We passed this on our drive yesterday. The angle of the car caused the picture to look off and I was unable to straighten it out in Photoshop. Quite a work of art.

It had turned much colder when we took the first walk of the day and I was extremely glad of the jacket I had on. We wandered around and then Sandy led us to Henly Loop outside of the campground heading towards Hwy 290. There are the remains of a dead deer on the side of this road, nothing much more than bones and fur. We had passed it several days before and it looked like it was already picked clean with nothing, but the fur and bones left. This time, in the distance, I could see at least two buzzards feeding off the carcass or what was left of it. 

Buzzards serve an important purpose of cleaning up roadkill and such and although not the prettiest of birds, do their job well. I decided that rather than scare them off for obviously, they were hungry picking at an already stripped carcass, we turned back and headed down the hill towards the bottom park entrance. 

We had just turned in and Daniel and Malinda pulled up alongside in his truck. We chatted a bit and I inquired as to why they were back early. His response was “You know,” Grandkids” and I understood exactly what he meant. I kept on walking and caught up with Malinda and her little dog outside of her RV. All three dogs are sort of friends, at least they do not go after each other but do a lot of sniffing. 

We headed back to Quatro and spent time working on cleaning the indoor grill parts that I had left soaking. That gunk is hard to get off. Then it was time for breakfast which today was cereal only because I had a couple of bananas that needed to be used up. Like most other foods, cereal is just not that appetizing anymore. My taste buds are wearing out…along with everything else. 

I turned my attention to the world news…depressing, and then to the blog posting yesterday and then starting today. With that out of the way, I decided that as I had veggies left over from the stew, we made a week or so ago, why not make a veggie stew and not bother with the beef part of it. The last one did not taste as good as I had hoped probably because I added garlic to it so this time, leave out the garlic. 

I got everything together and then spent 15 minutes or so in the preparation, throwing it all into the Insta-Pot. I set the timer for a slow cook and now, all I must do is wait…With that out of the way, I was really searching for things to get up to. It was a bit too chilly for any long hikes, that is, even if I found the park, but it was OK for a quick walk around the campground.  

We spent time with Taho and my dogs’ made friends with the orange kitty, Taho’s friend, who was also on a leash and tied up outside. Mikey was really interested in the cat and maybe it conjured up memories of an earlier life than with me.  

We moved on and finished the walk walking the bottom road with no sign of the other big dog. Hopefully, he is in a different enclosure closer to the house. 

Back in the RV, we caught up with the blog and then checked on the stew which was doing its thing in the Insta- Pot. The gauge said it had an hour to go so I went ahead and found something else to eat for the evening meal. This was followed in the usual way of watching the English Premier League. 

Written 01/22/2023 Read my other poems at https://ponblog2011.com  

The Diary of an Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, Dripping Springs, TX Day 54, Monday 01/23/2023

I got up reasonably early knowing that I had a Dentists appointment in Austin. If I had to be late or miss an appointment, that would be the one although Dentistry has come a long way over the years. Apart from the first prick of the hypo, from there on out, the only discomfort is having a block of some material which feels like it is 4 inches square, stuck in your mouth for some length of time, to keep your jaws open. 

We walked in the park, and I had time for breakfast, shared with the dogs, before heading into town figuring on two hours from leaving to sitting down in the Dentist chair for that 1:00pm appointment. As it happened, the traffic was light as I made the preplanned trip to Far West Blvd to pick up the mail. Consequently, I had time on my hands after arriving at the Dentist’s Office. 

Sitting in the car, I read the mail I had picked up with nothing of major importance and then listened to an Audiobook to pass the rest of the time. When I walked in, I was the only patient in the waiting room and was quickly called back to the dreaded Dentist chair. 

There were three molars that had gone bad on me, a couple of which had been capped many years before by some other Dentists probably long gone. After three and a half hours, the Dentist and his very competent assistant were through. In that time, I had five-bathroom breaks as all I did while sitting there was think just how badly I needed to “go.” Luckily, the Dentist, being an older gentleman, understood the needs and requirements of old men and at least it took my mind off what was going on. 

I paid the bill knowing that this was just the first step and that the teeth they had installed were only temporary. It will require a second visit to a separate unit that specializes in matching teeth colors. I received an appointment to that facility while still at the Dentists, but it is not for another month.  

I got back in the car and headed for home with no other planned stops except for Starbucks, of course. By then, it was almost 5:00 pm. On the way home, I received a call which was from Malinda worried about me and wondering if I was OK. She also inquired if they should take the dogs out walking. I thanked her for her kindness and explained about the Dentist and the time it took which I had not planned on and told her that I was on the way home. 

Arriving back, 30 minutes later to be met by my excited little dogs, we quickly harnessed up and went out for that final stroll around the park. It was getting dark by the time we got back to Quatro, managing to get in 2.3 miles for the day. We finished the day in the usual fashion with food all around and then watching TV. 

Written 01/23/2023 Read my other blog at https://ponblog2011.com