WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE COLD OUTSIDE…..IS THE WARM, INSIDE

Had an extra bounce in my step this morning as I bopped around with re-newed interest organizing things for our lift off time.  How great it is to have our travel plans back into high gear again.  Made myself a detachable plywood base for our new tripod which may or may not work well in our travels.  If it doesn't...campfire wood!!  Cold and damp this morning at 35F but no rain.  Put some antifreeze in the rig's sink traps just in case and greased up the toad hitch. 

Began checking weather reports for the 4 Corners area of Colorado but as suspected, the night time temperatures in the area are already well below freezing with numbers in the mid to low 20's on the Fahrenheit scale.  Yes, I know we are metric here in Canada but my old head still thinks in Fahrenheit, inches, feet and miles.  Although day time temps are still acceptable, those below freezing night time temps which I'm sure will continue to dip are worrisome for RV holding tanks and water lines.  Night time temps around Tuba City in Monument Valley are hovering around the freezing mark as are temps in Kayenta, Arizona. 
I will continue to monitor these areas and will make a decision on that before or just after we leave.  I think it is just getting too late now to comfortably enjoy that whole region.   Plan B is to maybe do that area on our return trip in late March or early April.  Definitely want to see Monument Valley and the 4 Corners this trip because at this age and stage of life plus all the other shaky variables these days, one never knows if the opportunities for RV travel will be the same for us next year.  I consider ourselves very fortunate to have traveled these few short years, and seen as many things as we have.

Forgot to mention in Wednesdays post that we had slipped down to see my Uncle Harry in the morning and he seems to be doing better than ever despite some recent medical set backs.  For 95 years old he is holding his own:))

We took our neighbour Ingrid out for supper late this afternoon.  Probably won't see her again until Spring.  Ingrid and husband Gus lived behind us when we first moved here but their unit burned and Gus later died.  Ingrid moved to another unit in the Park and now lives alone with her little dog, Katie.

TOOK ME ABOUT 10 SECONDS TO DECIDE WHAT i WANTED FOR SUPPER BUT IT TOOK THESE TWO LADIES ALMOST A FULL 10 MINUTES OF ‘STUDYING' THE MENU’ BEFORE ARRIVING AT A DECISION ….JUST ANOTHER ONE OF LIFE’S LITTLE MYSTERIES FOR AL.
Our mid Autumn nights are cold and dark now when I walk into our warm and cozy little computer sun room each night around 7.  A cozy warmth fills the the pine walled room as soft ambient music weaves it's relaxing mellow tones in around and through my mind.  Probably one of my favourite times of day as I yet again start another post.  Well over 1,300 now and despite my self doubts many times I keep finding myself drawn back to the keyboard night after night.  I know I get down in the dumps about blogging at times but the bottom line still remains the same for me.  I love writing………… and always have:))
 
CAN YOU SEE A FIRE MONSTER IN THE STOVE………….
GROANER'S CORNER:((  A guy joins a monastery and takes a vow of silence: he’s allowed to say two words every seven years. After the first seven years, the elders bring him in and ask for his two words. "Cold floors," he says. They nod and send him away. Seven more years pass. They bring him back in and ask for his two words. He clears his throats and says, "Bad food." They nod and send him away. Seven more years pass. They bring him in for his two words. "I quit," he says. "That’s not surprising," the elders say. "You’ve done nothing but complain since you got here."

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

AT LAST!!!! A TENTATIVE NEW DEPARTURE DATE:)))))))))

Kelly's daughter Sarah phoned from Vancouver today saying she will be flying with the twins to Toronto late this Friday afternoon.  Kelly’s youngest daughter Rebecca will be flying along as well and helping Sarah with her two energized non stop little Rag-a-Muffins.   From the Airport they will then travel to Cambridge where Kelly's other daughter and Sarah’s twin sister Sabra lives.  Kelly’s two sons Ben and Jason live in Cambridge as well.  Kelly plans to head over there Saturday and spend a couple days with the Munch Bunch.  I call them the Munch Bunch because 3 of Kelly kids once shared a house on Munch Avenue in Cambridge.  That's where our little Motormouse used to live before coming to Bayfield for Summer Holidays about 8 years ago.......and the little Mouse is still here:))

 
I STILL HAVE A FEW FROGS LEFT IN OUR PINE NEEDLE LADEN POND TO CATCH AND TRANSPORT TO THE BIGGER POND ACROSS THE ROAD
Sooooooooo, it is now looking like we just might have the big wheels rolling, at the very earliest, on Saturday November 5th or at the latest, Saturday November 12th.  Kelly would prefer to leave later in the week after the 12th but I don't like the idea of having to do either a Chicago or Indianapolis morning rush hour on a week day, depending on the route we take.  But, at least this long log jam of indecision has finally been broken and travel plans are once again moving forward.  It has been nearly a month since finding out and having to accept the fact we would not be out of here on our original target date of October 15th.  These past 3 to 4 weeks of not knowing when we were ever going to be able to leave have been totally gruelling.   Probably wouldn't mean much to most folks but when one is afflicted with this 'Hitch-Itch Traveling Fever' as bad as I am, it is absolutely grinding to just sit around every day waiting, waiting, waiting!!

I'm wondering if anyone is having problems accessing our Bayfield Bunch blog site.  Received an email a couple weeks ago from a reader saying he could not get onto our site.  Tuesday, a neighbour phoned from Florida saying she could not get the Bayfield Bunch site to load and today I just had another email from reader Lakeport AL saying he could not upload our site either.  If there is a problem, I have no idea what it could be or where to even start looking for a solution:((
 
ALWAYS NICE TO SEE BLUE JAYS AT OUR FEEDER 
Hard to find a person more devoted to the love, care and preservation of animals than Debra over at FIND AN OUTLET.   Having just lost one of her beloved pack members, Jessa in September she has just rescued her newest member, Jada.  Much of Debra's life center's around helping mistreated and poorly cared for animals in her area and my hat is off to her and anyone like her willing to take the time and make the sacrifices to help those poor unfortunate animals that are so inhumanely treated by so many humans.  Debra has repeatedly put her own safety in jeopardy in order to retrieve neglected animals from bad situations.
 
Nice feeling inside to know we will soon be on the road.  I will now re-haul out my Road Atlas’s and begin checking internet weather reports for all points west over the next couple weeks.  So great to be back in the trip planning mode again……..10-4:))

                                                                     HEY, WHO’S DAT SLEEPING ON DAD’S CHAIR >>>
GROANER’S CORNER:((  Two Irish guys are fishing. The first guy reels in his line and sees that he's snagged an old bottle. As he's taking it off the hook, a genie pops out and promises to grant him one wish. "Turn the lake into beer," he says. The genie goes "Poof!" and the lake turns into beer. He says to the other guy, "So what do you think?" The other guy says, "You jerk. Now we've got to pee in the boat."
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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.

GUMO ASKS…"ANY TARGET DATE YET FOR YOUR DEPARTURE?”

ALL OF TONIGHT’S PHOTO’S WERE TAKEN WITH MY EITHER MY NIKON D40 OR D90
Our day for the most part was cold, gray and wet. Needless to say, the Bayfield Bunch was confined to barracks. Kelly did have some work related errands to run but the 2 Muskeeters and I stayed in, stayed warm, and played ourselves a few games of Toys. 

THE LITTLE MOTORMOUSE ISN’T FUSSY ON MORNING WALKS ANYMORE SO IT IS ALWAYS SO SPECIAL WHEN SHE COMES ALONG
JEAN AND SKIP encountered a pleasant, if not special experience near Sedona Arizona on Monday.  Might want to check it out and see what they heard and saw atop a high rock.  Clue….it was not a bird or an animal.  Just one of those times of being in the right place at the right time.   Having been to Sedona in December of 2007 I remember writing in my SEDONA POST that it was one of the prettiest towns I had ever seen.
 
GUMO asked in a comment question Monday.... “Any target date yet for your departure?”  Unfortunately, as yet I do not have that answer.  We are still waiting for Kelly's daughter to decide when she is coming to Ontario.  Last phone call 4 days ago said maybe this week so I'm guessing we won't get out of here until sometime in mid November now:((  I am encouraged by an email from ED FREY which said, "Don't get discouraged about the chances of seeing the Four Corners area. The weather changes every few days so you only have to keep and eye on what is happening. IF you get photos of Monument Valley with a dusting of snow people will go WILD it is so beautiful that pictures do not do it justice."  By the way, Ed just brought himself home his new best Pal, Patches:))
                                                                                      MILKWEED PODS >>> 
RV SUE AND HER CANINE CREW recently visited a small ghost town which still has a few live folks left in it.  Chloride New Mexico is in an area that Kelly and particularly liked back in March of 2008.  Sue mentioned what a treasure the old general store there was and I agree.  My post for that day is here at THE LITTLE WESTERN TOWN AT THE END OF THE ROAD and my photos of Chloride and especially the interior of that old General Store are HERE.

A SECTION OF OUR MORNING TRAIL WHERE MIGHTY OAK TREES ONCE STOOD
And yet another reason why I like most of the folks here in Blog Land.  A comment on last night's post from WENDY USUALLY WONDERS regarding an earlier post of mine about a suspected wheat intolerance problem was particularly interesting.  With her own related health issues and accomplishments Wendy sent along this link, WHEAT BELLY.   Again, it shows the type of caring people we have here.  Communication is information:))

SO WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE KELLY IS UP TO WAY OVER THERE??
 
WHAT THE HECK, HAS SHE STOPPED TO PUT SOME MAKE UP ON??
 

‘OH RIGHT’, TEXTING IN THE FOREST…..  KELLY IS THE EVER VIGILANTE KEEPER OF THE DEER PARK LODGE PHONE:))
SAM has finally tracked down a pesky leak in his fifth wheel that apparently has been going on ever since the rig was originally built.  The leak source was the result of poor workmanship and had a surprisingly simple source.  Might want to double check your rigs for simple source leaks folks.
 
MANY RINGS IN THE STUMP OF THIS OLD OAK TREE THAT I ESTIMATE TO BE WELL OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD
And, a little photo tip......Most of last night's and a couple of tonight's leaf pictures were taken with the sunlight shining through the leaves and not on them.  This is called, 'backlighting.'  Any time you have a transparent subject like leaves, flowers, grasses, etc. try putting your subject between you and the light source.  This is sometimes easier to do in early morning or late afternoon when the sun is lower on the horizon making your shooting angle easier and the lighting softer.  With the sun shining 'through' the leaves instead of on the leaves it has a tendency to give the leaf a neon effect plus silhouetting some of the details within the leaf itself giving you nice vibrant colors.  Look for a shadowy area behind the leaf to give you a dark background.  I like to use a long telephoto lens if I can and shoot a lot of that stuff at 300mm.  At that range the range the focus is very shallow therefore blurring backgrounds and foregrounds.  This highlights the subject I am trying to bring out of the photo.  And, once again, I have my camera’s set to slightly underexpose (make them darker) each photo and that helps with the punchy colors and extra detail. 
  
GROANER'S CORNER:((  Two campers are walking through the woods when a huge brown bear suddenly appears in the clearing about 50 feet in front of them. The bear sees the campers and begins to head toward them. The first guys drops his backpack, digs out a pair of sneakers, and frantically begins to put them on. The second guys says, "What are you doing? Sneakers won’t help you outrun that bear." "I don't need to outrun the bear," the first guy says. "I just need to outrun you."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-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.

AT MENTION OF THE WORD RV……’BLANK STARES’

TONIGHT’S PHOTOS ARE FROM A WALK IN THE FOREST LATE THIS AFTERNOON   (NIKON D40 WITH A 70-300mm LENS ON BOARD)
We have a steel roof on our place so whenever a hard rain hits us there is generally quite a clatter.  Our clatter for the day began at 4:43 a.m. this morning but that's OK, I was up anyway.  And, because this is October 24th and not December 24th I know that clatter on our rooftop was not the wee hooves of 9 tiny reindeer.  Remember, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid , Donder, Blitzen, and Rudolph.....Ohhhh that Rudolph:))

Ever notice sometimes during certain conversations you may get blank stares.  Sometimes happens when talking to a casual stranger, somebody you just met or maybe an old friend you haven't seen for awhile.  We here in RV Land tend to take our RV lifestyle for granted.  We are all quite familiar with every day words such as RV (Recreational Vehicle), Full Timing, Diesel Pusher, Toad, Fiver, Rig, Slides, Boon Docking, Black Tank, Snow Birding, Brake Buddy, Hitch Pin, Hitch Itch, etc.  These same words however can bring a completely blank stare when talking to someone who is not of, nor is aware of the RVing world.  As strange as that may seem to us, we still have to realize and accept the fact we are in the minority of understandable and socially acceptable lifestyles.  I'm sure all of us at one time or another have found themselves on the defensive end of a conversation trying to explain the RVing lifestyle concept to someone who just doesn't get it.  I have read blogs and talked to folks, who when putting their RV dream plans together told absolutely no one about their intentions.  No friends, no business associates and in some cases, not even family.  I'm sure there are Full Timers on the road who's casual friend's have no idea where they are or where they have disappeared to.  Might even be some family members left wondering too.
   
ROCKET DOG  ON THE MOVE
One of the quickest ways to attract criticism in our society is in daring to be different.  Society tends to set a normal style of life…….as for example, working 9 to 5, couple kids in school with a nice house on a nice street in a nice town.  And a nice car in the driveway of course.  Deviate too far from this and eyebrows begin to get nervous.  Whispers can be heard.  To the majority of the norm it is totally inconceivable that someone would sell their precious car and house along with all their worldly possessions to go live in a steel and fibreglass box on wheels.   No roots, no social club, no steadfast daily routines, no same-same friends, no seeing the Grands 3 times a week or eating at your favourite restaurant 4 times a month or being in that same church pew every Sunday morning year after year after year.   How is it possible to live without the daily normalcy of routine.  How can people exist without all their 'stuff' clustered around them.

I can't remember when it was I first became aware of and interested in the RV world but it was a very long time ago.  I have always had that wanderlust feeling right from early childhood but it was probably in my first days of tent camping that my mind began to formulate the understanding and feasibility of a different kind of realistic lifestyle.  The word 'Gypsy' still did not have a good reputation back when I was a kid so one had to be careful when expressing any kind of interest in living a life other than the accepted norm.  A kid sure didn't want to be associated with those wild Gypsies after all.     Luckily, along with a lot of other old wives tales and myths, the stigma attached to the word Gypsy has long ago gone the way of the Dinosaur.  Well, at least in my sometimes topsy turvey little world it has.   
How fortunate I consider myself to be since making the leap into the Nomadic lifestyle even if it is only half a year at a time.   Our first rig back in the late 90's was a 17' Class C Dodge Centurion and from the time we headed that little RV down the road until now we have never looked back.  Although not Full Timers we do manage to spend 5 or 6 months a year as Snow Birds traveling and living in our Motor Home in America's great Southwest.  Our alternating lifestyles have brought us a far greater understanding of not only our surroundings, but ourselves as well.  Personally, I much prefer our life on the road as opposed to our sitting at home life but that's just the way it has to be right now.  My mind spends time on this problem each and every day trying to figure out a reasonable solution and agreeable compromise on how to better tip the balance in favour of spending less time at home and more time on the open road enjoying all the benefits the RV lifestyle has to offer.  A lifestyle outside the box, a lifestyle outside society's 'norm' and a lifestyle like no other………….10-4:))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( There was a man who had worked all of his life and had saved all of his money. He was a real miser when it came to his money. He loved money more than just about anything, and just before he died, he said to his wife, "Now listen, when I die, I want you to take all my money and place it in the casket with me. I wanna take my money to the afterlife."
So he got his wife to promise him with all her heart that when he died, she would put all the money in the casket with him.
Well, one day he died. He was stretched out in the casket, the wife was sitting there in black next to her closest friend. When they finished the ceremony, just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said "Wait just a minute!" she had a shoe box with her, she came over with the box and placed it in the casket.
Then the undertakers locked the casket down and rolled it away.
Her friend said, "I hope you weren't crazy enough to put all that money in the casket."
She said, "Yes, I promised. I'm a good Christian, I can't lie. I promised him that I was going to put that money in that casket with him."
"You mean to tell me you put every cent of his money in the casket with him?"
"I sure did, " said the wife. "I got it all together, put it into my account and I wrote him a check."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

SPENT MOST OF THE DAY PUTTERING IN OUR MOTOR HOME

AN EARLY MORNING AUTUMN GLOW IN THE POND

Had ourselves a bonus weather day for this late in October.  Sunny skies and temps around 60+F.  Figured it was a good time to turn off the outside water and drain our 3 outside garden hoses for another year.  Took a full utility trailer of pine needles to our Park's recycle area and put a few more outside things away.  We both spent a fair bit of time in the Motor Home cleaning, painting, reorganizing and loading more stuff, etc.  All and all, a productive day geared towards our upcoming travels....and that was good.

EVERY YEAR ABOUT THIS TIME I HAVE TO SLIP DOWN THROUGH THE TRAP DOOR IN OUR DECK AND TURN OFF THE OUTSIDE WATER TAPS LOCATED UNDER OUR UNIT

Mike over at PHANNIE AND MAE has a few thoughts and frustrations about the Good Sam Emergency Roadside Assistance program they are, or were….with.  Their Phaeton Motorhome has just been towed to a repair facility in Fort Worth, Texas with a yet undiagnosed problem.  Mike weaves his rant into an informative and sometimes humorous post.  

KELLY TAKES CARE OF SOME VACUUMING IN THE RIG THIS AFTERNOON >>>

And, figured I had better clear up a readers question.  A couple posts ago I said, "One of my favourite periods of each day is my 20 minute morning shower time."  I should have been more clear on that saying my 'total time in the washroom' during my morning shower routine was about 20 minutes.  My actual time in the shower is maybe 3 to 5 minutes.  Twenty minutes in a shower and I would need a scuba tank.

If you have a need to catch up real quick on what the Blog Land gang is up to these days just skip on over to the Cave Dwellers place and check out Donna’s post, ADVENTURES IN BLOGLAND.  She kinda has it all summed up and it kind of looks like she has her face all summed up as well…….prepare yourself:))

 

THIS IS OUR PARK’S CLUB HOUSE JUST UP THE STREET FROM US…IT HAS A FULL CONCRETE BASEMENT AND IS THE PLACE WE WOULD GO IN CASE OF A TORNADO…ALWAYS LOTS OF GOLDEN PINE NEEDLES ON THE GROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR

Not a lot to say on a quiet Sunday night.  When a fella starts his day at 3 a.m. his mind is kinda like a mush ball 17 hours later.  Not really conducive to any kind of creative or meaningful thinking.   Actually, not conducive to any kind of thinking at all……….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

IT WAS ABOUT HERE WHERE I GOT THE SWAMP SOAKER ON SATURDAY

GROANER’S CORNER:((  And, a few parting thoughts……..

-For every vision, there is an equal and opposite revision.
-Four-wheel-drive just means getting stuck in more inaccessible places.
-Free advice costs nothing until you act upon it.
-Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate.
-Frustration is not having anyone to blame but yourself.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-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.

SATELLITE TRIPOD FINALLY FIGURED OUT PLUS MUDDY NEW JEANS AND A SOAKER

ONE OF THE GUEST HOUSES AT THE BEN MILLER INN, BEN MILLER ONTARIO
Our cold gray Novemberesque morning magically morphed into a fine late October Autumn afternoon. Nice day for a second walk in the forest with Ram Jam Pheebs the Rocket Dog. Been a few years since I have deviated from the trail so we made our way over an embankment and down along a creek through a thick and soggy cedar swamp. Didn't take me long to get a soaker and muddy up my new blue jeans pretty good. But, that's what Saturday afternoons and boys with their dogs are all about:))
And would you believe we both forgot about the last dog obedience class this morning.  Missed last week when Kelly was working and I was under the weather.  Pheebs and I were about two thirds the way around the trail this morning when I suddenly remembered our morning class, but it was too late:((  Not as bad as when I signed up early for a computer course at a local high school back in the late 90’s…………. and then forgot to go!!
Loaded up our satellite dish and tripod this morning and took them down to our handyman and neighbourhood friend Bruce’s place. Between the two of us (mainly Bruce) we were able to figure out the logistics of the tripod, drill a hole here, tighten up some nuts there and exchange a few brain wobbles before finishing up the project. Tripod and satellite dish are finally good to go.  Bruce is the same fellow who rebuilt our utility trailer last summer, did some renovations in our rig over the years and looks after our place when we are away for the winter.

 
In Friday's post I talked about why I like Blogs, Bloggers and Blog Land. Here is another reason I find blogging not only interesting, but educational as well. How many of us would know this country as well as we do if it was not for our fellow RV Bloggers. Yes, we all learned about History and Geography in school but how many of us were really interested in all that boring stuff at the time. Too many other cool things going on in our younger lives to think about traveling to distant parts of the country.  Every day now is a history lesson as we read and follow one another's blog travels around our fair land. We are all far more knowledgeable about travel and the ways of travel than any of our previous generations. And, through the countless photos we all share, the land becomes much more familiar and personnel than the usual old generic history book pictures of yesteryear.  And, a lot of those old history book photos were in black and white too!!
For any of you RV folks with Olympian Wave 8 heaters in your rigs you might want to read KAREN'S POST  about a couple simple maintenance tips which could save you costly repairs with your unit. We at the Bayfield Bunch have a similar propane powered unit called a Legacy Blue Flame.
While searching for some additional info on our Blue Flame heater this morning I came across a post I had written back on April 22nd 2009 entitled, AFTER A FEW WRONG DECISIONS...HERE ARE SOME RIGHT ONES.   Found it interesting to see my line of thinking at that time. Apologies to Florida of course. 
I still have not made much progress in the Google+ department. Have received a lot of emails from folks adding me to Circles or something but I just have not been able to perk my interest in another social media site yet. I think I may have added all the folks to my Circles of whatever Circles I seem to have but of course I'm not sure. I'm just kind of going around in circles I guess looking for a logical reason as to why I would need Google+. I also receive occasional emails from people about joining something called 'linkedin'. Again, I have no idea what this is so have passed on the invitations. And then there is something called 'Stumble Upon' but after giving it a quick look see I decided that wasn't something I was interested in either. Like I said in a previous post a few weeks ago......my interests are a changing.

YEP, THAT’S OUR DIGS IN THERE SOMEWHERE…………..
GROANER'S CORNER:((  A wise old man celebrating his 100th birthday got a visit from a local television reporter at the nursing home to interview him.
"Are you able to get out and walk much?" the reporter asked. "Well, I certainly can walk better today than I could a hundred years ago today!!"
--------------------------------------------------------------
-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.

WHY I LIKE BLOGGERS, BLOGGING AND BLOG LAND:))

MANAGED TO CATCH ME A SMALL RAINBOW THIS MORNING

Another cold wet rainy day here in south-western Ontario.  Figured I had better get myself out of the house and catch me a little fresh air.  My travels took me up and around the Goderich harbour and down along wind tossed Lake Huron.  Only camera I had with me was my point and shoot Canon Powershot SX210IS so all of tonight’s photos are with that camera.

THE OCEAN GOING CARGO SHIP STEFANIA 1 WAS IN HARBOUR THIS MORNING PICKING UP A LOAD OF EITHER GRAIN, BEANS OR CORN

 

GODERICH’S SIFTO SALT MINE IS SEEN ACROSS THE HARBOUR

JEAN AND SKIP are currently in Cottonwood Arizona and yesterday toured the historic mining town of Jerome Arizona built on the side of Mingus Mountain.  We accidentally first encountered Jerome in November of 2007 after an unplanned harrowing trip over Mingus Mountain.  I was driving the Motor Home that day with Max, Checkers and the Motormouse on board with Kelly following in the Santa Fe.  If I thought getting over Mingus Mountain was scary....I had no idea what was ahead of me in the narrow twisting streets of Jerome!!  For my post that day click here.... FROM BEDROCK TO DEADHORSE
 

TRUCKS WAITING TO DROP OFF THEIR LOADS OF GRAIN AT THE GODERICH GRAIN ELEVATORS…BLACK PUFF OF SMOKE LOWER RIGHT CAME OUT OF A STACK ON THE STEFANIA 1’s STERN 

A TRUCK TIPS IT’S LOAD INTO THE AUGERS OF THE LARGE GRAIN ELEVATORS WITH THE STERN OF THE STEFANIA 1 JUST AHEAD

STU AND DONNA travel fully prepared for flat tires and it was a flat tire on their fiver along I-40 near Knoxville that had them donning safety vests, putting out traffic cones and hauling out the impact wrench, jack and spare tire.  And, was there damage to the rig?  Yes there was.

I always find my fellow Blogger's posts about their views on blogging interesting.  How they got started, what they like or dislike about blogging.  What motivates them to write a post every day or every once and awhile.  Where do ideas come from and how are ideas formulated.  I'm always interested in the mechanics of how people put their posts together as well.  Are they using Live Writer, Blogger, or a different writing platform.   What photo editing programs are being used and how are they used in relation to a Blogger's post.  Some blogs are records of daily activities, some are more travel oriented, some opinionated, some occasionally humorous and some occasionally sad.  I find the whole world of blogging very interesting.  I thought Donna’s TRAVELS IN THERAPY post this morning was a fine example of how the freely sharing of information between Bloggers can be so very helpful.

 
A blog may be technically helpful or thought provoking on a philosophical level.  It is the wide diversity of topics I enjoy here in Blog Land.  And, for the most part it is the respect here in Blog Land that most Bloggers have for one another that I appreciate the most.  Very rare to find rude and sarcastic comments in our community and I think we all appreciate each other's maturity for that.  I have seen other forums where things get very personal and nasty.  Nice to be part of a community where most of us have respect and understanding for each other's thoughts and opinions.  It is also the support Blogger's have for one another in times of difficulty that makes our community very caring and very special. It was this morning’s post post by BIG DAWG AND FREEWAY  that set my mind to thinking of all my fellow bloggers and the great community we all communicate in. 
 
<<< RURAL ONTARIO

To answer the question about my suspected wheat intolerance and if it was diagnosed by a Doctor.  No, it was not.  Just my opinion on some physical things that have been occurring for quite awhile and seemed to coincidentally take place after eating breads and buns etc.  Maybe I do not have wheat intolerance at all, but at least the symptoms for wheat intolerance got my attention enough to make me try some new changes to my eating habits.  Since making those changes I have not had the lethargic bloating feeling I was getting so bad after eating products made from dough.  I love anything made from dough so have always fell prey to things like donuts, muffins, sweet buns, and any kind of bread products, etc.   Wheat intolerance or not, I figure a change regarding wheat products could very well be a positive and healthy change for me.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  We'll see how it goes.   I should also add here that I consider myself a very fortunate person in that at the age of 67 the only prescription drug I take is something called Arthrotec which helps with the sometimes aching stiffness I get in my legs.  Been taking this for about 13 years now when it was originally prescribed for bone spur problems in both my feet which have long since been surgically corrected.

GODERICH EVEN HAS A HORSE RACING TRACK

One of my favourite periods of each day is my 20 minute morning shower time.  This is a time when the beginnings of many blog ideas for the day are conceived.  My shower routine is always basically the same from the time I enter the bathroom to when I leave.  I generally always turn on a small electric heater because I like the feeling of warm air wafting over me.  And, I like my shower water on the hot side as well.  I also have a habit of turning the bathroom lights down while in the shower and I have absolutely no idea where I picked that habit up or why.  As many long time readers know, I am a music oriented person so of course I have music in the bathroom as well.  Back in the 80's I made countless hours of cassette tapes (remember them) from CD's.  It is all the ambient tapes that  I now listen to each and every morning in the shower on a boom box I found a few years ago in a Goderich Thrift Store.  It is that warm air, soft lighting, hot water and music which makes a special time for me each and every morning:))

 

A STORMY LOOKING DAY AT THE LAKE

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Old ranch owner John farmed a small ranch in Montana.  The Montana Wage and Hour Department claimed he was not paying proper wages to his workers and sent an agent out to interview him.

'I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them,' demanded the agent.

'Well,' replied old John, 'There's my ranch hand who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $600 a week plus free room and board. The cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $500 a week plus free room and board. Then there's the half-wit who works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night.'

'That's the guy I want to talk to, the half-wit,' says the agent.

'That would be me,' replied old rancher John.

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