ON THE EVE OF A SAD DAY ONE YEAR AGO TOMORROW

VIEWING PLATFORM OVERLOOKING A STAIRWAY TO THE BEACH FROM SUNSET PARK, BAYFIELD ONTARIO CANADA

Been starting the motorcycle up every couple days in these colder temps to keep the battery up. Because of our inclement weather I have yet to get a wheel on pavement. Today was another yukky weather day with a constant drizzle making anything outside, including motorcycle riding, undoable.

Challenge for me tonight was to come up with a post not matching the weather. Started off with a CNN rant but quickly squashed that one. Maybe another time. Had a few lines typed regarding a comment on my Thursday post but decided to let that one go too. Looked at some on-line house properties for sale in our area but that quickly became pretty discouraging too.  No super deals in these parts like in Arizona that’s for sure. Kelly spent time purging through some old photo albums & occasionally called me over to look at photos of myself years ago. Not a good thing to do to a fella on a dull depressing day.  Those once youthful photos had me thinking about how many times lately I see my Dad, in his latter years, staring back at me from the mirror…………..

I thought RETIRED ROD had a good point regarding my Wednesday post when he mentioned about typing maybe not being taught in schools anymore. I hadn’t thought about that & if it is true, that in part might explain all that short form texting stuff.   I’m sure others beside myself consider ourselves very fortunate to have learned those typing skills when we did years ago.  Anyway, as long as I’m not on the receiving end of a text message I have no idea how to decipher, I guess I shouldn’t complain. Better to turn my attentions & energies to things I enjoy & understand. 

And on the same topic, my friend Gordon W from up around the Ottawa way included a link with his comment showing that yes, you can get a wireless keyboard for an iPAD, along with other logical accessories. I found that encouraging. I could see an iPad in my future but I think a smart phone would really be pushing my luck. And, as long as my keyboard outlasts me, I will continue to remind myself to be a happy guy:))   And, by the way, if you want to see professional photography well done, you had better check out GORDON'S SITE.
And, thank you to my Anonymous commenter at the end of Wednesday’s post. My feelings exactly my friend…………:))

A year ago tonight was a very sad time for us here at the Bayfield Bunch.  Just one short week after having to have our lovable border collie Checkers put to sleep we knew we had to do the same thing for our boy Max the next morning.  The appointment had been made.  His mobility was rapidly giving out & we were afraid of him breaking a hip trying to get up or down the steps outside.  His hearing was gone, we were beginning to question his eyesight & he could no longer get up onto his favorite couch.  He was always a very independent fellow & even to the end did not like us helping him with anything.  Max will be in my thoughts & memories tonight & again tomorrow, along with Checkers & the little Motormouse.  My best Pals are always close to me, in my heart.

 

MAX, OUR NUMBER 1 BOY 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  The local bar was so sure that its bartender was the strongest man around that they offered a standing $1000 bet. The bartender would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and hand the lemon to a patron. Anyone who could squeeze one more drop of juice out would win the money. Many people had tried over time (weight-lifters, longshoremen, etc.) but nobody could do it.
One day this scrawny little man came into the bar, wearing thick glasses and a polyester suit, and said in a tiny squeaky voice "I'd like to try the bet"
After the laughter had died down, the bartender said OK, grabbed a lemon, and squeezed away. Then he handed the wrinkled remains of the rind to the little man. But the crowd's laughter turned to total silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and six drops fell into the glass!! As the crowd cheered, the bartender paid the $1000, and asked the little man "what do you do for a living? Are you a lumberjack, a weight-lifter, or what?"
The scrawny little man replied "I work for the IRS."

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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

ARE COMPUTERS GOING THE WAY OF THE DINOSAUR:((

WON’T BE LONG & THE LOCAL CRUISE NIGHTS & CAR SHOWS WILL BE IN FULL SWING
So happy our weather has improved to the point we can leave our patio door open once again during the day.  Amazing how therapeutic the warming rays of sunshine can be.  Have always noticed it’s all part of the feeling good Spring Tonic we folks in the northern latitudes look forward to so much each Spring.  Now having said that, guess what it’s going to do tonight & tomorrow……yep, rain:((

 
Kelly reminded me Clinton Optical had phoned Tuesday saying my new eye glasses were in so I hauled myself off to the little burg of Clinton this morning.  Glasses fit fine & with a quick glance in the mirror to make sure they still gave me my Nerd look, which they did,  I was out the door with a much lighter wallet.  Distant objects were a bit blurry for awhile but I knew it would take my eyes a few hours to adjust to the new prescription, & they did.  My close up vision is much better now so I may not have to keep switching glasses at the computer anymore.  And, that would be good.  But I still look like a Nerd:((

 
PHEEBS PATIENTLY WAITS FOR MOM TO COME HOME, BUT WHOOOOPS….ZZZZZZZZZZ
Caught the tail end of a phone in radio talk show this morning on a.m. radio.  Topic was the rapidly changing technology of our computer age.  Seems computers as we know them are quickly going the way of the Dinosaur.  With Apples phenomenally successful iPoop everything these days & the stampeding techno advances in Smart Phones it is only a matter of time before our PC’s as we know them will disappear forever.  Desk tops are already on their way out followed closely by laptops.  iPads are the rage it seems.  Personally, I felt a little sad at all that news.
 
 
1956 FORD
I like my desk top, my lap top & my keyboard.  I enjoy my big screen monitor & do not look at any of these things as lumbering dinosaurs.  But, like many of we older folks know who were once on the edge of some mighty exciting break through computer stuff a decade ago, I am beginning to see the end of days approaching.  Like they said on the program, once they have figured out a way to eliminate the keyboard, the computer is dead in the water.  That probably doesn’t mean a thing to the new speedball knee jerk Twitterers & Texters but it sure impacts folks like myself who enjoy taking the time & making the effort to use our minds creatively & constructively with our Blogs.  We are the one’s who will be most negatively impacted by the new technology.  For speed warped Techno heads caught up in the latest trend frenzy it’s all about faster gidgets, smaller gadgets & speed, speed, speed.  Oh ya, & who’s the coolest guy with the latest toys, right.
 
 
I’ve had both an iPad & a Smart Phone demonstrated to me & must say I was very impressed with what I saw & what they can do.  All those Apps, all those really cool new graphics, etc.  Yes, even I like gadgets….but to a point.  I could easily see an iPad in our future, maybe even a Smart Phone somewhere down the line.  But to give up my keyboard for this new technology, to give up my expressive creativity, my emotional outlet & my favored form of communication, is just not going to happen with this fellow.  When it’s time to pull the techno plug on me, just give me an old typewriter, a piece of blank paper & just let me be, will ya.  Oh, and maybe an old battery powered Sony portable radio to keep me company…………………………………

OOOOHHH DAD, TELEVISION IS SOOOOOO BORING THESE DAYS
Now, in reference to my Tuesday night post about a few blogging thoughts.  Figured I'd include a comment from CHINLE tonight because she directed her comment to all Bloggers.  Chinle says, "To my fellow bloggers:"  “Thank you one and all. There have been times that your blogs are all I've had to keep my perspective on what the world is all about and not go nuts!
There have been times when your blogs have pulled me out of some serious depression.
There have been times that your blogs have comforted me that there really are good kind people on this planet.
I know also that there are folks out there who are unable to get out and do things like you all do and your blogs are their only links to things of interest.
Keep on blogging”!  ………….  Thank you Chinle. I occasionally lose site of my blog’s main purpose & occasionally get a little too caught up in myself. I sometimes need a good shake to get my attention back on track again. It’s what makes me human & not perfect.


  
Again, I forgot to bring the bird feeders in last night so the Coon got em for the second night in a row. At least I have learned not to fill them right up anymore. Now, if I could just learn myself some more better memory techniques!!  And yes, I did have to once again make some hasty repairs to the wooden feeder in the photo below.  More duct tape & wire had it back up in the tree about an hour later.  It’s future is hanging by a thread I might add.

SAM P joined us Tuesday as our latest Blog Follower. Welcome aboard Sam. Always handy to have a Collision & Repair person along:))

BIG SNOOZY DOG ON MY BED AGAIN TODAY
GROANER’S CORNER:(( God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,
The good fortune to run into the ones that I do,
And the eyesight to tell the difference.
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

OH NO, NOT SOME MORE BLOGGING THOUGHTS

WE HAVE A LOT OF CURIOUS LITTLE CRITTERS IN OUR FRONT YARD

Another day of cold, cloudy & yuk. Other than slipping down to Mitchell to visit my Uncle Harry the day was pretty much another lost cause. He’s still doing fine & always looks forward to seeing the Pheebs. Plowed our way through some heavy wind gusts & snow showers along the way.

It was with interest I read Sue’s thoughts on blogging at THE MOHO AND OTHER TRAVELING TALES this morning. Blogging has become an important part of my every day life so I am always interested in hearing or reading what others have to say about the subject. I thought Sue summed it up very well & I am in agreement with & understand her thoughts.

A MUSKRAT…BUT NOT IN OUR FRONT YARD POND
And, while on the topic of Blogs, I do have a few thoughts.  Well, quite a few actually but I will just keep it down to a few today.  I have always had an addictive personality. Seems when I like to do something a lot I have a tendency to go overboard with it & do it too much. Tonight’s post is number 1,507 & that is not counting the posts I wrote before adding Sitemeter to my Blog site. With the exception of a few days here & there I have blogged on a daily basis now for about 4 & a half years. Do I have myself caught up in yet another daily addiction?? Can writing & reading blogs become addictive?? From my own perspective I would have to answer both those questions with a resounding ‘yes’.

FORGOT TO BRING THE BIRDFEEDERS IN LAST NIGHT & SURE ENOUGH, 2 OUT 3 WERE ON THE GROUND THIS MORNING…GEE, I WONDER HOW THAT HAPPENED

Is there a cure for this addiction? Maybe. I think it is time for me to once again re-post my 12 Steps To Blogging Recovery based on AA’s own 12 step recovery plan which in fact I learned first hand many years ago………………….

‘BLOGGERS ANONYMOUS’

Step One: "We admitted we were powerless over Blogging - that our free time has become unmanageable."

Step Two: "Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to a simpler time before computers."

Step Three: "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of our Spouses as we understand them."

Step Four: "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of our Blogger thoughts & Blog Archives."

Step Five: "Admitted to our Spouses, to ourselves, & to another Blogger person the exact nature of our blogging woes."

Step Six: "Were entirely ready to have our Spouse remove all nasty posts from our Blogs."

Step Seven: "Humbly asked Her/Him to remove our shortcomings, our spell checkers, & our publish buttons"

Step Eight: "Made a list of all fellow Bloggers we had commented to, and became willing to make amends to them all."

Step Nine: "Made direct amends to such Bloggers wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them, their Blogs, or their Blog Followers ."

Step Ten: "Continued to take personal written inventory and when we were wrong promptly didn't blog about it."

Step Eleven: "Sought through humbleness and fear to improve our conscious contact with our Spouse as we understood Her/Him, begging only for knowledge of Her/His will for us and maybe our keyboards back to blog about it."

Step Twelve: "Having had a Blogger's awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to all fellow Bloggers, and to practice these principles in all our restructured Blogging affairs." 10-4!!

Hi, my names AL & I am a Blogger:((

IT WAS A YEAR AGO I REPAINTED OUR UTILITY TRAILER
Reader Pam asks if I was once a professional photographer & if my bird photos are taken at our place here in Canada.  It’s a No/Yes answer.  No, never was a professional photographer.  Most ‘true professional photographers’ (not the one’s that just call themselves that) photos are far better than mine.  My photos are OK for my blog but they wouldn’t stand up in comparison to the professional folks.  Their photos are tack sharp with far more attention paid to the technical side of things.  A pros photos are better because they have to be better.  It’s their living & for sure those guys have a lot more patience at setting up a shot than I do.  I never plan a photo because I am an opportunity kind of shooter.  If the opportunity pops up for a photo, I take it & move on.  And yes, about 95% of all the bird pics you are seeing in my blog these days are taken right here in our own front yard.  Most of them right through our sunroom window while I’m at the computer pecking away at another post:))

 

HEY, WHO’S DA IMPOSTER!!

GROANER’S CORNER:(( John was furious when his steak arrived too rare.
"Waiter," he shouted, "Didn't you hear me say 'well done'?"
"I can't thank you enough, sir," replied the waiter. "I hardly ever get a compliment."
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

A COLD WINDY DAY KEEPS US HOUSEBOUND

AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES

Wished I could tell you it was a productive day but with the cold temperatures outside & heavy wind gusts coming in we just ended up inside all day.  Watched a DVD & puttered on the puter.  I have new books to read but I have to be in the right frame of mind for reading & today just wasn't it.  In fact, it seems I do most of my reading when we are on the road.  I will have more to say about these books in a later post because one has been written by a fellow Blogger & another one in part has been written by a reader.

ROBIN

Found another reader’s comment in our Spam folder this morning so you might want to keep an eye on your Spam folder from time to time folks. Just go to your Blogger Dashboard & click on the word ‘Comments’ & then the word ‘Spam’. Scroll through. Always a good idea to keep this folder cleaned out.

MALE CARDINAL

Another call from my Urologist this morning has lined me up for an Ultra-Sound for the middle of May.  That now makes 6 medical appointments before I even get into the operating room.  And here I thought all along all this Doctor stuff was for older folks.  Seems I have been out of touch with myself these past few years.

GRACKLE

A walk around our front yard these days sounds like a walk in a country meadow.  It is the call of Red Wing Blackbirds that is the sound of rural Spring for me.  Grackles dominate the feeders with noisy Blue Jays winging in & harassing them.  Crimson Cardinals dart from nearby Cedars & are generally the last birds at the feeders at night.  Mourning Doves scour the ground for seeds along with Black Capped Chickadees & an assortment of other small brown birds.  A Hairy Woodpecker along with a Northern Flicker both seen in the yard just hours apart along with a Red Bellied Woodpecker last week.  Crows dart amongst the Pine trees.  One Scarlet Tanager & of course lots of Robins.  Baltimore Orioles are appearing as well as a couple Rose Breasted Grosbeaks.  Purple & American Gold Finches at the Niger seed feeder.  The Dark Eyed Juncos have pretty well all left for the season and I have seen a few Cowbirds in the yard.  No sign of the White Breasted Nuthatches or Indigo Buntings yet.  But soon.  And always overhead soar the many Turkey Vultures.  Hawks are not often seen in the woods but their shrill calls can be heard.  At night we have the hauntingly quiet sounds of Great Horned Owls.  Yes, it’s quite a little Birding paradise we have here:))

Now, after reading the above paragraph it might seem like I am quite a knowledgeable bird person.  But, that would be a misconception.  I know most of the birds frequenting our front yard simply because it’s the same feathered gang every year.  And, I do have a few Junior bird books on hand.  Now, I have heard the saying, ‘a horse with a different color’ & yesterday’s identification of a feathered fellow in flight turned out to be a ‘bird of a different color.  I’m talking about the bird taking flight from a pond across the road.  In the photo the bird appears blue when in fact it probably had more shades of green & gray to it.  Because of it’s long neck, size, & gangly legs I assumed it was a Great Blue Heron.  Not so!!  JUDY was able to straighten me out again by letting me know it was a Green Heron.  OK, why the blue color?  Next paragraph for the answer….and it really has nothing to do with the bird:))

PURPLE FINCH

You will notice in Sunday’s Heron photos how sunny the background is.  The Heron itself is still in shadow.  A camera struggles with an exposure like this because of the 2 contrasting light situations.  The camera’s light sensor instantly decides on what it thinks is the correct exposure.  In this case it chose a middle ground so we see some detail in the sunny grass behind the Heron & we also see some detail in the darker shadows in the foreground.  In a situation like this the camera defaults to a blue caste in the shadow area.  You will often see this blue color in distant mountain photos.  Hence it made the Green Heron appear blue.  Judy has a much sharper eye than I for these things and far more experience at identifying birds, so in this case, instead of calling a Blue Heron blue, I should have called it Green.  I default to Judy.  Thanks J:))  

RED WINGED BLACKBIRD

GROANER’S CORNER:((     Old ranch owner John farmed a small ranch in Montana.  The Montana Wage and Hour Department claimed he was not paying proper wages to his workers and sent an agent out to interview him.

'I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them,' demanded the agent.

'Well,' replied old John, 'There's my ranch hand who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $600 a week plus free room and board. The cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $500 a week plus free room and board. Then there's the half-wit who works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night.'

'That's the guy I want to talk to, the half-wit,' says the agent.

'That would be me,' replied old rancher John.

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- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.

stargeezerguy@gmail.com

‘MUSHY BEES’

AND THIS IS WHAT THE BIRD’S & SQUIRRELS SEE FROM OUTSIDE
This mornings icy winds kept me inside but Kelly took Pheebs for a long walk anyway.  When it warmed up a bit this afternoon I took Pheebs for another long walk & we made it all the way to the Bayfield River which is just south of us.  That walk took us along our usual morning Pine trail, up into a hardwood bush, & then down a long steep forested hill to the river.  Hadn’t been down there for about 7 years so it was nice to see something different for a change.

 
A SPRING FOREST LEADS PHEEBS & I TO THE BAYFIELD RIVER
Sometimes in the great & quickly growing RV scheme of things I have a tendency to miss new blog sites, forget or misplace old blog sites & just generally loose touch with folks. It’s just impossible for me to keep up with everybody anymore. There are a lot of helpful blog sites & one which I was aware of several years ago & had forgotten about was FRUGAL-RV-TRAVEL.COM. Here is a site with a lot of RVing information and something for everyone.  Of course I especially like their Boondocking take on things & their frugal approach to living & traveling on the road whether it be full or part time. 

A YOUNG MAPLE TREE IN THE SPRING OF IT’S LIFE
I have noticed that it seems to be a lot of the younger crew of RV’ers these days who have a knack for putting together many of the great informative web/blog sites. They just seem to have the energy, the smarts, the enthusiasm, & the interest to get out there & kick some back country dirt around. More & more of these younger folks are adventuress & independent enough to get themselves out of the main RVing stream & into a boon docking lifestyle that gains them access to some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.  I always like to hear & see photos of ‘natural’ out of the way places.
 

A GREEN HERON LIFTS OFF FROM THE POND ACROSS THE ROAD
Chinle, over at SPOTTED DOG RANCH, in a recent post, brings up an opinion which I must say I am in total agreement with.  Don’t think I have ever asked someone what they did for a living.  I may be curious but I won’t ask.  If a person wants to tell me, it’s up to them.  I always find the question uncomfortable when asked because I am not one of those fellows who can grip his britches, rock back on his heels & give forth with a big rollicking tried & true success story.  And, I’ve never been comfortable with the word ‘retired’ either.  Never did stay at anything long enough to retire from.

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL LAKE HURON SUNSET TAKEN FROM DEER PARK LODGE 
GROANER’S CORNER:((  The psychology instructor had just finished a lecture on mental health and was giving an oral test.
Speaking specifically about manic depression, she asked, "How would you diagnose a patient who walks back and forth screaming at the top of his lungs one minute, then sits in a chair weeping uncontrollably the next?"
A young man in the rear raised his hand and answered, "A basketball coach?"
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- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
-  If one's thoughts are positive about the landscape, one's eyes will appreciate what they see...AL.
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

NORTHERN FLICKER
Took a bit of doing this morning but I struggled my heavy Spirits off another rocky runway & lifted myself into clear blue sunny skies.  I have battled depression most of my life & it can still jump up & grab me sometimes when I least expect it.

I too wondered about that ‘mushy Bees’ in Saturday night’s Groaners Corner but decided to leave it in the joke anyway. Thought maybe it was a reference to mushy peas. Turns out I was right after a reader’s comment came in later today saying, Groaners Corner is for the people that have visited the UK and eaten fish and chips in a typical fish and chip shop - they also serve a certain type of green pea that is cooked to death until they become mushy - hence "mushy peas".

NOT HAPPY THAT I BROUGHT IN THE BIRD FEEDERS
It was one month ago today the Boys started putting the ‘mud’ on our Arizona house. Well, they called it mud but in reality it was Stucco. That all seems so very long ago already & sometimes in an inattentive moment I think, ‘did we really do that, did we really buy a house’. Good thing I have a bunch of photos here showing the house or I might just be thinking it was all some sort of dream or something.