Thursday, August 17, 2017

WALKING PAST PHEEBS TODAY I SAID ‘HELLO THERE MOON MULLINS’

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THIS IS HOW THE AMISH-MENNONITE FOLKS STOOK THEIR WHEAT

With my RV work hat still firmly in place I was right back out into the carport first thing this morning to continue sorting, organizing, and prioritizing a number of plastic tubs we carry with us.  I have a tub for all electrical stuff like plugs, cables, extension cords etc and another one just for ropes and tie downs.  A third tub holds awing stuff like fasteners etc.  In the same bin is all our ground stakes, clips, and clamps.  A smaller bin holds our Satellite TV stuff like a spare LNB.  In opening these tubs it was not surprising to find things mixed up with right stuff in wrong places.  That happens sometimes if one is in a hurry packing up a campsite for whatever reason.  Back in 2009 I came up with a surefire way to keep track of all our stuff…..or so I thought.  You can read about my whiz bang idea in today’s post below Groaners Corner entitled, ‘Numbers On Our RV Bin Doors’.

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BEGINNING TO RE-LOAD A FEW BASEMENT BINS

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Heavy overcast with rain showers this morning and that is one of the reasons Pheebs and I didn’t  head off somewhere.  Also, we had cable TV guy coming sometime between 8:30 and noon to replace our modem and router with a new modern techno savvy machine that incorporates both those devices.  Kelly had phoned in a few days ago about some problems we were were having and when they checked our account they noticed our modem was so old they figured it must have come across on the Mayflower.  Cable guy rolled in about 12:45 and fixed us up with the new device and away he went.  Needless to say the set-up was not trouble free and Kelly was soon on the phone to Eastlink based somewhere on Canada’s east coast.  We did get our new problems resolved and so far things are working as they should.  Fingers crossed on that one of course.

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CABLE GUY’S HERE

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THE DEVICE WITH THE VERTICAL BLUE LIGHTS IS THE NEW MODEM/ROUTER MOSSMAGATOR

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CHECKING THINGS OUT TO MAKE SURE OUR NEW SMART TV IS COMMUNICATING WITH THE NEW MODEM  THINGY

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TWO PICTURES OF TWO SMART DEVICES

Cloudy skies prevailed for the rest of the day and we had a series of on again – off again rain showers.  Turned out to be an inside day and that is about all I can say about that.  Looks like a better weather day headed our way Friday.

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Nina from Wheeling it once again writes another fine article on her blog with this one being entitled, 6 Tips To Survive Being Together 24/7 In An RV.  She has a lot of good points and some of them stood out for me.  I think having one’s own space and taking the time to give your partner a break from you is a biggy.  We’re very lucky at home here with the addition of the sunroom years ago when it made it possible for us to hang out in different areas and especially in the evening.  Kelly watches her TV shows in the living room while I’m off in the sunroom with my music working on my blog.  Works perfect.  The RV though is a different story when traveling.  No matter which way you slice there is just isn’t an abundance of room in an RV so not a lot of good separation from one human to another.  It is just the way it is.  Kelly still likes to watch her evening TV shows but I basically have nowhere to go.  Not enough room in the bedroom to set a comfortable recliner.  Only way around it for me is to slap on my headphones and crank up the tunes while working on my blog.  And of course remember not to look up and see what’s going on with the television screen.  Here at home Pheebs and I get out every morning for a drive and that is a huge help for me as well as Kelly.  On the road I haven’t been doing that much but I think this winter Pheebs and I need to get out more in the mornings even if its just for a ride around in the desert.  I believe it is very important for individuals to have their quiet times doing whatever it is they themselves enjoy doing.  For me, spending a few hours each morning by myself has become a welcome necessity.

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Walking past Pheebs today I said, ‘Hello there Moon Mullins.’  Moon Mullins??  What!!  Where did that come from?  Well it came from the distant past of course and my childhood to be exact.  Moon Mullins was a cartoon character from a comic strip I remember reading.  I wonder how many folks remember Moon Mullins or Jiggs and Maggie or, or, or, Barney Google and Snuffy Smith or, or…………………….

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GROANER’S CORNER:(( A company had a vast scrap yard in the middle of a desert. Management said, "Someone might steal from it at night." So they created a night watchman position and hired a person for the job. Then management said, "How does the watchman do his job without instruction?" So they created a planning department and hired two people; one person to write the instructions and one person to do time studies. Then management said, "How will we know the night watchman is doing his tasks correctly?" So they created a Quality Control department and hired two people. One to do the studies and one to write the reports. Then management said, "How are these people going to get paid?" So they created the following positions, a timekeeper and a payroll officer; then hired two more people.
Then management said, "Who will be accountable for all of these people?" So they created an administrative section and hired three people; an Administrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal Secretary.
Then management said, "We've had this command in operation for one year now and we're $18,000 over budget. We have to cutback on overall costs." So they laid off the night watchman.

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Dad, will you help me with my homework?"  "I'm sorry," replied the father. "It wouldn't be right."  "Well, " said the boy, "at least you could try."

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Knock knock.

Who’s there?

Euripides.

Euripides who?

Euripides jeans, you pay for ’em, okay?

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'Numbers On Our RV Bin Doors'……………  I have found that RV storage space & traveling is a good example of theory & practical application.  The trick is in keeping your theory practical.  Coming from a 5th wheel to a motorhome we were overwhelmed by all the extra storage space suddenly available to us.  Seemed like acres & acres of room to lose every imaginable thing you could think of.  I could see right off the bat that the rig had a far bigger capacity for storing things than my brain did.  I knew there was no possible way I was going to ever remember where everything was.  In my younger days I had worked for a few stores like Eatons & Sears in warehouse capacities so knew the importance of inventory, labeling, & organization.  Figured I would put that knowledge to use. First thing I did was to get some of those small sticky-back numbers & starting from the first bin on the passenger side I gave each bin a number from 1 to 13.  Thirteen was the bin closest to the front on the driver's side.  I then got myself a 3 ring binder & began recording everything I put into each bin.  I even inventoried the toolbox so I knew what was inside without having to open it.  I was pretty pleased with myself for being so orderly & my system worked flawlessly............ for about a week!!

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THIS WAS OUR FIRST MOTORHOME WHICH WAS A 33’ DAMON CHALLENGER

Everything looked well & good sitting at home in the driveway but within a dozen days of traveling my whole inventory was pretty much upside down.  Didn't take me long to forget about making changes to the inventory book as I rearranged things.   Going from a nice neatly organized  stationary bin arrangement in the driveway to the reality of the road with it's many last minute overnight stops, weekly campsites, & monthly stays, it was inevitable I would forget to record the dozens & dozens of changes along the way.  I was already behind the 8 ball after the first week & despite my efforts at trying to update my changes I just fell further & further behind until I finally didn't even know where my inventory book was anymore.  So much for my logical theory!!  For full timers this isn't as great a problem because they live with their stuff each & every day but for we Snow Birds it's kinda difficult with that long 5 & 6 month dry stretch in between travels.  Just when I'm getting my head wrapped around to knowing where things are while traveling it's time to head home in the spring again.  Six months later when it's time to hit the road once more I'm lucky if I can remember where I've even left the Motorhome!!   And, one last thought about storage.  That first year with the motorhome we jammed anything & everything into the rig's bins we could think of.  And why did we do that?  Because the space was there & we felt we had to fill it with something.  I am still mentally inclined that way & have to keep telling myself, "no, you do not have to fill that space!!"   This past year heading south we probably had a good 25% of our storage space empty with nearly the same percentage numbers coming back.   We're getting better:))

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Wednesday, August 16, 2017

YOU ALL IS DA BEST:))

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Well here we are past the middle of August already and for me I figure we are now over the hump and coming around turn four as our slow seasonal change begins.  Days are getting shorter, nights are cooler, and each morning we have a heavier dew on the ground.  It is as if the seasons momentarily stand still while summer prepares to pass the baton to Autumn.  Purple thistles in bloom and soon the Asters.  Golden Rod has reached it’s peak height as well as area corn fields.  Soon bean fields will begin to turn yellow and any time now I expect to hear the Crickets of early Autumn chirping their distinctive sound.  Cricket sounds are my fav……………..

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It was a short drive for Pheebs and I again this morning as we made our way out around the northeast side of Goderich.  Nice enough day going on but couldn’t quite get myself into my usual enjoyably good back country road mood.  Some morning’s are just like that and thankfully they are few and far between.

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SAW A COUPLE HEADS BOBBING UP OUT OF A FIELD QUITE A DISTANCE AWAY AND IT WASN’T UNTIL I LOOKED AT THE PHOTOS LATERA THAT I SAW IT WAS A COUPLE WILD TURKEYS

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Finding myself still in RV clean-up mode I figured I had better strike while the iron was  hot and my energy levels were up.  Succeeded in finally emptying every basement bin in the Motorhome and vacuuming each one out.  Moved everything into the carport where I will go over things and prioritize what will go with us this winter and what will remain behind.  In other words we will be traveling much lighter than the last few years when when we were hauling things down to our house in Congress Az.  I always enjoy re-organizing stuff.  And yes I know it may be a bit early for all this stuff but while I’ve got my RV hat happily on my head it is better I do this now while I feel like doing it.

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I ALWAYS ENJOY SEEING HOW  MANY FARM FOLKS HAVE LANDSCAPED THEIR FRONT YARDS WITH FLOWER BEDS

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In tonight’s photos the first and last pictures are of the same cow from the same angle except there is a subtle difference between the two photos.  Wonder if anyone noticed it.  Might have to do with something missing in one of the photos.

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THIS OLD BARN PHOTO WAS TAKEN IN BEN MILLER ONTARIO

A word of thanks to everyone again for all your support over this past decade of blogging.  I don’t know when or where this blog of mine will end some day but in the meantime just a simple and very grateful thank you to everyone for sticking with me and giving me the inspiration to keep my blog going.  You all is da best:))

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GROANERS CORNER:(( A Few Witticisms::

- I can please only one person per day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow isn't looking good either.
- I love deadlines. I especially like the whooshing sound they make as they go flying by.
- There are very few personal problems that cannot be solved through a suitable application of high explosives.
- Tell me what you need, and I'll tell you how to get along without it.
- I don't have an attitude problem. You have a perception problem.
- My Reality Check bounced.
- On the keyboard of life, always keep one finger on the escape key.
-I don't suffer from stress. I'm a carrier.
- You're slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter.
- Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
- Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level then beat you with experience.

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An old guy was working out in the gym when he spotted a sweet young thing.  He asked the trainer that was near by, "What machine in here should I use to impress that sweet thing over there?"
The trainer looked him up and down and said, "I think you should try the ATM in the lobby."

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The teacher was giving her class of seven-year-olds a nature history lesson. 'Worker ants,' she told them, 'can carry pieces of food five times their own weight. What do you conclude from that?' One child was ready with the answer, 'They don't have a union?'

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Knock Knock
Who's there?
Rocky!
Rocky who?
Rocky bye baby in the tree top when the wind blows the cradle will rock.

Tuesday, August 15, 2017

CHECKING OUT SOME BOAT BUTTS AND CONTINUING WITH THE MOTORHOMES PRE-TRAVEL CLEAN UP

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Lightning, thunder, and rain in the night left things wet with dark clouds first thing this morning.   Our weather started off a bit dreary but by noon we had us lots of sun belting down through the pines.  Pheebs and I headed into Bayfield around 8:30 and took us for a drive down around the harbor to have us a look at the names on some boat butts around the Marina.

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Coffee and Morning Glory muffin to go from the Charles Street Market and we were off out into the countryside southeast of Bayfield for an hours drive then home again.  Puttering along at at about 20mph most of the time we do not have to go far to soak up an hour’s time.  With clearing skies and a touch less humidity in the air we headed home to get a few more RV things done. 

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PHEEBS IS BEING VERY PATIENT ABOUT THE MORNING GLORY MUFFIN LURKING IN THE PAPER BAG BETWEEN THE SEATS

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BAYFIELD SURE DOES HAVE A FEW LARGE TREES ON IT’S MAIN STREET

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I THINK THIS LIVELY LOOKING GROUP OF GALS MAY BE ABOUT TO HEAD OUT ON AN AROUND TOWN BAYFIELD HIKE

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BAYFIELD HAS A WIDE DIVERSITY OF ARCHITECTURE

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MANY BAYFIELD MOONS AGO I USED TO CUT THIS LAWN FOR THE FOLKS WHO LIVED IN TORONTO AND CAME HERE TO THEIR BAYFIELD HOUSE ON WEEK-ENDS

Finding myself still in RV Travel mode I hauled out the Shop Vac and began cleaning the rig’s basement bins.  Turns out we were still carrying a fair amount of Arizona and California desert with us.  Hauled out chairs, tables, and variety of other travel along stuff and put the water hose to it all washing and rinsing everything off.  It’s funny how a lot of that stuff is so important to us when we are traveling yet when we’re home for the summer we forget we even have it.

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A FEW MORE PHOTOS AROUND BAYFIELD’S HARBOR THIS MORNING

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A LONE FISHERMAN ON BAYFIELD’S SOUTH PIER

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A SECOND FISHERMAN ON THE PIER

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NEW REBUILT WHARF AND YOU CAN SEE THE HARBOR MOUTH AT EXTREME RIGHT

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I’M ASSUMING THESE BINS ARE EMPTY AND  AWAITING THE RETURN OF THE FISHING BOATS WHICH WILL DOCK ALONG THOSE YELLOW POSTS

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Haven’t thought too much about where we will go this winter except to know it will once again be somewhere in the Southwest.  As much as we love all our old familiar places we have to find new places to go and things to do or we’re going to fall into the old boredom pit early again.  Need to see things we’ve never seen before and go places we have never been.  I figure we are in the twilight years of our RV travels so if we want to get around to places we’ve never been we had better set our sights on those places this winter.  Of course knowing us we’ll probably roll out the driveway this Fall and still have no idea where the heck we’re going.

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I AT FIRST THOUGHT THIS WAS A JEEP WRANGLER PARKED ON SOME KIND OF BARGE

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NOT SURE WHAT THIS BOAT IS USED FOR BUT BY THE LOOKS OF THAT BOW I’D SAY IT’S MEANT FOR PUSHING AND BY THE LOOKS OF THE HEAVY DUTY ROPE BELOW I’D SAY IT WAS USED FOR PULLING AS WELL

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AND HERE’S WHAT POWERS ALL THAT PUSHING AND PULLING

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I’D SAY THE BOAT DRIVER BASICALLY SITS ON TOP OF THE ENGINE…..SURE MUST BE NOISY

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GOTTA LIKE THAT STEERING WHEEL

We know we are the odd couple when it comes to RV travelers.  As readers well know we are not socially oriented and much prefer to spend the majority of our time by ourselves boon-docking in quiet out of the way places if we can find them.  We are not anti-people we are just pro nature.  We know there are many fine RV and State Parks to stay in but that is not our way to travel.  In our very first RV year back in the Fall of 2006 we realized within a month of leaving home that if we had to stay in RV Parks there was no point in considering any more RV travels.  It was either stay home for the winter or……….hey wait a minute what’s this thing called boon-docking and what the heck are solar panels anyway.  Well, we weren’t long in happily finding out and by the Fall of 2007 we had traded our truck and fifth wheel trailer in on a Motorhome.  We had a plan:))

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AHHHH SO NICE TO BE BACK OUT INTO OUR GREEN COUNTRYSIDE

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‘HEY DAD LOOK AT THE MOUNTAIN GOATS’…….. ‘NO PHEEBS THEY ARE JUST COWS STANDING ON A HILL’

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WE CAME US ACROSS A WHOLE MESS OF COWS

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ALL THE YOUNGSTERS WERE GROUPED TOGETHER LIKE A KINDERGARTEN CLASS

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WHEN PHEEBS WALKED OVER TO THE FENCE TO SAY HELLO THE WHOLE GANG BECAME UNEASY AND BEGAN TO MOVE AWAY….NOTICE THE ADULT BLACK COW MINDING THE YOUNGSTERS LOOKING BACK AT THOSE TWO SLOWPOOKES HESITANT TO GET UP

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THE YOUNG ONES WERE SOON HEADED FOR THE HILLS FULL TILT

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HERE COMES PHEEBS WALKING  BACK  IN THE DITCH DISAPPOINTED THE COWS DIDN’T COME OVER TO THE FENCE TO SEE HER

Leaving Bayfield in 08 we basically made a bee-line for California and a place called Slab City on the east side of the Salton Sea where we had heard good things about a fella there by the name of Solar Mike who installed solar systems on RVs.  We liked Mike right off the bat and found him to be personable down to earth honest fella.  He fixed us up with 2 solar panels, an inverter and whatever else was entailed with solar and we were on our way again.  Going solar was one of the best RVing decisions we ever made and in fact we’ve been back to Solar Mikes nearly half a dozen times since as he installed a system on our Class C Chevy Sunseeker and Class C Winnebago.  He also helped us with our current rig when we had an inverter problem 3 winters ago and last year he installed 4 new batteries for us. in our current rig  But anyway I’ve got myself a little off track here.

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A FEW FILE PHOTOS OF ME AFFIXING OUR CANADIAN FLAGS TO OUR RIG IN AUGUST OF 2015

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Getting back to the odd couple……….we differ from many other RV folks in that our priorities are not that of hanging out with people and socializing.  For many that is what RVing is all about but for us it is the opposite.  Anytime I step out of the Motorhome all I want to hear is cactus wrens, the wind whispering through the Saguaros, distant coyotes and and anything else Mother Nature has to pleasantly offer.  Want to see the crackling stars from horizon to horizon each night without interference from lights of any kind unless it’s a distant twinkling of lights from a town far off on the distant horizon.  No humans sounds just that of the natural desert itself.

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We like to spend the majority of our time by ourselves enjoying what it is we like to do and how we like to do it.  And that is simply enjoying the relaxing quietness of nature.  During the summer months at home just outside of Bayfield Ontario we live in a community which is Okay but in the winters for the past 10 years we have mainly sought out and had the opportunity to be off by ourselves and for us that has become ‘our priority.’

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SUNSET IN BAYFIELD’S PIONEER PARK

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GROANER’S CORNER:((  A blonde was driving home after a football game, and got caught in a really bad hailstorm. Her car was covered with dents, so the next day she took it to a repair shop. The shop owner saw that she was a blonde, so he decided to have some fun. He told her just to go home and blow into the tail pipe really hard, and all the dents would pop out. So, the blonde went home, got down on her hands and knees and started blowing into her car's tailpipe. Nothing happened. She blew a little harder, and still nothing happened.  Her roommate, another blonde, came home and said, "What are you doing?"  The first blonde told her how the repairman had instructed her to blow into the tailpipe in order to get all the dents to pop out. Her roommate rolled her eyes and said, ...
"HELLLLO" "You need to roll up the windows first"

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Used to being the center of attention, Robbie was a little more than jealous of his new baby sister. The parents sat him down and said that now that she was getting older, the house was too small and they'd have to move.  "It's no use," Robbie said, "She's crawling good now and she'd probably just follow us."

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Knock knock.

Who’s there?

Nanna.

Nanna who?

Nanna your business, that’s who.