Sunday, September 11, 2016

THINKING BACK, THINKING AHEAD, AND THINKING WHAT A BEAUTIFUL AUTUMN DAY IT WAS:))

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NOTICE THE HORSE AND CART HEADING OUT THE LANE AT EXTREME RIGHT

Stepping outside into the refreshingly cool pre-dawn air with Pheebs this morning I was quick to check the overhead night sky.  Stars are what I was hoping to see through the pine trees and it was stars I indeed did see.  I knew right away Pheebs and I would be off somewhere this morning and a short 3 hours later we were cruising through the countryside on an absolutely beautiful September morn.  Big white puffy clouds with a cooling breeze in a deep blue sky.  Oh how I love these much healthier Autumn mornings.

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FAMILY TIME ON A PEACEFUL SUNDAY MORNING

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I HAVE NO IDEA AT TO WHAT KIND OF DUCKS THOSE ARE

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I THINK THAT LITTLE FELLER IS DANCING HIMSELF A JIG ON THAT LOG

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YEP THESE HERE ARE CANADA GEESE ALRIGHT

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Not a long Jeep drive today but we did make a few stops along the way at a few of our favorite spots.  Wished I could put into words the feelings of wellness I experience whenever surrounded by Mother Natures wonders.  We are so fortunate to live in the area we do.  DSC_0006

FOR ME PURPLE IS AUTUMNS FINEST COLOR

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SAW THIS YOUNG FELLA JUST A ‘SNORTIN’ DOWN THE ROAD ON HIS OLD FARMALL TRACTOR TOWING A BIG MANURE SPREADER

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HE HAD THAT TRACTOR JUST A COOKIN AND IT SOUNDED LIKE A HARLEY GOING BY

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While walking past the Jeep one morning earlier this week I caught my own reflection in the side window and stopped to take a photo.  A few days later I got myself to thinking about that photo and figured maybe it was about high time I updated my profile picture on several programs and sites I belong to.  The current photo of me with the sunglasses on my big 229 gallon cowboy hat was actually cropped from a photo taken by Kelly in Quartzsite Arizona back in late January of 2015.  We were at Bloggerfest’s first ever gathering and I was standing arm in arm with Judy Bell better known as ‘The Birdlady of Blogland.  Judy has since hung up her fulltime RV keys, taken a break from blogging and is currently living in the Escapee Club’s Jojoba Hills RV Park Resort in southern California……..Oh ya back to my profile picture……..While passing the rear of the Jeep this morning I again caught my reflection in the window.  A-ha I thought, here is my chance to finally take a crack at a new photo and below is what I came up with.  Now to get my sites changed over……………….

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NOT TECHNICALLY PERFECT BUT I LIKE IT BECAUSE MY FACE IS COVERED UP FOR A CHANGE AND HEY, NO BIG GOBY GOOB SUNGLASSES:))

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OH DAD REALLY!?!?

Our good friend, neighbor, and all round ace handyman Bruce finished up a little project in our Motorhome today.  As in other rigs we’ve had we wanted a curtain bar put in behind the driver and passenger seats and I knew to have this job done right and look professional I was not the one to do it.  A curtain behind the front seats serves several purposes.  First is convenience in that at night instead of pulling the two halves of the windshield curtains together which can be a bit of a PITA sometimes it is much easier to pull a curtain across a straight bar behind the seats.  Also on cold nights that big up front windshield and side windows can radiate a lot of cold inside the coach.  A curtain not only cuts down on that cold but also is a big help in keeping heat confined to where we enjoy it the most.  The curtain is in two parts and can easily be pulled to either side and secured while traveling.  Curtains can also be pulled closed while driving as well although I haven’t thought of why we might do that yet.  Nice to have the option though.  I also re-strung our Cactus/Cowboy lights this afternoon as well.  Yesireee we’re buzzing about excitingly getting things geared up alright:)) 

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BRUCE EXPLAINS A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE NEW CURTAIN BAR

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KELLY TRIES OUT A SET OF ‘TEST CURTAINS’

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MOST EVERYTHING YOU SEE HERE IS NOW LOADED INTO THE RIG WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THAT BLUE BIN AND HEAVY YELLOW 50 AMP POWER CORD

From a writing & photography stand point I’ll sure be glad to be on the road next month.  New things to write about & new things to take photos of.  Sunrises & sunsets again as we make our way along old familiar roadways and venture into new unfamiliar territories.  It's a time of excitement, a time of apprehension, a time of happy moments and a time of concern.  Some days as I sit here wrapped safely in the reassuring secure arms of my of my big old comfy recliner my mind wanders off into the weeds thinking, ‘wouldn’t it just be much easier to stay home, less stress, keep the daily routines intact, stay on track, & don’t do anything drastic to shake up my daily routines.  Heaven forbid we should ever shake up normal routines eh.  And wouldn’t it be much, much, easier on the pocket book as well.  Well the answer’s yes to all of those things & more which I’m sure dissuade many a dreamer to forever remain at home.   All solid reasons I’m thinking why many folks would never consider an RV lifestyle whether it be as Week-Enders, Snow Birds, or Full-Timers.

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LOOKS LIKE A BEAN FARM TO ME

I sometimes wonder where we would be had we not come into several fortunate financial windfalls 10 years ago.  When I posed that question to Kelly awhile back she said she figured we would still have found a way to get ourselves into an RV and on the road and I am inclined to agree with her because that is the direction we were agreeably headed after we met back in the summer of 93.  We were both very independent people looking for some kind of change, a challenge, a different lifestyle.  RVing was a perfect fit for us.  I’m guessing chances are we would have become Full-Timers working our way around the U.S. and Canada doing ranch sitting, property security type jobs etc.  We maybe would have even given camp hosting a try except I don’t think either one of us could have put up with that hosting thing for very long.  Fortunately for us we did not have to go that route.

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NOTICE THE WHITE DOTS ON THE HILLSIDE…….SHEEP

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I AM FAMILIAR WITH THIS PARTICULAR SHEEP HERD AND KNOW IT HAS SEVERAL GUADIAN DOGS WITH IT……ALTHOUGH I HEARD ONE OF THE DOGS BARKING AT ME I COULDN’T PICK IT OUT AMONGST THE SHEEP BECAUSE IT IS THE SAME COLOR THEY ARE

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Looking back over the past 10 RVing years I’m happy to say we have no regrets for most of the decisions we have made.  Oh there were a couple RV’s in there a few years ago we could have done without but other than that I’m happy we decided to take a chance on the RV lifestyle in the first place & follow our dreams.  Can’t even begin to imagine where we would be now had we not tweaked our adventurous spirits back then.  We are very thankful for the years of seasonal travel we have put in & I’m hoping we have many more years ahead of us.DSC_0044

GROANER'S CORNER:((  An Alphabetic Take On Life::

a.. Age is a very high price to pay for maturity.
b.. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than going to a garage makes you a mechanic.
c.. Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity.
d.. A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.
e.. A closed mouth gathers no feet.
f.. If you must choose between two evils, pick the one you've never tried before.
g.. My idea of housework is to sweep the room with a glance.
h.. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious
i.. It is easier to get forgiveness than permission.
j.. For every action, there is an equal and opposite government program.
k.. If you look like your passport picture, you probably need the trip.
l.. Always yield to temptation, because it may not pass your way again.
m.. Bills travel through the mail at twice the speed of checks.
n.. A conscience is what hurts when all your other parts feel so good.
o.. Eat well, stay fit--die anyway.
p.. No husband has ever been shot while doing the dishes.
q.. A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.
r.. Middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
s.. Opportunities always look bigger going than coming.
t.. Junk is something you throw away three weeks before you need it.
u.. There is always one more imbecile than you counted on.
v.. Experience is a wonderful thing. It enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
w.. By the time you can make ends meet, they move the ends.
x.. Thou shalt not weigh more than the refrigerator.
y.. I believe the only time the world beats a path to my door is when I'm in the bathroom.
z.. Blessed are they who can laugh at themselves for they shall never cease to be amused.

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And how's this for an answering machine message done to the song"Camptown Races":
I can't come to the telephone; doo-dah, doo-dah.
Leave your message when you hear the tone; oh, de doo-dah day.
Might be gone all night... Might be gone all day...
So leave a message when you hear the tone.
I'll call you back someday...

10 comments:

  1. Like you we on the road for 10 years and love every minute of it, can't wait to head out to the southwest again, such a beautiful place. We are ready to go just need to count the days now.

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  2. We close our divider in the front to keep the A/C up front, we don't like running the gen to run the A/C's going down the road, so we close the divider to the back and the front A/C is able to keep up, the dogs stay up front anyway - We're in Florida... it gets hot...

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  3. Love the photo of Pheebs giving you the eye:) That photo of you won't work for a new profile photo...we need to see your face:) We, also, are so glad we discovered this amazing lifestyle.

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  4. So many beautiful things to see in your area, I love the bright red tractor. Your "profile" shot definitely describes you, but I agree with Pam we need to see your mug!! Always nice to look back and be happy with our choices. This life is certainly one of the best we ever made!

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  5. Such a beautiful post....well, except I agree with Pam, we need to see your face. Love the picture of Pheebes giving you the look! So cute. I do have a question. When I download my photos to the blog sometimes they turn out alittle blurry. Your photos are always so crisp Al. Do you have a trick? Thanks!

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    1. In the Picasa photo program I use there is a tool called 'Sharpen' and I often add a touch of sharpness to my photos. As long as the photos are in focus to begin with this can be helpful. Also, using a DSLR camera is a big help as well. I have never taken a photo with a cell phone but do use my 2 point and shoot cameras occasionally and the 'Sharpen' button works well with most of my point and shoot photos.

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  6. That's a nice new profile picture Al ... fits your personality (from a fellow loner) and your hobby of photography. My problem is I can't find a mirror or a window that clean ... lol

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  7. I'm very jealous of your leaving next month...but am looking forward to riding with you, just in case we don't "get gone" this Winter!!

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  8. I see Pheebs is showing off her sock in the first Bruce photo. Very stylish!

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  9. You write nice Al...can't get over
    that Pheebs has not torn that sock off yet.
    She's a good girl
    K~

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