WE WILL BE SAYING GOODBYE TO SCOOTER TOMORROW

With my hip bothering me this morning, Pheebs and only did half our country road walk.  I knew I would be walking this afternoon so I didn't want to push my luck and make my leg sorer than it was.

 ON THE WAY HOME FROM OUR WALK WE SAW THIS HERD OF COWS GRAZING IN THE LONG GRASS

 THESE TWO YOUNGSTERS ARE BEING SURE TO KEEP THINGS IN NUMERICAL ORDER

 SNITCHING A SNACK FROM A NEIGHBOR'S FIELD

All three of us in the Subaru rolling out our driveway at 10:45 heading for London's Victoria Hospital where Kelly had another plasmapheresis procedure for 12:30.  Minutes after dropping Kelly off on this beautiful sunny morning Pheebs and I were at the Westminster Ponds area behind Parkwood Hospital and walking the east/west trail along the north side of Walker's Pond.

 STEPPING OUT OF THE CAR I HEARD THE FAMILIAR SOUNDS OF A HELICOPTER LIFTING OFF IN THE DIRECTION OF VICTORIA HOSPITAL

 THE HELO BANKS A TURN TO THE LEFT AND HEADS OFF IN A SOUTHEAST DIRECTION

 ON OUR WAY TO THE ENCHANTED FOREST

Being a popular trail for nearby hospital staff, hikers, and birders, we met more people along the way than we usually do.  Most people stop to pet Pheebs and of course she loves soaking up all the attention.

HEADING WEST ALONG THE SHADOWY TRAIL

 LOOKS LIKE THE FOSSIL REMAINS OF AN ANCIENT DINOSAUR IN THE FOREGROUND

 A FOREBODING STUMP MONSTER ALONG THE PATHWAY

 COULD THIS BE A LARGE ANACONDA SLITHERING INTO WALKER POND'S MURKY WATERS

 THE DARK HOLLOW EYE OF A GIANT TRAIL LIZARD

THERE ARE MANY HABITATS ON THE DARKENED FOREST FLOOR

I am still surprised at the lack of bugs and mosquitos in the air for this time of year and especially here with its swampy areas.  So far this year I think I have only seen three mosquitos and none of them were bothersome.  

 WALKER'S POND

 A FATHER AND UNSEEN SON TRYING OUT A BENDING FISHING POLE

 A THICKENED PATCH OF POND LILIES

Our walk lasted forty minutes and by the time we got back to the car I was limping.  It felt so good to sit down in Subie's comfortable seats.  Propped my Kindle up on the steering wheel and read for the next hour or so.  At the moment I am reading Near Death Experiences: 365 People Who Died....And Lived To Tell About It.  A fascinating book to say the least.

 AND YES, PHEEBS AND I STOPPED FOR A SHORT REST HERE

 'YA DAD, A VERY SHORT REST'

 SO NICE TO HAVE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL WILDLIFE AREA ALMOST RIGHT IN THE HEART OF LONDON

 I PUSHED MY SORE HIP UP THIS HILL

 THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BEECH TREES HERE WITH CARVINGS IN THEM

 ON THE TRAIL BACK TO THE CAR

It was nearly 2:45 when my cell phone rang with a nurse on the other end saying Kelly was ready to be picked up.  Victoria Hospital has a Tim Hortons coffee shop inside so Kelly picked up a couple of coffees on her way out of the hospital.  Instead of stopping anywhere for a bite to eat Kelly had brought along a couple chocolate chip cookies and that was our snack on the way home.  We were home shortly after 4 p.m.  Our RV's new owner phoned late this afternoon saying they will be here in the morning to pick it up so we will be saying goodbye to Scooter tomorrow.  For me, it's always sad saying so long to past memories.  Although we didn't spend a lot of time camping in Scooter we did enjoy the few days we did nearly 3 years ago.  We'll miss looking out our living room window and seeing Scooter sitting there safely in its parking spot.  But, time marches on.   

 AND HERE COMES THE TIM HORTONS COFFEE LADY

Ellen's Groove:)) Here's another must-see and hear music video from Ellen following close on the heels of her Muse video I had in the blog a few days ago.  On this one, Ellen uses a technique called 'slap bass'.  Pay attention to how her body movements are in sync with the music she is playing.  Keep in mind she is barely 11 years old and in my opinion, if she keeps this up and sticks with the bass she someday may very well become one of the best bass guitar players in the world.  She's on her way and if she wants to be the best, she can do it. Here's Ellen......... Flying Thumb   

 AND YES, WE STOPPED AT THE OLD FACE TREE AGAIN TODAY

Al's Music Box:)) Candy Man by Roy Orbison from the album 'Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits'.  1962

 DESPITE ALL THE BRACKISH WATER LYING ABOUT THERE WERE NO MOSQUITOS

GROANER'S CORNER:(( If you love something, set it free.  If it comes back, it will always be yours.  If it doesn't come back, it was never yours to begin with.  But, if it just sits in your living room, messes up your stuff, eats your food, uses your telephone, takes your money, and doesn't appear to realize you set it free...You either married it or gave birth to it.

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- RIP boiled water you will be mist

- Why did the pony get sent to his room?  He wouldn’t stop horsing around!

-What did one plate say to the other?  Dinner is on me!

- What did the buffalo say to his son when he dropped him off at school?  "Bison!"

- Can February March?  No, but April May.

- I’m writing a book about glue.  I’m stuck on the first chapter.

- I’m so good at sleeping,  I can do it with my eyes closed.

- Why are spiders so smart?  They can find everything on the web.

- Math? I can tolerate algebra and calculus ... but geometry is where I draw the line.

- What kind of music do chiropractors like?  Hip pop.

- Sundays are always a little sad, but the day before is a sadder day.

- What kind of dog does a magician have?  A Labracadabrador!

- What did the mama cow say to the calf?  It’s pasture bedtime!

- What do you get when you cross a rabbit with shellfish?  An oyster bunny!

- Be thankful it's not snowing...Imagine shoveling snow in this heat!

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WE HAD BEEN SITTING THERE FOR FIVE AND A QUARTER HOURS

 HEY, WHO WAS SITTING IN THAT CHAIR AND JUST HEADED OVER TO THAT BROWN BUILDING FOR A WASHROOM BREAK??

A mighty fine sunny Sunday morning saw just me in the Subaru heading east through Clinton to the wee town of Seaforth.  I picked up a coffee to go at Tim Hortons there and then drove down the road a couple blocks to a Park at Seaforth's east end.  It was 10:20 when I set out my lawn chair under a shady canopy of tall old maple trees and waited.  At 10:30 a gray Chrysler pulled in and stopped nearby.  It was my good long-time buddy Jim Hagarty from Stratford.  We had prearranged a coffee get-together and this Seaforth Park is one of our favorite spots to meet at.  We are known for our long-winded coffee blow-outs and I think today had to be one of our longest ones ever.  We chatted away in our lawn chairs for the next five hours and fifteen minutes until Jim happened to ask me what time it was.  Glancing at my watch I couldn't believe it.  It was 3:45 p.m.  We had been sitting there under those shady trees on the green grass amid a flock of tiny daisies for five and a quarter hours.  Well, we did have a bit of catching up to do since our last coffee together back in October of 2022 in Stratford.  Jim and I have been best friends and doing these coffee get-gethers for well over forty years now.  Monday nights for a few years Jim and I could be found bellied up to the counter in any number of Stratford coffee shops.  We were two wild and crazy guys in those days.  Well, at least in our minds we were:))       

 SUBIE PATIENTLY WAITS FOR ME TODAY

Al's Music Box:))  Peaceful Easy Feeling by The Eagles from the album 'Eagles'.  1972

 THE VIEW TO MY LEFT

GROANER'S CORNER:(( "I had the toughest time of my life. First, I got angina pectoris and then arteriosclerosis. Just as I was recovering from these, I got tuberculosis, double pneumonia, and phthisis. Then they gave me hypodermics. Appendicitis was followed by tonsillectomy.  These gave way to aphasia and hypertrophic cirrhosis. I completely lost my memory for a while. I know I had diabetes and acute ingestion, besides gastritis, rheumatism, lumbago, and neuritis.  I don't know how I pulled through it.... It was the hardest spelling test I've ever had."

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- I used to be addicted to the hokey pokey, but I turned myself around.

- I am terrified of lifts.  I'm going to take steps to avoid them.

- What did one wall say to the other?  I'll meet you at the corner.

- I used to be addicted to soap, but I'm clean now.

- If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?  Pilgrims.

What does a cloud wear under his raincoat  Thunderwear.

 - Singing in the shower is fun until you get soap in your mouth.  Then it's a soap opera.

Alexander Graham Bell: “I invented the telephone!”  His brother, Taco: “I’m working on some pretty big stuff too.”

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'SCOOTER IS SOLD'.......BUT DON'T COUNT US OUT JUST YET

 CURVY CORN ROWS

With clear overhead skies and slightly warmer temps for a change, I figured I had better get my legs out for a walk while my hip was feeling reasonably okay.  So, that's what Pheebs and I did.

With our 'For Sale' Class C Winnebago back in the driveway we were prepared for a busy day due to the amount of interest in it.  Kelly had listed it on Facebook's buy and sell in an area covering Bayfield, Goderich, Grand Bend, Clinton, Seaforth, and Stratford.  The ad was up for 5 days and believe it or not but Kelly said the ad had 8,037 hits.  And no, that is not one of my tricky exaggerations.  As it turns out, the second couple to look at it this morning bought it on the spot and gave us a sizeable deposit to hold it for them.  No bickering or dickering and not even a test drive.  For them, Scooter was love at first sight and they wanted it.  And here's the kicker...this really nice older couple is from Cambridge Ontario and they know Kelly's ex-husband John and son Ben who own the very successful Florence Signs in Cambridge.  It's a small world sometimes and this morning was one of those times.  They will be back next week to pick the RV up.  To celebrate Scooter's sale today we hopped into the Subaru and headed for Bayfield's Woodland Drive-In whereupon we each had a footlong hotdog and Kelly had a chocolate milkshake which I of course had to help her finish.

 'SOLD'

 WOODLAND DRIVE-IN

 WAITING FOR THE FOOT LONG HOT DOGS

 WE STILL HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO COVER UP THE BIG SQUARE HOLE IN SUBIE'S ROOF

So, how do we feel about selling our little Class C Winnebago??  Well, it's a wee bit of a mixed bag but overall we are happy we 'finally' made the decision we did.  Scooter had become a worry sitting out there day after day, month after month, for these past three years and especially this past year when we finally had to come to grips with the knowledge that under our present and foreseeable medical circumstances, we were not going to be able to use the RV for the purpose it was designed.  There was no point in it just sitting there day after day depreciating.  It's a big worry off our minds now not having to worry about winterizing and de-winterizing.  I don't have to be concerned about the battery going dead in cold weather or the tires going flat, etc, etc, and, etc.  We have enough worries going on without additional RV worries.  As I have said before, we have not ruled out future RV travels but we will deal with that if and when it becomes a viable option again. I figure we still have at least one more trip to the great American Southwest left in us and if we can get out there one last time then by hook or by crook we will do it.  Don't count us out just yet:)) 

FOR PHEEBS AND I TODAY THIS WAS OUR LAST RIDE IN SCOOTER 

Al's Music Box:)) What A Day For A Daydream by the 'Lovin' Spoonful' from the album 'Daydream'.  1966      

GROANER'S CORNER:((    A wife and husband both talked in their sleep. She loved auctions; his hobby was golf.  The other night, as they slept, the golfer yelled, "Fore!"  His wife yelled back, "Four and a quarter !"

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A man tells the clerk that he wants a dog.
The clerk asks, "What kind of demeanor do you want the dog to have?"  The man says, "I'm looking for a guard dog, demeanor the better!"

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OUR CLASS C WINNEBAGO IS BACK AND WITH ANY LUCK IT WILL SOON SELL

Well shucks, I forgot to include a cartoon in my Thursday night post.  I guess I should be thankful that was all I forgot.  I never forget to tie new shoes though because I only ever have to tie them once with YouTube instructions in front of me showing me how to do it.  When I get a new pair of shoes I tie them loose enough that I can just slip in and out of them and never have to untie or tie them again.  Getting older is all about getting smarter eh.  Well, that's what I've heard anyway.  I'm just waiting for it to kick in one of these days.  Not much happening on another cool cloudy mid-June day here.  I did pick up my good buddy Richard this morning and we slipped up to Goderich and grabbed a couple coffees and carrot muffins to go and headed out of town.  It was a nice morning for a quiet backroads drive through the countryside as we caught up on everything that needed catching up on from the things we missed a couple weeks ago.  I was home before noon.  Oh, and the Bayfield Garage called late this afternoon saying our Class C was done and to come pick it up so that's what we did.  It is now safetied and officially 'For Sale'.  As expected, it didn't take a lot to safety the rig 'EXCEPT' for an unexpected problem with the right rear leaking rear axle seal that contaminated the right rear brake shoes.  It was a three-hour fix plus parts (a brake shoe set, Howe combi kit, wheel seal sleeve, etc) which in the end pushed the total cost for the safety check over a thousand dollars.  There are a couple small things to fix on the coach yet and we hope to have that done shortly. 

 ON MY WAY TO RICHARD'S HOUSE

An afternoon walk around the Park's pond and that pretty much wrapped up another day.

 WITH JUNE'S LUSH FOLIAGE THE EAST END OF THE PARK'S POND IS HARDLY VISIBLE

 I'M SURE GLAD WE DON'T GOT NO ALLIGATORS OR CROCODILES IN THE POND BUT WE DO GOT SOME SNAPPING TURTLES

 BY GOLLY THERE'S THE POND'S RED CANOE AGAIN

 NEW GROWTH ON A YOUNG PINE TREE BY THE WATER'S EDGE

Al's Music Box:)) In The Summertime by Mungo Jerry from the album 'Electronically Tested'.  1971

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A father was reading Bible stories to his young son. He read, “The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and was turned to salt.”His son asked, “But what happened to the flea?”

- Cowboys hung lanterns from their saddles at night.  It's the first example of Saddle Light Navigation...

- What did one toilet say to the other?
You look flushed.

- Why do seagulls fly over the ocean?
If they flew over the bay, they’d be bagels.

- What has four wheels and flies?  A garbage truck.

- Why did the Oreo cookie go to the dentist?  It lost its filling.

- Did I tell you I dreamt about drowning in an ocean made out of orange soda last night?  Turns out it was just a Fanta sea.

- You know why you should avoid the new Lego store when it opens tomorrow?
People will be lined up for blocks.
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KELLY RESUMES TREATMENTS AND SCOOTER IS STILL IN THE GARAGE

 DAISIES

A slightly overcast 61F day saw Pheebs and I take a short drive into Bayfield and back this morning.  

 UPON LEAVING PORT BE SURE YOU HAVE YOUR BICYCLES ABOARD IN CASE YOU HAVE TO PEDAL YOURSELF BACK TO SHORE

 IT LOOKS LIKE THIS GUY IS HEADED STRAIGHT ACROSS THE LAKE TO THE STATE OF MICHIGAN....NO WONDER HE IS TAKING HIS BICYCLES

Home again I was soon in the Subaru on my way to Exeter Ontario for my physio appointment regarding my troublesome hip.  All went well and unlike last week when leaving the Russett Rehab Center and going over to MacDonalds and driving past the pick-up window, I concentrated extra hard on where I was and what I was doing and actually remembered to pick up my coffee on the way by pick-up window this time.  Chalk one up for my side.  

SAW THIS 'STUMP HOUSE' ON MY WAY TO EXETER THIS MORNING AND NOTE THE PAIL WITH A ROPE ON IT FOR HOISTING UP SUPPLIES

 MY BEST GUESS IS A BUMBLE BEE ON WHEELS

Our Winnebago is still in the garage.  The safety check is taking longer because the garage is short-staffed this week plus they found a problem with the rear axle and brake drums, and are waiting for parts to repair it.  Kelly had put Scooter on Facebook and the response has been totally overwhelming.  

 SCOOTER IS STILL AT THE GARAGE AND BY THE LOOKS OF IT I THINK IT IS MINUS ITS REAR WHEELS

In touch with the Plasmapheresis clinic in London yesterday, Kelly has been given a new schedule and will continue her treatments once a week for the next eight weeks.  We will be back to London in a few days.

 SPIREA

It has been a while but Pheebs and I finally got out for an afternoon walk around the Park's pond.  I could hear thunder rumbling out over the lake far to the Southwest and checking the weather map later I could see Sarnia and Port Huron might have got clobbered.  At the time of posting this tonight, it is raining.

 OUR PARK'S POND

Al's Music Box:)) Autumn Of My Life by Bobby Goldsboro from the album 'Word Pictures'.  1968

GROANER'S CORNER:(( I made a soup entirely from ingredients extracted from the atmosphere…It was a broth of fresh air!

- When does a regular joke become a dad joke?  When it becomes apparent.

- It wasn’t much fun when I broke my neck last year.  But now I can look back and laugh.

- Does anyone remember that chiropractor joke I shared?  It was about a weak back.

- I recently visited the "World's Tiniest Wind Turbine" exhibit.  Honestly, not a big fan.

- I can’t bring my dog to the pond anymore. The ducks keep attacking him.  Guess that’s what I get for getting a pure bread dog.

- I only seem to get sick on weekdays.
I must have a weekend immune system.

- What did the triangle say to the circle?
You’re pointless.

- Hey, Dad, did you get a haircut?  Nope, I got them all cut

- I think I want a job cleaning mirrors.
I could really see myself doing it.

- I've opened a restaurant called "Peace And Quiet."  Kids meals only $150

- What do you call a pencil with two erasers?  Pointless!

- Why are pupils the last part of your body

 to stop working when you die?  They dilate.

- Why are elevator jokes so good?  They work on many levels!

- Why did the broom decide to go to bed?
It was very sweepy.

- Why was the woman afraid for the calendar?  Its days were numbered.

- What did the police officer say to his belly button?  You're under a vest.

- Why did the coffee go to the police?  To report a mugging.

- Why is Peter Pan always flying?
Because he Neverlands.

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