I awoke at 9:30 am after a very good night’s sleep and crawled out of bed to take the dogs for a walk. They are either very lazy or very content as they never make a move to wake me up on those mornings when I sleep late. They prefer to just lie snuggling under the covers, too lazy to get up. 

When I am ready to take them walking, then, they get excited jumping around and picking on each other until I get them harnessed up. That brings them to instant alertness as they wait for the door to open, bounding down the steps and if I were not prepared, would take me out of the door with them. We wandered around and although there was a slight chill in the air, I did not have the need to wear a jacket, preferring instead that feeling of freshness that the cool air brings. 

Taho was lazing around as he usually does and let me make a fuss of him before we moved on. Sandy said hello and Mikey completely ignored him as is his way. We did our normal half mile before returning to Quatro for breakfast, shared by all and then settled into the usual routine of reading the world news and then checking and answering emails before writing in the blog. 

I spent a couple of hours writing and posting before looking around for something else to get up to. 

I decided to look through the basement storage to see if I could find the camera carrying belt that I have which is stored away somewhere safe probably in the same place as the glasses. So safe in fact that I have not been able to find it after several attempts even though I can remember seeing it the other day. This proved to be true again as after much searching, I concluded that it is not in the storage area. The question is, where else do I look? 

Mad at myself with my efforts, I harnessed up the dogs determined to take my frustration out on them by making them walk for a while, which of course, suited them down to the ground. They just loved being out and about and we walked Henly Drive towards the first entrance before returning to the RV where we sat outside for a while listening to an Audiobook and drinking a small bottle of wine. 

Daniel and Malinda pulled up in their ATV and stopped to chat. We spent a very interesting 30 minutes exchanging stories of past history. Daniel sat beside me, and Mikey even tried to strike up an acquaintanceship with him, which is a first. They moved on and we went out for, yet another walk this time, walking Henly Loop until it’s end and managed to cover 2.3 miles for the day. A very good score considering there was no large store walkabout included in that number. On our way, we stopped to talk to another older camper that had just pulled into the park. He said they were from Houston and were visiting relatives here in town. 

On our return, we sat outside listening to the Audiobook until it started to get dark and a little chilly before going back inside of Quatro and working on the blog completing it for today. 

Written January 6, 2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com

The Diary of an Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, Dripping Springs, TX Day 38, Saturday 01/07/2023

Look at the size of these Live Oak trees. The one on the left is at least 6-8 feet across. I wonder just how old they are?

I awoke to the sound of Mikey retching and upchucking on the floor somewhere. Poor little guy must have an upset tummy and at least, he did not barf all over the bed, for which I was very grateful.  I took that as I sign that I should get up and put some clothes on so that I could clean up the mess before we could go out walking. Actually, the clean-up was not too bad and quickly done and at the same time, I made a fuss of Mikey so that he did not think he had done something wrong. Little guy can’t help an upset tummy. 

It was a cloudy and overcast day with dampness in the air and I opted for a shirt for warmth. As soon as I stepped out the door, it was obvious that I did not need it and off it came. We wandered around the park and the bottom road and then back up through the park to the RV with Mikey not showing any signs of discomfort, much to my relief.  

I fixed breakfast with the new coffee machine working just fine, to help start off my day. The Nutritionists say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I take their word for it. To me, the coffee is what helps to get the day started so I have something in my belly. Long gone are the days of a hearty breakfast of eggs, bacon, home fries and toast. Now, it is just the toast covered with whatever is close at hand in the refrigerator. Either that or a frozen beef taco or something similar. Still, it is breakfast, right? And of course, coffee. 

I settled down in front of the computer to check on the state of the world which, just as I expected, had not changed from its depressing state as it was yesterday. People are still killing each other, and the politicians are still busy achieving nothing because they are more interested in fighting amongst themselves, even within their own parties. The Political outlook for this country is pretty grim and that is an understatement. 

I checked and answered a couple of emails but to be truthful, I do not receive very many and most of those are from the many different organizations I belong to. Some of whom are either reminding me that a donation is due or thanking me for making one. The number of real people that I correspond with on a regular basis are very few, which is OK by me as they are the important ones in my life. 

Then it was time to work on the blog which is my way of exercising my brain. If anyone reads my stuff that is a bonus and to them, I am very grateful especially if they take the time and trouble to comment.  Everyone likes to feel good.  

I took a few pictures on our recent walks and worked on them in Lightroom. Several were of a group of Live Oak’s that we passed which I had never really looked at before. They are enormous around the trunks and are the biggest I have ever seen. I wonder just how old they are, probably at least a couple hundred years. They still look very healthy with no sign of deterioration. The wonders of Nature. If they could communicate, what stories could they tell?

I wrote for a while and made sure that I was up to date with the posting and then thought about what to do next. I considered going into Austin to the Walmart’s there but decided that I really did not want to drive that far and could probably get most of what I wanted at the local HEB and The Home Depot. 

First stop was the aforementioned store. While contemplating on what I needed, I had decided that a couple of throw rugs would help to brighten up the place a bit and I headed to that aisle. I found two brightly colored ones that I thought would just fit where I needed them, and they ended up in the cart. The next stop was to buy another foot stool to put in the place of the plastic tote that I had bought before. Because of the broken cable in the reclining couch, meaning that it no longer reclines, I needed something to place my feet on when I am watching TV in the evenings. The tote was just too big and took up too much room. So, it is good for storage but no longer a foot stool.

With my goodies in the cart. I checked out. I had looked at their Propane bottles, but they only came in small sizes, and I would like one about twice as big which I can probably buy at the Feed Store as they carry everything. 

My next stop was HEB, and I wandered around making a few purchases, all things that I needed to try to make my meals more appetizing. Sure, not much of an eater nowadays. From there, where else but Starbucks as I heard the Latte calling my name. 

The drive back was uneventful, and I had the usual welcome and help as we put the groceries away. Then it was the dog’s turn as we harnessed up and then walked around the park. It had cooled off considerably and we did not stay out long but even so, I managed to cover 2.3 miles for the day. 

The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion with food all around followed by TV and a glass of wine. I watched as both of my favorite football teams, Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester United won both of their Caravelle Cup games.

Written January 7, 2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com