Saturday, July 06, 2013

SOME SUBTLE CHANGES TO MY BLOGGING HABITS THESE PAST MONTHS

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GREAT BLUE HERON THIS AFTERNOON

With Jeep windows full down Pheebs & I were out the door & on the road by 9 this morning.  Had a slight destination in mind at first but after a dozen miles or so I kinda talked myself out of it.  Swung ourselves a little further East than North this time & picked up few new gravel roads we hadn’t been on before.  Nice morning but on the humid & slightly hazy side.  Couldn’t really seem to get myself into active photo mode for some reason so for the most part we just enjoyed the scenery, soft ambient music, & relaxing thoughts.  Well at least some of my thoughts were relaxing.  A few pit stops along the way for water & stretches.  We were back home around 1 & our little Jeep jaunt had soaked up a nice 4 hours out of the day.

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Kelly put in a few hours at Deer Park Lodge this afternoon.  Thank heavens she gave her ‘full time’ notice last year or she would be over there every day now trying to do everything as usual & knocking herself out.  Sick or not.  Kelly & Donna over at 5TH WHEEL VAGABONDS are like two peas in a pod when it comes to work.  Neither one of them seem like they can get themselves slowed down to the speed of light sometimes.

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I THINK THIS OLD WINDMILL HAS SEEN BETTER DAYS MIKE

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OOOOOPS

I am really having to sit on my hands tonight & not respond to that comment in our Shout Box.  I will follow Kermit’s advice & stick to the high road again & that’s all I have to say about that:))

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I've never cared much for exercising just for the sake of exercising.  Not something that ever really interested me. Oh I've gone through a few YMCA memberships over the years, joined a few exercise related clubs for short periods of time here & there & tried following some exercise programs at home. Anybody remember that old 5BX military fitness plan. Yep, had that booklet too. Back in the early 90's I once paid some ridiculous amount of money for an absolute piece of plastic junk to work on my abs. Only thing it worked on was my guilt for buying the dumb thing in the first place. Besides, what the heck are abs anyway. I remember the exercise room at the YMCA & trying to figure out how to program one of those treadmill thingys to make my legs run 300 miles per hour. Tried those iron train engine wheel weights a few times & that was enough of that. Not being a big water guy I spent most of my time sitting at the bottom of the pool wondering what I was doing there. Fast walked a bunch of miles around the gymnasium's jogging track but never seemed to get very far before I was back to the very place I had started out from a minute before. Now how boring is that. Jogging never made much sense to me either. Just got me tired & made my legs feel like they were falling off. Bounced my brains around & gave me a headache anyway. I don't mind the natural exercise that comes with working. That somehow seems OK to me. Comes with a sense of accomplishment & purpose. But here I am in my late 60's, overweight & at a point where I know some kind of exercise program for me would probably be one of the best things I could do for myself, especially my lower back & legs.  But to exercise just for the pure agony of exercising……NUTS!!

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RECENT RAINS CAN MAKE FOR MUDDY DOGGY PAWS IN THE JEEP

Had been thinking of making some changes to my blogs side bar for quite awhile & a few days ago I began moving things around & eliminating some gadgets. Removed Max, Checkers, & Cora's photos because I hope to do a single tribute 'page' for them. Removed any Google+ stuff because I had not done anything with Google+ since first downloading it back in 2011. Just couldn't get my head around the program & wasn't really interested in another social site anyway.  It sat on my desktop for a couple years. I received a lot of notices from people saying they were in my Circles or had added me to theirs or something but I never followed up on any of that. Thought I might get back to it again some time & figure it out, but I never did. I didn't uninstall the program I just took it off my desk top & out of my side bar a few days ago.  Thanks to all the Google+ Circle people for dropping by the last couple years, whoever you were.  Temporarily moved our Blog Followers list & our Bayfield Bunch photo to the bottom while I moved some other gadgets around.  I use the ‘Search Bar’ a lot so moved that to the top.  We really do need a new Bayfield Bunch photo too but might leave it at the bottom for now until we get a new one. The Blog Follower's list hasn't grown much the last few years compared to years ago but Kelly's always convinced me to leave it on the bar anyway.  But it may go too.  I just haven’t decided.  Also have a few more changes coming up over the next few days as my ever evolving  blog & I  reach a milestone. I am again going to switch direction slightly. 

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Long time readers may have already noticed a subtle change in my blogging habits these past 3 months.  I have not been keeping up with my fellow Bloggers like I once did & I have not been commenting on nearly as many blogs as I once did either.  Nothing personal, it’s just a slow change that has been taking place within me, not you.  Lotsa fine blogs out there written by lotsa fine people.   My enthusiasm has slipped a few notches.  Priorities have & are changing.  The exuberance & excitement I once felt as a struggling new Blogger have dimmed.  Basically speaking, some of the challenge has gone out of it for me this past year or so.  I have not reached the point yet where I do not enjoy writing a post every day.  I like the writing & photography end of it too much to give it up so again thanks to all my readers for making this blog possible in the first place…………………………..10-4:))

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OUR STELLA DORA DAYLILIES…STELLA DORA MEANS ‘STAR OF GOLD’    

GROANER’S CORNER:((  In order to help jump-start the U.S. economy, the INS has announced that this year they will stop focusing on illegal aliens, and begin the deportation of retired people. It's predicted that this will not only help lower health care entitlement costs, but it turns out that retirees are much easier to catch. Plus, they rarely can remember how to get back home.

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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.

19 comments:

  1. Changes happen and so do our priorities. Still enjoy your photos and ramblings,hopefully you will keep that up.

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  2. Just keep those posts coming...who needs comments. Your posts relax me...and with all on your plate in the last few months be good to yourself. Love the little fishing bobber lost in the pods! Exercise is so boring...maybe just a morning floor stretch or two...the superman will help your back and a wall squat while capturing a photo down low :O)

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  3. Ha, thanks for the windmill there Pard, but it is a little like me and missing a few parts..

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  4. I've heard you mention the Shout Box but don't recall ever seeing it. The only one I've ever seen or made comments on was Tioga George's, several years ago.

    There are times when I really enjoy writing my blog and reading others, but also times when I barely have the energy to go through with it. I think those subtle changes hit us all sooner or later.

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  5. Al, you keep on keepin' on. I had a couple of folks get out of line on my blog recently - people who I have never interacted with before and one of the names I didn't even recognize from anywhere. Well, my playground is closed to them now. Our blogs are our blogs and we can vocalize whatever we want, post photos or not, and redesign the layout on a whim. I read yours every day and look forward to it. Peace.

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  6. I am still new to all this blogging stuff....just over a year now. I enjoy your photography and have learned sooooo much from you and your blog. I'm glad to hear you still enjoy your photography and sharing it with all of us. Thanks!

    I agree, the fishing bobber tangled up in the lily pads is way cool!

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  7. Getting closer and closer to your millionth hit; got a "special" prize lined up for the person?

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  8. Al I have seen you take the high road several times on your blog and I commend you for that. I always enjoy your photos and narrative. I too have lost some of my earlier enthusiasm for reading and writing blogs.

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  9. Your blog looks great! Love the photos tonight, as every night. Especially the - Heron, Lily Pad and the hilly road!!

    All that matters is what you enjoy.

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  10. Made me look. Have I just never scrolled to the bottom before? Love that.

    I'd recommend putting the "join this site" up top so new folks don't have to look so hard.

    FYI, I don't know about other bloggers on your sidebar, but you send over a lot of readers my way. Thank you for continuing the story and photos, whatever way you like.

    Now about that treadmill... ;)

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  11. I missed that comment, I hope Kelly continues to take it easy.. it takes a while to recover from an ordeal like she been through.

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  12. Is that Kudzu vines on that windmill tower? We have those unstoppable vines in Alabama, but I did not think they grow up North. Nice to see our Winter birds enjoying Summer in Bayfield. I do love your pictures and fun to read blog,I look forward to the groaner each night. Tonight's was great. I also want to thank you for sending readers my way.

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  13. Al you are so right about Donna and Kelly two, workaholic blondes if there ever was any.We so hope you guys can stop on your way south this year we are right off I-70 and I 64, and you can take 64 to I270 to I55 south when you leave, will take you right to Memphis and South. Be safe out there Sam & Donna..

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  14. Al, I hear you 100%. I've never used a shout box, and I don't have one on any of my blogs. Yes, it is getting to be a chore to blog nearly every day and I have 3 active blogs! I find that Facebook is much easier. Just post a photo and go! Our monsoon season is starting here, so hopefully we'll get more thunderheads today. We're heading over to Arizona in August...up to the Mogollon Rim!
    Take care.
    ~~Cheryl Ann~~LOVE your current header photo. I haven't changed mine for ages!

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  15. I'll admist sometimes I skim your blog, but I always take a long look at the photos and they are gorgeous.
    And of course love seeing Pheebs, not that I'm a dog lover or anything. Hey as I always tell Sam, I'm afraid if I slow down my age will catch up and that wont be pretty

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  16. I cover what Donna W misses since I just skim your photos and read ALL of what you write. Between the two of us we got you covered, keep on keeping on.
    I also don't much care where you place your Followers and why anyone would Comment on their placement is puzzling to me.

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  17. Love that heron shot. We have them both here in Kelowna and in Mazatlan.

    Hey kelly....slow down just a tad!

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  18. There's always some one with sour grapes in every crowd...the trolls are everywhere, I get the rude comments on my blogs too...as hard as it can be sometimes to let it slide, it's always best to take the high road and not let them get to you.
    As always, your photos are beautiful!!

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  19. It speaks highly of your character that you have taken the high road (as you have before) and not responded to that negative shout box comment.

    Sure appreciate all your photos and tips.

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