A TRANSITION OF THOUGHTS, A NEW TO ME RECLINER, AND TEST DRIVING A CLASS B+ RV

HI-HO HI-HO IT'S OFF THROUGH THE ENCHANTED FOREST WE GO

We got our day off to a slightly different start this morning.  On her morning walk Kelly had spotted a few furniture items sitting at the end of a driveway where a resident had passed away recently.  One of those free items was a Lazy Boy recliner in great condition.  We went over in the Jeep to have another look at it and decided it was a good opportunity to finally get rid of my aging living-room recliner we bought at a Sears warehouse sale in London Ontario about 15 years ago.  My old burgundy Sears chair was getting rickety and there were a few sharp staples sticking out of the arms.  We loaded the recliner lock stock and barrel into the Jeep and headed home.  Not wanting to wrestle it into the house just yet I unloaded it in the driveway then loaded up the Pheebs and off we went merrily on our way out into the countryside.  

FARMERS WILL SOON BE CUTTING AND BALING THIS WINTER WHEAT (HAY)

My second favorite time of year continues with sunshine and blue skies.  Flying insects are not really a big problem yet and although humidity is beginning to hang in the air it hasn't spurred me on to complaining about it yet.  So nice to be out and about and active again in this nice weather shaking off the dregs and dark memories of Winter.

AHHHH YES TIS THE SEASON FOR COWS AGAIN

Our Jeep travels didn't take us too far and we ended up at the George G Newton Nature Reserve on Kitchigami Road for a walk through a favorite dark forest.  This is an old-growth woods with aging trees, big old gnarly stumps, and dark spooky areas complete with Ghostly apparitions, Trolls, Woodland Nymphs, Witches and Goblins galore.  It is where sunlight barely pierces through a thick overhead canopy of pines and so dark nothing grows on the forest floor below.  In fact, we weren't on the trail long when I encountered a mystery I was unable to solve.  

FOLLOWING A TRAIL THROUGH THE FOREST

MAY APPLES

FORGET-ME-NOTS

SPRING TIMES GREENING OF THE FOREST FLOOR

EVEN THE FOUNDATION RUINS OF AN OLD MILL CAN BE FOUND IN THIS FOREST

APPLE BLOSSOMS

Ahead of me on the dark path I noticed a wet spot which was not out of the ordinary in this swampy area.  But here's where the mystery comes in.  Stopped to look at this wet spot I heard a dripping sound beside me and saw water falling out of thin air onto the forest floor.  Looking up I could not locate a source for that dripping water.  There were only pine branches & old vines high on the tree beside the falling water.  I went around and around looking up for the source of the dripping water but could find nothing.  Now, I live in a realistic world where things have to make sense.  Logic reigns supreme in my mind and there is always a common-sense explanation for anything and everything out of the ordinary.  Or is there??  Kept telling myself there has to be as I stood there watching water dripping from nowhere.  Things like that shake up my world when I can't apply a solid explanation to something.  I'm sure there has to be simple solution for this phenomenon but I was unable to find it today.  Kinda shakes up my world a bit.

WATER IS DRIPPING ON THE FOREST FLOOR BENEATH THE TALL PINE TREE BELOW AND I COULD NOT FIND A SOURCE LOCATION FOR THAT WATER

Continuing our walk we ventured deeper into this enchanted forest further than we had gone before.  Finally reached a creek after descending a criss-cross embankment through a thick cedar woods.  The trail kept on going past the creek but figured we would save that for another time.  Back to the Jeep we climbed and headed for home.

NOT ENOUGH SUSTAINED SUNLIGHT MAKES IT THROUGH THE PINE TREES FOR THINGS TO GROW IN SOME PLACES

PHEEBS ALERTS TO SOMETHING AHEAD WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE A SQUIRREL

WE FINALLY REACHED A SMALL CREEK WHERE WE COULD SEE THE SKY HAD FALLEN INTO THE WATER BELOW

IT IS TRULY AN ENCHANTED DARK FOREST WALK HERE

While Kelly was out on her bicycle I went about getting that big heavy recliner into the house.  Sometimes jobs like that are done better with one person instead of two stumbling over each other.  Besides, I just wanted to prove to myself that at my age I can still do some pretty stupid stuff.  Anyway, the recliner is in its place and nobody got hurt.  Not even the recliner.

LIFTING THE RECLINER OUT OF THE JEEP AND YES I SHOULD HAVE HAD A BLANKET UNDERNEATH

RECLINER'S IN PLACE SO I'LL SEE HOW I SLEEP TONIGHT IN IT AND BELOW KELLY IS A HAPPY CAMPER KNOWING MY OLD BROKEN DOWN CLUNKER RECLINER IS HEADING FOR THE DUMP

When we moved to our present location here on the outskirts of Bayfield Ontario back on Halloween night of 2002 both Kelly and I were driving school bus for Murphy Bus Lines out of Clinton Ontario.  In the Spring of 2003 we decided to get us a couple summer jobs.  One of those jobs was just up the road from us at Baker's Nursery, a commercial tree growing operation.  Their trees were shipped nationwide and to many nursery retailers in the States.  Over the years Baker's Nursery has successfully evolved and branched out into one of the best on-site and on-line nurseries in this entire area.  In fact, I consider them a hidden gem that a lot of folks here in southwestern Ontario don't even know about.  And they are just right outside of Bayfield.  Kelly and I were in there this afternoon to pick up some plants.  Owner Tod Baker even remembered us from working there way back in the Spring of 2003.  Some of the plants and trees we have growing here at home came from there 17 years ago.

EVEN IN THE BIRD WORLD THEY DO HAVE THEIR CLOWNS

Had us a chance to look at a 2003 Ford Cavalier Gulf Stream 27' Class B+ Motorhome this afternoon.  Only 83,000 miles on it and the interior looks like the day it came out of the factory.  You could take it to the corner store for a loaf of bread or Jilbertos in Borrego Springs California for a burg, fries, and a root beer.   Oh Dear, decisions-decisions.

THIS UNIT IS CLEAN AS A WHIP

OUT FOR A TEST DRIVE

Before leaving the Park this morning Pheebs and I took a drive down around our yard waste recycling area which looks more like a big lumberjack construction zone.  I was curious to see what else the bulldozer had been up to.  Looking down a newly dozed road where a path used to run I was taken with the morning's sunlight shining through the tall pine trees and had myself a transformation of thoughts.  No use me negatively lamenting anymore about what's happening here to the forest.  I had better get used to the new normal and look on the brighter positive side of things.  I'm sure there are older people in this Park who have never been able to get around and see the forest here because of disabilities, etc.  With roads going in now they will at least be able to drive through the forested part of this hundred-acre property and enjoy some of the scenery we walkers have enjoyed over the years.  I have to just get myself with the program I guess and be thankful we had all the years we did walking the trails.

IT WAS WHILE SITTING HERE FOR A  FEW MINUTE STHIS MORNING I HAD A TRANSITION OF THOUGHTS

GROANER'S CORNER:((   You Might Be A Redneck If...
- You just bought your family their first Atari game system.
- You and your wife celebrate your anniversary at the K-mart cafeteria.  
- You think the only tools "real men" need are duck tape and caulk, and you have successful repair projects to prove it.
- You've tried to quote Jeff Foxworthy and screwed it up.
-You see a sign that says "bridge out" and you try to jump it.
- You go to your local pet shop for a cat scan.
- Warp drive describes the condition of your car.
- Your smoke detector doubles as your dinner bell.
- You go to the dentist for a "Tooth Cleaning".
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Kowalski, fresh out of accounting school, went to an interview for a good-paying job. The company boss asked various questions about him and his education, but then asked him, "What is three times seven?""Twenty-two," Kowalski replied.  After he left, he double-checked it on his calculator (he knew he should have taken it to the interview!) and realized he wouldn't get the job.  About two weeks later, he got a letter that said he was hired for the job! He was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but was still very curious.  The next day, Kowalski went in and asked why he got the job, even though he got such a simple question wrong. The boss shrugged and said, "Well, you were the closest."
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