LAST COUNTRY ROAD DRIVE OF THE YEAR & KELLY LAUGHING SAYS OF HERSELF, “IT’S LIKE I’M OUT OF CONTROL”

Kelly hit the decks a running this morning & by 7:30 we had all kinds of great cooking smells coming from the kitchen.  Pots & pans were just a flying.  We'll sure have lots to eat on this trip. 

A TRAY OF CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES & MORE BATTER IN THE BLENDER BOWL

 

KELLY PICKED UP THAT ‘BLUE BIRD’ FLOUR IN BLUFF UTAH OUR LAST TIME THROUGH THERE & THOSE ARE ‘DATES’ IN THAT WHITE BOWL

YEP & THAT’S A REAL COOK BOOK THERE TOO

Overcast but no rain on our morning walk & I was kinda reminded both of Spring & Fall at the same time.  With our shoes rustling through leaves on the forest trail I was reminded of Autumn & with sounds of Robins in nearby trees & Canada Geese winging overhead I was also reminded of a fine Spring morning.

FARMER’S WERE BUSILY ON THE LAND TODAY HARVESTING CORN

WITH THAT SHUTE OUT THE BACK THIS COMBINE CAN UNLOAD IT’S LOAD OF CORN INTO A WAGON OR AN AUGER HOPPER

THIS AUGER HOPPER IS HEADED OUT TO PICK UP ANOTHER LOAD OF CORN KERNELS FROM THE COMBINE

WITH CORN IN THE HOPPER IT IS TOWED TO WAITING WAGONS WHICH IN TURN ARE WAITING TO BE HAULED OFF TO A CORN DRYER OR SILO

TO ELIMINATE THE HOPPER STEPS 18 WHEELERS ARE SOMETIMES DRIVEN OUT INTO THE FIELD TO BE FILLED RIGHT FROM THE COMBINE

Back from our walk Kelly soon had me plopped down in a chair on our back porch.  It was haircut time for AL & Kelly wanted to get that out of the way before we hit the road.  Not real short this time as I seem to be in one of my long hair moods again & the last time I looked there seemed to be some semblance of a beard growing again.  At 71 years old it doesn’t look like I’ve figured out who I am yet………………….

A FEW MORE BARN PHOTOS AS WELL THIS MORNING

MORE & MORE FARMS ARE USING SOLAR POWER THESE DAYS

AND HERE’S A NEW BARN UNDER CONSTRUCTION SOUTH-EAST OF GODERICH

First order of business for me this morning was to deal with the vertical black streaks on the Motorhome's finish & windows.  Black streaks leaching out & running down from rubber mouldings around windows is always a PITA for RV'ers & especially those of us who own white RV’s.  Those streaks usually appear after a rain.  Out with the big tall step ladder, some glass cleaner & a spray bottle of black streak remover.  I tackled the rig's windows first including the windshield.  Dust, dirt, & mud on a vehicle I can handle but dirty windows & mirrors drive me bonkers.  Took me a good 40 minutes to have things looking ship shape again.  Until it rains again of course:((

STILL LOTS OF COLOR IN THE COUNTRYSIDE BUT SOME LEAVES ARE BEGINNING TO THIN OUT

Kelly had a bunch of errands to run so she was off to Goderich.  Finished up my RV cleaning & washed the dishes plus a hundred pots & pans.  Noticed a few sun splashes on the trees outside & thought to myself, hmmmm might be a nice idea for Pheebs & I to take one last little country road drive for the year & with that thought in mind we were minutes later loaded up & on our way.

Coffee & muffin from Tim Hortons in Clinton & we were soon on our old route out around Huron Counties Hullett-Marsh.  Didn't stop for a walk this morning & just kept on rolling slowly working our way back in the direction of Goderich.  Lots of farmers harvesting corn right now & it was just nice being out in the country again.  Driving along I suddenly had an alarming thought......this could quite possibly be my last Tim Hortons coffee for the next five & a half months.  My next Timmies might not be until Forest Ontario early next April on our way home.  Oh perish the thought!!

Had myself a nice ‘little boy’ moment in Goderich’s Canadian Tire store this morning.  Stopped there & bought me a new pair of work gloves & on my way to pick up some glass cleaner in another department I passed by a large display of Christmas decorations.  It was the colors that caught my eye & I walked over between the shelves looking at all the bows & ribbons, Christmas tree balls, wreaths, & everything Christmasy.  My mind instantly flashed back about 65 years to one of the earliest memories I can ever recall.  I was with my Mother & I think another lady & I believe we were in Woodstock Ontario.  I’m thinking it was a Woolworth or Kresge store & it might have been on the main street north side.  The store was all decked out for Christmas of course & I remember looking up at a whole host of big red paper Christmas Bells suspended from the ceiling.  I remember Christmas carols playing as well.  This fleeting memory has stayed with me all these years & how nice it was those Christmas decorations in the Canadian Tire store triggered that pleasant memory for me this morning……………….

Kelly was already home by the time Pheebs & I returned & as soon as I stepped out of the Jeep it was like stepping into a bakery.  Baking smells were wafting out the windows.  I think Kelly had baked about a thousand chocolate chip cookies.  She was also making apple sauce plus a couple date nut loaves.  By 1 o'clock she about had herself half wore out & in her own light hearted words said, "it's like I'm out of control".  I like it when she gets herself out of control like that:))

KELLY USES A FOLEY FOOD MILL TO MAKE APPLE SAUCE & THE NICE PART ABOUT THE FOLEY IS YOU DON’T HAVE TO PEEL THE APPLES

Gets me worried a bit when I walk around the Motorhome & see lots of open space in the bins.  Makes me think I must be forgetting a thousand things when in reality we have just learned to pack smarter from the days we first started out & had the bins so full of everything we almost had to leave the doors open to cram everything in.  But driving with open bin doors doesn’t work so swell so we always had to batter them shut with a sledge hammer:))

I'll sure be glad to get the big wheels rolling Saturday morning because that is the only cure for the apprehensive jitters I always get before a long trip.  You know those kinds of thoughts that unexpectedly jar you out of a nice pleasant semi-consciousness dozing state.  Some of those thoughts are enough to spin one's head right around.  What if this & what if that.  Tucked comfortably away in my warm cushy recliner I ask myself why would I want to leave all this quiet peace & security to venture out onto those unpredictable choppy seas of unknown travel.  Why not stay home where it's safe & comfortable, where days are indeed predictable & routines are expected.  Of course I know why & as soon as the big wheels begin to roll all those 'what ifs' instantly vanish & it is full speed ahead as we again set our course for the good old American South-west...................:))

BAMBOO GRASS TASSELS

GROANER’S CORNER:(( How About A Few ‘Why’ Questions::

Why, Why, Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the
batteries are getting weak?

Why do banks charge a fee due to insufficient funds when they already know
you're broke?

Why is it that when someone tells you that there are one billion stars in
the universe, you believe them but, if they tell you there is wet paint, you
have to touch it to check?

Why do they use sterilized needles for lethal injections?
Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a
revolver at him?

Why did Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

If people evolved from apes, why are there still apes?

Why is it that, no matter what colour bubble bath you use, the bubbles are
always white?

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that
something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people run over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner,
then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum
one more chance?

Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the first end you try?

Why & how do those dead bugs get into enclosed light fixtures?

Why is it when we are in the supermarket and someone rams our ankle with a shopping
cart, then apologizes for doing so, why do we say, "It's all right"? Well,
it isn't all right, so why don't we say, "That really hurt, why don't you
watch where you're going?"

Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off
the table you always manage to knock something else over?

Why, in winter, do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when
we complained about the heat?

Why is it you never hear father-in-law jokes?

CAN WE CONTINUE TO HANG ON TO THAT SOUTH-WEST ‘WOW’ FACTOR

Two mornings in a row rain has turned us back from our morning walk but happy to say that wet stuff ended late this morning & it's looking like we are in for some nice dry days ahead which of course makes it much nicer for loading up all those last minute things into the Motorhome.  All that packing stuff does really come right down to the last couple days doesn't it.  Update tonight:: It’s raining again & now we’ve got us some thunder too:((((

We have pretty much demolished that apple pie Kelly made Tuesday.  Things like that don't last long around our house because we both have a sweet tooth & when it comes to pies Kelly as a rule has a sweeter tooth than me or maybe I should rephrase that & say Kelly has a 'faster' sweet tooth than me.  Sometimes if I happen to look away & then look back.........there are only smokin crumbs left.

I'm more used to bad Gremlins than good Gremlins but some good Gremlins must have got into my camera bag & fixed the focusing problems I'd been having with my Nikon D3100 since I bought it a couple years ago.  It has spent the biggest part of it's time in my camera bag because I was not happy with it.  Awhile back I decided to dig it out & dust if off again to see if it's time in solitary confinement had taught it a lesson.  Well it seems it has & the once troublesome D3100 has been working remarkably well on all my cameras.  It is currently teamed up with my 70-300mm Nikkor lens & they seem to like each other.  My newer Sigma lens has ended up on my older Nikon D40 while my most used camera, my Nikon D90 is sporting my 18-55mm Nikkor lens.  Of course all these combinations of cameras & lenses are subject to change at anytime & it seems as of late I have been doing a lot of switching back & forth trying to figure out just what works better with what.  Yes indeed I'm having quite a time with myself...................

Having been asked the question recently, 'do you still enjoy going to the South-west each winter as much as you once did' I had to think for a minute.  With out a second's hesitation had this question be asked of me in the first 5 years of our travels the resounding answer would have been an instant YES:))  However in the last 4 years I've noticed a change in myself & this time my YES answer was longer in coming.  Ok, so what has changed.  Well, me of course.  When we started out in the Fall of 06 everything & I mean everything was new to us.  Everything we did & everywhere we went was always for the first time & for me first time anything always carries an amazing Newbie 'one time' excitement kick with it & I have always liked that.  I’ve basically always enjoyed the long drive to the South-west & back but the distance is getting to be a little tiring .  We were younger years ago as well & we seemed to walk further & hike higher in those early years.  We were constantly overwhelmed but what we called the WOW factor.  Everything we saw for the first time was a WOW.  Everything we still see is a WOW but just not always quite as big a wow.  In our first 5 or 6 years I never wanted to come home & just wanted our South-west adventure to continue for ever & ever.  Liked it so much I wanted us to become full-timers.  But these last few years by the time March rolls around I find myself eagerly looking forward to heading home to Bayfield.  As much as I enjoy re-visiting all our old favorite spots each winter I miss the newness of when we first discovered them.  Hate to use this phrase but it's almost kind of a 'been there done that' sort of feeling & I really think once our Congress house is sold we need to get ourselves back into the same adventuress spirit we first started out with.  I think we really need to travel to new places & enjoy that WOW factor of seeing & doing new things again.  We have only experienced a small part of the great American Southwest & I'm thinking it's high time we begin looking for new sunrises & sunsets.  Time to grow that WOW factor back to a greater level in our lives while we still can.............:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Don’t knock the weather. If it didn’t change once in a while, nine tenths of the people couldn’t start a conversation & especially those Canadians eh……….

MORE STORM DAMAGE CLEAN UP & COUNTING THE DAYS TO DEPARTURE NOW……WEATHER LOOKING GOOD:))

BEEN AWHILE SINCE I HAD A GOOD OLD PHEEBERS COUCH POTATO PHOTO IN THE BLOG

Overnight rains & rising temperatures took care of any remaining snow on the ground.  A mighty fine sun & cloud morning enabled me to continue cleaning up from the wet snow storm Sunday morning.  Took my Swede saw & tree pruners across the road & started cleaning up neighbor Monica's hard hit Magnolia tree.  Sawed the downed branches into shorter pieces & dragged them out to the road.  The tree will survive but it will not have the nice shape it once did.

BEFORE & AFTER PICS OF THE MAGNOLIA TREE CLEAN-UP

BEFORE & AFTER PICS OF A MAPLE TREE BRANCH REMOVAL AT MONICAS

YOU CAN SEE THE YARD BOSS OUT THERE KEEPING AN EYE ON ME

MANAGED TO GET MOST OF THESE HANGING SUNBURST LOCUST BRANCHES CUT AWAY FROM THE FROG POND AS WELL

TO US THIS CORNER OF OUR HOUSE SURE LOOKS BARE NOW WITH OUR BASSWOOD TREE CANOPY GONE

Finished up Monica's tree then started on our own front yard Sunburst Locust.  No way I can do anything about the higher broken branches but was able to cut off some of the lower limbs hanging out over & into our frog pond.  Picked up some more small branches here & there & that was about it.  Somewhere around noon it began raining again so that was it for the outside stuff.  Just as well because my legs felt like they were about ready to fall off.  Carried a few more things out to the rig later on between light rain showers.

THIS IS OUR SUNROOM COMPUTER STATION

SPOTTED THESE DUELLING STEAM ROLLERS LAST WEEK EXCEPT THEY DON’T RUN ON STEAM ANYMORE…..I THINK THE ORANGE ONE WON

Kelly, the energizer bunny kept herself busy all day & even found time to bake an apple pie this afternoon.  She’s been doing a lot of cooking for our journey & today she even phoned the U.S. Customs folks at the border with a few questions about what we could bring across the border this year with us.  If in doubt about what you can take it’s always best to call ahead. 

THIS APPLE PIE TONIGHT WAS JUST SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD:))

Noticed today MAPQUEST has upgraded their site.  I've used this on-line MapQuest program for planning our travels since we first began traveling back in late 06.  I know there are lots of other programs people use but I've always liked Mapquest simply because it's easy for me to understand & I've been familiar with it for a long time.  Well at least until today when I clicked on their web page & things had changed but I think Ill be Okay with their new look.   When we pull out Saturday I'm thinking we will basically stick with one of our old routes for the first few days until we get ourselves through Chicago, Davenport, Omaha & out to Lincoln Nebraska.  We won't know where we will go from there until we get there.  Maybe Moab Utah or straight to Congress Arizona.  Depends on weather & how we're feeling at the time.  For us travel destinations are not always a sure thing & we prefer the freedom of being able to change our minds as we go.  And we do change our minds as we go too……………………………..

GOT ME TO PLAYING AROUND A BIT WITH THE ‘MACRO’ SETTING ON MY SIGMA LENS THE OTHER DAY

Late this afternoon I heard a tractor running out front & heard a chainsaw running.  I was glad to see all the tree limbs from our place & Monica’s I had dragged out to the road were being picked up by our Park's owner & another resident.  That saves me about 3 utility trailer loads to the dump.  They took everything in one load in the large tractor bucket.

YEP THOUGHT I HEARD A TRACTOR RUNNING SOMEWHERE ALRIGHT

OUR PARK IS OWNED BY MARIE & KEN HUGHES & THIS IS KEN WORKING ON THE BIG CLEAN UP TODAY

AT THE END OF OUR DRIVEWAY LOADED WITH ALL THE BRANCHES I HAD DRAGGED OUT TO THE ROAD THIS MORNING

No idea where we will be a week from tonight but we usually don’t dilly dally around until we are well into the western half of the States.  The South-west is our second home & I’m always anxious to get there every year.  Just love it when on the distant horizon I can again catch my very first glimpse of distant mountains slowly emerging out of the haze.  It is like coming home for me & I get a big case of the warm fuzzies inside.  Happens to me every year & I always so much look forward to that moment.  When I see those looming mountain peaks it’s as if we have just journeyed across long storm tossed seas & our safe harbor home has finally hove into sight.  I’m guessing one week from tonight we will be about half way to wherever it is we end up………………………:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((   Toward the end of a particularly trying round of golf, Jack was the picture of frustration. He’d hit too many fat shots. Finally he blurted out to his caddie, “I’d move heaven and earth to break a hundred on this course.” “Try heaven,” replied the caddie. “You’ve already moved most of the earth.”