Wednesday, July 24, 2013

‘TRAVEL TALKS’

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SURPRISED THIS WHITETAIL DEER IN THE HULLET MARSH THIS MORNING

It was ‘travel talk’ that pulled me up by the boot straps this morning.   More about that later………………..

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Kelly had to fill in for a few hours at Deer Park Lodge today so headed out the door around 9:30 this morning.  Rascal Buns & I were feeling the need for speed (if you can call 20mph speed) so it was into the Jeep with us & off we went on another of our relaxing gravel runs.  We only have 3 directions to chose from once we leave Bayfield.  North, South, & East.  If we want to head west we can only go a mile & then we need a boat.  Brekky to go at Clinton’s Tim Horton’s & it was off to the HULLETT MARSH we headed.  Our mornings are delightfully cooler now & at 62F & I knew there would be no bugs in the air.  It was a picture perfect morning with big fluffy white clouds in the sky.  So happy to be rid of the heat & humidity.

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THIS IS WHERE PHEEBS GOT INTO THE MUCK & I GOT A SOAKER

Parked our Jeep near a large pond & off we went.  How nice within minutes to come across a grazing white tailed Deer.  Watched her grazing for about 5 minutes before she caught wind of us & dashed off into the underbrush.  After being frumped out in my recliner for days how great it was to be out in nature again enjoying sunshine, summer breezes, & the many bird songs one can only hear in a marshy area.  Pheebs got herself into some swampy muck & I got a soaker.  In other words, we had ourselves a most enjoyable time:))

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By the time we walked back to the Jeep Pheebs paws had been brushed clean by the long grass spent we had to trudge through.   Spent our next couple hours wandering along the country roads stopping here, snapping a few photos there, & grabbing a stretch or two whenever we needed one.  Don’t think we got over 65F today & I did have a flannel long sleeve shirt on.  But it wasn’t cold.  It was just totally perfect for being outside doing things.  Sun was warm, air was cool, & again it reminded me of a typical winter’s day in Arizona.  No bugs:))

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Started my slide copying project Monday night. So far so good....sort of. First carousel I started working on were slides of myself from when I was a child. I had copied some old black & white prints to slides years ago.  Was copying my 19th slide when I realized I had just done the first 18 wrong. Slide 19 was a photo of me in Miami Beach back in 1966. I had on a white T-shirt with the word 'Navy' written across the front. (I was in the Canadian Navy at the time) Noticed right away there was a problem with the photo. The word 'Navy' was backwards. That told me right off that I had copied the first 18 slides backwards. Luckily, this copier is very easy to use & no problem to re-do the slides.
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Before starting the project I had to do a little housecleaning in my Windows 7 'Picture' program. Tied up a bunch of loose ends, created some new folders & re-organized a bunch of miscellaneous photos readying things for my slide update photos.
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The slide copier handles 4 slides at a time & once one gets on to the procedure things go pretty quickly. I pull 4 slides out of the carousel tray & place them in the slide carrier which I insert in the copier. Takes me about 4 seconds to copy each slide. The copiers software can rotate the photo, mirror image it, plus it has a bunch of editing tools like exposure control, color shifts, etc. I bypass these because I will do all that later when I edit each photo in my familiar Picasa 3.9 photo editing program.

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Each old photo I bring up on the screen has a host of memories attached to it.  For me, each photo tells a story.  Even after 30 years, 4 photos right away brought tears to my eyes.  They are of me & my dog Biff year’s ago.  I will include one those photos here as a tribute to my old faithful & long lost Pal.  If there is such a place as heaven I will be looking for Biff if & when I get there.

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BIFF & I OUT ON A LITTLE PHOTO SHOOT IN AUGUST OF 1983

I think it was a combination of our hot & sticky weather, being housebound for a bunch of days, & just those old familiar mid summer blues that combined to slide me into the doldrums these past bunch of days.  Happens to me periodically when I get a little too hard on myself & end up slumped in my recliner.  I enjoy writing this post every day but the last few days it was difficult to get myself interested in anything & that included the blog.  So what lifted my Spirits this morning?  Travel talk, that’s what:))  We had talked a bit about it on & off the last few weeks but this morning I felt there was finally some seriousness in our discussion.  I’m the kind of person who likes to get a ‘definite departure date’ nailed down each Fall.  Gives me a goal to work towards, a challenge, something to look forward to, & a purpose.  If I don’t have those 4 things in front of me at all times I can easily backslide into the doldrums………..  

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SOMETIMES DOGGY GETS A LITTLE BORED WHILE I’M TAKING A FEW PHOTOS

It seems our ‘travel talk’ was all I needed to begin re-charging my depleted mental & physical batteries.  For me, travel plans always spark my enthusiasm instantly & especially when they regard heading south.  Didn’t take me long to get myself outside, open up some of the rig’s bin doors & start thinking about what will go where, when, & how because we could be going sooner than we think.  We are considering 2, maybe 3 Winnie Wagon trips.  Up to Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula in a couple weeks for a 3 or 4 day shake down cruise.  That’s why I loaded a few things this morning.  Then over to Rochester NY in early September for maybe 3 days to visit Kelly’s Mother & maybe back home again.  Where we go from Spencerport NY will depend on which of 2 routes we decide to take.  Been some talk about heading across Canada to B.C. & then down the coast through Washington & Oregon.  If we chose that route then we would come back to Bayfield from Spencerport before heading out for the west about mid September.  Second route on the table is the Colorado route I’ve been wanting to take the past few years.  If we chose that route we would just leave Spencerport & head west to Colorado from there.  I would say odds right now are in favor of the Colorado route.  Of course this all depends on some health issues at the moment but we are remaining optimistic.  With this summer’s health issues fresh in both our minds we both agreed it is better to pull out all the stops NOW & get as many enjoyable travel miles & adventures under our belts as we can…….while we can!!

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I THINK OUR LOWER NIGHT TIME TEMPS HAVE FOOLED A FEW TREES INTO THINKING IT’S AUTUMN

GROANER’S CORNER:(( All depends on how you look at it………………………. Two shoe salespeople were sent to Africa to open up new markets. Three days after arriving, one salesperson called the office and said, 'I'm returning on the next flight. Can't sell shoes here. Everybody goes barefoot.'
At the same time the other salesperson sent an email to the factory, telling 'The prospects are unlimited. Nobody wears shoes here!'

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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.

14 comments:

  1. O.K. Al, here's something to "sweeten the pot" and help you decide on coming on out to Oregon. I have a big old framed black and white poster of Hopalong Cassidy mounted on his horse. Think I got it from "Spunny Spread" way way back when I was a youngster. I'd love for you to have it. If you get anywhere close, we'll meet you and bring it to you. Interested?

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  2. Your pictures tonight are absolutely beautiful! One more thing...I'd like to see you get on the ground flat like that for a picture now....haha!

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  3. Sure wish we had some of those cooler temperatures. It's been uncharacteristically hot here for July and not even cooling off good at night. I'm wilted!! I think Pheebs has the right idea - find some shade and lay in it!!

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  4. I can totally understand the medical issues helping to make some of your decisions for you. Both routes have so much gorgeous scenery and places to see. Good luck with that decision.

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  5. We are leaving early too, want to get to eastern Utah before it gets too cold there. It's warm here too, it has been all month.

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  6. It looks as if we will finally be leaving southern California this weekend. Maybe even Friday! I can't believe it. I feel your excitement!

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  7. I so love travel plans...and so agree with you - if not now when?

    That's the cutest picture of Pheebs in the bushes.

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  8. Sounds like a great plan .......or I should say set of PLANS
    to get the Winnie rolling !!!!!! I'm with you, Al, looking forward to seeing my best Pals when I get upstairs !!! Sounds like the slide project is moving right along ...... That's great .....ALWAYS, ENJOY THE PHOTOS !!!!! THANKS, AGAIN !!!!

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  9. Making the travel plans is almost as fun as the actual traveling. Glad you're out of your slump.

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  10. Memories held in our hearts for lost four-legged best friends! I have a few in my heart, always will, love them all.

    Love the photo of Pheebs, in the muck; mule deer looks pregnant; love the marsh photos; it is always fun to make travel plans!!

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  11. Lovely photos, Al. I was out for an afternoon walk up by Silver Lake (Sierra Nevada) one afternoon while hubby was taking a nap. A bunch of trail horses went by a path and I decided to follow them. I scared something in the bushes and out popped 3 deer! Good thing it wasn't a bear or I would have been toast! I hear you about the blogging blues...I'm having those myself right now.
    ~~Cheryl Ann~~ Glad you are planning your return to Arizona!

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  12. Like you said lets travel now while we can, someday we will have to stop.
    Enjoy whichever route you take.

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  13. Here's hoping your plans work out and the wheels are rolling soon.

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  14. Hi Al, if you come across Canada & down the Pacific Northwest route, I will have a home cooked meal for you all here in OR and a yard for Pheebs and Molly to play in! Heck we might have the guest room ready, too!

    Gorgeous pictures of your area and I'm so glad the heat wave is over for you!
    Kathy
    Birdingrvers.com

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