A VISIT FROM SOME LONG TIME BLOG READERS & A FEW THOUGHTS ON BOONDOCKING

 

RIDERS ON THE TRAIL THIS MORNING 

A year ago today it was a beehive of activity around our house.  Work had begun in earnest on our house in preparation for having it stuccoed.  A nice fellow by the name of Doby & his 2 young Mexican workers were hard at work all day completely sheathing our house in Styrofoam in preparation of for the encompassing chicken wire that would hold the adobe on the house.  Or mud as the boys called it.  Hard workers all three & they wasted little time in prepping the house & doing minor structural repairs as they went along.  It was an exciting time for us as Kelly scurried around to various garage sales & second hand shops gathering things for the house.  Well, Kelly was making me do a bit of scurrying too ya know:))

 

MERIKAY had a few questions about my Tuesday post one of which was, How long can Americans stay in Canada? I don’t have an answer for that one & wondered if any reader’s did.  Also keep in mind each Canadian Province has their own laws regarding how long it’s inhabitants can be in the United States.  Ontario is now 7 months.   And for Canadians who don’t think anyone keeps track…..think again!!  Here’s what George from OUR AWESOME TRAVELS had to say in a comment,  “When we made a quick drive to Ontario in December for a family function we were quizzed on our return to the USA. And one question was why did we cross the boarder last August? The only way he knew this was by scanning our passport. We had only walked on a small ferry and went into Michigan for lunch and a stop at the duty free shop. In the USA for about 4 hours. They are watching us”.

DESERT CHRISTMAS CACTUS

I was saddened this morning to read of Mike’s decision to suspend his RV travel blog.  Mike from MIKE & PAT'S TRAVEL BLOG has had his blog up & running for a long while now & I think I first came across it about 4 or 5 years ago.  It has been on my sidebar ever since.  Sorry to see Mike pack it in but nothing is forever. Priorities, interests, & circumstances change in our lives & decisions have to made as we go along.  Sometimes those changes are temporary & sometimes permanent.  Let’s all hope Mike at some point in the future just makes this a temporary suspension.  In the meantime I am going to miss your bi-weekly posts Mike.

PHEEBS SOMETIMES GETS HER OWN STICKERS OUT

Had us some long time Blog readers stop by today.  Fellow RV’ers Betty & Dan Folsom, with their little dog Kiwi are staying over at North Ranch for a bit & decided to look us up.  Dan said he’s been reading the blog from when I first started it way back in 06 or 07.  Now here’s some mighty nice down to earth folks who haven’t let life’s challenges get either of them down.  They had a dream, they had a country to see & by golly they are out here on the roads & highways of America in their Motorhome making it all happen.  It is people like Betty & Dan who give me the inspiration to keep this blog going.  Even on the down days……………

 

PHEEBS & KIWI

  

MAYBE SEE Y’ALL IN CANADA SOMETIME:))    

Just as suddenly as the pains started in my right hip/leg last week….they suddenly stopped again.  It dawned on me around 7 Tuesday night that I hadn’t felt that short sharp pain happening for most of the day.  And no pain all day today.  Strange thing & I have no idea what caused it to come & go twice now.  Oh the joys of aging eh:((

YEP, WE HAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR A SOLAR PANEL ON THE SUNSEEKER’S ROOF ALRIGHT

Noticed this morning we have a new Blog Follower.  A big Bayfield Bunch welcome to SANDI RATKE from way over there in that Illinois State. 

<<< A SURE SIGN OF WARMER WEATHER

Quite often the material for my nightly post comes from my fellow Bloggers.  Tuesday morning I noticed there was a bit of buzz going around about the problem some folks are having with anonymous comments & spam.  RETIRED ROD wrote about it in his post entitled ‘Nasty Comments’.  I had trouble with some nasty comments the past couple years & the only way to put a stop to that BS was to block ‘Anonymous’ comments.  By doing so it solved two problems at once.  It not only stopped my annoying ‘anonymous’ commenter but it also stopped the every day reams of spam dead in it’s tracks as well.   It’s not likely I will enable the ‘Anonymous’ feature in my Blogger set-up again.  It’s unfortunate that folks can’t comment as Anonymous but as quite often happens it only takes one or two bad apples to spoil the whole bushel.

SURE GLAD BABY GOT NEW SHOES:))

Had it not been for our boondocking RV lifestyle the last bunch of years our RV life would probably have ended before it ever got started.  I’ve posted about this a few times before over the years.  It’s an important part of who we are, where we are, & why we are the way we are.

ONE OF THESE DAYS I MUST TAKE THE TIME TO PUT TOGETHER SOME BOONDOCKING PHOTO ALBUMS

It all comes down to personal choices.  From day one our priority was on the Nature side of RVing.  Our dream was to travel & search out the natural beauty of the American Southwest.  My focus in particular was in the land’s natural photogenic landscapes.  I love that ‘WOW’ factor one gets when seeing new things for the first time.  And we wanted to see those things the same way they were seen hundreds of years ago before all the people influence flooded the land with cities, towns, shopping malls & tourist traps, etc. 

IN THE SHADOW OF THE SWISSHELM MOUNTAINS 2010

Only way to do that was to get ourselves out into the landscape itself.  Out into the deserts & canyons.  We not only wanted to see as much of the land in it’s natural state as we could, we wanted our Snow Bird RV travels to be a part of that natural state as well.  We would soon catch on to a wonderful lifestyle known as boondocking.  But first we had a lot to learn.

DESERT CENTER CALIFORNIA 2012

It was in December of 04 that we set off in a small Class C on our very first maiden voyage.  Destination was Big Bend National Park in southern Texas.  It was our shortest trip ever because of work commitments back home but right from the outset we were inescapably hooked on the RV lifestyle.   But, there was a problem.  We loved the idea of traveling in an RV, the camping, the hiking, & all the outdoorsy things that go along with that.  But we did not like the idea or concept of having to stay in RV Parks.  That was our number one problem & we knew it had to be quickly resolved.  We just wanted to be away from all the people stuff & spend our nights under canopies of stars & quiet crackling campfires, desert breezes, & long warm days beginning & ending with fiery sunrises & sunsets.

 

DARBY WELL ROAD NEAR AJO ARIZONA

In 06 we ventured out again with a truck & 5th wheel heading for New Mexico & Arizona.  We quickly learned that if we had to stay in a Park we much preferred State Parks to private RV Parks.  At least most State Parks were in more of a natural setting with larger sites & the emphasis often focused on the surrounding topography & not the almighty dollar.  State Parks are generally in rural natural settings & we liked that.  Didn’t realize it at the time but State Parks are somewhere kinda in the middle between private RV Parks & Boondocking.

CITY OF ROCKS STATE PARK NEW MEXICO 2008

On our journey south in 06 we stayed in New Mexico’s BRANTLEY LAKE STATE PARK, ROCK HOUND STATE PARK, & PANCHO VILLA STATE PARK.  Arizona’s PATAGONIA STATE PARK as well.  And a few others on the way home again through Texas.  On that trip we stayed at some private RV Parks too including Hickiwan Trails near Why Arizona.  Hickiwan Trails was our first RV Park experience besides a State Park.  We did like it there but we were beginning to see a pattern that didn’t appeal to us.  There was just no way of getting away from the close proximity to rows & rows of other RV units.   Also stayed a couple night’s at the Beaudry (now Lazy Days) RV Park in Tucson while getting a few repairs done on the 5ver.  Nice spiffy place for sure but way too fancy for the Clampetts & we were happy to be out of there & back on the road again.  Another overnighter in a private RV Park in Tombstone left us just shaking our heads.  

WEST OF GILA BEND ARIZONA

In only a matter of months after leaving Ontario for the southwest that year we knew we had some very major decisions to make if we were going to continue our RV dream in a manner we wanted to continue it in.  First, the truck & fifth wheel had to go.  It was just not practical for us traveling with 3 dogs.   Second, & most sobering was the realization that if we had to stay in RV Parks we would just sooner pack the whole RV idea in & stay home.  The idea of being parked right next to dozens of other RV’s for a night or 6 months at a time was not our idea of the lifestyle we wanted to pursue.  We knew that having to live & be that close to people just defeated our whole purpose for traveling in the first place.  As I said before, it was the naturally beautiful country we wanted to see & be a part of 24/7.  We not only wanted to just see the land, we wanted to live in it.

 

We were home less than 3 months before we traded in the truck/trailer combo for a more practical (for us) Motorhome.  Now that we had the right vehicle we could get on with the right RV lifestyle that best suited us…..boondocking.  With our solar installation in California in 07 we were finally & very happily on our way to a lifestyle we have never regretted for one single second.  It is a lifestyle we will continue to pursue whenever out & about in our newer little Class C as well.

In conclusion let me just say that these opinions are just that, opinions.  Nothing about right or wrong, black & white, better or worse, or good & bad.  Just my thoughts & opinions on a lifestyle that works for us & an attempt to explain why it works for us.  Just our story & our story alone.  I will have more to say about the boondocking lifestyle in future posts:))

 

BOONDOCKED AT PAINTED ROCK NEAR GILA BEND…DECEMBER 2008

GROANER’S CORNER:(  A minister dies and is waiting in line at the Pearly Gates. Ahead of him is a man who's dressed in sunglasses, a loud shirt, leather jacket and jeans.
Saint Peter turns to the first man and asks, "Who are you, so that I may know whether or not to admit you to the Kingdom of Heaven?"
"I'm Joe Jones," says the man, "and I was a taxi driver in New York City."
Saint Peter consults his list and says, "Take this silken robe and golden staff and enter."
When it's the minister's turn, he stands erect and booms out, "I am Joseph Snow, pastor of New Covenant Tabernacle for the last 37 years."
Saint Peter consults his list and says, "Take this cotton robe and wooden staff and enter."
"Just a minute," says the minister. "That man was a taxi driver and he gets a silken robe and golden staff. How can this be?"
"Up here, we go by results," says Saint Peter. "While you preached, people slept; while he drove, people prayed."

---

(hmmmm, think I might have posted this one before)

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

RV SUE’S FRONT YARD

WITH A FRONT YARD LIKE THIS WHAT’S NOT TO LIKE ABOUT BOONDOCKING…AND NOT A NEIGHBOR IN SITE:))

Good friend & fellow RV Blogger RV SUE & HER CANINE CREW rolled into our area a few days.  Only took a couple emails back & forth for Kelly & I to drop over to Sue’s scenic & nicely secluded boondocking site & I might add very familiar location.  Same location we vacated just over a year ago to move onto our house property in Congress.  Ahhhh, tis the good life that Sue & her crew live:))

THESE GUYS HADN’T SEEN EACH OTHER FOR AWHILE

Been just over a year since we saw Sue & the crew or should I say since Pheebs had seen Bridget & Spike.  Lots of wagging tails.  Great to see Sue again & we ended up sitting under her Casita awning on a beautiful Arizona day chatting away for the best part of 3 hours.  And I may add, an enjoyable 3 hours at that with lots of ground to cover & catching up to do.  Roads traveled, mutual friends discussed, some techno talk, RVing ideas shared, etc. etc.  I like when I am able & feel comfortable enough to talk with a fellow RV Blogger who also understands well the in’s & out’s & up’s & down’s of blogging.  Nice to know a fellow boondocking RV blog writer who shares many of the same thoughts & feelings I do.  Sue & I are very much alike in many ways & it’s always interesting & fun to talk with her about the great outdoor boondocking & adventurous lifestyle many of us so much prefer.  Our need for privacy, our desire to be away from the norm, & our quest to be independently free.  Ahhhh yes, I always enjoy talking to folks with like minded interests, ideas, & experiences:))

  

And a very informing email from a reader this afternoon that I feel bears reprinting here.  It has to do with Canadian Snow Birds & the length of time they can be out of Canada & more importantly……how long Canadians can remain in the States.  This is an ‘eye opener’.  Reader’s email in part says……………..”

WE PARTICULARLY LIKE SUE’S NEIGHBORS

‘Please be aware that the Canadian rules for how long you can be out of Canada and the American rules for how long you can be in the United States are NOT the same’.

BRIDGET & SPIKE

Just "google it" and you will see - there is a lot to learn - many new rules effective 1/1/13

AND’S IT’S RV SUE HER VERY SELF:))

Yes - Ontario allows you to stay out for 212 days and still keep health insurance etc .

But the United States only allows you to be in this country for less than 6 months - Apparently, a Canadian snowbird is allowed to travel under an "understood visa" - but if you are going to be here longer than 6 months you must apply for and get a real VISA and that may not be easy to do.

Also, you may be required to pay US income taxes - and if any US border agents become suspicious of any attempts to manipulate the system you could be denied entry or put on a restricted list and not allowed to enter the US for several years”.

 

Well, for we Canadian Snow Birds that is a bit scary to say the least.  And especially for those of us who own property in the States.  In no uncertain terms I guess that puts an end to any plans for us traveling to Colorado & Utah before the snow flies in the mountains this coming September.  It also backs up our Ontario departure time to mid October again.  Well, it was some nice imaginative thoughts & travel plans I had while it lasted:((

RV SUE & BAYFIELD BUNCH AL:))

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Two young men are talking about their boss's upcoming wedding.  "It's ridiculous," one says. "He's rich, but he's 93 years old, and she's just 26. What kind of a wedding is that?"
"Well," says the other fellow, "we have a name for it in my family. We call it a football wedding."  "What's a football wedding?" the first asks,  Says his friend, "She's waiting for him to kick off."

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

WE STARTED OUT AS 2 AIMLESSLY WANDERING NAIVE NEWBIE KNUCKLEHEADS

Sunday afternoon’s gusting warm winds ushered in cooler temperatures overnight so I was back into my long sleeve shirt first thing this morning.  But that didn’t last long & it was right back into my short sleeve shirt again.  Not colder weather, just slightly cooler than the last few days.  A very pleasurable 72F today.  Now that’s my kinda stuff:))

WE FINALLY SEE A DESERT FLOWER

Orders from headquarters came down pretty quick this morning regarding my Sunday night post in which I said we would be heading out this Fall in September.  Apparently that is not necessarily the case.  I could put a whole bunch of swearing symbols in here but……  It has also been made clear Mr. Blabberfingers is not to be discussing any future travel plans for our return trip to the southwest at this point:(((

Way back when in our pre-RV travel days Kelly & I had the urge to get out & see the country so bad that we spent time trying to devise ways we could make our dream come true.  We were not in a great financial position at the time & we were both in jobs we had had just about enough of!!

NEIGHBORHOOD MORNING WALKERS

By 1997 we had a small Class C under our belts plus a Prowler travel trailer.  Hadn’t gone real far in either one but of course considered ourselves seasoned travelers.  It was around about this time in the mid to late 90’s while living in the old rented farmhouse that we hit upon some ideas for travel.  We shake our heads at ourselves now but at the time they seemed like great ideas.  Why not deliver manufacturer’s RV’s, get paid for it, & see the country.  Marvelous idea we thought at the time.  Picked up a book somewhere (these were pre-computer days) on how to turn this kind of thinking into a little business & make things happen.  We soon had letters in the mail to a number of RV manufactures happily & hopefully offering our services.  After all, we had the right licenses because we were both large school bus drivers at the time as well.  Even took a class in London Ontario to get our Z air brakes tickets.  All class room stuff & we never ever did actually see a truck or an air brake system.  Ohhhh, talk about naivety of youth.  Well okay, so I was over 50 back then:(( 

NICE COLORFUL BLOOM ON THIS CACTUS…(except it’s a fire hydrant in the background)

ROAD TREK was our nearest RV manufacturer being only a couple hours drive away in Kitchener Ontario.  Thought for sure they would be beating our door down to have us come drive for them delivering their great Class B RV’s to the farthest & remotest parts of the continent.  Despite letters & phone calls, Road Trek never did get in touch with us & I think the only thing that really ever came out of all that is that we probably just ended up annoying the heck out of them.  Matter of fact, no other manufacturer ever got back to us either.  Guess we probably ended up annoying more people than just the Road Trek personnel department.  But, we weren’t deterred.

AT LAST, A BIRDIE ON OUR BIRD BATH:))

Next came the idea of driving people’s RV’s to their destinations.  Lots of elderly folks with permanent places in both the south & the north like to have their car with them but do not like to drive them back & forth between their homes.  Well, here comes Kelly & AL again.  We pursued that idea for awhile until we realized there were already professional firms doing this.  Seems to me there were a host of logistical problems with that little plan as well so that was the end of that.  But ,we weren’t through.

DECIDING WHETHER TO LEAVE OUR CHRISTMAS BALLS UP FOR THE SUMMER

Don’t know where our why our next idea came to us but it had nothing to do with our dreams of seeing the country below the border but everything to do with seeing the country around our area.  We were going to call our new business venture….’Day Trippers’.  One of my jobs at the time (wasn’t unusual for me to work 3 or 4 part time jobs at once in those days) was transporting people to & from Pearson International Airport in Toronto so I was accustomed to dealing with people.  (crazy huh)  Many of the people were Seniors & over the years I kinda got to like those older folks because I found them to be honest & sincere.  No game playing & no self centered male egos to deal with.  Just nice folks being themselves.  Come to think of it, just like most folks in the RV community.  Anyway we, okay maybe it was me, got the idea to buy a nice 10 passenger van & take nursing home Seniors out for day trips.  I knew the whole area like the back of my hand, liked older folks & figured I knew where Seniors wanted to go & what they wanted to do when they got there.  Sounded great at the time.  Well, that little venture was stopped in it’s tracks when we checked on the amount of insurance we would have to carry plus other un-thought of expenses.  I did talk to 2 Nursing Home activity directors who thought it was a great idea but alas, we never got that one off the ground either.  I think we probably had a few other irons in the fire over that period of time but with memories being what they are it is probably just as well I have forgotten about them.

We never did give up on our RV dreams though & eventually we found ourselves one day in a financial position to finally kick our RV dreams into high gear.   Didn’t take us long to make a series of decisions & in the fall of 06 we merrily rolled out of Bayfield one cold Autumn day heading for somewhere in the southwest United States.  No destination, no route plans, no reservations anywhere, nothing.  Only thing I had in my mind to see was the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico, wherever the heck that was.  And by golly that is exactly where these two aimlessly wandering naive newbie inexperienced knuckleheads & their 3 dogs went.  The rest of course is, shall we say…….. Bayfield Bunch history:))

The folks over at OH, THE PLACES THEY GO! have some great photos of more hikes they have been on in Utah’s Zion Canyon.  I particularly like blogs where adventurous people are out & about exploring natures wonderful landscapes.  And I always appreciate the special effort some put into their photography.

 

Turned out to be kind of another cleaning day around the house.  And another relaxing day as well tipped back in our outside chairs just sucking back the whole ambience of where we are.  Loaded up a few more things in the rig & of course had myself another melt down over that miserable touch screen over the top technology infested infotainment center in the Sunseeker.  Some folks have recommended I use a stylus on that screen.  I’ve thought about that & came up with an even better idea.  Think I can solve all my techno problems simply by using a hammer on that aggravating touch screen Mossmagator!!

 

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A man takes his Saint Bernard to the vet.
"Doctor," he says, "I want you to cut off my dog's tail."
The vet is taken aback. "Why should I do such a terrible thing?" he asks.
"My mother-in-law is coming tomorrow," he explained. "I don't want anything to make her feel welcome."

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

TOUCHING ON SOME TRAVEL PLANS FOR SEPTEMBER 2013

We are just so much enjoying this milder weather.  Even I myself haven’t been complaining about it being too hot with temps in the mid 80’s but I will like it even better this coming week when we drop into the 70’s.  EL-Perfecto:))

KELLY & PHEEBS HAD TO DO THE MORNING WALK ALONE, MY LEG WOULDN’T LET ME GO:((
Some of our Snow Birding friends have already headed north & some are already home.  Some are on the way & some are just getting ready to leave.  We will be following the gang in a few weeks & of course it is with mixed feelings again.  I always look forward to a change of routines so getting back on the road with a destination in mind is something I do look forward to.  But it is also sad every time we leave the southwest.  Our winter lifestyle here always seems more exciting, more invigorating, & more interesting for some reason.  In only a few weeks our little house will be sitting here all by itself again all closed up until we return sometime in the Fall.  And, knowing me I will be counting the days until we once again return to begin another winter anew in the great American south-west:))    

As expected, pretty much all of our time this winter was spent around the house & property working on a bunch of projects.  Maybe could have spaced out some of those projects over the next couple years but being the impatient people we sometimes are we just simply wanted to get as much done this first year as we could.  For me it’s always important to get things done before the novelty of new wears off.  By doing the bulk of the work this winter I figure that will free us up for future travels next winter.  After all, that was the whole idea behind having a home base in the southwest in the first place.

I’M GUESSING THIS FELLOW AS A HOUSE FINCH
We have already touched on plans for our return trip in the Fall & have both agreed we will plan on beginning our journey in early September & head straight for southern Colorado & Utah.  I’ve been wanting to do this trip for 3 years now & am thinking this just might be the year by golly.  From southern Utah we would eventually wander ourselves down through Arizona’s Monument Valley & eventually drop ourselves into our home base in Congress.  Well that’s the preliminary plan at this stage anyway & it’s only 5 short months away.  Bonus:))

CURVE BILLED THRASHER
We do more of something here than we do back home in Bayfield.  Relaxing outside.  Although we do have neighbors here we can’t see the folks place across the road & we never hear them except for their chickens & roosters.  Same with out back.  Can’t see the neighbor’s place but we do like hearing their horses.  And with our other neighbor around the corner having Sheep it sounds like we are living on a farm & that is just great.  I love the sounds of barnyard animals all around.  Now if we could just get those Javalina’s to ‘Oink’.  Now add to that the never ending twittering of birds from sunrise to sunset & it’s obvious why we spend more time outside here.  Oh & aside from some Yellow Jackets…..'no bugs’:)) 

INCA DOVE
Our Mexican neighbors to the north are visible but they are not a bother.  Like us, they are on the quiet side.  And with our house being about in the middle of our 1 acre we do have somewhat of a buffer zone around us.  However, we have a bothersome bunch of kids on our south side but we’re hopeful that problem will be resolved by the time we return in the Fall.  

Back home in Bayfield our neighbors are much closer than here.  It is just ‘one’ of the reasons we will continue looking for a quiet place in the country as soon as we get home.  With Real Estate prices being what they are in our area the chances of finding another ‘super deal’ are pretty slim but if one gives up & quits looking, one is apt not to find whatever it is one is looking for.  And we are always ‘looking’:))

Kelly picked up a bird bath in Wickenburg today so now the little bird fellers have a place to wash off all that pesky desert dust.  We enjoy sitting out near the bird feeders, Kelly with her book & me with my camera.  I have all the patience in the world to sit & take bird photos but getting a sticky wrapper off a popsicle could put me in therapy.

THIS LITTLE FELLOW WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE THE NEW BIRD BATH HE ABSOLUTELY LOST HIS HEAD
Nina from WHEELING IT has posted her Bisbee Part 2 adventures.  Some of you foody folks will like this segment with some favorite local eateries listed.  Glad they made it to the Bisbee Breakfast Club on old Erie Street.  This short street is a page taken right out of a period in time.  And THE TALLEYS are still toughing out the 90 & 100 degree heat in the desert near California’s Borrego Springs.  And that’s after being rocked last week by an earthquake.

It was an exciting time for us one year ago now but also a sad time as well.  With our departure time for home looming ever closer we were just on the go every single minute scrambling to get our newly acquired house in some semblance of shape before we left.  I was busy painting the kitchen as well as the kitchen cupboards.  Septic system in backyard was in the process of being inspected & repaired.  Arrangements were being made to have the whole house stuccoed, & a big clean up was underway both inside & out.  Furnishings were being gathered at garage sales & second hand stores.  It was an exciting time for us.  But it was a sad time for us as well as our little Cora’s (aka Motormouse) health continued to decline.  Little did we know that in just a short couple weeks she would no longer be with us. 

But of course we still have our ever happy, ever playful & our ever entertaining fabulous Pheebs.  What a joy she is as every single day she puts a smile on our slightly aging faces.
 
GROANER’S CORNER:((  Friend: "I suppose you carry a memento of some sort in that locket of yours?"
Woman: "Yes, it's a lock of my husband's hair."
Friend: "But your husband is still alive."
Woman: "I know, but his hair is gone."
-------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.