Showing posts with label Jeep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jeep. Show all posts

Tuesday, November 01, 2011

A REPRIEVE FROM THE DOG HOUSE

IMG_1148

THIS MEANDERING LITTLE CREEK FOLLOWS OUR MORNING PATH FOR AWHILE  (CANON POWERSHOT SX210iS)

By the time I woke up this morning I had myself pretty well convinced my Monday night post about 'differing dishes habit' had a good chance of landing me in the dog house.  It's not unusual for me to get up in the night or following morning in doubt of something I have written in the previous night’s blog and turn on the computer to rewrite, remove or add something.  Thought about removing my 'dishes segment' but decided to take my chances and let Monday’s post stand.  After all, I had written it as a humorous state of fact.  Upon the arrival of Kelly’s email this morning I knew I just might have gotten a reprieve:))
DSC_0006

CLOSE CALL FOR LANDING MYSELF IN THE OLD DOGHOUSE………….AGAIN  (NIKON D90)
We are certainly having ourselves some bonus weather for this time of year.  Quite often the trees are bare by now but I'm surprised at how many trees are still sporting their colourful Autumn leaves.  I recall one November in the early 90's when we had snow in the first week of November and it basically stayed for the whole winter.  We hit 50F today under sunny skies.
IMG_2943
DA PHEEBS  (CANON POWERSHOT A730iS)

Any Snow Bird packing up in preparation for a long trip south knows that a lot of loading is last minute stuff.  Our satellite dish and tripod along with a couple lawn chairs and a few other things travel in the Jeep but for obvious reasons cannot be loaded up until the day before we leave.  Because of the cold nights and chance of freezing we do not load in any canned goods or stuff like that.  Anything requiring batteries such as flashlights, cameras, radios, etc is kept in the house until the night before we leave as well.  I don't fill the Motor Home's gas tank until the day before we leave because I don't want the rig sitting for a long period of time under the weight of a full gas tank.  Last minute tire and coach batteries check, etc,   Aside from puttering around with small stuff these day I patiently await those last couple of busy days coming up at the end of next week.

DSC_0010

<<< THE JEEP IS STARTING TO LOOK LIKE A JEEP AGAIN  (NIKON D90)

November is not a good month for travel in our area of the northeast.  Winter storms can happen very quickly and unexpectedly as we have just seen along America's Northeast coast.  November is also not a very scenic month as a rule.  Generally, the cold gray days and icy November winds have stripped leaves off trees and the landscape takes on the look of a gray barren waste.  Much of our beginning journey is through flat boring farm land with little to see.  The threat of freezing rain is always possible so we do not waste any time once we hit the road.  Our objective is too clear this whole Northeast region of the country as quickly as possible.  The sooner we can get ourselves south into warmer weather, the better. 

Normally, I avoid the Interstates and much prefer the more relaxed and scenic secondary roads but for the first half of our journey we use the Interstate highways exclusively because they are simply the fastest way to get from point A to point B.   If we decide on our Indianapolis, Little Rock, Texarkana and Gainesville route again this year I look forward to a left turn just west of Gainesville Texas in a little place called St. Jo's.  That turn marks the end of our 4 lane traffic journey and puts us on quiet back roads all the way to Tularosa, New Mexico.  Next Interstate is at Las Cruces but from here on in any Interstate driving is mild compared to the east side of the country.  If we choose the more westerly Chicago route we will be more susceptible to unpredictable weather and will have to play each day by ear as to where exactly we will go.  But, that's all part of the great traveling experience that I enjoy.  Each day is an unknown and I find excitement in that.  Every journey we make is different than the journey before and it's that newness each time that makes RVing more of an adventure for us.

DSC_4679

BEECH TREE LEAVES  (NIKON D40 AT 300mm)

And here’s Kelly’s latest update from Cambridge, Ontario…….. “Gabriele (one of Sarah’s twins from Vancouver) had to go to the hospital after supper last night..... couldn’t seem to get enough oxygen, crying and flailing....  a rough few hours, Sabra (Kelly’s daughter) took her to the hospital.....  they put in a ventilator with steroids to open up airways, took chest X-rays.... could be asthma, but too young to diagnose.
Ben & Bri (Kelly’s youngest Son and soon to be Daughter-in-law) came over to help with pumpkin carving, supper,  Derek (Sabra’s husband) took kids out trick & treating,  etc.... pretty hectic...Jay (Kelly’s oldest Son) just called to say Kim (Jason’s wife) is in labour, and at the hospital now... called Jay at work at 2:30 a.m. so more excitement!
Sarah just called from Ben's.... guess she had a bit of a rough night.”

DSC_0011 

THIS IS THE SIZE OF OUR POT PIES IN THIS NECK OF THE WOODS…..GOOD THING I DIDN’T STRAY TOO FAR OR I WOULD NOT HAVE HAD CHICKEN POT PIE FOR SUPPER TONIGHT:))  (NIKON D90)

Sure looks to me like Kelly is going to have to get on home here real soon for a big rest.

DSC_4660

THAT BREAK IN THE WOODS LEADS TO THE START OF OUR PINE FOREST TRAIL AS  MORNING SUNLIGHT CASTS LONG SHADOWS ACROSS OUR PATH  (NIKON D40)

GROANER'S CORNER:((  "I cant believe it," said a tourist in Billings, Montana. "I’ve been here an entire week and its done nothing but rain. When do you have summer here?" "Well, that’s hard to say," replied a local rancher from near Big Timber. "Last year, it was on a Wednesday."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
BAYFIELD BUNCH PHOTO ALBUMS https://picasaweb.google.com/117858411710794543295
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of
right  now...AL.

Thursday, October 06, 2011

I TOOK PHEEBS OUT FOR LUNCH

DSC_8868 
OUR FRONT YARD’S BUSY FROG POND IS VERY QUIET THESE DAYS AS IT LIES STILL UNDER A TOPPING OF DUCK WEED AND PINE NEEDLES

Well, I am having one of my evening blank spots tonight.  Always something to write about of course but I do not always have the creative initiative in putting the words together.  As fast as my mind comes up with a subject idea my mind also quickly categorizes the topic as too boring, too controversial, too repetitive, too serious or too silly.  Sometimes I am just too analytical and find myself with a heavy case of analysis paralyses at the end of the day.  
Raked up up a bunch of pine needles and trimmed back some flower beds with the weed whacker.  Fired up the chain saw for a couple minutes to cut down a thick stand of Bamboo grass in the back yard.  Burned some garbage in the burning barrel and of course grabbed a few winks in my chair.  Lots of things to do for our upcoming trip but my travel excitement has tanked. 
Had a load of garden trimmings in the utility trailer so Pheebs and I headed for our Park's environmental dump area.  Would have taken the Motor but she was sound asleep in a warm patch of sunlight on the couch.  Pheebs helped me unload the trailer so I took her to Subway for lunch.  We split a 6" Cold Cut Combo and Pheebs got to ride in the front seat of the Jeep for a change. Happy, happy, little Dog:))
Before I forget……a solid amber engine light on your dash does not denote a serious problem and you are free to drive on.  However, a ‘flashing’ amber engine light is serious business and you had better pull over and shut it down.  
Again, IVAN has some great mountain scenery and flower photos from out around Mount Rainier way.  I always enjoy Ivan's posts because he gets himself off the main roads and usual tourist hang outs and heads himself onto the back country roads few of us would dare to go.  Instead of the standard along the highway viewpoints we so often see, Ivan gets in around behind the viewpoints in many cases and his photos give a refreshingly new  look to some old familiar sights.
DSC_0005-1
GROANER'S CORNER:((  A 54 year old woman had a heart attack and was taken to the hospital.
While on the operating table she had a near death experience..  Seeing God she asked "Is my time up?"
God said, "No, you have another 43 years, 2 months and 8 days to live."  Upon recovery, the woman decided to stay in the hospital and have a face-lift, liposuction, breast implants and a tummy tuck.
She even had someone come in and change her hair color and brighten her teeth! Since she had so much more time to live, she figured she might as well make the most of it.  After her last operation, she was released from the hospital. While crossing the street on her way home, she was run over and killed by an ambulance.  Arriving in front of God, she demanded, "I thought you said I had another 43 years? Why didn't you pull me from out of the path of that ambulance?


God replied: " I didn't recognize you."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
-Tourists see the world, travelers  experience it.
-Until one has loved an Animal, their  soul remains un-awakened.
OUR PICASA PHOTO ALBUMS   http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy
The only thing better than right now  will someday be the memories of right  now...AL.