IT'S A TOUGH DAY WHEN A MAN HAS TO ASK FOR DIRECTIONS 6 TIMES IN HALF AN HOUR!!

THE GIRLS ARE COOLING OFF FROM THE SUMMER'S HEAT 

Wow, 62F at 8 a.m. this morning & after all this heat & humidity can you imagine just how really great that felt.  Come on Autumn:))  With the cooler air it didn't take me long to get my 12 foot aluminum step ladder out & finally trim some more overgrown Mulberry trees.

The Ritz Villa Care Facility where my Uncle Harry lives phoned us Wednesday morning saying they had arranged a Cat Scan & additional X-Rays for Harry Thursday (today) & wondered if we could be at the Stratford Ontario Hospital to meet the mobility van with Harry aboard.  Kelly had to work so I headed myself for Stratford about 10:45 a.m.  What a beautiful morning for a country drive it was.  Big white puffy clouds in a deep blue sky.

No problem finding my way to the Stratford Hospital about an hour east of Bayfield.  I have lived in this whole area most of my life & know it like the back of my hand.  However, what I had failed to remember is the fact the Stratford Hospital had undergone a major renovation & reconstruction project this past couple of years.  Imagine my surprise when I turned down the street beside the Hospital heading for the usual parking lot only to find the parking lot gone & replaced by a big brand new Hospital Emergency Wing.  Oh Oh, I knew I was in trouble.

The main entrance & large lobby I was familiar with & where I had planned to meet Harry was totally fenced off, inaccessible & partially hidden by large piles of dirt.  I did spot a small parking lot near the Emergency wing so cranked myself a turn around & beetled back & into that parking lot.  Now what!!  Figured I would try to make my way around the Emerge wing & head for the lobby.  Nope, fenced off.  Ok, back through the Emerge doors...now where?  Saw a lady standing by the doors so asked her how to get to the main lobby.  She was from out of town & in broken English told me she had no idea what a lobby was. 

FIELD OF BEANS......PLANT THEM & THEY WILL GROW

I could feel a few pangs of panic setting in as I glanced at my watch knowing I now had absolutely no idea where to meet the soon to be arriving mobility van.  Quickly buttonholed a passing nurse who was obviously on her way back to Emerge from a sandwich machine somewhere.  Her interest was obviously focused on her Tuna salad sandwich as she quickly threw me some un-detailed set of directions involving what seemed like a dozen or two left & right turns.  Never heard or remembered a thing other than her pointing down a long hallway telling me to turn right at the far end.   Oh, & she said something about steps.

Last time I had been at this particular GPS location on the Planet it had been a simple parking lot.  Now I found myself making my way through a tunnel like maze of hallways with never ending doors on either side.  Everything was very new & confusing.  Finally rounded a corner & recognized some plaques on a wall which I knew was near the lobby where I also knew volunteer Hospital people had an information kiosk.  But, the lobby was gone!!
Where the lobby had been was a floor to ceiling construction divider making for another long narrow hallway ahead.  Luckily I spotted a couple ladies with their volunteer vests on sitting at a desk near a pop machine in an alcove.   I pulled over for my third set of directions in about 5 minutes.  This isn't easy for a man you know.

Luckily, they told me I was about half way to where I had to go & it sounded like one more left turn would do it, & it did.  I found the old Emergency section of the hallway & a sign confirmed this is where I would indeed meet Uncle Harry in the mobility van.

Ten minutes later I was helping Harry & his wheelchair from the van.  Lady driver told me to call her on her company Blackberry when we were ready to be picked up.  Told her I didn't have a cell phone so she gave me her own personal phone.  She might as well have given me the schematics for the International Space Station.

Harry was quiet as I quickly wheeled him back in the direction of the volunteer workers because I had forgot to ask them where the new Cat Scan & X-Ray departments were located.  It was now my fourth time asking for directions in less than half an hour.  Oh dear, what is a man to do!!  Following more left & right turning instructions Harry & I were finally back into the new section of the Hospital I had originally entered.  We were looking for the newly named 'Imaging' department & finally found it at the bottom of a wide left sweeping wheelchair ramp.  We checked in & registered at the Imaging desk & all was OK for a time.  Took a few pics of Harry in the new & brightly lit waiting area.  It was a welcome 20 minute rest before.....we got lost all over again!!
      

UNCLE HARRY PATIENTLY AWAITS HIS CAT SCAN & X-RAYS  (CANON SX210IS)    

A Cat Scan technician called our number & I wheeled Harry down a hallway, around some corners I think & into a large room with something that looked akin to a space pod or something.  It was the Cat Scan machine kinda looking like a big round Krispy Kreme donut with a hole in the center.  The lady technician & I had a hard time getting Harry out of his wheelchair & onto a bed like narrow bench affair.  It caused Harry considerable pain to his lower back. 

I  then waited in a comfy chair just outside the Cat Scan door & 20 minutes later he was done.  With difficulty we got him back into his wheelchair & the lady technician led us on what seemed like another dozen or so left & right turns to the X-Ray department.  It was probably only a couple turns but by now every step forward seemed like another left hand turn.  Harry was still in pain as we waited a short 10 minutes before he was wheeled away into the X-Ray department for more X-Rays.  Twenty minutes later a technician wheeled him back out saying he was finished & we were free to go.  Go where!!

Yep, we were lost again as I wheeled Harry down a hallway heading for what I thought was a closed door leading back to the imaging lobby.  Nope, that seemed to be a maintenance room.  Back up the hall, a left turn here, a right turn there & nope, we were getting nowhere fast.  Another large double door with some Nurses on the other side.  Ho hum, here comes my fifth set of directions.  I really do think those two Nurses actually enjoyed a couple older guys needing & asking for directions!!  Followed them precisely & ended up at the other end of yet again, another hall.  

Saw an open office door to my left so asked the lady inside if we were anywhere close to the lobby.  Yes, she said, just around the corner to your right.  Oh, how many times had I heard that today.  But, this time it was correct & that turned out to be my final set of directions for the day as seconds later Harry & I finally burst out into the brightly lit Imaging lobby.  We were on our way now retracing our steps to the far side of the Hospital.  But, remember that cell phone the mobility van driver had given me?  Oh ya, here we go!!

Just outside the Imaging Lobby Harry & pulled over to the side of the road so to speak while I sat down on a marble divider of sorts & pulled out the lady driver's cell phone.  Noticed it said Nokia on it.  It might just as well have said 'Frazzleblats!!'  Flipped it open & sat there staring at it.  Now what am I supposed to do!!  Ya, the numbered key pad was there alright but so what.  I did have the driver's Blackberry number written down but what good was that if I couldn't figure out the phone.  Punched in the number & started pressing some unlabeled buttons trying to find 'Send'.  Nothing!!  Re-dialed again & pressed some more colored buttons.  Nothing!!  Ok, that was it for that. 

Luckily my short term memory had remembered seeing two pay phones side by each on a wall somewhere on our original journey through this labyrinth of halls.  Harry was still in pain from being moved in & out of his wheel chair a couple times earlier but we made our way back to where I found the pay phones.  Oh geezzz, am I going to remember how these antiques worked & do I have any change.  Been decades since I used a pay phone.  Sign said 50 cents & everything came back to me as I dropped two luckily found quarters in my pocket into the slot & dialed the number.  Darned if the mobility van lady didn't answer too.   Well, how's that for some good old modern antiqueology:))

Ten minutes later I was helping load Harry back into the mobility van for his journey back to the Care facility in Mitchell.  Oh, did I mention about losing Harry's Blue Jay's ball cap in one of the imaging rooms.  Ok, never mind, but I did find it in time & at great perilous risk to myself of becoming lost again in the maze.  No matter, Harry was able to travel under his favorite Blue Jays cap all the way back to his Care Facility in Mitchell.

HARRY IS ALL LOADED UP & HEADING BACK TO HIS CARE FACILITY  

And, how was your day?

THE LAST PARAGRAPH:  With all the nursing homes, hospitals & medical clinics I have been in & out of these past number of years & seeing the terrible ravages of age on people, I have often thought to myself,  'I sure hope I don't live long enough to get old.'

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Did you know that marriage is a relationship in which one person is always right, and the other is a husband.

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

LEXI...SHE WAS EVERYTHING WE EXPECTED.....AND MORE:))

AND THIS IS LEXI 
I could have sworn the little Cardinal was somewhere right in our living room this morning as it startled me out of a semi-sleepy state.  The clock said 5:35 a.m. so figured the little fella just outside our window must have slept in.  A gentle rain for most of the night left us with cloudy skies & a calm warm morning.
This may end up being a short post because we have to leave mid afternoon for St. Thomas Ontario, meet Lexi & then drive back home arriving sometime early evening.  Might not feel much like starting a post at that time but we'll see.
When we set out on our doggy search we knew enough not to try replacing Checkers with Checkers or Max with Max.  Online, we looked at & considered a wide variety of dogs.  One Australian Shepherd looked interesting but had a habit of killing chickens so we thought better of that.  If we end up at the Arizona ranch this winter....they have chickens.  A Lab we emailed about was already gone as well as a several other dogs.  We found that we began leaning back towards Border Collie's again for several reasons.




Between Max & Checkers we have over 13 years of experience with that particular type of dog.   Checkers was a purebred & Max was a mix.  We are familiar with their temperaments & habits.  They are a gentle breed & highly intelligent.  They are easy to train because they are eager to please.  Max won 1rst prize when him & I took a dog obedience class together back in 98.  We have his certificate & red ribbon hanging on the wall.
Most Border Collies happen to be black & white so yes, most of them are going to look like Checkers.  So let me just emphasize once again that no, we know better than to think we are wanting to replace Checkers with Checkers!!  Just like people, every dog has it's very own special personality & all animal lovers know & understand that.
Several people have recently asked why I call our little Cora.....Motormouse.  I wrote a post about that back in December of 2010.  I have a habit of giving animals nicknames so had lots of nicknames for our guys.  That post is here at  NICKNAMES.
The segment  of that post which in part pertains to Cora is this....."I never much cared for the name of Cora which she brought with her when she came to stay with us. After watching her energized playful personality years ago, she became the ‘Motormouse.’ She was like a little high energy Mouse with a high powered Motor flying around all over the place.  A Mouse with a Motor.......Motormouse:)) 
My current name for her now is, ‘Beans.’ That comes from the fact she wakes up some mornings raring to rip & just ‘full of beans.’ She is also commonly referred to by me as, ‘Weiner Dog,’ ‘Weiner,’ ‘Weinerly Beans', ‘Buffalo Beans,’ ‘Muffin Face,’ ‘Schnootz,’ ‘Mouse,’ ‘Beansy Bum,’ ‘Motor,’ ‘Frog’ ‘Baby Beans,’ ‘Bat Face,’ ‘Beaner,’ & ‘Beanzy."



OK, it's off to St. Thomas we go..........................1:35 p.m.
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OK, we're back...............6:45 p.m.
Well, let me just start this right off by saying.....WE LOVED HER:)))))  She was way more than we expected.  I may not know much about plumbing or how to hook up an electrical outlet.  I may not know how to do a brake job on a car or change the spark plugs but I do know which end of a camera to look through & I do know about dogs!!  I knew within seconds of meeting Lexi that she had 'that something special' about her & that feeling never left me for the entire half hour we were there.

We were able to gather more info about Lexi from her Foster Mom, Kathy.  Border Collies have a herding instinct like no other & the people who too her home last Sunday said she kept trying to herd their other dog all over the place.  It proved too much for the people & they brought Lexi back.  We're glad they did:))  We found out about Lexi's background & where she came from.  Everything checked out fine with us.  Her easy going nature & obvious intelligence were very noticeable.  Little Cora wasn't too sure but Lexi was gentle with her & I saw Lexi slip her a couple of smooches.  I know they would end up being best Buddies.  She would be just the perfect match for the Bayfield Bunch & be right at home with us.
So, now the tough part begins.  With the other couple coming all the way from Toronto on Saturday we have no choice but to wait it out until early next week some time to find out if Lexi will be ours.  Kelly & I couldn't help but wonder later why someone would come all the way from Toronto to London to see a dog when there must be literally thousands of dogs needing homes in the Toronto area.  Well, not for us to speculate.  We just have to be patient & wait it out now...........

THE LAST PARAGRAPH:  Remember how when you were a little boy or girl & you really wanted something bad.  Remember those expectations, the excitement, the worry, the doubting, the dreaming & the crying.  Remember those days......I do.

WE SURE HAD OURSELVES A TIRED LITTLE MOTORMOUSE ON THE WAY HOME
GROANER'S CORNER:((  A three-year-old boy went with his dad to see a new litter of Labrador puppies. On returning home, he breathlessly informed his mother, "There were three boy Labrador puppies and four girl Labrador puppies."
"How did you know that?" his mother asked.
"Daddy picked them up and looked underneath," he replied. "I think it is printed on their bottoms.
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EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
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The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.

THINKING OF NEW PALS REMINDS ME OF OLD PALS

A SLEEPY MOTORMOUSE MORNING IN BORREGO SPRINGS,  CALIFORNIA...FEBRUARY 2010
So nice to step out the door first thing this morning into some nice cooler 71F temperatures.  I wasn't fooled by that though knowing full well the temps could ramp up fairly quickly again.  Had a few errands to run in Goderich & decided the little Motormouse might be better off staying home in the A/C.  Of course she didn't think so & made quite a fuss when she caught me sneaking out the door without her.  I skulked off to the Jeep under a huge cloud of guilt following me.   And, the cloud only got bigger when I saw that sad little furry face watching me out the window every step of the way.  I steeled myself & quickly hustled out the driveway with nary a look back.  I was off to the city of Goderich & my first stop at the Department of Transportation.

CARLSBAD NEW MEXICO.............DECEMBER 2006

The Canadian Government did well by the Bayfield Bunch this morning.  It was time to renew all our vehicle license stickers.  $264 for the Motor Home, Santa Fe, Jeep & Motorcycle.  My drivers license was also up for renewal & a new photo & that was another $74.  My health card was due for renewal too......and that was free:))  Ya-hooie Louie:))

POOR MAX DIDN'T MAKE THIS HIKE BECAUSE HE HAD A SORE PAW & HAD TO STAY BEHIND IN OUR RIG FAR OFF IN THE DISTANCE......DARBY WELLS ROAD NEAR AJO ARIZONA....MARCH 2008

Up until a couple years ago I always enjoyed stopping in various places for a nice mess of bacon & eggs for breakfast.  Kind of lost my taste for that plus the price of a bacon & egg breakfast just got too ridiculous!!  After I left the vehicle license bureau this morning I had an old rare hankering for bacon & eggs so stopped into the Burger Bar on Kingston Street, Goderich.  Would you believe I had a great bacon & egg, toast & jam plus coffee breakfast & even got change back from a $5 bill.   Now, where else on this planet can you get a great deal like that....especially with coffee included.

ME & THE GUYS AT HICKIWAN TRAILS RV PARK NEAR WHY, ARIZONA JANUARY 4TH 2007

RETIRED ROD & LOYCE have fired up their rig & left Kansas City heading North to South Dakota in an attempt to escape the oppressive heat. So far they are not having much luck as Rod talks about the wind gusts burning his face & his shoes sizzling in the 105F heat. Fortunately for Rod there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 7,000 Wendy's burger joints stretching across North America........all with air conditioning:))

ON THE SHORES OF LAKE HURON AT McGREGOR POINT.....OCTOBER 2006 (pre-beard days:))

James Strick has joined us as our latest Blog Follower.  Welcome aboard Jim & thanks for taking an interest in the Bayfield Bunch.  Blogging waters are not always calm here but we do try to keep things under control & interesting:))

OH OH, SOMEBODY IS FEELING SAD ABOUT NOT GOING FOR A JEEP RIDE
Received an email this afternoon regarding a one & a half year old Lab/Border Collie mix we had been interested in last week.  (looks a lot like Checkers) The dog had been adopted & gone to a home on Sunday but was already back at it's Foster home today.  Didn't take Kelly long to phone the lady at the Foster home for a chat about.....Lexi:))  Following that phone call we were very optimistic that Lexi would be just the right fit for the Bayfield Bunch & we have made plans to go meet her Wednesday.  We are a bit partial to Border Collies because of their easy demeanor & intelligence.  Can you spell, E.X.C.I.T.E.D.

DOG & DONKEY PLAY DAYS AT THE RANCH NEAR McNEIL, ARIZONA...SOME DAYS WE HAD 6 HAPPY DOGGY GUYS FLYING AROUND ALL OVER THE PLACE:))  

But, there is a fly in the ointment.  Lexi is sponsored by Animal Adoption Agency so there are rules & regulations to be followed.  Another couple has also expressed an interest in Lexi so after we meet Lexi Wednesday & the other couple meets Lexi this coming Saturday, a decision will be made by a board as to who may take Lexi home.  Lexi lives 77 miles from us so we will be in for some driving tomorrow & with any luck we will be in for a second drive maybe early next week.  The Motormouse is going with us tomorrow as well to meet Lexi.  We had really hoped to bring Lexi home tomorrow if all was acceptable, but rules are rules....................

THESE ARE A COUPLE PICS OF LEXI WE RECEIVED TODAY:))  

THE LAST PARAGRAPH:  It is very few RV'ers we have met who do not travel without their beloved best Pals at their side.  As I have said many times before, our lives have been so enriched by Max & Checkers when they were here.  Now, little Cora carries on in their place.  Wish us luck...................:))

NOW WHAT THE HECK COULD BE SO DARN INTERESTING ABOUT AN OLD CREOSOTE SHRUB IN THE DESERT......BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA.... FEB. 2010
GROANER'S CORNER:(( Dog property laws:
1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it's in my mouth, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I'm chewing something up, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it just looks like mine, it's mine.
8. If I saw it first, it's mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
10. If it's broken, it's yours.
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EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
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OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.

'OH OH,' THERE'S SOME NUDE GUYS IN THIS POST:))

FRASER 65 DIVISION AT H.M.C.S. CORNWALLIS NEAR DIGBY NOVA SCOTIA, CANADA...DECEMBER 1965  (click picks to enlarge)

Turned out to be another hot & humid cooker of a day.  Half an hour this morning with my grass trimmer & another half our trimming & tying up shrubs & that was it for me.  Strapped myself into my recliner, cranked up the A/C, clicked our 3 blade fan into high gear & hung on to the arms of my chair for the rest of the day.

Tonight's photos are a bit of a walk down memory lane for me.  Boot Camp 1965.  In the top photo of all the guys you can find me just left of center & down a bit & kneeling.  I put a dot on my helmet & one on the guy to my right.  His name is 'Oily' & I will tell you about him a little further on:))

THAT'S ME ON THE TOP....OUT OF THE 8 GUYS IN THIS PIC I CAN REMEMBER 6 OF THEIR NAMES...JOHNSON, SCOTTY, McFADDEN, WONG, MIDDLETON, CURRY

Seems I sure did shorten up the summer in my post Sunday night.  Instead of typing in the 'beginning' of August I typed in the 'end' of August.  Amazing how time fly flies when your anxiously awaiting an RV departure date.  I have since corrected the typing error.  Also in yesterday's post I mentioned about reading blogs for 3 or 4 hours each day.  I should have mentioned I also spend a good chunk of that time writing my own blog going back & forth copying links, etc.

We are in an active search now for our next & newest best member of the Bayfield Bunch.  My post a few weeks ago entitled, OH HOW I MISS THE BEST PALS I HAVEN'T MET YET opened the door for us to begin talking about & then begin doing something about finding another best Pal.  That was back on July 18th & Kelly has found a number of area sites on the internet from pet rescue places to private owners.

ME & MY BEST BUDDY, 'PORKY BOYLE'.... I HEARD THAT PORKY DIED IN A HOUSE FIRE UP IN ELLIOT LAKE ONTARIO MANY YEARS AGO..... 

It is important  to find a dog that will be compatible with the Motormouse so that basically rules out a rambunctious young poopy puppy.  We are thinking at least 1 to 4 years old, not too big & not too small.  Preferably a rescue dog that we can make a loving home for.  A Pal in need of some TLC.

YEP, AND I EVEN HAD A GIRL BACK HOME  IN MY OLD HOMETOWN TO WRITE TO TOO  ............ (HEY GARY B, I THINK YOU KNOW THAT GIRL:))

Each day Kelly checks the area sites & we look at the photos & read the dog histories.  I find it difficult looking at the dog photos because I feel so sorry for each & every one & want to bring them all home & make them feel wanted & loved.  I think there has always been something within me that connects with the feelings of all those poor homeless animals.  We saw a 4 year old black & white border collie that caught our eye last week but found out this morning through an email that a home was found for her on Sunday.  We called about a year & half old Lab but the call hasn't been returned so the Lab is probably gone.  Kelly kind of fancies an Australian Sheepdog.  I will just love whoever we find:))  Our search continues:))

I'M AT RIGHT REAR CENTER...OTHER GUYS ARE ROYSTON, SLATER , JOHNSON & McFADDEN IN THE HORIZONTAL POSITION

I bought my first camera nearly 46 years ago & I think it might have been a Hanimex.  I do know it was a 35mm & I know exactly where I was when I bought it.  It was the fall of 1965 & I was in Naval boot camp at H.M.C.S. Cornwallis near Digby, Nova Scotia.  I bought my camera at a commercial store on the base.  No idea what it cost but I do know the cheapest film I could buy on the base at the time was black & white.  I can't remember what possessed me to buy the camera because I don't have any recollection of a photography interest any time before that.

When I now look at my photo album from those days I see a lot of young familiar faces that once made up our Fraser 65 Division. We were 63 energetic guys with a lot of kibitzing & shenanigans up our sleeves.  I turned 21 while in Boot Camp & was the third oldest guy in the Division.  We were a lot of friends & best buddies for those 4 months we all trained hard together.  

OUR TAKE ON THE 'BEATLES' WITH ME ON THE RIGHT...AND WHERE DID WE GET OUR MOP TOPS?   WELL, THEY ARE REAL MOPS PROPPED UP ON OUR HEADS FROM BEHIND 

I was everywhere with that camera taking photos of all the guys & our every day barracks life.  One night about midnight I was startled awake by one of the guys telling me to grab my camera because they were 'going to get Oily!!'   Oily was the name given to one of the guys from Vancouver who would never take a shower.  Nice enough fella & all that but for some reason he wouldn't pile into the showers every morning like the rest of us.  So, one night about half a dozen guys got together, grabbed Oily out of his bed & dragged him kicking across the darkened barracks floor round the corner & into the showers.  And, that's where I came in with my camera.

 
Below is the one photo I took that I felt was kind of acceptable to put into the post tonight.  Yes, you will see some buns but that is about it.  You will notice the fella on the right holding a brush.  That is what we called a 'Pusser Brush' & was used for general cleaning purposes.  Three of the guys had these brushes & when they soaped up Oily those guys went to work on him with the Pusser brushes.  There was a lot of hooting, hollering & howling mixed with a bunch of commotion in the shower but the 'barracks watch guy' that night was in on it so no alarm was raised.  The outcome of 'Oily's Midnight Scrub' was that he became the first fella to hit the water every morning thereafter:))  I often wonder whatever became of old Oily.  Last I heard of him about 44 years ago he was a Stoker on one our East Coast Destroyers. 

SCRUBBING UP OILY IN THE SHOWER 

When we all finished basic training just before Christmas, our tight knit Fraser 65 division split up with the guys scattering all across Canada to various bases & further training courses.  We all said our good-byes on the last day in camp & the only guy I ever saw again was Porky Boyle.  Two days after leaving boot camp I was in Miami Beach on my first official leave.  But, that's another whole story:))

THE LAST PARAGRAPH:  I had to really think about putting that photo in of 'Oily's Scrub' because in this day & age one just never knows who one is going to offend with whatever, whenever.  Oh well....................

GROANER'S CORNER:((   A guy was telling about this girl Sue who disguised herself as a man and joined the Navy. "But, wait a minute," said his friend, "She'll have to dress with the boys and shower with them, too, won't she?"  "Sure," replied the guy.  "Well, won't they find out?"  The guy shrugged. "Who's gonna tell?"

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EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
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OUR

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

The

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

MY WEEKLY SUNDAY MORNING MOTORCYCLE RIDE WAS RAINED OUT:((

The lingering rains pretty well washed out any ideas of heading out for a motorcycle run earlier this morning.  When the sun finally appeared in late morning the humidity level skyrocketed and that was it for me as far as going outside.  A really poor night's sleep meant I wasted most of my day dozing in my chair.  I actually did something I rarely do.  I watched a couple of DVD's from start to finish.  No, not movies, one was all about the history of Aircraft Carriers & the other one about the evolution of Jet Fighter Aircraft.  Yep, them's is my kinds of interests alright.  Oh, & I did a load of laundry & the dishes too:))

 

CORA, WHY DOES YOUR DAD CALL YOU MOTORMOUSE?

Well, here we are already at the beginning of August.  For Full Timers it may just be the end of another month but for we Snow Birds it marks one less month to a Southern departure date.  In our case, 10 weeks:))  The very welcome cooler Autumn air will roll in soon marking a change in routines & behaviors.  Squirrels will be lining nests & gathering nuts. (and my birdseed!!) Many feathered friends will begin drawing up early flight plans & AL will be dusting off his old annual checklists for loading up the Motor Home.  Even carrying a pencil out & putting it in the rig is a smiling step forward.

I THINK THIS PHOTO IS SOMEHOW SELF EXPLANATORY  

So far, our immediate travel plans & destination upon leaving Bayfield are the same.  We will make a bee line for somewhere in Southwestern Colorado.  When & where we will go from there is anybody's guess & that's one of the great things we both enjoy about our style of RVing.  No plans, no reservations & no commitments.   Oh ya....IMHO:))

A SCENIC RURAL STOP ALONG THE WAY & YES, THAT IS A LITTLE ORANGE MONKEY ON THE BACK OF THE BIKE.....HE'S MY BACKUP:)) 

Took a break from Blog reading today.  I usually spend at least 3 to 4 hours out of every day reading & trying to stay caught up with my fellow Bloggers latest posts but it just gets to be a little much after awhile.  It seems the more blogs I read the more new blogs I come across & it just becomes a seemingly never ending list.  Kelly only ever reads 3 or 4 blogs & is not in the habit of leaving comments very often.  She also reads her newspapers & financial sites on line every morning as well.   I was once kind of a newspaper guy but kicked that habit nearly 10 years ago & haven't read a newspaper since.

I LOVE THESE LITTLE QUIET COUNTRY ROAD PHOTO SAFARIS 

When we lived at the old Weenie Roast Ranch, our Stratford Beacon Herald newspaper, wrapped in a plastic sleeve, was delivered & tossed into our driveway every day.  Max liked to run up the laneway, pick up the newspaper & bring it back to us dropping it on the porch just as proud as he could be.

THE LAST PARAGRAPH(s): This is actually my second post today.  The first one was about some recent comment pettiness here in Blog Land.  Thought better about it & scrapped the post.  Nope, I told myself, you have maintained the high road all along with this person so just stay right where you are AL & keep your thoughts & opinions to yourself. 

In the end when all is said & done, opinions have been expressed, thoughts exchanged & nerve endings stepped on, the bottom line still remains the same......'We are all responsible for our own feelings.' IMHO.

'THE PIER' IN GRAND BEND, ONTARIO 

GROANER'S CORNER:((   An aged farmer and his wife were leaning against the edge of their pig-pen when the old woman wistfully recalled that the next week would mark their golden wedding anniversary.
"Let's have a party, Homer," she suggested. "Let's kill a pig."
The farmer scratched his grizzled head. "Gee, Ethel," he finally answered, "I don't see why the pig should take the blame for something that happened fifty years ago."

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EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
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OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right
now...... AL.

VERY CLOSE CALL FOR MY NIKON D90 TODAY!!

Our morning sky was as blue as blue as blue can be with not a cloud to be seen.  I was a bit concerned about my Uncle Harry so threw my cameras into the Jeep & figured I would do a little photo Safari in the Mitchell area & drop in to see him.  He seemed a tad better than just a couple days ago but he is on morphine injections now & that is making him a bit groggy & very tired.

ACRES & ACRES OF CORN AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE  (NIKON D90 AT 18mm) 

Our Jeepster doesn't have A/C & by the time I left the Nursing Home the air & humidity had really heated up.  Doddled along some country roads on the way home gathering together a few photos here & there. 

LOOKS LIKE THESE GREAT BLUE HERONS HAVE FOUND THEMSELVES A FAVORITE FISHING HOLE  (NIKON D40 at 300mm) 

I was startled by a very low flying helicopter that seemed to pop right out of a corn field beside me.  I quickly made a U turn & pulled off to the side of the road & jumped out with both cameras in hand to see where the Chopper had gone. 

CROP DUSTING A CORN FIELD  (ALL HELICOPTER SHOTS WITH NIKON D40)  

Spotted it approaching quickly from my left skimming a corn field.  Decided to crack off a few shots with my 70-300mm telephoto lens on my D40 first & it was here where I made one of my classic stupid mistakes. 

ANY LOW FLYER'S WORST NIGHTMARE..............POWER LINES!!!!

In my hurry to catch the fast approaching Chopper I set my Nikon D90 on the hood of the Jeep & proceeded to get a few shots off with the D40 as the Helicopter swooped up out of the cornfield right in front of me.  It was then that I saw it was a 'crop duster.'

Watched him make a tight banking U turn about a 100 feet off the deck & head back down on top of the corn field heading the other way.  I quickly decided to re-park the Jeep off the road better & wait for the Chopper to come back.  There was a cross road about an eighth of a mile ahead so drove down there, made a U turn & came back up to where I had been before & pulled off the road completely.  I reached over to the passenger seat to grab my D90.....but it wasn't there.  Of course it wasn't there AL because you had left it sitting on the hood of the Jeep!!!!!!! 

Would you believe the camera was still sitting in the exact same spot close up to the windshield right where I had left it.  I couldn't believe my luck & I couldn't believe I had not seen it on the hood!!  I said a very grateful 'thank you' to the great camera God in the sky & went about taking a few more picks of the Chopper.  I totally know enough not to make a stupid mistake like that but in the excitement & haste of the moment I went ahead & made the mistake anyway.  So, photo tip of the day.....never ever set your camera on your vehicle!!!!

Today we welcome Wasim as the Bayfield Bunch's 308th Blog Follower.  Welcome aboard Wasim & with a little bit of luck we'll have the big wheels rolling Westward by mid October.

BROWN EYED SUSAN'S ALONGSIDE THE ROAD  (NIKON D40 at 300mm)   

I particularly enjoyed JERRY'S walk down music's memory lane in his Friday post.  Remember the days when music just had a nice way of making you feel better no matter what was bothering you.  And Kelly just brought it to my attention that Donna over at TRAVELS IN THERAPY posted a blog on music as well tonight.  Donna...you go girl:))  You will not only find both these post's interesting but you may find the comments interesting as well.  

NIKON D90 

I had begun several times to write an explanation about Friday night's 'Last Paragraph' segment & then just gave up in frustration.  What's the point.  People are going to believe what they want to believe & that's all there is to it.   A commenter left this following comment & I will just let it speak for what I thought I clearly said......

"It seems that Gypsy and others have taken your statement to mean that you are not going back to the Southwest. I think I understand you have given up on the idea of BUYING a place in the Southwest.  I tend to support that decision. Leaving property vacant in that area for six months would be inviting big problems. My parents sold out and moved after 3-4 break-ins and that was back in the 1970s. It is far worse now. When I last visited my cousins, near the Ranch that you house sit, they advised me not to go walking in the early morning hours. To much danger of crossing paths with drug smugglers that will shoot first and talk later. This is not media hype but rather a warning from people that have lived there 24/7/365 since the 1940s."  (Thanks Ed)

THE LAST PARAGRAPH: Yes, we will be returning to the great American Southwest this winter & for as many winters as we possible can.  We love dat place:))

GROANER'S CORNER:))    A farmer was milking his cow. He was just starting to get a good rhythm going when a bug flew into the barn and started circling his head. Suddenly, the bug flew into the cow's ear. The farmer didn't think much about it, until the bug squirted out into his bucket. It went in one ear and out the udder.

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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.