A Rainy Day in Henly – 04/23/2021

The weather here in Henly these last few days has been cold and damp. Cold, for this time of the year here in Texas with the highs only reaching 60 or so degrees and overnight lows in the 50’s. Add to that a very fine misty drizzle and it makes for a depressingly, miserable day or two. As much as I complain about the excessive heat in the summer, I still like to see the sun at least once for a few hours a day whenever possible and I definitely don’t like the cold. No pleasing some of us.

Today though, it is really raining and not just a fine drizzle and it is the first time that the dogs and I have been in the Eagle in a real steady downpour. Incidentally, it doesn’t seem to bother them very much as they are both snoring the heads off. We still have to go walking albeit of a much shorter and quicker duration as they need to answer the calls of nature. That is one thing I miss about the house which is the luxury of a doggy door and a fenced in yard where they could answer their own calls as desired. Before I let them back in, we have a little routine of wiping off their paws and belly’s to try to keep the RV somewhat clean. Needless to say, they are not happy during this exercise and protest by wriggling around as I try to dry them.

I have not been feeling well these past couple of days and of course my first thoughts were of the Covid -19 virus but as I have had both shots, decided that it was more of the muscle/neck strain that I have had in the past caused by either lifting something too heavy and straining my neck, shoulders and back muscles or lifting it the wrong way. I did load a heavy box of tools from the shed into the truck and then into the RV. Whatever caused it, I was laid low for a couple of days with limited activity and some bedrest and Tylenol and now, it has finally gone away. I can walk without hurting although I still can’t run. But then again, I haven’t run in years so nothing new there. I probably could work up some sort of a half assed trot if a bear was chasing me but in the end would just give up and let it eat me to save the effort.

As it happens, later in the day and before I could post this blog, the sun came out and the temperature is now up to 75 degrees. I even broke into a sweat when Sandy took Mikey and I out walking later that afternoon. Never expected the weather to change so suddenly as by the forecast, we were in for a couple of days of the wet stuff. Had not been hot long enough as my outside lawn chair had water in it so we couldn’t sit outside. If anyone ever visits with me as neighbor campers often do, they had better bring their own chair as I only have one.

Another problem with getting stuck in an RV for any length of time is how easy it is to spend money and not go anywhere to do it. I’m not talking necessities like food and supplies which I like to wander around and shop in the HEB in Dripping Springs. Today for instance, after carefully wiping off the dogs feet as described above, they proceeded to walk up the three steps leading into the RV only for me to discover that all of the steps were covered in water from the rain and I had to go through the feet wiping process for a second time. So, without further delay, I jumped on line and ordered a set of step covers from Amazon. It’s not really a frivolous order as the steps can be slippery to both me and the dogs with just the exposed steel and I always have to be very careful when I negotiate them. The covers should be here in a couple of days but it will a require a trip back the “sticks and bricks” to pick them up. I need to check on everything anyway so no big deal there. Now, I just got to stay away from Amazon for the next couple of days if I am penned up indoors.

I am a big gadget person especially now that so much of it can be viewed on my phone. Incidentally, I just purchased a new iPhone as the battery was failing in the old one. Just about everything transferred over with the exception of two Apps that I had to reconfigure. One was connecting the Iphone to the truck and luckily for me, I had already purchased an upgrade for the truck Sirius system but had not installed it so I took the opportunity to do that. It was just a straight forward process of installing a memory stick into a slot and waiting an hour for it to complete the download which enabled me to get the system to recognize the new iPhone. My truck is a 2016 model and the new phone without the upgrade would only get recognized back to 2017. It all worked out and now me and the dogs can listen to Audiobooks as we drive.

The other system that took some time in getting it working again was the new indoor camera that I have installed that tells me of movement and sounds from within the trailer even back in Austin around 30 miles away. It sends me a camera shot of the inside living room and even allows me to move the camera around to different views. This one took much longer, several hours of frustration before I finally was able to get everything talking to each other and make the connections. Part of the problem was the signal from Henly Park but I was able to boost it with my WIFI signal booster from ATT.

Neither of these are earthshattering and I could easily do without if I had to. On the other hand, one is entertainment while I am driving and the other is peace of mind for those times when I have to leave the dogs behind. At least this way, I can see them sitting by the door waiting for the sound of the truck and my return. They are pretty patient as they never move very far every time I check. This camera also sends me a warning that it has picked up a sound or movement from with the RV. So far, it has always been outside sounds and changes in sunlight creating a movement effect. Hopefully it will always be that. Not sure what I will or can do if I actually saw someone else inside the RV. I can film it all so it would be on record. Guess I could call the Park Super and have him check things out. Hopefully, it will never happen. My next door neighbors knocked on my door early this morning to tell me that I had left the truck window open all last night. and as it is was raining that it might be a good idea to close it. I thanked them profusely and proceeded to do so and when I went back inside, spent the next ten minutes trying to remember opening that window which was on the passengers side. I still can’t remember opening it but the dogs may have inadvertently done so and I had not noticed. Luckily, nothing was missing from the truck.

I purchased another system a while back that allows me to electronically monitor the propane levels within the two 40lb tanks we have on board both via my iPhone and its own little reporting device. I hadn’t installed it preferring to wait until at least one of the tanks was empty. In my mind, there was no sense in lifting out a half empty tank and then reinstalling it with the new part of the system that attaches to the tank bottom. Both tanks are big enough and heavy enough that I have to struggle to install them when they are full. Add to that the confined space in which they are situated and the poor design to the storage area floor and it all adds to the difficulty. Anyway, I managed to reinstall the tank after removing it for Kim, the Park Super to refill and leave by the RV. He always leaves it close by the Propane hatch door lessening the amount of carrying I have to do and for that, I am grateful. Kim has to be at least as old as me and has an equally old friendly dog that goes everywhere with him. Sandy has at least made friends with him although she still has to bark and scream until they touch noses. The dogs nose that is and not Kim’s.

The downloaded App on my iPhone works just fine showing currently that one tank is full, which is the one we just installed and the other, which is the existing half full tank, as empty as it does not have the sensor installed and is not registering. The wall display also has the same readings so the system is working. I will install the new sensor on the other tank when it gets empty probably in a couple of weeks time unless I happen to need something to do one of those days and am feeling strong.

I do have a couple more gadgets that need to be installed and they are of the Lost Dog Finder that attaches to the dogs collar. I can’t find the App for the phone that does the tracking without which, the units are not operable. I’ll figure it out eventually.

Ain’t science wonderful in this modern day and age? In some of my earlier blogs, I have often moaned and complained about how the world has passed us by and life was so much slower and pleasanter in the days of my youth. On the other hand, back then, I could not write this blog, or check my phone to find my dog or see if the propane tanks needed refilling or any and much more of the things I have written about. I guess, some of us want it both ways…

Written 04/24/2021

Check out my old blog at https://pondblog2011.com