THE BLOG WOULDN’T PUBLISH

Having trouble publishing the blog tonight due to following ‘Error Message.’

The server reported an error with the following web address:

http://www.blogger.com/feeds/10886995/posts/default

400 Bad Request

I will try again in the morning………………………………

PHEEBE HAD A COUPLE OLD FRIENDS DROP BY THIS AFTERNOON:))

AN EXAMPLE OF HOW CLOUDS CAN MAKE A PHOTO  (NIKON D40 AT 300MM)

I do have a few more Tornado damage pics so will include them in this post.  Local Facebookers are saying they felt the East Coast Earthquake today that took place in Virginia but we didn't feel anything here at the Bayfield Bunch.  Just as we didn't know a Tornado was going on just 12 miles away a couple days ago.  Could it be we lead a sheltered life.

 

  

A BRAND NEW BARN ONLY A FEW DAYS OLD HAD JUST BEEN ERECTED HERE NORTH OF CLINTON ONTARIO…THE TORNADO TORE THE WALLS & ROOF TO PIECES TOSSING THE LUMBER AROUND LIKE MATCH STICKS WITH THE ROOF LANDING IN A BEAN FIELD ACROSS THE HIGHWAY  (NIKON D90)
Pheebe had visitors this afternoon when former owner Crystal dropped in with her nearly 2 year old cute little daughter Adella.  Crystal and Adella were needing a Pheebe fix.  Lots of hugs & slurpy smooches between little Adella and Pheebe.  The Motormouse really took to Adella as well so there were lots of wagging tails this afternoon.   The Pheebster was so excited she was racing around the yard outside about a 120 miles an hour.  We had to get her slowed down because the Vet says she is to take it easy with her stitches until at least the end of the week.

LEARNING TO SHARE THE TOYS ………………….
Tornados are not new to the people of Ontario, but they indeed are rare.  I remember a tornado as a kid that tore some barn roofs off west of the small village I lived in and I remember another one in the mid 80's that I think killed some people near Barrie, Ontario.  A really bad Tornado in 1997 near Woodstock Ontario killed people and did a huge amount of damage as it traveled cross country ripping up farms, small towns & the City of Woodstock.  I have pictures of that rural damage but they are all on 35mm Slide film.

DAMAGE TO THE GRAIN ELEVATORS IN THE GODERICH HARBOUR
While taking the Sifto Salt Mine photos Monday morning I was aware of a Helicopter circling and at times hovering over the town Goderich.  Figured it was probably a news chopper.  Cracked off a couple shots with my 300mm lens and it wasn't until I was home later and had the pics in my Picasa Photo Editor that I noticed it indeed was a CTV News helicopter.  Following is an aerial view of Goderich's tornado damage and I am assuming it was taken by that same helicopter.   AERIAL VIEW OF TORNADO DAMAGE.   While walking back to the Jeep through the forest that helicopter went over so low at tree top level that I could smell it's exhaust.  Figured it landed at the Goderich Airport about half a mile away to re-fuel before flying back to Toronto.

Have not heard of any donation programs being set up for the town of Goderich.  I will probably slip up there in the morning because both malls are open at the East & South ends of town.  Might see if I can slide around a few back streets to have a look at things & maybe grab a few pics.  The downtown core is still sealed off & not even store owners or bank employees etc are being allowed in to view their own business's.

      
I think the last 3 nights sleeping unsoundly in my recliner keeping an eye out for the Pheebs in Kelly's recliner, has caught up with me.  Spent most of today trying to stay awake.  We haven't had that awful plastic cone on Pheebs head since Monday night after supper and she has not been biting, licking or scratching at her stitches.  Maybe tonight I will try getting a good night sleep in my bed for a change.  Oh the things we do do for our very much most best little Pals:))
 

FINAL APPROACH                                                                   LANDING GEAR DOWN
Weatherman is calling for severe weather rolling into our neighbourhood overnight.  Thunderstorms, rain & high winds bringing in a cold front.  Not a good thing for the poor folks in Goderich who are struggling to get their homes, business's and lives back together. 


THE LAST PARAGRAPH: It will soon be time to get the RV lists out of my drawer for another year.  You know, those seemingly endless lists of things that have to be checked out on the RV and all those many items that have to be loaded prior to a trip.  Always an exciting time for me because it is the early beginnings of another 5 or 6 month journey to our second home in the great American Southwest.  Getting those lists out puts the first stamp of reality on, ‘yep, were a gonna do it again this year’.  Don’t know about next year or the year after that, but this year is a go……YAHOOIE LOUIE  

LOOKING EAST ALONG THE MAITLAND RIVER WHICH FLOWS PAST GODERICH ONTARIO OFF TO THE RIGHT
GROANER'S CORNER:((  We got married for better or worse…..He couldn’t do better and I couldn’t do any worse!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an Animal, their soul remains un-awakened.

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

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

A BIT OF A HIKE TO GET A FEW GODERICH TORNADO DAMAGE PHOTOS OF THE SIFTO SALT MINE COMPLEX

THE SIFTO SALT COMPLEX AT THE MOUTH OF THE MAITLAND RIVER EMPTYING INTO LAKE HURON
  
THAT LARGE LAKE FREIGHTER BESIDE THE SALT MINE COMPLEX APPEARS TO HAVE WEATHERED THE TORNADO OK….GRAIN ELEVATORS IN RIGHT PHOTO SUSTAINED SOME DAMAGE BUT LUCKILY THE RV/BOAT COMMUNITY ESCAPED UNSCATHED
Following Sunday's terrible weather in the area, Monday turned out to be perfectly gorgeous day with no humidity, big white puffy clouds, a cooling breeze and a warming sun.  Motor and I stayed in the living room with the Pheebs for the night and all was quiet.

JUST ONE OF THOSE PICTURE PERFECT BEAUTIFUL EARLY AUTUMN FEELING MORNINGS
More reports coming in this morning about the Goderich Tornado suggested it had moved inland for maybe 10 miles before dissipating.  One person has died and 30 some people have been injured.  Goderich was sealed off but I knew if I criss crossed some country roads east of town I might come across some Tornado damage in the countryside.  Threw the cameras in the Jeep and headed off in a north easterly direction.  Kelly had the day off so was able to stay home with Motor and the Pheebs.

First signs of damage I saw were bits of insulation alongside the road and right after that I could see where the Tornado had traveled across the landscape.  Broken trees beside the road and a large flattened area of cornfield.  Looking across the fields in the direction of Goderich I could see where the Tornado had cut a path as it headed East and North.  Broken trees were also visible along a bush line with bits of metal and wood debris scattered along a path across the fields. 

  
BOTTOM RIGHT PHOTO SHOWS WHERE THE TORNADO SNAPPED OFF TREES BACK ALONG THE BUSH LINE
The small hamlet of Ben Miller was not accessible and the highways leading in were blocked with barricades and a solitary police car and officer directing people around the long Ben Miller and Goderich detours.  I had an amusing and very brief encounter with a lady Police Officer at one of the checkpoints north of Goderich on highway 21.  I cracked off a couple shots of her talking to the car ahead of me on the highway.  As I took the second shot she was already walking towards me.  I set the camera on the seat as she walked up to my window, put her hand on my shoulder and said these words, "can I smash that camera now that you have taken a picture of me!!"  For a split second I thought trouble had just knocked on my door but she was laughing and quickly added, "just kidding, where are you headed?"  I assured her I was not trying to get into Goderich and she said, "good thing" as she directed me to turn left through the little community of  Saltford.

IT WAS THE LADY OFFICER IN THE GREEN VEST WHO JOKINGLY SUGGESTED SHE ‘SMASH’ MY CAMERA
 
BOTH OF THE ABOVE HIGHWAYS LEADING TO BEN MILLER WERE CLOSED
I knew there was a popular hiking trail near the Goderich Airport that led to the Goderich Harbour where I figured I might be able to get a few telephoto pics from the high level of a former railway bridge.  THE MAITLAND TRAIL follows an old railroad line leading to the Goderich Harbour.  What an absolutely beautiful morning this was for a scenic walk to the MENESETUNG BRIDGE and I couldn't help but think, this is something I should have been doing all summer.  Instead of sitting in my recliner with a computer on my lap every morning it would be far healthier for me to be out and about on a hiking trail somewhere getting some much needed exercise.  Took me about 20 minutes to reach the bridge.

LUCKILY THE TORNADO DIDN’T TAKE DOWN THESE TWO CHURCH SPIRES ON THE GODERICH SKYLINE

MY DESTINATION……THE MENESETUNG BRIDGE…TOWN OF GODERICH IS TO THE LEFT
 
MAITLAND TRAIL LEADING TO THE MENESETUNG BRIDGE…AN OLD RAIL BED
 
THIS BRIDGE WAS ONCE A RAILWAY TRESTLE…TOWN OF GODERICH STRAIGHT AHEAD IN THAT TREE LINE
From the Menesetung Bridge high over the Maitland River I was able to look west and see the large Sifto Salt complex at the mouth of the river on the shores of Lake Huron.  This is where the one fatality occurred Sunday but from my vantage point nearly three quarters of a mile away the complex looked intact.  Another fellow on the bridge said the damage was on the lake side of the plant and was visible from north of the complex along the lakeshore.  So, off I headed on a secondary trail through a dense hardwood forest making my way to the lake about 20 minutes later.  Skirted around a small inner harbour of small pleasure boats and made my way towards the Sifto Salt complex.  The damage was evident as a I photographed parts of the buildings where the winds had ripped off roof and wall panels.  I saw a tugboat and what appeared to be a barge.  The barge was at an odd angle and I wondered if it had been driven ashore by the Tornado.

 
THOSE WHITE MOUNDS ARE SALT FROM THE UNDERGROUND MINE BELOW
 
THE BARGE APPEARS TO BE GROUNDED, THE TUG APPEARS TO BE WEDGED AND WHATEVER BUILDING WAS IN THE BACKGROUND APPEARS TO HAVE COLLAPSED…..IT WAS SOMEWHERE HERE WHERE THE LONE FATALITY OCCURRED


Hearing the waves crashing ashore to my right I was once again reminded of what an absolutely beautiful morning it was and less than 24 hours before this whole area was in the darkened throes of a devastating Tornado.
 
With a brisk walk I was back to the Jeep in about half an hour.  I was just up the road from the historical Goderich Airport so swung around there taking some photos of airplanes.  I have always had a fascination with aircraft.  An hour later, after a long detour around the sealed off town of Goderich I was back home with 146 pictures in my cameras.  Last week I had mentioned about it being about time to dust of my Nikons and this morning the dust came off them alright:))

We loaded up little Miss Cone Head and headed for the Vets around 3.  They wanted to check out her incisions and stitches.  All was well and the Vet removed her little pink bandage socks.  She still has to wear the cone until the stitches come out on August 31rst but we have been taking the cone off and keeping a very close watch on her so she doesn't pull out her stitches.  No easy feat keeping a close eye on a constantly energized furry little whirlwind.  


THE LAST PARAGRAPH:  It was just sooooooo nice to be out doing something different this morning.  Briskly walking along in that early morning air on the Maitland trail north of Goderich just reminded me of the rut I have let myself slip into over the summer.  My morning routine has been to sit in my comfy recliner for hours on end reading blogs.  Some folks read morning newspapers and I read blogs or start writing my daily post.  Whatever it is I do from about 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. seems to be computer related, and I definitely feel I am well overdo for some kind of change.

GROANER’S CORNER:  It seems that Mary Poppins has moved to California. She has started a business telling people's fortunes. But, she doesn't read palms or tea leaves, she smells people's breath. That’s, right, the sign outside reads: Super California Mystic Expert Halitosis.
--------------------------------------------------------
Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an Animal, their soul remains un-awakened.

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/
OUR PICASA PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy

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

WE WERE NARROWLY MISSED BY A TORNADO A FEW HOURS AGO BUT THE TOWN OF GODERICH 12 MILES NORTH OF US HAS BEEN DEVASTATED & DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY!!!!

ALL OF TONIGHT’S PHOTOS WERE TAKEN LATE THIS AFTERNOON…AT THIS POINT I HAD NO IDEA WHAT HAD JUST HAPPENED IN GODERICH

Unbeknownst to us we were just missed by a devastating Tornado late this afternoon.  According to the 6 o'clock news tonight a Tornado hit the town of Goderich about 4 o'clock this afternoon.   Early reports are of massive damage and injuries.  Mayor of Goderich has declared the town a state of emergency.   Extensive damage is widespread.  All roads leading to Goderich are closed & the entire town is without power. That is all we know right now.  Goderich is 20 minutes & 12 miles north of us.  Also heard the Ben Miller Inn has been destroyed in Ben Miller east of Goderich.  You Tube videos & still photos are already on-line of the damage.  YOU TUBE GODERICH TORNADO DAMAGE -- NEWSPAPER REPORT -- STILL PHOTOS OF DOWNTOWN GODERICH -- YOU TUBE...MORE DAMAGE -- MORE PHOTOS OF DAMAGE.

Here at home in Bayfield I was aware of the sky getting very dark around 4 and noticed we had some heavy wind gusts.  The temperature dropped quickly but at no time did the thought of a Tornado enter my mind.  Little did I know what was going on just a dozen miles north of us.  Kelly was at work over at Deer Park Lodge & knew something was up when she saw ambulances, police cars & emergency vehicles heading by on the highway in the direction of Goderich. 

 

SEE THAT CRUSHED LITTLE BUILDING BOTTOM RIGHT….WELL, REMEMBER ME BLOGGING ABOUT THE BURGER BAR A WEEK OR TWO AGO WHERE I COULD GET BREAKFAST FOR UNDER $5 INCLUDING COFFEE….YEP, THAT WAS IT AND THE PHOTO AT RIGHT WAS TAKEN FROM INSIDE LAST WEEK WHILE I KEPT AN EYE ON PHEEBE IN THE JEEP THAT MORNING…THE SIDEWALK PLANTER IS VISIBLE IN BOTH PHOTOS

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another good night with our little Miss Conehead Girl.  We both slept problem free side by each in our recliners again for the night.  Her one pink sock bandage did come off this morning but we were able to secure it in place with masking tape again.  Took her cone off a couple times today for awhile just to give her a welcome break.  Monday afternoon we return with 'Conehead The Barbarian' to the Vet clinic where they will change her leg bandages and check to see how her spaying incision is coming along.  Everything is looking good so far.

When I bought my Nikon D90 this past winter, it came enclosed with a few other options.  One of those options was a something called,  SHUTTERFLY .   It came with a free offer for us to choose 40 or so of our favourite digital photos with captions & have Shutterfly put them into a small hardcover photo album free of charge.  We did that & our album arrived a few days ago.  Very nice keepsake for us and I think it's the first time I have seen any of my photos in print for many years.

   

   

ELLIE GREAT joins us today as our latest Blog Follower.  Welcome aboard Ellie and hope you will find something of interest here from time to time.  I do try to mix things up from day to day:))

It has been nearly 4 years since I was able to figure out the Blogger format and wrote my first post.  I had been posting on Microsoft's 'My Space' before that and my posts there laid the groundwork for my days here at Blogger.  It was My Space that got me started when I began blogging there about our first trip in our truck and fifth wheel back in the winter of 06/07.

When I first moved to Blogger I started my posts with some stories and recollections I had written years earlier.  Those early posts really didn't have anything to do with RVing but it was the only material I had.  Needless to say, it was a very slow start for a very long time.  I didn't blog every day and only had a few articles maybe once a month.  I remember sending out emails to friends & family letting them know I had written something that obviously I had thought was interesting.  That is when I learned friends and family obviously didn't share my thoughts.  My 'comments' section and Sitemeter stats counter remained empty for the most part with a distant cousin writing one time saying, "here is your required comment" and that was all he wrote.  But, I didn't let myself get discouraged & kept plugging away.  Had I not enjoyed my revived my writing interests so much I'm sure I would have thrown in the towel back in those early days and moved on to something else.  Those early day feelings have always remained with me. 

I don't recall a network of blogs like there is today although they were probably there and I just wasn't in the loop.  Comments were few, if any, and far between.  I read lots of other blogs trying to get a handle on things.  I followed Tioga George for a short while in those days.  The numbers of readers showing any interest in my blog were anywhere from zero to zero for weeks at a time.  Not sure when it was that the Blog began to pick up a little attention but I think it was the winter of 07/08.  I blogged daily while on our trip that year but when we returned home for the summer in March of 08 I blogged very little and only put out about 50 posts in the next 7 months.  Noticed I had lost most of my readership over the summer months too and by the time we headed out again in 09 I was almost starting from scratch again with maybe 30 readers a day, if that.  Luckily, once on the road again some of the RV folks remembered the Bayfield Bunch and began mentioning us in their blogs.  I can't exactly remember who some of those old seasoned RV Bloggers were at that time but I think it was folks like LAURIE & ODEL along with DOUG & JOANN who gave us a big welcomed boost in their blogs. 


That winter trip of 07/08 in the Southwest saw me blogging every day again but upon returning home in the Spring I felt I didn't have anything interesting enough to write about so once again figured I would give it up for the Summer and only wrote 22 blogs for the month of April.  Surprisingly, I was right away encouraged by fellow RV'ers through comments and emails to keep the blog going.   So, with a bit of hesitation & surprise, my daily blogging routine basically began in earnest back in May of 2009.   With a handful of missed days here and there I have so far written 1,262 posts and I must honestly say it kind of gives me the Willys when I occasionally look back on some of the topics and things I have written about.  But, that's what blogging is all about and I'm glad somebody came up with the blogging concept years ago because it has made for a lot of pleasant blogging hours for many folks including myself. 

THE LAST PARAGRAPH:  It’s a little unnerving to think what would have happened here this afternoon had the Goderich Tornado been just 12 miles south of where it was.  I certainly would not be sitting here in the quiet comfort of our lovely sunroom typing this tonight that’s for sure!!

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And, just in case you are having a slow day, here are a few Lexiphiles to confuse you even further.......... 

To write with a broken pencil is pointless.
When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.
A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.
When the smog lifts in Los Angeles , U.C.L.A.
The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.
The batteries were given out free of charge.
A dentist and a manicurist married. They fought tooth and nail.
A will is a dead giveaway.
If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.
With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.
Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.
You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.
Local Area Network in Australia : The LAN down under.
A boiled egg is hard to beat.
When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.
Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.
Did you hear about the fellow whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.
If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.
A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.
In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.
When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds
The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
Acupuncture: a jab well done.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an Animal, their soul remains un-awakened.

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

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