MORE MOTOR HOME PUTTERING TODAY

Had another one of those great September days with warm sunshine, a cooling breeze and 70F temperatures.  Nature’s way of healing whatever ails ya.  So nice to see touches of colors beginning to appear along our forest path.  In about 3 weeks our countryside will be ablaze as Autumn’s paint brush turns our landscape into a fiery blaze of colors.

Most of my morning was spent in and around the Motor Home.  Moved the Sirius Satellite radio out of the Jeep back into the rig for the winter again.  Quite a jarring shock to have the Jeeps radio playing commercial ram jam radio again.  UGH, how awful is that!!

And, strong orders from headquarters this morning concerning the photo of Kelly and her Lobster and eggs benedict in Tuesday’s post.  It was OK to show the food but not the food person in that particular photo and if I knew what was good for me I would crop the food person out poste haste!!   Of course always being in a state of agitated confusion about knowing what's good for me I decided in this case I had better smarten up and listen to what I was being told for a change.  Photo has been cropped accordingly...close call:((

To answer a commenter's question in Tuesday's blog...."I have only one question about that Inn. Where are all the people? Were you there before opening time? Or was it just because it was a weekday."  Bayfield is a very touristy little villa during the summer with many people in town but that changes after the September Labour Day week-end.  Still a fair few people in town on the week-ends while the good weather lasts but during the week things are pretty quiet again.  And, especially in the mornings.  Personally, I like it with less people or no people in a dining room.  Nice and quiet with much less, or no clattering and chattering.   We could hear the nice background music and we didn't have to raise our voices to hear each other.  And, I like that:))

Another new Blog Follower today as 'AWorldCruise4Me' joins the Bunch.  Always encouraging to see new folks come aboard and we extend our thanks and appreciation for your interest:))

It always distresses me when I come across emails from people I had meant to respond to and forgot.  Saw another one this morning dating back to 09 from Ron K in Grand Bend saying they were going to be in the Yuma area where we were and hoped to drop around and say hello.  The email came into our little used Yahoo account and I have no recollection of ever seeing it.  In fact I have a lot of emails that I may or may not have responded to these past few years.  Maybe not a big deal for a lot folks, but then again, I am not a lot of folks and the thoughts of missing or forgetting to respond to a reader’s email is always a concern to me.

Our good, and long time neighbour Monica took Kelly and I out for supper tonight.   That was twice in one week we have ate out and must be some kind of at home record for us.  Usually the only time we ever eat out is when we are traveling from point A to point B.  On our longer journeys to or from the southwest we kind of like to start our days of at Cracker Barrel sometimes or just grab a morning egg McMuffin from McDonalds while on the run.  Heard on the CBC today that Tim Horton’s coffee has just opened up a coffee shop in Dubai.  Report went on to say they have 3000 locations in Canada and about 600 in the States.  However, the one’s in the States are not proving to be as successful as the coffee shops here in Canada.  Oh gee, I wonder if it has anything to do with the tiny cup sizes.  D’ya think!!  I ranted about this SMALL COFFEE CUP dilemma about a year ago.  My rant begins about half way through the post!!

GROANER’S CORNER:((  And here’s a few one liners about food….

-Overweight is something that just sort of snacks up on you.

-On April Fools Day, a mother put a fire cracker under the pancakes. She blew her stack.
-A couple of kids tried using pickles for a Ping-Pong game. They had the volley of the Dills.
-The four food groups: Fast, Frozen, Instant, and Chocolate.
-A friend got some vinegar in his ear, now he suffers from pickled hearing.
-Sign in restaurant window: "Eat now - Pay waiter."
-I thought you were trying to get into shape?  I am, the shape I've selected is a triangle.

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-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.

AN EMAIL & PHOTOS FROM A LOUISIANA RV COUPLE

A few blogs ago I posted about the mobility van I drive part time & included some pics of how the ramp system worked.  A couple days ago I received an email from an RV couple in southwest Louisiana who read that post.  I thought their email & pics would be of interest to other RV'ers & especially folks in similar situations.  I emailed Vickie & Ronnie back to ask permission to use their email & photos in an upcoming blog post.  This is that post & this is their email:))

Hi Al & Kelly.........I enjoy reading your blog and passing the link on to others.  It was interesting to see you describe how your work van lift works. So many people have no idea what it is like.  We, however have some experience in a similar lift we had installed in our Keystone Raptor Toy Hauler.  Ronnie has been in a wheelchair since 1988 as a result of a spinal cord injury. We live in SW Louisiana and travel when we can.  We just returned from a two week trip thru Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas.  Anyway, I thought you might like to see our rig setup. 

 

The first three photos were taken during the installation of the lift.  We didn't watch while they cut a huge hole in the side of our trailer.

             

Second two is Ronnie on the lift the first time. I know he's facing the wrong way, but he prefers to face the way he's headed.

 

Last pic is where we're enjoying our time, camping & fishing by a river.  We're proud of our ramp refitted Keystone Raptor and it get lots of stares when we pull into a campground.  Ronnie gets out of the truck on his seat lift and into his wheelchair, then people watch to see how he's gonna get up in that big trailer.  We just smile and wave!  The company that installed the lift in our 2009 Keystone Raptor Toy Hauler, got all the specs/blueprints from Keystone, because it is a Toy Hauler with a reinforced garage area in the back, & very little additional reinforcement was necessary. Before we had the lift installed we used an ATV winch mounted to the floor and would winch him in his chair up and down the back ramp door, it was sometimes very steep and dangerous when raining, now we have the perfect set up......

Last I read, MIKE & PAT were having themselves quite a time over there in Custer South Dakota with a troublesome water well dilemma.  Looked like some possible underground problems after arriving at their summer residence recently.  Well, Mike thought, we'll just use our 5th wheel water resources for the time being until we get the well situation straightened out.  "Oh Oh".......more trouble!!  Anybody got an extra few jugs of water to spare...............

Our friend Ron from FOUR SEASONS PERFORMANCE in Grand Bend Ontario has offered to put my motorcycle on his website if I decide for sure to sell it.  The hard words there are, 'decide for sure.'  The bike still had a lot of fine pine pollen on it from a couple weeks ago so if the bike is going to be sold I wanted to get it cleaned up.  Can't sell a bike with pine pollen all over it ya know!!  Slipped up to the Goderich car wash this morning & gave the bike a good washing & a coat of spray wax.  They have a clear water rinse there so no water or chemical spots are left on anything either.  When I backed it out of the bay all sparkling & shiny I thought to myself, "Geeeezzzzz, I can't sell this bike!!"  Drove over to Tim Horton's for a coffee & sat there for a bit thinking what I should do.  At this age & stage of the game if I sell the bike I'm not likely to ever have another one.  At least not as nice as this one.  It's a Honda Shadow Aero 1100 & it's a quality bike.  So, here I am sitting on the proverbial fence again.  What to do, what to do:((  I'm beginning to lean towards the idea of keeping the bike now in case we do not find a Jeep Wrangler.  Jeep decision first, motorcycle decision second.....ya, that's it.  Ok, that's my plan as of right now.  Well, until at least supper time anyway:))

DECISIONS, DECISIONS:((

Thanks to everyone for your concerns & comments about our little owl yesterday.  But, there may be a calming spiritual side to the story.  Our Colorado RV friend Rene from LIVE-WORK-DREAM left a comment on Kelly's Facebook this morning which read...."Ooooh, how sad. You guys are great for trying to save her. But you know what? We saw an owl today for the first time on our property. Maybe it was your owl's spirit being set free? Nice to imagine."

 GROANER'S CORNER:(( 

A man walked out to the street and caught a taxi just going by.   He got into the taxi, and the cabbie said, "Perfect timing.   You're just like "Brian!
Passenger:
"Who?"
Cabbie:
"Brian Sullivan.  He's a guy who did everything right all the time.  Like my coming along when you needed a cab, things happen like that to Brian Sullivan, every single time."
Passenger:
"There are always a few clouds over everybody."
Cabbie:
"Not Brian Sullivan.   He was a terrific athlete.   He could have won the Grand Slam at tennis.   He could golf with the pros.   He sang like an opera baritone and danced like a Broadway star and you should have heard him play the piano.  He was an amazing guy."
Passenger:
"Sounds like he was something really special."
Cabbie:
"There's more.   He had a memory like a computer.   He remembered everybody's birthday.   He knew all about wine, which foods to order and which fork to eat them with.   He could fix anything.   Not like me.   I change a fuse, and the whole street blacks out.   But Brian Sullivan, he could do everything right."
Passenger:
"Wow. Some guy then."
Cabbie:
"He always knew the quickest way to go in traffic and avoid traffic jams.   Not like me, I always seem to get stuck in them. But Brian, he never made a mistake, and he really knew how to treat a woman and make her feel good.   He would never answer her back even if she was in the wrong; and his clothing was always immaculate, shoes highly polished too.   He was the perfect man!   He never made a mistake.   No one could ever measure up to Brian Sullivan."
Passenger:
"An amazing fellow.   How did you meet him?"
Cabbie:
"Well, I never actually met Brian.   He died.   I'm married to his bloody widow!!!!"

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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.

SHE WAS 101 YEARS OLD SO I HAD TO DRIVE CAREFULLY!!

STOPPED TO TAKE A FEW RURAL  PICS FOR TONIGHT'S BLOG ON MY WAY HOME TODAY

The mobility van job has kept me busy the past couple of days & I will be off again tomorrow morning.  Transported a 101 year old lady in a wheelchair today & that is the oldest person I have ever had in the van.  Had to be extra careful to avoid potholes in the road & made all my turns slow & wide. 

CORN ROWS WANDER OVER THE HILLS

The other retired 'full time' driver will be back from his month of holidays next week & that will pretty much spell the end of my hours for the rest of the summer.  Too bad because I've always liked the job but it's just the way it is!!

Chow time at our house is always a bit of a 3 ring doggy circus.  Checkers is on a medicated type of dog food & little Cora's food is a smaller kibble making it easier for her to chew.  The two big guys, Max & Checkers wolf down their food so fast it makes lightning look like slow motion.  Cora, aka Motormouse, is a slow eater & likes to have a drink of water with her kibble & this is where Kelly or I come into the food picture.  We have to rigorously defend Motor's food dish until she gets back from the water dish.  When she is eating, the big guys hover very close by like a couple of buzzards with their eyes zeroed in on the little Motor's food dish.   They are hoping she will leave some for whoever gets to her dish first when she walks away....... Yep, always a big 3 ring meal time circus alright. 

PLEASE DAD, DON'T LET THESE BIG GUYS GET MY SUPPER AGAIN.......

Only ever had one serious incident over food sharing though. Couple years ago while boondocking in Borrego Springs Kelly dropped a piece of chicken on the floor.  Both Checkers & the little Motormouse lunged for it.  That resulted in a very nasty scrap & by the time I got the two of them separated blood had been drawn on both sides.  We could tell they both felt really bad about the whole incident & we're not sure who apologized to who first but they have been their usual best pal selves ever since. 

HAD TO LAY FLAT ON MY BACK FOR THIS PHOTO & THAT'S MY RIGHT FOOT AT BOTTOM RIGHT

I was surprised to see we had two new 'Followers' today.  Things have been really slow in that department since returning from the west a few months ago so I really do appreciate both followers for climbing aboard the Bayfield Bunch travel blog.  A really big thank you to Karen & Jedsmom.  You gals know how to pick up a feller's spirits alright.  Hope the blog doesn't get too cranky for you sometimes.

FIELDS OF BEANS

My van travels on Wednesday took me through a little burg with the name of Molesworth.  Now, I don't really know how much a Mole is worth on today's market but I bet the few people living in Molesworth do.

WE ARE A MAINLY FLAT TYPE AGRICULTURAL LAND HERE

My travels today took me to the town of Winghan Ontario.  I was on the early side so rolled into Tim Horton's parking lot to set a spell.  Counted 19 cars lined up going through the drive-thru & I'm sure that daily morning line up was repeated hundreds & hundreds of times all over the area at every other Tim Horton's as well.  They sure do a booming business.

LOOKS LIKE ONE OF THE LOCAL REGULARS HEADING IN FOR HIS MORNING COFFEE AT TIM'S:))

SQUEAKING INTO THE DRIVE-THRU LINE..."MOVE OVER YA BIG BUNCH OF MOSSMAGATORS!!!!"

An email just came across my desk & maybe across yours too.  Haven't had a chance to read it all but I think the gist of it is having to do with RV Parks & RV Park reviews etc. Has something to do with iPhone access too. (I'm still on rotary dial 101) As you all know, we are not big RV Park people but I will include the link here if you want to have a look at it.   I'll take a second look at this later....RVparking Just figured all you RV Park folks might be interested.

GROANER'S CORNER  We are born naked, wet, and hungry.   And then we get slapped on the ass.  And then things get worse.

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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.

NICE DAY FOR A WORKING DRIVE

A RESTFUL STOPOVER IN WINGHAM, ONTARIO TODAY (don't ask me what the French writing is on the side of the van.....haven't a clue)

Have been having a few problems getting the wood splinters out from under my fingernails because I have been sitting here scratching my head trying to come up with a blog topic tonight.

As some of you know I drive a mobility van part time in our area when we are home from the southwest.  Started with the company about 6 years ago & did a lot of driving for a few years even keeping one of the vans here at home for awhile.  But, then we started going south in the winters so I was replaced by another driver.  It was only logical.  The company has kept me on as a part time driver when we are home though & I fill in for other drivers wherever needed.  We transport mainly elderly folks in wheelchairs to doctor's appointments, hospitals, medical centers, dentists, etc.  Sometimes to weddings, funerals, visits to friends, shopping, groceries, etc.  I've always liked the job so have hung in there the last few years despite the lack of worthwhile driving hours.  Think I made enough last summer to buy about 3 tanks of gas for the motorhome.  But, not to complain. 

Today I had a nice run in the one non-wheelchair van the company has & I enjoyed just getting out into the countryside for a drive.  Picked up a lady in a town north of here & drove her to a Doctor's appointment in another town 20 minutes away.  Had a one hour wait so spent that in a Tim Horton's parking lot sipping away on a Timmies.  I was back home by 3:30 this afternoon.  A drive through rural Ontario is nice at any time but to get paid for my time is always a nice bonus.  But far more important than the money is the fact of having something to do.  A purpose.  A reason to get up in the morning.  And working with elderly folks in wheelchairs is also doubly rewarding because at the end of a day you go home with a feeling that you have done something very worthwhile that day.  And, you have done it right.  And, you know it's something that a lot of other folks would rather not do.  Just one of those things.

A PAIR OF CANADA GEESE

Another nice thing about being home is not having to be subjected to night time television shows.  In the motorhome our computer desk is directly under the television.  Kelly likes her shows & I can't stand them so when doing the blog each night in the rig I have my Sony headphones on & my stored computer library tunes cranked so I can't hear the sirens & gunfire going on over my head.  At home here our television is in the living room & the computer is in the sunroom so it is much nicer for both of us.  I have a big view of our entire front yard with all it's birds, bunnies, frogs, squirrels, chipmunks, & any neighbor's driving by.  But, more than that, I am totally free of night time television shows.  Don't have to wear my earphones & keep my head down.  I have an on-line music station I listen to with continuous uninterrupted music playing through a computer stereo system.  No sirens, no victims screaming, no soap opera dramatics, no bad acting or gunfire.  Just nice soft, groovy, ambient music filling the air around me.  And the station I listen to is called,  SOMA fm   If you go there, just click on 'Groove Salad' & that's what I will be listening to.

I have complained about CNN news before with it's habit of tunnel visioning a particular news item of interest to them & repeatedly playing clips over & over & over & over.  And the seemingly never ending commercials!!  I'm convinced CNN is really an infomercial channel with a few Wolf Blitzer bites thrown in for good measure.  But, I sure would prefer CNN when we are on the road compared to the other totally stupid (IMHO) network moronic newscasts I have to endure every morning.  What multi-million dollar executive ever came up with that imbecilic idea of hauling the newscasters outside & standing them in front of a crowd of screaming, yelling, waving, & jumping up & down, people.  And by the way, I'm sure they are cued to scream, wave. & jump, upon command.  It doesn't bother Kelly at all but it drives me totally bonkers & I sit there in my chair with my hands over my ears when the cue cards go up.  Kelly likes the morning news & I would probably sooner thrust my hands into boiling water.  And I would appreciate the news better if there was just one mature newsperson at the anchor desk!!  Why does there have to be a whole 'gang' of people do the news.  That just turns the news cast into a jousting match of childish silliness with each participant trying to out-funny the next person.  Whatever happened to the maturity & no nonsense news broadcasting of the Walter Cronkite's of the world.  Two grown up newscasters I can handle but any more than that & it's kindergarten time.

Ok, that's enough out of me for today.  Those wooden splinters under my fingernails are actually smoldering now so I'd better slip outside & stick my hands in the frog pond.  Not to worry, there's no frogs in our front yard pond yet so no frogs will be harmed as the result of my little rant...............10-4!!!!

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And because it is Easter........

What would you get if you crossed the Easter Bunny with an overstressed person?
An Easter basket case!

What's pink, has five toes, and is carried by the Easter Bunny?
His lucky people's foot!

How does the Easter Bunny keep his fur neat?
With a hare brush!!

How did the soggy Easter Bunny dry himself?
With a hare-dryer!

Why is a bunny the luckiest animal in the world?
Because it has four rabbit’s feet!

Why was the Easter Bunny so upset?
He was having a bad hare day!

Why does Peter Cottontail hop down the bunny trail?
Because his parents wouldn't let him borrow the car!

Why did the Easter Bunny have to fire the duck?
Because he kept quacking all the eggs!

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.