Friday, April 06, 2012

6,272 MOTORHOME MILES TRAVELLED AT $3,339.00 FOR GAS:((

DSC_6342

PAIR OF CANADA GEESE ON THE POND THIS MORNING

Amazingly enough I haven't started any posts off lately talking about the weather, so let me take care of that right now.  Aside from being a tad on the cool side we have had big bright sunny days ever since returning home.  I don't mind the cool mid to upper 40F temps because they are just great for getting outside projects done.  It's the hotter days that are the real energy drainers for me.

DSC_6334 

A GRASSY GREEN REFLECTED BANK GIVES THIS PHOTO IT’S COLOR

Pheebs had me up at 1:30 in the morning because I thought she had to go out.  She didn't.  Flopped in my chair & spent the rest of the night there sound asleep with the Kid on the couch beside me.  It's very quiet here in the Pine forest.  Despite my usual summer grumblings we sure are fortunate to have the place we have here just a mile or so from picturesque Bayfield & the sandy shores of beautiful Lake Huron.  Sometimes when we are away I have a tendency to forget how really nice it is here.  Undoubtedly the nicest Seniors Park we have ever seen....anywhere.

DSC_6330

WE WALK AROUND THE SIDE OF THIS POND EVERY MORNING & HEAD OFF INTO THE PINE FOREST THROUGH THE BREAK IN THOSE TREES IN THE BACKGROUND

Must say I am feeling much better today than the last couple of days.  Energy levels are up & all that aching, paining, & hurting from yesterday is finally working it’s way out of the muscles & joints.  I think the long drive home just sitting hour after hour behind the wheel really took a toll on my legs this trip.  They have never ever been that sore before.  Must admit, this advancing older age is ‘finally’ beginning to give me some cause for concern.

DSC_6341

Looks like I am not the only one who likes to get into the Spring clean-up mode & overdo it every year.  Peter from AMERICAN TRAVELER out there on Campobello Island has a tendency to do the same thing.  Now there's a guy I can understand.  Campobello Island??  Yep, it's right out there just off the Canada/US coastline on the Atlantic Ocean side of the country.

DSC_6332 

NICE TO BE BACK ON OUR OLD PINE FOREST TRAIL AGAIN

Tackled the front yard pond today.  With the milder weather there was more algae growth in the water already so had to get a lot of that green goop scooped out.  A lawn rake works well for skimming out that kind of stuff.  I will hook the water pump up as soon as I am sure it is not going to freeze at night anymore.  Soon, Frogs will just magically appear & our pond will once again become a real Frog Hive of activity.  The night air will be filled with all kinds of croaking & cherumping.  And then, the Hockey Whistle Frogs will come & the noise level will ramp up & shatter the night air so much that it keeps Kelly awake.  Dangerous stuff here.  More about the Hockey Whistle Frogs next month when they arrive.  Or, maybe they have been here all winter….just hibernating in my underwear drawer.

DSC_0011

DSC_0012 DSC_0015 

DSC_0017

GOTTA GET THE FRONT YARD POND CLEANED UP FOR A NEW EXPLOSION OF FROGS SHORTLY

More of the same today as I busied myself outside with the Spring clean-up.  Another campfire this morning burning up brush, fallen branches & wheelbarrow loads of Pine needles.  Put up a couple new bird houses as well.  In the summer months at Deer Park Lodge where Kelly works they sometimes have different specialty groups staying at the cabins.  Last summer the University of Windsor's track & field team spent a weekend at the Lodge.  It's an annual event used by the students for training.  They run local trails.  One of the team projects in learning to work together was to break into groups & build bird houses.  Some of those bird houses were taken home by the students & a couple of the them ended up in the dumpster where of course Kelly retrieved & brought them home.  My contribution to those houses was to put a wood stain on them & add a piece of shingle to the roofs.  Today I put those 2 bird houses up on a couple Pine trees outside.

DSC_0009

DSC_0002 DSC_0010

Seemed like Kelly was back & forth to the Motorhome about a thousand times today carrying all her stuff back into the house.  I was able to get a couple more bins unpacked.

DSC_0006 DSC_0007

HERE’S A SPRING HAPPENING EVERY SNOW BIRD CAN IDENTIFY WITH

Going to be a big job getting all the bugs scraped off the front of the coach but that will just have to wait for warmer weather when I am able to turn the outside water on for the season.  So pleased at how well that Motorhome ran again this past winter.  Total miles traveled from the time we left Bayfield last November to the time we returned a few days ago was 6,272.  Miles traveled home from our Arizona house in Congress - 2,223.  Had 6 fuel stops coming home with the cost for gas from Congress to Bayfield this week at $1,155.  Total money spent on Motorhome gas this past winter - $3,339.00.  Keep in mind some of that gas was used to run our generator.  Yes, it's a lot of money alright but we like to think of the thousands of dollars we have saved ourselves over the years by staying out of RV Parks.  Wonder what some people have to pay for a short two week boat cruise in the Mediterranean or a single week's stay in a Puerto Vallarta waterfront Hotel in Mexico.  Bottom line....no matter the cost, anything is better than sitting through long cold boring Canadian winter's.

DSC_6339

DSC_6329

THIS CANADA GOOSE IS LAYING LOW IN THE WATER HOPING I WON’T SEE HIM BUT IT WAS THE REFLECTION OF A NEARBY RED DUMPSTER THAT CAUGHT MY EYE IN THE REFLECTION & LED ME TO THE GOOSE

Took the cover off the Motorcycle today but for sure it’s still way to cold to put the battery in & fire it up.  I do not enjoy riding in cold weather all bundled up in a snowmobile suit.  Just freezes the fun right out of a feller.

DSC_0005

GROANER'S CORNER:((Two Irishmen are out fishing for the day, and they have a great time; with the fish grabbing the hooks as fast as they can get them into the water. Finally, with the boat full of as many fish as it will hold, they decide it's time to head for shore.
"But listen," says Mick, "why don't we mark the spot?"
"No problem," says Paddy, who dives into the water and paints a big black X on the bottom of the boat.
Mick beams with pleasure, and they're almost back to the dock when his face wrinkles in consternation. "Oh, no!" he cries to Paddy, "what if we don't get the same boat?".

  ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.

- Home is where your pet is:))

- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

17 comments:

  1. Prompted me to pull out our records to date..6,559 miles @ $3,638...pretty darn close! Welcome home and congrats on the new place!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I really don't want to think about the cost of fuel. I'm a real tightwad, and if I start to worry about the money, we will never leave here!

    Great goose pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  3. The photo of your old Pine Forest Trail looks a lot like places I've been in the last few weeks of my travels here in Louisians State Parks. I love the hiking trails through the woods.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Bayfield looks so fresh and lush, and I hope you enjoy your spring and summer there. You are so lucky to have the opportunity to experience home in two locations that are opposites in every way.

    ReplyDelete
  5. seems to me that you are back in the swing of things at 'home' once again..sure doesn't take too long to get back into those long awaited chores!!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I try to wait until the afternoon high temp is 60 degrees before heading on out on the motor cycle.. Some times I go anyway if it is forecast to be 60, but that comes a lot sooner down here.....

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cost of fuel is simply "a cost of doing business..." when you are an RVer... good to see the bike is ready to go, can't wait to get back to mine!

    ReplyDelete
  8. For all those miles you did good on fuel costs. Plus, like you say not a lot of parking expenses. I'll bet the average stay home person could spend that much just running around locally.

    Love your forest and pond.

    ReplyDelete
  9. We just really like the looks of where your home is. How wonderful to have the best of both worlds. Good for you!
    Isn't always nice to come home?

    ReplyDelete
  10. That sounds like a lot, but then to put it in perspective for me, I think...well, it's about half what I pay in taxes on this house every year!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Like you said the fuel cost to get away for the whole winter is probably less that most people pay for only one week south. The weather is warming up slowly for us.

    ReplyDelete
  12. I'm getting anxious to get back to my Bike too! Then I see Janna and Mikes Snow Storm and It makes me think I can wait a little while.
    Weather here has been real nice ...
    I think I have your sore and tired muscles AL. I don't know what the deal is, but I feel like I have been in a fight,,,All drug out and tired. Geez, loading bullits isn't that hard!!! I don't think I slept a wink last night......:-(

    ReplyDelete
  13. Not sure what our totals would be..but I do know being South in the Winter has it's advantages to our mental health, no matter the cost!! Great to see pics of your lovely "Summer home" again...I do love Bayfield.

    ReplyDelete
  14. It seems like a lot of money but when you average it over the 6 months you were gone coupled with the amount of money you saved by boondocking it sounds like a very good deal.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Yep, growing older isn't for sissies! :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Your piney woods are beautiful.

    We figure every mile is a cool half-dollar, so I'm not shocked. We talked to a guy back in NY who was excited about our plans. He said "Do you know how far I could get on just my property taxes??" [Taxes in NYS are beyond ridiculous. They're so high that if I told you how high you'd call me a liar.]

    Roxanne

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your title reminds me of those credit card commercials...you know the ones that tally up expenses and then observe that, really, the life you lead is priceless. Yup. It may be cheaper to sit in one place all the time, but I'm not convinced it is, and it certainly isn't the life for us wanderers. There are other types of costs and benefits besides the financial ones. But of course you guys know that! Welcome home, glad you're enjoying the cooler temps and getting out to do some satisfying work.

    ReplyDelete