NEW AND DIFFERENT TRAVEL THOUGHTS AND PLANS

 IF IT WASN'T FOR OUR FRONT YARD FROG POND I WOULDN'T HAVE HAD HARDLY ANY PHOTOS TODAY

Overnight's cooler temperature mixed nicely with morning's warming temps and created a slight early fog in the air.  With the Jeep, Pheebs and I slipped the short 3 miles east to our country road walking spot, got some paws and boots on the ground, and then returned home.  

 A LITTLE BLURRY BUT I INCLUDED THE PHOTO ANYWAY....REMEMBER, PERFECTION IS NOT THE NAME OF THE GAME FOR ME SO IT'S A GOOD GOL DARNED THING I DIDN'T GET GROWED UP TO BE A BRAIN SURGEON OR A ROCKET SCIENTIST

Hauling out a bucket of soapy water I gave the Subaru a good wash.  It was the first time I ever cleaned a window located on the top side of a car.  Following that, I waxed the engine hood and the hatchback door.  It was nearly noon by then and with the wretched humidity building, I slipped inside and stayed close to my cooling fan for the rest of the day.  Pheebs and I have still been doing our Moonlight Subaru cruises except for these past few nights when they have been Moonless Subaru cruises.  Thursday night we extended our drive and slipped through the tiny village of Bayfield just to see what the little hamlet looked like at night.  It contentedly looked sleepy, comfy, and cozy:))

 DECIDED TO USE MOTHERS WAX INSTEAD OF MEGUIAR'S WAX THIS TIME

We have locked in our 4-day getaway to Collingwood Ontario in a couple weeks.  We are both looking very much forward to that.  This marks the beginning of a different type of travel adventure for us and it's a direction we hope to pursue further in the future.  Kelly's oldest daughter and her husband who live in Cambridge Ontario also have a condo with availability right in downtown Collingwood.  They also own 3 condos in Fort Myers, Florida. Hmmmmmmm.  Now, if only one of Kelly's other children had a condo in Tucson Arizona, and another one somewhere in British Columbia.  Kelly's youngest daughter and husband (Ella) are at this moment contemplating a move to Spain.  Now how's that for a few future travel Hmmmmmms.  Yes I know, settle down and let's just get this first little getaway into the books shall we:))  

GROANER'S CORNER:(( After church, little Johnny and his brother go ice fishing. Little Johnny starts drilling on the ice when a voice from above says, "Young man, there's no fish down there.”Little Johnny asks his brother, "Who is that?"His brother replies, "I don't know."So little Johnny starts to drill again and the voice says again, "For the second time, there's no fish down there."Little Johnny asks his brother, "Could that be God?"His brother replies again, "I don't know." Little Johnny starts drilling again and the voice says once more, "Young man, for the last time, I'm telling you there's no fish down there."Johnny looks up and asks, "Is that you, God?"The voice says, "No, I'm the manager, and the ice rink is closed!!"

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What is the difference between dogs and marine biologists?  One wags a tail, and the other tags a whale.

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A WHOLE BRAND SPANKING NEW FREE MUFFLER ON THE JEEP

An identical start to the day as yesterday.  Arrived at the Napa Garage in Goderich a few minutes before 8 a.m. to have a new tailpipe installed.  Imagine my surprise later when they said they replaced the whole muffler because it was under warranty.  I didn't think there was anything wrong with the muffler they had installed back in 2019.  But, I wasn't about to argue.  The new muffler warranty didn't include the tailpipe so that cost us a few dollars.  And hey, I got to drive home with an unexpected brand spanking new free muffler on the Jeep.  

I busied myself the rest of the morning cleaning up our 2004 Pontiac Sunfire.  It now looks like a new car now almost.  With only 73,000 easy driving miles on it, the Sunfire still has lots of life left in it.  It's mechanically sound with a trouble-free-gas-saving Ecotec engine.  It has a few spots of surface rust but the undercoated body still looks good.  

Kelly's youngest son owns a condo at the foot of Blue Mountain in Collingwood Ontario.  He doesn't live there but rents it out to skiers, etc.  He has vacancies this time of year and said we can go up and stay at the condo any time we want in off times.   So, we are looking at doing just that for the first or second week of October.  Located on the southern shores of Georgian Bay it is absolutely beautiful country up that way and Collingwood is a mecca for snow sports in the winter.  Crazy busy in the summertime as well.  It has been many years since we were last up that way but I do remember it reminded me a little of Jackson Hole, Wyoming.  If this works out I am already looking forward to bringing you photos from another different topographical part of beautiful Ontario, Canada. 

Ellen's Groove:)) More Practicing on one of her bass guitars.  Her bubbling enthusiasm always brings a smile to this old stone face of mine.

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Just as a surgeon was finishing up an operation and was about to close, the patient awakes, sits up, and demands to know what is going on.  "I'm about to close," the surgeon says.  The patient grabs the surgeon's hand and says, "I'm not going to let you do that! I'll close my own incision!"  The doctor hands him the needle and thread and says, "Suture self."

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- Did you hear about the two radio antennas that got married?  The wedding was terrible, but the reception was excellent!

- Those with dandruff have a certain flecks a' peel.

- Did you hear about the guy who tried to date a nun?  He wanted to take her to the county fair, but she declined on account of she had taken a vow to abstain from Carnival pleasures.

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In our home, we tend to get the children to help out. One day our youngest son came into the living room and asked, “Does anyone want a cup of coffee?”  “Yes please!” we said.  He replied, “What kind of coffee do you want? Capitated or decapitated?”

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OK, SO WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE AT THE BAYFIELD BUNCH

Just me in the Jeep on this sunny 42F morning heading for an 8 a.m. appointment at the  Napa Garage in Goderich.  Kelly and I determined the rattling sound under the Jeep was the tailpipe which had become detached from the muffler.  The Napa Garage had put a new muffler on the Jeep back in 2019.  Up on the hoist, they determined that yes it was the tailpipe so had to order a new one.  I have to go back at the same time Friday morning to have that tailpipe installed.  A couple other stops while in Goderich this morning and I was off for home.

Okay, so what's happening here at the Bayfield Bunch this past couple of days!!  It was nearly 20 years ago when we moved here to our present location at The Bayfield Pines. (formally Five Season's Estates)  It's a land-lease community and it does have its rules and regulations written into the lease.  One of those rules states only 2 vehicles per unit.  I understand and agree with that but when we moved here we had a car, a pick-up truck, and a travel trailer.  Luckily for us, the old owners never enforced that rule and over the years we basically always had 3 vehicles here including various motorhomes.  As of last week and at the moment, we have 4 vehicles.  We knew when the Park was for sale these past few years that new owners whoever they might be could very well enforce that 2 vehicle limit.  We kept our fingers crossed.  However, Thursday afternoon, we and others received notice that we had until November 1rst to comply with the lease which states 2 vehicles only.  The writing was finally on the wall for us and this notification forced us to finally stop waffling and make some difficult vehicle decisions.  Decisions we had been putting off this past year or so.  In other words, two vehicles had to go.

Ever since our last trip to the great American Southwest, we have been clinging to the ever-dwindling thread of hope that at some point we would at least make it back there one more time with our present RV.  Even knowing the odds were stacked against us we didn't give up hope......until yesterday.  Making the decision to sell our beloved Class C Winnebago Itasca Spirit motorhome wasn't easy but it's the logical thing for us to do.  Every RVer at some point has their day when it is time to hang up the keys, throw in the towel, and call it quits.  Thursday was that day for us.  The 2 vehicle limit was the final nail in the coffin and the following reasons are the other nails that finally nailed the lid down on us.

 A WALK AROUND OUR PARK'S POND FOR PHEEBS AND I THIS AFTERNOON

Health Insurance is not something American travelers have to worry about traveling in their own country but we Canadians traveling in the states need to buy extra travel insurance for the time we are down there.  Traveling south of the border without travel insurance is foolishly pushing the envelope and can financially ruin someone if they become sick or are injured and incur very expensive medical bills.  Depending on one's age, health, and medical records it is not unusual for many Seniors to pay thousands of dollars for their winter stays in the South.  I know we did before we even crossed the age barrier or had any serious medical problems.  With Kelly's progressive liver disease and auto-immune concerns and my previous diagnosis of diabetes and prostate cancer, we might not have even been able to get insurance and if we did we could never have afforded it.  Another big concern with Kelly's condition is what happened to her last March when all of a sudden an ambulance had to be called for her.  That resulted in two hospitals, 3 blood transfusions, and a week in University Hospital in London.  What would happen if that occurred again and we were boondocked somewhere out in the middle of the Sonoran desert somewhere.  It is definitely a reality factor that has to be thought about and taken seriously.  Add to that the Covid thing which could rear its ugly head again at any time with all its related repercussions and border madness.  And double add to that the state of our beloved second home right now.  I'm talking about America of course.  I feel it is a powder keg with a lit fuse right now and we don't want to be there when it blows.  We were soooooo fortunate to have had the 13 years of winter travels that we did.  It was a different America at that time and we loved being there.  Loved it so much that we even bought a house in Arizona one time.  We never really worried about anything too much back in those days but it is definitely not the same America now:((  

So, with the motorhome decision made we had one other vehicle decision to make and our first thoughts were the Jeep, but after sleeping on it and thinking about it more, Kelly thought it would be better to sell the 2004 Pontiac Sunfire instead of the Jeep.  And I agreed.  Actually, I'm quite happy with the thought of not giving up the Jeep despite a few problems it has.  It's a good winter and gravel road vehicle for Pheebs and I so we will continue to use the Jeep for our morning travels.  Once the Sunfire is sold, the Subaru will take its place for Kelly to use.  Any trips we do like the London Hospital or day trips we will do in the Subaru.  So, we booked the Sunfire in for a pre-safety check Monday morning at the Bayfield Garage.  I will begin clearing Scooter out tomorrow and we will list it for sale in the next few days.  It will also have to go in for a pre-safety check.  This all came about rather quickly Thursday afternoon but the decision we had been avoiding, had been a very long time coming.............

By the way, I do agree with the new owner's thoughts about a two-vehicle limit per unit and there is a good reason for that.  The words 'trailer-trash' didn't just fall out of the sky one day.  If rules are not in place and followed there are those who would for sure take advantage of that and we have all driven through mobile home Parks where rules were not followed and we have all seen the results of that.  Trailer-trash indeed.  Our Park is by far the nicest mobile home Park in the whole area and it's not only we the residents who want to keep it that way, but it is the new owner's intent as well:))

 SUBIE'S TEMPORARY PARKING SPOT UNTIL THE PONTIAC SUNFIRE IS SOLD

GROANER'S CORNER:((   Does a clean house indicate that there is a broken computer in it?

- Why is it that no matter what color of bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?
- Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?
- On electric toasters, why do they engrave the message “one slice?” How many pieces of bread do they think people are really gonna try to stuff in that slot?
- Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?
- Why is it that no plastic garbage bag will open from the end you first try?
- How do those dead bugs get into those closed light fixtures?
- Considering all the lint you get in your dryer, if you kept drying your clothes would they eventually just disappear?
- Why is it that whenever you attempt to catch something that's falling off the table you always manage to knock something else over?
- Is it true that the only difference between a yard sale and a trash pickup is how close to the road the stuff is placed?
- In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?
- How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?
- If at first you don't succeed, shouldn't you try doing it like your wife told you to do it? And obviously if at first you don't succeed, then don't take up sky diving!

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Knock Knock
Who's there?
Ozzie!
Ozzie who?
Ozzie you later!

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Pablo!
Pablo who?
Pablo your horn!

Knock Knock
Who's there?
Pammy!
Pammy who?
Pammy the key, the door is locked!

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Why did the chicken join the gym?  To work on his pecks!

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UNFORTUNATELY, THE TIME HAS FINALLY COME FOR SOME REALISTIC DECISIONS:((

Changing up the direction of our morning travels a wee bit we headed into and through Bayfield on our way out to the countryside southeast of the village.

 NEW PAVEMENT AND MARKINGS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BAYFIELD BRIDGE NOW

 A HARBOR SEAL OFF BAYFIELD'S SOUTH PIER?? NOPE, JUST A SURFBOARDER

BAYFIELD'S MAIN STREET IS A BUSY PLACE THESE DAYS

Another nice September morning for a leisurely walk at the Linfield Wildlife Area.  This has been a favorite stopping spot for Pheebs and I these past number of years.  Being a newer conservation area it isn't fully developed yet but that's okay we don't mind it that way.  We most always have this small area to ourselves, and if there is a car there we just go on by to a secondary walking spot in that area along our route.  

 THIS IS WHERE WE ALWAYS WALK AT THE LINFIELD AREA

 A NICE WALK DOWN APPLE LANE

Picked up a couple 20-pound bags of birdseed on our way home at the Porter's Hill Wild Bird Seed Company  I always buy the Deluxe Mix and that stuff really seems to draw in the birds, especially during the winter. Cardinals and Blue Jays with Juncos, Black-Cap Chickadees, and a smattering of Woodpeckers thrown in to make it all interesting.  Oh yes, and let's not forget the pesky Black Squirrels who are always out there with chain saws, crowbars, hammers, and whatever else they can find to knock down the bird feeders all the time!!

 AT THE PORTER'S HILL WILD BIRD SEED PLACE

 NOW, IF YOU WERE A BIRD WOULD THIS NOT HAVE YOU SALIVATING

Home again I busied myself cutting down some old Sumac trees and trimming back a few more shrubs and tree branches.  Sounds like we have four or five acres here but it's more like a quarter of an acre if that.  It's just that we have a lot of greenery growing around us so maintenance is high.  I'm not complaining though, it was our plan from the beginning and it's the way we like it:))

 ANOTHER NICE MORNING FOR A DRIVE IN THE COUNTRY

A BIG CHUNK OF FARM MACHINERY GOING BY

Due to health concerns, we will not be heading up to the Bruce Peninsula with our RV as planned.  This, combined with a couple other 'very recent' happenings (not related to health) has us, unfortunately, standing face to face with a few realistic RV decisions right now that we have been avoiding for quite a while.  I'll have more about this later.  

 I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS WILDFLOWER IS BUT I SAW IT GROWING IN THE GRAVEL  PARKING LOT AT LINWOOD

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A man and his wife entered a dentist's office.  The wife said, "I want a tooth pulled. I don't want gas or Novocain because I'm in a terrible hurry. Just pull the tooth as quickly as possible."  "You're a brave woman," said the dentist. "Now, show me which tooth it is." The wife turns to her husband and says: "Open your mouth and show the dentist which tooth it is, dear."

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- I once bought a dog off a blacksmith.  As soon as I got him home, he made a bolt for the door.

- A Sunday school teacher asked the children just before she dismissed them to go to church, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?"  Annie replied, "Because people are sleeping."

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