SAD DAYS AT THE RVSUE AND CANINE CREW CAMP

I JUST LOVE RIDING IN THE JEEP  DAD

Been sitting here so long scratching my head for something to write about that I have wood splinters under my fingernails now.  Aside from a spin on my Motorcycle this morning it's been a rather run of the mill day.  Kelly spent some time at Deer Park Lodge again & we picked up the Jeep at the Bayfield Garage this afternoon.  Jeep's shocks & brakes were good, air filter only needed blowing out & not replacing.  All fluid levels checked, oil changed & tires rotated.  She's a good to go:))

FOREST FLOOR

We did receive an email today from the folks keeping any eye on our house in Congress Arizona & they said with all the recent rains the desert is looking about as green as they have ever seen it.  Oh how I would love to see the Sonoran desert in it’s finest greenery.  They also said our house is doing fine with no leaks.  Needless to say that is a big relief for us.

ANOTHER COUPLE MONTHS & THIS IS WHERE WE’LL BE:))

 

KELLY IN HER PYJAMAS WATCHES ANOTHER MORNING SUN RISE OVER THE WEAVER MOUNTAINS FROM OUR FRONT PORCH

 

OH BOY, WONDER HOW I’M GONNA GET OUR 36’ CLASS A IN WHERE OUR 26’ CLASS C USED TO SIT

WHEN I LOOK AT THESE PHOTOS FROM JUST 8 MONTHS AGO I SEE THINGS I HAD ALREADY FORGOTTEN ABOUT

AND WE’LL SOON BE TAKING OUR MORNING WALKS RIGHT HERE IN THIS SCENIC DESERT JUST A BLOCK BEHIND OUR HOUSE

I talked to Aunt Jean in Sarasota Florida one night last week & she is still holding her own.  Still managing her morning walks & 18 hole Tuesdays on the golf course.  Said the humidity was so bad last Tuesday that by the 4th hole in the morning they were all soaking wet from sweating in the heat.  She has lived in Florida since the early 60's so I think it is something she has acclimatized to.  She sure handles humidity better than I do.

Not sure what is going on with my blog's side bar.  Readers have been saying things disappear & then reappear.  When I checked this morning my 'Fellow Bloggers' gadget was missing.  This afternoon it was back but soon gone again so I don't know what kind of shenanigans are going on there.  When I click on my tools icon I get a pop-up from Blogger saying, "Whoops that's an error.  We apologize for the inconvenience."  I don't know if other Bloggers are having similar problems with their blogs.

Pheebs & I spent most of the day in the house just staying cool in the A/C.  I went out a couple times, whacked some weeds & hastily retreated back into the house.  And I did take the Motorcycle for a run just to feel that that great blast of cooling warm air in my face.  Just gotta love that:))

 

I was saddened this morning to read of Spike's passing at RVSUE AND HER CANINE CREW.  We first met Sue & her two terriers Bridget & Spike at Darby Well road back on December 9th 2011.  The last time we saw Spike was in Arizona's Kofa Mountains when we hiked a trail near Palm Canyon on December 28th 2013.  Sad days at RV Sue's as Sue & Bridget begin their plans for continued travels without their best Pal & beloved fellow team member Spike.  Our thoughts are with Sue & Bridget as we remember hiking that Kofa Mountain trail with the intrepid little Spike. 

THE FIRST DAY WE MET SPIKE, RVSUE & BRIDGET BACK IN DECEMBER 2011

 

HIKING NEAR PALM CANYON IN DECEMBER 2013

  

RVSUE, BRIDGET, SPIKE, PHEEBE & HIKE LEADER ANN

MASTER OF EXPLORATORY HIKES & DREAMS…………..THE CANINE CREWS BRAVE & FEARLESS LOVER OF WATER…… SPIKE

GROANER’S CORNER:(( The doctors may have won the annual softball game between themselves and their lawyer opponents, but they lost the public relations war. Here's how the lawyers reported the game: "The lawyers powered their way to a second place finish, while the doctors managed to finish next to last."

AND YET ANOTHER FINE JEEP RIDE THIS MORNING……BUT TUESDAY I’M GROUNDED:((

‘Oh Dear’, 3 morning Jeep rides in 3 days.  This is getting to be too much of an enjoyable habit for Pheebs & I.  Despite my tightly crossed fingers the past few weeks our miserable humidity is back.  Between that & the humidity loving mosquitoes we never even made it half way around our morning trail.  By the time we got back my shirt was already sticking to me.  Kelly had errands to do in Goderich so off she went in her nice cool air conditioned Sunfire.  For me it was either sit in my recliner between the fans, fire up our central air or crank the windows down in the Jeep & take Pheebs for a cooling drive in the countryside.  Again it was a no brainer so off we went.

YEP, JUST HANGIN OUT WITH DAD TODAY:))
Our wanderings this morning took us the long way on down to the lakeside town of Grand Bend.  As long as we kept the morning breezes flowing through our open windows we were fine.  Grabbed a coffee to go at Tim Hortons & shared us a carrot muffin.  Not the best for a little doggy so that is why I am always forced to eat 98% of it.   I guess you could at least call 2% sharing eh:))  And speaking of Tim Hortons I did see the Burger King proposal on the morning news.  Looks like there is already some political opposition brewing about that.  Gee, I hope our two great countries don’t go to war over this………

  
DRIVING ALONG GRAND BEND’S SOUTH SIDE HARBOR
We made one pit stop on our return to Bayfield when I saw a narrow farm lane leading into a bush lot.  Had a 'For Sale' sign posted so thought we would walk in the lane & have us a look.   Within minutes an unrelenting swarm of Mosquitoes had us making fast tracks back to the Jeep & that was the quick end to that.  Made our way up through wind turbine alley south of Bayfield & we were back home in less than 2 hours.  Too hot for me outside so the best part of my day was already behind me.  And its supposed to be even hotter tomorrow with a humidex level of 40!!  But here’s the good news, a cold front is fast approaching from the west & should be here by mid afternoon.  I am going to be down on the Bayfield Beach with a big black & white checkered flag thankfully & very welcomingly waving that racing cold front across the finish line.  Yay cold front team:)))))))
 
HMMMMM, WONDER WHAT KELLY & I COULD DO WITH THIS FINE LOOKING OLD ABANDONED FARMHOUSE
 
AT THE MOMENT MERIKAY WAS TAKING THE PICTURE OF KELLY, PHEEBS & I ON THE RIGHT LAST WEEK I WAS TAKING THE PICTURE OF MERIKAY ON THE LEFT (Got your card Merikay:))

SOME WELCOMING EARLY SIGNS OF AUTUMN BEGINNING TO APPEAR IN OUR BACK YARD’S VIRGINIA CREEPER

HEY IS THIS OUR WINNIE WAGON BACK IN OUR DRIVEWAY??  NOPE NOT QUITE
Deer Park Lodge owner Kirsten & ‘Jack of all Trades’ Rob dropped by Sunday afternoon on their very first RV trip of ever.  They were headed up to the Bruce Peninsula & just needed a few pointers on how some of the systems on their 2012 Winnebago Access worked.  A couple quick lessons on a few things & they were off.  Good luck Guys.

ROB & KIRSTEN WITH THEIR 2 DOGS STELLA & GUINESS

Looks like I will be grounded Tuesday.  Jeep goes into the Bayfield Garage for it’s pre southward bound Snow Bird trip at the end of next month.  Oil change, air filter & general check-up.  I’ll have them check the shocks this time too.  Now, I gotta go find my checkered flag to welcome that cooler air in tomorrow……………………………..:))

ANOTHER MOON SHOT??  NOPE, JUST OUR GLOBE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE DRIVEWAY TONIGHT
And here’s a little something I just re-wrote based on an Archive Memory……Remember those days long ago as a kid when you would take a blanket outside on a sunny warm summer day & lay on your back watching big white fluffy clouds lazily drifting by. In those billowing clouds were endless exciting shapes for a small child's imagination. Big scary faces, rumbling Rhinosauceruses, Elephants with long grayish floppy trunks, dancing Dinosaurs, flying Hippopotamooses, Rabbits with towering ears, cherubic Babies with outstretched arms, Butterfly Crocomadiles, fluffy Allimogators, & anything else a child's mind is free to imagine. This morning was one of those magically marvellous sky days as Pheebs & I gravel roaded ourselves to Grand Bend & back. All the way there & home again we had us a circus like parade overhead marching across a deep blue bird sky with big nosed Clowns, portly Ringmasters, & a menagerie of fairy tale Animals kicking up wiffles of wispy cloud dust.  It made for a wide eyed pleasant drive on a fine summer morning & tells me the wondrous imagination of my childhood is still very much alive & creatively well:))

 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A shepherd was herding his flocks in a remote pasture when suddenly a brand new Jeep Cherokee advanced towards him out of a dust cloud. The driver, a young man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray Ban sunglasses and a YSL tie, leans out of the window and asks: "If I can tell you exactly how many sheep you have in your flock, will you give me one?"   The shepherd looks at the yuppie, then at his peacefully grazing flock and answers, "Sure!"  The yuppie parks the car, whips out his notebook, connects it to a cell phone, surfs to a NASA page where he calls up a GPS navigation system, scans the area and opens a database and some 60 spreadsheets with complex formulas. Finally, he prints a 150-page report on a miniature printer, turns to our shepherd and says: "You have exactly 1586 sheep!"  "That's correct. As agreed, you can take one of the sheep," says the shepherd. He watches the young man make a selection and bundle it into his Cherokee.  As the car starts to pull away, he calls out: "If I can tell you exactly what your business is, will you give me my sheep back?"  "Okay, why not?" answers the young man, stopping the car.  "You are a consultant" says the shepherd.  "That's correct," says the yuppie. "How did you guess?"  "Easy," answers the shepherd. "You turn up here without being asked. You want to be paid for information I already have. And you don't know anything about my business because you just took my dog."

AT THE RISK OF BEING REPETITIVE

At the risk of being repetitive let’s just say Sunday morning was a shorter version of Saturday morning & how about we just leave it at that for today.  Maybe some interesting new thoughts my way will come this week…………………………….

  

OUR RURAL LANDSCAPE IS RAPIDLY BEING TRANSFORMED

NOW HOW’S THIS FOR A SURE SIGN OF OUR APPROACHING AUTUMN

 

BEAN FIELDS AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE

 

GROANER’S CORNER:(( A middle-aged man wasn't feeling well, so he went to the doctor for a check-up.  After a thorough examination, the doctor said, "Well, based on my examination, the best thing for you is to cut out all sweets and fatty foods, give up alcohol, and stop smoking."  The man said, "Well, to be honest with you, Doc, I don't deserve the best. What's the second best option?"

ANOTHER ONE OF NATURE’S FEELING GOOD MORNINGS

Deer Park Lodge was short a staff member this week-end so Kelly stepped in to fill the slot for Saturday & Sunday.  She headed over to Deer Park about 9:20.  Pheebs & I were on the road 10 minutes later.  It was another one of natures feeling good mornings.  A warming breeze rustled late August leaves under a lumbering cloud cover.  Filtered sunlight cast a calm ethereal light over the oh so peaceful rural landscape.  No traffic on the quiet country roads & everywhere Pheebs & stopped we were serenaded by a chorus of late Summer Crickets.  Autumn wildflowers are blooming with purple & gold flowers growing freely alongside gravelled roadsides.  Fields of tasselled corn & ripening beans as far as one's eye can see.  And I'm guessing a bumper crop this year too.  We are indeed fortunate to live where we do surrounded by this tranquil countryside of rural farm lands & pastoral beauty.

 

  

 

ARCHIVE MEMORY::  From June 2009.  Ever wonder about dreams? I am a lite sleeper so frequently wake up 3 or 4 times during the night. Not very restful but I do dream a lot & I figure the reason I remember them is simply due to the fact that I don't slip into that deep heavy sleep for the entire night. I have also learned that as I am waking up from a dream I can remember it better if I don't open my eyes. I can liken it to opening the back of a camera with a roll of unexposed film in it. As soon as the light hits the film the images are erased. Same thing with the brain so if I'm coming out of a dream I resist the urge to open my eyes & look at the clock. Well, as long as it was a good dream anyway. I try to go back into the dream sometimes but it usually begins to fade quickly & I'm only able to retrieve bits & pieces most of the time. I like the flying dreams best as I float over trees & people on the ground. I have never remembered a landing but my take off is always the same. I take about 4 quick steps forward & very carefully step up into the air & begin to float skyward. Sometimes I fly very fast but most times I just kind of move along slowly hovering over things here & there. And sometimes there are others in the air with me but they don't seem to fly quite as well. Meeting old friends is another part of the dream process I enjoy. People from 50 & 60 years ago drift in & out. No rhyme or reason but all of a sudden there they are & I'm talking to them. Could be someone I only met once or twice decades ago or it could be a current friend. The people who have the most impact & leave the longest lasting memories for me are the ones who have passed away. In any dream sequence a departed friend or relative may appear & it is always such a good feeling inside to once again see & talk to them. And then they drift away & a sadness fills the void. It's those dreams that I try to hang onto as I'm waking up. I try to re-enter the dream & run after my old friend or family member to see them just one more time but they are gone.   I always hope they will re-appear again to once more put a smile on my sleeping face..................

GROANER’S CORNER:(( I'm Older Than Dirt::  Someone asked the other day, 'What was your favorite fast food when you were growing up?' 'We didn't have fast food when I was growing up,' I informed him.  'All the food was slow.'  Seriously, Where did you eat?'  'It was a place called 'at home,' I explained. !  'Mom cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn't like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit there until I did like it.'  By this time, the kid was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer some serious internal damage, so I didn't tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table. Here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I figured his system could have handled it :

Some parents NEVER owned their own house, wore Levis, set foot on a golf course, traveled out of the country or had a credit card.  My parents never drove me to school. I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed, (slow).  We didn't have a television in our house until I was 19.  It was, of course, black and white, and the station went off the air at midnight, after playing the national anthem and a poem about God.  It came back on the air at about 6 a.m. And there was usually a locally produced news and farm show on, featuring local people….I never had a telephone in my room. The only phone was on a party line.  Before you could dial, you had to listen and make sure some people you didn't know weren't already using the line.  Pizzas were not delivered to our home... But milk was.  All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers –my brother delivered a newspaper, six days a week.  He had to get up at 6AM every morning.  Movie stars kissed with their mouths shut. At least, they did in the movies.  There were no movie ratings because all movies were responsibly produced for everyone to enjoy viewing, without profanity or violence or most anything offensive.  If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren. Just don't blame me if they bust a gut laughing………..Growing up isn't what it used to be, is it:((