HOPE WE FIND OUR HOUSE IN THE SAME CONDITION WE LEFT IT

YEP, SURE DO HAVE A LOT OF YARD WORK AHEAD OF ME THIS WINTER & I HAVEN’T A CLUE YET WHAT I WILL DO…GONNA BE A BIG LEARNING CURVE:))

Had a couple small scrub Mulberry trees to take down so did that first thing this morning, cut them up & hauled them off to the recycling area. Opening up our yard to more sunlight will promote the growth of smaller Cedar trees I plan to plant. Of course Pheebs & Guinness were trying their very best to get in the way & help me as much as they could. And yes, I did appreciate the help too.

 

WELCOMING COMMITTEE AT THE GATE THIS MORNING

For being up since 2:30 this morning I did pretty good & didn’t begin to fade until about noon.  No idea why I woke up at 2:30, I just did.  Haven’t taken any sleeping pills for awhile so maybe tonight I just might give myself a break.  Much of the afternoon was a mixed bag of dozing in my recliner & playing with the doggy guys.  Kelly was at Deer Park Lodge working.  Pheebs, Guinness & I did manage an afternoon walk around 3 o’clock looking for some Cedar trees in the woods to dig up & bring home maybe Tuesday.  Guinness’s Mom came by about 4 to pick him up.  We’re all going to miss that big goofy guy:))

Found a file of photos on my Toshiba laptop that I had forgot about so quickly put our new Emtec 64GB Flash Drive into gear & copied a file for our desk top.  Took the photos in the last couple days before leaving our house in Congress late last March.  Sure enough, there was a photo of some clothes I had left hanging in a closet, so now I remember what I left there.  I also remember taking pics of every room & everything in every room because I knew our memories would fail us after a few months.  And, they did.  Spotted a lawn chair we had been looking for.  We couldn’t remember if the rooms had ceiling fans & some of these photos showed us they did 

AW, AND SO THAT IS WHERE MY RED SHIRT IS >>>

Glancing over the photos today I couldn’t help but wonder if everything will be as we left it.  Will vandals have got in & trashed everything?  We had a couple roof leaks, will they be better or worse since we had the roof coated before leaving?  How is the new stucco finish holding up?  Did the Cactus I planted, survive in the back yard or did the JAVELINA eat or trample them?  And, the PACK RATS, have they burrowed in under the house?

---

Looking at the photos I was reminded of the many projects on my list but it will just have to be necessary things this first year.  That fencing or wall around the property is going to cost us a fair bit for sure but it is priority one.  Not only for our safety from prowling Coyotes & Javelina’s, but from Rattlesnakes as well.  With these kinds of critters It is Pheebs I worry about the most.  We will also feel better leaving there next Spring knowing the entire property is fenced & gated.  Right now, anybody can drive in there & do whatever they want.

 

WOULD LIKE TO SEE A WOODEN GAZEBO OR SOME KIND OF PALAPA BUILT ON THIS CONCRETE PAD & A WOOD FRAME BOARD & BATTEN IDEA AROUND THIS OLD DENTED ALUMINUM SHED PLUS 2 NICE WOOD DOORS

 

HOPE MY TEMPORARILY LOCATED CACTI HAVE SURVIVED & WE NEED A WHOLE NEW FENCE WHERE THAT OLD GATE IS ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE…I KEPT CLOSING THAT LITTLE GATE & THE JAVELINA’S KEPT PUSHING THROUGH IT AT NIGHT

Our neighbor Bud, on the south side has been keeping an eye on things for us but he just left a couple weeks ago for California where he will be working for 3 months.  We have a Mexican family on the north side but didn’t get to meet them yet.  Nice folks across the road & I’m sure they will be keeping an eye on things as well.  Also, there is a neighborhood watch group that goes around checking on properties & Kelly was just talking to them by phone a couple days ago.  We may very well put our names on the list for next summer.

THAT FRONT YARD FENCING WILL COME OUT & BE RE-LOCATED TO EITHER THE WEST OR SOUTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY PERIMETER

I am soooooo looking forward to getting there & working on the projects that I myself am able to do.  Mainly the yard work…..& there is a lot of that because nothing has been done to that property for years.  And, hard packed desert sand, rocks, & gravel is not easy to work with.  Going to be a challenge for sure.  Kind of like it was when we moved here to Bayfield.  No one had lived in the unit for 3 years & nothing had been done to the grounds.  It was covered in pine needles & not much growing in the way of grass, shrubs or flowers.  It was quite a challenge for us all right,  but we have managed just fine.

  

  

WE SURE ARE HOPING TO FIND EVERY THING JUST AS WE LEFT IT NEARLY 6 MONTHS AGO 

Lisa from METAMORPHOSIS ROAD joins us today as Blog Follower 525.  Lisa & Hans are new RV’ers just starting out in their Montana 5th wheel on a full time adventure.  A big welcome from the Bayfield Bunch to Lisa & Hans & thanks for dropping by folks.

BACK OF THE HOUSE IS SURE NEEDING SOME CREATIVE THOUGHTS & IDEAS

GROANER'S CORNER:(( 'Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges, even where there are no rivers'.
-'Artificial hearts are nothing new. Politicians have had them for years.'
-Don't vote. You'll only encourage them.
-'Although he is regularly asked to do so, God does not take sides in American politics.'
So, in conclusion.......
Nobody can fix the economy.
Nobody can be trusted with their finger on the button.
Nobody's perfect.
Vote for Nobody.
---------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

AND, THAT’S HOW WE STARTED OUR DAY:))

OUR FRONT YARD…WE ACTUALLY LIVE IN THERE SOMEWHERE

 

OUR STREET, FIRST LOOKING WEST & THEN EAST

Pheebs obviously forgot Guinness was here. We got up about 4:30 a.m. & Pheebs jumped down off my bed & trotted out to the living room. Seconds later she came racing back down the hall a hundred miles an hour, tail wagging fiercely, shouting. "Dad Dad, Guinness is here, Yaaaaaaay".  Within minutes the two of them were rolling around on the living room floor wrestling, with me trying to quiet them down so they didn’t wake up the Boss.  And, that is how we started our day:)))))))
 

ALL TANGLED UP IN A PLAY TOY ABOUT 4:45 A.M. THIS MORNING…I THINK GUINNESS NEEDS HIS MORNING COFFEE

Guinness is a well behaved dog & is no problem to walk him off leash along the trail. He stays close & comes when called.  He has an easy going personality like Pheebs, never growls or gets upset about anything.  Oh how I wish I was a dog.   We did have to steer Guinness clear of the Park's pond though or he would have been right in there splashing around like a baby Rhinosaucerus. The two Amigos, EL Goofy-O & EL Crazy-O had a blast tearing up & down the Pine forest trail & by the time we got home they had all but worn themselves out.

 

MORNING WALK

Kelly was off to work around 9:30 & I hung out in the back yard with the 8 Paw Wrecking Crew. It was a mighty fine weather morning & I was able to re-locate a bunch of ground cover. Took the pump out of our front yard frog pond this morning as well. All & all a good day as I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the two fully re-charged & energetic doggy guys. So what if a few shrubs & flowers get trampled here & there, it's well worth it when one gets to spend time with best friends:))

SUNNY BREAK BETWEEN HAIL SHOWERS

 

HAIL ON JEEPS ROOF & HOOD PLUS A STORMY SKY BACKDROP TO TALL PINE TREES IN OUR BACK YARD

Was kind of strange this afternoon about 3 p.m. when Kelly phoned from work to see how things were going & I told her it was hailing at the moment. Said she was standing outside on her cell phone in bright sunshine.....& she was only about a mile away. Checked the live weather radar for our area & could see many small pockets of rain coming in across the lake.  We ended up with about a half dozen hail showers rolling through the neighborhood. Turned the furnace on to get warmed up a bit. Of course I was warmed up every time I sat down in my recliner because Pheebs was instantly on my lap with Guinness trying his best to get up on my lap as well. He could get his front half up with big paws & head on my chest but couldn't get the second half up. It's cute to see the playful rivalry between the two of them vying for attention.

AMIGOS, EL CRAZY-O ON LEFT & EL GOOFY-O ON RIGHT

Guinness's Mom texted from Toronto around supper time to say she & doggy girl Stella wouldn’t be returning to Bayfield until Monday morning.  Yaaaaaaay, Guinness gets to spend another night with the Bayfield Bunch:))))))))))))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A little dog humor tonight:))

-What do you get when you cross a dog with a phone?

A golden receiver!

-Why did the dog carry a clock?

He wanted to be a watch dog!

-What kind of dog does a mad scientist have?

A Laboratory Retriever!

-What is more amazing than a talking dog?

A spelling bee!

-What kind of dog does Dracula have?

A Bloodhound!

-In a veterinarian's waiting room: "Be back in 5 minutes. Sit Stay"

-What do you get when you cross a small dog and a large boat?
a Ship Tzu

-What breed of dog loves to take a bath?

A Shampoodle

-BICYCLES: Two-wheeled exercise machines, invented for dogs to control body fat. To get maximum aerobic benefit, you must hide behind a bush and dash out, bark loudly and run alongside for a few yards. The person then swerves and falls into the bushes, and you briskly prance away.

---------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

OUR DAY JUST KIND OF WENT TO THE DOGS

THAT GUINNESS IS REALLY GETTING TO BE A BIG BOY
Happy to say about 90% of the aches & pains in my legs from Friday were gone when I woke up this morning. Must be little magic fairies that sometimes come in the night & make things right with their healing powers & sprinkles of magic dust.

TWO BLACK DOGGIES IN OUR NEW CAMPFIRE PIT THIS AFTERNOON
Looked like rain this morning so Pheebs & had ourselves busy loading the utility trailer with old rotten stumps, yard waste, & tree limbs. Only minutes after returning from the Park's yard waste recycle area it began raining, forcing us indoors again. Had no intentions of going anywhere until I happened to look a flyer from the newly opened Staples store in Goderich. They had a limited number of 64GB Flash Drives on sale today so Pheebs & I headed off for Goderich toot sweet. Rained all the way there & all the way back but we did get our Flash Drive for $19.95. Nice new store located in Goderich's east end. And how great it is not having to go through one single traffic light to access Staples, Walmart, Canadian Tire, Pet Value, Shell Gas Bar, Tim Hortons, Zehrs Supermarket & the Dollar Store. I better include Harveys, the Haircutters & Pharma Plus in that line up too:))
 
 THESE TWO WILD CHARACTERS CARRIED ON LIKE THIS FOR A LONG TIME
More clearing of foliage in the backyard as I worked on cleaning up & downsizing another flower bed.  More tree branches to be trimmed & more pea gravel moved around.  All work stopped when Kelly arrived home from work though…..with Guinness:))  Readers will remember Guinness & Stella from our previous dog sitting week-ends.  Stella was off to Toronto today with her Mom & it was decided Guinness would have a sleep over with Pheebs at our house.  I like when that happens:))

 
A COUPLE OF BEST PALS TAKING A MUCH NEEDED BREAK
Didn’t take but a few minutes for Pheebs & Guinness to have all my evenly raked pea gravel scattered asunder as they raced around the yard at hundreds of miles an hour.  These two guys are just the biggest Pals with the biggest loads of boundless energy.  It is just a joy to watch their antics as they jump, role, & cajole.  Guinness is bigger & heavier than Pheebs now but no matter, as first one chases the other & then vice versa.  Pheebs gives as good as she gets.  I just love watching dogs having so much fun.  And, I love to get down on the floor & kibbitz with them as well.  They just have a habit of bringing out the old playful dog in me.

 
GUINNESS IS ONLY 7 MONTHS OLD & ALREADY HE IS HUGE  
The Gals over at THE GOOD LUCK DUCK are in Kanab Utah at the moment doing something I have thought about many times but have never done. They are volunteering & helping out at an animal shelter called BEST FRIENDS. I think people who help out at these places are to be commended. It takes a strong resolve & courage to put oneself in an emotional setting like that. At least for me it would. I am basically an unemotional guy when it comes to a lot of things but where animals are concerned I come apart at the seams & turn into a big ball of mush. Maybe I would be just fine working with animals, or, maybe not. Suppose I will never know unless I try sometime...........

 
KELLY SPENDS TIME WITH GUINNESS OVER AT DEER PARK LODGE & THEY ARE BIG PALS
And, a heart stopping moment over at DESERT DIVA & CALI as little Cali is struck by a passing flatbed trailer being towed by a truck. This is every pet owners worst nightmare & I can only imagine the absolute horror of seeing one's best Pal being struck down. In Cheryl's words, "I saw her role and come out the other side". Check out Cheryl's post for what happened next............

 
TIME TO SLOW DOWN FOR A FEW SNUZZLES BEFORE THEY GET BACK TO RIPPING UP THE YARD AGAIN
And, I still question the 'real motive' behind an individual's reasoning to continually read a blog with no other purpose than to continuously criticize, find fault, & cast aspersions.


PHEEBS FINALLY TIRED OF ALL THE FROLICKING & SOUGHT REFUGE IN OUR NEW CAMPFIRE PIT…LUCKILY, WE HAD NOT YET HAD A FIRE IN IT

AWWW COME ON PHEEBS, GET OUT OF THE FIRE PIT, IT’S MY TURN TO GET IN NOW

NOPE, I’M NOT GETTIN OUT……………………….:))
GROANER'S CORNER:(( Heard on a public transportation vehicle in Orlando.
"When you exit the bus, please be sure to lower your head and watch your step."
"If you miss your step and hit your head, please lower your voice and watch your language. Thank you."
---------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

PHEEBS & I AGAIN TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME

Pheebs & I were in the Jeep by 10 & headed for Goderich.  Nothing special, we just needed an excuse to get out, & a stop at Walmart gave us that excuse.  1 jug of Cranberry Juice & 1 jug of Ginger Ale.  From there it was over to McDonald’s where we spilt 1 Burrito.  Minutes later we were out into the countryside again taking the long way home. 

THE LONG WAY HOME 

Had a trailer load of brush for the Park’s recycle area & spent the rest of the afternoon working away on my backyard project.  Another small Poplar tree down as I continue pulling apart our yard & re-doing it.  Getting a lot of foliage clutter out of the way & opening the yard up to more sunshine.  Don’t know how long my renewed gardening interest will last so I am ‘striking while the iron is hot’ so to speak.

 

As enjoyable as it is traveling with pets, there can be difficult times if & when our best Pals are in any kind of medical stress. Ideas have to be discussed & decisions made. It is a time when a couple has to count on each other for help & support in making decisions for the well being of their pets. But, what about RV folks traveling alone with their Pals. One of RV Sue's 2 terriers, Bridget, has been diagnosed with a Cranial cruciate ligament tear leaving her unable to use one of her rear legs.  Surgery may be required. A difficult time for solo traveler RV SUE & HER CANINE CREW.

PHEEBS & I SURE DO LIKE OUR COUNTRY ROAD DRIVES

Not a long post tonight.  For some unknown reason my leg pains kicked back into gear with a vengeance this afternoon & have me hobbling around.  So much so that I couldn’t take Pheebs for her afternoon or evening walks.  Think I will just veg out in my recliner tonight.  I’m suspecting it may be the damper cool weather causing my arthritis to flare up.  Will be glad to get down to the warm dry desert air of Arizona.  Both Kelly & I always notice a healthier difference between an Ontario winter & a South-west winter.  Just another one of the many, many, reasons to head south…………….if you can.

<<< ONE LAST POND ORNAMENT TO PUT AWAY FOR THE SEASON

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Newspaper Headlines in the Year 2035

- Ozone created by electric cars now killing millions in the seventh largest country in the world, California.

-Baby conceived naturally.... Scientists stumped.

- Iran still closed off; physicists estimate it will take at least ten more years before radioactivity decreases to safe levels.

- Castro finally dies at age 112; Cuban cigars can now be imported legally, but President Chelsea Clinton has banned all smoking.

- Texas executes last remaining citizen.

- White minorities still trying to have English recognized as California's third language.

- Average height of NBA players now nine feet, seven inches.

- Microsoft announces it has perfected its newest version of Windows so it crashes BEFORE installation is completed.

- New federal law requires that all nail clippers, screw-drivers and baseball bats must be registered by January 2036.

---------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com