SAD NEWS THIS MORNING WHEN WE READ ABOUT THE PASSING OF FELLOW RV BLOGGER 'THE BIRD LADY OF BLOGLAND'

It was a short hop into Bayfield this morning with a quick walk in the village cemetery for Pheebs and I.  We didn't drive too far because I wanted to get my neck X-ray done in Goderich and not knowing how long it would be I didn't want to chance taking Pheebs with me.  There was a sad little face in the window after I dropped her off at home and headed out again by myself.

A FINE AUGUST MORN ALONG BAYFIELD'S BEACH

LOTS OF BOATS IN THE HARBOR

THAT'S ONE MIGHTY BIG STEERING WHEEL BACK THERE

WHEN I TOOK THIS PHOTOS OF RETANGULAR WINDOWS INSTEAD OF PORT HOLES I DID NOT SEE THE MAN SITTING THERE

A NICE QUIET IN-TOWN PLACE FOR A WALK

NOTICED THEY HAVE A THIRD WALL UP AT TIM HORTON'S COFFEE SHOP BUT WHEN I WENT BY THIS MORNING THERE WERE NO WORKERS THERE AGAIN SO I THINK I'VE FINALLY FIGURED OUT THEIR WORK SCHEDULE, TWO DAYS ON AND 30 DAYS OFF

 Nobody in the X-ray waiting room in Goderich's Alexandra Marine and General Hospital and I was in and out of there within half an hour.  Of course I had to take off my shirt, watch, and glasses and don another one of those illustrious blue hospital gowns.  It was the first 'stand-up' X-rays I have ever had done.  Five different angles were taken and I had to stand stone still for each one.  And I had to stand uncomfortably straight which is no easy feat for a slouched over person like myself.  Following the X-ray I headed for home.  Beautiful scenic drive and I managed a few photos along the way.

ENTRANCE TO THE X-RAY DEPARTMENT IS THROUGH THOSE EMERGENCY DOORS AT THE REAR OF GODERICH'S HOSPITAL

HOW DID I GET SO LUCKY AGAIN WITH AN EMPTY WAITING ROOM

THIS IS THE 'CAT SCAN' ROOM AND NOT THE ONE I WAS IN THIS MORNING....BELOW IS THE X-RAY ROOM WHERE I STOOD BESIDE THAT MACHINE SUSPENDED FROM THE CEILING 

Neither Kelly or I have any more Doctor appointments until early September when I have to have my two kidney stone stents removed.  I had that done once before so know what to expect.  No anesthetic involved so I'll drive myself there and back.  Kelly's next medical appointment is not until October in London.  So all in all we're not doing too bad at the moment.  

And a sad start to our day this morning when we noticed in our Blog's right hand column the words,  Travels With Emma....RIP Judy, I love you very much.  The 'Bird Lady Of Blogland' has passed away.  Judy was one of the 'original old gang' of Bloggers I first came across about a dozen years ago.  There were a bunch of us then who used to comment on each other's blog constantly and Judy was one of them.  She sure knew her birds and was the unfailing person to turn to for bird identifications over the years.  She traveled alone in her Class A Motorhome with her dog Emma and specialized at volunteering in many National Wildlife Refuges across America.  If you have ever been on a bird hike it may very well have been Judy leading the hike.  We actually had the pleasure of meeting her one time in Quartzsite Arizona at the first ever Bloggerfest in January of 2015.  Kelly took a picture of Judy and I that day and I have used my cropped head and shoulders version of that photo for years.  Judy was a feisty Gal and if she didn't like what someone said she would be quick to let them know and meeting her in Quartzsite that day I could tell she was a regular little fun loving fire cracker.  All the best to you Judy wherever you are and every time when I misidentify a bird in one of my posts can you somehow leave me a comment again like you usually did and tell me just what that darn bird really is.  And knowing how you liked to end your posts with a photo entitled 'The End' this next photo is for you:))

WITH JUDY AT BLOGGERFEST IN JANUARY 2015

MIXING IT UP WITH FELLOW RV BLOGGERS AND NOTICE JUDY'S BLAZING TIE-DYE T-SHIRT

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A man phoned his doctor saying his wife appeared to be having an appendicitis attack. "That's impossible," the physician replied. "She had an appendectomy last year. Why are you bothering me for something as stupid as that? Have you ever seen anybody with a second appendix?" "No, you fool!" the husband replied. "Have you ever seen anybody with a second wife?"
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- "Someone stole my antidepressants. Whoever they are, I hope they're happy"
- "A thesaurus is great. There's no other word for it"

- "Sleep is my favourite thing in the world. It's the reason I get up in the morning"

 - People’s parents actually give them sage advice, like “Do what you love, and the money will follow” or “The early bird gets the worm.” All I remember is, “Don’t fill up on bread.”

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While attending a Marriage Seminar dealing with communication, Tom and his wife Grace listened to the instructor, "It is essential that husbands and wives know each other's likes and dislikes." He addressed the man, "Can you name your wife's favorite flower?" Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered, "It's Pillsbury, isn't it?"
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I CHALK SOME OF TONIGHT'S THOUGHTS UP TO THE NATURAL ACHES AND PAINS OF AGING

I'M GUESSING ALL THE BUTTERFLIES IN TONIGHT'S POST ARE 'PAINTED LADIES'

An absolutely beautiful Sunday morning here in Southwestern Ontario Canada.  I have mentioned countless times in my posts about how much I look forward to the coming of Autumn which if one is aware begins very quietly around the middle of August.  I was very much aware of that this morning when Pheebs and I went for a gravel road walk near Kerr's Campground southeast of Varna.  Late summer Crickets are like music to my ears as they sing of Autumn's slow and steady approach.  A touch of crisp in the air, and an abundance of purple wildflowers everywhere.  Another prelude to Autumn is the slight change of smell in the air with apples ripening on trees. And oh my the butterflies.  We walked us into a whole bunch of what I think were Painted Lady butterflies which you will see some of in this post.  Sure wish there was an easy way to shorten up summer and extend Autumn.  It was a good morning for my mind.

Another hot and miserably sticky afternoon thankfully stuck in the coolness of our house.  At least we are fortunate enough to have a cool place to escape too.  Millions upon millions of people do not.  A series of sudden and unexpected storm cells roared in across the lake late this afternoon bringing big winds and heavy rains for a short period of time.  And it also brought a much welcomed band of cooler air right in behind it.  Popped Pheebs into the Jeep and we drove a short distance out into the countryside just to look at all the groovy swirling clouds overhead.

THOUGHT IT ODD THIS MORNING TO SEE THIS HEAVILY LADEN WAGON OF STRAW BALES SITTING OFF TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

OH YES THERE'S THE PROBLEM

EVEN THE BACK TIRES WERE PARTIALLY FLAT FROM THE HEAVY LOAD

NICELY COLORED BINDER TWINE

THOUGHT IT KINDA NEAT WHILE SEARCHING AN INTERNET BUTTERLY SITE TODAY TO FIND SOME OF MY VERY OWN PAST BUTTERFLY PICS  ON THERE UNDER THE NAME 'TRAVEL WITH THE BAYFIELD BUNCH'

I chalk the following thoughts up to the natural progression of aging and I'm sure some readers will understand what I am getting at.  I have different favorite times of the day but have noticed I seem to have reached the point where the 'going to bed' time seems to have taken priority.  There is a mental and physical relief when I finally crawl into my recliner for the night.  Mentally, the difficulties and challenges of another day are over for a few hours and even though it may be temporary at least sleep brings a welcome reprieve.  Physically those commonplace aches and pains whether large or small are also temporarily relieved for a few hours.  No need for me to explain about the aches and pains, eeks, tweaks, and bothersome yeaks because I think most if not all readers well understand what I'm talking about.  Aches and pains come upon us so gradually as we age that we reach a point where they inevitably become the norm and we simply have to accept that whether consciously or not.  It's at the beginning of each day when I become especially aware of these aging grunts and groans knowing what a welcome relief it will be to get myself through to the end of the day and off my feet to kick back in my recliner for the night.  However, hauling myself out of my recliner first thing in the morning brings all those stiffened aches and pains stampeding back and it is the worst time of day until one get's moving around and things settle down into their normal achy breaky state.  In fact they have become so normal over these last years we sometimes hardly notice them unless of course one has to bend over and pick something up or horror of horrors get down on the floor or ground to look under a cupboard or vehicle.  Getting down was bad enough but wait for the getting back up part and OMG!!!  That is if you can get back up.  Quite an ungainly performance at times and hopefully not seen by any passers by.  Here an 'ouchy, there an ouchy, as we kinda flounder our way along from morning to night until finally taking ourselves off our feet and laying ourselves gently down in our favored and very welcomed sleep position again. Just imagine if we stepped into a time machine and were instantly transported back 50 or 60 years and had 5 minutes to simply walk around and perform a few simple tasks like maybe sitting on the ground and getting back up again.  Oh how I wish.  Then and only then could we ever really know the truth about just how bad this aching deteriorated shape we are in really is now that we are inextricably mired in this ever increasing age of Senior deterioration.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( An older couple had a son, who was still living with them.  The parents were a little worried, as the son was still unable to decide about his career path, so they decided to do a small test.  They took a ten-dollar bill, a Bible, and a bottle of whiskey, and put them on the front hall table. Then they hid, hoping he would think they weren't at home.  The father told the mother, "If he takes the money, he will be a businessman; if he takes the Bible, he will be a priest; but if he takes the bottle of whiskey, I'm afraid our son will be a drunkard."  So the parents took their place in the nearby closet and waited nervously, peeping through the keyhole they saw their son arrive home.  He saw the note they had left, saying they'd be home later.  Then, he took the 10-dollar bill, looked at it against the light, and slid it in his pocket. After that, he took the Bible, flicked through it, and took it also. Finally, he grabbed the bottle, opened it, and took an appreciative whiff to be assured of the quality, then he left for his room carrying all the three items.  The father slapped his forehead, and said, "Damn! It's even worse than I ever imagined...""What do you mean?" his wife inquired.  "He's gonna be a politician." the father replied.

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It seems I'm always in the right place! Unfortunately it's always at the wrong time.
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OVERNIGHT RAINS HAD ME OUTSIDE RUNNING AROUND AGAIN

CHOPPY LAKE HURON WATERS EARLIER TODAY

Rains, heavy at times came in the wee morning hours and had me outside in my pajamas, raincoat, and wide brimmed bush hat.  Couldn't remember if I had put the van's two windows up.  I hadn't.  They are power windows and of course I never thought to grab the keys on the way out.  Thanks to the hat and raincoat I stayed relatively dry except for my lower pajama bottoms and running shoes.  A rather abrupt start to my day because there was no going back to sleep after that.  It was 4:30 a.m.

IT WAS A MIGHTY FINE MORNING FOR A DRIVE THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE

Roads had pretty much dried off before Pheebs and I headed out about 8:15.  A real nice cloudy morning and not too hot yet.  Our usual spin around Goderich's south harbor for a few pics and that was about it.  Picked up a few groceries and headed home.  Skies later cleared and the temperature came up.  

NOTICED A LOT OF PEOPLE SETTING UP FOR A PICNIC AT THE BEACH

AND THE LAKESHORE BOARDWALK WAS BUSY AS WELL

I HAVE NO IDEA WHY THESE GODERICH FOLKS ARE FILLING SAND BAGS

QUIET THOUGHTS

Tired from waking up too early this morning the rest of my day was rather slow and snoozy.  Not exactly one of my more interesting afternoons but I did plug myself into AXS-TV and watched a bunch of music specials.  I never seem to tire of watching those Eagles concerts

WELL SO MUCH FOR MY UNDERWATER SHOT

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Casey married a rich widow, but they didn't get along. One day she said to him, "If it wasn't for my money, that new television wouldn't be here. If it wasn't for my money, that grand piano wouldn't be here. If it wasn't for my money, this house wouldn't be here." Casey mumbled, "If it wasn't for your money, I wouldn't be here.
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What did the drummer call his twin daughters? - Anna one, Anna two...
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 Mrs. Dugan and Mrs. Riley were talking one day about Mr. Riley and his constant drinking. Mrs. Dugan said, "I have an idea about how to stop him from spending so much time at the pub. Every night he comes home through the cemetery. One night you should get disguised and spook him when he comes staggering through." So Mrs. Riley waited in the cemetery one night until she heard her husband coming. She jumped up and a startled Riley said, "Who are you??" Mrs. Riley replied, "I am the devil!" With that, Riley shook her hand and said, "Glad to meet ya, I'm married to your sister."
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