ALOOF, DISTANT, REMOTE, DETACHED, WITHDRAWN, RESERVED, UNCOMMUNICATIVE, UNFORTHCOMING, UNAPPROACHABLE, UNRESPONSIVE, UNFRIENDLY, UNSOCIABLE, INTROSPECTIVE, & INTROVERTED --- OH DEAR WHAT CAN THIS ALL MEAN……………

Made it a point not to eat anything after supper Monday night & this morning headed myself off to Goderich’s MAITLAND VALLEY MEDICAL CENTER to leave a bucket of blood for tests regarding a couple upcoming medical appointments shortly.  Pheebs came along for moral support in case they had to chase me around the parking lot with needle in hand.  Seems the older I get the easier it is for them to catch me:((

OHHHHH HOW NICE THE AROMA OF THIS NEWLY MOWN HAY FIELD WHEN I DROVE BY EARLIER TODAY

THIS BEAN FIELD HAS RECENTLY BEEN HARVESTED

ANOTHER BEAN FIELD FINISHED

Needing a few photos for tonight’s post Pheebs & made our way from Goderich along half a dozen slow country roads on our way over to Clinton.  A couple weeks ago I was into TIRECRAFT to have a slow leak repaired in one of Libby’s tires & I was told  by knowledgeable tire guy Doug Riehl at the time one of Libby’s tires should be replaced so I stopped in to make arrangements to have that done this coming Thursday at 2 p.m.  Sure don’t want a tire problem when the Jeep’s being towed behind the Motorhome.  Another beautiful morning so Pheebs & I took the scenic route back to Bayfield snapping off a few more photos along the way.

COOL MORNING AIR MEETS WARMER POND WATERS CAUSING A SLOW RISING MIST

Afternoon was spent tending to more yard work as our weather just continues to dazzle me with it’s Autumn wonders.  Bush lines are still green but the old Master’s paint brush has softly alighted touching a group of leaves here or a single leaf there.  Our Autumn is a tad behind last year but will soon be upon us with a palette of blazing colors.

Ruth from Travel With Kevin & Ruth asked in part this question in Monday night's post, "Seeing you love travelling so much, how come you don't do any side trips in the RV from Bayfield during the summer being that you mentioned that sitting still in Bayfield for 6 months is hard enough"?……….Several reasons for this with the first one being financial.  We came to the conclusion several years ago that expensive travels in Canada during the summer would stretch us too thin.  Unlike the South-western United States with it's large availability of free BLM lands to stay on for RV'ers like ourselves Canada has no such thing or if they do they are very few & far between.  Traveling in Canada during summer months means expensive & crowded RV Parks & neither Kelly or I have any interest in traveling that way.  Back in 06 when we 2 Newbies first ventured out traveling down into the States we realized within a month our RVing dream was going to be over before it barely got started if we couldn’t figure out a way to travel cheaply & not have to stay in costly RV Parks.  In 08 we went solar, embraced the boondocking lifestyle & have never looked back.  If we could comfortably travel in Canada using our favored boondocking ways we would definitely have us a second look at some summer travel plans.  Where would we like to go??  Kelly has never seen Canada’s East coast so I’m thinking we would head for New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island, Prince Edward Island, & Newfoundland.  I have traveled to all of those places except Newfoundland.

Just cannot believe how fast time has been flying by.  We're already down to just a few days over 4 short weeks before we leave.  The whole summer has simply flown by & as I said before I think it is the many country road Jeep drives Pheebe & I have taken these past five & a half months that has helped me pass the time & has also eased my traveling itch somewhat.

Talking to a neighbor awhile back he mentioned he never sees us around the Park very much.  We replied with ‘well we like to keep a low profile & hang out by ourselves’.  He said he understood that but felt some folks in the Park felt we were a little ‘standoffish’.  Well, being rather vaguely familiar with that word I figured I had better head for the dictionary to get myself an official definition about us.  Here are the words describing ‘standoffish’::   aloof, distant, remote, detached, withdrawn, reserved, uncommunicative, unforthcoming, unapproachable, unresponsive, unfriendly, unsociable, introspective, introverted.  Looking over these words & giving each one some thought I had to agree some of these words did indeed apply to us & more specifically to me.  Each word of course is closely associated with each other word in describing standoffish.  Couldn’t let this one slide by without an opinion of course so here’s my take on how these words apply in our case.

ALOOF:  No, we do not hold ourselves above others because that borders on arrogance & we are definitely not arrogant people. 

FOUND A FEW SPIDER WEBS IN OUR TRAVELS THIS MORNING

DISTANT, REMOTE, & DETACHED all apply.  We do not participate in Park activities whether official or unofficial & we do not get involved with Park politics.  We make it a point to stay out of people’s problems as best we can & I always figure the best way to do that is to cut down on the number of people we/I deal with. 

WITHDRAWN:  This applies to both Kelly & I but especially me.  Yes I am a very withdrawn person & prefer to quietly go my own way as opposed to the way of others.  I am much happier & content hanging out with myself therefore I withdraw from hanging out with others. 

RESERVED: Again this is me but in a different way.  Dictionary defines a reserved person in part as, ‘a person who doesn't share his feelings, thoughts or emotions.  In a general sense this is true for me unless it is one of two situations.  Either talking with a true & trusted best friend or as seems to happen almost daily…….sharing many of my feelings, thoughts, & emotions right here in my blog like right now.  Ya I know, I’ve always thought it kinda strange too.

UNSOCIABLE:  Well, I guess this does apply to both Kelly & I & yes it’s true I’m afraid we fit this word to a T.  We definitely are not sociable people & we do go out of our way to avoid social events as a rule.  We don’t socialize with our neighbors here in the Park & on the road traveling we are the same way with all our RV friends & neighbors.  Nothing to do with not liking people & everything to do with just the simple act of socializing.  Sitting around in a group of people trying to get a word in edgewise or having to sit through half a dozen story telling conversations which hold no interest for us is something neither one of us is good at & again especially me.  Much easier on everyone if we just avoid these kinds of things so yes I guess that does make us unsociable by definition.

  

UNCOMMUNICATIVE, UNFORTHCOMING, UNAPPROACHABLE, UNRESPONSIVE:  Well they all apply to some degree & the first one hits me squarely on the head.  Once a very communicative fellow it is rare for me anymore to ever strike up a conversation with anyone unless they approach me first.  It would be no effort for me to go days & weeks without ever having to talk to someone.  If you pass me on the trail you will get a ‘Hello’ out of me but I will probably keep right on going.   I’m not exactly unapproachable though & if approached & engaged in a conversation I generally do have respect for the person talking to me & even if I do not respect the person it is not in my nature to be rude or sarcastic.  You will find me cordial & if you have something interesting to say you will find me friendly.  (I do not find politics or sports interesting by the way) You may even have trouble getting a word in edgeways if we both hit upon favorite common interest:))

UNFRIENDLY: Although I may appear to some as unfriendly due to some of the above descriptions I am actually a very friendly fellow underneath it all & especially so to those people who I take a liking to & come to trust as a true friend.  Believe it or not but Kelly once told me one time many years ago ‘I talk to much.’  Yep it’s true & she’s right of course.  If very comfortable with someone I can go on like a manic Magpie but I do pay a price for that as later I analyse everything I said, run a strict critique on myself, then vow to keep my big mouth shut next time & that brings me to the first of my next two words. 

INTROSPECTIVE & INTROVERTED: Now here are two of my favorite words & how fitting they come last to sum up this collection of meanings in describing the word ‘standoffish’.  Introspective is defined as, ‘a reflective looking inward : an examination of one's own thoughts and feelings’.  Again the hammer hits the nail square on the head & describes me perfectly.  I am truly an introspective person & have always been so.  Introverted of course is my all time favorite word here & is defined as,‘a person who is energized by spending time alone’, ‘Introverts often avoid large groups of people’,  a person whose motives and actions are directed inward. Introverts tend to be preoccupied with their own thoughts and feelings and minimize their contact with other people’…….If in a crowd of seated people a speaker should ask, ‘will all the introverted people please raise their hands’ then let me be the first person to jump out of my seat with both hands raised & a big smile on my face.  Yes I an an Introvert & a very proud Introvert at that.  At some point in the future I like everyone else will write a final post & in that post someday I hope to share with my readers my theory of why I am the way I am.  Oh Dear, it sure isn’t easy being me…………….:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((    It seems in this day and time you can't go into an area dominated by a woman without detecting the 'aroma' of some kind of scented candle. Everything from 'Boysenberry Vanilla Potpourri' to 'Spice Orange Jasmine Chocolate'. It's about time men had their own scented candles. Below you will find a few scents men would appreciate.  SCENTED CANDLES FOR MEN

- '62 Chevy truck - Interior and Exhaust

-Gunpowder

-Wet Dog (only if it's your own dog)

-Frying Bacon (actually, a lot of different fried foods)

-Wood Smoke

-Chainsaw Exhaust

-Freshly Caught Bass

-Ozone (arc welder, of course)

-Acetylene

-Freshly Moved Dirt

- Sale Barn

- Silage

- Sawdust

- New Tires

-Hot Metal

-3 Year Old Baseball Cap

Ammonia Fertilizer (light, of course)

-Burning Grass or Leaves

-Alfalfa

-Firecrackers

-Latex Paint

CARON & CHRIS BICYCLED OVER TONIGHT WITH SOME EXCITING NEWS:))

Just another mighty fine Autumn day here in South-western Ontario.  The kind of day which makes one want to be outside enjoying whatever it is one enjoys best doing outside on such a great day.  For me it was transplanting Hostas & making a few changes in the yard here & there.  Cleaned a couple windows, trimmed a few shrubs, & just puttered about enjoying the day.  My very much most favorite time of year & this spate of great weather is a good opportunity to stroke a few things off the list of many items any home owning Snow Bird has to do before leaving for an extended period of time from anywhere here in these northern winter latitudes. 

 

Caron & Chris dropped over for a bit & are in the last stages of wrapping up a bit of business in the area.  They plan to roll out in the morning heading back to the Caledon Hills this side of Toronto.  They have taken quite a liking to this area & I enjoyed being able to show them a wee part of it…….Update::  Caron & Chris just rode their bicycles over after supper tonight with some exciting news.  They have just purchased a home here in our Five Seasons Estates Park.   Chris said after reading my blog for the past 6 years paying particular attention to my posts regarding our Park & the area they wanted to come have a look at it for themselves.  And they liked what they saw.  Of course I knew of their plans this past week but didn’t mention their intentions in my posts until tonight now that the deal is a go.  Originally from around the Toronto area they have been full time RV’ers for a few years now but felt it was not only time but wise to have themselves a solid home base from which to continue their travels as Canadian Snow Birds.  I totally agreed with them.  I think they take possession next month.  Welcome to the neighborhood guys:))))))

A guest in our Shoutbox commented " I'm wondering if maybe at this stage, perhaps you would be better to sell the RV, and keep the house".  Kelly & I did talk about this a few times over the past year but for a number of reasons we decided that it just wasn't the way to go for us at this time.  I did list the reasons for our decision to sell our house in my September 1rst post entitled, A TOUGH FINAL DECISION.  One of the reasons I may not have mentioned is we are still very much interested in the RV Snow Bird lifestyle & to give up our RV would mean giving up RVing & just sitting in one spot all winter.   Neither one of us are at that stage yet or interested in doing that.  One of the many nice things about having our house has always been the fact we always had the RV in the driveway to head out on our side trips to various places & it is those periodic side trips that I so much looked forward to more than anything else.  Our independent RVing spirit is still very much alive & we have a lot of places yet to see & a host of adventures yet to have.  Being a travel oriented person it is difficult enough for me to sit in Bayfield all summer let alone having to sit for another 6 months in one spot somewhere in the sunny south.  Maybe someday we will be at that stage but by golly we’re not there yet & we’ve still got us some dusty old trails to ride………..10-4:)) 

GROANER’S CORNER:(( Billy's father picked him up from school to take him to a dental appointment. Knowing the acting roles for the school play were being posted that day, he asked Billy if he got a part.  Billy enthusiastically announced that he'd gotten a part. "I play a man who's been married for twenty years."  "That's great, son. Keep up the good work and before you know it they'll be giving you a speaking part."

IT WAS A STRUGGLE BUT BETWEEN THE 2 OF US WE MANAGED TO INSTALL THE ‘LE BRA’ ON OUR JEEP TODAY

First time early today the 3 of us have walked the morning trail together since sometime way back in June.  I had some leg problems at the time so decided to give up my morning walks for awhile.  Kelly & Pheebs have been walking around the roads in our park ever since plus the road running past our Park mainly to escape summer's flying insects in the forest.  No more bugs & humidity in the woods now & my legs are doing much better so it was like old times walking & talking on our morning pine tree trail again:))

Clear sunny skies so Pheebs I took a little Jeep tour around some roads South-east of Bayfield.  I like those quiet Sunday morning drives through the countryside.  Always so relaxing & peaceful poking along with our windows down enjoying our areas fresh morning breezes & nice tunes on our Sirius Satellite radio.  Stopped to let Pheebs have a chat with a few of her cow Pals & I managed to find a few more barns for my old barns album.  I’ll try & remember to upload those barn photos tomorrow.

THIS BEAN FIELD MUST BE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF BEAN THAN THE BEAN FIELD BELOW WHICH IS READY FOR HARVEST

THAT LONG DARK SHADOW IN THIS BEAN FIELD IS THAT OF A TURNING WIND TURBINE BLADE

First bit of business after returning home was to figure out how to put the new 'LE BRA' protective cover on the front of our Jeep Liberty.  Had myself totally frazzled in less than 10 minutes so had to call for Kelly’s help on the job.  Although it took us nearly 40 minutes of tugging & pulling we managed with Kelly's patience & smarts along with my swearing & complaining to finally get it installed.  I couldn't have done it without her.  In fact i think she did most of it, well all the hard parts anyway.  I have a maximum 30 second attention & patience span with which to get things done & any time after that is just prolonged frustration for me.  Anyway glad it's done & it's just one more thing off our departure list.

LAID THE 2 PART BRA MATERIAL ON THE JEEPS HOOD TO WARM IT UP MAKING IT MORE PLIABLE & EASIER TO WORK WITH

MAIN PURPOSE OF THE BRA IS TO PROTECT THE RADIATOR FROM FLYING STONES & DEBRIS BEHIND THE MOTORHOME & HAD WE NOT HAD A ‘LE-BRA’ ON OUR JEEP WRANGLER LAST OCTOBER WE WOULD HAVE ENDED UP ONE DAY WITH A PUNCTURED RAD IN SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN

HAD TO CALL IN OUR HEAD MECHANIC TO FIGURE THINGS OUT

I HAD TO CUT OUT THAT LICENSE PLATE SECTION & NOTICE THE FINE PROTECTIVE MESH IN FRONT OF THE GRILL

A FEW FINAL CLIPS ALONG THE BOTTOM & THE JOB WAS DONE

PHEEBS CAME OVER FOR A BIG HUG BEFORE I GOT UP

HAD TO MAKE 2 SLITS IN THE MESH UNDERNEATH TO FIT OUR 2 TOW PINS IN

In a previous paragraph I mentioned a problem with my legs awhile back.  I have come to a conclusion about that.  Yes I do have arthritis in my legs but I also think my weight is a contributing factor & a lack of exercise has definitely compounded the problem.  I’ve gained back half of the 20 pounds I lost last winter in Arizona & instead of making the right decision to exercise my legs more I made the wrong decision to rest my legs more.  ‘Awww ve get too soon old & too late schmart huh’:((

WHEN WE STOPPED TO HAVE A CHAT WITH THE COWS THIS MORNING THEY WERE HAVING A BIG BREAKFAST OF TURNIPS

ALL THESE COWS WERE SURE CURIOUS ABOUT THE PHEEBS

AND THIS SURE LOOKS LIKE THE LONGEST COW WE HAVE EVER SEEN:))

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A vacationer e-mailed a seaside hotel to ask its location.
"It's only a stone's throw away from the beach," he was told.
"But how will I recognize it?" asked the man.
Back came the reply: "It's the one with all the broken windows."

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A taxpayer received a strongly worded "second notice" that his taxes were overdue. Hastening to the collector's office, he paid his bill, saying apologetically that he had overlooked the first notice.
"Oh," confided the collector with a smile, "we don't send out first notices. We have found that the second notices are more effective."

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The workers in a large office were making secret plans to stage a big office party for the 70-year old cleaning woman who had spent the better part of her life with the company.
Somehow the secret leaked out and the woman got wind of it. Much perturbed, she rushed to the office manager. "Please sir," she cried, "Do not let them do it! Do not let them do it!"  "Oh, come now, Mrs. Smith, you must not be so modest. After all, they simply want to show how much you are appreciated."
"Appreciated, my foot," exclaimed the woman. "I am NOT going to clean up after a mess like that!"

KELLY’S HOME…….'YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY’:))

DIDN’T HAVE ANY DAILY PHOTOS TONIGHT SO DUG INTO MY ARCHIVES & CAME UP WITH A FEW PICS FROM OUR VISIT TO NEVADA’S VALLEY OF FIRE STATE PARK BACK IN MID MARCH 2011…..VALLEY OF FIRE IS 50 MILES NORTH-EAST OF LAS VEGAS
Luckily for me I am not one of those husbands who lets messes pile up then scrambles around like a crazy person trying to clean things up before one's wife arrives home after being away for a bit.  No mountain of dishes in the sink or laundry piled to the rafters.  Kitchen counter neat & clean, floors swept, bathroom still looking & smelling respectable.  I've always had a basic habit of cleaning things up as I go along.  I found out years ago it was an easy way for me to keep myself from racing around all worried & stressed out.  I also know how nice it is when one returns home not to face a big clean-up & piles of tedious housework:))



Humid this morning but Pheebs & I did the pine tree trail anyway.  Looks like we have a week of really nice weather headed our way after today.  A good week for taking care of outside things which need taking care of before we head south next month.  Time is ramping up & it’s a nice excitable feeling knowing time will pass quickly now that we will be busy organizing our departure.  I always get ramped up when it comes to traveling:))
 


Still nothing new on our Congress Arizona house sale but at least the word is out & we've had a few more inquiries.  We've decided to not put a selling price on it yet until we have talked to a Realtor in person & have had the house & property appraised.  Depending what route we finally choose next month I'm guessing we'll land in Congress either around the end of October or early November & will get the ball rolling shortly after that.  Our route to the South-west in October will depend on the weather between Omaha Nebraska, Cheyenne & Rawlins Wyoming & the Torrey Utah area.  I remember we ran into a bit of ice & snow just west of Rawlins last year the first week of October but the further south we traveled that day the warmer it became. 
 

Kelly rolled in shortly after 2 p.m. with Pheebs & I out the door right quick to greet her.  Us guys had been on our own for 12 whole days, can you imagine.  So nice to have our little 3 piece family all back together again.  Lots of stuff to unload & we got right at it as we brought each other up to speed on what all has been happening.  An hour later we were relaxing in our recliners still talking:))



Clearing late afternoon skies brought in some nice welcome cooler weather so looking forward to getting some outside things done Sunday including trying to install the new front end protection bra for our Jeep Liberator. (Libby)  I remember the problem I had installing one on Jeepers front end years ago until I realized I was trying to put the darn thing on upside down.  Wish me luck:((

GROANER’S CORNER:((  The police recently arrested a man selling "secret formula" tablets he claimed gave eternal youth. When going through their files they noticed it was the fifth time he was caught for committing this same criminal medical fraud.
He had earlier been arrested in 1794, 1856, 1928 and 1983....

DOG SITTING DIXIE:))

DIXIE

Our day dawned cloudy with incoming rain.  Caron & Chris dropped Dixie off at 8 before heading off to Owen Sound.  Pheebs & Dixie got along great with Dixie being the friendly type wagging her tail every time I talked to her.  Having her here brought back many pleasant memories of the days when we had 3 dogs, two big ones & a little one.  Max, Checkers, & the Motormouse.  How nice to see Dixie & Pheebs interacting & how nice for me to get in on that interaction as well just being an old dog myself:))

Thought we’d take a chance between intermittent rain showers & try for a walk around the pine forest trail but only made it a third of the way before skies opened up & the 3 of us had to scurry home & get dried off.  Pheebs & Dixie were able to shake themselves off along the way but when I tried it my glasses flew off & my feet got all tangled up.  Turned out to be the only walk we had aside from some treks around our fenced in backyard.  Caron & Chris made it back about 7 to pick up Dixie.  They had themselves a longer than expected day.  Dixie sure was happy to see her Mom & Dad:))

Not much happening today so not much to write about tonight.  Saturday is forecast to be a sunny day & with Kelly coming home in the morning the day will be a winner all way round:))

GROANER’S CORNER:(( The pastor of a local church was called to the nursing home to perform a wedding. An anxious old man met him at the door. The pastor sat down to counsel the man.  The pastor asked, "Do you love her?"  The old man replied, "I guess."
"Is she a good woman?"  "I don't know for sure."  "Does she have lots of money?"  "I doubt it."  "Then why are you marrying her?"  The old man replied, "She's allowed to drive at night."

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

Some people are extremely impressed when you tell them you're a Navy SEAL.
Case in point: My grandson's Kindergarten class on Career Day. I regaled them with stories of my exploits in the military. After I finished, hands shot up into the air all over the classroom. The kids were eager to ask questions.  One little girl asked, "Can you balance a ball on the end of your nose?"