It's about time.

Many of you can relate to Working long hours at your career. Raising your families. Buying a home and paying all the bills related to being homeowners and parents. We're now retired and don't need all that work and expense. Now "It's about time" and what we do to follow our dreams.

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Tuesday, April 30, 2019

The Storms Followed Us.


Our Location today is at Wildwood Golf and RV Park, McGregor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge

When I got up this morning the very first thing I needed to do was turn our Blue Flame Heater up to get the chill out of the air. I had everything ready for breakfast and even had some of my morning reading on the Computer finished before Kathy joined me downstairs. Even with all the Window Shades up we still needed to turn on some lights since there was no sign of the Sun anywhere. It was also hard to see through the Windows because of the Drizzle that was continually covering them.

In a lot of the Blogs we follow we were surprise to see fellow Ontarians now further north of our location getting better weather then we were. Even The Weather Network was showing our location as Partly Sunny and Dry. I’d really like to know where the Weather Station is located in this area because it is far from accurate.

Kathy managed to get some of our On-Line Banking done before lunch while I busied myself setting up our Turbo Hub. It works the same as a Cell Phone but because we had it when we were in our Apartment as long as we keep it active our Home Phone Number will never change. We used to travel with it during the summer and had friends asking us to stop by. When told we were Hundreds of Miles away they wondered how that was possible since they had called our Home.
Gauging our food intact to better match our activity levels we had a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup but we shared the small piece of Salt Caramel Cake that our daughter Karen sent Home with us last night for our dessert.

While Kathy continued with some On-Line Research I sorted the Laundry and headed over to the Park Laundry Room. Once I had everything going in the Washers I walked over to the Park Exercise Room. We used to have a better equipped Gym in the basement of the house we owned but at least this is better then nothing. Knowing how long the Washers would take for their cycle I made it back to the Laundry Room just as they were all shutting down.

With everything in the Dryers I headed back Home hoping to get other things accomplished. In the past we have always had Push Button Cell Phones. Now with our New Android Phones I am slowly getting Phone Numbers such as our Doctors listed in them. Since Kathy is scared to mess them up she leaves that to me. Another thing that neither of us do is Text. We are behind the times with that but we prefer to talk instead of texting.

I headed back to the Laundry Room where I folded all the clean clothes. I was home by 5:30 using my Raincoat to keep it all dry.
For supper Kathy made a nice Caesar Salad to go with the Leftover Chicken Tenders and a Juice Box for a refreshment.

Once we’d cleaned up the Dishes we went back to the Computers. Remember I mentioned about our weather being Colder and Wetter than Ontarians further north. We had a high of 46 F (8 C) due to the steady Drizzle where they had 60 F (15.5 C) with sunny periods. We are jealous. As I am writing this Blog we are getting a Severe Thunder Storm that is part of the system that just cause Tornadoes in Oklahoma this afternoon.

We are busy tomorrow and hoping that we get a glimpse of the Sun soon. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.
Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.
Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

Legally, you don't exist.

Monday, April 29, 2019

Playing It Safe and Birthday Celebrations.


Our Location today is at Wildwood Golf and RV Park, McGregor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge

When we heard the Rain tapping on our roof this morning we were in no hurry to get out of bed. When the light tried sneaking around our Window Shades that was when I figured it was time to start my day. Having left the Blue Flame Heater on its lowest possible setting overnight the only thing I could do was raise the setting in order to take the chill out of the air.

When Kathy joined me for breakfast before 8:30 I wished her a Happy Birthday. As we ate I was surprised to see someone pulling a large Fifth Wheel out our rear window on Third Street. He wasn’t passing through but started making quite a number of attempts to back it in to a Site for the season. It seemed that he was alone so that probably added to his frustration.
Our Weather most of the day.
As soon as we sat at the Computers to enjoy our Coffee/Tea the first thing I checked was The Weather Network. They were forecasting more Cool to Cold Days and Nights for the next Two Weeks. As soon as my Hot Drink was finished I headed upstairs to get my inside chores completed before getting dressed and heading outside.

It seemed strange that as soon as I stepped foot outside the Rain stopped. Since we started going to the Southwest we learned to carry a Spare Propane Tank because we use it for Cooking, Heating, running our Hot Water Heater as well as running the Fridge. Still using it mostly the same now we didn’t want the Tanks to go Empty so I switched the Empty with our Full Spare Tank. When that was done I also removed the Debris Brush from the back of the Truck.
Sanford showing his Toy we recently gave him.
Starting to feel cold I headed back inside to warm up. I had no sooner shut the Door when the Rain started coming down heavier then before. Lunch was a bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup and a Yogurt Cup for dessert.

With the Rain not slowing down we spent most of the afternoon at the Computers until 4:30 when we dawned our Raincoats and headed out the Door. Our destination was the Michigan Dinner on Manning Road in Tecumseh where our daughter Karen had invited us to celebrate Kathy’s Birthday. She arrived with Tyler our grandson exactly at 5:15 as scheduled.
After enjoying a wonderful meal we were invited back to the house to have a cup of Tea to warm us up. Sanford was more then happy to see us and immediately brought up his latest Toy that we recently gave to him. Besides the Tea Karen also had a Small Black Forest Cake to celebrate Kathy’s Birthday and a Salted Caramel Cake to celebrate my Birthday this coming Wednesday. We had a wonderful visit and truly appreciated her trying to brighten up this rainy day.

We drove over to the Zehr’s grocery store where we picked up a few things that Kathy needs for a recipe that she wants to try. It was after 9:00 by the time we got Home and most of the Streets in the Park were like streams with water running down to the Water Hazards on the Golf Course.
Wearing our Birthday Badges.
Since we had shut all our Heaters before leaving they were the first thing we turned back on. The outside temperature only reached 45 F (7 C) today and that is what the temperature is forecasted for tomorrow. We can’t wait for the Real Spring to arrive. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.
Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.
Krackers

Words of Inspiration

I think that God, in creating man, somewhat overestimated his ability.

Oscar Wilde, Irish Poet and Playwright

Sunday, April 28, 2019

Cleaning Things Up, Exercising and Tammy.


Our Location today is at Wildwood Golf and RV Park, McGregor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge

It was nearly 7:30 when I got downstairs this morning and even before opening the Window Shades I turned the Blue Flame Heater up to warm things. Checking The Weather Network the temperature was 37 F (3 C) but feeling well below the Freezing Mark. This weather is not what we are normally experiencing by this time of year but everyone else is saying the same thing. Even when we were in the Desert this past winter it was unbelievably cold wet and windy.

There was a big improvement this morning when the Sun came out and stayed the entire day. As inviting as it appeared as soon as I stepped outside I knew there was no way of being outside without a Coat.

After mixing another Kale Salad we stepped it up a bit by chopping some Chicken and then adding it right into the Salad itself.

After working together to clean up the dishes Kathy did some reading while I cleaned up the Trash and Recycle. Once I had disposed of it at the Park Trash and Recycle Area I stopped off at the Park Exercise Room in an attempt to work some of the kinks out of my body.

Even with the temperature reaching 52 F (11 C) with the breeze we were having it felt good to be back inside the Trailer. We are both looking forward to warmer temperatures.

Knowing we needed to eat something even though neither of us were hungry at 6:30 Kathy made Open Faced Toasted Cheese and Bacon Sandwiches for supper.

We entertained ourselves by watching the movie “Tammy” starring Melissa McCarthy this evening. We were surprised to see quite a few other stars playing bit parts in this comedy. Cute!

Almost a repeat of yesterday with not too much happening but looking at our Calendar that should change starting tomorrow. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.
Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.
Krackers

Joke of the Day

If you don't pay your exorcist,

will you get repossessed?

Saturday, April 27, 2019

Not Spring Weather, Making Plans and Arrival


Our Location today is at Wildwood Golf and RV Park, McGregor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge

Having left the Blue Flame Heater on the lowest heat setting all night it was still cool enough this morning that I immediately put my Housecoat on to stop myself from shaking uncontrollably. Going downstairs and approaching the Heater I was surprised to see that the Burner was lit even at that low of a setting in an attempt to keep the room moderately warm. As soon as I checked The Weather Network it was understandable. The outside temperature was 39 F (4 C) feeling like 32 F (0 C).

With the Sun shining brightly by the time Kathy joined me downstairs it was no surprise to see the temperature on the rise. Looking outside while we had breakfast we watched residents walking around the Park wearing Toques, Gloves and Coats in order to keep warm. Reading other Fulltime RV Blogs from others nearby it was not a shock to see we are all experiencing the same kind of weather. It made me smile to see the temperature in Quartzsite was 90 F (32 C) at 7:00 Arizona Time.

Our daughter Karen called wanting to make a date to celebrate Kathy’s Birthday next week. Rather then having them travel half way across the city Kathy opted to meet them at the Michigan Diner on Manning Road after Karen gets home from work.

By 11:00 our Charge Controller and Battery Capacity Meter were both showing our Batteries as fully charged. After doing our normal inside chores I needed to do a quick check of which Medications and Vitamins will be needed for when I do the Pill Doucettes in another Ten Days.
Kathy was busy going through the latest batch of Mail we collected just the other day so I started putting lunch together. It was simple enough just warming some Chicken Tenders in the Microwave and mixing up a Kale Salad.

After cleaning up the Dishes we worked together to wrap a Special Gift that I’m certain would be well appreciated at this time. Looking outside the sky was completely filled with Clouds. Rechecking the forecast it had completely changed since this morning. The outside temperature was at its high of 52 F (11 C) for the day but we can expect up to an Inch of Mixed Precipitation overnight. That took away any ambition we might have had of working outside.
We looked at a number of things On-Line until we had a lite supper after 6:30. Kathy made some Pasta Shells with Cheese and we topped that off with a Fruit Cup for dessert.

The Rain started coming down quite steady by 7:00 so we decided to watch the movie “Arrival” starring Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner and Forest Whitaker. We’re not into SiFis but this one was moderate and gave us lots to think about.

Finally back on the Computer with a Coffee/Tea to warm us up I noticed the temperature in Quartzsite was only 97 F (36 C). Like here no happy medium. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.
Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.
Krackers

Words of Inspiration

All credibility, all good conscience, all evidence of truth come only from the senses.

Friedrich Nietzsche, German Philosopher

Friday, April 26, 2019

Not Supposed To Rain, Chores, Grocery Shopping and The Pagemaster.


Our Location today is at Wildwood Golf and RV Park, McGregor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge

Even though we felt tired from our busy day yesterday we both seemed to have trouble falling asleep last night. Even though the Forecast for our area called for a clear night it was shortly after midnight when the Rain started tapping away on our Roof. That wasn’t our imaginations running away with us because we both heard it.

I was up before 8:00 going through my usual routine opening the Window Shades, looking at the large puddles on the Street then checking The Weather Network for the coming forecast. A Cold, Cloudy and Windy day gusting to 35 MPH but no more Rain.
Maybe I cheered to myself and Kathy felt the vibration of my excitement because she was soon joining me downstairs. Other then the idea of doing some grocery shopping we didn’t have much planned for the day. 
After reading a lot of Catch-Up Blogs and all the other News we planned an early lunch. Today we finished the Leftover Corned Beef and Cabbage. When that was done we cleaned up the Dishes and Cookware before getting ready to leave.

Kathy busied herself making a Shopping List. I went outside to check a few things. The first was the Water Faucet at the Post had not been opened completely and was causing a drop in our Water Pressure. We also want to use the Propane Side of our Water Heater while on our Site this year to keep our Electricity Costs down. We’ve also been having to run our Blue Flame Heater for the last couple of days and we are looking at temperatures close to the Freezing Mark this Weekend so I wanted to be certain we’d have enough Propane to see us through.
We were soon on our way to the Amherstburg Walmart because there was more than food on Kathy’s List. We searched the other departments unsuccessfully first before looking for the Groceries. The only thing we walked out with was some of the Food on the List.
Next we went to Dollarama for some supplies that we know are less expensive then Walmart at that location.
We finally stopped at the No-Frills grocery store. We managed to find the rest of the Groceries on our List.

On our way Home we noticed that the Clouds to the North were getting quite dark but the Forecast said we would not get any Rain today. Back at the Trailer I hauled everything in while Kathy started putting things away. After finishing that we decided to sit for a few minutes to relax. That’s when a Hard Rain started coming down for about Ten Minutes. When it stopped there was as much Water on the Street as there had been this morning.
We had Chicken Noodle Soup and Grilled Cheeses Sandwiches for supper before watching a Family Movie that was made over 25 Years ago called “The Pagemaster” starring Macauley Culkin and Christopher Lloyd. It was a cute movie that we even enjoyed. Many movies have Extra Scenes but this one showed how the Movie was made. It was partly Filmed live, Animated and Computer Enhanced. The Animation (Cartoon) was done Old School with everything being Hand Drawn. It took Three Years to produce this Movie with nearly a Million Hand Drawn Pictures.

Occasionally we need to clarify for our readers some of the things we write on our Blog. When we or any other Foreign Snowbirds write about having to submit an 8840 Form to the IRS it is to show we are not working while in the US and not staying in that Country longer then the allowable length of time.

The Second thing was what was written in yesterday’s Blog. Each Canadian Province has a Premier which is similar to a Governor in the US. What happens in one Province or State does not mean that it will happen in the rest. In Ontario the newly formed Provincial Government under Premier Ford is proposing to end Out of Country Health Coverage. Many Snowbirds depend on that Coverage even though it is not enough for many Health Related Issues but it’s something. Due to the Coverage we have through our contract with Ford Motor Company we don’t have to worry but many others are not so fortunate.

This evening we have been able to hear the Wind coming from a distance before it slams into the Trailer hard enough to shake it. Not sure what we are up to tomorrow but we’ll think of something. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.
Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.
Krackers

You Might Be a Redneck If

You've ever yawned the words, "I do".

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Positive Answers, Pleasant Surprise, Overdue Visit and Shadow Recruit.


Our Location today is at Wildwood Golf and RV Park, McGregor, Ontario.

Click on the pictures to Enlarge

We were both up around 8:00 so that we would have a few minutes to relax. That’s right we just got up from a good night’s sleep and we needed to relax. After eating breakfast we took our Coffee/Tea over to the Computers to check what was happening around us. It felt wonderful not to be struggling to get On-Line using our High Speed Internet compared to our restricted Verizon MiFi. The Verizon package we have says it can be used in Canada or Mexico but what they don’t tell you is that it is slowed down to where we can barely connect to things we need to here in Canada.

While we sat at the Computers Mary from Healthy Heals called. She was off yesterday and was just getting caught up on her Phone Messages. After welcoming us back Home she scheduled Kathy’s next appointment.
Cloudy all day.
I took a Few Minutes to call the Union Hall to see if the Proposed Cuts by our Premier to our Out Of Province Coverage would affect our Winter Travels. Leaving a Voice Mail for the Benefits Representative I could only hope that he would get back to me today.
After getting our inside chores finished we raided the Fridge of a few Leftovers for an early lunch. We finished the Leftover Celery Root along with the Leftover Jell-O topped off by the Leftover Cool Whip. Even though we still have other Leftovers to be eaten that created an empty space in our Fridge.

We were out the door by 11:30 heading towards Tecumseh. The first stop we did was to stop at the Pioneer gas station on Manning Road. We’ve put a lot of Miles on the Car since picking it up at our son Kevin’s house. By using my Points Card each time we get Gas or Diesel at Pioneer when I went inside to pay for our Purchase I was pleasantly surprise that it was completely “Free”.

We headed up Lesperance Road until we arrived at the Hearing Life building the former Listen Up. Kathy had her hearing tested in 2016 but noticed that it has gotten worse lately. Today she was retested and the change was considerable. Luckily with the Health Care Coverage that we have there will be no out of pocket expense for us. We’ll be picking up her new Hearing Aids soon.

While Kathy was talking with Becky the Audiologist Dan the Union’s Benefit Representative called. The proposed changes in the Out of Province Coverage might affect many Ontarians from going south but the Coverage we have through our contract with Ford will cover that cost. Kathy saw the smile on my face and knew then that we would be able to continue going south for some years to come.

From there we stopped at the Tecumseh Post Office to get a couple of Stamps. I remember when Three Cent Stamps were thought to be Highway Robbery. Two Stamps today cost $2.59. No wonder more people use E-Mail.

We stopped at Guardian Storage to get our Mail and Carol asked if Kathy was feeling better. Having just finished the last of the Antibiotics today she is feeling much better.

After leaving there we took the E.C. Rowe Expressway across Windsor and exited at Dominion Blvd. We drove all the way to Riverside Drive until we arrived at the Devonshire Retirement Home. We spent the next Three Hours visiting with my aunt Anna who lost her husband of 49 Years Bob just before Christmas. She is slowly recovering and has accepted that he is no longer suffering.

Caught in the grips of Rush Hour when we left we stopped at Wendy’s for supper. Kathy had her Full Sized Apple Pecan Salad while I had my Spicy Chicken Sandwich with Chili rather then Fries. We took our time as we watched the Traffic Chaos through the Windows.

We made a stop at Michaels on Walker Road to get some Studded Buttons for a Jacket repair. We hadn’t walked in that store for a long time but in our former lives we knew it well.

We drove across to Canadian Tire to purchase some Silicon Sealer. When we took the Roof Fabric off our Gazebo last fall it showed signs of wear after only One Season. By sealing the Fabric it should give us many more years of use.

It started Raining before we arrived Home at 7:30. While enjoying a nice hot cup of Coffee we watched the movie “Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit” starring Chris Pine and Kevin Costner. It kept us on the edge of our seats.

Looking at tomorrow’s weather forecast we are glad we made yesterday our Moving Day. Tomorrow is forecasted for Rain all day along with Winds gusting to 35 MPH. Not sure what we’ll be doing but we’ll find something. Thank you for following along and feel free to leave a comment.
Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.
Krackers

The World's Great Proverbs

One does not wash one's dirty linen in public.