diesel) that is included in the tax rates
Please note the above rates are meant as only guidelines of pump taxes and may not represent the full tax amount at the pump. Source: Compiled by GasBuddy from various sources.

This chart could solve  the question of where (Georgia) to fill the tank on your next trip to Florida.

NOTE:
Don't fill up in Canada before you leave. Our fuel tax averages 39.3 cents per liter or a whopping $1.49 PER US GALLON!!!

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On The Way To Point Edward... Sort Of.

Click to enlarge.

I took a slight diversion from my normal route to Point Edward because last weekend, on my way back from the Bluebell Walk in Wardsville I had noticed an interesting old structure on the verge of collapse. I just had to get back to this poor old dollhouse, once someone's pride and joy at the northwest corner of Longwoods Road and Mill Road just past the Muncey Road. Although it was raining lightly and the wind was brisk, I managed to snap this "artsy" shot. If buildings could talk, what stories would this old dear tell us? Maybe just "Help me, I'm falling."
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The Price Is Right, But At What Cost?

My first "Free" prescription. Part of the reason our country/province is in such a mess financially, but one of the perks of getting old and decrepit (over 65) I suppose.
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Lucky Days Diner.

This time of year the old car guys take their cars out of mothballs and start their cruise-in circuits. I've seen so many "diner/cruise-in/vintage car" pictures that are all basically the same so  I thought I'd do one of my own but with a twist. I'm still working on this digital pic. It's not finished yet but I couldn't resist showing it to you anyway.
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Imaginary Coke Art

Click the picture to enlarge it.

Here's my "artsy" image for today.  It's actually a collage made from a dozen or so digital bits and pieces from around the internet.  It really never existed before today and still exists only digitally as a bunch of ones and zeros.  Since the panel truck appears to be a '38 Chev, let's hop into the time machine and dial in 1940.  Let's call the man in the scene Dan and I'll leave the location up to your imagination.

Just think. If Dan, the young cooler repairman, was 35 years old in 1940, he'd be 109 now!  My own father at this time was 16 and ripe to join the Air Force and head off to war soon. Canada had already entered the war September 1939 with the USA following after Pearl Harbor in December 1941. My picture shows the temporariness of our world as the only thing still left as we pilot our time machine back to 2014 could be that big old oak tree in the background. I like these kind of exercises because it gives me a chance to pause and look up some history to back up the image. If you have time, CLICK HERE to read a little about these troubled times and think about how they relate to our own lives today.

 I made this picture poster size, so if you click on it you can see the larger version.
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The Annual Bluebell Walk in Newport Forest

Click picture to enlarge.

What a perfect day for a walk in the forest. Spring has sprung, at least beginning to do so, after a brutally cold winter. You can see that everything is ready to burst. It's a truly wonderful time of the year and especially nice to explore the forest trails when there are very few bugs and flies. The absence of leaves gives a clear view of things that would be missed later in the season.

We assembled at the camp at around one o'clock, with Erin and her friend Muriel (who is also Erin's boss at the St. Clair Region Conservation authority) leading the pack and pointing out things that many of us would surely have missed. Newport Forest is located near Wardsville, Ontario. The land was donated years ago to the Thames Talbot Land Trust by the former owners and our hosts Kee and Pat Dewdney, who remain on as loving stewards of the riverside acreage.

Erin greets us as we get ready for the walk. Muriel explained the flowers and Erin pointed out the creatures.

Six spotted Tiger Beetles are an amazingly beautiful emerald colour. The maple key beside it gives you an impression of its size.

Muriel is very knowledgable and points out all kinds of flora as we meander the trail along side the Thames River.

I wouldn't have even seen this Wood Frog but Erin spotted it immediately.

Here's a little toad... Ooops, gone!

You can see by the debris high up on the bank that the river was very high as the winter run-off raced by a month or so ago. I figure the banks are at least 4 meters high at this point and there is evidence the water was higher than the bank.

A small boat with fisherment streams by against the current.

Brightly coloured birds posed for me in the nearly naked trees. A Baltimore oriole above and a red breasted grosbeak below. See I'm learning!

Wendy has had a sore ankle so we never did get to the place where the bluebells are located. We turned back early, leaving the rest of the group to carry on. The good part was, I knew there would be enticing treats back at camp.

Back at camp Pat has had set out all kinds of treats as I anticipated. Three or four hours walking the trails, even at a leisurely pace, sure works up an appetite.



 Kee's good friend Steve and his family came to visit. They live not to far away on the Indian Reserve.

 Kee Dewdney, Steve's wife Karen and Pat Dewdney, right, were back at the camp when we returned.  We enjoyed some good stories, even a French song by Kee, and of course the "low cal" sweets before saying goodbye and heading back to London.
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What Do They See?

"What Do They See?"

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Another Visit To Port Stanley

Click the pic to enlarge. "Fudge and Ice Cream"

 Here's my "artsy" pictures for today. Can't you almost smell the fudge and ice cream?

Click to enlarge. "The Pile-driver Driver"

Every year after a hard winter there are docks to repair.  The ice actually pulls the dock pilings upwards so a pile-driver is needed to hammer them back down. The machinery is mounted on a self-propelled barge. I was fortunate to have this barge and its captain lazily putter by so I could get this shot. I call this one "The Pile-driver Driver". I wonder if he gets headaches. Read about pile-drivers by CLICKING HERE.
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Twelve Ships On The Horizon.

The Sarnia Salmon Fishing Derby started today.

Yesterday we took a little drive to Point Edward and the condo. I had some mail to pick up in Port Huron Michigan so we seized the opportunity to check things out. On the way back across the bridge I noticed more ships than I have ever seen here at one time anchored out about three to five miles off shore. Occasionally there will be one or two boats anchored, waiting for a pilot or avoiding high dockage fees down river while "holding" for one reason or another. We drove down by the bridge and I snapped this shot. All together we counted 12 ships at anchor.  When I got home I checked the newspaper.

Here's the answer in this blurb from the Sarnia Journal:

"...ships could be seen anchored on Lake Huron off Canatara Park as [they] wait for ice conditions to improve.
Shipping traffic has been backed up in southern Lake Huron because sections of the Great Lakes are still covered in ice.
... freighters can be seen some days parked in the lake, waiting for a chance to head south on the St. Clair River.
The shipping season was late starting this year and Lake Superior remains about two thirds frozen.
The upper lakes may not be completely ice-free until mid-May, U.S. researchers say. "  

 We were also lucky to catch a glimpse of the research vessel "Lake Guardian" which I also have never seen before. This research ship goes out only twice a year on surveys (spring and summer). U.S. scientists conduct research on the Lake Guardian. Monitoring programs sample the water, aquatic life, sediments and air to assess the health of the Great Lakes ecosystem. Sounds like a noble cause but  I wonder if they ever research the damage the EPA's E10 ethanol gasoline does to marine engines. I doubt it. You can read about the ship if you CLICK HERE.

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Shipping traffic has been backed up in southern Lake Huron because sections of the Great Lakes are still covered in ice.
As many as half a dozen freighters can be seen some days parked in the lake, waiting for a chance to head north into the upper lakes.
The shipping season was late starting this year and Lake Superior remains about two thirds frozen.
Here, the Vikingbank of Delfzijl sails into Lake Huron as ships wait for ice conditions to improve.
The upper lakes may not be completely ice-free until mid-May, U.S. researchers say.
- See more at: http://thesarniajournal.ca/ships-backed-lake-huron/#sthash.bHwJlaRs.dpu

Shipping traffic has been backed up in southern Lake Huron because sections of the Great Lakes are still covered in ice.
As many as half a dozen freighters can be seen some days parked in the lake, waiting for a chance to head north into the upper lakes.
The shipping season was late starting this year and Lake Superior remains about two thirds frozen.
Here, the Vikingbank of Delfzijl sails into Lake Huron as ships wait for ice conditions to improve.
The upper lakes may not be completely ice-free until mid-May, U.S. researchers say.
- See more at: http://thesarniajournal.ca/ships-backed-lake-huron/#sthash.oVfdWGP7.dpuf

Shipping traffic has been backed up in southern Lake Huron because sections of the Great Lakes are still covered in ice.
As many as half a dozen freighters can be seen some days parked in the lake, waiting for a chance to head north into the upper lakes.
The shipping season was late starting this year and Lake Superior remains about two thirds frozen.
Here, the Vikingbank of Delfzijl sails into Lake Huron as ships wait for ice conditions to improve.
The upper lakes may not be completely ice-free until mid-May, U.S. researchers say.
- See more at: http://thesarniajournal.ca/ships-backed-lake-huron/#sthash.badbQ4W6.dpuf

Shipping traffic has been backed up in southern Lake Huron because sections of the Great Lakes are still covered in ice.
As many as half a dozen freighters can be seen some days parked in the lake, waiting for a chance to head north into the upper lakes.
The shipping season was late starting this year and Lake Superior remains about two thirds frozen.
Here, the Vikingbank of Delfzijl sails into Lake Huron as ships wait for ice conditions to improve.
The upper lakes may not be completely ice-free until mid-May, U.S. researchers say.
- See more at: http://thesarniajournal.ca/ships-backed-lake-huron/#sthash.badbQ4W6.dpuf