Tuesday, June 30, 2020

SO, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING HERE AND THAT HAS ME WONDERING

CANADA GEESE ON THE CALM CLEAR WATERS OF LAKE HURON THIS MORNING
Generally, I don't like going to the same place two days in a row but with a 'bottled' sample to drop off at the DynaCare Lab and several prescription renewals to pick at Walmart's Pharmacy it was back to Goderich again this morning.  And of course, anytime in Goderich with the road open once again to Rotary Cove, it was down to the dog walking area for Pheebs and I.  Luckily, we were the only ones there so off we went for a walk along the trail bordering the lake.  How nice to be out on a beautiful Summer's morn.
NICE TO SEE PEOPLE AT THE BEACH AGAIN
WATERS OF GLASS
ROTARY COVE'S DOG WALKING AREA WITH IT'S NEW SHORELINE ROCK WALL
AND BY GOLLY THERE'S AN ACTUAL DOG WALKER ...THE TRAIL EXTENDS OFF TO THE LEFT FOR NEARLY A QUARTER MILE
Each day now as I struggle with myself over the future of this blog I have to keep reminding myself of why I started it way back in 2006.  A journal of our RVing travels.  But not just a journal for ourselves but others as well.  If my intent was to keep it for our own use then there would have been no need to make it public by publishing it.  No, I had it in mind from the start to share our travels with whoever like-minded folks might be interested.  And it was my intention right from the get-go to make my blog entertaining and helpful to others.  Although not always successful I think I have pretty much been able to keep the train on the track through the years despite the ups and downs.  I enjoy putting my blog together each and every day just as much now as when I first started out.  I take my photos and write my daily post with readers in mind.  I like to think if it's interesting to me it might be interesting to someone else.  I try to take the best photos I can for folks and I try very hard not to make my blog boring by writing about the same repetitive daily routines over and over and over every day.  Not an easy task for a daily Blogger and I have my discouraging days when I see myself doing just that very thing.  And that has me wondering.  Checking my blog stats over this past year I can see my numbers steadily going down and especially so these past few months.  People are losing interest and I can understand that.  I've been at it a long time and the travel part of my 3 part hobby (travel-photography-writing) is at a standstill.  So, I don't know what I'm saying here.  It's just something that's been on my mind yet again lately and whatever's in this head of mine I usually share with my readers.  This nightly fireside chat has always been like that for me.     
OVER THE YEARS TONS OF CEMENT IN THE FORM OF OLD SIDEWALKS, BASEMENT FOUNDATIONS, ETC. HAVE BEEN DUMPED ALONG THE SHORELINE HERE TO PREVENT THE BANK FROM ERODING
THE STAIRS TO NOWHERE
We might have us a line on another Class C RV.  Don't know much about it at the moment but do know it's a 2002 Winnebago with very low mileage.  We're hoping to have some more info shortly.  It's somewhere south of Woodstock Ontario at the moment.
LOOKING SOUTH ALONG THE SHORELINE
ALWAYS ENCOURAGING TO SEE OUR COAST GUARD ON DUTY
SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE SUMAC TREES BUT I AM NOT ONE OF THEM
I THINK THIS BIG MARBLED ROCK NEEDS A GOOD COATING OF VARNISH TO BRING ITS COLORS OUT
Despite today's heat and humidity, I did manage to mow some grass, do some watering, and take Pheebs for a short walk.    
GROANER'S CORNER:(( If you love something, set it free.If it comes back, it will always be yours.If it doesn't come back, it was never yours to begin with.But, if it just sits in your living room, messes up your stuff, eats your food, uses your telephone, takes your money, and doesn't appear to realize you set it free...You either married it or gave birth to it.
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70 comments:

  1. Just so you understand. I like your blog style no matter the content. Your photography alone will keep me coming back as long as you want to have the blog. Several times in this last year your medical comments have sent me to the Internet and caused important medical education for me. I consider the value of your blog to be very high. But as a blogger that began in November of 2007 I can certainly understand the need for a short break now and then. Have fun, The Old Fat Man.

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    1. Thankyou Barney, you have been a long time faithful reader.

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  2. My evening isn't complete until I have read your blog....Your photos are the best. When you had the shots of the eagles & the close up of the nest, they were so good, I sent them to both of my daughters.
    Hope you share pics of the Arab if you go see it........My husband washed up our little Taylor Coach trailer & it looks great. We aren't taking it anywhere for now though....just enjoying our own lake when the weather is so wam....KOB.....keep on blogging :-)

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    1. Thanks kg, your comments are always appreciated.

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    2. Arab???......should have read RV, LOL

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  3. I love your blog. It takes me places I want to go but will probably never get.

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  4. Thanks Karen, it's always good to hear from you.

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  5. I consider myself a photoblog connoisseur, having been looking at them as a wind-down ritual before bedtime each night for lo these many years, maybe 15. And yours is one of the best. Not only for your very fine photography, but also for your writing. I have sampled them from all over the world, as I like to read about and see places I might have been, could possibly go, and most likely will never go. Some of them I've stuck with til they quit. I'm just sorry I didn't find yours earlier. In your words, you come across as perceptive, thoughtful, kind, and interesting person. And in your photos, one who has a discerning eye. I can certainly understand if you want to stop because it's not much of a pleasure to do anymore. As for me, I hope you won't. The pleasures of travel can actually occur in one's backyard, if one has the eyes/ears/heart for it. I think you do.
    Also, I think these days sites like instagram require so little from both the creator and viewer that they are popular. Easy. Fast. Those can be nice qualities....but don't always run very deep. Anyway, that's a long speech. Mostly I want to say thank you for what you do.

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    1. Thankyou for your kind words JudithK. You are are a welcoming familiar name in my comment section and a true inspiration for me.

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  6. I enjoy your blog, the pictures are always such a treat. I'm awful at blogging since I haven't gone anywhere is such a very long time.

    Have you heard anything about where Dizzy has gone off to?

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    1. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment Jo. You and others have lifted my spirits this morning. No, haven't heard anything about Dizzy. I think the passing of his wife was very difficult for him.

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    2. I saw a comment from Dizzy somewhere about three weeks ago that he was having difficulty with HIS chemo. That did not sound good and that was the last I heard. He has not replied to my email.

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  7. A "daily" blog is tough. I know, I started out that way back in 2007. But you make it look easy, which means you have a talent for it. To keep it up when you are stationary must eat at you sometimes, like now...when you see your views dropping. Ignore the numbers, and just know your "daily" is our daily dose of real life...there are good days and there are bad days, no matter where, who, what. I know it's hard not to peek at the "numbers" and how many comments. Just know that for every nice comment there's are thousands of people who feel the same way.
    mark

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    1. Hey Mark, thankyou and I appreciate your comment. I've always regretted we didn't have more time to talk that day we briefly met in Quartzsite Arizona at Bloggerfest. Next time we'll have a 'one on one':))

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  8. Oh, my, Al.
    For so many years you have been such a constant in my life. Every night to see what Al and Kelly have been up to today. To wonder at the incredible photographs. To marvel at the sensitive human being who puts his thoughts and feelings out here for all his readers to appreciate--or not. That honesty is such a treasured part of who you are. On exhibit again tonight. You realize that we have kind of a club here. Reading the other comments, I had the thought to just tell you to read them all again, and put my name at the end.
    Barney is such a nice guy---funny and artistic---and I find him here frequently.
    Judith did a fantastic job of writing exactly what I think!!!!
    And Mark. I remember when y'all met up those years ago. I thought then that you are two of a kind.
    You are STILL writing about your "journey", you know. This journey we call "life".
    Feel much appreciated. You are.

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    1. Thankyou RnR for all your comments, support, and concern over the years. Like most all the other commenters on this post you have always been here with words of encouragement.

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  9. Al, I have really looked forward to reading your blog each evening and viewing your spectacular photographs for many years now. Though I have never been a blogger, I do realize that your must spend an enormous amount of time putting each blog together, coming up with your "words of wisdom," inserting the photos and finally hitting the publish button. Thank you for being so giving of yourself and sharing your incredible photography talent with all of us.

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    1. Thanks AG for being one of my solid readers over the years. Your comments are always welcome, uplifting, and much appreciated. And Pheebs thanks you too:))

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  10. Al, I am another reader who looks forward to your blog every day. I like seeing your photos and seeing what's happening in your life and Kelly's. I have also been reading the blog for years and would really miss it if you stopped. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and pictures with us. I've seen a lot of places that I know I will never be able to go. Don't get discouraged even if your numbers drop. You have tons of loyal readers out here.

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    1. Thanks Ann for being another loyal blog reader. Yours is another name I see in my comment section regularly with kind words of encouragement. I appreciate you hanging in there and being a long time reader.

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  11. Al... your blog is an evening staple. Your blog is enjoyed by those who can't talk, those who can only view your incredible photos, by those who can only close their eyes and mentally place themselves in those photos you take. You've given my more laughs and chuckles than you can even count. The Squirrel wars are epic. And, many of us are crossing our fingers that you all find an RV and come back to Arizona. The Desert is waiting, and missing you all. So, please keep your blog going, and continue those photos. Hang in there, Al. We're all hanging in there with you...

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    1. Thankyou MCA for your encouraging words. It is people like you who spur me on to keep my blog going even when I stumble and become discouraged with myself. I sincerely hope we can make it back to the Southwest again. Always my favorite place and I miss it dearly.

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  12. Always a pleasure reading Al. As we have just ended our RV adventures and look forward to a new slower pace in Vancouver Island, I look forward to seeing you restart your travels in the next Bayfield Bunch Traveller. Cheers!

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    1. Thankyou for your comments over the years Brit. A lot of water under the bridge since we last met you guys in Bayfield at Vet-fest years ago when you were still thinking about the RV lifestyle. Appreciate you for hanging in there with us and all the best with your new venture on Vancouver Island.

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  13. There may not be many of us left, but we are the more discerning ones! ;-)

    Your blog is an important part of my morning routine. I cannot imagine getting up in the morning without my little fix.

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  14. Thanks Bob for being another loyal blog reader over the years. Have always appreciated your comments and encouraging words. I remember our brief meeting at the Clark Dry Lake Bed near Borrego Springs California years ago. All the best to you folks and maybe next time we can sit ourselves down for a chat.

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    1. Wow Al, what a memory! I do hope we get a chance to meet “in the field” again one day. Meanwhile, if you do get another RV, know that we are in the Ann Arbor, MI area if you ever need a place to stop on your way to or from home.

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  15. Al, I'm one of your long time readers who very rarely comments. I start almost every day with your blog, it's one of the best out there. All your effort is well appreciated.

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    1. Thankyou Doris for being another one of my long time readers. I am beginning to realize there are more of you great folks out here than I realized.

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    1. Thanks GR for sticking with my blog over these past number of years.

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  17. I have never commented but I enjoy your posts everyday! Please keep it up

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    1. Thanks Bruce for your comment. Nice to hear from you and I appreciate your support.

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  18. You can count on me to follow your blog posts, they are a big part of my morning. :c)

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    1. Hey, two of the old gang:)) I thank you so much for your comments over the years Paul. I've always looked forward to your humor and quick wit.

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  19. Al, I read your blog every day. Just as I have since discovering it 10 or 12 years ago. Met you briefly at bloggerfest. My daily blog has become bi-monthly, to say the least. I admire your dedication to posting each day, and hope you continue for a long time.

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    1. I appreciate your comment Jerry C and thanks for being a long time blog reader. I can remember most of the folks I've met at the two Bloggerfests I attended but not so much the names.

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  20. After years of following the Bayfield Bunch you were our biggest inspiration to start our own Blog because we shared similar hobbies. Like yourself though it sometimes seems like we'll have nothing to write about or it's the same old same old until we sit down at the Keyboard.
    It's understandable that some only want to follow Travel Blogs thus the falling numbers we are all experiencing. Getting ourselves through these trying times is a journey in itself. There will come a time when we will all hang up the RV Keys but we can still continue our Travels and Adventures even if locally or in our memories.
    Hopefully our paths will cross again.
    Be Safe and Enjoy the beauty that surrounds you.

    It's about time.

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    1. Thanks for hanging in there all these years guys and I remember meeting you folks at the Old Homestead RV Park just down the road from us. Makes me feel good to know we've been an inspiration for you getting started with the RV lifestyle. I remember back to the days before we met when we used to send jokes back and forth:))

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  21. Al, I love your blog for so many reasons. Your words capture my heart. But, your photos capture my soul. My favorite of all time was "the little red-haired girl in Pioneer Park." She was wearing a dress & running along a fence - maybe with a little dog.? I tried to save it once but it went to the cloud (so it is lost to me forever) LOL. Anyway, it should be enlarged & framed & displayed in a museum. Imagine: she is probably a beautiful grown up woman by now.!

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    1. Oh Moonfly13, I remember your comments so well and especially from years ago. You have been with me for a long time and I thank you so much for that. And I know that exact picture you are talking about. It was Pheebs running with that little girl and it was a split second lucky shot I took. I still have that photo somewhere in my countless thousands of photos and if I can locate it I will send it to you. Thankyou again for sticking with me through all the ups and downs.

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  22. Haha. Well,this one really brought all us viewers/commenters out of the bushes on the same day!

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  23. You are so right and how nice to see old familiar names again along with some new ones. And on Canada Day too:))

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  24. I'm pretty new to your blog. I think I have only commented a couple of times. I find it difficult to comment when I haven't met someone. I've met Bill and Patsy, Ken and Shirley, Michigan Deb and Canadian Deb....all bloggers. It's easier for me to comment on their blogs. But even though you aren't traveling right now, I love the area where you live. I will never see this area in person, so I see it through you. Thank you for sharing.

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    1. Thank You for your comment Elva, very much appreciated and yes, I remember seeing your name in our comment section. We've met Bill and Patsy but not the others. I will continue gathering photos of our area for you:))

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  25. I have always been amazed and impressed by your ability to blog daily and keep it interesting. Whether traveling far or near, you have an eye for beauty in the world and know how to photograph that as well. Thank you for keeping it real.

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    1. Oh Gaelyn, another one of the old Blogger gang from way back. Still remember meeting you for the first time in early 2012 at RV Sue's campsite at the end of Ghost Town Road in Congress, Az. A big thank you for hanging in here with the Bayfield Bunch over the years. All the best to you:))

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  26. I have been reading you since you started writing. I don't need to tell you how much I enjoy your photos, your writing, your lovely wife and of course your dogs over the years. Having said that I think the numbers and comments mean nothing. Some people only comment if you comment on their post, etc. I believe that all bloggers have times thru the years where they get more comments than at other times. It is not what you are writing but more about how they are living their lives at certain times. Things happen, people get busy or just become too lazy to comment. Personally I don't comment as much as I did before but I do read every word that you write. I also have had declines in comments from time to time and then I get a comment or often an email from someone that I had not heard from for years. Yes they are still out there reading. Remember that you are writing for you and who cares about the comments or the numbers. Do what is right for you. I hope and pray that you will keep blogging. You are one of the greats my friend.

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    1. Always great to hear from you Contessa and you are one of the old gang of RV Bloggers as well. I remember you trying to help me with some ideas and suggestions with a few medical problems I had a years ago. Thank you for your kind words and you are right about the numbers and comments. I have a bad habit of letting those things get me down at times. I appreciate your care, caution, and concern. Thanks again for putting up with all my ups and downs and thanks for sticking with the Bayfield Bunch all these years.

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  27. I understand how hard it is to post daily. I personally get a feeling of comfort reading and viewing your photos each day and knowing all is okay. You and Kelly were my inspiration to buy an RV and head west. Hope you make it out west this winter.

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    1. Hey Doug, always good to hear from you and I'm always wondering how you are doing as well when we don't hear from you all summer. Makes me feel good to know we were inspirational in you picking up the RV lifestyle and heading west. Thankyou for being a friend and I remember your first trip west when you and Dolly dropped in to see us in Congress Arizona. Hey remember the time we looked for your lost smart phone near 'Hole In The Wall' campground in California's Mojave National Preserve. Oh, and our short hike up the 'Cow Plops' west of Ajo Az. Hope our trails will cross again.

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  28. I haven't been a follower as long as the others here, but was hooked from the beginning. Thank you, Al.

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    1. Thanks for getting hooked Terry and nice to hear from you. Hope I can keep you coming back again and again and again. All the best:))

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  29. Al
    Both my wife and I really enjoy reading blog. It's alway a relaxing way to bring my ever busy day to an enjoyable and relaxing day. I always find a lot of great photo's and more than likely learn something new. We have been following your blog for many years. Also I want to wish you a belated "Happy Canada Day" can't wait to see the new RV that you're thinking of getting,
    Have a great day I think that it's time to go to bed. Say hello to the Kelly for us and give Pheebe an extra cookie today just because. Travel safe looking forward to maybe someday having a cup of joe with you.

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    1. I sure recognized your name PatrickA51 and I thank you for all your comments and emails over the years. You have been with us for a long time through our trials and tribulations and I have appreciated your unwavering support. Nice to know your wife is a reader as well. Maybe we'll get down through your area again and if so we'll take you up on that cup of Joe:))

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    2. You show up and I will personally make a pot of my Dad's coffee he taught me to make. It's guaranteed to remove the paint on any US Navy Ship 3 fathoms below the water line. Or any ship for that matter. (maybe that's why my stomach is bad, the coffee has eaten thru the winning of my stomach) lol You keep up the good work Al. I have learned a lot from your posts. You're like the older brother that I don't have.

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  30. Al, I have read and enjoyed your blog for years, envied your skill as a photographer. This is the first time I've commented. Shame on me for taking what you've generously offered and given nothing in return. Today, I want to offer you something. You can reverse your diabetes. I know this because I have. It's not easy to overcome sugar and carbohydrate addiction, but it's worth it because I'll keep my eyesight, kidneys, cognitive function, limbs, etc. Read "Diabetes Code" by Dr. Jason Fung. Dr. Fung is a Canadian nephrologist, a kidney specialist who got tired of watching his diabetic dialysis patients die when diabetes is a self-inflicted, preventable, and reversible disease. Again, I know this for a fact. I am no longer diabetic and at 73 I feel better than I have in years. This is my gift to you for all the years that you have gifted me with your talent for writing and photography. Thank you so much.

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    1. Hi Mizmozy, I like your name. Always good to hear from first commenters and I appreciate your kind words. Thanks for the info on Dr. Fung and we'll definitely be looking up his book. I've made a lot of changes in my diet these past couple months and my mind is open for any new ideas. Thankyou for being a long time blog reader. Knowing I have interested readers inspires me to keep my blog going.

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  31. Al, your blog tells it like you want to. There are times that I do not read blogs, probably the same feeling you get by feeling you should not write them. But I always come back to them. Your still first on my list of bookmarks. I met you outside of Ajo a few years back in one of your boon docking spots. Living here in Ottawa, I normally get a one day preview of my upcoming weather. Take care.

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    1. Thanks for your comment Peter and my mind is trying to access my cranial cobwebs searching for our meeting. I remember talking to a couple late one afternoon. It was about the time RV Sue had rolled in on her first ever boondocking venture. Could have been late 2011. Should be easier for me to remember people because in our boondocking hermit like ways we normally don't meet too many people. Anyway, hello again and thanks for being a Bayfield Bunch follower.

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  32. Hi,Al,I don't read blogs every day like I used to since we stopped fulltiming, but frequently check in to see how you are both doing and look at your great photos. Plus I enjoy seeing what type RV you will pick next time.😊
    Gayle

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    1. Oh boy, you folks have been around a long time as I recall and go back to the hay days of our early blogging years. I'm pretty sure we met at the second Bloggerfest near Quartzsite Arizona. You two have been faithful readers and I always enjoyed your comments. Thankyou for hanging in there with us for as long as you have:))

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  33. Al, I am here for long time, you know. Keep going, thank you .
    Alex ( moved from Guelph to Leamington last summer )

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    1. Hey Alex, I still remember meeting you at Goderich's downtown Tim Hortons. You gave me those night vision binoculars. Second time we met was at the first Bloggerfest on Plomosa Road north of Quartzsite. Thankyou for still being one of our readers after all of these years. Now that you are in Leamington you will be closer to the border and can shave off about 3 hours travel time from where you were. Keep on Rollin:))

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  34. I found you as you were selling your Congress home. Your photos are wonderful. Your blog is the first I look for each morning. I enjoy being given the opportunity to see what your part of Canada looks like. I may never see it in person but I feel I know it somewhat.

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    1. Thankyou for your comment and being a blog reader Glenda. I will continue bringing our part of Canada to you for as long as I can. All the best to you

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  35. 61 comments! You must be the most popular blogger on the continent! Anyway, I echo all the above comments. Great photos, great writing. You make my day every evening.

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  36. Hey Stew, my favorite Meaford Man. Don't know how you came across my blog years ago but I'm glad you did. Although we have never met I feel we have become good friends through our postings. We both have a genuine love for the outdoors. I thank you for your comments and patience with my periodic up and down blogging woes. All the best to you my friend.

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  37. We read your blogs every day Al, and enjoy them even more now we are in the same area. We started following you a number of years ago (Mr F.G. pointed us at you initially).
    Once we discovered you I also went back in your archives, picking up many tips that helped make our first Arizona trip about 4 years ago a success. It gave us some confidence as we started boondocking (first in Stephen A Forbes park in Illinois on the way south, then at Darby Well Road for our first Arizona stay. I ended up working through ALL your older blogs, wonderful resource. So you never really know what part of your blogs will be useful or interesting to your many readers, if not today then tomorrow. There's always something of interest though. We hope you continue for many years yet. G&C

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  38. Thanks folks for your blog support and friendship. You are one of a few people who have gone back reading my posts over the years. I can't imagine the patience that must have taken but I'm glad you found some useful info along the way. I remember meeting you in the desert west of Yuma Arizona along Ogilby Road. And then the rains came turning everything into a big muddy mess. Nice to have you living in Bayfield now and to think we actually had something to do with that:))))))

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