SUNDAY....MY LEAST FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK

BLUE JAY

Even as a kid I always thought Sunday was the most boring day of the week & now here it is over 60 years later & my mind hasn't changed one little bit!!

PLEASE DAD, CAN I HAVE SOME MORE

Decided to set up a web cam today in the sun room & planned to stream some live video of our front yard birds.  Well, easier said than done of course & that was only one of the computer frustrations I wrestled with today.

                           

A FEW MEMBERS OF THE FRONT YARD GANG

Did battle trying to change the weather gadget on our blog from Douglas Arizona to Bayfield Canada today & of course that little task thwarted me at every turn.  Kelly later did it.  Rick & Paulette's blog didn't show up on our 'Blogs We Follow' this morning & we have not yet been able to restore the link.  Some days ya just can't win for losing.

While repositioning some birdfeeders this morning one of my knots 'failed' dropping the feeder to the ground & breaking it.  Birdseed all over the place but I did manage to sort of fix the feeder with duct tape, staples, & glue.  Did I mention it was Sunday!!!!

THE SMALL SLEDGE WAS MY LAST RESORT IF THE OTHER 3 FIXES DIDN'T WORK!!

And, keeping things positively on a negative note, here's something that might apply more to Snow birder's than Full timers but ever notice how when you get home in the spring friends & family say things like, "did you have a good trip, can't wait to hear all about it."  That last question is generally a mere formality on their part.  It has been our experience that friends & family here at home really don't give a hoot about our traveling exploits. 

HEY BAYFIELD BUNCH, HOW WAS YOUR TRIP....CAN'T WAIT TO HEAR ALL ABOUT IT

The only people who have a genuine interest are fellow RV folks & you people out here who read our daily blog sometimes.   If family & friends were really interested in our travels they would simply follow the blog, but they don't.  So, when someone says they want to hear all about our trip we have learned to just take that statement with a grain of salt.  Besides, how do you tell someone in 30 seconds or less what you have been seeing, doing, & thinking, for the past 5 or 6 months.  And 30 seconds is about all the time a person is really interested in listening after they ask the question......."hey, how was your trip, can't wait to hear all about it.   IMHO of course:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((   A realty salesman had just closed his first deal, only to discover that the piece of land he had sold was completely under water.

"That customer's going to come back here pretty mad," he said to his boss. "Should I give him his money back?"

"Money back?" roared the boss. "What kind of salesman are you? Get out there and sell him a houseboat."

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

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

RV THERE YET....NOPE, NOT ANYMORE!!

MAX & THE MOTORMOUSE  (File Photo)

Because of wind warnings, low temps, & snow showers, we had ourselves a totally inside day.  Kelly spent some time on the desktop computer downloading I-Tunes for her I-Pod & I struggled along with my mammoth photo organizing project on one of the laptops.

In Friday's blog I expressed some concerns about a new website called, RV There Yet, that has been gaining popularity in the on-line RV community.  I was a bit leery of it but took the plunge when I saw the logo on some fellow blogger's sites.  A couple other folks voiced concerns as well & if you read RICK'S blog this morning he expresses his thoughts about RV There Yet & what he was able to learn from the way the site operates.  I  have reconsidered our affiliation with RV There Yet & have requested our blog be withdrawn from the site.  I received a courteous email this afternoon confirming it had been done.

While thinking about this whole RV There Yet thing this morning it occurred to me that I was basically doing the same thing by posting our blog on Facebook.  If people read it on Facebook they are not going to stop by our blog site, therefore I am actually working against myself.  So far I have resisted doing any serious advertising on our site but had I been running ads I would have been short changing myself for sure.  We get too soon old & too late smart huh:((

GROANER'S CORNER:((  I would like to share an old Native Canadian chant. Each year during the first week of April, the Native Canadians would wake up at sunrise and repeat their chant over and over. They said this powerful chant primarily for three very important reasons:

1. To ensure that their crops are bountiful and will keep them and their families fed all year;

2. To ward off harm/evil;

3. And gain great wisdom.

It goes like this:

Oooooh waaaaah (pause)
Taaaaa foooooo (pause)
Lie aaaammmm (pause)

Now repeat it without the pause. As you repeat it more often and more quickly, its message becomes clear and you will become wise! Try it. It works very well and very quickly!!!

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

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

EVER WONDERED WHAT 'SINGING' IS

CLIMBING DOWN INTO THE CORONADO CAVE, SOUTHERN ARIZONA

Today's photos are random pics from this past winter.

The most amazing & impossible thing happened this morning.  After 7 months in storage.....the lawn mower started!!  And, to raise this to miracle status....it started on the first pull!!!!  Now, like many other folks, I have been cutting lawns ever since I was a kid & that is a lot of 'shortening green stuff' over the years.  Never has this ever happened before.  Could it be the beginning of a new era in Al's life.  Am I about to be elevated to mechanical genius at last.  No, not so fast.  I was soon brought back down to earth when the mower sputtered to a stop a short time later & would not start again.  Hmmmm, now let me see.  How do I spell the word.....G.A.S.!!

HIKING ANOTHER MOUNTAIN TRAIL

Emjay inquired in a comment on yesterday's blog about how Kelly & I met Max, Checkers, & The Motormouse.  I actually did a blog about that last September & how that all came together.  Check out......OUR 3 FURRY BEST PALS

OVERLOOKING BISBEE, ARIZONA

Updated my Facebook profile this morning.  Had been a few years since doing that so figured it was a good rainy morning for updating some old info on the site.  Things do change you know.

CHECKING FOR TREASURES ATOP CRYSTAL HILL, SOUTH OF QUARTZSITE, ARIZONA

Ever wondered what 'singing' is.  I asked myself that question one time many years ago & came to a simple conclusion.  On my way to Goderich this morning while listening to a Nat King Cole song on the van radio I was reminded of what I had figured out singing to be. 

OK, SO HOW DO I GET THIS DARN THING STARTED (at the Ranch near McNeal, Az)

If you take a word or words & speak them the way they are written, that is talking.  If you take those same words & elongate them in a melodic fashion, that is singing.  If you just say the word 'fashion,' it is in talk form.  Say the word & stretch it out for 2 or 3 seconds & you are....theoretically 'singing' the word.  Put a bunch of words together, stretch them out, & you have just composed & are singing your very own song.  If you have an exceptionally pleasing voice you just might be the next Nat King Cole or Bing Crosby, so next time nobody is around.....try a little out loud word stretching:))  There is multitude of average singers in the world these days with 'great singers' being clearly in the minority.

MORNING WALK WITH THE RANCH GANG

The internet is so loaded with various skims & scams it's always difficult to separate the legitimate stuff from the garbage.  And, in my opinion, the garbage outweighs the good stuff. (just like television) Awhile back something called RV THERE YET came across my desktop.  Had a look at the site & thought it looked OK but it wasn't until I saw it popping up on a few other trusted blog sites that I decided to join up & put it on our site.  FROGGI DONNA commented on yesterday's blog suggesting I read FABGRANDMA'S BLOG opinion about RV There Yet and so, after reading her post I am now wondering if anyone else out here has any thoughts or experiences with RV There Yet.  Would very much appreciate any feedback folks. 

PORTAL, ARIZONA

Oh, & by the way....My name is AL & I am a peanut butteroholic.  I have now been peanut butter free for 3 days. (again)  Ya-hooey Louie:))

DESERT RAINBOW OVER McNEAL, ARIZONA

GROANER'S CORNER:((  10 LAWS OF COMPUTING

1. When computing, whatever happens, behave as though you meant it to happen.

2. When you get to the point where you really understand your computer, it's probably obsolete.

3. The first place to look for information is in the section of the manual where you'd least expect to find it.

4. When the going gets tough, upgrade.

5. For every action, there is an equal and opposite malfunction.

6. To err is human...to blame your computer for your mistakes is even more human, its downright natural.

7. He who laughs last, probably has a back-up.

8. The number one cause of computer problems is computer solutions.

9. A complex system that doesn't work is invariably found to have evolved from a simpler system that worked just fine.

10. A computer program will always do what you tell it to do, but rarely what you want it to do.

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

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

A QUIET SPRING DAY

 

MORNING WALK IN A SPRING FOREST

We never reach a point where there is nothing to do, but we often have difficulty coming up with the motivation to do things.  The hardest part is not necessarily mowing the grass, washing the RV, or planting the garden.  The hardest part is often just getting off the couch to do it!!

      

TRILLIUM FLOWERS & MAY APPLES

I was disappointed that my mobility run was cancelled this morning so the day didn't start off on the most productive foot.

THE FOREST IS CARPETED WITH TRILLIUMS

It is one of those blog nights where I am sitting here at the computer with a blank mind.  The front yard cast of characters are at the feeders.  Blue Jays, Cardinals, Cowbirds, & Red Wing Blackbirds, just to mention a few.   The world in front of me is turning greener with each passing day & the evening pastel sunlight on the west side of the pine trees tell me we are approaching the end of another day.

CHECKERS & MAX ENJOY A MORNING DIP IN THE CREEK ALONG THE TRAIL

Sometimes there are feelings of peace & sometimes there are just.........feelings.

GROANER'S CORNER:((   As a senior citizen was driving down the freeway, his car phone rang. Answering, he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, "Herman, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on 280. Please be careful!"

"Hell," said Herman, "It's not just one car. It's hundreds of them!"

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

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

SOME DAYS ARE DIAMONDS SOME DAYS ARE STONES

STORMY WATERS ON BAYFIELD'S BEACH

John Denver had a song years back called, 'Some Days Are Diamonds,' & the first few lines of the chorus goes... 'Some days are diamonds, some days are stones. Sometimes the hard times won't leave me alone.  Sometimes the cold wind blows a chill in my bones. Some days are diamonds, some days are stones.'

A WET WALK ON THE PIER

Depending on our circumstances, our personalities, & our attitudes, it is generally possible to control what kinds of days we are going to have.....or want to have.  We are all responsible for our own feelings & depression is the power of negative thinking.  Some days are diamonds, some days are stones!!

BAYFIELD ALWAYS HAS A BUSY SUMMER HARBOR

It was a nice sunny morning in the neighborhood until the thunder boomers rolled in over the lake this afternoon.   I actually had a 3 hour mobility van run Tuesday with another one scheduled for Thursday morning.  Nice to be out & about doing something useful.  One of the main drivers has a month of holidays coming up shortly so I am hoping to have some constructively busy & positive days ahead of me.

FISHING BOATS ARE IN WITH THEIR CATCH OF THE DAY

Deciding what kind of car to tow behind a Motor Home can be a daunting task.  So many vehicles to chose from.  Four wheels down, tow dollies, automatic or standard transmissions, makes & models!!  For us the decision was easy, 4 wheels down & standard transmission.  Kelly & I are both old stick shift drivers from way back so that made the decision easier.  No transmission coolers, etc.  Honda CRV's were our first choice but good used one's were rare as hen's teeth & super expensive to boot.  Decided on a used 2003 Hyundai Santa Fe & have never looked back.  Only 3 things to remember before towing....1. Key on Acc---2. Emergency brake off---3. Gearshift in neutral.  That's all there is to it.  Great cars.  If your thinking of buying a Ford Escape though you might want to check out ROD'S blog first.  He is in the market for a new tow vehicle & has been doing some detailed research!!

WINDY DAYS ALONG THE SHORELINE

Kelly has been following the adventures of Pepper & her Mother traveling around the country in their Class B van.  They do get themselves into some tight spots occasionally so I have added them to our 'Blogs We Follow.'  They are, LITTLE HOUSE ON WHEELS.

A BAYFIELD VIEWPOINT OVERLOOKING LAKE HURON

AND BAYFIELD'S PIER IS WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE

GROANER'S CORNER:((  "Doctor, Doctor, You've got to help me - I just can't stop my hands from shaking!"   "Do you drink a lot?"   "Not really - I spill most of it!"

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

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

JUST ANOTHER DAY

We had a heavy soaking rain in the night & today has turned out beautiful with sunny spring skies.  Other than taking the motorcycle for a run this afternoon it was just another day.

GROANER'S CORNER:((    Once there was a retired pirate so he decides to live with his brother.
The pirate walks up to his brothers house and knocks on the door and his brother answers the door and says, "Oh my gosh , what happened to your hand!?! "
The pirate said, "I lost it in a sword fight , but now I have a hook."
Then the brother said, "What about your leg?"
The pirate said, "A cannonball hit it , but now I have a peg leg ."
Then the brother said, "Well , what about your eye?"
The pirate said, "I got some dust in it ."
The brother said, "How could you lose your eye by just getting some dust in it?"
Then the pirate said, "It was my first day with my hook!!

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS  http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.

KEEPING TABS ON HAPPY RV FOLKS

Overcast days with a gentle rains can sometimes make for great photos.  Bright colors, especially yellows will stand out vibrantly against duller backgrounds.  No stark sunlight with contrasting deep shadows to contend with so photos appear softer with the overall even lighting.  Flowers can really stand out.  So, next time you have a gentle rain falling, grab your camera & raincoat before heading out the door.

<<<< YELLOW PRIMROSE

Not a lot of folks have more than one RV but Ivan does.  You might want to slip over to his site & have a look at his comparisons between the truck camper he took to Alaska last summer & the 5th wheel he just returned from the southwest with few days ago.   He had miserable stormy winter weather hot on his heels the last few days heading home & it chased him all the way right up into Canada.  IVAN & ROADTRIP 2010

SAND CHERRY BLOSSOMS

And check out two very happy RV'ers in Benson Arizona as they finally wrap up renovations to their Casita at the Saguaro SKP Co-Op Park there.  JERRY & SUZY are looking forward to spending many quiet cozy hours at their favorite computer work stations.  By contrast,  LAURIE & ODEL are holding on to their hats as nearby Mississippi tornadoes & heavy rains rock them in their Motor Home.  Laurie was on Facebook today saying it is the hardest & longest sustained rain she has ever seen.  Meanwhile, MIKE up there at the North Ranch SKP Park near Congress Arizona is so excited about their new sticks & bricks digs that he's just about beside himself.  Also noticed on Facebook today that MOTTY & PATTI have been traveling along Route 66 in Oklahoma & have now made it into Texas.  Motty has taken some nice pics along 66.  Lots of happy campers out there:))

  THE RAINS ARE GREENING UP OUR FRONT YARD

Over the years I have probably had about a dozen different photo accounts on the go at any one time.  Bubbleshare, Flickr, Smug Mug, Picasa, Photo Bucket, Webshots, & others that I can't remember.  And not remembering is not the best thing.  About 4 years ago I had downloaded the Flickr program, dumped a bunch of photos in it & then moved on to other things forgetting I had the program. 

PRIMROSE

A few weeks ago when I decided to enter 4 photos in the Bayfield Calendar contest I noticed they were using the Flickr program to host the entries.  No problem I thought, so dug out my old Flickr program & uploaded my 4 photos into the contest.  I didn't give any thought to all the photos I had loaded in there a few years ago so while browsing the recent Calendar entries on the Bayfield Flickr site this morning I happened to click on a link associated with my 4 photos.  Well, the link not only took the viewer to my 4 Calendar entries but it also took them to reams of other photos I had taken. 

KELLY & HER 'GRANDS'

In 2008 I had done a whole series of mundane photos of our house interior, exterior, & grounds for insurance purposes.  Anyway, to make a long story short I had to go through all those photos & change the privacy settings to make them, 'not for public viewing.'  So, all you photo bugs out there with multiple photo programs floating around in Cyberspace, you might want to go back & check out your settings & preferences.  And, about the Bayfield Calendar photo contest.  The contest closed April 22nd so I guess the judges are still deciding on winners for the upcoming calendar.

POND WALKER

And a shout out to TRENT & TERESA.  Thanks for the nice compliment guys & your checks in the mail:))  Glad your enjoying SOMA FM & Groove Salad.  Ambient  music, it's the only to fly....................10-4

DON'T BUG ME!!

GROANER'S CORNER:((   During a recent visit to my doctor, I asked him, "How do you determine whether or not a retiree should be put in an old age home?"
"Well", he said, "we fill up a bathtub, then we offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to the retiree and ask him or her to empty the bathtub".  "Oh, I understand," I said. "A normal person would use the bucket because it is bigger than the spoon or the teacup."
"No" he said. "A normal person would pull the plug.  Do you want a bed near the window?"

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

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

THUNDER BOOMERS ROLLED IN BRINGING WELCOME RAIN:))

  OUR DIGS IN THE SLIGHTLY FOGGY PINES 

Thunder Boomers rolled in about mid morning bringing with them a touch of lightning & a nice dump of much needed rain.  My newly planted cedar trees were especially happy.

<<< AMERICAN GOLD FINCH

Kelly slipped into work for an hour & then headed off to London for some of that browsing & shopping stuff.  The offer was on the table for me to go along but I graciously declined.  Why would I leave a quiet pine forest for the chaos of a large city shopping mall.  Nope, don't make no sense to me neither.

                              COWBIRD >>>>

I should probably get into the habit of changing the blog's header photo more often because every time I go to do it I can never remember how I did it previously.  I wait too long between changes & the brain's memory cells fail to retain the mental instructions.  I have a set of written instructions here on how to do it but it seems I always have to start over & figure it out from scratch anyway.  I have 3 different size monitors here & that blog header pic fits within the frame differently on each screen.  I based the size on our smallest laptop which fits the frame perfectly.  Hopefully it is not too big for whatever size monitor you are viewing it on.

A HEAVY MORNING DEW

And, before I forget for the third day in a row, the Bayfield Bunch welcomes new blog followers, 'happytrailsga.'  Nice to have you along folks & I hope my blog driving doesn't scare you away too soon.

Thought I would try out Twitter a bunch of months ago.  Tried to keep my attitude positive as I stuck with it for a couple months trying to make some logical sense out of what seemed to me a rather senseless program.  Clearly aimed at the younger generation & their obsessive need to continuously yak at each other about totally nothing.  I would put Twitter on the same level as texting when it comes to that yak obsession & can understand how those kinds of things in the hands of kids become totally out of control.  Sad to think so much of the world's valuable & irreplaceable energies & resources are used up by kids on electronic devices with nothing better to do that twit & text their friends with stuff like, "Well, I'm going over to Bills."  "Ok, just went out the door."  "Um like I just went down the steps man." "Oh I am so buzzed Dude."  "Just got into my Dad's cool car."  Bonus man, Snoop Dogs on the radio playing my totally awesome song Bro."  "Major volume vibes guys, can ya hear me now"..... LOL LOL LOL" "R-U-C-ing me yet man." Oooo, cool phone colors Geeker."  Arrrrrgggghhh!!!!

A LITTLE TOUCH OF RED IN THE GREEN FOREST

And it was 3 years ago this month we brought our 'new to us' rig home.  Thanks Ron...........   FOUR SEASONS PERFORMANCE

GROANER'S CORNER:((  There is the story of a pastor who got up one Sunday and announced to his
congregation: "I have good news and bad news.  The good news is, we have
enough money to pay for our new building program. The bad news is, it's
still out there in your pockets."

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

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.