Sunday, July 13, 2014

SHEEPS, WIND TURBINES & AN ARCHIVE MEMORY ABOUT A NOT SO BRIGHT CRAYON:((

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YES I KNOW ABOUT THE ‘S’ ON THE END OF THE WORD SHEEP IN THE TITLE:))

It was the high pitch whine of our zoomerator Hoover vacuum cleaner more than anything else that hurriedly drove Pheebs & I out of the house this morning & off into the much quieter mid-summer picturesque countryside.  Kelly had a cleaning bee going on & of course me & the Kid didn't want to get in the way of that.
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A quick stop in Goderich at Canadian Tire to have a couple extra ignition keys made for the Sunfire & we were back on the road headed out of town.  No particular destination again, just wandering.  I always get excited whenever I see Real Estate signs on rural properties so I always stop & take a couple photos.  Upon returning home Kelly then tracks them down on the Real Estate sites to check on the price.  Of course it is always discouraging but it's fun to look & I do like the excitement high I get.  Well until we look up the price on-line that is.  That's where the dream always get's busted.
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WE LATER LOOKED UP THE PRICE ON THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY & IT TURNED OUT TO BE 40 ACRES FOR $599,000
Nice sunny day with a breeze off the lake & low humidity.  My kinda day.  Pheebs & I stopped to have a close up look at a wind turbine south of Bayfield.  None of the area’s new turbines are on line yet & we were able to drive right up to the base of one in a field.  After our overnight rain the site was soggy so between shoes & paws we probably have as much mud inside the Jeep now as we have on the outside.  Oh Dear, another big clean-up job coming again:((

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HEADING INTO A LAND OF LARGE WIND TURBINE & POWER LINE DINOSAURS

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AM GUESSING THOSE BLACK PLASTIC THINGS ARE COVERINGS FOR THE LARGE BOLTS INSIDE FASTENING THE TOWER TO THE BASE

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A HEAVY DUTY LOCKED STEEL DOOR LEADS TO THE INSIDE OF THE TOWER

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IT WAS THE FROM THE BASE OF THIS WINDY GIANT TODAY’S TURBINE PICS WERE TAKEN

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Before I tell you what we paid to have the Motorhome's finish restored let me emphasize the fact that just about anything is always cheaper in the States.  Doesn't seem to matter what it is whether groceries, car parts, hardware, or whatever, it's best to get things done south of the border if one can.  I've had two people tell me they paid $350 to have their rig's done.  One was in Florida (thanks Chris) & not sure where the other one was.  We paid $500 to have the coach detailed.  Well worth it in our minds when you consider the work & expertise involved in the job.  It's a very labor intensive project.  Everything about the coach was in tip-top shape when we bought it except for the oxidation on the finish so having that done now puts a contented & satisfactory smile on my face:))
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A FINE EXAMPLE OF SOME SHEEPISH TOGETHERNESS TODAY
A commenter in part said, 'new MH with a new finish, new car parked on a new concrete slab.'  I know what the commenter meant but just want to clear that up by saying the MH & car aren't new but yes the Motorhome's finish & our carport's concrete slab are definitely new.  The 03 Triple E Motorhome & the 04 Pontiac Sunfire are new in the sense they are ‘new to us’ & I know that is what the commenter meant:))

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AND WHAT’S A DAY WITHOUT AN  OCCASIONALLY REFLECTED JEEP WINDOW SELFIE EH
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I wrote this back in October of 08.  We were just about ready to head for the southwest with our new to us 33’ 2003 Class A Damon Challenger.  I entitled it 'Not The Brightest Crayon In The Box'.

ARCHIVE MEMORY::  Well, my brain did it to me again just a few days ago!! The hose connection on the side of the motorhome has always been a pain in the butt for attaching or detaching the water hose. In fact attaching a garden hose to a tap has always been one of those things causing me grief.  Usually end up having to use the vice grips. Figured there must be a better way of doing things & wondered about some kind of hose quick disconnect apparatus. I don't use that system at home here but remembered seeing a couple of plastic dis-connect pieces laying in a box somewhere. Rounded them up, grabbed the rigs water hose, & had a look at hooking everything up. No problem getting the larger piece threaded onto the rig but then the hose end didn't seem to match either one of the plastic fittings. Figured there must be a piece missing or something or maybe it's some kind of special RV device that is needed. At no point did my brain step up to help me figure out this problem. A few years ago it would have said, "hey dummy, try the other end of the hose!!" But, oh no, it was gonna keep that little tidbit of information to itself. Sometimes brains do not like to share things with their owners. Especially in these later years & I'm convinced my brain derives great pleasure in driving me right round the bend whenever it sees a golden opportunity to do so. With the 2 plastic pieces in my pocket, Kelly & I head down to STORMRUNNER RV SALES & SERVICE, our local RV dealer. Well, it didn't take Harry long to size up the situation & realize he's obviously dealing with someone as thick as a brick here. He quietly pointed out I was trying to connect the wrong end of the hose to the right end of the coupler!! So embarrassing:(( I made a comment about not being the brightest crayon in the box & I heard Harry's wife Dianne over at the main counter give out a little chuckle. "Hey," she said, "at least you do a good job with your blog & we enjoy reading it." Hey, I thought to myself, now there's a kind person who understands the thickness of a human brick & the failings of an aging male brain. Harry, on the other hand was probably considering submitting my name for the annual dunce cap Darwin awards:(( Needless to say, I felt pretty stupid for the rest of the day:((  Update:  Harry & Dianne actually met us in Bisbee Arizona a couple winters ago & we had breakfast at the BBC. I remember Harry eating up a big mess of grits & gravy.  No idea what the rest of us had.  The BISBEE BREAKFAST CLUB was always one of our favorite eateries when we were Ranch sitting in the area years ago & oh boy I sure do got a lot of great old memories from those early RVing years at the Ranch…………………………:))

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I took the above photo using a tri-pod & self timer on the camera. Do you suppose my brain reminded me how to use the self timer?? Not a chance!! Had to go in the house & get out the camera manual, but hey, the old foggy brain must have taken a little pity on me because it gave me a break & told me right where to find the camera manual. Now, how's that for some rare co-operation:))
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Stormrunner RV Sales & Service is located at the south end of Bayfield right on highway 21. They specialize in 5th wheel trailers. Open Spring, Summer, Fall & a few Winter months here & there...............

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GROANER'S CORNER:(( My friend, the manager of a grocery store, nabbed a shoplifter in the act. He was escorting the suspect to the office in the front of the store (near the cash registers), when the shoplifter broke from his grip and tried to run.  After a scuffle, my friend pinned him against the wall and looked up to see a number of surprised customers staring at him.  "Everything's fine, folks," he reassured them. "This guy just tried to go through the express line with more than ten items.
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History Of Medicine...........

2000 B.C. - Here, eat this root.
1000 A.D. - That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer.
1850 A.D. - That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion.
1940 A.D. - That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill.
1985 A.D. - That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic.
2000 A.D. - That antibiotic is artificial. Here, eat this root.

9 comments:

  1. That is exactly what I guessed you paid. You are having quite a summer! New to you motorhome and car AND find someone to clean and wax your motorhome....geezzz, what are you going to do to top all this?

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  2. If I think of the two very long days it would usually take me to try and polish up our RV every spring? I think five hundred is money well spent. PLUS, it really looks awesome. I never could seem to get it quite so shiny.

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  3. Thanks for the sheep pics and the wind mill pics also. You do spend Summer in a neat place with a ton of great things to see.

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  4. Money well spent for you on your rig,now you can keep it shiny will be easy from here on.

    New to you is good, and very affordable, like we did with our coach, works for us too.
    Let people think what they may.

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  5. $500 seems very reasonable. I just spent a fortune to have my car cleaned and waxed ($250). My brother started, but then we had to hire an archaeologist.

    He worked on it for awhile, then turned it over to a horticulturalist so we could figure out what was growing in the layers of compacted red dirt and dog hair.

    It now looks new, but I realize that's why I never get sick - riding in my car has helped me develop a great immune system. You know, kind of like those studies that show that kids raised on farms with chickens and livestock are healthier than kids raised in suburbia.

    Your rigs all look great!

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  6. Really like the sheep pic. I like looking at real estate also.
    I use mls.ca Able to view properties from coast to coast

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  7. I was the other person who had a rig detailed in the states for about $350. It was in Yuma, AZ.

    And I think you did just fine with your detailing. We would pay $500 for the marine finish too.

    It's interesting that there are apparently so many opinions about your RV ownership, home in the states, etc.

    I say good for you! You obviously are thoughtful about your purchases and they each add comfort, reliability and above all JOY to your life.

    And I appreciate your willingness to share your thoughts and day to day life on your blog. I can so relate to your wanderlust and "hitch itch"--my husband and I are the same way.

    We can't imagine hunkering down in one place for the rest of our lives until its absolutely necessary, and hopefully that won't be for a very long time.

    We have dear friends who are 88 and 90 who are still fulltime RVing, hiking, and LIVING their lives to the fullest.

    So keep on going, anticipating, and squeezing every drop of happiness and satisfaction from each day!

    It's all about the journey. :-)

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  8. I knew you'd know what I meant :-). Even the oldest antique is "new" when I buy it for my home. I love that you and Kelly live the lives that make you happy, and that you share it with us! What a treat to "visit" the turbine up close like that - you have to pay for a tour to see ours :-(.

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  9. If I could find a good place to have the Alfa done for $500 I would be there in a heartbeat. We were quoted $800 in Casa Grande last year, and more than that in California the year before. I guess we just must have $$$ on our foreheads! If any of your US readers can comment on places to look into I would be grateful.

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