THE FINEST OF DAYS AND THE WINDS OF CHANGE

I knew it wasn’t the best time of year to sell a motorcycle, but…..not even one inquiry??  Being a Honda Shadow Aero 1100 it’s a quality low mileage bike.  Oh well, try again in the Spring I guess.

 

Not a whole lot to write about tonight.  Needed a few things at Walmart so Pheebs and I slipped up to Goderich.  No big ocean going Lake Freighters in the harbor but we did manage a short walk along Lake Huron’s shoreline listening to morning waves tumble up onto the pebbled beach.

GUESS IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN ALRIGHT

YEP THESE TWO YOUNG FELLERS WILL BE TRAVELING WITH US THIS WINTER

After Monday’s stressful time sanitizing the rig’s fresh water tank I knew i had better not tackle anything more challenging than maybe changing a light bulb today.  I was even leery about doing that.

Kelly’s new Blackberry phone arrived Monday afternoon and she wasn’t long in getting the basics figured out.  Must say even I am impressed with the large crystal sharp screen and quality onboard camera.  Became even more impressed when she tapped into some music.  Way better sound quality than our flat screen TV in the sunroom.  And headphone capable to boot.  That’s a big plus for me.  It’s larger than her old Blackberry but it’s thinner and lighter.  Very impressive and it’s actually my very first up close look at a smart phone.  Luckily for our pocket book I am not a phone person or I would for sure be putting a strain on our line of credit wanting a Blackberry too.

CAN YOU TELL KELLY WAS PRETTY HAPPY WHEN PUROLATOR SHOWED UP WITH HER NEW BLACKBERRY TDEK 50

AND THIS IS HER VERY FIRST PHOTO TODAY WITH THE NEW BLACKBERRY

Pheebs and I took us for a walk around the Pine tree trail this afternoon and I couldn't help but marvel at these finest of days.  There is a different casting of light to each day as our Earth rotates slowly northward allowing old Sol's rays to strike us at an increasingly shallower angle.  A changing presence in the air, a diverse feel to the winds, a comforting nostalgic aura of calm.   Daylight hours are shortening, nights are clear and crisp leaving heavy morning dews.  Sounds in the forest are changing.  Songbirds are gone as the air clears itself of buzzing insects.  Crickets are ever present while the shrill sound of Blue Jays give the woods a natural northern feel.  It is the lull before winter's storm and for me it is the finest time of the year.  I am always content to be right here in  Southwestern Ontario during these always beautiful Autumn days.

WANDERING ALONG OUR PARK’S PINE TREE TRAIL THIS AFTERNOON

Sometimes tipped back in my comfy recliner late at night surrounded by all the calming comforts of home I think to myself, ‘I wonder how many more RVing years we have left.  One, maybe two, is three years a possibility.  The lifestyle can’t go on forever and the thoughts of ‘hanging up the key’s is unthinkable yet that nagging question is always there and it has been on my mind more of late than ever before.  I may have more to say about this in the coming days or maybe I’ll just not try to think about it so much and let the winds of change blow where they may………….

GROANER’S CORNER:((  A man looked at the menu at the airport restaurant, and saw that the sandwiches were named for planes.  "I'll have a 'jumbo jet'," he said.  When the order arrived, he was disappointed to see how small his burger was, but he ate it anyway.  He called his waiter over. "Was that the 'jumbo jet'?" he asked.
"Yeah," the waiter answered. "Went pretty fast, didn't it?"

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- Did you know Phoenix is so dry because it's in an arid zone-a.

- What do you call a bunch of rabbits in a row all hopping backwards?  A receding hare line.

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After a round of golf, four ladies sat around the club house, chatting.  Seeing the ladies, the Pro approached them and asked: "How did your game go?  The first lady, a brunette, said she had a good round ... making the comment that she actually had 25 riders. The Pro was a bit perplexed not knowing what a "Rider" was.
The second was a blonde lady who quickly chimed in and said that she had a very good round as well with 16 riders.  The third lady then said that her round was average and that she only had 10 riders.  The fourth lady admitted that she played the worst round of the day and that she only had 2 riders all day long.  The Pro was completely confused not knowing what the term "rider" meant. But, because he didn't want to look dumb, he made a quick polite remark, wished the ladies well and then left.  He then approached the bartender and asked "Hey, can you tell me what these ladies are talking about when they refer to "Riders"?"  The bartender simply smiled and said..."A 'Rider" is when you hit a shot long enough to ride on the golf cart to your ball.    

NICE WEATHER DAY IN BAYFIELD AND A LOOK BACK TO SOME OF OUR ADVENTURES IN SOUTH-EASTERN ARIZONA A FEW YEARS AGO

ON THE STREETS OF TOMBSTONE ARIZONA
One of the big advantages full time RV’ers have over Snow Birders is the simple fact they live in and use their rig’s systems on a regular basis therefore always being familiar about the working of things. 

THERE ARE 2 OLD IRON BRIDGES IN THE HULLETT MARSH AND THIS IS THE ONE AT THE END OF SANCTUARY LINE….THE OTHER BRIDGE IS AT THE END OF CONSERVATION ROAD

A BIG ‘SHADOW COWBOY’ WAVE FROM THE SANCTUARY LINE BRIDGE THIS MORNING
It started out innocently enough today when I thought I would simply sanitize our fresh water tank.  Key joke word there being ‘simply’'.’ Not being full timers it’s not something we are accustomed to doing on any kind of a regular basis.  I think the last time we did it was a year ago about this time and therein awaited the problem.  My brain wouldn’t even give me the slightest clue where to start and I had to ask Kelly where the instructions were on how to do it.  Seems to me I had to do the very same thing last year as well.  I wasn’t off to a good start and it went down hill from there.  A job that would take a seasoned Full-timer about 15 minutes cost this aging Snow Bird a good hour and a half this afternoon:((

I BETTER GET GOING HERE, TRAINS A COMING
I won’t bog you down with my frustrations today because I am still pretty upset with myself but I can tell you that what transpired was not the fault of the Motorhome.  All me and with my poor memory having more holes in it than a Swiss cheese and my ever increasing impatience with anything even remotely mechanical I caused myself a lot of stress.  I don’t know when it was my problematic impatience began but I don’t remember it being this bad years ago but here’s the bottom line, ’we’ did finally manage to successfully complete the fresh water tank project and everything is fine and honky-dory now.  Everything that is except me and me will not be Okay until me has a good night’s sleep and starts Tuesday morning off on the right foot again.  Well that’s what me hopes anyway……..
I AM STILL CATCHING FRONT YARD POND FROGS AND TRANSPORTING THEM TO THE BIGGER PARK’S POND……17 TRANSPORTATIONS SO FAR INCLUDING THE FROGS IN THESE PHOTOS TODAY

ONE FROG IS REAL AND ONE ISN’T

A TAD OUT OF FOCUS BUT I’VE INCLUDED THIS FELLA ANYWAY


HE’S KEEPING A REAR VIEW EYE ON ME
Desert USA is an on-line South-western magazine we have been receiving now for a number of years and I often like the articles because we have been to a lot of places featured in it.  The latest edition was no exception when I read the title, Ghost Towns In Southern Arizona.  We have been to nine of the 13 ghost towns mentioned.  We’ve been to Superstition Mountain, Fort Bowie, Pearce, Courtland, Gleeson, Tombstone, Fairbank, Millville and the ever so hard for us to find, Charleston.  Through the Apache Pass to Historic Fort Bowie.  I wrote daily posts about all those places along with many photos and have included a few links such as Tombstone and  The Ghost Town of Gleeson Arizona.  We have walked the streets of Tombstone half a dozen times, found Johnny Ringo’s grave at the western foot of the Chiricahua Mountains as well as Wyatt Earp’s brother’s grave in Wilcox.  Johnny Ringo's Grave and Warren Earp's Grave in Wilcox Arizona.  I took some rare photos through a broken door of the crumbling Gleeson Saloon, we have walked among the old graves of Fairfield, hiked the long way in and out of Fort Bowie along trails Cochise once walked.  Cochise's Council Rocks  Had to take our shoes and socks off to wade across the San Pedro River to find Charleston after walking through the remaining ruins of Millville.  Today We Found The Ruins of Charleston Arizona. We have walked in the footsteps of Geronimo and his Apache warriors.   We’ve been to and through Pearce Arizona half a dozen times even twice spending time partaking in their ‘Pearce Heritage Days’ celebrations.  The old general store there is only open 1 day a year and we were lucky enough to be there on one of those days.  As we walked through the store I’m sure we had old ghosts walking along beside us.   Here’s a look inside that store….Old Pearce Heritage Days.  Made our way through what is left of Courtland with it’s few crumbling brick walls and old jail cell still intact.  Courtland Arizona  That South-eastern area of Arizona is such a fascinating place and we were so fortunate to spend many months Ranch Sitting there over a period of 4 years.  My links to Old Fort Rucker and Our Search for Cochise's Council Rocks.  Oh the memories and oh the thousands of photos I took.  Even now I still get excited thinking back to that marvelous era and that whole historically fascinating area.  The links above are only but a few of my many blog posts and photos of our memorable adventures in the great American Southwest and hopefully this winter we will be back once again on the dusty desert trails of many more great memories:))
THE HISTORIC RUINS OF FORT BOWIE

 
KELLY SITS LOOKING DOWN ON THE RUINS OF OLD FORT BOWIE

SOUTH-EASTERN ARIZONA IS ONE OF OUR ALL TIME FAVORITE PLACES

TOMBSTONE ARIZONA



THE OLD CEMETERY IN FAIRBANK ARIZONA

GHOST TOWN RUINS OF COURTLAND ARIZONA

JOHNNY RINGO’S GRAVE

THIS OLD SALOON IN GLEESON ARIZONA IS WHERE JOHNNY RINGO WAS LAST SEEN DRINKING AT THE BAR

GLEESON ARIZONA CEMETERY

THE COCHISE STRONGHOLD IN ARIZONA’S DRAGOON MOUNTAINS



A RUGGED AREA OF THE DRAGOON MOUNTAINS

THIS INDIAN FELLOW  WE MET AT COUNCIL ROCKS TOLD ME HE WAS A DESCENDENT OF GERONIMO


IS IT ANY WONDER WHY WE KEEP RETURNING TO THE GREAT AMERICAN SOUTH WEST YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR
GROANER’S CORNER:((  A guy walking along the beach finds a bottle and picks it up.  A genie pops out and says, "Thanks for letting me out. For your kindness I will grant you one wish."  The guys says, "I've always wanted to go to Hawaii, but I can't because I'm afraid to fly and ships make me deathly sick. My wish is for you to build a road from here to Hawaii."  The genie says, "I'm sorry, but I don't think I can do that. Just think of all the work involved. Think of the huge pilings we'd need to hold up that highway and how deep they would have to be to reach the bottom of the ocean. And think of all the cement that would be needed. Plus, since it's such a long span, there would have to be gas stations and rest stops along the way. No, that's just too much to ask. Impossible."  The guy says, "Well, there is one thing I've always wanted to know. I'd like to be able to understand women...what makes them laugh and cry...you know, what makes them tick."  The genie thinks a second, then asks, "You want two lanes or four with that highway?'
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Kids can sometimes ask the toughest questions.
Son: Father, Can I ask you a question?
Father: Ok ask. Son: When a doctor doctors a doctor, does the doctor doing the doctoring doctor as the doctor being doctored wants to be doctored or does the doctor doing the doctoring doctor as he wants to doctor. --------------------- - How is it one careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a whole box to start a campfire? - Why does a slight tax increase cost you two hundred dollars and a substantial tax cut saves you thirty cents? - Health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die - The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth. - There are two kinds of pedestrians: the quick and the dead. - I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes.