PHEEBS & I DUSTED UP SOME MORE COUNTRY ROADS THIS MORNING

HMMMMM, SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT ONE OF THOSE COWS

From my recliner early this morning I could see a fiery sunrise tickling the tops of our Pine trees. Figured we just might be in for another fine weather day, & we were.

 

CAUGHT ME A RED TAILED HAWK IN FLIGHT TODAY

Definitely was needing a change of scenery this morning so Pheebs & I headed off in the Jeep in search of some new roads, some new photos, & new horizons. Didn't find any new roads, did find some new photos, & with the changing Autumn leaves, our horizons were ever evolving with beginning shades of red, orange, yellow & burgundy.

OUR LEAVES ARE BEGINNING TO TURN
Area readers will be happy to know the construction at the railway overpass west of Clinton is now completed & the highway to Bayfield is once again open.

 

NICE NEW PAVEMENT UNDER THE OVERHEAD RAILWAY PASS
Pheebs & I stopped at a large area nature preserve north-east of Cinton (Hullett Marsh) for a short walk but didn't get too far with my sore legs. Just as well though because by the sounds of all the gunfire, hunting season is obviously in full swing. Could hear the popping thuds of shotguns & the sharp crack of rifles around us. We wisely exited the area.

THE HULLET MARSH

 

OUR GREAT & FEARLESS LITTLE GRASSHOPPER HUNTER

Had us some nice cloud formations as we rolled slowly along through southern Ontario's peaceful Sunday morning countryside. Many of today's photos were taken right from the drivers seat. We are so fortunate living in the rural setting we do.

IT WAS A NICE CLOUD PATTERN DAY

Had it in my mind when I woke up this morning I was not going to do a post tonight for a change.  But, as so often happens, I am always drawn to my keyboard every night. I sometimes wonder when this blog novelty will wear off. Unusual for me to be doing something like this on a daily basis for so long. But, if I didn't enjoy it, I certainly wouldn't be doing it.  One of the greatest things about writing a post each night here in our Sunroom, is the music I listen to.  If you go to SOMA FM & scroll down to ‘Groove Salad’, this is the commercial free on-line station that plays on our computer all day long.  Continuous ambient music.  No interruptions, just relaxing, soothing music.  For any big music lovers out here like myself, I would suggest, if you haven’t already done it, getting rid of the poor quality speakers that probably came with your desktop system & replacing them with better equipment.  A decent sound system will include an essential sub-woofer.  You need that to bring out the bass in your music.  We have had our ALTEC LANSING system for about 15 years.  Sounds great & I never sit down at the computer without it on.  Music is an integral part of my post each night & I have often thought, without my music, there would probably be no blog…………………….    

Our departure date is ‘still afloat’ at the moment but I have my fingers crossed that we will get out of here sometime shortly after the 14th of October.  It always seems like it’s hard to nail Kelly down on a specific departure day each year.  Maybe I’m sounding a bit rambunctious, but after patiently counting down the days for over 6 months…….I like to have a specific target date in mind by this point in time………………………10-4!! 

GROANER'S CORNER:(( A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter. "What are you doing?" She asked. "Hunting flies" He responded. "Oh, killing any?" She asked. "Yep, 3 males, 2 females," he replied. Intrigued, she asked "How can you tell?" He responded "3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the phone."

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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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

OUR RISING COST OF TRAVEL INSURANCE:((

A rather uneventful morning & afternoon so no point in me going back over them again.  Just kind of turned out be one of those low motivation days.  I am thinking it is the cooler damp weather that has caused a nasty bit of arthritis to flare up in my legs again.  Also happened in the Spring when we arrived back home from the southwest to cool & damp weather.  I’m thinking the only cure for the problem is in returning to the warmer dry air of Arizona. Right now my legs are counting the days………………………  
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Because of my Kidney Stone problem last winter we knew our Travel Insurance company would seize the opportunity to jack my rate way up this year, which of course they did by about $500. And, here's the kicker......they won't even cover me for Kidney Stones this winter until I have remained in Canada trouble free for  6 straight months. I think my kidney stone removal was back in June so that means we would not be able to leave here until sometime near the end of December. Not going to happen!! Bottom line….I will not have Kidney Stone coverage this winter despite the higher cost.  Kelly called several other companies but the results were the same. I could really fly off the handle here about insurance companies but what's the point, nothing changes & there is no reasoning or winning with any kind of an insurance company anyway. I think high travel insurance rates are one of the top reasons many Canadians can no longer afford to travel in the States.  Our travel insurance for 6 months this year will be just under $2000. 
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I see my memory failed to remind me I had already used Friday night's first photo in a post just a couple days before. Repetition is always a worry of mine & repeating things is so easy to do when writing a daily blog.  
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One of the main problems we had last March at our house in Congress was lack of a strong Verizon internet signal. It was there, but very weak. It caused us a lot of aggravation, especially when we were in the midst of negotiations with the house sale. And, to complicate matters even further, we had no phone communication. Had to drive down the road aways to make phone calls. We have to deal with each problem separately because our phone server is totally different than our internet server. Guess we will just have to go door to door in our neighborhood asking folks if they have Verizon, & what kind of antennae are they using to get it. We did buy a Wilson Electronics Sleek Cell Phone Signal Cradle Booster hoping that would help, but it didn't. There is a high rocky ridge about a quarter mile behind our place which could partially be blocking the Verizon tower to the southwest of us. Anyway, just one of the things we will have to deal with when we get there.

GROANER'S CORNER:)) The teacher is droning away in the classroom when he notices a student sleeping way up in the back row. The teacher shouts to the sleeping student's neighbor, "Hey wake that student up!" The neighbor yells back, "You put him to sleep, you wake him up!"
---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

BEST PART I LIKE ABOUT BEING COLD…..IS BEING WARM:))

A bit of gardening this morning, a bit of organizing some trip stuff, an afternoon Peebers walk interspersed with a few short zzz's here & there & that about sums up my day.  The new header photo is from my October 2010 file.  Taken near the Ben Miller Inn it shows what appears to be a structure in a pond with a pot of flowers atop it.  When the tornado ripped through Goderich in August 2011 it carried eastwards through the tiny hamlet of Ben Miller as well.  That pond area was in it’s path & that structure is no longer there.  And, I think some of the trees reflecting their Autumn colors into the pond may be gone as well.

Sometimes when Pheebs & I are out walking I may notice something of photographic interest on the ground like mushrooms, bugs, a cluster of pine needles, a butterfly, some flowers, or whatever. This often requires me to get myself & my camera right down on the ground for a creative photo angle. Every time I do this I have a bit of a problem. When Pheebs sees me on the ground she comes running thinking something is wrong. And, as often as not she runs right over & quickly lays down right on top of the subject I had hoped to photograph. I keep assuring her everything is fine but she stays right there beside me trying to lick my face & make me all better.  This goes on until I rather unceremoniously lumber myself back up onto my feet again. Meanwhile, my dog squashed subject is in ruins. Any idea what a dog mashed mushroom looks like on an early Autumn day.  Not good:((

WELL, IF I CAN’T TAKE A PICTURE OF THE MUSHROOM, I WILL JUST HAVE TO TAKE A PICTURE OF MY DOG LYING ON THE MUSHROOM

If you are like us, you probably have oodles of travel brochures tucked away in plastic bags in closest, garages, basements or attics. We have always been in the habit of gathering up brochures pertaining to the various areas we are traveling. After reading them over & deciding on things to see & where to go, we have always kept the brochures.  Eventually they end up back home in Bayfield stuffed away in a couple drawers in our carport. Came across them this morning & in deciding whether to chuck them or not I thought, no, these are perfectly good pieces of easily readable information. I plan to take them with us back to Congress & set myself the task of sorting them into States. (New Mexico, Arizona, California, Utah, Nevada & Colorado) Because Congress will be our south-west base it just seems logical to have the brochures there to read, not only for us, but anyone stopping by. Yes, I know all this info is available on the internet but there is still something I enjoy about holding a simple brochure in one's hand & easily reading about an areas attractions, suggested routes, & annual events, etc.

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The best part I like about being cold, is being warm.  It is the time of year now when the earth tilts on it’s axis to a point where the warming rays of the sun no longer have the power to provide a comfortable environment.  I can remember as a kid being outside playing to nearly dark some nights & coming home tired & cold.  How wonderful it was to open that front door & step inside to the warmth of a cozy house.  How nice it was to go stand on a big square floor register & feel the heat rising from the big old coal furnace in the basement.  How nice to smell food cooking & feel the warmth of the kitchen stove.  It seemed to make going outside in the cold chilly air all worthwhile just to come inside again a few minutes or hours later & feel that warm cozy air once again wrap me in it’s reassuring arms.  It is times like those that wonderful memories are made of.  I enjoy being reminded of my childhood.  Sometimes, it seems like it was just around the corner……not so very long ago:)) 

GROANER’S CORNER:((

---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

WELL, FINALLY WEDGED MYSELF BETWEEN A ROCK & A HARD PLACE, SO NOW ‘THE CAT’S OUT OF THE BAG’

A clear starry night meant a crisp cold morning with temperatures dropping into the upper 30's. Not unlike many desert winter nights in Arizona with temps sometimes dipping down to & below freezing. We often notice the night time temperatures here in Bayfield are higher than we have in many parts of Arizona. It all depends at what altitude one is at in the South-west. This morning was kind of a 'hands in your pockets' walk.
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Fired up the rig & generator, checked all 4 solar batteries & cleaned solar panels today. Added some water to our fresh water tank & disconnected 2 out of 3 house garden hoses. More items gathered up & stowed away in the rig's basement bins. Nice sunny day to be outside doing things despite the temps struggling to reach 60F. I even loaded up my rootin tootin cowboy hat today:))
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A fine Autumn afternoon for a drive through the countryside as we slipped down to visit Uncle Harry in Mitchell. He's doing fine. Some of the leaves are beginning to turn & many farmers were busy in the fields harvesting bean crops.

Having only spent about a month in the Congress Arizona area earlier this year we don't know a whole lot about the regions history. Spent a little time this morning doing some on-line reading & basically came up with....'Gold was discovered at Congress in 1884. By 1893, the Santa Fe Railroad passed within three miles of the mine, at Congress Junction. Congress boomed, and remained prosperous until the mid-1930s, when the mines closed. Total gold production at the Congress Mine exceeded $8 million, at the then-current price of $20.67 per ounce—or about $400 million, at the 2007 price. The post office moved to Congress Junction in 1938, where it remains. The community now known as Congress is the old Congress Junction. Little remains at the original town site'………. From a brief conversation I had with a neighbor last March, I learned that parts of our Congress house were built with lumber taken from old wooden buildings on the mine site. From what I remember seeing of weathered boards in the crawl space above the ceiling, I think a lot of that old mining lumber went into the roof.

OUR CONGRESS NEIGHBORHOOD…..THERE’S GOLD IN THEM THAR HILLS & A DOGGY IN THE DESERT:))
Kelly & I did notice 'gold fever' is still very much alive & well in the area with many local prospectors scouring the hills, mountains, & valleys nearby for the elusive gold. And, gold is definitely being found, lending a feeling of the old west to the region. Hmmmm, might have to do a little digging in our back yard. Our house on Ghost Town Road is located only about a mile from the historic CONGRESS GOLD MINE. Looking forward to exploring & writing about this whole area over the winter.
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Did you ever think someone would ever name a town....Pie Town? Well, somebody did, & for good reason. Kelly & I almost slid through Pie Town New Mexico two winters ago on our way south. DESERT DIVA & CALI blinked & almost missed it this week. But, she did stop long enough in one of two restaurants to notice folks were eating green Chile cheeseburgers. That's a new one on me. And, you might want to stop on by Cheryl's post & learn how to build yourself a New Mexican Apple Pie too:))
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Received this comment from Donna C late today….. “There you go again..throw out just a little bait for us readers to nibble on....and then we gotta wait until you reel us in and tell us the exciting summer potentially in your future.”  Well, I was told from this end not to say anything, but of course as everyone knows, Mr. Blabberfingers can’t keep anything in for long.  You would think I would learn wouldn’t you.  But nope, I’m always letting things squeak out here & there.  I have now placed myself between a rock & a hard place so without further adieu & a lot of elaboration, I will just say…… after nearly 10 years, this is Kelly’s last  year at Deer Park Lodge.  And, that is what I meant by a change coming up & next summer being a different summer for us.  My name is Al & I am now toast:((
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GROANER'S CORNER:((  If at first you don't succeed, skydiving is not for you, & keep in mind, a bargain is something you don't need at a price you can't resist.  Oh ya, & If 4 out of 5 people SUFFER from diarrhoea... does that mean one person enjoys it?
---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

TIME TO HANG UP MY GARDENING GLOVES & PUT MY PRE-TRAVEL HAT BACK ON:))

A COUPLE OF KISSING MUSHROOMS ALONG THE FOREST PATH THIS AFTERNOON

Didn't take Pheebs & I long to strap us on a Jeep & trailer this morning. By 9:30 we were on our way to ART'S LANDSCAPING in the south end of Goderich. Loaded up our 2 heavy Cedar trees, grabbed a few groceries at the supermarket nearby & ripped our way through McDonald's drive-thru for a couple Burritos to squabble over on the way home. Well. we don't actually squabble, Pheebs is too good natured for that. Me, I'm another story:((

PATIENTLY WAITING IN LINE AT McDONALD’S DRIVE-THRU WITH GREAT BURRITO ANTICIPATION

 

AND YES, PHEEBS ACTUALLY DID HELP ME DIG THE HOLES FOR THE CEDAR TREES THIS MORNING…AFTER EACH HOLE SHE LAID IN IT TO MAKE SURE IT WAS THE RIGHT SIZE FOR THE TREE

In Tuesday's post I said the Cedars were 8' tall but when I got them home & in the ground...they were 6' tall. What I failed to consider Tuesday is the Cedars in the greenhouse were sitting on their root balls adding about a foot & a half to them & once in the ground I lost another half foot. So, 6 footers, & not 8 footers. Had help to lift & load them at Art's but at home it was just me & my trusty wheelbarrow to get them where I needed them to go. Always figured for a young couple buying their first home, the best two things you can buy them for a house warming gift is a good wheelbarrow & a fridge cart. Those two items alone will save a feller an awful bunch of heavy & awkward lifting over the coming years.
 

AT ART’S LANDSCAPING THE TREES WERE 8’ TALL, BUT AFTER I PLANTED THEM…….THEY WERE 6’ TALL

A Tuesday blog commenter had a question about where I dug up the 7 Cedar trees. The Park we live in covers about a hundred acres & I would say 80% of the acreage is covered in Pine & hardwood trees. When we first moved here I asked the Park owners about digging up a few trees to replant on our property & they said that was fine, as long as I had no intentions of taking the trees off the property & selling them. A lot of the greenery around our house came from the nearby bush over the years.

With 9 new Cedar trees in place that pretty much wraps up my backyard re-landscaping project for this year. We'll see how things shape up & grow in the Spring before deciding on any more changes. Time to hang up my gardening gloves & put my travel hat back on. Got a Motorhome sitting here that needs to be configured for travel in about 3 weeks. Better get ourselves in gear:))

And, we are finally looking forward to a different kind of summer next year. We are currently working on some changes that will free us up some time to possibly do a little traveling. We'll see how well things shake out over the winter. I am optimistic:))

   

MORE ‘SHROOMS’ & A SMALL PAINTED TURTLE IN THE POND
GROANER'S CORNER:(( Will Rogers thoughts on growing older..........
First ~ Eventually you will reach a point when you stop lying about your age and start bragging about it.

Second ~ The older we get, the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.
Third ~ Some people try to turn back their odometers. Not me; I want people to know 'why' I look this way. I've traveled a long way, and some of the roads weren't paved.
Fourth ~ When you are dissatisfied and would like to go back to youth, think of Algebra.
Fifth ~ You know you are getting old when everything either dries up or leaks.
Sixth ~ I don't know how I got over the hill without getting to the top.
Seventh ~ One of the many things no one tells you about aging is that it's such a nice change from being young.
Eighth ~ One must wait until evening to see how splendid the day has been.
Ninth ~ Being young is beautiful, but being old is comfortable.
Tenth ~ Long ago, when men cursed and beat the ground with sticks, it was called witchcraft. Today it's called golf.
Eleventh ~ If you don't learn to laugh at trouble, you won't have anything to laugh at when you're old.

---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

MY FIRST DIGITAL CAMERA…A LOOK BACK

Hooked up the utility trailer first thing this morning, threw a shovel in, loaded up the Pheebs & we were off to the bush.  Had noticed a cluster of young Cedar trees growing in tight with some Pines.  By selecting & digging out 7 trees it gave the other Cedars & Pines room to spread out & grow.  It also gave me 7 Cedar trees for our back yard:))

MY BLUE HANDLED SHOVEL IS IN THE GROUND AT RIGHT READY TO DIG OUT THE FIRST CEDAR

Didn’t take Pheebs & I long to dig the trees out & 20 minutes later we were home.  Time to do some planting.  Holes were dug, generous helpings of peat moss & compost were added along with plenty of water from our rain barrel.  I’ve always had reasonably good luck with planting things so these Cedars should be just fine.  Also, last week I stopped by Art’s Landscaping & Nursery in Goderich & spotted 2 big 8 foot Cedars.  Knew they had a 30% off sale starting Wednesday so hopped on the bike & rode up to Goderich this afternoon to have them put my name on those 2 bigger Cedars.  Pheebs & will roll out Wednesday morning & pick them up.  My intention is to create a solid Cedar tree barrier to deaden the sounds from a neighbors yard.  Nice quiet older couple but occasionally they have company & every body gets to talking in some kinda loud foreign language in their back yard.  Probably wouldn’t bother most people…..but of course, it sure as heck bothers me.

SOIL WAS STILL MOIST FROM RECENT RAINS SO I WAS ABLE TO GET GOOD ROOT BALLS ON ALL OF THEM

Several folks inquired how big Guinness would get when full grown.  He is a purebred Burnese Mountain dog & just how large he will grow is anybody’s guess.  He’s gonna be a big guy though judging from the size of his paws.  We probably won’t see him again until Spring & by then he may be wearing a saddle.

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My first digital camera was a point & shoot Hewlett-Packard Photo Smart bought at a Staples store in London Ontario back in the late 90’s.   If my memory serves me correctly, which of course it may not, it was a 640x480 pixel  resolution, and came with a 2Mb memory card capable of storing 32 "normal" images - with ~20:1 compression, but only 16 in "fine" mode and only 4 in "superfine" mode (~2.5:1 compression). A 4Mb card was an option. It had a fixed f2.8 37mm lens.  Power came from 4 AA batteries.  Photos were a bit on the grainy side but no matter, I was just a happy guy to be back into the photography world again despite just about having the cheapest digital camera money could by at the time.  It was a start after packing up all my 35mm Pentax cameras & stuffing them into a closet years before. I had a fair bit of 35mm equipment at the time including telephoto & macro lenses, 3 Pentax camera bodies, etc. etc but I had just lost interest & tired of the whole photography scene.  It was the digital age that brought me back & re-kindled my interest in photography.  All photos below were taken 10 years ago by my little Hewlett-Packard point & shoot digital camera.

KELLY & OUR WONDER BOY, MAX…GODERICH 2002

 

IT WAS NOVEMBER 2002 & WITHIN A COUPLE WEEKS OF MOVING TO OUR PRESENT BAYFIELD LOCATION I WAS BUSY PLANTING TREES

 

HAD A FULL SIZE DODGE RAM TRUCK & PROWLER TRAVEL TRAILER AT THE TIME…MAX ON THE PINE FOREST TRAIL ALONGSIDE THE CREEK

EVEN BEFORE WE HAD OFFICIALLY MOVED IN I HAD A SHOVEL IN THE GROUND WORKING ON THE FRONT YARD

I was totally blown away by the fact I could not only take a photo without using film but I finally had complete control over my photo right from start to finish. I could edit my own photos without relying on someone else to do it in some photo lab many miles away. And the fact I could do all this simply by sitting at a computer in our own living room was almost beyond comprehension. Right from the time I loaded my very first digital pics into the camera's photo program I was hooked on photography again. Just loved the basic editing program & process I now had control over.

WHAT WINTER LOOKED LIKE IN OUR PARK, 2003

Took a lot of photos with this very basic little HP before moving up the ladder to a point & shoot Fuji Finepix a few years later. Loved this camera more than the two newer Canon point & shoots I have now. Unfortunately, the Fuji camera was stolen!! No shutter lag in that little Fuji & when you hit the button, the photo was right there, just like an older 35mm film SLR (single lens reflex) camera. Both my newer Canons are terrible for shutter lag, especially the Powershot SX210IS. Shutter lag is an old term from the 35mm days. It's the time lapse between pressing the button & the camera gathering all the computer info together to take the photo. I don't have that lag problem in my Nikon DSLR's. The stop action computing power is instant………………………………

BAYFIELD’S SUNSET PARK OVERLOOKING LAKE HURON…………SUMMER 2003

GROANER’S CORNER:((  How do you tell if some one is a real photographer? You ask them to answer this question. Suppose you were walking through the woods and you came upon a clearing. In that clearing is a lake and in the lake is a man is obviously drowning. Now you only have time to do one of the following - save his life or take a photo. Now here's the question…………………………….. Which lens should you use?

---------------------------------------------------------------
- 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.
- OUR PHOTO ALBUMS - .https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295/
stargeezerguy@gmail.com

HOPE WE FIND OUR HOUSE IN THE SAME CONDITION WE LEFT IT

YEP, SURE DO HAVE A LOT OF YARD WORK AHEAD OF ME THIS WINTER & I HAVEN’T A CLUE YET WHAT I WILL DO…GONNA BE A BIG LEARNING CURVE:))

Had a couple small scrub Mulberry trees to take down so did that first thing this morning, cut them up & hauled them off to the recycling area. Opening up our yard to more sunlight will promote the growth of smaller Cedar trees I plan to plant. Of course Pheebs & Guinness were trying their very best to get in the way & help me as much as they could. And yes, I did appreciate the help too.

 

WELCOMING COMMITTEE AT THE GATE THIS MORNING

For being up since 2:30 this morning I did pretty good & didn’t begin to fade until about noon.  No idea why I woke up at 2:30, I just did.  Haven’t taken any sleeping pills for awhile so maybe tonight I just might give myself a break.  Much of the afternoon was a mixed bag of dozing in my recliner & playing with the doggy guys.  Kelly was at Deer Park Lodge working.  Pheebs, Guinness & I did manage an afternoon walk around 3 o’clock looking for some Cedar trees in the woods to dig up & bring home maybe Tuesday.  Guinness’s Mom came by about 4 to pick him up.  We’re all going to miss that big goofy guy:))

Found a file of photos on my Toshiba laptop that I had forgot about so quickly put our new Emtec 64GB Flash Drive into gear & copied a file for our desk top.  Took the photos in the last couple days before leaving our house in Congress late last March.  Sure enough, there was a photo of some clothes I had left hanging in a closet, so now I remember what I left there.  I also remember taking pics of every room & everything in every room because I knew our memories would fail us after a few months.  And, they did.  Spotted a lawn chair we had been looking for.  We couldn’t remember if the rooms had ceiling fans & some of these photos showed us they did 

AW, AND SO THAT IS WHERE MY RED SHIRT IS >>>

Glancing over the photos today I couldn’t help but wonder if everything will be as we left it.  Will vandals have got in & trashed everything?  We had a couple roof leaks, will they be better or worse since we had the roof coated before leaving?  How is the new stucco finish holding up?  Did the Cactus I planted, survive in the back yard or did the JAVELINA eat or trample them?  And, the PACK RATS, have they burrowed in under the house?

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Looking at the photos I was reminded of the many projects on my list but it will just have to be necessary things this first year.  That fencing or wall around the property is going to cost us a fair bit for sure but it is priority one.  Not only for our safety from prowling Coyotes & Javelina’s, but from Rattlesnakes as well.  With these kinds of critters It is Pheebs I worry about the most.  We will also feel better leaving there next Spring knowing the entire property is fenced & gated.  Right now, anybody can drive in there & do whatever they want.

 

WOULD LIKE TO SEE A WOODEN GAZEBO OR SOME KIND OF PALAPA BUILT ON THIS CONCRETE PAD & A WOOD FRAME BOARD & BATTEN IDEA AROUND THIS OLD DENTED ALUMINUM SHED PLUS 2 NICE WOOD DOORS

 

HOPE MY TEMPORARILY LOCATED CACTI HAVE SURVIVED & WE NEED A WHOLE NEW FENCE WHERE THAT OLD GATE IS ALONG THE SOUTH SIDE…I KEPT CLOSING THAT LITTLE GATE & THE JAVELINA’S KEPT PUSHING THROUGH IT AT NIGHT

Our neighbor Bud, on the south side has been keeping an eye on things for us but he just left a couple weeks ago for California where he will be working for 3 months.  We have a Mexican family on the north side but didn’t get to meet them yet.  Nice folks across the road & I’m sure they will be keeping an eye on things as well.  Also, there is a neighborhood watch group that goes around checking on properties & Kelly was just talking to them by phone a couple days ago.  We may very well put our names on the list for next summer.

THAT FRONT YARD FENCING WILL COME OUT & BE RE-LOCATED TO EITHER THE WEST OR SOUTH SIDE OF THE PROPERTY PERIMETER

I am soooooo looking forward to getting there & working on the projects that I myself am able to do.  Mainly the yard work…..& there is a lot of that because nothing has been done to that property for years.  And, hard packed desert sand, rocks, & gravel is not easy to work with.  Going to be a challenge for sure.  Kind of like it was when we moved here to Bayfield.  No one had lived in the unit for 3 years & nothing had been done to the grounds.  It was covered in pine needles & not much growing in the way of grass, shrubs or flowers.  It was quite a challenge for us all right,  but we have managed just fine.

  

  

WE SURE ARE HOPING TO FIND EVERY THING JUST AS WE LEFT IT NEARLY 6 MONTHS AGO 

Lisa from METAMORPHOSIS ROAD joins us today as Blog Follower 525.  Lisa & Hans are new RV’ers just starting out in their Montana 5th wheel on a full time adventure.  A big welcome from the Bayfield Bunch to Lisa & Hans & thanks for dropping by folks.

BACK OF THE HOUSE IS SURE NEEDING SOME CREATIVE THOUGHTS & IDEAS

GROANER'S CORNER:(( 'Politicians are the same all over. They promise to build bridges, even where there are no rivers'.
-'Artificial hearts are nothing new. Politicians have had them for years.'
-Don't vote. You'll only encourage them.
-'Although he is regularly asked to do so, God does not take sides in American politics.'
So, in conclusion.......
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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