Published, May 1, 2023. In England, the first of May is pinch-bum day. As little kids, we would go around pinching each other on the butt. If you pinched first, it was against the rules for the other kid to pinch you back. Another silly tradition.
Custom demised: Pinch bum day: a child’s view of Oak Apple day | In search of traditional customs and ceremonies (wordpress.com)

We had a very restful night’s sleep waking up around 8:00 am. I found all kinds of excuses not to get up and it was around 8:30 am before we crawled out. After a quick shower, it was out of the door and out wandering around the park wherever the whims of Miss Sandy took us. 

Following breakfast, I spent time straightening out the insurances on the Jeep, Quatro and now The Caboose. Quatro, of course, I will drop just as soon as Malinda tells me they have the unit covered leaving me with the Jeep and The Caboose the details for which, came back today. Got to have that insurance in case something big and bad happens. Feeling better that I had finally got it all straightened out, I turned my attention to the blog, catching up on yesterday and starting today. 

I went outside and filled the bird feeders with seed as the birds have been doing a number on them. I also refilled the Hummingbird feeders and while rehanging one of them, it slipped through my fingers and broke. It was the one that the earlier camper had given me and actually was for drinking water and not sugar water. That is the second one that had done that, and I really need to be more careful…Either that or remember to dry my hands off before trying to rehang them as the sugar water is kind of slippery. 

I messed around with it to see if I could repair it, but I think it cracked too badly to hold the water which is also pretty heavy stuff. I had to go into town for a grocery run and as The Home Depot is next door, decided to go in to see if they had a replacement water feeder but to no avail. While I was there, I checked on materials for the deck and made a few notes and took a few pictues of the available materials. A pretty plant somehow found its way into my shopping cart and with a couple of packets of batteries, was all that I had to check out. I got to stay away from those plants…What is the saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and those plants are just that. 

Next stop was HEB located next door and I did my usual shopping with very few changes from what I bought the last time. I added two cases of Malinda’s beer after calling her to see what it was, she liked. Of course, a few “extras” not on my list snuck into my cart somehow. I checked out and headed back home.  

The thought crossed my mind very briefly that I should stop for a Latte, but I remembered that the last couple had not really “hit the spot” and drove straight back to Henly instead pleased at not giving in to that temptation. 

On the drive back, I thought about the broken water feeder on the way home. After arriving back, we unloaded groceries and put them away and still disgusted at myself for being so clumsy, I looked around for something to take my frustrations out and my eyes fell upon the dogs. So, I harnessed them up and “made” them go out for another walk which of course delighted them to no end.  

Malinda stopped by to conduct some business officially connecting me to a payment system whereby her bank pays my bank on a monthly basis for the sale of Quatro. Incidentally, a pump on one of the A/C units on Quatro went out and I paid the travelling repair man for it to be repaired. 

She left and we went out for another walk, just wandering around as we usually do, and ran into Daniel who invited me over for a beer.  

Never one to refuse the invitation to a free beer, I put the dogs back in the RV and then wandered over to Daniel’s place which is just across the street from me. He and Malinda were sitting outside and before long, we were joined by Peggy. We sat and drank and chatted and then B.J. joined us carrying bags of food.  

At first, I tried to refuse the offer of a sandwich and fries, but they would not take no for an answer. In truth, I felt a bit embarrassed to be offered the food as I can never provide it back to them myself although I do try to make up for it by supplying the odd case of beer. They told me not to be silly and before long, I was eating a sandwich and fries. BTW, that was the best ham sandwich I have ever eaten it was so tasty. 

We sat devouring the food and drinking beer and making lots of small talk and then Malinda was called away as another camper pulled into the park. Incidentally, both Peggy and B.J. are fun to be around. Glad to have them as friends. I eventually had to leave the party as I needed to take the dogs for one more walk. It was already getting dark, and the walk was a short one before returning to The Caboose for the usual evening entertainment, after feeding the dogs. 

Written 04/23/2023 Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com