A NICE WORKING DAY CRUISING THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE

AN OLD MILL ACROSS THE RIVER IN GORRIE ONTARIO....(All of today's pics were shot with my point & shoot Canon Powershot A720IS.)

FOUND ME A NICE SHADE TREE TO PARK UNDER BETWEEN CLIENT RUNS THIS AFTERNOON

Nice to see the long shafts of early morning sunlight peeking through the pine trees.  Looks like a big bright sunny day ahead.  We need a good drying out for sure.

RICK just hit the 100 mark on his blog 'Followers' list on Sunday.  Rumor has it he's going to invite everyone from the list out to Cowichan Bay next week for an, 'all the cookies you can eat fest.'  Yay Rick:))  Neither Rick or I care for the word 'Followers' but that is what Google has decided to call blog readers who decide to publicly 'follow' along reading Google sponsored blogs so I guess that is the way it is.  Can't be messin with Gargantuan Google you know!!  Besides, they might put a hex on the 'Cookie Fest!!'

VIEW FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT

The folks over at RV LIFE ON WHEELS just had a new Blue Ox tow package installed on their Jeep.  The photos show a mighty fine set up & they are pleased with the results.  I think John & Judy may be explaining a little more about the set up in tonight's blog too.

NOT OFTEN YOU SEE SIGNS LIKE THIS ANYMORE ALLOWING SWIMMING.....USUALLY IT'S 'NO SWIMMING' OR 'TRESPASSERS WILL BE EATEN!!'

Was surprised to see we had a new Follower today.  A big welcome to N & J.  Just about when I had about given up on seeing any more 'Followers' you guys rode into town & saved the day.  JERRY had left a comment on Rick's blog about their 'Follower's list hitting a plateau.  Don't feel bad Jerry, we're flat out over here on the Bonneville Salt Flats. 

GEE, I WONDER WHY ALL THE FORMER GHOSTS LEFT TOWN!!

Now, speaking of Jerry & N & J.  Jerry is just home from the Tucson Hospital recovering from knee replacement surgery so if there is anyone in the Benson Arizona area with a hockey stick & puck, how about going over to Jerry's & getting him outside for a good old game of road hockey in the next few days.  Probably more fun than the upcoming physio he is dreading!!  And check out N & J's DIARY OF A MIDLIFE CRUISER for a younger twist on their upcoming fulltime RV adventures.  It's a blog layout with posts having a lively, light, bright & refreshingly springy feel to them.  They are excited, & literally counting down the final few days before hitting the road.  Just a little over 2 weeks to go.  Drop by & share in their enthusiasm.  Oh, & don't let the dental picture scare you.....Yikes!!

RURAL ONTARIO

Another busy day & my mobility van travels again took me to & through small towns with names like Blyth, Londsborough, Belgrave, Bluevale, Wroxeter, Gorrie, & Fordwich.  Which witch??  The little town I grew up in was named after another small town in England, Tavistock.  About 6 miles east of my old home town is a little place called Punky Doodle's Corner.  I have no idea what country Punky Doodlers come from.  Do you suppose some of the young ruffians there might be called Doodle Punks.  If there was a pet grooming place maybe they would even do Poodle Dunks:))  I better knock this off & get out of here.....me thunks!!

<<<< MENNONITE HORSE & BUGGY TRACKS IN THE SOFT GRAVEL NEAR THE TOWN OF GORRIE

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And did you know a skeleton is nothing more than a bunch of bones with the person scraped off!!

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED"

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/ (a work in progress)

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

ANOTHER WORKING SUNDAY

OUR FRONT YARD JUNGLE....I was really stuck for blog photos tonight so zipped out the door with my camera & cracked off some shots of our front yard.  When we moved here nearly 7 years ago none of this was here because nobody had lived in this place for 3 years & the front yard was just flat & bare with some sparse patches of dead grass here & there.  Kelly & I planted all this stuff & each year it just grows, & grows, & grows:))

The rains began about 10 P.M. Saturday night & continued until 8 in the morning.  Temps had dropped as well so figured it probably was not a great morning for a bike ride.  For whatever reason, I've always kind of liked a Sunday morning bike ride.

WE DUG A LOT OF THIS STUFF UP IN THE BUSH & HAULED IT HOME

By the time I came in from walking the dogs this morning Kelly said my work place had called wondering if I could fill in today for a driver who had phoned in sick.  Of course I had to check my very heavy schedule of doing nothing for the day first......Yep, looked like I was good to go:))

Drove over to Clinton & picked up the company's white mini-van & headed off for Goderich about 25 minutes to the west.  This isn't a mobility van but it does offer the same service to folks for the same reasons as the mobility van.  It is for transporting people who are able to get around on their own.  Picked up a couple of folks & headed for the little town of Walkerton about an hours drive northeast of Goderich.  Dropped the people off at their destination then settled in for a two & a half hour wait....which brings me to right now.  I remembered to bring the laptop with me this time so here I am backed into a large parking lot, sitting in the passenger seat of the van & happily typing away putting in time:))

AS MENTIONED, NONE OF THIS WAS HERE WHEN WE CAME, EXCEPT THE BIG PINE TREE OF COURSE

It was a nice drive today going through little towns with names like Carlow, Holyrood, Dungannon, Nile, Lucknow, & Belfast.  I was even on roads today that I had never been on before & I absolutely love seeing new scenery.  More little towns like Kinlough, Kinloss, Greenock, & Walkerton.  You can see in the names of the towns that a lot of folks settled this area from Ireland.  Even a little sign at a T-intersection that said Puddley's Corner.  Not sure where those folks might have settled in from though!!

I was back home in Bayfield before 5 in the afternoon so that nicely took care of another frumpy Sunday for me.

THE FROG POND IS OUT THERE SOMEWHERE

And what does a bunch of Harley-Davidson motorcycles have over a lone Scooter these days anyway!!   Check out RETIRED ROD'S blog as he Scooters himself in amongst a rumbling pack of  hunky Harley riders over there in that wild & windy State of Kansas. 

And speaking of Rod, I noticed he left a comment in our box about my dealings with Henry's Camera Store this past Friday.  In the comment Rod goes on to say, "It doesn't seem unusual to rethink the value of the old lenses once you get off by yourself.  In the heat of battle, you just accepted that they were worth a small value. Blinded by the acquisition of the new and wonderful big lens. But......upon re thinking, they became worth more to you than the camera store wanted to invest, so cooler heads prevailed. Seems perfectly normal to me! Geezeritus??? Geezerisms???? Naw I don't think so......."

PATH IN FOREGROUND LEADS FROM OUR HOUSE TO THE FOREST

My reply to Rod is this.....It is sometimes necessary & most helpful when the need arises for someone to step up & bail me out of my own thoughts.  Ya did a good job big guy.  Much appreciated:))

THIS IS ACROSS THE ROAD FROM OUR PLACE & WE WALK THIS WAY EACH MORNING

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And here's my thoughts about Christmas.......what other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree
and eat candy out of your socks!!

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED"

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/ (a work in progress)

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

KELLY PICKS UP AN OLD FRIEND OF MINE IN LONDON

YEP, THIS NEW LENS IS REAL FINE FOR CLOSE-UPS ALRIGHT (all pics in tonight's blog were taken with new lens except the comparison photos)

I did a very much most unusual thing this morning.  I actually picked up our darn old telephone mossmagator thingy & made a phone call somewhere.  What is this world coming to!!!!  That somewhere turned out to Henry's Camera Store in London.  No, I wasn't calling about my new lens.....I was calling about my old lens.  I asked very nicely if I could have my dear old friend back.  That lens & I have travelled many miles together & I was missing him like crazy by the time I got up this morning.  There was nothing wrong with the lens so figured I should have kept it as a spare.  It is much lighter than the new lens too & that may prove to be advantageous in some future photo situations.  The 2x Convertor I traded in can also be used with the new lens to double it's maximum power to 600mm.  Now, what was I thinking about when I decided to trade that in anyway!!  Once again, that saying which was coined many years ago sure applies to me in this case for sure...."We get too soon old & late smart."

HENRY'S CAMERA STORE...This accidental shot was done seconds after I clamped the new lens on my camera at the store counter & aimed out the door to check the auto focus.  Got a little too heavy on the trigger & inadvertently snapped this photo....so why is it in the blog??  This marks the very first photo I took with my new lens.............that's why:))

AND THIS WAS MY FIRST OUTSIDE PHOTO WHEN I GOT HOME

The same fellow, Mike, I bought the lens from Friday took my call first thing this morning & when I asked him if I could have my stuff back for the trade in price he said, "well I'll have to call my Boss because I'm not sure how that works & I've never heard of anyone doing that before."  Thought to myself, 'ya, well your probably dealing with your first case of Geezeritus here buddy.  Hey, maybe those kids behind the counter had me sized up correctly all along anyway.  Bet they got my name on file with a warning note like, 'watch this guy....he's prone to wild fluctuations of Geezerisms!! 

 

COMPARISONS..... New lens is much bigger & heavier than old lens.  Pictures of lens on camera show the 2x Convertor between the lens & the camera body effectively making the 300mm's a 600mm lens.

And two thumbs up for Henry's London location for returning my equipment for the same trade in allowance price.  Thanks Mike:)) 

Kelly was headed for London anyway this morning to pick up a few things so she just swung around Henry's Camera Store & picked up my two trade-in Pals & that was that.

                    

HIDING BEHIND A HOUSE PLANT KEEPING AN EYE ON THE PESKY SQUIRRELS

One of the great advantages of RVing is the flexibility it offers.  If you don't like the scenery you can just move.  Maybe the weather's grubby so pull up the jacks & head for some better weather.  If your in an RV Park & have a noisy neighbor you might be able to re-locate to a quieter spot or just exit the park completely.  We have been known to move if another RV even comes within a quarter mile of us sometimes.  But, what if your living in a sticks & bricks place between bad neighbors.  How do you handle that situation day after day.  Check out the problems WILD BLUE YONDER is having!!  Maybe we can all band together & send her some speedy 'House For Sale' vibes:))

WIND CHIMES IN THE GARDEN

The overnight rains let up before dawn & the cloud cover dissipated about mid morning.  Out came the lawn mower & a short while later the grass was shortened again for another week or so.  Next came a clean up of the van interior including vacuuming.  Quick trip into town for a 6" tuna sub at Subway & back home to clean the pond pump.  Took my new lens for a walk around the front yard, racked up some snooze time in the recliner & helped Kelly unload some big hanging flower baskets when she returned from London in late afternoon.  And after about 29 hours of soulful separation I finally had my good old 55-200 camera lens back home again safe & sound too.........10-4:))

BIRD IN SILHOUETTE

GROANER'S CORNER:((  You know your getting old when you sink your teeth into a big juicy steak......and they stay there:((

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED"

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/ (a work in progress)

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

FINALLY.....A NEW CAMERA LENS:))

THIS WAS THE WAY OF THE OLD WEST

Tonight's photos are a random sampling of pictures from the day we dropped into RATTLESNAKE CRAFTS near Gleason & Tombstone Arizona this past winter.

 

SELF PORTRAIT IN A GLASS BALL

With the exception of some weed whacking this morning I didn't get much done around home today but I did get a few things done a whole bunch of miles away.

CHATTING IT UP WITH THE RATTLESNAKE MAN HIMSELF..................... JOHN WEBER

I have been thinking for over a year now about trading my 55-200mm  Nikon camera lens in for a new 70-300mm lens.  Been watching the prices on a particular lens for quite awhile & finally it went on sale so it was out the door & off to Henry's Camera Store in Masonville Mall, London Ontario this morning.  I did have an alternative reason for going as well because yesterday I while on the way to & from London with the mobility van I had spotted a Jeep Wrangler for sale in the little town of Hensall.  

 

MY NEW AF-S VR NIKKOR 70-300 f4.5-5.6 G IF-ED ZOOMERGATOR LENS:)) (fully extended)

AN ANTIQUE BROWSER'S PARADISE

The Jeep turned out to be a 2001 with a ka-zillion million miles on it plus rust spots so that was the end of that.  Proceeded on to London.  I have blogged before about dealing with some of the 'kids' in retail stores so I didn't go through the door with a lot of optimism going for me.  Computer & camera type stores usually have those young wiz bangs behind the counter who no doubt know their 'technical' stuff but don't seem to have a lot tact when dealing with older folks.  Luckily, this time I dealt with an older fellow by the name of Mike who didn't talk to me like I was some kind of old homeless geezer who just crawled in off the street & didn't know which end of a camera to look through anyway.  I traded in my 55-200 lens plus a 2x Tamron converter.  I didn't expect to get much for them.....and I didn't.  In retrospect I probably should have kept that lens as a spare because there was nothing wrong with it.  It had a lot of miles on it for sure but still worked fine.  Like I've said before.....I'm not the brightest crayon in the package sometimes!!

IT WAS JUST NICE TO STAND HERE LISTENING TO ALL THESE HANGING ANTIQUES TINKLING IN THE DESERT WIND

The new 70-300 lens is much bigger than I had expected but that's fine.  I'm from the old school where heavier feels better.  I know I'm going to love this lens & I'm hoping to get in a bit closer on those bugs & bird shots now.

Leaving the camera store I got the brainwave to head on over to a Stratford Ontario auto dealership that had some Wranglers on the lot.  Looked at a couple nice 2007's but the prices were enough to pull your pants down & I could not believe the low ball price the guy offered me for the Caravan.  It was $1,300.00 lower than the lowest offer I have had on the van so far. 

Headed on back to Bayfield stopping at a few car lots on the way but no Jeeps in sight.  Also stopped in Goderich to take that red 2005 TJ for another run.  It's a 4 cylinder 6 speed & I like it but Kelly is not keen on it.  This is the only place that will take the bike on a trade.  Yes, I could maybe get a few more dollars for the motorcycle if I tried selling it myself but I absolutely hate all that 'bargaining & stupid dickering crap' you have to go through with everybody coming to look at whatever your selling.  Some people enjoy that BS but I am not one of them.  Nothing like haggling over money to bring out the worst in people!!

The big spring rush is over at our front yard bird feeders for another year.   Activity is way down as the Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red Breasted Grosbeaks, Orioles, Nuthatches, & others have all but disappeared.  Still a few Goldfinches at the feeders, some sparrow type birds & of course the ever present all time front yard scavengers....the squirrels!!

I unplugged our troublesome external hard drive from the desktop computer & hooked it up to our newer Win 7 Toshiba laptop this afternoon & it worked perfect.  Re-plugged it back into the desktop tonight using a different USB port this time & so far so good.  I'll know when I go to publish this thing in a few minutes.  Maybe it's not the X-drive after all.  Maybe it's just the color of my socks or something.

NO, THE CACTUS IS NOT FOR SALE!!

I have finally decided to include my SMUG MUG photo gallery on the bottom tag line now.  It is nowhere near done, nor will it probably ever be done because I just have way too many thousands of photos to sort through.  But, it is a work in progress for sure.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Suburbia: where they tear out the trees and then name streets after them.

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it......

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED"

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/ (a work in progress)

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

JEEP FEVER.....IT'S WEARING ME DOWN:((

DAISIES IN A CLOVER FIELD

Well, after all the time & effort I put into Wednesday night's blog finding & arranging all the photos I am tonight......discouraged:((  All the photos for Wednesday night's post were on our external hard drive & I had long & hard time retrieving them because the external drive kept failing.  I'm wondering if that somehow had something to do with the blog not publishing because of incomplete photo data or something.  

DOCKSIDE IN GRAND BEND

I had trouble with that drive a few months ago & took it into the shop.  It was checked over & found to be working OK but it's acting up again.  I might be in the middle of getting some photos & it will just quit.  I then have to pull out the power cord & keep re-plugging it in to get it working again.  Had to do that 7 times last night & in the end my pictures didn't publish anyway.  We are going to get another external drive & see if we can get all our stuff out of the troublesome one into a new one.  May have to use my hammer & crowbar!!  (

(My heart stood perfectly still tonight as it took 85 seconds for the blog to publish with no error message)

AN OLD FORGOTTEN FOOT BRIDGE

I think tonight I am just going to keep things simple & use some file photos from the desktop computer.

FROG ROCKET ON A LAUNCH PAD

It was a long day.  The toilet in our rig doesn't hold water anymore so that means the seal is shot & has to be replaced.  That is not a job for the faint of heart like myself so will have to find somebody who is willing to do that.  Wanted to make sure the black tank was sanitized so I drove the rig to our nearest dump station in Exeter which is a 40 minute drive away & flushed a couple full tanks of water through it with a copious amount of bleach included.   Between each tank full of water & drove the rig around for a couple miles to give it a good slosh.  I will probably do that whole procedure one more time before finding someone to fix that seal.

THE BONNIE DOON MANOR OVERLOOKS GRAND BEND'S BEACH & LAKE HURON

This afternoon I had a mobility van run to London & back.  Heavy torrential rains made for some bad driving again so by the time I got home late this afternoon I was beat.  Luckily I have tomorrow off so hope to catch up on things at home here.  Grass is about 20 feet tall & there seems to have been some kind of nuclear weed explosion with all the rain lately.

SPLISH SPLASH I WAS TAKING A BATH

We have just been going round, & around, & around, with this Jeep thing.  Up until last night I was leaning strongly toward the 2005 four cylinder red Jeep in Goderich but after receiving emails & comments yesterday I became discouraged about the 4 cylinder Jeeps being underpowered.  Kelly spent way over an hour last night reading Jeep forums & reviews.  I emailed some Jeep friends for their opinions & emailed some other fellows about their thoughts. 

MY HEART IS STILL IN THE OLD WILD WEST (This is the cover off a picture book I had as a kid)

This morning my head swung back to the 2009 yellow 6 cylinder Jeep in Exeter & for the rest of the day I was mentally exhausted with red Jeep this or yellow Jeep that!!  Which was the better deal & why.  For sure the yellow Jeep is the better vehicle but for sure it is the vehicle with the biggest price tag too.  Pros & cons back & forth.   Should I trade the motorcycle or not.  The red Jeep place will take the bike on trade but the yellow Jeep place won't.  Tonight I am totally all Jeeped out & am going to have to go stick my head in a pail of cold water for half an hour just to put the fire out.  Say, has anybody out there got a good Jeep deal for the Bayfield Bunch:))

<<<< A SUNSET SAIL IN BAYFIELD

GROANER'S CORNER:(( 

Let's put the seniors in jail and the criminals in a nursing home.

This way the seniors would have access to showers, hobbies, and walks.  They'd receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental
and medical treatment , wheel chairs etc.  And they'd receive money instead of paying it out.  They would have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly if they fell, or needed assistance.  Bedding would be washed twice a week and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them.  A guard would check on them every 20 minutes and bring their meals and snacks to their cell. They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.  They would have access to a library, weight room, spiritual counseling, pool, and education.  Simple clothing, shoes, slippers, P.J.'s and legal aid would be free on request.  Private & secure rooms for all, with an exercise outdoor yard & gardens.  Each senior could have a P.C., A T.V., radio, and daily phone calls.  There would be a board of directors to hear complaints, and the guards would have a code of conduct that would be strictly adhered to.

The "criminals" would get cold food,  be left all alone, and unsupervised.
Lights off at 8pm, and showers once a week.
Live in a tiny room, and pay $5000.00 per month and have no hope
of ever getting out.    Justice for all.

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

                                 and

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED"

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

MAJOR BLOG PUBLISHING PROBLEMS AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am having major problems again tonight trying to publish the blog so I am going to try taking out all the photos & links & just publish the text.  Keeps coming up with an error 400 message.  Very frustrated to say the least!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

From time to time we receive emails from folks who read our blog & it's always nice to hear if, when, & how our blog has had something to do with events in people's lives.  This week we received an email from a couple who first contacted us two years ago when we were boondocked along the San Pedro river east of Sierra Vista, Arizona.  A question, & our blog helped set up a series of events which culminated in the folks buying a piece of property near Sierra Vista Arizona just a few weeks ago.

We had traveled from Borrego Springs California to the southeast corner of Arizona in preparation for taking on a ranch sitting job near McNeal in early 2008.  We rolled into Sierra Vista with no idea where to stay because we were a week early for the ranch job.  Kelly got on the RV NET FORUM with a question asking if anyone knew of any boondocking sites in the area.  Several people answered that post & one fellow was a retired military fellow currently working at Fort Huachuca.  He was from Elfrida & we later met him & his wife Jackie.  We nicknamed him Sarge & I have blogged about his Hudson Hornet car hobby before.  The other fellow we heard from was in Colorado & also retired military who had been stationed at Fort Huachuca years ago.  He knew the exact spot where we were & shared some memories of his military days in that region.

We found a spot along the Charleston Road & San Pedro river for a couple nights until a border patrol officer & a State trooper came along & told us we would have to move from that location.  They told us of a BLM location about 3 or 4 miles from where we were that might be OK for us so we packed up & moved.  The spot turned out to be totally excellent & I blogged about our nearly week long stay there before heading to the ranch.  And I blogged about the charming farm couple we met at that spot too. Jack & Gwen came through twice a day watering & feeding their free ranging cattle  It was not unusual for us to have cows feeding nearby.  A nice farm touch I thought.

Awhile after that the retired military fellow & his wife from Colorado were traveling in the Tombstone area & emailed us again wondering where that spot was we had boondocked at.  I emailed back the directions & they headed for the spot to camp for awhile.  While there they of course met Jack & Gwen on their cattle rounds. 

Then, just a month ago they returned to that boondocking site near Tombstone a second time to escape the spring snow storms in Colorado. While talking with Jack & Gwen again one day they expressed an interest in having a look at some real estate in the area.  Turns out Jack & Gwen's daughter in law happened to be a real estate agent in Sierra Vista.  To make a long story short, a phone call was made, a meeting was arranged, several properties were looked at near Tombstone & one near Sierra Vista.  The couple from Colorado, who have periodically been following our blog bought the 10 acre parcel near Sierra Vista & emailed us to say how the whole series of events had led them there.  Now, doesn't that just give ya kind of a warm fuzzy:))

Sure makes me feel good inside to think that we actually had something to do with some other folks happiness.  And all because of a simple question posted in the RV Net Forum way back in early 2008.  Yep, you just never know who's reading these darn blogs alright.