AN EVENING SUNSET OVER PLACID WATERS

THE END OF A QUIET DAY AT BAYFIELD'S DEER PARK LODGE

Half an hour after I posted yesterday's blog, sunlight broke through the clouds, filtered through our living room window, & gently lifted me & my gloomy spirits up out of the recliner & headed us back out the door  into the fresh air again. 

OUR FRONT YARD FUJI CHERRY IS BLOOMING

Drove into Bayfield, picked up a 6" Tuna sub at Subway & drove over to Pioneer Park which overlooks Lake Huron.  While eating the sub I noticed how dead calm the lake was which I thought maybe was the first time I had ever seen the water looking like glass with no waves visible.  Next thought was....camera!!

IT IS NOT OFTEN THESE WATERS ARE SO CALM

We live only a few minutes from the shores of Lake Huron so it didn't take me long to slip home & grab a couple cameras.    Headed for Deer Park Lodge where Kelly works because at this time of year I knew there would probably be no one there.  Deer Park sits high atop the scenic cliffs overlooking the lake & is always a great vantage point for Lake Huron sunsets.  Had myself a nice walk on the beach as the setting sun replenished my depleted motivation banks.

AN ANCIENT SEA MONSTER ON THE SHORES OF DEER PARK

Today turned out to be beautiful with temps reaching 80F.  Thought about taking the bike for a run but opted to do a little more work in the yard.  Kelly was on her way home & I wanted to be here when she rolled in the driveway.  She usually has a lot of stuff & needs help carrying everything in, & true to form Kelly pulled in about 1 o'clock with lots of stuff including a new 20" computer monitor & a wireless mouse.

PRETTY BLUE EYE RING ON THIS MOURNING DOVE

I had a Doctor's appointment in Goderich at 2 but was able to help carry in all the loot.  Nice to have Kelly home & see the smiling doggy guys jumping up & down with lots of happy tail wagging going on.  Since Kelly & I met back in the summer of 1993 this past 10 days is the longest we have ever been apart.  I'm sure it was a very nice break for her.  Man oh man that girl has stamina!!

A WATERWAY WENDS IT'S WAY TO THE LAKE

My Doctor's appointment went OK & it looks like I have a few sinus issues for which my nurse practitioner prescribed some nasal spray stuff.  I have to give myself a couple shots in each nostril every day for the next month & see if the problem clears up.  Shot myself up when I got home & immediately felt sick so there must be some powerful juice in that spray.

 

Hooked up the new monitor & 'wow' what a difference.  Gone was that yellow/green cast on the much smaller monitor.  I can now upload all my photos into the desk top computer again which means I can comfortably spend my after supper nights back in the sun room again surrounded by my favorite music while putting the blog together.

 

SUN REFLECTION ON THE WATER

Seemed kinda weird eating something for supper tonight that either wasn't made out of peanut butter & honey, corn flakes, or oatmeal.

 

Friday morning we are off to visit my Uncle Harry in Woodstock, Ontario.  Weather is due to sharply change with possible snow showers late Friday afternoon & we're going to end up with a cold Saturday.  Yuk!!

OLD SOL DIPS INTO THE COOLING WATERS OF LAKE HURON

And thanks to everyone's comments & concerns.   Happy to say I am over the doldrums hump for another day.  I'm sure there are more gray days ahead, as there is for everybody, but until then it's........blogging as usual:))

ME TAKING A PICTURE OF ME TAKING A PICTURE OF THE SUNSET AT DEER PARK LODGE (self timer)

GROANER'S CORNER:))  Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

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.

10-4!!

Well, it's a cloudy day, the bird's are tired of posing for pictures & the backyard project has become humdrum.  The rig sits idle in the driveway, the dogs are sleeping, Kelly's still in Spencerport, & I have lost my motivation to keep this going, so rather than sit here totally bored making comments I sometimes later regret I'm just going to pull the pin & call it day...10-4!!

TUESDAY..........SAME AS MONDAY!!

I HAD SOME HELP WITH THE YARD WORK TODAY

Figured I had better start this blog off with a word about Judy's comment concerning the Groaner I put in the blog last night.  She is right when she calls it the worst one I have ever posted & in hindsight I should have passed on it & not put it in.  I remember when I came across it I debated with myself whether it was a good one for the blog.  In re-reading it again this morning I realize it was not one of my better judgments.  I know we all try to be perfect everyday but some of us like myself still fall into that awkward 'mistakes category' from time to time. 

 

CANADIAN GEESE INSTINCTIVELY KNOW HOW TO KEEP A LOW PROFILE WHEN POTENTIAL HARM IS NEAR

Looks like Kelly may be home Thursday or Friday.  Her sister, who is a nurse, will be able to help out a bit next week.  Kelly's helping with some paperwork today & said her Dad seemed improved this morning. 

GETTING RID OF SOME OLD FENCE POSTS

Had a question about Socky Geepers & where he has been staying these days since we're home.  Socky hangs out with the Bisbee Kids in the rig but he did come out for awhile this morning to give me a hand with the yard work.  Which reminds me, I've got to get the instruction book out on the Dolorme GPS unit & somehow get that darn thing figured out.

THE BACKYARD MAKE-OVER CONTINUES

As I've said many times, mechanical things drive me bonkers but give me a nice outside day with a shovel, rake, & a pile of dirt & I'm a happy guy.  Today the sun is shining, the birds are singing in the trees, & the only things moving in the yard are the dogs, the birds, & me.  Now, what's not to like about that!!

The above photo shows my camera set up in the sun room for some of the bird photos I do.  I take them through the window so I really must get out there & get some glass cleaned.   I'm sure I have, 'clean sun room windows,' somewhere on my spring clean up list.  Cleaning windows is not one of my favorite thing!!

Happy to report that I was able to get right back to Jo Ann in the shout box this morning with the info on where to find the tap water oasis in Borrego Springs CA.   I'm happy about that simply because I didn't forget to get back to her.  I like when that happens:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  "Doctor, doctor! Birds keep building nests in my horses' manes! What should I do?" "Sprinkle yeast on them and call me in the morning." "But why?" "Yeast is yeast and nest is nest and never the mane shall tweet!"

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

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.

TIME TO FRESHEN UP THE BACK YARD

CHECKERS, OUR VERY MUCH MOST BEST BIGGEST GIRL

Kelly has had a very busy week in Spencerport NY helping her Mother deal with the failing health of her Father.  She has extended her stay a few days in order to assist further until additional help can be brought into the home.  I do not think I have ever seen a human being who has had to endure so much bad health for so long.

"D'YA MIND, I'M TRYING TO TAKE A BATH!!!!  (Blue Jay)

Can't remember who it was but somebody a few days ago had a question about types of photo files that should be used with photo programs, etc.  This is a technical area I know next to nothing about.  I am a bit familiar with the common JPEG file format though because I think that is the popular one most people use.  The inquiry was about a TIF file.  A photography friend of mine in Elfrida Arizona just happened to do a post about all that last week.  Ray is a technical guy who understands the inner workings of computer things & at the Photo Group I attended there this past winter he was quite adamant about 'saving your original photos.....untouched!!!!'  Check out RAY'S BLOG.  The TIF info is about two thirds of the way down.

MOURNING DOVE......THEY KEEP THE FALLEN SEEDS ON THE GROUND PICKED UP

Been waiting for some warmer temps to take the bike for a run.  Just a little on the cool side yet & I'm not into 'cold riding' on a motorcycle anymore.  Been there, done that.  No more of that nonsense thank you very much!!

 

CARDINALS LIKE THE NEARBY CEDAR TREES

Our back yard has been looking a little tired the past couple of years.  Re-did one area last summer & today I started pulling apart another section.  Some old fencing came down, a lot of rocks were moved & the power washer took care of a lot of moss on paving stones,  Quite a mess out there right now but I enjoy making gardening & landscaping changes so I will be back at it in the morning again.

                       

WORK BEGINS ON REVAMPING THE BACK YARD

Just noticed a question in our shout box.  No, Donna we do not have any bears here in this part of southwestern Ontario aside from a very rare occasion when one might wander down from further north.  Not likely to end up where we are though.  Too much open farm land around & too many people moving about in the area.

MOMMA GOOSE IS ALL BUT INVISIBLE ON HER NEST THIS MORNING

I must really get started on the motorhome clean up soon as well.  Still a lot of road grime on it from our trip home nearly a month ago.  I never wash it while we are traveling because it just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to do that when we are up & down gravely back roads & across dusty desert floors most of the time.   We don't hang out in RV Parks so don't have to worry about keeping up appearances with the neighbors all precisely lined up in their very picture perfect shiny rig rows.

WE HAVE TOO MANY GRACKLES AND THEY ARE THE BULLIES IN THE BIRDYARD

GROANER'S CORNER:((  When Mr.. Wilkins answered the door late in the evening one day after he'd lost his wife scuba diving, he was greeted by two grim-faced policemen. "We're sorry to call on you at this hour, Mr. Wilkens, but we have some information about your wife."
"Well...tell me!" he demanded.
The policeman said, "We have some bad news, some pretty good news, and some really great news. Which do you want to hear first?"
Fearing the worse, Mr. Wilkins said, "Give me the bad news first."
So the policeman said, "I'm sorry to tell you sir, but we found your wife's body this morning in San Francisco Bay."
"OH MY GOD!," said Mr. Wilkens, overcome by emotion. Then, remembering what the policeman had said, he asked, "What's the good news?"
"Well," said the policeman, "When we pulled her up she had two five-pound lobsters and a dozen good size Dungeoness crabs on her."
"Huh?" he said, not understanding. "So, what's the great news?"
The policeman smiled, licked his chops, and said, "We're going to pull her up again tomorrow morning."

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

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.

A QUIET SUNDAY WITH MY ANIMAL PALS

WELL, JUST COLOR ME PRETTY THEN:))

Sometimes blog postings roll off the keyboard just as smooth as anything.  Other times it is a struggle right from the first word to the last.  Most blogs I write come easy to me but this one tonight has just been a struggle every word of the way.  By the time I would get 3 paragraphs done I would be back changing or erasing the first two.

Before I stumbled across this blog thing a few years ago I used to keep in touch with folks via email.  I was always busy typing & sending emails to friends & family members.  Literally hundreds & probably thousands of emails over the years.

HEY, THAT ORANGE PEELING WAS FOR THE BIRDS!!

Emailing has been a nice way to stay in touch with folks & as I've said before, my favorite form of communication.  So, why then has my email writing dropped off so much in recent years.

                  

REFLECTIONS

Well, I guess the reason for that lies right here in the blog.  As any fellow blogger knows, it takes time to put these things together & if your doing it on a daily basis like some of us do, it doesn't always allow a lot of free time at the end of the day for working on individual emails.  But, I do have an excuse.

PAIR OF COW BIRDS ON A RAINY DAY

Isn't a blog really a kind of email anyway.  For friends & family who may be wondering how you are doing, all they have to do is click on the blog anytime & they are right up to date with where you are, how your feeling, & what your doing.  And, isn't that generally what emails & letter writings are all about.  If I want to know what some of our friends are up to all I have to do is click on their blog.  No need to bug them with a phone call or send an email they may feel obligated to respond to.

 

LIVING IN A PINE FOREST

This whole computer age came along at just about the right time for me & the blogging thing fell right into my lap.  I was fortunate in that I just happened to have some old seldom used rusty tools lying around that I was able to pick up, dust off, sharpen up a bit, & apply to the blogging world.  For anyone with a good imagination, sense of humor, and little bit of time on their hands, blogging is a great platform to exercise one's creative thoughts & opinions.  It is also a great way to reach out & do things for others.

ON THE MORNING TRAIL

From the many kind comments & emails I receive it is comforting for me to know that my writings & photos bring enjoyment to people out there who may not be able to travel anymore or folks who are looking forward to just beginning their travels.  I consider myself very fortunate to have the opportunity of sharing our travels, my photography, & my writings.  And thanks to everyone for giving me that opportunity:))

PURPLE FINCH TAKES A FLYING LEAP OFF THE FEEDER

A few days ago I posted a photo of a bird & wondered what kind it was.  Judy from TRAVELS WITH EMMA responded & identified the rosy colored little fellow as a Purple Finch.  I should have known that because we have lots of them all summer at the feeders but this little critter just looked more crimson than normal.  Probably had his best spring colors on.

ANYBODY SEE WHICH WAY THAT PUDDYTAT WENT!!

And for any of you do it yourselfers out there with an interest in solar power for your RV be sure to drop in to RV'ING - SMALL HOUSE....BIG BACK YARD & check out Steve's Part 1 & 2 of his solar installation on their rig.  How can some people have so many darn smarts & some of us have so very darn little.  I wonder why I always have so much trouble hammering screws into boards anyway.......................:))

 

DOGGIE IN THE POND

GROANER'S CORNER:((   A director is screen testing Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger for a new film about classic composers. Not having figured out who to give which part to, he asks Sly who he would like to be.
Stallone says "I like Mozart. I want to be Mozart"
So the Director says, "Very well, you can be Mozart" Then he turns to Arnie and says "Arnie, who would you like to play ?"
And Arnie says "Ah'll be Bach!"

(if your not up on your Arnold Schwarzencrapper movies, this groaner won't mean a hill of beans to you.....AL)

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

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.

KIND OF A FRONT YARD BIRD DAY

Seven Golden Finches, a Downy Woodpecker, 6 Red Wing Blackbirds, 2 Mourning Doves, 1 Cardinal, about a dozen Black Capped Chickadees, a smattering of Nuthatches, a Blue Jay & about a dozen Juncos are what I am looking at right now in our front yard while sitting at the computer in our sunroom.  Rearranged & replenished the bird feeders this afternoon & we pretty much have a full house for supper tonight.  

I have a feeling I missed the highlight of the afternoon though when a black squirrel must have ended up in the frog pond.  I had hung up some bird suet in a small metal cage over top the pond because black the squirrels were totally devastating the suet pacs where I had previously had them hanging.  I used last years binder twine to hang the suet which in hindsight turned out to be a good thing.  About half an hour later hanging the suet pac I noticed the suet cage was no longer hanging on the end of the twine.  Upon further investigation I saw the suet cage was at the bottom of the frog pond.  Ahaaaa, only one conclusion here.  The pesky black squirrel whom I had noticed an hour before at the suet cage had obviously climbed up my old dead pond tree structure & made a flying leap out onto the suet cage.......... & plummeted, cage & all, right down into the frog pond when the old rotted twine had broke.   Have not seen any of the black squirrels since.  Guess word got around pretty quick about the cold Saturday night bath!!

In last night's blog I probably didn't make it clear enough about the difference between the blogs theme & the photos.  The pictures were taken here in Bayfield where we live.  Earlier in the day I had taken a drive east of Bayfield to my old home town of Tavistock about 50 miles inland.  The photos & blog theme were two different places.

Have had several comments & inquiries about the black & white photo with the yellow daffodils in Friday's blog.  Let me first say that there is no rocket science to do that & anyone can have the same results with just a few clicks of the mouse in their PICASA 3.6 PHOTO PROGRAM.   Picasa 3.6 is a free download from Google & one of the easiest photo program's you will ever use.  I think most of my fellow bloggers are using Picasa.  When you have the program open just look for the word 'Effects.'  Click that & look for the picture square that says, 'Focal B&W.  That's all there is to it.  Just click that & you will see how easy it is to do that color highlighting stuff.  Try clicking on the other squares as well & you will be well on your way to improving your already great photos.  And don't worry, you can't wreck anything because everything is redo able as you go along.  I did a post about some Picasa features last August which you can read here at,  TWO THUMBS UP FOR PICASA. 

 
And, while on the topic of photos I would just like to add again that I see a lot of good photos on other blogs that with just a little bit of TLC in Picasa's photo program, could become great photos.  Photography is a two stage process & In the old film days you only had control over half that process which was the taking of the photo.  Your film went away & magically came back as prints because somebody else did all that.  Sometimes it was done right & sometimes it was not.  Thankfully, nowadays we don't have to trust our photos to an unknown source.  We have total control over our efforts.  Sometimes pictures taken with cameras are just so-so depending on many variables.  Now, with just a few clicks here & a few clicks there you can have that so-so photo looking just as good as you actually saw it.  And, you do not have to be a rocket scientist to do that.  Just take a little time & get to know your photo program.........  All my photos are done using Picasa:))

                                                                        

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A Mother pigeon & her baby were flying a long distance back to the barn when the baby pigeon said, "I can't make it; I'll get too tired." His mother said, "Don't worry; I'll tie a piece of string to one of your legs and the other end to mine."
The baby started to cry.
"What's wrong?" said the mother.
"I don't want to be pigeon towed!"

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

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