READY FOR A PARADE

FOG RISING OFF THE CHANNEL

VIEW OF CHEQUAMAGON BAY AND ICE FLOWS FROM BAILEY'S GREENHOUSE

BAILEY'S GREENHOUSE AND NEW SOLAR PANELS

ALL READY FOR A PARADE

Thursday, 9:00 AM.  53 degrees F, wind NW, light with moderate gusts.  The sky is mostly cloudy.  The humidity is 77% and the barometer is rapidly rising, now at 30.16".  I'm staining the porch and hopefully will get it finished this morning if it doesn't rain.
   We are picking up our daughter-din-law Leslie and granddaughter Allison in Duluth later today, they are flying into Minneapolis and then taking the shuttle.  Son Dutch will arrive on Monday or Tuesday.
   The continuing ice and fog conditions are becoming a Bayfield fixture.  The evening lighthouse cruise was curtailed Tuesday because of hazardous conditions, and the ice pack is still causing the ferry problems.
   Despite everything else on my agenda yesterday, I managed to get to Bailey's Greenhouse, a wholesale grower located on Whiting Road off Hwy. 13 a few miles south of town, to pick up our hanging baskets and other annuals.
   Bailey's must be the most beautiful location for a greenhouse anywhere, located on a high bluff with magnificent views of Chequamegon Bay and several of the Apostle Islands.  The ice flows were very impressive from that vantage.
   Bailey's has installed a large array of solar collectors that now provides their electricity (but not their heat).  Bill Bailey says the system has a predicted life span of thirty five years and will pay for itself in eight years.  He is very satisfied with the investment, the solar energy feeding back into the grid when it is not fully used by the business.
   The pickup looked like it was ready for a parade after it was loaded.