A 24 HOUR EMOTIONAL WRINGER….:((

Well, it has been a rather emotional 24 hours for us. We have had it in the back of our minds for awhile to maybe find us a second dog, not only as a companion for Pheebe but a companion for ourselves as well. We know the joy & happiness 2 or 3 best Pals can bring. Kelly spotted a nice looking dog on Kijiji Monday morning in the nearby town of Clinton. She was a 2 year old White Shepherd. A phone call to the owner confirmed she was a mild mannered dog needing a bigger home & area to run & play. Owning a pet can be a little bit like a marriage in that a perfect match will always have a better chance of success in things working out. Some folks are well suited to smaller lap dogs while others prefer larger breeds. Matching the right dog to the right person is always the key. This dog's name was Lucy.

Monday night after supper Kelly, Pheebs, & I decided to drive over to Clinton & meet Lucy. At 65 pounds we knew she was going to be much larger than we had been thinking. And, she was. But, Lucy had one of those warm friendly temperaments that just makes it's way into your heart. We could tell right away she was warm ,affectionate, & loving. And, we could tell her & Pheebs would be fine together once they got to know each other. But, she was just so big. We could see Lucy's owner Tony, & Lucy’s 'Grandparents' loved her very much but the neighborhood was just too small for her wanderings.  Tony was working full time & had to make some changes. Took us nearly an hour to decide what to do.  We both had a feeling she might be too big & too independent for us & it was because of these doubts we agreed with the owner to just take her home with us for a couple days to see how things worked out.
I sincerely wished I could tell you things worked out perfectly, but unfortunately they did not. Kelly & I have been dog owners now for the past 17 years. Every single day for all of those years our lives have revolved around our best Pals. Our dog's have always been priority for us & we like to see them free of leashes & chains.  We have a fenced in backyard  but we made the mistake of thinking our 4' high fence would be adequate for Lucy, but it was not. Max & Checkers, also big dogs had never attempted to jump over it but within 10 minutes of bringing Lucy home she was over the gate like a deer,bounding through the neighbor's yards. She would not come to us despite our repeated calls. We had a hard time getting her back but Kelly finally lured her in close enough with some doggy treats to grab her collar. That little incident told us we had a very major problem. We could not just leave our back door open as we are accustomed to & let her have access to our yard at any time. When I took her out Monday night & Tuesday morning I had to tightly hang on to her leash as she made a second attempt at jumping over the gate. Because we have had a lot of experience with dogs I knew it wasn't first night jitters. Our neighbour's have cats & Lucy made a bee-line right for their place & gobbled up all the cat food they had left on their porch.  She then bounded off into another neighbor’s yard who we knew had a big dog.  From there it was into a third yard.  We knew right away this was going to be an on-going problem.

Lucy was totally at home with us & comfortable while inside. She loved playing with all Pheebe's toys & the two of them were getting along fine despite each one playfully shoving the other one out of the way rivalling for our attention. While at the computer Lucy would come sit beside me for snuzzles. Same thing in my recliner. She was not anxious & did not show any signs of separation anxiety. She felt at home with us, & while inside we felt at home with her. However, Kelly & I had ourselves a restless night because we both understood that despite this beautiful dog's nature we were probably not going to be able to keep her.  We just had a feeling she was going to be too much dog for us to handle outside.  And, she was.

Our morning walk did not go well. Had Lucy on a leash & seeing Pheebe out front running free it was a constant strain to hold her back because she has never been leash trained. We reached a wide clearing area & decided to try walking her 'off leash'.  As readers well know, we are not leash people. She was fine walking along the bush trail for about 5 minutes but she would not come when called despite our best efforts. Even a small bit of recognition would have been helpful but she was too independent & had never really been trained well to voice commands.  Pheebs took after a Squirrel in the woods with Lucy right behind her. A minute later Pheebs was back on the trail but Lucy was not. I headed off into the wood's calling for her, but nothing. Couldn't see her & couldn't hear anything. My heart sank as I kept calling & calling. Then, from way behind me I heard Kelly shout. She had spotted Lucy near the trail & got her to come with a treat. Hurried back & quickly put the leash on her but in my worried haste I made a mistake. I unknowingly clipped the leash onto her dog tag ring instead of the heavier collar ring. About 10 minutes later on the way home Pheebe spotted a bunny. With one lurch Lucy was free & headed off into the underbrush right behind Pheebs. Again we could not get her to come back despite repeated calling & offers of more treats. She headed down an embankment into a muddy creek & came back up muddy & full of burrs.  And, then she spotted the big pond. 
Did I mention she had long white fur:((

Tony told us she loves water & with one big splash Lucy was in the pond & ended up swimming it’s entire length. (top photo) I was on one side & Kelly was on the other. Only hope we had of catching her was to be at the water's edge where she decided to climb out & it turned out to be Kelly's side. With a treat in hand Kelly was able to secure her collar as I made my way around the pond with her leash. Noticed right away her 2 dog tags were missing so we went back to the other end of the pond where she had broken free & located one of the two missing tags. From there it was straight home to the security of 'in the house'. We both sadly knew by this time what we had to do. We could keep Lucy for another day hoping things might be better but being around dogs as much as we have our experience told us Lucy needed a lot of space to run & she also needed a very dedicated person to work with & train her.  I found it difficult a year ago at this time being patient with Pheebe’s training & I knew I didn’t have the kind of patience anymore it would take to train Lucy properly.  And, with the way Lucy’s fur had picked up that load of burrs this morning we knew the difficulties ahead in letting her run free on our walks .  And then there was her size……………….

It's Tuesday morning as I type this. Lucy is asleep beside me in a patch of sun on the floor. Pheebs is snoozing on the couch behind me. All appears well but I know it isn’t as I wait for Lucy's fur to dry out a bit from her pond swim so I can try getting some more burrs out of her. Kelly in the meantime phoned Tony saying we would have to bring her back. He was every bit as disappointed as we were this morning that things had not worked out. I have only known Lucy less than 12 hours & here I sit typing this with tears in my eyes knowing I will have to take her back shortly. I feel every bit as sad as when we lost our Max, Checkers, & little Cora. It is just the way it is & always has been with me & dogs. I just get so attached to them so fast.  But, there are times when tough decisions have to be made for the betterment of all & this morning was one of those times. As I said before, It is extremely important to match the right person with the right dog. We came very close with Lucy, but just not quite close enough for the happy ending we had all been hoping for.

{Update} Tuesday night............... It was a tearful drive for me this morning taking Lucy back home. She rode so nice in the Jeep as I petted her soft fur. Her 'Grandma & Grandpa' were there & a big thank-you goes out to them for being so understanding. Of course I was an emotional wreck & it was not easy for me to say goodbye to this beautiful dog I had known for less than 12 hours. But, one consolation, I had the distinct feeling 'Grandma & Grandpa' were happy to see her home again. With their renewed talk of building a backyard fence.....maybe Lucy is home to stay.

 

BYE LUCY & WE WISH YOU ALL THE BEST…………………

Well, that's it for my day & tomorrow I will wake up & start all over again....just like we all do. One thing may have changed though. I don't think we are going to pursue our hopes for a second dog. If it's meant to be I guess it will happen someday, but in the meantime, our days of looking are over for now.  Kelly’s Okay, but I can’t handle these kinds of emotional doggy wringers.  An extra 6 dozen hugs for the Pheebs tonight..........................10-4.

---

GROANER'S CORNER:(( With today's emotionally draining doggy day I figured a little furry humor was in order.......

The Top 20 Reasons Dogs Do Not Use Computers

20. Can't stick their heads out of Windows 7.
19. Fetch command not available on all platforms.
18. Hard to read the monitor with your head cocked to one side.
17. Too difficult to "mark" every website they visit.
16. Can't help attacking the screen when they hear "You've Got Mail."
15. Fire hydrant icon is very frustrating.
14. Involuntary tail wagging is dead giveaway they're browsing www . pethouse.com instead of working.
13. Keep bruising noses trying to catch all the pop-up ads.
12. Not at all fooled by Chuckwagon Screen Saver.
11. Still trying to come up with an "emoticon" that signifies tail-wagging.
10. Oh, but they WILL... with the introduction of the Microsoft Opposable Thumb.
9. Three words: Carpal Paw Syndrome.
8. 'Cause dogs ain't GEEKS! Now, cats, on the other hand...
7. Barking in next cube keeps activating YOUR voice recognition software.
6. SmellU-SmellMe still in beta test.
5. SIT and STAY were hard enough, GREP and AWK are out of the question!
4. Saliva-coated mouse gets mighty difficult to manoeuvre.
3. Annoyed by lack of newsgroup, alt.pictures.master's.leg.
2. Butt-sniffing more direct and less deceiving than online chat rooms.
and the Number 1 Reason Dogs Do Not Use Computers...
1. TrO{gO DsA[M,bN HyAqR4tDc TgrOo TgYPmE WeIjTyH P;AzWqS,.*

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

- Home is where your pet is:))

- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)

- 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.

- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

stargeezerguy@gmail.com

SOMETIMES, SITTING HERE IN OUR SUNROOM………..

JUST A FEW PHOTOS FROM AROUND THE YARD TODAY

Another mighty fine late August day. Spent my morning puttering in the gardens. If I don't keep the jungle trimmed back I'm afraid it will one day slip into the house unnoticed & grow itself right into my socks drawer. We have a large Sunburst Locust tree out front near our porch spreading it's ever reaching branches over our roof. Have to keep those branches trimmed back. This afternoon, Kelly & I helped neighbor Maureen get her brand spanking new Lenova computer up & running. 

TRIMMING SOME TREE BRANCHES THIS MORNING

Sometimes, sitting here in the quiet splendour of our bright pine sunroom I occasionally wonder why we would ever want to leave here. I watch nature’s many birds flitting about among the tree branches. Blue Jays, Mourning Doves, Goldfinches, Black Cap Chickadees & a whole assortment of Sparrows. Sunlight filters through tall Pine trees dappling shrubs & flowers in it’s warm glow.   Our front yard pond's trickling waterfall reaches my ears & I can see dancing water reflections on the underside leaves of our Locust tree.  Soon, evening chills will remind me to turn on our cozy fireplace. Sometimes, I just sit here…………and wonder.

A RIPPLING REFLECTION IN OUR FRONT YARD POND

Most boats rest comfortably in the water while at anchor or tied up along side at a dock. Well, the majority of boats do that is, but it's not the norm where Ivan is. Here, boats spend part of their time sitting in the mud. Yep, just sitting there like beached whales waiting for some water to come rolling in & re-float them. Check out his post to see what a bunch of fishing boats look like out of water.....FUNDY

MOURNING DOVE ON OUR FEEDER STATION
Welcome to Mark & Lauree from LAND YACHT AHOY for joining us on our Blog Follower's list. Nice to have you folks aboard:))

A SPRIG OF CLOVER IN THE GARDEN

GROANER'S CORNER:)) A male frog goes to a psychic. The psychic tells him, "You are going to meet a beautiful young girl who will want to know everything about you."
The frog becomes excited, "This is great! Will I meet her at a party?"
"No," says the psychic, "in her biology class."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

- Home is where your pet is:))

- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)

- 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.

- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

stargeezerguy@gmail.com

IF ONE NEVER ASKS….ONE NEVER KNOWS

ANOTHER NICE SUNDAY MORNING DRIVE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

Just gotta love this cooler weather. About 62F this morning as Pheebs & I headed into the forest & that meant no bugs. I like that cool nip in the air but with the colder nights comes the heavier dew so by the time we get back I generally have soggy tootsies from a section of wet grass we walk through. Think our high today was somewhere around 70 & in my world, I'd call that EL Perfecto:))

 
STOPPED ALONG THE WAY TO CHAT IT UP WITH A COUPLE OF THE LOCALS

Another working Sunday for Kelly so I tossed the cameras in the Jeep & headed off out into the countryside. Could have taken the bike but wimped out because of the cooler morning air. Plus, it's easier with my camera gear on the seat beside me rather than tethered up in a saddle bag.

MAITLAND RIVER IN BEN MILLER…TWO ON THE LEFT ARE FISHING BUT NOT SURE WHAT THE FELLA ON THE RIGHT WAS DOING

I generally head off in the same direction most times simply because the rolling forested landscape north east of Goderich Ontario is more interesting that the flatter lands to the south & east. Can't go west because there is a great big darn lake right there about a mile away.

A TWO HEADED SHEEP PERHAPS

 

AND HERE’S ‘THE END’ FOR JUDY OVER AT TRAVELS WITH EMMA

First stop was at a construction site for a few pics that local readers may be interested in. Between Bayfield & Clinton the highway suddenly narrows under a very low overhead railway bridge. That bridge has claimed many a truck trailer & other high profiles vehicles over the years & work is well underway to substantially lower the road. Photos below show the construction process.

 

Later as I headed north out of Clinton my eyes were drawn to a band of big puffy cumulous clouds towering up along the eastern horizon. Reminded me of those days long ago as a kid when I would take a blanket outside on a warm sunny summer day & lay on my back watching big white fluffy clouds lazily drifting by overhead. In those billowing clouds were endless exciting shapes for a small child's imagination. Big scary faces, rumbling rhinosauceruses, elephants with long grayish wispy trunks & tails, dinosaurs with looooong bending necks, flying Porky pigs, rabbits with towering ears, cherubic babies with outstretched arms, & anything else a child's mind wanted to see. To-day was another one of those fabulous sky days. A circus like parade of big nosed clowns, portly ringmasters, & fairy tale animals marching across a canvas of big blue sky. Yep, the fabulous imagination of childhood is still very much alive & well in this little fella's mind:))

   
North of Goderich on highway 21 near the local airport stands a little restaurant that has been closed for a few years. I well remember the Sunday morning in the late 70's when I walked into that restaurant, sat down & ordered me up a big mess of bacon & eggs.....& then couldn't pay for it. Wasn't that I didn't have enough money, it was just that I didn't have any money. My wallet was not in my back pocket where it should have been. I very embarrassingly convinced the restaurant owner that I was not a crook & insisted he keep my watch until I drove the short 20 minutes to where I knew my wallet to be. Of course he said I didn't have to leave my watch, but I did anyway. He probably saw right away my watch was worth a lot less than the $2.49 breakfast. I was never known to buy anything of quality you know. My wallet was right where I had mistakenly left it & within the hour I was back at the restaurant paying for my breakfast & retrieving my cheesy cheap-o watch. So far, that is the only time I have ever done that. Well, at least I think it is................

On Friday mornings drive I had come across an interesting looking old abandoned farm grown up with long grass & littered with rusting farm equipment.  Both Kelly & I like these kinds of places in the country.  A great scenic location only 10 minutes northeast of Goderich & it was the photos from that spot I used in my posts the last couple days.  Saturday morning we drove out to the property for a closer look.  Thought there might have only been a couple acres to the place so drove off to the next farm down the road to inquire about why nobody was living there.  If one never asks, one never knows.  Turns out the old fella had died & the 200 acre property was tied up in the Estate.  But no matter, soon as they mentioned 200 acres we knew there was no point for us pursuing it any further.  With the price of Real Estate still remaining high in Canada & this 200 acre farm with it’s large shed full of antiques, the selling price will be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.  And that’s a whole lot more than the $1.49 we have stuffed in an old sock under the mattress. (one of my socks by the way)

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Emily Sue passed away and Bubba called 911. The 911 operator told Bubba that she would send someone out right away.
"Where do you live?" asked the operator.
Bubba replied, "At the end of Eucalyptus Drive."
The operator asked, "Can you spell that for me?"
There was a long pause and finally Bubba said, "How 'bout if I drag her over to Oak Street and you pick her up there?"

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

- Home is where your pet is:))

- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)

- 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.

- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

stargeezerguy@gmail.com

THE ‘OOOOOPS’ FACTOR

With nothing better on my mind tonight I was thinking of the OOOOOPS factor. Stories I've heard about RV'ers backing into trees, catching roof air conditioners on low hanging branches, tires flattened on high curbs, awnings torn off in high winds, open bin doors spilling contents onto the highway, tow dollys & vehicles becoming detached from their tow vehicles, 5th wheels being dropped onto truck beds & just about anything else you can imagine. And, of course we have had our share of OOOOPES’S as well:((

Few years ago a pine tree jumped out & OOOOOPSED off an open rear bin door. The summer before that while, moving the rig forward, our carport must have swung round on it's cement post foundation & OOOOOPSED the rig's open screen door into a twisted pretzel. Pulling out of a campsite in Silver City New Mexico in November of 08 I nearly OOOOOPSED a whole electric post right out of the ground with the driver's side of the motorhome. The rig still carries that slight dent.  I have also pulled out & OOOOOPSED a couple of electrical cables. OOOOOPSED a rear hydraulic jack 2008 near Alamogordo New Mexico when I dropped the rig down too hard on it. OOOOOPSED our black hose a couple times:(( OOOOOPSED both sides of the rig with some nice desert pin striping while motoring through heavy Mesquite thickets near Why Arizona looking for boondocking sites .

Had our side awning pulled out by a big Kansas crosswind back in 07. Also in 07 we OOOOOPSED both dual wheels on the passenger side into a ditch in Lindsay Ontario while trying to make a tight right hand turn into a darkened parking lot late one night. Left the Motorhome running one day because I forgot I had turned it on one morning.  Did the same OOOOOPS thing with the rig’s generator a couple times too, but not as long.  Busted our CB radio antennae off on a tree branch at a KOA RV Park near Williams Arizona. OOOOOPSED our satellite dish in Quartzite Arizona by not anchoring it down properly & having a big desert whirly-gig wind slam dunk it into the desert floor breaking the LMB off. Had the same thing happen again this past winter near Bouse Arizona when I made the same OOOOOPS again.  More damage!!!!.

This past March, the first time I drove the rig onto our Ghost Town Road property in Congress Arizona I was carefully watching the fence & house & failed to notice a couple heavy duty electrical lines overhead. Unbeknownst to me they rode up the sloped front end of our forward air conditioner & rested there. Didn't know it until minutes later when Kelly drove in with the Jeep & asked, "why is that electrical cord sitting on top of the air conditioner"?? OOOOOOPSED a bin door latch when I got too impatient with it & closed it too hard. Had to get a new assembly. Drove over our year old steel step stool this summer. And, I OOOOOPSED my Arizona baseball cap a couple years ago when I dashed it on the ground because I couldn't get the Jeep's hood open:(( And OOOOOOPS......another ho-hum post:((

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Know how to prevent sagging?
Just eat till the wrinkles fill out……& isn't it scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

- Home is where your pet is:))

- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)

- 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.

- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

stargeezerguy@gmail.com

A FINE MORNING FOR A JEEP PHOTO TOUR:))

OVERLOOKING GODERICH HARBOR WITH GRAIN SILOS ON LEFT, THE SIFTO SALT MINE (BLUE) CENTER & A DRY DOCKED LAKE FREIGHTER ON RIGHT

Soon as I spotted those big white fluffy cotton ball clouds high overhead early today I knew I had to get myself out for a photo tour.  With our cooler temperatures & light breeze it was just one of those picture perfect weather mornings.  Feeling the need for speed I made my first stop at McDonald’s for a small coffee & carrot muffin before heading on down to the harbor.  Wanted to have a look at some of the work progress on the large Sifto Salt mine there.  It’s nearly a year since the devastating tornado whipped in off the lake & tore up the town.

WORK CONTINUES NEARLY A YEAR LATER AT THE TORNADO RAVAGED SIFTO SALT MINE

Walking along the pier I saw a person standing alone up ahead.  Figured she was taking a few photos of a large lake freighter tied up alongside the salt mine.  As I said, it was a nice morning for photos.  As I drew closer I recognized the lady as Marie, one of the co-owners of our 5 Seasons Estates Park where we live.  She also had her cell phone in hand & as it turns out she had just been talking to her son Del, who happens to be an electrician.  Del is part of a crew doing much of the electrical re-wiring at the mine since the storm.  Marie said Del was just heading out for morning break & would keep an eye out for her across the harbor entrance.  A minute later we heard a distant whistle & sure enough, we could see Del in an orange work vest & hard hat moving along a fence line to-ward’s the water’s edge.  As I headed back to the Jeep I managed to grab a couple photos of Del & his Mother shouting back & forth across the harbor entrance over all the background construction noise.

 

“HEY DEL, CAN YA HEAR ME”

 

“WHADYA SAY MOM”    

If your vocal chords are in good tune, be sure to drop over to Karen & Steve's place today & belt out a few bars of the old western song favorite, 'Raw Hide'. But, there is a difference. Music is the same but some words have been changed. Check out, ODE TO THE FULLTIMER.

I LOVE SLOWLY WANDERING THE COUNTRY ROADS ON DAY’S LIKE THIS

A commenter questioned my 'new ink in the ink wells' description in Thursday night's post. Well, we sure did have ink in those ink wells.  As I recall, the ink wells were in the top right corner of the old wooden desks we sat at in the Tavistock Public School I attended.  Also the little one room school house way up in northwest Ontario near the tiny town of Oxdrift too.  And that ink had kind of a yukky metallic smell to it as well. I recall the thick half moon glass ink containers that fit into the hole in the desk. They could be taken out & cleaned although I don't remember doing that. I'm talking early to mid 50's here. One of our classes was 'Penmanship' & I recall the long wooden pens used one time. They had a sharp metal tip on them & you had to be careful not to shake or tip that pen & dribble ink all over the place. Dip the pen in the ink well and practice writing our exercise sentences in our scribblers. And, I seem to recall those ink wells had little metal hinged lids on them too. You could flick them & make a clinking noise on the glass container which always annoyed the teacher.   I think it was the teacher who filled those half moon inkwells from a large container. We probably poured the ink back in the container after the writing class but I don't recall that. But, it was the FOUNTAIN PENS with the little rubber bladders in them I remember best. You dipped the pen in the inkwell & with a small lever on the side somehow sucked the ink up into the pen. Seems to me one could also use that same lever to squirt ink back out of the pen onto the hair of the person sitting in front of them.  Oh, & here’s a little joke from that era.  Music buffs will get this one.  If you put some spots of ink on your hand & then held your hand up to your ear……… what would you be doing?  Listening to the ‘Ink Spots’ of course:)))))))

ROWS OF CORN STRETCH OVER A DISTANT HORIZON
And, when’s the last time you heard a good old humorous rant told in a good old American way. Stop by Mark’s latest post over at BOX CANYON BLOG & he will lay one on ya……maybe a couple. Well Okay, maybe more than a couple:))

 

OUR RURAL FARMLAND UNDER A BIG SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO SKY

Long time readers may want to skip over the next part because it is a topic I have referred to before on several occasions. It's the one about filling my motorcycle up with diesel fuel but I thought some of our newer readers might get a kick out of my folly that day a few years ago.

FILE PHOTO FROM A BIKE RIDE TO GRAND BEND ONTARIO

"Is that a diesel motorcycle sir" Thought it odd hearing those words coming from the young gas attendant fella at a Shell station in Goderich Ontario a few years ago. I had just rolled in on my motorcycle & topped up my gas tank. I generally run regular gas in the bike & about every 4th tank or so I fill it up with Premium. To-day I decided on premium, so by-passed the regular nozzle & without looking, reached for the premium nozzle on the other side of the pump & filled er up!! I said to the young fellow, "no, this is a gas motorcycle, to which he kindly replied, "well, you just filled up your motorcycle with diesel fuel......sir." ARRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!! There it was, right on the pump beside me....DIESEL. Well, to say I could feel my stomach sliding right out from under me would be putting it mildly. What a huge feeling of frustration & anger I had with myself. (not to mention embarrassment) Just taking things for granted & not paying attention to what I was doing again!!!!

A SPLASH OF EARLY AUTUMN COLOR

Wheeled the bike around the corner of the garage, slunk out of sight & got the owner's manual out of the saddle bag. Tried to find out if there was some kind of a gas tank drain mossmagator valve. Couldn't find anything. Even got down on the ground & had a close look up for some kinda something.  Finally dawned on me that if I had a hose I could probably siphon the diesel fuel right out of the tank. No hose at the gas bar so walked across the large parking lot to a Canadian Tire store at the far corner. Got me a siphon hose with a plunger thingy on it & headed back. The young fellow at the gas bar fetched me a big white 5 gallon plastic pail. The siphon didn't work well because the siphon part was a solid plastic tube so wouldn't bend well to get down into & around the bottom of the bikes tank. Back to Canadian Tire for a second time & got a 3' section of flexible gas rubber hose. Should have done that in the first place because this hose worked perfect except for one little thing. No suction plunger on this sucker so I had to use my mouth to suck the fuel up the tube to get the diesel fuel flowing. Needless to say I ended up with diesel fuel in my mouth, my nose, in my beard, on my pants & all over my shoes.  I clumsily tipped over the bucket I was using at one point so had quite a mess of diesel fuel on the pavement. Good thing I am not a smoker or I probably would have lit up the whole parking that day.  Moved the hose around in the tank making sure I got as much fuel out as possible & by the time I was done I had about 3 gallons of diesel fuel in the 5 gallon plastic pail. Probably another half gallon on the ground & another half gallon on me!!

Pushed the bike back out to the gas island, DOUBLE CHECKED THE GAS PUMP & re-filled my tank with V-Power Premium....GAS!! This whole ordeal lasted about 40 minutes but luckily ended well. If that young sharp eyed gas attendant hadn't noticed my mistake I would have rode out of there with a tank full of diesel fuel & quite possibly have ruined my motorcycle engine.  I thanked him & insisted he take $20. He didn't want to accept the $20 but I pulled rank on him using the Senior age factor. Truly a nice kid. Next stop was the car wash to hose down the diesel infested motorcycle & the last stop of the day was home to hose down the diesel infested & somewhat still embarrassed……….human!!!!

AN OLD CONCRETE GATE POST STANDS GUARD AT THE LANEWAY OF A LONG ABANDONED FARM

GROANER'S CORNER:(( I feel like my body has gotten totally out of shape, so I got my doctor's permission to join a fitness club and start exercising.
I decided to take an aerobics class for seniors.
I bent, twisted, gyrated, jumped up and down, and perspired for an hour.. But,
by the time I got my leotards on, the class was over.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

- Home is where your pet is:))

- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)

- 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.

- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

stargeezerguy@gmail.com