SOME MAY WONDER

Along with some distant thunder & lightning, a warm rain came in the night reminding me of a couple questions reader Phil had a few posts ago. Phil asks, " Everybody says a metal roof is very loud in a rain storm. Does it bother you? Do you have any insulation under it to soften the sound"? No, rain on the metal roof doesn't bother us. It may be a little louder than shingles but it's kind of like that rain on a tent effect. We already had an insulated flat roof on our unit so that helps deaden the sound as well. Phil also says, "my roof has a steep pitch, then a flatter section over the porch, sort of like your addition on the back. How did they handle the change of pitch? Were they able to put a bend in it, or did they have to cut it"? Now that's a question I can't answer accurately.  Even enlarging the photo I still can’t see how that was done. That entire roof you see in the photo below was built by one single person. Every 2x4, every nail, every stick of wood, & every piece of tin roofing was carried up a ladder by one person & assembled. Our whole sunroom,, front deck, & vinyl siding was done by one hard working individual. Despite my offers to help with things Mike O'Brian did it all himself. I have never seen one single person work so hard & do so much. And it's all quality work, right down to the last nail.


Our steady rain continued all morning so there was no further tree cutting here today. In fact the day just sort of turned into a wash out. Kelly put a couple hours in at Deer Park while Pheebs & I lounged around the house for the most part. A few sprigs of sunshine broke through our overhead cloud cover around 2 this afternoon & we did get out for a short walk. With all the moisture in the air we had ourselves a very humid 71F today.

A LONE MUSHROOM SPROUTS OUT OF THE SHIFTING SANDS ALONG GRAND BEND’S BEACH
Saturday we have company coming. Kelly's Mom, Brother Peter & wife Leslie are coming over from Spencerport & Rochester New York. Should be arriving sometime late afternoon after stopping for a few visits along the way. They will all be staying in a cozy little cottage overlooking Lake Huron at DEER PARK LODGE. Some readers may remember Kelly & I stopping for a few days at her Mom's in Spencerport last October on our way to the South West. Readers may also remember Peter & Leslie flying out to our place in Congress for a week about the middle of last January.

Since the Fall TV line-ups have changed my favorite all time half hour re-runs of CORNER GAS are on no more. At 2:30 every afternoon no matter what I was doing I would always try to make a point of remembering to come in & watch Corner Gas. No matter how low my mood I could always rely on a half hour of feeling good with the Corner Gas gang. To me it was the best half hour comedy of all time. Harkened back to a time when comedy was comedy & good clean fun was just good clean fun. And here's one of the best parts......Corner Gas never had an annoying laugh track added. Nothing destroys a show quicker for me than the sound of phony canned laughter. Wondering what canned laughter is? Try watching 30 seconds of that Big Bang Theory:((  Anyway, I am thinking of asking Santa for the Corner Gas boxed set of all the episodes.  If I do that & Santa brings me the set it will be a first for me ever getting a boxed set of anything. But that's how good the show makes me feel. Here's just 34 reviews from the countless thousands of people who love the show as much as I do. REVIEWS.

I periodically add a paragraph of thanks to my readers because I appreciate their continuing support, concern, & care.  I know I am not the best one for remembering to answer all the emails, comments, Facebookers, & Shouts, but know I read them all & take them to heart .  I know I am not as inter-active with folks like some of my fellow Bloggers are but that’s just me.  We’re all kind of put together a little different I guess & it’s whatever little foibles we have that make us who we are.  Again, thanks everybody for the inspiration to keep my favorite hobby going.  Much appreciated by all of us here at the Bayfield Bunch:)) 

Some may wonder why I often include so many photos of our Pheebe.  Some may even criticize.  Some may wonder why so many photos of Kelly over the years or the countryside wherever we travel or wherever we are.  I’m sure some have wondered why not more photos of people or people events.  Well I guess that one is kinda self explanatory.  My daily photos center around my favorite things & that just happens to be my love of nature, my wife, & my dog……………………………….. 
 
GROANER'S CORNER:(( John Brown, an Alberta rancher asked his Veterinarian for some free advice. “I have a horse that walks normally sometimes, and sometimes he limps. What shall I do?” The Vet replied, “The next time he walks normally, sell 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.

A MIGHTY FINE AUTUMN MORNING FOR PHEEBS & I TO GO PICK UP A SEWER HOSE:))

CAUGHT A BUMBLE BEE IN FLIGHT THIS AFTERNOON

Storage for our Winnebago's sewer hose is in the rear bumper which is a standard spot in many RV's. Problem is, our collapsible Rhino hose would not fit in because of the large couplings at each end. ‘No problem’ Ron from FOUR SEASONS PERFORMANCE said a few days ago, I'll get you a new heavy duty hose that will fit. Ron phoned Wednesday saying his shipment of hoses were in so come on down & pick it up. Well you know what that meant.....another great excuse for Pheebs & I to hit the road this morning. Yahooie Louie & away we went to Grand Bend.......the long way:)) Kelly had already left to do a few errands in Goderich.

OUR NEW ‘FLUSH’ 20’ HEAVY DUTY SEWER HOSE:))

What an absolutely beautiful Autumn morning it was. Rising temperatures made for a light mist in the air. Ron was busy atop a Class C with a power washer when we got there. Down the tall step ladder lickety-split, gave me a quick lesson on attaching one of the hose couplers, a few scruffles for the Pheebs, & we were back on the road. Coffee to go at Tim Hortons, quick walk & few photos on the Grand Bend beach & we were on our way home again.....the long way.

NICE BOARDWALK ALONG THE GRAND BEND BEACH

 

JUST A FEW YEARS AGO THIS WAS JUST ALL BARREN SAND UNTIL GRAND BEND DID A MAJOR OVERHAUL ON THEIR BEACH

AND A QUICK ‘TOOT’ GOING BY RON’S PLACE AS WE LATER EXITED GRAND BEND

Stopped along a country road to let Pheebs out for a stretch & was surprised at the wonderful symphony of Cicadas, Tree Frogs, & Crickets in the roadside forest. A warming breeze gently rustled nearby Birch & Poplar leaves. A high thin cloud cover diffused the late morning's sunshine giving a soft pastel look to forest & countryside alike. It was one of the those special Autumn mornings when nature comes together in a special way to create a feeling of pure magic in the air. There are moments in life to remember & for Pheebs & I our country road stop this morning was one of them.

WHAT A NICE FEELING AUTUMN MORNING STOP THIS WAS FOR PHEEBS & I

 

PHEEBS JUST SITS RIGHT UP AS PROUD AS PUNCH IN THE JEEP

By mid afternoon old Sol had burnt off the high cloud cover & our temps came up to 75 degrees bringing some uncomfortable humidity with it. We didn't need the A/C on but I did have to relax in front of my fan for awhile. Ken rolled in with his large tractor & began removing the big Pine logs out of Winnies parking area. Couple hours later we had everything cleaned up.  Decided to park the Winnie Wagon back in it’s spot for the night but first Pheebs & I took Winnie the Bago for a little cruise around the country block.  

 

I WAS ABLE TO TWIST MY ARM AROUND & TAKE A FEW PICS OF PHEEBS RIDING IN THE BACK ON HER FAVORITE COUCH

Gord will be coming back with the long boom arm machine to take down a couple more dangerous pine trees in our back yard leaning over our house. He needs to bring the machine in where Winnie usually parks to get the boom over our roof to reach the trees so I may have to move Wild Winnie in the morning again.

KEN HOOKS ON & PULLS OUT A 40’  & AN 8’ PINE LOG

Well, with a bit of luck we should be on the road somewhere one month from today. I suspect we may just be east of Chicago or north of Indianapolis depending on any last minute route changes. Needless to say the countdown is officially on.

FALL CROCUS
It was an early Harvest Moon Wednesday night so before publishing my post Pheebs & I Jeeped the short 4 miles to our favorite hilltop lookout post just north east of us. Really nice night with a fiery sunset to boot. Moonrise was right on time. I had all my toys out & lined up. Two tripods, one refractor telescope with my Nikon D3100 mounted on it. Other tripod held my Baush & Lomb 7x50 binoculars. My Nikon D90 had my 300mm lens mounted & beside that sat my Celestron Skyview 15x70 binoculars. Also had a very close up view of the moon with my telescopes 3 PLOSSL eyepieces, 32, 17, & 5mm.  Reason for hauling out all this gear wasn't so much for taking some moon photos as it was to re-familiarize myself with some pieces of equipment I do not often use. As expected I had some difficulty mounting my telescope to my tripod as well as taking it off again. No problems with the equipment just the usual problems with Al's memory & how to use things. I knew my moon shots wouldn't be anything special. Air is much denser here than in the cool to cold skies of Arizona. The moon last night was very hazy at the horizon level so didn't even attempt a photo at that stage. Much of that horizon haze is caused by pollution as well & I was shooting in the direction of some major cities like Kitchener/Waterloo, Guelph, & Toronto. Anyway, it was just great to be out & about after supper for a change & as usual me & my bestest little Pal Pheebs had ourselves a mighty fine relaxing hilltop time:))

GOT ALL MY TOYS ASSEMBLED

 

MY NIKON D3100 ADAPTED TO MY 80mm REFRACTOR NIGHTHAWK TELESCOPE…& A BORED DOGGY

NOT HARD TO TELL PHEEBS WAS GETTING EVEN MORE BORED AS THE NIGHT WORE ON…”COME ON DAD LET’S GO HOME”

 

USING MY TELESCOPE AS A TELESCOPE FOR A CHANGE & NOT A CAMERA LENS

TOOK THIS PHOTO AFTER THE MOON WAS A LITTLE HIGHER OFF THE HAZY HORIZON

Spent a little time today looking at all this Google+ stuff again. It's still as confusing to me as it was a couple years ago. Not real interested in the social media stuff but with all the Google shenanigans going on in the photo album & editing departments I figured it would be in my best interest to at least try & understand the newer Google photo technologies before I am completely snowed under. I understand they are coming out with a new photo editing program & for sure that would interest me. As much as I have liked Picasa’s editing program over the years I've always wished it could do a little more & by the sounds of it a newer Google photo editing program just may have some of those tools I have been missing. I think what I really need is for someone to sit down with me & explain & show me how all this Googleater stuff works.  I don’t seem to do so good trying to follow written instructions anymore & those tutorials move to fast for me:((

MUSHROOM BUDDIES

Well by golly, our Blog Followers list finally made it's way up to 600 Blog Followers today. A big special thanks to MORTICULTURE 101 & all the previous 599 folks for making that possible. Thanks everybody & a double thanks Morticulture 101. Welcome aboard:))

 
And just a gentle Facebook reminder to readers again.....Because of being 'scammed' twice I do not accept 'Friend Requests'. Nor do I accept 'game' requests. I have zero interest in any kind of gaming stuff. I am not an active Facebook user or reader & only keep Facebook active to drop my blog post in at the end of each day.

WHILE WAITING FOR WEDNESDAY’S HARVEST MOON IN THE EAST WE HAD THIS SUNSET BEHIND US IN THE WEST…(not enhanced)

GROANER'S CORNER:(( One day Mikey was sitting in his apartment when his doorbell unexpectedly rang. He answered the door and found a salesman standing on his porch with a strange object. "What is that?" Mikey asked. "It's a thermos," the salesman replied. "What does it do?" asked Mikey. "This baby," the salesman said, "keeps hot things hot and cold things cold." After some deliberation Mikey bought one, deciding it would really help his lunch situation. The next day he arrived at the plant where he works. Sure enough, all the other employees were curious about his new object. "What is it?" they asked.
"It's a thermos," Mikey replied.
"What does it do?" they asked.
"Well," Mikey says in a bragging manner, "It keeps hot things hot and cold things cold."
"What do ya got in it?"
To which Mikey says, "Three cups of coffee and a popsicle."

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

A NICE MORNING DRIVE, A SCENIC CEMETERY, PHEEBS GOES TO THE VET & A LITTLE SOMETHING ABOUT ‘HOUNDS & RVs’…………..

I just love these warm sunny Autumn days. It is such a great time of the year. Had a feeling we wouldn't see any tree cutting guys today so rather than sit around waiting to lend a hand Pheebs & loaded ourselves & the cameras into the Jeep shortly after 9 & off we went. Tracked ourselves off in a south easterly direction for a change. Landscape's a bit levelled out but just as scenic in it’s own flatter way.

It's not only the peaceful nature of the countryside that is an allure to me but it is also the nostalgic feeling I experience each time out. Rural Ontario has basically remained unchanged since I was a kid growing up & I think that is where many of the nice memories I have come from. Old farm house's & barns remind me so much of my childhood. I didn't grow up in the country but I did grow up right next door to the country in a small village. Driving 3 or 4 minutes away from the village of Tavistock in any direction immediately puts one into the countryside. My nostalgic feeling was especially strong this morning & I knew the time of year had everything to do with that. For me Autumn is always a time of reflection, a time of remembering, & a time for quiet thoughts.

Pheebs & I sometimes stop at little rural cemeteries.  Nice quiet places to get out & give Pheebs a run while I stroll around looking at some of the history on the stones.  This morning we stopped at a long time favorite cemetery of mine northeast of Exeter Ontario.  I have always liked the looks of McTaggart’s Cemetery high on a hill with it’s tall stands of stately Cedar trees.  I once came here long ago to photograph the tombstones lit by a full moon.  I will always remember how beautiful the surrounding countryside views were bathed in Moonlight that night.

McTAGGART CEMETERY ATOP A HILL IN THE QUIET COUNTRYSIDE

SOME OF THESE IRISH FOLKS WERE BORN WAY BACK IN THE LATE 1700’S

   
We have never RV'd anywhere without a doggy on board. Even from our early RVing days we always had a best Pal with us at all times. Max was our number one border Collie mix RVing buddy for the first couple years. He went to Big Bend Texas with us in December of 04 plus week-end camping trips in our area. Max was never a relaxed traveler but he was a well behaved traveler & never caused us much concern.  As long as the RV was moving Max would never sit or lie down.  He stood all the way to Texas & back between our two Class C front seats.  In the fall of 06 our family had grown to include our pure bred border Collie Checkers & our little Chipugamug Cora. aka Motormouse. We found ourselves in a financial position to begin some serious RVing so in choosing an RV we had to consider what would be best for our doggy family as well. We decided to go with a truck & fifth wheel set-up but after a couple months on the road we knew that had not been our wisest decision. Back seat of a pick-up truck was not the best place for two big dogs & little Cora was always on Kelly's lap. Because of the higher truck we had to always use a ramp to get the guys in & out too. By the time the Fall of 07 rolled around we had traded the truck & fifth wheel in on a Class A motorhome & that immediately solved a bunch of traveling doggy problems for us. Motoring down the road they all had lots of room to move around & stretch out. There was always water handily available for them as well. I especially liked the fact the whole Bunch was together in a relaxed spacious atmosphere. And it was easier for all of them to do the steps into the Motorhome for most of the years the guys were with us. In the last couple years of Checkers life we had to help her up the steps each time & in the last 6 months of Max's life we had to help him as well. And he never did like anyone helping him.

Traveling with 3 dogs did have it's frustrations & trying times over the years but overall we did manage to make things work for the betterment of all. I especially enjoyed the kibitzing that went on & between Max, Checkers, Motor, & I we would have poor Kelly going around in circles sometimes with our zany antics. While Ranch sitting we would often have the 2 big black Ranch dogs, Pearce & Gleason in for a sleep over on cold nights. I just loved that when all 5 doggy guys were piled up sleeping & snoring all over the place.  Guess I’m just an old dog at heart myself. 

It is much easier traveling with dogs/pets if there are two people keeping things under control. Especially at rest stop areas where there can be many dangers for small animals. Cars & trucks thundering by, other aggressive dogs, nearby Coyotes & in some cases in the southeast, Alligators. We have always been fortunate to have our dogs trained reasonably well enough to walk off leash in most places. But that's where it works best with 2 people riding herd on the guys as they sometimes would head off on their own independent & natural ways.
Traveling with 3 dogs was also another major factor in leaning us towards the boondocking lifestyle early in our travels. We were as green as green can be when we left Bayfield in December of 06 heading for the South West. But within weeks we had our eyes opened to some very major problems right off the bat. It became quickly clear that RV parks required that all dogs be leashed. Well, that wasn't our style but I did understand the need for dogs to be leashed. Walking the gang on leashes at ROCK HOUND STATE PARK was our first experience with an RV Park & I thought to myself, 'Oh Oh, this isn't going to work. Days later at PANCHO VILLA STATE PARK in Columbus New Mexico we again encountered the same thing. Luckily we were able to get through a perimeter fence each morning & take the gang walking off leash through the adjacent desert. But the writing was on the wall & we knew if we were going to continue our RV life in the lifestyle we preferred we were going to have to make some very major changes.
 
By the time we arrived back home that winter in the Spring of 07 we already had the wheels of change in motion. The truck & fifth wheel were quickly traded in & we knew if we were going to be independent we would have to have a solar power system installed on our new to us Class A Motorhome. This would enable us to avoid RV Parks & we could not only attain the freedom we so desired but the freedom we so desired for our dogs as well.  In December of 07 we had our solar system installed at Solar Mikes in Slab City California & from that day forward RVing became a whole lot easier for the Bayfield Bunch.

For now in 2013 we are very comfortable with just the Pheebs. So much less worry & work only traveling with one dog. A second best Pal is certainly not out of the question but it's unlikely we would have 3 dogs again. We did meet 3 or 4 potential best Pals last summer but things just never quite came to-gether. I guess if & when the time is right to find a playmate for Pheebs then that is what we will do. In the meantime we'll just keep on doing what we're doing & enjoy our travels one most bestest doggy Pal at a time. 

<<< SNAIL ON A TOMBSTONE
By the way, I was inspired to write tonight’s post by another Blogger’s comment.  I read this fellow’s latest post earlier tonight & was very impressed with his writing style.  What happened to him on a recent 1100 mile round trip with his 3 dogs & the way his thought processes worked while dealing with difficult decision making problems reminded me very much of how my own mind works & tries to logic things out.  For all you RV’ers out there traveling with pets & especially dogs, be sure to read bhounds A 524 MILE TRIP FULL OF EXCITEMENT.  I sensed the discouragement at the end of bhounds post though when he states this will be his last post until he gets his RVing priorities sorted out.  I have included bhounds blog on my sidebar & maybe with a little encouragement from fellow Bloggers & readers we could all drop around & pick up his spirits a bit.  He had quite a challenging trip.  Maybe some folks have some ideas & suggestions on how he can pull together some RVing plans that not only benefit him but his 3 doggy Pals as well.  I can tell he is anxious to get on the road but just needs a solid solution on how to do it.  Be sure to read his post:))  

TONIGHT’S BUTTERFLY PHOTOS WERE TAKEN THIS MORNING ALONGSIDE A PEACEFUL COUNTRY CEMETERY
We had Pheebs to the Vet this afternoon. Time for a rabies shot & to get her papers ready for the border although nobody has ever asked to see her papers. Been shaking her head a lot lately so had her ears checked & cleaned. Vet wondered if she was a 'water dog' & we said no, Pheebs doesn't like water. Vet thought that was good because that is where the majority of ear infection problems come from. Vet was very pleased with Pheebs overall condition & the fact she hasn't gained any weight since her last check up a year ago around this time. In fact she lost  a pound. Yaaaay Pheebers:)) 

LOTS OF GROOVY NEW SMELLS AT THE VET CLINIC IN ZURICH THIS AFTERNOON
And MAX WILLMANN joined us today on our Blogger’s List.  Welcome aboard Max & thanks for bringing us up right close to the 600 mark on our list.  One month from tonight with a bit of luck we should be on the eve our 2013/2014 trip once again to the great American South West:)) 

LEAVES ARE BEGINNING TO TAKE ON A BIT OF COLOR ALONG THIS QUIET STREET IN ZURICH ONTARIO
GROANER'S CORNER:(( My wife's jealousy is getting ridiculous. The other day she looked at my calendar and wanted to know who May was.
-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.