LIBBY WAS NEEDING A SET OF SEAT COVERS SO I TOOK A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE TO GET THEM

BAYFIELD’S PIONEER PARK STEPS LEADING DOWN TO THE BEACH ON AN APRIL’S COLD SATURDAY NIGHT

After posting Saturday night’s post Pheebs & I hopped ourselves into the Jeep & took us for a drive to Bayfield’s cliff top Pioneer Park overlooking Lake Huron.  A frigid cold wind blowing in across the lake’s icy water didn’t keep us there too long.  With warmer weather on the way this will soon be a favorite spot each night for many people enjoying Bayfield’s summer’s sunsets.

It is imperative to have seat covers put on both Wrangler & Liberty Jeep seats if the seats are not leather.   At least on our 06 Wrangler & 07 Liberty that applies because they are essentially the same seat material & Jeep (Chrysler) really missed the boat when they chose their seat material years ago.  Material is lackluster & even a fly walking across the seat will leave messy footprints.  So, Pheebs & I were on a mission this morning to find us a set of seat covers for the Libbygator's front seats. 

EVEN ON OUR LOCAL BACK ROADS ONE MUST BE VIGILANTE OF ONE’S SPEED:))
Browsing through Canadian Tire's on-line catalogue a few days ago I found a set of seat covers that looked acceptable for our Liberty but also noticed the Goderich store didn't have that particular kind of seat cover in stock.  But the Canadian Tire store in Stratford Ontario had then in their store.  It was a nice sunny Sunday morning & with Pheebs & I itching for an excuse to slip out for a cruise we were soon into the Jeep & on our way to Stratford.  On our way via the back country roads that is.  Carrot Muffin & a Tim Horton's coffee to go in Clinton & we were on our way.  Less than a slow hour later we were bearing down on the city of Stratford.  But we didn't head straight away to the Canadian Tire store.  We had us a stop in Stratford's Avondale Cemetery first.

ALWAYS NICE TO HEAR THE CALL OF KILLDEER EACH SPRING
Both Uncle Harry & my Dad are buried there & not too far apart from each other.  Had been a couple years since I'd stopped by so this morning was a good time to drop in & let my thoughts & memories wander.  As it later turned out it was not my only cemetery stop for the day.

Stratford is a bigger & much busier city now than when I lived there from 1975 to 1995.  My home town of Tavistock Ontario is only 10 miles from Stratford so I have many memories of Stratford from my early years as well.  Upon leaving Avondale Cemetery at Stratford's west end heading for Canadian Tire at the city's east end I kind of followed a meandering route through the city touching base here & there with familiar spots along the way.  Too many memories for me to take everything in because every corner I turned & every street I drove down brought back my many years spent in & around that city.  I had to finally & intentionally shake that off & get myself to the Canadian Tire store.  Old memories can sometimes leave one feeling slightly depressed & in a state of sadness at the passing of time.

Didn't take me long to locate the seat covers I had seen on line & I was back out of that busy Canadian Tire store right quick.  Had my hat pulled down pretty low over my eyes while in the store.  Didn't want to run into any old ghosts.  Minutes later Pheebs & I quickly high tailed it out of town & were once again freely ambling along through the quiet countryside.  Next destination was my old home town of Tavistock & once again old memories awaited me every step of the way.  It is these types of old memories that really bring home the realities of aging.  Stopped at the cemetery where my Grandmother, Grandfather, Step Father, Mother, & one Uncle are buried.  Had been a couple years since I had stopped there.  Everything looked the same but I didn’t linger.  Church was about to let out & I didn’t want to get caught in a stampede of church people.  Took Pheebs for a walk in the town's Park where my memories go back to some of my earliest childhood days.  All & all the old home town looked the same but indeed there have been many, many, prominent changes.  Oh to be able to snap my fingers & see the old town as it once was with all the same old familiar & friendly people walking the sidewalks once more.  You see, I am one of the fortunate ones to have spent my boyhood days growing up in the 50’s.  Fortunate indeed.  Again, with feelings of sadness I had to get myself out of town & move on.

AS A YOUNG BOY I PLAYED IN THE LUMBER PILES STORED IN THESE SHEDS BACK IN THE EARLY 1950’S
From Tavistock we wandered a series of old nostalgic country roads  through the Wildwood Nature area on our way over to the small town of St. Marys.  Many memories for me in this town as well so just kind of rolled on through slowly making our way back to Bayfield.  Cruised on by the old Weenie Roast Ranch where Kelly & spent about 7 years renting an old country farm house years ago.  Many great memories but again sadness to see the house & property in such neglect & dismal disrepair.  Oh Dear……. Well enough was enough as I pointed Libby's nose for home & cracked on some speed.  It was time to shake off the past & again focus my mind on the present & upcoming future.  We were home shortly after 2 p.m. & our Sunday morning jaunt had lasted five & a half hours.

KELLY & I ONCE HAD THIS OLD 2 STOREY BRICK HOUSE & PROPERTY LOOKING PRETTY SPIFFY & THE 2 SMALLER EVERGREENS YOU SEE RIGHT BESIDE THE HOUSE WE DUG UP FROM THE BUSH & PLANTED THERE…THEY WERE ONLY A COUPLE FEET TALL THEN BACK IN LATE 90’S

THE FELLOW WHO OWNS THE HOUSE LIVES THERE NOW & EVERYTHING IS QUITE A MESS

WE HAD FLOWER GARDENS & I USED TO MOW ALL THE GRASS YOU SEE IN THIS PHOTO

THERE WAS A NICE BARN JUST BEHIND THE HOUSE & THIS IS ALL THAT REMAINS OF IT NOW…I USED TO STORE MY MOTORCYCLE IN THERE EVERY YEAR

WHEN KELLY LOOKED AT THIS PHOTO TONIGHT SHE REMARKED HOW SPOOKY THE HOUSE LOOKED YET WE NEVER EVER THOUGHT OF IT THAT WAY WHEN WE LIVED THERE…IT WAS OUR 7 PEACEFUL YEARS OF RURAL LIVING HERE THAT TURNED OUR HEADS AWAY FROM ANY KIND OF CITY LIFE AGAIN
Didn't take long for Kelly to figure out & install the seat covers after I first attempted to put the passenger side cover on upside down.  I'm quite a genius when it comes to attempting stuff you know.  All & all it was a good day.  Still cold but at least we had lots of sunshine & it was warm in the Jeep.  Will probably be another couple of years before I have myself another ‘touching base’ old memories day.  Although a bit saddening it's still good to stir up some of those old thoughts & feelings now & again & remember a time when things were once so very different from the way things are today.

THESE SEAT COVERS SEEM VERY DURABLE & I LIKE HOW THE LIGHTER PART IS A THICKER TOUGHER MATERIAL

PICKED US UP A NEW SET OF FLOOR MATS A COUPLE DAYS AGO AS WELL & WE REALLY LIKE THE KHAKI COLOR INTERIOR

LIBBY IN TWILIGHT’S GLOW AT DEER PARK LODGE SATURDAY NIGHT
GROANER'S CORNER:(( I was talking to my doctor about a weight loss-patch I had seen advertised. Supposedly, you stick it on and pounds melt away.  "Does it work?" I asked.  "Sure" he said, "if you put it over your mouth."

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Whenever my aunt went to the doctor, she would complain to me about the long delay she always endured.  One day, when my aunt's name was finally called, she was asked to step on the scale. "I need to get your weight today," said the nurse.  Without a moment's hesitation, my aunt replied, "One hour and 45 minutes!"

KELLY DISABLES SOME ANNOYING HONKS & BELLS ON THE LIBBYGATOR

Had to wait for the garden hose to thaw out this morning before I could tackle the job of washing the Wrangler.  Way too cold to be washing a vehicle but I just wanted to get the Wrangler clean-up over & done with.  See what a bit of Saturday morning sunshine can do for a fella.

Later in the day I figured I'd work on Libby's aggravating bells & security locks annoyance so headed for the shed to get my hammer & a crowbar.  In the meantime Kelly had been reading the Jeep Liberty's manual & came out & solved all the locks & bell’s problems.  No more lights blinking & horn honking when the Fob is used to lock or unlock the Jeep.  She also disabled the aggravating seat belt bell.  I'm not in the habit of strapping on a seat belt when I'm puttering around picking up pine needles with our utility trailer etc.  She also figured out how to stop the Jeep from getting itself in a big panic & locking itself up every time it starts rolling down the road or every time we simply exit the vehicle.

Anyway that’s about it for me tonight due to the fact my writing mind isn't cooperating with me again so we'll see what tomorrow brings.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( While visiting my son on his Army base, I chatted with a colleague of his.  "What rank are you?" I asked.  "I'm relieved to say that I've just been promoted from captain to major."  "Relieved? Why?"  "Because," he replied, "my last name is Hook."

I HAVE SOME ‘COOLING’ PHOTOS TONIGHT FOR ALL YOU FOLKS IN THE HOT SUNNY SOUTH:))

FOR ALL YOU FOLKS IN THE HOT SUNNY SOUTH I HAVE SOME PHOTOS TAKEN TODAY TO COOL YOU ALL OFF TONIGHT

One of the nice things about inclement weather is that it really makes one appreciate the nice weather when it does arrive.  Although just above the freezing mark today we did enjoy big bright sunny skies & that made all the difference in lifting our spirits.  No doubt about sunshine being therapeutic.  And it’s free.  Now how nice is that:))

ICE CHUNKS IN THE GODERICH HARBOR BUTT UP AGAINST THE LARGEST UNDERGROUND SALT MINE IN THE WORLD

SURPRISED TO SEE SO MUCH ICE STILL IN THE INNER HARBOR

  

THE WHITE FISHING BOAT IS LOCKED IN MY THE ICE & THE BIG LAKE FREIGHTER HAS BEEN IN THE HARBOR ALL WINTER

Pheebs & I didn’t waste any time in firing up the Libbygator & by 8:15 we were on the road for our first shakedown cruise.  Headed straightaway for the CANADIAN TIRE STORE in Goderich to pick us up a new set of floor mats.  The one’s we had in the Wrangler were to big for Libby.  Picked up a trailer hitch as well & had that installed within minutes.  Needed that for pulling the utility trailer. 

PHEEBS QUICKLY TOOK UP HER FAVORITE SPOT IN THE LIBBY’S PASSENGER SEAT

 

I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED THOSE POWER WINDOW BUTTONS UNDER PHEEBS PAW BEEN IN THE DRIVER’S DOOR PANEL FOR OBVIOUS REASONS

JUST CATCHING A FEW ZZZZZZZZZ’S BETWEEN STOPS

Took us for a drive down around the Goderich harbor & was surprised to see it choked full of ice chunks.  Just last week that inner harbor was ice free but with shifting winds moving the ice in & out of the harbor it’s not always predictable where the ice will be from one day to the next.  The ice field stretched along the shoreline for as far as I could see.

 

Took Pheebs for a walk along the shore & it was interesting to hear the little crunches & shuffles of melting ice as all the bits & chunks bobbed ever so slightly on Lake Huron’s almost still waters.  An onshore breeze blowing across the ice pack combined with cold lake waters made for very frigid temperatures & we soon had to get ourselves back into the Jeep & crack on some welcome heat.

MOVING BITS OF ICE SOUNDED LIKE TINKLING WIND CHIMES

 

SUMMER’S GREEN WITH WINTER’S WHITE

We wandered a few gravel roads between Goderich & Clinton getting to know Libby better & figuring out where things fit best.  Found a spot between the front seats where both my cameras can ride, tried out the coffee holders with a ‘Horton’s coffee & that checked out fine as well.  Pheebs bounced around between the front & back seats but spent most of her time sitting right up front in the passenger seat watching out the windows.  I like the fact I can now easily put any window down with the touch of a button.  Makes it much easier for me if I want to take a photo out the passenger side window.  No more stretched out across the seat hand cranking the window down with one hand while steering the Jeep with the other.  Really like the sound system & with bigger tires the Liberty does ride better than the Wrangler.  By the way I noticed this morning Voisin Chrysler even put on a new spare tire.

 

One thing I find extremely annoying though is the over the top security system.  We had the same hassle with a GMC pick-up truck years ago.  The Libbygator has something called ‘rolling locks’ which means it automatically locks all the doors once you get rolling & I don’t like that.  It seems every time I stop & get out the Jeep wants to lock itself up like Fort Knox.  Want to get something out of the hatch….nope, locked!!  Open a back door to let Pheebs out….nope, locked!!  Seems if I sneeze too hard the security system sees that as a threat & locks everything down.  Well it seems that way anyway.  Living out here in the country like we do we’re just not used to constantly being under a heightened top security lock-down & it’s only a matter of time until we lock ourselves out of the car.  We plan to have that ‘rolling lock’ system de-activated.

 

Figured since we were near the little village of Clinton & it was getting up close to lunch time we’d head us on into town & rustle us up a Tuna Sub.  Well it didn’t take long to have ourselves a big mess going on in the front seat with crumbs here, sub sauce there plus chunks of onion & green peppers between the seats & on the floor.  Yep, this little Jeep Liberator was going to work out just fine.  A quick trip to the car wash & we were on our way home 10 minutes away.

Still way too cold to get the hose out & give Jeepers a good wash but I did clean up some bumper parts & nearly froze my hands off.  Despite all the glorious sunshine I finally had to give in & head inside.  No matter though it was still just so great to have sunny skies all day.  Saw an email on the computer from Aunt Jean down there in that Sarasota Florida place & by golly she just bought herself a real nice Condo at Lake Tippecanoe in Sarasota.  Lots of excitement going on down there for Aunt Jean right now:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((    Two paramedics were dispatched to check on a 92-year-old man who had become disoriented. They decided to take him to the hospital for evaluation.  En route, with siren going, they questioned the man to determine his level of awareness.  Leaning close, one asked, "Sir, do you know what we're doing right now?"  The old man slowly looked up at him, then gazed out the ambulance window. "Oh," he replied, "I'd say about 50, maybe 55."

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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.

JEEPERS PASSED TODAY’S SAFETY INSPECTION WITH FLYING COLORS

First order of business this morning was to drop our Jeep Wrangler off at the Bayfield Garage for it’s pre-safety inspection.  Before any vehicle can be sold here in Canada it has to undergo a safety inspection unless the vehicle is being sold ‘as is’.  Safety inspections are a good thing & saves buyers a lot of headaches from being sold unsafe vehicles by unscrupulous sellers.  Not so financially swell for the seller though if a lot of money has to be paid out for new tires & brakes etc. 

AWWWW SHUCKS NO MAIL FOR ME AGAIN THIS MORNING

A cold gloomy day greeted us again & Wednesday’s snow still on the ground put a damper on our spirits.  I did manage to transfer the Wranglers stuff to the Liberty.  Things like jumper cables, a heavy duty tow strap, a tire inflator, first aid kit, spare liter of oil, etc.  Always handy to have these items on board while bumping around in the desert.  Or anywhere else as far as that goes. 

Found it difficult to keep my enthusiasm pumped while outside on this frosty morning so I simply gravitated into the house for the remainder of the day.  Weatherman is calling for some sun Friday so maybe I will take Pheebs out for her first ride in Libby the Liberator & see what she thinks.  Oh & Jeepers passed her safety inspection this morning with flying colors.  Only needed a windshield wiper blade.  I’m hoping to get the exterior cleaned up in the next couple days……weather permitting.  Looks like we might be asking in the neighborhood of $11,900 for our 06 Wrangler but we haven’t quite decided on that yet.

 

Next step for us is to get a tow plate put on Libby so we can tow her behind the Big EEE just as we did Jeepers.  And yes we plan to do the same type of desert traveling with the Liberty as we did with the Wrangler.  Keep in mind we have never been extreme Jeeping people crawling over logs & boulders etc.  Aside from some desert pin striping we’ve never damaged our Jeep Wrangler by intentionally abusing it.  We will treat our Jeep Liberty with the same respect………………………. 

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A Few Thoughts On Aging:

Have you noticed that Stairs are getting steeper. Groceries are heavier. And, everything is farther away. Yesterday I walked to the corner and I was dumbfounded to discover how long our street had become!

I think young people are much younger than I was at the same age. On the other hand, people my own age are so much older than I am. I ran into an old friend the other day and she has aged so much that she didn't even recognize me.

 
Clothing manufacturers are less civilized these days. Why else would they suddenly start labeling a size 10 or 12 dress as 18 or 20? Do they think no one notices that these things no longer fit around the waist, hips, thighs, and bosom?

 
The people who make bathroom scales are pulling the same prank, but in reverse. Do they think I actually "believe" the number I see on that dial? HA! I would never let myself weigh that much! Just who do these people think they're fooling?

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- 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.