Saturday, June 29, 2013

SAY, I WONDER IF IT’S TOO EARLY TO START LOADING A FEW THINGS IN THE WINNIE WAGON YET………………..

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SOMETIMES  HARD TO SEE THE LITTLE PHEEBS IN ALL THE TALL GREENERY

So nice waking up to cooler 58F temps this morning. Rains had blown out of the area overnight & our cloud cover gradually eased up over the day.  In my opinion we ended up with a perfect daytime temperature of 73F & no humidity.

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Kelly has been helping out over at Deer Park Lodge mainly on the week-ends this year so she planned to head in around noon. She had found a house & property for sale on a Real Estate site Friday so that was a good enough excuse for Pheebs & I to fire up the Jeep late this morning & get ourselves on the road. From the photos on the Real Estate site we already knew the house was a wreck, it was not in one of our favorite areas, & the lot didn't look appealing. But no matter, it was a destination & it never hurts to go put some actual eyeballs on these types of places just in case. Rascal Buns & I were on the road by 11:30.

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Quick stop at McDonald's in Exeter Ontario & then off a few miles south east of town to find the house & property for sale. Not much trouble finding it & the property was even worse than the photos indicated.  I never even got out of the Jeep to look at anything.  Real Estate pics showed the interior was totally trashed.  Good luck to the owner for wanting nearly $40,000 for it.

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By early afternoon we were beginning to see some nice sun splashes & cloud patterns traveling across the emerald green farm fields. Nice lighting for photos. June is definitely the month of green & how nice to see sweeping fields of greening corn, wheat, beans, & clover, etc. Pheebs & I had a great 4 hours just cruising along the country roads. She often sits up straight in the passenger seat watching out the windshield just like a little person. She has no interest in sticking her head out the window like most dogs. What a Sweetie Pie she is.

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THAT’S PHEEBS UP THE ROAD EXPLORING AROUND WHILE I’M TAKING A FEW FLOWER PICS…WIDE ANGLE LENS PHOTO SO SHE APPEARS FARTHER AWAY THAN WHAT SHE ACTUALLY IS

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SO NICE TO SEE EVERYTHING SO GREEN

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On our homeward swing we stopped at the HULLETT MARSH for a walk alongside one of the large swampy waterways. Water levels were high due to Saturday's rain making the many ponds look more like small lakes. Pheebs was just ahead of me in the long grass near the water when I was startled by a splashing sound. Pheebs had surprised a Mother Duck & her babies. The Mother Duck took off to the right half flying, half running, & half swimming across the water. The baby ducks all took off in the opposite direction to the left. Mama Duck had gone about 40 feet before she realized the babies were not behind her & had gone the other way. She made a quick about face & raced back across the water running over Papa duck in the process. She hurriedly swung in ahead of the babies & they all fell in line behind her. She quickly led them further out from the shore & they soon disappeared around a corner of shrubs, stumps, & tangled branches.. I was lucky enough to get a few photos with my D3100.  I’m guessing Mama Duck may have been a HOODED MERGANSER.

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SECONDS AFTER TAKING THIS PHOTO I HEARD A LOT OF SPLASHING JUST TO THE LEFT OF THAT WOODEN PLATFORM

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MAMA DUCK HASTILY ESCAPES ACROSS THE WATER

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REALIZING THE BABIES ARE NOT BEHIND HER SHE RACES BACK PASSING ONE OF THEM ALONG THE WAY

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GATHERING UP HER FLOCK OF BABIES SHE QUICKLY LEADS THEM TO SAFETY

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A FEW MINUTES LATER I SPOTTED THIS FELLOW WHICH I AM GUESSING IS A PIED-BILLED GREBE…AT FIRST I THOUGHT THIS LITTLE CRITTER HAD ESCAPED FROM A BOX OF FRUIT LOOPS

Here we are almost at the end of June already & despite my relative inactivity the summer seems to be skipping right along.  We haven’t talked about our travels this coming winter yet or which route we will take or when we will leave.  It’s almost like we are afraid to bring up the subject because of all the medical stuff going on.  I think the ‘what if’s’ are in both our minds & we are holding back any plans at the moment until we know for sure what the reality of our situation is.  Probably a little early yet to be talking any travel & route plans but I always like to get some kind of idea in my mind of what’s going on.  Gives me something to look forward to & mull around in my head I guess.  Say, I wonder if it’s too early to start loading up a few things………………………………….

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GROANER’S CORNER:((  As autumn approaches and summer vacation is over, a mother wakes up her son and says it's the first day of school, so get up and get ready. He says, “Mom, I don’t want to go back. Please don't make me. I hate school!”
She says, “Don't be silly. It can't be that bad. I bet you can't even think of two reasons not to go.”
He says, “Really, I mean it! All the kids hate me. And the teachers all think I'm stupid.”
She says, “Well, those aren't really good reasons. Maybe you can try harder.”
He says, “No, I don't want to go. Give me two good reasons I should.”
She replies, “Well, first of all, you’re almost years 60 old. And second, you’re the Principal.”

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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.

13 comments:

  1. Great pictures story about mama duck and her babies.

    I can certainly understand feeling in limbo about travel plans. Seems every time we make plans to do go somewhere, something goes awry. Hope your doctors get your and Kelly's medical issues cleared up soon.

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  2. My gosh, I count 10 baby Merganzers! How wonderful is that. Lovely, calming photos tonight. Beautiful!

    I hope you are able to make your travel plans soon. That is half the fun of traveling in a RV - making the plans with anticipation of getting on the road.

    We leave at the end of October, each year, for five to six months. I look forward to the planning stage.

    Like everyone says: it is not the destination, but rather the journey that makes it meaningful!

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  3. Even though we do have some travel plans already made for next winter we are feeling like you and Kelly right now "Trapped". I finally just had surgery to repair a hernia that has bothered me for nearly five years and Kathy's doctor is playing with her medications because she'd been on the others too long. We're wishing we could be travelling around Ontario during this beautiful weather but we can only hope that our health will continue to improve so we can get back On The Road Again soon. Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

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  4. It's never too early to start thinking and planning, but I'd hold off on loading things into the RV just yet. Don't want to jinx it.

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  5. It's never too early to start packing...I am hoping Kelly gets real good news or at least a plan for getting better very soon!
    Great ride you and Rascal Buns had today! Those orange flowers are so pretty with the green background.

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  6. I read your daily joke to my wife and she had heard it before, being a teacher you know.
    I showed her you pic of a duck and chicks and she instantly said "Mergansers". She was so happy to see her Winter friends were doing great this Summer.

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  7. Watch that Pheebs doesn't prematurely load herself into the wagon. She sounds like a real ride-hound!

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  8. We never entirely UNload the Hiker..But I do not see Winter travel plans unless we get our elders safely tucked in somewhere...You were lucky that Uncle Harry had a safe place to live so you and Kelly could get away..We love our family elders, but sure do love our Winter trips...If we miss this one, we will have only been 5 weeks in the Hiker in over 2 years.. :-(

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  9. I don't think a few things would hurt,I was hoping Kelly's health would improve enough for a short trip this summer.

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  10. Never to early to pan and dream maybe evevn e few camping trips about Ontario would be nice

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  11. $40,000. dollars? where is this place?

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