I turned the alarm off and dropped straight back off to sleep and then, did not wake up until 8:30 am. I jumped into the shower to try to clear the cobwebs and then we went out to work on the bird feeders.
The two large ones that I now have hanging in the trees way up out of the deer’s reach, were both empty and needed refilling. I took care of that as it is a little more complicated now with them hanging up high. I played around with the other smaller feeders rehooking them up to the pole.
I noticed that one of the two seed cake holders was empty and laying on the ground so the deer must have figured out that they are good to eat. I will bring them inside at night with the others in the future.
While I was out there and feeling all energetic, I watered the plants both in the garden and on the steps. Even though the deer have done a number on a couple of them, I noticed new green shoots growing so there is still hope. If the deer stays away, that is.
We went out walking and managed to cover a mile for the morning. Because I was late getting up, it had already warmed up when we were wandering around.
Back in the RV, I fixed breakfast for us all and this time, as I had been too late for the early morning get together, fixed myself coffee. Suitably refreshed and ready to face the day, I settled down and read emails and the world news.
There was not a single email that presented any problems or needed any action on my part, and the world news was just the same as yesterday and quickly skimmed over. I took care of the blog keeping it up to date before looking around for other things to get up to.
Not finding anything that needed my attention, I turned the TV on and watched an English Premier League game, well actually two games as the new season has just started. This took the entire afternoon and by then, it was time to go out walking again.
We wandered around as we usually do but it was so hot out that we did not stay out for very long but still managed to cover 1.9 miles. Back in the RV, we spent time listening to an Audiobook before bringing in the bird feeders and shutting up shop for another day. Written 08/14/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com
My Friend BJ striding it out at Bastrop State Park,
I had a visitor today my friend from Bastrop but she did not stay she happened to be in town and stopped by and the very reason why is she had some marmalade for me taken from her own pantry that she had made as she often does with her own special touch and lots of love she sometimes includes me when she makes jam knowing just how fond I am for breakfast on toast is always the best two slices at least passes the test and then I have to put it away saving the rest for another day I really appreciate my friend for including me and I recommend that if she ever offers to you you jump at the chance for a bite or two of the wonderfuls jams and jellies she makes her talent for cooking is really no fake and if she was more inclined could sell her wares to human kind but I am lucky just like Sam who is my friends long suffering Old Man as they have been married many a year and they hold each other dear I would too given the chance not because I want a romance and not with any disrespect as my reasons have no effect but to share the jelly and food as my friends cooking is really that good.
I managed to get up around 8:30 am and we went out for a short walk about ending up at the Breakroom for the usual coffee. It wasn’t a good start to the day as I had hardly drunk any of it and set it on the ground. A strong gust of wind blew my hat, that was also on the ground, into the coffee cup, knocking it over. Malinda splashed water over the spilt coffee to prevent it from staining the concrete. I thanked Malinda for cleaning up the mess and meanwhile, Gary made me a fresh cup.
We sat there for a while talking and noticed one of the campers, an older gentleman, was getting ready to leave and was having trouble backing up his truck to the rig. I walked over to act as a spotter and before long, Daniel had joined me. It was obvious that the camper was not very experienced, and I stepped back to let Daniel finish helping him.
I took the dogs walking and we managed to cover almost mile even as hot as it was after our late start.
Back in the RV, I made breakfast and could not get Sandy interested in eating anything which was unusual. She usually eats the meat even as she eats around the medicine.
I finished the blog for yesterday and posted it and looked around for other things to do. I noticed that I had not emptied the washing machine, so I took the time to do that and folded the clothes and put them in their respective drawers. Like I said, wrinkled shorts and Tee shirts really do not matter very much.
We did a lot of sitting around listening to an Audiobook and at one point, I nodded off to sleep. I must have napped for at least 30 minutes waking up with a start and wondering where I was.
The dogs like it when I nod off as they are usually sitting one on each side of me on the couch. Needless to say, they too are zonked off and I can’t rely on them to wake me up.
I took that as a cue to go walking just to clear the cobwebs. We wandered around but it was way too hot with the temperature hovering around 102 degrees, and we quickly came back inside.
With nothing else to get up to, I turned on the TV to the English Premier League games for which the season has just started. I watched my great, great, Grandson, Solly March who plays for Brighten and Hove Albion, scored the opening goal. Brighton who went on to win 3-1 for a good start to the season.
The alarm went off and I thought, “Five more minutes” and ended up waking up 45 minutes later. I got out of bed and harnessed up the dogs.
The first thing was to bring out the bird feeders as we usually do. The one we hung in the tree was still where it was supposed to be and full of seed. Obviously, it is high enough that the deer are not bothering it. I want to hang the other large one higher as well. That way, I will only have the two smaller ones to bring in at night.
With the birds taken care of for one more day, we went out walking around the park and up Henly Loop to Hwy 290 and managed to cover 1.1 miles, a good start to the day. I noticed that there was a small calf in with the three cows in the fields across the road. Guess one of them had birthed.
Back in the RV, I fixed breakfast after contemplating for a long time what I fancied to eat. In the end, I settled on four taquitos which filled a spot. Sandy really liked them.
I settled down in front of the computer for the usual morning perusal of the World news which was full of the same old crap. I turned to the blog and caught up with events to date struggling to remember what had happened of any importance yesterday.
As far as I can remember, it went something like this. I woke up albeit an hour late. That is worthy of a mention as important as what it is considering the alternative. I fed the birds, nothing new there. We went walking and covered a very good number of 3.6 miles for the for the day. I went to a Sea Food Restaurant to eat with my friends and the food was very good. Gary treated me to my meal. It will be my turn next time…I drank two beers and slept like the proverbial log.
Having caught up on the blog, I looked around for other things to get up to. I went outside and worked on the second bird feeder and got it hooked up the way I wanted it.
Now, it is high enough that the deer cannot reach it plus the two big feeders are now spaced apart. The two small ones are still on the seed pole, and I will bring them in at night. For some reason, the deer do not touch the seed cakes, so I do not have to fuss with them other than to replace them from time to time.
I tried sitting outside on the deck in the shade and even with a strong breeze blowing, the air was too warm for comfort. The actual temperature was 102 degrees, which is hot by anybody’s standards.
We ended up back indoors in the cool A/C. I listened to an Audiobook and came to the end of the story or at least, Part 1. Apparently, I do not have Part 2 downloaded and neither could I find it to do so, and I started another Stephen King story instead.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion watching a Women’s World Cup game.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Saturday 08/12/2023
Again, I was awake before the alarm went off and when it did, I rolled over and went back to sleep. I was just not ready to get up. I really do need to get to sleep earlier and then maybe I would get up.
It is not like it really matters as I have nothing planned of any importance.
We harnessed up and I tied the dogs up so I could bring out the two small bird feeders, the only ones that are not permanently hanging up high and out of the deer’s reach.
Then we went out walking making the loop around the Break Room as we headed for the dumpsters and then coffee. Gary was the only one there as Daniel and Malinda had already left to go about their business. We sat and chatted for a bit and then we both left to go and do our “thing”.
Ours was a continuation of our walk which took us up Henly Loop towards Hwy 290. There was enough shade for us to get 2/3 rds. of the way up the road before turning around to come back to the RV. It truly is miserably hot.
Back in the RV, I made coffee and fixed all of us breakfast. Today was a good day as Sandy ate hers and licked the bowl which means that she unknowingly, ate her crushed up medication. I sat and read the World news and then turned my attention to the blog.
I watched as a squirrel perched on the feeders and this time; I allowed him to eat his fill which was not very much. When I looked up again, he was gone.
We went out for another walk but unlike the morning walk, the one in the afternoon is usually shorter because of the heat. Not just on me but for the dogs too as they sometimes flop down in any patch of shade. Then, we have to wait until they are ready to go again.
When we got back, I sat and listened to an Audiobook for a while and then adjourned back indoors where it was cooler and watched a Women’s World Cup game. Half way through, came a knock on the door which set the dogs barking.
I looked out and it was Gary with his car telling me it was time to go and star watch. I put on my shoes, and he drove us down to the swimming pool where a whole bunch of my friends had already gathered. There was supposed to be a display of shooting stars visible to the naked eye.
We sat there for more than 2 1/2 hours but all we got to see was an occasional shooting star. Giving up on that event as a flop, I declined a ride back to the RV and walked back mainly to get the cricks out.
Laying in a deckchair was not very comfortable for all of that time. By then it was almost 1: 30 am and long past my bedtime.
I fully intended to get up when the alarm went off but somehow, could not resist the temptation of rolling over and going back to sleep. It was almost 8:00 am when I crawled out which meant that I had missed the usual morning gathering.
I am sure though that they did not miss me as my contributions to the conversation never amounted to very much. So instead, after we harnessed up and as I usually did, I tied the dogs up so that I could bring out the feeders. Then we went out walking.
We wandered around the campground and then headed down one of the dead-end roads that leads away from the campground. Early in the morning, it has a good amount of shade cover and hardly any traffic, making it fairly comfortable to walk.
We managed to cover 1.3 miles, which is a good start to the day. It always surprises me just how much walking is needed to cover a mile. Quite obviously, I am not a good judge of distance.
Back at the RV, I messed around outside watering the plants and such and played around with the new bird hanger that Daniel started. It was empty so I refilled it. I was planning a couple of refinements to make it more practical to use but I need some parts which means a trip to The Home Depot.
I was sitting and writing and when I looked up, there were two deer working on the feeders. They are probably the same ones but there is no way of telling as one deer very much looks like the next one. I opened the door, which was enough to frighten them away, but I hollered at them for good measure.
They were very reluctant to move very far away, and they both surveyed me for a good ten minutes from about 50 yards off. Eventually, they moved away, and you could almost see the look of disappointment on their faces. The last thing I need is to feel guilty about not feeding them…
I continued to write with one eye on the feeders, just in case the deer decide to try again although, they are probably waiting for me to go into town which was the next thing on the agenda.
I grabbed my list as without one, I tend to buy all the wrong things and forget the important ones and hopped in the car. My first stop was at Home Depot as I wanted to find parts to rehang the bird feeders in the tree high enough so that the deer cannot reach them. At the same time, I need to devise a way to lower them when they need refilling. I found the section with the parts that I needed and picked out what I hope will be the right ones.
My next stop was at HEB where I wandered around sticking pretty much with my list of groceries. I bought beer for Daniel as it is my contribution to all the food and such that I get invited to share with the group. I got back and put the groceries away and remembered that a bunch of us were going to eat out to celebrate Terri’s birthday.
Gary stopped by to pick me up and we drove away from Dripping to a restaurant named The Boil Shack which specialized in seafood. It was a very interesting place. I ordered fried halibut over rice which was delicious.
It was a lot of food, and I was the last one to finish eating. I really would have been satisfied with half the amount that I was served but I managed to chow it all down. It was a fun evening.
When we got back, I harnessed up my little buddies and we went out walking around the park. It was a little bit cooler as the sun was going down fast. Altogether for the day, we covered 3.6 miles, a very good day indeed.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way except of course, I had no need to feed myself.
I got up as soon as the alarm went off at 7:00 am and jumped in the shower which finished waking me up. Dressed and ready to face the day, I harnessed up the dogs and then, as I usually do, brought out the feeders.
With this done, I grabbed the small bag of garbage and we headed for the dumpster. I let the dogs lead as much as I can when we are out walking and help them with the occasional tug on the leash to get them go in the right direction. After all, for them, it is not the distance we cover but the number of smells they find plus they are supposed to do their business, which they usually do on the first walk.
As usual, we ended up along with Malinda, Daniel and Gary drinking coffee outside of the Break Room. We chatted for 30 minutes or so and then I got up to go walking while it was cool. For once, it was overcast so it had not yet warmed up.
We wandered around the campground and then hit the outside road walking towards Hwy 290 only this time, the opposite end to what we normally use. Again, our walks are all governed by the amount of shade although today it did not matter as we had that cloud cover. Altogether, we covered 1.5 miles on the morning walk.
Back inside the RV, I fixed breakfast and fed the dogs and puttered around on a couple of household chores before settling down in front of the computer to read the World news. I was especially interested in what other people had to say about the USA Women’s team’s loss. I read a lot of the comments, some good but most of them bad because of the players’ actions during the singing of the National Anthem. The soccer powers that be, have a problem that they need to get sorted out before these players get to represent their country again or maybe they should not.
I continued to write and then posted the latest blog on the website. It seems that around mid to late afternoon is when I run out of things to do. That is usually when I sit and listen to an Audiobook, preferably outside on the deck. A lot of that is governed by how much shade there is although I do have the overhead awning that I usually never let out all the way. If it gets too windy, I bring it in.
Daniel stopped by and he had brought a roll of heavy string with him, and we messed around hanging one of the bird feeders in a tree. We only worked on one of them as an experiment and with a bit of refinement, I think I can make it work. I just need to get them higher up out of the Deers reach and then I will not have to bring them in each evening.
We went out for another walk around the campground and out onto the outside roads. We stop and talk to many of the people that we meet or who are outside their RV’s.
Back at The Caboose, we sat outside on the deck half in and half out of the doorway cooled by the escaping A/C air. I figure it is a small price to pay for my comfort.
We listened to an Audiobook, and we are nearly at the end of that story. Daniel had already invited me over to the commons to eat at 6:15 and I was keeping an eye on the time so as not to be late. The food was delicious as it usually was, and I was stuffed when I finally left the party to bring in the bird feeders.
With that done, we went inside for the rest of the evening.
The alarm went off and I lay there long enough for the A/C to shut off, so it did not freeze me as I showered. Then it was the usual, harness up, out the door, and tie up while I took care of the bird feeders.
We started to wander around carrying our usual bag of trash and we did our normal circuit around the Clubhouse before sitting down with Gary who is usually the first one there. He made me coffee and we sat and chatted before Daniel and then Malinda joined us.
She did not stay very long as she was already working on her phone. Chris also stopped by and Peggy strolled up and fixed hers and BJ a coffee and then disappeared back to her RV. I guess they had a rough night with a bottle, last evening.
Daniel got up to go to work and I took that as a cue to continue walking the dogs. We wandered around and walked most of the way down the hill before turning back to the RV and managed to cover 1.1 miles.
Back at the RV, I fixed breakfast and this time, drank orange juice as I already had coffee. I am not that much of a coffee lover to require two cups in a morning. I was keeping one eye on the door as Sandy had a haircut scheduled for today.
We are very fortunate that we have Bethany, a resident doggy hairdresser here in the campground who picks the dogs up and then brings them back after they are all cleaned up. Mikey started barking as she walked up the stairs onto the deck and I gave her Sandy all dirty, disheveled and desperately in need of a bath.
We chatted for a couple of minutes as she mentioned she would like a deck like mine, and I suggested that she talk to Daniel.
Somewhat reluctantly, Sandy went with Beth, and they drove off and Mikey and I went back indoors to work on the blog. We wrote for a while and pretty much caught up.
I found other things to get up to like putting in a load of laundry and making the bed and fun things like that. I happened to look out of the window and my two friendly deer were there brazenly walking up to the bird feeder. I grabbed the phone to take yet another picture of them as I opened the door, and they sprang away.
I really do need to consider hanging the feeders in the trees higher off the ground and out of their reach. BTW, that is three days in a row they have come searching for food. I don’t know if their natural food is in short supply because of the heat and lack of rain or because the seed in the feeders is easy pickens and tastes good but they certainly are attracted to it.
About midafternoon, Mikey jumped up and rushed to the door and Bethany was standing there with Sandy all clean and looking sharp. Sandy was very pleased to see Mikey and even had time to make a fuss of me. I chatted to Beth for a while and paid her and she went on her way with my thanks.
We went back indoors as it was bloody hot outside with the temperature hovering around the 103 degree mark and I went back to work on the blog. With this caught up for the day, I was at a bit of a loss figuring out what else to do as It is just so hot and uncomfortable outdoors not only for me but also for the dogs.
We sat around doing a lot of nothing except to listen to an Audiobook and I think I dozed off as the next thing I remember is waking up with a start and looking at the clock. Not sure why the time mattered as we had no plans.
The rest of the group, especially those with Grandkids have been spending time at the pool but it holds no real attraction for me although the kids are amusing.
We harnessed up and went out walking and managed to cover 1.7 miles for the day. Not bad for the weather being as hot as it is. When we got back, we sat on the deck in the doorway to the RV so we could be in the cool air as it escaped listening to an Audiobook and drinking a beer until it began to get dark.
That was the cue to bring in the bird feeders and shut up shop for the evening.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Tuesday 08/08/2023
The alarm clock woke me up and when I looked at it after turning it off, it said 6:40 am. I stared at it in disgust and wondered why it was not set for 7:00 am, rolled over and promptly went back to sleep. I awoke at 7:15 and this time crawled out of bed.
Cold water on my face and in my eyes woke me up and I dressed ready to face another day, not that we have anything planned. We harnessed up and I hitched the dogs to the table so they could “help” bring out the bird feeders and then we grabbed our small bag of garbage and headed to the dumpster.
We followed our usual morning pattern of walking around the Breakroom before ending up with the “Gang” or at least, those that were present. This morning it was Gary, Malinda, Daniel, Remington and myself. Incidentally, Malinda was already working on her phone.
We chatted and drank coffee as we usually do before each going our separate ways. In our case, we started walking around and headed out on the Loop that leads to Hwy 290 although Sandy seemed reluctant to walk very far.
Maybe the heat was already getting to her as she is not as well insulated after her haircut. Anyway, we turned back, and instead, she led us down the hill and then back through the park to the RV. I guess she just did not want to walk on Henly Loop for whatever reason.
Back in the RV, I fixed breakfast for the dogs and wonders never ceased as both ate what I put in front of them. In Sandy’s case, she licked the bowl clean, so she got all this morning’s pill. That, by itself, is a good start to the day.
I fixed my own breakfast although I am having trouble finding appealing things to eat. Today I settled on two pieces of toast, one with peanut butter and the other with Marmalade. The coffee tasted good though!
I had already read the world news and several different write ups of Team USA loss to Sweden. It was interesting that some of the writers supported the team 100 percent regardless of how they had behaved during the playing of the National Anthem.
Others lambasted them for those same antics, calling them unpatriotic and worse. For my part, I must agree that the team’s behavior both during the pregame and National Anthem left a lot to be desired especially after watching other players on other teams in earlier games singing their National Anthems with great gusto and enthusiasm with their eyes closed and obviously very grateful to represent their countries.
You could almost feel their pride. In truth, almost the entire rest of the World has caught up with the USA in terms of skill and coaching and there is no longer that gap. This is good for the game and Team USA will now have to work even harder.
After working on the blog, I had a couple of household chores. I emptied the washer and put the clothes on the bed ready for folding although I put that off to do it later. As all I wear are shorts and Tee shirts, a few wrinkles do not matter.
I watched as the pair of deer walked up to the feeders and started to eat which was my cue to get up and clap my hands. They bounded off but they did not leave the park. Probably waiting for another opportunity to attack…
I finished working on the blog and posted the latest edition. I thought about watching another soccer game but decided against it and opted to go out walking instead. We managed to cover 1.2 miles for the day, which was not bad considering that after the morning walk, any walking after that is done in 100 plus degree heat.
When we got back, I sat and listened to an Audiobook sitting in the open doorway on The Caboose which allowed the cooled air to blow past me. That is the only way it is tolerable with the 100 plus degree heat.
I have tried bringing out the big fans that I have but they only blow hot air around. We stayed outside listening to an Audiobook and drinking a nice cool beer, well OK, maybe more than one and then I brought in the bird feeders one more time.
With this done, it was the signal to close the door on the world and go back inside the RV for the evening meal.
I had reset the alarm to wake me at 6:45 am which it did, and lay there a couple of minutes before crawling out to face the day. The idea was to walk when it was cooler, at least for the first walk of the day. Not much I can do about the other walks as the hottest part of the day here in Texas is around 6:00 pm
I harnessed up the dogs and then tied them up outside so they could at least watch as I worked on the bird feeders, making sure there was enough seed in each one before we went out walking.
We wandered around and as we usually do, ended up in the Breakroom to drink coffee and to sit with the same crowd including the Grandkids, although different ones this time. We followed this with another walkabout not going very far as we ended up at “the girls” RV where we sat and chatted for a bit.
Then we continued walking and this time, we took the outside road leading from one entrance to the other. I thought that we might walk down the hill, but Miss Sandy had other ideas and turned back into the park and back to the RV.
I settled down in front of the computer and the dogs found their hidey holes and went to sleep. I wrote for a while playing the usual catchup with a lot of head scratching as I tried to remember what we did yesterday.
With the blog caught up, I remembered that I had an invitation to lunch over at the Commons and at noon time, made my way over only to discover that the time had been changed. I spent time talking to Daniel as he fussed with his new jet skis and then walked back to the RV.
Thirty minutes later, I received a call to head back over to the Commons where a lot of people had congregated. We sat down to a lunch of Hamburgers with all the fixings. I ate one followed by some fruit and was stuffed. I had to keep saying no as I was practically ordered to “eat more”. I finally convinced my tormentors that I was full up and after a while, the party broke up and several of us headed down to the pool.
There is an an old English saying that you should never go swimming on a full stomach in the belief that it would cause cramp. Still, some of my friends, including me, full stomach and all, headed for the Pool to test that theory.
I stopped at the RV first to change into my swim trunks before grabbing my towel and heading off. I messed around in the water working on my nonexistent swimming skills before finally calling it a day and heading back to The Caboose.
I dried off and put on fresh clean clothes and then sat down to work on the blog. The outside temperature was reading 103 degrees… With the blog finished and posted for the day, I looked around for other things to do.
There was a nice breeze blowing outside so I opened the sliding door and put my new chair in the middle of the doorway. Armed with a beer and my little speaker unit, I sat in the doorway catching the cool air as it escaped through the open door.
I sat and listened to an Audiobook for an hour or so before deciding I should bring in the bird feeders. That is usually the last outside act of the day and signaled that it was time to head indoors for the evening.
I watched the US Women’s team lose to Sweden on penalty kicks which was a bit of a shock upset. In truth, the US team had not been playing well and squeaked through their earlier games. Many of the players on the team had come under criticism for their political views which they brought onto the soccer field by not singing the National Anthem or holding their hands over their hearts during the pre game. Consequently, there was a lot of bad feeling and many suggested it was a good thing they had lost.
I got up a little earlier in time to wander over to the Breakroom and chat with the others over there. We solved all the world’s problems as we sat and talked before Daniel, Gary and Malinda left to work at the swimming pool and the Camp Internet. That left Peggy and me and we just looked at each other and got up to do whatever it was we had planned for the day.
In my case, it was to walk around the campgrounds with the dogs to get some exercise. We wandered around going here and there wherever Sandy directed us to go. My job is to point us in the general direction we need to walk and try to find shade as much as possible. Incidentally, I always have one eye on the ground where the dogs walk just in case we come across snake or other creepy crawlies. I have no wish to kill them but just to make sure we are out of their reach.
Back at the RV, I fixed breakfast and coffee and then went on the usual Sandy challenge of taking her crushed up pill. No matter how I try to disguise the pill or how crushed it is, she either just eats around it or ignores the entire bowl of food. I turned my attention to the blog and caught up with yesterday and started on today.
I worked on the blog for a couple of hours which included the pictures. Not that I do very much to them anymore not like I used to when I was really into photography. My cameras have barely seen the light of day for a long time as I take most of the pictures with my iPhone or Galaxy.
I always have either or both of them with me and it saves lugging a camera around. I bought the Galaxy six months ago strictly for the camera and have yet to make or receive a phone call on it. Take that back as I have received junk calls on it which are at once trashed. How or where they got the number beats me as I do not even know it. I have it written down somewhere.
After completing the few chores that I had to do, I sat around in the cool and listened to an Audiobook until Sandy reminded me that she had to “go”. We harnessed up and wandered around stopping to chat to whoever was out and about.
I put the dogs back in The Caboose and then changed into my bathing shorts as I had received a phone call ordering me to report to the swimming pool asap. The shorts are really soccer shorts that have outlived their usefulness as regards soccer and are now my swim trunks. That and my loafers and grabbing my towel, I wandered down to the swimming pool.
The usual crowd was there, and it was a bit strange to see them all in swimming attire. There was Malinda, BJ, Peggy and Delores although BJ was not in the water. On the men’s side was Daniel, Gary and me with another gentleman who we did not know also using the pool.
Malinda and Gary were both pretty good in the water but the rest of us sort of splashed around and talked a lot. That for me was the first time that I had been in a pool in years or come to that, in any water to talk of. I used to be a fairly decent swimmer but alas, my swimming skills are sadly lacking and the best I could do was to dog paddle for a few yards before going under.
In my excuse, over the years my ear problems have kept me out of the water as the two do not mix. Any amount of water in my ears would result in the ears both discharging and aching while they did it and it was just not worth it to go swimming.
Gary was able to submerge and stay under for at least a minute or more and Malinda showed several floating skills. I eventually got out, dried off and bid my farewell as I walked back to The Caboose and to my two little dogs.
I changed into dry clothes and then harnessed up so we could go walking. We wandered around and then sat outside listening to the Audiobook, again. Eventually, it was time to go indoors, and I brought in the bird feeders once more. The day ended in the usual way with food and television although I did manage to get to bed by 11:30.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Saturday 08/05/2023
Broad daylight and eating the bird seed.
I managed to both wake up and get up at a reasonable hour, beating the alarm clock by a couple of minutes. We immediately harnessed up and went out for that first walk, after rehanging the bird feeders.
We did our first loop which is around the Break Room and past the dumpster for the usual disposing of our one small bag of litter. Then it was back to the Break Room to sit and chat as we usually do as we drank coffee.
There were the same people there, Daniel, Malinda, Gary and me along with three of Malinda’s Grand Kids who were all under ten years old.
The little girl was the oldest and she talked up a storm and was very interesting to listen to. She had magic thumbs as they sped across the keyboard as she worked on her little tablet chattering the whole time. I was in awe just listening and watching.
Malinda cooked breakfast for her group and came out with a Taco for me to work on. I thanked her for her kindness and went about eating it.
Eventually, we broke up and we continued our walk about. We hit the outside road, but I could see that Sandy was not into walking in that direction. We did an about turn which satisfied her and headed back to the park this time walking down the hill and coming back in the bottom entrance. Sandy was happy enough with this arrangement and trucked along leading the way as she usually does.
Back in The Caboose, I sat outside for a while and then decided to flush out the black water tank. This consists of hooking a garden hose up to a faucet and the hose valve on the tank lines and backflushing for two and a half minutes. This washes out the tanks and must be done periodically or the toilet will let out a cloud of terrible smelling gas when it is flushed.
It is not a big job, but it is important. The secret is in the timing of how much water to introduce through the hose. Two to two and half minutes will allow sufficient water to clean the tank. Any longer and the toilet bowl will overflow with not very clean water all over the RV floor. Yuk.
With the flushing done for a couple of weeks, I coiled up the hose although it will be needed shortly to water the plants as I try to keep them alive. We badly need rain and lots of it.
I hooked up the dogs and we went out for a walk. Peggy and BJ were both sitting outside so we wandered over to chat with them. Then Gary joined us, and we sat and talked for a bit more before we went on our way again.
Our other friends, Sharon and Larry, were sitting outside along with their dog, and we just had to stop and say hello. Sandy likes to stop anyway as she gets treats.
We moved on and made the loop back to the RV. I decided to go into town to Home Depot to see if they had an outdoor chair that would work for me. I wanted one with a wicker back and seat to try to allow air to circulate around my body when I sit in it. The deck chairs that I currently have both soak me with sweat when I use them.
I made the trip and found exactly what I was looking for and made my way back home. The chair sits next to Mikeys outdoor chair as he likes to be on my level. Sandy not so much as she hides indoors in the A/C. most of the time. It was way too hot to use the chair, so I headed back indoors and worked on the blog in the A/C.
I worked for a while and when I looked up, there were two deer happily feeding away on the bird seed. I took a couple of pictures and frightened them away and sat back down. 10 minutes later, they were back, and I had to drive them off again. Determined little buggers although these two are both full grown and not so little.
The birds need to stick up for themselves and at least peck the deer on the nose a few times. That would stop them. It will always be an ongoing battle with the deer. I bring the feeders in at night, or they will be empty in the morning. The deer are bold enough to chance it during the day if there is no one around.
Maybe I need to rig up a pulley system in the trees to raise the feeders up high enough to be out of their reach…Something else to work on.
Several of us gathered at Daniels RV to chat and drink beer while he was busy cooking hamburgers and other things ready for us to eat. As soon as the food was done, we all traipsed over to the Break Room to eat it.
Besides the adults, Daniel and Malinda’s three Grandkids were also a part of the party. We sat and ate hamburgers and hot dogs with all of the fixing’s and chatted amongst ourselves until I decided that I really needed to walk the dogs.
Saying goodbye to the group, I wandered back over to The Caboose and harnessed up the dogs and we wandered around the park and managed to cover 2.2 miles for the day.
I got up because the alarm was telling me to and took a shower. Feeling like a new man, sort of, we went out for that first walk of the day although, a lot depends on who is over at the Breakroom.
If some of my friends are there, then the walk is interrupted to drink coffee and chat. If no one is there, then we just carry on walking and the coffee comes later in The Caboose. Either way, there is always coffee to get me started.
Today, both Daniel and Malinda were there although they got up to go to work as I arrived, and both of “the girls” plus Gary. The same as yesterday’s swim team. We sat and chatted and drank coffee for a while before I got up to take the dogs walking.
We stopped at Larry and Crystal’s and made a fuss of their dog before moving on. Sandy likes stopping to visit as she always gets a tasty treat. We wandered around and walked down the hill to the bottom. There was a lot of shade plus a strong, cool breeze making it very pleasant walking indeed.
When I got back, I got out the bird feeders and rehung them. The birds have plenty to eat with all the dropped seed so even if I am a bit late in rehanging the feeders, the birds do not go without. Besides, they need to help clean up their mess…
I fixed the usual breakfast and coffee and did my best in disguising Sandy’s medicine and then settled down to write the blog. I had the usual trouble in recalling what we got up to yesterday but eventually had something written down.
That’s the beauty of writing your own blog, if you don’t like something or like me, cannot remember, then I can write anything I want as no one else knows if it is fact or fiction. To be fair though, I try to write only the truth or close to it.
I finished and posted yesterday’s blog and looked around for other things to get up to. I was desperate enough that I even cleaned and dusted the RV and put things away. Probably won’t be able to find anything now.
I decided to go into town to HEB and stock up on groceries and buy beer for the group. I can’t cook or barbecue worth a darn so my contribution to our get togethers is BEER. I walked around the store covering every aisle even though I did not need anything from several of them. My way of exercising. I even stopped at Starbucks on the way home for an iced Latte.
Back in the RV, I got the usual help from the dogs in putting the groceries away although help is not really the right word as all they do is stick their noses in every bag to smell what is in it.
We went out for the afternoon walk and just wandered around. It was hot out and I tried to find as much shade as possible for both me and the dogs. We got back and sat half in and half out of the RV. I have learned that it is cooler doing this as I get the benefit of the A/C as it escapes through the door.
We sat listening to an Audiobook and drinking a beer for an hour or so before bringing in the bird feeders as the day came to an end.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Thursday 08/03/2023
The deer eating the seed I made the mistake of watching a World Cup game on the television and it was almost 2:00 am before I crawled into bed. Consequently, when the alarm went off this morning, I switched it off, uttered a couple of curse words and rolled over and went back to sleep.
I awoke around 9:00 am and crawled out very much aware that the broken sleep and the late night or early morning, whichever way you look at it, was not worth it. I must remind myself to go to bed at a reasonable hour in the future.
I was way too late for coffee and the usual morning get together as my friends had already dispersed and were going about their normal business. I was the oddball. I hung the bird feeders and did a little rearranging with a couple of them onto the other pole thinking that the first pole was a little overcrowded.
With the feeders out for one more day, we wandered around the park and out onto the bottom road, but we were alone in our walks not crossing paths with any of our doggy friends. Sandy knew they had been there as both her and Mikey used their noses to explore all the exciting new smells. I did not join them as somehow, other dog smells did not interest me…
Back in the RV, I fixed coffee and a bacon sandwich for me along with the usual attempt to get Sandy to eat her medication disguised in meat and such. She is one stubborn little girl and hard to fool.
Then it was time to read the daily news and work on the blog as I desperately wracked my brain trying to remember what of any significance happened yesterday. I found things to work on that I had been putting off for one reason or another and spent time straightening out the fridge.
With nothing else to do, we went out for another walk although it was extremely hot and uncomfortable outside and we did not stay out long. Back in the RV, I listened to an Audiobook as the evening began to draw in.
I happened to look out of the window and there was a deer eating the bird seed. I took a couple of pictures and then opened the door to shoo it away. It was very reluctant to leave and only ran off 50 yards or so before turning around and giving me “the look” for interrupting its meal. I took that as a cue to bring in the feeders for the day.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion with food for me and the dogs and then watching a Women’s World Cup soccer match. This time, I only watched one game and got to bed at 11:30 pm.
Another month has come and gone leaving us definitely older but probably not a lot wiser. I did not hear the alarm as it was in the other room and so, it was almost 7:45 am before I got up.
Following the usual morning ablutions, we harnessed up with our first stop at the dumpster. Then, as we sometimes do, we circled the large building that holds Daniels workshop along with the Breakroom, Bath houses and Laundromat ending up where other campers sometimes congregated for the usual early morning chat session.
Today there was Gary, Peggy, Daniel, and Malinda although the latter two did not stay long as they prepared to open the new pool to the public. The three of us sat around for a couple of hours swapping stories before we went our separate ways.
We walked around trying to make up for not walking first thing, but it was way too hot to be enjoyable and we headed back to The Caboose for breakfast. No sooner than I had toasted something and made the coffee than I got an email inviting me over to the Breakroom for pizza.
The girls had bought two large pizzas to share amongst us. Very aware of the fact that I had just eaten two slices of toast for breakfast, I took a small piece of each pizza and made it last a long time fighting off the girls who tried to make me eat more.
We sat and chatted for an hour or so and then Daniel asked me to help him block off some of the entrances to the new pool as it was going to open that afternoon. We fiddled around straightening up a few things and declared the pool ready for swimming.
We got back to my RV and there were two deer happily eating the bird seed. They both galloped away but I got a picture of one of them. I had strong suspicions that they had visited yesterday while I was taking a nap as the feeders were empty when we got back from our walk.
Today, I was in time to save most of the bird feed for the birds.
Much of today had gone on visiting other campers and talking amongst ourselves. We all agree that we are extremely lucky to have found a campground like this with caring and friendly hosts, Malinda, and Daniel. Add to that Remington, who makes it a part of his official duty to keep us all in line. We have developed friendships amongst our small groups, and we all recognize that without our host owners, Sarah, and James, this would not be possible. Our heartfelt thanks to everyone for making this happen.
I sat around a listened to an Audiobook as it was too hot outside to really do anything. I got a text message from the girls and from Daniel ordering me to get my swim trunks on and get down to the pool as it was officially open.
Like the good trooper that I am, I got into my swim trunks and headed down to the pool. Besides Daniel and Malinda, there were the girls and Gary all in the water.
I stripped off and jumped in alongside them and much to my disgust, discovered that I could barely swim anymore. I was a decent swimmer when I was a much younger person but when I perforated both eardrums at an early age through some ear complaint, I stayed away from swimming on doctors’ orders.
BJ sat watching and Daniel kept her company. He had already been in the water and that left Gary, Malinda, Peggy, and me actually in the water. Malinda was very much at home as she demonstrated. Gary did a disappearing act as he slowly slid under and stayed there for a good while before resurfacing. I splashed around and managed a few breast strokes and Peggy spent her time floating.
None of us were very industrious or expended much energy and in truth, with the sun behind the clouds, being in the water was a bit on the cool side. I eventually got out and with a decorum of decency and aided by a large towel, managed to dress into dry clothes.
I said goodbye to my friends and walked back to The Caboose to be greeted by Sandy and Mikey. We harnessed up and went out for a stroll around the park and then returned for the evening meal followed by watching the Women’ World Cup. I lost track of time, and it was almost 2:00 am before I went to bed.
I slept late for some reason and did not get out of bed until 7:30 am. It was almost 8:00 am when I arrived at the Break Room. The only other person there was Gary. He had a cup of coffee waiting for me as I followed the circle of the Break Room, enough for the dogs to do their business and stretch their legs.
We sat and chatted for 30 minutes or so and then we got up to complete our walk wandering around the campground. One of the stored RV’s had moved out yesterday and now there are only two of them left in the storage area.
There are quite a few campsites open, probably due to the excessive heat which keeps a lot of weekenders indoors and not out camping. Who wants to be outside in 100 plus degree heat unless it is in a swimming pool?
Incidentally, the Park Owners are building a new below ground pool here in the park and it is due to open in a couple of weeks. Heck, I might even rediscover my swimming prowess of years gone by.
I caught up on the writing and posted the latest blog and looked around for other things to get up to. I sat and thought about the blog and how repetitious it is becoming. There is not a great deal to write about and one day pretty much is the same as the last as I have mentioned before. I might have to seriously consider writing and posting just three days a week. Hope not but that is certainly the way it is shaping.
The heat wave does not help as it is keeping me indoors. No hikes or visits to other parks. I had received an invitation from “the girls” to come over to the Breakroom and eat enchiladas so at the proper time, I wandered over.
Besides the girls, there was Gary and Chris and of course, me. The food was very good although I limited myself to a single helping and even that was enough to fill me up.
We sat and chatted until someone spotted a deer heading in the direction of The Caboose. This was my signal to leave the party and head back home shooing the deer away as I approached the RV. It took off to a different part of the park.
I took the dogs out for a short walk just so they could stretch and do their business and then headed back to the RV to sit and listen to an Audiobook. The temperature was around 100 degrees outside but nice and cool inside the RV.
We spent a couple of hours sitting and listening and then harnessed up for that final walk of the day. There was no real pleasure in walking for the dogs. The blacktop was hot, and the grass was full of stickers. It was a no-win situation for them both.
We managed to get in our requisite mile, and I was soaked when we got back to the RV. That was the end of our walkabouts for the day.
The rest of the evening was spent indoors except for the time it took to bring in the bird feeders.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Monday 07/31/2023
Another month has just flown by. I swear that time is getting shorter and shorter. It seemed like only yesterday that July was just starting and here we are on the last day of the month. The good thing with the time flying by is that we are quickly working our way towards cooler weather.
This summer has been the hottest on record even for Texas. To me, there is no pleasure in being outside in the heat, which means no hiking or visiting parks and such. This limits our daily activity to just walking around the campground and even that is miserable.
Yesterday, while we were walking, Sandy found a patch of shade and refused to move for at least ten minutes. When she did, we headed straight back to The Caboose and the A/C
I brought the bird feeders out and rehung them in their places. I had left the two feeders that hold bird seed loafs out overnight as the deer do not appear to like them.
We harnessed up and strolled around the park but only walked about a half mile before returning to the RV. Back inside, I found something to eat for breakfast and fed Sandy her medication which she ate this time. I crush the pills into a powder and then mix it with some meat to disguise it.
With both me and the dogs fed and that all important coffee in front of me, I turned my attention to the blog. First though, I read the world news without spending very much time on it as it is so depressing.
Then I checked Facebook and read some amusing stories which brought a smile on my face. Some days, it seems like Facebook is especially for owners who have lost their pets and as soon as I read about the first loss, I turn Facebook off.
I appreciate that telling others of the loss of your favorite pet is a part of the grieving process, but I find it so depressing and quite honestly, cannot handle it. I feel too much for the owner and the pet and get upset.
I sat and wrote for a while and brought us up to date with the blog and then we harnessed up to go out walking. If it wasn’t so darn hot and uncomfortable for all of us, we would walk a lot more.
I stopped by Daniel and Malinda’s RV, and they were sitting outside talking to Gary. They offered me a beer which I graciously took. We sat and chatted and then Gary left. I stayed for one more beer and then made my way back to The Caboose.
We sidetracked a little as the dogs had been sitting all the while I was visiting and wandered around the park before heading back to the evening meal.
Another month has come and gone and now the next will follow on from one to the other in the blink of an eye as the days slip quickly by
And with every passing day our lives are slowly slipping away and the countdown clock has been switched on tick tocking away with our final song.
From the moment we are born into this world so small and forlorn we each have a clock the length of our lives stating how long we will survive
We are each assigned a length of time to live in this world that we find divine and when that clock has counted down back to the dirt are bodies are found.
As it happened, I had awoken at the usual time and crawled out of bed and into the shower to complete the process. Good job too as I forgot to take my phone to bed with me last evening and so did not hear the alarm going off. I take my hearing aids out at night and the phone/alarm is in the other room.
Back outside, I had enough bird seed to fill a couple of the holders and the birds will have to make do until I get back from my trip into town later today. As we usually do, we took a short walk so the dogs could relieve themselves and so I could drop my usual bag of trash in the dumpster. Then it was back to the Break Room and this time Gary and Delores were sitting and shooting the breeze. Gary made me a cup of coffee as he usually does, and I sat and chatted to them for about 30 minutes.
Then we went on our respective ways with us continuing our walk. There were several other people doing the same thing, some with dogs, others just exercising. This is the most I have seen on any of our walks. We managed to cover a mile with that first walk of the day.
Back in the RV, I fixed breakfast and another coffee for me, and we settled down in our respective spots, Sandy on the bed, Mikey in his chair alongside of me as I sat in front of the computer writing the daily blog. After a couple of hours, we were all caught up with both the writing and posting and I was looking around for other things to get up to.
I had a 1:00 pm appointment with my Audiologist to be fitted with my new hearing aids and left The Caboose around 12:00 pm for the drive into town. I spent at least 30 minutes with the young lady, and she showed me all the new and different things that these hearing aids can do. She gave me a little bag of hearing aid goodies and after paying my bill, I was on my way.
I stopped at Walmart’s (where else?) and wandered around. I really did not need it very much but still managed to spend a little over $100.00. I bought myself a straw cap to wear to give my cowboy hat a break.
I drove home mainly to avoid the traffic and also to buy a Latte at my old neighborhood Starbucks. This time, nothing fancy, just a plain old Latte. I am not going to waste money on those fancy drinks any more.
My two little dogs were very excited to see me and inspected every package I put on the floor and then helped to put the things away. I harnessed them up and we went out walking although it was bloody hot out. We did not stay out long.
Back in the RV, I sat in the open door as it was cooler there with the A/C coming through the opening. We listened to an Audiobook for a couple of hours and then went out for that final walk of the day.
I decided to leave the feeders out again as they were low on seed anyway and I figured the deer could clean them out for me. The rest of the evening was spent with the evening meal for both me and the dogs although our food was not the same. They had dog food and I had human food. Simple…
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Saturday 07/29/2023
Wild Texas countryside
I awoke bright eyed, and bushy tailed as the expression goes although I have no idea where it comes from. The sun was already bright and warm, and it was going to be another scorcher. Texas in the Summer although even Texans are struggling to adapt to the consistently hot temperatures. Most of us just hibernate inside of our RVs with the A/C going full blast. Now, as long as we do not get a power outage…
The first thing was to walk around with the dogs. There were none of my friends at the Break Room so there was no reason to stop. We wandered past the girls’ RV and Peggy poked her head out and we briefly chatted before continuing on our way.
We stopped at Larry and Crystal’s on our walk around so that Sandy could get a couple of treats from Crystal. Mikey will say “Hello” but will not take any treats. Funny little dog. Sandy, on the other hand, just lives for them.
We did not walk very far as it was already warming up and returned to The Caboose for breakfast and the usual morning challenge to get Sandy to eat her medicine pill. Then it was writing time. In my case more recall than writing as I really have to sit and think about what I did even just the day before. My problem is that unless I do something different, like go into town, then one day is very much the same as the next.
With the blog all caught up, I looked around to other things to do. I had nothing critical that needed my attention and the rest of the afternoon and evening was made up of walking dogs and listening to Audiobooks. We sat outside sort of, listening to the stories. I had figured out that if I sat in the doorway to the RV, the A/C rushes out of the open door creating a cooling effect and making it comfortable to sit half in and half out.
The story was good enough to keep me occupied for a couple of hours before it was time to feed the dogs and then myself followed by the usual evening television.
The cat on the leash. I slept well and was ready to get up at our usual time, 7:00 am. I beat the alarm and was laying there waiting for it to go off before crawling out of bed. A quick shower and shave and I was decent enough to face the morning. Actually, being ready to face it was a whole different story.
I took the dogs out as we usually do, and they made a beeline to the nearest patch of grass to relieve themselves. Next stop was the dumpster with the most recent offerings and then on to the Break Room to join the mini crowd assembled there. I looked it up and three or more people can constitute a crowd if they are in a small space. On the other hand, those same three people in the middle of a field hardly fit the bill.
As there were five of us plus three dogs and outdoors to boot, we probably did not fit the bill either. None of us cared enough to worry about it and continued socializing as we normally do.
We shot the breeze for 30 minutes or so and Daniel got up to go to work. I got up to continue exercising the dogs and we wandered on. Sandy was in the lead as she usually is, and we managed to cover a mile with her wandering around. Back inside of The Caboose, I fixed breakfast for all of us, and Sandy obliged by eating hers along with her medicine that I had carefully mixed in.
It was my second cup of coffee and just like Sandy, I have my own little stache of medication that I take every morning. Only a couple are actual medication. The rest are supplements that I have convinced myself I need to take to live longer and illness free. Probably all psychological but who knows, they may help a little bit…
I worked on the blog bringing it up to date and looked around for other things to do. I looked out of the window where the bird feeders are in view and noticed that a squirrel was busy helping himself to the seed. He often stops by to feed himself, but I shooed him in the hope that he would stay away.
He took off running making a beeline for the next tree over. So, now we feed birds, deer and squirrels. No wonder the seed holders are always empty. Again, I had nothing planned, no trips into town or anything like that.
We spent a lot of time sitting around listening to an Audiobook and generally being very lazy. Seems to be my way of life lately. If I get really bored, then I take it out on the dogs by making them go walking although, they are more than happy to acompany me.
We sat outside listening to the Audiobook before moving back inside for the evening meal. I contemplated bringing in the feeders but decided that as they are nearly empty, it was not worth the trouble and left them hanging.
I awoke before the alarm and was wide awake and ready to get up, sort of. This was followed by the inevitable hanging of the bird feeders and then the mandatory first walk of the day. Our normal routine was to visit the trash containers carrying our small bag of trash and then continue our walk from there, usually back around the Commons Building to where the guys are sitting, if they are out there, that is.
This morning, Gary, Malinda and Daniel were all sitting and talking, and we joined them making sure to make a fuss of Remington when we arrived. Daniel had a cup of coffee waiting for me and we sat for 30 minutes or so before leaving to continue our walk
This is not true of every morning as sometimes, either of the three have other business that takes them away from this park and then, with no company to sit and chat with, I usually keep walking. Which is the reason we are out there anyway.
We walked the park and then took the lane leading to Hwy 290 which usually is shaded, covering a little over a mile before returning for breakfast and that second cup of coffee. I sat and read the world news, nothing new there, and then worked on the blog.
I posted yesterday and then worked on today. When I stop and think about my day and what to write about, I realize just how dull and boring my life must be to a lot of people. On a day-to-day basis, nothing much is different than the day before. The high parts are a trip into Dripping Springs to the HEB there or maybe the Home Depot for a couple of things.
If I really want to hit the big time, then I drive in to Far West in Austin to pick up my mail or to Walmart’s on the way home. Incidentally, the mail run trip to Far West will probably be a thing of the past as now that we have a permanent address here at the park, I can get my mail forwarded on. That means one less “exciting” trip in to town.
I decided to do a load of laundry and went about the business of adding detergent and such after loading the washing machine. Then with it running, I turned my attention back to the blog. An hour and a half later, the wash was done, and I reset the machine to dry after adding a couple of the smelly sheets.
I found other things to get up to although, to be truthful, there is not a lot in the way of daily chores that I need to worry about, and I find myself sitting on the couch with a dog on either side listening to an Audiobook more often than not.
I bought some chicken cutlets and put them to cook on the indoor grill that I have. I love that thing as all I do is load it, turn it on and then forget about it. The machine turns itself off when the meat is cooked. Now if it only cleaned itself as well…
I usually take it apart and put the grill parts to soak in the sink before trying to clean them. Incidentally, most of the meat cooked on that thing is to feed the dogs. I took the dogs out for another walk and again, because it was so hot, we did not stay out long or walk very far.
After I put the dogs back in the RV, I walked over to “the girls” RV following their invitation, and we sat inside and shot the breeze. I drank a couple of beers, well OK, three beers and ate some munchies and spent a very interesting couple of hours exchanging stories. They are a couple of fun and interesting people to be around.
I walked back to The Caboose and took the dogs out for one more short walk just around the park before adjourning back indoors for the rest of the evening. I fed the dogs but did not have to feed myself except for an ice cream as the girls had given me sufficient food for my needs.
I was up early enough to catch the gang over in the Breakroom. This time, it was Daniel, Malinda and Gary. We sat around for a while chatting away before Daniel got up to go to work. Something to do with the Internet and was way beyond my pay grade.
I took that as my cue to leave as there was nothing, I could do to help him with this project, and we walked around the park. It was pleasant out with a nice breeze, but I could feel the heat starting to build. Back in the RV, I fixed breakfast and wonders never ceased, Sandy ate hers and took the Medicine. At two dollars a pill, she needs to eat the damn stuff and not waste it.
I decided to go into town to Far West where my mail is located hoping that at the same time, I could get the mail redirected here in Henly to save the drive. The drive in was uneventful however, my intentions of getting it redirected turned into a bust as I must do that online.
Muttering under my breath, I jumped into the Jeep and drove South on Mopac to the Walmart’s that I often visit. There, I wandered around the store and found all that I wanted. I was at the Wild Bird section and a lady asked if I could move my cart so she could get to the bird seed. Rather than move, I opted to load two of the 25lb bags into her cart at her direction only for her to say that she really needed one of the 40lb bags instead. By then, I was in the swing of loading stuff and grabbed the 40lb bag and replaced the two 25lb bags with it. She thanked me profusely and I just grinned as if to say, “No problem, I do this all the time for old ladies”. Actually, I was just showing off my muscles although I would have looked a complete idiot if I had been unable to pick up that 40lb bag. Suitably impressed, she moved off and I grabbed the 5lb bag that I was originally getting for myself and checked out.
I stopped at Starbucks on the way home and made do with a Grande iced Latte which was half the price of the fancy drink I made the mistake of buying a couple of days ago. The drive was uneventful, and I took the backway as it is usually much less traffic and made good time.
Back at the RV, both dogs helped with the few groceries I had bought and then I settled down to play catch up with the blog. We went out for a walk around the park trying hard to stay in the shade.
When we got back, we sat on the deck listening to an Audiobook and drinking a beer. The girls waved at me as they walked to Malinda and Daniels RV. I thought about joining them and decided that I had not been invited and did not want to gate crash the party or be that unwelcome and uninvited guest.
We sat outside until it began to get dark and then I brought in the bird feeders, and we adjourned back indoors for the rest of the day.
Broad daylight and fifteen feet away from me and still has the nerve to eat the birdseed.
I got up even before the alarm went off and we harnessed up in the hope of beating the early morning heat. The first things though were to bring out the bird feeders after refilling them and then hanging them in their proper places. The dogs are used to this routine, and they patiently wait knowing that they will go walkies once the bird feeders are hung.
We ran into Daniel and to his question, “Coffee”, I gave him the thumbs up, and we continued to the dumpster and then one loop around the Breakroom ending up meeting with Daniel. We sat for thirty minutes or so shooting the breeze before we continued our original walkabout. We had arranged that I would give him a hand installing a couple of fans in the Pump House and he texted me to say he was ready to start work.
We were halfway through our walk and made the return trip. I put the dogs in the RV and then made my way to the Pumphouse where Daniel already had the tools laid out. He did all the work and all I did was to pre-guess his tool requirements and such and try to have things in his hand when he needed them.
We installed two fans successfully and there was a noticeable difference in the temperature. Daniel considered that a job well done and that we had earned a coffee and we adjourned to the Break Room where we sat for a while just shooting the breeze.
We went our separate ways as he had no more need of my help for today. I was glad to get out of the sun and back inside where it was a lot cooler. There, I fixed myself breakfast which by then had become lunch and the inevitable coffee and plonked down in front of the computer to catch up with the blog. I worked for a couple of hours on the blog and happened to look out of the sliding glass door.
Normally, I see the bird feeders in the forefront and then the park in the background. This time nothing had changed to what I usually see except, there was a full-grown deer munching happily away on the bird seed. I had enough presence of mind to take a couple of pictures before scaring it off.
The park must have been quiet enough for the deer to come in. I don’t mind sharing the seed, but the deer tend to gobble it all down which is why I do not want them eating the stuff. That was one brave (or hungry) deer.
I looked over to the breakroom and saw that both Daniel and Malinda were there along with Kerry. I sat outside of the RV for a while with the dogs so that they too could have some fresh air before bringing them back inside. Then I wandered over and joined the group and we sat and chatted for a couple of hours.
I harnessed up the dogs and we wandered around as we usually do not staying out for too long as the temperature was hovering around 102 degrees. Back at the RV, I fed the dogs and myself and then we watched another show, having finished the last one before heading off to bed.
I was awake before the alarm and rolled out of bed ready to go, sort of. After the usual morning ablutions, I harnessed up the dogs and as they usually do in the mornings, they helped to get the bird feeders set up for another day. Actually, they do not do very much except sit there and watch…
With the feeders out, we set off walking around the park and onto the outside road. It was early enough that there was a lot of shade, and it did not matter where we went. There was not much activity in the park, but it was Saturday.
I saw a deer in the Exotic Ranch area and managed to get a picture of it but other than that, it was a quiet walk. Back at the RV, I fixed us breakfast and then called the Vet’s office as I needed to order more pills for Sandy. I had a long discussion with the Assistant on the other end about how best to give them.
I ate breakfast and worked on the blog as I usually do every morning although, generally speaking, there is not a great deal to write about. I lead a very dull and boring life. I decided to go into town first to the vets to pick up Sandy’s medication, which incidentally was not cheap as a month’s supply cost $104.00.
From the Vet’s, I went to the new HEB located in Oak Hill where I filled the Jeep up with gas at the ridiculously low price of $3.09 a gallon. Almost unheard of in this day and age. Then I went inside shopping.
This is the first time I have been in this store as it has not been open for very long and it is humongous. I wandered around and bought the few things that I came in for and a couple of other items as well walking up and down every aisle. Incidentally, I managed to cover 2.4 miles for the day mostly in this store.
At the checkout counter, the clerk asked me how many bags did I want. I thought she meant the reusable ones and said,” None”. That is what I got, exactly none, zilch, not a single bag. My groceries were put back into my cart just as I had first taken them out. I was so taken aback by this that I dumbly walked off pushing my cart to the car. I wish I had asked what the Clerk meant by the question instead of just saying “None”.
I drove back to Henly contemplating just what had happened at the HEB store and wondering if this is what future shopping at HEB will be like. So, am I supposed to estimate how many plastic bags it will take for my groceries and then am I fixed to that amount? What happens if I underestimate? Next time I am in that store, I will ask the question.
I bought a Latte to drink on the way home as I happened to pass a Starbucks and spent a little over $7:00 on a fancy iced drink. I have to say that I have supported Starbucks over many years, but their prices are getting quite ridiculous, and I think my Starbucks days are fast coming to an end.
Back at the RV, I carried the individual groceries one by one onto the deck mumbling nasty things under my breath. The dogs did not understand it either as there were no bags for them to stick their noses in.
I put things away and then harnessed up the dogs for a walkabout. We wandered around the park, but it was very hot and humid outside and we did not stay out long or go very far.
Back in the RV, I sat and listened to an Audiobook nursing a beer until it was time to bring in the bird feeders. This is generally the last action of the day and at that point, we shut up shop and went back indoors for the evening meal and television.
While we were sitting inside, there was a knock on the door and Peggy was standing there. I invited her in, and we sat on the couch talking. The reason for her visit was because she had not seen me out and about and was worried about me. I reassured her that everything was fine at our end, and we sat and chatted for a while before she got ready to go back to her RV. I offered to walk her back, but she would not hear of it and said “Goodnight”.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Sunday 07/23/2023
I awoke early but instead of getting up, decided to lay around and before I knew it, had dropped back off to sleep. It did not matter very much as all my friends were away and there would be no one over in the Breakroom drinking coffee.
I eventually crawled out and after a quick shower, felt ready to face yet another day. This started in the usual fashion with harnessing up the dogs and tying them to the table while I brought out the bird feeders refilling them as needed.
With this chore done, I grabbed the small bag of trash and the dogs, and we wandered off to the dumpster. It was extremely hot and very humid, and the sweat poured off me as we tried to find shade to walk in.
Of all the hot mornings we have walked so far, today was the absolute worst. The sweat soaked me and both dogs were struggling so all we did was walk the small loop around the Breakroom and go back to the RV. Back inside the cool A/C, I quickly cooled off but as I was soaked with sweat, I needed a complete change of clothes and we had only been out about ten minutes. The humidity must have been very high.
We have nothing planned which is just as well judging by what we have felt so far. I fixed breakfast all around with Sandy having a special one to disguise her pills.
Then it was time to read about the World before turning my attention to the blog. As I was behind with completing yesterday’s blogs, it took quite a bit of hard thinking to remember what, if anything of interest, had happened.
Finally, we were all caught up and I looked around for other things to get up to. Not finding anything needing my immediate attention, we sat around indoors listening to an Audiobook for at least a couple of hours sitting and relaxing.
Time progressed and Sandy was giving me, “the look” meaning she had to go, and we harnessed up and braved the heat to wander around. We walked from shaded area to shaded area. A couple of times, Sandy just plonked herself down and refused to move for a couple of minutes. I took a leaf out of her book, and we headed back to The Caboose.
We spent the rest of the day and the evening, inside in the A/C. I did come out later to water the flowers.
I awoke before the alarm and got out of bed immediately. I took a quick shower and with a complete change of clothes, was ready to face the day, sort of. The first thing was to harness up the dogs so they could “help” me with the bird feeders and with this chore complete, we went out walking. We did not go very far as Daniel was sitting at the Break Room and had coffee waiting for me.
I dropped off the usual trash in the dumpster and took the long way around the Break Room before ending up where Daniel was sitting and gratefully accepted the coffee. We sat there chatting and Malinda and Remington joined us to add to the conversation. They are getting ready to go out on a trip and taking the bus with them this time.
A couple of campers were doing their laundry and they too stopped to chat with us as they went in and out of the Laundry Room. Finally, I got up to continue with our walkabout. We just wandered around and again walking the Loop to Hwy 290 mostly because it has shade.
Back at the RV, I caught up on world events and then worked on the blog for a couple of hours to bring us up to date. I cannot believe just how fast this month is slipping away.
I completed the blog and posted the latest version and then took care of a couple of chores before starting a load of laundry. This time, I made sure that the detergent pellets were deep inside the machine with no fear of them getting stuck to the door as what happened in the previous wash. I also made sure that the drain hose was open outside so that the water would flush away. It wouldn’t matter too much if I did the laundry with the drain closed but there is always the chance of flooding the RV if the tanks were to overflow. Simplest and safest thing is to open the grey water valves and let it flow down the sewer.
I thought about going into town on a grocery run but decided against it as I really did not need anything important. In the end, I resorted to listening indoors to the Audiobook story that I have been following for a couple of hours before we harnessed up to take another walk.
It was very hot out with the temperature hovering around 102 degrees so we picked the road with the most shade and wandered along it. As much as is possible, Sandy guides where we are going to walk. Occassionally, I need to correct her to keep us on somewhat of a straight line or in the general direction we want to go. Mikey? Well Mikey is like me just following along at Her Majesty’s bidding.
When we got back to the RV, we sat outside with one of the big fans blowing on us which made it more bearable and continued to listen to the Audiobook until the sun started to go down. That was the signal to bring in the bird feeders once more otherwise, the deer will empty them…again. Incidentally, the deer are still eating at the other plants that I have growing even though they are sprayed with Deer Away. It does not seem to stop them.
Back indoors, I prepared the evening meal for all of us hoping to fool Sandy into eating her pills. This was followed by the usual evening’s entertainment and watching the end of yet another series. Now, I must find something else to watch.
