ME & MY MANFROTTO

ALWAYS NICE TO SEE OUR FRONT YARD TIGER LILIES IN BLOOM EACH SUMMER
I'm not a regular Pineapple juice drinker so when I bought a large can of it last week it wasn't the juice I had in mind. It was the can I was looking for. Started my can search in the canned vegetable aisle even checking out some Tuna tins. All too small. Slipped over to the Juice aisle & checked out the tin tops over there. Size was acceptable on the V8's & Apple Juices but it was the Pineapple can that had the best lid for my purpose. Nice rounded flat center area. I had plans for that lid on top of the Motorhome. But first, we had a bedroom slide on the Motorhome in need of repair.

NICE TIME OF THE YEAR FOR ALL THE GREEN FOLIAGE AT OUR HOUSE
In March of 2011 while in a campground at Canyon De Chelly in Arizona we were hit with some pretty heavy duty wind gusts on the passenger side of the rig. We had the bedroom slide open & it seems that slide has never worked smoothly ever since. We sure don't want to be out in the middle of nowhere & have that slide suddenly jam in the open position. Monday morning we took the rig into Bayfield's STORMRUNNER R.V. SALES & SERVICE to have that problem looked at. Well, it was not an easy fix & it took Harry & the boys a a lot of work to get that slide working smoothly again. Turns out some bolts had broken off & the whole roller assembly under the slide was askew & coming apart. That mechanism cannot be reached unless a large closet & drawer assembly in the Motorhome is 'torn out' & that would have left the closet in a shamble of broken pieces. Harry figured out a way to repair the assembly from the outside & although we have a couple extra heavy duty bolts & washers under the slide now, they can't be seen when the slide is in. Main thing is, the slide runs smoothly again. A well thought out innovative repair job done by a clever mind for sure. A leaking windshield washer container was also repaired, a missing vent cap replaced & a new spare tow cable assembled. And, my Pineapple Juice can lid is now securely affixed to the roof of the Motorhome acting as a base for our magnetic Sirius Satellite Radio antennae. And yes, I did end up drinking all the Pineapple juice too.  Oh, Harry & Dianne gave us a nice Bayfield Bunch discount as well:))))))
  
HARRY (RED SHIRT) & ONE OF THE FELLA’S HARD AT IT TO REPAIR OUR BEDROOM SLIDE… MY MAGNETIC SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO ANTENNA SITS FIRMLY ATOP MY PINEAPPLE JUICE CAN LID CAREFULLY CONCEALED UNDER A COAT OF WHITE PAINT…I WILL TAPE THAT CORD DOWN LATER & YES, I KNOW THE ROOF NEEDS A GOOD CLEANING
The weakest link in my camera gear has always been my cheap broken down tripods so Monday I finally decided it was time to get myself a decent tripod before one of my cheap-o pods collapses with an expensive camera & lens on top. Headed the Jeep south Monday morning & made the one hour drive into the north end of London Ontario. I knew the only store around carrying the type of tripod I was after would be HENRY'S CAMERA STORE. Had my mind on a MANFROTTO 055XPROB & that is what I ended up buying. Manfrotto has always been a leading name in quality tripods.  It is a two part purchase.  First you choose the Manfrotto tripod itself & then you choose the type of Manfrotto head to mount on that tripod.  The head I chose was an 804RC2 Pan head with a quick release feature.  Also, how nice to have metal parts instead of that ever breaking cheaper plastic stuff & how great to finally have a rock steady tripod.  Henry’s is one of the few places around here I know of that carries the Manfrottos.  And, how great not to have one of the usual robotic techie type guy clerks to deal with.  Instead ,I had a pleasant young girl help me out with all my questions. How refreshing to have a salesperson with an actual warm personality & genuine interest. Thank you Jessica Ginzel.

   
TOP PHOTO SHOWS THE MANFROTTO PAN HEAD…BOTTOM PICS SHOW TRIPOD & HEAD WITH MOUNTED BINOCULARS
Wandered some country roads on the way home & came across a really nice but really spooky piece of property for sale near Exeter Ontario. Waist high weeds to get to the old tumble down irreparable house. Noticed a back door slightly ajar so I slipped inside for a look see. Yikes!! I don't know what happened in this old house but I took a couple quick pics & high tailed it out of there. Later, Kelly was unable to find out a single thing about this property on the internet despite the overgrown Realtor's sign out front.  I always find these types of old places interesting.

 

Our October travel plans may be undergoing some changes & our proposed route across the West through Colorado may have to be put on hold for another time again. In fact, we may very well first head East, then waaaaay South, before heading West. More about this possible route change in a later post. Also, some other plans may be afoot (no, not buying a house) but orders from headquarters have already come down the pike for me to 'keep a lid on it or else'!! Hard for Al to keep a lid on anything…………especially the Peanut Butter jar:((

CAN YOU SEE MY ‘DARTH VADER’ DUCK?
And, keep in mind when I spoke about my feeling a touch of Autumn in the cooler morning air a few days ago that we are much further North here than many of our Southern neighbors who are still waking up to hot morning temperatures. It was 54F when I got up shortly after 4 this morning. Our Fall season generally begins it's early shift about mid August. Also keep in mind, some folks are probably slightly more aware & attuned to the outdoors sort of thing than others.

Sunday night I was tired & didn't write a post but published a note saying I was taking a break.  I did that for a reason. I have been a daily Blogger for a long time now & the few rare times I didn't publish a blog over the past few years I had comments & emails come in wondering if things were alright. They were. Out of simple courtesy to the folks who read my blog & to allay any concerns that something may be wrong, I posted my 'needing a rest' note.  In the future, at the end of the day you do not see a post from me, & whether there be an explanation or not, just know that all is well & I simply did not feel like writing a post that night.............10-4:))

Pheebs & I nearly got ourselves run down by a rough tough biker gang this afternoon.  It is rare for us to encounter people on our Pine forest trail but walking along quietly this afternoon I was startled to hear something approaching quickly from behind.  We barely jumped aside in time when the bikers roared through.  Recovering quickly I did manage to get a shot off of them disappearing down the trail in a rumble of pine needles & thunder.
 
GROANER'S CORNER:(( The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there's a 90% probability you'll get it wrong.

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

- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

NEEDING A REST

ARIZONA

My keyboard is needing a wee rest tonight. 

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

- Home is where your pet is:))

- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)

-  The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward   

- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

A TOUCH OF AUTUMN IN THE COOL MORNING AIR

I know it isn't even August yet but with this morning's much cooler air I definitely felt a slight touch of Autumn on our morning walk. There are some tell-tale signs Summer is beginning to slip. We have noticed the days a bit shorter & our luscious spring bush ferns are beginning to take on a weathered aged look. Cone Flowers are in bloom & soon purple Asters will be making their late summer appearance. Wheat fields have been harvested & the maturing corn stalks are reaching for the skies. Looking forward to the chirping of crickets soon. One of my all time favorite sounds.

---

But, it is that 'feeling' in the air I like. It's that first hint of the Seasons stirring once again. The Planet is slowly continuing it's Northern rotation. In a few weeks birds will begin picking up on the subtle changes & a month from now feathered flight plans will be under discussion in the tree tops. Turkey Vultures will begin disappearing from the skies & one day our Great Blue Heron will lift off from the Pond & begin it’s long journey south. Not sure when the song birds will begin to leave but it will be a few months yet before the Canada Geese begin forming up for their daily flight plan rehearsals. They are often the last ones to fly out before the snow flies. But, I am getting ahead of myself.

TURKEY VULTURE

This morning, a bird of a different feather sensed that migration feeling & busied itself with early travel preparations. The bird of course was a restless Snow Bird, & that bird was me. Spent most of my morning flitting about the Motorhome cleaning this, checking that, changing something here & re-arranging something there. Just simply enjoying my surprisingly early Autumn glow. There will soon be more of these happy days upon us as the day’s count down & the pace quickens. Before we know it, leaves will begin to change & October will be at our doorstep:))

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By noon, the heat & humidity had built up again & it was back to the reality of a hot Summer for a little while longer. Aside from a bug infested walk around the trail late this afternoon Pheebs & I kept a sleepy low profile for the remainder of the day. I seem to be having some problems with my energy levels again:((

 

CONE FLOWERS

At the suggestions of readers we will take the new printer out of the box, fire it up & check it out. Yep, just a common sense thing to do. Next step is to apply for a bank loan to buy an ink cartridge. Over the years we probably have had half a dozen printers or so & in my opinion the printer is the weakest link in the whole computer chain. We have had more problems with printers than any other piece of hardware. Printers always seem to be an annoying pain in the Patooty!!
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These are sad days for Gypsy over at ON THE ROAD AGAIN. Time had come for a final farewell to her faithful long time companion, Lady. Many of us have reached that stage where a decision has to be made with the best interest of our pets in mind & Gypsy had to make that decision just a couple days ago. I understand only to well the sense of loss she is going through at the moment. I feel the sadness in her heart.

 

A LITTLE BONDING AT THE BEACH
GROANER'S CORNER:(( A very wealthy lawyer retreated for several weeks each year to his summer home in the backwoods of Maine. Every summer, he would invite one friend or another to stay with him there for a week or two. One summer he invited a Czechoslovakian friend to visit him. The friend, happy to get anything free from a lawyer, eagerly agreed. When the time came, they spent a wonderful time, getting up early every morning and enjoying the great outdoors. One morning, as the lawyer and his Czechoslovakian friend were picking raspberries and blueberries for their breakfast, they were approached by two huge bears~~a male and a female. The lawyer noticed them in time to run for cover. His friend, however, was not so lucky. The male bear reached him and swallowed him whole. Seeing this, the lawyer ran back to his Mercedes and raced for the nearest town to get the local sheriff. The sheriff grabbed his high~powered rifle and raced back to the berry area with the lawyer. All the while, the Lawyer was plagued by visions of a lawsuit from his friend's family. He just had to save his friend. Luckily, the bears were still there. "He's in THAT one!" cried the lawyer, pointing to the male. The sheriff looked at the bears, levelled his gun, took careful aim, and shot the female. "What did you do that for?!" exclaimed the lawyer, "I said he was in the other bear!" "Exactly," replied the sheriff. "Would you believe a lawyer who told you that the Czech was in the male?"

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

- Home is where your pet is:))

- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)

- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward

- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

AND, ONCE AGAIN, JUST A NOTE TO SAY ‘THANKS’:))

ALONGSIDE AL’S WOOD GARDEN SHED
In all our RV travels we have never traveled with a 'printer'. A few days ago I had noticed a skid full of HP Printers sitting on the floor at Walmart. Glanced at the price going by which said $79.99. Well, anything over $5 always seems expensive to me so never thought anything more about it except, how useful a printer would have been to us last March when we bought the house in Congress, Arizona. We were swamped with a mountain of paper work that had to be printed, faxed, re-printed, shuffled, turned up side down, rotated twice & reprinted again. Kelly was constantly on the run to the Library, MIKE & PAT'S place, plus the Congress Assay office trying to get things all printed up, signed, & faxed.   Well, I was sometimes on the run driving her to all these places too.  We do have a Lexmark printer at home here in Bayfield but we are not big printer users. After a casual conversation with a neighborlady Thursday night I learned those HP Printers at Walmart were on sale for $39 today.

PHEEBS KEEPS A WARY EYE ON A PESKY SQUIRREL MAKING FACES AT HER FROM A TREE OUTSIDE
Wasn't long in loading up the little Monkey Buns this morning & off to Walmart we went likity split. Figured at that price the whole darn skid load of printers would be gone, but nope, lots left. Soon as I had the printer loaded into the Jeep, Pheebs was bugging me to head on over to McDonald's for a Burrito, so what could I say. Off to McDonald's it was. We slipped through the drive-thru just like Motormouse & used to do last summer & got ourselves a couple Burritos to go. We now have cheese gobs, bits of scrambled egg & pepper chunks scattered about between the seats & on the floor. Headed back to Bayfield smelling like a Mexican Taco Stand.  Stopped briefly at DEER PARK LODGE & helped Kelly load a BBQ onto a wagon. A couple pond pics, a quick hello to Stella & Guinness & we were home again.
 
DEER PARK LODGE POND & I THINK WE’LL JUST LEAVE THE PRINTER IN THE BOX UNTIL WE GET TO ARIZONA LATER
Despite the hot day I did manage to gather some energy together & clean up the Motorcycle. Took myself out for a short snort around a couple country blocks & that was about it. Hadn't been up on the roof of the Motorhome since we got back from Arizona last April so I crawled myself up the back ladder for a look see. Yep, I'm in for a good clean up job there for sure but going to wait until it's cooler next month. Followed that with a couple little outside projects & then it was into the house to re-charge my batteries with some good old refreshingly cool A/C:))

OUR MOTORHOME IS PARKED NEXT TO THE CARPORT FACING THE HOUSE
 
And, once again, just a note to say thank you to all the readers who have sent comments & emails this summer again. I know I‘m not real good at getting back to everyone but know that all your comments & emails are very much appreciated & read by both Kelly & myself. All comments & emails are saved as well. Thanks to the folks who have hung in there through my usual summer ups & downs, my rants, my rips & my floundering's. My mood swings don't always make for joyous, wonderful, & positive posts but it is the way I am feeling at the time & the way I write. Can't sugar coat my blog & present somebody to you I am not. From a long time reader on the East coast...." Al, I have always thought a person's blog was indeed their blog and if someone didn't like it, they just didn't read it. There are no set rules for blogging and definitely no blogging inspectors, or at least shouldn't be. A person's blog is about them, there perspectives and their experiences...nothing more". Thanks guys:))

MY ‘TOMBSTONE’ COWBOY HAT PATIENTLY AWAITS IT’S RETURN TO THE SOUTHWEST:))
GROANER'S CORNER:((  Why does a dentist seem moody? Because he always looks down in the mouth.
I tried to talk my wife into buying a case of Miller Light for $14.95
Instead, she bought a jar of cold cream for $7.95.
I told her the beer would make her look better at night than the cold cream.
And then the fight started....
I asked my wife, "Where do you want to go for our anniversary?"
It warmed my heart to see her face melt in sweet appreciation.
"Somewhere I haven't been in a long time!" she said.
So I suggested, "How about the kitchen?"
And that's when the fight started again!!

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
-  The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward   
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

PRIORITIES CHANGE, CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE, & WE AS PEOPLE.......CHANGE‏

SOME FARMER’S JUST HAVE MORE TIME ON THEIR HANDS THAN OTHERS…SEEN WEST OF MITCHELL ONTARIO THIS AFTERNOON
Thunder, lightning & rain came stealing across the lake last night waking Kelly & knocking out our electricity long enough to reset all the clocks & timers this morning. Thanks to my Zopoclone, I slept right through all the fuss.
---
My Uncle Harry had some health concerns the past couple days so Kelly & I slipped down to see how he was doing this afternoon. He was looking good in his gray pants & pink shirt. Last week when we got there he was having a shave.


Over the years we have all read many posts by RV folks. We have followed Full Time people as they excitedly made their transition from sticks & bricks to wheels.   We have followed Snow Birders busily readying their rigs for another season in the South. We read about all their hopes & dreams, their plans, their apprehensions & their fears. And, in many cases we continue to follow many of these folks for years in their changing lifestyles. It's exciting, it's invigorating, & it's enlightening as new & old RVing Bloggers eagerly keep us informed of their travels.  But, not so much…….when travels end.

EVENING TRAIL
Kind of seems to me like old RV'ers just sort of quietly fade away into the mainstream from whence they came. But I'm sure they are all much the wiser for their traveling experiences.  And, we the many readers are that much the wiser from reading their many experiences as well.  We all have to understand how our priorities change, our circumstances change & most of all, how we as people change. Check out recent Full Time RV'ers Terry & Martha from GYPSY LIFE JOURNAL as they deal with selling their Motorhome & transitioning themselves back into a much anticipated & welcome sticks & bricks lifestyle.
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Some good info from commenters Wednesday about dogs & onions. I knew about chocolate being bad for dogs but not onions. When Pheebs & I split a sub I generally pull her Tuna chunks off the bottom of the Sub.

HAVING A BIG SNOOZE ON DAD’S LAP TODAY
GROANER'S CORNER:(( Winston Churchill once said, 'The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter' & Ronald Regan once said, 'The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: 'I'm from the Government and I'm here to help.''
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

WHEN I GET GROWED UP I WANT TO DRIVE A BIG YELLOW BULLDOZER

COLUMBUS, NEW MEXICO….I WAS STUCK FOR PHOTOS TONIGHT SO JUST THREW IN A HANDFUL OF OLD RANDOM RV PICS

I was all geared up for a bike ride this morning but unfortunately the bike had other ideas. It did start alright but ran rough for about 5 seconds & stalled. And, that was it. No amount of cranking could get it to fire up again. Finally wore the battery down so my morning bike ride was in the dumpster. Put a trickle charger on the dead battery, strapped on the Jeep & headed off to Goderich. My mission this morning was a couple furnace filters, a new flashlight & a manual bicycle tire pump. Mission accomplished.  Later in the day I tried the bike again & as soon as I turned the key & hit the starter button the bike was purring like a kitten.  Honda’s do like to purr you know:))

 

NEAR QUARTZSITE ARIZONA…JANUARY 2007

The unusual number of cars at Goderich's A&W Root Beer this morning gave me a chuckle. It was a good example of people gathering....after the fact. Pop star Justin Bieber had popped in with some family members & a couple body guards Tuesday for a burg. BIEBS IN GODERICH  Bieber's home town is Stratford Ontario, less that an hour's drive east of Goderich. Figured maybe he was home for a few days & maybe wanted to come up to Goderich to have a look at last year's tornado damage. Goderich would have been the Bieber family's closest beach when Justin was growing up so I'm guessing he was just out for a drive re-visiting a few old places from his childhood. Am I a Justin Bieber fan? Nope, can't say I am. Seems like a fine young fellow alright, well mannered, heart seems to be in the right place & he appears to be considerate & thoughtful of others. If he stays on that track he'll probably grow up to be a fine young man. But, does the talent match all the hype. Not in my opinion it doesn't. At least, not yet. I think the meteoric rise of Justin Bieber would make a perfect classroom textbook case of how super successful marketing & frenzied media hype can easily influence the young masses. A person does not have to be highly talented to be a mega star. All the best to Justin Bieber though & may he someday live up to all the mega media hype surrounding him. May he one day find the fluid dance moves of a Fred Astaire or a Michael Jackson. A Roy Orbison like voice with the guitar styling's of an Eric Clapton. All the best Biebs, all the best:)) Just my opinion of course..............

 

TUCSON ARIZONA

IVAN & HAILEY THE WONDER CAT are in northern Ontario right now & blogged about the land of many lakes & being near the town of Dryden. The mention of Dryden Ontario & it's smelly pulp & paper mill immediately sent me on a trip down memory lane.

KITT PEAK…ARIZONA

It was the mid 50's & I was living in Tavistock Ontario with my Mother & new Stepfather. He had been working on the railroad locally but had landed a job in North-western Ontario as a heavy equipment operator with the Riley Construction Company.  They were working on the new Trans Canada highway system west of Dryden. He drove the long stretch out to the new job & few months later on a rain soaked windy day my Mother & walked across the wet tarmac at the then Toronto’s Malton airport & boarded an airplane to fly out to Thunder Bay, then known as Fort William-Port Arthur.  My Stepfather (Irvin) met us at the airport & off we went on a car trip west heading for a little place called Oxdrift Ontario. I remember sitting glued to the car window all the way totally transfixed by the forests, rocks & endless lakes. For a small boy, it was like being in magic land & I have often wondered if this 231 mile trip through rugged bush country was the very beginning of what would turn out to be this endless wanderlust I carry with me to this very day.

THE OLD GANG AT PLAY SOUTH OF QUARTZSITE ARIZONA
Oxdrift wasn't really anything more than a name on the map. No town to speak of. Just a building or two scattered along the highway with a general store called Fotheringhams down a dirt road right next to a main rail line running east west across Canada. When my Mother was learning to drive Irvin's 1954 maroon 4 door Ford, her & I were nearly struck by a train at that crossing & I've never forgotten that.

IN THE SHADOW OF PILOT KNOB…YUMA CALIFORNIA
In Tuesday's post I had mentioned about a couple short vacations on a dairy farm but until this morning I had forgot about the time we actually lived on a farm, & that was in Oxdrift Ontario. Irvin had been boarding with a bunch of other construction workers at an older farm couples house right alongside the newly torn up highway. When we arrived in Oxdrift my Mother & I also lived in that same very crowded farm house with the construction crew. Pretty fascinating memories for a small boy sitting at a long breakfast table piled high with food & about half a dozen or more big burley hungry construction guys. They all slept on floor mattress's in a loft area of the farm house we called, 'Granny Stewarts'. And, that's where my wee bed was as well. The construction fellas were all nice to me & it wasn't long & I knew them all by name.

CAMPED ALONG THE BANKS OF THE SAN PEDRO RIVER NEAR SIERRA VISTA ARIZONA

I remember the day well when a few weeks after our arrival I went with my Mother & Irvin to the nearest big town of Dryden Ontario. We were there to look at what appeared to me to be a very long beautiful silver & red shiny trailer. I had never seen anything like this before & just loved the thought of living in it. Well, it wasn't long & we were, but not before my Stepfather had it towed all the way from Dryden to Oxdrift & placed about  a hundred yards from Granny Stewart's boarding house. We would spend the next 6 months or so living in this long magical house trailer right next to a big barn full of dairy cattle & views all around that stretched off to distant forests & lakes. This 6 months turned out to be a very memorable time in this young boys life & I will just touch on a few of the highlights I still remember.

BOONDOCKING NEAR TOMBSTONE ARIZONA

The public school in Tavistock was a large two story brick building with 5 or 6 large school rooms holding grades from one to eight.  The country school just outside of Oxdrift, was located down a long gravely country road with grades one to eight all bunched together in just one room.  It was quite a change for me, to say the least.

WE GOT SNOWED ON AT JEANNIE & RAY’S RANCH NEAR McNEAL ARIZONA

The little one room schoolhouse with it's wood stove at the back was located maybe a couple miles from Granny Stewart's farm & my memory of how I went to school & came home every day is sketchy. But I do remember walking home from school one day with other kids. I do recall going to school another morning on the back of a Shetland Pony. The Fotheringhams General Store owners had a Son my age & he had a Shetland Pony. Granny Stewart's farm was located between Fotheringhams' s General Store & the school. Can't remember my classmate's name now but I do remember him letting me sit behind him on the Pony as we made our way to school one morning. Second fading memory I still have took place in the winter. Not sure if it was a horse drawn sleigh or a tractor drawn wagon that came along the road picking up farm kids along the way but I do remember being all bundled up climbing aboard the wagon & sitting with a bunch of other bundled up kids on our way to school.  No school buses in that area then.

AT THE GENERAL STORE IN PORTAL ARIZONA

My Stepfather Irvin drove a big yellow D8 Bulldozer & of course was my hero because I wanted to drive a big yellow bulldozer when I grew up too.  And, if I ever get growed up, I still might do that.  Some days just after supper he would drive my Mother & I out to a section of highway where a large rock cut was about to be dynamited out for the highway.  I remember the big sudden jarring booms, the dust, & the flying chunks of rock.  I remember the time my Mother, not being used to cooking with gas, almost blew us up.  Turned on the oven, waited too long & then struck a match to light it.  Ka-boom!!  Singed hair & eyebrows plus a very startled & scared little boy standing just a few feet away.  Always remember some kind of problem with the sewer pipe connection too.  Things weren’t hooked up as well as they are nowadays with house trailers.  And, thinking of smells………..oh how we hated it when we had an East wind blowing.  It blew the dreaded heavy pungent sulphurous smell of Dryden’s big pulp & paper mill all the way to Oxdrift.  Many a morning I headed off for school with my nose buried deep in my coat.  Even I smelled better than that old smelly pulp & paper mill…………..

MORNING WALK…CLARK DRY LAKE BED NEAR BORREGO SPRINGS CALIFORNIA 

Aw yes, many fading memories. But, my post is already too long so maybe another day I'll share some memories of a little one room school house in north-west Ontario back in the 1950's.  And, by a slight twist of events, that big shiny red & silver trailer actually ended up on another farm………….just outside of Tavistock Ontario.   But, we weren’t living in it.

A DESERT CHRISTMAS NEAR BORREGO SPRINGS CALIFORNIA…2008

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A few tongue twisters tonight.........

How many cookies could a good cook cook if a good cook could cook cookies? A good cook could cook as many cookies as a good cook who could cook cookies.

---

One-one was a race horse.
Two-two was one too.
One-one won one race.
Two-two won one too.

-

When I was in Arkansas I saw a saw that could out saw any saw I ever saw. If you happen to be in Arkansas and see a saw that can out saw the saw I saw I'd like to see the saw you saw.

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

- Home is where your pet is:))

- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)

- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward

- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.comrkansas and see a saw that can out saw the saw I saw I'd darn well like to see the saw you saw.

SHARING A TUNA SUB WITH MY BEST PAL:))

 

PHEEBS LOVES HANGING OUT IN THE FLOWER BEDS

Humidity started building early again so figured Pheebs & I were due for another inside day.  About noon I cautiously stuck my head out the door & was pleasantly surprised to feel a stiff breeze had blown in some slightly cooler air & kicked out the humidity.  Didn’t take long for me to load up little Miss Molly Sweet Cakes & head off into town with Tuna Sub thoughts on our minds.  Pheebs loves Tuna Subs & I always get a 6 incher on whole wheat with tomatoes, lettuce, green peppers, onions, & a spritz of sub sauce with a light dusting of salt & pepper.  No cheese.  We are quite a pair of hounds sitting in the front seat of the Jeep wolfing down our shared Sub.  Bits of tomatoes & green peppers wedged between the seats, sub sauce on my shirt, a dash of lettuce in Pheebs fur & Tuna chunks being licked off my arm.  We laugh, we kibitz & we breathe hot Tuna breath at each other.  We’re quite a pair, the Jeeps a mess, we’re a mess & the Jeep will probably smell like an onion factory for the next 6 week.

 

BETWEEN THE TWO OF US WE CAN SURE GET THE JEEP IN A BIG MESS PRETTY FAST

A commenter wondered if I was following the Urologist’s suggestion to drink a big glass of Orange juice every morning & my answer to that is ‘yes’.  Also continuing with my Cranberry Juice throughout the day as well.  Do not want to have to go through all that kidney stone stuff again!!

Several weeks before my Nurse Practitioner prescribed the cholesterol fighting drug Crestor I had already begun making some major changes to my eating habits. First to go was my morning soy shakes which I had been drinking every morning for about the past 12 or 13 years. Some may remember me blogging about those concoctions under the heading, SOUNDS YUKKY-TASTES YUMMY. I replaced those morning soy shakes with Boost. Gone are the fried foods & I have not had a burger or fries for about 2 months now. No donuts, pie or ice cream but have had a couple carrot muffins. Gone is my flat bread & I have only had maybe 6 slices of bread since around the beginning of May. Reduced my skim milk consumption by about 90%. Gone are potatoes & also gone are breakfast cereals. Want to emphasize, I am not on a diet, just changed some of my eating habits. Am eating a lot of oatmeal every morning now with cinnamon, flax seed & whey powder added. Weight is down 9 pounds but I just can't seem to break through the 200 pound mark. Hopefully once this long heat wave ends I can get out walking again & get a few more pounds off. (quite a few would be nice)

A LOGGING OPERATION NORTH OF US IN MENNONITE COUNTRY

Had a nice email from a lady today that began with. “I tried to post this as a comment on your blog but I guess I didn’t fit the criteria”! LOL.  Yes, that ‘criteria’ is the unfortunate result of spammers & rude commenters.  Like others, I would have preferred to have left the ‘Anyone’ can comment box checked but had no choice but to check the ‘Registered Users’ box in order to stop the bad guys.  I had my comments section turned off awhile back & when I reactivated it the section right away reverted back to default which was ‘Anyone’.  Within about 10 minutes I was slammed with spam & quickly had to revert back to the ‘Registered User’ box again.  Too bad because legitimate Anonymous commenters are now blocked from my comment section as well.  Only takes a few bad apples to ruin things for so many.  I think spammers are the scourge of the internet:((

ALWAYS ENJOY SEEING PEOPLES ARCHITECTURE IDEAS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

CRACKER BARREL in the States sure has been busy keeping  birdhouses in stock in an attempt to keep up with our friend Ron Krauter who owns FOUR SEASONS PERFORMANCE in Grand Bend, Ontario.  Ron is the fellow we bought our Motorhome from.  He’s a busy guy, traveling to & fro across the States buying & bringing coaches back across the border to Canada.  He brought our rig up from St. Augustine Florida I think.  Like us, Ron has an appetite for Cracker Barrel.  Today, on his way through Bayfield he dropped into DEER PARK LODGE with another great little Cracker Barrel birdhouse for us.  This one in the shape of an old time camera & Kelly brought it right home.  We thank Ron, the bird’s thank Ron & I’m sure Cracker Barrel thanks Ron as well:))

  

OUR CRACKER BARREL BIRDHOUSE’S…NEWEST ONE TODAY AT LEFT     

I have never quite understood why some folks do not like air conditioning. What is not to like about refreshing cooler air on a hot humid & sticky day. I don't think there is any other phrase that Kelly & I have used more between us as than, "boy, sure glad we had central air put in years ago". We both agree it was one of our best decisions & as it turns out, just in time with our ever changing weather patterns. I do regret not having A/C in the Jeep but that's the way it came. Suppose I could add it, but oh the cost!! I am one of those people with oily skin, so humidity just turns me into a walking 200 pound ball of sticky paste. Getting that big ball of paste out of a 90F hot humid day into a lovely cool 75F environment is just pure bliss for me. Why suffer the heat if it is not necessary. Same thing in winter, why sit around shivering with half a dozen sweaters on if one can crank up the furnace or old wood stove a bit. Guess we're all just different folks with different strokes:))

A COUNTRY SCHOOL YARD SITS PATIENTLY AWAITING CHILDREN’S LAUGHTER IN EARLY SEPTEMBER

Terry & Martha from GYPSY LIFE JOURNAL are back:)) You may remember they had a complete Blogger crash in March. Took them awhile to get back up & running & I'm sure folks will be surprised to see what all has happened with them between March & now. I'll give you a hint or two. Swimming pool, Tucson, & Catalina Mountains. Terry & Martha are the folks who took over our Ranch sitting job near McNeal in southeast Arizona this past winter...........

AT REST AFTER ANOTHER LONG WORK DAY IN THE HARVESTED WHEAT FIELDS OF SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO

GROANER'S CORNER:(( And, yet another take on the Serenity Prayer....God grant me the serenity to accept the people I cannot change, the courage to change the one I can, and the wisdom to know it's me.
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com