THE WEATHERMAN USED THE NASTY FOUR LETTER 'S' WORD TONIGHT!!!!

RAINDROPS ON AN OVERTURNED 'RED BUD' LEAF

Our local weatherman used a nasty term on his forecast a few minutes ago...."possible 'SNOW' showers overnight.'  Not nice!!  It was a rainy wet chilling day as Kelly & I headed off to visit my Uncle Harry this morning.  He's doing pretty good & we were able to get him up for a short walk with his walker.

 

ALWAYS NICE WHEN WE CAN GET THE WHOLE GANG OUT IN THE MORNING

I mentioned a few days ago about editing over 700 photos in a 6 hour period while waiting for a brake repair recall on the Motor Home.  To some folks that much editing might seem impossible but you have to remember, I take a lot of photos on a regular basis, & that means a lot of photo editing experience.

DABBLES OF COLOR ALONG THE MORNING TRAIL

The  PICASA PHOTO EDITING PROGRAM    makes it an easy & fast way to edit pictures & like anything, if you do something regularly enough you can become very fast & efficient at it.  It takes me on average about 30 seconds to have a photo looking the way I want it to look.  Sometimes less time & sometimes more depending if I get into Picasa’s new PICNIK program.  

Basically, this is what I do with each photo.......First I hit, ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ to see what options that is going to give me.  Does it make the picture better or worse, lighter or darker, or does it not change anything?  Next is ‘Auto Color’ & I decide if there is an improvement or not.  I also do ‘Crop’ & ‘Straighten’ at this stage as well plus ‘Tuning,’ where I decide whether to add contrast or not.  Maybe lighten the photo if it needs it.  Then, I move on to the next picture, but I am not done with that first pic yet & will come back to it shortly.  When I reach the end of a batch of photos I then work in reverse & begin to move back down the line.  I click on ‘Effects’ & this is where I decide on adding or changing things like, Saturation, Sharpening, Glow, Graduated Tint or other effects if desired.  All these options can compliment & work well with each other.   With experience you can learn how to greatly improve your already good photos very quickly.   I enjoy the editing process as much as I enjoy taking the pictures themselves.  

KELLY SPOTTED THIS OLD DEAD PINE TREE FULL OF TURKEY VULTURES

Browsing through some blogs this morning I see Margie & Bruce’s blog had reached people in the far flung corners of the globe.   MargieAnne from NEW ZEALAND DIARIES reflects on the influence Margie’s blog had on her.

      

An email rolled in this morning from reader Jim A who after reading yesterday's blog about our aging dogs sent in a site regarding easy to use folding ramps for pets to gain easier access into & out of RV's, campers, trucks, etc. The site also has indoor ramps for enabling pets to get up onto the bed or couch as well.   PET CLASSICS

GROANER'S CORNER:(( 

You know you are too old to Trick or Treat when:

10. You get winded from knocking on the door.
9.  You have to have another kid chew the candy for you.
8.  You ask for high fiber candy only.
7.  When someone drops a candy bar in your bag, you lose your balance and fall over.
6.  People say: "Great Boris Karloff Mask,"
And you're not wearing a mask.
5.  When the door opens you yell, "Trick or..."
And can't remember the rest

4.  By the end of the night,
you have a bag full of restraining orders.
3.  You have to carefully choose a costume that won't dislodge your hairpiece.
2.  You're the only Power Ranger in the
neighborhood with a walker.
And the number one reason Seniors should not go Trick Or Treating...
1.  You keep having to go home to pee.

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an Animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened.

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/

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

SOMEBODY WROTE...... 'AND THEN IT IS WINTER'

WHITE SANDS, NEW MEXICO....Didn't take any pics today so all of tonight's photos are from our travel files back in October of 08.

With each passing day now our temperatures are slowly but steadily dropping as Autumn begins to slide into it’s latter phase.  Our night time lows are creeping ever closer to the freezing point.  High gusting winds today have been shredding more leaves off the trees but the Autumn countryside is still hanging on & standing pretty in the sunlight.

Kelly spent a lot of time on the phone today taking care of things like travel insurance.  My insurance dropped by $400 because I am over the penalty period for having a kidney stone problem 2 years ago.   The Insurance Company had to of course financially penalize me like a 2 year old because of a kidney stone!!!!  Called Verizon to activate our account for November 6th.  Local telephone & cable television companies were called to suspend services for the winter but I’m sure when we get back in the spring everything will be messed up as usual & Kelly will have to spend more time getting everything straightened out again.  Coach Net had to be called to renew our road assistance program.  What would us guys do without our gals eh.  I’m sure glad Kelly does all that stuff because it requires a huge amount of patience.  But, on a positive note, Kelly said she noticed that everyone she talked with today sounded like they were from North America & all the people were exceptionally helpful & friendly.  Do you suppose those companies are finally seeing the writing on the wall about people having to deal with Eastern foreign countries.  I sure hope so & isn't it about time we took back control of everything else over here on this side of the big pond.

 

OLIVER LEE STATE PARK, ALAMOGORDO NM

I sure hope we can make it down south & back this year again with the whole Bayfield Bunch intact.  Max is really beginning to show his age.  He’s still able to do our morning walks but his one front leg bothers him more now.  His hearing is pretty much gone so we have to keep a close eye on him because he can’t hear us when we call.  Checkers has some hip problems & it’s no easy feat for the guys climbing up the steep steps of the Motor Home.  Even last year we had to sometimes help them up.  The little Motor Mouse is still a ball of energy & shows no apparent signs of aging at all.....just like Kelly.  Me, well I’m another whole story but I won’t admit it of course!!

RICK & PAULETTE  are off for a few days on a shakedown cruise with their new fifth wheel so you might want to stop by & see how they are doing.  Rick can always use a little extra help understanding all that technical stuff you know.  And to Anonymous who left a question about the Workhorse brake recall....check my post for Monday Oct. 18th & click the Workhorse Recall link about half way down.  It will tell you how to check if you are in that recall.

MAX & THE MOTOR MOUSE (Ok, here real name is Cora)

A few weeks ago I had myself a little bluster about bloggers making up their posts with just sayings & slogans & I’ve felt kinda bad about that one ever since, so for the first time since I started this blog I have something to add here that is much of the same thing I blustered about.  It came across my desktop awhile back & in light of our recent saddened week-end I felt it speaks to & for all of us at this age & stage in our lives.   I don't know who wrote it, probably just someone like you or I who sat down at their keyboard & typed out their thoughts.  Just an ordinary person like the rest of us who do this most every day here in Blog Land.  Probably just another family member we haven't met yet. 

RELAXING AFTER A HARD DAYS DRIVE.....HASKELL, TEXAS              

'AND THEN IT IS WINTER'

You know, time has a way of moving quickly and catching you unaware of the passing years.  It seems just yesterday that I was young, just married and embarking on my new life with my mate. And yet in a way, it seems like eons ago, and I wonder where all the years went.  I know that I lived them all... And I have glimpses of how it was back then and of all my hopes and dreams... But, here it is..the winter of my life and it catches me by surprise... How did I get here so fast? Where did the years go and where did my youth go?

I remember well...seeing older people through the years and thinking that those older people were years away from me and that winter was so far off that I could not fathom it or imagine fully what it would be like...  But, here it is...my friends are retired and getting gray...they move slower and I see an older person now. Lots are in better shape than me... but, I see the great change...  Not like the ones that I remember who were young and vibrant... but, like me, their age is beginning to show and we are now those older folks that we used to see and never thought we'd be. 

Each day now, I find that just getting a shower is a real target for the day!  And taking a nap is not a treat anymore...it's mandatory!  Cause if I don't do it on my own free will..I just fall asleep where I sit! 

And so, now I enter into this new season of my life unprepared for all the aches and pains and the loss of strength and ability to go and do things that I wish I had done but never did!!  But, at least I know, that though the winter has come, and I'm not sure how long it will last...this I know, that when it's over...its over....

Yes , I have regrets. There are things I wish I hadn't done, things I should have done, but indeed, there are many things I'm happy to have done.  It's all in a lifetime....

So, if you're not in your winter yet...let me remind you, that it will be here faster than you think. So, whatever you would like to accomplish in your life please do it quickly!  Don't put things off too long!!  Life goes by quickly.  So, do what you can today, as you can never be sure whether this is your winter or not!  You have no promise that you will see all the seasons of your life...so, live for good today and say all the things that you want your loved ones to remember... and hope that they appreciate and love you for all the things that you have done for them in all the years past!!  Live your life well.....(author unknown)

THE GANG IS SACKED OUT IN LAS CRUCES NEW MEXICO FOR THE NIGHT

GROANER’S CORNER:((  One day, shortly after the birth of their new baby, the mother had to go out to do some errands, so the proud father stayed home to watch his wonderful new son.
Soon after the mother left, the baby started to cry. The father did everything he could think of, but the baby just wouldn't stop crying. Finally, the dad got so worried he decided to take the infant to the doctor.
After the doctor listened to all the father had done to get the baby to stop crying, the doctor began to examine the baby's ears, chest and then down to the diaper area. When he opened the diaper, he found was indeed full.
"Here's the problem," the doctor explained. "He just needs to be changed."
The perplexed father remarked, "But the diaper package specifically says it's good for up to 10 pounds!"

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an Animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened.

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/

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

A LONG 6 HOUR WAIT IN A MECHANIC'S LUNCH ROOM:((

WORKHORSE BRAKE RECALL BEING DONE AT 'CARRIER TRUCKS' IN SARNIA, ONTARIO

Mighty dark this morning at 5:30 when I fired up the rig & got the big wheels rolling for my 'brake recall' appointment in Sarnia.  Aside from a pesky couple of construction zones it was a pretty quiet drive.  Was nice having somewhere to go for a change with the Motor Home & I was at my destination,  the Carrier Truck Center, about 7:20.

AND, THIS IS WHERE I SPENT 6 HOURS TODAY!!

They took the rig in at exactly 7:30 & sent me off to the mechanic's lunch room to wait for what would turn out to be a very long 6 hours.  Good news side of things was that I had brought my laptop but the bad news side was that I could not access the internet!!  However, I did have 2 things going for me.  Had oodles & oodles of hours filled with my favorite music in the laptop plus a whole host of photos from as far back as 2001 that needed editing.   Back in those days I did not have the Picasa Editing program so I ended up editing over 700 photos today.  It had been a job I have been putting off for years.  Had I hooked into an internet connection I probably would not have got that long overdo job done.

AT ONE POINT I SAW THEM BACKING THE RIG OUT THE DOOR

At precisely noon all the mechanic's came rumbling into the lunch room & both the micro-wave & toaster ovens were on overtime.  The room filled with many aromas from homemade spaghetti to pepperoni pizza's & something that smelled like it might have come from the dark side of Russia somewhere.  The mechanics only had a half hour for lunch so there was little talking, just a lot of silverware doing battle with plastic food containers & some very fast slurping & burping.  In what seemed like only a few minutes there was a shuffling of chairs & the mechanic gang rumbled back out of the lunchroom, down the stairs & back out into the garage.  That was good by me because I figured the sooner they got back to work, the sooner I would get out of there & the sooner those food smells would leave the room.  I had a banana for breakfast & that was it for me until I popped into a Subway on my way home later in the afternoon. 

THAT IS A BLADE OFF ONE OF THOSE BIG WIND TURBINES

At 1:25 one of those same mechanics came back up the steps, stuck his head in the door & said, 'your ready to go sir."  And boy I didn't waste any time packing up my laptop, signing off on the recall paperwork, (no charge) jumping into the Motor Home & pointing the nose for home.  Same construction zones, same delays but I was home before 4.  Nice to finally have that 'brake recall' worry behind us.  The confusion with this Workhorse recall has been rolling around the industry for the past couple of  years or more & it is only lately that they have got things together enough to now effectively begin the correct brake repair work.

Tom Bosley, who played Mr. C, the Father figure in Happy Days has died & just a few days ago Barbara Billingsley, the TV Mom on Leave It To Beaver passed away.  Our favorite old TV characters are slowly moving on.  Remember when television was entertaining & when it was enjoyable to sit down & watch those light hearted shows.  I watch very little television anymore.  What a rude insult it is to even turn on a television set these days!!!!

Here's a bit of news in the world of Verizon if you happen to be a Verizon customer, which we are.  We briefly considered this new Mifi thing but after a few phone calls to Verizon have decided to stay with our UMB 175 card & go with the Cradlepoint router idea.  If we switch to Mifi it renders our UMB card useless & we like the fact our UMB card does not require electricity to operate.  Plus, we bought the card outright 3 years ago so no contract!!  And, with the UMB Air Card we can freely take the laptop outside anywhere without being tethered to anything.  Now, I hope I just got all that techy stuff right!!

WANDERING WILLY has found his way down into Utah already & it looks like he's got his sites set on Bryce Canyon.   And, Ivan from ROADTRIP 2010 is criss crossing & zig zagging all over Vancouver Island this week with his sites set on no particular place at all:))

I KNOW IT'S A WOODPECKER BUT NOT SURE WHAT KIND

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A young boy asks his Dad, "What is the difference between confident and confidential.  Dad says, "You are my son, I'm confident about that.  Your friend over there, is also my son, that's confidential!"

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an Animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened.

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/

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

HOW MANY OF YOU OLD FELLERS OUT THERE STILL HAVE YOUR TEDDY BEAR...........I DO:))

HAVE ALWAYS LIKED THE ARCHITECTURE OF OLD CHURCH'S

Sunday turned out to be a very long day both mentally & physically.  By the time I got home Sunday night I had put in 15 hours with the mobility van.  All day my mind kept returning to the tragic news about fellow RVing
bloggers, MARGIE & BRUCE.  It was a day of quiet reflection & it was a day I will remember for a very long time.

My Sunday travels took me through 3 small Ontario towns I had never seen before.  Teeswater, Formosa & Belmore.  I had a 2 hour wait in Formosa while a lady I had transported there attended a large Community Center turkey dinner.  I was invited to stay but by the looks of all the cars in the parking lot I could never have entered that building with so many people in it.  I had spotted what appeared to be a large stone Church perched high atop a hill while approaching Formosa earlier & knew there would be a parking lot there, so that is where I headed to spend my wait time.  I had
brought my cameras with me so ended up taking a few pics of the architecturally beautiful old stone Church.  I like old buildings like that & always marvel at the pride of craftsmanship that went into those large works of art many years ago.  This Church dated back to 1876.

A QUIET PLACE TO SPEND A COUPLE HOURS

I had taken our newer laptop computer with me Sunday & it was the first time I used the new version of Live Writer to do a blog post.  I still prefer the older LW format but I managed to figure it out OK & I guess the sooner I get using it in a few weeks the more I will get used to it.

 

October 19th for the past 31 years has always marked a very special day for me.  It marked an abrupt turning point in my life & I blogged about that sudden change of direction a year ago.  You can read my post here...A TURNING POINT IN MY LIFE

Looks like our nice Autumn weather will continue to hold for a few more days which is a bonus.  Noticed Sunday that a lot of the
Autumn leaves are beginning to come off the trees along the forest lines in the country.  We will soon be into the cold, wet, & drab gray days of early winter.  I have always considered November to be the most depressing month of the year.  Big winds come in across the Great Lakes making for exceptionally foul weather.  Some of you may remember Gordon Lightfoot's song, 'The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald' & remember the line, 'With the Gales of November remembered.'  For the rest of the lyrics to that song go here....WRECK OF THE EDMUND FITZGERALD

     

I will be off early Tuesday morning for Sarnia Ontario to have brake recall work done on the Motor Home.  This is the Workhorse site telling about that recall in case you have a Workhorse Chassis...WORKHORSE RECALL NOTICE & the CARRIER TRUCK CENTER in Sarnia is doing the work.  Said they have 8 coaches lined up to eventually do & ours will be the first.  I'm a little apprehensive about that because the service manager said they have never done this kind of recall before.

And we welcome our latest blog supporter, Ellen.  Nice to have you aboard:))

How many of you fellas still have your Teddy Bears out there?  I do:))  As a little boy I hung out with my 3 favorite Pals  Nancy, Panda Bear, & Punkin Head.  Nancy was a small doll with a blue dress & Panda was a big pink & white bear.  Punkin was the head honcho.  Nancy & Panda are long gone now but I still have my Punkin Head.  Punkin stayed in my bedroom at my Mother's house long after I was gone out into the world.  At some point he was moved from the house out to an old green barn we had behind our place where he stayed for a countless number of years in quiet seclusion.  In 2004 the task of emptying my Mother's huge house became a big job set aside for Kelly & I.  The barn had to be cleaned out as well & that is where I found my old Pal, Punkin Head.  He was a little worse for wear than I remembered him as a kid, but then again age hasn't really treated any of us too kindly has it:((  I brought him home that day & he has resided on the top shelf of my bedroom closet ever since, warm & safe.  Today, while rooting through some things to take south I spotted my little Pal just sitting back relaxing.  I brought him down from the shelf & as we sat on the edge of my bed we shared some old memories.  We sure were the best of Pals those oh so many, many, years ago & we are still the best of Pals to this very day:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((  A guy says to his friend, "Guess how many coins I have in my pocket."  The friends says, "If I guess right, will you give me one of them?"  The first guys says, "If you guess right, I'll give you both of them!"

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an Animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened.

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/

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

WE HAVE JUST TRAGICALLY LOST TWO OF OUR RV’ING BLOGGER FRIENDS

It was about 5:30 this morning when I read Rick’s blog about the tragedy that has struck down our fellow RV & Blogger friends, MARGIE & BRUCE.  That was about 6 hours ago & as I sit here in a Cyber Café in Wingham Ontario I am still in a state of shock & disbelief.  All morning my mind has been returning to Margie’s posts over the past year & both her & Bruce’s emails.  I am remembering her positive attitude with life.  I am remembering many of her writings & her ability to speak her mind when needed.  Many of her post’s were educational as she took us from place to place.  Her writings were filled with hope & the absolute joy they were having as full time RVing blogger folks.  It was easy to see their love of life through her photos & daily posts.  Margie & Bruce’s dedication to their Grandchildren was especially evident this past summer. 

We never met Margie & Bruce but one doesn’t have to meet someone to miss them.  Our tight knit little blogging community out here is like family.  We have our differences & we have our minor squabbles from time to time but it is nevertheless, family.  I feel much closer to my friends here on the blog than I do to many people I actually know here at home.  Margie & Bruce were instrumental in keeping this family together through her writings.  And for that I will always be grateful to them.

Margie was generally the first commenter on my blog many nights & I would always look for her.   I am going to miss that.  And, I am going to miss reading Bruce & Margie’s Full Time Journey every day.

My heart goes out to the family & little dog, Annie.  It will be a new day’s dawning now for all of them.  A page has been turned, a chapter ended, but the book of Margie & Bruce’s life will live on through her many writings & photos.  We will always remember you.  Take care & keep that big rig rolling in search of new sunrises & sunsets.  Take care guys……… Al & The Bayfield Bunch

 

A WEE HIKE ALONG THE BAYFIELD RIVER

SATURDAY MORNING FISHING ALONG THE BANKS OF THE BAYFIELD RIVER

While traveling, we'll stop in an area for awhile & do as many hikes & day trips we can while there.  Sometimes the locals tell us we know & see more of their area than they ever do.  Well, the same thing happens to us right here in Bayfield too.  This morning we went for a 45 minute hike on Bayfield's Sawmill trail which begins about a mile from our place.  Part of the trail follows the Bayfield River.  Guests at Deer Park Lodge this summer told about it, but Kelly & I had never been on the trail.  So, it works both ways.  There are other new trails close by we haven't been on either. 

              

When I looked at my mobility van schedule for Sunday & had to go & get into my recliner right away for an immediate rest.  I will leave the house Sunday morning at 6:30 a.m. & not return until nearly 10 p.m. Sunday night.  Now, that is going to be a loooooong day!!

HIKING THE SAWMILL TRAIL

Our handy man, Bruce came by today & installed a new window blind in the Motor Home, fixed a loose mirror on a closet door & repaired two broken drawers.  I helped by handing him his drill once.

"COME ON DAD, LET'S GET THIS CIRCUS ON THE ROAD"

And, a Blackberry phone observation....All our mobility vans are equipped with Blackberries for communication & it was obvious at our 'driver's meeting Thursday night that the majority (if not all) of the drivers do not like them....me included.  I had to make a phone call a week ago & had to use my pen tip to find & press the teeny tiny numbers which I had to totally strain my eyeballs to see.  Had it been in dim light I would have been totally beat.  From the experience I've had with those things on the job, I know now I would never ever waste my money on buying one.

KELLY WORKS ON THE BLIND PROBLEM WHILE KOKOPELLI BLOWS A LITTLE WIFFLE DUST IN HER HAIR

When you think of Autumn in these parts you think of Autumn leaves, but not so here in our Park.  It's Autumn needles.  Pine needles that is, & every year at this time zillions of them fall from the trees & have to be raked up, so that's what took up a bunch of my time today......except when I handed Bruce the drill once.

  

RAKING UP A KA-ZILLION PINE NEEDLES IN OUR FRONT YARD

We had a call from Carrier Trucks in Sarnia Ontario telling us the parts were in for our Motor Home's brake recall.  I will be rolling out of here about 5:30 Tuesday morning with the rig heading for Sarnia.  It's about an hour & half drive.

I was a bit long winded with Friday's post so I'll make up for that by keeping this one shorter.  Don't want anyone out there suffering from reader's exhaustion......10-4:))

GROANER'S CORNER:((

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica- where do they go?

Wonder no more!!!

It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life.

The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintaining a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life.

If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into and buried.

The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing:

"Freeze a Jolly Good Fellow."

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Tourists see the world, travelers experience it.

Until one has loved an Animal, part of their soul remains un-awakened.

OUR BLOGGER WEBSITE http://thebayfieldbunch.com/

OUR PHOTO ALBUMS

http://picasaweb.google.com/stargeezerguy/

AL'S SMUG MUG PHOTO GALLERY http://stargeezer.smugmug.com/

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