THE UTILITY TRAILER PROJECT IS NEARING COMPLETION

 

STRANGERS ON A PIER

We're starting to come down the home stretch on the utility trailer project.  Bruce measured & cut the 3 side panels today & tomorrow morning I'll get some paint on them.  Once the tail lights are re-wired the trailer should be roadworthy & ready to go again.

                  

HANDYMAN & HELPFUL NEIGHBOR BRUCE MEASURES UP, CUTS & FITS THE PANELS

Had to slip into work this morning for an hour to attend a meeting on workplace violence & how to handle rowdy Seniors. (just kidding:))  Aside from the elderly lady grabbing a hold of my beard 2 years ago I haven't sustained any serious injuries on the job.  As a matter of fact, nor has any of the other drivers.  That's the nice thing about working with Seniors,  they are just not a violent bunch of folks.  Maybe a little grumpy sometimes but they are not apt to haul off & kick ya in the head or anything like that.  In fact, on some days, I can easily out-grump anyone & I'm a whole lot younger than most of the folks I work with!!

I THINK THE JEEP WILL FIT RATHER NICELY BEHIND THE MOTOR HOME & NOTICE HOW CLOSELY ONE OF THE RIG'S STRIPED GRAPHICS LUCKILY MATCHES THE COLOR OF THE JEEP

Want to thank all the folks for the nice comments & compliments regarding my blog & photos.  I can assure you they are all very much appreciated & mean a lot to a feller who has suffered with low self esteem, confidence & self assurance issues all his life.  You people have been a great help to me.  And, would you believe, I have saved all those 2,808 comments over the past couple of years too.  I have them safely tucked away in a file on my Hotmail account & can easily retrieve them at any time when one of those down in the dumps days come along & I'm in need of a little self assurance.  And, those days do come along.

Now, to answer a few questions on some recent photos I have posted in the blog.  The hummingbird pics were taken in our front yard beside the little frog pond.  I used my Nikon D50 coupled with a 55-200mm lens & also used my D40 coupled with my 700mm telescope lens.  Took me 9 shots to get the 2 that I included in last night's post.  I will include a few of the one's I chose not to publish. 

Top blog photo was shot at 200mm. 1/500th shutter speed at F5.6.  Matrix metering & manual focus. 

The close up of the Hummingbird was done with my tri-pod mounted Nikon D40 coupled with my 700mm telescope lens.  1/640th of a second shutter speed.  Manual focus with no aperture setting available.  With that lens I have to guess at the exposures.  ISO 800.  Also, another tip.......I had noticed this Hummer returning to the same flower a few times earlier so I set up my camera, pre-focused & determined the correct exposure by firing 3 or 4 test shots on the flower itself & then waited for the Hummer to fly into the frame.  All's I had to do then was hit the firing button.  Trying to follow the Hummer around in flight is just about impossible.  Kinda like trying to photograph Bats at night.   I haven't been successful at that one yet.

HAPPY TRAILS commented last night with a few photo inquiries & one of the questions was, "Your pics are soft and very warm to the eye. How do you do it?  Well, there are a number of contributing factors.  Time of day is the big one with early morning & evening light being much softer than the harsh contrasts of a sunny high noon day.  The Hummingbird photos were done on a bright, but tree filtered sunny afternoon.  There was shade in the front yard but it wasn't too dark so the lighting was on the soft side with many flowers & plants diffusing any direct sunlight.  By using a telephoto lens the depth of field is very narrow meaning everything in front of & behind the Hummer is going to be out of focus giving the background a soft fuzzy look.  Those orange splotches you see in the background are 'out of focus' day lilies.   Also want to mention Picasa 3 here as well.  The Picasa photo editing program is all important to the finished photo product with it's many tools for softening, tinting, cropping, coloring correcting & sharpening, etc.  Many 'throw away' photos can be saved by creatively using Picasa.  If you don't have it.....go get it.  It's free & it's easy to use:))  PICASA PHOTO EDITING PROGRAM  It's the only photo program I edit my pictures with:))

THESE WERE MY 'THROW AWAY' HUMMER PHOTOS

               

SITTING ON OUR FRONT PORCH PATIENTLY WAITING FOR SOME BIRD OPPORTUNITIES WITH MY TELESCOPE LENS & NIKON D40

That JERRY feller down there in that Arizona Benson town has been having trouble scaring himself up a Roadrunner this summer for a photo shoot so I remembered a Roadrunner encounter we had early last November near Portal, Arizona.  Here's that pesky & elusive little Roadrunner Jerry & if I see him again I'll send him over.   I've made a slide show of the little critter as well.  Click on 'Slide Show' when you get there.  'Meep Meep:))'  (Nikon D40 & 200mm)

View Full Album

Well, I am taking a big chance tonight by including a photo album.  Haven't done this since having 'Publishing' problems last winter in the Southwest when the albums wouldn't publish.  Here goes...................................

GROANER'S CORNER:))   A young, pregnant RVer named Sally was involved in a traffic accident, but because she was riding in a sturdy Winnebago, she survived, although she was left in a coma. When she awoke a few days later in the hospital she was no longer pregnant! She asked her doctor, "What happened?"
He replied, "Sally, you had twins -- a boy and a girl. Your brother named them for you."
"Oh, no!" shrieked Sally. "Not my brother! His elevator doesn't go to the top floor, if you know what I mean!" The doctor replied, "Well, Sally, your brother named your daughter Denise."
"Whew, that's not so bad," she replied, looking very relieved. Then, hesitantly, she asked, "What's the boy's name?"
"Denephew," he said.

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UN-AWAKENED"

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/ (a work in progress)

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

UNCLE HARRY ENTERED THE DVR & HD-TV WORLD TODAY

It was the distant rumble of thunder that had me out of bed at 4 a.m. & outside closing garden shed doors, checking car windows & covering up the motorcycle.  The computer weather radar map later showed that band of storms came in across the lake & went to the north of us.  No matter, I was up, I was on my feet, & my day had again started early.

A RELAXING PLACE IN OUR FRONT YARD

The cable guy had an appointment between ten & noon this morning to hook up HD (high definition) TV & a brace of music channels for my Uncle Harry in Mitchell so Kelly & I were there by ten.   The fellow was late & didn't make it until Harry headed off for lunch.  It was after 2 by the time we left but Kelly was very thorough in explaining the new DVR set-up to Harry.  It's a big leap in technology for him coming from his old VCR machine.  I have a feeling we'll be going back shortly to help him out again.

There has always been background music in our family & my Mother had the same music channels during her 4 year stay in a local nursing that Harry has now.  He is looking forward to his channels of Big Band, Ambient, Oldies & Memories of Yesteryear & the music will help him pass the time while at the Ritz Villa.  I have always had music playing throughout the years no matter where I lived & my Aunt Jean in Florida is the same.  We are a family that has always loved it's music.  My Mother played piano by ear but she was the only one outside my Grandfather with his 'screechy fiddle' that actually played any instruments.  The rest of us were were just great music appreciators.

 

RETIRED ROD  may have shed a little light on my failed Live Writer download Tuesday morning.  I tried downloading the new version onto an XP platform & he suggested maybe that was the problem.  I am now debating whether to try the upgrade on our newer Win 7 Toshiba laptop.  I was a little unnerved by a fellow blogger who said the upgrade wiped out his existing Live Writer & he had to do some fancy footwork to get it back.  I'm really not in the mood for having to do fancy footwork these hot & humid summer days!!

 

QUEEN ANNE'S LACE

Didn't mean to shake up the RV troops with yesterday's post about 'downsizing or dropping out of the RV lifestyle.'  I sometimes like to flip the coin over & talk about what is on the other side.  No, we won't be getting rid of our Motor Home, car, television, cell phone, dust bin, or extra broom handle.  I just have a habit of blogging about things that pop into my mind from time to time & sometimes when I have a frustrating day it just shows up in the blog.  As I have said before, I blog about how I feel, & sometimes I have a tendency to stir up the pot a bit:)) 

 

OUR LITTLE FROG POND

I particularly liked Thom's comment in Tuesday night's blog that said, "Al;
maybe the bike, cameras, computers, the blog, etc. give us more than something to do. They give us the closest thing to a purpose that we've got... and everyone must have a purpose.  Without a purpose what are we good for?"  Thom is right on with that comment about 'purpose!!'  My blog dealt with the sometimes frustrations of having too much stress related stuff & becoming discouraged about things.  We all have those moments or days when we temporarily lose site of where we are, where we're going or what the purpose is of everything!!  Our Snow Bird RV lifestyle definitely gives us a focused purpose & we won't be giving that up any time soon.   In fact, as you all know, I would much prefer to be out there on the road going places & doing things than sitting here at home all summer!!  But, that's another blog for another day!!

GROANER'S CORNER:((   A group of Americans were traveling by tour bus through  Holland.  As they stopped at a cheese farm, a young guide led them through the process of cheese making, explaining that goat's milk was used.  She showed the group a lovely hillside where many goats were grazing.  'These' she explained, 'are the older goats put out to pasture when they no longer produce.'  She then asked, 'What do you do in America with your old goats?'  
A spry old gentleman answered, 'They send us on bus tours!

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UN-AWAKENED"

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/ (a work in progress)

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

ME GOT-UM WIFE STRONG LIKE BULL!!

CONE FLOWERS....ECHINACEA

First thing I did this morning after turning on the computer was to check my status.  No, not my online status, my personal status for the coming day.  Was I feeling tired & were my energy levels up to par?  Had I had a good night's sleep?  Checked with my patience department to see if I had any reserves built up.  Was I feeling grumpy or did I have a mad on about anything?  Stress levels appeared normal & I was well into my first cup of coffee for the day.  As I carefully went down my checklist I could see it looked like all systems were go for launch.  Double checked my list again, hesitated, & then hit the 'Download Now' button.

MANAGED TO GRAB TONIGHT'S PICS IN THE FLOWER BED JUST BEFORE THE SUN WENT DOWN

As expected, the Live Writer Beta download fizzled, popped, & died right there on the launch pad after throwing an 'error' message at me right off the bat. (wisetup-webc.exe is not a valid Win32 application) Tried several more times with 'Run' 'Save' etc. etc. but no go......same error!!  Rechecked my personal status checklist & saw that all my green check marks from moments before had now turned red so that was the end of that for the new Live Writer on my older Toshiba this morning.  To fight with it any further would only turn the rest of my day into mush & put me in an even more foul mood than I am right now about this!!!!!!!!!  And yet, I had a feeling the download was going to fail.  As much as I love Live Writer it has not been problem free for me like it has been for everyone else I know.  Welcome to Al's perfectly normal world of, technical mahehm, chaos, woes:((

Sunday night's storm swept all the humidity out of the air & we have cooled off very nicely here in southwestern Ontario.  Heading into work Monday morning with no top on the Jeep I actually had the side windows rolled up & the heater going.  Should have thought to throw a jacket on.  Looks like a rainy week ahead so had better make a special effort to get the roof on the Jeep for sure now.

A few days ago I had a photo in the blog entitled 'Duck Weed Swamp.'  KAREN IN THE WOODS commented on that one wondering, "WHAT are the three purple things growing outta the green ground?"  Those are actually 3 full grown ?? tree trunks coming up out of the duck weed topped water.  The trees heavy canopy of leaves allow in only a few swatches of sunlight & that gives the photo it's mysterious look.  Took that picture with my 700mm telescope lens & made a lucky guess at the exposure.   At the time I was standing on a gravel road that cut through the swamp which had heavy vegetation growth & mosquito infested swamp water on both sides.  No Gators, Crocs, 40 foot snakes or soupy razor backed lizards....this is Canada, remember!!

Turned out to be one of those sputtering puttering days again.  About the only thing I remember doing was painting the steel frame on the utility trailer.  Guess all the other stuff I did was so totally un-exciting it just numbed my brain.  Oh yes, & about 6 o'clock tonight Kelly & I with a bit of wiggling & struggling, managed to hoist the heavy Jeep hard top up off the saw horses & & successfully maneuver it into place on the Jeep.  Clipped the windshield clamps down & snugged the back section up with it's 6 bolts.  I found the fiberglass top heavy to lift but Kelly just picked up her side like it was made of tissue paper.  In all the moving we've done over the years it has mainly been Kelly & I doing all the heavy lifting.  She may be as strong as a bull but she sure doesn't look like one!!  Yesireeeee, it's mighty darn handy having a strong woman around the house.  And a darn smart one too....:))

A post in GYPSY'S BLOG last week started me off thinking about the added stress to one's life that can be brought on by the RV lifestyle whether it be fulltime, snow birding or week-ending.  RV maintenance costs, insurances, breakdowns, road stress, insecurities on the road, unknowns, time factors, schedules, etc. etc.  It is a long list & it is a stressful list!!  Sometimes when I'm stretched out here in my way too comfortable recliner with the soft sounds of ambient music wafting out of the stereo speakers & a warm summer breeze whispering in the quiet sounds of our many forest bird's I think to myself, why am I not content enough to just stay here peacefully stretched out in my recliner forever.  Scale everything down.  Sell the Motor Home & pack in the RV lifestyle.  Sell the bike, get rid of one of the cars, get back to one camera, one computer, one television, dump all those expensive cable TV programs & channels we never watch.  Throw out the half dozen radios I've got scattered everywhere.  Eliminate the VCR's, DVD players, cell phones, & all the other electronic wizmo's & mechanical gizmos' that most days drive me bonkers in some way or the other.  Why can't I just be content to eek out the days doing nothing except enjoying my music, eating my peanut butter sandwiches, & feeling relieved each day not to have the added stress of having too much darn stuff around.  I don't have an answer to any of those questions.  Never have & probably never will have.  It's just an unsettled part of my personality that is unlikely to ever resolve itself.  Well, at least I hope it doesn't resolve itself for a few years yet anyway......10-4!!

GROANER'S CORNER

Ray, an RVer from Omaha, travels in his Motor Home with a talkative but foul-mouthed parrot. One day in a campground near Gila Bend, Arizona, the bird's swearing got to be too much so Ray grabbed it by the throat and yelled "Stop it!" But only minutes later, the bird was swearing again.  The next day, the bird yelled so loudly that the couple next door in a big fifth wheel stopped by to demand its silence. Desperate, Ray locked the bird in a kitchen cabinet but it didn't help & the bird kept right on swearing. The next day, the bird was even worse so as a last resort Ray tossed it into his spacious Dometic freezer. After five minutes, all was quiet. Worried the bird might be freezing, Ray took it out. "I'm sorry," confessed the suddenly polite bird. "I promise to never swear again."
Ray was astonished. He couldn't understand the change in attitude.
"By the way," asked the parrot, "what did the chicken do?"

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UN-AWAKENED"

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/ (a work in progress)

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

OVERNIGHT STORM KNOCKED OUT OUR ELECTRICITY FOR 11 HOURS

IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY, YOU CAN SEE THIS FARMER IS A FELLOW RV PERSON:))  (Motor Home by the grain silos)

A severe band of thunderstorms & heavy rain ripped through our area around midnight Sunday & lit the sky with continuous lightning for about 10 minutes.  It took out our electricity about 12:15a.m. & many parts of our area including us were blacked out well into the late hours of Monday morning.  It's late afternoon on Monday now & our electricity has been off & on this afternoon with big trucks out front on the road working on high voltage boxes & power lines.  One load explosion sound hours ago & lesser cracks like rifle shots awhile ago so whatever the electricity boys are doing out there it sounds like they are earning their dollars today.

              

Closely checked the real time computer weather for our immediate area before leaving the house this morning & made the decision to go topless.  Parked the roofless Jeep in Clinton & picked up the Town & Country mini-van.  Had folks to pick up over in Grand Bend about a half hours drive away on the shores of Lake Huron.   While dropping off people here & there on their shopping excursions & errands I kept a very nervous eye on the foreboding heavy gray clouds loaded with moisture coming in across the lake & heading inland.....to where our topless little Jeep was also keeping a nervous head light on the very same darkened sky as well!!  In the end, the weather people were correct & the clouds held their moisture & finally began to dissipate in the early afternoon.  Upon arriving back at the Jeep I was happy to find all was dry & there was no need to unpack my scuba suit for a splishy splashy drive home. 

MIGHT BE A LITTLE TOO WET TODAY FOR TAKING OFF ANY MORE WHEAT

Many times in the past I have blogged about the huge decisions that arise with RV folks at some point in their week-end camping, snow birding, or full timing lifestyles.  We began making RV decisions as far back as the late 90's when we bought a 1970 17 Foot Dodge Centurion Class C.  Several more RV's brought us up to a point in late 2006 when we invested major money in a truck & fifth wheel followed shortly thereafter by an even bigger decision to buy a Motor Home.  It was a risky decision but we figured it would be the only opportunity for us to live a preferred lifestyle at a time when we were both able to physically & mentally do so.  It is a decision we have not regretted.  Today, I was reminded once again why it is important to get out there & do things while you still can.

YOU CAN SEE WHY I KEPT A NERVOUS EYE ON THE SKY THIS MORNING

Talked to an elderly fellow who gets around now with the aid of a walker.  Lives in a small apartment by himself because his wife is in a nearby facility suffering from Alzheimer's.  Said she doesn't know him anymore but he's thankful for the many years they had together & for the lifestyle they chose to live at an early age.  With his early retirement at 45 they spent many wonderful years traveling the North American countryside in their truck & Prowler 5th wheel trailer.  He talked about one trip taking them over 50,000 miles & as far north as Alaska.  Trips to Arizona & Florida & countless points in between.  Wonderful times together sharing & building countless traveling memories, secure in the knowledge they had made the right decision for themselves all those many years ago.  For one of them the memories are gone now, but for the other, they live on in a mind that had the courage to try something years ago that wasn't even fashionable at the time.  The clock is ticking or all of us, so work hard on your dreams & do what you think it is that seems right for you.  Remember...."The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now."

TOOK TODAY'S PICS ON MY WAY TO GRAND BEND THIS MORNING (road at left is the Babylon Line)

GROANER'S CORNER:((   A couple of elderly RV'ers who'd recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary were sitting on the sofa in their Airstream motor home, when the wife said, "Dear, do you remember how you used to sit close to me?" He moved over and sat close to her.
"Dear," she continued, "do you remember how you used to hold me tight?" He reached over and held her tight.
"And," she went on, "do you remember how you used to hug me and kiss me and nibble on my ear?" With that, her husband got up and started to walk toward the rear of the Motor Home.  "Where are you going?" she asked. "Well," answered the husband, "I have to go get my teeth now."

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/ (a work in progress)

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

OUTRUNNING A FEW RAINDROPS TODAY

Finally, a break from the humidity.  Cloudy skies this morning so it's also a break from the hot piercing sun.  A very welcome change indeed.  Checked the computer weather map & it looks like some rain headed our way maybe overnight & clearing by morning.

AL'S ON THE HUNT FOR BIRD'S AGAIN

We decided not to put the roof on the Jeep this morning because the weather is looking ok for Monday now.  I have to work tomorrow so didn't want to drive to Clinton & leave the open Jeep parked outside for 5 or 6 hours when not sure about the weather.  If one of those gully swamping rain fronts came in across the lake it would fill the Jeep full of water in no time & I would have to put on a scuba suit just to drive the Jeep home.  And, if my legs were any shorter I would have had to use a snorkel as well!!

 

DUCK WEED SWAMP

Kelly's working today so with an eye to the sky I Jeeped myself down to Mitchell to visit my Uncle Harry for a couple of hours.  I debated whether to take the bike or the Jeep but figured if I was going to get caught in some rain it would be better to have a Jeep with no roof rather than a motorcycle with no roof.  Harry's doing pretty good & we watched some golf for a couple hours.  When I left, it was sprinkling rain but the further west I traveled the less sprinkles came down & I was fine.  Didn't even get my hair wet. 

I WOULD TELL YOU THIS IS A FULL GROWN MALE DWARF BALD EAGLE BUT JUDY & EMMA WOULD BE RIGHT ON MY CASE:))

The Jeep did teach me another lesson today though.  I like traveling the gravel country roads & in a 'normal' vehicle with 'normal' suspension a series of pot holes doesn't present a problem but with a short wheel based vehicle & a tight suspension it is a whole different story.  I didn't see the potholes until I was into them & in a split second I was nearly airborne, inverted, & headed off north to Alaska.  Regained control in the second split second & slowed down.  Lesson learned......no likkity split driving on bumpy country roads with a Jeep TJ....No Sireeeeeee!!

DODGING A FEW RAINDROPS ON THE WAY HOME TODAY

A year ago this week-end was the Ford Thunderbird car show here in Bayfield.  I was reminded of that today when I saw a couple of T-Birds on the road.  You can see my photos of last year's Birds here... THUNDERBIRD

And it was a year ago last week-end that I took a bunch of Corvette photos at the same place.  Clan Gregor Square, Bayfield.  Check out ...CORVETTE

MY SON SEAN & I LAST SUMMER (I'm the shorter guy:))

Randy, from THE ROAD RUNNER CHRONICLES is staying in a beautiful area about 3 or 4 hours north of where we live here in Bayfield.  He recently toured the Cypress Lake area in the Bruce Peninsula National Park.  The Georgian Bay shoreline is beautiful along there with it's high cliffs, inlets, crystal clear water,  grottos, caves, forests & large rock formations.  We have camped at Cypress Lake several times & one time when up there on a photo shoot with some fellow Fanshaw College photo students years ago I had a bear encounter.  No bear pics but I did get pics of 2 shredded tents.  I did do a blog about the 2 bears brushing up against my Class B van in the night but can't locate the blog.....not even with my own search bar:((   Back in those days there was no such thing as digital photography so all my photos were done on 35mm slide film & yes I have about 47 ka-zillion million slides stored in carousel's scattered around here.  Can't show you any pics from that great scenic area but Randy can, so be sure to check out his site for a look at the Georgian Bay shoreline.

I THINK AN ASTEROID PLUMMETED INTO THE POND BESIDE ME THIS MORNING

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A friend is someone who thinks you are a good egg even though you are slightly cracked.  And, last week engineer's Bubba and Ray were standing at the base of a flagpole, looking up.  A woman walked by and asked what they were doing. 'We're supposed to find the height of the flagpole,' said Bubba, 'but we don't have a ladder.'  The woman took a wrench from her purse, loosened a few bolts, and laid the pole down.  Then she took a tape measure from her pocket, took a measurement & announced, 'Eighteen feet, six inches,' and walked away.  Ray shook his head and laughed.  'Ain't that just like a woman!  We ask for the height and she gives us the length!' 

Bubba and Ray are currently doing government work supervising some major projects in Washington.

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/ (a work in progress)

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

ANOTHER TOUGH HUMIDITY DAY

 

A RAINBOW OF STONES

Today has basically been a repeat performance of Friday except I think the humidity is even heavier today.  Had a list of things I hoped to accomplish this morning & got off to an OK start but it didn't take long for me to run into the usual long list of snags.  At one point I had to drive over to Jeepster Pete's place & get him to show me how to totally remove the Jeep's soft top.  Decided this morning I absolutely do not have the patience to continually fight with that stretching, pulling, & grunting soft top roof getting it up or down.  Kelly & I are going to try lifting the hard top roof back on the Jeep in the morning.  The hard top is just sooooo much more practical & AL friendly.

SHOVELED A WHOLE WHEELBARROW LOAD OF MUD & PINE NEEDLES OUT FROM UNDER THE TRAILER'S SUB FLOOR

By the time I got to the computer Friday night my interest & enthusiasm for writing the blog was about zero.  Maybe it was the humidity, maybe it's the doldrums of summer, or maybe it was just the other 146 things I had on my mind.  I think it may have been the first time since I started blogging in the fall of 07 that I didn't feel up to the day's blog challenge.  Instead, I just wrote a couple of short paragraphs, pushed myself away from the computer, rounded up Max & Checkers & took the guys for a ride in the Jeep with the top down.  It's been a long time since I have done something different after supper & the guys loved it.  With the wind blowing their fur backwards we buzzed around a few country roads with their favorite Rin Tin Tin CD blaring in the player.   It was nice to see how much they enjoyed riding in the open air Jeep & boppin to the tunes.  Later last night around 10 I slipped out into the 80F air for another a drive by myself.  Can't even remember the last time I sat behind a steering wheel & was able to look up & see the moon & stars.  It felt great just to be doing something different for a change & it was a beautiful night for a drive.  I have always loved being outside at night & it seems these last couple of years I have hardly been out at all.  My astronomy interests have slipped & I now find myself having trouble remembering a once very familiar night sky.

  Hey Dad, Checkers is pulling my tail!!

     Ummm, don't ya think we're going a little fast there big Guy!!

We are creatures of habit & sometimes those habits need to be shaken up or life can become very humdrum & mundane leading to a debilitating case of.......Ho-Hum!!  I am a believer in the saying, 'a change is as good as a rest.'  Desire for change is the driving force behind RVing's hitch itch fever.  I have always been at my best when the winds of change are blowing.  When the mind is alive with thought.  When the mind is alive with planning & when the mind is alive with excitement. 

AWWWWW NUTS!!!!  I SURE MESSED UP ON THE COLOR FOR THIS WOODEN BOX THAT WILL GO IN THE BACK OF THE JEEP.  WANTED IT TO MATCH THE JEEP BUT I AM NO WHERE EVEN CLOSE.  NOW THE TRAILER SIDES WILL HAVE TO BE THIS COLOR TOO CAUSE I GOT A WHOLE GALLON OF THIS PECAN PIE COLOR:((

There has been a fair bit of talk in the blogs lately about 'comments.'  Sometimes a blogger will see an upswing in comments & then the comments may fade again.  Doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for the most part.  Carefully written & entertaining posts can garner few comments while hastily thrown together one's are sometimes very popular. However, I do think if a blogger takes the time to consistently leave comments on a lot of other people's blogs he/she of course will see a marked upswing in visitor's comments to their own site.  That is a perfectly fine & totally logical way to attract visitors to your site & I wished I had the friendly type caring personality to do that.   Personally, I don't comment on every blog I read.  That doesn't mean the blog I'm reading isn't interesting, informative, or entertaining.  It could be all those three things in spades but for me to comment on Grands, food, basket weaving, quilting, cooking, horseshoe tournaments, family rebellions, fishing, sports, or somebody's tour of a stamp collection museum just isn't me & I can't do that.  As I said, wished I could but it just isn't in my personality to do that.  (well ok, sometimes I do) But, when I do leave a comment on somebody's blog I try not to make it a generic comment.  Some days it's hard to pull a comment out of myself about anything but when reading blogs I look for something a little different & try to put my own personal & creative spin on it.  Sometimes serious, sometimes humorous & sometimes helpful.  I can't call a photo 'great' if I don't think it is.  I can't tell you how wonderful your new hat looks if I don't feel that way about it.  Maybe it's the coolest hat in the country but I can't fudge my opinion. 

RED WINGED BLACK BIRD

I'm glad the 'comment' topic came up because it has been on my mind for a long time now & when I saw WANDERING WILLY express his thoughts a couple days ago about 'blog commenting' I knew I wasn't the only one with a differing opinion on the subject.

Now, one last thing about comments, just in case I haven't dug myself in deep enough yet..................I came across a comment in another's blogger's post Thursday that has me a bit puzzled.  The comment left in a fellow blogger's comment box said, " We blog when it comes to us. It makes it more interesting. Freely flowing thoughts are so much more creative than sitting there trying to come up with something to write about." Ummmm, is this person saying they feel their blog is more interesting & creative than other bloggers simply because they don't write it every day therefore making it....... free flowing.  This person says "their thoughts are so much more creative."  "We blog when it comes to us because it makes it more interesting!!"  Well, there is a lot I could say about this but I'm just not going to go there.  Maybe I have missed the point somewhere or am not understanding correctly what this blogger is really saying.  Or maybe it's just one of those mountain/molehill thingys.  Or maybe it just doesn't matter!!

 

So now, let me blow myself out of my own water by telling you that the person who left the above comment on a friends blog happens to have well over 400 Followers.  They have obviously hit upon a winning blog formula so what do I know & who am I to suggest they do or don't know what they are talking about.

Now I'm going to go take the guys for another spin in the Jeep.................10-4:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Got a tongue twister for you tonight.......

Through three cheese trees three free fleas flew.
While these fleas flew, freezy breeze blew.
Freezy breeze made these three trees freeze.
Freezy trees made these trees' cheese freeze.
And that's what made these three free fleas sneeze.

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/ (a work in progress)

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