KELLY HEADED OFF TO SEE THE DOCTOR TODAY

ALL OF TONIGHT’S PHOTOS WERE TAKEN ON AN AFTERNOON WALK WITH THE PHEEBS

Kelly woke up this morning feeling like an old bag of dirt. Her cough had worsened & she was sick. She isn't one to complain much or seek out medical help so when she mentioned about calling her Doctor, I knew she was seriously having a rough time of it. The concern was pneumonia. Early this afternoon Kelly was diagnosed with a bacterial infection & the Doctor said it was good she came in when she did or it could have turned into pneumonia. Said her chest sounded really rough & prescribed anti-bacteria pills for her. We'll see how things are tomorrow.

OUR PATH TO THE FOREST FOLLOWS ALONG THE TOP OF THE POND BANK ON THE LEFT

Rotten piece of luck for Tom over at TOM_KATHY_RETIRED when he severely twisted a knee while touring some naval vessels. Ended up being taken to hospital while Kathy had to begin re-arranging some upcoming short range travel plans.  Recovery could take a spell.

COME ON DAD, LET’S HURRY HOME & GET OURSELVES A SNACK BEFORE MOM GETS BACK FROM THE DOCTOR

 

EVEN OUR PARK’S YARD WASTE RECYCLING AREA (RIGHT) LOOKS GREAT THIS TIME OF YEAR
Won a 'Twist' contest one time back in the Chubby Checker days but that was about the extent of my dancing career way back when. Did manage to slip under a few 'Limbo' bars along the way & I do recall flopping around on a dance floor somewhere doing the 'Watusi' one time. Oh ya, & then there was the 'Bunny Hop'. Bop, bop, bop. Dancing was just never my thing. But, not so Cheryl at DESERT DIVA. I think we have a fancy footer in our midst so you might want to glide on over & check out some smooth moves:))

For not being a phone person I've been doing very well remembering to carry a cell phone with me every day for the past month or so now. Of course I have no reason to turn it on because I’m not in any kind of social or family circle so I'm not expecting any one to phone me, or me them. But, I do think it a good idea to carry a phone in case of emergency.  Either mine or someone else’s.  And, how do I remember to carry a cell phone every day?  Easy, I have the phone in a small pouch on my pant's belt right next to my camera. My belt loops through the phone & camera pouches so they are always there when I put my pants on every morning. Only way for me to forget them now is to head out the door without my pants on. At my age that is not likely to happen so 'presto', a winning solution:))

When I finally knuckled under last April & went to the Doctor about the pains in my legs I was told it could possibly be a pinched nerve in my lower back. With a record of painful back problems I am not surprised. X-rays didn't reveal any areas of mass destruction in my bones & joints so figure that is what could be going on with my leg at the moment. Took it easy again today avoiding any bending, kneeling or unusual twisting. No up & down the steps of our Motorhome & I stayed away from the Jeep. As any Jeep Wrangler owner knows, ya gotta lift that right leg a fair few feet up in the air at an awkward angle either entering or exiting the high clearance Jeep. I was able to take Pheebs for an afternoon walk & I am noticing a slight improvement in my right leg tonight.

And, I think 'acheapguy' has solved the mystery to my rant a couple blogs ago about the illogical placement of the on/off switch on my Garrity flashlight. Over in the Shout Box, 'acheapguy' very wisely deduces, "I think the flashlight design mystery is solved. The Garrity website says they sold out to Proctor and Gamble in 2006. New guys with laptops sitting in Starbucks are now in charge of design!........ Aha, now why didn't I think of that.  And, thanks to Mr. Ed for being a good sport about the cell phone in the Hosta photos:))

ANOTHER SECTION OF OUR MORNING TRAIL

Took Pheebs for a third walk just before sunset tonight.  Had I been walking with my eyes closed I would have thought it was early Spring in the forest.  Trees were alive with the chirping chatter of Robins gathering together discussing flight plans & routes for their upcoming south bound departure.  True Snow Birds in every way & I wished them all well.

 

GROANER'S CORNER:(( I was walking home last night when I noticed an old drunk staggering along the road. He passed a woman who was walking a young child. "Lady", said the drunk, "that's the ugliest kid I've ever seen. Damn, that is one ugly child!." As the drunk wandered off, the lady burst into tears. Just then, a mailman came to her rescue. "What's the matter, madam?" he asked. "I've just been horribly insulted" she sobbed. "There there," said the mailman, reaching into his pocket. "Dry your eyes with this tissue, and here's a banana for the chimp"

---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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

OH OH, DEPARTURE DATE OFFICIALLY DELAYED……………

We have moved our departure date back from this Wednesday to this coming Saturday. We are kind of like the walking wounded here at the moment. Kelly with her bad cold & me with a painfully troublesome right leg that isn't easing up. Also, we don't want to take any of Kelly's cold germs with us when we go to visit Uncle Harry this week & we do not want Kelly's Mom catching anything when we get there either. Hopefully by the end of the week Kelly will be out of the woods & it really doesn't matter how my leg feels. I'll just throw it in the rig & bring it with me anyway.
 
OUR MORNING WALKS HAVE BEEN A BIT ON THE SOGGY SIDE THE PAST COUPLE MORNINGS
Kelly spent quite awhile on the phone this morning with companies like Verizon, Hughes Net, the 3G Store, & several other internet type carriers & equipment places. Our house in Congress is in a Verizon fringe zone & we have been going around in circles trying to come up with a best solution for internet when we get there. There is a Verizon signal but it was weak so we were thinking of alternatives. Verizon assured Kelly today, changes to the towers have been made & we will see a change in signal strength when we return to Congress.  If need be, we will upgrade our older 3G Verizon Mifi to a new 4G Mifi. The more powerful 4G network will be in the Congress area very shortly, but in the meantime the newer 4G Mifi is still able to function with the older 3G system. We have our fingers crossed that this is all accurate information coming from Verizon. We're fine for TV with our Shaw satellite dish so the only problem left to solve is the very weak & poor cell phone coverage. And, it is the Canadian Bell Telephone plan cell phone connection Kelly needs because it is the Deer Park Lodge phone we carry. May have to push Deer Park a little harder for a necessary phone upgrade. The Samsung work phone Kelly now carries is about 5 years old.  We think a new more powerful techno-age phone could very well solve the weak cell phone connection we have in Congress, Arizona.

KELLY WORKS THE PHONES THIS MORNING
Spent most of the day in my recliner in hopes of totally resting my right leg. I have obviously pulled, strained, or screwed something up in my hip & thigh area sometime in the last few weeks. Had been doing a lot of landscape gardening & was up & down off the ground quite a few times so obviously something has been irritatingly wrenched out of whack. Not impressed with this rotten aging process!!

TIS THE SEASON TO RAKE PINE NEEDLES
Mr. Ed from the FLIP FLOP RESORT INN cleared up the mystery of the cell phone in the Hosta leaves with a follow-up comment today.  In it he said, “Look at the photo, the one on your blog site.  From left to right 3/4 to right.  Now top to bottom look down 1/4
In the opening of the leaves looks like chrome trim of an outline of a black phone laying sideways.  Looks like 3 sides”.
 
LEFT PHOTO WAS ON THE BLOG SITE & AREA OF CELL CONFUSION IS ENLARGED ON THE RIGHT

A FEW QUICK CLICKS OF THE MOUSE WITH PICASA’S ‘RETOUCH’ TOOL TOOK CARE OF THE REFLECTED FILL-IN CAMERA FLASH ON A STEM THAT LOOKED LIKE THE CHROME SIDE OF A CELL PHONE:))
Sometimes I hear the word ‘cheating’ when it comes to retouching a photo.  There is definitely two schools of thought when it comes this subject & no broad sweep of a paint brush can fill in a general answer.  Personally, I do not see it as cheating, but we are getting close to another age old question……what is art?  If I wake up in the morning & my hair is a mess, is it cheating if I comb it before going out in public?  A teen-ager puts a dab of Clearasil on a pimple to cover it up, is that cheating?  When I did that in high school I didn’t think I was cheating anyone, I just didn’t want to look like a Doink.  How about ladies putting on make-up in the morning before heading out….is that cheating?  Not in my books it isn’t.  If a photo contest specifies in it’s rules that photos must not be retouched, & a competitor does some retouching anyway, is that cheating?  Darn right it is!!  The rules specifically stated, no retouching.  Had I been on the ball with that Hosta photo above, I would have removed that distracting ‘hot spot’ that Ed thought might have been a cell phone, therefore eliminating any confusion.  Oh, & why was I in the doghouse on Sunday nights post? (photo)  Good question Donna…………..I can’t remember.   Well, that’s my excuse today & I’m sticking to it:)) 

THE MISTAKE I MADE IN THIS PHOTO WAS HAVING THE WRONG LENS HOOD ON WHILE USING A WIDE ANGLE LENS WHICH CAUSED THE DARKNESS IN THE CORNERS
Know that when you see those super great photos of perfection in magazines or in those many emails & Power Point presentations traveling around the internet, most of them only look like that because of the many great photo editing programs available to everyone today.  And, you do not have to be a photographer to effectively learn & skilfully use any of these program.  But, ya do gotta have a mess of good smarts to understand them there mind twistin Photoshop programs all right!!  That’s why I don’t use them & stick with Picasa instead……………….10-4:))      

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A 6-year-old and a 4-year-old are upstairs in their bedroom. "You know what?" says the 6-year-old. "I think it's about time we start cussing." The 4-year-old nods his head in approval. The 6-year-old continues. "When we go downstairs for breakfast I'm going to say hell and you say ass." "OK!" The 4 year old agrees with enthusiasm.
Their mother walks into the kitchen and asks the 6-year-old what he wants for breakfast. "Aw hell, Mom, I guess I'll have some Cheerios."
WHACK! He flies out of his chair, tumbles across the kitchen floor, gets up, and runs upstairs crying his eyes out, with his mother in hot pursuit, slapping his rear every step. The mom locks him in his room and shouts "You can just stay there till I let you out!"
She then comes back downstairs, looks at the 4-year-old, and asks with a stern voice, "And what do YOU want for breakfast young man?
"I don't know," he blubbers, "But you can bet your ass it won't be Cheerios!"
---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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

ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF, ‘JUST BECAUSE IT’S NEW DOES NOT MEAN IT’S BETTER’!!

THE RAINY ROAD LEADING TO OUR PLACE THIS MORNING
Surprised this morning when I stepped outside fully expecting to be met by some freezing 32F air. Instead, we were up to a balmy 60F & later in the day hit 70F. Nice, nice, nice:)) Despite the constant rain, it was kinda groovy walking the trail in the seemingly warm drizzle. Good thing all this rain we been having isn't snow or I'd be outside in panic mode shovelling like crazy to make sure the Motorhome had a clear path to get out in a few days. When we reach Spencerport next week we will be parked beside Kelly's Mom's house on the grass so I'm hoping we don't get a lot of rain while there or we might need us a tow out of the mud:((

Actually, we may delay our departure by a few days. Kelly is currently under the weather with a bad cold & we are not under any pressure to be any specific place at any specific time. We'll see how she feels in a few days & play it by ear from there.  Today was her last unofficial day at DEER PARK LODGE as Deer Park begins it’s close down for the Season.  She will however, have the Deer Park phone all winter again while we are in the Southwest & will be doing all next summer’s reservations.  Also in the Spring she will return to Deer Park to help train someone for her managerial & ‘Jack of all trades’ position.  So, she is not officially leaving or staying exactly.  She is just winding it all down slowly & helping Deer Park’s Lady owner make the necessary changes & adjustments.  They have been good friends for nearly 10 years now.  

Quick rainy morning trip to Goderich for a few groceries & then over to Wal-Mart's Pharmacy to pick up a couple prescriptions to carry me through the winter. Six month supply of Arthrotec for my arthritis & 6 months worth of my Cholesterol controlling drug, Crestor. No charge:)) Two things come into play on that 'no charge' thing. I'm Canadian & I am over 65.

I really have to scratch my head in befuddlement sometimes when I come across things that just don't make any logical sense to me. (and there's a lot of em) Needed a new flashlight so picked up a Garrity in Canadian Tire awhile back. Of course it was sealed in some kind of plastic death grip packaging that needed nothing less than a nuclear explosion to get it out, but that's another story. The basic flashlight design over the years has worked well & has been easy to operate. Pick it up & your hand & fingers naturally grip it with one's thumb on the 'on' switch. Slide it forward, flashlight turns on, slide the switch back & it turns off. Now, how easy is that, perfect design & works like a charm. But......it's the new techno age of change now so some Wisenheimer engineering designer type obviously woke up one morning & had an 'aha' moment & decided for the advancement of mankind it was time to move into the modern era by re-locating the perfectly placed & logically thought out 'on/off' switch on the flashlight’s handle, to the inconvenient butt end.  No more holding the flashlight in one hand & sending of rapid light bursts of Morse Code to your best Buddy in the house across the street.  It’s a two handed operation now.  But, getting back to the Wisenheimer…………"Hmmmm, let me see now" he must have thought as he sat down at his high paying workbench, "it's the age of new, where everything new is better than old, so how be I move the on/off switch to a totally illogical place on the flashlight & bring the old flashlight design into the modern age of newness". Yes, that's it, I'll put the switch in the bottom of the flashlight where it will be difficult to see or find. And, better yet, even harder to operate". For sure that will confuse the older folks...........ha-ha-ha.

How long can it be before some whiz kid decides the wheel has been around too long & should be replaced with something new. Say, how about advancing that round wheel design into something perfectly square. Ya, now we're talking some serious new-age advancement, right?? Don't get me wrong, I'm not against new & better technology, but I refuse to fall into the trap of believing that just because something is new, it has to better. Hogwash!!!! Oh, & when I looked at the flashlight to see where it was made.......Taiwan. Now that really burns me up because the GARRITY Company with it’s American history, is headquartered in Madison CT.  By the way, other than the ridiculous placement of the on/off switch, I do like the solid firm heavy duty grip feeling of the flashlight itself. 
I DO MANAGE TO GET MYSELF IN THE DOGHOUSE FROM TIME TO TIME
Well, I must admit, commenter Mr Ed over at the FLIP FLOP RESORT INN had me scratching my head last night looking for a phone in my previous night's Hosta photo. I knew there could not be a phone there but my interest was peaked & I went looking anyway. Even enlarged the darn photo. After all, he did say, "Ok what's the phone doing in the hostas bed".  ??

REFLECTION IN OUR PARK’S POND
Kelly's daughter Rebecca & husband Ricardo left about 4 this afternoon heading back to Cambridge Ontario to begin working on their new life in Ontario. What a fine young couple they are & what a fine start they will have with all the stuff Kelly sent them home with them. Or, maybe I should re-phrase that & say, what a fine start they will have with all the stuff we were lucky enough to get rid of.......:))

WHAT!!!!  YOU MEAN WE HAVE TO TAKE ALL THAT STUFF TOO………
 
RICARDO (COMPUTER GURU) TOOK THE TIME TO FINE TUNE MY LAPTOP TODAY:))
GROANER'S CORNER:)) And, how about a few 'Call Center' conversations.......
Customer: 'I've been calling 700-1000 for two days and can't get through;
can you help?'
Operator: 'Where did you get that number, sir?'
Customer: 'It's on the door of your business.'
Operator: 'Sir, those are the hours that we are open.'
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Samsung Electronics
Caller: 'Can you give me the telephone number for Jack?'
Operator: 'I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand who you are talking about.'
Caller: 'On page 1, section 5, of the user guide it clearly states that
I need to unplug the fax machine from the AC wall socket and
telephone Jack before cleaning. Now, can you give me the
number for Jack?'
Operator: 'I think it means the telephone plug on the wall.'
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Then there was the caller who asked for a knitwear company in Woven.
Operator: 'Woven? Are you sure?'
Caller: 'Yes -- That's what it says on the label -- Woven in Scotland.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- 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 TWICE A YEAR LIFESTYLE CHANGE HELPS KEEP THE HOUNDS OF BOREDOM AT BAY

REBECCA & RICARDO’S HIDE-A-WAY COTTAGE FOR A FEW DAYS AT DEER PARK LODGE 

Our night time temps have dropped to around the freezing mark & the days haven't been getting out of the 40's, so it just makes looking forward to heading south all that more appealing. It's the time of year I swap my cold denim jeans for warmer fleece lined track pants. We will be on the road a full month earlier than last year when we had to wait until the middle of November because of a family matter. Many Snow Birds wait until after Christmas before leaving. With icy roads, snow storms & freezing temperatures, I sure am glad we do not have to do that.  And, if we had to do that…..I wouldn’t do it anyway!!
 

ONCE AN OLD RAILROAD BRIDGE ,THIS WALKWAY HAS BEEN CONVERTED FROM ‘RAILS TO TRAILS’ IN GODERICH ONTARIO

With only 4 days left before we head out, things are beginning to ramp up. With a house, things have to be taken care off. Outside water off, double check to make sure all summer lawn furniture, ornaments are in storage, motorcycle into storage, final load of yard waste to the recycle area, bicycles & garden tools away & the list just goes on & on. Took care of many of those things this morning. They are all necessary, but enjoyable tasks, knowing our summer lifestyle is only days away from a a complete & abrupt total change. I like that part best:))

Been keeping records on my motorcycle mileage since 1995 & noticed, before putting the bike into storage again for the winter, I only rode a total of 653 miles this year. Upside of that is less wear & tear on the bike & it should last a few extra years should I decide to keep it a few extra years. It's a 2002 & has just a tad over 28,000 miles on it.

Transitioning from one 6 month long lifestyle to another totally different 6 month lifestyle does not take place without it's usual problems. Everything is different & has to be quickly re-learned. Our mobile Verizon Internet system has to be reactivated & set up, our TV system is totally different as is our telephone system. Our living space drops from approximately 1400 sq. ft. to about 400 sq. ft. I downsize from my big double bed at home to a single bed in the Motorhome. No more recliner but I do have a comfortable Ikea Poang chair. A spacious shower at home is traded in for showering in space about the size of a small broom closet. Yes, many, many, changes, but we look forward to those changes & we look forward each year at this time to an entirely different lifestyle for the next 6 months. And, it is those two major lifestyle changes each year that go a long way in keeping my interest peaked & the hounds of boredom at bay.
 

AS I HAVE SAID ON OCCASION, I SELDOM GO BACK & READ MY OLD POSTS, BUT I DO ENJOY LOOKING BACK AT OLD PHOTOS…ESPECIALLY OF THE THE OLD GANG, CORA, CHECKERS, & MAX 

Lively little discussion going on over at JANNA'S house today.  Fortunately for me, I don’t pay a lot of attention to, & have little interest in politics.  Just not my cup of tea.  If I thought I understood any of that stuff, I might have something to say.  But, I don’t……..so I won’t.

YES, THERE ARE A FEW PLASTIC FLOWERS IN THIS ONE

Ended up spending most of my day inside with the furnace on as our day continually deteriorated into a cold, windy, & damp, rain soaked day.  Luckily, I was able to get the bulk of my outside projects completed in the morning.  Kelly spent much of the day with Rebecca & Ricardo out shopping & showing them around Bayfield.  Shopping by myself is cool, but shopping with other people…….well, that’s where my impatience gets the best of me & I have to draw the line:))

Had been a long time since I had a hamburger with fries so when faced with a mainly seafood menu Friday night, I had no choice.  I have just never acquired a taste for any of that creepy crawly or squiggly stuff that lives in water.  My next burg & fries might be in a few months if we happen to roll into Borrego Springs this winter.  I customarily drop into Jilbertos when there & get me a burg.  And, if I ever were to eat all the fries dumped on my plate, there would probably be 2 moons in the sky…………………. 10-4:))   

GROANER'S CORNER:((   An American soldier is fighting in Germany in World War II. The battle is so intense, men are dropping everywhere. Finally, the Americans run out of ammunition. In a panic, a soldier approaches his Sergeant. "Sarge, we're out of ammo! What are we going to do?" The Sergeant looks around, and all he can find is a broom. He picks it up, hands it to the soldier and says, "This is your rifle. Hold it up, point it at the enemy and say 'bangitty bangitty bang!" The soldier says, "But what about a bayonet?" The sergeant looks around some more, and all he can find is a piece of string. He ties the string onto the end of the broom, and says, "That's your bayonet. Hold it up, and go out there saying 'bangitty bangitty bang, stabitty stabitty stab.'"
The soldier takes his weapon out onto the battlefield, going "Bangitty bangitty bang! Stabitty stabitty stab! Bangitty bangitty bang! Stabitty stabitty stab!"...and Germans are falling everywhere. "Bangitty bangitty bang! Stabitty stabitty stab!" Soon, it gets all quiet, and the soldier looks around and he's the only one left on the battlefield. Except 'way off in the distance, he sees this one German soldier marching towards him. So he holds up his broom. "Bangitty bangitty bang! Stabitty stabitty stab!" but the German keeps coming. "Bangitty bangitty bang! Stabitty stabitty stab!" but nothing can stop the German. He walks right up to the American, pushes him down, steps all over him and crushes him with his boots, breaking all his bones and smashing him to bits, and keeps going. The poor Amerian, lying there terribly squashed, comes to focus on the sound of the German walking away, saying............. "Tankitty tankitty tank."

And remember fellas……..It doesn't matter how often a married man changes his job, he still ends up with the same Boss.

---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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

BURG & FRIES

Cold cloudy start to the day but we did end up with a sun drenched afternoon. Reminded me of a winter's day in Arizona. Cool air, but warm sun.  Supper out tonight with Rebecca & Ricardo.  They all had kinda fancy seafood stuff.  Me??  Burg & fries………………..:))

OUR HOSTAS ARE DONE FOR ANOTHER YEAR

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Bounty hunter comes into town and seeks out the sheriff. "I'm a bit short o' cash, Sheriff -- you got any varmints or outlaws you want rounded up?"
"Well," says the sheriff, "There is one fella, but he's kinda strange."
"Strange? Strange how?"
"Lemme see now: He's got a brown paper hat. And he wears a brown paper shirt. And brown paper pants. Brown paper chaps. Brown paper boots, brown paper holster, and a brown paper gun."
"Golleeee," says the bounty hunter. "That is mighty strange all right. But tell me, Sheriff, what's he wanted fer?"
"Rustling."

---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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

BREAKFAST OUT FOR A CHANGE, A GODERICH TOUR, & AN AFTERNOON SPIN AROUND THE TRAIL WITH REBECCA & RICARDO

A bit nippy this morning but just fine for planting some new Daffodil & Tulip bulbs. Lots of pine needles to rake up & I don't mind doing that. Most needles will go into the utility trailer to be hauled off to our recycle area in a few days. But, a few piles I always save for a campfire while working outside. Pine needles give off a lot of smoke & it's really groovy for making big whampum smoke signals. Plus, I like the smell of a campfire when I’m outside at this time of year.

 

IF THE GOLDEN COLORED PINE NEEDLES WOULD STAY THIS COLOR I WOULD LEAVE THEM ON THE GROUND BUT ON OUR RETURN IN THE SPRING THEY WILL ALL BE A SCHMOOZY DARK BROWN YUKKY MESS IF NOT RAKED UP IN THE FALL

While contentedly raking needles this morning I couldn't help but feel again how fortunate we are to still have a sticks & bricks house. Four years ago I was ready to give it all up & hit the road full timing. I'm sure we would have been fine, enjoyed it to the max & had ourselves a great time. I'm also sure, knowing Kelly & I as well as I do, that by now we would have been anxiously chomping at the bit thinking of ways to have other things to focus on & do besides being in our Motorhome every single day of the year. I sensed our subtle unrest over the past couple winters & suspected a change was probably headed our way again. I knew we needed more of a challenge than just driving from point A to point B, staying for a couple weeks & then moving off to points C,D, & E. That change came in the form of our Congress house. We now have something to focus our interest & energy on. Big work challenge of course but I'm looking forward to that. How better could it be for someone like me, with a short attention span, to have a challenging project to focus on while in the South-west, & still be able to travel around to neighbouring scenic areas in our Motorhome. Not everybody's cup of tea of course, but it sure works great for Kelly & I.

As most Snow Birders know, much of the pre-trip packing & loading is done in the last couple days before departure. Don't like the rig sitting for a long period of time with all that extra weight in it so I wait to the last couple days before adding more water to the fresh water tank etc. Groceries are saved for the last couple days as well. Because of our cold nights now I don't load up anything with small batteries in them until we're ready to go.

ALL THIS IS GOING IN THE MOTORHOME, RIGHT:((  WRONG, THIS IS ALL GOING BACK TO CAMBRIDGE WITH REBECCA & RICARDO:))

Rebecca & Ricardo came over about 11 this morning & we all piled in the Santa Fe & headed to the BAYFIELD BERRY FARM for breakfast. From there it was off to have a look around Goderich with emphasis on the August 2011 tornado damage & reconstruction, plus a look at the beach & harbor areas.  Checked out further tornado damage still visible in & around Ben Miller on our way back.  Upon returning home we all took Pheebs for a walk around our morning trail. 

BREAKFAST AT THE BERRY FARM

WALKING OUR MORNING TRAIL IN THE AFTERNOON

Nice to see the enthusiasm & interest of younger folks & how impressed they are with our area. Coming from downtown Vancouver, or downtown any large city, I can certainly understand their excitement at a whole different way of life here in the rural countryside of Huron county, south-west Ontario.

COLD & WINDY IN THE GODERICH HARBOR TODAY BUT DID MANAGE A QUICK PHOTO>>>

Commenter Alice had a question about one of my photos in Tuesday's post. "Any tips on how you get the dark background would be welcomed". One of the easiest ways to do this is first find a transparent subject such as a leaf, flower petal, blossom, etc. In the case of my leaf, the sun was behind it. This is called 'backlighting'. Next, look for a darker area behind the subject & try to position your subject in front of the dark area. Could be a tree trunk or simply the dark shadows of the forest. Does not have to be black or super dark. Just darker than the object you are photographing. I generally place the subject in the center of the frame & move as close to it as my lens will allow. I often take these types of photos with my 300mm lens which easily blurs the immediate & far background blending the already darker shades together. I have my Nikon D-40's light meter set to read only the center portion of my screen. It is not set, like most cameras, to average the light for the whole frame. The center weighted light meter in the camera adjusts itself to give the brighter lit subject the correct exposure. By doing this it automatically closes the lens down (old photo term) & in doing so makes the already dark background, darker. Use the same method with the sun shining directly on the subject as well, just like the green leaf below. If you can, fill most of your frame with the lighter subject, let the camera's light meter adjust for that lighter subject & you should be fine. This can all be done manually as well but for most folks, just let your camera make the adjustments for you. The exposure, to a certain degree, can also be fine tuned in one's photo editing program later on.

THIS LEAF HAS A STRONG LIGHT SOURCE SHINING ON IT INSTEAD OF THROUGH IT

And remember, don't let all that new camera technology frustrate & get you down. Yes, it's important to understand your equipment but it's even more important to understand some basics of photography. All that mega tech stuff is great, but without a few photo basics, your photos may be technically correct, but still lacking something.  And, that something is generally, you…………….  Be creative:))

THE HAPPY WANDERERS

GROANER'S CORNER:((  I know it isn’t Halloween yet but here’s a Halloweeny just to drive y’all nuts anyway………………………..

A man is walking home alone late one foggy Halloween night, when behind him he hears: BUMP...BUMP...BUMP...
Walking faster, he looks back and through the fog he makes out the image of an upright casket banging its way down the middle of the street toward him. BUMP...BUMP...BUMP...
Terrified, the man begins to run toward his home, the casket bouncing quickly behind him.FASTER...FASTER..BUMP...BUMP...BUMP.
He runs up to his door, fumbles with his keys, opens the door, rushes in, slams and locks the door behind him. However, the casket crashes through his door, with the lid of the casket clapping. Clappity-BUMP...Clappity-BUMP....Clappity-BUMP...
Spinning around on his heels the terrified man runs. Rushing upstairs to the bathroom, he locks himself in. His heart is pounding; his head is reeling; his breath is coming in sobbing gasps. With a loud CRASH the casket breaks down the door bumping and clapping toward him. The man screams and reaches for something, anything, but all he can find is a bottle of cough syrup! Desperate, he throws the cough syrup at the casket...and,
!
!
!
!
The coffin stops........................

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- 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.
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