WE LAUNCH PLAN B…….

A FEW MORE SALTON SEA PICS TODAY AS PHEEBS LOOKS BACK TOWARDS THE RIG

 

I am still sticking to my guns about no morning TV news programs. Our TV remains off & how nice it is to start the day without all the repetitive doom & gloom grunge, & bobble headed babblegiggled announcers.  Been nearly 3 weeks now & I’m doin good:))

 

Always so funny every morning when I get up how Pheebs immediately comes over & lays down in my vacated spot with her head on my pillow.  Every morning, without fail, she does this.  Also, at night when I head for bed, she will race into my room, jump on my bed & stretch out right where I sleep.  We always have a big tussle for the spot then & she really enjoys that.  Much the same in the morning.  Soon as she senses I am waking up she is right on top of me, tailing wagging furiously.  We start every morning with a big snugly tussle & lots of happy smooches. She then grabs my spot before my feet even hit the floor.  She is just the greatest little dog of ever:))

Our night time temps remained in the high 50’s & how nice not to have heaters running for a change.  And, how nice to have some short sleeve shirt days happening again.  Well, except for today.  Cloudy & cool with a few rain sprinkles.  

SURE HOPE MOM DROPS SOMETHING SOON

Had an email from long time reader Ray a couple weeks ago saying he & Cindy would be in our area at the Escapee’s North Ranch boot camp seminar this week-end.  Finishing up some classes today they drove over to our place this afternoon for a visit.  New RVing Fulltimers from Salt Lake City, Ray & Cindy haul a big Montana 40’ Fifth Wheel.  Nice quiet couple.  Cindy will be taking driving classes at North Ranch this week familiarizing herself with all the in’s & out’s of big rig trailer towing.  Ray is new to blogging as well so ya might want to drop over, say ‘Hi’, & see how Cindy makes out this week with their big dually Chevy 3500 & looooong 5 slided 5th wheel.  Could be quite an adventure for her:))  RAY & CINDY'S RV TRAVELS 

CINDY & RAY…NICE FOLKS FROM SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH

 

RECENT RAINS HAVE SPROUTED SOME GRASS 

Remember me talking about Plan B a few days ago after our disappointing day in Quartzsite.  Well, plan B is now into full swing & it’s a 2 parter with the first part taking place very shortly.   We are going to try & sell the Motorhome ourselves.

Kelly stopped into the CONGRESS DEPOT MARKETPLACE Saturday & mentioned to Judy we are going to sell our Motorhome.  Judy said to bring the rig on up to her place on busy highway 89 between Phoenix & Prescott where it will have high visibility.  So, that is what we are going to do.  Kelly is also going to list it on Craig’s list.   We’ll see what happens.  If it doesn’t sell by the time we are ready to head back to Canada in April, we will pack our little knapsacks & begin hitchhiking out of town.  Pheebs too…………… 

Of course there is always the second part to Plan B & I may very well have some news about that sometime this week.  And, it might have something to do with Parker Arizona:))  

ONE OF MANY CALIFORNIA ENERGY PRODUCING GEOTHERMAL PLANTS AT THE SOUTH END OF THE SALTON SEA

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Wife by text to husband at work …"Windows at home frozen - what should I do?"  Husband - "spray some de-icer or pour hot water on them"  Wife a few minutes later - "Done that - now the computer won't work at all !

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.

A FEW PHOTO TIPS ON A QUIET SATURDAY

A CALIFORNIA GEOTHERMAL PLANT BACKGROUNDS THESE GREAT BLUE HERONS ON THE EDGE OF CALIFORNIA’S SALTON SEA

Had to draw on some of my file photos tonight. Other than the painted garden tools pic which I forgot to include in Friday’s post I just never got around to taking any pics today. Tonight’s photos are from February 6th last year when we were boondocked at the southeast end of the Salton Sea in California.

IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT THE ABOVE PHOTO YOU CAN SEE THE FAR DISTANT TREE THE ?? WERE SITTING IN…

 

 I SET UP MY 700mm TELESCOPE LENS ON PICNIC TABLE FOR SOME OF THESE PHOTOS 

So nice to step out the door twice in a 24 hour period & see 2 different star filled night skies. Usually around 8 at night & again around 5 in the morning. (I have Pheebs to thank for getting me out at those hours:)) Two different times of the day & two entirely different night skies. The star & constellation patterns I see just before dawn will be the same late evening sky I will see in the summer months in Bayfield. Main constellation in the evening sky here right now is ORION, & the main star grouping I see high in the predawn sky is the BIG DIPPER. And, by the way, if you are outside after dark look straight up in the evening sky, the brightest object you will see with a slightly warmer color to it, is the Planet JUPITER.

KELLY, PHEEBS & OUR DEARLY LITTLE DEPARTED CORA…AKA MOTORMOUSE:))

 

WE HAD THIS WHOLE AREA ALL TO OURSELVES

    

A year ago now, Kelly & I were in Slab City California.  It was our second time there & both times had to do with our solar system.  First time in 07 to have our system installed & a year ago to have a small problem solved & a fuse replaced.  Slab City is a place like no other & I’m glad we took the time to experience it.  If you have, or have not been to Slab City, you may or may not find a couple of my posts from there interesting… TOURING THE SUBURBS OF SLAB CITY & EAST JESUS SCULPTURE CENTER & AT THE EDGE OF THE SALTON SEA.  And, did you know that Slab city HAS IT'S OWN WEBSITE & a golf course called, GOPHER FLATS:))

   

Had a question about Friday’s post in which a commenter asked how I get some of those bird photos.  I guess it is the old Boy Scout motto that first comes to mind.  ‘Be Prepared’.  First & foremost I never go anywhere without a camera.  On our morning walks I ‘always’ carry my Nikon D40 with a 75-300 zoom lens on it.  I do not carry it in a camera bag & I do not ever have a lens cap on the lens.  Photo opportunities happen too fast to be bothered hauling a camera out of a camera bag, coat pocket, or fumbling with a lens cap.  If you have to do that, chances are good your photo opportunity has long since flown, fluttered, or scampered away. My camera is always slung round my neck & right shoulder.   Camera is always turned on & the Friday’s Coyote photos are an example of that.  The Coyotes came upon us fast, darting across & down the road.  I got off 4 quick shots & they were gone.      

 

Early morning light can be pale so I set the ISO rate on my D40 to either 800 or 1600.  Moving objects require a high shutter speed to stop the motion & prevent blurring.  Especially bird’s wings.

A PELICAN FLY BY

 

After dawn & around dusk are generally good times for moving animal or bird photos.  I also have my D40 set to focus on the center of the frame only.  It’s called Spot Metering.  The camera only has to read & calculate the center portion of the frame, so the Auto Focus is quick.  The Red Tailed Hawk is an example of that.  I saw this fellow flying across a rocky ridge from right to left.  I picked him up dead center in my viewfinder, locked in my focusing & panned along following him waiting for an opportunity to fire.  He was blending into the rocky background so I was waiting for him to soar upwards where I could catch a bit of open sky behind him, but he slowed, turned suddenly, & at the instant I saw the tail feathers flair for a landing.  My auto focus still had him locked in & I fired.  I hit him 3 times in a couple seconds but the photo in the blog was the best shot.  I cropped the bottom of the photo so as not to present the subject dead center in the frame. 

 

AS EXAMPLES, THESE ARE THE 2 PHOTOS DISCUSSED

 

MY NEWLY PAINTED TAOS BLUE GARDEN TOOL HANDLES…SAME COLOR AS THE FRONT DOOR IN THE BACKGROUND

Something else I have learned with birds, bunnies, deer, etc is that if you can quickly get a focused bead on on your target, fire fast & get that first shot logged in.  Chances are your subject is going to move by the time you re-position yourself & get your second shot composed.   But at least you have captured an image with that first fast shot.  It’s the second or third or fourth shot that, if the subject is willing to sit & pose long enough, can be the one ending up being the one you like best.  Or, you may have to go with the only shot you got.  But at least you have ‘something’.  Very rare for me to take more than 3 shots of anything unless it’s moving.  I just don’t have the patience to fiddle with the camera most times, trying different angles, lighting, etc.  Wished I did, but I don’t………………

Not one of my more productive days.  Just couldn’t quite seem to get myself out of first gear.  Puttered around a bit doing things in the Motorhome & that was about it.  Think I may have even nodded off a time or two in my recliner.  Leg continues to improve:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Three sisters ages 92, 94 and 96 live in a house together.
One night the 96 year old draws a bath.. She puts her foot in and pauses...
She yells to the other sisters, "Was I getting in or out of the bath?"
The 94 year old yells back, "I don't know. I'll come up and see."
She starts up the stairs and pauses "Was I going up the stairs or down?"
The 92 year old is sitting at the kitchen table having tea listening to her sisters.
She shakes her head and says, "I sure hope I never get that forgetful," she knocked on wood.
She then yells, "I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door."

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.

second..."

GETTING OUR MOTORHOME BACK IN ORDER

THESE 2 WILY COYOTES POPPED OUT OF A DRIVEWAY JUST IN FRONT OF US THIS MORNING

Woke up this morning feeling better than I thought I was going to feel, so with that thought in mind I made it a point to begin the process of putting our Motorhome back in order.  Not all the 6 years of clutter mind you, just the necessary things that will make it nice, cozy, & livable again. 

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On the long drive back from Quartzsite Thursday I was thinking the same thing so many commenters have said.  Just wasn’t meant to be & somewhere down the road something better will transpire & the reason for Thursdays disappointment will become clear.

<<< THIS CURVED BILL THRASHER HAD HIS EYE ON ME THIS MORNING

Just want to put in a good word for the 3 people we dealt with at ‘RV’s For Less’ in Quartzsite.  Dan, Summie, & Danielle all treated us fair & tried to make the deal work in our favor, but in the end it was a 4th party, their Boss from a different dealership, who didn’t like our ‘southwest taste’ & squashed the deal by offering us much less for our coach.  Thanks to Dan & Summie for trying, & thanks for your honesty.

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Okay, moving right along, it’s time to get the train back on track.  And, I guess that means my morning weather report.  Hey, I’m Canadian you know & we Canadians do get a bit pre-occupied about our weather.  We were pushing 70 today under clear blue skies & any day we can leave our doors wide open is always a winning weather day for the Bayfield Bunch:))

HMMMM, WONDER IF THOSE WILY COYOTES LIVE IN THERE

About mid morning, Kelly headed off to Wickenburg on a grocery run.  Of course with Kelly it is never just a grocery run.  She’s always bopping in here & there checking out sales, looking for bargains, & forever keeping an eye out for free stuff.

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Pheebs & I stuck close to home keeping busy with the Motorhome re-structuring & just general puttering around type stuff.  Painted all my garden tool handles Taos Blue.  Not only protects the wood from weather but makes the shovels, rakes, etc more visible & easier for me to spot.

RED TAIL HAWK MAKES A SMOOTH ROCK LANDING EARLIER TODAY

JANNA is still having problems with Spam & has had to block her ‘Anonymous’ commenters again.  I & many others have had this same problem.  I blocked Anonymous comments a long time ago but left a different kind of option open that has worked well for years.  I have a ‘Shout Box’ in our right hand column & for anyone who can’t comment as Anonymous in our blogger comment section, they can always comment as a Guest in my Shout Box.  Or, they can easily add their name.  I’ve had that Shout Box for maybe 3 or 4 years & so far so good.

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Ever notice how people say things to you without ever thinking about what they are saying. And they will say the exact same thing to the person they meet before you & the next person after you. I swung into the McDonald's drive-thru line one time & ordered up a Burrito & coffee. When I rolled up to the cashier window she said, "I must be dyslexic this morning." She was half talking to herself as well as me as she seemed to fumble with a roll of quarters. I wanted to reach out, put my hand on her shoulder & sincerely say, "thank you so much for an original greeting." Doesn't it just bug ya when people say, "Hello, how are you today." It's a robotic programmed quip we all have that comes out as an automatic saying, & do most people really care when they say that to a passing stranger. If they did they would stop & wait for a response. But they don't, & just blow right by & lay the same saying on the next person. Wouldn't you just like to turn around some time, grab hold of a person & say, "Soooo, you really want to know how I am today do you!!!!"

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As I rolled up to the second pick-up window at the same McDonalds another lady fried my brain with the standard high pitched, "Have a nice day." That decades old worn out insincere verbal piece of dung is like fingernails on a chalkboard for me. It's another one of those habitual programmed responses that doesn't mean a hill of beans. That busy window lady couldn't care less if I ate my Burrito up side down or drove over a flock of lost fish worms.

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Have you ever been not paying attention at a grocery store & crashed your cart into somebody & have them tell you they're "sorry." My fault, but they say they're sorry. What's with that. I'm the one who should be saying, 'sorry' but of course I never do because the other person has already apologized for my mistake. No point in two of us standing there trying to out-sorry each other because before long somebody else would come speeding around the corner, crash into us & say......well, you know!!

THIS MORNINGS WANING MOON

GROANER’S CORNER:((   Karaoke bars combine two of the nation's greatest evils:
People who shouldn't drink with people who shouldn't sing.

-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.