ICY WINDS, A FEW SNOWFLAKES & SOME SUNSHINE

WE DIDN'T GET TOO FAR ON OUR ICY COLD MORNING WALK...EVEN THE LITTLE MOTORMOUSE IS HOLDING UP ONE PAW BECAUSE SHE'S COLD 

Despite being a couple week’s into Spring we had an icy winter’s wind cut our walk short this morning.  Heavily laden clouds dropped a wee bit of snow on us before clearing skies finally prevailed in the afternoon.  Low on groceries, we headed for the town of Goderich to do a little grocery shopping & banking.  Always like to check once & awhile to see if our $50 is still locked safely away in our life saving’s account:))

Still patiently waiting for this snow load to melt so I can get my lawn rake revved up & utility trailer in operation.  Other years I would have already been out for my first motorcycle ride of the season already.  Not too many complaints though because once it starts to warm up & flowers begin to pop we have a very nice area going on for us here in & around Bayfield Ontario beside Lake Huron.
 
Sure am enjoying my long hot daily showers once again now that we are home.  Wide screen TV & constantly surrounded by ambient music once again 24/7.  My cushy recliner has welcomed me with open arms & my double bed has lots of room for the Motormouse to snuggle in & stretch out every night.  Max loves being back on his favorite couch & our back yard is more easily accessible for the guys than the steep Motor Home steps.  As much as we love our travels in the Motor Home there is much to be said about having a home to come home to for awhile:))

Noticed in the grocery store this morning that prices seem to have gone up since the last time we shopped for groceries last October.  I switched from regular whole wheat bread to whole wheat flat Tortillas bread about 3 years ago & was disappointed to find the company has reduced the circumference of their Tortillas.  Being away for 5 months I noticed the size change instantly.  No reduction in price though.  Guess they have adopted Tim Horton’s strategy of the incredible shrinking coffee cup.  When we picked up our first Tim Horton’s coffee in Forrest Ontario last week after being away I could have sworn the cups had undergone another downsizing.  They have us all hooked on their great coffee…..and they know it!!

Had hoped our free Microsoft Streets & Trips package might have been here by the time we got home but no sign of it yet.  Kelly did send Joani J an email yesterday but no return email this time so we’ll see if anything ever does show up.

SAW THIS IN A EXERCISE FITNESS STORE WINDOW THIS MORNING IN GODERICH....THINK I JUST MIGHT GO IN THERE & GET ME SOME OF THAT STUFF  
Said to Kelly a couple days ago, “guess it’s about time I get my hair cut” to which she answered, “what for, it looks fine.”  So l guess the hair stays for awhile longer.  Boy I sure understand what ‘bad hair days’ means now.  Only other time I had it this long was back in the sixties & most of that era is pretty much lost in the fogs of time now.

Checking in with my old TUMBLEWEED PHOTO GROUP back in Elfrida Arizona this morning I see Ray had a post entitled ‘Out Of Focus’ which deals with ‘depth of field.’  Probably not a familiar topic with most new age digital camera buffs in this ‘auto everything’ age but nonetheless it is one of the basic & required technical understandings of photography.  Ray’s article did prompt me to leave a comment on the site that went something like this….Aw yes, depth of field & f-stops.  Almost a lost art since the advent of auto focus.  Takes me back to the old 35mm days & having to work hard at getting a photo just right.  With all the new technologies & smart cameras these days, plus digital photography & easier to use photo editing programs, we have a tendency to set the cameras on full 'Auto' & click away.  Far less technical things to think about these days & to some extent that can be a good thing for a lot of folks.  If you are satisfied with your 'full auto' results (and I was for years) then that's all that matters.  If you want to add an extra pinch of satisfaction & quality to your photos I suggest you get a little friendlier with your camera manual & see what you really can creatively do with your photography using some of your manual settings.  Or, click on KEN ROCKWELL'S site, find your camera & see what Ken has to say about it & how to better use your camera.  I did & it is working for me, especially when I look back a short few years ago at my photos from then compared to now.  Still a long way to go but I enjoy the hobby & I enjoy the challenge:))

Thanks to reader Larry for pointing out the two duplicate photos in my Monday post.  I have since corrected that.  And we welcome our 258th blog supporter, Tricia.  Thanks for your interest in the Bayfield Bunch Tricia:))

And Mike had the hammer down pretty heavy Monday heading north for Montana over there at TIN TEEPEE/LOG CABIN.  Am assuming by Monday night Mike & Janna were probably home stoking up a big fire in the fireplace with their feet up & a big smile on Mike’s face.

We crossed the new bridge span just south of the Hoover Dam about a week & a half ago but were disappointed in the fact we did not get a good view of the bridge itself or what's below while crossing it.  IVAN, who is boon docked in the area at the moment took the time to slip down below the span & get some photos showing it’s immense size.  His photos also show the low water level of Lake Mead right at the Hoover Dam.
  
In regards to last night’s Groaners Corner….. If you drive by a Jiffy Lube & see have a dozen women sitting in the waiting room with one guy in the corner reading a National Geographic magazine with a smile on his face & clean fingernails…….that guy will be me.  None of that grease Monkey stuff for this guy.

ALMOST BACK TO OUR WARM TOASTY HOUSE 

GROANER’S CORNER:((  Welcome to the Psychiatric Hotline:::
If you are obsessive-compulsive, please press 1 repeatedly.
If you are co-dependent, please ask someone to press 2.
If you have multiple personalities, please press 3, 4, 5, and 6.
If you are paranoid-delusional, we know who you are and what you want. Just stay on the line so we can trace the call.
If you are schizophrenic, listen carefully and a little voice will tell you which number to press.
If you are depressed, it doesn't matter which number you press. No one will answer.
If you are delusional and occasionally hallucinate, please be aware that the thing you are holding on the side of your head is alive and about to bite off your ear.
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