AND, THAT’S HOW WE STARTED OUR DAY:))

OUR FRONT YARD…WE ACTUALLY LIVE IN THERE SOMEWHERE

 

OUR STREET, FIRST LOOKING WEST & THEN EAST

Pheebs obviously forgot Guinness was here. We got up about 4:30 a.m. & Pheebs jumped down off my bed & trotted out to the living room. Seconds later she came racing back down the hall a hundred miles an hour, tail wagging fiercely, shouting. "Dad Dad, Guinness is here, Yaaaaaaay".  Within minutes the two of them were rolling around on the living room floor wrestling, with me trying to quiet them down so they didn’t wake up the Boss.  And, that is how we started our day:)))))))
 

ALL TANGLED UP IN A PLAY TOY ABOUT 4:45 A.M. THIS MORNING…I THINK GUINNESS NEEDS HIS MORNING COFFEE

Guinness is a well behaved dog & is no problem to walk him off leash along the trail. He stays close & comes when called.  He has an easy going personality like Pheebs, never growls or gets upset about anything.  Oh how I wish I was a dog.   We did have to steer Guinness clear of the Park's pond though or he would have been right in there splashing around like a baby Rhinosaucerus. The two Amigos, EL Goofy-O & EL Crazy-O had a blast tearing up & down the Pine forest trail & by the time we got home they had all but worn themselves out.

 

MORNING WALK

Kelly was off to work around 9:30 & I hung out in the back yard with the 8 Paw Wrecking Crew. It was a mighty fine weather morning & I was able to re-locate a bunch of ground cover. Took the pump out of our front yard frog pond this morning as well. All & all a good day as I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the two fully re-charged & energetic doggy guys. So what if a few shrubs & flowers get trampled here & there, it's well worth it when one gets to spend time with best friends:))

SUNNY BREAK BETWEEN HAIL SHOWERS

 

HAIL ON JEEPS ROOF & HOOD PLUS A STORMY SKY BACKDROP TO TALL PINE TREES IN OUR BACK YARD

Was kind of strange this afternoon about 3 p.m. when Kelly phoned from work to see how things were going & I told her it was hailing at the moment. Said she was standing outside on her cell phone in bright sunshine.....& she was only about a mile away. Checked the live weather radar for our area & could see many small pockets of rain coming in across the lake.  We ended up with about a half dozen hail showers rolling through the neighborhood. Turned the furnace on to get warmed up a bit. Of course I was warmed up every time I sat down in my recliner because Pheebs was instantly on my lap with Guinness trying his best to get up on my lap as well. He could get his front half up with big paws & head on my chest but couldn't get the second half up. It's cute to see the playful rivalry between the two of them vying for attention.

AMIGOS, EL CRAZY-O ON LEFT & EL GOOFY-O ON RIGHT

Guinness's Mom texted from Toronto around supper time to say she & doggy girl Stella wouldn’t be returning to Bayfield until Monday morning.  Yaaaaaaay, Guinness gets to spend another night with the Bayfield Bunch:))))))))))))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A little dog humor tonight:))

-What do you get when you cross a dog with a phone?

A golden receiver!

-Why did the dog carry a clock?

He wanted to be a watch dog!

-What kind of dog does a mad scientist have?

A Laboratory Retriever!

-What is more amazing than a talking dog?

A spelling bee!

-What kind of dog does Dracula have?

A Bloodhound!

-In a veterinarian's waiting room: "Be back in 5 minutes. Sit Stay"

-What do you get when you cross a small dog and a large boat?
a Ship Tzu

-What breed of dog loves to take a bath?

A Shampoodle

-BICYCLES: Two-wheeled exercise machines, invented for dogs to control body fat. To get maximum aerobic benefit, you must hide behind a bush and dash out, bark loudly and run alongside for a few yards. The person then swerves and falls into the bushes, and you briskly prance away.

---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

OUR DAY JUST KIND OF WENT TO THE DOGS

THAT GUINNESS IS REALLY GETTING TO BE A BIG BOY
Happy to say about 90% of the aches & pains in my legs from Friday were gone when I woke up this morning. Must be little magic fairies that sometimes come in the night & make things right with their healing powers & sprinkles of magic dust.

TWO BLACK DOGGIES IN OUR NEW CAMPFIRE PIT THIS AFTERNOON
Looked like rain this morning so Pheebs & had ourselves busy loading the utility trailer with old rotten stumps, yard waste, & tree limbs. Only minutes after returning from the Park's yard waste recycle area it began raining, forcing us indoors again. Had no intentions of going anywhere until I happened to look a flyer from the newly opened Staples store in Goderich. They had a limited number of 64GB Flash Drives on sale today so Pheebs & I headed off for Goderich toot sweet. Rained all the way there & all the way back but we did get our Flash Drive for $19.95. Nice new store located in Goderich's east end. And how great it is not having to go through one single traffic light to access Staples, Walmart, Canadian Tire, Pet Value, Shell Gas Bar, Tim Hortons, Zehrs Supermarket & the Dollar Store. I better include Harveys, the Haircutters & Pharma Plus in that line up too:))
 
 THESE TWO WILD CHARACTERS CARRIED ON LIKE THIS FOR A LONG TIME
More clearing of foliage in the backyard as I worked on cleaning up & downsizing another flower bed.  More tree branches to be trimmed & more pea gravel moved around.  All work stopped when Kelly arrived home from work though…..with Guinness:))  Readers will remember Guinness & Stella from our previous dog sitting week-ends.  Stella was off to Toronto today with her Mom & it was decided Guinness would have a sleep over with Pheebs at our house.  I like when that happens:))

 
A COUPLE OF BEST PALS TAKING A MUCH NEEDED BREAK
Didn’t take but a few minutes for Pheebs & Guinness to have all my evenly raked pea gravel scattered asunder as they raced around the yard at hundreds of miles an hour.  These two guys are just the biggest Pals with the biggest loads of boundless energy.  It is just a joy to watch their antics as they jump, role, & cajole.  Guinness is bigger & heavier than Pheebs now but no matter, as first one chases the other & then vice versa.  Pheebs gives as good as she gets.  I just love watching dogs having so much fun.  And, I love to get down on the floor & kibbitz with them as well.  They just have a habit of bringing out the old playful dog in me.

 
GUINNESS IS ONLY 7 MONTHS OLD & ALREADY HE IS HUGE  
The Gals over at THE GOOD LUCK DUCK are in Kanab Utah at the moment doing something I have thought about many times but have never done. They are volunteering & helping out at an animal shelter called BEST FRIENDS. I think people who help out at these places are to be commended. It takes a strong resolve & courage to put oneself in an emotional setting like that. At least for me it would. I am basically an unemotional guy when it comes to a lot of things but where animals are concerned I come apart at the seams & turn into a big ball of mush. Maybe I would be just fine working with animals, or, maybe not. Suppose I will never know unless I try sometime...........

 
KELLY SPENDS TIME WITH GUINNESS OVER AT DEER PARK LODGE & THEY ARE BIG PALS
And, a heart stopping moment over at DESERT DIVA & CALI as little Cali is struck by a passing flatbed trailer being towed by a truck. This is every pet owners worst nightmare & I can only imagine the absolute horror of seeing one's best Pal being struck down. In Cheryl's words, "I saw her role and come out the other side". Check out Cheryl's post for what happened next............

 
TIME TO SLOW DOWN FOR A FEW SNUZZLES BEFORE THEY GET BACK TO RIPPING UP THE YARD AGAIN
And, I still question the 'real motive' behind an individual's reasoning to continually read a blog with no other purpose than to continuously criticize, find fault, & cast aspersions.


PHEEBS FINALLY TIRED OF ALL THE FROLICKING & SOUGHT REFUGE IN OUR NEW CAMPFIRE PIT…LUCKILY, WE HAD NOT YET HAD A FIRE IN IT

AWWW COME ON PHEEBS, GET OUT OF THE FIRE PIT, IT’S MY TURN TO GET IN NOW

NOPE, I’M NOT GETTIN OUT……………………….:))
GROANER'S CORNER:(( Heard on a public transportation vehicle in Orlando.
"When you exit the bus, please be sure to lower your head and watch your step."
"If you miss your step and hit your head, please lower your voice and watch your language. Thank you."
---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

PHEEBS & I AGAIN TAKE THE LONG WAY HOME

Pheebs & I were in the Jeep by 10 & headed for Goderich.  Nothing special, we just needed an excuse to get out, & a stop at Walmart gave us that excuse.  1 jug of Cranberry Juice & 1 jug of Ginger Ale.  From there it was over to McDonald’s where we spilt 1 Burrito.  Minutes later we were out into the countryside again taking the long way home. 

THE LONG WAY HOME 

Had a trailer load of brush for the Park’s recycle area & spent the rest of the afternoon working away on my backyard project.  Another small Poplar tree down as I continue pulling apart our yard & re-doing it.  Getting a lot of foliage clutter out of the way & opening the yard up to more sunshine.  Don’t know how long my renewed gardening interest will last so I am ‘striking while the iron is hot’ so to speak.

 

As enjoyable as it is traveling with pets, there can be difficult times if & when our best Pals are in any kind of medical stress. Ideas have to be discussed & decisions made. It is a time when a couple has to count on each other for help & support in making decisions for the well being of their pets. But, what about RV folks traveling alone with their Pals. One of RV Sue's 2 terriers, Bridget, has been diagnosed with a Cranial cruciate ligament tear leaving her unable to use one of her rear legs.  Surgery may be required. A difficult time for solo traveler RV SUE & HER CANINE CREW.

PHEEBS & I SURE DO LIKE OUR COUNTRY ROAD DRIVES

Not a long post tonight.  For some unknown reason my leg pains kicked back into gear with a vengeance this afternoon & have me hobbling around.  So much so that I couldn’t take Pheebs for her afternoon or evening walks.  Think I will just veg out in my recliner tonight.  I’m suspecting it may be the damper cool weather causing my arthritis to flare up.  Will be glad to get down to the warm dry desert air of Arizona.  Both Kelly & I always notice a healthier difference between an Ontario winter & a South-west winter.  Just another one of the many, many, reasons to head south…………….if you can.

<<< ONE LAST POND ORNAMENT TO PUT AWAY FOR THE SEASON

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Newspaper Headlines in the Year 2035

- Ozone created by electric cars now killing millions in the seventh largest country in the world, California.

-Baby conceived naturally.... Scientists stumped.

- Iran still closed off; physicists estimate it will take at least ten more years before radioactivity decreases to safe levels.

- Castro finally dies at age 112; Cuban cigars can now be imported legally, but President Chelsea Clinton has banned all smoking.

- Texas executes last remaining citizen.

- White minorities still trying to have English recognized as California's third language.

- Average height of NBA players now nine feet, seven inches.

- Microsoft announces it has perfected its newest version of Windows so it crashes BEFORE installation is completed.

- New federal law requires that all nail clippers, screw-drivers and baseball bats must be registered by January 2036.

---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

MY THOUGHTS ARE TURNING TO THE SOUTH-WEST

BOONDOCKING SOUTH OF CONGRESS ARIZONA

With this mornings cold rain I fired up the furnace to take the chill out of the air as I sat down at the computer.  It is this kind of weather which now begins to turn my head to the south-west & I begin to think of warmer air & hikes in the deserts & mountains soon.  As always, I am looking forward to the complete change in scenery & tonight’s photos reflect that as I look back on a few photos from February & March of this year.

NORTH OF DESERT CENTER CALIFORNIA

I am always encouraged each year at this time to see Kelly carrying out things to the Motorhome. She is not a radical 'way ahead' pre-loader like I am so when I see her heading for the rig with clothes in her arms I know we are getting closer to the reality of winter travels.

HIKING A TRAIL TO VULTURE PEAK NEAR WICKENBURG ARIZONA

I may sound a little repetitious on the following subject but hey, it was a cold rainy day. We have been Snow Birding for 6 years now & as I look back, there has been some subtle changes to my RV thinking over the years. My 'hitch-itch' level is still the same & I am just as anxious each year to get rolling, but the excitement level is not quite the same as in the first few years. That Newbie bubble has been dimmed a bit by familiarity, experience, & routine. Like I said in a comment on CAVE DWELLINGS post this morning. "I think it is some of the very early RV days & travels that are most memorable. Everything was so new & exciting & refreshingly adventurous in those early years. Lots of first time 'Wow's & 'Oh Craps'." This will be our first year of having a home base in the southwest & I'm sure we will be once again going through some Newbie Wows & Oh Craps as we work away on something totally different again. It is that doing something different that always peaks my interest. Well, most times anyway.  Sometimes I gotta kinda work at it a bit though:))

NEAR DESERT CENTER CALIFORNIA

Looking back over the 6 Snow Birding years I have come to a few conclusions as well. Although I have waffled back & forth quite a bit on the fulltiming lifestyle & would have done that a few years ago for sure, I am now thinking we are fortunate to have the best of both worlds'. As a Canadian, I have come to realize how important it is to have a solid home base. That Kidney Stone incident last December in Tucson brought that reality into clear focus for both of us. Luckily, we didn't have to return to Canada, but if we had, we at least would have had a warm comfy place to come home to. And, to us, that is important. It was always one of the 'what if's' we had about selling our place & hitting the road full time.

PIT STOP IN BOX CANYON EAST OF MECCA CALIFORNIA

Now, that may not bother a lot of fulltimers but coming from a winter climate like we do it is something we had to realistically think about. Coming back in the dreaded cold & snow of winter with no home base would have meant having to stay in a Motel or in a friends or relatives driveway & that kind of disruption was totally unacceptable to either Kelly or I. We would never put friend's or relatives in that kind of situation. We are both fiercely independent & if that means paying out the extra cost of maintaining a small inexpensive place, then so be it. My only complaint is having to stay put in one location from April to mid October...........but, we're working on that:))

CLARK DRY LAKE BED, BORREGO SPRINGS CALIFORNIA…THAT’S OUR RIG CLOSEST TO BOTTOM RIGHT

I especially liked Chinle's video today over at SPOTTED DOG RANCH. Entitled, Autumn Leaves in Colorado's San Juan Mountains she has put together a collection of great photos with probably one of the finest renditions of the song ‘Autumn Leaves’ I have ever heard. Hauntingly beautiful & sung by Eva Cassidy.

DARBY WELLS ROAD NEAR AJO ARIZONA…OUR ORIGINAL BOONDOCKING SITE BACK IN 2008

Oh dear, looks like I have unintentionally opened that old can of flag worms again. Not going to get into it this time though. Nossiree:((  Gonna fly an old brown sock.  Yessiree:))

BORREGO SPRINGS…….. FORT CANADA:))

 

AND, WHO CAN FORGET PHEEB’S GOOD OLD COW SMOOCHIN DAYS NEAR CONGRESS, ARIZONA
Kelly just cleared a couple Doctor’s appointments this week & those were the last two hurdles we had to overcome to cinch our departure next month.  Think I said we were leaving on Saturday October 13th but now that we are heading for Spencerport New York first it may be a few days later.  With any luck, I would like to clear Rochester NY early the following Saturday morning.  I generally like leaving on Saturdays because that always gives us two ‘rush hour free’ days on the road.

BOUSE ARIZONA

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com