WITH NO DESTINATION IN MIND

ANOTHER WINTER WONDERLAND OUTSIDE OUR DOOR THIS MORNING

It was a low almost inaudible hum I first heard moving slowly through our tall pine trees on this darkened early morning.   Lights partially obscured in what appeared to be a swirling gray fog first moving one way then coming back the other way sometimes stopping for a brief few seconds and again reversing itself.  UFO??  Nope, it was a large snow blowing machine doing our roads which in turn told me we must have received a snowfall overnight.  We had.

A COLD GRAY START TO OUR DAY

HAD TO BLAZE A TRAIL HERE ON THIS ROAD WHICH IS NOT MAINTAINED IN WINTER

A HOUSE IN THE WINTER WOODS

Although bitterly cold our mornings snowy white landscape appeared visually pleasing compared to recent Novemberesque dull browns and grays. I'm always up for a nice change of scenery whether it be here in southwestern Ontario or past winters in the great American southwest.  It is that constant unwavering change I always so much look forward to.

COMING INTO THE SOUTH END OF VARNA ONTARIO

ALMOST LOOKS LIKE WE ARE LIVING ON A DIFFERENT PLANET

Brewed myself up a decaff coffee, grabbed a few bran biscuits and out the door with camera in hand Pheebs and I went.  Locked the Jeep in four wheel drive and plowed a set of snowy tracks out our driveway with no destination in mind.

I BET THIS APPLE ORCHARD FARMER IS STILL LOOKING FOR HIS LOST LADDER

Gray skies and cold temperatures prevailed as we slowly wandered around a few of Huron Counties snowy country roads.  Most were plowed, one wasn't so we made some new tracks through the snow for anyone to follow.  With a stiff east wind blowing frigid temperatures around we only exited the Jeep once for about two minutes.  Took a couple quick pics and it was back into the warmness of the Jeep.  Turned for home about 9:15 as skies began to clear bringing rays of sunlight down to cast shadows across a cold snowy landscape.

OUR ONLY STOP ALONG THE WAY

SO NICE TO SEE SKIES CLEARING FOR AWHILE THIS MORNING

Home again I topped up our bird station with seeds, grabbed my snow shovel and commenced plowing out my winter pathways.  With a predicted snow storm due to arrive over our area within the next 24 hours I didn't want all that snow getting ahead of me making shovelling a chore later.

I THINK WE LIVE ON A NICE STREET

A FEW PHOTOS AROUND HOME

SHOVELLING MY PATHWAYS

I sure didn't feel like going out and trudging through the snow for a walk this afternoon but a certain little dog kept coming over and nudging my arm and looking towards the door.  The longer I tried to ignore her the worse my guilt became so it was on with my boots, hat, and coat, and out the door we went trudging through the snow.  At the far end of the pond I saw another walker headed my way also plowing along.  Turns out it was my old Tavistock buddy Gary Burton who moved into our Park about a year and a half ago.  Had us a chin wag for awhile until we noticed each other's face turning red from the biting cold.  We both had to make fast tracks for home.  I had an Archive post a week or two ago entitled 'My Dad's Car Is Better than your Dad's Car and it was Gary's Dad who had that other car.  No, we didn't talk about Fords and Chevs today.   

A COLD AND DULL AFTERNOON WALK

IF I EVER GET LOST I CAN ALWAYS RE-TRACE MY TRACKS

BUT IT'S MUCH EASER FOLLOWING PHEEBS TRACKS HOME

::Memory Lane:: We were ranch sitting near McNeal Arizona when on March 2nd 2009 we decided to drive on over to the other side of Tombstone and have us a look at historical Fairbank Arizona.  My post for the day is here at The Ghost Town Of Fairbank And A Stop In Bisbee.  My Photo Album for the day is here at Fairbank And The Cemetery.   

::Al's Musical Favs:: Melankoli by Lulu Rouge.  Another funky little number I liked right from the first time I heard it.  Both the voice and musical arrangement appealed to me.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Question: What kinds of clothes are there?  
Women's Answer: Clean and Dirty.  
Men's Answer: Clean, Almost Clean, Sorta Clean, Not bad, Dirty, Really Dirty, Funky, Nasty, Biohazard." (Men will voluntarily wear all but the last classification of these clothes.)
-----------------------------

The latest poll taken by the office of the Governor of Texas asked whether people who live in Texas think illegal immigration is a serious problem:30% of respondents answered: "Yes, it is a serious problem."  70% of respondents answered: "No es una problema serio. "

------------------------------
I joined a white church because white people get out on time. 
----------------------------

 ====================

REMEMBERING GEORGE-BUSY MORNING-SNOWY AFTERNOON

WE WOKE UP TO A SNOWY MORNING

Despite snow squall warnings it was all three of us in the Jeep this morning heading for Goderich.  Two of us had appointments and one of us didn't.  

EVEN MANAGED TO CATCH US A GLIMPSE OR THIS MORNING'S SUNRISE

BIG SKIES OUT OVER THE LAKE TO OUR WEST

FOLLOWING THE SUN TO GODERICH ON HIGHWAY 8

Dropped Kelly off at the hospital door and she slipped inside for a mammogram and ultra-sound.  Pheebs and drove into the parking lot of the Maitland Valley Medical Center across the road and I slipped into the blood clinic to leave some blood behind for a diabetes test.  Expecting the waiting room to be annoyingly overcrowded I happily found it empty with me being the only one there.  Hey, I'm an only child eh.  I was back to the Jeep within minutes so Pheebs and I slipped out to Tim Hortons for a coffee to go then back to the parking lot to wait for Kelly who exited the hospital about 20 minutes later.  

PHEEBS SPOTS KELLY COMING ACROSS THE PARKING LOT FROM THE HOSPITAL

Kelly also needed to leave some blood at the clinic so she slipped into the clinic also finding it unusually empty.  She was back to the Jeep in minutes and we were on our way home after a quick stop at Pet Valu.  Luckily the wind driven snow had not arrived yet so we had us an easy drive all the way home.

WE LUCKILY BEAT THE SNOW SQUALLS HOME

BY MID AFTERNOON IT WAS SNOWING HEAVILY

Chris and Caron have reduced the price on their 2011 Class A 34' Tiffin Allegro diesel Motorhome.  An immaculate coach bought new in the States this is an especially good deal for anyone in the States considering the exchange on the dollar.  2011 Class A 34' Tiffin Allegro Diesel.

Although we knew our friend and fellow RVing Blogger George Yate's pancreatic cancer was inoperable and his health was steadily declining it still sadly came as a thump when I read of George's passing after his wife Suzi updated George's post at Our Awesome Travels.  
I can't remember how we first came across George's blog but it was in the early years of George and Suzi starting out on their travels back in 2006 just a couple months before we started ours.  They were Full-timers while Kelly and I were Snow-birders.
We all finally met in early December of 2015 when George and Suzi dropped in to see us at our Ghost Town Road House in Congress Arizona.  For the days they stayed with us we had us some good eats and a few dusty desert Jeep rides.  We  met again in January at Bloggerfest 2016 held in Quartzsite Arizona and the last time we saw George and Suzi was at Peg Leg Smith's near Borrego Springs California a couple winter's ago.
Anyone who has ever met George will never forget his big smile, the sometimes large straw hats and always the vest.  He genuinely made you feel welcome and you could find his smile in any crowd.  George's blog was always positive, no matter what.  And he wrote it that way 'because he could'.
I think George left a comment on every blog he ever read, mine included.  I, like many others will miss that and miss seeing his daily blog popping up on our side bars.  George's passing will leave a sad vacuum here in Blogland and if there is a heaven I'm sure George is there and was out for his first walkabout this morning in his new neighborhood.  Maybe a couple miles even.  All the best George and thank you for being a positive light in so many people's lives, including ours.  See ya down the road...……..

GEORGE AT BLOGGERFEST 2016

AT OUR BAYFIELD HOUSE TO SHOW US HOW TO USE GOOGLE TRAVEL MAPS

WELL YOU ALL KNOW WHAT GEORGE IS DOING HERE:))

KIBBITZING IN OUR DRIVEWAY

LOOKING FOR A CRESTED SAGUARO CACTUS IN THE SONORAN DESERT NEAR CONGRESS ARIZONA

AT OUR CONGRESS ARIZONA HOUSE

AT HOME IN THE DESERT

GEORGE AND SUZI AT 'INDIAN ROCK' NEAR CONGRESS ARIZONA

::An Archive Post:: On Saturday February 13th 2010 I was part of something very unusual for me and it was something I had instigated myself.  In the socially oriented world of RV'ers Kelly and I have never been the norm.  We keep to ourselves and maintain a very low profile avoiding social events, gatherings, and happy hours, etc.  But on this day in 2010 I turned the tables around...… A Get Together In The Desert.  And you know what, when the day was done I was very glad I had invited all these friends over:)) Click on the photos to enlarge them when you get there.

A SNOWY AFTERNOON

::Al's Musical Favs:: Gymnopedie No 1:  One of my all time favorite piano pieces which my mind regularly sees as an emotional segment in a movie about a young English fighter pilot in the skies over Britain during the second World War. 

GROANER'S CORNER:((   An Italian, a Scotsman, and a Chinese fellow were hired at a construction site. The foreman pointed out a huge pile of sand and told the Italian guy, "You're in charge of sweeping." To the Scotsman he said, "You're in charge of shoveling." And to the Chinese guy, "You're in charge of supplies."  He then said, "Now, I have to leave for a little while. I expect you guys to make a dent in that there pile."  The foreman went away for a of couple hours, and, when he returned, the pile of sand was untouched. He asked the Italian, "Why didn't you sweep any of it?" The Italian replied, "I no hava no broom. You said to the Chinese fella that he a wasa in a charge of supplies, but he hasa disappeared and I no coulda finda him nowhere." Then the foreman turned to the Scotsman and said, "And you, I thought I told you to shovel this pile."T  he Scotsman replied, "Aye, ye did lad, boot ah couldnay get meself a shoovel! Ye left th' Chinese gadgie in chairge of supplies, boot ah couldnay fin' him either." The foreman was really angry by now and stormed off toward the pile of sand to look for the Chinese guy. Just then, the Chinese guy jumped out from behind the pile of sand and yelled... "SUPPLIES!!"
----------------------------------------------

=====================