FROM ROYALTY TO RIFF RAFF....BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!!

AND THIS IS BASICALLY HOW YOU PULL A COTTAGE TO IT'S NEW LOCATION

Our grass is to the point where it needs it's first mowing of the year. Instead of firing up the lawnmower a few weeks ago to check & see if it was in working order after it's long winter hibernation I waited until yesterday to frustrate myself. Well, as usual I got off to a bad start by immediately breaking the cable that runs up to the handle's shut off bar & that was that. Mower wouldn't start no how. Need a new chain for the saw so figured I might as well get the mower fixed & get a new chain put on the chainsaw all at the same time. Couldn't help but notice the hourly shop rate on the wall of the place I took the saw & mower this morning. Something very close to $80 an hour. Are there not any decent business scruples left in the world. Whatever happened to the common sense fairness of the 1950's. ALL JACKED UP & READY TO RUMBLE

Retired Rod http://retiredrod.blogspot.com/ had an interesting statement in his blog a couple of days ago about the repair shop he took his motor scooter too..........
"I stopped by the shop on Saturday and asked about it (the Scooter) but they didn't seem too concerned. Bring it by next week. They think I am an old duffer that doesn't know enough to even start the bike, let alone ride the thing. I have no business bothering them, because I am so stupid. But they seem to be able to take my money all right. They were friendly before they sold me the bike."
It was the line, "they were friendly before they sold me the bike" that really caught my attention. This is something I have run into many times & have really noticed it more these past few years. Probably has something to do with my old duffer status too. We've had occasion to buy some vehicles lately & how we went from Royalty to Riff Raff in the stroke of a pen is truly amazing. Two years ago we went through the process of buying a used vehicle & the sales staff at the dealership was all over us with schmoozy niceties. You would have thought the young fellow we inked the deal with was going to be our best friend for life. That obviously came to an abrupt end the moment we drove off the lot because I met that same fellow a year later in another business & he could barely give me the time of day. I said, "Hi there, we bought a great little car from you last year." He didn't even acknowledge I was a fellow human being & went about his non talkative business of fixing a bicycle tire I had brought in. So much for schmoozy niceties!! Yesireeeee, royalty to riff raff.....boom, boom, boom,:((

And while I'm on a roll with schmoozy niceties, here is another mystery of life I've never understood. How is that whenever you walk onto a car lot & pick out a vehicle to buy, that vehicle is priced as high as pure gold. Let's say you paid $12,000 for the car, drove it around the block twice, had a Tim Horton's coffee & drove it back onto the parking lot. You tell a salesman you would like to trade your car in on a new one. He would tell you that your vehicle, which incidentally was priced as pure gold 30 minutes before is now worth the price of dirt at $1,200 tops.......according to his blue book of course, or red book, or whatever color his wingy auto book is.
Yes, I have exaggerated this little scenario but I think you get my drift!!!!

ONE OF OUR LOCAL BOYS OUT SPREADING A LITTLE GOOD CHEER ON HIS FIELDS

Rainy day coming up to-morrow so maybe I can get to work putting another photo album to-gether from a bunch of pics I've taken over the past 6 or 7 weeks. I will try to find out the names of flowers that I have previously used in the blogs too. My Picasa Photo editing program has been giving me trouble lately so maybe I'll try re-installing it. If you never hear from me again you will know the re-installation did not go well & I have been mortally Picasarized. NOPE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS LITTLE CUTIE IS EITHER BUT IT'S IN ONE OF OUR FLOWERBEDS

And someone in responding to yesterday's blog wondered what a scruffle was & if it could be something harmful to the dogs. I like to think of a scruffle as a couple of big warm huggy snuzzles with some lovingly slurpy smooches thrown in between. The furry guys love em............and so do I:))

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

SCRUFFLES IN THE OLD FOREST ONION PATCH

TRILLIUMS ON THE FOREST FLOOR

Due to some man made erosion problems at Deerpark Lodge one of the cottages has to moved a distance of 10 feet. That process started yesterday, is continuing to-day & should be finished up to-morrow. I have been there periodically with my camera photographing the move. Document pictures are needed for the electricity dis-connect, new propane lines, sewer connect, as well as the blocking & jacking of the building, etc. etc. Three young fellows are doing the job & I have been impressed with their professionalism, patience, & attention to detail. They work well as a team scurrying underneath the building attaching lines, constructing wooden platforms, fitting hydraulic jacks into place, wedging heavy metal beams in where needed, & just generally doing a fine job. But, here's the question. Where did these young fellers learn how to do all this precision work?? One would expect to see older men or at least one older boss man type guy. But no, these are all young fellows. The guys don't look like each other so I don't think it's a family affair where maybe they were all brought up in the business or something. I suppose I could just walk up & ask, "hey, where the heck did you guys learn how to do all this stuff!!" But, I don't like to be nosey so I'll just stick with the picture taking & be my usual quiet self & remain in a fog of mystery forever as to how these guys got so gul darned smart:)) CHECKERS SHOULD BE WORKING FOR A LOGGING COMPANY

Rick & Paulette are an RVing couple who have been on the road awhile but have just started a new travel blog. Rick had left a note in our shout box so I followed up his link. You can find them at http://rickpaulettervjournal.blogspot.com/ Maybe drop by & say hello:)) THE DOGGIES MOST FAVORITE SWIMMING HOLE

Clear cold night meant a heavy wet dew on the grass this morning. Our little Motormouse doesn't like to get her paws wet so steadfastly refused to come for a walk. Kelly wanted to head into work early so it was just me & two of my most bestest big furry pals, Max & Checkers for our morning walk. We have to walk along the edge of a small pond on the way to the forest & this time of year there are generally Canadian Geese on the water. Canada Geese on the water means Canada Geese poop on the shore. And Checkers just loves goose poop. I have to keep swooshing her along or she would just vacuum up every tasty little morsel she came across. They say that sort of thing isn't harmful to dogs because of their different digestive systems but it stills seems disgusting to me. But, I suppose if Checkers could talk she would tell me my daily morning habit of milk & lettuce would sound pretty disgusting to her too. CAN YOU FIND CHECKERS IN THIS PHOTO??

The hard wood forest floor is carpeted with Trilliums & Mayapples this time of year & the onion smell close to the ground in some areas is an onion like plant called a Leek. Leeks are edible but I've never tried one.
Buds & leaves are bursting forth on the trees while numerous song birds are busy flitting among the branches building nests & beginning their families. Walking along a narrow path atop a ridge I could hear the watery sounds of the Bayfield River below making it's way over a rocky river bed to Lake Huron. The air was fresh, the sun was bright, & all seemed right with the world.
A QUIET FOREST PATH THIS MORNING

Although Max, Checkers, & myself are all bothered with arthritis it is these kinds of mornings that bring out the pup in all of us. Checkers was scrambling up & down the bank & hauling huge sticks along the forest trail. Max was busy scurrying in amongst the Trilliums & Mayapples sniffing out whatever he could find & I was busy crawling around on all fours in the onion leeks taking photos on the forest floor. Checkers would invariably haul a huge log through the brush & deposit it right on top of the subject I was trying to photograph. But, no matter, there's always lots of things to photograph & only one Checkers to have a big scruffle with. I rolled her around in the onion patch so that I wasn't the only one going back with a strong smell on their hyde. If I could have got a hold of Max I would have rolled him through the patch to but he was having no part of it.
A CARPET OF MAYAPPLESUMBRELLA LIKE MAYAPPLE LEAVES THERE IS ACTUALLY A TINY APPLE UNDER THOSE UMBRELLA LEAVES

Checkers got the last laugh on me though because on the way back we stopped at their favorite swimming hole where a small creek meanders through the bush. Checkers was into the water right away with Max right behind her. I could see the onion smell drifting downstream & knew right away I was going to be the only one going home smelling a big fried onion sandwich to-day................:((

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SHE ENTERED THROUGH A WINDOW ON TINY SILENT WINGS

I think we must have had a welcome visitor during the night. I sleep right next to the computer & had left a window at the foot of my bed slightly ajar. I never heard or saw a thing in the darkness. Not even the soft flutter of her wings or the radiant glow that would have enveloped her. In fact I never suspected a thing until we turned on the computer this morning......and it was working perfectly. How could that have happened!! Just last night it had been giving me such a hard time with it's agonizing slowness. And yet this morning websites were opening right up & emails were flying in like crazy. There was only one logical explanation. Tinkerbell.com the good computer fairy from the east had flown through our open window last night, sprinkled a pinch of magic wiffle dust on our computer & made everything right again. It is not often that happens but when it does it sure restores my faith in fairys. Yes Santa there is a Tinkerbell:))

Cold gray morning with some drizzle in the air but I hooked up the utility trailer & headed on over to Deerpark Lodge anyway. Leaves to be raked, a swimming pool area to be cleaned, photos to be taken, & some small scrub trees to be cut down. I was working on the last small tree when my saw became wedged & I broke the chain off so that was the end of my tree cutting for the rest of the day. Just as well because it was on the side of steep hill & the branches & vines were beating me up & tiring me out pretty good. Luckily before leaving the house this morning I had stuck a wad of gum on the bottom of my foot to plug the hole where all my energy had been draining out lately so I was able to put in a reasonably good day & was able to work right through from 9 to 4 before coming home & doing my usual 180 double back flip into the recliner.

Deerpark Lodge http://www.deerparklodge.com/ is perched high atop a bluff overlooking Lake Huron & is a very scenic place to work if you like the outdoors. I don't mind going over & helping out in the spring & fall because no one is there yet & the grounds are very quiet & peaceful. But during the summer months the place is a real bee hive of activity. It's family oriented so there are a lot of kids flying around upside down all over the place. Needless to say I am very seldom there during the months of June, July, & August.

Kelly manages the Lodge & for any of you people out there who work with the public you know how absolutely frustrating that can be. Not an envious task but from the time we get home in the spring until the time we head for the southwest again in the fall she just goes full tilt doing the absolute best for the guests she possibly can. She has the patience of a Saint, the understanding only a Mother of 5 could have, the determination of an ant moving a mountain up a hill, & the steely resolve of a Texas Judge to keep everything functioning smoothly despite adverse conditions at times. She's quite an amazing little person & when we got married years ago I sure got the best part of the deal:)) THIS WAY TO THE BEACH

To-morrow will be a general repeat of to-day so as long as I keep that wad of gum stuck on the bottom of my foot I should be able to pack in another 6 or 7 hours of some good old physical work..........................just like the old days:)) (well sort of)

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MOTHER'S DAY & COMPUTER WOES

KELLY WITH ONE OF HER TWIN DAUGHTERS......SABRA

It was a cloudy & cold morning as Kelly headed for Cambridge to spend Mother's day with 3 of her 5 children. A daughter in Vancouver & another in Spain could only wish their Mom well from afar. KELLY'S YOUNGEST SON, BEN

I stayed home with the furry guys & did battle with the computer for the day. Our connection problem comes & goes as the cable signal strength seems seems to fade in & out. Sometimes websites will open & other times they take forever. And sometimes they won't open at all. Cleaned up all the wiring under the computer desk in the morning making sure all plugs were tight & wires not pinched anywhere. Even tried out a different router to see if that would help out the remote lap top computer. Did a couple system restores & half a dozen other things but to no avail. The connection remained sporadic. I was in an amazingly patient mood throughout all this so no equipment ended up getting damaged & I myself remained un-injured. About 2:30 the cable guy showed up with a new modem. He was pre-convinced it was a modem problem so installed an updated modem, quickly checked his companies website, declared the problem solved, & headed out the door. (it was Mother's Day & he was probably anxious to get home) I was not as convinced about the modem fix so immediately sat down at the computer & tried some websites......#*!!^%#:?*%$ The problem was not fixed!!!! The connection was still weak, ebbing & flowing like a proverbial tide. So, to-morrow it's another phone call to the cable company to trouble shoot this thing further. I don't have to tell you how frustrated we are!! KELLY'S OLDEST SON, JASON ON THE LEFT. MISSING ARE SABRA'S TWIN, SARAH IN VANCOUVER & KELLY'S YOUNGEST DAUGHTER, REBECCA IN SPAIN.

To-morrow will be another grounds clean-up day at Deerpark Lodge. Some small trees to come down & a cabin is being re-located by movers so I'll be busy documenting that with my camera. Some major re-construction projects going on there & everything has to be photographed. That kind of photography is easy stuff & no stress. I tried doing some weddings many years ago & absolutely hated it. Thought maybe portrait photography was in my cards but it didn't take me long to figure out that I just was not a people photographer. Turned my camera to-wards Mother Nature & she welcomed me with open arms......................:))

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THANK YOU.....MUCH APPRECIATED:))

SOME SHENANIGANS IN A NEIGHBOR'S YARD

It's been one of those up & down weather days. Pouring rain, blue skies, gray skies, sunshine, & fog. Temps have dropped so it's turning out be an inside day. We hadn't gone far on our morning before a clap of thunder sent Checkers & the Motormouse scurrying back to the house with Max, Kelly, & myself in close pursuit as the sky opened up with a deluge of water.

Want to say thank-you to the folks who sent us some really nice comments & emails about our blog this past week. Your words go a long way for me because I am my own worst critic & often question whether some of my blogs are too silly, too boring, or too opinionated. I try to make them interesting by varying the subject matter as well as the photos. I try NOT to make the blog predictable with the same routine day after day. I enjoy blogging & photography so it's nice to receive feedback from people with their thoughts & suggestions on how to make our website better. I'm sure most other bloggers feel much the same about their blogs. Thanks folks....much appreciated:))
Kelly's daughter in Spain came across an interesting & informative RV Travel blogsite recently & sent us the link this morning. This southern Ontario couple travels the American southwest & has actually been written up in the New York Times. I'm sure some of you folks are already familiar with frugal-rv-travel http://www.frugal-rv-travel.com/ Looks like a great site & we are looking forward to picking up some good tips. And co-incidentally, these fellow snowbirds only live a couple hours drive from us.

We have been having some kind of connection problem for the past few hours & suspecting a modem problem. The Tekky guy is coming early to-morrow afternoon to swap out the modem & do some additional trouble shooting. I'm going to try & upload this blog to the web so we'll see what happens.............
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A FEW PICS OF TADOUSSAC'S REAR END:))

GODERICH HARBOR WITH GRAIN ELEVATORS ON LEFT & THE EMPTY LAKE FREIGHTER TADOUSSAC ON RIGHT

A couple days ago I had a few errands to run so slipped up to the town of Goderich Ontario which is about a 20 drive north of Bayfield. Cloudy day & not great for photos but I took a swing down around the harbor & grabbed a few pics of a large lake freighter anchored there. It was sitting high in the water so was probably awaiting a load of grain or salt. Goderich is known for it's large underground salt mine stretching for miles out under Lake Huron. Kelly & I were lucky enough to get onto one of the last public tours of that mine about 12 years ago. Sorry, didn't take a camera with me that day. Goderich is a unique place & I hope to slip up there in early June & do a little photo shoot along the lake & around the harbor...........WONDER IF IT WAS POPEYE WHO SLUNG THE ANCHOR & CHAIN OVER HIS SHOULDER & SWAM IT TO THIS PILE OF ROCKS Goderich: http://www.goderich.ca/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goderich,_Ontario
http://www.goderich.worldweb.com/ SALT MINE BUILDINGS ARE ON THE HORIZON

A nice warm sunny day here & everything is really greening up fast. By June we will be into one of the nicest months of the year. Our yard is at it's best in June with everything looking very tropical. I sometimes get to looking a little tropical myself in June.......................................:)) ONE OF THE HARBOR TUGS RESTING UP FOR ANOTHER BUSY SEASON

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BLOG JAM

SWING RIDE UNDER THE OLD APPLE TREE:))

I have been sitting here in front of the computer this past 10 minutes, head down & eyes closed trying to think of something remotely interesting to blog about to-night. But, I have run into a blog jam..............................:(( TULIPS ALONG A LANEWAY NEAR THE LITTLE SWING RIDE BOY

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RV FOLKS ARE A HARDY LOT

Well, I managed to get 3 good working hours out of myself over at Deerpark Lodge this morning before having to come home & crash in my recliner for an hour. I'm not too impressed with this aging process. ANYTHING YOU NEED HELP WITH HERE DAD??

We are all just one heartbeat away from the unknown but it doesn't seem to be a concern in our earlier years. I'm creeping up on 65 now & every little bump in the night is a concern. Doesn't seem to matter if your 45 or 85, the world as we once knew it has changed as we peer out through aging eyes. We have changed.....and are changing. Priorities are re-arranged. Interests ebb & flow like the tide & time suddenly begins to take on a new importance. Slowly it becomes apparent this wild & reckless ride through life is beginning to level out & may even begin to take on a bit of meaning at some point. SOME DAY I WILL BE A MIGHTY MAPLE TREE

One of our main reasons years ago for embracing the RV lifestyle was based on health & well being. We were both in good shape & knew if we wanted to get out there to see & do the outdoor things we enjoyed we had better get a move on while we were still agile enough to enjoy it. Various illnesses & disabilities had already claimed friends & fellow workers & shattered the dreams of many others. I'm so glad we made the decision to travel when we did.

MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS

RV folks as a rule are a hardy & healthy lot. We have met people, though diagnosed with cancer have refused to take it lying down. A couple we know who both have cancer concerns rented out their house, bought an RV, & hit the road full time. That was about 3 years ago & they are still going strong. Doctors appointments, medical tests, & treatments are scheduled ahead of time in various cities where they are headed. It was their original doctor who after the diagnosis suggested to them they get out & enjoy life. And that is just what they are doing & I think the reason they are doing so well is simply because of their RV lifestyle, positive attitude, & zest for life. PRIMROSE

Whether week-end traveler, seasonal snowbird, or full timer, the RV lifestyle lends itself to a whole different mindset from the stay at home folks. I know it's hard for people who have never traveled or do not have an interest in traveling to understand why anyone would want to live in the confined space of a motorhome or trailer. A lot of things are hard to understand I guess but fortunately that was an understanding that came easy for us...........................................:))

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OUR FRIENDS .....THE MnMnM's:))

STILL AT IT

The motorhome clean-up continued this morning & I finished the sides, wheels, & got all the glass cleaned inside & out. I should mention that the photo of the rig's interior a couple days ago was taken with a 28mm wide angle lens. That's a popular lens for photographing small interiors & is commonly used by real estate companies for inside house pictures. Also works well in small RV interiors but it does give the appearance of interiors being larger than they actually are. The human eye sees around 55mm so there is a bit of optical discrepency when using a wide angle lens. Roadtrek had an ad in one of our RV mags a few weeks ago showing the interior of their Class B van. You would have thought you were looking at the inside a Greyhound bus. They must have used an even wider lens than 28mm I think............So, that interior picture of our motorhome actually appears larger than what it really is. Just wanted to clear that up up after Kelly made the comment yesterday, "wow, wouldn't it be nice if our motorhome was really as big as it looks in that picture." DOUBLE PLEASURE......LAP TOP DOG & LAP TOP COMPUTER ALL ON THE SAME LAP:))

All the RV snowbirds we met these past few winters are back home now just as we are but our fulltiming friends are still out there enjoying the great RV outdoors life. I am so envious as I read their emails or follow their blogs & pictures. We first met Mike, Maureen, & Molly (MnMnM) in Cannonville Utah back in November 2008. http://adventureswithmnm.blogspot.com/ We had been unsuccesful in finding a boondocking spot that day so decided as a last resort to check into a $KOA$ campground. Another rig had just pulled in ahead of us & we were the only 2 RV's in the whole park. Turns out they were fellow Canadians from London Ontario which is only an hour's drive from Bayfield where we live. They were Mike & Maureen, fulltiming with their sweet dog Molly. Over the next few months we met up with them again near Zion Canyon, Kanab, & the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Also boondocked near each other in the Ajo Heights just west of Ajo, Arizona.

CANNONVILLE UTAH KOA.....WE ARE MIDDLE LEFT & THE MnMnM'S ARE MIDDLE CENTER

BOONDOCKING WEST OF AJO, ARIZONA.....MnMnM'S ON LEFT & WE ARE ON THE RIGHT

MAUREEN & MIKE AT OUR AJO HEIGHTS DARBY WELLS SITE

They spent the winter hunkered down on Vancouver Island with some snowy days & are presently in beautiful southern B.C. heading east. Molly, their beloved dog has not been well lately so our thoughts are with our friends...........MnMnM.

To-morrow I will head over to Deerpark Lodge & work on some of the spring clean-up there again. Been having problems with energy levels so we'll see how it goes. Wonder if that vitamin pills stuff works or is that just another big scam too........................

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YOU ARE SO BIG & I AM SO SMALL

YOU ARE SO BIG & I AM SO SMALL

My very first car in late 1963 was a 1961 blue Volkswagon Beetle. I have been a Beetle fan ever since & that's even before the Beatles landed on the North American shores. Yes, I know it's a bit confusing. WHATCHA DOIN ON THE COMPUTER DAD??

There were many things I liked about my first car & one of them was it's size. Not only easy on gas but easy to park & wash as well. It was the washing part I was reminded of to-day as I stood bucket & sponge in hand, dwarfed by the 12ft high, 8ft wide & 33ft long giant monster motorhome. It looked so big & I felt so small. I was tired out by just the thought of having to wash it. Whatever happened to those days when I could have my Vw bug washed, dried, & half waxed in half an hour. Looking at this big white dinosaur in front of me I knew this was going to take days. I suddenly got even more tired. Oh, to have those 18 year old energy levels back again. PERRIWINKLE

From the time we leave home in the fall until the time we return in the spring I never wash the motorhome. What's the point. Not a lot of extra water floating around in the deserts of the southwest & 5 minutes after you start to wash it the big Arizona winds will just whoop up a big dust storm all over ya anyway!! Besides, we travel a lot of dusty back roads & camp out in the desert so a big shiny white rectangular blimp really looks out of place in Mother Nature's wonderland . Best to have a layer of dust on the rig with some mud on the tires thrown in to blend it all into it's surroundings. And besides, washing it all the time kinda takes away that nice desert pin striping effect we have so dutifully earned. NEIGHBOR'S MAGNOLIA BLOSSOMS

I know some RVers out there who will not drive on a dirt road let alone camp anywhere other than in RV campground with lots of water to wash their rigs when they get there. Guess it's all where one's priorities lie. For some it's more important to have a big shiny looking rig I guess. You folks are sure missing out on the wonders & beauty of nature by clinging to those Interstates & RV Parks. BUMBLE BEE IN THE AZALIA BLOOMS

I was one of those guys who went through that sparkly stage from about 16 to 20 years old spending hours & hours washing, waxing, polishing, & spiffing up my car in a never ending effort to make big impressions. Especially with the girls. That is, if it were possible to do that in a 61 VW Beetle back in the days of big beefy muscle cars. Yes, the competition was stiff alright but me & my little Beetle bug made out alright:)) Luckily I grew out of that sparkly car phase somewhere in my early 20's. Have always kept a vehicle neat & clean inside but if the outside got dirty, it just wasn't really, really, important to me anymore. Besides I've always enjoyed getting off the beaten path & exploring back roads, laneways, bush paths, whatever. Not really conducive to a sparkly car aficionado. The occasional trip to the car wash nowadays is good enough for me.
So, with a huff & puff I started the huge task of cleaning the motorhome to-day. Geeeezzz, why do they have to make them so big. Figured I would do it in stages this time & not try to climb the mountain all in one day. Concentrated my efforts on the front of the rig because that's where the dead bugs were holding their annual dead bug convention by the looks of it. Tried some Turtle Wax Bug & Tar remover & about the only thing that removed was about an inch off each my arms. Remembered I had some Best-Black Streak Remover & that did the trick very well. I know Gypsy http://gypsy97.blogspot.com/ just did her 5th wheel with a product she liked & John http://johnbrendasincredibleadventure.blogspot.com/ has a product he readily uses but can't remember the names of them. I think JoAnne & Doug
http://www.mytripjournal.com/ourdream have a magic cleaning product they like as well. So many things on the market these days compared to years ago. BUZZING FROM FLOWER TO FLOWER

To-morrow, if the spirit moves me, I might do the back end of the rig. That will require some step ladder work for sure. Never needed a step ladder with my little 61 Beetle Bug. But then again it didn't have a Queen size bed in it, full washroom with shower, clothes closets, refrigerator, micro-wave, television, etc. etc. But hey, I went to Sarasota Florida & back in the summer of 64 for about $20 worth of gas one time & that's gotta beat how far we go for $20 worth of gas in the motorhome. That's about what it costs to fill up my spare gas can now...........................................:((

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WHY DON'T WE PUT A COUPLE OF SHELVES THERE

FINALLY FINISHED PAINTING THE REST OF THE SLIDE WALLS AWHILE BACK

I sometimes wonder if the designers & builders of RV's ever actually spend any time living in them. Doesn't take long for even the untrained eye to see where improvements could be made. At first glance RV's look very compact & well thought out. Everything looks so nice, colors match, finishes sparkle, mirrors give the impression of spaciousness. They are heavy into the WOW factor. But, try sleeping on that pull out couch or sitting for any length of time in that tiny tub chair. Better wear knee pads getting in & out of that breakfast nook & don't plan on any extended meals if you don't want to end up with flat buns. There are many classes of creature comforts in the RV's just like cars & in the end you get what you pay for I guess. I've never spent any time in a high end coach but I'm sure they have a superior quality to them. Maybe even pull out couches that are actually comfortable to sleep on.

BURGUNDY TRILLIUM IN THE WOODS THIS MORNING

Space is cleverly maximized by the designers up to a point but for anyone living in an RV.....not cleverly enough. Kelly found another wasted space in the bedroom under a counter top kind of affair. A bedroom stool came with the motorhome that was meant for someone to sit on at this counter & put on make-up or something. It's located at the foot of the bed so you had to be some kind of contortionist to seat yourself on that stool with your legs ramrodded under the counter & do to yourself whatever this counter & stool were intended to help you do. We left the stool at home last year & the space under the counter remained just that......space. On Saturday Kelly said, "why don't we put a couple shelves in there or something." Don't know why we hadn't thought of that before. Just one of those Senior moments I guess. First thing this morning I scrounged around gathering up wood for something I would hopefully later call a couple of shelves. Out came the tape measure & the pencil. Straight lines were drawn on wood surfaces & before long the whole park was awakened by Al playing with his power saw again. I even closed the shed's window & door to minimize the sound but it was Sunday so it was extra quiet outside. Tried whistling loud but that just made the whining saw worse. Wasn't until I belted out a few good bars of Johnny Horton's Honky Tonk Man that I overpowered the skil saw & took charge of the air waves. ROBINS NEST IN OUR CAR PORTSome days ya just can't do anything wrong no matter how hard ya try. Geeeeezzz, I like when that happens. All my first measurements were right on, the saw cuts were straight, I actually got all the wood stain on the wood this time, & the squareheaded wood screws even went straight into the wood when I assembled the shelf pieces. The 2 shelves fitted snugly into the space where Kelly wanted & I was even able to get them level & hold them there while I screwed the shelves into place. No, it's not something a professional carpenter would brag about but it's functional, looks OK, puts a feather in my cap, & kept me on an even keel for the rest of the day. Maybe even got me a few extra brownie points with the boss. Geeeezzz, I like when that happens...................................:)) TWO SHELVES INSTALLED WITH 3 OF KELLY'S IKEA TOTE BASKETS ON THEM

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