I developed a sore back and neck and across my shoulders through the night and by the time the morning came, I was really hurting, and it depended on which way I turned to hurt the most or the least. I tried getting up but was more comfortable in bed, so I stayed there until almost 1:00 pm. In the end, the dogs reminded me they had to go, and it was the first time I had seen either of them running around with their legs crossed.
We harnessed up and wandered around the park, but it was drizzling so we did not go far or stay out long. Just enough to do their business and then it was back inside in The Caboose in the warm. Before that, I had spent time bringing out the feeders, better late than never as it was not long before the birds were flocking to them.
It really was a dull miserable sort of day and a good one to stay inside. I found things to do that I had been putting off but did not get into anything too complex. I even sat around for a bit doing absolutely nothing with a dog on each side. They really enjoyed that, and it was very relaxing for me.
We went out for another walk, but the weather was not conducive to being outside for very long and we barely got in our minimum mile for the day. Instead, we made a bee line for The Caboose and that was the end of being outside.
The evening was spent in entertainment and food as we usually do.
Living in an RV Henly RV Park Thursday January 25, 2024
I was still hurting after a very restless night and again, we got up late. Not that it matters as we have nothing planned. It was a nice day weatherwise, but I could not get over my sore back and shoulders which were really hurting. The funny thing is that sleeping and resting does not help and in fact, makes it worse. At least I am not tossing or turning which makes the dogs happy.
We wandered around the park as we usually do but there was very little activity going on anywhere. Not even Daniel and his crew were visible. Back in the RV, Gary stopped by as I had mentioned that my back and neck were sore, bringing with him a gadget that can massage the neck. I need to try that out. I asked him if I had given him back his gloves and he affirmed that indeed I had. No wonder I could not find them anywhere and I searched all over just so I could return them, which apparently, I already had. I am definitely losing it.
We sat around a lot until I decided to go grocery shopping in Dripping Springs to the HEB located there. I had a small list but as I usually do, I wandered up and down all of the aisles to both jog my memory and to get in some exercise. Daniel had told me that we did not need beer as the storage area was full. I compensated by buying me small bottles of wine instead. These are the bottles that come in four to a pack and I bought two packs.
I contemplated stopping at Starbucks for a coffee but decided against it. Can’t seem to get in the coffee habit anymore. This is probably a good thing as over the years, I have consumed a lot of coffee and wasted a lot of money.
Back at the RV, the dogs as they usually do, stuck their noses in every bag I unloaded but other than that and the excitement of, “Dad’s Home”, they were not much help.
With the groceries put away we went out for the final walk of the day and just wandered around the park and the outside roads, and then brought in the feeders for the night.
I live in an RV park it started off as just a lark buy a camper and stay the night at an RV Camper site travel around from here to there driving along with hardly a care call ahead to reserve a spot so you have your own little lot only good until you move on as the open road becomes your song and staying at an RV park only applies when it gets dark some parks are better than the rest and offer more and not in jest swimming pools and shady spots even a store for what you forgot a bathroom shower to clean the dirt for the rigs whose space is inert because they are small compact and light and they are built for travelling right some of us are here to stay having travelled along the way and now too old to move around a permanent campground we have found as we like living in our RV even though it may not be the type that moves along at pace instead a permanent rig in place where we will spend the rest of our years living here along with our peers.
After going to bed late last evening or should I say early this morning, I did not wake up until 8:30 am. It did not matter as I have nothing of importance planned for today other than the usual dog walking, cleaning house and writing in the blog.
I enjoy writing but have no imagination so all I can write about are things that are or have recently happened. I am more of a reporter than an author. The only exception to that rule is that I can sometimes come up with the occasional poem and even then, I need to be in a writing mood for the creative juices to flow and I always need a subject to write about.
We went out for that first walk to the dumpster with our usual small bag of trash. Yesterday, when we were doing the same thing and walking across the grass, I found a dead squirrel. It was probably the one that had been visiting us, I could not see any visible signs of trauma so have no idea how or why it died. I picked it up and put it in the bag along with the trash although not for one minute did, I consider it to be that. I put it in the dumpster and murmured a few words over it and we moved on. I am sure that its soul has gone to that animal heaven in the sky.
I shook off the gloom the incident had created within me, and we continued our walkabout. We only covered a little more than a half mile on that first walk before returning to The Caboose for breakfast.
Sandy had one of those days where she did not touch her breakfast, which is always a worry as she needs her pills for her heart condition. So, it will be a game of waiting until she is ready to eat. I have to be careful to watch Mikey as he will eat her food in an instant and he does not need any of the expensive medication.
BTW, the medication is in the form of a large pill that I crush up and sprinkle on her food. It costs $3:00 a pill. This is another reason why I get bothered when she does not eat it, apart from the obvious of her not taking the medicine health wise. She must take it twice a day as she has a heart murmur.
The weather has changed quite considerably although it is not raining and there is a comparatively clear sky with a few clouds. However, the temperature has dropped a lot, and the overnight low was 46 degrees. Quite a change from just a couple of weeks ago. Today’s high is forecast to reach 71 degrees. I had to put on a jacket when we went walking this morning as the wind was cold.
I brought us up to date with the posting and looked around for something else to get up to. I wrote a poem and posted it on the site. This one was about the bird feeders that I have and all the feathery friends that come and visit.
We went out for another walk just around the park. Sandy was in the lead as she usually is and again, she did not want to go far, and we headed back to the RV where we sat outside with a small wine and potato chips listening to an Audiobook. It is kinda quiet with the girls and Daniel and Malinda away.
Gary stopped by and chatted for a bit and eventually went on his way and as it had cooled off, would you believe, we went back inside to get out of the wind which had a real chill to it. There, I worked on the blog and brought it up to date not that much had happened since I did the same thing an hour ago.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way. I found something to eat which was sufficient for its purpose but not particularly tasty. Not sure what is anymore. I used to like a good bowl of spaghetti covered in sauce and for a while, it was my favorite dish. Nowadays? Not so much.
RV’ers like to do a lot of outdoor grilling and at any given mealtime, you will find campers with their grills, cooking up a storm. As I walk around with the dogs, the smell of cooking meat is often in the air. I have an outdoor grill but do not use it very often. I also have an electric grill indoors that I do use quite a bit to cook chicken and pork chops and such. It is a convenient gadget and easy to clean.
I have been watching Yellowstone…again although it seems I must have missed several episodes as I cannot recall ever watching them before. In retrospect, I would have loved to have been a cowboy working outside all the time, riding a horse and living the rough and tumble life of a wrangler. OK, maybe not…
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, TX. Monday 10/16/2023
The friendly donkeys with the lone Zebra in the background. They all hang out together.
I got up late, surprise, surprise and discovered that the deer or some other nighttime animal had discovered where I kept the bird feeders at night. It was not difficult as they were on the small table next to the outdoor couch. Whatever had knocked them over had seed everywhere but luckily, most of it stayed on the glass tabletop and I was able to sweep it up and re-use it. Now, I will have to bring the feeders onto the top deck so whatever animal it was, cannot get at them. I refilled them and rehung the feeders and we went out walking the park. We wandered around for a bit before returning to The Caboose for breakfast. I sat and worked on the blog as I ate taquitos which incidentally, both dogs really like. They had more than I did.
Daniel and Jeff were out with their trucks and trailers transporting stuff from the other campsite that is closing at the end of this month. I imagine there is a lot of stuff for them to move and only the rest of this month to do it in.
I decided to go into Austin, well actually, Bee Cave to the Office Depot located there which is a little closer than going into Austin. I needed a desk mat to fit under my desk so that the office chair can roll around easier than on the carpet. I looked it up on the web first to make sure they had something close to what I wanted, which they did.
“Mat” is not really a good description of what I was looking for as it brings up visions of a carpet like substance. What I wanted was either plastic or wood or something similar. What I found and settled on was a 2-inch wooded slat unit joined together to form a roll up mat. It was big enough for my needs and nice to look at. It cost me $120.00 but it is well worth it as now I can manipulate my desk chair to wherever I want without fighting the already installed carpet. As I spend a lot of my time at this desk, I consider it money well spent. I also bought another cable to replace the one on the portable speaker that broke the other day.
With my purchases safely in my car, I headed back to Dripping Springs. I am not sure if it was my imagination, but the traffic fairly zipped along well above the speed limit of 60 mph. I did not complain, as I just kept up with the traffic and in no time flat, well OK, 30 minutes, I was back in Dripping Springs. Add another 15 minutes to that and I was home.
I spotted a pair of small deer as I drove down Henly Loop but was not able to get a picture of them. Arriving back at the RV created some excitement especially when I started to move furniture around. The dogs tried to help but as usual. only managed to get in the way. I finally got the new desk mat installed and at the same time, tidied up my desk as it was gathering trash. I also spent time tidying up the RV as it needed it.
With excitement of installing a new floor mat all finished, I sat down at the reorganized desk and played catchup with the blog and brought it up to date. Then it was walkies time and we harnessed up and hit the road. OK, most of it was withing the park so I guess I should say park roads. Back in the RV, we sat on the outside deck and listened to an Audiobook and drank a mini bottle of wine. Eventually, we went back inside and after making dinner for us all, I managed to get engrossed in Yellowstone until it was bedtime. Only then did I remember to bring in the bird feeders which of course were empty as the deer had visited and ate their fill. Oh well…I brought in the empty feeders anyway although I had no reason to at that point.
I think the dogs are in collusion with the deer as they never bark when we are inside the RV. They must hear them as there are usually a couple. They bark if they see them in the daylight. Maybe the dogs are scared of things that go bump in the night.
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.
The nights are warm enough that the A/C runs off and, on both day, and night. I am a hot sleeper and often wake up because my body temperature is way too high. Then the A/C comes on and I gratefully enjoy the cool air as it blows on me. Of course, the situation is not helped by Mikey who likes to cuddle up against me. Sandy, not at all as she gets too hot herself. Summertime in an RV in Texas.
I was up at a reasonable hour and the first thing that we did was to rehang the bird feeders, replenishing them as necessary from the new 25lb bag of food I had bought. With that important chore out of the way, it was time to take that first walk.
We wandered around and again took the road leading towards Hwy 290 because of the shade it offered. There was a large herd of deer in the Exotic Park in the distance, but they took off when we approached, and I was not able to get any pictures. We continued our walk trying to stay in the shadows before returning to The Caboose.
I watched as Daniel and Malinda expertly drove out the bus and then hooked the Jeep to it. They are spending the weekend at Bastrop LCRA Park. Lucky them as it is a very nice place to stay. They have their canoes on top of the Jeep, and it will be very quiet here without them.
I continued writing the blog trying to stay up to date as recall is nowadays, a problem. Guess I am plain getting old. I received a call from my Vet’s to say they had an Emergency and could I please change my appointment until a bit later. Of course, I agreed and now we were scheduled for 3:00 pm.
This time, I allowed plenty of time to get there and as I neared their location, I happened to glance at the fuel gauge in the Jeep and it said I had 30 miles of gas left in the tank. I knew it was getting low but of course had forgot about it and then left it too late to gas up on the way going in.
Hoping that we would not run out, I pushed forwards with one eye on the clock and the other on the fuel gauge and finally pulled into the Vet’s parking lot on time.
We were there for about 45 minutes as Dr Varga, the Vet, took them off one by one to examine them following their surgery of a week ago. When he returned, he said that Sandy’s tests on the growth showed it was non-malignant but that she will need to take the large pills for the rest of her life. They are for her heart murmur. Both dogs teeth removal had healed nicely.
We left the clinic and jumped back in the car and started it up. With the gas gauge now showing empty, I stopped at the first gas station which was only 100 yards up the road and filled the Jeep, breathing a huge sigh of relief that we had not run out of gas. Incidentally, because of not being more observant and prepared, I paid top dollar for the gas.
We drove home with both dogs squeezed on my lap as they usually are and with no more stops to make along the way, made the trip in about a half hour. Back at the RV, as we were already harnessed up, we went out for a walk around the camp ground. As far as I could tell, there were no new arrivals or departures.
I put the dogs inside of The Caboose and then walked back over to the girls RV and knocked on the door to be met by BJ telling me to “Come in” which I did. This was the first time that I had been inside of their rig, which was very nice indeed. It had a large living area and they had replaced the two original couches and the armchair for new ones. Apparently, the original ones were showing wear and tear.
We sat and chatted for a while about the rig and the people here in the park while drinking a beer. We all had the highest of praises for Malinda and Daniel and the help they have been to us here at the park. We talked about the interesting group that we have become which included Delores and Gary and sometimes, other campers who stopped by like our most recent additions, Lucas and Shyrl. They had some interesting stories of their own to share.
Peggy brought out some snacks and we chatted and munched on them as we continued with our conversation. I had a second beer and finally, decided that I should get back before it was dark. Bidding my farewells and getting a hug from “The Girls”, I walked back to the RV, harnessed up the dogs and we went out taking the final walk of the day.
Back in The Caboose, we sat outside listening to an Audiobook and watching the world go by. Another of my neighbors passed by and then stopped and came back. She was interested in the story I was listening to having recognized the Narrator. We chatted for a bit before she moved on.
I brought in the bird feeders for the night to keep them away from the deer. I also got out my spray bottle of deer repellent and sprayed the plants that the deer pay special attention to before going back inside of the RV.
Once inside, I fed the dogs and then myself before settling down to watch the usual television.
Mikey woke me up barking which he usually reserves for something outside, so I scrambled into a pair of shorts and checked the exterior door. Sure enough, Daniel was standing there wanting some help with a project that he had going on in the campground.
I hurriedly got into my clothes after the usual morning ablutions and stepped out of the door to go help him. Before that, I took the dogs out for a short walk, enough to do their business and stretch their little legs.
I jumped into Malinda’s truck and along with Daniel, we drove into Dripping Springs, stopping along the way at a restaurant aptly named The Pig Pen. I ordered a breakfast Burrito taking a guess at what might be in it as there were many choices. That and a a large paper cup full of coffee and I was all set to face the day. Incidentally, the Burrito was gigundous as well as delicious.
From there, we went to the Home Depot and picked up the supplies needed for the work that Daniel had to do and then drove back. I helped unload the material he had bought and then hung around as the others put things together. I helped wherever I could, but it was mostly hold this or that type of help. Hard to believe that in my youger days, I used to do all of that sort of work for a living.
We worked for the rest of the day until it was time to quit, and I headed back to The Caboose to take the dogs walking. The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way.
The Adventures of an Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, Henly, TX. Friday 05/05/2023
I crawled out of bed ready to face another day of doing nothing. We went out walking and ran into Daniel who inquired if I was ready to help him finish off yesterday’s project. I walked back to The Caboose and put the dogs indoors and then went to help Daniel.
We worked for a while joined by Malinda and then Gary. I got a call from my friend BJ, who along with another friend Barb, had come over to visit and were back at my RV.
Excusing myself from the ongoing work project, I walked back to my RV and spent 30 minutes or so with them before they left. I showed them The Caboose and they were both suitably impressed.
After they left, I went back to helping. By now, there were a couple of other people who had stopped by either just to watch or to help or both and this project had turned into a party without the beer.
It was finally completed except for the paint and there was some discussion about who should do that.
Finally, the entire work crew adjourned back to Malinda’s RV to sit outside and chat about the days happening. We have a remarkably interesting group of campers all with stories to tell and glad to tell them.
I was one tired old man with really sore knees when I finally headed back to The Caboose for the evening meal and to watch Solly play for Brighton as they beat Manchester United at the final play of the game.
I was raised in England, where it is wet days on end and better yet and when the sun does finally shine the people smile and think it’s divine Look, the sun, you hear them say maybe this time it will stay around for just a little while just to make our lives worthwhile.
When my mother offered me the chance to come to America following her dance I was torn if we should go I loved the English country so but the end the choice was made after three weeks of rain, I was dismayed she wrote and said it was 8:00 am and was going to be sunny again with a temperature forecast of eighty five making her glad to be alive
I talked it over with my wife she too was fed up with rainy life and though reluctant she agreed and to America we did leave coming over on a big ship with all of our things on the trip from Southampton on the English side arriving in New York to reside
When we arrived in the United States to drive to Fort Plain the journey to take to a little place just a dot on the map in the Mohawk Valley and hard to track wondering what the future would hold and how had we managed to be so bold as to sell our home and everything we had leaving our country which made us sad.
That first night as we slept in a farmhouse that my mother kept it snowed thirteen inches of the stuff the most I had seen and much more than enough and we wondered why we had complained coming here to get away from the rain only to find that it was worse in a different part of the Universe.
We got used to the weather and the sun did shine more than it rained and most of the time and now in Texas we look for the rain to keep things green for them not to change as not too many miles away there is a desert and no rain which to play but for now, we will take what we get As Mother Nature the weather does set.
I awoke after a terrible night of not sleeping. I was too worried about the deal we had struck last evening and could not get it out of my mind. I tossed and turned and every time I looked at the clock, another hour had passed, and I still had not fallen asleep. I guess I did eventually as I awoke this morning at 7:30 am with my mind still full of thoughts.
I was still so worried that I got up even though it was early and harnessed up the dogs for that first walk of the day. We wandered aimlessly around the park before returning for breakfast as I tried to clear my head
I did some work on the blog and then read the daily news before deciding that I should move Quatro back to his site. That was my first mistake. I walked back down the hill and started Quatro and drove it back to the spot it resides in while parked. Or at least, that was the plan but somehow, I messed up and managed to back into the RV that was parked next door causing superficial damage to both mine and the other rig Nothing was major but both rigs will need repair and of course, as it was my fault will come either from my insurance or from my pocket, probably both. Another reason that I have decided to sell the thing as quite obviously, I am not capable of driving it safely.
I should have waited for Daniel to back me in but thought I could do it on my own. Stupid of me… I could say that I will know better next time but, there is not going to be a next time as my rig driving days are over.
Malinda and Daniel showed up and after surveying the damage, Malinda made arrangements for one of the local body shops to come out on Friday to assess the damage. Not a good day at all.
I decided to go into Austin as I had arranged to pick up my mail which requires that I call ahead and made the long drive to Far West Blvd. From there, I headed home stopping at the Walmart’s on the way to do some grocery shopping and to pick up a couple of other things I thought I needed. I found most of what I wanted, including another bird feeder and a new blanket for my bed, and managed to spend over $300.00. Oh well, it is only money…
The drive home was uneventful, and I did stop and buy a cold latte to drink, from Starbucks.
Back in the RV, I unloaded everything along with my two little helpers who really enjoyed the fresh smells and then we went out for one more walkabout around the park. When we got back, we sat outside for a while drinking a small bottle of wine before it cooled off enough that we went back indoors. Malinda stopped by to enquire about whether I had contacted the insurance company, which I had not and will do tomorrow.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion, food, wine, and TV.
I got up and had just taken a shower when there was a knock on the door. Looking out, I could see it was Delores and that she was carrying a couple of things I recognized. I hastily pulled on a pair of shorts figuring that I did not want to shock her by appearing in my birthday suit and let her in. We chatted for a bit, and she mentioned that there was no water in the RV, her reason for stopping by. Telling her to give me a minute to get some clothes on, I harnessed up the dogs and followed her down the hill.
Sure enough, there was water leaking everywhere as the unit that holds the filter was not properly secured. Neither was it set on the proper settings which I quickly took care of, after tightening up the connections. We chatted a bit more and then I left her to do the cleaning work. Glad it is her and not me as I would rather pay someone than do that sort of cleaning. I can do the day-to-day stuff but thorough deep cleaning, I leave it to the professionals.
We walked back up the hill and I made breakfast and coffee for me. Sandy helped me eat my Burrito but Mikey, as usual, just guarded the piece that he got. From where I sit and write, I can see Quatro parked in his temporary spot. The funny thing is, I have no regrets about the decision to sell him as the travelling part of my life is over as we move into the next stage. Besides, The Caboose has much more room in it for everyday living.
I have been working on the plans to build a permanent deck to The Caboose. Currently, both doors have 4 steps to get in and the door handle on both is just out of reach from the ground. I must scramble to reach them to get in.
What I have been working on in several different variations is to have a 10 ft deck with steps on both ends to make an easy entrance when I either arrive by Jeep one way or am out walking and come in using the existing steps, the ones that we built the handrails to. I have not made up my mind whether to enclose the entire thing with doors on the front for more storage or to leave it open and buy a couple of premade storage units to put under it. I hate to waste space as storage is a premium in an RV.
I do plan to enclose the entire top deck with a gate at both ends so that the dogs can run free in that outside area.
I need to do more research on the stand-alone units to see if they will work. They will certainly make the building easier and less of it as the alternative is to enclose the entire unit and install shelves and doors on the front beside making the deck waterproof, which is much more work. The cost would be about the same, one for materials and the other for prebought storage units.
I got a call from Delores asking me to come and check on the valves to release the water from the tanks. We harnessed up and walked down the hill to Quatro. She was nearly finished with the work and the RV was already looking exceptionally clean and sparkling. I pulled a couple of handles and the valves opened and released the contents into the sewer standpipe. She handed me some clothes she had found, and we walked back up the hill.
I made a couple more trips back to Quatro as Dolores was doing her cleaning job and, in the end, she called me to come down for the final inspection. I harnessed up the dogs and we walked back down the hill, and I walked around with her. She had found a few things but unfortunately, the glasses were not among them. We settled our account, and I went about the business of unhooking the sewer, water, and electric lines.
Prior to completing this job, Daniel and Malinda stopped by to admire Dolores’ handiwork and took a good look at the unit themselves. I walked the dogs back to the RV and was going to park the RV back in its spot when Daniel suggested leaving it there overnight. He also invited me over for a beer. I put the dogs back in The Caboose and walked back to Daniel’s RV where Dolores and later, jack showed up. We sat talking about the world and the conversation switched to how hard Dolores had worked and how nice the RV looked to Daniel making me an offer for the unit, much to my surprise.
We chatted about it for a bit and in the end, I agreed to sell it to him. We talked about it a bit more and then both Dolores and I left to go to our respective RV’s.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion with food all around, a glass of wine and watching another Premier League Football match.
I had to get up twice in the night, once for the call of nature and the other time because Mikey started fussing at the sliding glass doors. My first thought was that the deer had finally found the flowers and were going to town on them but when I looked out using my flashlight, nothing out of the ordinary was visible.
I patted Mikey on the head for being such a good watchdog even though it was nothing I could see, and we went back to bed. Sandy is not interested in things that go bump in the night and had not left her spot. She gave us the equivalent of a dirty look for disturbing her. Incidentally, if Mikey can warn me when the deer finally arrive, then just maybe, we will save the flowers.
With the interruptions, I did not wake up until almost 10:30 am and even then, was very reluctant to leave that warm spot. I finally forced myself to get out and after raising all the shades, put on my heavy jacket, harnessed up the dogs and opened the door. Incidentally, the heater was not working as it had run out of propane which was another reason we dallied so long in bed. It is funny but the propane always seems to run out at night. I wonder why that is?
It was not raining but was very overcast and the wind was cold and uncomfortable. We dropped off the trash as we usually do every morning as the dumpsters are on our normal walking circuit. There was a lot of activity in the laundry room, which is normal for a weekend and the same group that had used the Meeting room yesterday, which is one large and extended family, travelling in five different RV’s, were back again this morning.
We wandered around covering our usual half mile. I had forgotten my phones again for the second day in a row, but we have walked the park so many times that I can accurately guess the distance that we covered based on previous experience.
While I was still dressed for the outdoors, I tied the dogs up so they could watch and then changed out the empty gas bottle. I usually have a spare already filled for just such an emergency although, I suppose that is not really the right word to use. This was NOT an emergency, just a routine switching out of propane bottles of which I have three. Two are hooked up but only one is turned on. The other full bottle is held in reserve and when one goes empty, it gets switched. I alternate the ones that are connected so that when one goes empty, it is replaced with the spare and the other existing bottle becomes the one getting used. It is a rotating system.
The empty bottle is left visible for Daniel to swing by on his normal rounds to fill and return to stand ready for use, whenever that may be. That is another reason this park is so convenient with its own propane service.
Back in the RV, we had breakfast and this time, it was cereal for me and there was nothing to share with the dogs and they had to resort to hard food which is better for them anyway. Because of my late start, half the day had already gone as I settled down to read world news and then write in the blog.
By the time I finshed, it was already 2:30 pm. It does not matter as we have nothing planned. If I run out of things to do, I could always watch Solly play for Brighton which is on today. More than likely, I will save that for this evening.
I sat here in front of the computer doing different things, one of which was to organize the poetry that I write all into one file instead of getting mixed in the day-to-day blogs where it is written and where it is currently resides. Maybe, I will collect all my poetry and put it in a book one day. Yeah right. It is just an outlet for my artistic side as I cannot paint, sing, or dance worth a damn. But I can write poetry.
We went out for another stroll around the grounds this time walking the outside road all the way to Hwy 290. We got lucky, and the 4 donkeys followed us up the road after I made a fuss of them. One thought that I had treats for him and followed my hand with his teeth, but I managed to avoid getting bitten. We walked to the end until we hit Hwy 290 and the donkeys followed us all the way.
I wondered where the lone Zebra was as he spends his time together with this bunch and suddenly, he appeared. He trotted over but would not come closer than about 20 or so feet. He quite obviously had been left behind in their wanderings as he was in a hurry to catch up.
We wandered back towards the campground leaving this little group behind and made our way back to The Caboose. Tomorrow is a busy day as I need to move Quatro to one of the permanent sites albeit temporarily so that Delores can give it a thorough cleaning before putting it up for sale. She needs both water and an electrical hook up for this. I would rather pay someone than do this myself.
We sat outside for a while drinking a small bottle of wine and watching the world go by. The Breakroom was doing good business with a party going on. Daniel waved as he passed by on his way home and we closed the outside proceedings before moving back inside The Caboose for the usual evenings’ repast.
Incidentally, I found deer prints in the garden under the feeders, so they really had visited. They did not touch the flowers but worked on the bird feeders instead. They have learned to tilt them sideways so that the seed comes out and they eat it off the ground. I do not mind buying more seeds if they stay away from the flowers.
The Adventures of an Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, Henly, TX. Sunday 04/09/2023
I awoke early after a good night’s sleep and lay there for a while not really wanting to leave the comfort of the nice warm bed. Eventually, I crawled out and got ready to face another day. We harnessed up and I took the dogs out for that most important, first walk of the day. We wandered around and noticed that the four RVs in the temporary slots that were together as a large family, were preparing to leave.
When we got back, I worked on refilling the bird feeders as the deer had found them and emptied a couple of bird seeds.
Back in The Caboose, I made that all important coffee and fixed breakfast shared mostly with Sandy. Mikey had one little piece that he did not eat but guarded against all newcomers wanting to steal it. When we were harnessing up again to walk down to The Caboose, he ate it which was all an hour later. At least, he kept it away from Sandy.
I was working on the blog when there was a knock on the door. It was Delores wanting to look inside of Quatro to get an idea of what she was about to clean. We harnessed up again and took the walk down the hill and I opened the RV for her to look so she could see what she needed to do. On the way, we ran into Daniel who suggested we wait until tomorrow to move the RV because it was very muddy around it, and he did not want more mud on the blacktop than was necessary.
That was fine by me, and we walked back to The Caboose to finish working on the blog. Incidentally, the person that I keep calling Jeff is really Gary. My apologies to him and thanks to Delores for spotting the error.
I worked on about 20 pictures that I had taken as we walked around the park, mostly of the flowers growing here although there were several of the donkeys and the zebra. With the blog and pictures up to date, I looked around for other things to get up to.
When we were out walking, I had purposely walked around Quatro to see the conditions of the field. It had dried out quite a bit and I judged that moving the RV would not cause any damage or spread mud everywhere. I called Daniel and told him that I was going to move the unit as the field was dry and agreed.
I left the dogs inside and walked down the hill to Quatro and started it up. I carefully maneuvered out onto the road and then backed it up for about 50 yards so that I could drive into the temporary site, #40 for Delores to give it a good cleaning. I hooked up the power and the sewer hose and had to walk back to The Caboose for the spare water hose as I had “borrowed” the one out of Quatro to use on it. The “old” one has a small leak hence the need for the swap. It will be OK for temporary use as it only the occasional small drip.
I finished hooking everything back up but did not test anything, figuring that Delores would quickly notify me if there was a problem.
We went out walking again, running into a couple of other campers and their dogs. These were the friendly ones as we know which ones to stay away from. After a quick walk around the circuit which included a stop at Delores’s RV so that I could give her the keys to Quatro. I did not know how early she was going to start work and did not need any surprises.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way. Oh yes, Malinda returned from taking care of her mother.
It was almost 10:00 am before I even woke up and that was to the sound of heavy rain on the RV’s roof. I rolled out of bed and after looking out at it absolutely pouring down, decided to hold off on the morning walk. The dogs did not appear to be in any real emergency, so I took a chance on them being able to “hold it.”
I noticed that the big bird feeder I had installed yesterday, a gift from one of my fellow campers, was laying on the ground. Further inspection showed that the pole had blown over due to the amount of rain softening up the dirt. I had not been able to drive it very far when I first put it up.
It was raining so hard that I told myself, “To heck with it” and went back to what I was doing figuring it would keep until there was a lull in the weather. I could almost see the dog’s crossing their legs as they tried to “hold it.”
We got that lull albeit, only a brief one but enough for a quick once around the washroom circuit much to the dog’s disgust. I tied them up outside so they could watch, and they both snuck under the RV out of the weather while I worked on straightening up the bird feeders.
Daniel stopped by and his immediate question was, “Are you nuts”? I told him why I was out straightening things up. Incidentally, the same gentleman who had given me the bird equipment also gave me a genuinely nice folding chair, much better than the one I have albeit with an A&M logo. I can ignore that as the chair is for free. I worked at the University of Texas for 22 years and Texas A&M were our most bitter rivals even though they were a part of the same school system.
As it was now raining hard again and I had finished hammering the feeder stand back in the ground and re-arranging the feeders, we all went back inside the RV where it was comfortably warm, and I sat and wrote and worked on a few pictures. I got to see one of the Zebras yesterday, the one that does not have a mate. He was on his own, which was strange as he usually spends time together with either the donkeys or a herd of deer. Maybe, it is the rutting season, and he is an unwelcome stranger being of a different breed.
When I was at Daniels last evening, his Hummingbird feeder was doing a roaring business with several Hummers at a time visiting. We discussed the feed he uses, and it turns out to be nothing more than sugar and water, in a 4-1 ratio. I will try that next time except I need to buy some sugar as it is not on my usual shopping list. When I was reinstalling the feeder poles, I noticed that one of the Hummingbird feeders had fallen and broke which leaves us at just one of them. So, now I need a new feeder to go along with the sugar unless I can repair the old one.
The rest of the day was spent indoors as it was too miserable to be outside more than for the necessities. I took a couple of hours designing a deck and stairs for The Caboose and working out a lumber and hardware list, something that I really need. I will build it myself giving me a chance to resurect my old carpentry skills.
We went out for one more walk and then settled down for the evening meal and more English Premier League Football.
I awoke at 10:00 am having slept very well and we went out for that first walk of the day. I deliberately took the route that led past past Delores’s RV and as it happened, she was outside. I apologized if I had offended her in any way last evening and she just shrugged it off laughingly and said she was not upset, and everyone is entitled to their views.
Glad that I had cleared the air of any perceived ill feeling, we chatted for a while and then we went on our way. We wandered around the park and then hit the outside lane walking down the hill and coming back in the park through the bottom entrance. We only saw one other dog and it’s Hooman and they were going in the opposite direction. But it was late in the morning and a workday to boot.
When we got back, I attached the new hose nozzle and watered the plants. It saves wasting water as I move from one plant to the next as I can turn it on and off as needed. This time, when I turned it off at the standpipe, I made sure to not touch the main shut off valve as apparently, I had done yesterday. I also planted the two new plants that I had bought to add to the display as they are already in full bloom.
This was followed by the usual breakfast and coffee, reading the news, and then working on the blog. I spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out an easier way to transfer the pictures from the Galaxy to the iPhone. That is not really true as what I wanted to do was transfer the pictures onto the laptop.
I can accomplish this task very simply with the iPhone but that same process does not work on the Galaxy. I played around and found a way and while transferring pictures, ended up sending some of them several times and had duplicates of duplicates. Oh well, more is better than less…
We went out for another walkabout, much to the dog’s delight just wandering around with no particular direction in mind until we hit the road and ended up walking all the way to Hwy 290. There were no exotics on view today but there was activity in the farm across the road. They had all the cattle rounded and penned up and had a trailer with them. Looks like they are on their way to that big farm in the sky…Maybe that is why I am not much of a meat lover as they were living, breathing animals at one time.
Back at the RV, we sat outside listening to an Audiobook and Jeff joined us and we sat chatting away. A little later, Chris stopped by and the three of us sat and talked about a whole bunch of different things. It is interesting listening to some of the stories and actions that other people have done.
Eventually, they both left, and the dogs and I sat there a while longer before heading back inside for the usual evening’s repast. Incidentally, it was almost 8:30 pm when I went back in.
I got to watch Brighton and Solly play as they beat Bournemouth, which is the closest thing to a local derby that both teams get. They are both located on the South Coast and only 96 miles apart. The teams in London are a bit closer but because of their location, they are not considered a “local derby.” Incidentally, they are also at opposite ends of the table as Brighton look for a place in Europe and Bournemouth struggle against relegation to the lower division.
The Adventures of an Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, Henly, TX. Wednesday 04/05/2023
After a night of strange dreams, I eventually awoke around 9:30 am and rolled out of bed. The dogs were still sleeping at the top of the bed with me so I must not have been too violent. As we usually do, we went out walking in the park and on the outside road. I tend to let Sandy lead the way and Mikey and I sort of follow along behind. My job is to keep her from getting us into trouble and Mikey’s job is to pee on Sandy’s pee to remove her “mark.” I think they view it as a competition albeit unknowingly.
We wandered around as we usually do but the park was quiet. When we walked out onto the outside road, I saw that there were only two of the heifers left across the road as far as I could see.
We sat and ate breakfast and I worked on a few pictures that I had taken and had figured out how to get from the Galaxy into the computer. Then I turned my attention to the blog and caught up with both yesterday’s and today’s events.
I decided to go into town to The Home Depot as I needed a couple of things. Telling the dogs, goodbye, I hopped into the Jeep. As I was leaving, I passed Daniel on his mower and stopped to chat for a bit.
Before going to the Home Depot, I stopped with the additional information my tax preparer had asked for and she invited me to sit with her while she finished them up. I thanked her and paid my bill, which incidentally was a very small credit to me, and I did not owe anything, which is a change from the last couple of years.
As I was in the vicinity of Great Clips, the hairdressers, I stopped on the off chance they could fit me in as usually, you have to call ahead and get put on a list. This time I was in luck and sat down in the chair straight away. With that sort of luck, I should have bought a lottery ticket as it might have paid off too. This time, I had a gentleman hairdresser, and he did an excellent job for which I suitably rewarded him.
I finally ended up in The Home Depot, the reason for the trip in the first place and as usual, parked at the wrong end of the store. Realizing my mistake after asking an employee where the parts were that I needed, I drove the car back to the Nursery and Garden end.
Following some more directions, I found the section that had the metal garden edging and loaded 4 pieces into my cart. I had to ask for more directions to where the bird seed is located, luckily just a few feet away, and picked out what I needed. I managed to spend $60.00 on these few items but what the heck…I did not buy any plants this trip. I thought about stopping at Starbuck’s and for the first time in history, decided against it. How about that!
When I arrived back at the RV, the first thing was to go walking, of course and then I unloaded the Jeep of the few things I had bought. I will install the metal edging another day, maybe tomorrow? I noticed that someone had left me a couple of bird feeders and while I was looking at them, one of my neighbors stopped by and said he hoped it was OK to leave them as they had no more use for them. I thanked him profusely for his generosity. Before the evening was out, I had accumulated a couple additional feeders plus a hanging pole as he cleaned out his RV. I guess they will be pulling out tomorrow.
The thing with an RV, even one of the big 5th wheels such as he had, space it limited as is the weight one can carry and there is really not much room for anything except the essentials. Extras are a luxury and must be chosen carefully.
Daniel had invited Jeff and me over for dinner at his RV, which I accepted very gratefully. Not so much for the food, although it is always welcome, but more so for adult company. The dogs are great, but it is hard to hold a conversation with them and I feel like I am talking to myself most of the time as I not only ask the question but also provide the answer.
Daniel had cooked up steaks and mine was delicious, along with the fixin’s which Jeff had supplied. I can certainly understand why there are so many overweight campers if they eat like that all the time. Something, I am just not used to. We sat and talked after the food until Jeff stated he was getting cold as was I and we both left. Incidentally, Daniels first words when I arrived were,”No talk about religion” to which I agreed.
I took the dogs out for one more walk and while they were outside, gave them each a steak bone. Sandy immediately went to work and was in 7th heaven. Mikey ignored his and I put it in the fridge for a later day. When she had finished, we went back inside for the usual evening’s entertainment.
I crawled out to a bright sunny morning with the outside temperature already at 80 degrees. This at 9:00 am in the morning. Incidentally, the high today is forecast at 94 degrees, and it is only April 3.
We wandered around the park and on the outside road and only saw one other dog and camper. Luckily, they were walking away from us. We covered our usual half mile before returning for breakfast. I sat and read all about today’s troubles, most of which were either a continuation of or the same as yesterdays. Emails were the same and every single one was trashed except for a couple of newsworthy ones.
I turned to the blog which did not take long to write as not much had happened, yet.
The big project in front of us for the future is to go through ALL the many and various boxes that we have brought up from Quatro and decide what to keep, what to give away and what to trash. At the speed I work, it will probably take the rest of the year.
We went out for another short walk and then telling the dogs that I would not be long, I jumped in the Jeep and drove into town. The first stop was at H&R Block to check on the status of my taxes. They were not ready yet, so I moved to the Home Depot. I did not need much, primarily a long-handled hose wand to save on water as I water the plants. Naturally, what I wanted was in the gardening section which is located right where all the beautiful plants are. I had already decided that I needed a couple more and spent a bit of time picking out the right ones.
I paid for my goodies and had to walk the entire length of the parking lot to find my car…again. i really need to get smarter about which end of the store I park. Still, the exercise is good for my old body.
The next stop was HEB which is located right next door although requiring a circuitous route to get there going the back way. Still, it misses Hwy 290 traffic which is bad any time of the day.
I had a list and kept to it pretty much as I wandered up and down the aisles. I have shopped in that store many, many times and as they do not move things around, you would think that I know where everything is. But, it appears, I did not as I got to the end of the store and the end of my list and noticed that I had missed an item. Needless to say, the missing item, in this case, a loaf of bread, was located way up at the other end of the store where I first started shopping.
I trudged back and found the bread section and it took a while to make up my mind which one I wanted. You would think it was an easy decision as bread is bread, right? Wrong as they have an entire aisle devoted to the stuff. It comes pretty much in the same shape and size but there were all kinds of bread with names I could not recognize. I searched around and finally found a plain old fashioned sliced white loaf, but it had taken checking an entire aisle to find it. Still, it did add to my walking mileage. Incidentally, I covered 3.5 miles for the day. A good day by our lax standards.
I made sure to buy Daniel a case of his favorite beer to try to repay him for all his help and when we got back to the campground, handed it to him as he drove by. This was followed by an invitation to help him drink it and after walking the dogs again and then they helped me to put the groceries away, I wandered over to his RV, just across the street.
Delores was already sitting there chatting and the three of us sat for a while chatting about everything. We were joined by another gentleman, whose name I do not know although I have spoken to him before and the four of us sat and talked.
Then, somehow, the conversation turned to religion. Delores is a strict practicing church goer and has very strong views on religion. Daniel is a halfway believer whose occasionally goes to church. I do not know too much about our other friend although I suspect he too is a believer. And then there was me. I had such a tough time as I listened to Delores going on about her church that in the end, I just had to disagree with her on just about everything. It was apparent by my share of the conversation that I am not a very religious man and that I have a hard time believing in the Bible and consequently, although we never actually got into any real disagreements on the subject, all our views were very apparent, with me being the only non-believer in the group. Sure hope it does not affect our friendships.
About that time and after consuming 2 beers which may have contributed to the conversation, I felt the call of Nature which came at a suitable time in the conversation, and I bid good night to them all. Back in the RV, we went out for a short walk before retiring for the evening watching a Premier League game. Incidentally, I had called Daniel and apologized if I had said anything out of hand and his response was, “No issues” his standard response to anything and everything.
April 1st, April Fool’s Day both in England and here.
I could not sleep and got up early, at least for us, and we went out for the first walk of the day. We wandered around and met a couple of others out with their dogs, stopping to chat with them as the dogs made friends…or not. One lady told me that they are pulling out on Monday and driving nonstop to Minnesota. Wow, that is a long drive in one day and they will both be driving separate vehicles. To me, there is no longer any pleasure in that which is another reason I am selling Quatro.
I was out watering the plants and Daniel stopped by and offered me coffee. I put the dogs inside and then walked over to the breakroom where he was sitting outside with two coffees in hand. We sat and chatted for a while and then an RV pulled in and off he went. I walked back to The Caboose to finish mine and at the same time, made a bacon sandwich for breakfast.
I had a scare when the water stopped running and called Daniel over. Turns out, I had inadvertently shut off the water after I had finished watering the plants and when I turned off the hose, I shut off both handles instead of just the hose connection. The thing is, I cannot remember doing that or why I did it. If Daniel had not been available at the time, I would have retraced my steps and figured it out. Stupid of me…
I finished breakfast and sat drinking coffee while working on the blog at the same time. RVs were pulling in all around me, and it was a busy day in that respect as the park filled up again. Still some open spots though. I even have new next-door neighbors that I have yet to meet.
Looking around the RV, all I could see was the stuff that I had moved up from Quatro, yesterday. It was everywhere and without further ado, I worked on straightening out the mess and finding places to store the stuff. I have an exceptionally large closet in the bedroom and one side is full of the few clothes that I still have. The other side is used for storage and that is where the remaining boxes ended up except for a couple that went into the outside storage. Incidentally, a lot of the stuff I have moved is probably junk or at least, not really needed/wanted and one of these days, in the unforeseeable future, I might get around to sorting it all out. Yeah, right…
With everything put away and the RV looking clean and respectable again, I sat for a while on the couch with a dog on either side both snoozing their fool heads off in a very contented way. I was very contented too and we sat there for a while doing nothing. Then I had to get up for something and it broke the spell.
It had clouded over and cooled down a bit to 79 degrees and I decided to take a chance and finish cleaning out the other RV. Harnessing the dogs, we jumped into the jeep and made the short trip down the hill to Quatro where I loaded out the remaining couple of boxes. As far as I can tell, I have everything out of there unless something slipped into some hidden space. I will contract with Delores to give it a good cleaning.
Back in the RV, just as I was getting ready to put things back into The Caboose, Jeff stopped by, grabbed the boxes, and put them inside of the RV for which I was incredibly grateful. I will find a home for the contents tomorrow.
We went out for another walk just around the park as Sandy was doing her usual bug thing. On the way, we ran into Daniel who stopped and invited me to a rib special tomorrow in the Clubhouse with just a select few people. I thanked him and told him I would be there.
He went on his way, and I sat outside drinking a small bottle of wine and eating potato chips and then Peggy, my new next-door neighbor stopped by and invited me to the same party for tomorrow. I thanked her and she said to bring what I wanted to drink if it was different than beer and went back to her RV. Peggy is a new friend that Mikey needs to get used to as he went barking nuts when she walked up. Just give him time.
I sat for a while listening to a new Audiobook until it began to chill off and then we went back inside where it was warmer, for the evening meal.
The Adventures of an Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, Henly, TX. Sunday 04/02/2023
The kitchen area inside The Caboose
Another day, another dollar as the saying goes except in our case insert, another day of life. I awoke in the middle of the night on the chilly side. I quickly found the blanket held in reserve on the other side of the bed for just such occasions and pulled it over me. Neither dog likes to be under the covers, and they quickly scooted out of the way. As soon as it was in place, they returned to their accustomed spots but this time, on top of the blanket.
I got up early for us not because we had anything planned as we do not. I do need to make a trip to HEB but even that will keep until tomorrow. We went out walking covering our usual half mile and met a couple of dogs and their Hooman’s along the way. The park is thinning out as the weekenders go home and the travelers move on. It is a bit like a revolving door which is good for the park…
Following the walk, I tidied up a bit and then settled down to the usual morning routine of breakfast, coffee and then emails and finally, the blog. The latter was quickly accomplished as nothing of importance worth writing about had occurred, yet.
I fiddled with different things and sort of kept busy for a while as I had been invited to a late lunch over at the Breakroom by my friendly lady neighbors. I took the dogs out for a short walk and Daniel stuck his head out of the door and hollered at me. I hollered back that I would be right over after putting the dogs away, which I did.
There were seven of us gathered there and they had been waiting on me before starting. There was my next-door neighbors BJ and Peggy, who were hosting the lunch, Jeff, Kerry, and her husband and of course, Daniel. The ladies had cooked up pork ribs and they were cooked so well; they almost fell off the bone. I found them delicious but could only eat two along with all the fixing’s and followed by peach cobbler.
I was not used to eating so much food at one time let alone in the midafternoon, but I managed to finish off my plate. I declined a second helping but did take a helping of the peach cobbler. I also declined the ice cream on the top as well not because I did not like ice cream but because I was already stuffed.
It was a great meal but way too much food for me as I am just not used to eating something that heavy, especially at 3:30pm in the afternoon. We sat around and chatted about all kinds of things and the ladies asked about my great grandson, Solly March, and the conversation turned to Football played with a round ball. It was nice to talk about him to others and made me feel really proud. Like I told them, I am living my dream through him.
We finally broke up and I made my way back to the RV and took the dogs out for another walk just around the park. There was not much activity going on and we managed to get in our quota for the day. I had a few things to do back at The Caboose like watering the plants and trying to find a certain part that I needed but of course, to no avail. Guess I need to buy another part and then it will turn up.
I may have all my possessions here in The Caboose, but they are not organized and trying to find anything is like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. Incidentally, Quatro is completely empty, finally…I did find a couple of things I had been looking for in Quatro, so all was not lost.
Back in the RV, I wrote for a bit while thoughts were still fresh in my mind before preparing for the evening. At least, I will not have to feed myself for at least a month, I would guess, I ate so much.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way.
The last day of the month although I have no idea where it went. Time just flies by as we grow old. When I was a kid, I could not wait to “grow up”. I am not sure that I ever did but I did grow much older. When I consider way back then to the present day, there is no comparison. From being a young kid to an old man now is inconceivable. Where the hell did the time go and how can I be this bloody old? Questions that have no answers. On the other hand, consider the alternative?…
We slept well and did not wake up until 9:00 am. Not that it matters very much as we had nothing planned for the day except maybe to get that last load out of Quatro. We went out for the usual walkabout, and it was breezy but not cold and we just wandered around with no particular place in mind.
When we got back, I decided to refill the Hummingbird feeders and did just that. However, when I was rehooking the new feeder back onto the stand, it slipped from my wet fingers, fell onto the ground and broke. Of course, it was the one that I had just bought. I dug the old one back out that does not have a place for the Hummers to rest and the reason I bought the new one in the first place and put it back up. Not a good way to start the day.
Mumbling under my breath at my own clumsiness and stupidity, I went back inside for breakfast and coffee. I made the coffee first as it is a repetitious procedure, and we had it down to a fine art and then looked first in the cupboard and then the refrigerator for breakfast. I wanted something different and that I had not had in a while and my eyes settled on my friend BJ’s favorite, a can of sardines in tomato sauce. So, without more ado, I toasted two pieces of bread and spread the sardines on them. Not having had them in a long time, they were delicious and filled the empty spot in my tummy. That and the coffee were a good start to the day to make up for breaking the Hummingbird feeder.
I turned my attention to world news and as nothing much had changed, quickly moved on to the blog where I caught up on yesterday and started today. As I watched, another RV pulled into the temporary slots across from me and the owner got out and expertly had it set up in no time flat. You can always tell the experienced campers from those either weekenders or who are just starting out, by how quickly they position and then set up their rig.
With enough critiquing done for one day, although this particular camper had it down pat, I harnessed up the dogs and they hopped in the Jeep for the short drive down to Quatro where I set to work packing stuff into boxes and in the Jeep. It was tiring work trudging from one vehicle to the other in the hot sun, but I eventually got most of it done. I was out of packing crates otherwise; I could have finished it.
I got to where I had done as much as I could do this trip with just one more small load to go. While I was at it, I took the towbar off the back of the RV and as I have no further use for it, will try to sell it separately. I drove the load back to The Caboose and unloaded it all with some going in the storage area and the rest going inside of the RV to be sorted and put away at a later date, maybe tomorrow.
I was sitting outside relaxing and drinking a beer and both Daniel and Jeff walked up and sat and chatted for a while. Occasionally, Daniel would shoot off on his four-wheeler as he received phone calls but would return and add to the conversation. Finally, both left Daniel to continue his work and Jeff to prepare for a barbeque that we are having this evening at Daniels RV.
I went back inside and made enough room to get in the door and around and about the RV. Unpacking the crates and things will keep until tomorrow. There is always tomorrow. If it never comes then I will not be worrying about it.
At the appointed time after a short walk with the dogs, I wandered over to Daniels RV. Malinda was still away with her mom but there were several other campers there. We chatted and swapped stories with Daniel being his usual funny self. He grilled Hamburgers with all the fixings that the group had contributed to with plates of this and that. There was even corn on the cob all wrapped up in foil that he grilled. My contribution was beer although I did offer a package of corn, but they had enough and did not need mine. My next door bus driver friends were also there, and I learned a bit more about them.
After a couple of hours and as it was getting dark, I left the party and then took the dogs out for the last walk of the day. Back in the RV, I fed the them and then we sat and watched TV and drank more wine, going to bed at a reasonable hour.
We woke up late after an uneventful night’s sleep, and it was almost 10:00 am before I rolled out of bed. After the usual morning’s ablutions, I harnessed up the dogs and we went out for that all important first walk. It was raining that fine misty stuff that still got you wet so we did not stay out longer than we had to, but even then, we covered a little over a half mile.
I dried them both off and kept an eye on Sandy as she likes to go to bed in the big bed after she gets wet. This time though, she climbed into one of the doggy beds and went to sleep.
I remembered that the heat was not coming on and figured that it was a propane bottle problem. As I was still dressed for the outside, I went out and changed out one of the gas bottles and added in the spare one and we were back in business. This time, I took Daniels advice and barely cracked the valve to conserve on propane. Apparently, opening the valve all of the way uses more of the stuff.
With that chore taken care of, it was back indoors out of the rain and adjusting the heat to warm the place back up before the usual breakfast and coffee. I read world news and emails and satisfied that the end of the world was no closer than it was yesterday, I turned my attention to blog writing for a while and at the same time, worked on a few pictures and posting yesterday’s blog.
I looked at the boxes that we had brought up from Quatro and figured that they would not unload themselves and set to work storing items away in various places. This was followed by washing several of the pots and pans that I had brought up and then put them away in their new home along with several other items. I had started a load of laundry and was waiting for it to be completed. Satisfied that we had done as much as we could do, we went out for that final walk of the day. This time, we headed up the road towards Hwy 290. We did not see any exotics on this trip.
Back at the RV, we sat outside eating potato chips and drinking a small bottle of wine and listened to the audio book that had been ongoing for a week or more although, we are almost at the end. Then I went inside and folded the laundry and made the bed with clean sheets helped by Mikey who of course, just got in the way but who thought he was doing a good job…Sandy just watched staying well out of the way.
Finally, it was time to play catch up with the blog before feeding the three of us. Sandy wolfed hers down and Mikey guarded his for later consumption. Then, after feeding myself, I watched TV and then went to bed.
I awoke to the sound of the wind as it howled around the RV. It really was making an awful racket but when I looked out of the window, it did not appear to be that strong. Must be the direction it is blowing that is making so much noise against the RV and as it whistled through the trees.
We went out for that first walk of the day just wandering around both inside the park and out on the road. On our way back, we ran into both Daniel and Jeff who had just finished helping a camper move to a different site. Daniel gave me a hard time saying I was late in helping them and I told him that he had forgotten to tell me about it. All in good fun, of course.
I went back to the RV and fixed us all breakfast and settled down in front of the computer and Daniel appeared with his weed eater cutting the grass. I went out and showed him the finished storage area. He was suitably impressed, and we discussed hooking the RV up permanently to the sewer with plastic pipe, something else to add to my list of jobs.
I unloaded the car and temporarily put everything inside the RV making it a bit crowded with the added stuff. I will straighten it out later. It took a while and I was thinking about that final load from Quatro, which does not have to happen today. The couple that will rent it for a month will not need it until April, sometime. Wait, April is only a couple of days away.
After that, I will get Dolores to give it a good cleaning before putting it on the market.
I dug holes for the 5 plants I had bought a couple days ago and then watered everything. I also did some repair work on the bird feeders as somehow, the wind had caused one of the nuts that held a part of it in place, to come unscrewed. Not only that, but it must also have blown the nut away in the wind as I could not find it anywhere. Daniel happened to stop by at that moment, and I asked him if he had one and jumping in the four-wheeler, we headed for the shop where he keeps his supplies, and quickly found what I needed.
Thanking him, I headed back to the RV and worked on the bird feeder some more and replaced the missing part taking the opportunity to fill the feeders while I was at it.
I received a text from Impact RV Repair to say that he would be here in less than 30 minutes to work on the RV. I already had the dogs harnessed as they had been tied up outside as I worked on unloading the Jeep, so we went out for a quick walk. The mechanic arrived just as we returned and made friends with Mikey. Sandy has already included him as one of her friends.
I dropped what I was doing so that I was available to help or answer questions and such as needed but spent most of my time watching the RV mechanic work. First, He changed out the toilet for the model that I wanted and had ordered through him. It was a straightforward job and he had it completed in no time at all.
Then, he turned his attention to changing out the motor to the bedroom slide that was a part of the original deal and did not cost me anything. It was not an easy job as he was lying on his back under the RV. Luckily, the motor was only a small one and not that heavy. Good job as I am not sure if I could have helped him lying in an upside down position. Nowadays, I have enough trouble when I am upright and even getting horizontal, except to go to bed, would be a challenge and getting back up, an even bigger one.
I still had one more thing I needed him to do in The Caboose and that was to replace the broken handle to the black tank which we had discussed. He had brought one with him and went ahead to remove the old one and screw on the new one. He suggested that I use Dove dishwashing liquid or something similar and add it to the black tank which in turn helps to lubricate the slides to the valves, the part that was binding. Something, I can easily do.
Finally, we went down to Quatro so he could look at the broken handle on one of the reclining chairs. He managed to get a picture of it and will see if he can find one to fit. I paid him my share of the afternoons work and thanked him for his time, and he went on his way. I continued walking the dogs for a bit as I had taken the opportunity of going from one RV to the other with them in tow. That is probably not quite true as most of the time, I am the one being towed as Sandy gallops along.
We walked back to The Caboose and making sure that everything was put away and went inside for the evening which, incidentally, turned wet as it came on to rain.
The Adventures of an Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, Henly, TX. Wednesday 03/29/2023
I slept very soundly even with a couple of calls of Nature mixed in there and it was 9:00 am when I awoke. I contemplated going back to sleep, but common sense prevailed, and I crawled out. Not that we have anything special planned except for the final load (hopefully) from Quatro and it does not have to happen today. Putting it off does not make much sense though. Incidentally, the new toilet is working just fine and the pointed front to it is just made for the male anatomy.
We went out walking as we normally do and just wandered around. Usually, that first walk has no purpose other than for the dogs to relieve their bodily functions after a long night although, we try to get in a half mile if possible. That part is for me to wake up and get my body working.
Back in The Caboose, I fixed breakfast and coffee and settled down to read the world news and then emails, which as usual, were mostly all junked. If it wasn’t for a couple of close friends and the odd email from my son’s in England, I could almost do without having an email account. Nearly all I get is rubbish or advertising and even though I try to control them, there are always new ones sneaking in to take the place of the ones I have removed as junk.
Life was much simpler just 35 years ago when computers, phones and emails were unheard of…
When I was a kid growing up in England 80 or so years ago, having a telephone was a luxury afforded only to the odd few here and there who thought they needed one. Neighbors knew who had one nearby and would “borrow” their phones in case of an Emergency. Even the bright red callboxes found around the countryside, were a mystery to us kids and were treated like a death ray or something similar. Of course, as we grew older, the mystery was gone but even then, for the most part, not many households had a phone nor really had a use for one.
It was just not considered a necessity as it is today. Life sure is different when even small kids have their own cell phones that they carry around and have their noses glued to 24 hours a day. Why bother to learn when the answers to most questions are on your phone? I wonder if anyone holds a conversation face to face anymore? One thing is certain, general knowledge of everyday things is not something the younger generation is familiar with without their phones.
As I sit here and watch the bird feeder, the one that was repaired yesterday, it is doing a rip-roaring trade in seed eating birds of all makes, models and sizes as they chase each other around. The Hummingbird feeders are getting their share of hungry Hummers who are so adept at hovering and drinking at the same time as very rarely do they settle to drink. I wonder how many beats a second their wings are going. Absolutely amazing to watch.
I even discovered the local squirrel sitting on the feeders yesterday and he was quickly shooed away and informed that he was not a welcome guest and to go find some nuts to chew on.
I finally decided that I had delayed as long as I could and stopped writing and closed the computer to concentrate on other things, foremost of which was to straighten out the cupboards and closets of the stuff that had been hastily jammed in there over the past couple of weeks as we moved it out of Quatro.
I worked on this for a bit and found a home for the new arrivals in the boxes I loaded out yesterday from the other RV. While I was at it, I straightened out the storage cabinets. My friend BJ would be proud as I organized the cans of sardines which was not hard as there were only 3 of them. She thinks I have a sardine fetish which is not true as I cannot remember the last time, I ate a can of them. Maybe tomorrow for breakfast on toast now that she has reminded me…
With the inside of The Caboose re-organized at least for now, I looked around for other things to do. After the excursions into Quatro a couple of days ago in the late afternoon, I think I will wait until tomorrow morning to empty the last of the stuff out of there as the sweat poured off me with no A/C running nor the power to use it. I did have the RV’s motor running while we were working but that was to keep it lubricated and charge the batteries and it did not supply enough A/C to matter.
The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea to go and do some of the work. The very least I could do was finish emptying the outside compartments, so I harnessed up the dogs and I had them jump into the Jeep for the short trip down the hill. Once there, I hooked them up to the carryall so they could watch both me and whatever else was going on around them while I went around the outside of Quatro checking ALL of the compartments and emptying those that still had stuff in.
I had previously opened Quatro’s door to let in the breeze and when I went inside, it was reasonably cool, enough that I could do some work. I went ahead and loaded out some of the remaining stuff which left just a small amount to do another day.
I drove us back to The Caboose and on the way, thought I had lost something off the carrier so when we reached The Caboose, I took the dogs and walked the way I had driven. Turns out that apparently, I had not but they needed the exercise. Me, I was hurting as my hip was giving me problems for whatever reason.
I finished putting things away either in the new storage unit or in the RV for later distribution to various places and then, grabbing a small bottle of wine, sat outside the RV for a bit listening to an Audiobook. With that one finished, I went inside and put on my jacket as it had cooled off, grabbed another wine and went back outside to sit a bit longer.
When eventually, I had drunk that second bottle and because it had cooled off, we went back inside for the usual evenings repast. Then, a couple of hours later, Sandy started being a bug and even though I made a fuss of her, that was not the problem. She had to “go” and being a bug was her way of telling me. So, once more, it was on with the harness and out of the door. This time we barely made it to the grass before she did her business. I patted her on the head and told her that she was “Such a good girl” for letting me know. Mikey, being Mikey, just sort of followed along as did I.
I slept late not having any particular reason to get up early and as usual, went out for the first walk of the day. We wandered around the park and met Daniel who was busy on his mower tearing the place up. He drove off quickly concentrating on the job in hand which I knew he wanted to complete, and we continued walking. We were on the top road of the park, and I thought that Sandy would continue down the hill as she usually does but she turned into the main gate instead. Neither dog had done their business so with a few gentle tugs on the leash, I persuaded her to continue down the hill. The extra walking did it and both of them did their thing. The whole morning exercise routine is all about them doing their business…
Back in The Caboose, I read the world news while eating a bacon sandwich and drinking that all important morning coffee. When I lived in England, it was all about the first cup of tea to get us started but I quickly adapted to the American custom of drinking coffee. I still drink tea but at other times of the day. Maybe the coffee has more caffein for that extra morning kick? Or, then again, it is probably just another habit that we fall into. We could probably drink a glass of water and it would do the same thing and might even be more beneficial. It wouldn’t taste as good though.
I sat and thought about what I should get up to for the rest of the day. The most pressing thing is to empty Quatro of everything and now that I have a storage space, there is no excuse left to put it off any longer.With those thought shooting through my brain, I harnessed up the dogs and loaded them into the Jeep along with the three empty packing boxes that I had available and we drove the short distance down the hill to where Quatro is parked.
I tied the dogs to the carryall so they could watch without being in the way and went about the business of moving stuff from the RV to the Jeep, some in the three packing crates and the rest all thrown willy-nilly either into the car or onto the carryall.
It was hot and tiring work, and I really felt my age, making trip after trip. I think that moving all that remains can be completed in one more trip, thank goodness.
I drove back to The Caboose and parked the Jeep on the grassy area at the rear of the RV and began unloading the carryall into the new storage box. I was not too particular in what went in or in what sort of order. That can be worked on later when I get around to sorting out what to keep and what to either give away or trash in the dumpsters as I whittle down my worldly goods to almost nothing.
Funny, the amount of “stuff” that we collect in our lifetime. Obviously, at the time of obtaining whatever the object was, it was considered important but now with both a different lifestyle and much smaller accommodation, so much of the stuff is no longer needed and is surplus to requirements. Garage Sale, anyone? More like Salvation Army…What is the saying, “One man’s junk is another man’s treasure”.
I moved the car to its usual parking spot and decided that enough was enough for one day and locked it. I can move the contents tomorrow as there is always, tomorrow.
As if we had not done enough walking for one day, we went out one more time around the park before sitting outside, listening to an Audiobook and drinking a small bottle of wine.
All in all, a very tiring but productive day. I need one more trip and I think that we will be through with cleaning out Quatro.
I was up and about early, and we went out for that first walk. We wandered around noting that there were a lot of kids here for a baseball tournament. This group was much better behaved than the last ones and much quieter too. We ran into Daniel who was walking around with Remington and just checking that everything was OK and chatted for a couple of minutes. He continued walking and we headed back to the RV where I fixed our breakfast and coffee for me.
I had a bunch of pictures that I had taken with the new Galaxy phone, transferring them first into Photoshop where I worked on them and then into the computer storage for later use. Incidentally, on our walk yesterday, we got to see the donkeys and the lone zebra who hangs out with them.
I sat and worked on the blog for a bit and then decided to go outside and spend time finishing up the work on the storage cabinet but before I could do that, I searched around to find the screws that I was going to install.
First, I worked on the shelf which I had already cut to size and found where the screws had to go by measuring and marking the outside of the unit. As the shelf is only ¾ inch thick, there was no room for error and a couple of the screws had to be reset due to my incompetence. Incidentally, I had to pull the unit back out of where I had it standing in order to get to the screws.
I finally got the shelf secured and moved the unit back into place before concentrating on screwing the entire unit down onto the base that I had built and already installed. The front two screws were no problem as I could reach them, but the back ones gave me more trouble. Not in the actual screwing but in getting down low enough on my hand and knees to get to them. The old body protested loudly as I carefully lowered myself down and into the back of the closet.
I got the two screws installed accompanied by much bad language but felt better for it. Old age does have the benefit of learning a lot of cuss words…Then came the problem of getting upright and after much more cursing and groaning, I finally succeeded.
With the cabinet secured, all that was left was to build a step to cover the black tank hose pipe inlet which was located directly in front of the cabinet doors. With the lumber I had bought the day before, I constructed a small step and attached it to the base of the storage unit to prevent it moving. Unless, I have a major sewage problem, that end of the line will remain connected. Now, I have a solid base to get inside the cabinet to load in boxes and such without scrambling over sewer hoses which would get damaged if I inadvertently stepped on them. If I get really energetic, I might even re-adjust the hoses so that they are completely under the framework and come out the side. Maybe…
Pleased at the end result, the next step will be to finish unloading Quatro of everything in it and moving it all back to The Caboose so we can go ahead with the sale. Not today though.
I had left the dogs tied up in the front of the RV and they could watch me working from underneath the unit. Now, it was their turn, and we went out for another walk. It had really warmed up and I even sweated a little as we wandered around. As usual, we stopped to chat to anyone who was willing to talk, especially if they had a dog. One couple, who we had met before, Larry and Crystal, I learned are here full time. They have a young large dog that is still a puppy and we spent time making friends. Mikey did not want anything to do with it and even Sandy was a bit taken back by the puppy’s enthusiasm.
We continued wandering around the park and out onto the outside road before returning to the RV where we sat outside, drinking wine and watching the world go by until it started to get dark, and it was time to go back inside.
Taken with my new Galaxy phone camera from about a quarter mile away. It is still not at maximum focus.
Another day, another dollar as the saying goes except in my case, I do not get paid to do anything. Be great if I did. We wandered around on that first walk although it was raining, the fine misty type that very sneakily, gets you wet. The dogs did not care, and I had a waterproof poncho on, so I did not care either. We passed a couple preparing to pull out and I wished them a safe journey and grabbed a bag of their trash to take to the dumpster for them. We were going to be walking past it anyway.
I used to wonder where the campers all go when they leave but nowadays, not so much as my urge to travel has been satisfied. The people I met yesterday were from Michigan and they are heading back there on Saturday.
After breakfast and coffee, I sat and read emails along with the world news. I do not know which is the worst, depressing world news or junk mail. The sun has replaced the drizzle and I turned my attention about what to do today.
I knew that I wanted to build a base for the storage unit and had already bought most of the lumber for it. The book of assembly directions for the storage unit listed the size of the base and made it easy to know what size lumber to buy. Nothing was longer than 4 feet and fitted nicely into the Jeep.
I dug out my tools, a battery driven saw and the same for the drill plus a square and a couple of other things and went to work. An hour or so later, I had the base assembled and ready to be installed in place. After putting away all of the tools, I called it a day and took the dogs out for a walk to reward them for being so patient. As I worked, I had them tied up to the steps so they could watch.
Daniel stopped by as he had been away, working. Malinda had already left to be with her mom who was due for surgery, so I think he just needed someone to talk to. I spent time with him chatting away about nothing in particular and then he left.
We continued with our walk both inside and outside of the park, running into a couple of other campers with dogs. I stopped to talk to one older couple who were very enthused about the park. We wandered around with emphasis on wander as we went wherever Miss Sandy’s nose took us.
On the way back, we passed BJ and Peggy’s RV. Daniel was sitting outside with them chatting and drinking a beer and they offered me one which I gladly accepted. This was Daniel’s cue to leave as he was expecting his daughter’s family to visit and wanted to be home when they arrived.
I sat there for 30 minutes or so chatting to the ladies who have led very interesting lives. We swapped stories for a while, and I declined the offer of the second beer and went back to The Caboose, all of 30 yards away where I spent time on the phones and figured out how to download the pictures from the Galaxy into the computer. I worked on them getting them ready to use in the blogs. The camera is amazing and the distance it can take pictures as though they were up close is out of this world.
It was late when we got back from visiting although, I was not keeping track of time. The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way except, I got engrossed in watching another new series I found, and it was almost 1:00 am before I went to bed.
The Adventures of an Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, Henly, TX. Saturday 03/25/202
The Donkeys and the lone Zebra taken today.
Following my early morning going to bed, I did not wake up very early and it was almost 10:00 am before I crawled out. We wandered around on a bright sunny morning meeting several other campers walking their dogs. A couple stopped to chat before we went on our way back to the RV for breakfast.
I knew that I should empty the tanks and went about performing this task. The valve handle to the blackwater tank needs replacing and I had to work just a little harder to open and close that valve because of not much to hang on to. I need a new handle, another thing to add to my list.
I sat and read world news (depressing) and then trashed as many emails as I had received before writing for a bit. I looked around for something else to do and ended up going back outside to work some more on the cabinet. This time, I installed the new base and levelled it up and then very carefully so as not to disturb it, I worked the heavy cabinet back onto it and set it into place.
I searched through my supplies and discovered that I was out of the wood washers that I needed to anchor the cabinet to the base I had just installed. I also wanted to build a platform to cover the black tank inlet which is located directly in front of the cabinet as there is not much room to stand when loading and unloading.
This required another trip into town to find the extra lumber and the screws to anchor it all together. As I was also out of some groceries, I combined the two tasks into one trip and stopped at HEB after The Home Depot.
Somehow, the day had slipped away from us …again, and after getting more help than I needed to put the groceries away, I harnessed up the dogs and we went out walking. By now, it had warmed back up and the temperature was in the high 70’s and I found myself working up a sweat as we wandered around.
Daniel had returned and we stopped to chat for a bit. He was walking his dog, Remington who gets along great with both of my dogs.
On our return, I thought about the work that I still needed to do on the cabinet but decided that it would keep until tomorrow. Instead, we sat outside listening to an audiobook for a while drinking a small bottle of wine and just watching the world go by. What a life.
