Living In An RV

Things That Go Wrong

July 9th, 2021

June 24, 2021

Have you ever noticed that if there is a right or wrong, good or bad way for things to happen, invariably they go in the bad direction?

For me, my most recent occurrence started during my trip to Waco/Georgetown in search of a new RV a couple of weeks ago when I damaged the right hand mirror on my F250 King Ranch truck. This was not really my fault as there was a dumpster parked in the underpass ramp as I exited leaving barely enough room to get through. With traffic behind me, I could not turn round or back up so I had to keep going. As it turns out, there was not enough room although if I had been thinking and not quite so confident in my ability to judge the distance, I could have brought the mirrors in. But that is water under the bridge so to speak as the damage was done.

At the same time, the check engine light was on and had been for a couple of weeks. I figured it was something to do with the 60 gallon diesel tank that I had installed as it leaked when they first installed it. They fixed that problem but the light remained on. Long story short, the diesel pump to the auxiliary tank was failing causing the light to show.

Because I want to trade in the truck, I had to get both items fixed before I could make the trade and took it to a local diesel repair shop right next to the Henly RV Park who fixed the diesel pump problem by replacing the parts. When they turned their attention to the mirror, firstly the parts had to be ordered directly from Ford which caused a slow down. Then it turns out that the cap at the top came in primed and ready for a matching paint job. The diesel shop does not do spray painting so I am left with mismatched mirrors.

For those of you that follow my blog, you know that I am in the process of getting a brand new Class C Coachman Leprechaun and am also trading the truck along with the Eagle. I thought seriously of keeping the F250 as my toad but it is really way too big and heavy for that so I went out and bought a 2017 model Jeep Cherokee for that purpose. Unlike Crestview Buda where I purchased both of the other RV’s, the Georgetown group require that I have an appointment when I take the RV and the Truck up to trade. I guess that is so that they can do an inspection of both vehicles before us completing the deal.

Sooooo, tomorrow looks like it will be a busy day as I have to walk the dogs, eat breakfast and drink coffee, drive to the Malone’s Diesel Repair which is about 4 miles away, pay my bill which will be in the region of $5000.00, hitch the Jeep up to the truck and drive both back to Henly, unhook the jeep, stow the hitch parts in the jeep, hook up the RV, finishes preparing the RV for transportation by making sure that everything is stowed and safe to travel, bring in the slides, raise the jacks and remove the wheel chocks after uncoupling the hoses and power chord, put the power chord in the RV, put the dogs in the truck and drive to Georgetown. On the way, I will pick up my good friend BJ who has offered to make the trip and help unload the remaining items from the Eagle into the new RV which will be named Eagle Two.

Then the drive back to Henly dropping BJ off wherever she left her car, back in Eagle Two to the same site, level it by using the self levelling system that it is equipped, set the blocks, hook up the hoses and power set out the slides and we are ready for business. Apart from making the bed and cooking something to eat after feeding the dogs who incidentally, have to make the trip with me as they have no place to stay with the Eagle their home. Luckily for me, BJ can watch the dogs while I am doing the business part of the day. If it is not too late, maybe I’ll try the TV to see what adjustments I will need to make to get it to work the way I want it to and then we will probably go to bed after a very busy day. Hard to believe that tonight will be my last in the Eagle which I have really enjoyed.

The real work will start on Saturday when I get ready to reload all of the stuff that is currently packed in boxes alongside the RV at my site. I have spent the past few days packing anything that I could to save having to transfer too much in Georgetown. This is all stacked under a couple of blue tarpaulins and is all of my worldly possessions believe it or not. A whole lifetime in a few boxes which at first glance appear to be way to much to fit into Eagle Two. Hard to believe that 85 years worth of a lifetime can be contained in a few plastic containers. The one saving grace is that there is a large overhead bunk area above the cab that I can use which will take a lot of the surplus stuff. Anything left over and deemed as surplus will be given away. It is hard to foretell the future but I have no plans for other humans to occupy any of the space inside of Eagle Two on a permanent basis. An extra dog or two maybe but nothing of the human variety.

Depending on how well the new floorplan works out will determine if I need to make any changes. The desk that I installed in the Eagle is where I spend most of my time except in the evenings when I watch TV. Will I need to remove the couch/bed in Eagle Two to make a similar arrangement or can I get by with the U shaped table. I will definitely need to increase the counter top space somehow, something for the future. So much depends on how much travelling we do. Here’s looking to the future.

This is Part One of this story.

Written 06/24/2021

Check out my old blog at https://pondblog2011.com

Rain?

July 8th, 2021

Poems from my Archives. Originally Published 10/08/2011

It came on to rain at my house today
the dogs who had all gone out to play
came rushing back in with fear in their eyes
and it took me a while to realize
they had not seen rain for months and months
and for them, this strange phenomenon
this wet stuff falling from the skies
was hard for them to realize
that Mother Nature, after all this time
was showing them the way it should be
and that one hundred degree days are now history
and with one stroke of her brush, one wave of her wand
we may be making up for lost time
and more, much more of this wet stuff we’ll see
as this summer goes down in history
as the hottest on record since records were kept
and that humans who for losses had wept
that now it is Fall and with any luck
much more of the wet stuff will come our way
to make up for the small amount today.

We humans think we are so smart
with our historical resources and our art
our technical skills and our flight to the moon
and all the other things that soon
makes us top dog on this planet called Earth
and yet, we do not have the final say
when it comes to things not going our way
Mother Nature is the controlling force
using her might as a resource to bring on the rain
and other things too, thunder, lightning all the bad stuff
as if to say, “Rain is not enough
wait and see what I have in store” before you start asking for more.

We humans are so feeble and puny
when Mother Nature vents her fury
we are but pawns in this great game of life
as we struggle and strain to manage the strife
that Mother Nature can bring and we have little control
over what it is she decides for us all
but wait, life is so very sweet
and with this in mind we keep
getting ready to face insurmountable odds
what each day brings, whatever the cost
we can do it, we can, we will not live in fear
as with nature, we have learned life is dear
and we will live each day on this earth, without strife
as though it’s the first day of the rest of our life.

For tomorrow brings another day
and hopefully rain will come our way.

Be kind to your Mother.

© Francis Allcorn
Photo Artist

Jack’s Goal

July 6th, 2021

Poems from my Archives. Originally Published 10/02/2011

Yesterday, we played a game
we played, pretty much, just the same
as we have all this season long,
some good, some bad, some like a song
with movement fine and notes so sound,
it was hard to imagine that we did play
for us, in any other way.

For the longest time, the score was two to one
to the other team’s mark and them having fun
we hoped that at least a tie we could get
but from where and who, no one could bet.

Just when it looked like another loss it would be
Jack’s name will go down in Ranger history
as the goalie who scored the tie-ing goal,
and gave the team a share of the points that day
as his mighty kick did bounce its way
into the other teams goal.

That Jack on this day, a hero would be
not only did he save a penalty
but he let forth an almighty kick
that carried so far it was the pick
of all the kicks that happened this day
as it bounced not once but twice on its way
over the head of the other teams sweeper
past the outstretched hands of the despairing keeper.
and into the goal to the back of the net.

You can read the original blogs at https://pondblog2011.com

© Francis Allcorn
Photo Artist

Life Goes on Regardless.

July 5th, 2021

June 16, 2021

It doesn’t matter how well we plan things out, life being what it is sometimes gets in the way often changing our well thought out plans. This appears very true for me as recent events have shown.

I started having thoughts of going in a different direction in my RV’ing life and basically trading the Eagle for a Class C Motor Home primarily for the ease of towing and setting up. When I eventually do hit the road hopefully in the next month or so, I plan on moving around and taking in the sights and maybe staying for a week at a time at different campgrounds as I head towards New York State where I have family.

I decided that in order to make life a little easier, especially as I am on my own and getting older by the minute with the dogs not very much help , I should probably change RV’s to a Class C for several different reasons. The first on the list was that it is easier not having to hook and unhook the 5th wheel and to back up one of these 5th wheel rigs when you are on your own. Many people do it but they usually have help in the form of a wife or a travel companion or the occasional camper next door who is only too willing to help. One time in Bastrop, I very neatly backed the Eagle into a parking spot only to discover that I had turned it a full 90 degrees and had ended up between two trees. Luckily, I did not run into anything and in truth, It was a great back up job except it was not what was needed at the time.

Another problem is when it comes to levelling from side to side. This usually entails the use of wood or plastic blocks and sometimes requires pulling forward to raise or lower the requisite number of levelling blocks. Not difficult by itself but much easier if someone else replaces or adds to the blocking so the driver does not have to keep getting out of the truck. Hooking and unhooking a 5th wheel is not always straightforward as again, without a spotter, it is hard on your own trying to get everything lined up both in direction and height and sometime the situation is aggravated when the 5th wheel will not lock or unlock. At least with a Class C, one does not have to deal with most of these types of problems although backing is still a problem but at least a much easier one. The Class C is not going to jackknife.

I contemplated keeping the F250 King Ranch truck and using it as a Toad (tow vehicle) but the more I thought about, decided that it was too big and heavy on gas or in my case, diesel to be used solely as a means of transport from the campsites, and because it is a much heavier vehicle, more difficult to tow. So I started to look around at good used vehicles suitable to be towed with 4 wheels on the road. I found one at South Park Jeep and ended up with a 2017 Jeep Cherokee in very good shape. With the tow vehicle purchased, I turned my attention to Class C RV’s. I decided to stay with Crestview as they had always done me right in the past with the two RV’s I had purchased from them. I looked on line and the Waco Branch had a very nice one that I thought I should take a look at and I made arrangements to view it.

On the way, I had to pass Crestview Georgetown so what the heck, I stopped in “just to take a look”. Long story short, I inspected several that they had and settled on a 2021 Coachman RV Leprechaun. One of the reasons for this particular choice is that it is a self levelling unit as my first question to the Salesman was that it must be self levelling. I wasn’t necessarily shooting for a brand new one so that was an additional bonus. I continued on to Waco, checked out the only one that they had and turned it down because it was too small for full time living and headed back to Georgetown. I wanted to make a deal on the one I had viewed earlier putting some money down in order to seal the deal and headed back home.

On the way I took an exit from the Interstate and to my dismay, discovered that a very large dumpster was parked in the road and even though I slowed down, it was still a very tight squeeze and unfortunately, one of my mirrors caught some overhanging obstruction and damaged it. Not a good way to end a very busy day in which I had covered 240 miles.

With the tow vehicle purchased, I needed to get it to Hitch and Truck for them to install a Blueox Towing system that will enable me to tow the jeep behind the new RV and as it turns out, behind the truck. I drove the Jeep to their shop from the dealership and then one of their mechanics drove me back to pick up my truck. Four hours later, I received a call telling me that the Jeep was ready so I drove back to Hitch and Truck and they proceeded to show me how the Blueox system works as we hooked up the Jeep. Satisfied that I understood the complexities of the towing system and aided by several pages of printed instructions and with the jeep safely following my every move, we drove back to Henly. Unhooking was a bit of a challenge but only because I was not on level ground. I rectified my mistake and I pulled forward to a more level spot and completed the unhooking. I put the tow bars and other parts in the back of the Jeep for safe keeping but when we hit the road, that part will stay attached to the RV when we are camped and the Jeep unhooked.

While waiting for the Jeep, I had also stopped at Firestone as the check engine light was on in the F250. They gave me a report which indicated there was a problem but I chose to get the work performed elsewhere just up the street from Henly. So, again, we went through the process of hitching the car up to the truck but this time, it was faster as I knew a couple of the tricks involved and then driving both a couple of miles up the road to get the truck repaired. I reversed the process and unhooked the Jeep which I drove back to Henly. I gotta say that the Jeep is a very nice little car to drive and I found myself going too fast in places as my heavy foot used to the truck, made the adjustments to the more sensitive controls of the car.

In some ways, I was kinda proud that I was able to not only figure out a way and also have the means to make things like dropping off a truck when you are on your own and you don’t have anyone close handy to pick you up. If I hadn’t had two vehicles and a towing system, I would have been in a right old pickle trying to make arrangements to get one of them to the repair shop and leave it there and then get back home. Same is true after the truck is repaired as I will just do everything in reverse and drive back to Henly. Only after that has happened can I make arrangements to tow the Eagle to Georgetown to complete the deal and get us a brand new Class C. The Jeep at Henly will be our mode of transport for the future as it will be goodbye to the 2016 F250 King Ranch, a really beautiful truck. Not knowing what the future holds but it will probably be the very last truck I ever own.

Last Few Days

July 2nd, 2021

The weather plays such a big factor in our lives and other than complaining that it is too hot, too cold, too wet or not enough rain and on and on, we have absolutely no control over it. At least that is true for most normal human beings. Maybe scientists can manipulate the weather but I don’t consider them to fall under the normal category.

Consequently, continuous wet and rainy weather is not so good when you live in an RV full time. Luckily, there is only myself and my two little dogs whose only concern weather wise is to go walkies twice a day, both to answer the calls of Nature and for us all to get some exercise. I would imagine that a few continuous rainy days would be very trying for a family and even if it was just a wife or significant other and no kids. RV’s are just not big enough to get away from one another or to have your own space.

Luckily, we don’t have that problem as all of the space within the RV, all 300 square feet of it is just ours so when the weather turns nasty for hours at an end, i am usually working on my computer and the dogs are off sleeping somewhere. This has been an exceptionally strange year regarding the weather with the very bad winter and now a lot of rain, some of very heavy for days on end.

Today is another of those wet days with heavily overcast skies and occasional downpours. I have spent my time as per usual, working on my blog which I find gives me a great deal of personal satisfaction and allowing my creative juices to flow. Currently, I am in the process of copying all of the 65 poems from my old blog https://pondblog2011.com and incorporating them into the this blog. I was looking to post 5 days a week but knew that I just didn’t have the material to do that. There are no ponds or pond related things to write about and we haven’t done much hiking lately nor have I taken many photos. Consequently, material is hard to come by until it occurred to me that the material was already there and just needed bringing over. So far, I am scheduled out through the end of November on Tuesdays and Thursdays and have barely scratched the surface regarding the number of poems available. Reading some of those poems got me thinking that I wrote some pretty good stuff back then. Wonder what happened since?

I think I may have mentioned that we discovered a leak somewhere in the house, probably from the kitchen sink area that has seeped into the bedroom and soaked the carpet. I have a company coming in that apparently has some ultra sonic equipment that can discover the leak through the walls. Finding it is one thing and making the repair is a totally different problem as it is in a very awkward place but it has to be done as I can’t sell the house like it is.

The Estate Sale preparation is moving forward and will go even quicker now that the dumpster has arrived. The guys when they find something that they think I might want to keep, leave it on the table for me and yesterday, when I was back, I discovered they had left a photo album of my last marriage, the actual wedding and reception itself, that they had uncovered from some drawer or another. My previous and last wife obviously did not consider it anything of sentimental value when she left for greener pastures thirty years ago. I wonder why? Come to that, me neither…

They also uncovered a document entitled Resolution from The State of Texas and signed by then Governor Rick Perry and James Laney, Speaker of the House. Basically, it went on to describe all that I had participated in regarding playing, coaching and refereeing soccer over those past 26 years. There is no date on it and I can’t for the life of me remember when or how I received this. Funny how the brain works as I have no recollection of this as a formal presentation. It will probably go along with the rest of my soccer memorabilia, into the dumpster. A past life and long gone as we move forward.

The Austin Pond Society held it’s Annual Pond Tour this past weekend and with the exception of one small shower, the weather was sunny and fine. From all reports, it was a huge success with over 500 hundred people over the two days. Funny, all of those years of being involved in that project and then writing about it for the past several years, I didn’t miss not being involved in it at all. Maybe that is because that was a different part of my life and I am moving on to yet another phase.

Life is strange and very complicated as we go through it. I have been fortunate to have had a lot of adventures in mine, some very good and occasionally not so good but we have pretty much absolutely no control over how it goes except for day to day decisions. Gotta roll with those punches…

Written 06/07/2021

Calories

July 1st, 2021

Poems from my Archives. Published 09/18/2011

I am counting calories by day
in an endless fight to keep weight at bay
I used to weigh 155 pounds when a youth was I sixty years ago.

Now I am up to one seventy-five, pounds of the worst possible kind,
not that I tried to increase my weight, it snuck up on me and I hate
that I no longer am muscle where now resides, fat of the worst possible kind.

I watch what I eat and only the best, fruit and vegetables and as for the rest
occasional white meat or turkey too,
but none too much either way for the goal is 2000 calories per day.

I eat smart at breakfast and usually skip lunch
except for fruit, maybe grapes, a small bunch
For the evening meal, I usually eat salad or maybe spaghetti
all with the idea that I try, anything I can to survive
on 2000 calories a day to keep me alive.

Alas, all of my goals I can usually succeed
with the 2000 calories diet I believe
I am licking this thing but the one I forgot
are the numbers of times I did stop, at Starbucks
for in my normal day, three to four stops go my way,
each one 150 calories more and if I am still keeping score
that’s 600 more calories that I forgot to add to the earlier goal I have set
of 2000 calories in a day for now the total becomes 2600 with nary a hope
of ever losing the weight but I do not mope.

I have an idea, more calories I’ll burn
at the gym close by for $10, I will turn
all of these calories around and sweat them out by treadmill,
by machine, by free weights, jazzersize, and yoga.

Who am I kidding, that sounds like work.
It is much easier just to take a long walk
with a dog for companionship to have somebody to talk,
with even though no response I will get but no criticism either of
the slow pace that I drag the dog along as his tail will wag
regardless of the reasons, the speed or the lag.

To hell with this dieting and exercise too,
why am I worrying, I haven’t a clue
The only thing I can think of is personal pride
to look good and feel good and maybe inside
to hope that this fitness will help to survive
and maybe help to keep me alive
for a few more years…

You can read the original blogs at https://pondblog2011.com

© Francis Allcorn
Photo Artist

Happenings

June 30th, 2021

06/28/2021

For those of you that follow my blog, you may have noticed that we are now posting five days a week. I wrote a blog and in it, I discussed whether I could actually write enough to post a full week long and I decided that I just didn’t have the time or the material for more than a three a week posting. Then it occurred to me that I have a whole library of material with 1170 blogs posted over these past eleven years with 65 of them poems that I have written. Not necessarily good poetry but things that rhyme sort of, none the less.

So, I spent some time seeing just what it takes to transfer blogs from one site to another without losing content or pictures and settled on the good old fashioned copy method. There may be better ways but I couldn’t find any that worked for me. Essentially, I am re-writing each blog using this method which works pretty well. It took a while to get a decent system but after much trial and error, with a whole lot of error I might add, I finally have figured out how to do it. The first of these starts tomorrow. Any and all comments are appreciated plus a like or two doesn’t hurt. This way at least I know somebody is taking the time to read my stuff.

On another note, yesterday was a funny old day, Yes, another one of them. First, it came on to rain and I mean rain. It just poured down and with the ground already saturated, water was running off in every direction. It rained the entire time we were out with the one exception that it eased up enough after we got back long enough to get in a short walk. I had things planned so that I would drop Mikey off at the Vets which was on our way to PetSmart where Sandy had a groomers appointment. I got to both places a little early but that was not a problem. I checked Mikey in and watched him get dragged sitting upright on his backside very reluctantly across the floor into the vets office as I walked out the door to get Sandy to her appointment. After signing her in, I went over to Best Buy to try to locate a particular SanDisk that I needed and while in there received a call from PetSmart telling me that they couldn’t groom Sandy because she had a raw puncture wound and to come and pick her up. They showed me the wound which I had no accounting for and as we were heading for the Vets to pick up Mikey, I asked my vet to take a quick look. He didn’t think it was serious and prescribed some anti biotics for her. Mikey was his usual chirpy happy self when they brought him out and very pleased to see us, well pleased to see me. Not sure about him seeing Sandy.

I had placed a hold mail at the Post Office and stopped by to see if there was anything other than junk that I should worry about. There was lots of that as usual and nothing else of note. I need to come up with another solution as I only have until the 25th for them to hold my mail. Maybe temporarily, a PO box. in Dripping Springs and then when we hit the road full time, one of the mail forwarding systems. From there, we headed back to the house for a quick check and to follow up on a water leak that David, the Estate Sales person had discovered. Sure enough, the carpet was pretty soaked in one corner of the spare bedroom requiring that I now have to call a plumber to locate and repair the leak. Always something. Be glad to be rid of that place as I am no longer interested in being a homeowner. Preparation for the Estate Sale are moving ahead and it is set for next weekend, June 11-12. I also managed to sell the final piece of large pond equipment, a small skimmer and I set it up for that individual to stop by and pick it up. Very pleased that we finally was able to move all of the equipment to new homes. Hate to see perfectly good pond equipment get thrown away.

With nothing else going on at the house, we headed back to Henly and the Eagle making our usual stop at Starbucks along the way to spend a quiet evening watching old movies. Well I thought it was going to be quiet except Mikey started upchucking and as he was sitting on my lap at the time, it was a bit of a shock. Needless to say, a change of clothes and now an unplanned visit to the laundry tomorrow. Guess he was having a reaction to one of his injections as he is ok now. Always something…

Written 06/04/2021

Don’t forget to check out my old blog at https://pondblog2011.com
I have decided to reprint the poetry that I have written these past 11 years that was posted in the blog listed above. So, starting tomorrow, every Tuesday and Thursday there will be a posting of my poetry from long ago added to this blog. Much of it reflects my changing life and my different interests over the years. With over 65 poems, it should be good for a while before I run out of ideas. Enjoy…

New Car?

June 29th, 2021

Poems from my Archives. Published 09/18/2011

Do I need a new car, my mind is asking
the one that I have has been mine and is lasting
well since February of 2007.

It was not new when I bought it if cars have a birth
this one was born in 2003 so it was four when it came to me
a BMW by name, an X5 model that truth be known
is the nicest car I have ever owned.

It has on it thousands of miles of wear and tear
and travel to places with nary a care
it always goes where I want it to go
and I am hoping that it will continue to ride
like the good car it is, with me inside .

Do I need a new car, the question is asked
can it do anything different from the one from the past
the answer is no, I am happy to say
So a new car is out of the question, today.

You can read the original blogs at https://pondblog2011.com

© Francis Allcorn
Photo Artist

After the Storm

June 28th, 2021

05/28/2021

The storm has come and gone and today the sun is shining. It is hard to believe that just a few hours ago it was thunder and lightening, gale force winds and absolutely teeming down with rain. I wonder why we always say and write “Thunder and Lightning” when in fact it should be the other way around, “Lightning and Thunder”. I guess it just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

The dogs and I walked around the campgrounds on our usual morning walk and to be truthful, there were not many visible signs of what had been a pretty bad storm. Just the occasional wash out here and there but nothing significant. I need to take a trip back to the house to see how it and the ponds faired. I texted my neighbor but she never mentioned anything that I should be worrying about but I better check just to make sure. Can’t wait for that to be someone else’s responsibility. The only thing that I have left to do are some minor deck repairs which I plan on doing next week.

As we walked around this morning, there are a couple of different RV’s that have just pulled in. One has this very tall flagpole attached with the US flag on top and would you believe, a 2020 Trump flag underneath of it. That is the first that I have seen displayed at this campground. I guess you have to admire the owners tenacity and political beliefs even if they are not the same as mine and by the year on the flag, a little outdated. Heck, he may even be a nice guy for all I know, just a little misguided. He does have a nice RV though.

My life sure is different at least while we are here in Henly. Being parked at one place is different than actually travelling apart from the obvious reasons. Here it is very much like being at the house except that there are no ponds or yard to take care of, I have very little to do in the way of maintenance chores and what there are, doesn’t take much time and are not every day whereas at the house, there was always something needing my attention. Consequently, I have a lot more time to spend writing and such. Now if I could turn that time into something productive and maybe make some money, that would be a definite bonus. Not that I need the money but to get paid for the efforts would be great. Then again, I think that my current laziness is because of all of those years of having to be active whether I wanted to or not. Thank goodness that Sandy takes us walking or we would be a mess.

Moving on, I did take a drive back to the house primarily because I received a text from a pond enthusiast wanting to purchase some of remaining equipment. Again, the money is nice but I am more concerned with finding a new home for what little equipment that remains. Hate to see very useable and comparatively speaking, very cheap items go to waste. All that remains is one small skimmer and a few pots.

I walked around the yard and saw that Nature has really taken over and things are just growing wild. In places, it was hard to push through as it now covers the paths and walkways. The ponds look OK but the number of goldfish does look smaller probably due to the big brown snake that has taken up residence although I never saw him yesterday. This one is a whopper, probably all of five and half feet long and a really big body and unless the other resident snake grew a lot, then this must be a different one. Seems like Nature is really taking over.

I stopped across the street to visit my long time neighbors and they tell me that they are planning on staying in Colorado for the summer and have a house sitter for that time. They have lived in their house as long as I have in mine as we purchased them a couple of weeks apart. I looked on from afar as their three daughters all grew up and started lives of their own. Good Neighbors and good people. I will miss them.

It doesn’t look like the Estate Sale has progressed very much but a lot of that is due to the inclement weather we have been having as much of the sale will be held outside. I need to do some deck repairs which I will attempt this coming week. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate. Shouldn’t take too long as I only need to replace a few boards.

Life is flying by so fast especially as I grow older and I am running out of time. Yet, the house sale is sooo slow. Go figure.

Written 05/30/2021

Don’t forget to check out my old blog at https://pondblog2011.com
I have decided to reprint the poetry that I have written these past 11 years that was posted in the blog listed above. So, starting tomorrow, every Tuesday and Thursday there will be a posting of my poetry from long ago added to this blog. Much of it reflects my changing life and my different interests over the years. With over three hundred poems, it should be good for a while before I run out of ideas. Enjoy…

A Lazy Day

June 25th, 2021

05/31/2021

I don’t know how I have the nerve
to think of this as a lazy day
compared to how my life once was
every day is getting this way
no early rising for this chap
instead taking my time and choosing to nap
the alarm by the bed with the bell turned off
says that it is almost nine o’clock
and all sleep goes and I’m wide awake
time to get up for my best friends sake.

Then out I roll all sleepy eyed
fumbling my way straight ahead
into the bathroom three steps away
ready to face another day
brush my teeth and slide open the doors
into the shower and just like before
the water cleans all signs of sleep
leaving me refreshed and ready to leap
out of the shower to face the day
and what will it will bring along our way.

First we take the dogs for a walk
because I know if they could talk
they would be saying we got to go
and unless you want us to mess on the floor
please will you open the bloody door
so on with their harness and pick up the leash
making sure that I have the keys
to the RV just in case the lock
decides that getting back in it will block.

Then feed the dogs one at a time
coffee for me to try to unwind
from the stress of having nothing to do
to handle my time and given the clue
we have nothing planned for the rest of the day
playing it by ear as it comes our way
I’m sure I will find something anew
writing bad poetry will give you a clue
that I really do have lots of time
because I have nothing on my mind.

Written 05/31/2021

Don’t forget to check out my old blog at https://pondblog2011.com
I have decided to reprint the poetry that I have written these past 11 years that was posted in the blog listed above. So, starting tomorrow, every Tuesday and Thursday there will be a posting of my poetry from long ago added to this blog. Much of it reflects my changing life and my different interests over the years. With over three hundred poems, it should be good for a while before I run out of ideas. Enjoy…

Comment on Wives…

June 24th, 2021

Poems from my Archives. Published 09/17/2011

My previous blog about my wives,
Seems to have troubled many lives,
Some of the comments I have received,
Are both good and bad and some aggrieved,

The truth of the matter is, I am not sad,
Just sharing my life both good and bad,
If fate decrees for the rest of my life,
I shall never have another wife,

Please, understand that because I’m not sad,
and thank the Good Lord for the pleasures I’ve had,
with the three wives that have been in my life,
and the fact. there was little strife.

More than half of my life with these women I spent,
most of it, I was very content,
But again, I was still in my prime
and could handle their wishes most of the time,
I could adapt and readily did,
made adjustments that were not exactly the fit,
but close enough on the day,
for the way they wanted to play.

Nowadays it’s a different story,
I’m set in my ways and no longer the glory,
of having a wife to cause me a worry,
as I can no longer adapt to the flurry,
of wishes and demands set by a wife,
and that is why they are not in my life.

I am not sad…
Life is good…
Thanks anyway…

You can read the original blogs at https://pondblog2011.com

© Francis Allcorn
Photo Artist

The Weather

June 23rd, 2021

05/29/2021

The sky has turned the color of black
and with it an almighty crack
as lighting flew across the sky
startling the birds and making them fly
off to find shelter as they know full well
with lightning comes thunder as time will tell
rain lots of rain falling out of the sky
and these children of Nature the reasons know why
as off they flew at a furious pace
trying desperately hard the rain to outpace
the thunderstorm struck and just like before
it flashed and it growled and the rain did pour
down and flooded the trees and the land
washing everything away like it were all sand
moving the land to a different place
a bit at a time as it’s not a race
the storm flashed and it growled
and the wind howled
and then just as quickly the storm was gone
leaving us to survey the damage gone wrong
and the washed away dirt stacked neatly in rows
and branches and leaves all over which shows
the strength and the fury that Nature contains
when she leashes her forces only hope remains
that once more she is saying you humans beware
this planet is yours and you must have more care
or I will rip your world apart
and this little storm is only the start
you humans are such an arrogant race
thinking the world is your own special place
and yet you have no control of events
of things when Nature chooses to dissent
you are mere pawns in this magical world
if Natures strength is fully unfurled.

Written 15/29/2021

Don’t forget to check out my old blog at https://pondblog2011.com
I have decided to reprint the poetry that I have written these past 11 years that was posted in the blog listed above. So, starting tomorrow, every Tuesday and Thursday there will be a posting of my poetry from long ago added to this blog. Much of it reflects my changing life and my different interests over the years. With over three hundred poems, it should be good for a while before I run out of ideas. Enjoy…

Wives

June 22nd, 2021

Poems from my Archives. Originally Published 09/17/2011

It is very plain to see that people who are just like me, a bachelor for many a year who, you would think hadn’t a care.

Sometimes, this is not entirely true when one thinks back at all of those who, fate has touched in this life and yet I do not have a wife.

That’s not to say that I haven’t been trying, if I did I would be lying but it somehow seems that fate has other dreams for people such as I.

I have been a married man before, not once, not twice but three times the score. I enjoyed the married life, even if it meant a wife, to tell me what to do. All of those chores and honey-dew’s, created problems for me (and you) and yet to this I endured in my life, the joys and sorrows of having a wife.

The first I was but just a child, knowing nothing of the wild, life that I was into. I tried real hard until the day, my wife came up to me to say, I am leaving you this way. Without so much as a single glance, out through the door and out of my life she danced leaving me to vent, my anger and frustration. I know not what I vented it on, probably beer and wine and women and song. All in the hopes that one day, a beautiful wife would come my way.

When all was said and done and I had gotten over number one, the second appeared one winters night at the local tavern and in spite of the fact that a married women she, we fell in love for eternity, at least that is what it we hoped it would be.

For the next fifteen years of life we spent together with many a strife as Husband number one did find and vent his anger of the physical kind to make us pay for our time together but we endured what we thought was forever.

From England to America we went on a boat of the kind that we spent seven days afloat this monster craft. A storm blew up halfway through which slowed the progress of our move. We hoped the answer to our dreams would be achieved by this means of this we were so sure. We lived our life in America with ups and downs that the new life brought. Alas, fifteen years later, things were no better so we mutually agreed that this new life that we had planned had now come to an end.

Talking about wife number three she was much younger than me which I at first thought wouldn’t be trouble but sure enough fifteen years later, a scene so familiar would come in the form of a paper. It began”Dear John” but we all know that this form of letter does not get better and true to form a bachelor again was born.

When I look back at my three attempts and try to think what each has meant, my thoughts turn to love and what it is, so fickle an emotion that makes it possible to flit, from women to women.

In retrospect wife number one, a beauty that was a lot of fun, she made me laugh but most of all she awakened in me the mating call and in retrospect it was her shape that I did see and did believe that her love was for me.

Wife number two was of a different kind, older and wiser but still in her prime. For the first time in my life, I fell in love and made her my wife. Our love was of a wondrous kind when our eyes met across the room our love would flash one to the other and life would be forever a wonder. Alas, such love could not last and faded away as the time passed.

Wife number three was a different woman, a girl when we met which was a problem and with me old enough to be her Father and yet we had a love like no other and to this day I have to say that a part of me still feels that way with love that we shared over many a year. I was most sad when she in strife said that she wanted a different life for herself. I have no one to blame and yet I am the same in believing that she did once love me.

I lament that the last 20 years have been spent a bachelor free. To do just what I want to do whenever that may be.

But there is many a time, when a womans touch would be so divine but what I am missing from this life, I could not find in a wife.

The truth of the matter is, I really like it that I am able. I like the beauty and the wit that a women brings to the table. But, what it is I am really saying is that I am not able to live with one for any time and so I have no one to blame other than my feeble frame and a mind so selfish that I feel rather helpless to be the way I am.

On second thoughts, life’s not so bad. I have my pets and they don’t get mad. I can do the things I want to do and view the things I want to view and spend my money on God knows what without having to care a jot. I have my friends who really care and always make sure that I fare, well in my life. Most of all I have my health which is worth much more than wealth and even though at seventy-five, it is still great to be alive.

I just realized, that life is good or maybe that I should, give thanks to those who have shared my life, whether they have been my wife or just my friends or even those, like ships in the night have passed without so much as a backward glance.

You can read the original blogs at https://pondblog2011.com

© Francis Allcorn
Photo Artist

Life and Simpler Times?

June 21st, 2021

05/27/2021

I have been thinking a lot lately about Life, not just mine but life in general. It is something that every living being of all descriptions either has or doesn’t have. If it isn’t alive then in all probability it is dead and not a part of this conversation as that warrants a separate discussion.

Life is that magic mysterious thing generally created when two of the opposite sex mate and their reproductive systems create life. There are many forms of reproduction which is for a different discussion, just as there are many forms to life.

No, my thoughts have been turning toward the human variety of which I have the pleasure of being one for these past eighty five years. If I had a choice and had to pick a different form, it would probably be as a dog even though their lifespan is so short. Then I could find a master or mistress upon which I could shower all of the love, affection and attention they could possibly ever want. The saying is that a dog is a man’s and for the purposes of this discussion, woman’s best friend but it also goes in the reverse direction with the man or woman loving the dog in just the same way. In many cases, the pet is the only true friend that person has especially as we grow older and our own families have passed on or dispersed to other places in this very big world. I wonder if there is a comparison between human love and a dog or any pets love to one another. The only thing I am sure of is that it is a special bond between the human and the animal and in the animals case, no questions asked and no judgement passed.

But I digress. What I really wanted to discuss is life here today and as it happens, in the USA. I am nearing the end of mine and who knows how much longer I will get to enjoy this wonderful planet with all of it’s diversity most of which we take for granted. I have sat here in front of this big window in my RV writing and watched Nature take us through ice storms, freezing weather, snowstorms, thunderstorms, cloudy and rainy weather and fine and fair weather with the sun shining brightly in the sky. It has been a mixed bag these past six months and yet at the end of it all, Nature has come through and as if to say, “You can’t beat me”, with more growth and everything greener than ever. After the worst winter in I don’t know how long, she not only survives but flourishes. I wonder if within Nature itself, it is going through its own territorial wars with the harsh weather competing against the kinder and barmier weather of Spring and Summer. Or is the war between life and death with one side of Nature trying to annihilate the other. Of course, we shall never solve the mysteries of Nature or the reasoning of what goes on with it. We are after all, children of Nature.

I saw a cartoon strip the other day and it reflected a picture of a bunch of young kids, some who appeared to be six or seven with others much older. All were playing together outside in the woods covered in dirt and leaves and the caption read,” We played outside until it was dark”. Next to it was another picture of modern day kids all with computers and the caption read, “They don’t know what they are missing”. This is so very true and the modern day kid will grow up and never know the beauty of playing in and with nature. It will only get worse when these computer kids grow up and have children of their own who will never know that Nature even exists. No wonder that not enough people are concerned about global warming enough to stop it from happening. Too busy with their noses in their laptops. When I was a small kid, I, along with a couple of buddies would take off in the morning and be gone all day always in the woods and fields and just like the caption above, would not return until dark and sometimes after dark. Often, if my buddies weren’t around, I would disappear by myself for hours just exploring and playing with Nature as my friend. I learned a lot and was not afraid of being by myself for any reason. Except for the one time I almost stepped on a snake and ran for a half mile before stopping for breath. On the other hand, I was lucky enough to live out in the country and snakes are a part of it. Just need to see them sooner.

On school days, we walked to school picking up kids along the way and dropping them off on the way home. The school was at least three miles from my house and we didn’t think anything of it. It’s what you did. Eventually, a few would get a bike and use that as transportation as did most kids and adults alike as very few could afford to own a car. If you wanted to go any distance, you caught the bus. The area I lived in was known as Old Heathfield and several miles away was the bigger village of Heathfield. It had a High Street, a train station and several shops.

People themselves are also changing. The world on the whole is still a very good place and millions of us still care about our fellow man and the planet that supports us. There are others with very extremists views and are willing to enforce them. Man has always turned on his fellow man as long as life has existed. Some for power or wealth, others for land and country or to steal the others persons wife and family and all of his belongings all by the use of force. History shows that In a many cases, man has taken the freedom from another man and made them slaves to do their bidding.

The modern enforcer does it much more subtlety than before with rhetoric and words that encourage violence and then denies any knowledge of it. They get others to do their fighting and take all of the risks while they enjoy the popularity that these same people bestow on them. Such is the state of this country today.

Alas, although I have the luxury of reliving the days of my youth in my mind, those days will never return for future generations to enjoy. True, life was much simpler without all of the modern technology that exists but even with the hardships of simple living, I truly believe that the world as a whole was a much happier place even with World War 2 going on around us. Don’t get me wrong, I love computers and technology. I just wish they had never been invented and that life was still a simple process of living it with what you had or what you worked for. It has never been a level playing field and never will be. There will always be those who have the means and the capabilities to be wealthy and there will always be those on the other end of the scale with the vast majority somewhere in between making a living serving others and living their lives in return. I read somewhere that if all of the wealth of the world was redistributed between every living person, in the end, the ones who are currently wealthy will re-inherit the wealth as they know how to make the money grow. The rest of us will spend it on our toys and end up with nothing. Just once, I would like to give it a try. I would probably buy another more luxurious RV with a chauffer/handyman to do the work for me.

That is the problem with growing old. Too many memories of simpler times. Some of the memories are good, others, not so much but they were my life and I have lived them. I fear for this modern world and the direction for which it is taking. I fear for this country and the impending chaos as the various factions take up arms in revolt to settle the differences that they perceive as stolen. Above all, I fear for our Democracy and the way of life as we know it. Times are changing and not for the better…

Written 05/27/2021

Don’t forget to check out my old blog at https://pondblog2011.com
I have decided to reprint the poetry that I have written these past 11 years that was posted in the blog listed above. So, starting tomorrow, every Tuesday and Thursday there will be a posting of my poetry from long ago added to this blog. Much of it reflects my changing life and my different interests over the years. With over three hundred poems, it should be good for a while before I run out of ideas. Enjoy…

After Effects

June 18th, 2021

05/26/2021

Why Sandy needs to go to the Groomers. Laying in the Pedernales River.

Today I am feeling the after effects of my trip to my Dermatologist and her dreaded freeze spray bottle which she wields with such unabashed and obvious enjoyment. The few random spots that she chose to attack yesterday are sore and complaining of having being treated so badly. This is the same after effects following every time I have visited my Doctor and you would think that I am used to it by now. But, being such a cry baby as I am, I just have to whine and complain. Seriously though, there are no real after effects to talk of except for a couple of sore spots which will quickly go away.

Today is a quiet day compared to the previous couple with nothing planned except a trip to HEB grocery store to replenish the larder. Again, this is another trip where the dogs have to stay behind as they can’t go inside the store and it is too hot to leave them in the truck while I am gone. I had one dog, a Pit Bull Mix, several years ago that suffered from anxiety when left alone and on the one occasion I did leave him in the car, he ate the bloody steering wheel. Luckily, he didn’t blow the air bag or it might have killed him but it did cost me $500.00 for a new steering wheel setup.

I really don’t have anything pressing today. I suppose that I could get out the Instapot and make a stew that will hold us over for the next few days or maybe, just maybe, I can tackle the mess caused by the remaining boxes and stuff laying around from the house. Truth be told, I don’t know what to do with some of it or rather where to store it. The few drawers that I have including those of the desk and the two small filing cabinets are already full up with more of the same stuff all hurriedly thrown in at random with no thought to sorting or order. In fact everything is a mish mash requiring searching in every place to locate something that I know I have… somewhere. I am not the most organized of people in the best of times and this just gives me the excuse to continue with this trend.

As it happened, I did get out the Instapot and have thrown together the ingredients for a beef stew. In 6 hours, it should be ready to eat and in the meantime, I can forget about it and do something else. I am trying to plan our next moves regarding the house as I still need to make a few deck repairs. Just a few hours work and I am looking to coordinate it with Sandy being in the groomers as she is due, well I should say overdue for a bath and haircut which will take several hours. While she is there, Mikey and I will go shopping in the Home Depot for some lumber for the deck repair. At least this is one store where he can walk around with me. Depending on the timing, we will either pick up Sandy before we go back to the house and unload the lumber and maybe even start work on the deck or do it in reverse and pick her up at the end of the day. Hard to plan that far ahead.

On our walk this morning, We met a lady sitting outside and reading a book and we stopped to chat. She and her husband are from Houston and plan on staying a couple of months while they search for a piece of property to build a house and relocate. Interesting, some of the stories some of these people have and the fact that they are quite willing to share makes it all the more entertaining. I mentioned that I too was in the process of selling and she asked where the house was located. When I told her Austin, she very quickly pointed out that is not where she wanted to live. Me neither. We continued on our walk which was otherwise uninterrupted. Right now, the RV Park is pretty empty compared to a week ago but it is the middle of the week when a lot of RV’ers are on the road.

I spent the afternoon watching the Europa League Final between Manchester United (my team) and Villareal. I hadn’t planned on watching it in then but I could not find a way to record it so that I could watch it later that evening. It was not the best of games with neither team really dominating play and when it finally ended after 90 minutes plus 30 minutes of overtime, the score was 1-1 resulting in having to go to penalty kicks to get a winner. These actually were the highlight of the entire 120 minutes that the teams played with each player scoring on his kick. For the uninformed, a penalty kick comprises of the goal and the ball placed on a spot 12 yards away. The only two participants are the Goalkeeper who incidentally, cannot move towards the ball until it is kicked by the opposing player who can use no trickery in the run and has to keep moving forward to kick the ball. Some of these run ups are very questionable as they involve slow downs, skips, staggers and almost stops. The poor goalkeeper, meantime, can only shuffle sideways and hope to guess right. Every player that remained on the field at the end of the game participates by taking an alternating turn including the goalkeeper until one team scores one more goal than the other team either caused by the goalkeeper making a save or the player missing the goal. There are other subtleties to the law but I won’t bother to go into them. Bottom line in yesterdays game is that all ten of the field players took their turn and each one scored. It then came down to each goalkeeper taking a turn facing the other ‘keeper resulting in the very last kick by the Man U keeper being saved by the Villareal one. So, my team lost…again. Watching sports can be very frustrating. But then again, so can life.

Written 05/27/2021

Written 05/25/2021

Don’t forget to check out my old blog at https://pondblog2011.com
I have decided to reprint the poetry that I have written these past 11 years that was posted in the blog listed above. So, starting tomorrow, every Tuesday and Thursday there will be a posting of my poetry from long ago added to this blog. Much of it reflects my changing life and my different interests over the years. With over three hundred poems, it should be good for a while before I run out of ideas. Enjoy…

Farewell Fine Fish

June 17th, 2021

Poems from my Archives. Originally Published 09/14/2011

I lost another fish today, of what she died I cannot say,

I found her floating on the surface, her life gone and with no purpose,

She was the biggest fish I had, with scales of gold and black, in size she was at least two feet and with weight to match,

She was fifteen pounds if she was any and bent my net as I did steady myself to lift her out of the pond she called home, where she had lived her life and always ready to put on a show to display her beauty to me and to others who could not help, but see this glorious fish with colors so bold, colors of black and gold.

I remember the day at a place far, away that I noticed this fish for her coloring, a little thing at that time and who was to know she would grow into this beautiful fish and show,
her colors so bold, colors of black and gold.

Over more than twelve years, she has given me pleasure to watch her swim with the others but always so much bigger and so beautiful in shape and grace.

Farewell fine fish as my tears do flow. I know not where it is you go. I hope that in your time in Heaven or other place no man shall go, that you find peace in your place of rest as you have given to me, below.

Follow Up to the Last Blog

June 16th, 2021

05/24/2021

Even though it was raining pretty hard on Saturday, I decided that I really needed to drive back to the house and load out the Savio filtering system that I had promised BJ. I had thought long and hard about postponing it until next week when the weather might be a bit nicer and not teeming down with rain but was concerned that things might start moving Estate Sale wise, a lot faster and I do not want to be around as those preparations move forward.

So, I bit the bullet and loaded the dogs in the truck. They didn’t care rain or no rain as long as they got to go for a ride with me or maybe it’s just the ride in the truck regardless of who is driving. Luckily, as we got closer to the house, the rain eased off and apart from one small shower, remained good all the while I was dismantling the filter unit. With it loaded in the truck, we headed back to Henly and the Eagle stopping of course at Starbucks for the inevitable latte. Those things will either be the death of me or I will need to take out a loan…

The next day being a Sunday, the main reason for trying to get this all organized to happen on this day was so that Sandy could get both her Rattlesnake booster and Rabies shot which I thought was missed a couple of weeks ago. The Bastrop Animal Shelter clinic is only open a couple of days a week, Sunday being one of them. Another reason to make the trip was that the truck needed filling up and I knew we would be passing the Exxon station at Cedar creek which has the cheapest prices for diesel and gasoline for miles around. I barely made it according to the readout as it showed that we were down to 60 miles left in the tank when we pulled in. Not being sure how accurate these readouts are, I sweated a bit until we pulled up to the pump. It actually took quite a while to diesel up as first the pump wouldn’t start and I had to get the attendant to help me. Of course, the minute she walked up to the pump and touched the lever, it started right away making me feel like a complete idiot. This particular pump shuts off after pumping 30 gallons so I had to repeat the process for a second time in order to fill the tank. I have a 60 gallon tank that I have installed for the longer trips when hauling the Eagle as not all gas stations can accommodate an F250 truck hauling a 33ft 5th wheel trailer especially given the height of the RV at close to 13 feet. With the truck only getting 9-11 mpg when hauling, the small 22 gallon original tank that came with the truck good for maybe 200 miles when hauling would require a couple of fill ups a day on any long trip, not what I wanted to have to do.

The total cost was $158.00 and happy at having a full tank with the readout showing it good for 940 miles, I headed to Bastrop Animal Shelter. As it happens, there were only a couple of other people with their pets in front of me and it was no time at all when one of the technicians whisked her away and just as quickly brought her back with the same admonishment that she needed to lose weight. Sandy just looked on, a picture of innocence as we discussed her eating habits. She only had the Rattlesnake booster as the Rabies that she received last year is good for 3 years and this is her second year. They did give me a new certificate and outlined this so that the groomers would understand. Who knows where we will be in a years time so this might well be the last time we visit this clinic. Sad really as they are such nice doctors and technicians and the place is subsidized making for much cheaper cost.

We headed back to BJ’s house which is also in Bastrop and by now, it was really raining. After unloading the Savio Filter, we all went inside and drank coffee and just chatted for a bit about the world, this country and all of it’s woes, the Pond Society and the upcoming tour, which incidentally, I don’t miss. Funnily enough, the talk turned to politics even the old adage goes you should never talk politics with your friends but with our joint dislike for both Trump and the Republican Party it seemed the most natural thing to do. Not sure if we solved any of the problems but we gave it a good try. Like minds and all of that stuff. While the adults chatted, the kids, I mean dogs, had a fine old time sniffing around the new surroundings. I like visiting BJ and Sam as invariably BJ will send us home with some goodies or another. She is a good cook and this time is was a container of Lasagna. Sam is very interesting to talk to being an Engineer from way back. He amused us today with his stories of building a canoe, the type that is enclosed with only a small opening for the occupant, only to realize that he was too big to fit into it and ended up giving it away.

The drive home was unpleasant to say the least as it rained hard the entire way. That did not stop the truck from turning into the Starbucks in Bastrop seemingly of its own accord. I really need to work on that and either reprogram the truck or me or maybe, both. Neither did it stop other traffic from whizzing by regardless of the driving conditions. You have to wonder just what it is with some people when they get behind the wheel of a car?

For the very first time, we bypassed the house having nothing to stop for and made our way back to the Eagle. With the rain stopped, Sandy decided that we needed some exercise and took Me and Mikey out walking which was a very nice way to end the day.

Tuesday 05/25/2021

We headed back into Austin because I had an 11:00 am appointment with Dr Epstein, my skin Doctor. She is the deadly sharpshooter with her spray bottle of freezing material that I truly believe is attached to her like a permanent extension of her hand. This time, the trip was uneventful although she did take one sample. Hate it when she does that as it sometimes means further treatment. While I was in the area, I contacted my Audiologist whose office was next door with a hearing aid problem and we figured what to do about it.

On the drive home, I stopped at the Post Office in Oak Hill that delivers my mail and put a Stop Delivery on it which is good for 30 days. We will figure what to do as that date approaches from that point on. It means having to visit that particular Post Office every few days in order to go through the junk mail which is about all I ever receive. That and a couple of bills that are still delivered the “old fashioned way”. Things are really moving when I no longer have a permanent mailing address.

Written 05/25/2021

Don’t forget to check out my old blog at https://pondblog2011.com
I have decided to reprint the poetry that I have written these past 11 years that was posted in the blog listed above. So, starting tomorrow, every Tuesday and Thursday there will be a posting of my poetry from long ago added to this blog. Much of it reflects my changing life and my different interests over the years. With over three hundred poems, it should be good for a while before I run out of ideas. Enjoy…

Yesterday’s Game-Wait Until Next Time

June 15th, 2021

Poems from my Archives. Originally Published 09/02/2011

My little boys team had a game today
They were all pumped and ready to play
Against a team we had scrimmaged earlier in the season
Twice in fact and both times we lost, for no reason
other than their team played better
and had more skills than we could muster.

So, we went to the game with hope in our hearts
Ready to believe we could assemble the parts
That had been missing in our earlier encounters
and ready to play them with skill we had learned
from our coach in the month since the last time we played them.

The first half we played and we scored first
We thought that we could add to the list
but just before the half time whistle was sounded
they broke through our defence and the ball rebounded
into our goal, for them to tie
at one one the score and so did we end the first half with my
telling them, “Well done boys. Wait for next half, we will go at them strong,
and maybe we can carry them along as we score more goals to show them that
have learned a lot since the first time we met”.

The second half started and it became clear
that the other team had very little fear
and that no more this day
would we score any goals against them this way

The other team pressed hard and had many shots
but they had not reckoned with Jack who made a lot
of saves to keep them at bay for Jack was the games MVP.

Alas, the pressure became too great,
the boys lost their passing game and their shape
forgot how to clear and bunched up together
and finally the other team increased the pressure
until two more goals they scored this day
sending us home in such a way
that we felt we had really been beaten by
a team better and stronger and all we could say is
“Wait until next time” and you will see
that we will improve and we will be
more of a match for you when we play
again and on a different day.

The wonderful thing of this little boys team
They are not yet old enough to have a dream
of going unbeaten or better yet
win every game in such a way
that other teams fear them in play

No, my little boys have more of a care
with what goodies are in the chest over there.
the chest is filled with good wholesome fare
that one of the Parents has carefully placed there
and the Coach making them run and wave
at the Parents with whom they always behave

Is it to say,”Thank You” or better yet
make sure that they do not forget
to take us home with them as they say
“You are all through playing today”.

By the time they get home, this game is forgot
It’s not that they don’t care a jot
as they go home with Parents, who worry a lot
who make little boys feel like Kings
who worry about more important things
than a game that after all, is just for fun
and anyway, Tuesday is training and we’ll shoot on goal
before the Coach makes us run.

You can read the original blogs at https://pondblog2011.com

These Past Few Days

June 14th, 2021

05/22/2021

Things are moving forward slowly but surely as they fall into place one piece at a time.

Most of the Pond Equipment has gone with the exception of a couple of skimmer units and a few pots is just about all that remains of the larger items. I personally am very pleased about this as I hate to see good equipment go to waste as there is always someone that can use it. The trick is being able to locate them.

One lady was very interested in the four large tubs and was talking about renting a truck to get them. So, we compromised and in order to move them on, I volunteered to load them into my truck and drive them to her house which was actually located way on the other side of town, a fifty mile round trip. It was worth it though just to see the tubs being put to good use and anyway, I got to visit a part of Austin that I hade never seen before. The jury is still out on that location…

The Estate guy is moving right along but the current weather is not working with us. He really needs several dry days in his preparations especially on the weekend of the sale. Currently, as I write this, it is just teeming down and the forecast is for rain all of this week. It will probably delay the sale by at least another week maybe two.

My Realtor stopped by in order to get a couple of the pots for her ponds and of course we chatted about the sale of the property. She is very optimistic that it will not be on the market for very long. She brought along a Pending Sale sign but apparently is not allowed to stick it in the ground until a couple of days prior to the house actually going on the market. Strange rules!

I have moved every thing out of the house and sheds that I need and am leaving whatever is left to either be sold, donated or trashed. I know that things are getting serious when David, the Estate Sales person starts talking of dumpsters.

The final move with everything gone will be to get my walking friends to come in and do a complete clean and to call the Tree Guy and get him to do a final trim and clean up as everything has grown completely wild following the winter freeze. The garden is completely overgrown. All of this will be money well spent. I do need to do some minor deck repairs but that will be towards the end.

All in all, things are moving forward albeit very slowly from my perspective.

Life at Henly is quiet and peaceful and we have settled into a routine. We all go for a walk as the very first thing of the day mainly for me to clear the sleep cobwebs and for the dogs to do their business. Sometimes we meet other campers doing the same thing and we are always checking out the arrivals and departures of the various RV’s. I especially look at the rigs with the eye to purchasing a class C which will be easier to drive and set up. More on that later.

After feeding the dogs and then myself, I usually spend the next couple of hours checking mail and responding to any comments from the blog before deciding on what needs to happen for the rest of the day. Some days are already pre-planned with different things that I need to do. Others we play by ear depending on what is the most important and of course, the weather. This weekend for instance, I need to get back to the house on Saturday and break down the filter unit and then load it into my truck ready for a trip to Bastrop on Sunday to drop it off at BJ’s. This, following a trip to Bastrop Animal Clinic for Sandy to get a Rabies and Rattlesnake shot. I thought the Rabies was included in the round of shots that she had a couple of weeks ago but apparently not. She needs that certificate in order to get groomed as she is a real mess right now with burrs and stickers all over her too long fur.

Then of course are the walks, as many as we can fit in between doing the other things that I deem to be important. Good exercise for all three of us although Mikey only goes along as he doesn’t want to miss out on anything. Otherwise, he would be quite happy to stay home and wait for our return. Sandy always leads the way and has the most wonderful doggy nose for scents. She would make a good tracker dog. For such a small dog, I think that two thirds of her body is made up of her bladder as she just pees and pees marking everything in sight. The rest is stomach so she can eat too much. Mikey, the male dog, doesn’t mark anywhere near as much as she does. I thought that walking the same routes continuously at the Park would be boring but actually it is really no different that walking back at the house as I covered the same ground over and over on those walks. At least in the Park, the scenery is constantly changing as people and their RV’s come and go. Plus, I get to admire some of the very expensive rigs that some of those campers have. Tens of thousands of dollars worth of rig.

Today, it is raining and we may need to change our plans regarding loading the filter. It just may have to wait until tomorrow. When I say rain, this is high velocity stuff as the wind too is also blowing hard rocking the RV with the occasional big and heavy gusts. Sometimes, I think hear water dripping and wonder if it on the inside or outside but checking has not found anything so far. This is the first continuously rainy day we have had and probably won’t be the last. First a winter like nothing we had ever seen before, now continuous cloudy and rainy days with low temperatures and so far, no sign of the usual summer and hot weather normally associated with Texas. I am not really complaining as it will be here soon enough making me consider moving to Alaska or the South Pole or maybe Colorado in the mountains as it is a bit closer.

As I look out of the window, there doesn’t appear to be any break in the weather neither do the weather maps show that it is going to change today. Time to get out the Insta-Pot and cook next weeks meals.

More to follow.

Written 05/22/2021

Don’t forget to check out my old blog at https://pondblog2011.com
I have decided to reprint the poetry that I have written these past 11 years that was posted in the blog listed above. So, starting tomorrow, every Tuesday and Thursday there will be a posting of my poetry from long ago added to this blog. Much of it reflects my changing life and my different interests over the years. With over three hundred poems, it should be good for a while before I run out of ideas. Enjoy…

Another Funny Old Day

June 11th, 2021

05/21/2021

Today was another funny old day
as it seems that life got in the way
of most of the things that I wanted to do
leaving me to fuss and stew
over things that I want to convey.

First I ate breakfast as I usually do
and drank coffee one cup made anew
my choice a latte with lots of milk
with a foaming head smooth as silk
to face the day about to ensue.

With breakfast gone a thing of the past
knowing not to make it last
as I needed to be on my way
with lots to do to have my say
to the doctors appointment fast.

The Doc and I go back a few years
as he has helped me through my fears
when times were bad at least for me
struggling for health in my misery
helping me through my tears.

The Doc came through and gave a thumbs up
it seems that although I’m pushing my luck
everything is still working fine
although no promises of extra time
but no fear of running amok.

Next stop was the house to meet a friend
looking to buy to stay with the trend
and add to her pond with parts anew
some of which I have more than a few
cash in exchange and the sharing would extend.

One more trip would make our day
to a place quite far away
to take to the house four of the tanks
the last of the items lets all give thanks
nothing wasted and nothing thrown away.

Then back to the RV and to Henly
stopping to buy a foamy Latte
at Starbucks which is the scourge of my life
making most of the fact that I haven’t a wife
to nag me for drinking coffee.

So ended another strange day
and if my life continues this way
all of the pond stuff will be gone
allowing me to carry on
travelling far far away.

Written 05/21/2021

Don’t forget to check out my old blog at https://pondblog2011.com
I have decided to reprint the poetry that I have written these past 11 years that was posted in the blog listed above. So, starting tomorrow, every Tuesday and Thursday there will be a posting of my poetry from long ago added to this blog. Much of it reflects my changing life and my different interests over the years. With over three hundred poems, it should be good for a while before I run out of ideas. Enjoy…

June 24, 2021

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Poems from my Archives. Originally Published 10/08/2011

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Poems from my Archives. Originally Published 10/02/2011

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June 16, 2021

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Poems from my Archives. Published 09/18/2011

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06/28/2021

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Poems from my Archives. Published 09/18/2011

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05/31/2021

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Poems from my Archives. Published 09/17/2011

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05/29/2021

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Poems from my Archives. Originally Published 09/17/2011

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05/27/2021

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05/26/2021

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Poems from my Archives. Originally Published 09/14/2011

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Poems from my Archives. Originally Published 09/02/2011

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05/22/2021

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05/21/2021

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