It was 10:15 Wednesday night and there I was sitting in a lawn chair on a faintly lit deserted country road with Pheebs lying quietly beside me. A few high sinewy clouds stretched wispily across a westerly half Moon low on the night’s horizon like a thin shawl cast upward upon a sea of stars. To the North-east I cast my eyes skyward scanning in the direction of the great constellation Perseus for this is where August’s annual Perseid meteor shower would originate from. I knew we were too early for the prime time viewing of meteorites but I also knew had we stayed home waiting for the later midnight hour I would have fallen fast asleep and never made it out at all. Didn’t bring my bigger cameras, telescope or binoculars. Just wanted to sit quietly with my thoughts under the night’s twinkling stars. Only sound reaching our ears was a chorus of Crickets in the surrounding rural farm fields. Didn’t see any meteors but no matter, it was just so nice to once again be outside on a warm early August evening surrounded by the night’s nocturnal splendor, mystery and magic.
DOT OF LIGHT IN THE SKY IS THE NIGHT’S HALF MOON
AND HERE COMES MY LITTLE GREEN EYED ALIEN DOGGY
While sitting there in a lawn chair I had brought my mind was taken back to the years 2001 and 2002 when Kelly and I lived in an old rented farm house near Fullarton Ontario. The very chair I was sitting in once belonged to my Uncle Harry. Occasionally on the farm we would have what we affectionately called ‘Star Parties.’ Oh not the kind of razzle dazzle knock em down and drag em out parties we had way back in our younger years. No, these gatherings were different and consisted mainly of elderly family members and friends. My Mother and her friend Dayton. (The Lamp and Dayton's Lamp --- The Conclusion) Aunt Jean visiting from Florida and her brother my Uncle Harry with his friend Ethel would drive out from Woodstock. Cousins Mary Ann and David Steinman along with their elderly parents Mike and Nora Steinman drove up from Tavistock. We had music from the 40’s playing with Chinese lantern lights strung up between a couple trees. Gathered around a campfire with lots to eat these were nights that still live in my memory today. We had our number one boy Max in those days and he always enjoyed seeing everyone. Of all those people who came out to the few gatherings only about half of us are left now and I thought of all those folks last night as I sat there in the stillness of the moment.
Sitting in Uncle Harry’s lawn chair watching for Perseid meteors I was taken back to one particular night on the farm long ago when Aunt Jean and Uncle Harry drove out especially to see the meteorite shower. All 4 of us sat out that night in lawn chairs dressed warm against the cool night’s damp air. We each faced a slightly different quadrant in the sky so as not to miss anything. We sat and we sat waiting for someone to shout ‘there goes one’ but the shouts never came. Nor did the meteorites. Our meteor shower night was a bust but again no matter because that special night now lives long in my memory forever.
SOON AS WE CLEARED OUR PARK’S PINE FOREST EARLY THIS MORNING PHEEBS AND I DROVE OUT INTO A MISTY COUNTRYSIDE
As our day slowly dawned we could see a lite mist hanging in the pine trees. Kelly took Pheebs out for a walk around the Park and as soon as they got back Pheebs and I were into the Jeep and out into the clear countryside just a short quarter mile away. Right off I was able to get a few misty sunrise photos on our way to Clinton and beyond.
‘GOOSES IN THE MIST’:))
Tim Horton’s threw me a curve when they said they were out of carrot muffins. As a Senior we all know how a major curve ball like that can throw our whole day off. Luckily the voice in the drive-thru tin box suggested a Banana-Pecan something or other. Trusting the young voices judgement which of course I knew better than to do I said Okay and rolled up to the window. Luckily the Banana-Pecan-Garlic-Tomato muffin or whatever it was turned out to be just fine and a major Senior disaster was surprisingly averted. Off we went in a cloud of muffin crumbs flying around all over the place as usual.
MORNING’S MIST IS SLOWLY LIFTING IN HURON COUNTIES PASTORAL COUNTRYSIDE
TWO LITTLE BARN CATS SITTING AT THE BARN DOOR LOOKING IN
What had been a pleasantly cool morning soon changed when the Sun burned off the last of the mist by about 9. Temperatures and humidity rocketed upwards as all our Jeeps windows rapidly rolled downward. With only a couple short sweltering leg stretch stops we kept ourselves moving only slowing down briefly for a few driver’s seat photos here and there. We were again home shortly after 10 and quickly retreated into the house.
‘Out of sight-out of mind’ is just one of many common sayings regarding one’s poor memory which can take on epic proportions now in these Senior years of ours. Case in point is our Motorhome. Not being RV full-timers and not being summertime traveling vacationers our Motorhome sits for long periods of time not being used for anything. We see the rig every day sitting outside in it’s spot but we have a tendency to forget it’s there. Just as my cameras are a lot smarter than I am our rig too is a lot smarter than we are and we came face to face with that today. I think it was yesterday (not sure) where one of us (don’t know which one) read something (I think) in someone’s (can’t remember who’s) post about how important it is to fire up the generator and run one’s RV air conditioners at least once a month when not in use. I can’t even ever remember running our Triple E Commander’s 2 air conditioner’s even once since we bought the rig back in April of 2014. We don’t travel in hot weather so have never needed to turn the A/C on.
BEANS ABOVE CORN BELOW
NEW COUNTRY BARN GOING UP
SOME COUNTRY ROAD CONSTRUCTION ALONG THE WAY
I’M WONDERING IF THE NEWLY HIRED CITY SLICKER FARM HAND KKNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT PUTTING A NEW TIRE ON…..”ROUND SIDE UP BILL, ROUND SIDE UP”
SOME FARMS ARE JUST WAAAAAAY TOOOOOOO NICE
I’M GUESSING THIS YOUNG FARMER IS TALKING TO HIS CARGILL REP ABOUT THE CONDITION OF HIS DRY BEAN FIELD…..(I SAW THE CARGILL TRUCK PARKED THERE)
Figured I would simply go out and fire up the generator, reach up and snap on our A/C units. Nope, that’s not how it’s done in this rig. I was thinking of our old Damon Challenger. The A/C units in the Triple EEE are run from the furnace control panel on the wall so that left me out of the mix. Kelly had to get the book out and read up on the operation. Of course it didn’t take her long to figure it out and how surprised we were when the big A/C units both kicked in soon filling the coach with refreshingly cold air. Not only were the 11 roof vents spewing cold air but there were actually vents in both A/C units themselves pouring cold air down. A waaaaay better set up than our Damon years ago. All this time we never knew we had such a great A/C system in the rig and I’m sure there are other amazing things about that rig we have not yet remembered to discover. Yes indeed that Motorhome with all it’s added features is a whole lot smarter than we are. Well Okay not so much Kelly but a whole heck of a lot smarter than I am for sure………….
FOUR A/C VENTS IN THE BEDROOM PLUS A BIG BLAST OF COLD AIR COMES DIRECTLY DOWN FROM THAT A/C UNIT IN THE ROOF ITSELF
FURNACE AND A/C THERMOSTAT
SEVEN A/C VENTS IN THE FRONT SECTION OF THE COACH PLUS A LARGE VENT IN THE A/C UNIT ITSELF
Today’s heat and humidity were brutal as we watched storm cells moving through the area dumping scattered rain pockets here and there but not a drop anywhere near our house. Stepping outside today was like going from a comfortably cool Igloo into a blast furnace. I am encouraged by mid 70’s temps next week. Just have to be patient and wait until the weather balance is tipped in our favor soon. It’s coming:))))
‘HEY DID HE JUST CALL US BARN CATS’!!!!
GROANER’S CORNER:(( Mr. Peterson, a tourist from Toronto, arrived in Barbados. In an airport taxi cab, Peterson asked the driver, "Say, is this really a healthful place?"
"It sure is," the cabby replied. "When I arrived here I couldn't say one word. I had hardly any hair on my head. I didn't have the strength to walk across a room, and I had to be lifted out of bed." "That's wonderful!" said the tourist, "How long have you been here?"
"I was born here."
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The man told his doctor that he wasn't able to do all the things around the house that he used to do. When the examination was complete, he said, "Now, Doc, I can take it. Tell me in plain English what is wrong with me." "Well, in plain English," the doctor replied, "you're just lazy." "Okay," said the man. "Now give me the medical term so I can tell my wife." ------------------------- During the banquet celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary, Tom was asked to give his friends a brief account of the benefits of a marriage of such long duration. "Tell us Tom, just what is it you have learned from all those wonderful years with your wife?" Tom responds, "Well, I've learned that marriage is the best teacher of all. It teaches you loyalty, forbearance, meekness, self-restraint, forgiveness, and many other qualities you wouldn't have needed if you'd stayed single in the first place."
