For some reason, I slept very late, and it was 9:30 am before I even crawled out. Add a shower, shave and getting dressed to that and it was already 10:00 am. Still, we had nothing planned or at least we didn’t until I got a phone call from the Adjuster saying he was on his way to see me at 12:00 pm or thereabouts.
He arrived on time, and we spent 30 minutes checking things out and asking questions. He pointed out that the front license plate was missing which is the first time I had noticed that. He inspected everything and even let the car run for 15 minutes or so as one of the motor fans was not kicking in. After much discussion, he thought it would be OK to drive short distances but to keep an eye on the gauges in case it overheated.
He left and I went back inside to play catchup with the blog. Hard to believe that it is Monday already and the start of a new month, sort off, with only three months left in the year. At least, it has cooled down a little to the low 90’s.
I was busy working on the computer, and I got a message from Daniel inviting me to coffee over at the Breakroom. I walked over and we sat and chatted for almost an hour about a lot of things. Eventually, he went back to work, and I came back to continue working on the blog.
The afternoon passed and we went out for another short walk which took us past Daniel’s RV. He and Malinda were sitting outside, and they invited me to sit and have a beer. Never one to pass up on a free beer, we sat and chatted for almost two hours. Four beers later, I decided it was time to head back to my RV. Incidentally, it was almost dark, and I noticed that the deer had come a-calling and the bird feeders on the pole were all empty. I did not bother to bring them in as I was too late.
The rest of the evening was spent with a meal and as I was already beered out, a small glass of wine.
The last day of another month as the year slips rapidly by. Time flies when you are already old… I got up at a reasonable hour knowing that I had company coming today and I needed to straighten up the RV at least to make it presentable. It’s alright to lead a relaxed life when there is only myself and two little dogs but when company comes, we at least need to present an air of respectability and decorum (whatever that means).
We went out for that first walk and although I was ready to head back to the RV, Miss Sandy had other ideas and we ended up walking the lower park as well. Back in the RV, I had to refill all the feeders as between the ones hanging in the trees that had run out of seed and the ones the deer had emptied, they all needed it. I used up all my seeds and need to buy more. Last time, I bought two 20 lb. bags, and they lasted about two weeks.
With this chore done we adjourned back inside, and I fixed breakfast for all of us although mine was different than the dogs. Somehow, I can’t see me eating hard dog chow or anything out of a can meant for dog consumption only. Maybe that is why dogs like people’s food…Then I turned my attention to the blog and caught up with yesterday before starting today.
The company that is coming are members of the Austin Allies, an Adult Women’s Soccer team that I coached for many years. They were extremely good at the game, and we travelled all over to play in tournaments and such besides playing in the local Men’s Soccer League in Austin. We made it to the finals of the National Cup one year but lost the final to our archrivals, a team from Dallas.
I have kept in touch with a couple of the players but when the team finally disbanded, the players all went their separate ways as did I. I buzzed around and straightened up the RV to make it presentable. Daniel has said we can use the breakroom when the girls all arrive.
I got a call from Suzanne to tell me that they will not be coming until tomorrow and “Is that OK”. I confirmed that it would be fine as I have nothing else planned for the next day, next week, next year and Ad Infinitum.
With the change of plans, I relaxed again and listened to an Audiobook, drinking wine and sitting outside on the deck.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, TX. Sunday 10/01/2023
Kerry, Me,Jane,Wendy and Susan and of course Mikey on the left and Sandy on the right giving us their best view…
I awoke and remembered that some of the players from the Soccer team I used to coach all those years ago were coming over to pay me a visit. This got me moving and I took a shower and put on clean clothes. The first thing was to take the dogs out for their first walk. We wandered around but did not get very far. Several of our regular stops were not there having moved on and we kept on walking.
Back at the RV, I put out the bird feeders and then watered the plants. I also sprayed them with the really stinky deer repellant. Darn, that stuff smells really bad…
I noticed that Daniel and Malinda were both over at the girls RV so being the nosy person I have become and because the dogs were still harnessed up, we wandered over just to find out. The girls had gotten their new awning in and Daniel and Malinda with the help of Gary had installed it and were still working on finishing up the project. Peggy offered me breakfast in the form of a taco which I gladly consumed along with a bottle of water while I watched the others do the work. Water may be good for you but it does not taste like coffee.
With the project complete and breakfast all gone, we continued our walk just around the grounds. When we got back, Gary stopped by to tell me that he was taking me into town so that I could pick up a fruit bowl, a veggie bowl and more beer, although the girls are not much in the way of beer drinkers. Beer keeps though so it will not be wasted.
We drove back and I thanked Gary for being so helpful and put the stuff into The Caboose. I sat outside and listened to an Audiobook and then went back to catch up with the blog while I waited for the girls to appear.
Finally, they showed in three separate cars, Jane and Wendy in one, Kerry in one and Susan in another. Obviously, they had driven in from all over and had not been able to coordinate. It was good to see them and there were hugs all around. Apart from being older, they all looked the same as back in their playing days.
We moved back inside where it was cooler, and I showed them The Caboose and was met with the usual approvals as it is a nice rig. Then we sat down with the dogs for company and talked for a couple of hours. Or rather, the girls talked, and I listened for most of the time. It seems that they had a lot of catching up to do as well.
They refused my offers of liquid refreshment or the food trays, preferring to stay with the water they had brought with them. After a good while, I suggested that we walk around the campground and maybe meet some of my neighbors, which we did. They got to meet Peggy, Larry and Crystal and of course Malinda and Daniel. BJ and Delores were not there as they were off visiting as was Gary.
Finally, with hugs all around, they each jumped in their cars and left. It was so nice to see them again after all of this time. Susan and I have contact as she is one of my Executors but not the other girls.
I took the dogs out walking so they could let off some of the excitement of having visitors and we wandered around the park. We finally ended up at Daniel and Malinda’s RV where we sat outside and drank a couple of beers and chatted about the past. Let me re-phrase that, my past with the girls and the soccer team they all played on.
Finally, I headed back to The Caboose for the evening meal and then watched television where Brighton and Hove lost big time 6-1 to Aston Villa. For some reason, Brighton was not the same team that had played the first half a dozen games with the Manager playing different players in a different formation to the one that had been so successful so far. Solly got to play, and as he sometimes is, was subbed out just after half time.
We got up early and went out for that first walk just wandering around. Sandy was in fine form and had me and Mikey going every which way as she dashed from one exciting smell to the next. As soon as she discovered something, Mikey rushed over to help her check it out before they moved on to the next great thing.
We wandered around and saw Greg and Olive, the little French bulldog in the distance as we followed each other around. There was also a big Labradoodle walking its owner although we did not get close enough to say hello.
Back in The Caboose, I fixed us all breakfast and prepared Sandy’s pill mixed in with ice cream. At first, she just ignored it, so I then added some chicken to the mix. Incidentally. Sandy likes to eat her breakfast on the bed and when I checked a little later, her bowl was clean. I told her she was a “Good Girl” and made a fuss of her which prompted Mikey to jump up on the bed to get his share of attention.
I sat down in front of the computer and finished off yesterday’s blog before starting today. Yesterdays was depressing because I killed a deer and I hope that today is more cheerful. I worked on posting the past few days and then went back into my Archives and found a poem and posted that for this coming Saturday and then looked around for other things to do.
I spent some time just playing around with the new computer to get used to it and discover where it is different than the old one. Basically, it is very much the same with the location of some of the files and keys, the only thing different that I could find.
While I was sitting in front of the computer, I watched as a squirrel climbed up onto the bird feeders and started to help himself to the feed. I let him eat his fill before he climbed down and dashed off at 100 mph, Funny little guy.
I caught up on the blog knowing that it was going to be a quiet day as I had nothing planned any different than what I do almost every day which is not very much.
We went out walking again just wandering around the park stopping to speak to anyone we saw and usually making a fuss of their dogs. By then, it was late afternoon and as we usually do, we sat on the porch and listened to an Audiobook with either a beer or a glass of wine. Actually, when I am sitting outside, I usually have one or two of the very small bottles of wine that come in a four pack.
We sat there until it started to get dark, and I brought in the bird feeders and put them on the porch. So far, the deer have not been brave enough to climb the steps so I feel they are in a good spot.
Then, it was back indoors for the evening meal and entertainment. I watched Brighton and Hove win their game 3-1. Solly was on the bench and did not get to play.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, TX. Friday 09/29/2023
It wasn’t this deer…
For some reason, I had a broken sleep with what seemed like a long time of being awake and my brain going a million miles a minute. Obviously, it is the damage to the car that is on my mind and the regrets for killing the deer. As much as I dislike the damage they cause to my flower garden, I do not wish any of them dead. I finally dropped back off to sleep and because of it, slept late and did not wake up until 8:30 am.
We went out for the first walk of the day and ran into Daniel who invited us over for coffee at the Break Room. This time we sat in a different spot outside in the shade which was much better as the early morning sun was hot. We sat chatting for a while and another one of the campers came over to pick Daniels brain and eventually, we continued with our walkabout. This time, we walked down the hill almost to the bottom making friends with a pair of dogs on the other side of the fence who barked up a storm at us until we made a fuss of them. Then they quieted down as we went on our way. We managed to cover1.2 miles on that first walk of the day.
The weather forecast is saying that it is going to get cooler next week. I sure hope so as this has been a long, very hot and brutal summer. Plus, next week will be November which is winter in a lot of places. Not in my part of Texas though.
Daniel came over and did some work on the A/C in the bedroom with the motor being very noisy. He managed to fix that problem and then turned his attention to the awning. I wanted it to have more slope as it was very flat when it was fully extended, and the rainwater would not drain off leaving the possibility of damage with too much rainwater collecting and pulling it down. Water is very heavy stuff and I have had that happen already on a different rig.
With those projects out of the way he left to work on other things, and we went back to writing the blog. By now, it was 4:00 pm and another day has almost slipped away.
We went out walking again just wandering around and ended up over at Malinda’s and Daniels RV. Jeff and Terri were already over there drinking beer. The first thing Daniel did was put a can of beer in my hands. I settled down and my dogs got a lot of attention as they went from person to person.
The talk turned to food, and it was decided to go to El Rey, the closest Mexican place to us here in Dripping Springs. I walked the dogs back home and told them I would be back soon, and we all piled into Malinda’s truck and off we went. It was just a 15-minute trip, and the parking lot was crowded but surprisingly enough, there was plenty of room inside.
Everyone made their choice and the food arrived. We sat eating and drinking with a lot of comments how good it was although, I must confess, I would not know good Mexican food from mediocre stuff. Mine was hot and spicy and had a real kick to it. It was tasty enough but as usual, I could not finish it all and brought the rest home in a doggie bag to be consumed later.
The drive back was uneventful, and I was dropped off at my door to be welcomed by the dogs who immediately started sniffing the doggie bag. Even though it is named after them, this one they will not get any of as it is too spicy.
The rest of the evening was spent watching an English Premier League game. I remembered that in all the excitement of going out, I had forgotten to bring in the bird feeders and immediately rectified this. As usual, I was too late, as the deer had already emptied them. I brought them in anyway as I will have to refill them tomorrow.
I returned inside and shut everything off as another day in Paradise came to an end.
The front end damage to the jeep caused by the deer.
Well, I think I have finally caught up with the blog. My apologies to my readers if something is out of whack but trying to remember back five days with my old brain is a real challenge. I spent most of yesterday working on that time even with the prompts that I wrote every day, it was still a challenge. Remind me not to change computers ever again…
I slept very well again. It must have been all that fresh air and we got up at a respectable hour and did our usual walk around the grounds. Malinda and Daniel were sitting outside of the Breakroom along with Remington. My dogs just had to say “Good Morning” to everybody, and we stopped over to drink a coffee with them. The dogs greeted each other in their normal way with lots of butt sniffing and such. Malinda, Daniel and I just settled on saying “Good Morning” to each other.
Daniel brought me a chair and a coffee, and we sat for a short while before he got up to mow the grounds and Malinda walked back to her RV. We continued with our walk although I could see that Sandy was not really into it. The weather was already hot, and the humidity made it miserable, and I decided we should turn back.
I fixed the dog’s breakfast and found something for me to munch on and then settled down to continue to straighten out the blog. At least, I am caught up and am working on today. I wrote for a while keeping in mind that I had an Optometrist appointment for 1:40 pm. The time whizzed by as it tends to do nowadays and then it was time to drive into Austin for that appointment.
I had allowed myself plenty of time for the appointment so that I did not have to speed but just keep up with the traffic. I was cruising down a hill in a bunch of traffic when suddenly, a full-grown deer jumped off the rocks at the side of the road straight in front of me. Luckily, I was alone with no other cars immediately close to me, and I was able to pull to the side of the road. The deer, quite obviously very dead, was in the center lane and out of traffic. There was nothing I could do except a quick prayer for the deer and continued my way. I saw the deer out of the corner of my eye and had no time to react as it happened that fast. There was no place to go anyway.
The Jeep had extensive front-end damage which I discovered when I checked it over after hitting the deer. It was still drivable but hotter than heck as the A/C no longer works.
I continued driving and feeling bad for the deer. At least, the Jeep is probably repairable which I can’t say for the poor animal.
I reached the Optometrist Office in plenty of time and had to wait for 10 minutes or so before Dr Tybor walked in the examination room. We chatted as he worked and except for recommending me with different drops that I can buy over the counter, everything was fine or as fine as 87-year-old eyes are expected to be.
I walked out and jumped into the damaged Jeep for the drive home which was free of any further incidents. When I passed the place of the accident, the deer was no longer in the middle of the road in the center lane. Someone must have moved it as I am pretty sure that it was very dead and did not move itself.
The drive home the rest of the way was accident free although the A/C decided to quit working and it was very hot in the car. Not surprising as the outside temperature was a little over 90 degrees. Seems like there is always something.
I called Good Sam Insurance, who I am with, and we discussed the policy and other things. Turns out, I do not have a rental car on the policy and will need to pay for one. Oh well, it could be worse as it was for the deer. Now I am waiting for the Insurance Adjuster to come and inspect the vehicle.
We went out for a walk with the temperature dropping into the high 80’s and the skies clouding up a bit. Maybe, we might get some rain. We were sitting outside on the deck and Daniel wandered over. It was my turn to provide the beer and I surprised him with a cold 12 pack of Michelob Ultra. Malinda joined us along with Remington although Remi did not drink a beer. Later, Greg joined us although he too is not a beer drinker. We sat chatting for a while and first Greg moved on with his walk around the grounds and then Malinda and Remi went back to their RV leaving Daniel and me to work on the beer.
When he finally left to go back to his RV, there were two cans left out of the 12 pack we started with.
The rest of the day was spent in the usual fashion of dog walks, food, wine and television
I was up and at them early this morning as I wanted to get the blog straightened out. I was still several days behind which is not good from my perspective with my recall as bad as it is.
We went out for the morning walk and saw a couple of other dogs doing the same thing. I try to avoid crossing paths unless it is the only way to go or if we know the dog and know it is friendly. There is no reason to look for trouble if it can be avoided. Today, we actually saw the three cows and two calfs in the farm across the road
Back in the RV, I fixed breakfast and Miss Sandy ate her pill. Unknowingly of course as I had disguised it. But they both were rewarded with a couple of treats. Something wrong with the picture as Mikey did not do anything and still got rewarded.
I intended to work on the blog and bring it up to date, straightening out the missing five days when I didn’t have a computer although I had jotted notes down on my phone to remind me what happened each day, Even so, it took most of the day before I was caught up with the blog.
A couple of times as I typed, I realized that I was out of sequence or it happened on a different day. Of course, I am the only one that knows this but still, I like to get it right.
Finally, I was satisfied that I had it all correct and at that point, we were caught up. By then, it was 4:30 pm and we had been at it since 9:30 am. That is the only problem with getting a new computer is the learning curve especially if the old one is several years old plus this one is a different make than the last one.
I started working on todays blog thinking back to remember if anything out of the ordinary occurred yesterday. Malinda had asked me to get beer the next time I was in town and as I had run out of things to do, I drove in to the HEB. I had other things I needed and it was not just a beer run. I wandered around and spent $160.00 on stuff before driving back to The Caboose where I ran into Daniel and off loaded the two crates of beer. He invited me over to drink one with him and Malinda which of course, I did.
We sat chatting for an hour or so before I thought it time to go back to my RV where I took the dogs out for one more loop around the park. Then we spent the rest of the evening on food, television and a glass of wine.
We were up bright and perky after a good nights sleep which lasted almost 12 hours would you believe. I have no idea why I slept so well but it was a good way to start the day, wide awake for a change. The first order of the day after harnessing up my two little friends who I swear were standing there hopping from one foot to the other with their legs crossed.
As usual, I filled and rehung the bird feeders, grabbed the small bag of trash and we headed for the dumpster and then wandered around the park, We took Henly Loop towards Hwy 290 and this time, we got to see the cows that are in the fields opposite the park. There are three of them with two young calves. I had missed seeing them as they have several fields to graze in. There were no exotics this time.
Back in the RV, we had our customary breakfast and we are really on a roll with Sandy’s medicine as so far, the ice cream disguise is still working just fine.
I settled down with both computers open in front of me and compared the differences in them. I knew that I needed to work with the new one to get used to it and to get away from the sticky keys of the old one, I had written the blog for the missing days on the Galaxy phone that I have so I at least had something to reference which is a good thing as my memory is really bad.
I spent most of the day working on playing catch up with the blog and managed to do most of that. It took me quite a while to transfer the missing days after writing them into the new computer and then into the blog. Luckily, the days are pretty repetitious or I would be in trouble. I had kept a brief reminder of each day and the things that stood out the most on my Galaxy phone which at least allowed me to dictate the entries saving some time and providing me with reminders that I needed for the past 5 days.
I received a call from Malinda asking that if I go into town, to buy beer. I had not planned on it but when I thought about it, decided it was a good idea and there were things I needed as well. The drive in was uneventful and I found what I wanted and managed to spend $160.00. There goes not needing very much. I bought 2 cases of beer for Malinda and a six pack for me.
I also bought a Latte as I had worked up a thirst wandering around the store. The drive back was uneventful and I had all kinds of help unloading the groceries. I had already stopped at Malinda’s RV to drop of the beer and received an invite to come over and drink one or two which I did, of course.
We sat and chatted for more than an hour and then I came back to the RV to feed myself and the dogs and then watched Brighton win their football game. Solly was not playing again.
That was it for the day as we adjourned inside and went to bed at 10:30 pm to end another day in dreamland.
We got up early as I knew that I needed to go into Austin to the Best Buy to pick up my new computer. I had received word from them that it was ready, and I was supposed to pick a time when I would pick it up and made a wild guess. I figured that I might have to wait if they were busy but what the hell better than guessing a time.
I arrived at Best Buy 15 minutes before they even opened and sat around in the parking lot until the doors opened. Then I walked to the desk where I could get my new computer and my old one back. I did not have to pay any money as the cost of the new one was equal to the cost of the one that I was returning, or at least, close enough.
I eventually walked out of there with my computers cradled in my arms and back to my car. The drive home was uneventful, and I did stop at Starbucks in Bee Caves for breakfast and coffee. The rest of the trip was easy, and I made good time back to the RV where I was met by the little dogs all excited that Dad was home. We immediately went out for a walkabout just wandering the park and the outside lanes and found ourselves at the girls RV along with Malinda and Daniel where we started drinking beer and just chatting.
We sat there for a couple of hours and several beers later when Daniel announced that he was hungry and was going to fire up his grill. So, we all made our way over to their RV and sat drinking more beer and several different types of other stuff that Malinda produced. Eventually, several beers later and with full stomachs, we made our way back to our own RV for the rest of the evening which in my case was to try to catch up on the blog using the new computer.
It truly was an eventful day, and it is always exciting to get new things even as mundane as a new computer. If my old one wasn’t having key sticking problems, I would not have made the trade. Incidentally, the new one is a bit different and not set up quite the same as I am used to so there is a learning curve.
I finally put it to one side and sat outside for a while and then adjourned back indoors for the evening which was spent, drinking wine and watching TV.
The dogs took me walking the other day as we usually do and along the way we passed not one but three young men each running separately setting a trend as they moved gracefully forward striding along in effortless movement covering the ground with graceful ease and moving at a respectable speed I looked at the dogs as they dragged me along cursing under my breath with each furlong suffering agonies with each step that we took wishing I was at home with a book instead of getting pulled here and there as the dogs could smell the scent in the air of others dogs that had passed before we had even got out of the door actually this is not close to true Sandy does drag as we continue to walk along at a pretty fast pace at least for me although it’s no race especially when compared to the men who have just run on by and then back again in the time that it takes us a few yards they have galloped along without any regards to the effort it takes but oh to be young and join with them and their run alas my running days are long gone and I am content to carry on with Sandy always taking the lead pulling Mikey and me along like a steed and that is the way that it will be as old age has taken its toll on me I hope these young men through the years will continue to run through the gears staying healthy and fit as long as they can for running is cheap since time began and do not let life get in the way of staying healthy and fit or have any say doing it as fast as they can with thousands of runners throughout the land.
I got up at a reasonable hour for us and as usual, walking the dogs was the first order of the day. That is after putting the bird feeders out. I replenish them as needed although, for some reason, I forgot to bring them in last evening and needless to say, the deer had emptied all the feeders requiring that I refill them before rehanging them.
I tied the dogs up to the picnic table so they could watch and went about the task of refilling the feeders following which, we went walking around the park. That early morning walk is very important for obvious reasons, for all of us, me and the dogs.
We got lucky and there were several deer and one Zebra out in the exotic park. I stopped and took pictures as I always do before we continued on our way. Depending on Miss Sandy, we either walk a long way or if she decides she does not want to go very far, we turn and head for home. Me and Mikey invariably do as we are told.
We headed back to the RV, and I fixed them breakfast and toast and coffee for me. I have found a way to give Sandy her pill at least for a while and that it to mash up the pill and mix it with ice cream. She slurps down most of it and then I give her real food.
I made breakfast and coffee for myself and read my emails. Then I turned my attention to the blog trying to get enough of the written word to keep track of what we got up to while my computer is being repaired. A lot of this was done on my phone as it was the only thing I had to records anything.
Luckily, Saturday was a quiet day. We went out walking several times to help pass the time. The park on the whole was pretty quiet. Some people were making use of the pool, some were walking dogs and there was a constant stream of campers coming and going as they went about their business,
We did a lot of sitting around listening to an Audiobook and drinking the occasional beer and ended the day watching the English Premier League
I got up at a very reasonable hour for me and the first thing of course was to fill the bird feeders. During the time that I was over at the break room at last evenings party with my friends, the deer moved in cleaned out all the seed holders. I filled the four small holders and hung them out and then the dogs and I went walking. We didn’t get very far before we crossed paths with Daniel who had his granddaughter with him. We sat outside the break room drinking coffee just passing the time. His granddaughter is extremely intelligent 8 years old and so funny to listen to. She amused us all by herself with her constant chatter.
We eventually continued with our walk around the park and got to see a couple of exotic deer across the road. I even got a couple of pictures off then. We wandered around and eventually returned to the RV. Where we sat inside and had breakfast. Plus, that all important coffee.
I fiddled around with the iPhone but could not get that to work for me in the blog. So I switched to the other phone that I have and managed to get it to record today’s events. I will be glad when I get my new computer back. We have nothing planned for today except maybe a trip into the grocery store.
With nothing better to do and after already writing it down, I decided to go into town to the HEB there and do some grocery shopping. I didn’t think I needed that much when I tried to make a list it only had one thing on it, beer.
I knew That once I got in HEB I would figure out all kinds of things that I needed. This turned out to be true as I ended up spending $160, I only bought one 6 pack of beer. I kept finding things that ended up in my basket although I probably will use them all.
I stopped at Starbucks and got small latte to help me on the drive Home which was straightforward. The dogs helped me unload and put the groceries away with lots of sniffing and poking noses into bags stuff like that.
I really don’t have much else going on today and was just sitting around when the phone rang. It was Peggy telling me to come over to their RV. Delores was already there and I accepted the offer of a beer. Then followed the real reason we were there and that was to eat homemade ice-cream which was delicious.
I declined the offer of a second helping and we sat there exchanging stories before Delores said she had to go. I walked out with her and saw her safe in her RV before going to my own little house to be greeted by my two little dogs.
I found something to eat and then spent the rest of the evening in the usual way.
I got up at a somewhat reasonable hour for us and we went out for the usual morning walk about. It was already pretty hot out and it’s going to be another very hot day.
We walked around the park and then settled back indoors for the usual coffee and breakfast. Except, this time we never got around to it. Instead, I loaded up the two computers into the car and made sure that I had all the stuff I needed and drove into Austin to the nearest Best Buy.
I got lucky as there was nobody at the counter. Usually there’s a line unless you call ahead and make an appointment you’re stuck at the end of that line. I had not called ahead but like I said, I got lucky as there was nobody else around.
The salesperson took all my information and after a lot of filling out forms and such, took both of the computers . He carefully looked at the new one that I had already bought and was returning and gave me a full refund on it. Then he suggested that I go find another computer and told me what brand I needed to buy that would be compatible and I wandered over to the computer section.
I was met there by a salesman who just happened to work for Hewlett Packard, the company that he said I should buy. He showed me one and it looked OK to me but then again so did the last one that I bought and I just returned. I took it back to the repair section and the same salesman worked with me on getting everything checked in. He told me that the new computer should be ready by next Tuesday.
I thanked him and then went on my way back home, pleased that things had worked out well. The drive home was uneventful and I thought about stopping at Starbucks for coffee and decided against it.
Back at the RV, I was met by my two little buddies who were ready to go walkies which we did for a short walk around the grounds. It was pretty hot out so we did not stay out long and quickly adjourned back inside The Caboose.
It occurred to me after I’d eaten breakfast or rather lunch, that I would not have a computer for the next few days. I need to keep up with the blog on a daily basis as my memory is so bad I hardly remember what day it is. I have it’s a small tablet that have not used very much plus the Samsung phone which also has recording capabilities. That got me thinking and I started messing around with it and managed to get it to record the blog. Now I don’t feel quite so bad as at least I can record Stuff even if I can’t post it until I get the computers back, supposedly next Tuesday. Four days time.
By then, it was already 4:00 and another day had flown by. We harnessed up the dogs and went out walking although it was still pretty hot out outside. The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way, listening to the audio book drinking a bottle of beer and generally relaxing.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, TX. Thursday 09/21/2023
I got up at a very reasonable hour probably because I was worrying about the things going on that I was trying to fix. As we usually do, I harnessed up the dogs and we went outside to work on the bird feeders. Well let’s say we went outside and I worked on the bird feeders. Then we went walking around the park.
We ran into Daniel who had been sitting over the Common’s area with somebody I didn’t recognize. We chatted for a little bit and then then he went on his way as we did. We wandered around and hit the outside road known as Henley Loop, and walked all the way down to the very large oak tree. I thought that it was at least 1/2 mile to that tree but according to my trusty phone, it was only eight tenths of a mile there and back. Quite obviously, I am not a good judge of distance.
Back at the RV, I fixed breakfast of a bacon sandwich for me and then I crushed up Sandys medication and covered it with ice cream. I had a flash of brilliance while I was trying to think of how to give her medicine and making sure she eats it. Then I remember how much she likes ice cream and at least this morning, she ate the pill. Maybe I gotta do this everyday.
Following breakfast I glanced at the spot where normally the computer sits and remember that was I was having work done and I wouldn’t have it for a few days. So, I went back to my the phone and after a lot of fiddling around, managed to get it’s too listen to me as I spokeand recording the Blog.
I dictated the morning as far as it had gone and hoped that I could get it to work again when I need it to. I have no plans for today except maybe just throw in a load of laundry. Taking that as a cue, I did just that and we now have a load of laundry doing its thing.
I went outside and did some work on the the bird hangers as they did not look very secure to me. I had used two pieces of 2×2 to hang the big feeders and I changed that out to 2 x 4 and it’s now much more secure. The feeders when they are full have quite a bit of weight and the two boards that I have just changed will take care of that. I also did some work on the gate to the deck as it was not latching properly. With the outside projects taken complete, I went back inside. I will be glad to get a computer back so I have something to work on.
We really did not do very much except to manage the laundry and write the blog. Incidentally, the blog is temporarily getting written on my phone until I get my computer back.
I got an invitation from the girls to go over to the break room so that I could enjoy more food. I wandered over and both BJ and Peggy where there. We sat and chatted for a while and then Melinda, Daniel and the Grandkids came in followed by Dolores. We sat and enjoyed food provided by the girls who in turn had got it from their workplace where they had a party today. The food was really tasty and of course the company is just incredible.
I watched as several of them played a game of cards called Uno including two of Malinda’s Grandkids, Madi, and Landon. The other Grandkid, Wyatt, watched TV. I got the biggest kick watching them play, especially Madi who is a child well beyond her years.
I only drank one beer at least until I got back to my RV. Then I got me another one and sat on the outside deck listening to an audio book. We sat there for a while and then went back inside to shut up shop for the evening.
I got up early, for me, as I knew I had an 11:00 am appointment in Austin with my Dentist. I thought about it and called my Vet to order more pills for Sandy. You know, the ones that I am constantly scheming to find ways to administer to her. Plus, they are expensive at $100.00 for a month’s supply which works out to around $3:00 a pill. Another reason I hate it is when she wastes them. Still, to me, she is more than worth it.
With that out of the way, we walked around for the first walk of the day before returning to the RV where I fed Sandy her special mix, which she ate. Mikey just gets a couple of treats.
I fixed myself coffee and breakfast with one eye on the clock and when it was time, said goodbye to my little buddies and hopped in the Jeep for the drive into town.
My Dentist is located about mid-town Austin, and I took the 38th street exit off Mopac and was there at the proper time. I was quickly seated, and the Dentist and his Assistant went to work. They had done the “dirty” work a couple of weeks ago when they extracted the bad tooth. This time, they did things in reverse and removed the temporary one and replaced it with the permanent one. I was only in the chair for about 15 minutes.
The best part was at check out when I was all prepared to pay whatever it might cost and they told me, nothing. Apparently, I had paid for the complete job the last time I was here. I thanked everybody profusely and made my way back to my car.
My next stop was back on Ben White Blvd to the building where my ear doctor was found. He had supplied the new hearing aids or rather his Audiologist, Lisa, had. She met me and led me back to her little cubicle that she works out of and asked what she could do for me.
I took the new hearing aids out of my pocket (not my ears) and explained that the one on the left was not working. She fiddled around with it and then cleaned both of them and told me that the left aid was turned off and showed me how to turn them back on as needed.
I replaced the older ones that were in my ears with the repaired new ones and handed them to her and explained that these are now just backups but that the left one was making weird noises. She went to work and using her magic touch first cleaned and then got it back working properly again. While she was at it, she cleaned the other one as well.
I put the “old” ones back in their box as I was back to wearing the new ones again as they do give a better sound. I thanked her profusely for her help and on the way out, ran into Dr. Bittar and we shook hands and exchanged a couple of words. It is hard to believe that I have been coming to see him since 1978 when I broke my nose playing soccer which led to him working on all the other parts of my ears, nose and throat.
The drive home was uneventful, and I stopped at the Vet’s to pick up Sandy’s expensive pills. This time I got 2 month’s supply plus as an added bonus, the traffic was light, and I made good time for the trip back to the RV.
I was met at the door by the dogs eager to go out for a walk and we wandered here and there before returning to the RV. There was not much shade this early in the afternoon and although, not as hot as a week ago, the temperature was around the 95-degree mark, still plenty warm.
I sat and worked on the blog completed yesterday after much head scratching as I struggled to remember exactly what happened. It was one of those routine days, so nothing jumped out at me, and I finally was able to post it.
It was 5:00 pm when I was caught up with the blog and time for the evening walk. Again, we just wandered around the park and got lucky as we saw some deer when we walked Henly Loop towards Hwy 290.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way, food, drink and television.
Another week begins. I wonder what this one might bring? I’m not sure that I want to know way ahead of time anyway. Anticipation of an upcoming event whether good or bad might be very difficult. I got up at a very reasonable hour for me because I thought I had a Dentists appointment in Austin. Turns out that it is for tomorrow, but I stayed up anyway.
We went out for our first walk but only walked one circuit of the park. The Dentists appointment was on my mind, not realizing that it is not until tomorrow, and I wanted to make sure not to be late. It was only when I got back to the RV did, I realized that my time was off but only by 24 hours. Go figure.
I fixed breakfast and had just enough milk for the coffee which got me thinking that I will need to go into town anyway regardless of the dentist appointment. My local HEB in Dripping Springs has almost everything I want in the way of food. It’s just that Walmart’s has all this other “stuff” that I like to look at and sometimes even buy.
I settled for the HEB in Dripping Spring mainly because I have a Dentists Appointment in Austin tomorrow. That still did not mean that I did not have to go shopping as for one thing, I was out of bird seed and the feeders needed replenishing. Plus, it was my turn to buy the beer.
I went into town and stopped at Tractor Supply where I bought two 25 lb. bags of bird seed. Then, it was on to HEB where I wandered around and found all the things I needed, including the beer as my contribution. A six pack with my name on it snuck into my cart when I wasn’t looking.
On the way home, I stopped at Starbucks and bought a small Latte which tasted OK. The piece of Walnut cake tasted even better. I got lots of help in putting things away with Mikey sticking his nose into every bag I unloaded from the car. I put things in cupboards and the refrigerator and then harnessed up the dogs so they could help in filling and rehanging the bird feeders. I switched a couple of feeders around so the birds would eat from them and then we went out walking. We wandered around as we usually do with the only specific destination, the mail box just to check, in case someone sent me something. I still have some addresses to reroute and am slowly working on it. Eventually, I hope to be able to cancel the Mail Service that I have at Far West Blvd in Austin.
We walked back to the RV and sat around listening to an Audiobook and watched the world go by. There was not a lot to watch…Daniel called and told me to come over for a beer. Never on to pass on a free beer, I wandered over and we sat talking for about an hour before heading back to The Caboose.
Finally, it was time to do things in reverse and I brought in the seed holders from the low stand. We now have four that are up high and out of the deer’s reach and they stay out all the time. Incidentally, the bird seed that the birds always waste below the seed holders has started to grow with the recent rain. I will probably have to cut that down eventually as it will be too late in the season for it to ripen.
I thought about the recent days and the many different ways that I have spent my waking time living this life so sublime doing what I like to do most of the time without a clue with no one else to tell me wrong I breeze through life like a song knowing the words and humming the tune as the saying goes over the moon with the people I know here at the park always ready for a lark drive fifty miles to go to a show drink some beer and dance real slow or hop around as the music speeds and those of us with clumsy feet need lots of room or we will trip over ourselves as we feel hip so we stand in one place and move real slow just to put on our own show and let the dancers do their thing swinging by like birds on a wing.
Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, so we did, not getting up until 8:30 am and taking the first walk around the campgrounds and the outside road. Others were doing the same with their pets. Even though it was cooler, the humidity still made it uncomfortable.
Back in the RV, I looked around for something for breakfast and settled on two waffles covered in syrup with that all important first coffee of the day. With breakfast out of the way, I straightened up the RV and made the bed and then turned my attention to the world news and then the blog.
I worked on yesterday and had a lot to report with our trip to Fredericksburg which I had thoroughly enjoyed. I am glad that I was not a stick in the mud and had gone with these crazy, fun-loving people as I had such a wonderful and fun time.
Weatherwise, it has cooled down a lot and the high for today is forecast to be in the mid 90’s which compared to a week ago is almost comfortable.
I thought about going into town and decided against it mainly because it was Sunday, and I could not stock up on wine and beer. These are my only contributions to all the food I keep eating from the others. Like I said before, I can’t cook worth a dam.
I found things to do which included catching up with the blog. I also used the new spray on the plants that is supposed to keep the deer away. It stinks to high heaven which is why the deer do not like it. I almost needed a face mask just to apply the stuff, it smelt so bad. As long as my neighbors do not complain…
We went out for another walk and just wandered around the park and the outside roads and just about managed to get in the mandatory mile for the day. Even though it was no longer in the 100’s, it was still pretty warm and humid out. After the busy last couple of days, it was nice to just laze around.
We sat outside and listened to an Audiobook and drank a couple of beers. Then, as usual, came the mandatory last short walk followed by bringing in the bird feeders and shutting the door on the outside world. The rest of the evening was food, a glass of wine and Premier League Football.
This guy was only a few feet away on the other side of the fence.
We awoke to a cloudy morning with a good chance of rain in the forecast and quickly harnessed up ready to walk before it started. I brought out the bird feeders and am pleased to report that all the different feeders get their fair share of our feathered friends.
The night before, I left the two seedcake holders out on purpose as both seedcakes were nearly finished. I wondered if the deer would eat them and of course the answer was not only yes, but hell yes as both feeders were empty by the morning. So, I took the time to refill them as well and will bring them in along with the other seed holders at night.
We went out for the first walk of the day and just wandered around, even though it was cloudy, there was extremely high humidity. I worked up a pretty good sweat and we only walked a half mile. The walk was uneventful, and we did not see any other dogs taking their Hooman’s out.
Back in the RV, I fixed the usual breakfast and continued with the ongoing battle to get Sandy to take her medicine. I keep trying different things. Some work one day and then won’t work the next which is really frustrating. Sometimes, I do other things and not paying attention and Mikey finishes off her food. My guess is that he has a very healthy heart even without the added medicine.
It started to rain but not as hard as last evening nor for as long, but every bit helps. I thought about going into town but my list of items that I needed was very short and none of which were a” must have”.
We went out for another walk around the grounds just to keep the dogs occupied and of course, I always need exercise.
Back in the RV, I pulled out the new computer that I bought a couple of months ago and decided that I would try to set it up. I asked Malinda if she knew how to do that and she said “Yes, bring it over to the Break Room”. I took both of my computers, the one I use every day and the new one still in its box over and she went to work. I spent my time inside with her or outside with Daniel and the Girls.
Malinda worked on the file transfers for a couple of hours, even calling Microsoft for help but to no avail. The new computer will not accept some files and cannot be set up the same as the old one. She returned both computers back to the way they were and at the same time, made the two keys that were not working properly on the original one, active.
I am not sure what I will do with the new one. The logical thing is to return it, but I have had it a couple of months still unopened in the box until yesterday. At this time, with the original one working properly, I do not need to replace it.
I sat around and listened to an Audiobook before I got a call from Peggy telling me to “come over”. Over was the Break Room and the usual group were there with the exception of Delores. As usual, somebody, and I believe it was Gary, had prepared hamburgers with all of the fixin’s.
We sat and chatted and ate our food and eventually, the party broke up with us each going our separate ways with me taking the dogs out walking for the last walk of the day.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, TX. Saturday 09/16/2023
The day started off as it normally does with the first walk around the campgrounds saying “Good Morning” to whoever we met along the way or changing directions if they happened to have unknown dogs with them. Sometimes, it would be the other camper that changed directions not wanting to take that chance with my two ferocious trained attack dogs.
I received a message from Peggy reminding me that we were going to Fredericksburg at 11:00. When I hummed and hawed about it as I was not really sure that I wanted to go, I told her I would call her back on it. A few minutes later, I got a call from Daniel and his first words were, “What do you mean you are not going, of course you are going”.
I mumbled “OK” under my breath and he said they would pick me up at 11:00 am and to be ready. I really wanted to go but was a bit reluctant to leave the guys alone all day. Promptly at 11:00 am, BJ rolled up in her van with everyone on board. Malinda leaned out and told me to wear a hat which I promptly grabbed and jumped into the front seat which is where I always seem to ride alongside BJ who is the driver. Incidentally, Jeff and Terri went with us but travelled in their own Jeep.
The trip was a long one of almost 50 miles one way and we listened to interesting stories from Daniel and Malinda with Peggy putting in her 5 cents worth. Then BJ turned on the radio to a station playing oldies but goodies. Both Malinda and she joined in, and we were entertained for a lot of the trip. BJ has a beautiful voice and knows ALL the words of ALL of the songs as does Malinda. Me, I can barely remember the words to the National Anthem let alone words to a hundred different Country and Western songs.
With all of the entertainment, the drive time passed quickly, and we arrived at the selected spot where we all piled out and started walking through the different buildings, each with a lot of good stuff inside. There was building after building, each having a dozen or so stalls selling a wide variety of items. There was one that had probably at least 500 different types of knives, which was of special interest to Daniel.
We wandered around from building after building and stall after stall and it was not long before we all got separated, and eventually finding each other. We sat in one building for at least an hour that was set up with a stage listening to a three piece band who were very good. The lead singer could belt out a song and the other guitarist played several solos. He too could play. For me, the hit of the group was the drummer who had to be all of 14 years old. He sat on top of the drum which was square and not the usual round shape that one associates with that type of instrument.
Malinda and Daniel got up and started dancing as did a couple of other people. Then both Peggy and BJ dragged me up onto the dance floor where I went ahead to make a complete and utter fool of myself. I got the rhythm and the beat OK but could not remember where to put my feet. It was all good fun and we finally called it a day and jumped back into BJ’s van.
We headed back into Fredericksburg and stopped at a specialty store that sold homemade food items. I bought a packet of Bourbon Pecans but have yet to try them. From there, we moved on to a similar store a half mile down the road only this time, we walked. This was Main Street, Fredericksburg and it was busy and full of tourists. Finally, BJ and Malinda walked back and retrieved the van and picked us all back up for the drive home.
Incidentally, on the drive in as we were leaving Henly, we passed through a very heavy rainstorm which we eventually drove out of before we hit Fredericksburg, but it did give Henly a good soaking. On the way back, both Malinda and BJ sang along to the radio entertaining the rest of us.
I was dropped off at my door and gave BJ and Peggy a quick hug and thanked them for making the day so entertaining. They are both two very nice and fun, ladies along with both Daniel and Malinda. It is good to have such nice friends. We covered 3.4 miles of walking for the day.
The dogs were pleased to see me, and we harnessed up to walk around the park before heading back inside for the usual evenings glass of wine and watch Brighton beat Man United 3-1 although Solly is injured and was not playing.
I awoke early and lay there thinking about the day ahead and wondering if I should get up. In the end, I took so long to make up my mind that I dropped back off to sleep. Oh well, guess I am not meant to get up earlier than 9:00 am. It does not matter much unless it happens to be one of those days when I do have something I need to do and even then, I try to set any appointments no earlier than midday or 1:00 pm. Some of that is also due to the fact that it takes me almost an hour to get into Austin and it it’s North Austin, even longer. If it happens to be rush hour, it will be much longer and much more aggravating.
It was cooler when we went out walking and we wandered around. We got to see an older Gentleman walking his two small dogs and I chose to go in the opposite direction so as not to have any confrontations. We also saw Greg and Olive, the little Bull Terrier who as usual was carrying a branch that was bigger than she was. We waved to them as they were at the bottom of the hill.
We walked the outside road and a part of the lane leading to Hwy 290 although we did not go all the way to the end. On the way back, the donkeys were by the fence along with the lone Zebra. The donkeys let me make a fuss of them and I made sure to keep my hands out of the way.
The Zebra came close but would not let me touch him. Probably a good thing as a lady pulled up in her car who I assumed to be the animal’s owner as she told me the whole history of them including their names which of course, I promptly forgot. Apparently, the Zebra is the leader of this group. She warned me not to try to touch the Zebra because he would bite my hand off, quite literally. I thanked her for her information, and she drove on and we continued to walk back to The Caboose very pleased with how the morning had gone so far.
When we got back, I decided to do a load of laundry and went outside to open the drain valves. I am not sure how much water a load of laundry uses but I did not want to find out with it flooding the bathroom. Better safe than sorry as the saying goes. I had that happen once in one of my other RV’s and looked up from whatever I was doing to see a river of water running over the floor.
I fixed breakfast and that all important coffee and thought about my transition from tea to coffee. When I lived in England all those years ago, the day started with a “cuppa” which is one of the English slang words for a cup of tea just as over here, it starts with coffee. Maybe that has changed to coffee now in England as so much in this world has been Americanized. I still drink tea of course but it is the rest of the day drink for me unless coffee is not available then I will drink it in the morning.
I worked on the pictures I had taken this morning when the exotics came close to the fence. I guess Donkeys are labelled as exotics in this particular setting as they were in the company of a Zebra and other deer.
Back in the RV, I settled down to write about our interesting morning. I also worked on the pictures, some of which are included in this blog.
I started a load of laundry as the stack of dirty clothes had grown considerably. It takes about one and a half hours for the wash and a bit longer for the dry cycle. There are ways to set the machine so that it will automatically switch to the dry mode, but I have not found a way to drop the anti-static sheets in, so I do it as two separate actions, one to wash and one to dry. Altogether, it takes almost four hours. The beauty of it is that I can do other things while it is doing its thing.
After I have finished with any household chores and have the blog up to date and any pictures worked on, I usually just sit indoors and contemplate the state of the world. I guess that it not really true as mostly, I sit there with my eyes closed, not asleep but very relaxed generally with a dog on either side of me who are both soundly zonked off. The only thing that will wake them is if I try to get up and then they are instantly awake.
If it is not too hot outside, I often sit outside and listen to an Audiobook with one of the fans blowing on my face to keep me cool. Sometimes, a beer sneaks into my hands brought to me by my own personal beer fairy who I have yet to meet.
As I was sitting and writing, I glanced up to see a single deer working on the bird feeders. I got up and shooed it away and watched as it galloped off. I went back to writing and a bit later, looked up again to see two deer working on the bird seed holders. They both took off for about 25 yards and then stood there looking at me as if to say, please share. Yeah, right. Eventually, they both ran off.
I got a message from the girls to get over to the Break Room as we were eating again. This time it was Hamburgers with all of the fixin’s. I promptly dropped whatever it was I was busy with and hustled over to the Break Room where the usual crowd had gathered minus Delores who was visiting family. We sat and ate and generally heard many outlandish stories from those assembled. I try to limit my eating as much as is allowed and in the habit of drinking my beer slowly. The others go back for seconds but I do not. As it was, the hamburger was so thick that I struggled to get through it but finally managed.
It started to rain while we were in the Breakroom and literally just fell out of the sky. It only lasted about a half an hour, but a lot of water fell in a short time accompanied by very strong winds. Luckily, I had already brought in my awning as had everyone else.
When the rain finally stopped, we all made our way back to our own RV’s and I settled in for the rest of the evening, this time with a glass of wine and television. I even went to bed early, for me, at 10:30 pm.
I was up at a reasonable hour, for me, and as we usually do, we went out walking. We did not get very far as Daniel and Greg, who had just returned to the park, were drinking coffee in the Breakroom. I joined them and we chatted for a while before continuing with the walk.
This time, because there was a nice breeze blowing and a lot of cloud cover which made it a whole lot cooler, we chose to walk down the hill on the outside road. This road actually dead ends and we did not go all the way to the end. Even so, we walked down it a half mile and obviously, another half mile coming back, which was a good start to the day. Amazing that it being a little cooler can make that much difference.
Back at the RV, I brought out the bird feeders, including the ones that hang on the bird pole that the deer like so much refilling them as needed and then went inside for breakfast. Today, Sandy would not eat the food I gave her that contained her medication, meaning that she did not take her medicine. It is a struggle trying to find something that she likes enough to disguise the medication every day.
I read the World news which was no different than yesterday bringing us up to date on current events. Then I sat and wrote the blog keeping us on schedule and looked around for other things to get up to.
It seems that every day around this time, I start running out of things to do unless I am making a trip to go shopping or maybe a Doctors Appointment and such. Usually, I clean and tidy the RV or maybe even find something to do outside like watering the plants or spraying them with Deer deterrent. The easiest and best thing to do is to listen to an Audiobook…
We went out for another walk around the campgrounds and then hit the outside road and down the hill to the bottom. It had cooled off enough to be almost comfortable although I still sweat a lot.
Back at the RV, we sat outside listening to the Audiobook and drinking a beer and watching the world go by. We stayed there until it started to get dark and then it was time to bring in the feeders and take ourselves indoors for the evening meal and television.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, TX. Wednesday 09/13/2023
I awoke at a reasonable hour and instead of getting up, I lay there dozing and just relaxing, not in any hurry to do anything. Eventually, I forced myself to crawl out of bed and start the process of facing another day. I wondered if the day would be like the rest or if it would bring something different. As I am not psychic nor can I see into the future, I will just have to wait and see what sort of a day it will be.
The good thing is that it has clouded over and there is a chance of rain which we can really use. And, it has finally cooled down a little.
We went out walking the park and taking one of the outside roads just to get the exercise before returning to The Caboose. I noticed that one of the bird feeders had fallen and lay broken with the seed spilt under the deck. Closer inspection revealed that the piece of wood I had screwed to the deck railing had split dumping 5 lbs. of seed. At least it is in one place so I can rescue most of it.
As I did not have any other large bird seed containers, I hopped in the car for the short drive to Tractor Supply and found one that I liked and would hold about the same amount of seed. I drove back to the park and went to work reinstalling the bird hanger filled with the seed from the one that had dropped and broken. Nothing wasted and all of that…While I was at it, I strengthened the other hanger to make it more secure.
With all of the feeders, there is a never-ending supply of birds all with different seed preferences or at least, ways to eat it. All are very wary and constantly on the lookout for any danger.
While I was outside, I took the opportunity to water the plants. It looks like some of them might be growing so maybe the deer spray is working. Now, if we can just get some serious rain. Just a light shower or two would help. We do not need a gully washer as most of that just runs away and does not soak in.
Back indoors, I fed the dogs and made breakfast and coffee for myself as it was closer to lunch than breakfast. Then I read the World and local news and caught up with the blog.
I spent most of the afternoon on the couch listening to an Audiobook with a dog fast asleep on either side of me. Just one small happy family…
Later on, we went out for a walk and just wandered around and then I received a message to the effect that we were eating again at the Break Room and be there at 5:30 pm if you know what’s good for you. The message was from one of the girls. This time, it was Gary that had done the cooking and he had meatloaf with all of the fixings.
I took the dogs back to The Caboose and then wandered over to the Breakroom, being the last to arrive. Someone thrust a can of beer in my hands, and I did a double take as it was the smallest can of beer I had ever seen in my life. Everyone started laughing, I guess because of the look of utter amazement on my face at the smallness of the beer. I figured it would take two, maybe three good swallows and it would be gone.
The meatloaf and fixings were very good, and I enjoyed it immensely. As usual, the company was exemplary, and we got to welcome Malinda back from her trip to visit her mom.
We stayed for a couple of hours listening to some of the stories and yarns, especially from Daniel. That man can spin a good yarn and is very funny as he does it. He had us all in stitches and I noticed that even Malinda had to smile at his antics.
The party broke up and we went out walking for the last time for the day. It had cooled off a bit which made for easier walking and the dogs appreciated the cooler weather. Back at the RV, I put the three bird feeders away in a deer proof place up on the deck and we adjourned indoors for the usual television and a glass of wine.
I was late waking up and managed to sleep through the thunderstorm we had last night. We did not get anything in the way of rain to talk about, just lightning and the inevitable thunder
We went out walking in the park and managed to cover a mile on our first walk of the day. It was much cooler as last night’s storm cleared the air a bit. When we got back, I watered the plants and gave them a good soaking. Some are not in good shape, a combination of the deer and the hot and dry weather. I even cleaned and refilled the Hummingbird feeders to see if I could coax them back again. I prepared my own breakfast and coffee after getting spoilt with yesterday’s Restaurant Breakfast before settling down in front of the computer to read the world news and write the blog.
Yesterday, I took several pictures of the Halloween display that the Home Depot put on and found it not only very amusing but also very well done. Some of the models and the noises and movement that they had were very clever.
After such a busy day, yesterday, today was a bit of a letdown as I really did not do anything at all except sit around and write and attend to a few household chores. The weather had cooled down quite a bit following last night’s storm with the temperature only reaching a high of 96 degrees. Even so, before I knew it, it was 5:00 pm.
We went out for another walk and just wandered around wherever Miss Sandy decided she wanted to go. She does not have a good sense of direction and so, we wander around all over the place. Not much in the way of distance but we get in plenty of steps.
Back in the RV, I fixed the dogs their evening meal and Sandy managed to eat hers much to my delight as her medicine is crushed up and added to it. That is the only way I can get her to take the pills as they are too big to force down her throat and even though they are supposed to be dog friendly, it must be for a different dog as Sandy does not like them at all.
The evening was spent in the usual way, first listening to an Audiobook outside the RV and then coming indoors for the evening meal and watching an English Premier League game.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Monday 09/11/2023
We got up around our usual time after a very good night’s sleep for us all. There are always things I must do before we head outside like pull up the front blinds and those on the side away from the sun. Incidentally, the latter need to be pulled down around midday as by then they are in the sun and the heat it produces. RV’s do not have very thick walls, around 2 inches or so, and are not very well insulated. When it is really hot outside as it has been for the past couple of months, the two A/C units run nonstop through the day and a part of the night.
The first thing was to attend to the bird feeders hanging them on their respective hooks and then it was walkies time for the guys. I always harness them up outside when I do anything that takes any amount of time so that they can be a part of what is going on. We wandered around and it was quite a bit cooler than before. The weather forecast shows quite a drop in the upcoming week’s temperature. Even a few degrees bringing it down into the nineties is a welcome relief.
We wandered around and made one circuit of the park before returning to The Caboose for breakfast. I fed Sandy her pill mixed in a tiny can of cat food which she likes. So far, it is the only thing that works and as she still barks like a dog and does not yet miaow like a cat, figured it is not hurting her.
My own breakfast of a Burrito was dull and uninteresting, but I have not been able to find anything appealing. I eat it because that is what you are supposed to do, start the day off by eating something. At least the coffee tasted great.
I had a 1:00 pm Dentist related appointment, something to do with the color of the teeth that are being replaced with new caps. I arrived early and their office procedure is to call when you arrive and then wait in the car until they call you back. I did as instructed and luckily, did not have to wait very long before I was in the office. The actual process of checking the teeth coloring only took a couple of minutes before I was on my way to the closest Walmart’s which was only a couple of blocks away.
I had a small list and happily wandered around adding things to the basket that I had not bothered to write down. Most of these were of the food variety which included my contribution to our communal gatherings, beer. Like I have said before, I can’t cook worth a dam and as beer comes ready made in a bottle or can, it is the most obvious replacement.
I drove to the nearest Starbucks and bought a Latte for the trip home which was uneventful. I was greeted by my little buddies as though I had been away for a week instead of just a couple of hours. As usual, they helped to put the groceries away before we went out walking.
We wandered around the park, and it was a little bit cooler as it was not 100 degrees, not far off but not quite which made it feel almost cool. I brought the dogs back and did a couple of outside chores with the bird feeders and Daniel whistled at me from the Clubhouse.
He was there with Gary, and I joined them to drink a coffee and chat about nothing very important. Both can be very amusing at times. Eventually, we went on our way, and I took the dogs out for a short walk around the park before we sat on the deck and listened to an Audiobook moving inside after bringing in the bird feeders.
I was up early as Daniel had plans that included me and a trip to the Home Depot in Dripping Springs. After taking the dogs out walking, I brought them back inside and told them I would see them shortly. I jumped into Daniel’s Jeep, and we made the trip into town.
Our first stop was at one of the Restaurants on the way in for breakfast. I ordered one taco with a couple of fillings and the usual coffee and thoroughly enjoyed my choice of food. Daniel had something different. With breakfast and that all important coffee out of the way, we drove to the Home Depot. We went out to enter the store and Daniel suddenly said that he would see me in a few minutes as he had a medical emergency and had to drive back to Henly.
I wandered around the Plant Section and looked at the beautiful plants they had on sale which gave me ideas on what I should replace some of my plants with. The deer have been doing a number on mine. Daniel eventually caught up with me and we wandered around the store. I only needed nonslip pads for my rugs, but Daniel bought several tools.
The Home Depot had put on this wonderful display of witches, ghouls and goblins and the noises they made was quite frightening. Each model could be activated by stepping onto a big floor switch for that particular unit. There were probably 10 to12 switches all set in a straight line. I watched as a young man of maybe 12 or so ran down the line of switches timing each step perfectly and activated the entire show at one time. The noise was deafening as the models swayed or gyrated around and laughed, screamed, shouted and everything else a model could do. I found it all very amusing.
We eventually got out of there and Daniel drove us back to Henly where we went our separate ways. Mine indoors to write the blog and I don’t know what he had in mind. Incidentally, Malinda had taken off to visit her mother and was not around.
I got us back on track with the blog posting both yesterday and the day before and then looked around for other things to do. We had taken several hours on our trip into town, and it was midafternoon when we got back.
I received a message from” the girls” telling me to be ready to go out to eat around 6:00 pm. I fed the dogs and told them I would be back as BJ pulled up in front of The Caboose. I climbed in the car alongside Peggy, and we drove to The Boil Shack which is only a couple of miles down the road from us. This is the second time we have been here, and they do have some very good seafood.
I tried to find something to order that did not have a huge amount of food on the plate as I have trouble finishing up the large platefuls that are served in these local restaurants. I usually end up with a doggy bag but somehow, warmed up leftovers do not taste quite the same. I ended up ordering a single fish taco which, when it came out, was huge as I suspected it would be. That and a side of fruit was sufficient for me and even then, I left the actual taco not feeling the need to eat it after having consumed the contents. I ordered a beer with my meal and noticed that I was the only one at our table drinking liquor. Oh well…
We drove back to the Park and bid each other Goodnight as we went our separate ways after a fun evening spent with fun people. Malinda really missed out on a great time.
I took the dogs out for a short walk and then brought in the bird feeders and then fed the dogs one more time before calling it a night and shutting the sliding door one last time. As usual, I watched TV until almost midnight before going to bed. Apparently, there was a storm that I knew was coming in, but I must have been tired enough that slept right through it. Unfortunately, the storm did not bring anything in the way of rain or at least, not enough to measure.
These pictures are from the display inside of the Home Depot in Dripping Springs.
I wish I could have recorded the wonderful noises coming from this display. Nearly everyone of these displays moved and made ferocious noises. Quite magnificent
