BLINDSIDED IN THE NIGHT BY A FAILED TECHNO CABLE COMPANY SWITCH!!!!

TO-DAYS PHOTOS ARE JUST A SMATTERING OF WHATEVER I COULD FIND HERE.  HAVE ALREADY MOVED THE EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE TO THE RIG

We didn't get off to a good start this morning!!  When I fired up the laptop it wouldn't connect & when Kelly booted up the desktop about half an hour later it wouldn't connect either.  Everything had been fine when I shut the computer down last night so we knew something was up.

HEY WASUUUP:))

Two weeks ago we had received a letter informing us that our cable company, Bluewater Cable in Goderich, would be changing it's name to Eastlink because it had been bought out by another cable company in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  We were not happy about that because Bluewater had been an excellent local company & a change to a larger out of Province company was going to mean not only change, but probable trouble ahead.  Well, that trouble started this morning!!

THIS WAS OUR MESS TO-DAY AS WE UNPLUGGED THIS & THAT TRYING TO GET OURSELVES BACK ON-LINE AGAIN.  LITTLE DID WE KNOW THAT THOUSANDS OF OTHER FOLKS WERE  DOING THE SAME THING THIS MORNING!! (Click on photos to enlarge them)

Kelly phoned Bluewater's customer service first thing expecting to speak with someone in Goderich but ended up with a young techie kid in Halifax.  Well, at least he spoke English & lived in North America.  The kid in Halifax didn't have a clue & tried to put our computer woes on our own equipment!!  The day just continued to deteriorate from there.  Unbeknownst to us, the change over from the Bluewater company to the Eastlink company had begun in the night, not gone well, & the whole cable system had crashed effecting thousands & thousands of people this morning.  Kelly dropped into the Goderich Bluewater office to-day & said people were lined up for 17 city blocks with baseball bats, pitchforks, 2x4's:))

DESERT MOONLIGHT BLOGGING WHILE BOONDOCKING NEAR AJO, ARIZONA

We were off-line until early afternoon & when the connection was finally established we had no Outlook Express & the internet connection itself was not reacting as it should.  Laptop still wouldn't connect etc.  Now, if I had been here by myself I would not have had the patience or know how to trouble shoot this complicated problem.  I would have had to have a techie come to the house & the kid in Halifax told us nobody was going anywhere until Friday.  I think he must have been figuring on the tech driving from Halifax Nova Scotia to Bayfield Ontario or something!!!!

KELLY ON THE LAPTOP IN OUR PREVIOUS ROCKWOOD 5TH WHEEL TRAILER......2007

Well, to make a long frustrating story short.....it was our very own in house computer guru, 'Kelly the Bulldog' to the rescue.  She bit into that computer problem connection mess like a gator into a big fat juicy T-bone steak.  She was on the phone for half an hour with question after question for some wilting techie on the other end.  After that call this afternoon I think the poor guy probably quit his job & signed up for a local basket weaving course in his own home town.  I should mention here that our particular situation was compounded by the fact we have to use a router because of our two computers so we kind of had double the trouble of other folks only running one computer.......if any of that makes any sense of course.

 GRABBING SOME RAYS AT PANCHO VILLA STATE PARK IN COLUMBUS, NEW MEXICO....DEC. 06

It was determined that the port numbers in our router were no longer valid with the new company & had to be changed.  The cable company said that wasn't their problem & too bad about our luck!!  Well, that didn't deter the Bulldog!!  Kelly right away got herself on the internet to a router forum searching for more answers & solutions.  She made a physical change to the back of the router with a paper clip, changed D-Links settings to default, searched for the IP address & started from scratch resetting the router.  She not only got the desktop's Outlook Express back in operation again but then tackled the laptop & unscrambled it's totally confused brains as well.  I won't even mention anything as to where my brains were by this time. 

You know, if it wasn't for Kelly I'd probably be living under a shrub somewhere with a rotary phone & a pencil!!

AND THIS IS WHY WE ARE RUNNING AWAY AGAIN THIS YEAR!!!!!!!  (April 09)

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And did you know that dust is just mud with the juice squeezed out of it.

FACEBOOK READERS GO HERE TO SEE OUR ACTUAL BLOGGER WEBSITE WITH PHOTOS & MORE:))  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.

THE WOODSTOCK GANG ROLLED IN TO-DAY WITH.....FRYING SAUSAGE:))

DESERT CAMPFIRE NEAR PAINTED ROCK, ARIZONA.....DECEMBER 08

(Click photos to enlarge)

Thanks to everyone for their kind comments on  yesterday's blog.  Much appreciated & every comment is taken to heart.  Thank-you folks:))

END OF ANOTHER SUMMER AT KELLY'S DEERPARK LODGE JOB

I like the music option Joe & Sherri from SOMEWHERE IN TIME have put into their blog.  It sits right at the top left where it is easily accessible & gives readers the option of whether they want to click on it & listen to Joe & Sherri's blog music.  For air card users it saves them from getting hit with bandwidth gobbling audio when they click onto somebody's site.  I'm not opposed to music on blog sites, I just think the blogger should give their readers a choice.

 SCRAPING THE SUMMER'S PINE SAP OFF THE RIG'S ROOF

To-day begins the 'crunch!!'  It is 5 days from lift off & this is the week things get really busy & I like that.  This big summer travel log jam is beginning to shudder under the rising pressure of change & our traveling adventures will finally burst forth once again Saturday morning.  The excitement is not as much about where we are going as it is the fact that we just are finally going!!

VIEW OF OUR CORNER PROPERTY FROM ATOP THE MOTORHOME'S ROOF

If anybody out there is having trouble sleeping I have an excellent homemade cure for you.  Park yourself in front of your computer, put on your favorite relaxing music, turn down the lights, & click on my SUNRISES & SUNSETS photo album.  When it opens, look to the top right for the word 'Slideshow' & click that.  I have enough sunrise & sunset photos here guaranteed to put you to sleep in no time at all.  Took a lot of them at the ranch last winter in Arizona.   Remember, it is not likely you will ever reach the end of the slideshow before you are completely, zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz'd!!

ANOTHER ARIZONA SUNSET

We had company to-day from Woodstock Ontario.  My 93 year old Uncle Harry & his two lady friends, Grace & Helen came this afternoon bringing sausage.  Guess I should explain that.  In my home town of Tavistock Ontario there were always two butcher shops & one of them was called Krugs.  Ever since I was a child we have enjoyed Krug's frying sausage.  I remember years ago whenever any of our American friends & cousins knew somebody was coming for a visit from Tavistock they would always request the folks to bring as much Krugs frying sausage as they could carry.   I remember my Mother carrying shopping bags of sausage aboard the train bound for our cousins place in Chicago.  That was a long time ago & back before all this silly food restriction nonsense at the border.  Those sausage laden border crossing days are long gone now but Krug's butcher shop is still going strong & every time my Uncle Harry, Grace, & Helen come to Bayfield for a visit they always make a stop in Tavistock to bring along a big load of Krug's frying sausage.    I ate so much frying sausage to-night I am going to have to go lay on the floor now & wallow.  We won't have it again until late next spring when the Woodstock gang once again makes that Tavistock sausage stop & motors there way back on up here to Bayfield.  My Uncle Harry is the man who made it all possible 7 years ago for Kelly & I to live where we do to-day:))

UNCLE HARRY AT 93..... A GENEROUS MAN STILL DOING WELL

UNCLE HARRY GIVING ME A GOOD DRUBBING ON THE POOL TABLE AGAIN LAST YEAR

I'm going to keep the blog short to-night but just wanted to say thanks again to all the folks & their kind comments not only for last night's blog but for all previous blogs as well........................:))

BOONDOCKING NEAR GILA BEND, ARIZONA

GROANER'S CORNER:))  Now here' a tongue twister for you.......Once worked with two blokes called Dan, Dan Dale and Dan Dodd, whose Dad's Dad had a dog, also called Dan .  I remember when the poor dog died, another bloke I used to work with said to Dan Dale...... " Damn, Dan , Dan Dodd's Dad's Dad's dog Dan died!!"

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

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

FOR 30 YEARS NOW OCTOBER 19TH ALWAYS MARKS A SPECIAL DAY IN MY LIFE:))

Thirty years ago on October 19th, 1979 my life made a total 180 degree turn.  My world was rapidly moving head long into it's darkest hours & in one day it completely turned around & headed towards the light of a new & hopeful future.  It marked the end of an old troublesome lifestyle & the beginning of a new & exciting one.  I won't get into what led me to that day because it's a long story & I won't get into my recovery after that day because it is an even longer story.  What I will briefly mention is how in one single day I started out in darkness & ended my day with a ray of sunshine. 

WE HAD A FROSTY START TO OUR MORNING WALK & THE LITTLE MOTORMOUSE DOESN'T LIKE COLD PAWS!!!!

At my place of employment in those days I had a supervisor who was well aware of my drinking problem.  He once told me that if I ever decided to quit drinking he knew of some people who could help me.  On the morning of Oct 19th after a particularly heavy duty drinking week-end, which in turn led to a second drunk driving conviction, I humbly walked into his office in utter defeat & dejection, plunked myself down in a chair & said something to the affect, "Richard,  I can't live like this anymore & I've got to quit drinking........can you help me.  That statement set off a chain of events that day with Richard getting on the phone & making some calls.  He later came to my work station & quietly informed me that someone would be coming to my house that night about 7:30 to take me to an AA meeting.  Oh boy, if I thought I was scared before......now I was really scared.  I had heard a bit about AA but it wasn't something discussed with the boys over a table full of beer at the local pub.  And besides, AA was just a bunch of old wino type drunks with shabby clothes, smelling bad, & ropes in their belts to keep their pants up, right??   

A PAIR OF DIVING DUCKS ON THE POND

Sandy & another AA member who I will call G came to the door that night right on time.  I knew the other AA member but it was my first time meeting Sandy.  Nothing shabby or bedraggled about this guy & he had a super friendly personality to boot.  We talked for a few minutes & I felt comfortable with him so off we went into the darkened night to my first AA meeting in the basement of a church somewhere in Stratford, Ontario.  By the time we got there I was a nervous wreck & having second thoughts about going in.  What was going to happen if I walked through that door.    What was I getting myself into?  What were all my old drinking pals going to think when they found out Al went to an AA meeting?  Questions with no answers & answers awaiting many new questions.  We have all experienced fears of the unknown & that's the exact spot I was at as we pulled into the Church parking lot.   Sandy & G sensed my nervousness & assured me everything would be alright, so across the parking lot into the Church & through the basement door we went into a large room with a lot of cigarette smoke & occasional bursts of laughter. (AA meetings have long since banned smoking...... but not the laughter)

WILL WE HAVE ENOUGH ROOM IN THE MOTORHOME FOR THE FURRY KID'S TOYS??

Somebody with a big smiling face just inside the door shook my hand & said welcome.  There were a lot of people in this room & most of them were seated or standing around a large table.  There was a lot of hand shaking, coffee drinking, & I immediately recognized the faces of people I had drank with years before but had not seen for a long time.  Figured they had probably died or moved away somewhere but here they were in this room filled with smoke & laughter.  And they sure looked a whole lot better than the last time I had seen them too.  How could that be!!  Was there some kind of a mystical fountain of youth that restored both mental & physical properties here?  I was about to find out that actually, yes there was, but it didn't come in any form of magic elixirs or youthful fountains.  I shook more hands & peered into a lot of eyes looking for answers.  I saw a lot of casually dressed ordinary looking people with happy faces and I did not see anyone with a piece of rope holding their pants up!!

THE  GEESE ARE WORKING ON THIS YEARS FLIGHT PATTERNS BEFORE HEADING SOUTH

Soon it was time to be seated at the large table & wait for what was about to happen.  Was I about to be centered out, humiliated, or made fun of.  Criticized or looked down upon?  I grew up under the heavy hand of criticism so I was at least ready for that one.  I sat down at that table with Sandy, G, & about 25 other people.   I was still nervous at this time but as I looked around at the many faces I gradually became aware of a warm calmness coming over me from within.  People introduced themselves & admitted they were alcoholics.....& then it was my turn.  Alcohol had always given me the false courage to say whatever I wanted to say, whenever I wanted to say it & as loud as I wanted to say it, but here I was cold sober, nervous, scared, embarrassed, in a crowd of strangers, & feeling like a mouse caught in a trap.  I managed to squeak out....."My name is Al & I am an alcoholic."

And, with that one statement I stepped across the threshold of one lifestyle into another.  The rest of the meeting was a blur of words but I listened intently to what everyone had to say & remembered thinking to myself that they all seemed to be somehow talking directly to me.  I wanted so desperately to get sober this time & I was ready to do whatever that took so I listened, & listened & listened.  I remember hearing words of encouragement & hope.  Words spoken with conviction, truth, & compassion.  By the time that meeting was over I felt there had been some kind of change inside me.  For the first time in many years I saw a light flicker & begin to grow brighter at the other end of that long dark tunnel.  I knew I wasn't out of the woods yet but for the first time I felt these people, these strangers, these fellow alcoholics, genuinely cared & that at last, with their help........I had a chance.

THE 'GOLD' HAS ALREADY GONE OUT OF THIS GOLDENROD FLOWER

It's been 31 years now with a totally alcohol free lifestyle & I may add, 29 years free of cigarettes as well.  It wasn't always easy in those first few years & there were rough spots along the way but friends were always close at hand either by telephone, meetings, or the good old coffee shop.  Little did I know though that this was the start of another addiction.....coffee!!  But, that's another story & I've since wrestled that little problem into a workable solution as well:)) 

PINE NEEDLES....SOME OLD & SOME NEW

And speaking of coffee shops, some of you might remember my blog a couple Mondays ago about having coffee with an old friend in Mitchell Ontario.  Well, Jim was one of the guys my supervisor Richard had called that day 30 years ago because he knew Jim and reasoned we would be compatible.  Richard was right as Jim & I have been the best of friends ever since.  Best man at each other's weddings in fact.  But, Jim wasn't the one who came to my house the night of my first AA meeting.  He was working that night & couldn't make it so Richard made a second phone call to a good friend of Jim's named Sandy & it was he who came.  Two weeks ago while Jim & I were having coffee, it was Sandy who co-incidentally walked into the Mitchell coffee shop.  Hadn't seen him for about 7 years.  So, that brings me around full circle tying in my previous Monday blog with this one.  Don't know if Sandy or Jim thought of the significance for the 3 of us guys sitting there that day but I did as I was driving home later.  Thanks guys, thanks AA, & thanks to all the good people who make up Alcoholics Anonymous.  Your a darned good bunch of folks:))

And a footnote:    There may be some AA members out there reading this post who will not agree with my posting it publicly.  Afterall, there is a reason for the word Anonymous in Alcoholics Anonymous.  I have never hidden the fact about my AA background & the feelings of hope I had at that first meeting.   It is a feeling that should be shared & not suppressed.  It is something I am very proud of & although it has been a long time since I have attended an AA meeting I fully support the organization in my own way & would not hesitate for a second to point someone in AA's direction if they thought they had a drinking problem.

A SMALL DUCK TAKES FLIGHT OVER THE POND'S REFLECTIONS

Ok, that's enough out of me for one day & to-morrow I'll be back on track with more daily routines, travel adventures, memories, general nonsense, & photos:))  Just wanted to share my special day with everybody:))

I THINK THE LITTLE MOTORMOUSE IS GETTING SPOILED:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And did you know the average  person's left hand does 56% of the typing & that there are more chickens than people in the world!!

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

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

WE WILL SOON BE HEADING BACK TO THE ARIZONA RANCH FOR AWHILE:))

SUNSET AT THE RANCH HOUSE....March 09

(All of to-day's photos were taken last winter)

In last night's blog I paired up a wrong link with a correct photo.  I have since changed that & the correct link for our rig with the wheels in the ditch can be found HERE .  Thanks for spotting that Jerry:))

KELLY HEADS OUT FOR A BIKE RIDE AT THE RANCH

In less than a week we will heading back to the ranch in Arizona where we spent 7 weeks last winter looking after a few critters for some friends.    We had never met Jeanie & Ray, owners of the ranch until they stopped into our boondocking site near Tombstone Az one day.  But, the actually story of how that meeting came about begins a couple of months before that & is a good example of......... you never know who's reading your blog:))

WHISKER RUB FOR BANSHI

We were boondocking for awhile in the California desert on Ogilbe Road about 10 miles west of Yuma in December of 08.  One day an email came in from another RV couple who said they had been following our blog, were presently camped east of Yuma, & would we like to get to-gether for a visit.  Those people turned out to be Doug, Joanne, & their standard poodle  Fillmore from LIVING OUR DREAM.    We met on a Saturday morning at McDonald's in one of Yuma's Wal-Marts.  About half way through our conversation Joanne asked if we might be interested in a ranch sitting job for some friends of theirs.  Well, that immediately conjured up herds of charging cattle, cowboys on wild bucking broncos, buffalo from horizon to horizon, blazing saddles, city slickers, & legends of Curly's gold.  Very scary stuff to say the least so over a Big Mac & fries we said we would definitely think it over.JOANNE, DOUG, KELLY, & AL , OUTSIDE McDONALDS IN THE WAL-MART STORE...YUMA

HORSES IN THE CORRAL & SNOW COVERED MULE MOUNTAINS

BANSHI & SPORTY GALLOPING IN FOR SUPPER

PONCHO, NELLY, & SARAH....(but maybe not in that same order:))  THE HEE HAW GANG

Took us a couple days to weigh the possibilities of roller skating in a buffalo herd, being attacked by roving band of wild chickens, & spending the cold desert nights out on the lone prairie under the endless stars with rattlesnakes in our sleeping bags & coyotes snapping at our heels.  Well, afterall, we were northern folk & not being from these parts we weren't sure just what to expect.  Guess we had just seen too many totally rootin tootin dust em up cowboy movies.  Luckily, common sense prevailed & quickly dispelled most of the fears.  Yes, the nights were cold with endless stars but it was hibernation time for all the snakes anyway & besides, we didn't have any sleeping bags or blazing saddles anyway.   Yep, we said........."we'll do it."

THE RANCH HOUSE

SAND HILL CRANES HEADING INTO THE SUNRISE

Joanne had given us Jeanie & Ray's email address so we first met Jeannie on-line.  Emails went back forth, questions were asked & answered from both sides as we all got to know each other.  We agreed on a time to head on down to the ranch in southeastern Arizona & the rest as they say is history. 

THESE GUYS SURE LIKE TO EAT

And what about those endless buffalo herds, bucking broncos, wild chicken attacks, charging cattle, & blazing saddles??  Well, we never did see a buffalo so never had a chance to strap on the roller skates .(Roger Miller song;))  The bucking broncos turned out to be a couple very friendly expectant mares named, Banshi & Sporty & the closest we got to a charging herd of cattle were 3 schmoozy burrows, Pancho, Nelly, & Sarah.  The attacking chicken gang turned out to be 9 lovely ladies residing in a coop near our motorhome complete with their very own in house rooster named Rodney.  We have since heard that Rodney & one of the ladies have moved on to poultry heaven:((  And those heel snapping coyotes turned out to be a couple of big slurpy doggy guys named, Pearce & Gleeson who quickly became our most  bestest pals.  We did feed a cat or two every night but never did really see them.   Probably those big fierce mountain lion types from the movies I'm sure.

WOKE UP TO SNOW ON THE SWISS HELM MOUNTAINS ONE MORNING

FRIENDS INGRID & TOM DROP IN SO IT'S SNACK TIME FOR THE DOGGY GUYS

It is this same ranch we are heading back to next week while Jeanie & Ray take another long extended vacation this winter.  For many years they worked that ranch & couldn't go anywhere because of the cattle they raised & fed.  We're just happy to fill in for them again plus it gives us a nice place to stay for awhile in an area rich with old west history.  If anyone is interested they can slip over to our archives & check the dates from February 6th to March 23rd of 2009 for our antics on the ranch plus many day trips.  Same dates for our photo albums.  Lots of photos from the ranch including sunrises over the Swiss Helm mountains to the east & sunsets over the Mule Mountains to the west.  And lots of frolicking critter pics, and........snow!!

SAND HILL CRANES IN FLIGHT PAST A CRESCENT MOON

SUNSET OVER THE MULE MOUNTAINS

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Did you know a toothache is the pain that drives you to extraction!!

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

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

NOT ALL DAYS ON THE ROAD ARE GOOD DAYS:((

(Click on photos to enlarge them)

Took the big wheels to Goderich this morning & filled it with gas.  $194.00!!  That will get us down into Indiana just north of Indianapolis before having to fill up again.  The rest of the fill ups won't be as expensive because I generally stop for gas somewhere between the half & quarter marks on the gage.  Right now the on-board computer is telling us we have 458 miles before the next fill up.  That varies of course depending on speed, wind, hills, etc.  It re-calculates itself every mile.  There is another gas gauge configuration which shows miles per gallon as your driving but I have learned not to watch that one.  It can kind of put you into a 'not so swell mood' after awhile:((

SHADOW PATTERNS ON THE MOTORHOME

There has been quite a 'flag storm' going on over at the RV NET FORUM this past week.   A Canadian fellow by the name of Sea Dog asked about the proper protocol  for flying a Canadian flag while on American soil.  Well, that set off a debate that is still going on so if you have wondered about that yourself just put your hard hat on & slip over there to the forum for a look see.  Remember, keep your head down cause some folks are getting a little heated over there!!

BOONDOCKING WITH OUR FLAG CONFIGURATION A FEW MILES WEST OF TOMBSTONE, ARIZONA.....JANUARY 09

I have noticed some blog talk lately regarding problems with people trying to leave comments on blogs.  Seems it's kind of a hit & miss thing sometimes.  I left a comment on  WANDERING WILLY'S blog this morning but it never showed up.  In Rick's comment on Willy's blog he offers a possible explanation for the problem.  VERAGIRL has been having trouble leaving comments for people as well.  I've noticed there seems to be several different types of comment formats.  Confusing for sure.  Remember to scroll all the way down in the comment box after leaving the comment to make sure you've got everything ticked & checked.  And, even then you are not guaranteed your comment will make it.  Friends of ours tried countless times to leave comments for us & it wasn't until I actually changed from Hotmail to Gmail that they were actually able to do so.  Their comments were not reaching my Hotmail account so I never did see them to approve them.  I have a feeling that was a different kind of glitch from the comment box issue though.....but maybe not.

KELLY'S WATCHING THE SUN GO DOWN OVER THE SAN ANDRES MOUNTAINS NEAR ALAMOGORDO NEW MEXICO....NOVEMBER 08

Some RVing days just aren't quite as good as others & occasionally things happen.  Last year on our way west we stopped for a night in Oliver Lee State Park near Alamogordo New Mexico.  Couldn't find a level spot in the whole place so ended up on a campsite having to put a couple of the leveling jacks down.  The rear passenger side jack jammed in the down position & wouldn't retract.  Tried everything I knew (which wasn't much) & could not get that jack to re-tract.  Luckily we were not parked on a cement slab & the next day I was able to dig a hole behind the downed leveler deep enough to get my scissors jack down into.  Backed the coach up about 8 inches until the leveler was directly over the jack & proceeded to jack the leveler back up into place & luckily it stayed.   We had that little problem looked at in Las Cruces a couple days later & everything was fine.  Leveler has worked fine ever since.

DIGGING A HOLE BEHIND THE LEVELER WITH THE JACK HANDLE,  A HAMMER, & A SCREWDRIVER!!

In October of 07 we were heading west on I-70  west of Salina Kansas fighting a vicious cross wind hitting us from the north.  We heard a popping sound & when Kelly looked back out her side window she saw our awning billowing in the wind.  It had popped out like a parachute.  Luckily I got the rig pulled over before the awning arms were torn off.  The  photos below show me on the roof with a knife cutting the awning off.  It was freezing cold with huge wind gusts trying their best to flip me off the roof into the path of heavy truck traffic roaring by only a few feet away on the far side of the rig.  Not one of our better days on the road!!!!

ON I-70 WEST OF SALINA, KANSAS....OCT. 07

Photo above shows us off the road in Lindsay Ontario with the dual wheels down in a ditch & the rear end of the coach sitting on the road .  You can read about the mistake I made RIGHT HERE

OK KIDS, STAY CLOSE TO MOM

In October of 2008 we seemed to have a bumper crop of mushrooms in our yard but this year not a single one.  The album below is last years mushrooms & I don't have a clue what kinds they are.

View Full Album

 

Had a question in our comment box this morning from Wayne & Roberta about the kind of camera I use.   The short answer is Nikon.   If you have time W & R, click on MY NIKONS for a post I did about my cameras a year ago.  And for anyone interested..... here is a seemingly silly & simple little camera tip.  If you want to get some depth in your color just hold your sunglasses in front of your lens.  Notice how when you put your sunglasses on colors look richer.  Well, same thing will work for your point & shoot camera as well.  Try it, you might like the results.  Works great for colorful autumn leaves against a clear blue sky.  The sunglasses act like a polarizing filter.  Oh, & the photo program I use is called Picasa 3.5 & it is a free download program from Google.  Very easy to use.........that's why I have it.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Why does "fat chance" and "slim chance" mean the same thing?

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

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