BETTER TO HAVE RAIN THAN SNOW!!

RELAXING ON A RAINY DAY

Rained all night & the computer map shows we are in for a few rainy days.  That is totally acceptable compared to a year ago today when we had.....snow!!!!

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IT WAS A SNOWY APRIL 6TH IN 2009

Often times traveling throughout the American southwest in the past few years we have come across places that we thought would be nice to live.   New Mexico, Arizona, & California come to mind.  New Mexico is probably the most cost effective while California is the most expensive.   For RV folks like ourselves who live in the harsher winter climates of the north it only makes sense to look for a more moderate year round climate further south & New Mexico would be the logical place to begin that search.  

THE GILA FOREST IN THE MIMBRES MOUNTAINS EAST OF SILVER CITY NEW MEXICO

We have always thought an ideal situation would be to live in northern New Mexico or Arizona during the hotter summer months & then spend the winter's a few miles away in the warmer south.  We saw some really nice pine forested areas east of Silver City in the Gila Forest area a couple of years ago that we liked.  It was just one of many regions we found interesting.   A short hop, skip, & a jump, to the warmer deserts of the low country for the winter months.  It would mean no more tedious long grueling drives two thirds of the way across the country just to get where we're going.  And, much easier access to all the northern States for summer travel.  Well, easier said than done of course but it is one of those pots of interest we keep on the back burner along with our southern British Columbia ideas.  It is these simmering pots that keep me positive about the future.  I always welcome the challenge of acceptable change.

WE OFTEN CHECK REAL ESTATE PRICES IN AREAS WE LIKE  (near Hillsboro New Mexico)

Our motorhome seems lonely these days sitting outside in it's  quiet spot beside our carport.  Once again this past winter it had been our warm cozy home every single day for over 5 months.  The hub of all night & day activities.  It moved us from one spot to another, kept us dry in the rain & secure in the wind.   Warmed us up on cold nights & cooled us off on warm days.  Our rig is an integral part of the Bayfield Bunch & I can't help but feel a little sad when I see it sitting out there all alone.  No barking dogs or talking people inside.  No early morning or after supper games of toys going on with the furry guys.  The satellite radio is silent & the black television screen remains off & strapped to the wall.  No awnings flapping in the wind or the sounds of flags dancing in a stiff afternoon breeze.   It sits in it's dormant state patiently waiting.  Waiting for the first stirrings of activity in early fall.  An armful of clothes coming in, a box or two, maybe a few tins of soup into a kitchen cupboard.  It patiently awaits the return of life when we will once again breath new excitement into it's expectant waiting heart...............:))

 

RESTING UNTIL IT'S TIME TO HIT THE ROAD AGAIN

Welcome to blog follower Sheila who makes our 123rd follower.  I think we have another animal lover here:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Did you know the only way to get holy water is to boil the hell out of it!!

Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

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

ANOTHER FINE WEATHER DAY IN SOUTHWESTERN ONTARIO...CANADA:))

CROCUS FLOWERS

A few people commented on my ' banana shake supper' last night.  I normally do my big 'shake' thing in the morning with all the lettuce, carrots, celery, apples, etc. etc. but last night I just had the urge for a banana shake.  It's not that I can't cook because I can, & did years ago.  It's just that I chose not to because my interest is no longer there.  Kelly once told me she wouldn't eat anything I cooked anyway:((  I have a habit of doing things a bit differently than....'the norm.'  Check out my Sept. 22/09 post in which I did a little video about my MORNING BREAKFAST ROUTINE

As many of you know, I don't place a high priority on food (ok, well maybe sometimes) & only eat the darn stuff because I have to.  For me, simpler is better.  No silly sauces (except ketchup) or spices & no fancy plate arrangements.  BGQ or no BBQ makes no differences & I preferred my hot dogs boiled, not fried, BBQ'd or cremated in a firepit.   Now don't get me wrong, Kelly's a fine cook & everything she makes tastes totally great (except I hate boring rice) but if I was on my own I wouldn't go to all that work & fuss just to feed myself.  Now, where's my peanut butter jar!! 

WE HAVE A LOT OF CURIOUS LITTLE CRITTERS AROUND OUR FRONT YARD FROG POND

Oh, & tonight's supper??  In the bottom of a fine china bowl I put in a nice selection of Post Spoon Size Shredded Wheat & Bran with a fine sprinkling of Kellogg's Special K, topped off with a generous helping of General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios.  Finally garnished this fine masterpiece nicely with a thinly sliced in banana before adding my last ingredient.....skim milk:))  And who said I don't know nothing about food preparation!!

Watched the news Sunday night about that big earthquake down in Mexico/California.  We missed that by less than a month because we were in Borrego Springs CA one month ago at this time & that was only a few hundred miles north of the earthquakes center in Mexico.  Have never experienced an earthquake so would have liked to be there to see what that felt like.  Sometimes when we are hiking in those narrow steep canyons down there I think to myself, 'this would not be a good time or place to be if there was ever an earthquake.'  We often see large boulders & sandstone walls perched precariously high above us that just a little 'shaking' would surely dislodge.

When we head for the southwest in the fall we have to turn off & unplug everything.  Phone plans & cable TV are put on hold & have to be reactivated again in the spring.  This is always a pain in the asparagus because the big companies rarely get things right & we always have to begin the usual series of phone calls to get the companies tech heads to restore the service just as it was when we left.  Why is it so hard for them to get things right!!  Today is shot for me because I have to sit around all day waiting for a tech guy to come & see why our bedroom television did not receive the cable signal when they reactivated the system a couple weeks ago.  (Cable guy came at 11:45 this morning.....I had the wires hooked up wrong again:((

I spent a big part of last night with RICK traveling all around Arizona looking for a suitable RV spot for him & Paulette.  We looked at lot of spots & the importance of a level site & a hard concrete surface were priorities for Rick.  We probably checked out about a thousand places in just a few hours from one end of Arizona to the other.  Isn't it amazing how dreams come together in the night while we are asleep.  Never know where we'll be, who we will be with, or what we will be doing.  Every night is filled with new adventures......if you can remember them:))

Noticed we have 2 new followers & one of them I recognize very well despite the pirate patch over one eye & one of those silly 'hair hats' that were so popular in Quartzsite a couple of years ago.  Kelly had picked up one of those hats & I recognize it on.......her Dad:)) Looks good on ya Frank:))  Our second new follower is HAPPY KANSAS CAMPER & his name is Steve.  He is just getting started in the RV lifestyle with his Ford truck & camper.

SUNSET AT DEER PARK LODGE

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And did you know that the ankle was an arch enemy of the heel because the heel had a sole that could neither toe the line nor keep instep.

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.

ALTERNATING BETWEEN YARD WORK & SNOOZES

CUTTING DOWN LAST YEAR'S DEAD BAMBOO GRASS TO MAKE WAY FOR THIS YEAR'S NEW GROWTH

Kelly was on the road to Spencerport NY this morning by 7:15.  Our late Saturday afternoon winds & rain had cleared so her journey east took place on a fine sunny Sunday morning.  Emailed from Spencerport at noon to say there were no problems at the border.  Said the young border inspector even jokingly asked if she had any Easter candy to declare for him.

She has spent most of the afternoon getting her Mother's new Win 7 computer straightened out & set up properly.  Tekky kids don't know how to do that for older folks.

ME MAKE-UM BIG SMOKE TODAY

Aside from working around outside raking & burning leaves & pine needles my whole day added up to about the square root of nothing.  Couldn't even get myself motivated enough to jump on the bike for a good old back road's tour.  Got a stack of emails here to answer so I had better darn well get myself at it.

And supper tonight was one of my specialties......2 banana's in the blender, big scoop of strawberry flavored whey powder, a dash of orange juice topped off with a big heaping glass of skim milk.  Now, who said I didn't know anything about cooking!!!!

USING A PRUNING SHEARS TO CUT THE TOUGH STOCKS

GROANER'S CORNER:((  Did you know that sometimes a committee is a group of the unwilling, picked from the unfit, to do the unnecessary.

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.