Wednesday, August 29, 2012

AS MUCH AS I GRUMBLE & COMPLAIN SOMETIMES…………

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OOOOPS, SOMEBODY FORGOT THEIR FLIP FLOPS

Our late August weather is very reminiscent of the weather we experience during our winter travels in many parts of the Southwest.  Cool to cold nights followed by moderately warm days.  When the sun goes down around 4 in the afternoon temperatures begin to plummet in desert regions.  About 10 in the morning with the sun rising, temperatures begin to rise again.  The warm feeling comes from the sun because the air remains generally cool.  Not unusual to be wearing a short sleeve shirt on the sunny side of the rig & a sweater on the shady side of the rig.  Our Autumn & Spring days are much like that here in southern Ontario.

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AND, HERE’S A LITTLE SAILOR DOG JUST ENJOYING A NICE QUIET MORNING ON THE DOCK 

Full Timing RV people traveling solo are prone to difficulties which can present them with a variety of very unique problems. Judy, over at TRAVELS WITH EMMA is having some thoughts at the moment about dealing with a problem hip sometime in the future. Surgery may be required, so where to go & where to convalesce. And what about care that may be needed not only for herself, but Emma as well.  Her latest post asks some realistic questions.
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PLACID WATERS ON BAYFIELD’S INNER HARBOR THIS MORNING
When considering Full Timing a few years ago Kelly & I also had some concerns about possible future medical situations. If we sold our house & hit the road full time, what would we do if one of us came down with a serious illness or injury that required us to immediately return to Canada in the middle of winter. Where would we go, where would we stay?  Trying to live in the Motorhome is out of the question because of the frigid cold & snow. A Motel room?? Yikes!! Staying with a relative?? Yikes again!! It is questions like these that, in the end caused us to hang on to our house. We came very close to being forced back to Canada last December when I had my kidney stone attack south of Tucson Arizona & surgery was advised. If push had come to shove, we at least had a warm comfortable home to come home to. Being Snow Birds traveling in a Motorhome to the southwest each winter & maintaining a house in Ontario as well is certainly a financial stretch for us. So far, it has turned out to be ‘slightly’ doable & it is a comforting thought knowing we have somewhere to go in case of unforeseen problems on the road whether they be south of the border or right here in Canada.  As much as I grumble & complain sometimes about the boring summers & being stuck in one place for half year at a time, I just have to stop & think about how truly nice we do have it here.  I have been known to forget that sometimes……………..:))

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AND TO THINK, ALL THESE BOATS WILL HAVE TO COME OUT OF THE WATER IN A FEW MONTHS

The tall white whip aerial on our Jeep's rear bumper serves a useful purpose when we are in the Southwest. A small orange triangular flag sits atop it & when off-roading in the hilly mountainous backcountry, that noticeable flag joinking along in a gulch or gully is sometimes the only sign others have of an unseen vehicle beneath it. It is common practice in the desert where ATV's, dirt bikes, Jeeps & 4 wheelers share the landscape & can be coming at each other from any direction at any time. Before heading home last March I took that orange flag off & put it in a safe place where I would remember it. I haven't seen it since:(( I was reminded of that this morning when I went looking for my RV list of things to do & pack in the Motorhome each year at this time. Been using my helpful handwritten notes for the past 4 years. Put them away in a safe place the night before we left last November. Put them where I would remember them. Yep, can't find em anywhere now!!

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Commenter Phil wondered about the naming of Rotary Cove in Goderich Ontario. The town of Goderich built a whole new beach a number of years ago & believe the local Rotary Club had much to do & sponsored part of that. In the header photo ,a distant white structure on the horizon can be seen rising out of the water. This is part of an outer break wall protecting the mouth of the harbor. I'm guessing it's about a half mile off shore.  And, did you know, the Rotary club, founded in 1905, got it’s name because early meetings were often ‘rotated’ between members homes.  Yep, it’s true:))
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ENJOYING THE FINAL WANING DAYS OF SUMMER ON BAYFIELD’S BEACH
Tammy & Art from, 'IT'S GOOD TO BE US' are our latest Blog Followers & we are happy to welcome them aboard.  Thanks for taking an interest in the Bayfield Bunch:))
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WE DO HAVE SOME STRANGE CREATURES IN OUR FRONT YARD SOMETIMES
GROANER'S CORNER:(( Nobody can fix the economy.
Nobody can be trusted with their finger on the button.
Nobody's perfect. Vote for Nobody.
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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.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.
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11 comments:

  1. Love the Rotary Cove in Goderich such a nice spot to visit. As are all the beach along lake Huron's coast line.

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  2. Ahhhh, sitting on the beach. But we didn't sit, we walked. I love water, beaches! Thanks for the photos!

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  3. We experienced that hot/cold thing for the first time last winter. I'm so cold! *step step* Ah, that's better. I learned that a winter Arizona tan means brown hands and face.

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  4. You know that as soon as you buy another flag the old one will turn up. :)

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  5. Hope you don't forget where your Congress house is. ;)

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  6. I am a 'grumbler' too..too hot..too cold..too wet..too humid..
    hope you find the flag and your list!..one day it will show up..maybe when you are on your way down south?

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  7. Flip-flops and the beach...these are two of my favorite things!!!

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  8. Ya I'm a grumbler too Al, It takes Ms Pat to straighten me out and make me realize how lucky I am!!

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  9. Well said, Al...Sometimes we forget the having a home base if really quite fortunate...I will quit my wining from now on.

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  10. Seems like a solid reason for snow birding rather than full timing to me. And now, you are a three home family. Now that's really lucky!!

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  11. Trying to be grateful for our summer Ontario home too. My gardens are dying with the extended drought we've had here; I feel like it's time to pack up and call this season over!

    By the way, Al, can you tell me how you deal with Ontario house-watching for 6 months? This will be our first winter away for 5 months, and our wonderful, rural neighbours who usually keep an eye on things are moving. Do you pay a company or what? Thanks.

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