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!!!!"

------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

OUR MONDAY MORNING MISSION OF MERCY

TRYING TO HELP

As soon as we had the doggy guys fed this morning we headed for the pond area where we had seen the Great Horned Owl Sunday morning.  Our neighbor came out saying the crows had been harassing the owl & that this was the 4th day she had seen it on the ground at the far end of the pond.  She had tried to call the MNR (Ministry of National Resources) but had no luck.  Had we known the owl had been on the ground that long we may have tried putting a sheet over it yesterday, bringing it home & finding help for it much sooner.

THIS WAS THE VERY FIRST PHOTO I TOOK OF THE LITTLE OWL SUNDAY MORNING WHEN WE FIRST SPOTTED IT

Walking quickly now & rounding the first corner of the pond I looked to the far end hoping to see the owl but he was not there.  Upon approaching a line of pine trees I saw a crumpled pile of feathers on the ground laying motionless in the grass.  The owl never moved when we approached & I was sure he was dead.  Max walked over & began to sniff the owl & suddenly there was movement as the owl lifted it's head slowly & opened it's big eyes staring at Max.  It was alive, but just barely, & it was too weak to move.  With the recent knowledge that it had been here 4 days I assumed it was dying of starvation.  Our first thought was to try & get some food in him so we raced home & brought back some Tuna.  We found out later this is not the right thing to do.  I sat down beside him & tried to get a small chunk of Tuna in his/her beak but to no avail.  We talked softly to the owl petting him very lightly trying to decide what to do.  Just 24 hours before the little fellow didn't want our help, but this morning the little guy needed our help.

We knew we could not leave him there in that condition so I carefully picked him up & carried him home.  He didn't try to fight or bite me and he was able to sit quietly in my arms with his eyes open looking ahead.  I brought him into the kitchen thinking I could maybe get a little Tuna juice into him with an eye dropper.  He tried to eat & at one point put his beak on my finger but didn't have the strength to bite.  But, he was still strong enough to at least hold his head up & partially keep his eyes open.  There was no movement in his wings, legs, or feet.   Meanwhile, Kelly was working feverishly on the computer & phone trying to find out what we should do & where we could take him. 

A computer site said to keep the owl calm by putting it in a small box with a blanket & place the box in a quiet dark place.  I didn't attempt to feed it anything more because the site also said not to do that.  Rounded up a box  & carefully placed him in it & put the box in our workshop shed outside.  It took Kelly half a dozen phone calls around the Province before she was finally directed to a facility west of London Ontario that could help us.  The people at SALTHAVEN Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Center asked some questions about the owl's condition over the phone & then said to bring the owl to their facility if we could.  Didn't take us long to make the right decision.

Fifteen minutes after the phone call we were on the road headed for the town of Mount Brydges Ontario about an hour & half drive south of our place.  I didn't have much hope for the poor little fellow in the box behind my seat because he could hardly move & I fully expected he would die before we got there.  Kelly checked him once & got a slight movement but the second time she checked about a half hour later there was no movement.  I pulled over to the side of the road & gently reached in the box to lift him up & see if his head drooped.  He had felt warm when I carried him from the pond area but now he felt cold.  He gave a slight shake so I knew he was still alive & we quickly continued on our mission. 

KELLY'S CHECKING TO SEE IF THE LITTLE GUY IS STILL ALIVE ON OUR WAY TO MOUNT BRIDGES

By the time we were west of London we were in unfamiliar territory & Kelly had to haul out a map to navigate us through a series of left & right highway turns before finally making it to the town of Mount Brydges. With the directions SALTHAVEN had given Kelly over the phone we quickly found the facility.  Staff came to the van immediately as I set the box on the grass beside the van. They began assessing the poor little guy's condition.  It did not look good.  They checked for wing damage etc & quickly got a heating pad under him.  His eyes were open at times & he moved his head in the direction the help was coming from but for the most part he was barely able to respond.  The girls placed him in a carrier taking him inside to begin the process of intravenously getting fluids into him.  We had done all we could & it was now in the hands of the animal rescue staff.  We gave them some more details on where we had found the owl plus our name, phone number, & email address.  It was at this point where they explained about the complex eating & digesting process of owls & how it was important not to try to feed them no matter what.  Of course I immediately felt bad for trying to get the little guy to eat some Tuna.

We left the rescue center & decided to take a different way home.  We were both feeling a bit stressed & in need of a coffee.  Decided to head west on highway 402 & then north up through the little town of Forest where we knew a Tim Horton's existed.  This is the same Tim Horton's that we always first stop at upon returning from the American Southwest every spring.  While motoring through the town of Forest, Kelly spotted a Chrysler/Jeep dealer so we popped in but they didn't have any used Bayfield Bunch Wranglers on the lot for us.  We were back in Bayfield by 1:30 & stopped at Deer Park Lodge to see if Kelly had missed anything by not being there this morning.  Fortunately everything was fine & we were home a few minutes later.

My Uncle Harry's health is deteriorating rapidly & an email was waiting for us from his good friend Grace with some grave concerns.  Kelly was again immediately on the phone & in touch with Harry's care personnel people with inquiries, instructions, & changes.  We feel we quickly have to get him to a nursing home facility for additional care.  That whole process was started about a month ago but now we are thinking time is of the essence.

All & all, despite the sadness & concern over the Great Horned Owl, this was a good day.  No time for my idle mind to grumble about itself.  We were in a position to be of help to an animal in distress & it was just great going somewhere & doing something together just like when we are traveling.  We motored down some new roads, saw some new towns, & briefly met a small group of volunteer people dedicated to the love & care of injured animals.

Late this afternoon we received the following email from Salthaven.......

Hi Kelly & Al 
Unfortunately this little guy died just a few short hours after you got him to us.
Thank you for taking the time to care.
____________________________
Brian C. Salt
Director of Wildlife Rehabilitation
Salthaven Wildlife Rehabilitation & Education Centre Inc.
P.O. Box 601 Mount Brydges ON. Canada, N0L 1W0
See how you can help: www.salthaven.org
B/N 85386 3546 RR0001

Out of respect for our little owl there will be no groaner's corner tonight.

------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

A QUIET MORNING ENCOUNTER WITH A GREAT HORNED OWL......ON THE GROUND

  

Saw an object on the trail ahead this morning that looked out of place to me.  As I approached there was a slight movement & I began to suspect a raccoon or large cat.  At the point where whatever it was should have bolted into the tall grass near the trail, it didn't.  As I cautiously drew closer I saw tufted ears & a large head with piercing eyes.  An owl!!  And what was an owl doing on the ground.  A couple steps closer & it spread it's wings & hopped back about 10 feet but did not try to lift itself into the air.  We did not approach any closer because we did not want to traumatize it in case it was injured.  Took some 300mm photos (new lens) & retreated from the area.  I know nothing about owls & don't know how large young owls coming out of a nest might be.  Could this have been a young fledgling owl.  It did not look injured.  Later, according to my bird book, I figured this was a Great Horned Owl.

The day remained cloudy & on the cool side.  Touch of fog & drizzle in the morning air.  Kelly spent a few hours at Deer Park Lodge helping with a new website under construction & I stayed in catching up on computer things at home.  I am beginning to think it is maybe not such a good idea for me to be reading other people's full timing blogs.  It just seems to make my 'at home frustrations' harder to handle.  I see the photos people are taking, I read their travel adventures, I understand only to well where they are, what they are seeing, & most of all......I know how the traveling folks are feeling about the lifestyle they are living.  I know that it is a far healthier lifestyle both mentally & physically they live too.  I also understand that at the age of 65+ time is slowly slipping away on me & like so many other countless people out there the time will come when an expected or unexpected bump in the night will occur & forever end any further traveling days.  I am finding it very difficult to be a totally happy camper these days & no, this is not pessimistic or negative thinking.....it is just a realistic reaction to a realistic situation by a realistic thinking person!!   There, that's my Sunday gripe for today & I am feeling much better now thank you very much...............10-4!!

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Got in a fight with my wife last night and it was totally my fault.  She asked me what was on the TV and I said: "dust."  The rest of the night didn't go too well after that.  And did you know there are 293 ways to make change for a dollar. And while your figuring all that out consider this....There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order: 'abstemious' and 'facetious.  And don't say AL didn't tell ya so!!

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.

AWWW NUTS, HAD TO TONE DOWN A DARN GOOD RANT

SEEMS EVERY TIME I GO OUT IN OUR BACKYARD I GET LOST IN THE JUNGLE (that is our burning barrel in the background)

Am having a miserable time publishing the blog again tonight.  Have backtracked & pulled out all the links & pics but still won't go.  Am now going to copy & paste into a new draft & if that doesn't work I'll have to start all over with blogger.  I suspect one of the enclosed links must have been bad so I just went back & re-did them all.   Here goes..................

======================================

Noticed in RICK'S blog this morning that while reading BRUCE & MARGIE'S blog he was surprised to see they had run into a helpful fellow RV repair guy by the name of Phil.  Same fellow Rick came across in Quartzsite a couple years ago.  In reading the comments in Rick's blog I noticed other RV folks have encountered the same fellow & spoke highly of him.  It is so nice to have people like that out there who can share their time & expertise to help fellow RVers with all sorts of RV & RV related problems.  MIKE commented that in his 15 years of full timing he has met dozens of Phil's across the United States & my comment in Rick's blog was simply that, "Being mechanically talented like Phil has it's own personal rewards. Not only is he able to repair things & make people feel good but it must be a nice feeling inside at the end of the day to know that something he has done has been of help to someone else. I envy those people with the patience, know-how & personality to do things like that. Two thumbs up for Phil & all the good people out there like him."

MAMA ROBIN & HER 3 YOUNG ROBINETTES IN OUR CARPORT

Have you ever walked into your RV's washroom & was surprised by a wet floor??  Check out Robert & Chris's blog, LITTLE TRAVEL NOTEBOOK & see how they tackled a leaking toilet problem & saved themselves a bunch of money.  And, Speedy over at SOMEWHERE IN TIME is having a problem with his jack stand gears on his 5th wheel.  A mobile tech guy determined it wasn't the jack's motor so will return with parts next week to fix the gear dilemma.  Meanwhile, Speedy & Sherri are grounded!!  Not all Park volunteer jobs work out for folks & I came across a blog this morning where the DISCOVERY TRAVELERS, Karon & her husband, decided it was time to pull the pin on a job & head on down the road.  Came across a good article about Mountain Driving a Heavy RV on RV NEWS & REVIEWS Lots of interesting & entertaining stuff out here on the internet folks & it's always a good idea to check other people's blogs to see what tips you can pick up & what they are up to. 

 

OUR FRONT YARD HOSTAS GROW VERY LARGE HERE

We have a wooden deck outside connecting our sunroom with the front porch. This deck is shaded by a Sunburst Locust tree & we have a mildew problem with it every year.  Last year I pressure washed the mildew off but didn't think that was the best way to do it because the piercing jet stream of water is too hard on the wood.  Decided to slip up to Home Hardware this morning & pick up something that could be put on that mold to loosen & dissolve it.  The clerk guy handed me a 4L jug of something called, 'Natura-Mildew Off.'  I have a terrible trusting nature & my alarm bell should have gone off right away when I noticed the price of this stuff had been marked down from $15.99 to $11.47.  To make a long story short I went home & applied this to the deck as per instructions.  Nothing happened.  This stuff never even put the slightest dent in that mildew problem.  I even scrubbed with a bristle brush & it would not remove the mildew.  I  then proceeded into the house to type up a big long huge rant about my frustrations.  It got kind of nasty but later I noticed the deck boards had lightened a bit & some of the mold had disappeared so I had to go back inside & rewrite my rant to make it less nasty.  I will leave it at that but I will include the last line of the original rant to give you an idea about how upset I was about this product....."Welcome to Planet Earth extra terrestrial space travelers........but let me warn you....................beware of the humans!!!!"

   

HAVE ALWAYS KIND OF LIKED THAT IVY COVERED ENGLISH COUNTRY GARDEN LOOK

Now, although I may still be in a slightly sour mood over this mold remover fiasco today I do not want to end the post on a negative note, so let me just say once again how grateful I am to all the folks out there who take the time each day to either leave comments or email the Bayfield Bunch.  Much appreciate each & everyone & would you believe I have saved all those comments from the past couple of years in a special folder.  One of these days when I am feeling really, really, blue I am going to open that folder & count them all:))  And to the folks who email inquiries in...... if I haven't emailed you back about a specific question you asked, just email me again with a gentle reminder to get my can in gear!!  Thanks for dropping by folks............................10-4:))

 

GOOD LUCK FINDING THE BAYFIELD BUNCH IN THE GREEN MAZE!!

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A police recruit was asked during the exam, "What would you do if you had to arrest your own mother?" He answered, "Call for backup."

------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

OK, AND THIS IS HOW IT WORKS

NOW, THIS IS CONCENTRATION!!

Well, I'm just sitting here in front of the computer having myself one of those thoughtless Fridays.  Not thoughtless as in being inconsiderate, just thoughtless as in being clueless.  Just haven't got a clue what to write about.  Some days a blog idea will begin to formulate in the morning shower & other days it's a last minute scramble before unconsciousness settles in for the night.

A STUDY IN FACES:))

Dropped into my ophthalmologist (eye guy) today & made an eye appointment for next Thursday morning.  Imagine the eye Doc will just tell me to quit my complaining, take half a dozen aspirins before going to bed & come back again in another year!!  Thanks for the concerned emails & comments about this.

In between mobility van runs today I popped home & decided to take a few pics of the van set up to show how that hydraulic lift on the van works & how people are loaded up & secured inside the van for transportation.  We have an old wheel chair here at home so with the help of a couple unwilling suspects I took a few photos to show how it all works.

   

(click pics to enlarge)  Pics are numbered from 1 to 9 starting at top left.  Pic 1 shows ramp down with chair ready to be loaded.  Caution has to be used here so the ramp doesn't come down & whap somebody on the head...mainly me!!  Pic 2 & chair is on the ramp.  Safety belt is clicked in behind chair & the wheelchair's brakes are put on.   Notice the yellow safety plate at back has kicked up preventing chair from moving back & off the ramp.   I stand between that door & the ramp as it goes up.  Left hand on the switch & my right hand on the person's wheelchair.  The up-down-fold-unfold switch is on the left door.  Caution has to be exercised here so that I don't press the wrong button & flip the person right over the van & into the next county!!  Pic 3 shows the ramp in top position.  At this point I walk around & enter the van from the side doors.  Caution has to be exercised here that I don't knock myself out cold hitting my head on the top door frame while entering!!  Pic 4 shows the chair still out on the ramp. (not good on rainy days) I walk back, take the chairs brakes off & pull the chair into the van. Caution has to be exercised at this point because I have to bend forward close to the person to do this & I had an elderly lady grab my beard one time & nearly pulled my whole darn face off!! (true story)  Pic 5 shows the chair in place totally secured with 4 seat belt devices anchored right into the floor.  Caution has to be exercised here because of the awkward bending & kneeling on the floor to get the belts secured to the chair.  Prime back injury time!!  A shoulder & lap belt is then drawn across to prevent the person from falling forward.  Pic 6 shows the back of the van with wheel chair inside & strapped down.  It is at this point that I put the ramp back up into it's stowed position.  Caution has to be exercised at the point that I don't let the ramp catch a piece of my clothing & fold me up with it!!  Pic 7 & the ramp is stowed in place for travel. (notice I am not folded up inside it) You can see the control box on the left door.  Caution must be exercised here when closing the finger shortening rear doors!!  Pic 8 shows Tweet & Socky Geepers, my unwilling little helpers in this lengthy demonstration.  Caution had to be exercised here because these guys were really ticked off at me for interrupting their afternoon snooze!!  Pic 9 & final photo shows a couple 'jump seats' that can be used if a family member or nurse person has to ride in the back.  Caution has to be exercised here because these seats can come down as your walking by & tear your leg off!! Ok, end of demonstration............:))

                       

COUPLE OF HANGING FLOWER BASKETS KELLY BROUGHT HOME EARLIER IN THE WEEK

I have had 2 wheelchairs in the back of these vans a few times but it is very, very, crowded.  You have to be a bit of gymnast as it is to get around back there & secure the belts to the chair.........So there ya go JERRY...........better get that knee healed up or I'll have to come down there to that Benson town in Arizona & belt ya down right into that chair in the back of the van.   We could load up some cowboy cookies & head up to that paved Escapee Visitor's parking area, smoke up the tires, & do some whirlygig doughnuts:))  I'll bet Suzy would get a kick out of that.

GROANER'S CORNER And did you know that 'old' is when you are cautioned to slow down by the doctor instead of by the police.

------------------------------------------------------------------

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.

------------------------------------------------------------------

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.