DIFFICULT DAYS

OUR NORTHERN (BALTIMORE) ORIOLES ARE BACK

Sitting here at the keyboard tonight I am again asking myself, what am I going to write about? Another weather report post of daily events mixed with some silliness? Maybe talk about our simultaneous medical difficulties that are rattling our little world right now? Future plans? Should I write a post reflecting back on some good old RVing times & include lots of happy links? Maybe catch up on all my fellow RV Bloggers, see how they're doing, add some links & maybe try to help some new Bloggers gain a little extra exposure. Or maybe I should just tell you how I really am feeling about all this blogging stuff at the moment. Alright, maybe I'll just deal with that for now.

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First & foremost let me say how much I have enjoyed writing this daily blog over the years. It has given me a meaningful purpose every day. It has creatively allowed me to be me. The blog revived my fading interest in photography years ago & I have spent endless happy hours these past bunch of years scrambling around over hill & dale with the sole purpose of grabbing a few photos for my posts at the end of each day. My blog has filled a void in my life & I must say it has become kind of an obsession. Being an obsessive person to begin with I am not surprised by that. Blogging once or twice a week or whenever I feel like it is not an option for an obsessive mind like mine. I have always (well most always) enjoyed the daily challenge of publicly gathering together my thought processes each day & tossing them out there for others to read. I'm sure people obsessed with doing crossword puzzles & those sorts of mind challenging things every day would understand the obsessive part. Although frustrating & downright maddening at times the good days far outweigh the bad. Hours of each day spent in constructive creative thinking has always seemed like a good thing to me.

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My posts run hot & cold, up & down, much like my personality. I am not a flat liner running consistently high or consistently low. I ricochet between the two far ranging personality points & it is because of that my posts are never predictable. I rarely know from one day to the next what I am going to write about. Will I hit on something exciting for someone? Will I be able to make a few folks laugh with some silliness? Will I feel confident enough to mention some accomplishments & then feel guilt the following day having done so.  Can I hold someone's interest with a story? Could I be of help to anybody? Will an introspective post shed some light on someone else’s inner problems.  Maybe my opinion on something may ring a bell with some folks. Maybe an old memory will bring a smile to someone's face. Or maybe I will write something boring enough to peel paint off the side of a battleship. Why do I worry about things like this? Because that is who I am. One of those people who enjoy writing & has been fortunate enough to have been born with a set of Genes that make me care what people think.  I have always felt that is important.  None of that 'nothing bothers me' ha ha ha & 'I don't care what anybody thinks' ra-ra-ra stuff. For those of you out here who do write from the heart side of things I know you understand how I feel. You well know the up days & you well know the down days.

I have again been struggling with my blog ever since returning from Arizona this year. In fact I have been struggling with all forms of communication this year.  Usually happens every Spring around this time but last year & especially this year the struggle has been tougher. Maybe brought on by some of the medical issues we are experiencing right now, maybe the realization our lives at the moment are making that slow turn from our once robust middle age healthy lifestyle to the reality of our coming Senior years. No, not being negative here. Just simply dealing with the realities of logical thought.

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My plan is to keep this blog going for awhile longer but also know that if you do not see a post from me in the near future it does not mean I have stopped blogging. Just means I have not been able to pull my socks up for that particular day. At some point the blog will end of course but I have no idea when that will be.  Could be tomorrow or it could be 10 years from now.  Just don’t know.  I once said in a post a few years ago that I would end the blog at some point if I thought reader interest had dropped. That is why my Sitemeter count near the top of my side bar has always been of prime importance to me. I see it as the sole accurate indicator of how my blog is doing. It counts the number of times my Blogsite has been visited by someone each day. One click at a time. Nothing else. No page views or self added comments. My Sitemeter has remained unaltered since the day I initially put it there way back when I first began blogging in late 06 & it has been my main guide ever since. If that daily number were to begin dropping & reach a predetermined low point I would then know interest in my blog has waned & it is time to bring things to an end. This Sitemeter number does vary from day to day & week to week but overall & surprisingly it has slowly continued to grow each year & that has indicated to me I am managing most days to write something slightly interesting enough to keep a few people coming back & to encourage a few new people to stop by for a look see & say Hello. So with all that said.............I guess I do have a few more posts left in me after all:))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Standing beside a valiant stallion, a beautiful blonde decides she must ride this animal despite having no previous riding experience. Soon, she finds herself atop the horse's back, galloping through a lush green meadow.

Unsuspecting, the horse suddenly picks up speed and she finds herself euphoric over the freedom she is experiencing.

Once again, the magnificent animal picks up speed except this time her inexperience gets the better of her. She finds herself barely able to hang on.

The startled horse is now in a dead run and the beautiful blonde finds herself hanging off to one side of the horse, her head just inches from the ground... catastrophe seconds away.

She begins to frantically scream for help when all of a sudden.........

Frank, the Wal-Mart door man, calmly walks up and unplugs the ride.

--- -------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

PHEEBS & I TOOK 10 OF OUR 22 CYLINDERS FOR A DRIVE TODAY

PHEEBS LOVES CRUISING IN THE RV:))

Looking out the living room at our Winnie Wagon on a cool overcast Saturday morning a thought occurred to me.  Winnie the Bago had not left her spot under the Pines since we brought her home from London a couple weeks ago. Roads had dried from an overnight rain so figured Pheebs & I had better head out & take Winnie for a little RV cruise. Kelly headed off to Deer Park Lodge to spend a couple hours working. It's our big Queen Victoria May 24th long week-end here in Canada & that means it's our unofficial start to summer. The Lodge was booked full & Kelly's help was needed. She headed over for a couple hours Friday as well & that couple hours turned into 7.

<<< OUR LILACS ARE IN BLOOM

Knew I was out of Yogurt so that was a good enough excuse to load up the little Monkey Face & roll ourselves on out of the Park for Goderich. Also wanted to stop along the road & grab a few new Winnie photos for the blog's header & sidebar. How nice to be getting a few more Ford miles under my belt.  And looking at the dash I couldn't help but feel I am pleasantly morphing right into liking it more every time I see it.  This rig is really growing on me.  And what a treat the sound system is with the Jensen radio compared to the troublesome & poor sound quality of the Magnadyne radio in the Sunseeker. And how nice to have a touch screen I can actually see clearly while driving. It’s all in the graphics.  Still do not like the touchy-touchy-feely-feely stuff with the screen but that's the way it is. This Ford Chassis has a nice solid feeling ride to it as well.

 

Walmart was our destination this morning & I knew the parking lot would be crowded with tourists on the long week-end. Hadn't realized they had a big car show going on out front of the Canadian Tire store but I had no problem manoeuvring the Winnie Wagon's 26 foot length through all the traffic chaos skittering about the parking lot. Not quite as agile as the Sunseeker's 23 feet but definitely much better than wheeling the Damon's 33' around in those tight spaces.

 

 

A VERY BUSY PLACE TODAY

Jostled & tussled with the Walmart crowds for about 5 minutes, knocked a couple people over & exited the store with my Yogurt, a couple light bulbs, & an Oh Henry chocolate bar. In fact I think I may have even been knocked down & trampled on a couple times myself because when I arrived home later it appeared a couple of my Yogurt cups were crushed, I was missing one of my shoes, one light bulb was broken, & my baseball hat was in tatters:(( Grabbed a couple hot dogs at a vendor stand just outside the Walmart door & headed for the RV. One hot dog for me & one for the Pheebs. Mine was the one with the fried onions. Snapped a couple quick pics in the car show area & we were on our way home.

I HAD TWO OLD FORD FALCONS YEARS AGO & NEITHER ONE LOOKED AS SPIFFY AS THIS FALCON WAGON

 

NEVER HAD A CADILLAC BUT DID HAVE AN OLD JAGUAR ONCE…IN FACT I HAVE HAD A LOT OF OLD CLUNKERS & SOME NICE ONE'S TOO

  

NEVER DID HAVE A MUSTANG BUT THE DASH BELOW SURE REMINDS ME OF AN OLD 55 FORD I HAD ONCE

 

I’VE HAD 6 PICK UP TRUCKS BUT NEVER AN OLD ONE LIKE THIS 

EVEN MANAGED TO GET THE ‘WINNIE WAGON’ IN ONE OF THE PHOTOS

All & all not too bad a day despite the gloomy weather. Pheebs was happy to get out for a ride in the RV & I was happy to get out & drive the RV. And I'm sure Winnie the Bago was just as happy getting out & being driven somewhere as well. After all, that is what she was designed to do……..:))

GROANER'S CORNER:(( Taxiing down the tarmac, the jetliner abruptly stopped, turned around and returned to the gate. After a hour-long wait, it finally took off. A concerned passenger asked the flight attendant: “What was the problem?”
“The pilot was bothered by a noise he heard in the engine,” explained the flight attendant,” and it took us a while to find a new pilot.”
-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

JUST A FEW PHOTOS TONIGHT

  

   

OUR FIRST AMERICAN GOLDFINCH OF THE SEASON

 

A WOODLAND BUTTERFLY BLENDS IN WELL WITH AN OLD PINE LOG

  

 

 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A police officer stops a woman who appears to be in her 80's, for running a stop sign. After getting her license, registration and insurance, he says 'This may seem unnecessary but it's standard procedure to ask if you have any weapons'.
The elderly lady pulls out a derringer. The cop is shocked, when she says 'Hold on'; she then takes out a 357 magnum, a set of brass knuckles, a shotgun and a can of mace.
The officer asks, 'Ma'am, just what are you afraid of?'
The senior responds, 'Not a goddamn thing!'

-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.

THERE’S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT A QUIET WALK IN THE FOREST & KELLY GETS A CALL FROM HER DOCTOR TODAY

NICE TO SEE ALL THE NEW SPRING GREENERY & CREEKS FULL OF WATER

Knew before even climbing out of bed this morning I was needing a big dose of feeling good today & the only way to get that was not only a change of pace but a change of space as well. Without further ado after our morning walk I tossed my cameras in the Jeep, loaded up the little Rascal Buns & headed out into the countryside. As usual we had no destination in mind. Just needed to change things up by breaking my boring house routine. Some routines are fine, necessary, & even enjoyable, but for me doing the same thing 3 days in a row just doesn't work.

IT WAS A FINE MORNING TO HEAD OUT FOR A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY

Before long a real-estate 'For Sale' sign caught my attention & curiosity headed me off down a country road to have a look. Nice house, nice lot, & I guessed the price around $300.000. Later found out on the internet it was listed for just under $800.000. Yikes, prices sure have rocketed out of sight in our area here along the shores of Lake Huron.

PATHWAY AT LEFT LEADS INTO THE BANNOCKBURN WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA FOREST

 

AND WOULD YOU BELIEVE THE BOARDWALK BRANCHES OFF TO AN OUTHOUSE IN THE SWAMP

THERE’S NO KEEPING THE PHEEBERS ON THE BOARDWALK…TOO MANY INTERESTING SMELLS TO EXPLORE
A short time later motoring along another country road about 10 miles southeast of Bayfield I noticed no cars at the BANNOCKBURN CONSERVATION AREA parking lot. Bonus!! That meant nobody was on the trails hiking. Seems every time I've gone by in the last bunch of years people have been there. Didn't take Pheebs & I long to make a U-turn, pile out of the Jeep, & get ourselves on the Bannockburn boardwalk leading across a swampy area into the forest. Had been many years since I last walked this scenic trail & back in the late 80's while a member of the Stratford Field Naturalist Club I led a hike here one Saturday morning. Nice to see some old familiar landmarks but was sure surprised at how the marshy forest had filled in & grown.

 

Had only planned walking to where the boardwalk through the swamp ended because I had forgotten my cane & didn't want to get myself into a situation where I needed it. Hip felt totally fine so Pheebs & I ended up doing the whole trail. Despite the forested hills & steep climbs in some areas it was just too beautiful a morning to not take a chance in doing it. No bugs yet this time of year & that was also an incentive to keep going. Plus, Pheebs had a blast racing around all over the place. Still lots of Trilliums in the woods & we had the whole place to ourselves as we leisurely wandered our way through the woods for nearly an hour.

 

For me personally I find a drive in the countryside, a walk, or a hike somewhere the best way to get myself out of a funk.  Just that lone time with Mother Nature always seems to work wonders for picking up my spirits.  Just  alone with one’s thoughts in a natural setting.  My mind, ears & eyes are always attuned to the beauty surrounding me & I absorb myself into it.  Toting a camera along gives me a purpose & having the Pheebs along gives me great joy & comfort.

 

PHEEBS LOOKS BACK TO MAKE SURE I AM STILL COMING

 

 

THERE’S JUST SOMETHING ABOUT A QUIET WALK IN THE FOREST THAT WORKS FOR ME EVERY TIME

Next stop was a coffee & carrot muffin to go at Tim Horton's in Clinton. Minutes later we were back into the countryside again heading for a stop in the HULLETT MARSH. This is a large 2,520 acre conservation area & wet lands covering many square miles & owned by Ducks Unlimited. Many forms of wildlife here. About a quarter mile out on one of the ponds I could see a bunch of Canadian Geese. Parked the Jeep & headed out for a walk along one of the berms. Pheebs was a fair distance ahead of me along the shoreline when I noticed all the Geese paddling briskly towards her. Normally Geese will keep their distance from dogs. This flotilla of about a dozen geese even had babies with them as they headed straight for Pheebs stopping only about 30 feet from the shoreline to watch her exploring along the shoreline. Thought that was odd but remembered Pheebs just seems to have something about her that animals trust. Remember the herd of cows a couple winters ago while boondocked just south of Congress Arizona & how they all gathered around Pheebs & touched noses with her.

THE HULLETT MARSH IS A LARGE MAN MADE WETLANDS

THIS FLOTILLA OF FOREGROUND GEESE TAKEN WITH A TELEPHOTO LENS A LONG WAYS OUT HEADED OUR WAY AS SOON AS THEY SPOTTED THE PHEEBS

 

THEY HUNG AROUND NOT FAR OFF SHORE WATCHING THE PHEEBS ALL THE TIME WE WERE THERE

 

On the way home later we did stop along a fence line so Pheebs could visit with a heard of Holstein cows. We stayed in the Jeep but I thought I did see some winks & smiles going back & forth between Pheebs & the nearby Bovines.

A TYPICAL ONTARIO HOLSTEIN DAIRY FARM  

PHEEBS KEEPS A CLOSE EYE ON HER COW PALS
Kelly's Doctor phoned this afternoon with the results of her echocardiogram & the tests showed something. It is looking like Kelly may have something called PERICARDITIS. Basically speaking the pericardium is a thin, two-layered, fluid-filled sac that covers the outer surface of the heart. It shields the heart from infection or malignancy and contains the heart in the chest wall. It also prevents the heart from over-expanding when blood volume increases, which keeps the heart functioning efficiently. Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium. Further tests will be required to confirm all this & will likely be done by a Specialist in Stratford as soon as appointments can be arranged. Luckily, Kelly had another pain free day today but her energy levels are still very unusually low. Her Doctor told her the reason the CT Scan did not find the problem a month ago is simply because they were scanning for a PULMONARY EMBOLISM at that time.

AND TO THINK THESE LANDS WERE ALL ONCE HEAVILY FORESTED

 

 

AREA FARMER’S ARE BUSY ON THE LAND READYING THEIR FIELDS FOR PLANTING & IT LOOKS LIKE JOHN DEERE IS THE TRACTOR OF CHOICE IN THESE PARTS

AND IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THERE ARE TOO MANY ‘POOR FARMERS’ AROUND ANYMORE

MIKE & GINA are the latest Blog Followers to join the Bunch on our winter time travels & home life in Congress Arizona & Bayfield Ontario. Thanks for your interest folks & welcome aboard:))

GROANERS CORNER:(( A blonde is terribly overweight, so her doctor put her on a diet. "I want you to eat regularly for 2 days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for 2 weeks. The next time I see you, you'll have lost at least 5 pounds." When the blonde returned, she shocked the doctor by losing nearly 20 pounds. "Why, that's amazing!" the doctor said, "Did you follow my instructions?" The blonde nodded, "I'll tell you though, I thought I was going to drop dead that 3rd day." "From hunger, you mean?", asked the doctor." "No, from skipping."
-------------------------------------------------------------
- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- "If having a soul means being able to feel
love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals
are better off than a lot of humans."
(James Herriot)
- The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; the realist adjusts the sails -William Arthur Ward
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
- It is not so much having nothing to do as it is not having the interest to do something....AL.