FINALLY.....A NEW CAMERA LENS:))

THIS WAS THE WAY OF THE OLD WEST

Tonight's photos are a random sampling of pictures from the day we dropped into RATTLESNAKE CRAFTS near Gleason & Tombstone Arizona this past winter.

 

SELF PORTRAIT IN A GLASS BALL

With the exception of some weed whacking this morning I didn't get much done around home today but I did get a few things done a whole bunch of miles away.

CHATTING IT UP WITH THE RATTLESNAKE MAN HIMSELF..................... JOHN WEBER

I have been thinking for over a year now about trading my 55-200mm  Nikon camera lens in for a new 70-300mm lens.  Been watching the prices on a particular lens for quite awhile & finally it went on sale so it was out the door & off to Henry's Camera Store in Masonville Mall, London Ontario this morning.  I did have an alternative reason for going as well because yesterday I while on the way to & from London with the mobility van I had spotted a Jeep Wrangler for sale in the little town of Hensall.  

 

MY NEW AF-S VR NIKKOR 70-300 f4.5-5.6 G IF-ED ZOOMERGATOR LENS:)) (fully extended)

AN ANTIQUE BROWSER'S PARADISE

The Jeep turned out to be a 2001 with a ka-zillion million miles on it plus rust spots so that was the end of that.  Proceeded on to London.  I have blogged before about dealing with some of the 'kids' in retail stores so I didn't go through the door with a lot of optimism going for me.  Computer & camera type stores usually have those young wiz bangs behind the counter who no doubt know their 'technical' stuff but don't seem to have a lot tact when dealing with older folks.  Luckily, this time I dealt with an older fellow by the name of Mike who didn't talk to me like I was some kind of old homeless geezer who just crawled in off the street & didn't know which end of a camera to look through anyway.  I traded in my 55-200 lens plus a 2x Tamron converter.  I didn't expect to get much for them.....and I didn't.  In retrospect I probably should have kept that lens as a spare because there was nothing wrong with it.  It had a lot of miles on it for sure but still worked fine.  Like I've said before.....I'm not the brightest crayon in the package sometimes!!

IT WAS JUST NICE TO STAND HERE LISTENING TO ALL THESE HANGING ANTIQUES TINKLING IN THE DESERT WIND

The new 70-300 lens is much bigger than I had expected but that's fine.  I'm from the old school where heavier feels better.  I know I'm going to love this lens & I'm hoping to get in a bit closer on those bugs & bird shots now.

Leaving the camera store I got the brainwave to head on over to a Stratford Ontario auto dealership that had some Wranglers on the lot.  Looked at a couple nice 2007's but the prices were enough to pull your pants down & I could not believe the low ball price the guy offered me for the Caravan.  It was $1,300.00 lower than the lowest offer I have had on the van so far. 

Headed on back to Bayfield stopping at a few car lots on the way but no Jeeps in sight.  Also stopped in Goderich to take that red 2005 TJ for another run.  It's a 4 cylinder 6 speed & I like it but Kelly is not keen on it.  This is the only place that will take the bike on a trade.  Yes, I could maybe get a few more dollars for the motorcycle if I tried selling it myself but I absolutely hate all that 'bargaining & stupid dickering crap' you have to go through with everybody coming to look at whatever your selling.  Some people enjoy that BS but I am not one of them.  Nothing like haggling over money to bring out the worst in people!!

The big spring rush is over at our front yard bird feeders for another year.   Activity is way down as the Cardinals, Blue Jays, Red Breasted Grosbeaks, Orioles, Nuthatches, & others have all but disappeared.  Still a few Goldfinches at the feeders, some sparrow type birds & of course the ever present all time front yard scavengers....the squirrels!!

I unplugged our troublesome external hard drive from the desktop computer & hooked it up to our newer Win 7 Toshiba laptop this afternoon & it worked perfect.  Re-plugged it back into the desktop tonight using a different USB port this time & so far so good.  I'll know when I go to publish this thing in a few minutes.  Maybe it's not the X-drive after all.  Maybe it's just the color of my socks or something.

NO, THE CACTUS IS NOT FOR SALE!!

I have finally decided to include my SMUG MUG photo gallery on the bottom tag line now.  It is nowhere near done, nor will it probably ever be done because I just have way too many thousands of photos to sort through.  But, it is a work in progress for sure.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Suburbia: where they tear out the trees and then name streets after them.

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it......

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED"

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/ (a work in progress)

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

BUSY DAY & A NASTY HAIL STORM!!

WE HAVE BUSY LITTLE BIRDS IN OUR FRONT YARD GARDENS (I may have posted this pic before but can't remember)

Turned out to be a busy  Monday as I filled in for a driver this morning & used the company's mini-van to move a fellow from one town to another for a short medical appointment.  This afternoon I was back in the mobility van & off to London with a young disabled fellow & his Mother on board. 

         

PARKED AT LONDON ONTARIO'S WELL KNOWN & RESPECTED UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL LAST WEEK

We were almost at our destination when the sky's opened up & we got hit with a short & savage rain storm with beating hail & nearly zero visibility.  Sounded like the hailstones were coming right through the windshield.  Fortunately the heavy deluge of ice & rain only lasted about 10 minutes but it was enough to spawn immediate flood warnings on the local radio station & it was amazing how much water was cascading down the streets.

HAIL ON THE GROUND BESIDE A HOUSE & SHREDDED LEAVES ON CAR OUT FRONT

Someone asked again what camera equipment I use & because I didn't get on it right away I have forgotten who it was so I'll include a link to a post I had done about that on September 19th of 2008 just in case that same person happens to be reading this tonight.  Just read the camera part & disregard all my other blusterings that day in long ago September.  The country was in full blown financial meltdown at the time & so was AL's attitude.......again:((  Click on..... NIKON CAMERAS

 

COUPLE OF NIKONS & A CANON.....NIKON D50 ON THE LEFT WITH THE D40 ON THE RIGHT & CANON BOTTOM RIGHT (Am hoping to trade that longer 55-200mm zoom lens in for a 70-300mm zoomer shortly) Photo was 'colored popped & sharpened' in Live Writer:))

Whenever I see we have a new follower I generally click on their profile to see who they are & if they happen to have a blog site.  That is how I have come across other folks interesting RV blogs & have sometimes included their links in my posts.  In the last little while I have generally liked to try & give new bloggers or new followers a bit of a jump start by including a point of interest from their post into my blog.  Latest follower Terry K's profile shows most of his categories as 'classified' so I am not too sure what that is all about.  My experience has been that most folks are very free, honest,  & open, with their RV lifestyle & blog sites, etc.  So, TK if you are a legitimate follower, I say welcome.  If not................??

WAITING PATIENTLY FOR A HUMMINGBIRD TO SLOW DOWN!!

My external hard drive seems to be acting up tonight again & is not letting me access my file photos.  I have a lot of photos stored on there.......or did!!

HAVING A LOOK AT ANOTHER JEEP.....2005

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A woman walked into the kitchen to find her husband stalking around with a fly swatter.  "What are you doing?" She asked.  "Hunting flies" He responded.  "Oh, killing any?" She asked.  "Yep, 3 males, 2 females," he replied. Intrigued, she asked "How can you tell?"  He responded "3 were on a beer can, 2 were on the phone."

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

                                 and

"UNTIL ONE HAS LOVED AN ANIMAL, PART OF THEIR SOUL REMAINS UNAWAKENED"

OUR 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.

NICE DAY FOR A WORKING DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY

 

WELCOME TO THE BAYFIELD BUNCH'S PLACE

Another nice mobility van drive today over to University Hospital in London, Ontario.  The hospital is in the north end of the city so didn't have to get into any downtown traffic madness.  Had a 2 hour wait & then it was back out into the quiet & scenic countryside & back home.  Sure am glad we don't live in, or anywhere near any kind of a city!!!!

OUR IRIS FLOWERS ARE IN BLOOM

A comment question from JANNA AT TIN TEEPEE/LOG CABIN about last night's blog photo of our little Motormouse on the porch wearing a long blue lead.  Both Checker's & the Motormouse are very crafty girls & like to wander off.  We always have to watch them closely when they are outside of their fenced in back yard.  They are both explorers & know we are easily distracted when people are around.  You get to talking & forget about the dogs.  Both Checkers & Motormouse know this & will slip away every time.  A couple weeks ago we got distracted doing some gardening & before we knew it we couldn't find the little Motor.  She had walked all the way over to the mail room to greet people picking up their mail.  Checkers has always been a happy wanderer & will do the same if we don't keep a close eye on her.

IT'S THE MOTORMOUSE CATCHING A FEW RAYS THROUGH THE SUN ROOM'S SKYLIGHT

Had another comment question from SAM & DONNA -5TH WHEEL VAGABONDS which asks, "Al how do you handle the Dr Jeckle and Mr Hyde transformation when you climb in the van."  This is in reference to my blog A PLEASANT WEATHER & WORKING DAY.  In it I was talking about my job of transporting elderly Seniors & stated, "Of course they don't know me as a cranky old Cursmudgeon though. To them I am one of those bouncy, good natured & friendly young guys." 

To start with I have often heard people say that whenever they are around young people it makes them feel young as well.  I am the total opposite to that.  It is when I am around young people that I feel old & when around older folks I feel younger.

Now, about the Jekyll/Hyde  thingy.  Yes, it's true, I am basically a Cursmudgeon alright in these latter years, but on my mobility van job the transformation out of my Cursmudgeon character happens automatically & willingly as soon as I enter a nursing home facility, hospital, or a Seniors home & meet the person I am transporting.  I seem to get an extra little bounce in my walk & am easily able to talk with these people.  All of these folks are in need of help & that is why I am there.  It is my job to safely transport these wheelchair folks to & from their destinations & quite often that means right into the hospitals, medical centers, dentist offices, etc.  Up the elevators & down the halls looking for waiting rooms & Doctor's offices.  And I am always talking & kibitzing along the way trying to make them feel comfortable & at ease.  Years ago doing travelogues at Seniors facilities I used to get the very same feeling.

I feel very good about that so I am comfortable & able to relax & bring out that humorous young good natured friendly guy that still lives inside somewhere.......somewhere within the shadow of the Cursmudgeon!!  Don't want to get too deep here but sometime in a future blog maybe I will expand on my Jekyll/Hyde & Cursmudgeon theories.  It could get a bit lengthy though.................. And, while on the topic of Seniors I would just like to thank everyone for all your kind comments about my Uncle Harry in last night's blog.  Very much appreciated.  Thank You:))

JUDY & EMMA are in the process of moving into their new home.  'New to them' Motor Home that is.  Lots of excitement going on over there as they transfer things from their older Motor Home into the newer one.  Nice looking rig for sure:))

THIS LITTLE SIGN WAS MADE BY OUR FRIEND 'BUTCH' WHO HANGS OUT IN THE DESERT NEAR BORREGO SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA

Our weather just continues to get nicer & as I sit here at the computer looking out over our front yard I am always amazed at how such a barren & bleak yard-scape during winter & early spring can explode into a veritable jungle of green foliage & colorful flowers.

 

JUST OUTSIDE THE SUN ROOM WINDOW IN FRONT OF ME

My gardening style has changed over the years.  Gone are the manicured large lawns, the perfectly trimmed shrubs & razor edged flower beds with everything precisely measured out & planted like you see so often in suburbia.  Nothing wrong with that kind of landscaping where everything is crisp & neat as a pin.  Did that for a bunch of years & It's just not what I care for anymore.  Now I let the foliage grow in together giving the yard a more natural woodsy look.  Kind of a junglescape flavor.  In fact, I thought I saw a saber tooth Zebra near one of the Azalea bushes last week.

Much more critter friendly too with squirrels, chipmunks, bees, butterflies, & lots of birds flittering about.  And I like the privacy all the foliage provides because we do have a few prying eyes in our Park!!  Well, doesn't every neighborhood!!

HEY, WHAT THE HECK IS THIS PICTURE OF A JEEP WRANGLER DOING IN THE BLOG.....Hmmmmmmm!!

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And it's real darn scary when you start making the same noises as your coffee maker too.

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

OUR 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.