I had a really good night’s sleep waking only for the call of Nature and dropping right back off to sleep after answering that call. It was a little after 8:00 am when I crawled out of bed almost ready to face a new day. The cold water on my face did the trick and I was wide awake but not necessarily ready to go. I kinda slowly worked myself back into that state of readiness.
First order, just as we do every day, was to walk the dogs and we wandered around and covered a mile. Pretty good for that first walk, then it was back to The Caboose to hang the bird feeders. Again, the only ones I filled are the two that are hanging off the deck as somehow or another, I am trying to get the birds to eat the seed that they do not like very much. Maybe, I will end up giving it to the deer.
BTW, the deer have found the new plants and have been going to work on the small ones. I am thinking that for some reason, they do not like the bigger plants so maybe I need to concentrate on buying those in the future. I still have some open space that needs a few flowers or shrubs in it.
I fixed us all breakfast and the dogs both ate theirs as did I, then it was time to turn my attention to the computer and play catch up with the blog. I had finished yesterday’s blog before we turned in last evening and all I had to do was post it, which I took care of.
Finished with blog work for today, I decided to go into Austin to the Walmart’s store and get a few things. I really didn’t need very much but enough to make the trip worthwhile. I said goodbye to the dogs and drove off trying to ignore “the look” they were giving me.
Traffic was light and I made good time and parked the car. I made a mental note of which aisle we were parked in so that I did not wander aimlessly around trying to find the thing.
Inside the store I just wandered around with no real purpose, occasionally checking my list and satisfied that I had everything plus a little more, of course. I paid the bill at the checkout counter and on the way back to the car, remembered that Peggy had put something on my phone that she would like. So, without further ado, I unloaded the cart into the Jeep and then went back in the store and managed to find what it was Peggy wanted and then turned round and after paying for the new goodies, headed back to the car.
I thought about stopping for a Latte but decided I wasn’t in the mood and drove straight home. Surprisingly, traffic was light but then again, today was a holiday.
The trip home was uneventful and when I reached the park, I stopped at the Girls RV and gave Peggy her stuff. We got into an argument about the cost, and she got mad because I would not take her money. Well, not really mad but she did kick up a fuss. I told her it was the least I could do after all of the meals and drinks the girls had supplied me.
Back in The Caboose, the dogs helped me to put away the groceries, sort of and then we went out for another walk around the park. It was starting to cool down again as the evening came on. This time for the day, we managed to walk 3.6 miles, a new record. Way to go Sandy and Mikey.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way with food and drinks and television.
We were not as good about getting up as we were yesterday, and it was almost 9:00 am before I crawled out. The dogs were as bad not making any effort to get up if I stayed there. Even after I crawled out, they still stayed there until I put on my clothes and went back to the kitchen. Then they decided to join me, and I harnessed them up ready to go walkies.
The first order of business with the dogs hooked to the outside table, was to bring out the feeders. This time, I only had to fill the ones in the tree as I am still waiting for the darn birds to finish up the seed in the regular feeders. The birds do not like it much hence the reluctance to eat it. I have changed from that particular mix to a different one, but I do not plan on using it until they have finished the first one.
Incidentally, there were signs that the deer had visited overnight as several of the new plants I had stuck in the ground, were uprooted. I spent time replanting everything in the hope that they might grow. At least I know what not to plant now.
We went out for the first walk and managed to cover almost a mile before returning for breakfast which Sandy, by cleaning her bowl made sure she took her medicine. Later, when I was writing, she went after another bowl of hard food and ate most of it. The worms must have been hungry this morning…
I brought the blog up to date and then got ready to drive into the HEB in Dripping Springs putting together a list which at least will remind me of what I really need. It will not stop other things finding their way into my cart though.
I said goodbye to the dogs and told them I would not be long. I think I talk to them to make me feel better about leaving them rather than them being the ones left behind.
I drove into Dripping Springs to the HEB located there. Starting at the door, I began putting things in my shopping cart, most of which were on my list. Every now and then, another item not listed would find its way in and in most cases, they were genuine needs and not frivolous stuff.
I bought Daniel some beer as it was my turn and 4 packs of wine for me. Oh yes, on the way in, I picked up three more plants for the yard and we are not done yet. I noticed just before I left to go shopping that the deer had discovered the new plants and had started working on them. Several were pulled out of the ground, and I replanted them and hope they come back.
I left HEB and stopped and bought a Latte at Starbucks. I just felt like one although I have to say, they do not taste quite the same anymore. The drive home was uneventful, and I unloaded the car before letting the dogs out. Much simpler than having them “help”. Putting things away was next on the list and this, the dogs did help, sort of. Then it was harness up time and off we went wandering around the park. Altogether for the day, I covered 2.2 miles.
With things all nicely put away, we sat outside for a bit just watching the world go by before adjourning back indoors for the rest of the evening. I spent time playing catchup with the blog as by this time tomorrow, all of this would be just a memory and hard to recall. While I was outside, I heard a whistle from the girl’s direction and there was BJ waving at me. As the dogs were still harnessed, we walked over to the girls RV where Donna was also sitting.
I sat and chatted and drank a couple of beers and ate something that BJ had put together. It was delicious as their food always is. Then we said our goodbyes as it was getting late and walked back to The Caboose. The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way, watching television and drinking wine. What a life…
I got up at a very reasonable hour around 7:30 or so. No idea why I was up that early as we have nothing planned for the day. Maybe, my brain is turning over a new leaf and finding some better habits, yeah right. As I was up anyway, I quickly dressed after opening all the blinds to let the daylight in.
Sandy was giving me “the look” which interpreted from dog, means, “Hurry up. I gotta go”. And so, I harnessed the dogs. We stepped outside to another brisk morning, and I was glad of the jacket I had put on.
Outside, we wandered around following our usual route which always starts with a trip to the dumpster and then we go from there. Today was extra successful as both dogs pooped within 10 feet of each other making it simple for me as the clean-up crew, to do my job. We walked 8/10 of a mile for that first walk.
Yesterday, when I was making a fuss of Sandy, I noticed that she has a growth on her belly. It is not that big but this morning, I called my Veterinary Hospital and made an appointment for 4:15 this afternoon so they can take a look. I have been going to that same Veterinary Clinic for over 47 years when I first moved to the Hill Country and have seen a lot of changes. One of my long time veterinarians, Dr Donop, has recently retired and they have several new ones as the clinic has expanded considerably so no telling who we will end up with this time.
The last couple of times I had to leave the dogs for surgery, the dogs did not make it and I got that dreaded phone call that starts off, “I am sorry to tell you….” One died from a Rattlesnake bite that he got in my back yard and the other was for major abdominal surgery. Hopefully, this time is nothing like that. It is always a worry when I take our little friends to have surgery.
I worked on the blog and brought it up to date and looked around for something else to get up to. Having to leave here by 3:00 pm, my day is a bit restricted.
I found other things to do to pass the time and promptly at 3:00 pm, we all piled into the Jeep for the drive into Oak Hill. Our Jeep rides are very interesting as both dogs insist on sitting on my lap wherever we go. Mikey is the smart one and grabs his spot immediately I get in the car. Sandy likes to explore and starts off in the passenger seat before deciding that she wants to get on my lap as well. She promptly pushes her fat little body and wiggles to make Mikey move over just enough for her to sit.
Luckily, it does not affect my driving and I make sure I can do that without the dogs running interference.
We made the trip in good time, and I checked us in at the desk and then we sat and waited for almost 30 minutes before it was our turn. Since my long time Vet, Dr Donop has retired. I had no idea which one of the three new ones I was going to get. As it turns out, it was Dr Sarah Kneupper who introduced herself and was very friendly.
She took a look at the growth on Sandy’s stomach and ran a few tests before declaring it non-malignant and advised that we do not do anything and wait and see how it develops. I thanked her and paid our bill, and we got the hell out of Dodge and headed home back to Henly.
You would have thought that with all of the excitement of the car rides and the Vets that the dogs would be tired out but no, as soon as we got out of the car, they wanted to go walking. We wandered around the park and only managed to cover a mile for the day. Still better than nothing and at least I know that the growth is not as bad as it first seemed.
The rest of the day was spent in the usual way with food and then television and we were in bed by 10;00 PM.
I noticed when I was typing the date that it is already the 25th of the month. Like I have commented many times before, time flies when you are having fun and I have to say that this part of my life is fun.
We went out walking as we usually do and wandered around, covering quite a bit which did not satisfy Miss Sandy. She made us walk even after I had brought out the feeders. Bossy little thing…
Then it was breakfast time followed by the usual blog writing. I did take time out to fold and put away the laundry that I had completed yesterday. That and remaking the bed and we were ready for the next challenge.
My sore elbows were both feeling a lot better thanks to the Bengay ointment and time. What is the saying,” Time is a great healer”. True in my case although I think the saying originated from a broken romance. None of them to break in my current future, thank goodness. I have been single for so long, more than 25 years, that I do not think I could stand living with anyone else except my dogs, of course. Whoever it was would definitely leave after a couple of days and nights of putting up with us.
I was sitting inside and happened to look out of the window and there was the first Hummingbird of the season hovering and looking in. They are remarkable birds. I need to get the feeders back out for them.
I thought about it and decided to go back to Tractor Supply in Dripping Springs to take back one bag of bird seed that I bought that was not the right sort and that the birds would not eat. I had bought two bags of the same mix so was able to return one of them. I bought the right stuff while I was there.
We went out for another walk, making it three for the day and managed to cover 2.7 miles which was pretty good. Daniel spotted me sitting on the deck and whistled me over and “bring a beer” which I did. We sat and chatted for a while before he left to shut up shop for the day.
I sat outside for a while with the dogs until it started to cool off and then we all adjourned back inside the RV for the rest of the evening.
I awoke late and it was almost 8:30 when I got up. I took a shower and threw on some clothes and harnessed up the dogs for our walk. As usual, I brought out the bird feeders and did not have to fill any of them because of the seed already in them that the birds do not like. Where are the Grackles when I need them as they eat anything, well almost…
We went out for the first walk of the day but did not go very far as it was breezy, and the wind was cold. We hurried back to the RV and quickly got inside where it was a lot warmer. I fed the dogs with the usual result of nobody eating any of their breakfast. I heated a Burrito for myself, and it was just OK.
I had been having a conversation with my very good friend, BJ Jenkins about the merits of the vacuum cleaner that is installed in the RV, and I have yet to try. So, just for the hell of it, I got it out of its storage area, found the head part and switched it on. It worked like a charm so maybe, once a week, I will use it to clean the RV. I do not have to worry about emptying the thing as it vents out through the RV floor.
Happy at making a good discovery, Thanks BJ, I sat down in front of the computer to start the daily blog. Luckily, I had completed yesterday’s blog and did not have to wrack my brain trying to remember what happened. Most of the day was focused on the bird feeders and what to do with them.
The problem is with the flock of Grackles that have sort of taken over at least when they are here. The flock is big, I would estimate it to be more than a hundred birds. They do not always visit with all the birds and often a dozen or so will show up. Even so, they are bullies and push the smaller birds out of the way, quite literally. They squabble among themselves a lot. Incidentally, this spring is the first time we have had Grackles that I can remember at least in the large number that we currently have.
I worked on the blog and brought us up to date and then looked around for something else to get up to. Not finding anything important, I harnessed up the dogs and made them go out walking with me. I did not have to work very hard at it as they are more than willing to get out of the RV.
We wandered around the park as we usually do, saying hello to whoever we met. If they had a dog or two with them, then I had to decide to either change direction, wait for them to pass or press on and hope it would not be too noisy as my dogs barked at these interlopers. Altogether, we managed to cover 2 miles for the day.
The rest of the day was spent in the usual fashion of food and then television.
When I awoke, the sun was shining, and I knew we were in trouble time wise. Sure enough, it was almost 9:00 am and 9:30 by the time I crawled out of bed. Still, it doesn’t matter as we have nothing planned for the day.
My left elbow was incredibly sore and very painful, and I really had a lot of problems trying to use that arm. Somehow, I managed to get my clothes on, and we harnessed up to face the day. The first order of business was to bring out the bird feeders and luckily for me, they had enough seed in them that I did not have to refill today.
With the feeders back where they belonged, off we went walking around the park. As expected, we covered a half mile before I brought us all back to the RV. Then it was breakfast time all around. I decided to heat a Jimmy Dean breakfast which was OK. I won’t buy them again though. I’m not sure if there is any food that I really like anymore except maybe, ice cream and you cannot live on that.
I worked on the blog and brought us up to date and then looked around for other things to do. Not finding anything of major importance, I made the mistake of sitting on the couch and before long, I was snoozing. I napped for about an hour before waking up with a start and wondering what the time was.
By then, it was late afternoon, so we harnessed up to go out walking and wandered around the park before returning to the RV where we sat outside for a while.
I heard a shout coming from the direction of the girls RV and when I looked up, I saw BJ waving at me to “come on over”. Leaving the dogs in the RV, I wandered over carrying the bottle of beer I had just started to be met with all kinds of comments about my drinking habits. It mattered not to them that the girls were drinking the hard stuff which at least, I do not touch. It was all good fun of course.
Someone found me a chair and I sat with them. Apart from “the girls” there was Donna and later on another one of their workmates, Melissa joined us. We sat and chatted, and I had a couple more beers and got used to being the only man in the group and listened to the conversation going on around me. Melissa worked on Donna’s hair which was also the subject of much conversation.
They kept me amused until eventually, I said I was going home which I did around 9:30 or so. It was a fun evening, and it is nice to have friends like “the girls”.
I forgot what time it was and turned on the TV and woke up about 1:00 am. I should know better than to do that late at night.
I awoke after a good night’s sleep and lay there for a while before braving the elements and getting up. My left elbow was a little better and I had more use of it than yesterday which was a good thing.
I managed to put some clothes on, and we went out walking on that all important first walk of the day. We wandered around but it was a bit on the cool side even with a jacket on. It was also very overcast, which did not help so we returned to the warmth of the RV after about a half mile.
I brought out the feeders and refilled just about all of them with some different seed than I normally use. Not sure how the birds will like the change. So far, not too well.
Back in the RV, I fixed us breakfast and Sandy ate hers. Mikey did his usual, “Save it until later” routine.
I wrote in the blog catching up with yesterday which brought us up to date and then looked around for other things to do one of which was to start a load of laundry. My normal system of laundry collection is to throw the soiled clothes in the washing machine when I change every couple of days or so. This way, it keeps the place neat and tidy until there are enough clothes to actually start the washer as I did yesterday. Then, I go about the business of folding and putting away said clothes and they get reused every time I make a change.
Technically, I reuse the same clothes over and over again until something wears out or gets damaged. I am not in it for the fashion so who cares what I look like in shorts and a Tee shirt which is my everyday garb. I have like 30 tee shirts and at least 10-15 pairs of shorts.
My crooked knee caused by kicking too many soccer balls and rounded shoulders from the weight of the world does take away from my charm and good look but at least I have a very nice tan on the parts that show…
We went out for another walk again just wandering around with no real purpose to where we were going and managed to cover 1.4 miles for the day. Not as good as I would like but not bad for someone who was as sore as I was.
We sat outside for a while just watching the world go by and then moved back indoors for the usual evening meal and television, I went to bed around 9:30 tired out from doing nothing all day.
I awoke with sharp pains in my left elbow which was caused by the hoeing I did yesterday. It is really sore and very painful almost to the point that I cannot bend it without it hurting. I thought I was doing so good too when I finished the hoeing. It didn’t hurt then so I guess it was one of those pains that sneaks up on you. Whatever, it hurts now.
I lay in bed feeling sorry for myself and then talked myself into getting up. I was going to take a shower but with my elbow so sore and hurting when I tried to use it, I put that off to another day.
I managed to put fresh clothes on with some very different contortions than normal, and I had real trouble putting my boots on to go out walking. Have you ever tried to put your left boot on with your right hand?
Incidentally, we had the most incredible lightning display last evening with rain and hail would you believe. I mean, it really fell out of the sky, but we needed it. I welcomed it as I was in the warm and dry inside the RV.
We wandered around and covered a half mile meeting a couple of other dogs on the way. Mikey wanted to pick a fight with one dog that was at least four times his size, well OK, maybe two. The other dog just ignored him probably thinking, “Stupid Mut”.
When we got back, I hung the bird feeders and nearly all of them needed re-filling. I am not surprised with the number of Grackles that are visiting. I bought 50 pounds of bird seed yesterday when I was in Tractor Supply exchanging propane bottles. Exchange is not the right word as apparently, no one exchanges used gas bottles. So, for now, it will sit under the RV until I can find a way of disposing of it. Incidentally, the new 30 lb. bottle cost me exactly 100 dollars and that was without any gas in it and the bird seed, another hundred. Feeding birds ain’t cheap. That is why I need the Grackles to move on…
Today, it had warmed up considerably to where it was comfortable sitting out on the deck although it was way too early in the day to do that.
I worked on the blog bringing it up to date and looked at the clock which said 11:30 am. Yesterday, time flew by, and the day was gone seemingly in the blink of an eye. I hope today goes a little slower as that is my life or what is left of it, whizzing on by.
We went out for another walk fully intending just to visit the mailbox and maybe one circuit of the park but somehow, we ended up at the girls’ RV. Mikey and Sandy spotted them outside and when I let go of the leash, they just tore off at top speed to say hello. So funny watching them go.
We sat and chatted along with Daniel and Malinda and of course, Remington who occasionally would poke his head out from under his blankey just to check on things.
Then it was time to go eat at a new Restaurant that has just opened in town. I got to ride with Delores as we followed Daniel and Malinda. Jeff and Terri came in a bit later along with Donna and a new lady who also drives a bus. Of course, the girls were there. Altogether, there were ten of us.
The place had only been open a couple of weeks and they were trying to work out the bugs. Apparently, the food is cooked elsewhere and transported over, and they ask that you call ahead to place an order. Consequently, the food was almost cold by the time we ate it.
As usual, I was not able to finish mine and brought it home with me. I was the only one with a doggie bag…
The bright spot apart from the company were the two male entertainers on the stage. They both played guitars and sang together, and they were very, very good. If not for the food, the entertainment was well worth the trip.
Will we try it again? Maybe when they have the bugs all ironed out. BTW, Jeff brought the beer we were drinking with him as the restaurant does not yet have a liquor license. Incidentally, I was the only one that had a doggie bag. The others all finished their plates.
We loaded back into the various cars we had arrived in and made the short trip back to the campsite saying our goodnights along the way.
The rest of the evening was spent watching TV until I happened to glance at the clock, and it said that it was almost midnight. That did for us as the TV was switched off and we all fell into bed and were quickly asleep.
I awoke and it was still semi dark outside, so I figured that it was probably about 7:00 am. Boy, was I wrong as my clock informed me that it was already 8:15 and I was awakening to a very dull, cloudy and wet day. I lay there for a little bit and then crawled out. The dogs, being much smarter than me, stayed in bed until they heard me take a shower and then they condescended to join me in the bathroom.
They both left and wandered around the RV making sure that no boogey men had gotten in through the night. Satisfied with their patrol, they came back to the bedroom and helped me pick out clothes for the day.
I put my boots and jacket on and included a rain slicker to go along with it to keep me dry and then gathered up the bag of trash to drop off in the dumpster.
When we got outside, I discovered that it had left off raining and what I thought was the wet stuff dripping from the trees was from an earlier shower.
We wandered around just so the dogs could do their thing rather than for exercise and only covered a half mile. Back in the RV, I fixed everyone breakfast which they both ate, Hooray, and fixed myself toast. Not very exciting but it is hard to mess up toast and the three pieces each had a separate topping.
Then, as usual, I sat down in front of the computer and wracked my brain trying to remember what happened yesterday and this morning. Luckily for me, I had finished most of yesterday last evening and only had a couple of grammatical errors to correct plus adding a couple more things that I remembered.
Incidentally, the Grackles are back but not in the same numbers as yesterday. Must be a different flock. They did not stay long, and the regular birds were back in numbers, not having to compete with the larger and more aggressive Grackles.
The gas bottle as usual, had run out through the night but luckily, it was not cold, so I snuggled under the covers to keep warm and then exchanged the bottle with the spare when I took the dogs out for a walk this morning. This propane bottle has a problem with the valve which Daniel discovered when he filled it last, and I need to take it back to Tractor Supply and get a new one.
That got me thinking there is no time like the present, so I loaded the “bad” bottle into the Jeep and drove to Tractor Supply. I walked in and explained that I needed a new 30lb gas bottle and wanted to exchange the old one. The guy behind the counter told me that they do not do exchanges and I had to settle for buying a new unit which I did. I did not get it filled as I did not want to carry a full bottle of propane inside the car.
I mulled things over after buying the new bottle and decided to drive to the Home Depot to see if they would make an exchange, but they only carry the small bottles so that idea was a flop.
I reconciled to the fact that I was stuck with both the new bottle and the old one and decided that I would talk to Daniel to see if he had any ideas. Maybe, he could use the “old” bottle which I would gladly give him.
Back at the RV after the gas bottle excursions, I grabbed my new hoe and went to work on the garden cleaning out as many weeds as I could. Most are caused by the mulch that we put on that probably also had the grass seed mixed in plus the wasted bird seed thrown about by my feathered friends. I hoed as much as I could which would be good for a while and then went about the business of digging holes for the new plants. It was not easy as Daniel, who used to live on my site originally, had covered the entire area of the garden with rubber sheeting under the mulch to stop the weeds from growing and I had to cut through it to get deep enough to plant my stuff.
Eventually, I had everything planted but am short a few more plants for the area under the tree. So, next time I am in town…Incidentally, the hoe I bought yesterday worked just fine for this job of weeding.
We went out for another short walk just to check the mail and then wandered around a bit before returning to The Caboose to finish writing. Incidentally, every time I look out of the window, all I see are the black Grackles who seem to have returned in large numbers. Reminds me of the Hitchcock movie…
We went out for the final walk of the day and just wandered around. We did not see the sun all day and although it did not rain very much it was very overcast. The rest of the day was spent in the usual fashion, food, wine and television.
I had a restless night waking off and on for unknown reasons. Then, when awake, I could not go back to sleep and lay there with my eyes closed but my brain was going a million miles a minute. I must have eventually dropped off as I awoke again at 7:30 am. I kept saying to myself that I should go back to sleep but myself did not listen and in the end, I got up.
Once out of bed, I became all businesslike and took a shower after shaving and put on clean clothes and was ready to face the day…again. I hitched up the dogs and then tied them up outside while I worked on bringing out the bird feeders. I did not have to refill any of the feeders as they had enough seed to last today. Unless the flock of Grackles returns.
I was watching the Grackles yesterday as they congregated around the feeders. Then I spotted a whole lot more perched in the trees and from time to time, those would swoop down and join the ones already feeding. Then something would frighten them and with a whoosh and a flurry of wings they would race for the nearest tall trees. Then the whole process would start again. Without exaggerating, I bet there were more than one hundred birds all gathered either on or in the feeder’s vicinity or in the closest trees.
It was interesting to watch as when something spooked them, they would all fly off in unison in one big black cloud of birds. How they do not run into each other I’ll never know. Then again, I am not a Grackle.
We went for a walk and even before we had gone a dozen steps, both dogs were going about their business, and I was carrying doggy poop bags to drop off in the dumpster. At least, the first dog walk was a success as we measure that by the number of times the dog’s poop not by the distance we cover. Incidentally, we covered our usual 7/10 of a mile for that first walk which, as I said, is more about “business” than distance.
Back in the RV. I did some clean-up work giving the inside of the RV a good sweeping. It is equipped with a built-in vacuum cleaner, but I have yet to use it. It is much simpler to do this the old-fashioned way with a brush and dustpan.
I made the dogs breakfast and so far, neither one has eaten any of it. I fixed pancakes for myself which were very tasty. Then I sat and wrote in the blog until I was all caught up. While I was sitting here, the Grackles returned and as I watched, the feeders were inundated with the squabbling black birds. This time, there were only a half dozen, so I do not know if they are the scouts for the main flock or the ones left behind playing catch up. We’ll see.
We went out for another walk and took the outside road that leads to Hwy 290 which gave us 2 miles for the day. It was a nice day, but the air had a definite nip to it. When we got back, I tried sitting outside but, in the end, had to give up that idea as it was too cold even with a jacket and hat on.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way. I even went to bed early at 9:30 pm.
Living in an RV Henly RV Park Wednesday 03/20/2024
I awoke and just lay there in the warmth snuggled under the blankets along with the dogs. I looked at the clock and it said 8:30 am which is really the time to get up. It was so warm and cuddly that I lay there another 30 minutes finally crawling out to get ready to face another day. The dogs did not mind the extra 30 minutes and lay there along with me.
Once up, I was all action as I wandered through the RV raising all the blinds to let in the new day. This was before I had dressed so it was a good job that the girls were not around. Peggy, seeing me with no clothes on a while back except for a very small towel, when I answered the door, probably had nightmares for a week. As it happened, they both did visit bringing along some left-over turkey for the dogs but that was later in the morning and by then, I was fully dressed.
I harnessed up the dogs and we went through the business of filling the bird feeders which had been emptied by yesterday’s large flock of Grackles. Then, we went on our usual walk around the campground and ran into Greg with his little dog, Olive in tow. We said our “Good Morning” from a safe distance not that Olive is a problem. Far from it as she is the friendliest little dog. The morning walk was short at 7/10 of a mile but was successful in as much as both dogs did their business.
Back in the RV, I fixed the dogs breakfast and then made myself a sliced ham sandwich on toasted bread. It went down very well and was very tasty, especially the mustard I had heaped on.
Incidentally, my latte coffee maker is not working. It will heat milk but will not make coffee. Luckily, I have a small coffee maker that works very well so what I do is make the coffee part and then heat a small amount of milk in the microwave, enough to put in the coffee. So, no more Latte’s. Just coffee with milk and sugar in it. I suppose that now I have come to that conclusion, I could take the Latte machine off the counter to make more room but then I would have to find somewhere else to put it. Decisions, decisions…Trash, maybe?
With breakfast out of the way, I sat and wrote in the blog until I was all caught up. Good thing too as my memory as it is now pretty much nonexistent. I can lose a thought even as I am looking for whatever the thought was about.
After breakfast and the bird seeder routine, I sat and worked on the blog for a while all the time thinking that I should really go into town and do some shopping, I made a list and it only had two items on it, neither really very pressing.
So, I threw the list in the trash and jumped in the car and drove into Home Depot as I wanted to buy a hoe to tend the weeds in the garden. I could not find the sort of hoe I was looking for which was a push type and instead, settled for a pull type. Not quite the same but I can adjust.
I did not need anything else or at least, so I thought. I made the mistake of exiting thru the greenhouse and stopped to view all of the wonderful plants that were on display. Two hundred dollars and a whole bunch of plants later, we walked back to the Jeep.
I carefully loaded up the plants and we made the drive to HEB, and I wandered around the store. This time, my spending was a little more controlled although a case of beer found its way into my cart. I can plead that it was for Daniel on that one.
I jumped in the Jeep for the drive home but had a real urge for coffee and made the stop at Starbucks. I settled for a small Latte which I drank on the drive back to the park. There, I unloaded everything and with the help of the dogs, between us, we put everything away.
Then, it was time to take the dogs out walking. On the way, I spotted Melinda and Delores sitting outside of the commons along with Daniel, Jeff and Terri. I had brought a box of mini dog biscuits with me because my dogs would not eat them, to give to Remington. Malinda, as a test for my dogs, handed them each one of the biscuits and they both gobbled them down along with a bunch more.
So, I took the biscuits back at Malinda’s suggestion and hope my dogs will eat them when they are in our house.
We went out for a walk leaving the rest of the group sitting and talking as that was our original purpose anyway. On the way, we met Greg and Olive who made a fuss of Sandy. Mikey, not so much as he was being his stand-offish self.
We continued walking and ended up at the mailbox where we had some mail. Then it was back to The Caboose to sit outside for a bit with a small can of wine. It was a little too cool and we adjourned back to the RV ready to call it a night on the outside world.
Just re-reading that paragraph made me think that any wine aficionados who might read this would probably have a bird if they ever considered drinking wine out of a can. But I like cheap wine and who cares about the can.
Incidentally, the huge flock of Grackles kept us amused as they literally besieged all of the seed hangers. There were Grackles everywhere and every now and then, something would spook them, and they would fly in a big arc and settle in the trees above the seed containers. One by one, they returned back to the seed to resume the squabbling. As I mentioned earlier, there are at least a hundred birds in this group, and it is amazing to watch them fly off in a perfect formation when they are frightened by whatever.
The Grackles showed no sign of quitting for the night but as soon as it started to get dark, they left, and I was able to bring in what was left in the bird feeders and put them away.
The rest of our evening was spent in the usual way.
I got up early a for us, little before 8:00 am but only because as sometimes happens, the propane had run out in the night and the RV was cold inside. It’s funny that it always happens at night time. I do not think I have ever run out during the day.
I put on my track suit and went outside and switched the bottle over to the full one and will change out the gas bottles later today when it warms up a bit. Incidentally, this last bottle seemed to last for ages but maybe that is because it is a bit warmer during the night.
Then it was dog walking time as they both eagerly waited for me to put their harness on. Sandy tries her best to “help” and wiggles and moves as I work to put it on. Mikey is much smarter and has learned that if he stands up with his front legs on my legs, his neck is closer to me making it easier for both of us.
We went out bringing our usual bag of trash with us, making the first stop at the dumpster. Then off we went and walked the Loop all the way to Hwy 290 which gave us a distance of 1.3 miles for the morning, a very good start to the day.
Back at the RV, I brought out the feeders after filling a couple of them. I have two fairly large circular feeders that hang side by side. Every day, one has less seed left in it than the other. For some reason, the birds always prefer the one hanging on the right side. I have no idea why. Identical feeders, identical food and the only difference is one hangs on one side of the arm and the other on the opposite side.
With the feeders out for another day and the first walk of the day complete, we went back indoors, and I fixed the dogs their breakfast. I don’t know why I bother to feed Mikey as he very rarely eats his food in the morning. He eventually gets around to it sometime later in the day. Sandy is a picky eater and sometimes will not touch the food I put out. Other times, she gobbles it down. She could stand to lose a little weight, but I use the food to give her medicine twice a day and at $3:00 a pill, I work really hard to get her to take it. She has been diagnosed with a heart murmur hence the twice daily pill routine. The pills cost $220.00 for a month’s supply. Big sigh…It’s only money, right and her health is important?
The sun was shining, and I wondered what we would do with ourselves for the rest of the day as it was only 12:30 pm. I sat there for a while and then we went out for another walk. While just sitting there, I had figured out that I really needed to go into the HEB in Dripping Springs to pick up a couple of things, mainly groceries.
I said goodbye to the dogs and jumped in the Jeep for the short drive into town. When I pulled into the parking lot, the lady parked next to me also had a Jeep and we struck up a conversation. Turns out she wished she had a Cherokee and not the Jeep she was driving.
I walked around the store finding more things that tempted me and ended up in my basket than I really should have. Still, I only live once so what the hell? Go for it…
My bill at checkout was $120.00 and I didn’t even buy beer. Go figure!
I drove back to the RV but on the way out, I had given a fleeting thought to a Latte but decided against it. Doing really good in the non-coffee department.
The dogs helped me unload and then we went out for the last walk of the day and managed to cover 2.8 miles. Love the Big Box Stores as they are great for racking up the steps.
We sat outside for a brief while, but it was cold and damp and not a bit comfortable, so we adjourned back indoors with the heater running. Much Better.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion, food and a glass of wine and television before hitting the sack.
I had a really good night’s sleep and only woke up for the call of Nature. Of course, there were several of those calls, the Bain of growing old at least for most men. Can’t speak for the older ladies out there. Luckily, I usually drop right back off to sleep but there are nights of just lying there with my eyes closed wishing sleep would come.
There was one other wakeup call, as we had thunderstorms through the night. The lightning was very bright and at times continuous as was the thunder that followed. I listened for a while and then fell asleep even with the bright flashes and loud noises going on.
I got up early for me around 8:00 am and noticed that it had stopped raining but was still very overcast. The forecast was for a wet day which was OK by me as I have nothing planned for today and we really need the rain. I quickly put on my boots and jacket and harnessed the dogs and off we went walking in between the rain showers and managed to cover 7/10 of a mile before scurrying back indoors in the warm, dry and cozy RV.
It really was a very dull and overcast day, and my guess is that we will not see the sun today. I glanced at the clock, and it said it was 12:30 pm and with the blog already caught up, I wondered what we were going to do all day to amuse ourselves,
I sat around a lot watching it rain. It did not seem to bother the birds as they still loaded the feeders as they squabbled to get at the seed. There are still a lot of Grackles, but they are mixed in with Sparrows and the occasional Cardinal and colorful finches.
There was a lull in the rain, and we harnessed up and went out for a walk and just wandered around. Altogether, we covered 1.7 miles, not bad for a rainy day.
Back in the RV, I broke my own unwritten rule about watching the TV during the day and tuned in to a Soccer match and watched it to the end. Then, I fed the dogs and found something for me to eat before watching more TV but only until 9:30 pm when we all went to bed.
I had a funny old night waking up in the early hours and then having problems in dropping back off to sleep. I lay there with a very active brain which was worrying about my taxes that both Malinda and I had been working on. I finally dropped back off to sleep with the final consequences of not waking up until 9:00 am.
We went through the usual bird feeder routine and walking and managed to cover 0.7 tenths of a mile. The skies were very overcast and there was a chance of rain. I sure hope so as we really need it. Sandy wanted to walk further but Mikey and I outvoted her 2-1 and we turned round to come back home.
Breakfast and coffee were the next thing on the agenda followed by sitting and playing catch up with the blog although I was not very far behind.
As I looked out of the window at the feeders, I saw that we had different visitors. This time, a large flock of very black looking Grackles had taken over and being much larger than the usual sparrows and such, quickly drove the other birds away. Birds are very resilient and just make a circle to come back again or just sit in a tree to wait it out.
Malinda called me to say she would be over to complete the work on my taxes. I had earlier, emailed her trying to figure out where we were, and she had told me that they needed a bit more work. True to her word, she and Remington showed up on my doorstep and she settled down to review where we were. Remington, of course, made herself at home and wandered around the RV exploring every inch of it followed by my dogs who were keeping an eye on her.
Malinda eventually finished and we printed things off for the final work of the afternoon. I thanked her over and over as she and Remington took their leave. I sat there for a while figuring out the next move and concluded there is no time like the present and let’s make that trip into town to the H&R Block office in town.
I said goodbye to the dogs and jumped into the Jeep for the short journey in. First stop was the H&R Block Offices where I handed my package over to the pretty lady behind the counter. It really helps at a difficult time like taxes to have a pretty young thing serving you. Or maybe not…
From there, I headed to the Hairdressers as I badly needed a haircut and as usual, discovered the wait was 1.5 hours. I put my name on the list and headed for HEB where I could spend time walking the aisles and buying the few things I needed. Incidentally, the “few things” cost me $120.00 but it did include beer for the park.
I drove back to the hairdressers and sat outside for a while until it was close to my appointed haircut time and then went inside and sat some more. Eventually, it was my turn, and I was in the Hairdressers chair for the ten minutes it took to actually cut my hair. Even so, I was very satisfied and tipped the hairdresser very well for her efforts.
I contemplated for a bit and decided to splurge on a Starbucks coffee which I drank on the way home where I was welcomed by my dogs who were very pleased to see me. Not sure if it was me that provoked all the excitement or the fact they had to “go”. Anyway, we harnessed up and went out for a short walk, long enough for business and managed to cover 1.9 miles for the day. Thank goodness for large box stores as that is where I really can rack up the miles.
Today, Jeff and Terri were sitting outside with their firepit going and I decided to stop and say “hello”. I had a beer thrust in my hands and we sat and chatted for probably an hour and three beers later. They are an interesting couple to talk to as they have both had to put up with Army life. Jeff was in the service for almost ten years and Terri was an Army wife with all that entails. Jeff told us story after story of his time in the forces overseas and Terry added to it her stories of being that Army wife.
I spent an hour or more chatting to them. I said my goodbyes and we walked back to The Caboose and this time; I remembered the bird feeders. With everything taken care of outside, we adjourned back indoors for the usual evening meal and entertainment.
I awoke and looked at my watch and was surprised to see that it said 9:15 am. I knew that I had slept well but even so…It was a dull and gloomy day, and the air was full of moisture without it raining very hard. Still, everything was wet.
The first thing after taking a shower was to take the dogs out walking and we wandered around covering a half mile or so. When we returned to the RV, I put out the bird feeders and once my back was turned as I headed back indoors, the birds swooped in especially the black Grackles.
I fixed breakfast but neither dog ate any, so I fixed my own which I did eat. After taking care of a couple of items, I settled down to write and spent the next hour bringing the blog up to date.
We went out walking again and just wandered around the park and finally ended up at Daniel and Malinda’s RV. Actually, it was a dog thing as Remington was outside with Malinda and my guys wanted to go say hello. I dropped the leash and they both galloped off and quickly all three dogs were saying their “Hellos” in the usual doggy fashion of sniffing butts. I finally caught up with them and I resorted to the human way by just saying “Hello”.
Daniel invited me to sit down and quickly thrust a beer in my hands and we sat and talked for a half hour or so before we were joined by Greg and his wife, Linda. We sat and chatted for a while and then decided to go to the Crab Shack to eat. We all piled into Malinda’s truck and off we went. As usual, the food was very good although many of the different dishes, I did not recognize so I played it safe and ordered something I thought I recognized at least by name. It actually tasted very good even though I could only eat half of the helping and a doggy box was provided.
We had a good time eating, drinking and talking and not necessarily in that order and then hopped back in the truck for the ride back. I said “Goodnight” to everybody and went back indoors where my little dogs were all over me. Not sure if it was me that they welcomed or the doggy bag they could smell.
We went out for a quick once around the block before it was back indoors and shut up shop for the day.
I got up around 8:30 am after a very good night’s sleep. Last night, I did not go to bed until 11:30 pm… again, and immediately fell asleep and except for the call of Nature, which incidentally is the bane of all old men and pregnant ladies, stayed asleep the whole night. Not that I know much about the pregnant part but again, last I looked I am a still a man even as I grow old. Just not as much to check anymore.
The first thing after making that, “Get out of bed “move was the bird feeders. I refilled a couple which used up the remaining seed that I had. No biggie as I have a trip into town on the schedule. We wandered around and managed to get in a mile before returning to The Caboose for breakfast.
I sat down in front of the computer to a fixed screen. I have two “mice” but neither of them would work so a trip into “Best Buy” was called for. I said goodbye to my little buddies making sure to feed them and drove to Best Buy in Bee Cave which was their nearest store and walked out of there with a brand new $45.00 “Mouse”.
The drive back was uneventful, and I made the stop at Tractor Supply for that bird seed before heading back at the RV Park. First thing, of course, was to harness up and go out for a walk. On our return, I fixed the dogs their breakfast which by now was lunch. They didn’t care and ate it anyway.
I sat in front of the computer and fiddled around until the new mouse lit up and the little arrow showed up on the screen. We were back in business, and I spent time playing blog catchup as I had not completed yesterday due to being over at Daniel and Malinda’s last evening.
After much concentration on my part, I remembered most of what happened early yesterday afternoon. Which brought us up to date. I happened to glance up at the clock and it said 4:00 pm. I have no idea where the day has gone but somehow, it has slipped away. It had turned really cloudy, and the forecast was rain. We can only hope as we need it badly.
We went out for another walk and just wandered around as we usually do. There is never any rhyme or reason in any of our walks as everything depends on how I feel or Miss Sandy’s nose.
No one was sitting outside but as we passed the Commons, Peggy stuck her head out and invited me in for food. Even though I am a light eater, I could not pass up the opportunity of free food especially as it was roast turkey with all of the trimmings.
First, I took the dogs back home as they are not allowed in the Commons and then wandered back to join both girls and Malinda and Donna who were all gathered there. We sat and ate and chatted until almost 9:00 pm when we made our way back to our different RV’s having solved half of the World’s problems.
I switched on the outside light after I remembered that I needed to bring in the feeders and put them away in the storage cabinet.
Then, it was back indoor to feed two hungry little dogs who were wondering, “Where the heck you been Dad?” before sitting and watching the TV before heading off to bed.
True to recent form, I woke up at 9:30 am. It is not that I am dozing and being lazy. I genuinely awoke from a deep sleep at that time. Of course, I was late going to bed last evening which probably accounts for it… I took a shower and put on clean clothes and got ready to go out walking. I glanced out of the sliding door and the first thing I saw staring me in the face were the bird feeders. In all the excitement of visiting the girls last evening, I had forgotten to bring them in.
They were not all empty, just the two big ones. I harnessed up the dogs and tied them up outside to the picnic table so they could watch. Then, I got out the bag of seed and went about the task of refilling those feeders that needed them and topping up others that had not been emptied and were just low on seed.
Then it was time to go out for that first walk of the day. I had put on a light jacket, but it was not cold, and it was not long before it was unzipped. We wandered around the park and covered a half mile on this walk.
Back in the RV, it was the usual fix breakfast for us all and Sandy ate hers and as usual, Mikey saved his for later. I ate mine although again, the coffee no longer hits the spot. Then it was sit down in front of the computer and play catchup with the blog. I genuinely have a hard time with recall and really have to retrace my steps for the day before I remember what I actually did and where I went.
We went out for another short walk and ended up at Malinda’s and Daniels as they were sitting outside. One beer turned into two and then into three as we sat there chattering away. Daniel had the grill going and it was not long before we were feasting on sausage in a wrap. Very tasty of which I had two.
We eventually wandered back to The Caboose and shut up shop for the evening after bringing in the feeders. At least I remembered them this time.
Back indoors, I fed the dogs but did not have to worry about feeding myself as the two hotdogs had taken care of that. Then, I made the mistake of turning on the TV to watch a soccer match and again, it was 11:30 pm before I shut it off and went to bed.
I got up around the regular time and as usual, we went out walking as we always do. When we got back, I put out the feeders and had to refill a whole bunch of them. With that taken care of, I fed the dogs and then said goodbye to them to drive into Austin to pick up mail. I was checking my emails and saw one telling me that I had mail at my Mail Service and when I called it up, it was a letter from the IRS.
For those of you following this blog, you may remember that Malinda had spent a couple of hours working on my taxes and had sent off what she had done. Today’s letter from the IRS turned out to be their response after receiving it and was very positive.
I left the mail service and got lost in parts of Austin I had not been to in years or maybe, never. Eventually, I got back on the Highway and drove home but not before seeing a lot more of Austin than I really wanted to.
The rest of the drive back was uneventful, and I walked in to be greeted by two very excited little dogs. We harnessed up and walked the hill road outside of the park and managed to cover 1.6 miles so far today. It sure seems a lot further than that but, oh well, at least we are moving.
By then, it was almost 2:00 pm and the day was slipping away fast. I didn’t help it by sitting on the couch with the dogs for a while as it zoomed by even faster.
I decided that walking was much better than sitting and we went out for yet another walk. This time, we managed to cover 2.6 miles for the day. When we got back, we sat on the outside deck with a small bottle of wine and just watched the world go by before calling it a day. I remembered to bring in the feeders and put them away and then we adjourned back inside for the usual evening’s entertainment of food and television.
In the meantime, Sandy was rushing around picking on me and Mikey in her enthusiasm to get moving. I let them out on the deck while I put my boots on so they could wait for me.
I grabbed our very small bag of trash and off we went to the first stop at the Trash Container 50 yards or so away from our RV. Then it was wander around wherever Miss Sandy decided to drag us. It was a nice day, but the wind had a nip to it, and we only covered a half mile before returning to The Caboose for breakfast. For Sandy, it was another day to not eat breakfast. Mikey often leaves his until later in the day so no surprise there. I ate mine and to heck with what the dogs do…
I sat down in front of the computer to catch up with the blog. Prior to that, I had read emails as I usually do and trashed all of those that were not of interest to me, which was most of them. The political ones are a real pain in the ass, and it matters not if I trash them and tell the computer, no more, back they come the very next day. I do not know why that is even a choice if it is selective based on who pays the most money. I guess the email service is getting paid way too much to trash anything. They must love any political times of the year.
We had a couple of household chores which we quickly took care of and then I drove into HEB in Dripping for a few things that I needed. The first stop was at the Dry Cleaners to take in a bed cover that the dogs had messed up with food. Then it was next door to HEB where I spent some time looking at flowers and ended up buying a couple that I hope are deer proof. With the flowers in my cart, it was time to wander the store. I still managed to spend $140 and that was without any beer for the gang. I contemplated stopping at Starbucks but decided that I was not in the mood for coffee. I cannot remember the last time I bought a Starbucks coffee.
The drive home was uneventful, and I arrived back to a very warm welcome. The dogs helped to put the groceries away and then reminded me that it was time to go walkies. We harnessed up and wandered around and finally ended up at the girls who were sitting outside along with Donna who also drives a school bus. It cooled off and we went inside and spent time chatting before I headed back to the RV.
We went through the usual evening meal and much to my relief, both Sandy and Mikey ate their food as did I. I watched TV and finally went to bed at 11:30 pm. No wonder I am getting up late.
I got up at a respectable hour, at least for me, and shuffled into the bathroom for the usual morning ablutions. The dogs don’t normally follow me for at least ten minutes after I get in there and then they both come traipsing in for the first attention of the day. When I start to put on clothes, they disappear into the living area and wait for me to appear. I can hear them playing and wrestling each other as they await my arrival. Sandy, being the more exuberant one, lets out growls and barks as they go at it. Really funny to watch.
I happened to glance out of the window which was the first time I noticed that I had left the feeders out all night. What was more surprising was that they were all still full of seed so obviously, we did not have any visitors of the deer kind last night. Lucky me. They were already covered with birds eating breakfast. The feeders in the trees needed re-filling and I took care of that before we went out walking.
Then it was time for that first walk of the day and we harnessed up and started walking around the park. The weather had changed again and although sunny, there was a strong cold wind blowing. I could hear it howling from inside the RV.
I put on my boots and grabbed a jacket and then harnessed up the dogs and off we went into the wild blue yonder. Wait a minute, that is a song and has to do with flying and we definitely were not going to do that. We walked in the park although it was not very comfortable outside with that strong cold wind. We only covered half a mile before returning to the warmth of The Caboose. The dogs did not complain about the shortened walk, so I guess they were cold too or more probably, did not like the strong wind.
Back indoors, I fixed the dogs their breakfast and of course. Miss Sandy decided she wasn’t hungry. Mikey ate his. I made myself a bacon sandwich and was carefully watched by Sandy just in case I dropped something. She did get a tiny nibble right at the end as I could not bear to see those big brown eyes watching me eat…
Then, I sat down in front of the computer to play catch up with the blog although, I was not really behind. Just complete and post yesterday and then start on today.
We really did have a lazy day going and took a couple of hours in the afternoon semi napping. That is, I lay there on the couch with my eyes closed but not asleep, just resting. The dogs would join me for a bit but quickly got tired of the inactivity and jumped down only to try again later with the same result.
After a while as time moved on, I harnessed them up and we went out walking. We wandered around the park and stopped at the mailboxes just in case we had mail, which, as it turns out, we did. I grabbed the letter and continued with our walk until we reached Jeff and Terri’s RV. They were sitting outside with their daughter Cheryl and her boyfriend, so we ambled over at their invitation and joined the party. They offered me a beer which I gratefully accepted and then made a fuss of the dogs and we sat and chatted for 30 minutes or more. Eventually, I decided it was time to go home and we walked back to the RV and this time, I remembered to bring in the feeders. I forgot to do this last night, but I guess the deer were not around as they were still full this morning.
Back in the RV with the feeders safely stowed away for another day, I fed the dogs and then myself. I was glad to be indoors as it was really cold outside.
I awoke early and was up and about before 8:00 am. I got out the feeders as I usually do unless I forget to bring them in as I did yesterday. I went about the business of refilling those that needed it, which was nearly all of them. With that job taken care of, it was time to go out for that first walk. We managed to cover 8/10 of a mile before returning to the RV for breakfast. Sandy ate hers this morning as did Mikey, so I set about making something for me to eat. I had bought some sliced ham yesterday and slapped a couple of pieces between a two pieces of toast which went down well.
I had a couple of chores to take care of and then settled down in front of the computer to catch up with the blog. I posted yesterday, and we were all caught up again.
We sat around for a while as I researched a couple of addresses which I followed up by contacting the owners to place an order. These were for dietary supplements that I have taken for years but ran out and hadn’t got around to re-ordering. I placed an order for 6 months so we will be OK for a while. The thing with supplements is that you never really know if they are working. It is sort of like blind faith in the manufacturer and just because they say they will work, it doesn’t mean they do. Most of us are gullible about such things.
We went out for another walk so we could all get some exercise and walked to the Giant Oak. It was a slow walk, thank goodness, as there were so many interesting smells to sample. For the dogs of course, not for me. In my case, it was walking a half dozen steps, then stop, walk and then stop. I think that is more tiring than if we went for it and walked fast, there and back. Incidentally, I had on a light jacket when we started and was glad of it. Halfway through the walk, it came off and was wrapped around my waist. When we were sitting outside, it was back on again as it had really cooled off.
Back in the RV, we sat outside, me with a beer and the dogs just hanging out hoping to get samples of the cheese crackers that I had. Of the six crackers in the packet, I ate three of them and guess who ate the rest… Spoilt, my dogs, nah.
It got cold enough that we shut up shop and adjourned back to the warmth of the RV to write the blog. The birds on the feeders were extremely busy, coming and going or exploding in a blur if something startled them. They returned very quickly, usually within a minute or two.
When it started to get dark, I brought in the feeders although, for reasons best known only to them, the deer have not been visiting at night. Daniel stopped by and we were chatting, and I made the deer comment to him. He looked at an indentation in the new mulch I had spread and announced that it looked like a deer was sleeping in that spot as it had been hollowed out to make a deer bed. So, keep bringing the feeders in at night. No biggie.
The rest of the evening was spent as most evenings usually are with food all around and then television until either I was tired or had already dropped off to sleep.
I got up at a reasonable hour and reluctantly crawled out of bed. It was another bright and sunny day although we did not have any plans to go anywhere or do anything special. My very good friend, Daniel, had delivered several loads of mulch which I happened to mention to him. I was just asking where I could get it and lo and behold, it appeared as though by magic. Now, I do have a project and that is to spread the stuff on the garden. Later…
We harnessed up and I did the bird feeder thing before we went out for that first walk of the day. Today was also refill the feeder’s day. We usually tour the park first just in case something is different and then we hit one of the outside roads. Today, we did the giant oak walk and managed to cover a mile, which is a good start to the day.
We got back from the walk and the same piles of mulch were staring at me. They need to be spread so I guess I have the rest of my day already planned out for me. Thanks, Daniel.
I fixed our breakfast not in any hurry to get outside and do the hard labor. This is not a chain gang thing after all. I also worked on the blog for a while until I was caught up. Then with a deep sigh, I put on my boots, grabbed my shovel, and went outside to start work on spreading mulch.
It was not a difficult task, and the only real hard work was breaking up the clumps that had formed with the mulch sitting in a pile at Daniels spot for so long. I worked on the four piles that Daniel had delivered to me and had them levelled pretty quick, but I was short of mulch, enough to finish the project.
Daniel stopped and took one look and said, “Grab your shovel” and off we went to the compost pile by his RV. We loaded out another three loads and dumped it where it was needed and then between us, quickly levelled it out.
I thanked Daniel for his help as it went so much quicker with the two of us working. Now, all I got to do is replant the plants that died from the frost or were eaten by the deer. The next ones I plant will be deer proof. Yeah, right although I do have a couple that the deer do not touch. I just got to find a few more of them.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion with food all around and then TV for me. Incidentally, the dogs do not watch TV, they usually snooze.
I must be getting into a “get up early” schedule as I was out of bed by 8:00 am and ready to go. After bringing out the feeders, I harnessed up the dogs and away we went walking in the park. We wandered around without any real purpose in mind but only managed to cover a half mile. Still, better than not walking. Incidentally, it had turned cold again as the wind blew in.
I fixed breakfast and the good news was that both dogs ate theirs. I heated up a burrito for myself but gave half of it to the dogs. It just did not taste right but the dogs ate it. Good for them.
Back in the RV, something was niggling at the back of my mind, but I could not put my finger on it. Then, as I was reading emails, I spotted a reminder from my Dentist telling me that I had an appointment today. Luckily, it was not until 12:30 pm so I had some time. I finished what I was doing and told the dogs I would see them in a while, stepped out of the RV and jumped into my car.
The drive-in was uneventful. Good job as I had cut it very tight and pulled into the Dentist office with 5 minutes to spare. Too tight for comfort but as it happened, I had to wait 5 more minutes before getting in the chair. The Dentist Assistant started work almost immediately preparing my mouth for what was to come.
Then the Dentist showed up and the fun really started with injections to numb the mouth and so on. They are probably the worst part of the ordeal as I wait for things to numb up so the Dentist can really start work. The point of the exercise was to re crown a tooth that had been crowned before and was failing.
Between him and his Assistant, before they broke out the old tooth, they took casts of the tooth to send it back for a new tooth to be made. I have not mentioned that this Dentist has expanded his practice to where he no longer sends casts out for the new teeth to be made by someone else but remakes them here in his office. Compared to his original practice, this is a significant improvement. The only problem from the customer’s point of view is having to sit in the chair waiting for the replacement to be made, which would be longer with more of them. I only had one and I sat there waiting for an hour.
Finally, it was done and the Assistant, who was a cute and funny thing on her own, bounced back in with the replacement in her hand showing it off. From that point, everything moved on smoothly as the tooth was replaced along with whatever else they had to do.
Finally, I got up with everything finished and paid my bill which was not cheap. My share alone was over a $1000.00 and I have no idea what the insurance paid.
I drove home what I call the back way as when I left the office which is just off Mopac, traffic in all four lanes was bumper to bumper and was crawling along. At the first opportunity, I hit the road leading to Bee Caves and it was much smoother sailing. That is what I call, The Back Way.
I stopped at HEB on the way for some groceries and beer. Anyone who follows these blogs might think that alcohol is especially important, but nothing is further from the truth. I just want to make sure I can offer any visitors who choose to stop by a beer. I drink wine for my bad habit and usually. just a single shot in a very small bottle at a time and only one of them. I had other things like food that I needed so it was not just booze.
Back at the RV, I was greeted by my dogs as though I had been away for a week instead of a few hours. They are both so affectionate. After putting the groceries away, we went out for the final walk of the day and just wandered around the campgrounds. We stopped at Larry and Crystals RV to say hello and for the dogs to get their treats which Crystal always gives them. I must be careful not to walk past their RV too often as Sandy makes a beeline for it dragging the both of us with her. She is such a piglet. Anyone would think that she does not get the same treatment at home.
We finished our walk and sat on the deck with one of those small bottles of wine we mentioned earlier until it started to get dark. Thena, as usual, I brought in the feeders, and we shut up the outside shop for the evening.
The rest of the evening was spent catching up with the blog, then food and television. I dropped off to sleep in my chair and woke up at 11:30 pm with the TV still on. Oh well, at least I got some sleep before going to bed to get more sleep.
This month has only just started, and I feel like it is already flying by. Spring is due to start here on the 19th of this month, but I get the feeling it has already arrived. Things are busting out all over with new growth and many trees have their leaves and flowers on them. This is a wonderful time of the year as Nature comes back to life.
We went out walking after the usual hanging of the bird feeders and this time, we took the bottom road walking it’s full length and back before turning into the park and wandering back to The Caboose. Altogether, we covered 1.3 miles, not bad for that first walk.
Back at the RV, I fixed the usual breakfast for us all. Sandy had one of her days and did not eat any of hers. Mikey did his usual Mikey thing of saving his for later. I had a couple of slices of toast, one with Marmite and the other with jam on it. They were both OK but certainly not going to set the world alight.
Then it was time to work on the blog. I posted a picture of the six girls that came to visit yesterday and sat and reminisced of times gone by. It was so nice to see them, and I thanked them for taking the trouble to come and see an old man.
Outside, the weather has turned hot again with today’s temperature forecast to reach 81 degrees, not bad for March. Then again, this is Texas, and we never know what is around the corner weatherwise. At least, our frosty days are over for this winter. I am more concerned that we have not had any rain for several weeks and this is already Spring when we need it the most.
I sat around for a couple of hours really doing nothing at all. The dogs were in 7th heaven having me all to themselves until I decided it was time to go walking again. We harnessed up and took the road leading to Hwy 290 and managed to cover 2.1 miles for the day.
Back at the RV, we sat outside on the deck until it started to get dark and then it was time to bring in the feeders. We shut up the outside shop, so to speak, and adjourned indoors for the rest of the evening, which comprised of the evening meal and television.
I got up before 8:00 am which is almost unheard of and went about the business of getting ready for another day. Next move was to bring out the bird feeders as we usually do and then we went out for that morning walk. We did not do so good and only covered 7/10 of a mile. Neither of the dogs was in a walking mood and kept hanging back on me se we completed the circuit and headed back to the RV.
I fixed breakfast for us all and Sandy did her not eating routine. I keep trying different things but to no avail. I would not mind her not eating as she is a fat little thing anyway, but her medication is mixed in with her food and without crushing them up, the pills are too big to force down her throat. Incidentally, I have tried “Pill Pockets”, but she ignores them.
Today, Mikey made up for her and ate his food as soon as I put it down. Maybe, that has something to do with his bathroom habits as today was the first day, while we were out walking, he has pooped in three days. What a subject to talk about, dog’s bathroom habits but it is one of the things I keep an eye on when we are walking. It is a good guideline if the dog is under the weather.
I fixed three slices of toast for myself all with different toppings for variety and had regular coffee. When I was in town last time, I bought a different blend of coffee in the hope it would be more flavorful which it is. Still something missing though.
I had started a load of laundry, and it was doing its thing as I ate and worked on the blog. I just love having my own washing machine. It makes life so much easier.
There was a knock on the door which set the dogs off barking. I opened it and it was Peggy who had come over just to chat. I asked her why she was home, and she told me that she had had an accident with the sewer hose, and it had come disconnected while it was draining, and she never caught it in time. She had spent part of the morning cleaning up the mess and consequently had missed going to work today. At least, the mess was outdoors, not like when I left the faucet running while cleaning the tanks and had water running through the RV. She had already cleaned up the mess so there was nothing I could do to help her. She left, and I returned to working on the blog.
It was funny when she told me about it but in reality, it is not a bit amusing. Who wants to clean up human waste?
I worked on the blog and brought us up to date and then looked around for other things to do. I decided to go into town to do some grocery shopping as there were a couple of items I really wanted. First, I went into The Home Depot as I needed a part to help me repair the door blind pull rod which had broken on me. I could not find what I was looking for but while walking around and thinking about the problem, I thought what might work plus the only thing I needed to buy was a tube of glue.
Our next stop was HEB where I wandered around going up and down the aisles just in case my brain might kick in and tell me I need this or that. I bought the usual HEB stuff like chicken for the dogs and of course beer for both me and whoever drinks it.
The drive home was uneventful, and I was welcomed back by Mikey and Sandy who spent the next 15 minutes with their noses in the shopping bags as I put the groceries away. When we were finished with groceries, I harnessed them up and we went out walking the park and the outside roads altogether covering 2.6 miles some of which was in the two big stores.
We sat on the porch for a while drinking a beer and just reminiscing about our current life and how wonderful it is, especially the people I spend time together with. I am one lucky man.
Finally, we shut up shop for the day and moved back indoors for the usual evening meal and entertainment.
I slept well but managed to wake up early and lay there deliberating as to whether I should get up or just be a lazy bum. In the end, after laying there and considering the question for 30 minutes, I crawled out of bed and went through the usual morning ablutions as I got ready to face the day.
With clothes on and cold water on my face, I was ready to go, sort of. The first thing was to harness the dogs and tie them up outside. Next was to bring out all the feeders and then finally, we hit the road carrying our small bag of trash. This meant we headed for the dumpsters and then started walking around, taking our time as we were not in any hurry. Well, maybe Sandy was a couple of times but that was only to reach the next great smell so just a few steps at a time. We actually managed to cover 1.2 miles. Not a bad start to the day.
Then, it was back to The Caboose for breakfast. Today was a good day as her majesty ate all her breakfast while Mikey saved his for later as he usually does. My own breakfast was a bacon sandwich which was OK but next time, I need to use the entire package of bacon in one sandwich to make it worthwhile. Today, I drank coffee this time black without any milk and it was just OK. The jury is still out on the best morning drink.
I turned my attention to the blog and played catch up with yesterday and then today and then sat there considering just what we should do for the rest of the day. With nothing coming to mind, I sat on the couch with a dog on either side of me with my eyes closed. I did not go to sleep, but it was kind of peaceful.
After a while, I decided to go into town for groceries. My list was very small as I really did not need much and used the shopping thing as an excuse just to get out of the house. I wandered around HEB and a few things, $160.00 worth, found their way into my shopping cart and that did not include any beer. Guess I needed stuff after all.
The drive back was uneventful and of course, I got a lot of help from my furry friends to unload everything. They also helped to put the groceries away. Yeah, right…
We harnessed up and went out for the final walk of the day just wandering around walking very slowly to accommodate Sandy and her nose. Me and Mikey just follow along like the good little helpers that we are.
The rest of the day was spent in the usual fashion of the evening meal and then watching a soccer game.
These are a few of the girls that came to visit me, all members of the best team I ever coached.
Another day, another dollar as the saying goes. Not sure if that applies to me as I rely on different pensions that I have earned during my working life enough for me to live comfortably. Actually, my needs are very few, food and drink and occasionally buying something nice whether I need it or not.
Today was going to be different because I was expecting a visit from some of the women on the team I used to coach. It was one hell of a team, and they were indeed wonderful soccer players. We travelled a lot and played in tournaments around the southern part of the US and even made it to the National Finals only to lose that game. Still, National runners up ain’t bad at all. They are older ladies now and no longer playing but we can still re-live the glory days.
We harnessed up as we normally do and wandered around the park covering a little over a mile for the morning walk. Then, it was back to the RV for breakfast and coffee and to await the visit from the ladies. I had no idea how many were going to come and was hoping for a large showing but as it happened, 2-3 backed off at the last minute and in the end, six of the ladies showed.
We gathered in the Commons and the ladies put out all the goodies they had brought, and we proceeded to pig out. They were so busy talking to each other that they forgot about me completely and I hung around on the perimeter very occasionally putting in a word here and there. Actually, that was a good thing as I would not have been able to conduct a conversation with all six of them. They spent a couple of hours visiting among themselves while I sort of watched on from afar, at least, that is how it felt. Eventually, they decided it was time to leave and one by one, they said their goodbyes with the promise to do it more often.
I sat on the deck for a while after they had gone contemplating years gone by when Daniel walked up and sat at my outdoor table followed by Malinda and then Dolores and we sat and chatted drinking the few beers I had in my refrigerator. I was not prepared for that number of company, but we had enough beer to make it through the visit, just.
We talked for a while and then decided to adjourn to the Commons as there was more beer in the fridge. The group included Daniel, Malinda, Peggy, Delores, and me. We sat and chatted but not really drinking up a storm. I had one beer and it lasted me through the entire conversation as did everyone else.
Finally, Daniel suggested it was time to go, which we all agreed on and made our way to our individual destinations. The other three went back to their own RV’s and I went inside in my case, to be met by two very excited little dogs. I made a fuss of them and then went about the business of feeding them.
Then it was time to settle down in front of the computer to play catchup with the most recent happenings. With that finally all done and as I had already eaten as had the dogs, I sat and watched television for the rest of the evening.
Rain, real rain. Unfortunately, not of the recent variety.
Today is March 1. Seems like only yesterday, it was January 1. Oh well, I cannot stop time so might as well enjoy every minute of it. After all, for us Hooman’s, it only comes around once and in the big picture, gone in the blink of an eye.
Date or no date, our routine hardly changes, at least the morning part of it. I wake up, I get up and go through the usual morning ablutions, I dress in my trademark shorts and tee shirt, I put on my walking boots and harness up the dogs and then we go walking. On the walk, we dispose of our small bag of trash and even that is subject to change depending on the amount of trash. Usually, no more than a small plastic shopping bag full and sometimes not worth disposing until later.
Usually before the walk, I tie the dogs up to the table and they watch as I bring out the bird feeders, filling them as necessary. Then, we hit the trail or in our case, the park with a circuit around most of it. Sometimes, we pass other campers who are being led around by their dogs just as Mikey and I are. Some people have big dogs, and you can see the effort they put into controlling them. Thank goodness for my two little ones.
This morning, we almost covered a mile on our first walk which is what I shoot for. We returned to The Caboose, and I went about feeding first the dogs and then me. They both have their favorite eating spot. Sandy is always on the bed and Mikey is in the chair next to me.
By now, it was almost 12:00 pm. With the dogs fed and watered (sorry, that seemed to fit right in), I looked for something to eat for myself and settled on a package of cheese ravioli which I warmed up in the microwave. It actually was very tasty and went down well. I even resorted back to coffee, but the jury is still out on that. Maybe, I need a different brand of coffee, something with a better coffee taste. Or back to tea or maybe even orange juice. Now, there’s a thought.
I glanced up at the clock and it said it was 2:20 pm. Somehow, 2 hrs. had gone by just like that. It does not matter as I have no plans for the rest of the day but it sure is an indication of how fast my life is slipping away to that inevitable end. I wish I could say that I was going to live forever but we all know that just ain’t so.
We sat around for a bit doing a whole lot of nothing except to relax with the dogs. They appear to really enjoy these quiet times as do I. By then, it was almost 4:30 pm and so we harnessed up again for that final walk of the day. We wandered around with no purpose in mind except to enjoy being alive and managed to cover 1.5 miles for the day.
I put the dogs back in the RV and then wandered over to Malinda and Daniels RV to sit outside and shoot the breeze with them. Malinda had misplaced her most favorite pocketknife and was busy searching high and low and doing a lot of backtracking as she retraced her steps for the day. Incidentally, that was a lot of steps over an exceptionally large area. When I left, she had not yet found it.
I wandered back to my RV, and we sat outside for a bit before adjourning back indoors for the day with the usual food and television.
Today is February 29 which means that it is a Leap Year only occurring once every four years. Doesn’t make any difference to me as one day is very much the same as the rest. An extra day in the year is hardly noticeable.
I got up around 8:00 am to a very cold and cloudy day. As usual following the morning ablutions, the first thing after harnessing up the dogs and tying them to to outside table, was to bring out the bird feeders and hanging them in their usual places. I did not have to refill any of them.
We went out for that first walk of the day and just wandered around going in whichever direction Miss Sandy wanted to go and managed to cover a half mile. The wind had dropped but it was very cold and there was no pleasure in walking or being outside.
We returned to the RV for the usual coffee and breakfast for me and food for the dogs. Sandy ate most of hers and Mikey, as usual, saved his for later. I ate mine today which was three separate pieces of toast with peanut butter on one, marmite on another one and marmalade on the third piece. I like variety…Today, I drank coffee, but it didn’t taste right so I think I will go back to tea, tomorrow.
I turned my attention to the blog catching up with yesterday and starting on today. It would be nice if I could write what I wanted to happen, and it did…Think of the possibilities.
I glanced up at the clock and it said that it was 12:00 pm already. I have no idea where the time goes but it flies by. Even when I have nothing to do and am just sitting around, the time still flies by as does what is left of my life.
We went out for another walkabout and this time, walked the road leading to Hwy 290. This time, I had on an extra jacket and gloves but still only had shorts on. As long as I keep my upper body warm, my legs can tolerate the cold to a certain degree. Altogether, we covered 2.4 miles for the day.
Back in the RV, it was way too cold to sit out on the deck, so we sat around indoors with the heater going full blast eating potato chips and drinking a Shiner Bock beer.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way, food and then television,
