AND TODAY WAS MY UNCLE HARRY'S 94TH BIRTHDAY:))

A RELAXING AFTERNOON

To-day was my Uncle Harry's 94th Birthday & once again he came all they over from Woodstock Ontario to spend it here in Bayfield with us.  His friend & ours, Grace, drove him up.  Until just a few short years ago Harry was always at the wheel but he finally sold his car a few years back & now lets others do the driving.  And, he was a fine driver right up to the day he decided it was finally time to step aside.

SO NICE TO SIT OUTSIDE ON THE PORCH TODAY

We were happy the weather cooperated today with sunshine & warmer temps.    Nice to sit outside on our front porch.  Uncle Harry has always enjoyed coming here & seeing all the improvements we have made to the house & grounds over the years & he is the fellow who made it all possible for Kelly & I to buy our place here nearly 7 years ago.

SITTING IN THE SUN ROOM WATCHING THE BIRDS AT THE FEEDERS

HARRY & MAX HAVE ALWAYS BEEN BEST BUDDIES

We sat & watched the birds at the feeders & I showed him how I'm able to take the bird photos with the long telescope/lens & camera set up.  For supper we had Harry's favorite frying sausage from Krug's Butcher shop in Tavistock, Ontario.  Our family has been buying frying sausage there ever since I was a kid & it's always Harry's fav.  Scalloped potatoes with cheese sauce cauliflower &  creamed corn was followed by oven warmed apple pie & ice cream.  All Uncle Harry's favorites.

HARRY HASN'T LOST HIS APPETITE FOR GOOD OLD KRUG'S FRYING SAUSAGE:))

It was sad today to see that most of his mobility is gone now & even a walker is a struggle for him.  His voice is weaker & body frail, yet it was only a month ago we were playing pool together in Woodstock.   He hasn't lost that twinkle in his eye or his smiling chuckle but  as I helped him into the car after supper I seriously wondered if he was going to have enough strength left to ever make it back again for another visit.  

A HELPING HAND FOR THE MAN WHO FIRST EXTENDED US A HELPING HAND A DECADE AGO

With Grace at the wheel & Uncle Harry looking so very slumped in the passenger seat I watched as they backed out the driveway & then made their way down the road.  I watched, as I have done so many times before over the years..........................

HEADING HOME...............................

GROANER'S CORNER:((  You know, some days I get all the exercise I need just by pushing my luck!!

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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.

A PLEASANT WEATHER & WORKING DAY

Late getting to the computer tonight so might be a short blog.  Had us a great sunny day with temps in the low 70's so we are definitely headed in the direction of summer.

THIS LITTLE GARTER SNAKE FELLOW HAS TAKEN UP RESIDENCE IN OUR CACTUS GARDEN & LOVES SUNNING HIMSELF ON THE WARM ROCKS

Managed to get myself another three & a half hours of work time in again today.  Picked up a couple of folks with the mobility van in a small town nearby & took them to another nearby town & dropped them off for a bit.  Returned them home a couple hours later.  Because of confidentiality rules with the company I drive for I can't really say too much about the people I transport or where they are going or for what reasons.  But I can say that it is just general things like medical appointments, visiting, errands & some grocery shopping etc.  All folks are in wheel chairs or  electric scooters & that is why it is a mobility van I am driving.  Been doing this for about 6 years now & probably 98% of all the people I have transported over those years are elderly Seniors.  Of course they don't know me as a cranky old Cursmudgeon though. To them I am one of those bouncy, good natured & friendly 'young guys.'  Yep, I like that job alright:))

TIME TO GET THE KID'S POOL OUT FOR THE SUMMER

I have half a dozen blogs or so I read every morning & another dozen or so I check periodically to see how people are doing.  It's just impossible to read everybody's blog & of course I feel guilty about that when I miss things or realize I haven't read so & so's blog for awhile.  We all pour our heart's & minds into these darn things & I do try my best to keep up with people's writings.  One of those half dozen or so blogs I read daily is written by a lady who goes by the road name of Gypsy.

AWWWW MOM, DO I REALLY HAVE TO HAVE MY SPRING BATH

I think it was a year or two ago when I first came across GYPSY'S BLOG out here in RV blog land.  Her postings caught my attention right away because she was down to earth with her writings & talked about how she felt about things.  It wasn't just a run of the mill 'nice-nice sugar & spice' blog that would fit quite comfortably into any glossy travel magazine.  I liked how Gypsy talked about the down days, the challenges, & hardships, of being a single lady RVer alone on the road driving a big truck hauling an even bigger 5th wheel trailer.  Although off the road now for awhile she continues to blog about her daily happenings & more importantly, how she feels about life from day to day.  The ups as well as the downs.  She approaches each day with the reality of challenges it holds for her.  No glossing over the difficulties with big happy face Cheshire grins or skipping through phony non existent never ending wondrous days.  No, Gypsy will give you her honest opinion & is not afraid to tell you how she feels.  If she's grumpy, she's grumpy & if she's happy she will tell you about that too. 

YES, THIS IS DEFINITELY A POND OF FROGS

I have great respect for people who face reality & who understand & accept the realism around them.  I admire those folks who have the courage to break from the herd & think for themselves.  They are definitely in the minority but I feel they are definitely on the right track.  Keep up the good work Gypsy....you go girl:))

A LONE CANOE AWAITS A LONE PADDLER

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Irishman Patrick Finnegan came home drunk every evening toward ten.  Now, the Missus was never too happy about it, either. So one night she hides in the cemetery and figures to scare the beejeezus out of him. As poor Pat wanders by, up from behind a tombstone she jumps in a red devil costume screaming,  "Patrick Sean Finnegan, sure and ya' don't give up you're drinkin' and it's to Hell I'll take ye'".  Pat, undaunted, staggered back and demanded, "Who the hell ARE you?".  Too that the Missus replied, "I'm the divil ya' damned old fool".  To which Finnegan remarked,  "Damned glad to meet you sir, I'm married to yer sister."

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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.

IT WAS NICE TO BE WORKING TODAY:))

OUR FRONT YARD TREE FROGS ARE BACK

JUDY confirmed my mystery bird guess yesterday as a female Baltimore (Northern) Oriole. 

Judy also wondered how I did that self portrait of myself in the pond too.  I used a 200mm lens for that shot Judy.  ISO 640 F5.6 at 1/500 of a second shutter speed. I later added a bit of contrast, saturation, & sharpening, in the Picasa photo program.  I used the 'sharpening' tool because I figured that was the only way to sharpen myself up a bit!!  Oh, & I had to use the 'Retouch' tool to remove my white beard & mustache too.  For the actual photo itself I mounted the camera on a tripod & set it on the pond bank, activated the self timer, & then scurried down the bank & hopped in the water quick as I could.  Just got myself flippered around in time to face the camera.

Sooooo nice to be working for a few hours today.  Only three & a half hours but it was nice to get out of the house for a drive though the beautiful spring countryside.  I'm off again in the morning & with a bit of luck I'll get another 3 or 4 hours in & that should darn well keep my mind off myself for awhile:))

               

POPPA GOOSE STANDS WATCH ON THE OLD SILO WHILE MAMMA GOOSE SITS IN THE GRASS BELOW......DAY AFTER DAY.  This is the couple who had their nest eggs eaten by the Muskrat.

Noticed a fair few people clicked on the photos of our television renovations from two summers ago so figured I better take a few new pics today to show the the TV & where we finally had it mounted & how.

THIS SHOWS TV EXTENDED OUT... Cupboard door was taken off & our handyman friend Bruce made 3 new pieces of wood to fill the space & the TV is mounted on the center piece.  The other two pieces flip up so there is still storage behind.

I LEFT ONE OF THE TROUSER BELTS IN THE PIC.  NORMALLY WE NEVER HAVE THE TV EXTENDED OUT THIS FAR

THE CUPBOARD DOOR FROM BEHIND THE NEWER TV WAS MOVED OVER HERE TO THE CENTER WHERE THE OLD CLUNKY TV USED TO HANG DOWN.  BRUCE DID A GOOD JOB IN FIXING UP THE BIG GAPING HOLE THAT WAS LEFT

And thanks to JANIE & JOHN for some kind words in their blog.  Never thought of myself as that way guys so the reference did send me scrambling through the dictionary pages to look up that 'P' word you used.  It has given me some ideas & opinions for a future blog sometime.

MAYBE IF I HAVE AN AFTERNOON SNOOZE DAD WILL TAKE ME FOR A RIDE ON THE BIKE AFTER

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And, an important reminder....... never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

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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.

SO NICE TO SEE SUNNY DAYS AGAIN....& THERE ARE MORE ON THE WAY:))

TODAY'S MYSTERY BIRD (could it be a female Northern Oriole)

I hung a hummingbird feeder up Saturday afternoon & Sunday morning Checker's frantic barking told us the raccoon had struck again leaving the feeder busted up on the ground.  A few repairs, a new batch of sugary juice, & the feeder is back up & this time with a locking clamp.......so we'll see!!

DOWNY WOODPECKER

Noticed SAM & DONNA are wondering about a flat screen TV for their 5th wheel which reminded me of our change over from a clunky old TV above the dash to a nice 23" Toshiba flat screen that we mounted on the wall near our entrance door.  It was one of the best things we did & are still amazed at the great HD quality picture we get even with just the rig's wind up antennae.  The TV is also able to extend, swivel, & tilt, making it much easier & practical to watch. 

PAST ?? BLOOMS GOING TO SEED

I did manage to scare up a blog showing pictures of that project.  TV PROJECT ONE.  Also included the blog about why it's best for me to let someone else do these things if I want them done right!!   IF I WANT IT DONE RIGHT!!  Click the small pics to enlarge them.  Also, you will notice in the pics the TV mount was first on the end of the kitchen cupboard.  I wasn't comfortable with that so had a friend of ours re-do it & mount it properly to the cupboard arrangement on the wall behind the TV. 

THE TV IN IT'S CURRENT POSITION.  IT CAN EXTEND OUT FROM THERE, SWIVEL & TILT

I just slipped out to the rig & took a few more pics of it secured in it's place by a couple of trouser belts.  The belt idea was mine although we did travel the whole winter a couple years ago without the belt idea & the TV was fine despite some of the worst bumps we had ever hit.  The two securing leather belts on there now give me greater peace of mind.

The full time mobility van driver who replaced me 3 years ago is off on a month of holidays so beginning tomorrow I am slipping into his spot (my old  spot) & hope to have myself a busy month.  I'm glad to be doing............ SOMETHING!!

THIS IS A PICTURE OF AL SWIMMING IN THE POND THIS MORNING

I managed to grab a couple quick pics of the orange bird I saw at the feeder on Saturday.  After a look though my bird book I am guessing at a female Northern Oriole.  Whaddya think Judy?

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And remember, if I want your opinion........ I will give it to you!!

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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.

'PEANUT BUTTER'.....THE EXCITEMENT HIGH FOR THE DAY

GODERICH HARBOR MAY 2009 (all but one of today's photos are file pics from May 09)

The absolute most exciting thing that happened in my life today was that I snuck into town to buy a jar of peanut butter.  Now, it hardly gets any more exciting than that I'd say!!

BRUCE & MARGIE aren't having themselves quite as an exciting day because they are currently held up in Owensville near St. Louis somewhere with a hydraulic jack on their Motor Home stuck in the down position.  Reminds me of November of 2008 when we were in Oliver Lee State Park near Alamogordo New Mexico with a similar jack problem.  I have a few photos of that situation on OUR BLOG for that day.

OLIVER LEE STATE PARK NEAR ALAMOGORDO, NEW MEXICO...2008

RAY from beautiful downtown Gleeson in southeast Arizona is having a tongue twisting Pyrrhuloxia problem that is only solvable by applying an easy repeatable tongue pacifying Kazoot-kazoot solution.  And, the CAVE PEOPLE living in a town called Sandwich, Illinois actually chose RVing over embroidering back in 2008.  Imagine that!!

AND THEY CALL IT ART!!

Once again JUDY was able to identify my very poor mystery bird photo last night as that of a Green Heron.  Am suspecting we may have had an Oriole at the feeder today so I have the camera beside the computer as I keep a close eye on the daily outside Birdville shenanigans......

ONE OF THE LOCAL FARM BOYS SPREADING A LITTLE AGRICULTURAL HAPPINESS ON THE FIELDS

GROANER'S CORNER:((  The Laws Of Golfing:

LAW 1: No matter how bad your last shot was, the worst is yet to come. This law does not expire on the 18th hole, since it has the supernatural tendency to extend over the course of a tournament, a summer and, eventually, a lifetime.

LAW 2: Your best round of golf will be followed almost immediately by your worst round ever. The probability of the latter increases with the number of people you tell about the former.

LAW 3: Brand new golf balls are water-magnetic. Though this cannot be proven in the lab, it is a known fact that the more expensive the golf ball, the greater its attraction to water.

LAW 4: Golf balls never bounce off of trees back into play. If one does, the tree is breaking a law of the universe and should be cut down.

LAW 5: No matter what causes a golfer to muff a shot, all his playing partners must solemnly chant "You looked up," or invoke the wrath of the universe.

LAW 6: The higher a golfer's handicap, the more qualified he deems himself as an instructor.

LAW 7: Every par-three hole in the world has a secret desire to humiliate golfers. The shorter the hole, the greater its desire.

LAW 8: Topping a 3-iron is the most painful torture known to man.

LAW 9: Palm trees eat golf balls.

LAW 10: Sand is alive. If it isn't, how do you explain the way it works against you?

LAW 11: Golf carts always run out of juice at the farthest point from the clubhouse.

LAW 12: A golfer hitting into your group will always be bigger than anyone in your group. Likewise, a group you accidentally hit into will consist of a football player, a professional wrestler, a convicted murderer and an IRS agent -- or some similar combination.

LAW 13: All 3-woods are demon-possessed.

LAW 14: Golf balls from the same "sleeve" tend to follow one another, particularly out of bounds or into the water (see Law three)

LAW 15: A severe slice is a thing of awesome power and beauty.

LAW 16: "Nice lag" can usually be translated to "lousy putt." Similarly, "tough break" can usually be translated "way to miss an easy one, sucker."

LAW 17: The person you would most hate to lose to will always be the one who beats you.

LAW 18: The last three holes of a round will automatically adjust your score to what it really should be.

LAW 19: Golf should be given up at least twice per month.

LAW 20: All vows taken on a golf course shall be valid only until the sunset of the same day.

 

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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.

SHORT BIKE RIDE...TOO COLD:((

JUDY identified Thursdays blue looking mystery bird as an Indigo Bunting.  I have another one for you today Judy.  Took it this morning from a long way off while on our walk.  It's not a good photo & was the only shot I got off before it was airborne & gone.  I'm guessing some kind of Heron.

                     

INDIGO BUNTING                           ??

Also spotted a Muskrat in the larger pond this morning so I'm suspecting that is what probably ate the eggs in the Canada Goose nest a few weeks back.  The bird in today's mystery bird photo is standing right on top of that same abandoned goose nest.

                    

MUSKRAT (click to enlarge)

The rains have moved on & we had a clear sunny day.  Took the bike for a run but didn't go far because of the gusting cold winds.  I do not like cold!!

 

LILACS

Maybe I will be able to scare up something interesting to write about Saturday.............

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And remember that by the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere!!                            PAINTED TURTLE

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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.

ANOTHER LOOOOONG COLD RAINY DAY:((

THIS LITTLE FARM BOY IS BACK ON HIS SWING FOR ANOTHER SEASON

It's been another loooooong cold & wet wind driven rainy day again.  Not nice!!

Had a couple possible ID's on yesterday's unknown brown bird in our front yard.  A female Junco or a female Cowbird?  While at the computer this morning I saw a male Cowbird land on the nearest feeder.  He was soon joined by the unknown brown bird & moments later they both flew off up into the trees together so I'm guessing that JUDY is spot on with her identification of a female Cowbird.  Kelly spotted a blue looking bird in one of the shrubs this morning & later I was able to get a few pics of it on the ground under the feeders.  The closest bird we could find in our book that 'sort of' resembled this little fellow was an Eastern Bluebird so once again we'll have to wait for our knowledgeable bird people's opinion.

   

INDIGO BUNTING

Had to slip into the small town of Clinton this morning which is only 10 minute drive for us to pick up a few groceries.  On the way back it was raining pretty good so I was surprised to come upon a long line of maybe a couple hundred high school kids walking west along the shoulder of the road.  Must have been some kind of organized walk going on.  Maybe a walk for cancer or something.  I had the heater on in the van but couldn't help but notice a lot of these walking kids were in shorts with clear plastic bags pulled over their upper bodies as protection from the cold rain.  Aw yes, those difficult teen age years eh!!  Looking back, I think that era bring back some of my best, & poorest memories.

EITHER A LOT OF KIDS GOT KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL TODAY OR THEY ARE WALKING FOR A 'CAUSE' OF SOME SORT

These recent long days of bad weather nothingness sure have been mentally difficult to positively navigate through.  I'm still hoping to pull a rabbit out of the hat & get myself motivated & interested in something worthwhile & challenging.  I just may have to take up basket weaving after all....... Oh, the humility of it all.

SQUIRREL SHENANIGANS IN A SMALL CEDAR TREE THIS MORNING >>>>

GROANER'S CORNER:((

George Burns once said,

"The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending........and to have the two as close together as possible"   (Amen to that for sure!!!!!!!!!!)

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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.