TODAY WAS KINDA THE LULL BEFORE THE STORM

A LATE AFTERNOON NOVEMBER SUN ON OUR STREET TODAY

Definitely needed a warm coat on today with temps barely hauling themselves above the 40F mark.  Big gusting winds in the night not only brought small branches down but ushered in a cold front.  Late this afternoon the sky's darkened, thunder rumbled and we had a short smash of very cold rain and snow showers. That was followed by a beautiful burst of yellowing sunshine low on the horizon.  Crazy weather for this time of year.  

We are pretty much loaded up and ready to go with just the last day stuff coming up Friday so it will be a busy one and I look forward to that.   Kelly upgraded our Star Choice TV coverage today so instead of the basic package we will get a few extra channels on the road this year including History, CNN, Discovery and National Geographic. 

Today I just kind of coasted.  Felt kind of like the lull before the storm because Friday morning things will begin to ramp up very quickly and stay that way until we finally touch down somewhere in a relaxing spot on the other side of the country somewhere. 

With Remembrance Day coming up Friday the History channel has had many programs on related to the two past great wars.  WW1 and WW2.  Being a bit of a history buff I always find these documentary type programs (not movies) interesting.  Found myself kind of glued to the History channel today watching many aging Veterans interviewed and seeing a lot of war film footage I had never seen before.  Also enjoy the modern graphics used to depict and explain how battles happened and events occurred. 

AL WASN’T THE ONLY ONE COASTING TODAY

Dennis and Donna over at the CAVE DWELLERS are counting down their final departure days to Louisiana and will be on the road just a couple days after we are.  Donna is another one of those people like myself who is just bursting at the seams right about now counting down the days and hours to getting the show on the road.  Let’s just get out there and ‘git er done’ Donna:))

Fellow RVing friends Rick and Kathy Rousseau from Tecumseh Ontario have just published their first blog, IT'S ABOUT TIME.   They are off to a great start using the Blogger format and have done a fine job in setting it all up.  Driving a truck and fifth wheel I think a lot of folks will identify with their blogs title when they read it:)) 

Noticed today we have a new blog follower so the Bayfield Bunch extends a warm welcome to Caterina Serra.  Nice to have you along as we count down the last couple days before our departure to the great American Southwest.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, a minister hears the intoning of a prayer that nearly makes his collar wilt.
Investigating, the minister discovers that his five-year-old son and playmates have found a dead robin. The children, feeling that the little bird ought to have a proper burial, have put the bird in a small box and dug a hole for a grave.
As the one chosen to say the appropriate prayers, the minister's son is mimicking his father's sonorous dignity and repeating what he thinks he's heard his father say: "Glory be unto the Faaaather ... and unto the Sonnnn ... and into the hole he gooooes."

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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

SAID GOOD-BYE TO UNCLE HARRY TODAY UNTIL NEXT SPRING

IT WAS NEARLY A YEAR AGO WE SPENT A COUPLE NIGHTS AT RUSTY'S RV RANCH  NEAR RODEO NEW MEXICO UNDER THE WATCHFUL GAZE OF ARIZONA’S LEGENDARY CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS

Out of our last 6 border crossings into the States we have been singled out 3 times for so called 'agriculture checks.'  This involves having to disembark the rig (dog's too) and wait outside in the cold while custom inspectors go through your stuff.  This is followed by a long wait at the end of a constantly growing line of people until you find yourself at a counter inside a building with an often as not grumpy custom's officer firing questions at you.  This is never a pleasant experience (generally an hour) from start to finish and is the main reason we always dread border crossings.  We have been free of those border checks for 2 years in a row now but will our luck hold Saturday morning at our Port Huron border crossing or will we be randomly singled out again!!  We'll see...........

PLAYING A GAME OF ‘STICKS’ WITH MAX, CHECKERS AND CORA A YEAR AGO TODAY AT AN IOWA REST STOP

One year ago tonight we overnighted in a little county park in Lindsborg, Kansas on our way west and the following night we made it to Dalhart, Texas.  It is sad when I look back in my blog to that time a year ago and see all my photos of Max and Checkers each day happily traveling along on their way west with us.  Little did we suspect that 5 short months later neither one of the guys would be with us anymore.  Very sad.

<<< TOOK THIS EARLY MORNING SUNRISE PHOTO THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF THE RIG SOMEWHERE IN SOUTHERN IOWA A YEAR AGO

Been toying with the idea of hooking the utility trailer up to the back of the Jeep behind the Motorhome.  Why?  So I can take my treasured recliner with me:))  Ok, just joking about that but I consider recliners to be one of the greatest inventions of modern history.  I do love my big cushy recliner but it's way too big for the Motor Home.  First spotted it sitting quietly amongst a bunch of other recliners in a Sears 'Outlet' store in London Ontario about 6 years ago.  Walked over to it, sat myself in it and pulled the wooden reclining leaver to stretch myself out into full blown comfort.  It was love at first snuggle.  Half an hour later we had the chair in our mini-van heading for home.  Me and my Buddy have been nearly inseparable ever since.

LAST YEAR’S MORNING DOGGY WALK AT RUSTY'S RV RANCH

I sleep in it, sometimes eat in it, write portions of my blog in it, snuggle with the doggy guys in it, catch daily catnaps in it and just generally spend too much quality time in it.  Kelly has sometimes threatened to have me taken to the hospital and have the recliner and I surgically separated.  Sometimes there are furry critters sleeping in it and keeping it warm for when I get there.   From my control center recliner I can open and close our patio door for the guys when coming in or going out.  I can clearly check the daily temperature on a tree outside the window and of course have full control over TV and Stereo systems via remotes conveniently located on a renovated marble topped cabinet/table out of a Phaeton Motor Home.  I can answer the telephone from my recliner and reach one of my Canon cameras for impromptu doggy photos or easily slip out of it onto the floor for a game of doggy toys with the guys.  Yep, I'm going to miss my good old cushy recliner Pal alright and on our return in the Spring it is one of the first things I tend to reunite with when coming into the house.  I look forward to that big huge sigh of relief as I blissfully sink into the welcoming and enveloping arms of my dear old friend:)) 

ROLLING THROUGH HUTCHINSON KANSAS NOVEMBER 10TH 2010

I always carry a 'pruners' with me on our morning walks for trimming back small branches or tall weeds along the forest path. For three years now I have used the blue handled cutters in the photo below. I even take these cutters to the southwest with me each year and carry them on our mountain hikes sometimes trimming back any protruding or low hanging branches growing across the trail.  

MY BLUE HANDLED PRUNERS ARE NEVER TOO FAR FROM MY SIDE WHEN OUT ON THE TRAIL
Jerry's post over at OUR LIFE ON WHEELS was of particular interest to me today.  I totally understand Jerry and Suzy feeling a need to prioritize things and go with the necessary and welcome changes in their busy lives.   They have decided to change some of their blogging habits and I understand why.  I always find the topic of blogging interesting and I always enjoy reading people's thoughts regarding blogs or blogging.

KELLY SAYS GOOD-BYE TO UNCLE HARRY TODAY

We slipped over to Mitchell Ontario this morning to see my Uncle Harry and say good-bye before we leave Saturday.   He's doing pretty good and we feel comfortable that he will be fine over this upcoming winter season.  He is in good hands at the Ritz Villa.  He sure is going to miss Pheebe though.  Uncle Harry always has been a caring 'dog person':))

I REMEMBER HOW GREAT IT FELT LAST YEAR ON NOVEMBER 12TH TO FINALLY BE STANDING IN THE SHADOW OF THE MIGHTY CHIRICAHUA MOUNTAINS ONCE AGAIN

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A State legislator is awakened in the middle of the night by his wife, who whispers, "I think there's a thief in the house."
"Not in the House, my dear," her husband says. "Perhaps in the Senate, but not in the House."

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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

SOOOOOOO LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING NEW THINGS:))

PHOTOS MAY BE A LITTLE SCARCE OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS UNTIL WE GET OURSELVES ON THE ROAD

I am almost afraid to allow myself a twinge of excitement this close to our departure date in case it throws a jinx into our travel plans.  But, allow a twinge of excitement this morning I did, and what a great feeling it was too.  I would have to say, the RV Traveling lifestyle is probably the number one favourite thing for me at this stage in my life and being only days away from another great southwest trip feels like a hurricane of fresh air blowing through my mind.  I love the excitement of unknown destinations and adventures.  And, above all, I love the feeling of being completely mobile and not being committed to sitting in one spot for weeks or months on end.  Our time is our own whenever we chose to let the winds blow us on to our next destination.  We do enjoy our extended times at the Ranch near McNeil Arizona but that is the exception to our blowing around like a tumbling Tumbleweed all winter.  Sooooo looking forward to seeing new things:))

KEVIN AND RUTH had a question about why would we fill up with gas in Canada when we are so close to the U.S. border.  Well, good question I guess and one to which I have no totally logical answer.  Only way for me to respond to that one is to simply say I never thought of it.  Guess it's an old habit of filling up locally before heading out on a trip.  Having been out of the States for 7 months now and not being a guy who ever pays attention to gas prices it just never occurred to me to do that.  I wonder if it would fall under the heading of a 'Senior Moment.'  And Jo over there at THE WANDERING WISHNIES  wondered why it is I can't eat McDonald's Burrito's anymore.  Well, it's not so much that I can't them Jo but I have been trying to avoid wheat based products lately in an effort to see if all that doughy ooze I love so much has an affect on my health.  Of course eating a whole wheat bread Turkey Salad sandwich didn't make much sense Tuesday and maybe those Burritos aren't made out of wheat anyway.  I'm thinking there just may be a couple McDonald's Burrito's in my not too distant future now that you mentioned it:))  

Our temps are still holding out on the mild side with 60F today under cloudy skies and a drizzly kind of mist in the air.  Sure not complaining about the weather though if the temps stay like this.  Thought I noticed on last night's news that we were the same temperature yesterday as Phoenix, Arizona.  I'm keeping a close eye on the weather patterns right now south and west of us.  Noticed it's 66F in Yuma Arizona today and 69F in Borrego Springs California.  Those are perfect temps for hiking so hang on to those temps guys because we are headed your way soon:))

HELPS TO HAVE A BIG LAP AT OUR HOUSE:))

I once again spent time on Google+ this morning trying to gain some kind of concept into how this program works.  Managed to change my profile pic but that was about as far as I got.  Thanks for the response Sue.  Saw a post by someone I finally recognized (Froggi Donna:)) and was able to respond to that.  I did type a message into a box asking if anyone had any easy suggestions on understanding the program but........no response:((  I remember years ago how long it took me to figure out the concept of Blogger.  After half a dozen tries at trying to understand what Blogger was and how it worked I was finally able to fit a couple pieces of the puzzle together and gain an overall understanding of the whole picture.  I probably had the same problem understanding the concept and setting up Picasa and Facebook years ago as well but can't remember.  I will try Google+ again and maybe again......and maybe again.

On our walk this afternoon I couldn't believe how fast Pheebe nearly ran down a Squirrel in a large grassy field area.  Had it not been for a large Walnut tree the Pheebs would have caught the Squirrel.   Pheebs does not appear to have a mean bone in her body so I have no idea what she would have done had she caught up with the little fella.  Probably smothered it in smooches and knocked it out with her big strong wagging tail.  

As much as I sometimes complain about CNN news with it's giggles gang in the morning, seemingly never ending commercials and their tunnel vision focus on repeating things over and over and over.....I'm going to miss the gang.  The TV package we have with Star Choice while on the road does not include CNN so it will be next Spring before I tune in to Wolf Blitzer and the crew again.  But, CNN is a treat compared to the aggravating morning network news program we get while traveling.  More about that annoying noise when we are on the road again.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  My wife still uses curlers in her hair after she washes it. She came into the Family Room as I was watching TV.
I guess I stared at her funny because she said, "I just set my hair."
The last thing I remember saying was, "Oh, really? And what time does it go off?"

--------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.