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
This is Daniel’s and Malinda’s site right across from me. Well within staggering distance if I consume too much beer.
We went out for that first walk and for us, at a reasonable hour although too late to join the early morning coffee club. We wandered around the park, and the weather was giving every sign that it was going to be another scorcher. Unless something unexpected comes up, we have nothing planned except for dog walking and sitting indoors in the cool.
Last evening, I tossed some small pieces of bread out that were showing signs of mold and by the morning, it was all gone. I have no idea if it is the deer or some other animals eating the stuff but at least it is not getting wasted.
I was sitting and writing and decided to put in a load of laundry which could do its thing as I wrote or whatever I was up to. I just love having my own washer/dryer. So convenient and I do not have to put in quarters. Now if it only folded and put away the clean laundry.
With the machine buzzing along, I turned my attention to other things like tidying up The Caboose, making the bed and all that interesting stuff. Then I sat on the couch with a dog on either side and made a big fuss of them. It was so comfortable there that I closed my eyes for a while although I was not actually going to sleep.
I harnessed up the dogs and we took the short walk up to the mailboxes and I checked mine just in case someone had sent me something. I am gradually notifying all those that I consider it necessary to know my new address. Most of what I receive is junk mail anyway. I would like to close the Far West mailing address ASAP but can’t do it until I have all the important people notified.
On the short walk to the mailbox, it seemed to be hotter than usual but that might be because I had just come out of an air conditioned unit. Even the dogs were very reluctant to be out, so we headed back to the RV where it was much cooler. Tomorrow is forecast to be much hotter and could reach 105 degrees. Ridiculous weather but this is Texas.
With nothing planned, we did a lot of sitting in the cool and listening to an Audiobook. It was way too hot to be out on the deck as what little breeze we had this morning had long gone. We sat around until it started to cool off a little and went out for that final walk of the day. It was still very hot, but we made a circuit of the park before returning to the RV where I brought in the bird feeders ending one more day.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion with food, a glass of wine and television.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Friday 09/08/2023
I snoozed late and it was 9:00 am before I got up. The first thing was to harness the dogs and tie them up outside while I went about the usual business with the bird feeders. Daniel stopped by to chat, and he said that Malinda was visiting her mom. We talked for a bit while I was refilling and rehanging the bird feeders and we made tentative plans to do something on Saturday.
He went back to work, and I took the dogs out for their first walk of the day. We did not go far as it was already warming up with the temperature forecast to reach 104 degrees and this is September??? I remember when I lived in Fort Plain, in New York State and it started to freeze in September while I was at work, and we had to shut down all outside work. Sure, it is different in Texas.
Back in the RV, I fixed Sandy’s special breakfast and my own coffee and sat down to read the world news. The more I read about the daily happenings around the country, the more I wonder if a big percentage of the people suffer from some form of mental illness or maybe it is just plain stupidity. Why so many people’s answers to a problem is the use of violence is way beyond me. Sure, they may have instant gratification by shooting someone but what about the consequences when they spend the rest of their lives in jail? How can anger be that strong that it overpowers common sense and why is violence their answer?
The trouble is that when I read the news just to stay abreast of anything important, I could be reading the same reports day after day as they do not change very much. The world and especially this country is turning into a sorry old place.
With all my outside chores taken care of at least so far, I looked around for other things to do. I spent time folding and putting away the clothes I washed yesterday and then made the bed. I also tidied up the living area which because it is so small, quickly gets bunged up with clothes and shoes and such.
The dogs have their hidey holes when I am writing. Mikey always sits in the chair alongside me. Occasionally, he will sneak onto my lap but generally doesn’t stay there too long as I guess, I do not have the most comfortable of laps. Sandy, on the other hand, has a basket under the table next to Mikey’s basket where she hides away. If the basket gets too hot, she will sleep on the floor in the same area.
Of course, if I decide to sit somewhere else say to watch TV, there is a mass exodus to grab the seat closest to me or even on my lap. Heaven forbids that I should use the toilet as my audience follows right along with me. Even when I am in bed and sleeping, Sandy is next to the spare pillow and Mikey is spread out all over mine leaving me with very little head space. Just one big happy family.
I glanced at the indoor thermometer, and it was reading 101 degrees outside temperature. This is the first time it has read that high as usually it is a couple degrees off from the actual outside temperature probably due to the location of the outside sensors. When I looked at my phone, the outside temperature was reading 102 degrees. In either case, it was way too hot.
We went out for another short walk just wandering around. We made it as far as the mailbox just in case I had any mail. You never know…Back in the RV, I sat indoors to listen to an Audiobook as it was too hot to be outside. The rest of the day was spent in this fashion before the evening meal and television.
Considering what time I went to bed in the early hours of the morning, I felt remarkably refreshed when I woke up. It must have been all the beer I consumed…We did the usual bird feeder thing only today, I had to refill several of them. Now I need to add a bag of birdseed to my grocery list having almost finished the 40lb bag I had bought last week.
Following the outside chores, I harnessed up the dogs and we went out taking Henly Loop almost to Hwy 290. The Loop has a lot of shade for about half of the walk, which is why I like walking it. Not only that, IF I am lucky, I get to see the exotic wildlife.
Back in the RV, I prepared food for us all. Today was a good day as Sandy ate hers which included her medicine. I sat in front of the computer and realized that I was three days behind in my writing and knew I was in trouble as my memory recall really sucks.
I started work on the missing days and managed to write about what I think happened hoping that I have not got the days mixed up.
James, the Impact Repair man showed up to work on Delores slide out. I called Delores to see how it went and she said that even though James called the Jayco plant direct, he could not get the location of the switches he needed to get the slide to work. He has managed to get it fully extended but it will not retract.
I talked to Delores, and she said that as long as the slide is fully extended, she is not going to bother to get the motor replaced as she does not plan on moving the rig…ever. The cost of the replacement motor is almost $1500.00, and it only gets used when the slide is opened or retracted. A good reason for not getting it done if the rig is never moving again in her lifetime.
I happened to look at the outside temperature and it had not yet reached 100 degrees and it got me thinking that when I lived in England, the hottest part of the day was around noon time or maybe an hour after. Over here in Texas, the hottest part of the day is between 4:00 and 5:00 pm.
I decided that as I do not have any new poems to post on Saturday, that I would post the blog on that day instead at least until I can get the poetic juices flowing again. Finding poetic ideas is not easy and I have to be in the right mood to be successful. I could dig out more from my Archives I suppose.
After I had posted all the blogs to bring us up to date which included using Saturday as a blog day, I got to thinking about it and decided that I did not like that idea. Saturday is poetry day, so I went back into my Archives and dug out a poem and then went through the process of moving three blogs and then reposting them to a day later and posting the poem from the Archives in its place. Now, at least, Saturday is still poetry day.
I was out of beer for myself and decided to go into town and buy some and a couple of other things as well. I said goodbye to the dogs and jumped into the Jeep for the short drive into Dripping Springs. I wandered around HEB and found what I was looking for plus added a case of beer for Daniel. I actually needed a few groceries as well and added them to the cart before checking out.
I stopped at Starbucks and bought a Latte to drink on the way home. Arriving back at The Caboose, I was met by my noisy little dogs who helped to put the groceries into the RV. I took the time to put the groceries away and then jumped in the car to drive the short distance to Daniel’s RV to unload his case of beer. Delore and Gary were sitting over there, and I joined them and drank a beer. We sat for a while chattering and then Daniel suggested that we go into town to get some food. I thought about it and decided that I really did not want Mexican food again and declined the offer to join them.
Back in the RV, I took the dogs out for a walk, and we wandered around as we usually do before returning back to the RV to sit outside and listen to an Audiobook and drink another beer. Eventually, we went back inside, and I fed the dogs and then myself. I made a salad and that was enough food for me along with ice cream for dessert.
We settled down to watch the TV as we usually do and around 10:30 pm, I went to bed. I had undressed as I sleep naked and had only just got into bed and realized I had not brought in the bird feeders. I put on a pair of shorts and shoes and went outside. The minute I touched the bird seed holders, I knew I was too late, as the deer had beaten me too it. All three feeders were empty to the very last bird seed. So, I left the feeders hanging and went back to bed knowing that come morning, I would have to refill all three of them and that I had just about enough seed left to do it.
I wondered why Mikey did not bark as he must have known the deer were outside as he always knows that stuff. Not blaming him as it was my fault for not bringing in the seed holders in the first place.
I went back to bed and fell asleep thinking that I will worry about it tomorrow as that is another day…
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Wednesday 09/06/2023
I slept so well that it was 9:00 am before I even woke up. We went out walking, but it was already hot, and it restricted us to the shady areas. This meant walking Henly Loop towards Hwy 290. Even then, we did not go all the way to the end as there was a 50-yard patch of sun with no cover, and I did not want to walk out in it. Even the livestock in the field next door were all laying down in the shade.
When we got back, I tied the dogs up so they could “help” and then filled the empty bird feeders using up the last of the bird seed to do it. This means a trip back to Tractor Supply for another 40 lb. bag although I think I will get two 20 lb. bags to make for easier handling.
I fixed breakfast for us all before settling down in front of the computer to plan the day and write the blog. I glanced at the clock and the day is just zipping by and I have no idea where the time goes. What is the saying “Time flies when you are having fun”. That is kind of how I view our life, nothing but fun and time sure as hell is just zipping by.
By the above logic, does it mean that time goes much slower if I am bored or working on something uninteresting?
I sat and wrote and brought everything up to date and looked around for something else to get up to deciding that I should go into town and buy that birdseed that I just ran out of. I was also needing a few groceries and could kill two birds with one stone (what a horrible saying). Why kill birds?
I stopped at HEB first and wandered around buying the few items that I needed. I did buy a bottle of wine, well two actually, and then made my way to The Home Depot which is right next door. I only needed to visit the Outdoor section for the birdseed and was quickly back in the Jeep. I had to settle for a 40lb bag as they did not have any 20lb ones.
Next stop was a Latte before heading back to the campsite and my little buddies who helped with putting the groceries away as they usually do. You would think by now they would know where everything should go and be able to do this job for me but no, I end up doing all the work as usual.
We went out for another walk although it is not very comfortable outside as it is so hot and humid. By the time we get back, if we go any distance at all, I am soaked with sweat especially around my waist where my belt makes shirt, underpants and shorts cling together. Lately, when I get back to the RV, I have been taking the outside shorts off and hanging them to dry and sitting around in my skivvies until I cool and dry off. Luckily, I do not get many walk up visitors to catch me half dressed.
Back in the RV, I did some cleanup work and then, as I usually do, sat listening to an Audiobook for a couple of hours. At least, this time, I did not nod off to sleep.
We went out for one more walk and although there were more and longer shadows, it was still over 100 degrees and not very comfortable walking. We walk at dog speed which is not normally very fast as there are too many interesting smells along the way. Even so, I sweat profusely with any physical effort.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way with food and entertainment although I had an interesting experience with the microwave oven. I had some small chunks of dog meat that needed both defrosting and then cooking. I put them onto a microwave safe plate and covered them with a paper towel, pushed a few buttons and walked away. I smelt smoke and quickly got back to the microwave to see that I had inadvertently pushed the wrong buttons and had set the cooking time for nine minutes instead of the 30 seconds I thought I was setting as one button was above the other. Luckily, the fire alarms were not tripped but the Microwave was filled with smoke and the whole RV stank for quite some time. Stupid me. BTW, the microwave safe plate melted, and I had to throw it away.
Nice shady trails The day started off as it usually does with us doing the bird feeder routine before taking that first walk around the park. We met a couple of others with their dogs all doing the same thing as us.
Following the walk, I spent time spraying what is left of the flowers with the Deer Repellant in the hopes of rescuing whatever remains of each of the plants. The deer have not visited through the day at least while I have been home. This is unusual as that was a fairly common occurrence in the past. There are still lots of deer signs around with their droppings, so they are definitely visiting. The watering that I do is enough to keep the plants alive but not really enough to make them grow. We desperately need rain and lots of it.
I was working on the blog and got a call from Daniel that breakfast was being served in the Commons and to get my ass over there (his words). I put the dogs back in the RV and joined the usual group in the Commons. Malinda and the girls were busy preparing the food and soon I had a heaped plate of breakfast in front of me which I eagerly started to work on. I had to work hard to convince Daniel that I was already full and no, I did not need another helping…
There was the usual chatter and we got to hear firsthand some of the stories from their trip together, many of which were very funny. The party finally broke up with the call of duty for both Daniel and Malinda and the girls cleaned up the Commons area.
Time passed as it always does, and I got another call from Daniel to come over to his RV and have a beer. Delores was already there, and we sat and chatted for the rest of the afternoon. Then came more food as Daniel had it working on the grill while we sat around and talked.
Six bottles of beer later, Delores and I left the party walking each other home although I went 30 yards past my RV to make sure that Delores got into her place safely. I made my way the 30 yards back to The Caboose and harnessed up the dogs taking them out for a short walk. I was in remarkably good shape considering that I had consumed 6 bottles of beer and did not feel drunk or have any effects of the drinking at all.
That is until I got back from walking the dogs and sat on the couch to take my boots off. I sat there stroking both dogs, one on each side, and two hours later, woke up feeling refreshed and with no hangover or aftereffects of the drinking. I glanced out of the window; I noticed that I had not brought in the bird feeders. Out I went and did just that although by now, it was already dark outside.
Not satisfied with this crazy day, I sat and watched a movie until almost 1:00 am. After having taken a long nap, I was just not tired and even when I did finally go to bed, it took a while to fall asleep.
It was late when I even woke up close to 9:45 am. It does not matter too much but I do wonder why I slept that late. It is not like I am super busy working and such to make me tired, but I did drink two beers last evening at the Restaurant. I have heard many stories of older people who are not able to sleep more than a few hours at night. Me, I do not have that problem.
The first thing was to harness the dogs and tie them up to the picnic table while I brought out the feeders and then we went out walking around the park. We did not see any other dog walkers probably because we were late in hitting the road. This also meant that it had warmed up quite a bit and we walked in the shade as much as possible.
Back in the RV following breakfast and that all important coffee, I worked on the blog, playing a bit of catch up and looked around for other things to do. It was kinda quiet with nearly all of my friends away doing their thing.
I decided to go into Dripping to the Tractor Supply found there. I wanted to get a couple more bird feeders to hang on the new hooks that I had already bought. I found what I was looking for and then headed for HEB for groceries. I had a small list but wandered around the store “just in case.” Walking in this store is also an effective way to build up mileage.
My next stop was Starbucks for a regular Latte. No more of those fancy and extremely expensive drinks as they were a waste of time and money. I also bought a piece of Walnut cake which was very tasty. Back at the RV, I unloaded the groceries and the other goodies and put everything on the deck before opening the door to the RV to be greeted by my pair of very enthusiastic dogs.
I got all kinds of help in putting the groceries away, mostly of the discovery kind where the dogs stuck their noses into the bags to smell what was in there. Then we harnessed up and went out walking the park and managed to cover almost 2 miles for the day.
We sat outside with the big fan blowing the hot air around and listened to an Audiobook and drank a couple of beers until it started to get dark. Then it was time to bring in the feeders one more time and shut up the outside shop for one more day.
Despite all my complaining about getting up late and so on, I watched a movie until 12:30 before going to bed. No wonder I sleep late in the mornings.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Sunday 09/03/2023
RV’s come in all shapes and sizes. This one is home made.
Despite going to bed late last evening, I managed to roll out at a reasonable hour ready to face another day. We harnessed up and went out for that first walk around the Campground. Because we had gotten out a bit earlier, it was relatively cool out and we managed to cover almost a mile which was definitely a good start.
Back at the RV, I worked on hanging the two new bird feeders that I had bought yesterday. These are hanging off the main deck and may be too close to the RV for the bird’s comfort. We will just have to wait and see. We now have seven hanging seed feeders and two for bird seed cakes. There is a never-ending flow of birds visiting them most of the time.
The hummingbird feeders are a different story. Currently, there are two of them, but I am having a lot of problems with tiny black ants that seem to like the sweet liquid very much. Enough to keep the birds away. I had bought some more deer spray and sprayed the pole that holds the hummers feeders to see if that stops the little buggers.
The other problem is that even hanging in the shade, with our 100-degree weather, the liquid inside the feeders heats up in the warm sun making it too hot to drink. I can’t wait for reasonable temperatures to return, and I bet the Hummers have the same feeling about it.
With the birds all taken care of for another day, we went back inside, and I fed the dogs their breakfast before finding something to go along with my coffee. I settled on a couple of pieces of toast and turned my attention to the blog. I also had quite a few pictures that I worked on, not that I do very much to them anymore.
I had a few things to do around the RV, like make the bed and put the dirty clothes in the washing machine although there are not enough to start the load yet. I had bought some meat for the dogs, and it was cooking as I did other things. My dogs live pretty good…
Daniel, Malinda and the girls all arrived back from their trip with lots of pictures and some very tall tales, especially from Daniel. That man can tell a story although Malinda is not far behindand I knew we would be in for a fun time when we finally got together.
I noticed that both Malinda and Daniel were over at my new neighbor’s RV, and I wandered over to see if I could be of any help. I am usually restricted to fetch and carry or “hold this or that” as so much of what the two of them do when they are working on RV’s is way out of my pay grade at least knowledge wise.
The three of us and of course Delores, worked for a couple of hours trying to get the slide to work properly and we managed to get it to come out most of the way, at least enough for her to use the RV. It will take the Travelling Repair man to do the job properly and he is due to come on Tuesday.
We finally went back to our individual RVs for the rest of the evening.
Today is the last day of the month. Again. It seems like only yesterday I said this about July and here we are getting ready to start September. At least, we may be through with the 100 degree heat although I don’t think that the weather pays too much attention to any calendar dates.
I harnessed up the dogs and we went out walking after bringing out the bird feeders and refilling them as we usually do. It was starting to warm up a bit as we wandered around the park. There was not a lot of shade this early in the morning, so we did not stay out for too long.
Back at the RV, I watched as Kerry and Chris packed up their RV preparing to leave on a couple of month trip up north to see the Fall displays. That means that temporarily at least, we have lost a couple of the group although they say they will be back. You can never be 100 percent certain on that as they have a home on wheels and maybe, they will find another place that is more appealing. That is the beauty of an RV life.
Daniel whistled at me, and I wandered over to the breakroom for coffee. We sat there chatting for a while before Malinda called him and he went back to his RV. I wandered back to mine and found a couple of things to do like cleaning the hummingbird feeders of the crud that collects in and around the bottles before refilling and rehanging them.
I turned my attention to the blog and by concentrating hard, managed to recall what we had done yesterday. It really is an effort sometimes to remember things or what is worse, even what I was about to do. No doubt that my memory is going to hell in a handbag as the British used to say. Maybe they still do! Whatever, as the memory is still slowly deteriorating. Maybe, I need to keep a notebook and jot down all the interesting things as reminders.
I glanced at the clock, and it said that it was almost 3:00 pm. Time was flying by. When I stop to think about it, I have a very good life. I have my two little dogs for companionship and several very good friends in the campground. My time is my own to do whatever I please. I am still healthy, and my only real struggle is persuading my friends that one plate is enough for me, food-wise. I’ll take at least two drinks though and Thank You very much.
I decided to do a load of laundry as it had piled up again. I put everything in the washing machine including the soap pods, set the timer and went back to my writing. I had a couple of other things I needed to work on and completely forgot about the laundry until three hours or so later. Then I added the anti-static sheets and forgot about it again as the laundry went through the dry cycle. At that point, I forgot about it completely as it will shut itself off and as it is only shorts and tee shirts, a few wrinkles will not matter.
Late in the afternoon, we went out for another walk around the park and upon our return, went through the usual process of sitting outside and listening to an Audiobook until it began to get dark. I brought in the bird feeders, and we adjourned back inside for the usual evening meal and entertainment.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Friday 09/01/2023
September already. At this rate, by the end of the month it should be Christmas…We went through the usual morning rituals before we went out for that first walk of the day and wandered around and ran into the blind dog and his Mistress. This is the very last time that we will see him as they are moving out today. Sush a lovely dog.
People come and go all the time except for the few of us that are here permanently. Such is life in an RV Park. Incidentally, Delores who currently has her RV in Site 5 is planning to move into the site vacated by the blind dog’s family.
We went out for our usual walk around the park. It was already starting to warm up, but I am hoping that the 100-degree weather is over, thank goodness.
I was working on the blog and looking out of the window and saw activity at Delores’s site. Guessing that the move had already started, I put on my outdoor shoes and wandered over to see If I could help. Daniel and Malinda were already working on the RV getting it ready to move.
At the same time, Delores had contracted with a group of Mexican workers to move the stuff surrounding the RV which included moving the steps and deck which were one solid unit and very heavy.
Eventually, Daniel, using Gary’s truck hitched up to the RV and then moved it into the new location where it was set up. That is when the problems started as one of the slides would not go out no matter what everybody tried. The rest worked simply fine but not that one. Eventually, everyone had to admit defeat and Daniel called James, the RV travelling Mechanic, to get it to work when he could fit it in.
That was the cue for Daniel and Malinda to finish their preparations to go camping this weekend and before long, they drove the bus out of the park. The rest of us went about our usual business, in my case, doing nothing except writing the blog. It had been hot outside in the couple of hours we were working on Delores’s rig, and I know that I was glad to get back inside in the cool.
I had not been inside more than an hour and I received a call from Delores asking if I would like to go eat at one of the places in town. At first, I was a bit reluctant and said I would call her back, which is what I did after thinking about it and agreeing to go with them. Gary was the other person included. By the way, I have no idea why I did not jump at the chance of free food and drinks.
Delores picked me up and we cruised over to Gary’s RV where he jumped in the back of the car. I already had the co-pilot’s seat. The Restaurant was named El Rey and it was busy. Luckily, it is a huge place, and we were quickly seated. We spent an hour or more talking and eating good Mexican food. Both Gary and Delores were able to finish their plates, but I had to bring some of mine home in a “doggy bag.” Incidentally, despite both Garry’s and my protests, Delores insisted on paying for the meal in gratitude for the help we had given her earlier today.
Gary drove Delores’s car back with us inside as she had a couple of drinks and just wanted to be on the safe side. I had two beers and Gary was drinking iced tea which made him the obvious co driver.
My first action was to take the dogs out walking, which I was glad to do just to walk off the food. Even though I brought my half full plate home with me, the half I had eaten was very filling. It was a good day walk-wise as I covered 2 miles.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way except that I watched a movie until 12:30 am. I gotta stop doing that.
I got up very late, very contented with sleeping in and lazing around. We had nothing planned so it did not really matter. We attended to the usual bird feeders before wandering around the park. It is definitely a bit cooler and much more pleasant walking. I hope that it lasts as we are almost into Fall anyway.
I did not realize it but the very brief rain squaw that we got the other day, damaged both “the girls” awning and Brian and Whitney’s. We were lucky as we had ours in. Hopefully, we have learned our lesson from our earlier awning accidents. It is the very sudden and very quick rain showers that do it as there is very little warning. It is even worse if you are not home to get them in. It is not always the wind that causes the damage as sometime the really heavy rain puts too much weight on the extended awning, and it brings it down. That is what happened to us when we were in Arkansas, and it cost me $1500.00 to get it repaired as the Insurance would not cover it.
I sat around writing and playing catch up with the blog. I considered going into town, but the jury is still out on that. It is not so important that it cannot keep until tomorrow or the next day or even the day after that. The problem, if there is one, with all this eating out Is that it makes things difficult in planning my own grocery list. I try to eat pretty simply most of the time, not counting the invites and I buy enough food accordingly. At the present moment, my fridge is full and if I am not careful, some of the food will go to waste.
I forgot to mention that generally, after eating at one of my friend’s house, invariably they will press a plate full of food into my hands as I leave, “for later” and as we have done a lot of eating out lately, so has the contents of my fridge grown accordingly. All of the food is delicious and as I constantly remind myself, all very fattening as the muscles deteriorate and the body shape changes into a lump as everything turns into fat.
We went out walking just wandering around. The weather is easing up a bit and the temperature was around the 95 degree mark. Still hot but not at least 100 pus degrees hot. When we returned to the RV, we did as we usually do and sat and listened to an Audiobook until it began to get dark. Then it was time to bring in the bird feeders and shut up shop for the evening.
It was a bit cooler when we went out walking. Apparently, there is a shift in whatever controls the weather and this time, it was in our favor. The long-range forecast shows it not reaching 100 degrees all week long. It will be close to the high 90’s but psychologically, if it does not say 100 degrees, then it will feel much cooler…Maybe, just maybe the hot spell is over.
We still needed to walk in the shade as much as possible, but we covered our morning half mile. Back in the RV, I fixed us breakfast and got Sandy to eat her pill, thank goodness. My own breakfast of a Burrito was not very appetizing, but I am at a bit of a loss trying to find something that tastes good for me.
Yesterday, just for a change, I tried a bowl of cereal and only managed to eat half of it. The rest went to feed the overnight deer or maybe they are Racoons or something similar as anything left out overnight is eaten. I had several slices of bread that had gone moldy, and I tossed it out onto the yard. Next morning, every bit of it was gone. Nothing gets wasted around here.
I sat and worked on the blog and brought it up to date. I have nothing planned for today.I had bought a couple of bird seed hangers and attached them to the railing on the deck. That makes two less I have to bring in at night because the deer cannot reach them.
We had yet another get together planned for a young couple, Brian and Whitney, who are moving on. They have a totally blind dog that they walk routinely through the day. The dogs name is Cooky. This time, the party was planned and put on by Sharon and Larry at their site. There was quite a crowd and we pigged out on all kinds of good food and the inevitable beer. Towards the end of the evening, I switched to wine at Sharon’s urging although I did not need very much persuasion.
That is the thing with living at an RV campground. You never know when your neighbor will drive off into the “wild blue yonder”. No fear of us doing that as we are here to stay. Our travelling days are over.
We spent most of the evening partying and telling stories before heading back to The Caboose, carrying a large plateful of food for later consumption.
I took the dogs out for a short walk before returning to bring in the couple of remaining bird feeders and then settling down to watch a Football Match.
This is where I spend too much of my time especially in the mornings
Up at a reasonable hour and outside to hang birdfeeders and then go for that first walk of the day. The only thing that changes in my routine is the actual time that I get up and that is subject to a lot of variation. We went out walking as we usually do and wandered around. We are in the habit of walking the road that leads to Hwy 290 as it provides the most shade and sometimes, we get to see the exotic animals.
My day was focused on a visit to see my Dentist and I kept one eye on the clock as I ate breakfast and did a couple of chores. At the allotted time, I jumped in the Jeep for the drive into central Ausin where my Dentist is found. I was a bit early and sat in the car before going inside where I was warmly greeted by the receptionist. I did not have to wait very long before I was called back and sat in the chair.
I spent the next hour and a half in that chair as the Dentist worked on extracting one of my teeth. In this case he ground off the bad part leaving the base of the tooth on which to rebuild it by adding a new cap. Even after he was through, I still need to come back and get the permanent cap put on to replace the temporary one. At least, modern dentistry is comparatively painless after the first pricks of the needle. My next move is to set up an appointment for color matching for the replacement tooth.
With the Dentist out of the way, I headed to Walmart’s which is on the way home. I wandered around as I usually do in that store, mainly to get the exercise. I did buy a few things and managed to spend $200.00, sixty of it was on a couple of bird feeder supports that I can hang off my deck and oh yes, I bought a couple of new Tee shirts. I would have bought more except they were not in my size and I did not like the color.
The drive home was uneventful, and the traffic was not too bad at all. When I arrived back at The Caboose, I got the usual very warm reception fom the dogs. They helped me put the groceries away and then we went out walking around the park.
We had another invite over to the Break room to help eat some of the food left over from the day before. The usual crowd were there, and it included a new family of a mother and her daughter and son that had just moved in. We tried to make them feel welcome the way that Texans do. Not that I am a Texan in any way shape or form but seeing as how I have lived in this State for the past 40 or so years, that must count for something. I gotta work on that accent though…
With the meal out of the way, we each went our separate ways back to our RV’s. I took the dogs out for the last walk of the day before bringing in the bird feeders and shutting up shop for another day.
I got up late as it was almost 9:30 am when I rolled out. I guess I was tired as I was sleeping the whole time I was in bed, not just laying around. It did not matter as we had nothing planned for today.
We went out walking on the first walk of the day and just wandered around. There was not a lot of activity anywhere although we did run into a couple of people walking their dogs with the usual barking and sniffing that follows such encounters.
Back in the RV, I fixed us breakfast and this time, the melted ice cream was enough to fool Sandy into taking her pill. There were a couple of household chores that needed taking care of before I remembered that I had a date with my friends at 12:30 pm. Right on time, BJ pulled up by the rig and I jumped into the front seat which they had very kindly left for me. I was handed a beer which I thought was a good way to start any trip.
BJ was driving and Peggy, Daniel and Malinda were in the back. There was a lot of chatter and I gleaned from the conversation that we were going to a drinking establishment found in Johnson City where a coworker of the girls was performing.
This was a typical country drinking place with the typical country name of Reck ‘Em Right Bar and Grill. It was not that big and there were only a few other customers besides us. BJ found her friend and introduced him to the rest of us and in the meantime, other band members kept straggling in. From what I could gather, anyone musically inclined to Country and Westen music could sit in as a couple of other people did just that.
We stayed there for a couple of hours listening to the music and drinking beer before all piling back into the van for the ride back to the RV Park.
This was followed by the usual chore of walking the dogs which was timed perfectly as Lo and Behold, we had a quick ten-minute rain shower of our own. This was unexpected and very welcome, but it did not last long enough. It was accompanied by a strong wind but luckily, my awning was already in.
The rest of the evening was spent watching Brighton lose their game to West Ham before heading off to bed.
As many of you are well aware I lead a different life that I share with two little dogs that are a pair of troublemakers of the worst possible kind as they rule the roost, and they find that they can do whatever they like as long it does not mean a fight between them or with me because we are a family they get on very well indeed with the Sandy the female taking the lead and Mikey and I go where she walks where the best smells that to her nose talks and if she finds the perfect smell she raises her leg for others to tell that she has been here and left her mark be aware you others don’t try to park as this property is in her name marked by her as part of the game. It can be said she’s a bossy bitch and Mikey and I sometimes find a niche and sticking together like good buddies do let her have her way for we have no clue as to what it is that we did wrong that caused her to bark along we really mostly get on well as we live together our lives do dwell walking several times a day for exercise and a lot of play wandering around with all of the smells that only a dogs nose can possibly tell.
This deer is watching me and waiting for me to leave so it can eat my flowers
I had a very good night’s sleep and awoke refreshed and almost ready to go. Still, I did not jump straight out of bed but just lay there enjoying the warmth as I waited for the A/C to shut off. It gives off a lot of cold air which is very noticeable after the warm bed hence waiting for it to shut down.
I took a quick shower and marveled at the bald head of the stranger looking back at me in the mirror and vowed to make sure that I had my hat with me most of the time. Amazing the difference hair makes even if it is thinning. Oh well…I have had a couple of complements on the short haircut but whether in jest or to make me feel better, I will never know.
We went out walking around the park, but it was already starting to warm up. I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible but there is not very much early morning shade due to the angle of the sun and we only covered a half mile.
Back in the RV, I brought out the bird feeders as per usual and checked the plants for deer damage. Unfortunately, Deer Off does not do a very good job and the plants showed visible signs of being desert or maybe even the main course.
When it starts to cool down, maybe I will replace some of the plants the deer eat for ones they don’t. No good doing it now as it is too hot, and the plants will die.
I read the world news and then moved on to the blog. I finished and posted yesterday and looked around for other things to do. I had bought pork chops and chicken legs at the store and decided that I should cook them on my indoor grill.
That is the sum total of barbecuing that I do. I am not an expert at barbecuing like Daniel or Malinda and my unit turns itself off when it believes the meat is cooked. Apart from loading it, I do not do anything to it. The hardest part is cleaning it, and usually the grills need to soak to get them clean.
Incidentally, the pork chops are for me and the chicken legs for the guys. I cut the meat off, and they do NOT get the bones to chew on. I read somewhere that chicken bones splinter too easily and are dangerous for dogs.
I looked at the clock and it said 4.30 pm. I have no idea where the time goes. I also happened to notice that the date was August 25th. This month is almost over and there is nothing to show for it. Well except for a very short haircut maybe…
I had received an invitation from Kerry to eat over at the Breakroom and to be there sharply at 5:30 pm. I wandered over at the proper time and the usual gang was there minus the girls. We had a great meal of tropical fish tacos and when I enquired what they were, Kerry told me they were pineapple, mango, slaw and salsa with fish on corn tortillas.
They tasted good and I had to resist everyone’s encouragement to “Eat more”. I just do not have the stomach capacity to eat a huge amount of any food.
We had ice cream for dessert, and someone handed me a huge helping of the stuff which I readily consumed even though it took a while, and I was the last one to finish. For some reason, I now have the reputation of being the ice cream lover…
We collectively watched a movie on the large TV which was an oldie but goodie and pretty funny. When it ended, we all went back to our respective RV’s each to do whatever it is we do for our own entertainment. In my case, it was take the dogs for a short walk, bring in the bird feeders and then watch a Premier League game. In between all of that, I fed the dogs.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Saturday 08/26/2023
I slept very well and felt very rested when I awoke even though that was not very early. Still, we have absolutely nothing planned for the day except to stay as cool as possible.
We went out for the morning walk and when we got back, I brought out the bird feeders. It was already hot and humid out and very uncomfortable. We hit the outside road that leads to Hwy 290 as it had some shade.
I had noticed a couple of For Sale signs at the turn advertising some House Sale. It had not occurred to me that it was today and for the first time, we had to stop many times on our walk as cars zoomed by, many more than normal.
Safely back inside the RV Park, I brought out the bird feeders as per usual and then we adjourned back inside to the A/C. It was already very hot and with the high humidity, it was very uncomfortable to be outside.
I gave Sandy her medicine trying the method that we used yesterday which was to smoosh up the pill and mix it with ice cream. She still manages to ignore the larger parts which are very tiny, so she is not getting her full dose. Guess I need to grind it up even more into a powder.
My own breakfast of a Burrito was OK but did not exactly set my taste buds on fire. Even the coffee was so, so. I suppose that with my advanced years, things like taste buds and such wear out or at least do not function as well as we age.
I sat working on the computer and Mikey started to bark up a storm. I looked up and Peggy was standing at the top of the steps. Only then did I remember that there was a luncheon at the Commons, and I was late. I quickly followed Peggy back over and grabbed a plate and loaded it with a taco and all the fixings.
There was the usual crowd Malinda and Daniel, Kerry and Chris, the “Girls” and Gary. Later, Delores joined us. I had to put up with a few comments on my new hairdo, but they were all complementary. Maybe, I will keep it short from here on out.
Following the food, some of the group left to go to the pool. I was asked but refused the invitation not being too much into water sports. Gary, Chris, Delores and I stayed behind and chatted for a while before the party broke up and we each went our separate ways. I walked back to The Caboose glad to be out of the heat as by then, the temperature was reading 105 degrees.
According to the long-range weather forecast, we have one more day of 103-degree heat and then it will drop into the high 90’s for just a couple of days and then back into the 100’s. After that, with any luck, it will hopefully keep on dropping to a somewhat and more normal temperature whatever the hell that it is.
Quite honestly, I have no inclination or desire to do anything outside while it is this hot except stay in my air conditioned RV. A trip to the Supermarket is OK as there is only the distance from the car to the store and back to walk.
The rest of the day was spent indoors in the cool listening to an Audiobook. As time progressed, we went out walking around the park and even at that late time, it was still 105 degrees. As it got dark, I took in the bird feeders after almost forgetting them.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way although this time, I did not have to feed myself.
My new haircut. This is the shortest my hair has ever been.
It was so warm and snuggly in bed that I was very reluctant to get up. I thought that if I just laid there, all the World’s problems would just go away. Maybe even mine too not that I have too many problems. Then I noticed the dogs giving me “the look” which is usually interpreted to mean, “We gotta go Dad” and I crawled out of bed.
We went through our usual morning routines of bird feeders and such and then the trip to the dumpster before stopping at the Breakroom where several of my friends were still gathered. I had to put up with some ribbing for being late again, but they got me a chair and Gary thrust a cup of coffee in my hand and I settled down to listen and/or join in the conversation.
As usual, this group was doing its best to solve the world’s problems accompanied by much laughter as one crazy idea was outdone by the next one. Eventually, the group broke up and went their own ways.
We continued with our walk around the campsite before returning to The Caboose for breakfast and more coffee. I had a couple of chores to take care of before deciding that I had to go pick up Sandy’s medication that I had ordered earlier.
Her heart medication costs $102.00 a month but to me, she is worth it. The drive in was uneventful and I stopped at the Vet’s to pick up the medicine. I have been coming to this vet with all my animals for more than forty years and have seen a procession of different veterinarians come and go. Luckily, Dr Varga who is the owner, is still here but my favorite, Dr Donop has retired.
I picked up the medication and chatted to the ladies behind the counter before heading back to the car. I was in need of a haircut and stopped at Great Clips at Oak Hill. This time, I was lucky as I sat straight down in the chair.
The hairdresser asked me how I wanted it cut and I mumbled the usual about short back and sides. I also pointed out the weird crown I have to one side and asked her to be sure to cut that short. She made the first cut with her electric clippers and just zoomed over the top of my head.
My mouth fell open and I was about to protest before I realized that as she had already made that first cut, it was no good telling her to stop so I kind off watched in amazement as all of my hair fell off and I was left with the shortest haircut of my entire life.
I get it cut short anyway but usually, the top and back stay long, sort of. She showed me the finished product and as I was still in a state of shock, I told her it was OK. Maybe, it is the start of a new fashion for me. It is not like I have anyone to impress, and the dogs probably will not notice although I can guarantee a hard time from my camper friends.
Luckily, I had my new hat with me which I placed on my head to stop the feeling of baldness and near nudity and made my way into town. I had decided that as I was in town, or close to, anyway, why not go to Walmart’s to do my shopping. I drove the extra 5 miles and walked into the store to do just that.
I found all of the stuff I wanted and fought off the urge to pop other things into my basket and still managed to spend $202.00. Some of that was on the case of beer I bought for Daniel as my contribution to the parties we have. I cannot cook worth a darn, so it is easy for me to help supply the beer.
I drove home the back way and stopped at my usual Starbucks for a hot Latte and a piece of walnut cake which I enjoyed immensely on the drive home. I have learned my lesson on ordering the fancy cold drinks as they are a rip off.
The drive home was uneventful, and I had a lot of help to unload the groceries and put them away. Daniel’s 4×4 was by his shop so I put the beer in the front seat. He must have noticed it as he caught up with me as I was working on the groceries and gave me a hard time in a good way.
I took the dogs out again and it was still just as hot as ever at 102 degrees, so we did not walk very far. As soon as Sandy started to lag, we headed back to the RV where we sat in our indoor/outdoor position listening to an Audiobook and drinking a beer or two. After bringing in the bird feeders, the rest of the evening was spent watching a Premier League game before heading to bed.
The day started the same as most other days with me rolling over instead of getting up early. Still, as we had nothing planned for the day, it did not matter too much. Eventually, I rolled out and prepared to face the day glad just to be alive and feeling good.
As we do every morning, it was harness the dogs and then bring out the bird feeders followed by a walk wherever Miss Sandy decided we should go. I keep us on a general direction, and she drags here there and everywhere else.
We spotted the heifers and again, there were only three of them. As far as I could tell, there is no calf that I swear I saw the other day.
It was a bit cooler because of yesterday’s rain shower but not much as we wandered around and we eventually arrived back at The Caboose. As usual, I fixed breakfast and today, Sandy would not eat hers meaning she was not getting her pill which is a bit of a worry.
My own, which was a couple slices of toast, was not very satisfying but the coffee was good. I settled down in front of the computer and after reading the usual dull World news, caught up on the blog. I tossed in a load of laundry to do its thing as I did other things. Love washing machines, toss in clothes, add detergent and press “go”. Now, if I could teach the dogs to fold the clothes and put them away, I would have it made.
Thinking about it, dogs are useless when it comes to household chores as I can’t think of a single thing, they do in the way of house cleaning and such. They are good at barking so maybe their role is as watchdogs…All of the love and attention that I get from them more than makes up for their not being very good at helping.
I was listening to an Audiobook and sitting in the open doorway and noticed a lot of activity going on with Gary, Malinda and a couple of others walking backwards and forwards carrying food to the Breakroom. Then I got the call, “Be there or be square, breakroom, now…” and wandered over to join my friends.
For a while, I was the only man alone with five women and wondered if I should be concerned but finally, the guys all came in together and I breathed a sigh of relief. We sat and ate two different types of sausages along with other meat and all of the fixings.
I carefully nursed my plate of food and watched as most of the others went back for seconds and thirds. The one plate I had was all I could manage as I just do not have the room for it in my stomach. We sat and ate and chattered for a couple of hours before the party broke up.
I walked back to the RV and harnessed up the dogs as I needed to walk off some of the food I had consumed. The dogs did not care why we were walking, just glad to be doing it. It was late enough to bring in the bird feeders and shut up shop outdoors as we adjourned indoors for the rest of the evening spent watching a Premier League match.
This is the lone Zebra and hangs out with the donkeys and deer.
I went to bed an hour earlier than I normally do last evening but I still laid around instead of getting up. I do not know why as I slept very well. A lot of it is mental as I have nothing planned for today so why get up? Especially as it is so warm and snuggly in bed with the A/C blasting away.
I eventually rolled out somewhat reluctantly around 8:30 am. As one of my workmates, a guy by the name of Ernie Baker who I first started work with all of those years ago would say, “Follow the three “S” rule and you’re ready to go”. In his case, the three S’s were “sh**t, shave and shampoo”. He was a funny guy. Unfortunately, he contracted Tuberculosis and died at a comparatively young age and as I had worked with him for almost three years, my sister with whom I was living, kept a very close eye on me, “just in case”.
After bringing out the bird feeders, we went out walking and just wandered around not going very far. It was already warming up although today is supposed to be a few degrees cooler with some cloud cover. About bloody time…
Back in the RV, I fixed breakfast and today was a good day as Sandy ate her food and her medicine. I sat working on the blog trying hard to stay up to date. There is not a lot to write about as nothing much happens in my life anymore. That’s a good thing and the way I like it.
I noticed it growing darker and could see the clouds building in the sky. Gary walked by and pointed at the clouds on the darkening horizon and mentioned something about rain.
I brought in the awning just in time as the wind started to blow and it began to rain pretty hard. It only lasted for ten minutes, and the clouds passed through and that was that. Still, any rain is better than no rain.
We went out walking while it was still a bit cooler and just wandered around the park. When we got back, I sat in my usual place half in and half out of the sliding door in line with the A/C as it escaped which kept me cool. By then, the sun was out and blazing down again only this time, with higher humidity.
We sat listening to an Audiobook for a couple of hours and as the afternoon progressed, I watched as Gary, Malinda and a couple of others made a steady stream as they walked between Daniels RV and the Breakroom.
I remembered that Daniel, had been fishing the day before down on the Gulf and that he was having a Fish Fry for all of his friends which included me. I joined everyone in the Breakroom and for a while, was the only man surrounded by six ladies thinking how lucky I was. Well, maybe twenty years ago it might have been lucky but nowadays all I worry about is having good friends and drinking a beer with them.
Then the men showed up all carrying different containers of fried fish that Daniel had been cooking over at his RV. Altogether, there were twelve of us sitting in the Breakroom enjoying fresh fish with all of the fixing’s and drinking beer.
The fish was delicious, and the company was very good, and we had a very pleasant evening. Eventually, the party broke up as we each headed back to our own individual RV’s.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way watching an English Premier game only this time, on a very full stomach.
One of the Zebras is in the open and the other is in the trees to the right
I slept very well, including after the alarm went off. I gotta adjust it so it does not ring as I never get out of bed. For some reason, I feel more tired after a good night’s sleep at least, that is what I tell myself as I roll over and close my eyes.
I finally got out around 8:30 am and took a shower before dressing in summertime clothes. For me that is a tee shirt and shorts. I also wear undershorts and socks and it all adds up to less laundry but unfortunately, it does nothing to alleviate the heat of the sun.
The new straw hat that I bought does a good job of keeping the top of my head cool although it cannot do anything about the sweat that is streaming down my face and soaking my clothes. It is definitely not comfortable being outdoors during the current heat wave.
So far, it has 43 consecutive 100 degree days and no end in sight and to be truthful, I cannot tolerate it as I did when I was a younger man hence the reason I stay in as much as I do. There has to be a really good reason to venture outdoors, like walking dogs although, they are not very enthusiastic like when it is cooler.
I fixed breakfast and coffee and again, that little stinker Sandy, did not finish her breakfast and and so, did not take her medication. Little rat… I turned my attention to the World news and wondered why this country is in such a mess. It seems that good manners no longer apply, and it is OK to badmouth your opponent to prove a point. I hate all politicians regardless of their party.
Disgusted at the whole bloody mess, I turned to writing the blog, something that is just a journal of daily events over which I have had very little control. Sure, I make decisions all of the time. Things like, should I do this or this, go here or there or buy this over that but none of them are earth shattering and the end of the world will not happen because of something I did or did not do.
I watched a new camper pull in and for some reason, had come in the wrong way and then had to circle around to make the correction. Luckily, there is plenty of room to perform these maneuvers. That constituted the entire excitement for the day so far.
With the blog up to date, I turned my attention to posting the latest offering. I got a text from Daniel wanting to know if I was up for coffee, which of course, I was. I met Gary as I came out of my RV and we both walked to the breakroom where Daniel had a coffee for each of us.
We spent an hour chatting and I got to hear some interesting and sometimes funny stories from the pair of them. Gary and I made our way back to our RV’s and Daniel said he had to clean the bathrooms. At least, he was indoors and not out in the sun in the 102-degree heat.
Back in the RV, I completed the blog to bring it up to date. I’ll bet I could write the rest of today and then when I looked at it tomorrow, it would be exactly what we did. Things do not change very much unless I have a doctor’s appointment or go shopping.
Sandy was giving me “the look” so we harnessed up and wandered around dodging from shade to shade and trying hard to stay out of the sun. We did not go very far and managed to cover 1.2 miles for the day, which is pretty good all things considered.
I sat with the sliding door open with a cold beer and listened to an Audiobook with the escaping A/C circulating around me to keep me cool. We stayed there until it started to get dark, and we went through the usual “shut up shop for the evening” things like the bird feeders and such and then adjourned back indoors for food and entertainment.
Incidentally, I watched Brighton and Hove Albion with their game and Solly March, my great, great grandson scored 2 goals. Way to go, Solly.
I very reluctantly got out of bed to face another hot day. Having day after day of 100 plus degree weather without any break is very tiring and I certainly have very little inclination to do anything outside other than the absolute necessities like feeding the birds and emptying the tanks and of course, walking the dogs.
Saying that, we went through the usual morning routine of hanging bird feeders and then walking although we did not walk very far. We took the outside lane leading up to Hwy 290 and got very lucky as there was a herd of deer plus the pair of Zebras close enough to take pictures. We have not seen this herd in a while.
We wandered up the lane, but Sandy was not into walking in the heat, and we did an about face and walked back to The Caboose. We must be careful with her because of her heart condition not to mention getting her to take her medication.
Back at the RV I emptied the tanks which is not a big chore but one that needs doing periodically and then we went back inside for breakfast. Today was a good day as Sandy ate her food and licked the bowl clean which meant that she had taken her pill for the morning.
I have no idea where today has gone as when I looked at the clock it showed it to be 4:00 pm. Funny how some days just fly by, and others drag along. It is all the same time after all.
I glanced at the Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer that sits on my desk and it reads 103 degrees. This is the hottest part of the day here in Dripping Springs, Texas.
I had a few indoor chores which I took care of, all just normal routine stuff and then looked around for something else to do. At least I feel better than yesterday as I have not fallen asleep yet. I just glanced at the clock again and now it says it is 5:40 pm. Time is just flying by.
The temperature peaked out at 103 degrees and is now dropping and has already reached 100 degrees. It should cool down by midnight… Around 7:00 pm, I harnessed up the dogs again for the final walk of the day.
It had cooled down a bit to around 99 degrees. Our walks generally consist of rushing from one shady area to the next and dawdling when we reach them and at this late hour, the shadows are much longer.
We sat outside for an hour listening to an Audiobook and drinking a beer, OK 2 beers, until it started to get dark. That was the signal to bring in the feeders for the night and for us to adjourn inside to watch the Premier League.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Sunday 08/20/2023
You can just pick out the deer silhouetted against the back ground.
I heard the alarm go off and quickly turned it off with absolutely no intention of crawling out of bed. In 10 seconds, I was asleep again. I finally got up around 8:30 am and after the usual morning ablutions, we went outside to go walking.
The first thing though, was to bring out the bird feeders, three that are seed holders and two for seed cakes all hung on the same pole. Yesterday, I refilled the Hummingbird feeders but when I looked at them today, both were covered in tiny ants. The water holders on the top that are designed to keep the ants away, dried up overnight with the excessive heat.
We went out for that first walk but it had already warmed up and neither dog was very interested in walking. We wandered around for a bit dawdling between shady areas and from the point of view of bowel movement, both dogs outshone themselves with a score of two each. That has never happened before so a first for everything. As that is the main purpose of the walk with exercise a distant second, the walk was a major success.
I fixed breakfast for the dogs and Mikey gobbled his down. Sandy picked out the “good stuff” and left most of it which meant that yet again, she is not getting her medication. She is supposed to take two large pills a day and I am lucky if I can get one crumbled up into her. I have yet to find that magic, irresistible something that she likes and that will disguise the pill and I have tried everything.
I sat and read the World news and noted that England Women lost to Spain in the World Cup final. Guess I will watch it this evening. I now have a choice with the English Premier League going on although today’s game was the last one in this World Cup with the next one four years away. Wonder if I will still be around to watch it or better yet, understand it?
I wrote for as much as I could for the day and now must wait for things, anything to develop. I hope that the day goes a bit slower than yesterday as I had no idea where that time went.
I sat and listened to an Audiobook indoors as it was way too hot to sit outside, and the afternoon slowly passed. I made good use of the time though as I put in a load of laundry which did its thing in the background. I did not bother to empty the laundry machine and fold the laundry and will do that tomorrow. No one cares if my tee shirt has a few wrinkles.
We went out for the final walk of the day. It was still bloody hot with the temperature hovering around 100 degrees and that was at 6:00 pm in the evening. We definitely did not look for distance, just exercise. When we got back, I sat in the RV’s open doorway and listened to an Audiobook. At least, there was some cool air as the A/C escaped but what the hey, that is what the units are for, to produce more of the cold stuff.
It started to get dark and that was my cue to bring in the bird feeders and shut up shop for the evening, The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way, feed the dogs, feed me and watch TV.
I set the alarm and it went off at 6:45 am leaving me plenty of time to do things before driving into the Ear Doctor’s Office in Austin. The first thing was to bring out the bird feeders and then to take the first walk of the day.
After dropping off the small bag of trash, I stopped by the Break Room to drink coffee with Daniel. Later, Malinda joined us, and we chatted for a while. I got up and left to get ready for the drive into Austin and fed the dogs before leaving.
The drive-in was uneventful and there was not a lot of traffic. I made my way to the Ears, Nose and Throat Office and chatted to all and sundry as I awaited my turn. I did not have to wait long before I was sitting in Lisa, the Technicians’ office, and we went over how the new hearing aids were working out. She explained some things to me, and we were all through.
I had decided that I needed a new straw hat as the one I have is getting a bit beaten up and drove back towards South Austin to Whole Earth Provision Company. First, I looked at the hats and had to go through nearly all of them to find a small size. I eventually found one I liked, and it fitted my small head. Can’t think why people think I have a big head…
My next stop was to the shoe section where after several attempts, I found a pair of hard soled shoes in my size. I kept them on and put the originals back in the box to carry home. I took my goodies to the counter to pay and managed to spend $202.00 between the two. Still, I needed both things.
Driving home, I took a wrong turn and drove all over South Austin before eventually having to resort to the map finder on my phone to get me back to the where I wanted to go. Still, I got to see some of Austin that I had never seen before.
When I was finally back into territory that I recognized which happened to be a Starbucks, I bought a Latte and some sort of Breakfast sandwich and drove the back way home to Dripping Springs. Incidentally, before very long, the sandwich had gone out of the window to feed the birds as it did not taste very good. The coffee was fine though.
Back at the RV, I hitched up the dogs and we went out for a short walk. By then, the temperature was hovering around the 100 degree mark and we did not stay out very long.
I worked on the blog bringing it up to date which included today. With it getting so hot in afternoons with the temperature usually peaking out at around 4:00 pm, both of the dogs and myself have a great reluctance to go outside at that time and only the necessity of potty breaks forces us out at all. Potty breaks for the dogs, not for me… Maybe I could teach the dogs how to use the indoor toilet…
We sat around indoors, and I nodded off to sleep on the couch with a very contented dog on either side of me. I must have been tired as I napped for a couple of hours before deciding that it had cooled off enough to take that walk. Consequently, the step count was way down, and we did not even cover a mile for the day but at least we did not cook or get sunburnt…
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way with me in seventh heaven now that the English Premier League games are back.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Friday 08/18/2023
I awoke late because I had turned the alarm off as it is of no use if all I do is roll over and go back to sleep anyway. It’s not like I have anything important going on today as was the case the past three days. In fact, I have absolutely nothing planned for today which is just as well. I do not feel 100% as I have a bit of a sore throat.
We followed our usual procedures which we do every morning harnessing up the dogs and tieing them up to the outside table while I fill and then hang the bird feeders. Today, I hung the two big feeders even higher than before as I had a word from Malinda that she had seen the deer standing on their back legs to reach them. Gotta hand it to the deer for trying.
We went out walking and it had already warmed up with high humidity making it very uncomfortable for all of us. Sandy sat down in the shade, and it took a while to coax her into walking again. I took that to mean that she did not want to go far, and we only wandered up the outside road leading to Hwy 290.
Back inside The Caboose, I made us breakfast and coffee for me. Today was one of the better days as Sandy ate her breakfast and licked her bowl clean meaning that she took all of her medication. I ate my breakfast and started work on the blog.
The deer were after the feeders again and I stood up and shoo ’ed them away and they bounded off. I made the mistake of sitting on the couch as immediately, there was a dog on either side of me. The next thing I must have dozed off as I did not wake up for a couple of hours. Apparently, that was not long enough as I dozed back off again not waking up until it was time for the afternoon walk.
This time, I dragged myself off the couch and harnessed up the dogs and I staggered around outside gradually waking up as we walked along. Maybe that should read me or I as the dogs were fine and wide awake.
I have no idea why I slept at all as it is very unusual for me to do that. We wandered around with me coming more and more awake as we walked.
I had an invitation to eat at Malinda’s and Daniels RV that evening and I headed over there when we got back. The usual crew was there, and we ate and drank and had a lot of fun.
I walked back to the RV, and we went out for a quick walk before retiring for the evening to watch another Premier League game.
I got up late again even though I went to bed at a reasonable hour. Guess I needed sleep. There was no one over at the Breakroom which was not surprising considering how late I was.
We harnessed up and as usual, the first thing was to bring out the bird feeders. Then we went walking and managed to cover 1.2 miles on the first walk of the day.
Back in the RV, I fixed us all breakfast and that all important first coffee. I posted a poem from my archives as I have not been very active in the poetry world these past few weeks. The poetic side of my brain needs stimulation somehow for it to start working again.
I had to play catch up with the blog as I was behind with the posting and there was only one blog in the queue waiting to be posted. I know that my friend BJ would like it that way, but I need a cushion just in case I fall behind as I just did.
All the while I was working on the blog, I was keeping one eye on the clock as I have a Dentist’s appointment this afternoon. Leaving plenty of time to drive into town, I set off heading for the Dentist’ Office.
Traffic was light, which was surprising, and I made good time and I walked in and was warmly greeted by the Receptionist who checked all my details to make sure they were correct. I had filled out the forms online to save time.
There was a bit of a problem with my insurance card needing to be replaced but they got over it. Dr Reed examined me following up on the Technicians’ work who did the original examination and ran all the tests.
Bottom line after being in the chair for almost a half hour was word that I needed to have a couple of teeth treated. I made an appointment with the front office for next week and made my way back to the Jeep.
Back in the Jeep, I drove back to Henly to be met by my little buddies who showered me with attention just so they could go walking. We wandered around the park and managed to cover 1:00 mile.
The rest of the evening was spent in watching the English National Women’s team make it through to the World Cup Final.
I turned the alarm off and went back to sleep because I felt tired for some reason, eventually rolling out of bed around 8:00 am. We harnessed up and the first order of the day was to go out walking. We only made one circuit of the Breakroom and ended up drinking coffee with both Daniel and Delores.
Daniel had a small project requiring my help, so I put the dogs away and jumped on the 4×4 and started picking up branches that he was cutting off from the trees. We cleaned up several areas including down by the new swimming pool.
He dropped me back off at my RV and I brought out the bird feeders as I had not had time to do it earlier. Then I made the dogs their breakfast before getting my own.
I spent time working on the blog bringing it up to date and then looked around for something to get up to. I had an appointment with my eye doctor and drove into town arriving in plenty of time. There were some problems with one of my medical cards, but we got it straightened out.
Then I spent the next hour looking at moving objects and trying to read the fine print. Bottom line is that I have some new medication to put in my eyes, once a day.
I got out of the Doctor’s office and headed back to Henly stopping at the HEB located in Dripping Springs where I had the Doctor send the prescription. It was not ready, which was OK as I had grocery shopping to do and wandered around the store trying to stay with the list I had written out.
Needless to say, a couple of things snuck into the basket which included a case of beer for Daniel. I got back to the RV and with the help of my little buddies, unloaded and put everything away except for Daniels beer.
Malinda and Daniel were down in the swimming pool, and I left her a message to come and collect it when they were ready. I had thought about joining them in the pool when I first got back but my heart was not into it as I am not big into swimming and such.
They stopped by and loaded their case of beer and gave me a hard time for not joining them in the pool. I watched an English Premier League game until it was time to go out walking again.
We wandered around and we managed to cover a little over 2 miles for the day. Back in The Caboose, I fixed the dogs food and then fed myself before settling down to watch another Premier League game
