BAYFIELD.....ALONG THE SHORES OF LAKE HURON ON ONTARIO'S WEST COAST

QUIET MOORINGS IN THE BAYFIELD HARBOR

Rod, one of our blog followers mentioned they had never been to Bayfield before & was curious as to what it was like here. I did take a bunch of photos of Bayfield last August & they can be found here..........................
http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/gallery/5845016_7pESE#362675509_zZfh9
When you get there just click on the "Slideshow" button to the right.

ALTHOUGH ON A LAKE, BAYFIELD DOES HAVE A SALTY SEA AIRE ABOUT IT

Rod's suggestion did bring up an interesting point that kind of harkens back to what I've been saying about the traveling lifestyle. I have always enjoyed that great feeling of excitement when first driving through or seeing a place I have never been before. Those first impressions are the ones that seem to anchor themselves in the memory & are often some the best images captured in the camera. Staying in an area for awhile adds to the depth & scope of memorable scenes but there comes a point when a line is crossed somewhere. Maybe it's a few days, weeks, months, or in some cases years, but at some point you become totally familiar with your surroundings & you begin "not seeing things." FINE DINING & ACCOMODATION

Case in point........... We have lived in the Bayfield area now for about six & a half years. The picturesque little artsy town of Bayfield is probably one of the nicest small towns on Ontario's west coast or as a matter of fact, all of southwestern Ontario. People flock here from far & wide for the old town ambience, & the beautiful sunsets from the cliffs overlooking Lake Huron. It's natural harbor is a boater's paradise & it's downtown charm is second to none. Bayfield is surrounded on three sides by rolling farmlands, quaint little villages, plus forests of pine & maple. There are many scenic attractions nearby & I have been drawn to this area ever since I was a kid. But, living here & visiting here are two different things. Because we have lived here for awhile now we have become too familiar with everything. I don't view the area with those excited visitor's eyes anymore & I have a habit of taking the scenery for granted.

AWAITING THE BEAUTIFUL SUNSET OVER LAKE HURON

So, spurred on by Rod's comment I am going to dust off the cameras & spend some time over the next little while getting myself re-excited about this truly wonderful place we live because I'm sure there are a lot of folks out there who have no idea how beautiful this country is here in southwestern Ontario, Canada. Because Bayfield is located on the western side of Lake Huron the area is commonly referred to as Ontario's West Coast...................................:))SUNDOWN ON THE PIER

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

I CALL IT.....THE COMING HOME BLUES!!

THE PINK STORE IN PALOMAS, MEXICO

To-day's blog pics are from one of the most fascinatingly colorful stores I have ever been in. The Pink Store is located just a block from the Mexican border in Palomas Mexico which in turn is 3 miles south of Columbus, New Mexico. Pics taken in December of 2006....................................


The coming home blues is something fulltimers do not have to worry about anymore & people who never travel probably have no idea what I'm talking about. But I know there are snowbirders out there who feel as I do after returning home in the spring from an extended stay in the south. Maybe not the majority of snowbirds but to you birders with a sense of adventure, a love of nature, & a sense of freedom, you might identify with me here. GREAT FOOD AT THE PINK STORE AS WELL

This is our third springtime home & I have found it the hardest adjustment so far. I thought last year was difficult but it didn't have anything on this year. The past winter in the American southwest was our best ever and it made coming home that much harder. RVing, like most everything else just gets better the more you do it & with the superb weather this past season I just wish we could have stayed on the road. Besides all the standard RVing benefits like hiking, rock scrambling, numerous day trips, ever changing beautiful scenery, starry night campfires, morning desert walks, & a quiet relaxing lifestyle, I am fortunate to have an interest in blogging & photography which kind of ties everything to-gether for me at the end of each great RV day. This past winter I was able to put a blog together for every one of the 133 days we were on the road. The simple reason I was able to do that was our ever changing environment. It was the excitement of seeing & doing new things & the anticipation of new adventures ahead & wonderful memories behind. For fulltimers their adventures & memories are ongoing but for the snowbirder, the memories may remain but the adventures ahead are put on seasonal hold for another 6 months when they return home. The adventure comes to a grinding halt every spring!!!! I have had to reach deep into my little bag of tricks this month & dig out my attitude adjustment tool & do some very necessary tweaking these past few days. No point in walking around all gloomy & stuff. We are here for the summer & I had just better get on with making the best of it until we get the big wheels rolling again in the fall. Now, where's my calender...........................:))


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BLOG BREAK

Al's taking a blog break for awhile.

AFTER A FEW WRONG DECISIONS....HERE ARE SOME OF THE RIGHT ONES:))

BRYCE CANYON, UTAH


Decided to do a blog about some of the things we have done right in our RVing adventures instead of the usual things we have done wrong:)) (orders from headquarters this morning!!)

1. When our Hughes-Net modem died last year in New Mexico we were faced with the decision of getting another modem or moving to a different technology. Because we didn't know what killed the modem in the first place we decided to pack in the whole satellite idea & move to a Verizon Air Card. We have the UM175-USB modem....... That was a right decision:)) http://www.verizonwireless.com/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneOverviewByDevice&deviceType=BroadbandAccess%20Devices&lid=//global//phones+and+accessories//mobile+broadband+devices
VERIZON UM 175 PLUGGED INTO THE LAPTOP....And that's what puts you on the internet.

2. Two years ago while in Quartzite Arizona we decided to install a propane heater instead of using the in-efficient RV furnace so we had a Legacy Blue Flame heater put in......... That was a right decision:)) http://www.finesgas.com/cats/Space_Heaters LEGACY BLUE FLAME HEATER

3. We had an awning destroyed by a big Kansas wind while on I-70 one time & had it replaced with an acrylic awning also in Quartzite & co-incidentally on the same day the Blue Flame guy hooked up our heater. The slightly more expensive acrylic awning has served us well. That was a right decision:)) THE BOYS ARE PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON OUR NEW AWNING

4. Also while in Quartzite a couple years ago we took out our completely uncomfortable couch, tub chair, & dinette. Sold it all to "The Gambler" in Quartzite. We then went to Ikea in Tempe about a week later & bought all new comfortable furniture plus computer desk for less money than what we got for all the old RV stuff.........That was a right decision:)) THE RIGS DINETTE IS READY TO BE TAKEN & SOLD IN QUARTZITE....in the desert 5 miles south of Quartzite, Arizona

5. When we bought our motorhome in Grand Bend we had been looking at another coach at the dealer there but Ron the owner convinced us we would be happier with the Damon Chevy Workhorse Chassis coach that we have now. He was right, and.......that was another right decision:)) http://www.fourseasonsperformance.com/

6. We spent a fair bit of time looking for a vehicle to not only be towed behind the motorhome but to be a second vehicle at home for Kelly. Finally decided on a 2003 Hyundai Santa-Fe 5 speed stick shift that we spotted on the lot of Goderich Hyundai. This has been a totally excellent little mountain goat for us.........That was a right decision:))
http://www.goderichhyundai.ca/
OUR RELIABLE LITTLE HYUNDAI SANTA FE MOUNTAIN GOAT...Chiricahua Mtns, Arizona

7. The Roadmaster Sterling Hitch assembly we had installed on the car & motorhome in London Ontario has worked well & been trouble free too........That was a right decision:)) http://www.trailerhitch.ca/ HITCHING THE THE CAR UP......(it's a joke, it's a joke:))

7. We eliminated the big blonky television & cabinet from the upper front part of the coach & installed a 23" flat screen on a side wall. That was a right decision:)) Having a woodworking friend of ours do that rather than me, was also a right decision!! 23" FLAT SCREEN TV MOUNTED ON A SIDE WALL

8. We had a Solar System installed (2 panels, 4 new batteries+monitors etc.) professionally in Slab City California a couple of years ago by Solar Mike at Sunworks. That was a right decision & we have had many happy boondocking days ever since:)) http://thesunworks.com/index.htmSOLAR INSTALLATION DAY & THAT'S SOLAR MIKE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LADDER....Slab City, California

9. Wanted to get away from that drab white coach interior so painted part of our coach interior an adobe color.......That was a right decision:)) ADOBE PAINT JOB......done in Casa Grande, Arizona

10. Hooked up a Sirius Satellite radio, Garmin GPS system, as well as a CB Radio inside the coach & that was 3 more right decisions:))

11. Decided early on in our RVing to avoid crowded & expensive RV parks & that has been a right decision:)WHY CROWD INTO AN RV PARK WHEN YOU CAN HAVE THE WHOLE DESERT TO YOURSELF....Darby Wells Road area west of Ajo Arizona

12. Buying a good used motorhome in great condition with low mileage & avoiding all that "new rig" depreciation was also a right decision:))

13. Deciding to spend our winters in the American Southwest instead of American Southeast has also proved to be a right decision & keeping on the move instead of sitting in one spot for 5 months has definitely proved to be a right decision as well:)) YOU WON'T FIND BEAUTIFUL SCENERY LIKE THIS IN FLORIDA...Ajo Mtn Range in Organ Pipe National Monument, Arizona

14. Getting our handy little well made, "Xpress Ready-Set-Go" cooker was a right decision:))
http://www.redisetgo.com/?gcid=S12579x066&keyword=ready%20set%20go_3
CHICAGO STYLE CHILE DOGS AT MILT'S DINER IN MOAB, UTAH

15. And last but not least.......Making the decision to try our hand at RVing years ago?? Well, that was the biggest right decision of them all......................................:))CULP VALLEY NEAR BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

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

EMAILS.....MY FAVORITE FORM OF COMMUNICATION:))

GODERICH HARBOR ON LAKE HURON NORTH OF BAYFIELD

I think windy, cold, & rainy days are just Mother Nature's way of telling us to stay inside & get caught up on all that stuff we've been neglecting while outside enjoying her nicer weather. This morning was one of those mornings to take care of computer maintenance. Updates, scans, tweaking, installations, peanut butter sandwich's, de-fragg, system clean-up, compacting folders, coffee, re-starts, trouble shooting, un-installs, & just some plain good old fashioned cussing thrown in for good measure when the computer stuff doesn't go well. Gotta have that good measure factor you know:))

And judging from the feedback on Friday's blog, To Hat or Not To Hat.........I had better keep the hat.....& the hair!!!! 10-4:))

Lot of talk on the airwaves lately about a site called Twitter so I downloaded it about a month ago to try out. Not really sure what all the fuss is about but I did download something yesterday called TweetDeck & that made Twitter a bit more interesting. It interacts well with Facebook & you can have both sites side by side on the screen which I thought was kinda cool. I think people with cell phones might use it a lot.

Never cared for cell phones much because it just seems too hard to read the numbers & stuff. Never been much of a phone person anyway. Emails are my favorite form of communication because they give me time to think & quietly compose something in the comfort of my own mind. No pressure to come up with hurried answers. Thoughts can be changed, ideas added. I can go have a peanut butter sandwich between lines & no one even knows I've left.

Blogging is a bit like emailing. In fact I type all the blogs in our Outlook Express email program then copy & paste them to the Blogger format. I find that a relaxing way of doing things & if I don't finish it I can always save it to draft before picking it up again later..................................

FORGOT TO INCLUDE THIS PIC ON MY YUMMY-YUKKY BLOG A FEW DAYS AGO.

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

ALL BLAB-BLOGGLED OUT:((

OUR FIRST RV BACK IN ABOUT 1996...IT WAS A 1979 DODGE CENTURION CLASS C:))

No blog to-night.....Mr. Blabberfingers is all blab-bloggled out:((

SOUNDS YUKKY - TASTES YUMMY

GRAND BEND........ABOUT 20 MINUTES SOUTH OF BAYFIELD

I first posted this on the blog last summer & since then nothing has changed so it's still current. A lot of RV people seem to be really food oriented so this is my little contribution to the food coffers. The following is a concoction of things that I whoop up every morning for breakfast & been doing it non stop for about a decade now. It has been many, many, years since I've had a cold or the flu or even been sick & I attribute that directly to the following morning shake routine:))

"Sounds yukky-Tastes yummy!!"

One 5 cup blender required & that's where all the ingredients go into:

Add: 1 banana
1 heaping tablespoon of mixed soy & whey powder
(I mix strawberry soy & vanilla whey to-gether)
1 small tablespoon of ground flax seeds
1 small tablespoon of ground raw sunflower seeds
1 small tablespoon of shelled hemp hearts (if I have them)
1 small tablespoon of oatbran
1 small tablespoon of wheat germ
1 big gob of large flake oatmeal
Are you still with me?? I usually combine the flax, sunflower, & oatbran together after mixing them in a coffee bean grinder.

Now comes the veggies................

1 big lettuce leaf. (romaine is best)
1 medium sliced carrot
1 medium sliced celery stick
1 cored apple including peelings

Your blender by now is about two thirds full. To all this I add skim milk to about the half way point in the blender. Hit the "on" switch, buzzzzzzzz, & "WALLAAA" I have myself one mighty fine tasting soy/whey shake every morning.
There are variables here & it doesn't hurt to experiment by adding or subtracting things. Apricot juice instead of milk works great as does orange or apple juice. If strawberries, raspberries or clementine's are in season, I throw a handful of them in as well. Seedless grapes work. If you want to slant the taste towards carrots, just add more carrots etc. The core ingredients for the soy shake though are the banana & the soy or whey powder. From there you can build whatever masterpiece you wish. Throw in some broccoli, etc. (think outside the box:)) Someone suggested apple cider vinegar once so I tried it......didn't work:((

But you can see now why I call it, "Sounds yukky-Tastes yummy!!" I know it's going to be hard for someone to get past the fact that your mixing milk & lettuce to-gether for example, but you've got so many other ingredients in there that you don't even notice the lettuce/milk factor. To me it simply tastes along the lines of a vanilla milkshake. I'm not kidding about all this, I really do mix up & drink one of these great shakes every single morning & have been doing so for about 10 years now. So good luck & happy yummy yukking........................................:))