A WEE HIKE ALONG THE BAYFIELD RIVER

SATURDAY MORNING FISHING ALONG THE BANKS OF THE BAYFIELD RIVER

While traveling, we'll stop in an area for awhile & do as many hikes & day trips we can while there.  Sometimes the locals tell us we know & see more of their area than they ever do.  Well, the same thing happens to us right here in Bayfield too.  This morning we went for a 45 minute hike on Bayfield's Sawmill trail which begins about a mile from our place.  Part of the trail follows the Bayfield River.  Guests at Deer Park Lodge this summer told about it, but Kelly & I had never been on the trail.  So, it works both ways.  There are other new trails close by we haven't been on either. 

              

When I looked at my mobility van schedule for Sunday & had to go & get into my recliner right away for an immediate rest.  I will leave the house Sunday morning at 6:30 a.m. & not return until nearly 10 p.m. Sunday night.  Now, that is going to be a loooooong day!!

HIKING THE SAWMILL TRAIL

Our handy man, Bruce came by today & installed a new window blind in the Motor Home, fixed a loose mirror on a closet door & repaired two broken drawers.  I helped by handing him his drill once.

"COME ON DAD, LET'S GET THIS CIRCUS ON THE ROAD"

And, a Blackberry phone observation....All our mobility vans are equipped with Blackberries for communication & it was obvious at our 'driver's meeting Thursday night that the majority (if not all) of the drivers do not like them....me included.  I had to make a phone call a week ago & had to use my pen tip to find & press the teeny tiny numbers which I had to totally strain my eyeballs to see.  Had it been in dim light I would have been totally beat.  From the experience I've had with those things on the job, I know now I would never ever waste my money on buying one.

KELLY WORKS ON THE BLIND PROBLEM WHILE KOKOPELLI BLOWS A LITTLE WIFFLE DUST IN HER HAIR

When you think of Autumn in these parts you think of Autumn leaves, but not so here in our Park.  It's Autumn needles.  Pine needles that is, & every year at this time zillions of them fall from the trees & have to be raked up, so that's what took up a bunch of my time today......except when I handed Bruce the drill once.

  

RAKING UP A KA-ZILLION PINE NEEDLES IN OUR FRONT YARD

We had a call from Carrier Trucks in Sarnia Ontario telling us the parts were in for our Motor Home's brake recall.  I will be rolling out of here about 5:30 Tuesday morning with the rig heading for Sarnia.  It's about an hour & half drive.

I was a bit long winded with Friday's post so I'll make up for that by keeping this one shorter.  Don't want anyone out there suffering from reader's exhaustion......10-4:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica- where do they go?

Wonder no more!!!

It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life.

The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life.

If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried.

The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing:

"Freeze a Jolly Good Fellow."

----------------------------------------------------------------

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an Animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened.

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

THE OLD HOME TOWN BRINGS ON A REFLECTIVE MOOD

BAYFIELD'S PIONEER PARK OVERLOOKS THE REMAINS OF AN OLD LAKE HURON SHIPWRECK IN THE BACKGROUND

Woke up to a cold gray morning with the thermometer dipping below the freezing mark.  Didn't take long for my mood to match the weather & I knew the early stages of 'cabin fever' were beginning to inch their way into my mind. 

EVEN THE DAFFODILS WERE TOO COLD TO OPEN TODAY

Took the 2 big furry guys out for a short hike & could tell they weren't really into walking this morning.  An icy wind coming in off the lake turned us around & headed us back home.

BOATS AWAIT WARMER WEEK-ENDS ALONG THE BAYFIELD RIVER

Threw the camera bag & a couple cameras in my little blue mini-van, cranked up the heat & a few radio tunes.  Rolled out of our park about 8:45 a.m. with no particular place to go.  The heavy dark cloud patterns looked like a winter's sky laden with snow & there was no hint of sun anywhere.  Picked up a few back roads & headed east across the dull & overcast landscape.  I don't even think the birds were flying this morning.

BAYFIELD'S TWIN PIERS TO THE RIGHT

By 10 a.m. I had reached the outskirts of my old home town of Tavistock, Ontario.  Last time I was down around that way was two years ago on a sunny summer afternoon on my motorcycle.   There is a Tim Horton's in Tavy & it was time for my second coffee of the day anyway so I slipped into town & through the drive-thru.  Parking lot was full.

Don't know about anybody else but for me it's always a strange kind of feeling going back to 'the old home town.'  So many memories everywhere & so many emotions connected with those memories.  It's rarely ever a happy time for me when I drive around the streets past what used to be the elementary school or down to the old baseball park.  Probably a third of the kids I grew up with are gone now.  My imagination can still see them though on their bicycles, in what's left of the old schoolyard, on the street corners,  & hanging out at all the old favorite places.  I can see their faces & I can hear their voices.  And I can remember the good times.  And I can remember the bad times.

                  

PONTOON DOCKS STACKED ON THE BEACH AWAITING THEIR SUMMER SPOTS ALONG THE  BAYFIELD RIVER'S EDGE

Stopped at a cemetery to visit some old friends & family members.   More memories, more emotions.

I never stay long in the old home town anymore.  A passing nod to a house here, a smile at a street corner there, & then it is time to leave & let the heavy doors of time slowly close behind me until someday I pass this way again..............  Someday.

WOODEN STEPS LEADING FROM BAYFIELD'S PIONEER PARK TO THE BEACH & PIERS BELOW

It was a quiet meandering drive back to Bayfield with my mind in reflective thought.  Snow flakes were in the air & I saw a few brief sun splashes far off on the western horizon.  It was one month ago today we left Borrego Springs California on the first leg of our journey home.  It seems like a hundred years ago....................

  

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Very early one morning two birds are sitting at the side of a large puddle of oil. They see a worm on the other side. So ... the one flies over and the other one swims through the oil.  Which one gets to the worm first................... The one who swam, of course, because "Da oily boid gets da woim."

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now...... AL.

AWWW, THE COMFORTS OF OUR BAYFIELD HOME.....FOR AWHILE

EARLY SPRING CROCUS

Our night temperatures dropped to about 25F again last night but the morning dawned clear with a big orange sun on the eastern horizon.  Well, I assume that's the way the day dawned because it's a little difficult for us to see the horizon now with all the trees.

OH OH..........SNOW!!!!

Before forgetting again I just wanted to answer a reader's question about 'if permission is needed when staying in Wal-Mart lots,' etc for overnighter's while traveling.  Common courtesy says it is advisable to slip into the store & ask the management what their policy is regarding RV'ers spending the night in the lot.  We have a list of Wal-Mart stores who do not allow overnighter's so that is a help.  Two years ago in Bonham, Texas we asked before overnighting in a Wally World there & they said it was fine to do so.  Last week in the same Wally World we just assumed it was still fine, & it was.  We generally buy some groceries while there & that is only fair.  Kelly had read that Lowe's & Cracker Barrel welcome RV overnighter's so we didn't ask in either one of those stays.  But, if in doubt.....ask:))

OUR ANNUAL PAIR OF GEESE ARE BACK ON THE POND

The dust is settling nicely from our 6 day return journey & we are slowly slipping back into our old comfy sticks & bricks routines.  When I say that we are sooooo glad to be home it is mainly the long grueling drive that we are so glad to be home from.  We sure wish the southwest was as close as Florida but the only way for us to make it that close would be to move to southern British Columbia.  Anybody got a nice quiet little piece of rural property out there for the Bayfield Bunch:))  Hmmmmmmm.

ALONG THE EARLY MORNING TRAIL

As you all know, Kelly & I prefer the boondocking lifestyle when we are in the southwest for the winter & that means doing without or doing with less than we are normally accustomed to here in our home in Bayfield.  We always adjust to that very well & make do with the way things are & after awhile we don't really think about it too much.  Not until we get home that is!!  The first few days & weeks of arriving home are like being in a luxury hotel.  An endless water supply complete with hot showers that can go on forever.  And what a treat it is having a full size tub shower to move around in instead of banging elbows in tiny broom closet sized RV showers.  And a tub big enough to lay completely submerged in for hours.  No holding tanks to empty or banks of batteries to check.  Unlimited electricity with no wall monitors to keep checking on to see how many watts or minutes are left before the shrill alarm sounds saying you are about to run out of power!!  Gotta love the washer/dryer in the house instead of having to drive to some people clustered Laundromat somewhere.  Big 42" TV hooked up to a stereo system for those big bass sounds I love.   Our big cushy home recliners speak for themselves & my bigger bed is always a welcome change.  Larger computer desk in a bright pine walled sun room complete with a stereo computer sound system is pretty easy to get used to all over again too.  From my recliner & can just reach over with a hooked wooden stick & open or close the patio door letting the doggy guys in or out into a safe fenced in yard.  No coyote or snake worries.  Love the high speed internet at home with no silly 5 Gigabyte monthly limit. Bigger refrigerator & freezer & enough room in our place for Kelly to get away from me for awhile.  Pretty darn nice being home I'd say.  But, unfortunately for me, it won't last. 

     

TINY VIOLETS, DAFFODILS READY TO BLOOM & CROCUS'S......BEEN WALKING THIS SAME MORNING TRAIL FOR OVER 7 YEARS NOW.

Probably within a month all these comforts of home will get to be a little routine & taken for granted.  For me the newness of change will begin to wear off & I will become aware of myself complaining again about being 'stuck in the house!!'  Same thing happens to me when we are on the road & we're in one spot for more than a few weeks.  Remember my post a few weeks ago about 'contented!!'  Actually, for us at the moment, I think we probably have the best of both worlds & if I could just content myself with wherever I am at the moment I'm sure I could make things much easier for myself.

THIS TINY CREEK FLOWS INTO THE BAYFIELD RIVER WHICH IN TURN FLOWS INTO LAKE HURON ABOUT A MILE TO THE WEST

And regarding all the comforts of home here compared to boondocking in the deserts of the Southwest some folks might suggest we stay in RV Park's along the way with electricity, plumbing, water, big washroom showers, Wifi, clubhouse social events, etc.   Our standard answer to that simply is...........not a chance!!

 

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Did you hear about the careless pyromaniac who made an ash of himself & how about that frustrated cannibal who threw up his hands..

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS  http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

The only thing better than right now will someday be the memories of right now....AL.