“OH OH” JUST FOUND OUT A GROWING 1,500+ ACRE FOREST FIRE IS WITHIN ABOUT 20 MILES OF OUR CONGRESS ARIZONA HOUSE!!

 
AT THE HULLETT MARSH SATURDAY & GUESSING THIS LITTLE FELLOW MIGHT BE A BALTIMORE CHECKERSPOT
Again, a nice cool morning so took advantage of that to trim our Basswood tree plus a neighbor's Magnolia tree & some Lilacs. No bugs for a couple hours so it was nice to get a few outside things done without being annoyed, irritated, or pestered.
 
OUR BASSWOOD TREE & OUR NEIGHBOR’S MAGNOLIA

 
HUMMING BIRD IN THE DITCH LILIES AT ONE OF OUR SATURDAY AFTERNOON ROADSIDE STOPS

I'm afraid my poor Motorcycle has spent most of it's time sitting around in the carport collecting dust again this year. Wished I could recapture the excitement I always had in the early days of riding but it just isn't there anymore. Once I do get the bike out heading down the road I do enjoy the ride but it's just getting myself into Motorcycle mode is where I run into problems. Each Spring I think to myself 'this is it, I'm going to spend the summer on my motorcycle'. But it just never seems to happen. I've never had a desire to ride with other bikers & my enjoyment has always come from my solitary journeys around the local countryside but often as not I take the Jeep now.  And yet I know if I sold the bike it's not very likely I would ever have another one at this stage of the game. It's just that $45 a month 12 months a year for insurance that bugs me. Oh well the less I drive it the less I will have to spend on maintenance & repairs and of course………….the longer I can keep it:))

Now, having written the above paragraph earlier this morning I did jump on the bike later this morning & head on up to Walmart in Goderich for a few things. Nearly pulled the same dumb stunt I did last year when I dropped into the Supermarket & bought too much stuff to fit in my saddlebags. Seems as soon as I park the bike, turn my back on it & walk away, I totally forget I even brought the bike. Lucky break this morning as I stood in the Pet Department mulling over whether to buy a big 50kg bag of birdseed or not. No thought whatsoever that I had just brought the bike & would have no way of carrying a big heavy bag of birdseed back to Bayfield. Decided on a smaller bag simply because I didn't want to have any birdseed left over at the end of the season & the feeding frenzy will probably begin to slow down a bit soon. As it was I was still pushed a bit for space stuffing in the smaller bag of birdseed, 2 litres of milk, a pkg of flat bread, & a tub of honey into the right side saddlebag.  Yep, I get a tad discouraged with myself sometimes when I make those short term memory mistakes.

 
  

HULLETT MARSH…WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THIS LARGE WILDLIFE REFUGE CLOSE TO US & I HAVE BEEN HIKING SLOSHING AROUND IN HERE SINCE THE LATE 80’S
The learning curve on my new NIKON D3100 has been gentle. A few auto focus issues I have to adjust to but other than that I have been able to understand things & with a little trial & error shooting I am getting the minor bugs worked out. Not that the camera has any bugs of course but it's operator does have a few resident cobwebs that do get in the way of the learning process from time to time. If you have been confused by all that Megapixel, ISO, Resolution gobble be sure to click on the above D3100 link & read Ken Rockwell’s no nonsense take on some of that techno stuff. He also gives you his expert & unbiased opinion on what he considers the best types of cameras & lenses to buy. He discusses both Nikon & Canon as well as all the other brands.

 
PARKED ON A HILL SATURDAY PHEEBS HOLDS THE EMERGENCY BRAKE ON WITH HER PAW:))
Hey George, here’s the info on that house & property for sale a few minutes southeast of Exeter Ontario…..HOUSE FOR SALE.  The house sits about 40-50’ from the highway.  Some places you get a feel for & some you don’t.  For me, this place regardless of price & without even getting out of the Jeep, was a definite ‘don’t’.

I THINK ONE OF OUR FRONT YARD BLUE JAYS IS MISSING A FEATHER
“OH OH” just found out tonight we have a forest fire raging close to our Congress Arizona house.  I’m guessing maybe 20 miles or less if it’s coming down the Yarnell Hill.  Check out this YARNELL FIRE LINK.   Thanks for posting that on Facebook Mike.  Kelly just noticed it.  Got ya another windmill big guy.  It’s in my Saturday post:))

FIRE WAS STARTED BY LIGHTNING & I’M PRETTY SURE GEOGYPSY  IS IN THE AREA THAT WAS EVACUATED BECAUSE I KNOW SHE IS RIGHT UP ATOP THE YARNELL HILL WHERE THAT FIRE IS
GROANER’S CORNER:((  Father Flannigan’s phone rang and he picked it up. The voice said,
"Good morning, are you Father Flannigan?"
"I am"
"This is the Revenue Service. Can you answer a question?"
"I can"
"Do you know a Tom O’Halloran?"
"I do"
"Does he belong to your church?"
"He does"
"Did he donate $5,000 to your orphans fund?"
"He will."
-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.

SAY, I WONDER IF IT’S TOO EARLY TO START LOADING A FEW THINGS IN THE WINNIE WAGON YET………………..

SOMETIMES  HARD TO SEE THE LITTLE PHEEBS IN ALL THE TALL GREENERY

So nice waking up to cooler 58F temps this morning. Rains had blown out of the area overnight & our cloud cover gradually eased up over the day.  In my opinion we ended up with a perfect daytime temperature of 73F & no humidity.

 

    

Kelly has been helping out over at Deer Park Lodge mainly on the week-ends this year so she planned to head in around noon. She had found a house & property for sale on a Real Estate site Friday so that was a good enough excuse for Pheebs & I to fire up the Jeep late this morning & get ourselves on the road. From the photos on the Real Estate site we already knew the house was a wreck, it was not in one of our favorite areas, & the lot didn't look appealing. But no matter, it was a destination & it never hurts to go put some actual eyeballs on these types of places just in case. Rascal Buns & I were on the road by 11:30.

Quick stop at McDonald's in Exeter Ontario & then off a few miles south east of town to find the house & property for sale. Not much trouble finding it & the property was even worse than the photos indicated.  I never even got out of the Jeep to look at anything.  Real Estate pics showed the interior was totally trashed.  Good luck to the owner for wanting nearly $40,000 for it.

By early afternoon we were beginning to see some nice sun splashes & cloud patterns traveling across the emerald green farm fields. Nice lighting for photos. June is definitely the month of green & how nice to see sweeping fields of greening corn, wheat, beans, & clover, etc. Pheebs & I had a great 4 hours just cruising along the country roads. She often sits up straight in the passenger seat watching out the windshield just like a little person. She has no interest in sticking her head out the window like most dogs. What a Sweetie Pie she is.

THAT’S PHEEBS UP THE ROAD EXPLORING AROUND WHILE I’M TAKING A FEW FLOWER PICS…WIDE ANGLE LENS PHOTO SO SHE APPEARS FARTHER AWAY THAN WHAT SHE ACTUALLY IS

 

SO NICE TO SEE EVERYTHING SO GREEN

On our homeward swing we stopped at the HULLETT MARSH for a walk alongside one of the large swampy waterways. Water levels were high due to Saturday's rain making the many ponds look more like small lakes. Pheebs was just ahead of me in the long grass near the water when I was startled by a splashing sound. Pheebs had surprised a Mother Duck & her babies. The Mother Duck took off to the right half flying, half running, & half swimming across the water. The baby ducks all took off in the opposite direction to the left. Mama Duck had gone about 40 feet before she realized the babies were not behind her & had gone the other way. She made a quick about face & raced back across the water running over Papa duck in the process. She hurriedly swung in ahead of the babies & they all fell in line behind her. She quickly led them further out from the shore & they soon disappeared around a corner of shrubs, stumps, & tangled branches.. I was lucky enough to get a few photos with my D3100.  I’m guessing Mama Duck may have been a HOODED MERGANSER.

SECONDS AFTER TAKING THIS PHOTO I HEARD A LOT OF SPLASHING JUST TO THE LEFT OF THAT WOODEN PLATFORM

 

MAMA DUCK HASTILY ESCAPES ACROSS THE WATER

 

REALIZING THE BABIES ARE NOT BEHIND HER SHE RACES BACK PASSING ONE OF THEM ALONG THE WAY

 

GATHERING UP HER FLOCK OF BABIES SHE QUICKLY LEADS THEM TO SAFETY

A FEW MINUTES LATER I SPOTTED THIS FELLOW WHICH I AM GUESSING IS A PIED-BILLED GREBE…AT FIRST I THOUGHT THIS LITTLE CRITTER HAD ESCAPED FROM A BOX OF FRUIT LOOPS

Here we are almost at the end of June already & despite my relative inactivity the summer seems to be skipping right along.  We haven’t talked about our travels this coming winter yet or which route we will take or when we will leave.  It’s almost like we are afraid to bring up the subject because of all the medical stuff going on.  I think the ‘what if’s’ are in both our minds & we are holding back any plans at the moment until we know for sure what the reality of our situation is.  Probably a little early yet to be talking any travel & route plans but I always like to get some kind of idea in my mind of what’s going on.  Gives me something to look forward to & mull around in my head I guess.  Say, I wonder if it’s too early to start loading up a few things………………………………….

 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  As autumn approaches and summer vacation is over, a mother wakes up her son and says it's the first day of school, so get up and get ready. He says, “Mom, I don’t want to go back. Please don't make me. I hate school!”
She says, “Don't be silly. It can't be that bad. I bet you can't even think of two reasons not to go.”
He says, “Really, I mean it! All the kids hate me. And the teachers all think I'm stupid.”
She says, “Well, those aren't really good reasons. Maybe you can try harder.”
He says, “No, I don't want to go. Give me two good reasons I should.”
She replies, “Well, first of all, you’re almost years 60 old. And second, you’re the Principal.”

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.

SPENT OVER $800 ON OUR SANTA FE TODAY…..BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN A WHOLE LOT WORSE

NO, THIS IS NOT OUR SANTA FE, IT’S A TREE FROG

Overnight rains brought in cooler temperatures & despite a light drizzle we were able to make it around our morning walk trail. First time in 4 or 5 days because the blood sucking Mosquitoes, eye gouging Gnats, & flesh ripping Deer Flies had prevented us from doing so. This mornings cooler air held them at bay. Yay. Didn't have the Santa Fe back from the garage yet so Kelly took the Jeep to drop off some things at the Goderich hospital again. Rain picked up & the weather map showed we were likely in for an all day rain.......and we were:((

Not much I can say about the day except I did get Pheebs out for a short walk between showers. Not exactly the healthiest way to spend a day just sitting around inside but it's the way it was & that's about it for that.

Our desktop weather thermometer tells me temperatures reached 107F in Congress Arizona today. Can't imagine what the temps are like inside our house. When we get back in the fall the television will probably be all melted down the front of the fireplace & anything I planted will just be piles of dust. My cactus garden will probably look like the Sahara desert & I expect everything inside our little metal shed will be all welded together. Just can't imagine heat like that or living in heat like that.

We had both kind of forgot about our Santa Fe still being in the garage & it was nearly 5 in the afternoon before we remembered & gave the Bayfield Garage a call. They were just finishing it up so we hopped in the Jeep & headed into town to pick it up. Garage owner Don showed us the timing belt with it's missing & torn teeth. Both he & his head mechanic said they had never seen a timing belt in that condition without an engine being ruined. They estimated it was only a matter of a few more miles & it would have been all over for our Santa Fe's motor. Needless to say a huge lucky break for us. Don figured the worn timing belt was the original one. While the mechanic had all that timing belt stuff apart they were also able to have a closer look at the A/C unit & determined it could be repaired with a ?? part. Much, much, cheaper than the original $700+ we had first been quoted. Decided we will get the A/C fixed now & that will take place next week sometime.  It was exactly one day short of a year ago that we had to replace the catelytic converter in the Santa Fe & I remember that tearing the heck out of a thousand dollar too.

WE TOWED OUR SANTA FE TO THE SOUTH-WEST & BACK FOR 3 YEARS BEFORE GETTING THE JEEP (OLIVER LEE STATE PARK NM)

KIND OF A TANGLED UP BALL OF FUR ON KELLY’S CHAIR TODAY

  

THIS IS HER FAVORITE TOY & VERY MUCH MOST BESTEST BUDDY, TEDLEY

Is your computer station one of your favorite places in your RV or house? At home here in Bayfield it is mine. One of my favorite times of the day is walking down the hall sometime after supper, entering our sunroom & taking my comfortable seat at our computer. Through our large sunroom windows I have all the lush green foliage of our front yard splayed out in front of me. Several bird feeders in the foreground & a bird feeding station straight out front further back. There is constant bird traffic coming & going to those feeders & with our sliding patio door & windows open we can hear their melodious tweeting back & forth. Occasional squirrels & chipmunks in the trees & bunnies on the ground. Flowering shrubs, a rock surrounded frog pond with a trickling waterfall. Cedar trees reaching skyward into the surrounding tall Pines. Now add soft ambient music to that mix, a skylight, soft lighting at night & you have one of my favorite places to spend a few hours every evening working on my daily posts. To my left sits a flat screen TV with sound bar. Directly in front of me is our large flat screen computer monitor. To my right a comfortable rocker/glider chair (which was my Mother's) & cozy natural gas free standing stove. Yep, my favorite room in the house & one in which I spend many enjoyable hours each week writing, editing photos, watching the birds, putting my posts together, listening to music, & playing with the Pheebs.

  

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A teacher asked her class what they knew about whales. One little girl spoke up and said that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. The teacher smiled and said she didn’t think that was very likely, because even though whales can be big, their throats are not big enough to swallow a man. But the little girl was adamant, and maintained that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. The teacher was getting impatient, and reiterated that this was physically unlikely. But the girl was unmoved, and said that when she got to heaven, she would ask Jonah.
“But what if Jonah went to hell?” the teacher asked.
The girl replied, “Then you ask him.”

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.