SCURRYING AROUND LIKE A MOUSE IN A MAZE

SOMEWHERE IN THIS AUTUMN JUNGLE IS OUR HOUSE

Well, it's going to be a short blog so I'll throw in a longer Groaner at the end.  Spent the majority of my day in the mobility van scurrying around like a little mouse in a maze.  My travels took me in & around the town of Exeter Ontario today.  Aside from accidentally stepping on a man's long oxygen hose while wheeling him out of a local hospital & pulling the tube out of his nose, my day went pretty well.  It was late afternoon by the time I got home & I had to turn right around & head for Clinton Ontario to attend the annual driver's meeting for the company I drive for.  It's 9 P.M. now & I have just got home.

 

COULD THIS GRASSY SOUTHERN ONTARIO HILLSIDE BE THE LONG LOST RESTING PLACE OF....NOAH'S ARK??

Only thing I managed to get written today was early this morning & it was about Kelly's Daughter.

ONLY INHABITANTS AT THE BEACH WEDNESDAY WERE THESE CANADA GEESE

Kelly’s youngest daughter Rebecca lives in the tiny country of Andorra & this week she made it onto CNN’s iReport with an article sent in about Andorra.  You can read about Rebecca’s article here at CNN iREPORT Rebecca has spent time in Japan, India, Spain & England and her Andorra articles are here..... BECCAFLO  Kelly also has 2 twin daughters & two Son’s.  I have a Jeep.

GROANER'S CORNER:(  And for anyone who thinks the English language is easy to learn, check this out.......... 

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce .
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present
8) A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row ...
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
19) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
20) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?
Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant, nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins weren't invented in England or French fries in France .. Sweetmeats are candies while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.
And why is it that writers write but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth, beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So one moose, 2 meese? One index, 2 indices? Doesn't it seem crazy that you can make amends but not one amend? If you have a bunch of odds and ends and get rid of all but one of them, what do you call it?
If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? Sometimes I think all the English speakers should be committed to an asylum for the verbally insane. In what language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?

How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which, an alarm goes off by going on.
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of the human race, which, of course, is not a race at all. That is why, when the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

 
PS. - Why doesn't 'Buick' rhyme with 'quick' ?
You lovers of the English language might enjoy this ..
There is a two-letter word that perhaps has more meanings than any other two-letter word, and that is 'UP.'
It's easy to understand UP, meaning toward the sky or at the top of the list, but when we awaken in the morning, why do we wake UP ? At a meeting, why does a topic come UP ? Why do we speak UP and why are the officers UP for election and why is it UP to the secretary to write UP a report ?
We call UP our friends. And we use it to brighten UP a room, polish UP the silver; we warm UP the leftovers and clean UP the kitchen. We lock UP the house and some guys fix UP the old car. At other times the little word has real special meaning. People stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite, and think UP excuses. To be dressed is one thing, but to be dressed UP is special.
And this UP is confusing: A drain must be opened UP because it is stopped UP. We open UP a store in the morning but we close it UP at night.
We seem to be pretty mixed UP about UP ! To be knowledgeable about the proper uses of UP, look the word UP in the dictionary. In a desk-sized dictionary, it takes UP almost 1/4th of the page and can add UP to about thirty definitions. If you are UP to it, you might try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will take UP a lot of your time, but if you don't give UP, you may wind UP with a hundred or more. When it threatens to rain, we say it is clouding UP ... When the sun comes out we say it is clearing UP...
When it rains, it wets the earth and often messes things UP.
When it doesn't rain for awhile, things dry UP.
One could go on and on, but I'll wrap it UP, for now my time is UP, so........it is time to shut UP!

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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/

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

A GRAY DAY LEADS ME TO A WALK ON THE BEACH

GRAND BEND MARINA

Morning's graying sky & cooler air whispered an early warning through the pine trees.  Soon the warmer orange & gold early October days will give way to the encroaching stormy & colder Witches of November.  Wind & rain will strip the trees of their leaves leaving them stark & barren.  A gloomy foreboding grayness will settle over the land & the great & heavy white trodden boots of Old Man Winter will soon come marching themselves across the countryside.

The mobility van kept me busy this morning in & around the towns of Exeter & Grand Bend.  Even managed to have myself a short walk on a now deserted teen beach.  The bikinis are all long gone as are the Volleyball players, couples strolling hand & hand along the boardwalk & the kids with their sand shovels & shrieks of beach delight.

Not all the people I transport with the mobility van are elderly folks & it always hits home for me when I'm helping someone my own age or younger.  Whether it be stroke victims, car accident injuries, or those born with physical difficulties, it is always a stark reminder for me how lucky I am to still have all my faculties. (I'm sure some of you would argue with that:)  At any time, that could be me or any one of us, confined to a wheelchair just like the people I transport.  When I drove a mobility school bus years ago & Kelly was the aide on the bus it always made me think about the fairness of life.  One of the small children on our bus was blind, another small boy was twisted & bent so badly he would never be free of his wheelchair.  Others had mental difficulties.  These little people never had a chance right from day one.  It was a bus of broken children.

Tomorrow is another fairly full day on the road & once again I look forward to being out & about.  Maybe, with a bit of luck, I might get put a wee smile on somebody's face:)) 

And just a reminder that photos from all our RV travels plus photos from our summers at home can be found at our Picasa Web Album site which is located here...PICASA WEB ALBUMS.  Bryce, Zion & The Grand Canyon,  City of Rocks State Park NM, Ghost Towns, Canyon Hikes, California Boondocking, Borrego Springs, Quartzsite, etc. etc. etc.  Lots of photos of lots of places travelled.  I also have another photo site at SMUG MUG.  Because of the countless thousands of photos I have it has been extremely difficult for me to get them all organized but every once & awhile I go back to my Smug Mug site & try to render some semblance of order out of everything.  For any RV’ers with a camera just starting the lifestyle whether it be Snow Birding or Fulltiming, I strongly suggest right from the beginning you come up with some sort of organization system for all the photos you are about to gather otherwise you will quickly become overwhelmed.  If you are a daily camera person like me, once you fall behind it is almost impossible to get yourself caught up again.  Had I been set up & organized from day one I would not have the huge photo disorganization that I now have!!  Oh well, it's not like I ever go back & really look at any of the photos anyway.  Guess it's just knowing the pics are there if I ever have a need to reference them. 

AND, JUST TO FINISH THE GRAY DAY OFF WITH A TOUCH OF COLOR......(we live a few hundred yards in from those trees on the left)

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A Special Poem For Older Folks....author unknown. 

SPECIAL POEM FOR OLDER FOLKS
A row of bottles on my shelf
Caused me to analyze myself.
One yellow pill I have to pop
Goes to my heart so it won't stop.�
A little white one that I take
Goes to my hands so they won't shake.
The blue ones that I use a lot
Tell me I'm happy when I'm not.
The purple pill goes to my brain
And tells me that I have no pain.�
The capsules tell me not to wheeze
Or cough or choke or even sneeze..
The red ones, smallest of them all
Go to my blood so I won't fall.
The orange ones, very big and bright
Prevent my leg cramps in the night.�
Such an array of brilliant pills
Helping to cure all kinds of ills.
But what I'd really like to know...........
Is what tells each one where to go!

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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/

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

GOT THE RIGHT DAY:)) BUT GOT THE WRONG TIME:((

The great State of Pennsylvania has Punxsutawney Phil & we have Wiarton Willy right here in Ontario. These guys give us an indication of spring weather every February 2nd, but British Columbia has it's own Autumn Prognosticator. (a forecaster: someone who makes predictions of the future (usually on the basis of special knowledge)  WANDERING WILLY has just come out of hibernation, did not see his shadow, has predicted an early winter & is scurrying about making travel plans to head south.  And, Ivan from ROADTRIP 2010 is already on the move & dropped in a few days ago to help Wandering Willy shake some of that hibernation dust off himself.

Worked this morning but had the afternoon off for a Doctor's appointment.  Well, that was the plan anyway.  I had the right day but I had the wrong time.   I thought it was a 2 o'clock appointment but it was at 10:30 this morning so I totally missed it.  They rebooked me for November 2nd with a stern wrap on the knuckles & a 'be there or be square' warning.

I'm sure we have all asked the question, What’s Cheaper: Living in a House or on the Road?  Check out Rene & Jim's blog at LIVE-WORK-DREAM for an expense analysis.

And, if you haven't heard, RICK & PAULETTE have just bought themselves a spanking brand new 5th wheel.  Check out the details & I think they are hoping to take delivery of it this Thursday.

Excitement is also building right now in Sacramento, California.  GYPSY is well on her way to tracking down a Lance truck camper for her pick-up truck.  Sold her big 5th wheel finally so things are once again on the up & up:))

SAM is scrambling around by himself for a month in Pennsylvania I think, & it looks like the folks at RV LIFE ON WHEELS are hitting the road Thursday for the great American Southwest.  JERRY & SUZY are already there, but then again......they just happen to live there.  But, they are on the move as well with their rig, & just spent a night at RUSTY'S RV RANCH in New Mexico.  They are now probably at an Escapee rally in Columbus NM.  We spent a few days at Rusty's at the beginning of last November.  And let's not forget RETIRED ROD who is now home from the hospital but has already got himself suspended!!  Well, sort of:))

RV travel excitement is building right here at home as well & tonight after supper I almost carried a pair of socks out to the rig....................10-4!!

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And here are some laws of the natural Universe..........

Law of the Workshop:
Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.

Law of Probability:
If you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal.

Law of the Bath:
When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.

Law of Close Encounters:
The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are either with someone you don't want to be seen with, or you are looking your worst.

Law of the Result:
When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.

Law of the Theatre:
At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.

Law of Rugs/Carpets:
The chances of an open-faced jam sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

Law of Middle Management:
Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.

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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/

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

ANSWERING SOME BOONDOCKING QUESTIONS

A BEN MILLER INN GUESTHOUSE

Our Autumn colors are peaking now & the forests are ablaze with color as I spent another work day cruising through the  beautiful pastel countryside.  One of the things that make my job pleasant is a radio station out of Toronto called, AM-740.  You can still hear Big Band music on this station (Big Band Sunday Night) & all their music is of a lighter nature & familiar to all us older folks.  A very laid back format with mature announcers.  They also play old radio programs from the bygone era.   If your looking for music from the good old days you can find AM 740 right here on the Internet:)) 

I am going to shift my blog focus away from the blogging world & get it back on track to the RVing world which is why & where I originally started this blog years ago. 

FIERY AUTUMN REFLECTIONS

I have recently received some RVing questions about one of my favorite topics, Boon docking.  First, an explanation of Boondocking & for that I refer you to this short explanation here...WHAT IS BOON DOCKING?? 

JUDY wondered what the above thing was in the reflected water & I must say I don't know. If you enlarge the pictures below & look just above center to the right in the left pic you can see a small object in the water & that is the above flower pot thingy.  I took the reflected pic above from just beside that building on the left at 230mm.  It is about dead center in the pic at right which I took from a bridge.  Yesterday's first pic was taken at 300mm.

          

Ok, back to the questions.  Had an email this morning from some folks out in BC asking the following questions..............

We just read your post from yesterday and we were talking with regards to your Boondocking expeditions and the beautiful night sky that you get to enjoy...we have a few questions for you though...we know you have solar panels for your power issues...but our questions are

1. what do you do about internet service?  - For internet service we use a Verizon air card & it has served us very well.  When I'm driving Kelly can be on the internet too.  That's pretty darn nice.  Have been very pleased with the total overall coverage.

2. how long does your fresh water last?  - We take on a full tank of fresh water every time we dump our gray & black water tanks but we also carry half a dozen plastic water jugs that we can fill at any time between bigger fill ups.  We generally only use the rigs big water tank for dishes, washing, showers & the toilet.  We buy bottled water for drinking & coffee because we don't have a water filter system.  I do add a touch of bleach to the big tank's water though to keep it free of bacteria.

3. black water tank?  - On average we get about 2 weeks out of the black water tank before dumping.  I'm sure the newer & more expensive big big rigs can go longer than that because they have much bigger holding tanks than we do.  Our water tank is 6 gallons where bigger rigs are 12 I think.  Our black tank holds 60 gallons where upon the bigger rigs can hold a hundred.  Fresh water tanks are bigger on the newer rigs as well so it all depends on how big your holding tanks are.  For people interested in boon docking I would say the size of the holding tanks is a priority when purchasing a rig.

4. how long can you actually last out there in the wild blue yonder before you have to head into town and dump the tanks and refill the water?  - We could stay out boon docking indefinitely if we didn't have to dump the black water tank every couple of weeks.  Water can always be brought to the rig in jugs & transferred to the big water tank if need be & we have done that on occasion.

5.how many solar panels do you have to run all the equipment?  - We have two 130Watt??panels on the Motor Homes roof.  They can stay flat or be raised from either side to face the sun.  They store the power in 4 batteries.  We have never had a 'running out of power issue.'  If we run into a series of cloudy days we can just charge the batteries by running the generator.  Driving also charges them.  We are in the habit of running our generator for a few minutes each morning when we make coffee.  That's not totally necessary but it keeps the genny active & puts a little charge into the batteries first thing in the morning.  Arizona nights (depending on altitude) can easily drop down to & below the freezing mark at night.  Also, we are not power hogs.  No hair dryers, washers & dryers, dish washers, etc. etc.  After boon docking for a short while you will learn power needs & how to conserve power to suit your needs.  Had our Solar System installed by Solar Mike in Slab City, California 3 years ago & so far have been trouble free.  We highly recommend him.  The cost at that time was somewhere over $3000.00.  A little math will quickly tell you it is a much cheaper way to go in the long run than spending money on high priced RV Park rates every night.

6.medical costs?  - Medical costs are something we are going to have to deal with in the next couple of weeks again.  Last year I think it cost us $1,500.00.  It all depends on one's medical history.  I would say high medical insurance costs are one of the main reason for bringing an end to a lot of people's RVing days.  It cost me a little more last year again because of a kidney stone that landed me in an emergency room for a few hours in Colorado 3 years ago.  My rate should drop back down to around $700.00 this year.  There's no way of getting around medical insurance.  Those companies are in the business of making big profits & have got you coming or going....regardless!!

Another RV question we had regarded the PITA job of having to do laundry.  We don't have on board washers & dryers so it is always a trip into the nearest town for a boring couple of hours at the local Laundromat.  It was suggested we could cut down on that time by drying our clothes on a clothesline back at the rig.  Main problem there is where to string a clothesline.  Very few trees around in the desert & to get two trees the right distance apart for a clothesline is just about impossible.   We have thought of rigging a line from the Motor Home to the Toad but it just ends up not being practical.  The other problem in the Southwest of course is the sudden & unpredictable high winds.  I don't think the people of New Mexico would appreciate my underwear flying through their neighborhoods!!

YOU CAN SEE THAT OBJECT IN THE WATER ABOVE CENTER LEFT (close up's were taken from this point)

I like when folks email in RVing questions.  If they are emailed in I have a better chance of remembering to answer them.  If they come in the comment section I have a tendency to forget.

GROANER'S CORNER:((   California vintners in the Napa Valley area, which primarily produce Pinot Blanc, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Grigio wines, have developed a new hybrid grape that acts as an antidiuretic.  It is expected to reduce the number of trips older folks will have to make to the bathroom during the night.  The new wine will be marketed as, PINO MORE!!

I heard it through the grapevine:))

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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/

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

I MISS THE NIGHT SKY:((

Another bonus day as I toured around the beautiful Autumn countryside shuffling folks here & there with the mobility van.  Profusions of yellows, golds & crimsons are breaking out everywhere.   A great day & it was after dark when I got home tonight again.

ALL OF THE PHOTOS WERE TAKEN TODAY AROUND THE BEN MILLER INN.  Luckily I had to go right through Ben Miller between passenger stops & had enough time to pull over for a few pics

And it was well after dark by the time I finished my last mobility van run Saturday night as well.   I am reminded of something I have been missing so much these past few years.  The night sky!!  When we lived in the old farm house 10 years ago we had a clear view of the ebony velvet sky overhead with twinkling stars from horizon to horizon.  I would be outside with my telescope set up & my sky charts laid out illuminated by a soft red light.  I taught myself the night sky, it's stars & it's constellations.  Every night Max & I walked down the quiet country road out front of the old farm marveling at the the nocturnal beauty all around us.  Night time was by far my favorite part of the day. 

AUTUMN REFLECTIONS

We are surrounded by pine trees now & it's rare for me to see the night sky anymore unless it's a small patch through the trees.  Saturday night, driving through the countryside I was once again reminded of a favorite part of my life I have been missing.  A glance out my side window showed me my old summer night constellation friends, Sagittarius & Scorpios, in all their starry beauty.  I would sooooooo much like to be living back out in the country again but I'm afraid it's probably not going to happen.  Things are just getting to late now.  

It is only while we are traveling 5 months of the year that I get to see & spend some time under nature's big dark canopy.  It's one of the many things I love so much about the American southwest with it's wide open spaces & diamond studded night skies.  And it's another reason I prefer to be well away from all sources of light pollution.  Towns, cities, campgrounds & RV Parks all have street lights, spot lights, security lights, headlights, etc.  Did you know there are people living in cities who have never seen the majesty of the night sky.  It's true. 

 

A cool desert night with millions of pin point stars shimmering overhead for as far as the eye can see, glowing embers in a campfire with the lonely wails of coyotes in the nearby hills is not most people's cup of tea, but it sure is mine.

Back here in Ontario I could get in the car each night & drive a few miles to resume my stargazing but it just isn't the same.  A car parked alongside a gravel road with a guy standing outside with his nose stuck up in the air with stars in his eyes always draws suspicion from passing cars & not only that, but vehicles with blazing headlights destroy the ambience of a beautiful darkened & serene world that most people never see or even take an interest in.  The beauty of the night is a whole different world altogether & I miss it sooooooo much.

GROANER'S CORNER:((   The American President was in the Oval Office when his telephone rang.  "Hallo, Mr. President " a heavily accented voice said. This is Archie, up'ere at the Harp Seal Pub in Badger's Cove, Newfoundland, Canada eh?  I am callin' to tells ya dat we are officially declaring war on you eh!"  "Well Archie," The President replied, "This is indeed important news! How big is your army?"  "Right now," said Archie, after a moments calculation "there is me, me cousin Harold, me next-door-neighbor Mick, and the whole dart team from the pub. That makes eight!" 
The President paused. "I must tell you Archie, that I have one million men in my army waiting to move on my command."  "Holy jeez," said Archie. "I'll have ta call ya back!"
Sure enough, the next day, Archie called again. "Mr. President, the war is still on! We have managed to acquire some infantry equipment!"  "And what equipment would that be Archie?", the President asked. "Well sir, we have two combines, a bulldozer, and Harry's farm tractor."  The President sighed. "I must tell you Archie, that I have 16,000 tanks and 14,000 armoured personnel carriers. Also, I've increased my army to one and a half million since we last spoke."
"Lard T'underin' Jaysus, bye", said Archie, "I'll be getting back to ya"  Sure enough, Archie rang again the next day. "Mr. President, the war is still on! We have managed to git ourselves airborne! We up an' modified Harrigan's ultra-light wit a couple of shotguns in the cockpit, and four byes from the Legion have joined us as well!" 
The President was silent for a minute then cleared his throat. "I must tell you Archie that I have 10,000 bombers and 20,000 fighter planes. My military complex is surrounded by laser-guided, surface-to-air missile sites. And since we last spoke, I've increased my army to TWO MILLION!"  "Jeysus, Mary and Joseph," said Archie,"I'll have ta call youse back."  Sure enough, Archie called again the next day. "Mr President! I am sorry to have to tell you dat we have had to call off dis 'ere war."  "I'm sorry to hear that" said the American President. "Why the sudden change of heart?"
"Well, sir," said Archie, "we've all sat ourselves down and had a long chat over a bunch of pints, and come to realize dat dere's no way we can feed two million prisoners."

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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/

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

A BUSY WORKING DAY

It is the sounds of Spring I hear on my morning walks now.  Dozens, maybe hundreds of Robins are massing in a section of woods along the trail.  I have seen this before & am sure they are gathering to soon make the long journey south.  Crows & Blue Jays have been vocal & high overhead the whirring wings & honking calls of Canada Geese are forming up flight patterns for their journey south as well.  It is the time of Snow Birds:))

It has been a very busy working afternoon as I transported elderly folks with the mobility van to friends & families homes for Thanksgiving celebrations.  I'm home now for a couple hours & then it's off again to pick the folks up & return them to their respective residences.  I will be too tired to wrestle a blog out of myself by the time I get home later tonight so I'll just do the blog now before supper.  Another busy day tomorrow.

It's best I don't write blogs when I'm tired anyway because as you may have noticed, I can get a little cranky with my keyboard.....:((

Would like to welcome 2 new blog supporters.  Welcome to CRUSIN2SOME along with JOHN & AILEEN.  Appreciate your support folks.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Six retired Floridians were playing poker in the condo clubhouse when Meyerwitz loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest, and
drops dead at the table.  Showing respect for their fallen comrade, the other five continue
playing standing up.   Finklestien looks around and asks, "So, who's gonna tell his wife?"  They cut the cards. Goldberg picks the two of clubs and has to carry
the news.  They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, don't make a bad situation any worse.
"Discreet? I'm the most discreet person you'll ever meet. Discretion is my middle name. Leave it to me." Goldberg goes over to the Meyerwitz apartment and knocks on the door.
The wife answers thru the door and asks what he wants?  Goldberg declares: "Your husband just lost $500 in a poker game
and is afraid to come home."  "Tell him to drop dead!" yells the wife.  "OK, I'll go tell him." says Goldberg.................................

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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/

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

THE FALL HARVEST IS IN FULL SWING

Boy, it's sure hard to not start the post off sounding like a weather report all the time when we're having such great Autumn days, so I won't tell you about the sunshine & warm temps.  I won't tell you about the clear crisp starry night's & the profusion of color breaking out along our bush lines in the countryside now.  Nope, not going to tell ya about any of that at all!!

I was busy with the mobility van today bustling around the town of Goderich here & there.  Tomorrow is another busy day as well as Sunday & Monday.  And, it looks like I'm going to be busy all next week filling in for a driver taking some holidays in a nearby town.  Suits me just fine because I'm happy to be busy doing something useful.

THIS CORN IS READY TO BE HARVESTED

Didn't have any photos for today's blog but managed to grab a few on my home from work.  Farmers are busy harvesting the bean crop right now & a few have started on the corn.  Driving through the countryside, swirls of dust are visible in the fields as the big combines make their way across the dry landscape.  Perfect weather for the farming community.

DRY DUSTY FIELDS ARE MUCH FRIENDLIER THAN MUDDY RAIN SOAKED FIELDS!!

It's not easy making the decision to buy an RV whether it be for week-end only use, Snow Birding to warmer climates in the south in winter or just plain living in an RV year round like the full timing folks do.  It's a huge decision that is not made lightly.  Hop on over to BRUCE & MARGIE'S FULL TIME JOURNEY & have a realistic look at what decisions like that involve.

COMPANY SPONSORED CORN TEST PLOTS

I would have to say that some of my favorite thought provoking posts have always been one's that ask questions & make people think.  A post like Margie's lays it on the line & not only looks at the positive side of things, but the realistic side as well.   I like posts that cut to the chase & talk about real RVing issues & concerns.  And I especially like it when writer's are able to wind their own personalities into the post.  For me, it just makes the reading more believable.  If not, it just ends up being a magazine article.  We can find all kinds of generic RV magazine articles anywhere but it just seems better when we know something about the writer & we can understand better what it is they are saying & why they are saying it.  Emotions add a personal touch & give the writer's post, warmth.  Not a lot of warmth in a magazine article!!

THOSE GREEN BINS ARE LOADED WITH BEANS & WILL SOON BE TRANSFERRED TO LARGE TRUCKS

Another thing I look for in a blog is originality & creativity or has the blogger overloaded their site with advertisements?   I have a tendency to slide right on by those kind.  Has the blogger loaded their site with time worn second hand slogans & sayings?  I'm sure lots of folks like that but I have to just keep on going.  I steer clear of the dancing bears & pulsing Pelican blogs & whenever I hear Willy Nelson's 'On the Road Again' blasting out of my speakers I am out of there like herd of turtles in a cloud of heifer dust.  Nothing against Willy Nelson but I prefer to listen to Willy on my own terms at my own time & that goes for all music on blogsites. 

A YOUNG FARMER HEADS IN WITH HIS MIGHTY STEED TO DO BATTLE WITH THE BEANS!!

I always like to see RV bloggers doing their own photography instead of using pics from the internet.  Again, it's more personal, more believable & adds warmth to the person behind the writing.  It makes your blog look real & not like an advertisement for Schmuckers Wonderful Sunset Cream!!  RV'ers have chosen the lifestyle for a reason, so get out there with your camera & share with the rest of us some of those wonderful reasons:))

Anyway, I don't know how I got off on all this, so rather than chasing me down, just blame Margie for writing the kind of post I like to read.  Remember, I said I like blogs that are thought provoking & that is just what Margie's blog did to me......it provoked me into some thinking again................Oh Dear!!

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A few points to ponder...

I want to die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather.  Not screaming and yelling like the passengers in his car.

If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.

Evening news is where they begin with 'Good evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.

How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire.

Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut and still think they are sexy.

The voices in my head may not be real, but they sure have some good ideas!

And Al's personal favorite......You're never too old to learn something stupid:))

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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/

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

KELLY TAKES THE MOTOR HOME FOR A SPIN

NICE AUTUMN DAY FOR ORGANIZING THE RIG

Some of you folks may remember my post a couple months ago, 'some days are diamonds & some days are stones.'  Well, I had myself a  bit of stone day on Wednesday & by the time I got to the computer I just didn't have enough creative spark left in me to pull a post out of myself.  Nothing serious, just another one of those days some of us realistic thinking people have.  I even broke my hat!!  I was so frustrated with myself.  I couldn't get the Jeep hood open no matter how hard I tried so in a fit of frustration I whipped off my hat & threw it on the ground.  No, I didn't jump on it but the metal clasp at the back of my hat did break & I ended up having to cut the useless strap off with a scissors.  Hat still fits fine but now I have to go around strapless:((  And yes, I did manage to finally get the Jeep hood open & no, nothing wrong with the Jeep......just me:((

  

BUSTED HAT & THESE ARE THE 3D GLASSES KELLY & WORE TO WATCH 'AVATAR' IN SIERRA VISTA ARIZONA LAST WINTER.  My review of that movie is here ..... AVATAR
We had a beautiful fall day going on & Kelly had some time off so figured it was a good time to acquaint her with the driver's seat in the Motor Home.  Kelly has driven school buses as long or longer than our rig so I
knew it wouldn't be much of a problem for her to drive the Motor Home.  Gas was low in the rig so we headed off for Goderich to pick up some fuel.  I am not a good passenger in anybodies vehicle regardless of who is driving so it's always a challenge for me to keep myself from screaming.  I have always
been a driver & not a co-pilot.  In fact I have habit of always hogging the steering wheel & doing all the driving.  I once had two friends physically remove me from behind the wheel of a pick truck on a Pennsylvania turnpike
because I was hogging the wheel & wouldn't let either one of them drive!!  
    
HEY LADY, THAT CELL PHONE STUFF IS ILLEGAL HERE IN ONTARIO!!!!

A couple of the roads we took today were very narrow with skinny shoulders so needless to say, I had my moments.  But Kelly did fine just as I knew she would.  We filled up the rigs propane tank & threw a hundred dollars into the gas tank.  I knew that would be enough to get us the 10 miles or so back to Bayfield:))

 
HEY, QUIT LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER BUDDY!!

I spent the rest of the fine afternoon vacuuming the rigs bins & scrubbing them out with soap & water.  Did a lot of rearranging again  & decided to get rid of a lot of stuff we've been carrying around & never seemed to use.  Would you
believe I had a bag with 33 bungee cords in it & I had enough various ropes stored away to outfit a full blown 3 master sailing ship.

 

WHAT THE HECK'S WITH ALL THOSE ROPES             
The two tires we had put on Wednesday are BFG's (BFGoodrich) & I understand BFG is a division or is owned by Michelin.  Quite a difference in tread depth between the old & new tires.  The tire guys said our back tires will be just fine for another season.  Personally, I would have liked to replace
them as well but at nearly $400 a tire it was too cost prohibitive this year.

    

           

THE OLD GOODYEAR & THE NEW BFG

 

Our Motor Home is built on a Workhorse Chassis which means it has a Chevrolet V-8, 8.1 Vortec gasoline engine coupled with an Allison transmission.  As I understand it, the Workhorse chassis is a slight step up from the more traditional Ford V-10 cylinder engines with the Vortec having more power etc.  Anyway, there has been problems with the Workhorse Chassis brakes & a huge confusing recall has been going on for the past couple of years.  Within the last month & the last couple weeks it has finally become organized to the point where we can finally get our rig into a Canadian facility & have our potential Workhorse brake problem fixed.  We have never had a problem with the brakes but apparently they can fail without warning.  Kelly phoned a Workhorse authorized dealer in Sarnia Ontario this afternoon & the wheels are in motion for me to take the rig to Sarnia in a couple weeks to get the work done.  We've been worrying about those brakes ever since we heard about the recall so it will be nice to finally get that worry behind us.  The fix is free so that is a much appreciated bonus.

THINK I'LL TAKE A DIP, OOOH WATERS TOO COLD....I'M OUGHTA HERE!! 

Welcome to blog supporter JOE64  Nice to have you aboard Joe.  I don't understand the German language but I do get the gist of your site & I did recognize photos of Ontario.

Kelly whooped up a big Thanksgiving turkey dinner tonight which was totally delicious.  We don't normally have big meals like that but my birthday today may have had something to do with it.  I generally try to keep it a low key day but it somehow squeaked out again.  A big thanks to all the Facebook folks & others for their best wishes.  Awwwww shucks..................

  SUMAC SHADOWS ON THE RIG >>>>>

 
GROANER'S CORNER:((  A man who'd just died is delivered to a local mortuary wearing an expensive, expertly tailored black suit.
The female blonde mortician asks the deceased's wife how she would like the body dressed. She points out that the man does look good in the black suit he is already wearing.  The widow, however, says that she always thought her husband looked his best in blue, and that she wants him in a blue suit. She gives the Blonde mortician a blank check and says, 'I don't care what it costs, but please have my husband in a blue suit for the viewing.'  The woman returns the next day for the wake. To her delight, she finds her husband dressed in a gorgeous blue suit with a subtle chalk stripe; the suit fits him perfectly...  She says to the mortician, 'Whatever this cost, I'm very satisfied.. You did an excellent job and I'm very grateful. How much did you spend?'
To her astonishment, the blonde mortician presents her with the blank check. 'There's no charge,' she says.  'No, really, I must compensate you for the cost of that exquisite blue suit!' she says.  'Honestly, ma'am,' the blonde says, 'it cost nothing. You see, a deceased gentleman of about your husband's size was brought in shortly after you left yesterday, and he was wearing an attractive blue suit. I asked his wife if she minded him going to his grave wearing a black suit instead, and she said it made no difference as long as he looked nice.'
'So I just switched the heads.'

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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/

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