Sunday, July 08, 2012

GOING TO MISS STELLA & GUINNESS WHEN THEY GO HOME MONDAY

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STELLA & PHEEBS…GUINNESS HAD ALREADY ROARED OUT OF THE PICTURE HEADING FOR THE POND

Changed things up a bit last night & left the hall door open. Slipped into my bed about midnight & woke up around 5 with Stella asleep on the bed beside me, Pheebs standing over me, tail wagging & puppy Guinness with her big paws up on the side of the bed trying to figure out how to get himself jumped up with the rest of the gang. What a great start to the day. Minutes later the zaniness was in full swing for another day. Guinness & Pheebs really play well together & what a pleasure & great source of entertainment it is watching the two of them tussling over a toy, wrestling, & kibitzing together. Their energy levels just keep going & going. And, I love getting down on the floor playing with all the guys too:))

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And, how refreshingly pleasant it was to step outside into a 70F morning. Instant energy. Perfect average temperatures for me are in the70 to 75 degree range. I was a bit optimistic the cooler temps might have discouraged the DEER FLIES.  But, not so & we soon had to turn around again. And, If all this heat is keeping you inside & making you a bit claustrophobic, how about a nice hike through a cooling mountain meadow in Colorado. Tag along with the folks over at BOX CANYON BLOG & enjoy the scenery at 13,000 feet:))

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RV SUE & HER CANINE CREW have made their way up into South Dakota now & with a new camera & computer Sue's not only a busy Gal on the highways & back road trails, but she's busy with the technical side of things at the moment as well with a few learning curves thrown in for good measure.

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PHEEBS & GUINNESS ARE JUST A COUPLE OF CLOWNS:))

Must admit, I am not one of those folks who would be comfortable tenting in Bear country. I had a slight bear encounter back in 91 while camped in my Class B camper at CYPRESS LAKE on Ontario's Bruce Peninsula. The two bears brushed against my van while exiting the campground scaring the bajeebers out of me because I didn't know what had suddenly caused my van to 'rock' back & forth late one night. In the morning I found out the answer & saw what the bears had done to two tents on the other side of the campground where some of my photo class friends were camped. They had all been down at the lake partying when the marauding bears came through the camp. Campground was closed the next day & everyone had to leave while the bears were tracked, captured, & re-located. It was Chinle's post at SPOTTED DOG RANCH that triggered my bear encounter memory. Chinle is comfortable in a tent, where I prefer to be a few feet up off the ground surrounded by the reassurance of solid walls. Our security preferences may differ but we sure are on the same page when it comes to preferred areas & privacy of camping. Check out Chinle's post & she will tell you about some bears, a cougar, some other creatures that can go bump in the night & her preference for just getting away from it all……in a tent:))

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GROANER'S CORNER:(( Graham rings the local newspaper and asks to speak to the person in charge of the obituary column. He is passed to the advertiser and he asks, 'How much does it cost to place an obituary in the paper?' '$1.20 per word, sir, 'replies the newspaperman respectfully.'
'Ok', says Graham, 'are you ready?'
'Yes', came the answer.
'The obit. reads - ' Jones dead'.'
'No more?' asks the newsman in a very surprised voice.
'No, that's it, 'came the reply.
'I have to tell you, 'announced the advertiser, 'but there is a 5 word minimum.'
'Why didn't you tell me before?' complained Graham, 'in that case it will read:
'Jones dead. Volkswagen for sale'

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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))

- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)

- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward

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

12 comments:

  1. I'm totally confused about what I want to do. I love camping in a tent, but the convenience of having everything in an RV and not having to load and unload with every stop sounds good as well.

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  2. I must say that I prefer being up off the ground also. I have never had a close encounter with any wildlife and would probably faint or run screaming if I ever did!!

    Loved the pictures of the puppies having such fun!! They can be so entertaining can't they?

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  3. Al, thanks for the mention. You have to remember I usually don't camp in bear country. The first encounter like the one you mention would probably have me off buying a trailer. A Bigfoot would do it, too. :)

    I wish my dogs would play like that. Two of them are fine, but throw in the third (Weezee) and things go downhill. She gets the toy and defends it instead of sharing. Great photos.

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  4. I must say we felt pretty secure in our trailer the night a big ole black bear mosied on through our campsite.
    All the tenters packed up and left while we just watched. LOL

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  5. Love the photo of Guinness and Pheebs with the red toy. Looks like Guinness is giving pheebs the old "stink eye." Love seeing the pictures of them romping so happily together. As for tent camping, I gave that up about 25 years ago and can honestly say I don't miss it!!

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  6. I wonder if some double sided tape on your hat would help with the deer fly issues?
    Lee Valley used to sell a cap with a 'sticky strip'. They land but then can't take off again.
    After that though I'm not sure what the procedure would be. Pick 'em off with tweezers? Swish them?

    Worth a try?

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  7. Boy,,,,your just havin a Dog Gone Good time there with all your furry friends....Looks like fun to me.......enjoy!!

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  8. We used to tent in the back country taking horses--the first time we did it I told my new husband (Mike), "my mother will never forgive you if you let me get eaten by a bear!"

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  9. Thanks for your kind Link, Al... you are so generous!
    We have a big ole' Black Bear that keeps wandering out of the woods next to the house to raid our trash can. Unfortunately, for him, it's bear-proof... so all he can do is knock it over and sniff its contents. It doesn't deter him from sauntering up the driveway a couple times a week, tho... and I walk home for work at the Hot Springs Pool at 10:30 pm... flashlight in hand... checking out all the bushes that, to me, resemble bears. Then I see the trash can knocked over and way out of place and I realize he's already come and gone.
    Whew! But one of these days I'm not going to be so lucky... I hope a Life Guard Whistle will scare him off cause that's all I got to defend myself :))
    thanks,
    Box Canyon Mark.

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  10. Mark, you probably remember the gal who was feeding the bears there near Ouray. The DOW kept after her to stop, but she wouldn't. One day they broke into her screened porch and that was the end of her. Sad story, but shows how dumb the bears were to do in the hand that was feeding them. But to bears, everything's a potential meal.

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  11. Spotted Dog,
    Yes... I know of that poor lady's unfortunate demise. What a way to die... eaten alive.
    mark

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