Today, we should be on the road heading for a new location but instead, we are here for at least another 3 weeks due to the Jeep repairs. Oh well, no one to blame except myself for my stupidity. Lessons learned but at some considerable cost both mentally and financially. Instead of driving out, we took our usual morning walk around the park. We did not meet any other dogs taking their owners out walking, whether they wanted to go or not, but we did get to see some unusual motorcyles from the large trailer we talked about yesterday.
I watched as they unloaded the motorcycles and took them for a short drive around the park. These bikes are different than most as all three have a very big front wheel although they appear to differ in size. They are slung low to the ground on the back end. Very unusual and the owners must be real enthusiasts to want one of these. Must be wealthy enough to afford them too as besides the bikes, their RV setup is not cheap. Incidentally, when they drove off with respective wives and/or girlfriends on the back, not one of them wore a helmet which apparently, here in Arkansas, is optional. In Texas, my base State,, it is mandatory that bikers and passengers wear one.
I had a motorbike back in England when I was about 20 or so years old and still young and foolish. Besides, it was all I could afford for transportation at that time. Mine was just a small Ambassador 250 cc twin and was great for getting me to work. Then one day, I hit a patch of wet leaves coming down a hill and crashed the bike and hurting my knee in the process. The company I worked for at that time, William Press and Sons, a pipeline company, was following with a truck full of Irish workers that were taking the same route home. They picked me up and threw me and the bike into the back and took me to my lodgings. I was off work for two weeks and to this day, my knee is out of line because of missing cartilage although it did not stop me from playing football of the English variety until I was 72. Incidentally, that was the end of my motorcycle career, and I bought my first car, a 1936 Austin 10. That car was the same age as I was but in England back in 1956, very few people drove new cars and the ones that still ran were driven forever. Probably changed now. Incidentally, I drove that car for a couple of years until one day, it was loaded with three of the same Irish workers and the motor blew up, quite literally putting a hole in the engine block. That was the end of that car, and I went on to buy another old but different one. The second of many through the years but you always remember your very first car.
We continued our walk and ended up back in Quatro for breakfast and coffee before settling down in front of the computer for the usual morning news followed by emails and then blog writing. Pretty much the same routine every morning which is true of most of our lives. Same ‘ole same ‘ole every day which is the way I like it as I am very much a creature of habit.
I decided to go into town and do some grocery shopping. This time, instead of the huge Walmart’s I have been going to, I chose a local Walmart’s store which was much closer. I found this store using my phone’s map system as I usually do and did my shopping buying the necessities that I needed without any trouble.
I decided that I could use a Latte and asked the phone to find the closest Starbuck’s. Following the directions and before I realized it, I was in the University of Arkansas campus which is a driving mess. I finally found the coffee shop but as there was no parking or drive thru, I had to keep going. I gave up on drinking a Latte and asked the phone to map my way back to the RV park. This was easier said than done and I got to see a lot of the campus before I finally managed to escape. On the bright side, it was very pleasant to watch all the young female students, dressed in the briefest of shorts and shortest of halter tops as they scurried along all with somewhere to go. That is a strange campus with no apparent rhyme or reason to the layout. There probably is but not to me as I had no clue as to where I was or worse yet, where I was going. I finally got back onto the main street that I sort of recognized even if only by name and was soon back at the RV.
As usual, I was met by the dogs jumping up and down that Dad was home. I think that although they are pleased to see me, it is probably more in anticipation of going out walking that they are really excited over. I put the groceries away with their unwanted help and then harnessed them up. We wandered around the park staying in the park area as there were a couple of other dogs with their respective masters/mistress on both sides of the field and rather than start a conflict. It was easier to walk the park itself. After a couple of circuits, we went back to Quatro to sit and write.
We went out for one more short walk before adjourning back to the RV.
Written 10/06/2022. Read my other stories at https://pondblog2011.com
Southgate RV Park, Fayetteville, AR Saturday Day 31 10/08/2022
I woke up really late and it was 10:30 am when I opened my eyes. I must have been tired as I had gone to bed the night before at 11:00 pm which is early for me after watching a couple of English Premier League football games. That was almost 12 hours of sleep. Totally unheard of.
The Hispanic workers had left early to go to work and although I heard their noisy trucks idling as they waited, this time, I had dropped back off to sleep. Noticing the time, I scurried around to get the dogs outside as they must have been crossing their legs while waiting for me. We went for a walk around the park greeting the people that we met. All the bikers were gone as it is Saturday and probably a big day at their Rally leaving their RV’s deserted.
There was one family of three small kids playing outside and one of the kids came over to make a fuss of Sandy. She wanted to pet Mikey too, but I would not let her as I do not trust Mikey to behave. He has a hard time protecting me from adults and any amount of what he perceives to be trouble, so goodness knows what he would see as a danger with the presence of a little kid. I did not want to take that chance and the look of disappointment on the little boy’s face was heartbreaking.
We continued our walk around the park picking up any loose trash that we found along the way before heading back to the RV for the usual breakfast. Luckily, the dumpster is close by the RV, so I did not have to carry my trash goodies very far. I found a perfectly good pair of sunglasses that someone had dropped and had to pause to think of what to do with them. In the end, I put them on the concrete step in front of the bathhouse figuring that if someone starts looking, they would be visible. Back in the RV, I made the usual coffee and breakfast.
I had bought some special treats for the dogs but accidentally, put them in the refrigerator so now must wait for them to warm up before handing them off. My dogs are very fussy eaters and just as fussy with any treats that I give them. If they do not like them, they leave them where they are and only if they are desperate, do they look at them again, usually when I am gone for whatever reason. They often hide them in the bed, and I am always uncovering something of theirs stored away for later use. Nothing like being prepared.
After breakfast, I did as I usually do checking the World news just in case something of major importance happened while I was asleep. Luckily, or maybe not, depending on your point of view, nothing had changed, and the World is still the usual screwed up place that is has become with the “normal” things that happen, like murder, rape, mob violence and general disorder and that was only in this country. I do not bother much with news from abroad as we have enough of our own problems to worry about. We are so messed up.
Disgusted and very disappointed with what I was reading although I should not be as it is the same-o, same-o every day, I turned to emails and was met with the usual array of companies trying to sell me things I do not need, and dating services who have no idea how old I am and that dating for me, is watching the days go by on a calendar as my life travels towards it’s inevitable end. Very occasionally, there is a real message from a friend or acquaintance and of those, I am always glad to read and respond. The problem with emails is that I must look at them all just in case there is that one important one in the group. Besides, that was how the scammers go to me to by me answering something I thought I recognized as legit. Emailers beware…
The weather here is now very pleasant even during the day when the sun is shining. There is a definite coolness in the air, a sure sign that we are well and truly into Fall. In the evening, when we are sitting around, I have to turn on a small space heater that I have to keep the temperature comfortable, and I leave it on through the night. It saves having to use the built in RV heaters that work off propane. This park does not have a propane supply tank to replenish the ones in the RV. It is not really cold but cool enough to require some form of heat just to take the chill off. I do have to turn the A/C units thermostats up otherwise they come on to counteract the heaters. We still need the A/C through the day so I have to turn them back down to the required temperature every morning.
We have not had any rain in the entire time we have been here which is now a full month and although everything is still very green, there are visible signs of fall as some of the trees are starting to change color and the leaves are beginning to drop. Like I said before, I do not want to be here in the winter. I hate freezing weather and snow which is the reason that I left New York State in the first place. That and the opportunity of a better job. So many years ago, and so much water under the bridge.
We went out for the final walk of the day and wandered around the park and the field. Other people were walking their dogs and I made sure that our paths did not cross by taking a different route. Back in the RV, I fixed us our evening meal and then settled down in front of the TV to watch Brighton lose to Spurs, 1-0. It was a good game and my Great, Great Grandson, Solly March, played well. I wish him luck for making the big time and through him, am living my dream.
The show that I am currently watching, Third Watch, which is about a Firefighting, Rescue and Ambulance service in New York City, aired a program dedicated to the 9/11 Twin Tower disaster based on the same groups participation and the events that happened. It was a very moving piece as the survivors of that group spoke of their experiences and of their fellows that did not make it. I watched and felt so sad for not only their loss but of the other 6000 regular working people that also did not survive. What a cowardly attack to take the lives of ordinary civilians. Enough cannot be said against those murderous thugs.
I turned off the TV with a feeling of relief at watching those horrors and it took a while before I was able to drop off to sleep.
Written 10/08/2022. Read my other stories at https://pondblog2011.com
The car certainly has character, Francis, as do the bikes. Very unusual!
Back in 1956, old cars like this were the norm and not many people could afford to own or drive one.
Those motorcycles sure are different! 😁
They also appear difficult to handle at slow speeds. I watched the drivers wobble around all over the place until they throttled up.