Wednesday, March 22, 2017

NICE MORNING DRIVE THROUGH HORSE AND BUGGY COUNTRY AND HOW DO I PUT THIS BLOG TOGETHER EVERY DAY

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A bitter cold morning with temperatures well below freezing at 20F and a wind chill factor that drove it even lower.  However we had sunny skies and sitting inside wasting a perfectly good  sun drenched day was not an option.  I knew it wouldn’t take Pheebs and I long to have us a tropical heat wave going on inside the Jeep so by 8:30 we had the Libby’s wheels rolling and headed for Tim Hortons ‘drive-thru’ in Clinton.  Figured I’d give their carrot muffins one more try.

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SOME COUNTRY ROADS HAVE ALREADY BEEN GRADED WHILE OTHERS STILL HAVE A BIT OF SNOW ON THEM

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Slowly rolling north on the first country road east of Clinton I decided to conduct an impromptu autopsy on the muffin to see if I could find any actuall carrot chunk or two inside it.  Aside from a few flecks of orange about the size of a pin head there was not much in the muffin in the way of carrots.  Not like before and certainly not like McDonalds carrot muffins.  Disappointing of course but that didn’t stop Pheebs and I from totally devouring the whole thing right down to the last crumb.

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A FEW FINE LOOKING HORSES ALONG THE WAY

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No particular destination in mind but we did make a quick stop in one of the Hullett Marsh’s parking lot areas where I let Pheebs out for a run.  She had a nice warm fur coat on and I didn’t so it was in the tropical Jeep I stayed.

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ANOTHER MONTH AND THERE WILL BE COLOR IN THOSE BARREN LOOKING TREES AND THE SWAMP FLOOR BELOW WILL BE TURNING GREEN

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IT MAY BE TOTALLY FREEZING OUTSIDE BUT US GUYS WAS TOASTY WARM INSIDE

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LOOKING FIRST NORTH THEN SOUTH ALONG THE MAITLAND RIVER NORTH OF AUBURN

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THIS IS AN OLD SHALLOW RIVER CROSSING AND I SAW AMISH BUGGY TRACKS THROUGH HERE A COUPLE SUMMERS AGO AND THAT IS ACTUALLY A LARGE ISLAND IN THE MAITLAND RIVER OVER THERE

Wandering northwards I noticed they had a skiff of snow overnight.  We didn’t get anything in the Bayfield area I know of.  At least with the freezing temperatures this morning gravel roads were not muddy but highways had been salted so we were careful to stay off them.

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MAPLE SAP PAILS ALONG A FARM LANE

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MENDING FENCES ON A COLD MORNING

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SPRING IS THE TIME FOR SPREADING MANURE ON THE FIELDS

After working our way north for a dozen miles or so I swung Libby’s nose west and we made our way over and touched on the south end of Mennonite Country.  We were lucky enough to catch a horse and buggy as well as a team of horses pulling a wagon.  Won’t be long and some of those same horses will be busy pulling plows over hill and dale.

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We were back home about 11:30 making it a nice 3 hour country road drive for us.  These little morning jaunts of ours sure help to start my days off on the right foot and keep the boredom bugs away.

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I TOOK THIS LAST PHOTO IN MY SIDE VIEW MIRROR AFTER THE WAGON HAD PASSED

A Shout Box Guest asked how I put my blogs together and although I’ve written about this before things always have a habit of changing and evolving so I’ll give it another whirl from where I’m at now.  My blog consists of 3 basic parts which have to come together at the end of the day to make it all work.  There is the gathering and editing of photos, the writing, and the final matching up of photos and writing.  No two days are exactly the same it seems in the exact order I do things.  Here’s a typical day for me.  Maybe something has been on my mind since the previous night or I’ve thought of something after waking up in the morning.  If so that thought may end up being my first, third or last paragraph and if I don’t sit down right away at the computer that thought in all probability will be lost.  So you could say some days I start my post as early as maybe 8 o’clock in the morning.

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AMISH-MENNONITE FARMS ALONG THE WAY THIS MORNING

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I KNOW THIS PHOTO IS A BIT TIPPED TO THE LEFT BUT IF I HAD STRAIGHTENED IT ANY MORE I WOULD HAVE LOST THE TOP OF THE WINDMILL….IT’S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS OF PHOTOGRAPHING FROM A MOVING VEHICLE…..I DO NOT LIKE STOPPING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE’S HOMES TO TAKE PICTURES…..EVERY PHOTO IN TONIGHT’S POST WAS TAKEN ON THE MOVE

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A WHITE HOUSE WITH A RED BARN IN THESE PARTS IS PRETTY MUCH ALWAYS A MENNONITE PLACE

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SPOTTED THESE PLASTIC MAPLE SAP BAGS UP IN MENNONITE-AMISH COUNTRY AND IT’S THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER SEEN PLASTIC BAGS USED

Through the day I may add another paragraph or two and sometimes I will sit down and basically write the whole post in the form of a rough draught in one shot but it’s usually the former.  I might be outside raking leaves when an idea pops into my head so I will come inside and type it out before the idea pops back out of my head.  The bulk of today’s post for example was written in about half an hour up to the point where I started to answer this question.   Answering the question probably took me another half hour.  Once I have the rough draft typed into paragraph form I am ready to add photos.  I always write and compose first then add photos later.

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IT IS NOT OFTEN ONE SEES A BARN WITH ALL NEW BARN BOARDS ON IT ANYMORE

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Editing my posts photos every day is usually done sometime in the afternoon depending on how many photos I have and how busy I am with other things.  I probably average about 40 photos (61 today) a day every day and every one of those photos I edit.  Out of 40 photos I will probably end up with possibly 35 usable ones with maybe 25 or 30 making it into my post.  Generally by late afternoon and before suppertime I have the photos done and ready to go.

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UNUSUAL TO SEE A SUMMER HAY BALER ON A SNOWY ROAD

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SOMETIMES WHEN I LOOK OVER PHEEBS EYES ARE CLOSED AS SHE SO ENJOYS HER JEEP RIDES

After supper which is probably around 5 I am ready to match up all the words with all the photos or in other words compose the final draft.  And it is here where I edit what I have written as well.   I may go over my blog 3 or 4 times looking for errors.  Sometimes I may re-write an entire paragraph but usually it’s only a few lines here and there.  Errors still escape me at times and it bothers me if I publish a post with mistakes in it.  I’m finicky with my photos as well.  I may miss mistakes there too but usually they are small enough that maybe only a fellow photography buff might notice them.

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SEEING MORE AND MORE OF THESE MODERN ‘SMOKERS’ POPPING UP ON AREA FARMS

When I first started blogging years ago I did all of the above in the evenings mainly because I was much busier then with part time jobs etc.  The problem I would always run into was ending up way too tired at the end of the day to do the best job I could do and because of that I would become frustrated and irritated.   I reached a point where it was either give up the blog or make some necessary changes if I wanted to continue my enjoyable writing, traveling, and photography hobbies.  And that’s when I started stretching things out over the course of a whole day.  A little bit here a little bit there.  Write, re-write, and edit.

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I ALWAYS ENJOY LOOKING AT COUNTRY FARMS AND PROPERTIES

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Okay, so here’s a rough breakdown on the time involved for me to put out a daily blog every day.  These are all averages I am guessing at. Editing photos – 1 hour.  Writing the first draft of my post – 1hour.  Re-editing words and photos –1 hour.  Final composition – 1 hour.  So there it is, about 4 hours.  Add to that another hour for all the times I sit here staring blankly at my keyboard trying to think of something to write.  I have spent as much as 6 and 7 hours on a troublesome post and as little as a couple minutes on others.   Oh ya and Groaner’s Corner usually soaks up about 15 minutes each day looking for a joke or two as well:))

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STILL A FEW OLD LONE SILOS STANDING IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

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Okay to wrap this all up…….Some may ask and wonder why would anyone want to invest so much of their time in doing a blog anyway.  Well I’ve answered that question for myself and readers many times so we’ll just leave it at that for now and know that it is an enjoyable and important hobby for me.

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GROANER’S CORNER:(( I went back to my home town and decided to visit the house I grew up in.
I asked the occupants if I could come inside. They said, "No!"  My parents can be so grouchy some times!!

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Six guys were playing poker when Smith loses $500 on a single hand, clutches his chest and drops dead at the table. Showing respect for their fallen comrade, the other five complete their playing time standing up. Roberts looks around and asks, "Now, who is going to tell the wife?" They draw straws. Rippington, who is always a loser, picks the short one. They tell him to be discreet, be gentle, don't make a bad situation any worse than it is. "Gentlemen! Discreet? I'm the most discreet man you will ever meet. Discretion is my middle name, leave it to me." Rippington walks over to the Smith house, knocks on the door, the wife answers, and asks what he wants. Rippington says, "Your husband just lost $500 playing cards." She hollers, "TELL HIM TO DROP DEAD!" Rippington says, "Okay I'll go tell him”.

18 comments:

  1. You are one extremely gifted writer and as one of your blog followers I do appreciate all it takes to keep bringing your world into ours. Yes, Pheebs riding with her eyes closed is priceless.

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  2. Always love your blog and really get big laugh out of the Groaner's Corner. When I lived in Pennsylvania I remember seeing a lot of those horse drawn carriages and the hand formed hay stacks in the fields.

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  3. Thank You Al. I read and enjoy your posts daily. It is a very nice hobby you have to share with many people.

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  4. Thanks for sharing your blog writing routine. I think we all have a variety of methods that we use. I for one usually write my post around the photos I have taken and add paragraphs for other thoughts. It certainly does take a lot of time each day and I am so grateful to you for continuing to post daily, not an easy feat. Your photos are always outstanding.

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  5. Always enjoy reading your posts, we had a great chuckle from yesterdays read.

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  6. You have a gift for not only seeing the beauty around you but for capturing it in you photographs. I loved looking at the pictures of the snow and ice along the river in today's post and Lake Huron's snow covered shore yesterday. Reminds me of spring where we are from. Thank you for sharing your gift with us.

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  7. I always enjoy your pics and reading your blog. I really enjoyed the pics of the horse and buggy.

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  8. It does take time to post a blog but is something we enjoy. I sometimes like you compose thoughts during the day, here and there. Edit my photos, more writing and proof reading. I do make a lot of typos though and even after re reading, and editing I still miss them. Very frustrating . Do love reading your always interesting writing and photos.

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  9. Best blog around, as I've said before and will say again. I don't spend nearly as much time, but it really is a valued hobby I'm committed to. You have such a way with words and photos!

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  10. Nice post again. I do the same thing, trying to start early in the day, add throughout the day and then try and wrap it up by 7 ish before I get too tired. A total of about 3 hours as well. Right now I have spots on my lens/sensor that need to be cleaned up so spot checking takes a long time and it drives me nuts. I need to invest in a professional cleaning when back home and also a cleaning kit.

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  11. I read your blog EVERY day and I am so happy that you continue this hobby. I really enjoy seeing what the Bayfield Bunch is up to. You are a talented photographer and writer and I enjoy a good chuckle from your self deprecating humor and the Groaners. Thanks and keep up the great work!

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  12. And just to let you and some of the other bloggers know, I don't mind the little typos. I'm more interested in the essence and content of the post. No one needs to nit pick your typos that's ridiculous!

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  13. I do not go to bed until I read your blog. From there I read several other blogs. Thank you all for putting in the time to get it done. I appreciate it more than you will ever know. And a typo here and there is not a big deal.

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  14. Enjoyed the horses and those Mennonites. We don't have any Mennonites around my home, so it is interesting to see them going down the roads in their horse and buggies. Sure live differently.

    I like the way you do your posts each day. I'm still at the stage where I try to cram everything in at the end of the day.

    I can't believe how full each day is when I'm living in my RV. Just doesn't seem enough time in the day to get everything done. One day, maybe I'll slow down and not try to do so much sightseeing, but I doubt it.

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  15. For folks like you and I with an interest in photography 'sight seeing' is one of our biggest things. Our eyes and minds are always on the look-out for beauty. It's a visual thing for us and the more we are out and about the better we feel:))

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  16. Thanks for posting your process like, AL. You are one committed blogger, and your work shows through. Now I realize why I have not been active as I had hoped. I have been shocked at both the learning curve of learning WordPress, and like you, I'm a perfectionist about the photos. I can spend several hours working on one image. So I argue with myself: "Should I work on my blog, or go out and enjoy spending time in some of the most beautiful country on earth?" Obviously, the latter has won. (By the way. I'm in Anza Borrego. The flowers are awesome, although difficult to capture in 15-20 mph winds!) Rhonda

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  17. Hi Al,
    About time for me to say again how much I love your blog. In fact it's the only one I read anymore. I enjoy it all – the photography, the writing, the dog tails, and the groaners corner. I have a brother-in-law who is a priest and a great punster so I'm always on the lookout for clerical humor that I can share with him. So thanks again and I'm glad you're still enjoying blogging. Oh by the way I always wave at you when you go through Lansing Michigan but you never wave back.
    Be well,
    Scottie

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  18. I really enjoy touring around your Canadian home, especially how rural it is. I follow about the same routine writing the posts, except it takes me a week instead of a day. Keep up the great work Al.

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