IT WAS A GOOD DAY FOR PHEEBS & I TO TAKE A JEEP TOUR

TWO FARM HORSES PULLING A CART UP THE ROAD AS A YOUNG MENNONITE BOY FOLLOWS

Been home nearly 3 weeks now so Pheebs & I were in dire need of a relaxing Jeep tour. What better day than a sunny Saturday Spring morning to get ourselves out onto the gravel back roads of rural South-Western Ontario.

 
JUST OUT IN THE GREEN FIELDS ENJOYING A FINE SPRING DAY

First stop was one of Pheebs favorites. She always gets a dog treat at the gas bar near McDonald's in Goderich's south end. And mentioning McDonalds, yep, we slipped through the drive-thru for a couple Burritos, a coffee & a carrot muffin. With food & drink in hand we headed north out of town tussling over the Burritos.

 

A LOOK UP THE ROAD & A LOOK DOWN THE ROAD WITH A LEAFLESS COLD APRIL WOODS IN BETWEEN
How nice to once again be out in the fine fresh farm air of the open countryside. Heater on at first in the crisp cool morning air but as the sun rose it wasn't long before we had the windows partially down. Pheebs loves sitting up in the passenger seat looking out the wind shield. Gets a little crazy if she sees a Squirrel , a Bunny or a heard of Cows. I get a little crazy just seeing all the great scenery. How nice to be out & about by myself slowly ambling along with my cameras & the Pheebs.

 
CAME UPON SOME TUNDRA SWANS IN A WET FARMER’S FIELD
I'm always on the look-out for new roads & areas I haven't been. Very rare that happens anymore because I have been ambling these roads for years. But darned if I didn't wander down a dead end road this morning & discover a quiet little RV Park at the end of it sitting right on the banks of the Maitland River. It’s in the Wawanosh Conservation Area.  With the campground tucked privately away my mind always thinks of quiet get-aways. But then I saw the playground equipment & knew this would be a very busy spot in the summer for families so that was the end of any camping plans there. Pheebs & I did get out for a walk along the river bank though.

 

 

NICE CAMPGROUND RIGHT ON THE BANKS OF THE MAITLAND RIVER IN THE WAWWANOSH VALLEY CONSERVATION AREA

I have a habit of always traveling to the same area on our country jaunts because of the gently rolling hills, small lakes, rivers, forests, & the quiet Mennonite farms neatly scattered along the roads. It's a peaceful area & I always come home feeling better than when I left. Every time I stop for a photo or two Pheebs gets out & races around smelling absolutely everything there is to smell. For dogs it's just a great big smelling good world out there.

NOTICE THE SMALL BOY IN THE HASTILY TAKEN REAR VIEW OUTSIDE MIRROR SHOT THEN NOTICE SAME PHOTO CROPPED & ENHANCED IN PICASA’S PHOTO EDITING PROGRAM BELOW LEFT…PHOTO RIGHT IS ALSO CROPPED FROM A MUCH LARGER PHOTO & SHOWS WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH YOUR PICASA:))

  

I am always impressed by the manicured farms & fields. Today it was the acres of green & growing winter wheat alongside the roads. A few more good sun drenched drying days & the farmers will be on the land plowing & grooming the moist ground for planting. The smell of freshly turned earth will permeate the rural air. And in Mennonite/Amish country it is horses that will pull those plows.

PHEEBS SPOTS A FLY FISHERMAN IN THE MAITLAND RIVER

  
I THINK IT’S TROUT SEASON & TODAY WAS OPENING DAY

While Pheebs & I toured the country roads Kelly & Aunt Jean browsed around in downtown Bayfield stopping into a few shops, a new bakery, a popular coffee shop & Bayfield's brand spanking new Library.  Later in the day Jean gives Pheebs a tummy rub & catches a few warming rays on our front deck.

 

By golly if this better weather keeps up I just may be inclined to install my new battery in the Motorcycle Sunday & take the bike for a twirl:))

FRANCIS BABU managed to wade through all the Google hurdles & join us as our 566th Blog Follower. Welcome aboard & thank you for your interest.  And just minutes before publishing the blog tonight I noticed we had us yet another Blog Follower.  Tex 0322 from ONE TEXAN'S TRAVEL'S kindly drops by & we thank him/her for doing so & say welcome:))

JUST ONE OF THE MANY CLEAN & NEAT MENNONITE FARMS IN THE AREA

GROANER'S CORNER:(( The pastor had launched into one of his "Best Ever"messages. He was about half done, at the 45-minute mark and just getting to the "good part," when a member of his congregation died. Rushing to his office, he dialled 911. When the ambulance arrived, the paramedics carried out 51 people before they finally got one who didn't wake up when they got him to fresh air.

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

I NEED THAT SOME DAYS

WE ALWAYS ENJOY OUR PINE FOREST WALKS IN THE MORNING

Didn't have myself what I would consider a real great productively creative, or cerebrally challenging day. Just kind of flat lined myself along. Again, I think it has to do with my poor sleeping habits. Went to bed feeling like a Zombie & woke up feeling like a more worser Zombie.  But here are the 3 highlights of my day anyway. Finished cleaning the gutters, drove Kelly & Aunt Jean to Seaforth & back & went out for supper & ate too much.  Now how’s that for an exciting day eh…………

 
ANOTHER COLD NIGHT FOR THE POOR DAFFODILS…THEY SURE ARE HAVING A HARD TIME OF IT THIS YEAR

Regarding Thursday night's post DONNA K asked the question. ' Do you own the lot or lease it? We own our unit but we lease the land it sits on. It has worked out OK over the years but if we had to do it all over again I think we would prefer to own as opposed to lease. Been here over 10 years now. Times were different for us back in 2002 & decisions were based on different circumstances then. We don't really think of our unit as sitting on leased land & have always treated & cared for it as if were our own.
 

I REALLY MUST WORK HARDER AT GETTING MY BIRD PHOTOS CLEARER

For some the lead photo in Thursday night's post may have been a little confusing & that is why I posted 2 other photos further down in the post related to that the lead photo explaining what it was. Pine trees in the morning sun cast long shadows on the pond bank & reflected in the water.

<<< I THINK PHEEBS IS HAVING A PUSSY CAT DREAM

And here’s a few thoughts on sadness I had recently.  Sometimes I just seem to get myself into a sad reflective mood & often as not it is an old favorite piece of music that just seems to gently guide me there. It’s not a depression so much as a regression. A return to an earlier stage of life. Memories of times & places, people & events. It’s an emotional sadness when I sometimes look back, sometimes ahead. Even sometimes when I am not looking in either direction I can still feel the sadness. It’s just there. It’s just part of a life that seems to ebb & flow with a cycling tide. I enjoy the sad times some days because they slow me down, bring my mind into focus & ground me in the subtle realities of life. It sharpens my sensitivity & I need that some days.

That’s about it for tonight so better give it up while I am still ahead & call it a day.  Maybe something exciting will happen tomorrow….d’ya think:))

AUNT JEAN MUST HAVE THOUGHT SHE WAS SITTING IN SOME WARM FLORIDA SUNSHINE THIS AFTERNOON 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Each evening bird lover Tom stood in his backyard, hooting like an owl - and one night, an owl finally called back to him. For a year, the man and his feathered friend hooted back and forth. He even kept a log of the "conversation"...
Just as he thought he was on the verge of a breakthrough in interspecies communication, his wife had a chat with her next door neighbor.
"My husband spends his nights ... calling out to owls," she said.
"That's odd," the neighbor replied. "So does my husband!"

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

DESPITE OUR RESTLESSNESS SOMETIMES, WE DO LIKE WHERE WE ARE

Always enjoy seeing the Sun's rays tickling the tops of our Pine trees at daybreak. Only 33F this morning but with no wind one can dress warm & have an acceptable start to the day with a walk in our Pine forest. However it's not every day I can make it around the trail any more. Some days no pain in my hip at all while other days I have to turn back or just not go. This morning was a good walk & I did not have to rely on my cane. I always carry it with me now. Never know at what point in the day the pain is going to start in that hip area.

Kelly has not heard anything from her Doctor about last weeks medical problems so we're just waiting to see what develops. She has not had any more pain in her chest or if she has she just isn't telling me this time. That would not be unusual. Getting Kelly to see a Doctor about anything is like trying to drag a cat into a tub for a bath.

We have had a cell phone for about 7 years. Kelly noticed the battery wouldn't hold a charge anymore so Wednesday she slipped over to Bell Canada in Goderich & picked up a new phone. Lady at the counter seemed a little surprised to see her 7 year old phone. Figure it might end up in the cell phone museum. We now have a nice little straight forward black Samsung phone. No smart stuff on it & that suits us just fine. We are looking forward to much better reception with the newer 4G network technology.  

It seems we always enjoy the Park we live in the most when we return from our South-West travels each Spring. Of all the Parks we looked at in our area years ago there was only one that interested us and stood head and shoulders above all the rest because of it's uniqueness, one of them being…….. an Adult Park.  Of course I am talking about the 5 Seasons Estates just a couple miles northeast of downtown Bayfield, Ontario.
Probably one of the greatest things we have going for us in our Park is the fact it is 55+. That is hugely significant because it means we do not have noisy kids running around or teenagers up and down the streets with their cars. We have zero crime problems here and again I see that as a direct result of the Park's mature residents. No noisy drunken parties, no neighbourhood egos, no loud music and no attitudes, (ok, maybe a few) You could shoot a canon down any one of our quiet tree lined streets at any time of day or night and not hit anything. We can bicycle here without the threat of being mowed down and anyone can walk at any time day or night with absolutely no threat to their well being.

With all the bad stuff going on in our society today it is like we live in a 1950's time warp in our little 60 or so unit Park. Many of our neighbours are single Seniors.  Our treed lots are huge compared to any other Park like this that we have ever seen. In fact, our lot is probably bigger than most lots found in many suburbs. And, because of the way I have planted trees and shrubs on our lot we basically cannot even see the neighbour's or their houses during the summer months.
We do have a Clubhouse in our Park but it is not an active one and I see that as a good thing because it is just down the street from us and who would want all that extra noise anyway. There is another Mobile Home Park located a few miles south of us across the Bayfield River. Fortunately we have some heavily forested land between us because sometimes on a long weekend Saturday night if I'm out walking I can hear the faint whoopin and thumpin of their live outside band. We are so fortunate that we do not have any of that kind of stuff going on here.
I've learned a few things over the years and one of them is this, 'if you are in the mood for party noise then go to where the party noise is and be a part of that noise all you want but when it's time to go home, I want to come home to where the quiet is. We can do that here at the 5 Seasons. Am I old fashioned? No I don’t think so.   It’s just that If I have to be around people I much prefer to be around quieter older mature people. I lost too many good years being around the other types of people decades ago.

Our Park is located in the country and surrounded on 3 sides by forest with the 4th side being farmland. We have miles of walking trails here where it is possible to walk quiet paths with rarely encountering another person. Now, how nice is that:)) Our streets are all tree lined with each lot also having it's own canopy of trees. We basically live in a Pine forest. Mail is picked up in a mail box hut near the main entrance. And no, we do not have one of those annoyingly silly wooden arm gates at our entrance either. We can have campfires in the privacy of our backyard whenever we want as well. We also have our Motor Home parked right on our lot with room to spare, and again, how nice is that.

When Kelly and I met we were both living in big cities. She was in Cambridge and I was in Stratford Ontario. Kelly's life as well as mine had been spent mainly in large towns and cities. Always in communities and always around people. Had Kelly and I not mutually decided we had had enough of that way of life we would never have found our way to the old abandoned farm house near Fullarton Ontario that we made liveable and stayed for 7 years. It was that 7 years of country living that changed everything for both of us. Not just me, but Kelly as well!! It spoiled us both, but spoiled us in a good way. We will probably never live in a town or city again unless forced to by age someday………………………………

So with all that talk of quiet I can say that is how we spent our day. Raked up some pine needles, picked up some branches, & cleaned out some gutters on the house. Aunt Jean snoozed in the sunroom, I snoozed in my living room recliner & Kelly had a rest in her room. Yep, it was a quiet day in a quiet Park in a quiet region of South-Western Ontario.  We like to call it……………..Ontario’s West Coast:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  "So, your mother says your prayers for you each night? Very commendable. What does she say?"
The little boy replied, "Thank Heaven he's in bed!"

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

I CARRY A NON TECHNICAL MEMORY DEVICE IN MY SHIRT POCKET

THIS RED WING BLACKBIRD IS CERTAINLY NOT WORRIED ABOUT GETTING COLD FEET TODAY
Turned out to be a cold, damp, drizzly, morning with wet snow lazily drifting out of the dark overcast sky for most of the afternoon.  Even the Mourning doves below were huddling together on our bird station mourning the death of our warm sunny month of April.

NAN'S comment question this morning was, 'by the way, how did you meet Kelly'. With that question in mind I spent some time plowing through my archives this morning looking for a post I'm sure I wrote about that awhile back.  With 1,868 posts behind me I have a bit of looking to do & when I find that post I will re-post it again.  Rummaging through my archives I did find a few other posts relating to our meeting back in the summer of 1993. One of those had to do with my 30 year habit of carrying a pen & notepad in my shirt pocket & how it almost tripped me up the first time I met Kelly. (been carrying my reminder notepads since 83 & met kelly in 93)  I have updated that post & here it is…………………..

EVEN AUNT JEAN’S RENTED SUBARU WAS LOOKING DEPRESSED ABOUT TODAY’S  WEATHER >>>
‘To do’ & ‘reminder lists’ have been an important part of my life for many years & without them I would probably just clank to a stop & cease to function. In 1983 I was alone at the end of a marriage & found myself in a position where I didn't know where or how to even pay a phone bill. I was surrounded by total confusion & had so many things on my plate all at once I was literally traveling in Merry-go-round circles. Only way off that whirly-gig was to grab me a notebook, a pen, & get myself organized as fast as possible. Had to start writing down everything I could think of so I wouldn't forget things. It was important for me to stabilize quickly & what better way than a daily listing of my current day's activities & things I had to remember for the future.  From that day to this very day I have always carried a small notebook & pen in my shirt pocket. 

NORMALLY THESE DARK EYED JUNCOS ARE HEADED NORTH BY NOW BUT NOT THIS YEAR
 
I write down everything like, get bananas, milk, celery or check oil in the Jeep or shoelaces for hiking boots. Clean living room windows, license tags this week, start motorhome generator, wash motorcycle, email to Blog reader, check the Santa Fe's tire pressures, etc. etc. etc. Everything goes into my book. Also in the back of my little book I have the license numbers of all the vehicles plus tire pressures for each one including the bicycles. Phone numbers in the back of the book as well including our own because that one seems the hardest to remember.   And despite today’s technologies I still find it much simpler to just pull the note book out of my pocket & jot a reminder down. No electronics to fire up, no batteries to recharge, no teensy weensy screens to look at, no itsy bitsy keys to punch, no scrolling or finger pecking menus,no apps, no confusion & no frustration. Takes about a second to write the word ‘milk’ in my book & I’m good to go to the grocery store:))

IT’S A DRAB GRAY DAY HERE IN OUR FRONT YARD…EXCEPT FOR THE YELLOW PLASTIC FLOWERS
 
PAIR OF CARDINALS & AM GUESSING THE FELLOW ON THE RIGHT AS A WHITE THROATED SPARROW

FEMALE CARDINAL
I've had many note books over the years with each one lasting maybe 6 to 12 months or more. Depends how often I am at writing things down as to how long I carry any one particular book. I get very irritable with myself if I forget something so it's imperative that I treat myself well by making sure everything is in the book.  But, it nearly tripped me up one day.
 <<< JUST ONE OF MY COUNTLESS LITTLE BLACK BOOKS THAT I HAVE CARRIED WITH ME FOR YEARS
As helpful as my little black book (yes, it's actually black) has been over the years it did very nearly cost me a second date with a very good looking blonde I had just met in a coffee shop one afternoon in Doon, Ontario. It was my first time meeting Kelly & I had pulled out all the stops. Wore my best used shirt & maybe even washed some mud off my Mazda truck.  Bought her a coffee as I recall.  After all I can be quite the big spender when I have to be.   My pen & notebook were securely in my pocket in case I had to jot anything down….like maybe a phone number:))  Everything went well (probably was the free coffee) & we agreed to meet again later in the week for a movie. It wasn't until a few years later that she told me when she came into the coffee shop that day & saw the pen & notebook in my pocket she had me pegged for a nerdy type guy & she definitely was not looking for a nerdy type. (good thing I had taken my glasses off & stuck them in my back pocket) Well, somehow me, my pen, & my notebook all survived the close coffee shop encounter that day & I have been a part of Kelly's life ever since & that's been just about 20 years now.   How's that for a happy ending to a story between a man, a good looking blonde, a pen, & a notebook................:))

GUESSING THIS FELLOW AS MAYBE BEING A SONG SPARROW >>>
GROANER’S CORNER:((  Half a dozen quotable quotes for the day
- Music is a picture painted on a background of silence...
- A discussion seeks what is right - an argument seeks who is right...
- The one rowing the boat is never the one who rocks it...
- He who fiddles around seldom gets to lead the orchestra...
- Never look down on anybody unless you're helping them up...
- The best way to appreciate your job is to imagine yourself without it...
-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

PSA TEST OK & MORE ESTATE TRAVELS

SHARING A SECRET

My day started with an 8 a.m. appointment to see Dr. Bukala who some may remember was the surgeon who did my kidney stone procedure at the Stratford Hospital last summer. My PSA numbers had been slightly elevated last Fall so he wanted to test those numbers again soon as we returned from Arizona this Spring. Numbers were the same & he said nothing to worry about. He will see me again after another PSA test at the end of August.

---

<<< HERE COME THE GALS LIKITY SPLIT ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE SEAFORTH POST OFFICE

It was more Estate business this morning as Aunt Jean, Kelly, & I headed off to 3 more small Ontario towns. A lawyers office in Clinton, a Credit Union & Post Office in Seaforth, & Uncle Harry's care facility in Mitchell. Thankfully my presence wasn't needed inside any of those places so my role this morning was mainly that of Chauffeur. A roll that fits me well & one I am comfortable with. Any time I can avoid sitting in somebody's office talking money matters or having to sign papers is a good day.  That kinda stuff is all Greek Speak to me.  Besides, between Kelly & Aunt Jean they got the most good brains for all that stuff anyway.

PHEEBS ROMPS WITH OLD PALS BRONSON & DEXTER

Had an unidentified bird photo in Sunday's post & just remembered someone asking what kind of bird it was. I am guessing at a Chipping Sparrow. I also recall someone asking about the blue water color in one of my Geese on the pond photos. Can't technically explain that except to say photos taken in poor light or shadow areas have a tendency to default to a blue caste in the photo. Think there has been a few other questions as well but they have slipped by me now.

CHIPPING SPARROW

Decided awhile back to not go with any advertising on the Blog. Not that we couldn't use a few extra dollars but I just decided to not pursue the idea any further. Just one less thing for me to worry about or keep track of.  And these days that is a good thing………….

A COUPLE PALS GRAZING IN THE EARLY MORNING GRASS

We have us some cold rainy weather rolling in overnight so I’m really going to have to put on my thinking cap for a post tomorrow.  But that’s the part I enjoy about blogging.  Some folks exercise their minds with crossword puzzles, some with playing cards, tweetering, chess, computer games, etc.  Me, I just like the challenge to creatively think of something different to photograph & write about.  Guess that’s why I do it every day.  Keeps the cobwebs from building up in my brain cells……well sorta.

<<< BEST PALS BRONSON & PHEEBS

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Hearing about a dinosaur alive in the rain forests of South America, a professor launches a scientific expedition. After several weeks he stumbles upon a little man wearing a loincloth, standing near a 300-foot-long dead dinosaur. The scientist can't believe his eyes. "Did you kill this dinosaur?" he asks. "Yep," replies the rain-forest native. "But it's so big and you're so small! How did you kill it?" "With my club," the primitive fellow answered. "How big is your club?" "Well, there are about 100 of us."

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.