Monday, July 17, 2017

WE ARE ABOUT BURNT OUT FROM RIDING THE SMART PHONE MERRY-GO-ROUND

DSC_2447
A FEW PHOTOS FROM OUR FRONT YARD TODAY
Been a few weeks since I’ve walked along our quietly peaceful pine tree trail on the hundred acre property where our 5 Seasons Park is located. This is a path through a forest we have been walking almost 15 years.  The trail as we knew it is quickly disappearing as chain saws take down the forests large pine trees.  Have to say it was a mild shock again this afternoon to see parts of the trail now unrecognizable as the result of heavy machinery in the bush.  I again had to remind myself this is not our property and we have no say as to what happens here.  The only upside I could think of was how fortunate we have been over the years to have had this pine forest to enjoy and walk through while it was here.  Many fine early morning walks and memories years ago with the old Bayfield Bunch Max, Checkers, and Cora. 
DSC_2454DSC_2451DSC_2452DSC_2453
Well I was hoping for cooler weather and I got my wish.  Mid 60’s today and that suited me just fine.  Could have done without the heavy cloud cover for the first half of the day though.  Our phone rang today and it was Andy from the Goderich Power Center saying he had a fella in this morning wanting to buy my motorcycle.  Left a thousand dollar deposit so I guess you could say it is officially sold.  (hmmmm, seems to me I said that about our former Congress Arizona house once too) Kelly had placed an ad on her Facebook’s Bayfield/Goderich buy and sell page.  A fellow from Bayfield inquired about the bike and we directed him to the Goderich Power Center so it looks like we might be seeing the bike around town soon.  Have I had any second thoughts about selling the bike and does it bother me when I see motorcycles out and about now??  Answer to that question is no and no.  
DSC_2468DSC_2466DSC_2461
Kelly, Pheebs and I headed off to Goderich this morning to physically look at a selection of Smartphones at the Bell Mobility store.  We are still going round and round on the smartphone merry-go-round and just when we think we have decided on something we change our minds again and it’s back to the drawing board.  I do not need or want a high end smart phone nor do I want a low end basics only cell phone so that puts us somewhere in the middle.  One thing we have learned is that there is ‘no perfect smartphone’ regardless of  how much money one is willing to spend or how much hype and advertising each manufacture puts into their product .  We’ve looked up and read the specs and reviews from high end iPhones right down to the bargain basement Mickey Mouse phones.  Somewhere in between those two is the right phone for me but so far we just haven’t been able to find it.  Every phone has it’s pros and cons and it basically comes down to several things.  Cost, need, and preferences.  
DSC_2464DSC_2465DSC_2463DSC_2450We solved the McDonald’s BLT mystery today as well.  Kelly wanted to try one so we stopped into McD’s on the way home and grabbed ourselves one BLT each.  BLT’s as a rule do not have egg or cheese on them but McDonalds version of a BLT does so that explains my confusement last week.  Kelly also pointed out the McD’s BLT also comes with Mayo and that of course would explain part of the mess on my pants last week.  Today I took the precaution of draping a small towel over my lap then proceeded to drip some Mayo on my shirt of course.  Of course!!
DSC_2462DSC_2459
Something I forgot to mention in my last couple posts when Kelly’s daughter Sabra, husband Derek and their two boys were visiting.  Anyone in the Golden Horseshoe area of Kitchener, Cambridge, or Guelph buying or selling a home, property, or business you might want to give Derek a call.  With a team of 3 people working for and with him Derek is a part of the large overall country wide RE/MAX organization.  Highly successful, Derek has been in the Real Estate business about 13 years.  He’s more than just Kelly's son-in-law he’s a good guy as well.  If you decide to call him about anything be sure to tell him the ‘Bayfield Bunch’ sent ya:))  You can find Derek here at the DEREK McGRATH TEAM
DSC_2449
GROANER’S CORNER:(( This fellow is looking to buy a saw to cut down some trees in his back yard. He goes to a chainsaw shop and asks about various chainsaws. The dealer tells him, "Look, I have a lot of models, but why don't you save yourself a lot of time and aggravation and get the top-of-the-line model. This chainsaw will cut a hundred cords of wood for you in one day."
So, the man takes the chainsaw home and begins working on the trees. After cutting for several hours and only cutting two cords, he decides to quit. He thinks there is something wrong with the chainsaw. "How can I cut for hours and only cut two cords?" the man asks himself. "I will begin first thing in the morning and cut all day," the man tells himself. So, the next morning the man gets up at 4 am in the morning and cuts and cuts, and cuts till nightfall, and still he only manages to cut five cords.  The man is convinced this is a bad saw. "The dealer told me it would cut one hundred cords of wood in a day, no problem. I will take this saw back to the dealer," the man says to himself.  The very next day the man brings the saw back to the dealer and explains the problem. The dealer, baffled by the man's claim, removes the chainsaw from the case. The dealer says, "Hmm, it looks fine."  Then the dealer starts the chainsaw, to which the man responds, "What's that noise?
---------------------------
- Waiter: I have stewed liver, boiled tongue and frog's leg.  Customer: Don't tell me your problems. Give me the menu.
- Two women overheard talking….."One of my friends is pregnant. And I’m really excited.  Not for the baby but because she’s one of my skinniest friends”.
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Robin.
Robin who?
Robin you, now hand over the cash.




Sunday, July 16, 2017

IT WAS A BUSIER DAY FOR KELLY THAN ME AND OUR COMPANY HEADED HOME

DSC_2437It was after dark when the gang arrived back from The Docks restaurant in Bayfield.  Kelly had bought the boys something called ‘Jump Rocket Night Shotz’ which is basically a heavy duty plastic container with a tube to a light weight sponge rocket with and LED light in it.  Stomp or jump on the plastic container, forced air rushes through a plastic tube and blows the rocket up into the air about 30 or 40 feet.  Says 100 ft on the box…..ya right.  The following photos are of our local group of resident rocket scientists firing the rockets into the air out front near our house Saturday night.
DSC_0006
DSC00133
HERE ARE THE 2 MAIN ROCKET ENGINEERS FIGURING OUT THE LAUNCH PAD ASSEMBLY
DSC00134DSC00135DSC00136DSC00138
DSC00142 - Copy
GRAMMA KELLY HELPS THE BOYS SET UP THE LAUNCH PAD
DSC00141 - Copy
DSC00152
DEREK GIVES THE LAUNCHER A STOMP
DSC00140 - Copy
LANGDON ROARS IN WITH A LEAPING STOMP
DSC00143 - Copy
KEENAN LAUNCHES A ROCKET AND KELLY WATCHES IT GO INTO ORBIT
DSC00151
PHEEBS ATTEMPTS A LAUNCH BUT CAN’T GET THE ROCKET INTO THE AIR
DSC00146 - Copy DSC00147 - Copy
TWO MORE FLYING STOMPS
DSC00155
OOOOPS ONE ROCKET STOMPER MISSED HIS MARK AND CRASHED
DSC00156
QUICK KEENAN GIVE THAT RED LAUNCHER A STOMP AND GIVE YOUR DAD A GOOD OLD SPONGE ROCKET RIGHT IN THE SCHNOOT
DSC00154
ANOTHER FLYING STOMP COMING IN
DSC00150 DSC00157DSC00158
IN THIS PHOTO YOU CAN SEE THE BLUE ‘LED’ LIT ROCKET COMING DOWN JUST ABOVE DEREK’S HEAD…..THE BOYS WERE TRYING TO CATCH THE SPONGY ROCKETS WHEN THEY CAME DOWN
Luckily our day dawned rain free this morning with a mixture of sun and cloud for our company.  Our overnight temporary RV crew said they all spent an enjoyably comfortable night in the Motorhome.  We have a funky pull out couch that makes into a bed and that is where the boys slept.
DSC_2414-001
I THINK DEREK MUST BE MAKING HIMSELF A 3 POUND WAMBAT SALOMI SANDWICH OVER THERE
DSC_2419-001DSC_2420-001
DEREK PUTS A MOVIE IN THE DVR FOR THE GUYS
DSC_2423-001
‘OH WOE IS ME WHEN WILL THIS MOVIE EVER START’
DSC_0004<<< OOOOOPS, JUST A FEW MORE ADJUSTMENTS
The boys were wanting to head for the beach again today.  Dereck suggested we first head to Renegades Diner in Bayfield’s south end for breakfast so that’s what we did.  Surprisingly,  I went too.  Good breakfasts all way round and it was 2 thumbs up for Renegades.
DSC_0003
‘HEY THE MOVIE JUST STARTED’
Had we had more time and the weather not been so iffy we would have taken everybody for a spin in the Motorhome.
DSC_2424
thumbnail_IMG_20170716_0956371HERE’S A PHOTO TAKEN BY KELLY WITH HER BLACKBERRY OF LANGDON DIGGING INTO HIS STRAWBERRY FRENCH TOAST…..THANKS TO DEREK AND SABRA FOR BREAKFAST THIS MORNING:))
Back home again for a bit before the gang along with Kelly headed back into Bayfield for a little browsing along main street.  They actually ended up for lunch at the Black Dog Pub & Bistro, some time at the Bayfield Beach then the boys went ‘Wakeboarding’ for awhile at the Windmill Lake Wake & Eco Park.  Pheebs and I were quite contentedly happy to stay home.  Turned out to be a cloudy afternoon with a few traveling rain showers passing through.  The gang was back around 4 and were packed up and heading home to Hespeler Ontario around 4:30.  A good time was had by all and after company two week-ends in a row the Bayfield Bunch is needing one big rest now for sure.   Far as we know we have no more company coming that we know of……………
thumbnail_IMG_20170716_1537117
KELLY CAPTURED THESE TWO WAKEBOARDING PHOTOS WITH HER BLACKBERRY
thumbnail_IMG_20170716_155204386
KELLY DOES A SELFIE WITH HER DAUGHTER SABRA AT THE WINDMILL WAKEBOARD PARK WHICH INCIDENTALLY IS ONLY A MILE EAST OF WHERE WE LIVE
thumbnail_IMG_20170716_1212523
LOOKS LIKE I GOT BLACKBERRIED TOO WHILE TAKING A COUPLE FROG PHOTOS
DSC_2425
YEP, WE GOT KIDS HERE ALRIGHT
DSC_2431
PHEEBS WAS SURE ENJOYING ALL THE EXTRA ATTENTION
DSC_2428 DSC_2427DSC_2426 DSC_2429
untitledThink I have finally made a decision on which smartphone to get.  George from Our Awesome Travels sent me a picture of the kind of phone I was looking for.  I knew they were out there because I had seen a picture of one a few years ago.  I figure this is the darndest right phone for me for sure.  Gotta love that rotary dial eh:))
DSC_2433DSC_2444 DSC_2438
LANGDON TAKING A FEW FROG PHOTOS
DSC_2445Ever since getting into the modern digital age ways of doing things photographically I have been using auto-focus zoom lenses.  Before digital back in the old 35mm days I never owned an auto focus or zoom lens.  All my lenses were primary lenses meaning they all had a set focal point.  If you wanted to get closer to a subject you had to move yourself physically nearer to the subject and vice versa.  Needless to say I loved the zoom lens idea right from the get go.  Many advantages to zoom lenses for sure but a prime lens has a prime purpose as well.  They are inherently sharper than the zoomers and function in low light situations better and for this reason in our Henry’s camera trade dealings a week ago I did end up with a Nikkor 1.8 35mm prime lens.  it’s taking me a bit to get used to but I want to dig in and see if I can improve a some areas of my photography.  Maybe get a few things here and there a tad sharper if I can.  The earlier close up photo of Keenan entitled ‘Hey the movie just started’ was taken with that 35mm lens Saturday night.
DSC_2443
GROANER’S CORNER:((  Three guys, a Polish guy, a Jewish guy and an Italian guy sign up for the police academy. The Jewish guy goes in first and the Captain says to him, "We have to ask you one question before we admit you in to the academy, Who killed Jesus?" The Jewish guy says "The Romans did it." The Captain says, "Right, you're admitted." The Italian guy goes in next. The Captain asks him the same thing. "We have to ask you one question first before you're admitted to the Police Academy. Who killed Jesus?" The Italian guy says "The Romans did it." The Captain says, "Right, you're admitted." The Polish guy goes in and the Captain repeats the question. The Polish guy says "Gee, I don't know." The Captain tells him to go home and think about it for a week and come back and tell him. The Polish guy goes home and his wife asked him how his first day went at the academy, and he says to her, "You won't believe it!  My first day on the job and they assigned me to a murder case!"
----------------
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Etch.
Etch who?
Bless you, friend.