Sunday, October 21, 2018

SOMETHING TO DO, SOMEWHERE TO GO

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Starting my day with nothing to do or nowhere to go is not my idea of how to start my day.  Heading for my recliner, the computer, or my Kindle is an early sign of depression for me so nine and a half times out of ten I make it out the door to either go somewhere or do something hopefully useful.  Due to be trapped inside by cold wintery weather soon those numbers may shift a bit.

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SOMETIMES WALKING TO THE JEEP IN THE MORNING I FIRE A SHOT OFF DOWN OUR DRIVEWAY TO CHECK THE EXPOSURE ON ONE OF MY NIKON’S PROGRAM SETTINGS….NO THE DALMATION IS NOT REAL

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At least it wasn’t raining this morning and we didn’t have any nasty cold winds trying to dump us upside down.  With temps sitting at at a damp 39F I was already into my winter gear and felt warm in my lined pants.  At least I wasn’t in the cold waters of Lake Huron like the fellas below.

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I SPOTTED HEADS BOBBING IN THE WATER…..GEEEEZZZZ, DID A SHIP SINK??

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NOPE, JUST A FEW HARDY CANADIAN SURFBOARDERS

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BETTER THEM OUT THERE THAN ME

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ONE LONE SAILBOAT REMAINS DOCKED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BAYFIELD RIVER

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HADN’T NOTICED THE LONE FISHERMAN UNTIL I LATER EDITED THE PHOTO

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STILL A FEW BOATS DOCKED ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE RIVER

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LOOKS LIKE BAYFIELD’S FISHING BOATS HAD THE MORNING OFF

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ALL SAILBOATS COME OUT OF THE WATER WITH MANY SPENDING THE WINTER IN THEIR WOODEN CRADLES AROUND THE BAYFIELD MARINA

Pheebs and I wandered into Bayfield picking up a coffee to go along the way.  Really disappointed at the progress of the new Tim Horton’s coffee shop at Bayfield’s south end.  They sure do not seem to be in any kind of hurry to get it built.  A cement foundation with some pipes sticking up and it’s been like that since before we headed for the Maritimes over a month ago.

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‘THIS SURE BEATS THAT CHICAGO TRAFFIC DAD

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HOW’S ABOUT A NICE BREAKFAST OF COLD TURNIPS TO START OFF THE DAY EH

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‘MMMMMMM, LOVE MY TURNIPS’

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‘ARE YOU SAYING TURNIPS ARE NOT GOOD FOR BREAKFAST MISTER’

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I THINK THEY CALL THESE LITTLE FELLERS ‘PEEK-A-BOO’ CALVES

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We followed our usual route southeast of Bayfield stopping along the way at a couple of our favorite leg stretch places.  The countryside is always extra quiet Sunday mornings and this morning was certainly no exception.  Glancing at my watch a thought occurred to me.  Had we headed south with the Motorhome this year we would have been making our way through Chicago about this time.  I was quite happily content to be right where I was.  Pheebs too.

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WHEN THE SIGN NORMALLY HERE WENT MISSING LAST MONTH I FIGURED THAT GRAVEL PARKING LOT WAS GOING TO BE PLOWED UNDER SO WAS HAPPY TO SEE A NEW FRESHLY MADE AND PAINTED SIGN BACK IN PLACE……PHEEBS AND I OFTEN STOP HERE FOR A LEG STRETCH AND WALK

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FARMERS BETTER GET THEIR CORN CROPS IN SOON OR THEY MIGHT NEED A SNOWPLOW RUNNING ALONG IN FRONT OF THE COMBINE

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MANY FIELDS NEED IRRIGATING AND THIS IS SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT THEY DO IT WITH

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STILL SOME PICKABLE APPLES LEFT OUT ON THE BACKROADS

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Our second stop was on a dead end road running along the east side of Kerr’s Campground.  Always a nice walking spot with a swampy forest on one side of the road and farmer’s fields on the other.  Parked the Jeep and off we went up the road but we didn’t get too far.  With so much wet weather lately and overnight rains again the road was very soft and we soon had ourselves mired in mud.  Good thing I hadn’t driven the Jeep any further down the road or we would have been doing some slipping and sliding. 

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‘OH-OH’

Back home by 10:30 we had at least had ourselves an outing and managed a few photos along the way.  Pleased to see some traffic at the extra bird feeders I put up Saturday.  Mainly Black Capped Chickadees and Nuthatches.  Cardinals, Blue Jays, and Mourning Doves still coming and going at the main bird station.  Just love to see birds at the feeders.  Traffic will pick up substantially as soon as snow arrives and covers the ground.  Could be a couple months or could be tomorrow.  There has been talk of a mild El Nino winter here in these parts but I doubt it because I’ve been telling Kelly for years that the first winter we have to stay home in Canada again it will be the coldest and harshest winter in a Century.  Has to be, right!!

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RED BREASTED NUTHATCH

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MALE CARDINAL

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After taking and editing these bird photos I figured I had better wash our sunroom windows again so out I went into the cold day and did that.  Cleaned the inside too but it wasn’t until I was all done that I noticed there still seemed to be a cloudy film on the glass.  Checked the windows on either side of the window in front of my computer and noticed they were clearer.  Could only mean one thing:((  These thermal windows are old and air has gotten in between the panes of glass and soured the window.  It’s hardly noticeable but I could tell the colorful sharpness was not in the bird photos.  Instead of sitting comfortably in my computer chair I guess I’ll have to get off my can and shoot through a clearer window.  Ohhhhhh, life is certainly tough sometimes……………….:))

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‘YA TOUGH ALRIGHT, I EVEN GOT A DRIP ON THE END OF MY BEAK’

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A local United Way office realized that the organization had never received a donation from the town's most successful lawyer. The person in charge of contributions called him to persuade him to contribute."Our research shows that out of a yearly income of at least $500,000, you give not a penny to charity. Wouldn't you like to give back to the community in some way?"The lawyer mulled this over for a moment and replied, "First, did your research also show that my mother is dying after a long illness, and has medical bills that are several times her annual Income?  "Embarrassed, the United Way rep mumbled, "Um ... no."The lawyer interrupts, "or that my brother, a disabled veteran, is blind and confined to a wheelchair?"The stricken United Way rep began to stammer out an apology, but was interrupted again."Or that my sister's husband died in a traffic accident," the lawyer's voice rising in indignation, "leaving her penniless with three children?!"The humiliated United Way rep, completely beaten, said simply, "I had no idea..."On a roll, the lawyer cut him off once again, "So if I don't give any money to them, why should I give any to you?"

----------------

A lawyer walks into a bar and sits down next to a drunk who is closely examining something held in his fingers. The lawyer watches the drunk for a while till he finally gets curious enough to ask what it is. "Well," said the drunk, "it looks like plastic and feels like rubber." "Let me have it," said the lawyer. Taking it, he began to roll it between his thumb and forefinger, examining it closely. "Yes," he finally said, "it does look like plastic and feel like rubber, but i don't know what it is. Where did you get it?" "From my nose," the drunk replied.

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13 comments:

  1. Wow ! Your shoes look like you've got at least a pound of mud on each one. Ha! Love to study your photos of birds - and that cardinal is spectacular. But, you always get to me with the cows ! And those peek-a-boo calves are just so adorable. That first one, especially - would make great wall art. 😳

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  2. Beautiful, beautiful bird pictures.... That cardinal... oh my...

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  3. Is there a volunteer job one day a week for you? Maybe deliver noon lunch to shut-ins? Pheebs could go along.

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  4. Al, you are not convincing me that you really want to stay put this winter.

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  5. Certainly enjoyed the photos tonight, especially the ones of the cows and birds. Really nice.

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  6. The close up of the Cardinal is so clear, beautiful shot

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  7. I love your cow pictures Al. And the birds are beautiful.

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  8. My goal each morning is the recliner with my laptop or kindle. Had no idea I was depressed. I guess I enjoy a slower lower key life. Enjoyed the tractors and cows.

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  9. Nice that you had you got out and about for some fresh air exercise and nice pictures. Keep up the good work.

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  10. I getting my bird feeder cleaned out from all the rain we've had here in Texas. One of our cows was in the yard the other day trying to get the seed left over from last season. Was quite comical.

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  11. Lovely photos of the birds and cows but oh my your shoes. I hope that you have a rubber floor mat in the car.

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  12. Love the new header! Good thing there's no sharks in that big lake because those surfers look like big seals :-) Love the peeking cows. As much as I'm looking forward to Canadian winter pics, I think you could get a mild season afterall.

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  13. Al
    I was sitting here just now and I started reading your post from 24Jul10 Thanks for the informative post. Have been following your blog for several years now, and for most of the tip I skim thru and then go back later to read your posts. So tonight I did a Google search on your camera equipment. and found a wealth of informative items to read and compare my Cannon Camera. Years ago I had a Nikon D3 camera that given to as a present from my Uncle who was into photography. I had it for a few years and I guess it didn't like the way I treated it. And it grew legs and ran away from home.

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