Imagine my surprise this morning when Kelly expressed an interest in coming along for a country drive with Pheebs & I. Pheebs was a little put out about having to take a back seat but she soon got over it as all three of us headed out on a weatherly beautiful Monday morning. A couple errand stops & we were soon in downtown Goderich to have us a look at the town's Court House square where a permanent outdoor stage is currently being erected. (when I know more about what this stage will be used for I will let you know) Although the center of town is actually round it has become affectionately known as 'the square' over the years. It was this area of Goderich which was heaviest hit by a devastating tornado 3 summers ago. It is truly amazing how parts of the downtown area in Goderich are being & have been rebuilt. As so often happens after the winds of destruction have had their way, new & better ways arise to replace that which has been destroyed. Good job Goderich, well done & keep up the good work. 
SOUTH SIDE & MAIN ENTRANCE WAY OF GODERICH’S COUNTY COURTHOUSE WITH THE STAGE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN THE BACKGROUND
ALTHOUGH A HOLIDAY THERE WERE TWO FELLAS WORKING ON THE ROOF PORTION OF THE STAGE THIS MORNING
I EXPECT MUSICAL CONCERTS MIGHT JUST BECOME A MAINSTAY HERE ON ‘THE SQUARE’
THESE NEW BUILDINGS NOW UNDER CONSTRUCTION HAVE RISEN FROM ONE OF THE MOST DEVASTATED CORNERS ON THE SQUARE…;CARMAN CAMERAS; USED TO BE AT BOTTOM RIGHT
A drive down around the harbor & out along the beach to a dog 'off leash' area. Pheebs was needing a run & we was needing a stretch. Our drive around Goderich this morning re-affirmed some long range plans we had first touched on a few years ago & set off on a back burner to simmer for awhile. Both Kelly & I like Goderich with it's scenic harbor & boardwalks along the beach. Fine old homes with a relaxed easy to get around atmosphere. At some point we will probably have to move into a town & for us we decided awhile back Goderich would be that town. As much as we would both like to live in the country we have to be practical about that. We’re not exactly getting any younger & with some possible health issues in the future we have to look ahead a few years to a time when winter travels south may no longer be an option. Winter in the country around here can be brutal. Drifted in laneways, icy snow blocked roads to town. Higher fuel bills from being out in an open landscape. A vehicle is needed for everything. Any kind of an illness could leave us in a tough spot, etc. Just simple realities one has to consider now that time seems to be marching a little faster for us. If we were 10 years younger we wouldn't even consider living in a town but at this age & stage of the game we have to start planning ahead more practically. A little more thinking with the head & a little less thinking with the heart. Darn!! When health begins to deteriorate for us as it naturally does for everyone we want to be in the right place at the right time to deal with that next upcoming phase of life……………….Just a few thoughts today:))
KELLY CHECKS OUT SOME COLORED STONES ALONG THE SHORELINE NEAR THE ‘OFF LEASH’ DOG AREA
A LARGE FREIGHTER TAKES ON A LOAD OF ROCK SALT FROM THE SIFTO SALT MINE IN THE HARBOR
KELLY LAUGHING AT PHEEBS BY THE WATER’S EDGE…PHEEBE GOES TO GREAT LENGTHS TO KEEP HER PAWS DRY
In a few months I will be 70 years old & I am a little surprised by that. I never really figured on making it this far. Don't ask me why but I just never thought I would. Many of my friends didn't. I never thought much about aging through my early & mid 60’s but the looming number 70 just seems to have a bit of a hard edged reality check to it. Can't tell you I am all happy faced & cheery to be moving into my 7th decade. I don't buy into that false bravado way of thinking the best years of life are still ahead. Centuries of simple human reality clearly tells me it is not. It is only natural for any living being, plant, animal or organism to decline with age. Its an inescapable fact. Yes we try to make the best of it of course but the inevitable is the inevitable. Nothing to do with that positive/ negative thinking thingy here & everything to do with the reality of our aging minds & bodies. I don't think there is one person in their Senior years on this entire planet who wouldn't give just about anything to have not only their mental & physical youth driven health & well being back . I don't think any of us years ago ever said, 'oh gee I can't wait to get old, it will be such fun.
The remainder of our morning drive took us again up near Dungannon Ontario where we stopped to let Pheebs out to see her Llama Pals. Or could these be Alpaca’s. Although Pheebs did a lot of running up & down the fence line she just couldn't seem to stir up any frenzied interest. Her Pals just kind of stood off aways curiously watching her.
THE GUYS ALL HAD THEMSELVES A BIT OF A STARING MATCH GOING ON BACK & FORTH
Lots of WIND TURBINE action going on in this area so we drove along slow having us a look at the progress. It's a long week-end here in Canada so there were no workers around. The country roads northeast of Goderich were quiet. Sunday night we watched a TV show on wind turbines & our area of South-western Ontario was part of the shows focus. Wind turbines are a real mixed bag of emotions for folks around here. Well anywhere as far as that goes. Where do the fantasies stop & the facts begin. Who's right & who thinks they’re right. The show left us with more questions than answers. One doesn't think too much about these giant windmills until they begin popping up in one's own backyard & neighborhood like a bunch of white & waving armed manic mushroom Monsters. And then there's the health risks & symptoms people living close to these wind turbines have. Maybe the problem isn't so much the turbines themselves as it is to their placement close to human habitat. Yes it's a raw issue here along the Eastern shoreline of Lake Huron & one which local residents have no control over. The wind turbines are here & they are here to stay…………………….
LARGE WIND TURBINE BLADES READY TO BE ATTACHED TO THEIR ROTATING NACELLE HUB
A BIG CRANE WILL SOON ARRIVE TO LIFT THAT BLADE ASSEMBLY UP WHEN THE CENTER TOWER IS COMPLETE…MAYBE TWO CRANES FOR THAT JOB
Thank you to readers for your support & understanding not only in our Shout Box lately but blog comments & emails as well. And of course a big thank you to my few faithful Facebook supporters. Bit of a disturbance in our Shout Box these past few days but I'm hoping things will calm down.
GROANER'S CORNER:(( Anyone who's ever ridden in a cab in Washington DC knows they're some of the world's most brazen drivers. Oddly enough though, their current accident rate isn't all that bad. One day I asked one of the drivers the reason for that. "Easy," he said. "all the really bad drivers are dead now."
We too love Goderich and would like to maybe settle there at some point way down the road.
ReplyDeleteGoderich sounds like a nice town. Near the water is a plus and has all the require facilities needed at your age. I agree about your comments of getting older, also those you listed about living in the country. I have thought in the recent years that if I ever moved I would head east 25 miles to Bloomington IN. It's a great college town, good public transportation, great restaurants and health services. It might happen.
ReplyDeleteI rare look at your shout box because I don't use it. It sounds like I have been missing all the excitement...lol.
I'm 8 years behind you on the 70 mark. I feel younger until I look in the mirror, then the shockwave hits me.
Nice to see they're putting Goderich back together.
ReplyDeleteGetting old "ain't for sissies", that's for sure. So good luck.
ReplyDeleteFunny how we change as we get older,
I used to think nothing would get me
back living in a town or city, but it doesn't seem so bad now. I don't think 70 will scare me but 80 ....
Not to mention, those turbines kill quite a few birds; I know the bald eagles have issues with them here in the States.
ReplyDeleteIt's good to have your eyes wide open about the future and everything that comes with it. You've got a good realistic head on your shoulders!
ReplyDeleteI often think about age and being up in the mountains part of the year... Never thought it would bother me or become a problem but as years go by I will have to face the fact that it will not be prudent ..... Wow, that will be a sad day for me !!! Seems like my thirty year plan is ticking along a a speedy clip .... Hate to admit how time flies when I'm having fun !!! Thanks for the thoughts, Al ....
ReplyDeleteThose turbine blades and the white thing behind them in that picture were all off-loaded a couple weeks back from the ships at the pier right across from where I work here in Hamilton
ReplyDeleteAl...I wish you could meet our female friend in Idaho. She is 81 and lost her husband a few years ago. She has a "friend" who is about 14 years younger than her. She bought a Razer and they run around all over the country...doesn't matter the weather. She makes me tired when I am around her. Age is a number! I continue to fight Scleroderma so I feel 70 on some days but I also feel 25 on other days :-)
ReplyDeleteOh yes...then there is our other female friend who is going to be 90 this Fall...still swims laps twice a week. Bought her first "Trike" when she was 72.
ReplyDeleteToday I removed the under sink soap bottle and refilled it and replaced it. Then I replaced 2 light bulbs in the kitchen, after that I noticed I was wiped out.
ReplyDeleteI need to start working out or I will not be able to lift another big hamburger. At age 54 I hope to improve before the ride down.
On a lighter note…we have dear friends who didn't start fulltime RVing until they were in their 70's. Before that she owned 5 newspapers and he was a very successful ad man on Madison Avenue--they had never stepped a toe in any kind of RV. But off they went. They absolutely LOVE the West and haven't been the same since. He now sports a silver ponytail and wears cowboy boots. They travel cross country every year since their kids still all live in New York--and they winter in Borrego. They upgraded their RV to a new one in their 80's. She is now 88 and he is 90. They still hike, travel, and enjoy their fulltime RV lifestyle. And yes, they have a few pesky health issues but they push on. This summer in New York, she joined a gym for a fitness program for those over 65. She is the oldest in the group. He is swimming laps every day. So perhaps there is something to the mindset of growing older as well! :-)
ReplyDeleteThat reality hit home for me when Jim had all his issues. I know we need to be close to hospitals most of the time but for now we are going to enjoy every moment we have on the road. Jim will be 75 next month and he is really doing great. I keep hoping we have another good five years or more before we have to really slow down.
ReplyDeleteLove the header photo!
ReplyDeleteGoderich looks like a lovely town. We totally understand about your future plans to possibly move to the city, but, you never know what God has in store for you two. In ten years, you may be writing this same blog only changing it to...
moving into my 8th decade.
Keep enjoying the good life you two.
Rich and I "moved" many times in our minds, but here I sit. :) The saying "Growin' old ain't for sissies" comes to mind.
ReplyDeleteThe advantage you have is that even if you move to a town, you're always close to beautiful places.
I laughed when I saw the turbines. I came across something similar looking when in the wilderness of Idaho and they brought UFOs to mind.
Kelly has such a lovely smile. She just seems so laid back and I picture her as being soft spoken. Another saying, "Grow Where You Are Planted" makes me think that you and Kelly will be happy wherever you land. Enjoy every moment together. Pats and hugs to Pheebs. I always remember how disappointed you were about the pup you almost got before her. But, Pheebs was meant to be yours.
It's not generally my style to promote the United States, but many older people find their lives easier in a climate that's warmer than any available in Canada. Have you considered one of a) applying for US citizenship, b) commuting between summer and winter homes using a less demanding means of transport than an RV, or c) living on an island in the Caribbean?
ReplyDeleteI understand what you are talking about, and if I was 10 years younger I wouldn't be in a city such as Sacramento. I think i'm a lot more easy going and less argumentative now that I'm in my 70's. I try to just go with the flow, and find that life treats me better as a result. But I'd gladly give back my saggy skin for good vision and lots of energy!
ReplyDelete