SPENT MOST OF THE DAY PUTTERING IN OUR MOTOR HOME

AN EARLY MORNING AUTUMN GLOW IN THE POND

Had ourselves a bonus weather day for this late in October.  Sunny skies and temps around 60+F.  Figured it was a good time to turn off the outside water and drain our 3 outside garden hoses for another year.  Took a full utility trailer of pine needles to our Park's recycle area and put a few more outside things away.  We both spent a fair bit of time in the Motor Home cleaning, painting, reorganizing and loading more stuff, etc.  All and all, a productive day geared towards our upcoming travels....and that was good.

EVERY YEAR ABOUT THIS TIME I HAVE TO SLIP DOWN THROUGH THE TRAP DOOR IN OUR DECK AND TURN OFF THE OUTSIDE WATER TAPS LOCATED UNDER OUR UNIT

Mike over at PHANNIE AND MAE has a few thoughts and frustrations about the Good Sam Emergency Roadside Assistance program they are, or were….with.  Their Phaeton Motorhome has just been towed to a repair facility in Fort Worth, Texas with a yet undiagnosed problem.  Mike weaves his rant into an informative and sometimes humorous post.  

KELLY TAKES CARE OF SOME VACUUMING IN THE RIG THIS AFTERNOON >>>

And, figured I had better clear up a readers question.  A couple posts ago I said, "One of my favourite periods of each day is my 20 minute morning shower time."  I should have been more clear on that saying my 'total time in the washroom' during my morning shower routine was about 20 minutes.  My actual time in the shower is maybe 3 to 5 minutes.  Twenty minutes in a shower and I would need a scuba tank.

If you have a need to catch up real quick on what the Blog Land gang is up to these days just skip on over to the Cave Dwellers place and check out Donna’s post, ADVENTURES IN BLOGLAND.  She kinda has it all summed up and it kind of looks like she has her face all summed up as well…….prepare yourself:))

 

THIS IS OUR PARK’S CLUB HOUSE JUST UP THE STREET FROM US…IT HAS A FULL CONCRETE BASEMENT AND IS THE PLACE WE WOULD GO IN CASE OF A TORNADO…ALWAYS LOTS OF GOLDEN PINE NEEDLES ON THE GROUND THIS TIME OF YEAR

Not a lot to say on a quiet Sunday night.  When a fella starts his day at 3 a.m. his mind is kinda like a mush ball 17 hours later.  Not really conducive to any kind of creative or meaningful thinking.   Actually, not conducive to any kind of thinking at all……….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

IT WAS ABOUT HERE WHERE I GOT THE SWAMP SOAKER ON SATURDAY

GROANER’S CORNER:((  And, a few parting thoughts……..

-For every vision, there is an equal and opposite revision.
-Four-wheel-drive just means getting stuck in more inaccessible places.
-Free advice costs nothing until you act upon it.
-Friends come and go, but enemies accumulate.
-Frustration is not having anyone to blame but yourself.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

SATELLITE TRIPOD FINALLY FIGURED OUT PLUS MUDDY NEW JEANS AND A SOAKER

ONE OF THE GUEST HOUSES AT THE BEN MILLER INN, BEN MILLER ONTARIO
Our cold gray Novemberesque morning magically morphed into a fine late October Autumn afternoon. Nice day for a second walk in the forest with Ram Jam Pheebs the Rocket Dog. Been a few years since I have deviated from the trail so we made our way over an embankment and down along a creek through a thick and soggy cedar swamp. Didn't take me long to get a soaker and muddy up my new blue jeans pretty good. But, that's what Saturday afternoons and boys with their dogs are all about:))
And would you believe we both forgot about the last dog obedience class this morning.  Missed last week when Kelly was working and I was under the weather.  Pheebs and I were about two thirds the way around the trail this morning when I suddenly remembered our morning class, but it was too late:((  Not as bad as when I signed up early for a computer course at a local high school back in the late 90’s…………. and then forgot to go!!
Loaded up our satellite dish and tripod this morning and took them down to our handyman and neighbourhood friend Bruce’s place. Between the two of us (mainly Bruce) we were able to figure out the logistics of the tripod, drill a hole here, tighten up some nuts there and exchange a few brain wobbles before finishing up the project. Tripod and satellite dish are finally good to go.  Bruce is the same fellow who rebuilt our utility trailer last summer, did some renovations in our rig over the years and looks after our place when we are away for the winter.

 
In Friday's post I talked about why I like Blogs, Bloggers and Blog Land. Here is another reason I find blogging not only interesting, but educational as well. How many of us would know this country as well as we do if it was not for our fellow RV Bloggers. Yes, we all learned about History and Geography in school but how many of us were really interested in all that boring stuff at the time. Too many other cool things going on in our younger lives to think about traveling to distant parts of the country.  Every day now is a history lesson as we read and follow one another's blog travels around our fair land. We are all far more knowledgeable about travel and the ways of travel than any of our previous generations. And, through the countless photos we all share, the land becomes much more familiar and personnel than the usual old generic history book pictures of yesteryear.  And, a lot of those old history book photos were in black and white too!!
For any of you RV folks with Olympian Wave 8 heaters in your rigs you might want to read KAREN'S POST  about a couple simple maintenance tips which could save you costly repairs with your unit. We at the Bayfield Bunch have a similar propane powered unit called a Legacy Blue Flame.
While searching for some additional info on our Blue Flame heater this morning I came across a post I had written back on April 22nd 2009 entitled, AFTER A FEW WRONG DECISIONS...HERE ARE SOME RIGHT ONES.   Found it interesting to see my line of thinking at that time. Apologies to Florida of course. 
I still have not made much progress in the Google+ department. Have received a lot of emails from folks adding me to Circles or something but I just have not been able to perk my interest in another social media site yet. I think I may have added all the folks to my Circles of whatever Circles I seem to have but of course I'm not sure. I'm just kind of going around in circles I guess looking for a logical reason as to why I would need Google+. I also receive occasional emails from people about joining something called 'linkedin'. Again, I have no idea what this is so have passed on the invitations. And then there is something called 'Stumble Upon' but after giving it a quick look see I decided that wasn't something I was interested in either. Like I said in a previous post a few weeks ago......my interests are a changing.

YEP, THAT’S OUR DIGS IN THERE SOMEWHERE…………..
GROANER'S CORNER:((  A wise old man celebrating his 100th birthday got a visit from a local television reporter at the nursing home to interview him.
"Are you able to get out and walk much?" the reporter asked. "Well, I certainly can walk better today than I could a hundred years ago today!!"
--------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of
right now...AL.

WHY I LIKE BLOGGERS, BLOGGING AND BLOG LAND:))

MANAGED TO CATCH ME A SMALL RAINBOW THIS MORNING

Another cold wet rainy day here in south-western Ontario.  Figured I had better get myself out of the house and catch me a little fresh air.  My travels took me up and around the Goderich harbour and down along wind tossed Lake Huron.  Only camera I had with me was my point and shoot Canon Powershot SX210IS so all of tonight’s photos are with that camera.

THE OCEAN GOING CARGO SHIP STEFANIA 1 WAS IN HARBOUR THIS MORNING PICKING UP A LOAD OF EITHER GRAIN, BEANS OR CORN

 

GODERICH’S SIFTO SALT MINE IS SEEN ACROSS THE HARBOUR

JEAN AND SKIP are currently in Cottonwood Arizona and yesterday toured the historic mining town of Jerome Arizona built on the side of Mingus Mountain.  We accidentally first encountered Jerome in November of 2007 after an unplanned harrowing trip over Mingus Mountain.  I was driving the Motor Home that day with Max, Checkers and the Motormouse on board with Kelly following in the Santa Fe.  If I thought getting over Mingus Mountain was scary....I had no idea what was ahead of me in the narrow twisting streets of Jerome!!  For my post that day click here.... FROM BEDROCK TO DEADHORSE
 

TRUCKS WAITING TO DROP OFF THEIR LOADS OF GRAIN AT THE GODERICH GRAIN ELEVATORS…BLACK PUFF OF SMOKE LOWER RIGHT CAME OUT OF A STACK ON THE STEFANIA 1’s STERN 

A TRUCK TIPS IT’S LOAD INTO THE AUGERS OF THE LARGE GRAIN ELEVATORS WITH THE STERN OF THE STEFANIA 1 JUST AHEAD

STU AND DONNA travel fully prepared for flat tires and it was a flat tire on their fiver along I-40 near Knoxville that had them donning safety vests, putting out traffic cones and hauling out the impact wrench, jack and spare tire.  And, was there damage to the rig?  Yes there was.

I always find my fellow Blogger's posts about their views on blogging interesting.  How they got started, what they like or dislike about blogging.  What motivates them to write a post every day or every once and awhile.  Where do ideas come from and how are ideas formulated.  I'm always interested in the mechanics of how people put their posts together as well.  Are they using Live Writer, Blogger, or a different writing platform.   What photo editing programs are being used and how are they used in relation to a Blogger's post.  Some blogs are records of daily activities, some are more travel oriented, some opinionated, some occasionally humorous and some occasionally sad.  I find the whole world of blogging very interesting.  I thought Donna’s TRAVELS IN THERAPY post this morning was a fine example of how the freely sharing of information between Bloggers can be so very helpful.

 
A blog may be technically helpful or thought provoking on a philosophical level.  It is the wide diversity of topics I enjoy here in Blog Land.  And, for the most part it is the respect here in Blog Land that most Bloggers have for one another that I appreciate the most.  Very rare to find rude and sarcastic comments in our community and I think we all appreciate each other's maturity for that.  I have seen other forums where things get very personal and nasty.  Nice to be part of a community where most of us have respect and understanding for each other's thoughts and opinions.  It is also the support Blogger's have for one another in times of difficulty that makes our community very caring and very special. It was this morning’s post post by BIG DAWG AND FREEWAY  that set my mind to thinking of all my fellow bloggers and the great community we all communicate in. 
 
<<< RURAL ONTARIO

To answer the question about my suspected wheat intolerance and if it was diagnosed by a Doctor.  No, it was not.  Just my opinion on some physical things that have been occurring for quite awhile and seemed to coincidentally take place after eating breads and buns etc.  Maybe I do not have wheat intolerance at all, but at least the symptoms for wheat intolerance got my attention enough to make me try some new changes to my eating habits.  Since making those changes I have not had the lethargic bloating feeling I was getting so bad after eating products made from dough.  I love anything made from dough so have always fell prey to things like donuts, muffins, sweet buns, and any kind of bread products, etc.   Wheat intolerance or not, I figure a change regarding wheat products could very well be a positive and healthy change for me.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  We'll see how it goes.   I should also add here that I consider myself a very fortunate person in that at the age of 67 the only prescription drug I take is something called Arthrotec which helps with the sometimes aching stiffness I get in my legs.  Been taking this for about 13 years now when it was originally prescribed for bone spur problems in both my feet which have long since been surgically corrected.

GODERICH EVEN HAS A HORSE RACING TRACK

One of my favourite periods of each day is my 20 minute morning shower time.  This is a time when the beginnings of many blog ideas for the day are conceived.  My shower routine is always basically the same from the time I enter the bathroom to when I leave.  I generally always turn on a small electric heater because I like the feeling of warm air wafting over me.  And, I like my shower water on the hot side as well.  I also have a habit of turning the bathroom lights down while in the shower and I have absolutely no idea where I picked that habit up or why.  As many long time readers know, I am a music oriented person so of course I have music in the bathroom as well.  Back in the 80's I made countless hours of cassette tapes (remember them) from CD's.  It is all the ambient tapes that  I now listen to each and every morning in the shower on a boom box I found a few years ago in a Goderich Thrift Store.  It is that warm air, soft lighting, hot water and music which makes a special time for me each and every morning:))

 

A STORMY LOOKING DAY AT THE LAKE

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Old ranch owner John farmed a small ranch in Montana.  The Montana Wage and Hour Department claimed he was not paying proper wages to his workers and sent an agent out to interview him.

'I need a list of your employees and how much you pay them,' demanded the agent.

'Well,' replied old John, 'There's my ranch hand who's been with me for 3 years. I pay him $600 a week plus free room and board. The cook has been here for 18 months, and I pay her $500 a week plus free room and board. Then there's the half-wit who works about 18 hours every day and does about 90% of all the work around here. He makes about $10 per week, pays his own room and board and I buy him a bottle of bourbon every Saturday night.'

'That's the guy I want to talk to, the half-wit,' says the agent.

'That would be me,' replied old rancher John.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

THUNDER, LIGHTNING AND RAIN FOLLOWED BY A COLD DAMP DAY

SOMETIMES ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK UP  (NIKON D50)

Big winds, rains, thunder and lightning along with a scared little Motormouse made for a restless night.  Pheebe of course took it all in stride with her usual happy smiling face and wagging tail.  I slept right through most of the night's activities but Kelly wasn't so lucky and ended up having a tired day.

I was surprised by reader's emails making the connections between wheat intolerance and depression.  I would not have thought of that.  I know the intolerance in itself would not be the root cause of depression but I do understand that it could somehow affect the degree of depression.  I have always believed depression is the power of negative thinking and who knows what chemical changes and imbalances take place in the body from day to day to add further effects in our ever changing moods.

Several readers have suggested St. John's Wort as a herbal approach to dealing with depression so 3 days ago I picked up a bottle of sixty 300mg pills.  Am also now trying a herbal pill called Probiotic to possibly deal with my suspected wheat intolerance problem.  It was just a few days before that I stopped eating wheat based products.  And, Kelly informed me this morning to refer to this possible problem as wheat intolerance and not wheat allergy.  Two different things I am told.

3 WAY TUG OF WAR

Maybe it's too early to tell or maybe it's just in my mind but I am definitely feeling better both mentally and physically than I was a week or so ago.   Actually, the whole summer as far as that goes.  Also managed to drop my weight from 213 to 209 so I am encouraged.  Gotta be careful though.....don't want to get myself too giddy and run the risk of besmirching my old Cuersudgeon status:))

Sure do like using Google Earth from time to time and it has saved us a few unnecessary long drives.  Case in point….Kelly spotted a half acre piece of farm property for sale on a local Real Estate site this week about a half hour drive north of Bayfield.  The property had an old house on in it that looked like a nice quiet place in the country.  I quickly gassed up Google Earth and flew out to the address shown on the Real Estate site to see what I could see from an aerial view.

Well, it was in the country all right but from the Google Earth image it was plain to see the house was only about 100 feet off a gravel road.  That meant cars going by very close to the house and lots of road dust.  Google Earth also showed a very large new looking house right beside the half acre property and probably only a couple hundred feet from the old farm house.  The Real Estate agent had been careful not to include that new house in any of the 3 photos taken of the half acre property.  Google Earth had once again saved us an hours trip for nothing, otherwise we might have driven out there for a look around. 

The house on the property was not to our liking anyway.  A two story hundred year old wooden frame farm house that for sure had seen better days.  Too old for us and we would never buy a two story house anyway.  And we would certainly never buy a house that had another house close by.  I figure a half mile is the minimum acceptable distance between properties.  Kelly feels the same way.

Had ourselves a cold damp day much like we normally experience in November.  Noticed folks to the south of us are experiencing dropping temperatures as well.  I am going to be really ticked if we are forced to winterize the rig before leaving this year……………

TRYING OUT MY NEW JEANS, SHIRT AND JACKET THIS MORNING ON THE ROAD IN FRONT OF OUR HOUSE  (CANON POWERSHOT SX210IS)

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A drunk went into a telephone booth and dialled at random.......... "Salvation Army," was the answer."What do you do?" asked the man."We save wicked men and women," came the reply."Okay, save me a wicked woman for Saturday night will ya."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.

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

BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS (revised)

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

SURVIVED MY ‘SHOPPING FOR PANTS’ ORDEAL AND NEVER HAD TO STAMP MY FEET ON THE FLOOR ONCE

THESE TWO GUYS ARE ALL REVVED UP AND PATIENTLY WAITING TO GET THEIR WHEELS ROLLING FOR THE SOUTHWEST:)) (CANON POWERSHOT SX210IS)
We were off on our ‘new pants for Al’ Safari this morning about 10 a.m. but we did not end up where we started out for.  A TSC (Tractor Supply) store showed up along the way so figured we would stop in there first and have a look at their clothing line before heading on to Marks Work Warehouse.  For sure the prices were going to be better than Mark’s and what a piece of luck it was to stumble upon the last day of TSC’s 40% off on selected pants sale.  Groovy:))

RAKED THIS PILE OF PINE NEEDLES OFF OUR LAWN AND WILL LOAD THEM INTO MY UTILITY TRAILER SHORTLY FOR THE RECYCLE AREA
I summoned up a big load of extra patience as we browsed through work pants, casual trousers and numerous brands of blue jeans.   Cloistered myself in the tiny triangular shaped change room and proceeded to try on 7 different types of various sized pants.  Had really hoped to wedge myself into some 38’s but had to settle for size 40 again.  Darn peanut butter and honey sandwiches!!  The shortest leg length in most men’s pants is 30 inches.  My legs are about 28 inches….on a good day.  Anyway, I ended up with 2 pairs of Wrangler Jeans and one pair of dressy work pants made by Dickies.  But, that wasn’t the end of our shopping.  Noticed they had a great sale on long sleeved double pocketed warm flannel shirts (my fav) so I picked up 2 of them.  They’re perfect for warm, but sometimes cool Arizona days during the winter season.  You might be interested in why I like shirts and if so, yep I did a post on that too >>>>>>  I'M A BUTTON UP SHIRT KINDA GUY
 IN THE TINY CHANGE ROOM TRYING ON A NEW PAIR OF PANTS & USING MY CANON SX210IS  >>>
I haven’t had a good windbreaker for years but spotted a waterproof nylon wind resistant and lined ‘North 49’ squall jacket on the rack that had my name on it.  Zippered pockets to secure a small camera and keep it dry in wet weather, draw string turtle neck collar for warmth and an elastic waist band to keep the wind out.  Inside pocket and Velcro wrist fasteners.  Figured this would be a great jacket for motorcycling, amongst other things.  Kelly picked herself up a warm western flannel shirt and that was it for our shopping excursion.   And Al never even had a tantrum or stamped his feet on the floor once:))   
Our new Shaw satellite is all put together and mounted on it's new tri-pod.  I understand the settings on the satellite dish no problem but it is the tri-pod I am having difficulty understanding.  Unlike our previous tripod, the legs on our new pod are not adjustable so I'm not understanding the precise levelling process.  Am also not understanding how to do a fluidly smooth pan of the horizon with this set up.  Below I have some pics of the pod.  You will see 6 tightening bolts with 3 at the top of the pod and 3 at the bottom.  Seems totally illogical to me loosening all these bolts to slowly and smoothly swivel the dish horizontally in search of the satellite.  What simple technique am I missing here??

       
NIKON D90  CLICK PICS TO ENLARGE
Question from Donna about all the pine needles on the ground here at our place.  Yes, we have this big dump of pine needles every Autumn.  Same as leaves coming down except the Pine trees do not lose all their needles like a leafy tree.   Only a small percent of the needles drop leaving the Pine tree with a full coat of green needles year round.
 
     
CANON POWERSHOT SX210IS
Ever notice that if you weigh yourself after a shower you will quite often be a pound lighter than when you weighed yourself before getting into the shower.  Well, I've noticed that anyway and it begs the question....how do I gain a pound of dirt on myself every day?  I have been keeping a record of my weight for 18 years now so when I loaded myself into the shower this morning at 209 pounds I fully expected to step out of the shower at 208.  I stepped out at 210!!  Does that mean I not only failed to wash that pound of dirt off myself but I also gained a pound of water.....probably in my ears.  Well, I don't know what it means either but just thought I would throw it out there.  Oh, and what was my weight in October of 1993…………….181 pounds:))
NOT SURE WHAT THESE TALL PINES ARE BUT THEY MIGHT BE CALLED WHITE PINES >>> Want to thank folks for taking the time to email in their ideas and suggestions not only about depression but about my suspected wheat allergy as well.  I am following up on some of those thoughts and detailed instructions so we'll see how that affects my overall well being over this next little while.  I hadn't realized there was a connection between the wheat allergy thing and depression.  Thanks for those tips folks and I appreciate the interest and help from all our friends and readers.

MORNING HUGS:))  (CANON POWERSHOT A730)
IVAN has some great thoughts on BOON DOCKING in an interview with NATIONAL RV PARKS.  As many long time readers know, Boon Docking is our much preferred way of RVing as well.  And, for all the same reasons Ivan has stated in the interview.

THIS IS AN ORIENTAL ORNAMENT HANGING FROM OUR SUNBURST LOCUST TREE…THE BLURRED ORANGE BACKGROUND IS ACTUALLY OUR PINE NEEDLE COVERED ROAD OUT FRONT AND THE LIGHTER GREEN AT BOTTOM IS A SHRUB IN OUR FRONT YARD, BOTH BLURRED TOTALLY OUT OF FOCUS BY MY TELEPHOTO LENS (NIKON D40 AT 220mm USING A FILL IN FLASH)

As mentioned in Tuesday’s post, October 19th is and always will be a special day in my life.  In October of 2009 I was sober 30 years so wrote a post about attending my very first AA meeting in 1979.   OCTOBER 19TH 1979....A NEW LIFE BEGINS.
GROANER’S CORNER:((  If David Letterman were to define the term "Top 10 reasons for Owning a Recreational Vehicle" he might say………………………… 
1) A hobby that doesn't make you money, isn't relaxing, and leaves you broke!
2) A lifestyle choice that can kill you...or at least try to!
3) An obsession that will land you in the Funny Farm...or a Campground in Yeehaw Junction, Florida!
4) An amusing distraction...but you don't smile that much!
5) A great way to spend your kids inheritance!
6) A potentially deadly disease for which there is no cure!
7) A terrific way to see the very best and worse in humanity, from your living room.
8) There are easier ways to squander a lot of money! Live and pay Taxes in California for example!
9) The only cheap way to take a vacation that leaves you broke!
10) A way of life that is guaranteed NOT to make a 'homeless guy pushing a shopping cart with all of his worldly belongings in it' jealous!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

I’VE NEVER LIKED HAVING TO TAKE MY PANTS OFF IN A STORE!!

A QUIET AUTUMN HARBOUR AT GRAND BEND ONTARIO  (NIKON D40 AT 55mm)

An overcast windless 52F morning sky saw Kelly, Pheebs the Rocket Dog and myself driving over to see my Uncle Harry in Mitchell, Ontario.  Harry's doing well and as always was so glad to see the little Pheebe's nose peaking around the corner of his recliner nudging his arm.  Harry is often catching a few winks when we get there so we let the Pheebs slip in first and gently surprise Harry.

 

NOT A LOT OF BIRDS AT OUR FEEDER THESE DAYS BUT I DID MANAGE TO CATCH A BLUE JAY THIS AFTERNOON (NIKON D40 AT 300mm)

For as long as I can remember I have never liked the idea of walking into a store and taking my pants off.  Didn't like it years ago and don't like it now!!  Buying a pair of pants is such a pain in the britches.  Socks, underwear and shirts are different.  Socks come in a generic size that seems to fit all from Centipedes to Elephants and if underwear and shirts have an L or XL tag on them I'm probably going to be ready to go.  Pants are a whole different animal with each manufacturer having their own interpretation of sizes.  And, not all pants are shaped the same.  Having a pair of legs that are a bit short for their length I always have to have about a foot cut off the leg bottoms or it looks like I am walking around on a large pair of soupy pant noodles.

JUST AN OLD STUMP BY THE WATER’S EDGE ( NIKON D40 AT 300mm)

I don't think I own a pair of pants at the moment that does not have a rip or some kind of hole in them somewhere.  And I think the last 2 pairs of used blue jeans I  bought already had a few bullet holes in them before I even got a chance to wear them.  Maybe it's those claustrophobic 3x3 tiny change rooms in stores that I don't like or is it knowing some large woman with a mean disposition and a couple bratty kids in tow is impatiently waiting on the other side of the door with a chip on her shoulder and an armful of clothes that are probably going to be too small for her anyway.  Whatever it is, I hate having to buy pants so I go for as long as humanely possible in my old tattered threads..….keeping my pants on!!

ALWAYS A BIG JOB EVERY YEAR RAKING UP ALL THE PINE NEEDLES (NIKON D90 AT 18mm)

With my new wheat free eating habits now in place JUDY wondered about my peanut butter and jelly sandwich habit.  First, yes I'm eating 'natural' peanut butter again, but it's with honey, not jelly.  Kelly brought home a loaf of wheat free bread for me to try and I find it takes a bit of getting used to the semi cardboard taste but if I pop a slice into the toaster I find it is rather survivable if I put a real good slathering of peanut butter and honey on it.

AS THE LINE GOES IN RINGO STARR’S SONG….♫ I GET BY WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS ♫ (CANON POWERSHOT A730)

It has been well over a year now since we brought our little 2006 Jeep Wrangler home and I love driving that silly little puddle jumper just as much now as I did over a year ago.  I've never been one known for keeping a vehicle for years at a time but I do intend on keeping this square cornered and odd shaped thing that looks like a cardboard box on wheels for as long as I can.  The 6 speed manual transmission still messes with my head sometimes and if I'm not paying attention, any hefty gust of wind can set me to soaring like a kite.  Small potholes in the road can have the same effects on a Jeep as trench warfare and if a sneeze occurs at the same time my hands are on the steering wheel I can find myself heading off in half a dozen different directions all at the same time.  Exaggerations??  Of course, but I think you get my drift.  Or, in the case of a two door Jeep Wrangler....I think you get my wobble:))

AUTUMN JEEP  (NIKON D40 AT 70mm) 

‘Late breaking rumour’......word has that AL will be hauled off to MARK'S WORK WEARHOUSE early Wednesday morning whereupon he will be forced to remove his old ripped pants and be fitted with some BRAND NEW ones....wish me luck.  Oh, and I hear new pants even come without bullet holes in them now.  Say, isn’t that just special:))

Tomorrow I will repost a link to the blog I wrote several years ago which has to do with October 19th, 1979.  An important life changing event in my life occurred on that date which in turn has left me with 32 years of continuous sobriety.

STONEBIRD (NIKON D90 AT 55mm)

GROANER'S CORNER:((  AL was once stopped by the police at midnight and asked where he was going. “I’m on the way to listen to a lecture about the effects of alcohol and drug abuse on the human body.” The policeman asks, “Really? And who’s going to give a lecture at this time of night?” “My wife”, came Al’s reply.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

A PRODUCTIVE DAY WITH A FEW THOUGHTS ON DEPRESSION

DESPITE A LOT OF AUTUMN LEAVES BEING DOWN I DID MANAGE TO SCRAPE TOGETHER A FEW SHOTS FOR TONIGHT’S BLOG THIS MORNING   NIKON D40 AT 300mm LEAVES ARE BACKLIT AND THE SHADOWED AREA OF A DARK FOREST ABOUT 200 YARDS IN THE BACKGROUND GIVE THE PHOTO IT’S NATURAL BLACK BACKGROUND
Had a few errands to run in Goderich this morning so figured I would include those few stops with a back road Autumn leaves photo tour along the way.  Nice sunny morning so figured I could find myself some nice solid blocks of color along the bush lines.  But, it was not to be.  High gusting winds this past Saturday had stripped many trees of their beautiful Fall colors.   Still some nice photo ops in some areas though but the cold gray days of November are fast approaching.  Soon our once majestic palette of colors will be no more.
 
Spent a fair part of my day on the end of a lawn rake and wheelbarrow.  It is much easier to rake up pine needles now rather than Spring after they have been compacted into the ground by winter's snow.  Also cut down all our towering 12 foot high bamboo grass.  Normally do that in the Spring but figured it might be less messy if I take care of all that long grass now.   Also caught a few more front yard frog pond frogs and carefully transported them to the Park’s bigger pond across the road where they can now burrow in the mud bottom and survive the winter.  When the day comes we have to give up going south I am going to do the same:))
 
OUR WOODEN STORAGE SHED IS SLOWLY FILLING UP WITH SUMMER’S OUTSIDE ORNAMENTS AND ACTIVITIES
I have suspected for quite some time now I may have some kind of wheat allergy.  Kelly got on the computer last week and checked out the symptoms and I have every one of them on the checklist.  With that knowledge in hand Kelly headed off to the health food store and returned with a car load of wheat free products.  So, changes are underway once again here on the old food front. 

Some of the wheat free products are kind of yummy and some taste totally awful.  Some just taste like cardboard but I am finding my way through the tasting process and must say I am already feeling better.  But, here's the downside for the furry guys and the immediate ramifications of Dad's new 'no wheat' diet.  No more sharing Burritos at McDonalds.  In fact, if I have to stick to this 'no wheat' thing, it means no more Subs and no McDonalds Egg McMuffins or Burgs.   And, donuts are out as are probably Pizzas.  I see all this as a good thing in the long run but this morning as I drove by a McDonald's, an A&W, a Harvey’s, a Tim Horton’s and 2 Subways, I knew this is not going to be an easy row for me to hoe.

RETIRED ROD had a few questions regarding the town of Goderich and how they are doing two months after a tornado struck their in August.  The Provincial Government of Ontario is helping residents in several ways, one of which is to match all donations being received.  An all day musical benefit concert was held in the damaged towns center a week ago as well.  Some heritage buildings were damaged beyond repair and have been torn down but the town is rebuilding and people are coping, adjusting and getting on with their lives.  I'm sure the town will emerge strong in the end looking and living even better than before.
As for the damages to the town's large waterfront salt mine, it is going to be a long haul.  The mine is back in production but the repairs and changes there are predicted to take up to a couple years. DEER PARK LODGE where Kelly works has actually benefitted from the mine damages because many of the engineers and personnel brought in to rebuild the mines facilities have found lodging for the winter at Deer Park.  Many of the engineering families are also finding accommodation in the village of Bayfield with some folks renting houses long term until the all the work at the mine is finished.  Goderich is about a 15 to 20 minute drive north of Bayfield.

<<< NIKON D40 AT 300mm…..NARROW DEPTH OF FIELD IS FOCUSED ON THE LEAVES AND HAVE BLURRED THE SPARKLING WATERS OF A POND ABOUT 50 YARDS IN THE BACKGROUND…LEAVES ARE BACKLIT BY A LATE MORNING SUN
And, a personal thank you to readers and friends for your comments and concerns regarding my 4 day blogging absence.  A special thanks for the emails from folks who understand the ways of depression and shared their own personal experiences with me.  The subject of depression is one of those closet topics which is too often hastily swept under the nearest carpet.  In my opinion, no one is immune from depression in one form or another.  It’s human nature, and the many faces of depression are gathered together in varying degrees by each and every one of us.  The key is in recognizing it and knowing how to deal with it.  Talking about depression is a definite step forward for anyone, and catching the early symptoms of an oncoming depression can save one a lot of ‘down time’.    
GROANER’S CORNER:((  Did you know it gets so hot in Arizona that Roadrunners have to use pot holders to pull Lizards out of the ground & ranchers have to feed their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying hard boiled eggs.  Yep, it’s true alright:))
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL