ON DECEMBER 3RD, 2011 WE MET RV BLOGGING LEGEND TIOGA GEORGE IN AJO, ARIZONA

With a snowstorm warning and 23F temps upon us first thing this morning we braced for the day.  A light snowfall began falling early on just before Pheebs and I headed out for a short Jeep ride jaunt around the Park's roads.  Luckily, we didn't get as much snow as we could have.  Maybe an inch or two.

KELLY AND PHEEBS ARE BACK FROM THEIR MORNING WALK

 CROWS IN OUR FRONT YARD THIS MORNING

Keeping the bird feeders topped up today was a challenge because of all the Gracklegators in our front yard.  I am going to have to pop into the Porters Hill Wild Bird Seed Company later next week and see if Steve has any Grackleproof bird feeders. 

With a bit of confusion regarding the first day of Spring this year, I went back to several internet sites for an explanation of Spring coming early on the 19th instead of the 21rst.  Here's what the internet told me.  'The first day of spring is Tuesday, March 19, 2024, at 11:06 p.m. EDT. Traditionally, we celebrate the first day of spring on March 21, but astronomers and calendar manufacturers alike now say that the spring season starts on March 20th, in all time zones in North America. In 2020, spring fell on March 19th, the earliest first day of spring in 124 years!' .....I don't know, it still sounds confusing to me!!

 A FEW MORE PICS FROM AROUND OUR PARK THIS MORNING

 OUR PARK'S POND IS FROZEN OVER  AND COVERED WITH SNOW AGAIN

Here's a follow-up to Thursday's Johnny Blogger comment....Several commenters to that post mentioned the name of Blogger legend, Tioga George.  I think we all here in Blogland knew of Tioga George and some of us were lucky to meet him in person.  We followed his blog right from the beginning of our adventures and one frosty cold morning in Ajo, Arizona on December the 3rd, 2011 we met the man himself.  The Bayfield Bunch Meets Tioga George.  Another commenter sent me an email yesterday with a link by the folks at Geeks On Tour Blog about Tioga George.  Here is The Legend Of Tioga George.  Thanks for the link Les:))

A Blast From Our Past:: Homeward bound in March of 2011 we stopped at a historic canyon off the beaten path in northeastern Arizona and spent time there driving along both north and south rims and then hiking down into the awe-inspiring canyon itself.  Part one driving the rims....Our First Look At Canyon de Chelly  Part two our descent into the canyon....Hiking The Whitehouse Ruins Trail at Canyon de Chelly.

 SPIDER ROCK

 LUNCH BREAK ALONG THE WHITEHOUSE TRAIL

Al's Music Box:)) Morning Has Broken is a Christian hymn first published in 1931. It has words by English author Eleanor Fargeon and was inspired by the village of Alfriston in East Sussex, then set to a traditional Scottish Gaelic tune, "Bunessan".   It is often sung in children's services and in funeral services.  English pop musician and folk singer Cat Stevens included a version on his album Teaser and the Firecat (1971). The song became identified with Stevens due to the popularity of this recording.  When shaping "Morning Has Broken" for recording, Stevens started with the hymn, which took around 45 seconds to sing in its basic form. Producer Paul Samwell-Smith told him he could never put something like that on an album, and that it had to be at least three minutes, though an acoustic demo of an early Stevens version lasts almost three minutes.  Prior to the actual recording Stevens heard Wakeman play something in the recording booth. It was a rough sketch of what would later become "Catherine Howard". Stevens told Wakeman that he liked it and wanted something similar as the opening section, the closing section and, if possible, a middle section as well. Wakeman told Stevens he could not do it as it was his piece destined for a solo album, but Stevens persuaded him to adapt his composition.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( The boss looks over the gentleman's resume and says "Wow, I'm impressed.  It seems like you've got everything needed for the job.  But there's a 4 year gap in here.  What happened there?"  The gentleman responds  "Oh, that's when I went to Yale."  The boss is now super impressed and hires the man on the spot  . The man immediately calls his wife  . "Hey honey, I got the yob!"

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- Went to the beach and fed the birds cannabis-laced cake. They seemed to like it…I left no tern unstoned!

-Just saw three people jogging outside my window, and it inspired me to get up and close the curtains. That's enough interaction with people today!

There are 2 words that have opened a lot of doors for me in my life.  Push and Pull!

Arriving late for a political conference, the college student asks another student standing by the door, "How long has the candidate been talking now?"  "Half an hour."  "And what is he talking about?"
"That I wouldn't know, he hasn't said anything  yet."

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A BLOG READER'S COMMENT

 DESPITE ANOTHER GRAY MORNING, I WAS ABLE TO FIND SOME MORE COLOR IN OUR PARK

Only 23F when we got up this morning.  I was glad I had put out extra birdseed the night before.  The little guys were gonna need some extra fuel to warm themselves up.

Despite the cold morning Pheebs and I did make it out for a spin around the Park and managed to find a few more pics along the way.

 HEY, ISN'T THAT ABE LINCOLN'S BIRDHOUSE

 PATIENTLY WAITING FOR WARMER SPRING WEATHER

 NOPE, IT'S NOT A TULIP

Kelly headed off to Goderich today to pick up a few groceries and a prescription at Walmart.  With it being so cold outside I had no interest in setting foot outside the door.  Mentally and physically my mind and body do not function well in cold weather anymore.  And, that's okay by me.  Happy to say we ended our day under big blue sunny skies:))))))   

 I NOTICED A SLIGHT MOVEMENT AT THE FAR END OF THE PARK'S POND

 DUCKS

I've decided to include an interesting blog comment from a fellow named Johnny Blogger.  Kelly came across his comment a few days ago on my March 15th post.  He touches not only on the recent passing of RV Blogger and friend John Brown, but other folks we here in the blogging community are or were familiar with over these past RVing years.  I like what Johnny Blogger had to say about our RV community, and how he caringly said it.  Here then I share with readers, Johnny Blogger's comment.........."It is always saddening when one we proverbially “broke bread,” with passes. Particularly when they too were a part of one’s RVing tribe. My condolences to the family and to you too Mr. and Mrs. Bayfield. He was one of the many that you met and appreciated on your journeys. And on the loss of our blogger “friends.”  I have followed several RV bloggers over the past decade. Some just disappear without notice. Jimbo of Jimbos Journeys being one. Yes, Jimbo had stopped RVing and he had kept up a bit writing about his new “little House” in Oregon, the loss of his dog Chica, and most recently a trip to England. Then gone.  Other RV Bloggers like RV Sue and her Canine Crew do publish that their RVing days are over. In her case, she had bought a sticks and bricks in a part of AZ that she loved. In 2021 Sue wrote to us that she was taking a break. Although Sue was very happy with her new home and those new home projects that go along with the staked down life.  As I ascertained from some of her last posts, she has never returned. I cherished the interspersed vignettes of her two little dogs Roger and Reggie.  Some bloggers who leave us are not RV’ers at all.  Some travel differently, more arduously. In fact, it was Mr. Bayfield who introduced me to a blog by Ara titled Oasis of my Soul. It was a deep blog encompassing the reflections of a man tormented by the loss of his adult son. This native Frenchman sold everything and left his SW Texas abode embarking on a decade plus unplanned, journey for a rediscovery of his soul after the sad events struck him. Life was not “normal,” anymore. He and his rescue dog Spirit traveled side by side…on his side-by-side motorcycle. Traveling through all kinds of weather, bright and frightening.  He tented. He slept on the ground and he mostly cooked by campfire. Ara’s last post although I’m not defining it as a last post as don’t know-, wasn’t a goodbye, In it he states “it is what it is.” Who knows, he may return, however his last post was enough for me to understand a new journey has begun. Ara is comfortable and at the end of the last journey: 74 and counting...(  Within the last several years I/we “lost” 2 other non-RV bloggers of note. Bloggers I have missed more than I think I would have missed people I know. John Wells of The Field Lab blog left us. He left us as he lived and blogged: Writing and Vlogging about projects. Dying was just another project. He shared what he could with the time he had. Over the past several years I watched and read of all his projects as he, after leaving NYC, turned a barren shingle of Texas high desert into a homestead for himself and the animals he loved. He left us with no real goodbyes. Well, beside a stark photo of him displaying a 2 fingered peace sign, this I suppose: “In case things go wrong tomorrow...Thanks for following along with The Field Lab journey.  This goodbye was followed by only several short posts on the logistics, the planning, and the execution of his death after his out-of-the-blue cancer diagnosis.  It is titled On to a New Adventure.  And finally, some bloggers who know and give us what they can to say goodbye. Gerald was a professional writer before retired to his childhood home in the foothills of the Sierras. He had traveled the world and spent much of his life in the professional creative circles in NYC and LA.  He returned home and reflected on life and his life. He too went unexpectedly. Fortunately, he had a good friend post for him while he was hospitalized and afterward when he was bedridden right before he died. He left us with one of his published essays from the early aughts. The next to last post is a link with lyrics to an Avett Brothers song “Further Down the Line”.  My name, “Gerard Van der Leun,” from The Name in Stone is his last post.  His second to last was this Avett Brothers song No Hard Feelings....

“When my body won’t hold me anymore
And it finally lets me free
Will I be ready?
When my feet won’t walk another mile
And my lips give their last kiss goodbye
Will my hands be steady when I lay down my fears, my hopes, and my doubts?
The rings on my fingers, and the keys to my house.  With no hard feelings”

Here's to John Brown the RV-traveling cowboy blogger and here’s to all the other bloggers who might not know that somewhere, somehow you touch someone be it in Spirit or Flesh.  And, thank you Mr. Bayfield for the tribute and for passing this other loss on with your reflections and on being to some extent a repository, a digest for the RV life and those who live or have lived it".

Al's Music Box:)) There Goes My Baby is a song written by Ben E. King (Benjamin Earl Nelson), Lover Patterson, George Treadwell, and produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller for The Drifters.  This was the first single by the second incarnation of the Drifters (previously known as the 5 Crowns), who assumed the group name in 1958 after manager George Treadwell fired the remaining members of the original lineup. The Atlantic Records release was Ben E. King's debut recording as the lead singer of the group.  The lyrics are loosely structured, almost free-form at a time when rhyming lines were mandatory. The accompaniment features a violin section playing saxophone-like riffs in rock and roll style. The lead voice is in high gospel style.

GROANER'S CORNER:(( The Best Norm Quotes from Cheers::

'What's shaking Norm?''  All four cheeks & a couple of chins.'

'What's new Normie?''  Terrorists, Sam. They've taken over my stomach & they're demanding beer.'

'What'd you like Normie?'
'A reason to live. Give me another beer.'

'What'll you have Normie?'
'Well, I'm in a gambling mood Sammy, I'll take a glass of whatever comes out of that tap.'  'Looks like beer, Norm.'  'Call me Mister Lucky.'

'Hey Norm, how's the world been treating you?'  'Like a baby treats a diaper.'

'What's the story Mr. Peterson?'  'The Bobbsey twins go to the brewery. Let's cut to the happy ending.'

'Hey Mr. Peterson, there's a cold one waiting for you.'  'I know; if she calls, I'm not here.'

'Beer, Norm?'  'Have I gotten that predictable? Good.'

'What's going on Mr. Peterson?'  'A flashing sign in my gut that says, 'Insert beer here.''

'Whatcha up to Norm?'  'My ideal weight if I were eleven feet tall.'

'How's it going Mr. Peterson?'  'Poor.'  'I'm sorry to hear that.'  'No, I mean POUR!'

'How's life treating you Norm?'  'Like it caught me sleeping with its wife.'

'Women. Can't live with 'em....pass the beer-nuts.'

'What's going down, Normie?'  'My butt cheeks on that bar stool.'

'Pour you a beer, Mr. Peterson?'
'Alright, but stop me at one....make that one-thirty.'

'How's it going Mr. Peterson?'  'It's a dog eat dog world, Woody & I'm wearing Milk Bone underwear.'

'What's the story Norm?'  'Boy meets beer. Boy drinks beer. Boy meets another beer.'

'What's going on Mr. Peterson?'  'The question is what's going IN, Mr. Peterson?
'A beer please, Woody.'

'Can I pour you a beer Mr. Peterson?'  'A little early isn't it, Woody?'  'For a beer?'
'No. For a stupid question.'

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KELLY MADE IT TO LONDON AND BACK OK AND HER MEDICAL APPOINTMENT WENT WELL

Luckily, the weather was clear when we woke up this morning but the forecast for the day was not the best.  We had a decision to make.  It was important that Kelly not miss this medical appointment at University Hospital today.  I was fully prepared to drive her to London but with the weather clear at the moment Kelly decided she would be okay.  If the weather deteriorated later in the morning into this afternoon Kelly and her daughter, whom she was meeting at the hospital, would find a room and stay in London overnight.  So that was the plan.  Kelly rolled out of the driveway heading for London at 8:40 a.m.

KELLY HEADS FOR THE CAR

It had been a couple of days since I last fired up the Jeep so I figured I had better push myself out the door to take Pheebs for a spin around our Park roads.  One week from this morning us guys will once again be out into the countryside dusting up the gravel roads again:))))

DAY LILY SHOOTS PUSHING UP THROUGH THE SNOW IN SEARCH OF WARM AIR AND SUNSHINE

 SPOTTED AN INUKSHUK IN THE PARK

HAD TO SLOW DOWN AND STOP FOR ONE OF THE PARK RESIDENTS THIS MORNING

 A COLORFUL AND WELL MADE BIRD HOUSE

NO, THESE ARE NOT REAL FLOWERS BUT I LIKE THE COLORS

 IT WAS NICE TO SEE BOUTS OF SUNSHINE OCCASIONALLY POPPING INTO OUR YARD THIS AFTERNOON

Not much going on here.  I did some vacuuming and plugged away at my hip exercises.  Kelly sent an email from the hospital around noon with a picture of what she was having for lunch.  The cheese and crackers looked totally unappetizing to me but I wouldn't have minded the Tim Horton coffee.  I in turn sent a picture of what I was having for lunch.  A mouth-watering and delicious peanut butter and honey sandwich.

The weather remained good until about 4:15 when it began to get nasty.  Kelly phoned from London minutes later saying she was just leaving for home.  And then the weather cleared up again and the Sun popped out.  Probably just snow streamers coming in off Lake Huron.  Kelly rolled into the driveway at 6:20 and said the weather was good most of the way home.  She said her medical appointment went well. 

Ellen's Groove:)) Here's Ellen really groovin' out and having a good time with March On Fire.  And, you might get a kick out of these 10 short and quick Bass Tones Ellen expertly picks her way through.  She just keeps on getting better.  Good stuff.  

 A WELL MAINTAINED AND CARED FOR CLASS A MOTORHOME FOR SALE IN OUR PARK

 A PARK RESIDENT'S BOAT PATIENTLY AWAITS SUNNY WARM FISHING DAYS AHEAD

Al's Music Box:)) The Mansion You Stole by Johnny Horton.  In 1953, on his fourth single release, on the B-side of the record was a song Johnny Horton wrote called “The Mansion You Stole”.  The song was classic country and western. Since Horton didn’t begin to have any sizable hits on the American Country charts until 1956, the single, along with his first eight releases, failed to get much notice. However, after Horton’s stellar success on the charts in 1959 and into 1960, it was decided by Columbia Records to re-record Horton’s song with a newer urban country arrangement with strings. The songs’ lyrics offered a warning to people who cheat on their lovers that they’ll wind up lonely.  Johnny Horton believed he had psychic abilities and believed someday he’d be killed by a drunk driver. On November 5, 1960, he died in an automobile accident at the Little River bridge on Highway 79 in Milano, Texas.  The oncoming uninjured driver of the truck was charged with intoxication manslaughter as he was drunk at the time of the accident. 

 'SAY WHAT'

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A fellow nurse at my hospital received a call from an anxious patient.  "I'm diabetic and I'm afraid I've had too much sugar today." the caller said.  "Are you light-headed?" my colleague asked.  "No," the caller answered, "I'm a brunette."

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- People talk about me behind my back but I just say hey, I gotta fan club.

- Common sense is a flower that doesn't grow in everyone's garden.

- I just rolled my eyes so hard I saw my brain.

- Getting a new set of teeth would be so much more useful at age 60 than at age 6.

- She said she missed me.....Normally that would be good, but she was re-loading.

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