POOL SHARK, SNEAKY PINE TREE, WRONG PAINT & 3 OPTIONS

We played 8 games of pool a few weeks ago & I lost every one again. In fact we've probably had 60 games of pool in the last 4 years & I've lost 50 of them. Guess that makes me a pretty poor pool player, right!! Well, not exactly. It's just that my nearly 92 year old Uncle Harry in Woodstock has a few more years on the end of a pool cue than I do. He's quite a hustler:))

Have you ever had a pine tree sneak up on you when you weren't looking. Happened to me last Saturday morning. I had walked out to the motorhome to unplug the electric cord because I intended to move the rig ahead about 20 feet to wash it. Opened the bin door, unplugged the cord, turned around & laid it on ground. Did you just catch my mistake!! I turned my back on an open bin door therefore making it a non existent open bin door. Kelly came out of the house with the dogs for our morning walk & off I went.
Upon returning I hopped into the motorhome, started it up, took a quick glance in the mirrors (no such thing as a quick glance!!) slapped it in drive & motored ahead. There is something about the sound of crunching & tearing metal that just kind of takes your stomach out on ya. You know you have just done something bad alright & by the sound of it there is probably going to be a costly repair somewhere. I knew there was no need to panic because whatever it was I screwed up would be out there waiting for me. I hazarded a look in my drivers side mirror & yup, there it was alright. A pine tree had sneaked up alongside the motorhome when I wasn't looking & all but tore off my (open) bin door. Trees will do that to motorhomes sometimes. But, I never thought a tree was smart enough to open the bin door first before attempting to wrench it right off the coach. Afterall, I had closed it...right??
Took my sick feeling stomach & exited the coach, walked around behind the motorhome to the drivers side. The bin door was twisted at an upward angle with the apparent & appropriate damage of course. Took it in my hands to try & twist it down but the whole door just came right off leaving an open & gaping electrical bin hole. The whole upper hinge mechanism was all torn to ratsheep. Torsion bar hanging askew, body flange bent, etc. etc. Amazingly enough the bin door itself was still intact. Wasn't twisted or bent, & no paint missing but that still didn't alleviate that awful feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when you've just screwed up by not seeing a pine tree sneak up on you. I remember my Dad having a brand new Honda generator years ago at his cottage, leaving it behind the car, & then promptly backing over it. The look on his face that day was the same look I had on my face last Saturday morning!!
No point in me trying to fix it because I'm still attending my 4th year night school class on how to change a light bulb. We have an auto body repair shop near us so Monday morning I took the rig over there & left it with the professionals. Picked it up Tuesday afternoon all fixed up but I'm too embarrassed to tell you how much that tree cost me. Let's just say it took a huge bite out of our income tax return this year.
Kelly was quick to point out to me that things like that don't happen to her. I was quick to point out to her that's because she never drives the motorhome or moves it around. She quickly pointed out to me that maybe it was about time she did!! Case closed:((
The photo shows the repaired bin door back on the motorhome & the rascally pine tree that not only took a bite out of the bin door, but also our income tax refund:((
You can see a nick in the tree where it had it's way with the bin door & & beside that I sprayed a mark on the tree for future removal!!

It was a good week for painting so decided to finish the motorhome interior slide section that I had started back in Casa Grande, Arizona a few months ago. Back then I bought a quart of paint at Wal-Mart figuring to only paint the wall the mirror is on but since getting back I figured it would look nicer if I carried that paint theme through & did the whole slide. Slipped up to Wal-Mart in Goderich with a paint sample on the American can lid. No problem, right. Wrong!! The lady said the label was different on the paint can here in Canada but figured it would be alright. The American paint had a Satin finish. I failed to notice after she mixed up the new quart that she did it with a flat finish so off I merrily go & proceed to paint the rest of the slide. Not sure exactly when I noticed the difference, but there it was. Flat vs Satin & guess what, the new quart was a tad lighter. Awwwwww nuts!! Now, if you walked into our motorhome you probably wouldn't know the difference so I've decided not to tell anyone.........ok!!

The daily merry-go-round of discussions regarding our future continues. I think the most up front debilitating problem is the daily rising price of gas. It is pushing our trip to the southwest later this year farther & farther out to sea. As we see it right now, we are facing 3 options. 1.Stay home. 2.Travel half the distance to Georgia or Florida. 3.Bite the bullet & head for the southwest anyway.
First & foremost number 1 is not a consideration. "Stay home" are two dirty words that we will not allow in the house & besides, we didn't buy a motorhome a year ago just to have sit in the driveway like some big oversized flower planter!!!! Now, # 2. I am very reluctant to head down to Georgia or Florida for a number of reasons. I don't care for the topography at all & Florida is so flat it's probably going to slide into the Gulf of Mexico this winter because of the number of people scrambling around on it's surface. Just toooooo many people, traffic congestion, etc. etc. I don't think they have the boondocking areas like out west either & the thoughts of languishing in some boring, crowded, noisy & way over priced RV park with not a mountain in view is totally unacceptable to us. And for sure it's going to get a lot worse with the high gas prices because a lot of people who would normally head for the southwest will now be forced to do the Georgia-Florida thing. I can just see the whole retail industry down there right now with big grins on their faces as they get ready to pump up their prices on everything & nail those "snow birds" right smack in their pocket books when they get there.
Number 3 of course is the most illogical choice because of the soaring gas prices but compared to numbers 1 & 2 it's probably just going to have to be a bullet biter for us. The southwest just has soooooo much more to offer in every way imaginable & we just do not want to miss out on it's beauty. We'll just have to cut down on expenses to compensate for the gas. Let me see now, hmmmmm, 10 cases of Kraft dinners just might get us there, sustain us, & get us home again. Yes, I think that's it:))

WE'VE BEEN HOME OVER 5 WEEKS, BUT..............

We have been home in Bayfield now for over 5 weeks & for the first time in five & half years the spark of living in our little pine forest has dimmed. I suppose we were first aware of something amiss about 4 months ago while we were traveling in the southwest. The thoughts of returning home in March just didn't have the positive impact it used to have. It was our 4th trip to the southwest in 5 years & this winter with the installation of our solar panels, we were able to boondock for the first time & that made a big difference for us. We loved the freedom it gave us. We were no longer dependent on overpriced & overcrowded noisy RV parks. It brought the whole RVing experience into perspective for us. And it showed us we could do things how we wanted to do them. To watch the sunrise over a distant mountain range, to step out of the RV with only Mother Nature to greet you in the morning, to hear the birds welcoming in a new day, to sit quietly by a crackling fire listening to the coyotes in the distance & to be free of people stress for long stretches of time has worked it's magic on us to a point where we are seriously considering some long term changes over the next year or two. It's a conversation we have been having on & off for the past couple of years but since returning home this time that conversation is beginning to form the basis of a plan.

Back in September of last year when first beginning this blog I wrote a piece called, "Why An RV??" and I will re-print a segment of it here. It gives an idea of our thoughts at the time & how those thoughts have carried through & grown..............

WHY AN RV??
From the first day Kelly & I met, it was apparent that we had a lot of things in common. Over the years we talked more & more of someday owning a motorhome & traveling around this big beautiful land of ours & in 1997 the dream began to take shape. We bought our first rig, an old 17 foot 1979 Dodge Centurion Class C. It was kinda beat up but it was a start. Next came a 24 foot Prowler travel trailer in 1999. Nice trailer & our first towing experience. From there, we shifted back to a 23 foot 19?? Gulf Stream Class C . Went all the way down to Big Bend in Texas during the winter of 2003 with the Gulf Stream but sold it when we got back because it was too small & had some problems. Somewhere between then & 2006 we acquired a couple of extra doggy pals so when we decided to get another RV we had to think bigger. After waffling back & forth between a Motorhome or truck & 5th wheel we decided on the truck & 5ver combination & headed off for New Mexico & Arizona in the winter of 06/07. The 2004 GMC Sierra 6.0 & the 2005 Rockwood fifth wheel worked well to-gether but it didn't take us long to realize we should have decided on the Motorhome!! Nothing against trucks & fifth wheels but it just wasn't the right set up for us, especially traveling with 3 dogs. When we arrived home in the spring we traded the truck & fifth wheel in on a 33' 2003 Damon Challenger 329 motorhome. And, that's where we're at to-day. And we love the motorhome:))Now. what does all this have to do with, "Why an RV!!" (they don't call me Mr. Blabberfingers for nothing you know:))For a number of years I drove an Airports transportation van based in Stratford Ontario taking people to & from Pearson International Airport in Toronto. I would quite often hear conversations between passengers & the one common thread I picked up over the years from people heading off, or coming home from vacations, was........... "I wished we had done this when we were younger & still had our health." Women travelers outnumbered men travelers almost two to one because the husbands had died & now the ladies had to travel on their own. I saw this over & over again. In the last 3 years I have been driving a mobility van part time in our area & the people I transport are all in wheelchairs & mostly elderly. I am frequently in & out of various nursing home facilities so I see first hand what the latter years of a person's life can unfortunately be like. Not good!!!!Kelly & I made the decision a long time ago that if we were ever in a financial position to get out & see the country, hike the canyons & trails, walk the desert floors, travel the mountain passes & enjoy the outdoors we love so much, we had better get at it while we were both still in reasonably good health. The financial opportunity presented itself in the late summer of 2006 & we set our plans in motion.We know it's a big gamble & a risk but we've seen tooooooooo many people who have waited toooooooo long to live their dreams only to end up sick, incapacitated, in a care facility, or deceased too early............. and, THAT is WHY we made our decision to travel now while we can!! We may one day regret our decision or we may not. Only time will tell, so stay tuned, wish us luck, & ride along with The Bayfield Bunch as we chase our dream around the next bend, over the next hill & into the sunrises & sunsets of this beautiful land of ours ...................
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That was written over 7 & a half months ago & we still feel the same way, only much more so. It's too expensive for us to maintain a home year round plus travel 6 months of the year & with the age clock ticking now we are having to seriously consider our options. Many pros & cons & most full timing RVers have at one time or another been in this very same position. To stay or to go, & as they all have realized, it's no small decision!!

Soooooo, stay tuned to The Bayfield Bunch as we move slowly ahead with the ups & downs of our decision making over the next little while. To stay or to go, or maybe consider a move to western Canada where the drive to the southwest wouldn't be so long each winter. I will post our thoughts & ideas & if anyone has some good advice for us, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us via email by clicking on "Contact The Bayfield Bunch" which you will find at the top of the right hand column just above, "Our Rig & Tow Car." Yes, we're on another journey......a journey of decision making:))

"WHY CAN'T YOU CANADIANS STAY ON YOUR SIDE OF THE BORDER!!"

Well, I guess it's inevitable when your writing a blog & expressing opinions. Received the following "comment" in response to my little attempted humorous article entitled, "Alas, It's The Last Travel Blog," dated March 13/08.

"Why can't you Canadians stay on your side of the border and quit complaining about the USA in your blogs?"

I suppose the reader is right to a certain extent but just to be sure, I went back & re-read what I had written. I made 26 comments & here is what I'm assuming the reader is mad about. But first let me re-print what I said before making my comments at that time:

Below are a few thoughts, opinions, ideas, observations & basic musings I have concluded about our trip. Some are greatly exaggerated, some are slightly humorous, some are angry, some have no basis in fact whatsoever, some are biased, some are off the wall, some are pure speculation & some I have no idea where the thought process came from in the first place. However, they all have one thing in common. There is an element of truth in each one. Even the ones with no basis in fact whatsoever.

- Why does the American southwest have to have sooooo much wind!!
>>Just a curious question on my part. Probably has something to do with the mountains to the west & the flat plains to the east & the fact that most prevailing winds come from the west. Complaining?? I think not!!

- There are more McDonald's restaurants than there are grains of sand!!
>>Complaining?? No sireeee!! I happen to like McDonalds & we've got lots of em here too:))

- There are more shards of broken glass along the roadsides in the southwest than there are stars in the sky. This is particularly true in the Indian Reservations. Why is that!!
>>Unfortunately, this one is fact. And it's a sad fact too. I have respect for Indian people & their culture but I just don't understand why they have let their roadsides become such a mess. We have similar problems here in Canada as well. Is it a complaint?? Yes, but it applies here as well.

- Why can't convicted drunk drivers & alcohol related driving offences people be made to crawl on their hands & knees along the countless thousands of miles of roadway picking up all the broken glass & booze bottles they have obviously thrown out there!!!!
>>This applies to any country, anywhere, & not just in the USA.

-What are all those American military planes doing in the sky every night over southern Arizona. >>Pilot training is the obvious answer here. This was not a complaint, just an observation.

- What ever happened to simple gas pumps. Nowadays you need a degree in engineering just to figure out all the different types of pumps & how they operate. I hate those things!!
>>This one's about gas pumps. ALL GAS PUMPS EVERYWHERE!! Complaint, yes. Specifically about America...no!! Gas pumps are gas pumps wherever they are.

- Why can't we just do away with the border between Canada & the U.S. & cut down on those long border waits & silly customs questions. And stop those stupid agriculture checks. The customs officials make enough money to buy their own food!!
>>Well, this one is self explanatory & works both ways. Canadian or American customs practices coming or going no matter which side of the border your on. Anti-American?? No, not at all.

- And if I fly my Canadian flag it doesn't mean I'm there to claim I have just defeated the United States of America in some big huge war or something. It's just a silly little flag to say, hey, we're from Canada guys. Your friendly & helpful neighbors to the north, remember. Geeeeezzzzzzzz!!
>>OK, I've seen the light on this one & I'll leave my Canadian flag at home next time. But, Anti-American?? Definitely not!!

- How come the United States hasn't smartened up to Tim Horton's coffee yet. That Charbucks stuff you got is awful.
>>Well, I could get me in big trouble over this one but I'll have to defend myself by saying it's a personal choice I guess. However, they don't call Starbuck's, Charbucks for nothing you know. Anti-American, Anti-caffeine, or anti-anything?? Nope, just happen to think Tim's brews a better coffee:))

- Why can't some places put butter on the toast.... I'm talking to you Cracker Barrel!! And while I'm at it, why can't you people include the price of coffee in the breakfast price. Coffee is separate??...what is that!!
>>I'm squawking about toast not being buttered here. Not exactly earth shattering & probably something I shouldn't have squawked about in the first place but somedays you just got to complain about something & for me that morning it was unbuttered toast. I don't know if we have Cracker Barrels here in Canada, but if we do.........I hope they butter the toast or I'm gonna be ticked!!

- How come so many towns have so many wrecked & tumble down buildings in them.
>>I think this is a legitimate question & I'm assuming the southwest has a different set of by-laws & building codes about derelict old buildings. I think most places to the east tear the buildings down for safety reasons. However, on the flip side of that question........Everytime you tear down an old building, your destroying a part of history forever. And afterall, isn't that what the American West is all about..........history of the old west. So, I'm on the fence here. But complaining........... no, just wondering.

- Why can't you Americans put some color in your money so us dumb ass Canadians can tell a one dollar bill from a hundred dollar bill.
>>Alright, you got me on this one............maybe we should stay on our side of the border before we all go broke!!

By the way, I didn't include the favorable comments about America I've made because for sure I'll have some Canadian with his nose out of joint emailing me to say, "well, if ya like it down there so much, why the hell don't ya just stay there!!

And, in closing I'd like to thank the person for their comment because you gave me something to think & write about on an otherwise boring Sunday night & if you have the time to read the blog about our recent trip to the southwest you will see that we love the USA:)) My positive comments about your country probably outweigh the negative comments by about 500 to 1. Have yourself a good day & welcome to our Canadian blog......on both sides of the border!!
P.S. My American wife is from Spencerport, New York. Toodles:))

THE HAPPY FACE OF....... "SURPRISE"

(Click on the images to make them bigger)

Last October just before we headed for the southwest I was over doing some yardwork at Deerpark Lodge where Kelly works when Kirsten, the owner, came over to talk to me & wondered if I was planning on doing anything special for Kelly's birthday on March 30/08. I said I had been thinking about that & she said she had an idea.

Kirsten has been so appreciative of all that Kelly has done for her these past 4 years at Deerpark Lodge & said she would like to do something special for Kelly on her(60th)birthday. Said she would pay for Kelly's 2 daughters to fly from Vancouver & Spain to be here for her birthday & also to have Kelly's entire family come from Rochester NY & Cambridge, Ontario. They could all spend the entire week-end at Deerpark. I thought, "WOW" what a great idea, so in that brief 10 minute conversation we hatched a plan to spring a surprise birthday party for the end of March the following year of 2008. It would be another 5 long months before Kirsten & I would meet again on the grounds of Deerpark for another quick conversation only days before the party.

But, going back to October of 07. Immediately following our conversation that day I sent out an email to all of Kelly's family members laying out Kirsten's idea & that started the ball rolling. However, just days later we headed off in the motorhome for the American southwest thousands of miles away. Problem now was......how could I communicate with anyone back in Canada. It was difficult at first trying to figure it out because I couldn't email Kirsten at Deerpark in case Kelly checked the work email account there. We had an old email account that we seldom used so I tapped into that & emailed Kelly's daughter Sabra in Cambridge. We established a link & I had Sabra only send emails between the hours of 10 & 10:30 at night after Kelly had gone to bed. And that's how we worked on the birthday plans for the next four & a half months while we were on the road in the American southwest. Biggest challenge for me was remembering to delete all traces of any emails I had sent or received. No easy task for this aging memory:((

Now, we'll fast forward to the end of March 08. It was clear that Kelly didn't have a clue about the surprise. I was shoveling some snow at Deerpark last week when Kirsten came over for a quick chat. We were able to firm up a few last minute details. It was the first time I had talked to her since our first conversation 5 months earlier.

So, here's how we sprung the surprise. Kirsten made sure Kelly left work at Deerpark early Friday afternoon because all the family members were due to arrive at the Lodge about 3. Around 5:15 Kirsten phoned our house saying a large newly installed window in one of the recently renovated cabins had just blown out, she's worried about it, & she needs me to come over to take pictures of it for her insurance adjuster as soon as possible.

I had already mentioned to Kelly that we should go out for supper Friday night & then a movie in Goderich so I said to her, "well lets go over now & I'll take those pictures before we head for Goderich."

As we drove into Deerpark I noticed all the family cars were parked at the far end of the park & some were hidden behind cabins. I knew everyone would be in the big lodge room right behind the office so when we pulled in I said to Kelly that we might as well go into the office first & take some additional pictures of that newly renovated area while I had the camera with me. We parked the car & went in. Kirsten was in there & said to Kelly, "good thing your here because I need you to light the furnace pilot light in the next room." (adjacent to the office) So without hesitation, Kelly opened the door & walked into the big lodge room..........

"SURPRISE"

There was Kelly's whole family (almost:)) standing there. She was sooooooo shocked & it took her about 10 seconds to grasp the reality of the situation. Her mind just couldn't put to-gether what she was seeing. And then her daughter Sabra said, "and here comes another surprise Mom." With that, her 2 other daughters from Vancouver & Spain came walking out of another room:)) It had been a couple of years since she had seen them. Poor Kelly was just dumbfounded at what was happening & totally overwhelmed. The surprise was a complete success & a good time was had by all for the whole rest of the week-end:))))))))

ME & QUEEN ELIZABETH:))

FRIDAY MARCH 28/08

Our spring melt here in the park's pine forest is progressing painfully slow with temperatures only hovering around the freezing mark during the day. Cloudy days have kept the sun from biting into the snow banks. Still not able to get outside & begin the spring clean up either here or over at Deerpark Lodge. And I do truly enjoy the spring clean up & always look forward to it. In the meantime, boredom prevails so I've decided to add some articles to the blog that I had written previously but had never put in the blog before. This one is entitled, "Me & Queen Elizabeth."

I wrote the article awhile back for CARP's 50+ site when the topic was, "Famous People I Have Met." (first let me say that I have never met any famous people but I've seen a few) Out came my pen & paper & once again I reached back through my memory banks & what's left of my brain data to see who was all there. This is what I managed to retrieve from the mists of time...........

I think it was sometime in the mid fifties & I was probably ten years old or so when I first saw the Queen of England. It was a fleeting glimpse as she & the Prince of Whales passed by in an open car on William Street, Stratford Ontario Canada. But, I was sure she saw me. Afterall, I was a young 10 year old boy with a big imagination so why wouldn't she have seen me. The roadside was jammed with throngs of cheering people as far as I could see & the Queen of England had just become my friend. It would be another 45 years or so before the Queen & I would lay eyes on each other again.

Canadians will recall some of these next names.............
I remember seeing our then Prime Minister, John Diefenbaker when I was a small boy in public school. He stopped in the village of Tavistock Ontario where I grew up & gave a speech by the town's water fountain. I related this story to a friend of mine from Tavy & he said, well don't you remember Pierre Elliott Trudeau coming through town a few weeks later doing the same thing. Alas, I didn't. Must have been one of those days I was playing hooky.

In 1967/68 I was a doorman/car jockey at a then posh Tower Hill apartment building at the corners of St. Clair & Spadina Ave in Toronto. The president of the Canadian Cancer Society lived there & one night held a big entertainment function. Myself & another fellow doorman were at the big front glass doors as the limousines rolled up. We smartly stood at attention & swung open the doors for Princess Margaret & Lord Snowden. I remember how she glowed as she walked by with all her jewels on & how handsome Lord Snowden looked. Later that evening 4 of us had to move a heavy piano from a hallway into the suite where the party was going on because pianist Peter Duchin was playing. There was a Toronto Maple Leafs hockey player there that night as well but not sure who it was. Might have been Carl Brewer.

Sat at a table next to Canadian singer/songwriter Gordon Lightfoot in a little Halifax coffee house back in 1966. I was in the Navy at the time. His career was just in the process of revving up & he was playing there. I remember their table was pretty "lively!!" Saw him once more after that in concert at The Center In the Square in Kitchener, Ontario. I think it was sometime in the eighties.
Saw rompin Ronnie Hawkins at the Stratford Coliseum in the early 60's when he was a really wild & crazy guy. Some members of his band went on to form, "The Band" who in later years backed Bob Dylan.
While living in Stratford Ontario back in the 90's I drove for a company called, The Stratford Airporter taking people to & from Pearson International Airport in Toronto. I drove singer & harpist Loreena McKennit several times as well as another lady from a Canadian group called, Farmer's Daughter. Actors from the Stratford Shakespearian Festival frequently traveled as well. Bill Needles, Martha Henry & Rod Beattie were a few of the travelers.

Saw Johnny Cash & June Carter at Toronto's Ontario Place as well as Tina Turner & Cindy Lauper. Been to concerts in Toronto by, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, ZZ Top, The Eagles, & Neil Young. Saw Roberta Flack on stage at the Festival theater in Stratford. Listened to Moe Kaufman playing, The Swinging Sheppard Blues in Stratford as well.
Back in the 70's & 80's there was a well known stage actress at the festival in Stratford by the name of Pat Galloway. Before moving to Bayfield in 02 I did a lot of grounds work for Pat & her husband Barnhard at their home near St. Marys Ontario. Really, really nice down to earth people. Fellow stage actors William Hutt, Douglas Chamberlain & Douglas Campbell would sometimes be there. In Pat's heyday we heard that there were some pretty lively parties on their estate with various in town Hollywood actors popping in.

Well, I've got a little long winded again here haven't I.

Oh yes, about me & Queen Elizabeth & our second meeting. I think it might have been in the summer of 1998. The Queen was in Stratford again & I heard she would be heading off to Woodstock, Ontario in early afternoon. I knew that I may never see her again so I hopped on my motorcycle & headed over to a spot out in the country along highway 59 just a few miles north of Hickson Ontario. Nice open spot & no throngs of people this time. Finally, the normal traffic going by ended. No cars at all. Waited & waited & then one car went by & few minutes another one followed a few minutes later by another one. This went on for about 5 minutes. Had I missed her?? Then I saw the convoy of cars coming fast. First one, two or three & then there she was & she was sitting by the back window on my side of the road. Light blue outfit with a matching blue hat. I was standing beside my motorcycle as I waved. No mistaking it this time, she looked right at me, but alas, there was no recognition in her eyes from 45 years before. Whoooooooosh, the car was by in seconds & she was gone..................... And that was my little story of, Me & Queen Elizabeth:))

Now, don't you wish you had gone & vacuumed the floor, washed the car or something instead of sitting here reading all this:((

P.S. Meant to mention something to other fellow bloggers about backing up your blogs in case of a meltdown at some point. We hooked up with an online site called Techrigy where they will automatically back up your blog for free up to 50.00MB. You can find them at.............................
http://www.techrigy.com/index.html Nice to have some peace of mind:))

BEEN HOME 2 WEEKS & WE'RE NOT HAPPY CAMPERS!!

WEDNESDAY MARCH 26/08

(The photo is me trying to unsuccessfully light a little campfire in our firepit in the back yard. Thought maybe if I got a little fire going I could melt all the snow around me & at least make things look like spring)

Well, it's been a little over 2 weeks now since arriving home to Bayfield, Ontario Canada & unlike other years, we are not happy campers. There is still a full blown winter going on here & yesterday we had an Alberta clipper go through that left us with another inch of snow. Roads in our park have been sheer ice & too dangerous to walk on. In fact, we have not had the doggy guys out for one good morning walk since returning. Too much snow & ice to get through. Our four & a half month trip seems like a long distant faded memory now & this wretched weather has convinced us that it must have been just a dream we had.

It was in Arkansas that we first began noticing the damp cold & that just became continuously worse the further north we came. No doubt about it.....the southwest is far healthier in the winter months than it is here in southwestern Ontario. We had become acclimatized to the warmer dry air down there. The cold & dampness now has really brought out our aches & pains again. Didn't seem to notice it other years but we're really feeling it this year. Just makes you want to drop a firecracker in your shorts to warm yourself up in a hurry.

Basically, for the past 2 weeks we have been confined to the house a lot. Just don't want to go outside. The not wanting to go outside is part of the negative mental side of it. This kind of weather just gets you down in the dumps. There's things to do of course, but you just don't feel like doing them. Cabin fever sets in & everything takes on a gray overtone. Kelly has been busy with her job at Deerpark Lodge so that has given her added incentive to get out there & chase those March winter blues away. I had really hoped to be busy outside with the big spring clean up by now but looks like that's not going to happen for at least another couple of weeks. Arrrrrggghhhh!!!!!

Next year we will not come home one second earlier than April 1rst for sure. Maybe even the middle of April. Some changes are already in effect to ensure that.

Our plans are to return to the southwest once again in the late fall, with our first destination being the Silver City & Gila Forest region of southern New Mexico. We want to have a closer look at things there & maybe check out some real estate prices. Of course, with the cost of gas going the way it is, we may not make it past the end of our driveway, but that's another reason for looking ahead a few years to future plans. One thing is certain.......We do not want to ever have to spend another winter's day here Canada!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And the key word there was......day!! Enough is enough is enough is enough!!
WEB ALBUM.....http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

ALAS, IT'S THE LAST TRAVEL BLOG:((

I would like to keep the travel blog going forever, but our trip is over & it's time to put down the pen & paper until once again in the fall we can hopefully begin anew.
I would like to thank all the people who dropped in on our site & to 3 members of my family who made this trip possible for us.
As of to-day we've had 7,375 visitors to the blog. It gave me a point of interest each day thinking of photos to take & things to say. I know my writing leaves a lot to be desired & I probably included waaaay to many pictures, but it brought me (& hopefully you) much enjoyment. It was nice to meet new people along the way who were also doing the same thing.

I will still probably continue to write for the blog occasionally & add photos but it won't be on a daily basis as before.

So, once again, thanks everybody. And thanks to the folks who repeatedly dropped in to see what a poorly educated dumb kid was writing about & taking pictures of. Much appreciated:))

Below are a few thoughts, opinions, ideas, observations & basic musings I have concluded about our trip. Some are greatly exaggerated, some are slightly humorus, some are angry, some have no basis in fact whatsoever, some are biased, some are off the wall, some are pure speculation & some I have no idea where the thought process came from in the first place. However, they all have one thing in common. There is an element of truth in each one. Even the ones with no basis in fact whatsoever.

- New Mexico is cheaper than Arizona which in turn is cheaper than California.

- Why does the American southwest have to have sooooo much wind!!

- There are more McDonald's restaurants than there are grains of sand!!

- There are more shards of broken glass along the roadsides in the southwest than there are stars in the sky. This is particularly true in the Indian Reservations. Why is that!!

- Why go to Mexico when you have everything right here in America & Canada. And you won't get searched at gunpoint either & we all speak the same understandable language here!!

- In the 5th wheel vs motorhome argument....give me a motorhome anyday. Amen!!

- Why do RV club type people have no respect for other people's privacy when they swarm into an area!!

- Why can't convicted drunk drivers & alcohol related driving offences people be made to crawl on their hands & knees along the countless thousands of miles of roadway picking up all the broken glass & booze bottles they have obviously thrown out there!!!!

- And why can't it be taught in schools not to litter!!

- What are all those American military planes doing in the sky every night over southern Arizona.

- What ever happened to simple gas pumps. Nowadays you need a degree in engineering just to figure out all the different types of pumps & how they operate. I hate those things!!

-And now that we're home, Kelly says I have to get a haircut & trim my beard.....or else!!

- Why can't we just do away with the border between Canada & the U.S. & cut down on those long border waits & silly customs questions. And stop those stupid agriculture checks. The customs officials make enough money to buy their own food!!

- And if I fly my Canadian flag it doesn't mean I'm there to claim I have just defeated the United States of America in some big huge war or something. It's just a silly little flag to say, hey, we're from Canada guys. Your friendly & helpful neighbors to the north, remember. Geeeeezzzzzzzz!!

- How come the United States hasn't smartened up to Tim Horton's coffee yet. That Charbucks stuff you got is awful.

- Why can't some places put butter on the toast.... I'm talking to you Cracker Barrel!! And while I'm at it, why can't you people include the price of coffee in the breakfast price. Coffee is separate??...what is that!!

- When your heading east, why does the Saguaro cactus end at Tucson.

- Why can't the American southwest make a deal with the American southeast to trade some rocks & sand for some trees.

- How come so many towns have so many wrecked & tumble down buildings in them.

- When will Canadian restaraunts learn to dish up big heaping plates of food like the Americans do.

- I don't think Utah, Colorado, Nevada, California, Arizona, & New Mexico should be allowed to advertise how beautiful they are. First darn thing ya know, you'll have all those hordes of people stampeding out there from the east. That would not be a good thing!!!!

- There are more trucks on the road than there are drops of water in all the oceans.

- Why can't you Americans put some color in your money so us dumb ass Canadians can tell a one dollar bill from a hundred dollar bill.

- And thanks for the expert medical attention I received at the Lincoln Community Hospital in Hugo, Colorado when I had that kidney stone. I really liked that trip you sent me on with the morphine or whatever it was:))

- And to you greed infested oil company executives or whoever you are. How about a big break on those gasoline prices or The Bayfield Bunch isn't even going to get out of their driveway next winter.

-And speaking of winter........do ya suppose Hawaii would trade us some of that nice warm tropical air for some of this awful winter snow we got here.................................. Toodles

RE-LEARNING THE ROUTINES AGAIN:((

WEDNESDAY MARCH 12/08

Shortly after we arrived home yesterday I found myself in the living room staring blankly at 3 remotes lying on the table. One of them turned the TV on, the other controlled the volume, & the third added stereo sound to the whole mix. I couldn't even remember which one turned on the television let alone which was which for the other two. What number is CNN, why won't the channels change, where's the Biography channel!!
When I sat down at our desktop computer it took me a few seconds to remember that the "on" button was on the tower which in turn was under the desk.
I have repeatedly tried to flush the toilet with my foot & I didn't have a clue how to get a CD playing in our washroom CD player.
When the computer booted up & the screen appeared I sat here in a daze looking at all the icons trying to remember what they were all for. Where were my music files, what music program was I using 5 months ago. What file did I have my photos in. And where was what & what was where??
I sure hope this happens to other RV people because I would hate to think it's just me.
In the rig we were running satellite's Starchoice on our television & I had become used to that. At home we have cable.
In the rig we used our laptop computer & I had become used to where everything was on it. At home we have a desktop....different animal, same fur, but different animal!!
The toilet in the rig has a foot pedal to flush it & because I hadn't used the CD player for 4 months, I had to really stand there awhile pressing buttons before it gradually came back to me.
Maybe age has something to do with it but I've found if I don't routinely do something, it doesn't take long for me to forget how to do it altogether. Everything at home here was as familiar to me as my own nose but after being away four & half months, it's a real learning curve re-familiarizing myself with the routines & equipment again. Just like it will be in 8 months from now when I will have to re-learn all the equipment & habits in the motorhome again. Things that were just as familiar to me as my old nose, just a few days ago. To-morrow I have to take our mini-van in for a new battery........if I can remember how to start it that is!!

We put a total of 6,832 miles on the motorhome from October 27/07 until March 11/08. Total cost for gas was $2,698.00. Probably put another four hundred dollars in the Santa Fe for day trips. With the cost of gas steadily on the rise it really puts future winter vacations in jeopardy. Not sure what we will do in the fall but 2 things we do not want to do is...... 1- Stay here for the winter & 2- Go Florida & sit in a horribly jammed up & boring trailer park for 5 months with a ka-zillion million other people. So, we've got our work cut out for us between now & next November in trying to figure out how we can get ourselves back down to our beloved & spacious American southwest.....cheaply!!

Spent a big part of to-day unpacking the rig & trying not to slip & slide on the ice & hard packed snow. Even the motorhome is not happy about being back. I tried to move it closer to the house for unloading but it refused to budge. Just sat where it was & spun it's wheels on the ice & hard packed snow in the driveway. Even Max refused to get out of the rig yesterday & spent a lot of it steadfastly holding on to his couch in hopes we would have the big wheels rolling south again for more fun in the sun & morning desert walks.

Kelly spent a good couple of hours on the phone to-day tracking down billing mistakes (I'm convinced they are intentional) by our Electricity company, Telephone company, Cellular Mobility phone company, Satellite TV, etc. Everyone of them had in some way or another had so much bafflegab built into their billing practices as to make the consumer as confused as possible. I'm sure a lot of people just give up & those companies know that. It's more money in their pockets & they get away with it every day. Lucky for us, we have someone here who won't let them get away with all that BS. Kelly goes over the bills with a fine tooth comb & then gets on the phone & hunts them down demanding answers. With no word of a lie she saved us $316 to-day & she's not done yet. The common response from the companies was that is was an "oversight." Oversight!!!! BS It's so unfortunate that in big business it's an acceptible way of ripping off the consumer nowadays. It's a sober indicator of what our society has become & where it's going!! So, fellow RV'ers, (and everybody else) when you get home from those long vacations, go over those bills very carefully & and don't let the word "oversight" fool you.............

Oh well, enough of my blustering. The sun came out this afternoon & I was heartened by the drip, drip, drip, sound of some snow beginning to melt off our roof. I even managed to shovel some snow without mitts on. Now, how's that for a positive attitude:)))

The blog picture is of our snowy garden shed out back. Hmmmm, I wonder what's in there......................................

THE BAYFIELD BUNCH IS HOME:)))

MARCH 11/08

If you thought you heard a sighing sound in the wind to-day around 12:40 Ontario time, it wasn't really the wind. It was a big huge collective sigh from the 5 members of The Bayfield Bunch as they cleared customs at the big Bluewater bridge in Sarnia/Port Huron. Only a couple quick questions from the customs guy & within 30 seconds we were back safely on Canadian turf & on our way home. We're very fortunate because it's only an hour & a half quiet country drive to Bayfield.

We were up before the sun this morning getting things stowed away for our final day on the road. There was a heavy frost on everything & the condensation inside the motorhome was bad again. Had to squeegee the windows inside in order to see out. I was glad I had brought mitts along because it was cold hooking up the car. We had the wheels rolling by 7:30 & headed down the street, around the corner, & up onto the toll road heading east. Decided the toll road would be safer because all the traffic would have worn off any black ice. When we got off at I-69 I couldn't open my window because it was frozen shut so Kelly had to slip out the door & walk up to the toll booth to pay the $6. I was worried if the window stayed frozen all the way to the border it wasn't going to go over well with the customs guy if I just sat there making faces at him because my window wouldn't open. Needless to say, I worried about that all the way to the border & needless to say.......my window opened fine with no problem.

The young customs agent looked at my Arizona hat & asked me where we had been, so I said...Arizona!! "OK," he said, "way ya go:))" And, away we went. It is always such a grrrrrrrreat feeling to be back on home turf again. Weather was good, roads were bare & dry, & we knew we were shortly in store for a good old Canadian Tim Horton's coffee. Thanks to the town of Forest, Ontario for having a Tim Horton's coffee shop there.

We un-hooked the car on ClanGregor square in Bayfield before driving the short couple of miles home. Nice to see our driveway all plowed out because there is a lot of snow here. Took a picture through the windshield before I shut the motorhome down. WEB ALBUM http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy
What a nice feeling to know that we were all home safe & sound. It's always so strange walking into your house after you've been away so long. Everything looks so strangely different, but somehow familiar. You see things you had totally forgot you even had. The pile of mail on the kitchen counter was totally intimidating. The thought of having to now unload & unpack the motorhome was even more intimidating. But, never mind all that, we were all home again. Awwwwwwwwww..........did you just hear something in the wind again??

I am now going to go fill the tub up with bubbling hot soapy water, climb in, & totally immerse myself for the next 6 weeks!!

(I'll be back to-morrow night:)))

ELKHART INDIANA FOR A NEW SCREEN DOOR

MONDAY MARCH 10/08

The coyotes woke me up around 2 a.m. & the diesel freight trains kept me awake for a long time after that. In other words, a poor night's sleep. Not a good thing when your traveling!!

We pulled out of the Percival Air Park about 7:15 heading into Effingham, Indiana & found our way onto I-57 north heading to-wards Chicago. Weather was good, roads bare & dry, & the traffic was actually rather civilized for being so far east. At Gillam we climbed off the interstate heading east on 24 & then north on 421. Just figured we'd take a break from the interstate for awhile. Picked up a toll road near Chicago heading east through South Bend to Elkhart, Indiana. Elkhart is the capital RV manufacturing place in all of North America. Our Damon Challenger was made here as well as most all other RV's on the road. We couldn't get a new screen door directly from Damon but had to go through their dealer, Total Value RV. Found the facility alright about 2:15 this afternoon & within half an hour they had our coach inside & nice courteous young fellow was replacing our old twisted screen door. Too bad we couldn't have had this door replaced at the beginning of our trip instead of the end. Oh well, at least it's done now.

Because of my lack of sleep the night before & the lateness of the afternoon we decided to take advantage of the free RV site that True Value had on their premises here & stay for the night. Nice clean little area with electricity & water. We've been very fortunate with the weather ever since leaving the west but the days & days of steady driving have sure knocked the stuffing's out of me. I'll be glad to get home, flop into my big cushy recliner & once again vow to never ever leave home again. Well...... for a couple days anyway:))

I'll do a final blog to-morrow night after we get home & then within a few days I will do a short summary of our trip listing likes, dislikes, ideas, opinions, thoughts, etc. I will also do some snow pictures because I understand that we have a totally huge amount of snow at home. I will probably be spending a bunch of time on the end of my trusty old snow shovel for the first few days.
Anyway, stay tuned for a couple more blogs...... & thanks everybody.

A GOOD TRAVEL DAY

SUNDAY MARCH 9/08

I'm typing this from the back room of a little restaurant at the Percival RV Airpark in Watson, Illinois a short 6 miles south of Effingham. Brought the laptop in but the signal wouldn't reach so the lady set me up in the backroom where the router would be closer. They even brought my coffee, hamburger & fries in to me too. This is the same little place we stopped last January of 07 on our way home as well. Kelly wasn't hungry so she is in the motorhome but I remember the burg & fries from last year so I just had to get over here & get me some. Plus, the laptop needed recharging anyway.

We had a good travel day again as we headed off into the sunrise on I-40 from Brinkley, Arkansas. All roads were bare & dry with skiffs of snow here & there in the ditches & fields for about for the first couple hours of travel. We did see some of the carnage left over from Friday night's snow storm west of Memphis. They were still cleaning up truck parts & cargo.

Don't want to overstay my welcome in the back room here so I'd better not upload any time consuming photos. Maybe to-morrow. We'll roll out of here in the morning heading for Elkhart, Indiana to see about a door. There's a chance we might make it home Monday night but more realistically, it will be Tuesday sometime.

OK, gotta go.....................

WEATHER'S GOOD SO WE'RE GONNA GO FOR IT:))

SATURDAY MARCH 8/08

Beautiful sunrise over the far end of the lake this morning. This is a very scenic area between Mount Vernon & Mount Pleasant. Cypress Lake is about 12 south of I-30.

We checked the weather ahead of us & could see things were improving to the east as far as Memphis so we decided to hit the road & log on some miles to-day. We were eastbound on I-30 by 8:15. First stop was in Texarkana where we Wal-Marted ourselves with some groceries. Then, off on the next exit & Cracker Barreled ourselves real darn good. Next was a hundred & fifty dollar gas stop in Hope, Arkansas. Birthplace of ex President Bill Clinton. We breezed through Little Rock alright & headed for the town of Brinkley. Noticed the traffic was super heavy coming the other way. Turned on the CB Radio & could hear the truckers talking about the big traffic jam mess west of Memphis. They had one of the worst snow storms on record last night & there were multiple accidents. I-30 was completely shut down this morning while crews cleaned up the wrecks. That explained the heavy volume of traffic just after they finally opened it up. We pulled into Brinkley so didn't get as far as the eastbound back-up. Kelly had found an RV park on the computer last night behind the Heritage Inn just off I-40 in the town of Brinkley so that's where I'm typing this from. It's a nice sunny day here but there are still melting patches of snow from yesterday's storm.

First thing we did was check the weather ahead & it looks like we have a clear shot at making it home either Monday or Tuesday. Weather is looking clear & it's getting milder so figured we might as well take advantage of the situation before the next big snowstorm rolls in again. Hadn't planned on being home this early but we just have to roll with the punches here & take a shot at it. We have one stop in Elkhart, Indiana to pick up a new screen door for the rig & then it's down the homestretch for home................. Ya-houie Louie, it will be good to be home......but only for a few days & then we'll be wishing we were still in Arizona somewhere basking in the warm desert sun. Ya just can't win!!!! COME ON SPRING:))))))

NO PHOTOS UPLOADED TO THE WEB ALBUM TO-DAY

BYE BYE RAIN & HELLO MR. SUN:))

FRIDAY MARCH 7/08

After being in the comfortable dry climate of the southwest for the past 4 months I was really bothered by the cold dampness as we set up camp on the shores of Cypress Lake here in northeast Texas. The kind of dampness that just gets right inside your clothes & makes you feel like a mobile hunk of ice. I definitely think the southwest is a far healthier place to live.

The rain started early Thursday afternoon & continued all night right up until about 9 o'clock Friday morning. We had not chosen our second campsite here on the lake very wisely. Failed to consider the lay of the land in case it rained. And, it rained, & rained & rained. Kind of like pitching a tent in a hollow. I had parked the rig near the lake on a lower section of dirt road. By the time I realized my mistake later in the day, it was too late. We had a lot of run off water coming down the road & pooling around us with one small stream passing right underneath the rig on it's downhill trek to the lake. The dirt road turned out to be a red clay mixture & my footsteps sunk in when I walked around. Needless to say I didn't get a good night's sleep worrying about how we were going to get out of here without bogging down in the mud. To make it even worse, we are on an uphill curve & slightly off the road. I was tempted to try & drive it out last night but figured if it got stuck on an angle we would loose our level status. Thought about trying to back it out. Thought about a lot of things. Finally figured it would be best to do nothing & wait for the rain to stop & the ground to dry up to-day. So, that's where we are at right now. The rain stopped this morning & the ground around us has been drying all day under the warming Texas sun. No rain in the forecast to-night so by to-morrow morning I'm hoping the mud road will be dry & firm enough for us to just simply drive right out of here no problem. Well, that's the theory anyway!!

Our day was very quiet & relaxing. Reading & computer stuff. This is a very pretty area with an abundance of many birds. Couldn't identify all the different species but I did recognize a few. Especially the large blue herons & the numerous white pelicans. Turkey Vultures soaring high overhead & little Nuthatches twittering around on the tree trunks. A flock of small black duck like birds with white beaks took off from the lake nearby but don't know what kind they were..... OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

To-morrow morning we'll roll out of here heading east on I-30 to Little Rock, Arkansas & then pick up I-40 heading to-wards Memphis. Somewhere between Little Rock & Memphis we'll find us an RV site to hold up for a few more days. Our length of stay will depend on the weather in Ontario. We have to stop in Elkhart, Indiana to pick up a new screen door for the rig too so that might be our last stop before getting back to Bayfield........whenever!!

Come on Bayfield, crank up the thermostat, turn on the sunshine, & get rid of all that nasty snow. The Bayfield Bunch will soon be home:))))))

I WILL ADD TO-DAY'S PHOTOS TO SATURDAY'S OR SUNDAY'S WEB ALBUM.

A COLD, WET, & MISERABLE DAY:((

THURSDAY MARCH 6/08

A large blue heron standing on the end of the small dock, a white Egret sitting in front of the motorhome & 4 Canvas Back ducks paddling by greeted us as we peered out the windshield first thing this morning. A small group of Coots floated on the water just offshore. Heard a Killdeer & a Red Winged Blackbird in the distance despite the racket from the crows & the cooing of the morning doves. A nice way to start the day. But, it wasn't to last.

A light rap on our door around 9 brought the lady who collects campsite fees for the County. We were informed our night's stay had cost us $25. That was much more than we thought it was supposed to be but she informed us that the park was now in season so the rates had gone up March 1rst. Said there was a dry camping (no electricity or water hook-ups) area just down the lake a few miles for $10 a night so we packed things up & off we went to the other area.
We're still on the edge of the lake but not as close as before. We have some grass here but the roadway is muddy & now that it's been raining for a couple of hours, things are a bit of a mess........especially with 3 dogs going in & out.

Watched some young fellows load a big steel tracked digging machine onto a barge & head off down the lake. OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/ Awhile later we heard some shouts & saw another motorized barge about a hundred yards off shore with a dead engine. He was adrift & calling to another fellow on the shore to get him some help. Felt sorry for the guy because it was raining & the wind was blowing him towards the far shore across the lake. No shelter on the barge so he must have been very wet & cold. Help arrived about half an hour later when a pick-up truck with second barge on a trailer pulled & backed the barge down into the water. The barge operator unloaded a battery out of the truck so figured the guy who was stranded must have had a dead battery. Only took the 2nd barge a few minutes to reach the 1rst barge & it wasn't long before they had the new battery in place, engine re-started & both barges were on their way back to shore. Good thing they weren't upriver from Niagara Falls!!

Sitting here inside all day we couldn't help but look on the bright side of an otherwise cold, windy, wet, & miserable day. We have cable TV & internet. Our blue flame propane heater (& furnace) keeps us roasty toasty, & our living room & bedroom slides give us lots of room. Our satellite radio brings in clear ambient music & we've got 3 furry wild & crazy doggy guys to keep us entertained, so how's that for being positive on a wet miserable day somewhere in the eastern part of the Texas panhandle........................

A TOUGH DRIVING DAY & A QUIET LAKE

WEDNESDAY MARCH 5/08

We briefly considered staying in Haskell for a few days but it wasn't too scenic where we were & we felt we could find a better spot further east so without further ado, we rolled out of Haskell around 8 a.m. being followed closely by that old northwest blustery tailwind. Only this morning the wind was more northerly than westerly so that meant we had a tricky crosswind trying to flip us off the highway into the Gulf of Mexico many hundreds of miles to the south. No slacking off to-day, no putting the rig on automatic pilot & getting up & walking back for a peanut butter sandwich.

The pleasant driving ease of highway 380 comes to a confusing & congested end about Jacksboro. From there to where it ends at I-30 in Greenville the highway is a mosh of endless jarring traffic lights,(must be over a ka-zillion million) heavy traffic, construction, easy to miss turns, & in general, just a big bad piece of road that should be avoided!!!! It was actually a treat to get on I-30.

Stopped in Sulphur Springs for a bite to eat & then headed east a few more miles before pulling off I-30 again in Mount Vernon & heading southeast for about 10 miles to a place we had seen on the map. A year ago we had stayed at Bob Sandlin State Park in this are for one night on our way home. Noticed a county park near Bob Sandlin so decided to check it out because it was a bit cheaper to stay. We sure lucked out because Walleye Park on Cyprus Lake is a beautiful place. Tall pine trees just like home & we found a spot about 20 feet from the lake. And the best part............... we're the only one's here again. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaay:)) Heard a loon on the lake & saw a white egret. Small waves lapping at the shore & the site even has a small dock. Someone across the lake had a campfire going so there was a great wood smoke smell in the air. Sooooo nice to end a long rough driving day by sitting quietly on the pine forested shores of such a beautiful & picturesque lake. About 75F to-day.
And then there was the sunset:)) OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

Weather is going into the dumpster to-morrow for a couple of days so we may stay here until Saturday or Sunday before moving further east. However, if the weather doesn't smarten up in Ontario soon, we may still be here well into June!!

Noticed Max walking without a limp to-night for the first time in nearly a month. Yaaaaay Max!!