OUR MOTORHOME IS GONE AND A SQUIRREL UPDATE::

THIS WAS THE LAST OF THE BIG E I SAW THIS MORNING

Tuesday night around 7 just after re-aligning one of my bird feeder defences I saw the little Red Squirrel outsmart me again and clamber atop the feeder.  And that folks right there was the end of the Squirrel Wars.  I hoisted up the white flag of surrender and in a mild sense of anger walked out to the bird feeder station and took it all down.  Everything, even pulled the heavy old pine tree pole out of the ground.  I accepted my defeat but felt sorry for the birds of course who had come to rely on that feeder for their seeds:((

HIGH LAKE LEVELS ALONG WITH WAVES HAVE ERODED THE BANK BESIDE GODERICH'S DOG WALKING PARKING AREA AND THEY ARE TRUCKING IN GRAVEL TO BUILD UP THE BANK

I'M THINKING THEY WILL HAVE TO SET SOME LARGE BOULDERS OR SOMETHING IN HERE NOW

Nice to see sunny skies this morning for a change so it didn't take Pheebs and I long to get ourselves mobile.  We had us a mission.  It was straight away to the Rona Hardware store in Goderich's south end.  Picked me up a small tube of Gorilla Glue and a black 6 foot piece of PVC piping.  Back home I used that glue to glue the plastic pipe to a piece of food.  Screwed on four small brackets to secure the two pieces as well.  With shovel in hand and the two pieces glued together I headed for the front yard but first I had better mention what I was up to.

NOT WHAT I WOULD CALL A WORK OF ART ON THE GLUEING JOB BUT IT WORKED

IT WAS ABOUT HALF AN HOUR AFTER I TOOK THIS PHOTO TUESDAY NIGHT THAT I WENT OUT AND TOOK THE WHOLE THING DOWN

Down came Monday night's white flag of surrender and up went the Jolly Roger skull and crossbones and all.  The Squirrel War was back on with Captain Halfbeard here at the wheel.  With the shovel I reworked the bird feeder post hole a bit then set in the PVC pipe with small wooden platform attached at the top.  Filled in the hole surrounding the pipe with dirt and packed it down and levelled it up.  Next I retrieved the bird station itself (still with birdseed on it) and placed it on top of the platform.  In other words I just gave the Red and Black Squirrel gang a full broadside.  So there!!  If you never hear from me again you will know the Buccaneer Squirrel Gang in return gave me a full broadside back.....and I sank!!

SO THIS IS THE NEW SET UP WITH THE SLIPPERY PVC PIPE

It didn't take long for the Big E to roll out of here once Ron and his wife Jan rolled in shortly before 10 this mornig.  Ron, who I'm sure the Energizer Bunny' was modelled after didn't waste any time getting the rig rolling.  He is a hugely busy guy and before we knew it the Big E was out the driveway and heading on down the road.  I barely managed to get a few photos before it disappeared around the corner with Ron at the wheel and Jan following in a little green Toyota.  I like when things happen fast like that and don't get dragged out and bogged down.  Ron can be found at Four Seasons Performance

THERE IT GOES

THE BIG E'S PARKING SPACE IS LOOKING MIGHTY EMPTY TONIGHT

And here's a short little story about how Ron and Jan acquired the that Toyota.  Ron buys RV's all over Canada and the United States.  He likes the high end clean rigs from the southern States due to no rust.  He spotted a coach for sale somewhere out west and after being assured the rig was in 'excellent condition' he and Jan flew out to pick it up.  They had taken a bit of luggage along and planned to travel a bit in the coach on the way back to Canada.  Well needless to say the Motorhome they had gone to buy was not in the excellent condition the owner said it was and it ended up being a 'no deal' situation.  So there was Jan and Ron way out west (Wyoming I think) with all their luggage and no way to get home.  Tried to rent a car but no luck because it was in the 'Oil Patch' area and their was nothing to rent anywhere.  Called the airlines but they wanted $1500 apiece to fly them back to Canada.  With both Ron and Jan being astute business people they said 'no way'.  Somehow they made their way to the nearest car dealership, picked out a used little green Toyota, bought it on the spot, loaded in their luggage and headed back to Canada.  I'm sure there are many RV'ers out here who have found themselves in similar situations when traveling long distances to look at supposedly 'excellent', 'great condition', vehicles only to be disappointed when they find the absolute opposite of what had been advertised.  Janna and Mike come to mind:))

INDIGO BUNTING ABOVE AND NUTHATCH BELOW

Squirrel War Update::  Just watched 'Little Red' make nearly a dozen attempts to get up that new PVC pipe and he failed every time.  He can jump almost half way up the post but with no traction he or she kept falling back down.  I could tell Little Red was clearly upset by this new development as he raced around the yard like a ricocheting bullet.  Up and down the surrounding trees and shrubs he went trying desperately to figure out how to get on that feeder. No I am not allowing myself a sneaky grin yet.  I've had too many sneaky grins shoved right up my nose by these clever and determined Squirrels so we'll wait and see what happens.  Every time I look up from the computer I fully expect to see a Squirrel on the feeder contentedly munching away...………….

HERE'S LITTLE RED TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE NEW POLE

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Prior to taking retirement and selling off his land, a farmer needed to get rid of all the animals he owned, so he decided to call on every house in his village. At houses where the man was the boss, he gave a horse; at houses where the woman was the boss, he gave a chicken.  Approaching one cottage, he saw a couple gardening and called out, "Who's the boss around here?"
"I am," said the man. The farmer said, "I have a black horse and a brown horse. Which one would you like?"  The man thought for a minute and said, "The black one."  "No, no, get the brown one," said his wife.  The farmer said, "Here's your chicken."
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ACTUALLY GOT TO FINALLY WEAR A SHORT SLEEVE SHIRT THIS AFTERNOON

There's been a small hole in the Jeep's muffler for a very long time now and I suppose I've just gotten used to it but today decided it was time to have that little problem taken care of.  Stopped at Goderich's Napa Autopro and made an appointment for later in the week.  

Kelly received notice today her liver biopsy will be May 30th with an MRI to follow sometime in July.

Skies finally cleared around noon and how nice to be bathed in sunlight once again although it's only temporary with clouds moving back in by Wednesday morning.  Made a start on my front deck painting project this afternoon.  Going to try and do it in sections instead of trying to do the whole thing in 5 minutes.  Started with the steps today.

Under cool sunny skies Pheebs and I headed out for an afternoon walk along the Pine tree trail.  How nice to see the Spring forest beginning to burst forth in it's many hews of green.  And surprisingly I was able to do the walk in a short sleeve shirt.  That is probably a first for this year.  A month from now our gardens should be in their prime for the year with everything looking so refreshingly alive and vibrant.  June is a nice month here before the heat and humidity of summer sets in

We say a final good-bye to the Big E in the morning.  Our Triple E Commander Motorhome will be gone.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A woman walks in a store to return a pair of eyeglasses that she had purchased for her husband a week before. "What seems to be the problem, madam?"  "I'm returning these glasses I bought for my husband. He's still not seeing things my way."
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Jeff: Walter, your wife is a lovely woman. Walter: She's getting old. 
Jeff: Well, you know, they say that women age like fine wine. 
Walter: Shes aging like milk.
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 "When I saw you driving down the road, I guessed 55 at least."  "You're wrong, officer, it's only my hat that makes me look that old."
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WITH WELL OVER 150 YEARS BETWEEN US 2 GUYS WE DIDN'T LET A LITTLE RAIN SLOW US DOWN TODAY

OUR FLOWER BED TRILLIUMS ARE FINALLY IN BLOOM

It's a wonder it wasn't snow falling out of the sky this morning instead of rain.  Cold, cold, cold!!!!  With the Jeep's heater cranked up the Spoogers and me took a short drive into Bayfield, had us a look around and came home again.  I'm thinking this  has got to be the coldest wettest !!#*@!!! Spring on record:((

MORE LARGE BOULDERS BEING DELIVERED TO BAYFIELD'S BEACH

BOATS ARE BEING PUT BACK INTO THE BAYFIELD RIVER NOW ON A DAILY BASIS

Good friends Richard and Gayle have rented a nice little place in the country near Bayfield and this morning had us over for coffee and a look at their new digs.  Great spot, love it.  Told them if they ever leave to let us know and we'll sell our place and move over there:))

I'M GUESSING THIS BIRD TO BE A FEMALE ROSE BREASTED GROSBEAK

Later in the afternoon I was able to help Richard move a few things from their storage locker in Goderich.  We didn't let a little rain discourage a couple Seniors with well over a hundred and fifty years between them.  And nobody even got hurt either.  No suffering sacroiliacs, no disjointed shoulders or dislocated hips.  Knee joints are still in place and ribs remained attached.  No skull fractures, broken toes or crushed feet and fingers.  No broken arms, spinal separations or herniated discs.  Even our shins remained unbruised and nobody got dumped on their ass to roundly complain about a shattered tail bone.  Only slight damage was to our egos knowing we weren't the once mighty coordinated heavy lifters we used to be many, many, Moons ago.  

THINGS ARE BLOOMING IN OUR FRONT YARD WITH THIS BEING A RHODODENDRON

WHITE MAGNOLIA

FORSYTHIA

RED HOT CHILI PEPPER TREE...….'YA RIGHT AL'

My battle with the little Red Squirrel continues and it's now a daily occurrence between me and Little Red.  Back and forth we go with me coming up with new defensive measures and little Red coming up with ways to breach my defences.  Sprayed the metal stove pipe on the post with a slippery lubricant but Red just straps on his magnetic boots and up he goes.  Tried some slippery plastic siding but with his Reebok suction racers the siding is not a deterrence.  Like Spiderman he has some kinda device he uses for shooting out long sinewy lines to hook onto the feeder to pull himself up onto the platform.  I've tried various stacks of lumber, overturned flower pots, garbage can lids, etc, to no avail.  My latest defence system soon to be compromised is a vinyl tarpaulin draped over the platform base.  Although I spotted him in the yard this afternoon I have not seen him on the newly defended feeder yet.  I expect him up there at any minute though.  I am already working on my next defensive move.....and the one after that and the one after that!!

EVEN SOME LAST YEAR BLOOMS ARE STILL HANGING ON

FORGOT TO INCLUDE THREE PHOTOS FROM MOTHERS DAY SO HERE'S KELLY AND THE GRANDS

KELLY WITH HER YOUNGEST DAUGHTER REBECCA AND REBECCA'S DAUGHTER ELLA

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Why did the Siamese twins visit England? They wanted to give the other twin a chance to drive! 
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- My home church welcomes all denominations, but really prefers tens and twenties.

- “They dared me to jump off a cliff, but it was just a bluff.”

- Two tons of human hair was stolen from a wig factory. The police said they were combing the area.

- A hunchback comes home from work to see a wok on the table. He says to his wife, "Did you cook Chinese food tonight?" She says, "No, I just finished ironing your shirts."
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