A GREAT FAMILY GATHERING FOR KELLY:))

KELLY’S FAMILY FROM LEFT TO RIGHT…BEN, SABRA, SARAH, KELLY, REBECCA, JASON

When I first met Kelly back in the summer of 1993 she was living in Cambridge Ontario and still had 3 of her children living with her.  Sabra, Jason and Ben.  Sarah was already in Vancouver and I think Rebecca might have been in Japan.  I was living in Stratford at the time about an hour's drive west of Cambridge.  Needless to say whenever I went over to Kelly's it was always a bit of a culture shock for me.  Despite being 49 at the time I had never really been around an active happy family before and certainly not teen agers.  Her kids always had friends dropping in and hanging out.  The place was a beehive of activity. The term I would most often hear the guys use with each other was, "Hey Buddy' so it didn't take me long to nickname Kelly's kids and all their friends, the 'Hey Buddy Gang.'

IT’S THE GRAND TUBBY GANG

This was all a great learning experience for me and one of the first things that impressed me right from the beginning and continues to this present day is how well behaved and how well mannered all of Kelly’s Kids are.   And, how well they all get along.  No bad apples in this bunch.  They were, and still are, a great bunch of mature trouble free young people and I think that is a direct result of Kelly's personality.   She was one of those Mom's who sidestepped some main stream traditional ways of thinking.  Her independent nature, sense of value and logical approach to life has been passed on to her children and I believe that has stood them all in good stead over the years.   Just like their Mom….they are all good people.

THE TWINS ARE SUITED UP FOR HALLOWEEN

But, I must tell you something about the very first time I walked into Kelly’s house in Cambridge and specifically, walked into her kitchen.  I don't think I have blogged about this before but it was something I saw that day that I still see (to a much lesser degree) today.  We have never talked about it and yet after every meal this little ritual has quietly taken place every day for the past 16 years since we have lived together.  I am an only child and grew up with adults in the house.  My Mother, my Stepfather, my Uncle and my Grandfather.  Every night after supper my Mother would clear the table with help from my Uncle and after rinsing the plates off would stack the dishes beside the sink in a neat and orderly fashion.  The sink was filled with hot soapy water and the dishes washed and dried.  That is the routine I grew up with.

BROTHER AND SISTER……JASON AND REBECCA

When I first walked into Kelly's kitchen I was staggered by the HUGE pile of dishes all heaped in the sink.  Looked like a bomb had gone off or a whole crowd of people had just stampeded through the kitchen and dumped their dishes willy nilly into the sink.  I had never seen dishes stacked so high in a sink like that before, but as I said, this was my first experience with grown teen agers.  Not just one, but three of them.  It seems teens are always eating, always on the go and always making a mess.  I had to understand and accept that this was the way it was. 

Now, fast forward to today.  Same after meal routine for Kelly and same after meal routine for me.  And, here's how it works every day.   After supper Kelly sets her dirty dishes kind of willy nilly in the sink and that's it.  I walk over to the sink, pick up each dish, rinse it off and stack them all in a neat and orderly fashion beside the sink.  Sometimes one of us may wash the dishes right away but as often as not they get washed the following morning.  No matter if we are on the road or at home we both have our little after meals routine.  And, we have never discussed it simply because there is nothing to discuss.  We are both comfortable in our little habits and see no need to reform the other in new ways of willy nilly or neat stacking:))

  

BROTHERS JASON AND BEN              THE GANG IS ALL SET FOR HALLOWEEN

Great to see Kelly visiting this weekend with her whole family.  Not often anymore they can all get together under one roof.  Also great for her to see all the Grandkids and especially the two little ones from Vancouver which I'm thinking may be for the very first time.  Despite all my grumbling and blustering these past 3 weeks about our delayed departure I am glad in the end that it worked out the way it it did and Kelly had the opportunity to spend this time with her family.  Not being a very family oriented person I sometimes forget and fail to understand just how very important the love of family can truly be.  Oh, so much for AL to learn and so little time left for him to learn it.

Halloween night 9 years ago was cold & pouring rain. I remember that specific night because it was the night Kelly and I drove out of the old farm house lane near Fullarton Ontario for the very last time.   We had happily lived in that old tumble down house for over 7 years.   Halloween night Kelly had gone on ahead of me in her little 323 Mazda loaded with last minute household things. I wasn't too far behind her with our 97 Dodge Ram pick-up truck loaded to overflowing with the very last of our possessions. Just enough room in the cab for Max & I. It would be another couple of years before we met Checkers & the Motormouse.  So, with windshield wipers slapping back and forth I headed into the darkened night with the truck heater whirring away keeping Max & I warm & toasty.  I think a couple doggy songs were even sung along the way.  We finally made the 40 minute drive through the cold rain to our new adventure and our new beginnings.  Yes, it was Halloween night alright but despite a nasty 'trick' the weather had played on us, it was a real 'treat' to be moving into our very own warm & very cozy little place.

 <<< THREE SISTERS IN THE KITCHEN

I didn’t enlarge all the photos tonight because the camera quality was very poor on some of them.

Oh, and what great masterpiece of a meal did I come up with for supper this evening?  Well, that's easy.........porridge:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((    We’d finally built our dream home, but the contractor had a concern: the placement of an atrium window for our walk-in shower. "I’m afraid your neighbours might have a good view of you au naturel," he said.

My middle-aged wife put him at ease. "Don’t worry," she said. "They’ll only look once."

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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

SITTING IN DARKNESS LISTENING TO ‘THE SOUNDS OF SILENCE’

A PEACEFUL DRIVE THROUGH OUR RURAL COUNTRYSIDE THIS MORNING
We don’t always miss everyday sounds……..until the sounds cannot be heard anymore. Could be a television in the background, furnace coming on, a whirring fridge motor or the recycling of a water heater. At 6:59 this morning we had all those sounds. At 7 a.m. we did not. It was all part of a 4 hour pre-planned electricity shut down by our power company. Everyone affected received a telephone call a few days ago by the company informing them of the power interruption while they worked on some area maintenance issues.
I skittered about this morning filling jugs of water and lining up some candles. Brewed my cup of coffee, fed the furry guys, grabbed a shower and whirled up my routine breakfast shake. Just made it into my chair with laptop in place as the lights blinked out right on time at 7.  Now it was just candlelight and the glow from my laptop computer screen.  I was enveloped in silence, and silence has never been my friend.  Took me a few minutes to think of my music library on the laptop.  Then, I remembered Simon and Garfunkel and quickly accessed my library and sure enough, there it was, the ‘Sounds Of Silence.’ It was a great song in the mid 60’s and it was a great song this morning again as I sat quietly in my chair:))  ♪♫ Hello darkness my old friend, I've come to talk with you again. ♫♪

A RELAXING STROLL THROUGH A COUNTRY CEMETERY It was 7:45 before the morning sunrise cast enough light through our darkened windows allowing me to blow out the 5 candles I had set around. But, now what to do with the remaining 3 hours. Pheebs was raring to go for a morning walk so off we went.  We couldn't coax Motor to go though, she doesn't like the cold mornings.
On our return I could see it was going to be a nice day so threw the cameras in the Jeep and headed off out into the countryside.  I don’t take Pheebs along when I have camera gear in the Jeep.  Fired up my iPod, plugged it into the Jeeps sound system and spent a couple relaxing hours cruising along with the, 'Sons Of The Pioneers:))  Still a fair few coloured leaves left on many trees so it made for a scenic drive.
<<< MANY LEAVES ARE DOWN NOW BUT THERE ARE STILL BURSTS OF AUTUMN COLOURS TO BE FOUND
343 is a memory number for me.  All the years driving for the Stratford Airporter years ago my driver's number was 343. Many times my words, "343 to 687" meant I was calling my home base in Stratford or "343 to 352" meant I was calling another driver with my vans two way radio. "343 to 510" meant I was radioing a dispatcher in Kitchener Ontario and “343 to 99" put me in touch with a dispatcher at the transportation desk in terminal 2 of Pearson International Airport in Toronto Ontario. Whenever I see that number now whether it be on a digital clock or as in today's case, my Blog Followers list I am always reminded of my 13 years transporting people to and from the Toronto Airport.  With that thought in mind we welcome JOOL as our 343rd Blog Follower.  Noticed some of Jool's interests include, RV Living, Full Time RV, Casita Travel Trailers, Women and Single RVers.  Welcome aboard Jool, nice to have you along:)) 

From time to time I receive questions about photography and am I professional photographer.  Jool wondered this and inquired about my camera equipment in a comment on Saturday's blog.  First, no I am not a professional photographer.  Just a guy with some camera equipment who enjoys photography as a hobby.  I have 4 cameras.  My two main cameras are a Nikon D90 and and a Nikon D40.  The D90 carries a Nikkor 18-55mm lens and the D40 carries a Nikkor 70-300mm lens. Both lenses are interchangeable with either camera.   The camera I carry with me on my belt every day is a point and shoot Canon Powershot SX210is and my fourth camera which generally resides on a table beside my chair is a point and shoot Canon Powershot A730.  All fine cameras that do add to the final photographic image but if you are not aware of your surroundings, a camera can be of little use.  Some folks might be interested in my SEEING WITH A PHOTOGRAPHER'S EYE post which I wrote back in July. 

EVEN THE HULLET MARSH WAS QUIET THIS MORNING
GROANER'S CORNER:(( 
A Russian, an American, and a Blonde were talking one day.
The Russian said, "We were the first in space!"
The American said, "We were the first on the moon!"
The Blonde said, "So what? We're going to be the first on the sun!"
The Russian and the American looked at each other and shook their heads.
"You can't land on the sun, you idiot! You'll burn up!" said the Russian.
To which the Blonde replied, "We're not stupid, you know. We're going at night!"
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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

KELLY HEADS FOR CAMBRIDGE AND AL HEADS FOR THE TOASTER:))

AUTUMN’S FOREST FLOOR  (NIKON D90)
Kelly was on the road this morning around 10 but not without first giving me my detailed food instructions for the next few days.  Not really sure why our ladies feel compelled to give us fellers all the food info whenever they go away, but they do.  Guess they figure we will just sit down and starve to death.  My instructions were first, what and where the food is, second, how to fix it up and third, when to eat it.  I've got bread (toast:)), peanut butter, honey and cereal.  What else would I possible need for heaven’s sakes.  I did remember my set of instructions to eat the the spaghetti left overs for supper tonight so I was a good boy and did that.  Also remembered to take a Turkey pot pie out of the freezer today for Sunday so figure I'm doing pretty darn good so far, and it’s only the first day.  Now, what was the temperature she said to turn the oven on?  Hmmmmm, think it was 942 degrees.  Sometimes we fellers do try extra hard to listen up and do as we’re told you know.  Key word there of course being…….’sometimes’:)) 

AN OUTSIDE MIRROR ON OUR PORCH REFLECTING SOME AUTUMN COLORS  (NIKON D90)
Heard from another reader using Comcast saying they can't access our blog but also noticed a comment from another reader saying they have had no problem getting on to our site with Comcast.  Confusing!!
 
PHEEBS IS ON ALERT FOR THE PESKY BLACK SQUIRREL THAT TEASES HER EVERY MORNING (NIKON D90) 
Welcome to the new RV Blogger's at ALLEN & LOLITA'S RV JOURNEY.  These folks just checked in as the Bayfield Bunch’s latest Blog Follower.  They also posted their very first blog on Friday.  All the best to you guys and thanks for dropping by:))

BEECH TREE LEAVES (NIKON D90)
Ever had your rig all packed up and ready to roll on to your next destination only to have something....go wrong!! JIM AN SANDIE had the left front landing jack on their 5th wheel snap right off Friday morning!!  Although their day started out with a major repair problem they were thankfully helped out by the reputable APACHE JUNCTION RV SERVICE AND SUPPLY.  Always encouraging and reassuring to read about great repair facilities and how some of them will go that extra mile to help folks out:))

A NEIGHBOUR’S INVERTED HOUSE REFLECTION IN THE POND TODAY (NIKON D40)
Kelly sent a quick note from Cambridge this afternoon saying she arrived OK.  Also said, "Kids are all good... cute.. had quite a time on the flight, (from Vancouver to Toronto Friday)  Rebecca & Sarah's seats were not together.... nobody would switch with them. Gabrielle was screaming & thrashing around...more later."  Kelly also sent a couple pictures.  I'm not good on names but I do know that is Kelly in the middle:))
 
THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD ACTION SHOT ON THE LEFT…….COULD BE ANOTHER YOUNG WAYNE GRETZKY HEADING INTO THE CORNER TO DIG OUT A PUCK…(HOCKEY REFERENCE:))
GROANER'S CORNER:((  Employer: "We need someone responsible for the job."
"Sir, your search ends here!!  In my previous job whenever something went wrong, everybody said I was responsible." 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

SNOW SHOWERS, SOME HAIL AND A FINAL DEPARTURE DATE OF SATURDAY NOVEMBER 12TH

Had ourselves a lite dusting of snow showers early this afternoon. Sky's later cleared with Pheebs and I hitting the forest trail for a leisurely afternoon photo walk.  Air was cold, but how nice to feel the warming rays of a late day sun.   Many trees still holding on to their colourful Autumn leaves made for a pleasant scenic walk along the forest trail.     

I had really been hoping we would be out of here on Saturday November 5th but I was told today it will be November 12th now:((  I ask you, how many repeated departure delays can an overly impatient travel oriented fella take!!

Beginning to suspect the internet provider company COMCAST may be responsible for some folks not being able to access our Bayfield Bunch blog site.  Two of the folks we have heard from have Comcast and one of those people, Lakeport Al, said when he switched over to his Verizon card he was able to access our site with no problem.  Our neighbour Monica who traveled to Florida last week said she called Comcast and they told her it wasn't their problem.  So, I don't know:((  Does anyone have any ideas for these folks who can't access our site?

I like toast.  I think I could live on toast alone.  I had to basically stop buying bread many years ago because I would bring a loaf home, toast it all up and eat in a matter of days.  I probably have not personally bought a loaf of bread in maybe 10 years.  But, Kelly buys bread and I have been known to sneak a slice or ten and toast them up when she’s not looking.   That wonderful aroma of toasting bread always gives me away though despite putting the stove exhaust fan on and holding the toaster under it.  Kelly has been known to hide her bread.  When I stopped buying bread years ago I switched over to something called Tortilla flat bread.  Flat bread doesn’t toast well, in fact it doesn’t toast well at all.  Too floppy to stand up straight in the toaster.  For a week now I have been eating toast again.  Kelly brought home bread from the health food store which she assured me is made differently than the high preservative wheat based breads.   I took her word for that and nearly toasted myself to death in one short week.  Next week, I have to work on not eating toast again.  May even have to sign myself up for TA.  Been many years since I have been to a 12 step program but I understand ‘Toasters Anonymous’ has a high rate of success:))

Big week-end coming up for Kelly in Cambridge.  Not only does she have two daughters and a set of twins flying in from Vancouver but her Son and daughter-in-law are expecting their first baby on Halloween.  She will be staying with yet another daughter and son-in-law who themselves have two young boys aged around 4 and 5.  The Vancouver twins by the way are just turning 2.  The twins father will be flying in from Vancouver shortly as well.  Add to that mix yet another son and fiancé babysitting a friend’s energetic dog for the week-end.  It’s been quite awhile since Kelly has been together with her whole family all at once so the agenda is going to be hectic especially with one daughter already having to fly right back to Vancouver on Monday.  Kelly certainly has her week-end excitement cut out for her.  She heads out Saturday morning.

Myself and the two furry kids will be holding the Fort here at home.  Doesn’t make a lot of sense adding another person plus two dogs into an already crowded situation in Cambridge.  With Pheebe’s boundless happy energy and love of people and kids it would just be chaos in the house to say the least.  And, all that commotion would really upset our quiet little Motormouse for sure.  The original plans called for Kelly’s daughter Sarah to bring the twins up to Bayfield for a couple days and stay at one of the Deer Park Lodge’s cozy cabins but all the cabins are booked right up.  Plus, Sarah has a lot of visiting to do with friends in the Cambridge area for the short two weeks she will be here.  Kelly figured it would just be much easier for her to slip over to Cambridge for a few days.  I agreed. 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  I went to the psychiatrist, and he says "You're crazy." I tell him I want a second opinion. He says, "Okay, you're ugly too!" (Rodney Dangerfield)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE COLD OUTSIDE…..IS THE WARM, INSIDE

Had an extra bounce in my step this morning as I bopped around with re-newed interest organizing things for our lift off time.  How great it is to have our travel plans back into high gear again.  Made myself a detachable plywood base for our new tripod which may or may not work well in our travels.  If it doesn't...campfire wood!!  Cold and damp this morning at 35F but no rain.  Put some antifreeze in the rig's sink traps just in case and greased up the toad hitch. 

Began checking weather reports for the 4 Corners area of Colorado but as suspected, the night time temperatures in the area are already well below freezing with numbers in the mid to low 20's on the Fahrenheit scale.  Yes, I know we are metric here in Canada but my old head still thinks in Fahrenheit, inches, feet and miles.  Although day time temps are still acceptable, those below freezing night time temps which I'm sure will continue to dip are worrisome for RV holding tanks and water lines.  Night time temps around Tuba City in Monument Valley are hovering around the freezing mark as are temps in Kayenta, Arizona. 
I will continue to monitor these areas and will make a decision on that before or just after we leave.  I think it is just getting too late now to comfortably enjoy that whole region.   Plan B is to maybe do that area on our return trip in late March or early April.  Definitely want to see Monument Valley and the 4 Corners this trip because at this age and stage of life plus all the other shaky variables these days, one never knows if the opportunities for RV travel will be the same for us next year.  I consider ourselves very fortunate to have traveled these few short years, and seen as many things as we have.

Forgot to mention in Wednesdays post that we had slipped down to see my Uncle Harry in the morning and he seems to be doing better than ever despite some recent medical set backs.  For 95 years old he is holding his own:))

We took our neighbour Ingrid out for supper late this afternoon.  Probably won't see her again until Spring.  Ingrid and husband Gus lived behind us when we first moved here but their unit burned and Gus later died.  Ingrid moved to another unit in the Park and now lives alone with her little dog, Katie.

TOOK ME ABOUT 10 SECONDS TO DECIDE WHAT i WANTED FOR SUPPER BUT IT TOOK THESE TWO LADIES ALMOST A FULL 10 MINUTES OF ‘STUDYING' THE MENU’ BEFORE ARRIVING AT A DECISION ….JUST ANOTHER ONE OF LIFE’S LITTLE MYSTERIES FOR AL.
Our mid Autumn nights are cold and dark now when I walk into our warm and cozy little computer sun room each night around 7.  A cozy warmth fills the the pine walled room as soft ambient music weaves it's relaxing mellow tones in around and through my mind.  Probably one of my favourite times of day as I yet again start another post.  Well over 1,300 now and despite my self doubts many times I keep finding myself drawn back to the keyboard night after night.  I know I get down in the dumps about blogging at times but the bottom line still remains the same for me.  I love writing………… and always have:))
 
CAN YOU SEE A FIRE MONSTER IN THE STOVE………….
GROANER'S CORNER:((  A guy joins a monastery and takes a vow of silence: he’s allowed to say two words every seven years. After the first seven years, the elders bring him in and ask for his two words. "Cold floors," he says. They nod and send him away. Seven more years pass. They bring him back in and ask for his two words. He clears his throats and says, "Bad food." They nod and send him away. Seven more years pass. They bring him in for his two words. "I quit," he says. "That’s not surprising," the elders say. "You’ve done nothing but complain since you got here."

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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS (revised)
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

AT LAST!!!! A TENTATIVE NEW DEPARTURE DATE:)))))))))

Kelly's daughter Sarah phoned from Vancouver today saying she will be flying with the twins to Toronto late this Friday afternoon.  Kelly’s youngest daughter Rebecca will be flying along as well and helping Sarah with her two energized non stop little Rag-a-Muffins.   From the Airport they will then travel to Cambridge where Kelly's other daughter and Sarah’s twin sister Sabra lives.  Kelly’s two sons Ben and Jason live in Cambridge as well.  Kelly plans to head over there Saturday and spend a couple days with the Munch Bunch.  I call them the Munch Bunch because 3 of Kelly kids once shared a house on Munch Avenue in Cambridge.  That's where our little Motormouse used to live before coming to Bayfield for Summer Holidays about 8 years ago.......and the little Mouse is still here:))

 
I STILL HAVE A FEW FROGS LEFT IN OUR PINE NEEDLE LADEN POND TO CATCH AND TRANSPORT TO THE BIGGER POND ACROSS THE ROAD
Sooooooooo, it is now looking like we just might have the big wheels rolling, at the very earliest, on Saturday November 5th or at the latest, Saturday November 12th.  Kelly would prefer to leave later in the week after the 12th but I don't like the idea of having to do either a Chicago or Indianapolis morning rush hour on a week day, depending on the route we take.  But, at least this long log jam of indecision has finally been broken and travel plans are once again moving forward.  It has been nearly a month since finding out and having to accept the fact we would not be out of here on our original target date of October 15th.  These past 3 to 4 weeks of not knowing when we were ever going to be able to leave have been totally gruelling.   Probably wouldn't mean much to most folks but when one is afflicted with this 'Hitch-Itch Traveling Fever' as bad as I am, it is absolutely grinding to just sit around every day waiting, waiting, waiting!!

I'm wondering if anyone is having problems accessing our Bayfield Bunch blog site.  Received an email a couple weeks ago from a reader saying he could not get onto our site.  Tuesday, a neighbour phoned from Florida saying she could not get the Bayfield Bunch site to load and today I just had another email from reader Lakeport AL saying he could not upload our site either.  If there is a problem, I have no idea what it could be or where to even start looking for a solution:((
 
ALWAYS NICE TO SEE BLUE JAYS AT OUR FEEDER 
Hard to find a person more devoted to the love, care and preservation of animals than Debra over at FIND AN OUTLET.   Having just lost one of her beloved pack members, Jessa in September she has just rescued her newest member, Jada.  Much of Debra's life center's around helping mistreated and poorly cared for animals in her area and my hat is off to her and anyone like her willing to take the time and make the sacrifices to help those poor unfortunate animals that are so inhumanely treated by so many humans.  Debra has repeatedly put her own safety in jeopardy in order to retrieve neglected animals from bad situations.
 
Nice feeling inside to know we will soon be on the road.  I will now re-haul out my Road Atlas’s and begin checking internet weather reports for all points west over the next couple weeks.  So great to be back in the trip planning mode again……..10-4:))

                                                                     HEY, WHO’S DAT SLEEPING ON DAD’S CHAIR >>>
GROANER’S CORNER:((  Two Irish guys are fishing. The first guy reels in his line and sees that he's snagged an old bottle. As he's taking it off the hook, a genie pops out and promises to grant him one wish. "Turn the lake into beer," he says. The genie goes "Poof!" and the lake turns into beer. He says to the other guy, "So what do you think?" The other guy says, "You jerk. Now we've got to pee in the boat."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

GUMO ASKS…"ANY TARGET DATE YET FOR YOUR DEPARTURE?”

ALL OF TONIGHT’S PHOTO’S WERE TAKEN WITH MY EITHER MY NIKON D40 OR D90
Our day for the most part was cold, gray and wet. Needless to say, the Bayfield Bunch was confined to barracks. Kelly did have some work related errands to run but the 2 Muskeeters and I stayed in, stayed warm, and played ourselves a few games of Toys. 

THE LITTLE MOTORMOUSE ISN’T FUSSY ON MORNING WALKS ANYMORE SO IT IS ALWAYS SO SPECIAL WHEN SHE COMES ALONG
JEAN AND SKIP encountered a pleasant, if not special experience near Sedona Arizona on Monday.  Might want to check it out and see what they heard and saw atop a high rock.  Clue….it was not a bird or an animal.  Just one of those times of being in the right place at the right time.   Having been to Sedona in December of 2007 I remember writing in my SEDONA POST that it was one of the prettiest towns I had ever seen.
 
GUMO asked in a comment question Monday.... “Any target date yet for your departure?”  Unfortunately, as yet I do not have that answer.  We are still waiting for Kelly's daughter to decide when she is coming to Ontario.  Last phone call 4 days ago said maybe this week so I'm guessing we won't get out of here until sometime in mid November now:((  I am encouraged by an email from ED FREY which said, "Don't get discouraged about the chances of seeing the Four Corners area. The weather changes every few days so you only have to keep and eye on what is happening. IF you get photos of Monument Valley with a dusting of snow people will go WILD it is so beautiful that pictures do not do it justice."  By the way, Ed just brought himself home his new best Pal, Patches:))
                                                                                      MILKWEED PODS >>> 
RV SUE AND HER CANINE CREW recently visited a small ghost town which still has a few live folks left in it.  Chloride New Mexico is in an area that Kelly and particularly liked back in March of 2008.  Sue mentioned what a treasure the old general store there was and I agree.  My post for that day is here at THE LITTLE WESTERN TOWN AT THE END OF THE ROAD and my photos of Chloride and especially the interior of that old General Store are HERE.

A SECTION OF OUR MORNING TRAIL WHERE MIGHTY OAK TREES ONCE STOOD
And yet another reason why I like most of the folks here in Blog Land.  A comment on last night's post from WENDY USUALLY WONDERS regarding an earlier post of mine about a suspected wheat intolerance problem was particularly interesting.  With her own related health issues and accomplishments Wendy sent along this link, WHEAT BELLY.   Again, it shows the type of caring people we have here.  Communication is information:))

SO WHAT DO YOU SUPPOSE KELLY IS UP TO WAY OVER THERE??
 
WHAT THE HECK, HAS SHE STOPPED TO PUT SOME MAKE UP ON??
 

‘OH RIGHT’, TEXTING IN THE FOREST…..  KELLY IS THE EVER VIGILANTE KEEPER OF THE DEER PARK LODGE PHONE:))
SAM has finally tracked down a pesky leak in his fifth wheel that apparently has been going on ever since the rig was originally built.  The leak source was the result of poor workmanship and had a surprisingly simple source.  Might want to double check your rigs for simple source leaks folks.
 
MANY RINGS IN THE STUMP OF THIS OLD OAK TREE THAT I ESTIMATE TO BE WELL OVER A HUNDRED YEARS OLD
And, a little photo tip......Most of last night's and a couple of tonight's leaf pictures were taken with the sunlight shining through the leaves and not on them.  This is called, 'backlighting.'  Any time you have a transparent subject like leaves, flowers, grasses, etc. try putting your subject between you and the light source.  This is sometimes easier to do in early morning or late afternoon when the sun is lower on the horizon making your shooting angle easier and the lighting softer.  With the sun shining 'through' the leaves instead of on the leaves it has a tendency to give the leaf a neon effect plus silhouetting some of the details within the leaf itself giving you nice vibrant colors.  Look for a shadowy area behind the leaf to give you a dark background.  I like to use a long telephoto lens if I can and shoot a lot of that stuff at 300mm.  At that range the range the focus is very shallow therefore blurring backgrounds and foregrounds.  This highlights the subject I am trying to bring out of the photo.  And, once again, I have my camera’s set to slightly underexpose (make them darker) each photo and that helps with the punchy colors and extra detail. 
  
GROANER'S CORNER:((  Two campers are walking through the woods when a huge brown bear suddenly appears in the clearing about 50 feet in front of them. The bear sees the campers and begins to head toward them. The first guys drops his backpack, digs out a pair of sneakers, and frantically begins to put them on. The second guys says, "What are you doing? Sneakers won’t help you outrun that bear." "I don't need to outrun the bear," the first guy says. "I just need to outrun you."
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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

AT MENTION OF THE WORD RV……’BLANK STARES’

TONIGHT’S PHOTOS ARE FROM A WALK IN THE FOREST LATE THIS AFTERNOON   (NIKON D40 WITH A 70-300mm LENS ON BOARD)
We have a steel roof on our place so whenever a hard rain hits us there is generally quite a clatter.  Our clatter for the day began at 4:43 a.m. this morning but that's OK, I was up anyway.  And, because this is October 24th and not December 24th I know that clatter on our rooftop was not the wee hooves of 9 tiny reindeer.  Remember, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid , Donder, Blitzen, and Rudolph.....Ohhhh that Rudolph:))

Ever notice sometimes during certain conversations you may get blank stares.  Sometimes happens when talking to a casual stranger, somebody you just met or maybe an old friend you haven't seen for awhile.  We here in RV Land tend to take our RV lifestyle for granted.  We are all quite familiar with every day words such as RV (Recreational Vehicle), Full Timing, Diesel Pusher, Toad, Fiver, Rig, Slides, Boon Docking, Black Tank, Snow Birding, Brake Buddy, Hitch Pin, Hitch Itch, etc.  These same words however can bring a completely blank stare when talking to someone who is not of, nor is aware of the RVing world.  As strange as that may seem to us, we still have to realize and accept the fact we are in the minority of understandable and socially acceptable lifestyles.  I'm sure all of us at one time or another have found themselves on the defensive end of a conversation trying to explain the RVing lifestyle concept to someone who just doesn't get it.  I have read blogs and talked to folks, who when putting their RV dream plans together told absolutely no one about their intentions.  No friends, no business associates and in some cases, not even family.  I'm sure there are Full Timers on the road who's casual friend's have no idea where they are or where they have disappeared to.  Might even be some family members left wondering too.
   
ROCKET DOG  ON THE MOVE
One of the quickest ways to attract criticism in our society is in daring to be different.  Society tends to set a normal style of life…….as for example, working 9 to 5, couple kids in school with a nice house on a nice street in a nice town.  And a nice car in the driveway of course.  Deviate too far from this and eyebrows begin to get nervous.  Whispers can be heard.  To the majority of the norm it is totally inconceivable that someone would sell their precious car and house along with all their worldly possessions to go live in a steel and fibreglass box on wheels.   No roots, no social club, no steadfast daily routines, no same-same friends, no seeing the Grands 3 times a week or eating at your favourite restaurant 4 times a month or being in that same church pew every Sunday morning year after year after year.   How is it possible to live without the daily normalcy of routine.  How can people exist without all their 'stuff' clustered around them.

I can't remember when it was I first became aware of and interested in the RV world but it was a very long time ago.  I have always had that wanderlust feeling right from early childhood but it was probably in my first days of tent camping that my mind began to formulate the understanding and feasibility of a different kind of realistic lifestyle.  The word 'Gypsy' still did not have a good reputation back when I was a kid so one had to be careful when expressing any kind of interest in living a life other than the accepted norm.  A kid sure didn't want to be associated with those wild Gypsies after all.     Luckily, along with a lot of other old wives tales and myths, the stigma attached to the word Gypsy has long ago gone the way of the Dinosaur.  Well, at least in my sometimes topsy turvey little world it has.   
How fortunate I consider myself to be since making the leap into the Nomadic lifestyle even if it is only half a year at a time.   Our first rig back in the late 90's was a 17' Class C Dodge Centurion and from the time we headed that little RV down the road until now we have never looked back.  Although not Full Timers we do manage to spend 5 or 6 months a year as Snow Birds traveling and living in our Motor Home in America's great Southwest.  Our alternating lifestyles have brought us a far greater understanding of not only our surroundings, but ourselves as well.  Personally, I much prefer our life on the road as opposed to our sitting at home life but that's just the way it has to be right now.  My mind spends time on this problem each and every day trying to figure out a reasonable solution and agreeable compromise on how to better tip the balance in favour of spending less time at home and more time on the open road enjoying all the benefits the RV lifestyle has to offer.  A lifestyle outside the box, a lifestyle outside society's 'norm' and a lifestyle like no other………….10-4:))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( There was a man who had worked all of his life and had saved all of his money. He was a real miser when it came to his money. He loved money more than just about anything, and just before he died, he said to his wife, "Now listen, when I die, I want you to take all my money and place it in the casket with me. I wanna take my money to the afterlife."
So he got his wife to promise him with all her heart that when he died, she would put all the money in the casket with him.
Well, one day he died. He was stretched out in the casket, the wife was sitting there in black next to her closest friend. When they finished the ceremony, just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said "Wait just a minute!" she had a shoe box with her, she came over with the box and placed it in the casket.
Then the undertakers locked the casket down and rolled it away.
Her friend said, "I hope you weren't crazy enough to put all that money in the casket."
She said, "Yes, I promised. I'm a good Christian, I can't lie. I promised him that I was going to put that money in that casket with him."
"You mean to tell me you put every cent of his money in the casket with him?"
"I sure did, " said the wife. "I got it all together, put it into my account and I wrote him a check."
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-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.