CHALLENGING REALITIES

Armed with an A&W breakfast coupon Pheebs and I changed things up a bit this morning and slid into Goderich's east end heading for some bacon and eggs.  Had to pick up a prescription at Walmart anyway and the two places were close to each other.  Skies were overcast and we made it there and back home again between rain showers.  Not my idea of a nice Saturday morning but at least it wasn't cold.

THE ‘MANITOULIN’ WAS THE ONLY SHIP IN THE GODERICH HARBOR AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE COOK IS BURNING THE BISCUITS

YEARS AGO THESE SMALL RAILROAD MAINTENANCE VEHICLES WERE CALLED ‘JIGGERS’

For obvious reasons I haven't been able to enthusiastically get my RV traveling head fastened securely on this Fall so haven't really done much in seriously packing, getting things ready, or planning any routes or destinations.   If by chance we are green lighted to go and decide to do so I do have a feeling this could be our last RV winter season.  Truly hate to say that but it's just another one of those realities that will have to be faced when the time comes.  Nothing lasts forever and the travails of this damn aging thing has a subtle way of making it so.  Nothing to do with being pessimistic and everything to do with simply and honestly facing yet another challenging reality of life……..realistically.

WITH ONLY A FEW PICS IN THE CAMERA I SPOTTED THIS FIELD OF COWS ON THE WAY HOME……WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS, THINK COWS:))

AND THERE’S EVEN A LITTLE DOGGY FACE IN THIS PHOTO

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Facebook for Seniors...
For those of my generation who simply do not, and cannot, comprehend why Facebook exists:
I am trying to make friends outside of Facebook while applying the same principles.  Therefore, every day I walk down the street and tell passersby what I have eaten, how I feel at the moment, what I have done the night before, what I'm doing now, what I will be doing later and with whom, and where I'm going next. and ask them to follow me along and watch me be important.
Then I give them pictures of my family, my dog, and of me gardening, taking things apart in the garage, watering the lawn, standing in front of landmarks, washing the car, driving around town, eating lunch, getting a haircut, and doing what anybody and everybody does every day.  I also listen to their conversations, give them the "thumbs up" and tell them I like them and will be friends with them. It all works just like Facebook.. only I do it face to face not on a little glass screen.  I already have four people following me - two police officers, a private investigator and a psychiatrist.

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I rear-ended a car a few days ago.  The driver got out of the other car, and he was a Dwarf.  He looked up at me and said "I am NOT happy!"
So I said, "well, which one are you then?"

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Knock Knock
Who's there?
Butcher!
Butcher who?
Butcher money where your mouth is!

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WAITED ALL DAY FOR A DOCTOR’S PHONE CALL THAT NEVER CAME

ON THE CLIFFTOP SHORES OF LAKE HURON NORTH OF GRAND BEND THIS MORNING

It was under brooding skies layered with a thick cloud cover that Pheebs and I rolled into Bayfield this morning picking up a coffee and muffin to go at Bayfield’s Charles Street Market Cafe' before heading further south out into the countryside.

SEEMED TO BE MORE PEOPLE THAN USUAL FISHING OF BAYFIELD’S PIERS THIS MORNING

LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE EVEN HAS A SMALL BLUE PUP TENT OUT THERE…..MAYBE TO KEEP ALL THE FISH IN HUH

OH-OH I THINK THERE’S MORE CHAIRS THAN PEOPLE….MAYBE THAT ONE GUY ON THE RIGHT IS TRYING TO PULL HIS WATERLOGGED BUDDY BACK UP ONTO THE PIER

BATTENING DOWN THE HATCHES FOR A WET WEEKEND

FEWER BOATS IN THE WATER THIS WEEK THAN LAST WEEK

Despite cloudy skies it was warm enough to putter along with Libby’s two front windows down.  Pheebs loves resting her head on the door’s window sill letting the gentle air flow twitch her nose and tussle her ears a bit.  When I talk quietly to her she looks my way with those understanding soft brown eyes and conveys to me that she knows everything I’m talking about and I am content in the knowledge that she sure does.

HEADING THROUGH WIND TURBINE COUNTRY

TOOK A BIT OF LOOKING BUT I DID MANAGE TO FIND A FEW TOUCHES OF AUTUMN COLOR

We stopped at one our favorite lakeside look-out points a few miles north of Grand Bend and was again amazed at how much of the cliff side bank is eroding into Lake Huron below.  I’ve been coming to this spot since the early 60’s and the erosion is significant.

183 MILES  OUT THERE ACROSS LAKE HURON LIES THE COASTLINE OF AMERICA AND THE STATE OF MICHIGAN

LOOKING SOUTH ALONG THE SHORELINE TOWARDS GRAND BEND

THIS BANK PROBABLY STRETCHED OUT TOWARDS THE LAKE ANOTHER HUNDRED FEET OR MORE WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE YEARS AGO

ABOUT 15 MILES NORTH FROM THIS POINT IS BAYFIELD ONTARIO

THAT FLAT SANDY CLAY SECTION HAS SLUMPED DOWN FROM THE BANK AT LEFT

EACH YEAR THIS FARMER LOSES MORE AND MORE OF HIS FIELD

Motored on into Grand Bend and headed down to the beach area to have a look at a new structure going up there at the location of the old original dance hall.  I had heard this is going to be a condo building and after looking over the construction of concrete and steel rising higher I’m inclined to believe that. 

THERE WERE A LOT OF CONTRACTORS WORKING ON THIS TODAY

THIS IS THE REAR OF THE OUTDOOR BAND CONCERT STAGE

I KINDA LIKE HOW THESE GRAND BEND COTTAGE PEOPLE DID THEIR STONE CHIMNEY >>>>>>

Cloud cover finally gave way to clearing skies about mid afternoon so that energized Pheebs and I to hit the Pine Tree trail for a walk.  We also transported 2 more frogs to the big pond and I’m really hoping this is the last of the little fellers in our front yard pond.

HEADING ON DOWN THE PINE TREE TRAIL

TWO FROGGIES BEING TRANSPORTED IN A WHITE PALE OF BRACKISH YELLOW POND WATER

Well we waited all day for a Doctor’s important telephone call that never came so we are no further ahead today than we were yesterday in trying to make some decisions that will determine our whereabouts over the next 6 months.  So as not to miss the Doctor’s call about her latest scan Kelly has mainly stayed in the house this past week.  We do have the printed results from her scan and we do know there has been a change to a certain problem area but it is her Specialist who needs to call to give his and his colleagues professional diagnosis and recommendations for any future medical procedures if and when needed.  Kelly did call his office twice late today but only got through to an answering machine.

ROADSIDE STOP ALONGSIDE A CORNFIELD

WON’T BE LONG AND THESE YELLOW CORN COBS WILL BE PLUCKED OUT THEIR SHEATHS BY A BIG MONSTER COMBINE

FIERY RED SUMAC WHICH CAN ACTUALLY BE SEEN BEHIND THE JEEP

Stress takes on many forms affecting people in different ways.  For Kelly stress causes her physical illness and for me it can sometimes manifest itself in the form of depression so as you can imagine we have been having quite a time with ourselves this past week.  I expect we will have to wait until next week now for a phone call the Specialist said he would make this past week.  To add to our angst we are in for two full days of wind and rain.  Do not be worried if I miss a post or two and just know that we are simply weathering the storm and dealing with our current frustrations………………………….

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Before performing a baptism, the priest approached the young father and said solemnly, "Baptism is a serious step. Are you prepared for it?" "I think so," the man replied. "My wife has made appetizers and we have a caterer coming to provide plenty of cookies and cakes for all of our guests." "I don't mean that," the priest responded. "I mean, are you prepared spiritually?"   "Oh, sure," came the reply. "I've got a keg of beer and a case of whiskey."

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- “Why did the referee get fired? Because he was a whistle blower!”

- If you see someone writing with their finger, you should offer them a pen for their thoughts.

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Knock Knock
Who's there?
Butter!
Butter who?
Butter bring an umbrella, it looks like it might rain!

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DEPRESSION HAD ME BY THE THROAT FOR A COUPLE DAYS

TRAVELED THROUGH AMISH-MENNONITE COUNTRY THIS MORNING…..HARVESTING CORN THE OLD FASHIONED WAY BY HAND

Had myself into such a depression Tuesday and Wednesday that Wednesday I never even climbed myself out of my pajamas all day.  I have no recollection of ever spending an entire day in my pajamas since maybe I was a year old.  Never even turned on a computer.  Of course enduring a solid day of cold rain didn’t help things either.  Immersed myself into our TV’s nature channels and read my Kindle.  Just finished Norman Hanson’s Carrier Pilot.  Another fine true story and interesting first person slice of history.

A SLIGHT TOUCH OF COLOR IN THE LAKE WAWANOSH LEAVES

My depression never lifted until I saw my good friend Richard walking over at 8:30 this morning.  It was my turn to drive so we weren’t long in picking up a couple muffins and coffees before heading out into the country side northeast of Goderich gabbing ourselves along like the couple manic Magpies we are.  Luckily for Richard and I we have so many things in common that we never ever run out of things to talk about.  It’s a steady back and forth meaningful conversation and it’s been like that for the 42 years plus I have known him.  We’re both at the age and stage now where we may have to consider carrying a bottle of 02 with us and taking copious gulps of pure oxygen just to keep up with one another.   This morning’s non-stop back and forth was the very helping hand I needed to reach down and pull myself up by the bootstraps, or in this case running shoe laces.

EARLIER IN THE WEEK I SPOTTED SOMETHING ODD IN THIS OLD MAPLE TREE ALONGSIDE THE ROAD

TURNS OUT IT WAS A TYPE OF FUNGUS

THE FUNGUS SEEMS TO BE LITERALLY POURING ITSELF OUT OF THE TREE

I may later get into the reasons I was so depressed or I may not.  We’ll just wait and see how the next few days go and how I feel about things.   Of course knowing what a blabberfingers I am I’d say there is little doubt I will have something to say about it at some point.  Let’s just say it had/has something to do with health and travel and leave it at that for now.

FISHERMAN IN THE MAITLAND RIVER AS WELL AS A FEW INUKSHUKS NOT FAR AWAY (BELOW)

Turned out to be a cool cloudy day but at least it was a break from Wednesday’s rain.  Weather forecast is for 3 rain days beginning some time Saturday.  It’s that time of year and the seasons are changing.  Pheebs let me know today in no uncertain terms that she didn’t get out for her Jeep ride this morning so I guess no matter how much rain is falling out of the sky Friday we’ll be in the Jeep early and headed off somewhere for sure.

OLD BARN PHOTOS TAKEN TUESDAY MORNING IN VARNA ONTARIO

We are still patiently awaiting a phone call from Kelly’s Doctor at University Hospital in London Ontario regarding her latest abdominal scan.  This Doctor’s words will decide if and when we will be heading for the Southwest this winter.  We now fully expect to get that phone call sometime Friday. 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Visiting the modern art museum, a lady turned to an attendant standing nearby. "This," she said, "I suppose, is one of those hideous representations you call modern art?" "No, Madam," replied the attendant. "That one's called a mirror."

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"I'm sorry, Bill," said the doctor, "there's simply nothing I can do for you. Your condition is hereditary."  "Oh," replied Bill, "in that case just send the bill to my parents."

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The preacher was wired for sound with a lapel mike, and as he preached, he moved briskly about the platform, jerking the mike cord as he went. Then he moved to one side, getting wound up in the cord and nearly tripping before jerking it again.  After several circles and jerks, a little girl in the third pew leaned toward her mother and whispered, "If he gets loose, will he hurt us?"

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Knock, knock.
Who’s there?
King Tut.
King Tut who?
King Tut-key fried chicken!

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