THE DAY WE MET RV SUE AND HER CANINE CREW

 HERE'S A COMBINATION OF COLORS I'VE ALWAYS LIKED

Sort of a sunny sunrise but it didn't do anything to make the frigid 19F temperature feel any better.  Fortunately, our weather once again begins to roll towards Spring Sunday with predictions of 50F on Monday.  Shorts and tank tops eh.  With a few snowflakes drifting lazily in the air Pheebs and I headed out on our short Jeep ride around the Park's roads.  I could feel myself getting antsy about heading out into the countryside and had to remind myself I only have 3 more days to go with this temporary medical hold on my driver's license.  Years ago I would have been out driving around all over the place anyway but time has changed that way of thinking for me.  There is definitely something to be said about this age, maturity, and wisdom stuff.

 A PARK BENCH FOR WEARY RESIDENTS COMING AND GOING

 I BELIEVE THAT OPEN WATER BY THE SHORE HAS BEEN MADE BY A MUSKRAT

NOTICE THE STRAIGHT LINE CRITTER TRACK ON THE LEFT....IT'S PROBABLY A COYOTE BECAUSE DOGS DON'T WALK IN STRAIGHT LINES 

 PARK RESIDENTS OUT PLAYING IN THE SNOW

 BRIGHTLY COLORED FLAGS GATHERED AROUND A HIDDEN HOLE IN THE GROUND

I am pretty much free of my cane nowadays and about the only thing I can't do yet since my total right hip replacement, is put my right sock on.  I'm close but hesitant to bend that leg the extra couple of inches because I can feel the excess strain in my hip.  Having come this far I sure don't want to do anything that might land me back in the hospital again.  At the moment I am employing the aid of a plastic sock device to get my sock on until at some point in the not-too-distant future when that hip joint becomes flexible enough to allow me to put my sock on the normal way.

 THIS PARTIALLY HIDDEN BLUE JAY KEEPS A CLOSE EYE ON THE BIRD STATION WAITING FOR THE GRACKLES TO CLEAR OUT

With this afternoon's sustained sunshine digging into our recent snowfall, Pheebs and I took ourselves for a walk over to the pond.  We soaked up some sunshine and marveled at how quickly our snowy white landscape is melting and giving way to Spring's luscious green again.  I'm sure glad we are closing in on the beginning of April and not the beginning of November.

 WALKING TO THE POND

 SO GREAT TO SEE GREEN GRASS AGAIN

 LOOKING BACK IN THE DIRECTION FROM WHENCE WE CAME

 I SUSPECT THE POND'S ICE WILL BE GONE BY TUESDAY OF NEXT WEEK

 THIS WAS OUR TURNAROUND POINT AND WE HEADED BACK

 THE SHORT PATH UNDER THE TALL PINE TREES ACROSS THE ROAD FROM OUR HOUSE

 I SURE HOPE THIS IS THE LAST OF THE SNOW FOR THIS SEASON

In keeping with Bloggers and Blogland for one more day it was December 10th of 2011 that we met another RV Blogger just beginning her travel adventures in the great American Southwest.   The Bayfield Bunch Meets RV Sue And Her Canine Crew  From this day on RV Sue and her crew went on to travel many dusty roads leading from one hidden away boondocking site to another.  Privacy was always a priority for Sue.  Over the next number of years she garnered herself a rather large following of blog readers whom she lovingly referred to as her, 'Bloggereenos':))

 KELLY WALKING ON DARBY WELL ROAD WITH RV SUE AND HER CANINE CREW BRIDGIT AND SPIKE

A Blast From Our Past:))   In our RVing years to the great American Southwest, it was generally in mid to late March that we would finally begin our long homeward trek to Bayfield Ontario.  On March 22nd, 2009 it was the day before we left our ranch-sitting days near McNeal, Arizona.  And for me, as is often the case, I was feeling sad about having to say goodbye to my newest best Pals.  And yes, I even said goodbye to the chickens and the donkeys too.  Dogs....My Bestest Pals Of Ever  

 GLEESON AND PEARCE WERE BOTH NAMED AFTER TWO OLD WESTERN TOWNS NEARBY

 GLEESON ALWAYS LIKED HIS TUMMY RUBS

Al's Music Box:)) On The Beach by British singer-songwriter singer Chris Rea. The song was released in 1986.  "While his album The Road to Hell shows the darker side of Rea's worldview, On the Beach is an excellent introduction to his brighter, more optimistic songwriting". (It is Chris Rea's song 'Driving Home For Christmas' that I post in my blog every Christmas--Al)

GROANER'S CORNER:(( After being away on business, Tim thought it would be nice to bring his wife a little gift. "How about some perfume?" he asked the cosmetics clerk. She showed him a bottle costing $50.00.  "That's a bit much," said Tim, so she returned with a smaller bottle for $30.00. "That's still quite a bit," Tim complained.  Growing annoyed, the clerk brought out a tiny $15.00 bottle. "What I mean," said Tim, "is I'd like to see something really cheap."  The clerk handed him a mirror.

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Liz: I get so nervous and frightened during driving tests!

Doctor: Don't worry about it. You'll pass eventually.

Liz: I'm the examiner!

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Teacher to a student: "Can you think of a solution to end unemployment?"  "Yes, sir! I'd put all the men on one island and the women on another."  "And what would they be doing then?"  "Building boats!"

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The Reverend Billy Graham tells of a time early in his ministry when he arrived in a small town to preach a sermon. Wanting to mail a letter, he asked a young boy where the post office was. When the boy had told him, Dr. Graham thanked him and said, "If you'll come to the Church this evening, you can hear me telling everyone how to get to Heaven."  "I don't think I'll be there," the boy said. "You don't even know your way to the post office."

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JUST ABOUT IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP MYSELF INSIDE

 IT'S A NICE WALKING AREA WE HAVE HERE IN THE PARK

A mighty fine sunny day here at 'The Bayfield Pines' so Pheebs and I jeeped ourselves down the bush road to the south end of our Park whereupon we got ourselves out for a delightfully quiet morning walk surrounded by Mother Nature her very self.  On the way there and back I took a few Park photos along the way.  

 WE PARKED THE JEEP AND HEADED OFF FOR A WALK

 A QUICK 600MM TELEPHOTO SHOT OF A HIGH FLYING JET

 THE JEEP IS AT BOTTOM RIGHT

Walking along I thought again how fortunate I was in having the hip surgery when I did and then the weather turning so nice to help me with the recovery.  It could easily have gone the other way with freezing cold temps, ice, and deep snow along with snowstorms and one cloudy gray depressing day after another.  As I sit here typing this Thursday afternoon I have our sunroom door open.  With sunshine and fresh air pouring in I can so plainly hear all the early Spring birds out in our front yard.  Yes indeed, I sure caught myself a lucky break. 

 DRIVING THROUGH THE PARK I CAME ACROSS THIS MORNING MEETING OF TRAFFIC CONES....'OKAY GUYS, LISTEN UP'

 PEOPLE WILL SOON BE SITTING HERE SWATTING AT MOSQUITOS 

 OOOOPS, THE NUMBER 5 FALL DOWN AND GO BOOM

 SOME RESIDENTS ALREADY HAVE THEIR SPRING CLEAN-UP DONE

 SOME ARE WORKING ON IT

Of course with sunshine and blue skies overhead it was just about impossible for me to keep myself inside so out I went and grabbed my leaf rake.  I knew this might turn out to be too much for my hip but how would I know if I didn't give it a try.  I took it easy, moved a little differently, and only raked around for 20 minutes. Following that I went up onto our front deck and basked myself in the early afternoon sunshine. for a while.  That warm Sun and cool 50F air felt wonderful.

PHEEBS LIKES TO HELP ME WITH YARD WORK

 I THINK THESE ARE DAFFODILS PUSHING THROUGH THE PINE NEEDLES BESIDE OUR HOUSE

 COLTSFOOT FLOWERS ARE ALSO PUSHING THROUGH

Pheebs and I didn't make it over to the Park's pond this afternoon because I fell asleep in my sunroom recliner for too long.  I'm hoping we can take a crack at that tomorrow before the rain rolls in for our 'not so nice' weather weekend. 

 HERE'S PANCHO CATCHING A FEW RAYS

 I LOVE THE AROMA OF CEDAR TREES

A Blast From Our Past:)) While staying at a property near Elfrida in Arizona's Cochise Country back in 2010 ranch owner friends of ours Jeannie and Ray called us one morning wondering if we would like to head out for a Jeep scramble.  Well of course we would.  It was a great rough and tumble dusty drive we had that day which involved a couple of mysterious-looking 'army tanks'.  What and Why??   Hi-Ho Hi-Ho It's A Jeeping We Did Go Remember to click the smaller photos to enlarge them.

Al's Music Box:)) Same song title but two different artists singing two different songs.  First is John Denver with This Old Guitar.  This song tells the story of the 1910 Gibson guitar that belonged to Denver's grandmother as a young girl.  After this guitar was lost for years Denver was overjoyed to be reunited with it some five years later and he wrote the hit song “This Old Guitar” both about it and on it. Many fans believe this guitar was laid to rest with Denver after the singer's untimely death in a plane crash in 1997. In fact, it has been safely in storage this whole time.  Second is Neil Young singing with Emmy Lou Harris, This Old Guitar. Old Black is the nickname given to Neil Young's primary electric guitar. Most of Young's electric guitar work has been recorded using this instrument. Though he has used a variety of different instruments, this Les Paul has remained ubiquitous and an obvious favorite. Young acquired Old Black in early 1968 in a trade with then Buffalo Springfield bassist, arranger, and engineer Jim Messina.  Old Black is notable for its dilapidated condition, black and gold paint worn to bare wood, corroded aluminum, brass, and nickel-plated hardware, caked fretboard, and a microphonic Firebird coil essential to its sound.  Old Black has seen considerable wear and tear over the last 50 years in Young's possession, with most of the black and original lacquer worn from the mahogany neck and generally about 40% from the body as well. An inlaid maple stripe, extending dead center on the back from the head-stock crown to the end bout, has not passed the test of time well. An additional round aluminum access plate is present on the back underneath the bridge coil, which allows access to the associated wiring. The head-stock still has the ebony fascia and inlays are still in place though worse for wear, but the creme binding has long since fallen off. The original neck P-90 is still in place with its custom-made cover that was broken on one corner in the process of attempting to fold aluminum to the proper shape.  

 PHEEBS BESIDE MY CHAIR ON THE DECK SOAKING UP THE WARM SUNSHINE

GROANER'S CORNER:(( So this reporter checks in at some old hotel smack in the middle of nowhere. Coming into the lobby, he is confronted with the strange sight of an old Indian, a whittling stick, long black hair, and reddish skin, sitting on one of the chairs as if he intends never to get up.  "That's Old Chief Forget-Me-Not," whispers the man behind the desk reverently, "he is allowed to stay here for free because he let me build my hotel on his reservation."  "Why the weird name?" whispers the reporter.  "Old Chief NEVER forgets anything that ever happened to him since he was two. Now he is 102. Fantastic memory."  Once the reporter has checked in, he decides to check out old Forget-Me-Not.  "Hey Chief!" he calls, "What'd you have for breakfast on the morning of your 21st birthday?"  "Eggs," replies the Chief without even looking up.  The reporter is so amazed, that he jumps in his car and drives at least two hours over to where his other reporter friend is staying. Once telling the story over, both reporters jump in the car and drive right back two hours to the hotel, smelling a big scoop.  On the way, the second reporter tells the first: "Why don't you address the Chief more respectfully, so he'll demonstrate to us more?"  Following his friend's advice, the first reporter greets the Chief with a resounding "HOW!!" "Scrambled," replies the Chief.

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- I went camping in the woods, but my tent smelled like feet. It was a big musky toe problem.

- Why were E.T.s eyes so big?  Because he saw the phone bill.

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The two partners in a law firm were having lunch when suddenly one of them jumped up and said, 'I have to go back to the office - I forgot to lock the safe!'  The other partner replied, 'What are you worried about? We're both here.'

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After reading the morning headlines about the recent stock market downturn, a high-powered executive trying to impress a client in his office flipped on his intercom switch and barked to his secretary, "Miss Hunter, get my broker!"  The client was impressed until he heard the secretary's clear voice saying, "Yes, Sir, stock or pawn?"

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