TRAVEL WITH THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))

Monday, October 04, 2010

TRAVERSING THE MENESETUNG BRIDGE OVER THE MAITLAND RIVER

THE SHIMMERING MAITLAND RIVER OFFERS A BACKGROUND TO AUTUMN'S COLORFUL SPLENDOR

When I have to shove my hands into my pockets to keep them warm on our morning walks I know Autumn is slowly making it's way towards winter. Frost advisories will soon be in the weather forecasts & I just made a note to myself to put an ice scraper in the Jeep for scraping that early morning frost off the windshield. The season is marching on.

I AM HEADED FOR THAT RAILWAY BRIDGE IN THE BACKGROUND...I will then turn left into that forest of trees & make my way along the north shore of the Maitland River ending up at that Salt Mine complex by the lake.

IT WAS A DARK, COLORFUL FOREST

I have been aware for some time that the muscles in my legs have been getting soft from not being used or exercised this past summer so with that thought in mind I threw the cameras in the Jeep & headed off to Goderich for a hike along the Maitland River. A cool sunny morning lent itself to a fine Autumn day for photos. But, I made a classic photography error. I always carry a polarizing filter in my bag but seldom use it because I normally forget I have it. This morning, I remembered that filter & new it would be a good day to use it for color saturation. It simply screws onto the front of my lens & it was here that my absent mind made it's mistake. I forgot I already had a filter on the lens. It's standard practice to use UV (ultra violet) filters on lenses. Helps cut down on haze but more important than that, it protects the front element glass lens from scratches or being broken. Much cheaper & easier to replace a $20 filter than a three or four hundred dollar lens.

OVERHEAD, A TALL CANOPY OF TREES

By screwing my polarizing filter on top of my UV filter it extended the filters out too far. When shooting at an 18mm wide angle setting, vignetting occurs & you can see the result of that in some of today's photos. The wide angle setting actually catches the rim of the filter & that is the dark round corners you see in the photographs. Same result can happen with an ill sized lens hood as well. I should have caught the double filter error in the view finder.......but I didn't!!

FIERY SUMAC'S ALONG THE TRAIL

My hike took me across an old railroad bridge high above the Maitland River which enters into Lake Huron alongside Goderich's Sifto Salt Mine complex. The bridge has been completely refurbished & connected in with the Maitland trail on it's north side. Wooden planking has been laid down along with railings on both sides of the bridge.

From high atop the trestle one has a scenic view of a nearby golf course below, fishermen in the river to the east & the Goderich Salt Mine complex backgrounded by Lake Huron. To the south are the Church spires in the town of Goderich & to the north lay the early changing colors of Maple & Oak trees lining the river banks & rising a hundred feet up a sloping densely forested hill.

GODERICH'S SIFTO SALT MINE COMPLEX AT THE MOUTH OF THE MAITLAND RIVER

With camera's in hand I sauntered across the bridge taking a few photos & enjoying the brisk wind coming in off the lake about two thirds of a mile down river to the west. Made a left turn onto a forested trail at the north end of the bridge & headed in the direction of the lake. I was immediately aware of the comforting hard wood forest smells. Forest leaves in the Autumn have a smell all their own which is just as pleasing to the senses as the visual aspect of the colored leaves overhead.

THIS WOODEN WALK WAY IS BUILT ALONG THE RAIL BED WHERE TRAINS USED TO RUN

A LONE FISHERMAN IN THE MAITLAND RIVER

The hard packed earthen trail led through dark stands of Cedar trees, tall Oaks, Maples & Beachwood trees. Occasional glimpses of the Maitland River below to the left gave me an opportunity for a few creative photos. No people on the trail so that made for a most enjoyably quiet walk.

Upon reaching the lake I was surprised to see a complete inland Marina area for docking boats. Just hadn't been aware of boat docking facilities on that side of the river before. I just love coming across things I have never seen before.

(click pics to enlarge)

A SAFE & SNUG HARBOR FOR SMALL CRAFT

While taking some photos of landing flocks of Geese I could hear men shouting on the other side of the river at the Salt Mine complex. Couldn't figure out where the voices were coming from until I looked up along the roof line of a very large building. Workman were on some kind of platform putting on what appeared to be a vinyl or rubber roofing material on a very, very, steep roof. It was the men shouting back & forth to the ground crew I had heard. Sure takes some kind of special person to do a dangerous job like that.

LOOK CLOSELY ALONG THE ROOF LINE

NOPE, NOT MY KINDA JOB!!!!

Took me about 40 minutes to get my tired legs back to the Jeep but what a great feeling it was to be out along a new forest trail again. I am so glad the heat of summer is gone & outdoor activities are once again back in the realm of feasibility:))

SIFTO'S SALT MINE ABOVE GROUND COMPLEX.....Kelly & I were actually fortunate enough to tour this underground salt mine back in the mid 90's & it is actually bigger underground than it is above ground. This Sifto salt mine is the largest in the world.

Salt mine links...

SALT MINE LINK 1..... SALT MINE LINK 2

GROANER'S CORNER:(( And a few words about aging.............

- I'm retired....I was tired yesterday & I'm tired again today!!

- Senility aint' bad....I wrap my own Christmas presents & never watch re-runs. I can hide my own Easter eggs & I get to meet new people every day.

- I am young at heart.....& slightly older in other places.

- Goodbye tension.....hello pension!!

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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.

Sunday, October 03, 2010

BEN AND BRI...... A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL:))

A PROPOSAL OF MARRIAGE TOOK PLACE HERE SATURDAY:))

I stepped out the door this morning about 8 & stepped right back inside again. It was time to put on my warmer winter coat. I'm not one of those people who doesn't mind the cold. I do mind the cold so I generally dress myself on the warm side of doubt.

AUTUMN AT OUR HOUSE

Had some folks to pick & up & drop off with the company's mini-van & that took up the majority of the morning. Leaves are beginning to color up along the bush lines & the heavy dew on the work van's windshield suggested our first frost is not far away. Noticed the farmers are in the fields with their combines taking off the beans now. Corn will be next.

A quiet & cozy forested cottage by the lake in Autumn is truly a romantic setting. It was here at DEER PARK LODGE'S 'Hutch' on Saturday where Kelly's youngest son Ben, proposed to his girlfriend Bri. Ben & Bri have been together for over 3 years & it was nice he chose the Hutch to propose marriage on their short week-end get-away. The Hutch is where Kelly's Mom & Dad liked to stay when they came to visit us from Spencerport NY. I'm sure Ben's Grandpa Frank was there in spirit tending to the glowing embers in the fireplace.

BEN & BRI.........photo by KELLY:))

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Looks like Montana's Janna & Mike over at TIN TEE PEE/LOG CABIN got themselves a spiffy little Jeep Wrangler Sahara last week. It's going to fit right in with their new love of boondocking for sure. We had been waffling back & forth on which Jeep top to take with us this winter but I think we have pretty much settled on the hard top. After all the trouble I had this summer with trying to stretch, pull, push & finagle with the soft top it was soon apparent to me that I was never going to have the patience for all that. I think the hard top will travel better plus gives us additional added security. Too easy to slit a soft fiber top with a knife & reach in to grab a camera or something. Less wind noise with the hard top as well. If need be, I'm sure Kelly & I could remove the hard top if we really wanted to. Only 2 windshield clamps & 6 easily accessible bolts to be undone before lifting the whole top off. Kelly is strong like Bull!!

Seems every year we go south we have some kind of different BBQ cooking device. A few years ago it was a Cobb Cooker, last year it was a Coleman something or other along with a gas Weber. I think the Coleman has gone the way of the DoDo bird already & has been replaced with a BBQ Weber. Haven't seen the Cobb around for awhile so it may have already caught the last train to Clarksville. The charcoal powered BBQ Weber Kelly brought home this afternoon required assembly so as soon as we got it out of the box I was right at it with my trusty screwdriver like a true NASCAR mechanic assembling an 800 hundred horsepower turbo charged race car engine. Five minutes into the job I was toast so you know who had to finish the assembly!!

A little fairy must have come in the night & fixed our rig's toilet because I saw water in the bowl late Friday afternoon. It hasn't held water since last March because the seal in the flapper mechanism needed replacing. Turns out the little fairy was Lorne's RV here in Bayfield & he must have slipped over & fixed that sometime Friday morning when we were both working. Kelly had called him a couple weeks ago & he said he would pop in & replace that seal next time he was in the neighborhood. Don't ya just love when things happen smoothly like that. I guess the next thing on the checklist will be 2 new tires for the front of the Motor Home. By the time we're ready to head for the southwest in another month we'll probably have about $3 left in our bank account for gas to get there:(( Boy, this part time RV life is sure not for the faint of heart......or pocket book!!

A FEW OF MY SOUTHWEST BIRD PALS

GROANER'S CORNER: Shortly after a British Airways flight had reached its cruising altitude, the Captain announced: 'Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. Welcome to Flight 293, non-stop from London Heathrow to Toronto. The weather ahead is good, so we should have a smooth, uneventful flight. So sit back, relax and... OH, MY GOD !' Silence followed! Some moments later the Captain came back on the PA; 'Ladies and gentlemen, I'm sorry if I scared you. While I was talking to you, a flight attendant accidentally spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap. You should see the front of my pants!' One Newfie passenger yelled out.......'Lord tunderen jezis, you should see the back of mine!'

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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.

Saturday, October 02, 2010

BLOG BLOCK FOR A SECOND NIGHT:((

We have got us a nasty wet & cold rainy day going on here. Aside from a short mobility van run this morning my day has been spent inside out of the weather. A few days ago in Goderich I spotted an older sleek vintage looking green car parked in a driveway so stopped to take a few photos. It turned out to be a Hudson Hornet & reminded my of the fellow I call Sarge who we met near McNeal, Arizona a couple winters ago. Sarge has two lovingly restored Hudson Hornets he keeps in his garage & here's the blog with photos I did about that..... SERGEANT JOHN & HIS HUDSON HORNETS

(click the pics to enlarge)

RETIRED ROD is doing well since Friday morning surgery & has even managed to put a short post on his blog from the hospital room.

OUR MAXWELL BOY

For the second night in a row I have gone to the place in my mind where I generally store a smattering of blog topics.....and found it empty. As a rule, if there are no current happenings there I can usually slip around the Cranium corner & pull some experiences out of the dusty old brain cell past. Well, even that area seems to be experiencing some technical difficulties. It may be a case of pre-trip doldrums or maybe just a lack of what I consider to be interesting blog material. Blog ideas for me often start in the morning shower. My brain seems to be at it's creative best when it has torrents of hot water flowing over it's head casing, but quite often by the end of the day the old sponge matter is just too tired with itself. Not even an evening hot shower is going to kick it into gear.

A WEE ELF'S LAMP ON THE FOREST FLOOR

I guess it's just one of those night's again. Maybe this too will pass.............

WE HAVE SOME VERY TALL BAMBOO GRASS HERE >>>>>>

GROANER'S CORNER

Last winter Bill met a woman while on vacation in the Keys and fell madly in love with her. On the last night of his vacation, the two of them went to
dinner at the Ocean View and had a serious talk about how they would continue the relationship. "It's only fair to warn you, I'm a total golf nut," Bill said to his lady friend. "I eat, sleep and breathe golf, so if that's a problem, you'd better say so now.
"Well, if we're being honest with each other, here it goes," she replied. "I'm a hooker."
"I see," Bill replied, and was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "You know, it's probably because you're not keeping your wrists straight when you tee off."

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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.

Friday, October 01, 2010

J.K. ROWLING.....YOUR WORDS MADE MY DAY:))

EACH ONE OF THESE BREAKWATER BOULDERS WAS BROUGHT HERE ON A FLATBED TRUCK

It has been one of those days that has left me at the end of it with not much to write about. Some puttering in the Motor Home this morning followed by a short 2 hour drive with Town & Country's mini-van. I'll be working both Saturday & Sunday as well. We have had some pretty hefty RV related bills these past couple weeks with more to come so every little bit helps. Sounds like I will be very busy Thanksgiving week-end as well with a lot of other drivers wanting the week-end off.

WE'RE SLOWLY GETTING THE RIG ORGANIZED

Sounds like RETIRED ROD has come through his surgery just fine according to this message left on his site......... "This is Melissa, Rod's daughter in law. Just thought I would post an update here that Rod's surgery went well. He is out of recovery and in his room now - hopefully resting. I know he and Loyce really appreciate everyone's thoughts and prayers."

A FEW PHOTOS AROUND THE GODERICH HARBOR

Well, I've written 2 paragraphs in 2 hours so I guess that tells me something. I'm not a big fan of the Oprah Winfrey show but Kelly had taped Oprah's interview with author J.K. Rowling who wrote the Harry Potter series of books. I got caught up watching the interview tonight & was impressed with J.K. Rowling's honesty in describing the difficult times in her life. She alluded to the fact that many people talk only about positive & successful things & too few people talk about the failures, the down times, the difficulties. She talked about her moods & depressions. And she talked about her determination. A truly remarkable, very real & down to earth person. At the end of the interview, under my breath, I said a silent 'thank you' to J.K. Rowling. Your words made my day.