OH NO, NOT SOME MORE BLOGGING THOUGHTS

WE HAVE A LOT OF CURIOUS LITTLE CRITTERS IN OUR FRONT YARD

Another day of cold, cloudy & yuk. Other than slipping down to Mitchell to visit my Uncle Harry the day was pretty much another lost cause. He’s still doing fine & always looks forward to seeing the Pheebs. Plowed our way through some heavy wind gusts & snow showers along the way.

It was with interest I read Sue’s thoughts on blogging at THE MOHO AND OTHER TRAVELING TALES this morning. Blogging has become an important part of my every day life so I am always interested in hearing or reading what others have to say about the subject. I thought Sue summed it up very well & I am in agreement with & understand her thoughts.

A MUSKRAT…BUT NOT IN OUR FRONT YARD POND
And, while on the topic of Blogs, I do have a few thoughts.  Well, quite a few actually but I will just keep it down to a few today.  I have always had an addictive personality. Seems when I like to do something a lot I have a tendency to go overboard with it & do it too much. Tonight’s post is number 1,507 & that is not counting the posts I wrote before adding Sitemeter to my Blog site. With the exception of a few days here & there I have blogged on a daily basis now for about 4 & a half years. Do I have myself caught up in yet another daily addiction?? Can writing & reading blogs become addictive?? From my own perspective I would have to answer both those questions with a resounding ‘yes’.

FORGOT TO BRING THE BIRDFEEDERS IN LAST NIGHT & SURE ENOUGH, 2 OUT 3 WERE ON THE GROUND THIS MORNING…GEE, I WONDER HOW THAT HAPPENED

Is there a cure for this addiction? Maybe. I think it is time for me to once again re-post my 12 Steps To Blogging Recovery based on AA’s own 12 step recovery plan which in fact I learned first hand many years ago………………….

‘BLOGGERS ANONYMOUS’

Step One: "We admitted we were powerless over Blogging - that our free time has become unmanageable."

Step Two: "Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to a simpler time before computers."

Step Three: "Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of our Spouses as we understand them."

Step Four: "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of our Blogger thoughts & Blog Archives."

Step Five: "Admitted to our Spouses, to ourselves, & to another Blogger person the exact nature of our blogging woes."

Step Six: "Were entirely ready to have our Spouse remove all nasty posts from our Blogs."

Step Seven: "Humbly asked Her/Him to remove our shortcomings, our spell checkers, & our publish buttons"

Step Eight: "Made a list of all fellow Bloggers we had commented to, and became willing to make amends to them all."

Step Nine: "Made direct amends to such Bloggers wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them, their Blogs, or their Blog Followers ."

Step Ten: "Continued to take personal written inventory and when we were wrong promptly didn't blog about it."

Step Eleven: "Sought through humbleness and fear to improve our conscious contact with our Spouse as we understood Her/Him, begging only for knowledge of Her/His will for us and maybe our keyboards back to blog about it."

Step Twelve: "Having had a Blogger's awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to all fellow Bloggers, and to practice these principles in all our restructured Blogging affairs." 10-4!!

Hi, my names AL & I am a Blogger:((

IT WAS A YEAR AGO I REPAINTED OUR UTILITY TRAILER
Reader Pam asks if I was once a professional photographer & if my bird photos are taken at our place here in Canada.  It’s a No/Yes answer.  No, never was a professional photographer.  Most ‘true professional photographers’ (not the one’s that just call themselves that) photos are far better than mine.  My photos are OK for my blog but they wouldn’t stand up in comparison to the professional folks.  Their photos are tack sharp with far more attention paid to the technical side of things.  A pros photos are better because they have to be better.  It’s their living & for sure those guys have a lot more patience at setting up a shot than I do.  I never plan a photo because I am an opportunity kind of shooter.  If the opportunity pops up for a photo, I take it & move on.  And yes, about 95% of all the bird pics you are seeing in my blog these days are taken right here in our own front yard.  Most of them right through our sunroom window while I’m at the computer pecking away at another post:))

 

HEY, WHO’S DA IMPOSTER!!

GROANER’S CORNER:(( John was furious when his steak arrived too rare.
"Waiter," he shouted, "Didn't you hear me say 'well done'?"
"I can't thank you enough, sir," replied the waiter. "I hardly ever get a compliment."
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

A COLD WINDY DAY KEEPS US HOUSEBOUND

AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES

Wished I could tell you it was a productive day but with the cold temperatures outside & heavy wind gusts coming in we just ended up inside all day.  Watched a DVD & puttered on the puter.  I have new books to read but I have to be in the right frame of mind for reading & today just wasn't it.  In fact, it seems I do most of my reading when we are on the road.  I will have more to say about these books in a later post because one has been written by a fellow Blogger & another one in part has been written by a reader.

ROBIN

Found another reader’s comment in our Spam folder this morning so you might want to keep an eye on your Spam folder from time to time folks. Just go to your Blogger Dashboard & click on the word ‘Comments’ & then the word ‘Spam’. Scroll through. Always a good idea to keep this folder cleaned out.

MALE CARDINAL

Another call from my Urologist this morning has lined me up for an Ultra-Sound for the middle of May.  That now makes 6 medical appointments before I even get into the operating room.  And here I thought all along all this Doctor stuff was for older folks.  Seems I have been out of touch with myself these past few years.

GRACKLE

A walk around our front yard these days sounds like a walk in a country meadow.  It is the call of Red Wing Blackbirds that is the sound of rural Spring for me.  Grackles dominate the feeders with noisy Blue Jays winging in & harassing them.  Crimson Cardinals dart from nearby Cedars & are generally the last birds at the feeders at night.  Mourning Doves scour the ground for seeds along with Black Capped Chickadees & an assortment of other small brown birds.  A Hairy Woodpecker along with a Northern Flicker both seen in the yard just hours apart along with a Red Bellied Woodpecker last week.  Crows dart amongst the Pine trees.  One Scarlet Tanager & of course lots of Robins.  Baltimore Orioles are appearing as well as a couple Rose Breasted Grosbeaks.  Purple & American Gold Finches at the Niger seed feeder.  The Dark Eyed Juncos have pretty well all left for the season and I have seen a few Cowbirds in the yard.  No sign of the White Breasted Nuthatches or Indigo Buntings yet.  But soon.  And always overhead soar the many Turkey Vultures.  Hawks are not often seen in the woods but their shrill calls can be heard.  At night we have the hauntingly quiet sounds of Great Horned Owls.  Yes, it’s quite a little Birding paradise we have here:))

Now, after reading the above paragraph it might seem like I am quite a knowledgeable bird person.  But, that would be a misconception.  I know most of the birds frequenting our front yard simply because it’s the same feathered gang every year.  And, I do have a few Junior bird books on hand.  Now, I have heard the saying, ‘a horse with a different color’ & yesterday’s identification of a feathered fellow in flight turned out to be a ‘bird of a different color.  I’m talking about the bird taking flight from a pond across the road.  In the photo the bird appears blue when in fact it probably had more shades of green & gray to it.  Because of it’s long neck, size, & gangly legs I assumed it was a Great Blue Heron.  Not so!!  JUDY was able to straighten me out again by letting me know it was a Green Heron.  OK, why the blue color?  Next paragraph for the answer….and it really has nothing to do with the bird:))

PURPLE FINCH

You will notice in Sunday’s Heron photos how sunny the background is.  The Heron itself is still in shadow.  A camera struggles with an exposure like this because of the 2 contrasting light situations.  The camera’s light sensor instantly decides on what it thinks is the correct exposure.  In this case it chose a middle ground so we see some detail in the sunny grass behind the Heron & we also see some detail in the darker shadows in the foreground.  In a situation like this the camera defaults to a blue caste in the shadow area.  You will often see this blue color in distant mountain photos.  Hence it made the Green Heron appear blue.  Judy has a much sharper eye than I for these things and far more experience at identifying birds, so in this case, instead of calling a Blue Heron blue, I should have called it Green.  I default to Judy.  Thanks J:))  

RED WINGED BLACKBIRD

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.

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- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.

stargeezerguy@gmail.com

‘MUSHY BEES’

AND THIS IS WHAT THE BIRD’S & SQUIRRELS SEE FROM OUTSIDE
This mornings icy winds kept me inside but Kelly took Pheebs for a long walk anyway.  When it warmed up a bit this afternoon I took Pheebs for another long walk & we made it all the way to the Bayfield River which is just south of us.  That walk took us along our usual morning Pine trail, up into a hardwood bush, & then down a long steep forested hill to the river.  Hadn’t been down there for about 7 years so it was nice to see something different for a change.

 
A SPRING FOREST LEADS PHEEBS & I TO THE BAYFIELD RIVER
Sometimes in the great & quickly growing RV scheme of things I have a tendency to miss new blog sites, forget or misplace old blog sites & just generally loose touch with folks. It’s just impossible for me to keep up with everybody anymore. There are a lot of helpful blog sites & one which I was aware of several years ago & had forgotten about was FRUGAL-RV-TRAVEL.COM. Here is a site with a lot of RVing information and something for everyone.  Of course I especially like their Boondocking take on things & their frugal approach to living & traveling on the road whether it be full or part time. 

A YOUNG MAPLE TREE IN THE SPRING OF IT’S LIFE
I have noticed that it seems to be a lot of the younger crew of RV’ers these days who have a knack for putting together many of the great informative web/blog sites. They just seem to have the energy, the smarts, the enthusiasm, & the interest to get out there & kick some back country dirt around. More & more of these younger folks are adventuress & independent enough to get themselves out of the main RVing stream & into a boon docking lifestyle that gains them access to some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.  I always like to hear & see photos of ‘natural’ out of the way places.
 

A GREEN HERON LIFTS OFF FROM THE POND ACROSS THE ROAD
Chinle, over at SPOTTED DOG RANCH, in a recent post, brings up an opinion which I must say I am in total agreement with.  Don’t think I have ever asked someone what they did for a living.  I may be curious but I won’t ask.  If a person wants to tell me, it’s up to them.  I always find the question uncomfortable when asked because I am not one of those fellows who can grip his britches, rock back on his heels & give forth with a big rollicking tried & true success story.  And, I’ve never been comfortable with the word ‘retired’ either.  Never did stay at anything long enough to retire from.

ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL LAKE HURON SUNSET TAKEN FROM DEER PARK LODGE 
GROANER’S CORNER:((  The psychology instructor had just finished a lecture on mental health and was giving an oral test.
Speaking specifically about manic depression, she asked, "How would you diagnose a patient who walks back and forth screaming at the top of his lungs one minute, then sits in a chair weeping uncontrollably the next?"
A young man in the rear raised his hand and answered, "A basketball coach?"
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- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
-  If one's thoughts are positive about the landscape, one's eyes will appreciate what they see...AL.
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

NORTHERN FLICKER
Took a bit of doing this morning but I struggled my heavy Spirits off another rocky runway & lifted myself into clear blue sunny skies.  I have battled depression most of my life & it can still jump up & grab me sometimes when I least expect it.

I too wondered about that ‘mushy Bees’ in Saturday night’s Groaners Corner but decided to leave it in the joke anyway. Thought maybe it was a reference to mushy peas. Turns out I was right after a reader’s comment came in later today saying, Groaners Corner is for the people that have visited the UK and eaten fish and chips in a typical fish and chip shop - they also serve a certain type of green pea that is cooked to death until they become mushy - hence "mushy peas".

NOT HAPPY THAT I BROUGHT IN THE BIRD FEEDERS
It was one month ago today the Boys started putting the ‘mud’ on our Arizona house. Well, they called it mud but in reality it was Stucco. That all seems so very long ago already & sometimes in an inattentive moment I think, ‘did we really do that, did we really buy a house’. Good thing I have a bunch of photos here showing the house or I might just be thinking it was all some sort of dream or something.
 

JUST NOT ONE OF MY BETTER BLOG NIGHT’S

Well, I’m having one of those nights where I am sitting here at the keyboard & anything I’m typing just isn’t working out.  Despite 6 willy nilly paragraphs in front of me I just can’t pull them together well enough to convince myself they are blog worthy.  Oh dear, could it be that time of year setting in on me already.

Looking out at our bird feeders in the failing light I see there is no activity.  Only creatures flying are the soaring Turkey Vultures I occasionally catch glimpses of through our tall Pine trees.  Even they will soon be roosting for the night.  Darkness is on it’s way as well as the pesky Raccoon I suppose.  But, I will have the bird feeders inside before he or she gets here.

BALTIMORE ORIOLE >>>

Kelly used the ‘Solution’ on her Santa Fe a couple days ago & really liked it.  She was able to wipe off her whole car with little effort & it came out all shiny.  She did take it to the car wash first though.  My verdict is still out on the stuff but I will have another go at doing the whole Jeep again as soon as it warms up.  Guess I had better get to like it because we did buy a whole gallon of the stuff.  I’ve been busy with ‘Rubbing Compound’ getting the Motorcycle’s chrome all shiny again.  Once I’m done that I will go over the whole bike with the ‘Solution’ & see what I think.

I seem to recall a commenter recently stating she couldn’t access our blog site.  We have probably had a dozen people email us in the last 5 months or so with this same problem.  I do know that it is fixable & I do know that it probably has something to do with Comcast & not our site.  In fact I seem to recall posting a possible fix one time last winter & when I went to check the site it had changed to this Google page which may or may not be helpful.  GOOGLE FIX.

Well, no point in trying to drag myself across this keyboard any longer.  Going to go have myself a big Pheebs snuggle.  Maybe tomorrow will be a better day……………………………..

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Starting his new job at the zoo, the eager young zoo keeper asked the Head keeper what he should do for his first task. "Go and clean out the aquarium" he was told.
Arriving at the aquarium, he discovered that all the fish were dead. He rushed back to the head keeper and asked what he should do.
"Throw them to the lions" said the head keeper, "the lions will eat anything".
So the young keeper returned to the aquarium, picked up all the dead fish and threw them into the lion's cage. That done, he returned and asked what he should do now. He was instructed to go and clean out the ape house. Off he went and started cleaning. He was shocked to discover dead chimpanzees in the cage, and rushed back for instructions.
"Don't worry" said the head keeper, "just throw them to the lions, the lions will eat anything".
So the young man returns to the ape house and throws the dead animals into the lions cage. Returning again for instructions, he is told to go along and help clean up the insect house. Busy cleaning out one off the exotic hives, he notices that all the bees have died. "I know what to do", he thinks to himself "I'll throw them all to the lions, as the lions will eat anything", whereupon he brushes them all up and throws them into the lion cage.
The next day, the zoo obtains a new lioness. The lioness is walking around the new cage for the first time, and starts asking the other lions what things are like here. "How’s the accommodation?", she asks.
"Fine" comes the reply from one lion.
"And what’s the food like?" she asks.
"Not bad" replies another, "yesterday, we had fish & chimps with mushy bees". ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- If one's thoughts are positive about the landscape, one's eyes will appreciate what they see...AL.
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

TODAY PHEEBS & I BROUGHT THE MOTORMOUSE HOME

We put our ‘clean-up hats’ right back on first thing this morning & tackled our second shed. Again, many things packed up for Arizona & our workshop shed is looking much better. Tomorrow I will tackle the carport storage area. I had all these places cleaned up & organized last Spring but stuff just seems to pile up over the summer somehow.

Our Vet phoned this morning saying Cora’s remains were in. Pheebs & I didn’t waste any time saddling up the Jeep & heading for Zurich Ontario to bring our little Motormouse home. There were some tears on the way as I remembered exactly one year ago this morning, right to the hour, having our dear sweet border collie Checkers put to sleep at the same facility Pheebs & I were now headed for. It was 11 o’clock when I carried our little Mouse out to the Jeep, placed her little Cedar box on the seat beside Pheebs & headed out. She now takes her place between long time best Pals, Max & Checkers. Our little Motormouse is home at last. And, come October I will load the guys into the Motorhome once again as we all become the traveling Bayfield Bunch for yet another winter season in the great American Southwest.

  
Reader Jean asked how the Pheebs came into our life when she did. In April of last year we had to put down both our older dogs Max & Checkers because of separate illnesses. Several months later while working our way through the loss of 2 dogs we decided we would like another best Pal not only for us but the Motormouse as well. We informed our Vet we were looking & awhile later he called us saying he knew of a sweet dog needing a home. Kelly, Motor & I headed off to meet the new pooch & see if we were all compatible. I had a feeling within a minute of meeting Pheebs she was the one. When she went over & laid down on the floor right beside Motormouse the bond was complete & within hours Pheebe was happily living at our house:))

IT WAS AT THIS MOMENT LAST AUGUST WE KNEW WE HAD JUST FOUND OUR NEXT BEST PAL
Jean also had a question about how our little Motormouse came for a visit one summer….and stayed. For that story I give you a previous link of mine in which I blogged about that two thirds of the way through the post…..MOTOR CAME FOR A VISIT, & STAYED

Reader Scottie asks…what happens if you need medical care while in the USA? As Canadians, we always purchase additional insurance to travel in the States. For example this past December when I had my Kidney Stone attack in Tucson Arizona, Manulife covered the cost of the Emergency Room, CT Scan, & several follow up hospital visits. Nice that our insurance plan did pay for that, but of course my $700 insurance rate for 6 months this coming winter will now skyrocket. Two years ago Kelly was having a knee problem so elected to head into the Elfrida Arizona medical clinic & have it checked out. Knee was examined & determined it just needed rest. Cost of that visit was $35 so she just paid for it rather than putting it through insurance. Best to do that if possible. I think the number one culprit for putting an end to many Canadian RV’ers travel plans is the high cost of medical insurance coverage while they are traveling in the States.

We are sometimes asked how we find our different Boondocking sites while traveling.  Word of mouth is always a good way & we do use the ESCAPEE CLUB’S ‘Day’s End’ book.  But, of course there are other great sources & in reading THE GOOD LUCK DUCK'S post today I see the ladies are recommending 4 Ebooks they find very helpful.  Judging from the comments, others find the books helpful as well.  I especially enjoy reading fellow Boondocker posts.  We are a minority in the grand scheme of RVing but we share an understanding & appreciation of a lifestyle that allows us an independent peaceful freedom.

  

MAX, CHECKERS, & THE MOTORMOUSE

GROANER’S CORNER:(( The local news station was interviewing an 80-year-old lady because she had just gotten married- for the fourth time.
The interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her new husband's occupation.
'He's a funeral director,' she answered.
'Interesting, ' the newsman thought.
He then asked her if she wouldn't mind telling him a little about her first three husbands and what they did for a living.
She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years.
After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she'd first married a banker when she was in her early 20's, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40's, later on a preacher when in her 60's, and now in her 80's, a funeral director.
The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers.
She smiled and explained, 'I married number one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go.'
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- If one's thoughts are positive about the landscape, one's eyes will appreciate what they see...AL.
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

WE’RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF ‘STUFF’ TO TAKE WITH US TO ARIZONA IN THE FALL

CAN YOU TELL WE CAME ACROSS SOME CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS TODAY

Both Kelly & I busied ourselves today cleaning up & organizing one of our backyard sheds. With the acquisition of our Congress Arizona house we now have a place for a lot of our ‘stuff’. In fact we have so much stuff we can take with us in the Fall we might have to leave the Jeep at home & rent a big U-Haul trailer. Ya right….we will not be leaving the Jeep at home!! Kelly already has several large plastic bins packed so you can just imagine the load we are going to have by October.
   
I’D SAY WE HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS IN OUR CLEAN-UP

Made an appointment for the end of the month with my Nurse Practitioner. Gotta get these legs of mine looked at & see what’s going on with them. Kelly thinks part of the problem is the damper climate here at home & I agree. I also know it’s more than just the dampness though. Might have to strongly ramp up my Arthritis pills. By the way, Doc Robot is not my regular Doctor. He is a Urology Specialist. I do have a family Doctor but I have never been sick enough to meet him yet. So far, any problems I’ve had have always been handled by my Nurse Practitioner.
 
STILL CAN’T BRING MYSELF TO THROW OUT MY OLD COLLEGE JACKET

Following a link on SPOTTED DOG RANCH this morning I came across THE BACK PORCH VIEW. Here is a lady standing at a Crossroads in her life trying to make a decision. Feeling a need for change she has been reading blogs & ponders the Gypsy like RV lifestyle. I’m sure she would appreciate any thoughts.

KELLY WORKS AWAY AT SOME STUFF DESTINED FOR ARIZONA

Looks like we may have 3 days of rain rolling in on us so it’s not sounding like any kind of exciting week-end ahead. As if our week-ends are ever exciting anymore. But, there was a day:)) Gonna be a stretch putting a few posts together.

MALE RED BREASTED GROSBEAK

We receive many nice emails from folks & I’ll share this one that came in today……

Hi Al & Kelly;
Found our summer campground in Clifford ON, will be moving in the week of May 7. See The pictures here:
http://rlogan1155.wordpress.com/2012/04/11/we-found-our-new-home-for-the-summer/
So, I was in the laundry here at Milton Heights (west of Toronto Ontario) where I was talking to a woman, who had just returned from wintering in the Rio Grand Valley, Tx, telling her about our winter here in Canada. Mentioned my blog project and she said "Oh we always follow this blog called The Bayfield Bunch." Had a nice chat about blogging and she's going to try her hand at it. This blogging is great fun.
Robo Doc sounds scary, but too close to reality.
Stay well;
Ruth from AT HOME ON THE ROAD

MALE CARDINAL
Noticed we have a couple new Blog Followers today. DESERT DIVA has just joined our Snow Bird lifestyle along with BRUCE & DEE who I think just checked out our Congress digs. Thanks for your interest in our blog folks:))

 

BLUE JAY
GROANER’S CORNER:(( A few sayings…..
- A modern artist is one who throws paint on canvas, wipes it off with a cloth and sells the cloth.
- "Has there been any insanity in your family?"
"Yes, doctor. My husband thinks he's the boss."
- "Young man, do you think you can handle a variety of work?"
"I ought to be able to. I've had 12 different jobs in four months."
- I was thinking of becoming a doctor.
I have the handwriting for it.
- "What do use for washing dishes?"
"Oh, I tried many things but found my husband works best."
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- If one's thoughts are positive about the landscape, one's eyes will appreciate what they see...AL.
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com