ANSWERING A FEW READER QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR RV TRAVELS

TONIGHT’S PHOTOS ARE A RAMBLING BUNCH OF SOUTHWEST MEMORIES

This morning’s cold gray wet day had me wishing I was sitting on the porch of the little Lazy W ranch near Elfrida Arizona watching the birds at the feeders framed by a beautiful sunrise over the Swiss Helm Mountains.  Dusty Springfield’s song, ‘ Wishin & Hopin’ kept playing in my mind.  A lot of wishing these days but not too much hoping anymore:((

I see Joe & Nancy from the RV'ING BEACH BUMS have been exploring in & around the Grand Canyon.  Sure nice to have a Jeep to get at those hard to get places:))

I seem to recall a reader asking awhile back about costs & expenses while on the road for the winter.  I know there are some RV folks out here who keep very detailed records of money spent & some of them have posted those details giving others a good idea of what to expect when traveling.  We are not great record keepers in that department here at the Bayfield Bunch but I can tell you that this past winter’s trip cost us $3,252 for Motor Home gas & we traveled 6,164 miles.  I can also tell you that a tire repair at a Walmart facility in Douglas Arizona cost $10.  I’m now wondering if that’s where our Jeep ownership went missing!!  And, I’m happy to report we paid less than a hundred dollars for RV Parks in the 5 months we were away:))  I’m guessing that our second highest cost was for propane followed closely by our Verizon internet plan.  Kelly does have a lot of receipts & things squirreled away & does keep some kind of record of stuff but I don’t know too much about all that.  Sometimes the less AL knows, the better.  We do seem to spend a lot of money on groceries though but if we were home for the winter we would still have to spend that food money anyway plus the cost would be higher in Canada.  I won’t tell you how much we had to pay for 14 brand new tires in this past year though because that bill still leaves me a little weak in the knees.

Sometimes we are asked about the price of gas & what kind of gas mileage we get with the Motorhome.  I don’t have an answer for either one of those questions & I sometimes figure it’s better that way.  Knowing how many miles the rig gets to a gallon can get a little depressing especially when one knows how far one has to go & the cost figure involved to do that.  I just figure once the decision has been made to go from point A to point B there’s no point in fretting over costs.  It’s the way it is & costs are what they are regardless if you can afford them or not.  Just get out there & enjoy the journey as best you can…..while you can.

 

I have been asked a few times why we wouldn’t just go half the distance in the winter time to Florida or Georgia instead of the long distance to the Southwest.  I have been to Florida 4 or 5 times now & Kelly actually lived there for a short period of time many years ago.  I can still remember driving my VW bug down in the summer of 64 & seeing my very first of ever live Palm tree.  I remember all the lush vegetation & how everything was so green, neat & clean.  I remember stopping in Silver Springs where many episodes of Sea Hunt with Lloyd Bridges were filmed in those days.  Couldn’t get over how crystal clear the water was.   I really liked everything I saw at that time & thought how nice it would be to live there some day.  Close cousins had already made the trek to Florida back in the 50’s & my Aunt Jean followed suite in the early 60’s & is still there.

In the early 70’s a friend & I delivered a car from Toronto to Vancouver & my thoughts of where I would like to live someday changed somewhere on that journey.  Little did I know that after seeing British Columbia for the first time on that trip I would actually return to live there just a few short months later.

It was probably somewhere in the States of North Dakota, Montana & Washington that my love for the scenery I was seeing began to grow.  The mountains of the west coast had an impact on me that I still remember to this day.  Loved what I saw on that Volvo delivery trip so much I headed back to BC with all my stuff in another little VW Beetle.  I won’t go into all the details of my time living in the Okanagan Valley’s picturesque little town of Vernon but Vernon was still little at that time & I understand it has grown substantially since I left there back in early 75.  Anyway, my few years spent in British Columbia cemented my love forever with the mountains, valleys, forests, streams & lakes of the west coast.  .

In May of 92 on another journey I saw the mountains & deserts of the American Southwest for the first time & was immediately hooked by the vast panoramas of Arizona’s Monument Valley in front of me.  Stood on the north rim of the Grand Canyon & knew I had to return to this land someday…..somehow.

Wasn’t until December of 04 that an opportunity presented itself for Kelly & I to get away for a short two week break at Christmas.  We had a small Class C Gulf Stream at the time we were using for local weekend camping trips.  With map in hand one cold December night I determined the closest place for warm weather with mountains was in the southwest corner of Texas.  A place called Big Bend National Park.  With that thought & destination in mind, we were off.  That fast trip down to Big Bend & back was the first time Kelly had ever seen the Southwest & she was hooked from then on as well.

 

In the Fall of 06 we began our annual winter journeys to New Mexico, Arizona & California.  Those were the States with the mountains, the deserts, lakes, streams & forests.  Those were & are the States with the wide open spaces, stars from horizon to horizon, glorious sunrises & sunsets, history that can still be seen, a different laid back lifestyle from the faster paced & much heavier populated Eastern States & for our outdoor interests, a far greater variety of things for us to see & do.

Neither Kelly or I are at the age & stage yet where we are content to just sit in one location for the entire winter.  Especially not me.  The Southwest gives us the opportunity of moving through a constantly changing environment.  We can travel short distances & go through any number of climate changes with constantly changing scenery around us.  Our boon docking lifestyle gives us the freedom to camp on the desert floor among the giant Saguaro Cactus or high in any if the mountain ranges beside a quiet lake in a forest.  We have endless miles of dusty back roads to travel, thousands of acres to freely camp on & call home plus fine highways & Interstates with much less traffic.  We have sunrises & sunsets at our door to say good morning & good night each new day.  Mountain vistas are never out of sight & few destinations are unattainable. 

Florida & Georgia have their own beauty, their own charms & attractions & they offer a pleasant alternative winter lifestyle for multitudes of northern folks but they just don’t hold the same attraction for Kelly & I.    I have often said that if I can’t spend my time in the great vast stretches of the Southwest I would sooner stay home for the winter.  That challenge may very well present itself sometime in the future & I may have to eat my words & make a difficult decision but until that scenario arises we will pull out all the stops to get ourselves back to our beloved second home in America’s great Southwest for just as long as we possibly can.

And, someone asked, ‘any regrets buying a Jeep?’  My short answer there is, NO!!  The Jeep has performed perfectly since the day we brought it home in June of 2010.  That silly little plain Jane piece of metal with it’s boxy looks, bumpy ride, & techno gadget freedom from Bells & Whistles is one of my all time favorite vehicles.  And, as I have blogged about several times before, I am a fellow who has had a lot of vehicles over the years.  I have had the loaded bells & whistles cars of course & they were all very nice but I just wanted to go back to my driving roots with something that is a challenge & fun to drive again, goes anywhere, simple to repair & doesn’t frustrate my head with a lot of onboard computer gimmickry wanting to adjust my seat, the lights, the radio volume, keep my right foot warmer than my left foot or dust me off & comb my hair every time I get in it.  I also like the fact we can turn that square little bucket of bolts into a complete convertible any time we want too.  Doors come off easily & the windshield can fold forward onto the engine hood for that wooky Beach Buggy look.  The Jeep takes me back to my early days of gearshifts & clutches driving Volkswagen Beetles, Mini Minors & various Sports Cars. (a 64 MGB, 59 Triumph TR3 & a 1956 Austin Healy)  Have always preferred a stick shift to an automatic anyway.  Especially in smaller vehicles.  Just more fun to drive & you can even smoke up the tires once & awhile just like the old days.  Still love to get that gravel spinnin sometimes:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  And here’s a little something for all you cat owners out there……

• What do you call a cat that has swallowed a duck? A duck filled fatty puss.
• What is the difference between a cat and a comma? One has the paws before the claws and the other has the clause before the pause.
• Did you hear about the cat who swallowed a ball of wool? She had a whole litter of mittens.
• What do cats like to eat for breakfast? Mice Krispies
• What does a cat that lives near the beach have in common with Christmas? Sandy Claws.

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The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
 
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

ICY WINDS, A FEW SNOWFLAKES & SOME SUNSHINE

WE DIDN'T GET TOO FAR ON OUR ICY COLD MORNING WALK...EVEN THE LITTLE MOTORMOUSE IS HOLDING UP ONE PAW BECAUSE SHE'S COLD 

Despite being a couple week’s into Spring we had an icy winter’s wind cut our walk short this morning.  Heavily laden clouds dropped a wee bit of snow on us before clearing skies finally prevailed in the afternoon.  Low on groceries, we headed for the town of Goderich to do a little grocery shopping & banking.  Always like to check once & awhile to see if our $50 is still locked safely away in our life saving’s account:))

Still patiently waiting for this snow load to melt so I can get my lawn rake revved up & utility trailer in operation.  Other years I would have already been out for my first motorcycle ride of the season already.  Not too many complaints though because once it starts to warm up & flowers begin to pop we have a very nice area going on for us here in & around Bayfield Ontario beside Lake Huron.
 
Sure am enjoying my long hot daily showers once again now that we are home.  Wide screen TV & constantly surrounded by ambient music once again 24/7.  My cushy recliner has welcomed me with open arms & my double bed has lots of room for the Motormouse to snuggle in & stretch out every night.  Max loves being back on his favorite couch & our back yard is more easily accessible for the guys than the steep Motor Home steps.  As much as we love our travels in the Motor Home there is much to be said about having a home to come home to for awhile:))

Noticed in the grocery store this morning that prices seem to have gone up since the last time we shopped for groceries last October.  I switched from regular whole wheat bread to whole wheat flat Tortillas bread about 3 years ago & was disappointed to find the company has reduced the circumference of their Tortillas.  Being away for 5 months I noticed the size change instantly.  No reduction in price though.  Guess they have adopted Tim Horton’s strategy of the incredible shrinking coffee cup.  When we picked up our first Tim Horton’s coffee in Forrest Ontario last week after being away I could have sworn the cups had undergone another downsizing.  They have us all hooked on their great coffee…..and they know it!!

Had hoped our free Microsoft Streets & Trips package might have been here by the time we got home but no sign of it yet.  Kelly did send Joani J an email yesterday but no return email this time so we’ll see if anything ever does show up.

SAW THIS IN A EXERCISE FITNESS STORE WINDOW THIS MORNING IN GODERICH....THINK I JUST MIGHT GO IN THERE & GET ME SOME OF THAT STUFF  
Said to Kelly a couple days ago, “guess it’s about time I get my hair cut” to which she answered, “what for, it looks fine.”  So l guess the hair stays for awhile longer.  Boy I sure understand what ‘bad hair days’ means now.  Only other time I had it this long was back in the sixties & most of that era is pretty much lost in the fogs of time now.

Checking in with my old TUMBLEWEED PHOTO GROUP back in Elfrida Arizona this morning I see Ray had a post entitled ‘Out Of Focus’ which deals with ‘depth of field.’  Probably not a familiar topic with most new age digital camera buffs in this ‘auto everything’ age but nonetheless it is one of the basic & required technical understandings of photography.  Ray’s article did prompt me to leave a comment on the site that went something like this….Aw yes, depth of field & f-stops.  Almost a lost art since the advent of auto focus.  Takes me back to the old 35mm days & having to work hard at getting a photo just right.  With all the new technologies & smart cameras these days, plus digital photography & easier to use photo editing programs, we have a tendency to set the cameras on full 'Auto' & click away.  Far less technical things to think about these days & to some extent that can be a good thing for a lot of folks.  If you are satisfied with your 'full auto' results (and I was for years) then that's all that matters.  If you want to add an extra pinch of satisfaction & quality to your photos I suggest you get a little friendlier with your camera manual & see what you really can creatively do with your photography using some of your manual settings.  Or, click on KEN ROCKWELL'S site, find your camera & see what Ken has to say about it & how to better use your camera.  I did & it is working for me, especially when I look back a short few years ago at my photos from then compared to now.  Still a long way to go but I enjoy the hobby & I enjoy the challenge:))

Thanks to reader Larry for pointing out the two duplicate photos in my Monday post.  I have since corrected that.  And we welcome our 258th blog supporter, Tricia.  Thanks for your interest in the Bayfield Bunch Tricia:))

And Mike had the hammer down pretty heavy Monday heading north for Montana over there at TIN TEEPEE/LOG CABIN.  Am assuming by Monday night Mike & Janna were probably home stoking up a big fire in the fireplace with their feet up & a big smile on Mike’s face.

We crossed the new bridge span just south of the Hoover Dam about a week & a half ago but were disappointed in the fact we did not get a good view of the bridge itself or what's below while crossing it.  IVAN, who is boon docked in the area at the moment took the time to slip down below the span & get some photos showing it’s immense size.  His photos also show the low water level of Lake Mead right at the Hoover Dam.
  
In regards to last night’s Groaners Corner….. If you drive by a Jiffy Lube & see have a dozen women sitting in the waiting room with one guy in the corner reading a National Geographic magazine with a smile on his face & clean fingernails…….that guy will be me.  None of that grease Monkey stuff for this guy.

ALMOST BACK TO OUR WARM TOASTY HOUSE 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Welcome to the Psychiatric Hotline:::
If you are obsessive-compulsive, please press 1 repeatedly.
If you are co-dependent, please ask someone to press 2.
If you have multiple personalities, please press 3, 4, 5, and 6.
If you are paranoid-delusional, we know who you are and what you want. Just stay on the line so we can trace the call.
If you are schizophrenic, listen carefully and a little voice will tell you which number to press.
If you are depressed, it doesn't matter which number you press. No one will answer.
If you are delusional and occasionally hallucinate, please be aware that the thing you are holding on the side of your head is alive and about to bite off your ear.
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EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
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BISBEE PHOTO ALBUM
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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/
OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/
The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

TAPPING OUR TOES WITH THE 'GOLDEN OLDIES:))'

TAPPING OUR TOES TODAY TO THE 'ROCKING OLDIES' (ALL OF TODAY'S PHOTOS WERE TAKEN WITH MY CANON POINT & SHOOT)

Well, it’s Monday morning & the start of a new week.  Raining but a bit milder at 45F.  Time to pick up the routines of where we left off last November.  First order of business was to head off to the town of Mitchell to visit my Uncle Harry.  He’s doing well & will be turning 95 next month.

UNCLE HARRY & KELLY GROOVING TO THE TUNES

While in Harry’s room the loudspeaker announced the 'Rocking Oldies,' a Senior’s Band from Ingersoll Ontario was playing in the entertainment room at 2 p.m.  Harry expressed an interest in hearing them so off we went.

THIS FELLOW DID A GREAT JOB ON HENRY MANCINI'S 'MOON RIVER'

Being a musically oriented person I always enjoy live music.  I am always amazed how a number of people each possessing talented instrumental skills can come together to create harmonious sounds.  I like to watch each of the musicians & see how they play their instruments & I listen for the sounds of those individual instruments as well.  Also listen to voices & try to pick out the harmonies & tones.     

THESE LADIES DID FINE ON SOME HARMONIES

The folks in today’s group were all Seniors & as I watched the drummer I wondered about his past & what groups he may have played in years ago.  What was his story, who was he as a young man.  Another older fellow did a bang up job on his harmonica playing Henry Mancini’s ‘Moon River.’  They finished up their gig today with a rousing rendition of Hank William’s, ‘I Saw The Light.’  Keep in mind these people were Senior Citizens & never took a break in the whole hour they played.  Good stuff you guys.......Seniors rock:))

NOT EXACTLY TORONTO'S BIG CNE STADIUM.......BUT WE CAN PRETEND CAN'T WE:))

While Kelly, Harry & I sat in the front row I couldn’t help but think back to the days when Kelly I hit a few other live bands in the early 90’s.  We would would drive into Toronto’s east end & hop a ‘Go Train’ to downtown Toronto heading for the old CNE Stadium.  We rock & rolled to the likes of Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Eagles & Neil Young in that Stadium.  Another time we drove downtown to Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens & boogied the night away to ZZ Top & George Thorogood.    I was reminded of those days as we watched the Senior’s group this afternoon & I saw the parallels.  Was that Don Henley on those drums, was that Keith Richards on guitar at the far end & was that Neil Young we saw playing harmonica so well.  Maybe eh:))

We visited with Harry for awhile after the concert & then it was time to go.  We had to drop off our Income Tax forms in a small town on the way back so off we went in the pouring rain.  The ownership for our Jeep had gone missing so we had to stop into a license bureau & get that all straightened out as well.  Following that we made our way home to find happy barking dogs & wagging tails waiting for us at the door.  Turned the television on just in time to hear the weatherman telling us to expect snow tomorrow!!!!

By the look of this morning’s weather across the mid west I’m glad we made it home last week with relatively good driving conditions.  Only fly in the ointment was a bit of rain & hail in Arkansas.  Speaking of hail it looks like RETIRED ROD got clobbered pretty good last night in Kansas City.  He will be out checking for damage to his vehicles plus Motor Home this morning.  JOHN & JUDY are somewhere on I-40 well east of Tucumcari New Mexico eventually heading home with what looks like some nasty weather ahead of them.  Odel from SEMI TRUE TALES went in for knee surgery this morning in Tucson but hopes to be on his feet shortly running with Forrest Gump.  JERRY nearly had to go in through his rig’s passenger side window when he locked the keys in the Motor Home while JEAN & SKIP have been keeping an eye on the HORNBY ISLAND EAGLES via a web cam feed.  And it looks like Doug over at LIVING OUR DREAM probably spent a frustrating 5 hours in a Sierra Vista garage waiting for a diagnosis on their truck problem....which never came!!

I think it was Russ over at TRAVELS IN THERAPY who asked awhile back about the night sky in our area as compared to the Southwest.  Arizona is known to have some of the darkest skies in the U.S. & especially the southeast area where we have been spending some time in the winter.  It is so great at night to see zillions of stars stretching from horizon to horizon.  It’s just too bad those nights are so darn cold during the winter in Arizona.  I have to say that our Bayfield area also has a very dark night sky for viewing stars but unfortunately we live in a pine forest with a very limited view of the sky.  It has certainly curtailed my nightly stargazing since moving to our present location nearly 8 years ago.  Also looks like my nightly walks with Max over the years have come to an end as well.  He just can’t walk too far anymore:((  I have always tried to encourage Checkers to come out but she has never liked the dark.

And a FINAL word on the Saturday 'Pulled Post' thing.  Received a second comment from one of the 'Anonymous' commenter's this morning which I had at first planned on responding to here in the blog but have since changed my mind on that.  I will be handling any further personal affronts on my character differently than I have been.  I will no longer publish rude or sarcastic comments which I have done a few times in the past & I will no longer make any mention of negative comments or use them as subject matter in my posts.  Nor will I stoop to the level of becoming involved in a flame war here in Blog Land with either 'Anonymous' commenter's or a fellow blogger.  For all I know maybe they are one & the same.  I have read all the comments & emails reader's have sent in the past few days & am taking everyone's advice on this matter.  I may be a bit of an old dog but I'm not that old that I can't learn a few new tricks......Thanks folks, I have heard what you all have said:))

GROANER'S CORNER:)) 

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR OIL

Women:

1. Pull up to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3000 since the last oil change.
2. Drink a cup of coffee.
3. 15 minutes later, write a check and leave with a properly maintained vehicle.

Men:
1. Go to O'Reilly auto parts and write a check for 50 dollars for oil, filter, oil lift (AKA kitty litter), hand cleaner and scented tree.
2. Discover that the used oil container is full. Instead of taking it back to O'Reilly to recycle, dump in hole in back yard.
3. Open a beer and drink it.
4. Jack car up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.
5. Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.
6. In frustration, open another beer and drink it.
7. Place drain pan under engine.
8. Look for 9/16 box end wrench.
9. Give up and use crescent wrench.
10. Unscrew drain plug.
11. Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil; get hot oil on you in process.
12. Clean up.
13. Have another beer while oil is draining.
14. Look for oil filter wrench.
15. Give up; poke oil filter with Phillips screwdriver and twist it off.
16. Beer.
17. Buddy shows up; finish case with him. Finish oil change tomorrow.
18. Next day, drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car.
19. Throw oil lift (AKA kitty litter) on oil spilled during step 18.
20. Beer. No, drank it all yesterday.
21. Walk to 7-11; buy beer.
22. Install new oil filter making sure to apply thin coat of clean oil to gasket first.
23. Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.
24. Remember drain plug from step 11.
25. Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.
26. Hurry to replace drain plug before the whole quart of fresh oil drains onto floor.
27. Slip with wrench and bang knuckles on frame.
28. Bang head on floor board in reaction.
29. Begin cussing fit.
30. Throw wrench.
31. Cuss for additional 10 minutes because wrench hit Miss December(1992) in the left boob.
32. Clean up; apply Band-Aid to knuckle & scotch tape to Miss Decembers boob.
33. Beer.
34. Beer.
35. Dump in additional 4 quarts of oil.
36. Beer.
37. Lower car from jack stands.
38. Accidentally crush one of the jack stands.
39. Move car back to apply more oil lift (AKA kitty litter) to fresh oil spilled during step 23.
40. Drive car.

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The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward

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

EXPLAINING THE DECISION TO PULL SATURDAY'S BLOG POST

IT HAS BEEN A COLD, DAMP, GRAY DAY HERE COMPLETE WITH RAIN & SNOW

Well, it turned out to be a rather non productive day.  Got me the usual case of post travel blues.  Always hits me a few days after getting home from the Southwest every year.  Kind of a headachy lethargic state of dis-interest is probably the best way to describe it.  I’m needing a good dose of Spring Tonic.  Sunshine & warm weather!!

 
HAVE DECIDED TO USE SATURDAY'S PHOTOS AGAIN BECAUSE SOME MAY HAVE NOT SEEN THEM......ON MY WAY TO  LAKE HURON TO CATCH A SUNSET.  WE LIVE ABOUT 3 MINUTES FROM THE LAKE:))

We are under gray sky’s, a few degrees above freezing & very damp.  Right now just after supper it is snowing & by the looks of the weather map we may have some thunderstorms inbound across the lake.  I am anxious to get at all the yard work but the piles of snow are taking their sweet time melting.

   

DEER PARK LODGE WHERE KELLY WORKS FOR THE SUMMER

A preliminary walk around our small piece of property tells me it was a very tough winter.  Broken tree limbs, shrubs bent double to the ground, one small cedar tree snapped in half & another young pine with it’s top broke off.  The freezing temps have damaged some new cedar trees I had planted last year as well.  Going to be a very big clean up this Spring but I don’t mind that part.  Just good to have something physically productive to do.

OLD SOL

Figure I owe folks an explanation as to why I pulled Saturday’s blog.  It had to do with a subject that was touched upon in another blog regarding decisions many people face when deciding to chose a full or part time RV lifestyle.  It had to deal with whether to be away from family for varying periods of time.  Children & Grandchildren seemed to be of prime concern.  I wrote a post on my opinions on that subject being careful to emphasize it was only my point of view.  I went to some length with background history to explain where I was coming from with my thoughts.  I knew while writing it I was on thin ice because it was a sensitive topic that I really knew very little about, except for how I felt about it.  Just as I stay away from topics like Politics, Religion & Sports I should have stayed away from the topic of Parents & Grand Parenting as well.

 

CAN YOU SEE THE OLD SCHNAUZER DOG BEGINNING HIS JOURNEY ACROSS THE SUN 

 

First few ‘anonymous’ comments I saw this morning regarding my Saturday post were very scathing & because I had doubted my own post in the first place I felt right away that I had made a mistake in posting it.  I felt my post had missed it’s intended understanding by a country mile.   So, before upsetting any more people I made a quick decision & took the post down, comments & all.   Wrote a second post with a short explanation & then turned off the computer to ponder why I had written the Saturday post in the first place.

What happened next surprised me to say the least.  Kelly came into the living room where I was crumpled into my recliner early this afternoon & asked, “have you read the comments on the last post you wrote?”  About that point my heart sank into my shoes because I figured some more personally negative comments had poured in & I was already feeling bad enough without needing to feel any worse.  Took me awhile but I finally did get up enough courage to venture over to the computer & delicately clicked on the first comment, then another & another.

Can’t tell you enough how all those incoming comments picked up my spirits as I began to realize that my Saturday post was indeed understood after all by the majority of readers & not as misunderstood as the first 'anonymous' comments coming in this morning suggested.  Had I over reacted again.  Judging from the latest comments I would now have to say that I did.

Some folks are able to let things slide on by or roll off their backs.  Great if you are able to do that but I have never been one of those people.  I always take everything to heart.  Always have, it's just the way I am.  Not the easiest road to go down but it is the road my personality walks. 

 
I sincerely thank everyone for their support, reassurance & understanding. 

GROANER’S CORNER:((   The Indians asked their Chief in autumn if the winter was going to be cold or not. Not really knowing an answer, the chief replies that the winter was going to be cold and that the members of the village were to collect wood & be prepared.

Being a good leader, he then went to the next phone booth and called the National Weather Service and asked, "Is this winter to be cold?"

The man on the phone responded, "This winter is going to be quite cold indeed."

So the Chief went back to speed up his people to collect even more wood to be prepared. A week later he called the National Weather Service again, "Is it going to be a very cold winter?"

"Yes", the man replied, "it's going to be a very cold winter."

So the Chief goes back to his people and orders them to go and find every scrap of wood they can find. Two weeks later he calls the National Weather Service again: "Are you absolutely sure that the
winter is going to be very cold?"

"Absolutely," the man replies, "the Indians are collecting wood like crazy!"

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EMAIL THE BAYFIELD BUNCH:))
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

BISBEE PHOTO ALBUM

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/BISBEEARIZONAAFEWFINEPHOTOMEMORIES

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it. 
BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/
OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward

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

SORRY ABOUT SATURDAY’S POST

Have you ever written a post you regretted.  I wrote one Saturday night expressing some feelings related to RVing that I should just have left alone.  I had a feeling after I wrote it that I had let myself become way too personal & opinionated with my thoughts.   That post kept waking me up most of the night.   I wrote about a subject I have very little understanding about & that was a mistake on my part.  This morning I finally deleted the whole thing.   I now have some re-evaluating to do & some blogging decisions to make…… A.

SOME RAMBLING THOUGHTS ON THE RV LIFESTYLE AND..... PLANNING AHEAD

ALL OF TONIGHT'S PHOTOS WERE TAKEN LATE THIS AFTERNOON DOWN AROUND THE BAYFIELD HARBOR

One of the very first signs of Spring in snow country are the sounds of dripping water.  Unless you are a winter person this is truly music to the ears.  Whoever thought a drip could make somebody’s day.  So, it was with the sounds of dripping water that I focused on today & shoveled more snow away from the driver’s side of the Moto Home in an attempt to access the driver’s side bins.

There was some discussion & comments in Blogland about a month ago in regards to some RVing folks thinking about buying property.  And, that would include us as well.  I had thoughts about all that at the time & wrote a post about it.  We were on the move as I recall so I put that post on the shelf for ‘later.’  Well, it is now 'later' so time to dust off that post.  It does tie in a bit with my Thursday post.

 

  

THAT BROWN MOUND ON TOP OF THE PIER IS WAVE FORMED ICE WITH A TOPPING OF SAND

Another RV couple wrote a post with some thoughts about buying property in the Southwest & as I recall, some of the feedback had a negative tone to it.  It seems some individuals just don’t get it & that is perfectly normal.  I don’t get a lot of stuff either.  I don’t understand what the big deal is about texting, tweeting or Justin Bieber so that’s where I am coming from. 

THAT IS A LAKE HURON CROCODILE REARING UP OUT OF THE WATER ON THE RIGHT

There are folks out there who do not understand the RV Lifestyle, period!!  Most are safe & secure in their own way of life at home & are happy with life just the way it is.  I understand that & have gone through those phases & stages of life as well.

 AWWW NUTS, I JUST DROPPED THE WORMS!!!!
Neither Kelly or I ever want to spend another winter in Canada. (yes, I know I have said that a hundred times) We have seen the advantages of an alternate winter lifestyle in the Southwest & there is no voluntarily going back to the winter lifestyle we have been a part of for over 60 years. 

SAILBOAT MASTS AWAIT THEIR SUMMER SAILBOATS

  

 

  

FISHING BOATS AWAIT ANOTHER DAY ON THE LAKE 

We try to be forward thinking people & with the way things are going in the world & prices on most things steadily rising we can’t just stick our heads in the sand & pretend that everything is joyous & lovely when in reality it is not.

Nope, nothing to do with being negative but everything to do with being realistic.
Just like our dogs & Motor Home, we are aging.  Changes are occurring within us that are going to affect future plans & decisions.   We are trying to realistically set things in place for the coming years.  Have you noticed there are very few posts from RV’ers talking about their future plans when the RV lifestyle finally comes to an end.  It seems few people want to face the fact that at some point this RV life will be over for each & every one of us.  No if’s & but’s about it.  No exceptions!!

WINTER'S ICE IS BREAKING UP 

There are many reasons RV folks are forced to hang up their keys.  For Canadians it may be the high cost of personal health insurance that has to be purchased each winter just to cross the border to come south.  Many cannot even get insurance anymore.  Could be the loss of a driver’s license.  A serious health diagnosis has brought an abrupt end to many an RV’ers travels.  Financial strains is another one.  Care giving can take priority or an expensive repair to an RV can be enough to deter others.  There are many, many reasons. 

One of our ideas is to at least have some kind of small dwelling somewhere in the southwest that we could at least call home & where we could get to for the winter without expensive fuel costs or Motor Home repairs etc.  Our rig won’t last forever & nor will we but I figure it is far healthier during the cold damp winter months to be in a warmer climate where life can still be enjoyed outside on a daily basis.  I am writing this from first hand experience.  Had I never experienced the difference between cold winters & warm winters then what I am writing here would have little practical validity.  But, having spent the last 5 years living an alternative lifestyle for 5 or 6 months of the year I can speak with some kind of authority. 

FAMILY OUTING ON THE BEACH

If cold winter weather & all the hazards that come with it are your cup of tea then more power to you.  And, for you folks who have never had an interest or spent any amount of time down south in the winter I can only say this….you don’t know what you are missing & I would suggest if you are totally comfortable in your winter lifestyle, do not come south because it just might mess up your head real bad.  You could come down with something called ‘Hitch Itch’ which so many of us RV’ers already have to varying degrees.  And no, it is not a physical type medical condition but it certainly is a head condition.
 

A piece of property in the southwest with a small house is totally practical to me.  If we couldn’t drive our RV anymore we could at least come down in a more fuel efficient car.  No car?  Then, maybe we would have the option to fly down & spend the winter at our southern place.  A boat, a train, a plane, anything!!  I know former RV’ers who are quite happy doing this now.  Have I mentioned before about being ‘stranded’ in Canadian winters!!!!
  

 

Because I am Canadian this is where the fly in the ointment lurks for our future plans but I will be darned if I am going to just roll over & give up on trying to figure out a way we can do this.  And, like I said before, to think this current wondrous RV lifestyle will go on forever is total folly.

 
Another option open to us is the possibility of going full time on the road & this was the option I was really pulling for a couple years ago.  But, it too is not without it’s problems & definitely harder to pull off for Canadians.   That option is not off the table for us & may very well come back into play at some point.  Also want to add something else before I forget.  When I talk about harsh winters I am not talking about the southwestern parts of Canada’s British Columbia or Vancouver Island.  Winters are far more tolerable there with a totally different climate than the rest of Canada so for sure it is harder for those folks in that part of Canada to understand what I am writing about here.  Trust me on this one because I lived in southern BC for a few years in the early 70’s & the winters out there are no where near what they can be like here in Ontario.  Let the southern BC folks spend a winter or two in any other Province or northern State & I think the understanding of this post would quickly become crystal clear.

Another reason for a home base in the southwest is also something I blogged about a few months ago.  Right now we have to travel over 2,000 miles just to get to the southwest before we can even begin to enjoy the land that we love so much.  The cost of that gets more prohibitive with each passing year not to mention the wear & tear on our aging Motor Home. (and us)  If we could live the majority of time somewhere centrally located in the southwest it would make all our preferred destinations much closer.   A base in the southwest would make travels to the northwest more practical in the favorable weather months too.  I haven’t blogged a lot about the northwest simply because we have not traveled there much but it is an area we would enjoy just as much as the southwest. 

Some of us are just built different than others.  Some of us need & prefer a challenge, a project.  We need a reason to get out of bed every day other than to just sit around.  Some of us have a creative need, some of us are inquisitive & seek to add a little outdoor adventure & excitement to our lives.  Some of us just prefer to do all that & have a quiet little place in the country to call home as well.

BAYFIELD SAILBOATS ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THEIR DAY IN THE WARM SUNNY WATERS OF LAKE HURON 

The Ranch near Elfrida really fired my creative spirit this past winter.  It set off that young man’s desire to shake out the cobwebs, oil up the joints & get rolling with a healthy dose of elbow grease.  A project to enjoy & get my teeth into again.  The Ranch held that for me & I could see that.  It needed a lot of TLC & that's something I enjoy when it comes to that kind of thing.  As I’ve said before, I am not the type of person who is content to just sit around in retirement with my feet up watching television & going through the same old routines day after day after day.

IN A FEW SHORT MONTHS PEOPLE WILL BE PICNICKING ON BAYFIELD'S BEACH & SWIMMING HERE

And, let me just touch on the aging process for a moment.  We are all just one sudden diagnosis away from an immediate change in our present lifestyle as we know it.  We are not the immune undefeatable & indomitable warriors of our naïve youth.   Time is running out for all of us so plans have to be made for future consequences.  Plans have to be made for an ‘end game.’  Some may ignore the inevitable changes taking place while others will try to plan for those changes & roll with them, staying one step ahead by thinking & planning ahead.

LAKE HURON MUST BE DOWN THIS YEAR BECAUSE THIS WHOLE FOREGROUND SHOULD BE UNDERWATER...AN 'NO' WE DO NOT HAVE TIDES ON THE GREAT LAKES

Now, in summing up, there will be some who will say, “oh lighten up Al your just having a bad day.”  Nope, that’s not it at all.   Some will say, “well, your just being negative.”  Nope, that’s not it either.  But, some of you realistically thinking people will understand exactly what I have just said.  You will understand the RV Lifestyle, you will understand the Snow Birders, the Full Timers & you will even understand....Hitch Itch:))  You will understand the concept of a piece of property whether it be a ranch, a house, a condo or an apartment.  You will understand the reality of the ‘end game.’  You are the forward thinking people who have the insight to plan for your future.  Where you want to be & when you want to be there.  Nothing to do with positive or negative attitudes & everything to do with accepting & dealing with the realities of life in a totally realistic thinking way.  At this age & stage of the game, our future is right now………10-4!!

GROANER’S CORNER:((   Ever Wonder….
- Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer? 
- If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a song about him? 
- Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the car pool lane? 
- Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs! 
- If Wile E. Coyote had enough money to buy all that Acme crap, why didn't he just buy dinner? 
- If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, then what is baby oil made from? 
- If electricity comes from electrons, does morality come from morons?
- Do illiterate people get the full effect of Alphabet Soup? 
-  Did you ever notice that when you blow in a dog's face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him on a car ride, he sticks his head out the window.
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The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.