SHEEPS, WIND TURBINES & AN ARCHIVE MEMORY ABOUT A NOT SO BRIGHT CRAYON:((

YES I KNOW ABOUT THE ‘S’ ON THE END OF THE WORD SHEEP IN THE TITLE:))

It was the high pitch whine of our zoomerator Hoover vacuum cleaner more than anything else that hurriedly drove Pheebs & I out of the house this morning & off into the much quieter mid-summer picturesque countryside.  Kelly had a cleaning bee going on & of course me & the Kid didn't want to get in the way of that.

A quick stop in Goderich at Canadian Tire to have a couple extra ignition keys made for the Sunfire & we were back on the road headed out of town.  No particular destination again, just wandering.  I always get excited whenever I see Real Estate signs on rural properties so I always stop & take a couple photos.  Upon returning home Kelly then tracks them down on the Real Estate sites to check on the price.  Of course it is always discouraging but it's fun to look & I do like the excitement high I get.  Well until we look up the price on-line that is.  That's where the dream always get's busted.

WE LATER LOOKED UP THE PRICE ON THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY & IT TURNED OUT TO BE 40 ACRES FOR $599,000
Nice sunny day with a breeze off the lake & low humidity.  My kinda day.  Pheebs & I stopped to have a close up look at a wind turbine south of Bayfield.  None of the area’s new turbines are on line yet & we were able to drive right up to the base of one in a field.  After our overnight rain the site was soggy so between shoes & paws we probably have as much mud inside the Jeep now as we have on the outside.  Oh Dear, another big clean-up job coming again:((

HEADING INTO A LAND OF LARGE WIND TURBINE & POWER LINE DINOSAURS

AM GUESSING THOSE BLACK PLASTIC THINGS ARE COVERINGS FOR THE LARGE BOLTS INSIDE FASTENING THE TOWER TO THE BASE

   

A HEAVY DUTY LOCKED STEEL DOOR LEADS TO THE INSIDE OF THE TOWER

  

IT WAS THE FROM THE BASE OF THIS WINDY GIANT TODAY’S TURBINE PICS WERE TAKEN

Before I tell you what we paid to have the Motorhome's finish restored let me emphasize the fact that just about anything is always cheaper in the States.  Doesn't seem to matter what it is whether groceries, car parts, hardware, or whatever, it's best to get things done south of the border if one can.  I've had two people tell me they paid $350 to have their rig's done.  One was in Florida (thanks Chris) & not sure where the other one was.  We paid $500 to have the coach detailed.  Well worth it in our minds when you consider the work & expertise involved in the job.  It's a very labor intensive project.  Everything about the coach was in tip-top shape when we bought it except for the oxidation on the finish so having that done now puts a contented & satisfactory smile on my face:))

A FINE EXAMPLE OF SOME SHEEPISH TOGETHERNESS TODAY
A commenter in part said, 'new MH with a new finish, new car parked on a new concrete slab.'  I know what the commenter meant but just want to clear that up by saying the MH & car aren't new but yes the Motorhome's finish & our carport's concrete slab are definitely new.  The 03 Triple E Motorhome & the 04 Pontiac Sunfire are new in the sense they are ‘new to us’ & I know that is what the commenter meant:))

 

AND WHAT’S A DAY WITHOUT AN  OCCASIONALLY REFLECTED JEEP WINDOW SELFIE EH

I wrote this back in October of 08.  We were just about ready to head for the southwest with our new to us 33’ 2003 Class A Damon Challenger.  I entitled it 'Not The Brightest Crayon In The Box'.

ARCHIVE MEMORY::  Well, my brain did it to me again just a few days ago!! The hose connection on the side of the motorhome has always been a pain in the butt for attaching or detaching the water hose. In fact attaching a garden hose to a tap has always been one of those things causing me grief.  Usually end up having to use the vice grips. Figured there must be a better way of doing things & wondered about some kind of hose quick disconnect apparatus. I don't use that system at home here but remembered seeing a couple of plastic dis-connect pieces laying in a box somewhere. Rounded them up, grabbed the rigs water hose, & had a look at hooking everything up. No problem getting the larger piece threaded onto the rig but then the hose end didn't seem to match either one of the plastic fittings. Figured there must be a piece missing or something or maybe it's some kind of special RV device that is needed. At no point did my brain step up to help me figure out this problem. A few years ago it would have said, "hey dummy, try the other end of the hose!!" But, oh no, it was gonna keep that little tidbit of information to itself. Sometimes brains do not like to share things with their owners. Especially in these later years & I'm convinced my brain derives great pleasure in driving me right round the bend whenever it sees a golden opportunity to do so. With the 2 plastic pieces in my pocket, Kelly & I head down to STORMRUNNER RV SALES & SERVICE, our local RV dealer. Well, it didn't take Harry long to size up the situation & realize he's obviously dealing with someone as thick as a brick here. He quietly pointed out I was trying to connect the wrong end of the hose to the right end of the coupler!! So embarrassing:(( I made a comment about not being the brightest crayon in the box & I heard Harry's wife Dianne over at the main counter give out a little chuckle. "Hey," she said, "at least you do a good job with your blog & we enjoy reading it." Hey, I thought to myself, now there's a kind person who understands the thickness of a human brick & the failings of an aging male brain. Harry, on the other hand was probably considering submitting my name for the annual dunce cap Darwin awards:(( Needless to say, I felt pretty stupid for the rest of the day:((  Update:  Harry & Dianne actually met us in Bisbee Arizona a couple winters ago & we had breakfast at the BBC. I remember Harry eating up a big mess of grits & gravy.  No idea what the rest of us had.  The BISBEE BREAKFAST CLUB was always one of our favorite eateries when we were Ranch sitting in the area years ago & oh boy I sure do got a lot of great old memories from those early RVing years at the Ranch…………………………:))

 
I took the above photo using a tri-pod & self timer on the camera. Do you suppose my brain reminded me how to use the self timer?? Not a chance!! Had to go in the house & get out the camera manual, but hey, the old foggy brain must have taken a little pity on me because it gave me a break & told me right where to find the camera manual. Now, how's that for some rare co-operation:))

Stormrunner RV Sales & Service is located at the south end of Bayfield right on highway 21. They specialize in 5th wheel trailers. Open Spring, Summer, Fall & a few Winter months here & there...............

GROANER'S CORNER:(( My friend, the manager of a grocery store, nabbed a shoplifter in the act. He was escorting the suspect to the office in the front of the store (near the cash registers), when the shoplifter broke from his grip and tried to run.  After a scuffle, my friend pinned him against the wall and looked up to see a number of surprised customers staring at him.  "Everything's fine, folks," he reassured them. "This guy just tried to go through the express line with more than ten items.
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History Of Medicine...........

2000 B.C. - Here, eat this root.
1000 A.D. - That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.
1850 A.D. - That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.
1940 A.D. - That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.
1985 A.D. - That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic.
2000 A.D. - That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root.

VERY PLEASED WITH THE BIG EEE’S DETAILING MAKE-OVER:))

NICE TO FINALLY SEE REFLECTIONS IN THE COACH’S FINISH

  

JERRY DID THE WHOLE COACH & NOT JUST THE WHITE OXIDIZED PART

A mighty fine morning for a drive & it was our first time going somewhere in the Sunfire other than the initial test drive.  Nice handling car, nimble & good visibility all round.  Nice to be back to an automatic transmission again.  Way more pep than the Santa Fe but the Santa Fe has better quality seats.  Gas mileage will be better with the Sunfire but I think the Santa Fe has a smoother ride because of it's bigger tires.  Sunfire sits lower to the ground & is more aerodynamically designed than the Santa Fe.  No rust on the Sunfire & 42,000 miles compared to the Santa Fe's nearly 100,000 miles  It's kind of tit for tat back & forth but when both these cars were new I do think the Hyundai Santa Fe was the better quality build.  As Don at the BAYFIELD GARAGE said, 'it's a great little economical running around car' & that is exactly what we intended it for.  Plus the A/C works great.  We may one day be in the market for a newer higher end vehicle but until that day arrives we are quite happy with the deal we got on this exceptional 04 Pontiac Sunfire.  And it's a Sunfire not a Sunbird, Firebird, or Thunderbird although I did have a really sharp white 84 T-bar roof Firebird back in 88. 

And if I was ever interested enough in owning a hobby car it would probably be an early 60's cigar shaped Thunderbird.  Love those things.  And that's about it for that...............................10-4:))

LIKE THAT SHINE:))
We were in Hensall bright & early this morning to pick up the Big EEE.  Soon as we pulled into the yard at 'Detailers' we could see the rig sitting outside looking like a big bright shiny new Pearl. I was so happy to see the 11 year old finish restored to the condition it should be.   Jerry did a great job.  Said he had to go over the white oxidized fiberglass 3 times with polishing compounds before he could apply any wax to it.  Also told us the type of MEGUIAR'S MARINE WAX to use on the fiberglass finish to maintain the glossy shine.  We were lucky to get the rig in when we did.  His shop & crew work 7 days a week & in his yard this morning sat over half a dozen large 18 wheeler truck cabs from the large Hensall Co-Op next door awaiting clean-up.  It just made me tired looking at all the work ahead of those guys.  In hindsight I am sooooooo glad I did not attempt to do this big job on my own.  I simply did not have the experience, tools, or patience for the job.  Some things are just best left to the professionals & this major overhaul on the Big EEE’s finish was a good example for that way of thinking.

PULLING OUT OF JERRY’S YARD & CONVOYING HOME…A COUPLE OF THE WHITE TRUCK CABS IN THE BACKGROUND AWAITING CLEAN-UP
The nice relaxing drive back home to Bayfield was the highlight of my day.  Pheebs & I motored along with big smiles on our faces while Kelly followed along in the Sunfire.  It's a real pleasure to drive this Triple E Commander Motorhome & combined with mighty fine weather & no traffic on the roads I just wanted to keep on going & going & going:))
  

WELL AT LEAST MY NAVIGATOR WAS AWAKE FOR PART OF THE RIDE HOME

Our heat & humidity has returned so by noon my outside activities were done for the today.  Retreated into the coolness of the house & stayed there until early evening when it was cool enough to take Pheebs for a walk.

 
GROANER'S CORNER:(( The businessman dragged himself home and barely made it to his chair before he dropped, exhausted.  His sympathetic wife was right there with a tall cool drink and a comforting word.  "My, you look tired," she said. "You must have had a hard day today. What happened to make you so exhausted?"  "It was terrible," her husband said, "The computer broke down and all of us had to do our own thinking."

A CLOSER LOOK AT TWO ‘SMALL’ TALL SHIPS & AN ENGINE CLEAN-UP

 
 
AN UP CLOSE LOOK AT THE TALL SHIPS THIS MORNING
Right after our morning walk we hopped in the Jeep & headed on down to the Bayfield harbor.  Knew it would be a good time to have us a close up look at the tall ships without a crowd of people around.  Should mention the two ships are the smallest of the Tall Ships that travel the Great Lakes during the summer.  These training vessels are about 45' long by 15' wide with a young crew of 18 hands on board.

A TRAILER SITS LOADED WITH 2 SETS OF STEPS FOR FOLKS TO CLIMB ABOARD THE TALL SHIPS SATURDAY
 
THE ‘PATHFINDER’ ALONGSIDE BAYFIELD’S SOUTH PIER >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
We arrived on the pier just in time to see the local septic tank truck (honey wagon) pumping out the tall ship ‘Playfair’.  The crew of youngsters were in various stages of waking up & attending to morning chores both on the ships & off.  Looked like they had a full fledged house (boat) cleaning going on.  One young girl was busy cleaning a pile of boat pillows on the pier.  Another young fellow seemed to be keeping a sleepy eye on a bunch of backpacks stacked in a row.  Cans of food, tools, ropes, ship's gear, & a box of well attended Cheerios lined the dock.  Two youngsters seemed to be up to their ears amidst a bunch of pots & pans scrubbing away at the morning dishes.  Saw more gear being handed off the ships/boats & piled up on the pier.  Definitely a big early morning cleaning job going on for sure.   No doubt getting everything all ship-shape for Saturday’s visitors.  And the Playfair even had a cute little dog aboard.  Think his name might have been Loakie.    Tours of the Playfair & the Pathfinder  will begin Saturday morning but I think we will skip that.

THE LOCAL ‘HONEYWAGON PUMPS OUT THE PLAYFAIR’S BLACK TANK

HOPE THAT GREEN HOSE DOESN’T SPRING A LEAK & MESS UP THE KID’S CORN FLAKES & CHEERIOS
 
TWO CREW MEMBERS BUSY THEMSELVES SWABBING POTS & PANS
 
THIS YOUNG CREW MEMBER WAS HARD AT WORK SCRUBBING BOAT CUSHIONS WHILE A SLEEPY YOUNG APPRENTICE SAILOR EMERGES FROM BELOW

LOACKIE THE PLAYFAIR’S DECK DOG LOOKS ON

It was another good morning for doing outside things.  The engine in the Sunbird wasn't dirty but the compartment had been sprayed with undercoating at some point so decided to clean that up.  Didn't need to be cleaned up but I have always had this thing about keeping an engine clean.  Needed some solvents so fired up the Motorcycle & headed off to Canadian Tire in Goderich.  Nice morning for a bike ride.  Resisted the urge to stop into Tim Horton's for a coffee & carrot muffin & headed right back home again.  Took me awhile but I did manage to get most of that undercoating over spray removed & the engine compartment is definitely looking much better.  Besides it gave me something to do.

MOTOR IS ALL SPIFFED UP BUT YOU CAN STILL SEE THE YELLOW UNDERCOATING ON THE FIREWALL & UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE HOOD
 
LUCKILY THE STICKY YELLOW NON-DRIP UNDERCOATING WASN’T TOO HARD TO GET OFF BUT I DID USE UP A BIT OF ELBOW GREASE ON THE JOB
Soon as it was dark Thursday night long time readers might have guessed where I was.  Yep, out sitting in the Sunfire to have me a look at all the groovy colored dash lights & stuff.  I just get like a little kid sometimes over simple things like that.  Now don’t you go switching the words ‘simple’ & ‘little’ on me………………….:))

LOTS & LOTS OF ROPES ON THESE SAILING SHIPS
 
 
YOUNG FELLOW ON PIER IS CAPTAIN OF THE TALL SHIP ‘PATHFINDER’ & YEP IT’S A REAL WOODEN DECK ALRIGHT

I THINK THIS YOUNG FELLA WITH ALL HIS LUGGAGE STACKED UP ON THE PIER HAS HAD ENOUGH OF THE ON BOARD SHIP LIFE & IS TEXTING HIS MOM TO COME GET HIM!!
Jerry from 'Detailers' in Hensall phoned mid afternoon saying he hoped to have the rig done by 5.  We said we weren't in a hurry & could pick up the rig Saturday morning if it was more convenient for him & he said that would be great.  So Saturday morning it is.  8 a.m. sharp
 
NO THIS IS NOT ONE OF THE TALL SHIP’S CREW MEMBERS BUT SHE IS CAPTAIN OF THE GOOD SHIP ‘BAYFIELD BUNCH’:))
 

BY THE TIME WE LEFT THAT YOUNG GIRL WAS STILL WORKING HARD SCRUBBING THOSE BOAT CUSHIONS
Our weather these past few days has just been so perfect with daytime highs of 70F & no humidity.   Only another month to go before the nights & days begin to cool off in mid August as we make our way towards another beautiful Autumn.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Late one night I stopped at one of those 24-hour gas station mini-marts to get myself a fresh-brewed cup of coffee. When I picked up the pot, I could not help noticing that the brew was as black as asphalt and just about as thick.   "How old is this coffee?" I asked the woman who was standing behind the store counter.   She shrugged. "I don't know. I've only been working here two weeks."
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A golfer took his tee shot and watched the ball sail into the woods. His next shot went into a few trees. He tried again and managed to hit the ball over the fairway and into more trees. Finally, after several more shots, he ended up in a sand trap.
Throughout his ordeal, he was under the watchful eye of the local golf pro.
"What club should I use on this shot?" he asked the pro.
"I don't know," the pro replied. "What game are you playing?"