TODAY WE SAID GOOD-BYE TO MERIKAY & CRAIG & I GOT ME SOME COOKIE BUTTER:))))))))))

‘YAHOOIE LOUIE’ THANKS TO MERIKAY & CRAIG i GOT ME ANOTHER JAR OF YUMMY COOKIE BUTTER
 
YEP, AND I’VE ALREADY HAD MY FIRST BIG SCOOP TOO:)))))))))))
Cleaned a few windows, swept out the carport, blew some pine needles off the front porch, watered some sod & got myself a little campfire going on.  Everything worked out fine except for my campfire smoldering out.  Merikay & Craig from MERIKAY'S DREAMS rolled in around 11 & saved me from any more around the house chores.

SURE IS A BIG JEEP YA GOT THERE CRAIG
Had us a Big EEE tour & a yard walkabout before adjourning to our sunroom to solve us a few of the world's problems.  Covered a lot of bases with much of our talk centering around the rigs, the people & the events of the RV lifestyle.  Always stories to be told & things to learn.  Kelly had picked up some sausage, cole slaw, ice cream & a blueberry custard pie at the Mennonite market this morning.  Throw in some beans & we had ourselves a tasty lunch.  More RV interests were discussed & a few more stories told around the kitchen table.  The day slipped by fast as morning gave way to mid afternoon & all too soon Merikay & Craig were climbing into their Jeep & heading on back to their Alfa Motorhome.  Roads to be traveled tomorrow & packing up to be done tonight.  By the looks of the weather they are going to be heading out in a morning rain.  How nice it was of them to motor all the way up here to our little rural slice of Ontario just to say hello to us.  Safe traveling guys & guess what................I'm already into my jar of Cookie Butter.  Thanks moocho mucho:)))))))))
 
YEP, CRAIG LOOKS SO COMFY I THINK HE IS HERE TO STAY
I have often wished we could return to Arizona in the summer Monsoon season to see all the dry washes running with water & desert cactus in bloom.  Jerry from Benson Arizona in his latest post talks about what it is like tucked away safely inside as the rolling thunder, lightning strikes & heavy rains beat down all around them.  And he has photos of cactus blooms.  Some medical issues have slowed Jerry & Suzy's RV travels down a bit but he still manages an occasional post now & again.  All the best you guys & stay safe riding out those big Arizona Monsoons.  OUR LIFE ON WHEELS

I THINK HE WENT THAT-A-WAY KELLY
This morning Kelly finalized this coming winter's health trip insurance for our 6 months south of the border.  Of course it has gone up again as it does every year & I can easily see where at some point it is the high cost of travel insurance that finally ends many Canadian RV'ers winter travels to the South.  Kelly was told on the phone that next year will be even higher because I will be over 70 by then & my rate will 'jump substantially’.  Sometimes I wonder how we are ever going to do it but I have to quickly follow those thoughts up with our many memories of the 8 great fortunate years we have had so far.
 

 

BYE GUYS & THANKS FOR DRIVING ALL THE WAY OVER HERE TO SEE US BAYFIELD BUMS:))
ARCHIVE MEMORY::  It is now just past mid August & once again the signs of our summer slipping away are beginning to emerge. Tiny invisible Crickets have a different chirp to them, once lush green leaves are taking on a harder edged look, days are becoming noticeably shorter, & our ever present resident pond frogs are quieter now as they contemplate their long winter's hibernation. Who's going to get the best spot in the mud this year. Nights are definitely cooling down & soon an Autumn crispness will be in our daytime's air. It is my favorite time of year which approaches. The exciting freshness of Spring is long gone & summer's steamy rush is rapidly winding down. Autumn is a time for quiet reflection. Everything seems to slow as we shift to a lower gear. In just mere weeks from now kids will be back in school, the Labor Day week-end will be behind us & a few trees will begin to dress in their finest early Fall colors.   Autumn is also a time of anticipation & preparation for the long cold winter months ahead. It's a cozy time as we scurry about like little squirrels organizing ourselves & preparing to hunker down & await the chilling winds of winter.

Autumn is also a time of new learning. I've always had a theory that I think is probably true. Ever since we were kids first starting school we have become programmed to begin an educational process every September. This continues for all our early years in life & becomes embedded in our very being. And, I think it lasts forever. Even though I've been out of the school system since the early 60's I still feel that learning process beginning to kick in around mid August. Over the years I have enrolled in various night classes starting in September. Half a dozen photography related courses, a beginners computer course, Tai Chi exercise classes & probably a few others I've forgotten about. It's always a nice feeling to be learning something new & especially at a time of year when we have been programmed to do so for many years. It takes me back to my early public school days & that fresh smell of new books, erasers, new ink in the ink wells & fresh apples in our knapsacks. And purple Fall flowers always remind me of early school days as well.  Aw yes, Autumn. My favorite time of year. Think I just talked myself into brewing up a fresh cup of coffee, lighting up a cinnamon scented candle, & turning on the fireplace for a cozy stay at home musically relaxing day. 

GROANERS CORNER:((Last Sunday, the pastor of a local church began his sermon with a supposedly true story... "I was on a plane last week, flying from Chicago to California, when we ran into some very severe turbulence. As it got worse, the passengers became more and more alarmed, and finally even the flight attendants began to look concerned. Finally, one of them noticed that I had "REV." in front of my name on the passenger list came over to me and said, "Sir, this is really frightening. Do you suppose you could ... I don't know ... do something religious?"  "So I took up a collection."