NICE BIKE CRUISE THROUGH MENNONITE/AMISH COUNTRY

ALL OF TONIGHT'S PHOTOS WERE TAKEN WITH MY CANON SX210IS 

I heard the first rumble of thunder about 3 a.m. & sure enough there I was for the second night in a row outside rolling Jeep windows up.  I usually check the weather radar before going to bed each night but of course I forgot to do that again.  No point in going back to bed so slumped into my recliner.  Five minutes later it was pouring rain & kept it up to about 7 a.m.

With the overnight rains I knew all country roads would be too wet & muddy for a Sunday morning motorcycle run.   But, by early afternoon the roads had dried up enough & I was on the bike & off out into the countryside.  It was hot & humid again with large ominous dark clouds moiling about overhead so I had to keep a wary eye on the sky all afternoon.  Didn't have any rain gear with so I didn't venture much farther from home than about 25 miles. 

Had my Canon SX210IS along but was wishing I had thrown my more versatile Nikon D90 around my neck because today's travels took me through some beautiful Mennonite/Amish countryside northeast of Bayfield.  Field upon field of stooks piled the old fashioned way by pitchfork & hand.  No large fancy air conditioned tractors pulling baler machines for these hard working simple folks.

I was on back country gravel roads today that I had never been on before & I totally love when that happens.  Horses running free in grassy green fields, herds of cows browsing lazily in pastures & flocks of sheep dotting the landscapes hillsides.  Miles of neat & clean looking Mennonite farms with their white houses & no electrical lines.  Horse & buggy tracks on the roads & no farm machinery noise anywhere for as far as my ear could hear.  Total peace with a warm gentle wind in the trees & no traffic on the roads.   Now, how nice is that.  Well, maybe not so peaceful for the Mennonite folks when a rumbling motorcycle ambled on by with some yodeling wanna be cowboy aboard belting out 'Honky Tonk Man' again!!  However, despite that passing noise, I was reminded once again this afternoon how truly fortunate the Bayfield Bunch is to live in such a scenic rural area of Southwestern Ontario:))

   

Some folks have asked if we have heard anything about Lexi yet & the answer is 'No'.  We were told last Wednesday that it would be Monday or Tuesday before a decision would be made as to where Lexi's new home will be.  Bayfield or Toronto.  We are trying our best to remain optimistic.

Elaine & Rick from E & R'S TRAVELS just retired in June of this year, traded in their Gulfstream Sun Voyager gas MH for a tropical diesel pusher & are right now out practicing some good old RVing in Eastern Canada before heading south this winter.  And, you just gotta check out the cutesy guys, Lilly & Tucker too:))

We here at the 'Bunch' welcome bobm as our latest Blog Follower.  Nice to have you aboard Sir:))

Awwwww nuts, here we are at that 'irritating' LAST PARAGRAPH thing again!!  I'm really not sure what it is that's so irritating about my last paragraph to someone.  Just me being me in the last paragraph.  No different than me being me in any preceding paragraph except that I am alerting & saying to tired & winded readers of my sometimes long posts......."hang in there, your coming down the home stretch & the finish line is finally in sight".  Geeeeezzzz:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Howard County Police officers still write their reports by hand, and the data is entered later by a computer tech into their database. One theft report stated that a farmer had lost 2,025 pigs. Thinking that to be an error, the tech called the farmer directly.
"Is it true Mr. (Smith) that you lost 2,025 pigs?" she asked.
"Yeth." lisped the farmer.
Being a Howard County girl herself, the tech entered: "Subject lost 2 sows and 25 pigs."

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EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
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only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.

FROM FOOT LONGS TO BURRITOS....THE BAYFIELD BUMS STRIKE AGAIN:))

NOT ALL OUR FRONT YARD BIRDS HAVE FEATHERS:)) 

An unexpected light rain shower had me outside in my jammies about 5:30 this morning rolling up Jeep windows & closing RV & shed doors.  Whenever little Cora hears rain she nervously anticipates the coming of Mr. Big Bad Thunder Monster but she needn't have worried this morning.  It was just a nice pleasant early morning gentle shower that soon passed.

How nice modern technology has made some things more convenient.  Yesterday, Kelly was able to add 80 more songs to her 1000 song capacity thumb drive.  She then simply took the thumb drive out & plugged it into the USB port of the newer radio in our Santa Fe & Walla, music galore.  No more having to burn CD's & how convenient to have so much music on a small device like a Thumb Drive.  Of course your vehicle's radio has to have that USB port capability.  Our 2006 Jeep's older radio doesn't have that feature but I'm just glad I can easily use my IPod to play through the Jeeps sound system with the simple addition of a cigarette lighter adapter.

Forgot to mention that me & the Kid wrestled over a foot long hot dog on Friday.  As has been the tradition ever since we moved to Bayfield nearly 9 years ago I generally have myself a foot long hot dog once a year at our local summer Woodlands drive-in ice cream & hamburger place.  I missed my hot dog this past Spring but yesterday I had a hankering for a foot long so off me & the Kid went in the Jeep.  Of course Cora always thinks she should get the Lions share of whatever we get & of course I always think I should get the Lions' share so it is quite a tussle we two have sometimes in the front seat of the Jeep:))  Kinda like two Seagulls fighting over a French Fry in a parking lot!!

WHY IS THAT FOOT LONG TAKING SO LONG DAD?? 

Today we welcome Jerry as our latest Blog Follower.  I'm assuming it was you Jerry who sent us the nice email this morning.  Thank you, & welcome to our Bayfield Bunch blog & travels.  Am wondering if that is a picture of Widget:))

Kelly came across another fellow RV'ers blog this morning that is so sad.  A full timing couple's ongoing dream was shattered a month ago when one of them was lost on a tragic white water rafting trip.  HOWETH'S TRAVELS

Saturday's are always Kelly's busiest days at DEERPARK LODGE so me & the Kid Jeeped ourselves up to Goderich this morning for a few groceries.  Our local Bayfield Supermarket is generally swamped on summer weekends.  I don't mind grocery shopping at all....if I am by myself.  When Kelly & are traveling I generally go in with her & push the cart around, but it's a stretch!!  I like the 'cash back' feature some of our grocery stores have & if I'm a little short on cash I generally try to combine some grocery shopping with 'cash back.'  Saves me the extra stop of having to run into downtown Goderich & go directly to our bank.  Anytime I can avoid any extra traffic is fine with me.

Of course Motor wasn't going to let me get away without making a Burrito stop so as we headed south out of town I was unceremoniously barked right into the McDonald's Drive-Thru lineup.  Every trip through here is the same.  Soon as I pull up to the microphone to order, the barking starts, so as usual I just let her do the ordering again this morning.  It's just easier & less stressful for me that way.  We were soon up to the wicket, Motor grabbed our stuff & we were on our way with just one remaining stop for gas.  Of course Motor likes this stop as well because she knows the attendants hand out doggy treats & for sure she saw to it that she got her treat!!  We were soon on the road again rolling through our beautiful rural countryside.

 

ANTICIPATION

 

PLACING THE ORDER

APPROACHING THE WINDOW & ......... 'THE GRAB!!' (CANON POWERSHOT A730)

Half a dozen or so blogs ago I posted about the first digital camera I ever had.  Found a photo of that camera in my 2002 files & as I had thought, it was a Hewlitt-Packard.  This 1 megapixel camera is the only one I had until buying a Fuji 535 in 2006. 

FIRST DIGITAL CAMERA...2002

My second digital camera, a Fuji was the best point & shoot I have had to date.  Liked it better than either of the two Canon Point & Shoots I now have.  There was no shutter lag with the Fuji & it had a viewfinder.  It was not overloaded with a lot of fancy bells & whistles & I remember the image as being sharper.  Although my Canon SX210 is easy to carry around I am not impressed with the image quality or the annoying shutter lag.  I figure that shutter lag is caused by having to gather way too much unnecessary electronic information about the photo it is taking.

The rest of the day was uneventful because the humidity had built up again & I wasn't going outside in that miserable stuff.  Watched some 'Tank Battles' on the History channel but after 3 hours I was definitely suffering battle fatigue & had to beat a strategic retreat out to my workshop for a short while to do some meaningful puttering. Wasn't long & the humidity drove me back inside again.   Interspersed between Tank Battles & puttering I had me some Motor snuggles & a few light dozes in my chair.

And, that was it was for another summer Saturday here in our quiet little Pine forested 5 Seasons Estates Park in Southwestern Ontario, Canada.

BLUE JAY  (NIKON D40 AT 300mm) 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A bus load of politicians were driving down a country road one afternoon, when all of a sudden, the bus ran off the road and crashed into a tree in an old farmer's field.
Seeing what happened, the old farmer went over to investigate. He then proceeded to dig a hole and bury the politicians.
A few days later, the local sheriff came out, saw the crashed bus, and asked the old farmer, "Were they all dead?"
The old farmer replied, "Well, some of them said they weren't, but you know how them politicians lie."

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EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.

FELLOW RV BLOGGER DOUG DUBROUILLET PASSED AWAY TODAY‏

 

It was with sadness this afternoon we read about the death of fellow RV Blogger, Doug Dubrouillet.  LIVING OUR DREAM  Kelly & I first met Doug & JoAnn in December of 08 at a the  WAL-MART McDONALD'S IN YUMA ARIZONA.  They were the couple who were instrumental in Kelly & I ending up with the Ranch sitting job near McNeil Arizona the past 3 years.

JOANN & DOUG OUT FOR A DODDER IN THE DESERT WEST OF YUMA, CALIFORNIA

 

WAVING GOOD-BYE TO DOUG, JOANN & FILLMORE AS THEY HEAD BACK TO CIVILIZATION 

After meeting Doug & JoAnne in Yuma they came out to do some boon docking with Kelly & I on OGILBE ROAD west of Yuma.  We saw them again about a month later in Borrego Springs California where they happily continued familiarizing themselves with the boon docking lifestyle.

JOANN, FILLMORE, CHECKERS, DOUG & MAX....DECEMBER 2008 

Never saw Doug & JoAnn again until  DECEMBER 12TH 2010 when we met them, along with Fred & Jo Wishnie at Margie's Corner Cafe in Sunsites, Arizona.

DOUG & FILLMORE AT MARGIE'S CAFE IN SUN SITES, ARIZONA....DECEMBER 2010 

Our sympathies are extended not only to JoAnn, but Doug's family & friends as well.  ONLINE MEMORIAL SITE 

HAPPY HOUR IN THE DESERT NEAR BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA...THAT'S DOUG ON THE EXTREME LEFT & JOANN ON THE EXTREME RIGHT...JANUARY 2009  

A few questions have come in about our waiting to hear about Lexi.  We are not exactly sure how a final decision is made at the Animal Love Foundation in London Ontario where Lexi is sponsored but we do think that the input from an animals Foster Home is likely an important part of the decision making.    I think that is a good thing for the Pet because it gives the Foster Folks a chance to assess if the prospective new owners will be a good match for the Pet.  The people who are coming to meet Lexi on Saturday will probably be assessed by Lexi's Foster Mom & then that assessment is forwarded to the agency.  It is Lexi's Foster Mom who after all, knows her best.  I think somebody or a board then makes the decision which home Lexi will be best suited for.  I think that is a right thing to do by putting a Pet's safety & security first.  We've got our finger's crossed that Lexi herself will put in a good word for us after meeting her this past Wednesday:))

Judy wondered in a comment on my Thursday post how long it took me to find my way back to the Jeep through the maze of Hospital twists, turns & hallways.  Fast answer to that question is about 5 minutes which included finding a Salmon sandwich & a Pecan Tart along the way:))

KELLY, JOANN & DOUG LOOKING FOR GOLD NEAR THE OLD TUMCO MINE SITE IN CALIFORNIA 

And, it cost me $5 to get out of the Hospital parking lot.  Every time I go through those lifting arm parking meters at the Stratford Hospital I am reminded of my Mother.  She sometimes had trouble figuring out the coin meter or didn't have the right change or patience & would actually drive her car right through those wooden arms breaking them off if they didn't lift for her.  The front bumper on her small burgundy Chrysler actually had yellow paint marks on it from the arms.

Red, in California wondered why I couldn't figure out the mobility van driver's cell phone.  Simple, I am not in the habit of carrying or using cell phones.  I think cell phones are a great idea but I just have never seen a practical application for me to carry one other than for emergency use.  We do have a cell phone here but I never seem to remember to take it with me anywhere.  Our Samsung Bell phone at least has words on the buttons like, Talk, End, Back, Menu & Ok.  The driver's Nokia only had some colored buttons & no words.  Anyway, I am going to try & remember to get in the habit of carrying our cell phone more often.  Just never know when AB might have to 'phone home':))

JOANN & DOUG, KELLY & AL ALONG WITH JO & FRED WISHNIE OUTSIDE OF MARGIE'S CAFE IN SUNSITES, ARIZONA...DECEMBER 12TH 2010
I sometimes forget to hit the 'Publish' button after reading a comment on my post & this morning on a routine check of my 'Overview' in Blogger Dashboard I saw 3 comments I had forgot to Publish.  I then 'Published' them right from the Dashboard.  Always a good idea to get in the habit of checking your Blogger Dashboard's 'Overview' to make sure you haven't forgot to publish a reader's comment:))

THE LAST PARAGRAPH:  I never did get to know Doug Dubrouillet well.  A bit of kibitzing in Yuma, a few words around a morning desert campfire one day & a couple emails back & forth a few years ago.  Some friendships are instant & some take awhile to develop & grow.  Doug & I just never spent enough time together getting to know & understand each other.  I wish you well my friend, wherever you are. 

   

GROANER'S CORNER:((   A wife was making a breakfast of fried eggs for her husband. Suddenly, her husband burst into the kitchen. 'Careful,' he said, 'CAREFUL! Put in some more butter! Oh my gosh! You're cooking too many at once. TOO MANY! Turn them! TURN THEM NOW! We need more butter. Oh my gosh! WHERE are we going to get MORE BUTTER? They're going to STICK! Careful. CAREFUL! I said be CAREFUL! You NEVER listen to me when you're cooking! Never! Turn them! Hurry up! Are you CRAZY? Have you LOST your mind? Don't forget to salt them. You know you always forget to salt them. Use the Salt! USE THE SALT! THE SALT!' The wife stared at him. 'What in the world is wrong with you? You think I don't know how to fry a couple of eggs?' The husband calmly replied, 'I just wanted to show you what it feels like when I'm driving.'

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EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

OUR

PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.