VIEWING PLATFORM OVERLOOKING A STAIRWAY TO THE BEACH FROM SUNSET PARK, BAYFIELD ONTARIO CANADA
Been starting the motorcycle up every couple days in these colder temps to keep the battery up. Because of our inclement weather I have yet to get a wheel on pavement. Today was another yukky weather day with a constant drizzle making anything outside, including motorcycle riding, undoable.
Challenge for me tonight was to come up with a post not matching the weather. Started off with a CNN rant but quickly squashed that one. Maybe another time. Had a few lines typed regarding a comment on my Thursday post but decided to let that one go too. Looked at some on-line house properties for sale in our area but that quickly became pretty discouraging too. No super deals in these parts like in Arizona that’s for sure. Kelly spent time purging through some old photo albums & occasionally called me over to look at photos of myself years ago. Not a good thing to do to a fella on a dull depressing day. Those once youthful photos had me thinking about how many times lately I see my Dad, in his latter years, staring back at me from the mirror………….. 
I thought RETIRED ROD had a good point regarding my Wednesday post when he mentioned about typing maybe not being taught in schools anymore. I hadn’t thought about that & if it is true, that in part might explain all that short form texting stuff. I’m sure others beside myself consider ourselves very fortunate to have learned those typing skills when we did years ago. Anyway, as long as I’m not on the receiving end of a text message I have no idea how to decipher, I guess I shouldn’t complain. Better to turn my attentions & energies to things I enjoy & understand. 
And on the same topic, my friend Gordon W from up around the Ottawa way included a link with his comment showing that yes, you can get a wireless keyboard for an iPAD, along with other logical accessories. I found that encouraging. I could see an iPad in my future but I think a smart phone would really be pushing my luck. And, as long as my keyboard outlasts me, I will continue to remind myself to be a happy guy:)) And, by the way, if you want to see professional photography well done, you had better check out GORDON'S SITE.
And, thank you to my Anonymous commenter at the end of Wednesday’s post. My feelings exactly my friend…………:)) 
A year ago tonight was a very sad time for us here at the Bayfield Bunch. Just one short week after having to have our lovable border collie Checkers put to sleep we knew we had to do the same thing for our boy Max the next morning. The appointment had been made. His mobility was rapidly giving out & we were afraid of him breaking a hip trying to get up or down the steps outside. His hearing was gone, we were beginning to question his eyesight & he could no longer get up onto his favorite couch. He was always a very independent fellow & even to the end did not like us helping him with anything. Max will be in my thoughts & memories tonight & again tomorrow, along with Checkers & the little Motormouse. My best Pals are always close to me, in my heart.
MAX, OUR NUMBER 1 BOY
GROANER’S CORNER:(( The local bar was so sure that its bartender was the strongest man around that they offered a standing $1000 bet. The bartender would squeeze a lemon until all the juice ran into a glass, and hand the lemon to a patron. Anyone who could squeeze one more drop of juice out would win the money. Many people had tried over time (weight-lifters, longshoremen, etc.) but nobody could do it.
One day this scrawny little man came into the bar, wearing thick glasses and a polyester suit, and said in a tiny squeaky voice "I'd like to try the bet"
After the laughter had died down, the bartender said OK, grabbed a lemon, and squeezed away. Then he handed the wrinkled remains of the rind to the little man. But the crowd's laughter turned to total silence as the man clenched his fist around the lemon and six drops fell into the glass!! As the crowd cheered, the bartender paid the $1000, and asked the little man "what do you do for a living? Are you a lumberjack, a weight-lifter, or what?"
The scrawny little man replied "I work for the IRS."
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- Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.
- Home is where your pet is:))
- The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...AL.
stargeezerguy@gmail.com
I can assure you teaching typing skills is alive and well in our schools. They may not be for a typewriter but these kids today are a whiz at typing on anything else.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures of the viewing platform and walkway. Love the angles and lines.
ReplyDeleteYour comments about Max were so poignant. So like what we are going thru with Rusty. He slips and slides everytime he goes up or down our steps and I have the same concern you did. He hates being picked up to be put in the car or helped up the steps. At least he still has his hearing although his eyes are quite cloudy. I feel for you tonight but I know you made the best choice possible for your wonderful boy. I pray we will be able to do the same when the time comes. So sorry for all the losses to the "Bunch" in the past year but so glad you found the Pheebs when you did.
You know it's funny, when my son was 3 he started playing on his computer (his dad built it for him).
ReplyDeleteNow that he is almost 12, he is a far better typist than I am and he understands the short cuts much better as well.
He can also format a computer, and fix issues with my computer in a heart beat.
Kids these days may be learning new skills and losing others, but as things progress, so must we.
I want an IPAD!! :)
On these anniversaries of the original bunches passing, can you re tell the story of how Kelly pulled swamper from the lake? I looked for it on the blog but didn't find it. No wonder you called her Swamper!
ReplyDeleteHard to believe it's been a year already. I am just so glad you have Pheebs and we can follow along with her antics. She is just a ball of love.
ReplyDeleteI've never understood why, when someone speculates about something being possible, or they heard someone else say it might happen, some people take what they're speculating about and run with it and then even tell them they're wrong, as if they had said it was going to actually happen. It's like they didd't even read what you said.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, whoops, gotta run, be right back...
Wow, what a gorgeous sunset here in the canyons, not sure which way to look, as it's to the west and east both. We had a real gully washer earlier.
Now where was I...
I really do feel for you about your friends, when we have to say goodbye to them, we wish we could just go with them, at least I do. Never easy. And you miss them forever. But you're rich in the memories they leave behind. Kind of like a beautiful sunset - it's gone and never will be back, but you'll always remember its essence and how special it was, though our friends are much more special than even the best sunset. Your photos of the pups are really wonderful and capture their spirit.
Sympathies on your losses, even ones a year ago...it sure takes a long time to recover when it comes to some dogs. Our last one was like that. Does not seem possible that she left us in Dec.2010! We had her 16.5 years so as such things go we had her much longer than was usual...but still such a short time. At least you still had at least one dog left when you lost the 2 so close together. We do not know when or if we will be getting another dog. We have a grandson who is very badly allegic to dogs, so having one like we prefer, inside and right with us...might not be the best idea tho' we do not see our grandchildren very often. But we feel the loss, we surely do!!
ReplyDeleteYou sound like you are maybe thinking of finding another home there? Wow, you guys must have a lot of energy!! Glad all is well with the Arizona one!!
Elizabeth in NC
a sad day for you and Kelly..gone but not forgotten.:*(
ReplyDeleteThat year went fast. But the years do tend to speed up somehow I find.
ReplyDeleteBack when I was hanging around schools (as recently as 08)I do know the kids did learn typing, only it was called "keyboarding".
OK, whatever!
For my part, I never had room in my schedule during high school to take typing. When I got to University and had to start coming up with essays, a friend of mine and I took a night course at a high school in Hamilton. Served me well.
Seems to me it was Sir Winston Churchill, but that was, lemme see, 1976?
Just the same though, and as well as I *think* I can type (er, keyboard?) I've stood in amazement from time to time when watching some who does it "for a living". Not only are they NOT looking at their screen or fingers, but are also carrying on a conversation! I've seen a couple different secretaries with my former employer be able to do that.
Just mind boggling.
The most difficult thing to do is to decide fate of a furkid. Our shepherd Sir Coal was 150 lb very big boy, at 14 he was well past the normal span for his breed, when he got to the point of not being able to get up by himself, the look in his eyes told us it was time...dont think the sadness or tears ever stop, just get easier.
ReplyDeleteThough its been many years we can now tell great stories of our gentle goofy giant.
Great pic of Max what a handsome fellow he was.
Donna
I taught myself to type in highschool, I was in a technical course. Had to type my notes at the end of everyday so that I could read them when it came time to study. My handwriting is still terrible. I remember the old manual typewritter in my room.
ReplyDeleteIts so nice that you have the great memories of your best pals and they are still close to you.
A truly sad day for you and Kelly, but forever in your thoughts and heart!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great pic of Max!
We have had our ipad 3's for a couple months now. Ms Pat decided she had to have one since our SON Rollie had one and he loved it.... Ms Pat went to the Apple store and bought one..
ReplyDeleteWhile at the apple store there in Phoenix the salesman was showing her all about it....about that time I said "I'll take one too"!! She about flipped...she said YOU want one???? I said YEP, I do and we brought home two~
I enjoy it, but have to get back to my Laptop quite often...
I like to keep learning stuff, even at my ripe ole age of 77!!
Ya only live once!
I guess when we get a pet, we have to accept that we will probably have to see them through to "the other side". If our lifespans are "the blink of an eye", then a pet's is but a twinkle..but ooooooohhhhhh, what a twinkle..
ReplyDeleteIt was "typing" in high school, then it became "computer keyboarding."
ReplyDeleteAt first classes were included in the elementary curriculum by a computer lab teacher. As budget cuts continued the computer lab teachers were removed.
Now, kids still have to take computerized tests, but it's "hunt and peck." :-(
I'm sorry for the lost of your beloved pets.
At times, I still remember my beautiful black chow-chow, Mei-Mei.
I think we enjoy and love our animals so much because they reflect the best part of ourselves-the unconditional love, gratitude, compassion, hope, reverence -- all of which are at the core of our being. They don't have a "mind" that stops the flow of love, so we benefit.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful world it would be if we could do that with ourselves and each other, too.
I often think of the pain for you and Kelly losing three dogs in such a relatively short span. I know that Lady is starting to show her old age, and I always hope I outlive her.
ReplyDeleteI think you can't equate texting to typing or keyboarding, and with the typing skills the spelling skills have also been lost. But nothing will change that, will it.
Pets add so much to our lives, cannot imagine our full-timing adventures w/o our 3 cats.
ReplyDeleteWe have a tablet, not an iPad but an Asus Eee Pad and it has a detachable keyboard so it looks like a laptop when connected but when you just want to read you detach it.
Bob's phone is a smartphone but has a slideout keyboard so we get what you are saying about keyboards.