WE HAVE A PAINTER IN THE FAMILY

MARKING OUT A DESIGN ON AN ELFRIDA GOURD IN THE BACKYARD

A month ago I was grumbling & complaining about having too many 'nothing days' & today I am happy to have a....nothing day:))  No mobility van runs until Wednesday so it was a quiet day at home getting caught up on a lot of computer stuff plus outside jobs. 

Kelly started a couple of paint projects that kept her busy for most of the day.  She decided to repaint some old & peeling deck furniture.  While the first coat of paint was drying from that project she moved on to painting up some gourds.  Last winter while at the ranch near McNeal Arizona we had picked up some gourds at the Elfrida Community Gardens.  Figured they might make for some colorful bird houses.  Today Kelly tried her artistic hand at some creative paints & designs for the gourds. 

 

KELLY'S DECK FURNITURE PAINT PROJECT...THAT WHITE COLOR IS ONLY A BASE COAT OVER THE BLUE & DARK YELLOW

Some of my time was taken up with transplanting some Hostas & weed trimming.  Most of my time was spent on the computer.  I always get excited whenever an email comes in from someone asking for permission to use any of my photos.  That is always very personally rewarding for me & just kind of puts the icing on the RV lifestyle cake.  Last night an email arrived from Pearce Arizona wondering if a few of my Camp Rucker photos from two winters could be used in an article on the GRAPEVINE CANYON RANCH blog site.  Sure can:))

Looks like we have a lot of rain headed our way & tomorrow is going to be a soggy one.  I will be out with the mobility van in the afternoon so better remember to take my rain coat.

 

Photo tip.....If your subject is in shade on a sunny day, use your camera's flash.  It's called 'fill-in-flash' & it puts a puff of light on your subject. Your camera's meter is probably reading for a correctly exposed background so your subject will be too dark.  Fill in flash was used on all these photos today except the frog below.  I brought in some natural morning sunlight for that shot:))

I have never been comfortable with the word, retired.  Always figured that mostly applied to folks who had worked long & hard for many years at their jobs.  People who stuck with careers through thick & thin.  Retirement always had a ring to it that smacked of success.  Retirement was a reward at the end of a long & dusty employment filled road.  Sometimes people ask me if I'm retired & my answer is always a quick,'no!!'  Don't figure I will ever see myself as a retired person.  Just don't like the sound of it & I don't think it applies to me anyway.  In fact I get a little embarrassed when somebody even asks me that question.  Retired??  Retired from what!!  And, am I really that old already!!  My rambling, sporadic, & adventurous work history over the years reads like a tall tale out of a Charles Dickens novel.  I will do a blog about it sometime, but not tonight.  In fact, think I'll go retire.............. to bed!!

  <<< Isn't she just a lovely little creature:))  xoxoxo

GROANER'S CORNER:((  You know your over the hill when you're on vacation and your energy runs out before your money does.

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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 NICE WORKING DAY CRUISING THROUGH THE COUNTRYSIDE

AN OLD MILL ACROSS THE RIVER IN GORRIE ONTARIO....(All of today's pics were shot with my point & shoot Canon Powershot A720IS.)

FOUND ME A NICE SHADE TREE TO PARK UNDER BETWEEN CLIENT RUNS THIS AFTERNOON

Nice to see the long shafts of early morning sunlight peeking through the pine trees.  Looks like a big bright sunny day ahead.  We need a good drying out for sure.

RICK just hit the 100 mark on his blog 'Followers' list on Sunday.  Rumor has it he's going to invite everyone from the list out to Cowichan Bay next week for an, 'all the cookies you can eat fest.'  Yay Rick:))  Neither Rick or I care for the word 'Followers' but that is what Google has decided to call blog readers who decide to publicly 'follow' along reading Google sponsored blogs so I guess that is the way it is.  Can't be messin with Gargantuan Google you know!!  Besides, they might put a hex on the 'Cookie Fest!!'

VIEW FROM THE DRIVER'S SEAT

The folks over at RV LIFE ON WHEELS just had a new Blue Ox tow package installed on their Jeep.  The photos show a mighty fine set up & they are pleased with the results.  I think John & Judy may be explaining a little more about the set up in tonight's blog too.

NOT OFTEN YOU SEE SIGNS LIKE THIS ANYMORE ALLOWING SWIMMING.....USUALLY IT'S 'NO SWIMMING' OR 'TRESPASSERS WILL BE EATEN!!'

Was surprised to see we had a new Follower today.  A big welcome to N & J.  Just about when I had about given up on seeing any more 'Followers' you guys rode into town & saved the day.  JERRY had left a comment on Rick's blog about their 'Follower's list hitting a plateau.  Don't feel bad Jerry, we're flat out over here on the Bonneville Salt Flats. 

GEE, I WONDER WHY ALL THE FORMER GHOSTS LEFT TOWN!!

Now, speaking of Jerry & N & J.  Jerry is just home from the Tucson Hospital recovering from knee replacement surgery so if there is anyone in the Benson Arizona area with a hockey stick & puck, how about going over to Jerry's & getting him outside for a good old game of road hockey in the next few days.  Probably more fun than the upcoming physio he is dreading!!  And check out N & J's DIARY OF A MIDLIFE CRUISER for a younger twist on their upcoming fulltime RV adventures.  It's a blog layout with posts having a lively, light, bright & refreshingly springy feel to them.  They are excited, & literally counting down the final few days before hitting the road.  Just a little over 2 weeks to go.  Drop by & share in their enthusiasm.  Oh, & don't let the dental picture scare you.....Yikes!!

RURAL ONTARIO

Another busy day & my mobility van travels again took me to & through small towns with names like Blyth, Londsborough, Belgrave, Bluevale, Wroxeter, Gorrie, & Fordwich.  Which witch??  The little town I grew up in was named after another small town in England, Tavistock.  About 6 miles east of my old home town is a little place called Punky Doodle's Corner.  I have no idea what country Punky Doodlers come from.  Do you suppose some of the young ruffians there might be called Doodle Punks.  If there was a pet grooming place maybe they would even do Poodle Dunks:))  I better knock this off & get out of here.....me thunks!!

<<<< MENNONITE HORSE & BUGGY TRACKS IN THE SOFT GRAVEL NEAR THE TOWN OF GORRIE

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And did you know a skeleton is nothing more than a bunch of bones with the person scraped off!!

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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.

ANOTHER WORKING SUNDAY

OUR FRONT YARD JUNGLE....I was really stuck for blog photos tonight so zipped out the door with my camera & cracked off some shots of our front yard.  When we moved here nearly 7 years ago none of this was here because nobody had lived in this place for 3 years & the front yard was just flat & bare with some sparse patches of dead grass here & there.  Kelly & I planted all this stuff & each year it just grows, & grows, & grows:))

The rains began about 10 P.M. Saturday night & continued until 8 in the morning.  Temps had dropped as well so figured it probably was not a great morning for a bike ride.  For whatever reason, I've always kind of liked a Sunday morning bike ride.

WE DUG A LOT OF THIS STUFF UP IN THE BUSH & HAULED IT HOME

By the time I came in from walking the dogs this morning Kelly said my work place had called wondering if I could fill in today for a driver who had phoned in sick.  Of course I had to check my very heavy schedule of doing nothing for the day first......Yep, looked like I was good to go:))

Drove over to Clinton & picked up the company's white mini-van & headed off for Goderich about 25 minutes to the west.  This isn't a mobility van but it does offer the same service to folks for the same reasons as the mobility van.  It is for transporting people who are able to get around on their own.  Picked up a couple of folks & headed for the little town of Walkerton about an hours drive northeast of Goderich.  Dropped the people off at their destination then settled in for a two & a half hour wait....which brings me to right now.  I remembered to bring the laptop with me this time so here I am backed into a large parking lot, sitting in the passenger seat of the van & happily typing away putting in time:))

AS MENTIONED, NONE OF THIS WAS HERE WHEN WE CAME, EXCEPT THE BIG PINE TREE OF COURSE

It was a nice drive today going through little towns with names like Carlow, Holyrood, Dungannon, Nile, Lucknow, & Belfast.  I was even on roads today that I had never been on before & I absolutely love seeing new scenery.  More little towns like Kinlough, Kinloss, Greenock, & Walkerton.  You can see in the names of the towns that a lot of folks settled this area from Ireland.  Even a little sign at a T-intersection that said Puddley's Corner.  Not sure where those folks might have settled in from though!!

I was back home in Bayfield before 5 in the afternoon so that nicely took care of another frumpy Sunday for me.

THE FROG POND IS OUT THERE SOMEWHERE

And what does a bunch of Harley-Davidson motorcycles have over a lone Scooter these days anyway!!   Check out RETIRED ROD'S blog as he Scooters himself in amongst a rumbling pack of  hunky Harley riders over there in that wild & windy State of Kansas. 

And speaking of Rod, I noticed he left a comment in our box about my dealings with Henry's Camera Store this past Friday.  In the comment Rod goes on to say, "It doesn't seem unusual to rethink the value of the old lenses once you get off by yourself.  In the heat of battle, you just accepted that they were worth a small value. Blinded by the acquisition of the new and wonderful big lens. But......upon re thinking, they became worth more to you than the camera store wanted to invest, so cooler heads prevailed. Seems perfectly normal to me! Geezeritus??? Geezerisms???? Naw I don't think so......."

PATH IN FOREGROUND LEADS FROM OUR HOUSE TO THE FOREST

My reply to Rod is this.....It is sometimes necessary & most helpful when the need arises for someone to step up & bail me out of my own thoughts.  Ya did a good job big guy.  Much appreciated:))

THIS IS ACROSS THE ROAD FROM OUR PLACE & WE WALK THIS WAY EACH MORNING

GROANER'S CORNER:((  And here's my thoughts about Christmas.......what other time of the year do you sit in front of a dead tree
and eat candy out of your socks!!

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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.