WHAT I LIKE BEST ABOUT COOLER AUTUMN AIR IS…………’THE WARMTH’:))

ALL OF TONIGHT’S PHOTOS ARE THURSDAY NIGHT’S SUNSET TAKEN FROM BEHIND THE CABIN (HUTCH) AT BAYFIELD’S DEER PARK LODGE

It was the unexpected sound of rain on our roof at 5:30 this morning that had me up & out of my recliner closing a couple shed doors & the Motorhome's door.  Windows were partially down in the Jeep but luckily I had parked it in the carport Thursday night after Pheebs & I returned home after taking a few sunset photos from behind one of the cabins at Deer Park Lodge commonly known at ‘The Hutch’. 

With rain still in the air later & having just washed the Jeep Wednesday I was reluctant to take Libby out & get her all goobed up again but what good are vehicles if we’re not in them going somewhere regardless of the weather.  With that thought in mind Pheebs & were out the door & down the road shortly after 9.  Besides, a last minute check of our live weather radar did not show any more incoming rain & skies did appear to be brightening.

A few things to pick up in Goderich & a swing down around the harbor.  With cloudy skies still prevailing I couldn’t get myself inspired for a country road drive so decided to just head on back home.  We took the long way round through scenic Ben Miller arriving back in our driveway shortly before noon. 

STANDING BESIDE ‘THE HUTCH’

From a writing & photography stand point I’ll sure be glad when we are back on the road next month.  New things to write about & new things to take photos of.  Like a ship setting sail from a safe harbor we’ll be once more venturing out onto the open sea with all it’s unknowns.  Sunrises & sunsets again, stormy & calm waters as we make our way along old familiar roadways, around unknown bends & out into sometimes concerning unfamiliar territories.  Some days wrapped safely in the reassuring secure arms of my of my big old comfy recliner my mind thinks, ‘wouldn’t it just be much easier to stay home, less stress, keep the daily routines intact, stay on track, & don’t don’t do anything drastic to shake up the norm.  Heaven forbid we should ever shake up the norm eh.  And wouldn’t it be much, much, easier on the pocket book as well.  Well the answer’s yes to all of those things & more which I’m sure dissuade many a dreamer to forever remain at home.   All solid reasons I’m thinking why many folks would never consider an RV lifestyle whether it be as Week-Enders, Snow Birds, or Full-Timers.

HAPPY TO SAY MY 70-300mm TELEPHOTO LENS HAS NOT BEEN RATTLING AS MUCH & IS STILL DOING THE JOB IT WAS MEANT TO DO:))

I sometimes wonder where we would be had we not come into several fortunate financial windfalls nearly 10 years ago.  When I posed that question to Kelly awhile back she said she figured we still would have found a way to get ourselves into an RV & on the road & I am inclined to agree with her because that is the direction we were agreeably headed after we met back in the summer of 93.  We were both very independent people looking for some kind of change, a challenge, a different lifestyle.  RVing was a perfect fit for us.  I’m guessing chances are we would have become Full-Timers working our way around the U.S. & Canada doing ranch sitting, property security type jobs etc.  We maybe would have even given camp hosting a try except I don’t think either one of us could have put up with that hosting thing for very long.  Fortunately for us we did not have to go that route.

ALTHOUGH LOOKING LIKE A DISTANT ARIZONA MOUNTAIN RANGE ACROSS A VAST DESERT EXPANSE IT IS IN REALITY A CLOUD BANK ON THE HORIZON TOWERING OVER THE PLACID WATERS OF LAKE HURON 

Looking back over the past 9 RVing years I’m happy to say I have no regrets for most of the decisions we have made.  Oh there were a couple RV’s in there a few years ago we could have done without but other than that I’m happy we decided to take a chance on the RV lifestyle in the first place & follow our dreams.  Can’t even begin to imagine where we would be now had we not tweaked our adventurous spirits back then.  We are very thankful for the years of seasonal travel we have put in & I’m hoping we have many more years ahead of us.

Fried me up a nice big bowl of porridge this morning & chased it down with a peanut butter & honey sandwich about half an  hour later.  Pheebs & shared a carrot muffin mid morning & for lunch we split a raw wiener, half a dozen breaded chicken fingers & half a slice of cold pizza.  My 4 o’clock snack consisted of a bowl of Cheerios & for supper I had myself a big bowl of jiggly Jell-O.  Yep we’re getting along just fine here:))

Know what I like best about cooler weather…….the ‘warmth’.  No not that outside summer heat stuff but that inside warmth when one comes in the house from an outside cooler day.   Whether that warmth comes from a fireplace, a furnace, or an electric heater makes no difference.  It is that overall soothing feeling of being enveloped by a warm blanket of comforting air.  It’s not only a feeling of warmth on the outside but it gives one a nice fuzzy reassuring feeling of warmth on the inside as well……………..:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A guy walks into a shoe store and asks for a pair of shoes, size 8.
The obviously well trained salesman says, "But sir, you take an 11 or eleven-and-a-half."  "Just bring me a size eight!" the man replies.  The sales guy brings them and the man stuffs his feet into them and stands up in obvious pain. He turns to the salesman and says, "I've lost my house because of foreclosure, I live with my mother-in-law, my daughter ran off with my best friend, and my business has filed Chapter 7. The only pleasure I have left is to come home at night and take my shoes off."

‘AWWWW NUTS’………RICHARD & I GOT BUSTED FOR TRESPASSING THIS MORNING!!!!

BAYFIELD’S PUBLIC LIBRARY

After publishing my Wednesday night post Pheebs & I took ourselves for a drive into Bayfield.  With darkness upon us earlier each evening now I thought I'd try my hand at photographing a few buildings on main street.  With summer’s season over & tourists once again out of the village Bayfield has returned to her proper self & it's a self that I so much prefer & have always liked & loved.  Main street wasn't choked with parked or driving cars & with the absence of chatter in the air Bayfield’s street was serene in it's silence.  Hardly a sole to be found anywhere.  Couple eateries open but they were very quiet with only a few folks enjoying a peaceful late evening meal.  I walked freely on the wide street with my camera & tripod setting up here & there for an occasional photo.  No hassles or interruptions anywhere.  My kinda world & I couldn't help think to myself, 'now why can't it be like this all the time'.  Of course I know why it can’t but I do like to occasionally pose those hypothetical questions to my mind now & again just to annoy myself.    

BAYFIELD’S ‘LITTLE INN’ & THE LITTLE INN’S GUEST HOUSE BELOW

BAYFIELD’S VERY OWN VIRTUAL HIGH SCHOOL

Pheebs & I did the pine forest trail this morning & how nice to once again walk in a forest free of insects & bugs.  Only sounds along our way were a variety of birds all busily tweeting each other about their upcoming migration plans.

THE ALBION HOTEL IS ALWAYS THE BUSIEST PLACE ON MAIN STREET

It was also our semi-monthly mobile coffee get together for my good friend Richard & I.  My turn to drive & again it was 2 hours well spent as we toured a few roads north of Goderich & Ben Miller.   There is a beach north of Goderich along the Lake Huron shoreline that Richard used to go to many years ago & I had been there once back in the late 70's & again 2 summer's ago with Pheebs one day for a walk on that beach.  As far back as Richard could remember it was always open to the public.  I suggested to Richard this morning that we take a drive up there & check out the beach.  Turned off highway 21 & followed the gravel road half a mile to the edge of a woods.  The old path to the beach was pretty over grown & we did have a bit of difficulty picking our way through the cedar underbrush down a steep & slippery slopping incline.  Minutes later an ATV comes down behind & beside us on some kind of road we hadn't even seen.  ATV pulls up in front of us about 30 feet & the guy gets off walks toward us & tells us we're on private property.  Told us he paid 2 million dollars for this whole section of land 2 years ago & we were on ‘HIS’ land!!!!!!!  We did apologize & tried to explain we didn't know that but we could tell this fella was 'put out' about us being there.  At least he let us walk back up the ATV road he had put in.  Halfway to the Jeep we did see a no trespassing sign on that road & we agreed he should have put that sign at the top end of the gravel road.  But imagine that, at our age…………. two old easy going retired Geezers out for a morning coffee getting busted for trespassing!!  

A FEW LATE DINERS AT THE ‘BLACK DOG PUB & BISTRO’

With today's long awaited & anticipated cool refreshing weather upon us I was energized both mentally & physically go ahead & tackle the job of changing the anode rod in our rig's hot water heater.  Don, the Big EEE's former owner had left us with oodles of spare parts & one of those parts was a new anode rod still in it's package.  Richard had lent me an adaptor for my socket wrench so away I went.  Should have read the package first where it says when loosening the old rod don't stand in front of it.  I stood in front of it.  Seconds later I was totally soaked as the pressure blew a big blast of water all over me.  Lesson learned.  Despite my past record of not doing well with mechanical things I did manage to install the new anode rod successfully & yes I even used plumbers tape on the threads.  Fired up the water pump, pressurized the lines & by golly........no leaks.  Well that was a surprise I can tell ya.  But a nice surprise for a change:))

Kept myself on the straight & skinny today with a home made bran muffin for breakfast, 3 breaded chicken fingers & a cold slice of pizza for lunch.  Supper consisted of a heaping bowl of Kellogg’s Mini-Wheats topped with a dump truck load of Honey Nut Cheerios.  And of course an after supper snack saw me with a big whack of peanut butter & honey on a flat bread Tortilla.  Groovy:)) 

THE ALBION & BLACK DOG ARE NEIGHBORS & YES THESE PLACES ARE JUST AS COZY & COMFY AS THEY LOOK

And this is my Son Sean’s latest video.  He wrote this song, composed & played the music for it then appeared in the video singing with a friend & fellow musician.  Song is entitled, Weightless and Empty.  Sean says, “This is a song I wrote a few months ago and when it was done, I knew I had to get my good friend Stacey to sing it with me”.

 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  The trendy dresser fancied himself quite a ladies' man, and was delighted to find a note pinned inside a new shirt. It contained a girl's email address, and asked the recipient to send a photograph. How romantic, he thought to himself, very taken with the idea of this mystery woman so eager to meet him, and promptly sent an email with a photo.  Heart aflutter, he opened her response when it arrived.  It read, "Thanks for writing. I was just curious to see what kind of guy would buy such a goofy shirt."

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Call to the local newspaper's classified editor:   "I have a complaint about an ad I placed."  "I'm so sorry, sir. What was the problem?"  "You'd think a newspaper in a rural community like this one would have people on staff who had spent some time on a farm. What I said was 'ewes'. E-W-E-S."   "Pardon?"   "Ewes. It makes a difference to some people."   "I don't follow."   "The ad in the paper read: "Sheep for sale - USED."

WATCHING A BIG LAKE FREIGHTER DOCK THIS MORNING

THIS IS THE BULK CARRIER SAGINAW WHICH TIED UP THIS MORNING IN GODERICH…..IT’S DOCKED RIGHT NEXT TO A LARGE GRAIN ELEVATOR

Made myself a rather amazingly good cup of coffee this morning.   Of course I did undergo an excellent in-depth instruction procedure before Kelly left.  From my all night recliner beside our large east facing window I kept an eye on the sky after first light hoping our rainy cloud cover would dissipate.  Stepping out onto the deck I was totally delighted to find our predicted cooler weather had set in & that was enough for Pheebs & I to head out for a walk around our morning Pine Forest trail.  No flying annoyances in the air & how nice that was now that the miserable sticky heat is finally out of here.

SOUTHERN MOST TIP OF GODERICH’S LONG BEACH

I SUSPECT THIS FELLOW TO BE A CORMORANT

GODERICH’S OLD LIGHTHOUSE STILL STANDS TALL ON THE BLUFFS OVERLOOKING THE HARBOR

JUST A RELAXING DUCKY DAY ON THE DOCK

SOME DAYS I JUST DON’T KNOW IF I’M UP OR DOWN

FISHERMAN’S WHARF

Knew we had to head off somewhere this morning but the question was where.  Still an unsteady cloud cover so wasn't too inspired to venture off too far.  It was up to Goderich with us & a stop at McDonald's for a burrito.  Caught a nice break when driving down around the harbor & seeing a large lake freighter backing down along the dock towards Goderich's huge grain elevators.  Quite a procedure with something that large moving in reverse carefully manoeuvring itself around being careful not to side swipe the concrete wall at dockside.

WITH IT’S MASSIVE PROPELLER IN REVERSE THIS MIGHTY LAKE FREIGHTER SLOWLY BACKS ITSELF IN THE DIRECTION OF THOSE LARGE GRAIN ELEVATORS IN THE BACKGROUND

LOOKING TOWARDS THE BOW

THIS GAGGLE OF CANADA GEESE WERE NOT DETERRED BY THIS SHIPS PASSING ONLY A MATTER OF FEET AWAY

DECKHAND IN RED USES A WALKIE-TALKIE TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH THE CAPTAIN IN THE HIGHER UP WHEELHOUSE

I SUSPECT THIS MAY BE THE CAPTAIN HIMSELF

A BOW THRUSTER CHURNS THE HARBOR WATERS BRINGING SAGINAW’S BOW IN CLOSER AS A DOCK HAND BELOW TENDS TO THE LINES…..AND  IN THE BACKGROUND IS THE UPPER PORTION OF THE LARGE SIFTO SALT MINE WHICH EXTENDS  FOR A FEW MILES OUT UNDER LAKE HURON

ALL IS FINALLY SECURE

A further drive down along the beach road showed us the Inuks & Shuks still standing along the shore despite persistent rumors they are to be taken down.  Their numbers just keep increasing & it has become quite a tourist attraction for Goderich.  And to think it all started with someone simply piling up a few rocks & chunks of concrete one day.

 

NOW JUNIOR I DO NOT WANT YOU GOING CLOSE TO THE WATER

A wee walk for Pheebs at the doggy walking area & we were back into the Jeep heading over to the North side of the harbor where we could catch an overall view of the large lake freighter I had just taken photos of at the South side of the harbor.  With still no sign of Old Sol breaking through the clouds we decided to just head on back home.  Jeep was due for a good clean-up anyway so I busied myself with some vacuuming & a wash job.  Think it was around 2 when our skies began clearing & I could immediately feel my spirits rising & oh how nice to feel cool refreshing air once again.  At last, at last, at last.  Just makes me jump for joy & want to run around the block 10 times:)))))))))

TRAIN CARS TO THE LEFT OF ME, SHIPS TO THE RIGHT OF ME, WHAT IS A LITTLE JEEP LIBERTY TO DO 

We first met Jim & Renee from live. work. dream while ranch sitting east of Tombstone Arizona a few years ago.  Met them a couple more times in California near Borrego Springs & again one time in Slab City.  Hard working full timers these two.  I especially liked their last couple posts entitled, HOW COACH NET SAVED OUR DODGE & FULL-TIME RVING DILEMMA: TO KEEP OR SELL YOUR HOME.  We too have Coach-Net for roadside assistance & actually had to call Coach-Net 2 years ago when we blew an outside dually tire on our Class C Winnebago while heading south near Trinidad Colorado.  In Renee's post about whether to sell or retain a house while full-timing I could very much identify with Renee & Jim's thoughts.  Although not full-timers we are in a similar situation with very similar thoughts & ideas regarding the whole house issue.  Indeed a timely post for us.

OUR SPOT THIS MORNING TO WATCH THIS BIG LAKE FREIGHTER DOCK

GRAIN ELEVATORS ARE TO THE RIGHT

I SUSPECT THE FELLOW CARRYING THE GUITAR IS BOARDING THE SHIP TO REPLACE ANOTHER FELLA COMING OFF HIS TOUR…..WHILE DRIVING THE ‘STRATFORD AIRPORTER’ YEARS AGO IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR ME TO PICK UP SAILORS HERE & TAKE THEM TO PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN TORONTO & VICE-VERSA

So how did I make out in the old food department today?  Well just marvellous.  Peanut Butter & Honey sandwich on a Tortilla for breakfast, a McDonald's burrito & carrot muffin a couple hours later.  Lunch was was 2 Eggo waffles with real maple syrup.  Supper was half a dozen chicken fingers with a smattering of left over fried potatoes & a small Yogurt for dessert.  And that was it.  A pretty good food day I'd say & with no fuss or bother it just makes it all the better for me:))

GROANER’S CORNER:(( On a visit to the library I happened to notice a man and a woman, both deaf, signing with intense gestures, apparently in a heated debate. The man said something; and the woman seemed upset. She started signing her reply very fast, to the point where the man couldn't understand a word; she also signed in big, wide gestures, which is the equivalent of volume.  Finally, looking strained, her companion took her hands, "silencing" her. Then he signed, very small and slowly: "You don't have to shout, I'm not blind."

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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.