LOOKS LIKE THE JEEP WILL BE SPARELESS TILL MONDAY AFTERNOON

It was off to Clinton’s Huron Tirecraft this morning to pick up our repaired tire except when we got there it wasn’t repaired and they said it was unrepairable.  Now why they didn’t call me Monday to tell me that I don’t know.  Could have saved a drive into Clinton this morning.  Anyway we’ve moved up our winter tire installation to this coming Monday afternoon.  Until then I will be spareless.  Fingers crossed.

SPARELESS IN BAYFIELD

OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES HAD DROPPED TO THE FREEZING MARK SO WE HAD A SKIFF OF ICE ON ROADSIDE MUDPUDDLES

A COATING OF FROST IN THE COUNTRYSIDE THIS MORNING

MORNING’S SUN ON THIS GRASS HAS NOT YET MELTED OVERNIGHT’S FROST IN THE SHADOWS

Absolutely beautiful Autumn morning with lots of sunshine and still enough colored leaves on many of the trees to make for a pretty drive through the countryside.  Ended up taking waaaaaay too many pictures again but with beautiful scenery all around how does one get away with an occasional snapshot here and there.

INUKSHUKS AND DUCKS IN THE MAITLAND RIVER SOUTH OF BALLS BRIDGE

With temperatures reaching over 50F it was a real treat to be out and about in the tranquil countryside again this morning.  I think about many things as we slowly amble our way along and this morning it was the title of my blog that was on my mind.  When I thought of the name ‘Travel With The Bayfield Bunch’ over a dozen years ago I thought it kind of unique and fit us well.  With 3 dogs and us I figured that made us a bunch.  Had I to do over I would probably drop the words ‘Travel’ and ‘Bayfield’ although Pheebs and I are still traveling but, it’s locally now.  I don’t know if anyone in Bayfield is aware of my blog but I figure Bayfield’s Elite might not take too kindly to my personal blog being associated with their town’s name.  I don’t know, just one of my peculiar little idiosyncrasies perhaps.  It happens with we insecure folks sometimes.

It was after 11 by the time we got home and with it being so nice out I made sure to take advantage of that.  Raked up a lot of pine needles in our driveway.  Pine needles are a joy to work with compared to leaves.  Finished organizing and putting away all the things that normally reside in our Motorhome all year round.  For just being Snow Birds we carried a lot of stuff that one would normally find around the house and garden.  No we didn’t carry a wheelbarrow with us but a shovel, couple rakes, axe, etc. were all part of our travels.  When boondocking one sometimes comes across camping areas that need cleaning up from previous messy campers and boondockers so a few garden tools were always handy when needed.

IT WAS A NICE DAY TO BE OUTSIDE PUTTERING AROUND RAKING UP PINE NEEDLES FROM OUR DRIVEWAY

I’M FORTUNATE TO HAVE THINGS TO DO THAT I ACTUALLY LIKE DOING

THE OLD PIANO/ORGAN IS STILL AT THE END OF THE FARM LANE ON PORTER HILL LINE AND NOW IT HAS SOME PUMPKINS ON IT

It was 16 years ago this Halloween Night we moved from the old two story brick farmhouse near Fullarton Ontario to our present digs here at the Five Season Estates just outside Bayfield.  It was a cold dark rainy night but no matter, we were excited to finally be getting our own little place.  Seems like a long time ago now and I suppose it was.  For the most part we have been happy here although there has been a few trying times now and again and we did talk a few years ago of finding a little place further out in the country but those thoughts are not on our plate anymore.  Real Estate prices in this area have rocketed through the Stratosphere putting any thoughts of a move some day pretty much out of our minds.

As I post this tonight it’s raining again but no matter, at least we had a good day and any day with warmer temps and sunshine between now and next Spring has got to be looked upon as a bonus day.  Well, sounds good in theory anyway…………………….

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Several days before Halloween, Tom, Dick and Harry were sitting in a bar enjoying a few quiet drinks, when they decided to get in on the Christmas raffle.Since the raffle was for charity, they bought five tickets each. When the raffle was drawn a few days later, they each won a prize.Tom won the first prize - a year's supply of gourmet spaghetti sauce.Dick was the winner of the second prize - a six month supply of extra-long gourmet spaghetti.And Harry won the sixth prize - a toilet brush.The next time they met at the bar, Harry asked the others how they were enjoying their prizes. "Great," said Tom. "I love spaghetti.""Me too," replied Dick."And how's the toilet brush, Harry?""Not so good," Harry groaned, "I reckon I'll go back to toilet paper."

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What did the skeleton say to the vampire?  You suck.

What do ghosts use to wash their hair?  Sham-boo!

What kind of instrument do you play on Halloween?  A Spook-ulele.

What kind of key does a ghost use to unlock his room?  A Spoo-key

Why do skeletons have low self-esteem?  They have no body to love.

How do vampires get around on Halloween? In blood vessels.

What did the teenage witch ask her mother on Halloween?  Can i have the keys to the broom tonight.

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A woman walks into her psychiatrist's office and says, 'Hey doc, you know how we have been talking about saying things that don't come out the way we meant them to?'The psychiatrist replies, 'You mean Freudian slips?''Exactly, those. Well, I had the most amazing one last night. I was eating dinner with my husband, and I meant to say, 'Honey, could you please pass the salt,' but instead I said, 'You damn fool, you ruined my life.''

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RAINY MORNING AND SUNNY AFTERNOON AS WE DE-STRESS AND TRY TO SIMPLIFY THINGS

ALL TONIGHT’S PHOTOS WERE TAKEN RIGHT HERE IN OUR OWN PARK’S FOREST

With Saturday mornings flat tire needing fixed Pheebs & I were off to Clinton’s Huron Tirecraft in the pouring rain.  Busy time for tire shops this time of year with people piling in wanting their snow tires put on.  Said they could get it done today sometime but didn’t know when.  We’ll go back Tuesday and hope they have it fixed.

Country roads were a sea of mud so carefully avoiding them we took a paved scenic route home.  Couldn’t even stop for a leg stretch, rain-rain-rain!!!!  I had pretty much resigned myself to and inside day sitting in the corner reading when, ‘surprise-surprise’ our rain quit and skies began to clear.  Glorious sunshine began to spill into our yard and with that I was out the door, up my tall step ladder, and cleaning pine needles out of our eavestroughs.

And if eavestrough cleaning wasn’t enough I took Pheebs out for a long walk around our pine tree trail.  Had not been out there in the woods for probably a month and a half.  With the Sun’s rays tumbling through the forest canopy of yellow sugar maples the forest took on a golden glow.  I had been waiting since about mid September to see that.  Always my favorite every Autumn.

One of the things that led to our decision not to travel south this winter was the growing RV travel stress we both felt.  Our drive last winter out to the Southwest then over to Florida and back home really took it’s toll and this last little 3 week jaunt out to the Maritimes just about done us in totally.  It seems we don’t handle stress as well as we once did and RVing can certainly be stressful as I’m sure any RV’er would attest to.  Up until a couple years ago we understood, accepted, and handled the stress of owning and maintaining an RV like most other traveling folks.  We knew there would be a lot of driving ahead and yes there were some bad traffic days but we always made it through and kept on going.  I’ve always loved driving but these last couple RVing years drained the fun out of it for me.  Traffic’s getting heavier, drivers are getting crazier and we’re both just tired of RVing through all that heavy craziness.

Recreational Vehicles are complicated machines prone to things happening when you least expect them.  RV’s bumping, twisting, and bending down the road with their electrical systems, plumbing, hydraulics, holding tanks, solar systems, and another dozen things I haven’t thought about bouncing and jiggling around can be a major concern at the best of times.  Not so much it seems when one is younger and just starting out but after having problems at various times with each and every one of those things one reaches a point (well we did anyway) where the stress simply becomes too much and the fun drain out of it. 

YES IT’S A NICE LOOKING PARK WE HAVE HERE AND NO THAT IS NOT OUR MOTORHOME

WITHIN MINUTES OF WALKING OUT OUR DOOR WE ARE INTO THE FOREST

We’re finding now at this age and stage of life one of our priorities in life is to eliminate as much stress as we can, not add to it.  When I sold my motorcycle a year ago it was a big weight off my shoulders.  One less vehicle to maintain and stress over.  I had my enjoyment and day in the sun.  Just as in RVing we’ve had our day in the sun as well.  We’ve enjoyed our Snow Birding years to the max.  Both Kelly and I are at a different place in our lives now and it’s time to de-stress, simplify, and move on to other things.  (Well darn-it anyway)

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A traveling evangelist always put on a grand finale at his revival meetings, When he was to preach at a church, he would secretly hire a small boy to sit in the ceiling rafters with a dove in a cage. Toward the end of his sermon, the preacher would shout for the Holy Spirit to come down, and the boy in the rafters would dutifully release the dove.At one revival meeting, however, nothing happened when the preacher called for the Holy Spirit to descend. He again raised his arms and exclaimed: "Come down, Holy Spirit!"Still no sign of the dove.The preacher then heard the anxious voice of a small boy call down from the rafters:"Sir, a big black cat just ate the Holy Spirit. Shall I throw down the cat?"

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“What do you call the medical condition where your feet go to sleep? Coma-toes.”

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