I slept very well and awoke around 8:00 am ready to get up. The sun was shining, and the forecast was for it to reach 96 degrees which is bloody hot by anyone’s standards. Still, this is Texas, and our summers are always like this.  

We went out for the usual first walk of the day, which I suppose is the most important as it gives the dogs the chance to relieve themselves after a long night. We wandered around the park but did not see anyone else. 

Back in The Caboose, I fixed us all breakfast. I have been having trouble finding things to eat for myself and have tried a variety of things lately. Today, I settled for sardines on toast. It was OK but next time, the sardines needed to be in tomato sauce and not oil. I even switched to drinking tea instead of coffee. What do they say about variety being the spice of life? 

I had received an invitation from the Austin Men’s Soccer League that I had been a member of many years ago, to join them in a reunion that was being held at Zilker Park today. I had turned down the invitation. For one thing, it is too bloody hot to be out on the soccer field even just to watch. For another, they wanted to give me a presentation for years and years of service and membership, which is another thing I am not into. Oh well, they were the good old days, probably some of the best days of my life spent on the soccer fields… 

It was a quiet day with not much going on and Sandy was giving me “the look” which interpreted from Dog to Human meant, “I gotta go, Dad”. We went out and wandered around and then came back to the A/C which, incidentally, was going full blast. 
 
Daniel and Malinda had been out motorcycle riding as they now both have their own bikes. Daniel stopped by and we chatted business for a bit before he left to go back to his RV. I gave him back his knife that somehow had ended in my pocket after we were doing something.  

He said he had traded in his big bike and bought two smaller ones so that Malinda had her own and that now she no longer needed to ride behind him. That lady amazes me as I don’t think there is anything she can’t do. 

We went out for another walk and managed to cover a mile, which in this heat isn’t bad. The dogs want to take it in small doses and are glad when we go back indoors as am I. 

We went out for one more walk around 6:00 pm and the temperature was still 93 degrees. 

Then it was back to the RV as another day came to an end. 

Written June 9, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com

Living in an RV Henly RV Park Monday 06/10/2024

I had a good night’s sleep and awoke around about 7:30 am. We lay there for a while before crawling out. I thought how nice a shower would be but decided I was not brave enough for the cold-water torture and put on my clothes after having a shave and splashing cold water on my face. Then, I was ready to face the day here in the park. 

I had previously noted that I was out of paper towels and jumped in the Jeep for the short trip to Tractor Supply which is the closest store to me. I bought a couple of other things as well to make the trip worthwhile. It’s amazing how difficult life becomes when we run out of stuff we are used to.

Back in The Caboose, we had already been out for one walk before I went to the store but we followed up with another one so the dogs could stretch their legs.  

I looked around for something to eat for breakfast and ended up with a toasted cheese sandwich. Instead of coffee, I stayed with tea which hit the spot yesterday. The nutritionists say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and for me, one of the hardest to figure out what to eat, I think tomorrow morning, I will try cereal as I haven’t had it in a while. 

With the blog all caught up, I looked around for other things to get up to. 

I spent a lot of time just wandering around doing other things not blog related until the evening started to come in, Then, I harnessed up the dogs and we headed for Daniel and Malinda’s RV where they were sitting outside. Peggy and BJ were both there and we all sat and chatted for a while enjoying a nice cold beer. 

The girls left to go back to their RV, and I sat and talked a while longer to Daniel and Malinda who both have some pretty wild stories to tell. They have led a very interesting life. Some of our talk was about the recent hailstorm and the fact that they had a loaner car. They told me that both their Jeep AND their truck suffered hail damage and they are stuck with the loaner as they are being repaired. It is a very nice car though. 

Probably the only reason that my car was totaled so quickly, and I was able to buy a replacement Jeep was because I did not have to wait for repairs as it was a total write off. 

I walked back to The Caboose after saying “Good night” to my friends and brought in the bird feeders which generally signals that another day has come to an end. 

We finished the day in the usual way of food and television. 

Written June 10, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com   

I got up early with thoughts of a nice warm shower flashing through my mind. I wandered out into the kitchen area and my nose told me that one of the dogs had had an “accident”. Sandy had got up with me as that is very unusual and was hopping around with that “I gotta go” look on her face. I threw on some clothes and we barely made it out of the door and onto the grass and she erupted. She wasn’t kidding about having to “go”.  

I made a big fuss of her, and Mikey looked at me as if to say, “Why is she special? All she did was poop”. We took a short walk as she kept going through the same motions so she must have an upset tummy. By the time we finished our walk and returned to The Caboose she had settled down and as if to show me, did another this time, hard poop.  

Incidentally, most dog owners in the park, follow an unwritten rule that is, “Pick up your dog’s poop”. It only usually only applies to built up and public areas and obviously not out walking in the fields and woods and such unless it is a playing field. 

With that adventure out of the way, we returned to the RV for breakfast which both dogs ate. I found myself something to eat and for a change, drank a cup of tea which went down just fine. 

Then I settled down in front of the computer and played catch up with the blog bringing us up to date. 
 
With that out of the way, I decided to drive into Austin to my Ear Doctor’s Office. Actually. This time I needed to talk to Lisa, the Tec person who works on hearing aids and such as my newer ones had been repaired and were waiting for me to pick up. 

The drive in was uneventful and I made good time without speeding. I don’t need any tickets. I walked in the office and by chance parked right next to an Identical Jeep like mine.  It was odd to see two identical cars parked next to each other.

Lisa quickly took care of me, and I had my newest hearing aids back on and the older ones are retired until the next time something goes wrong. It seems like there is always a next time. The “new” aids are much more receptive than the older ones. 
 
Leaving the Dr Bittars Office, who I have been going to see for at least 40 or more years after I broke my nose playing soccer. I headed back home intending to stop at Walmart’s on the way. But the traffic was really bad, and I changed my mind and headed for the HEB in Dripping Springs instead.  

I wandered around the store grateful for the list I had made and even more grateful that I remembered to bring it with me as last time, the list was left behind. On that trip, I relied on visual prompts. It seems like every time I visit these big box stores, it costs me at least $200.00 and that is just for one person. I can’t imagine what a family’s grocery bill is like, especially if there are kids. 

The drive home was peaceful or at least, best as can be expected on a busy road. I consider myself a safe driver but there are some real idiots out there and I try to stay alert. Yesterday, a car was speeding in the turn lane using it to go by everyone and as his personal lane. It must have been doing 90 mph. Where are the Troopers when you need them? 

Back in the RV, as usual, I got all kinds of help unloading the bags. I need to train the dogs, so they actually put things away at least on the lower shelves. Yeah, right. 

We harnessed up and went out walking the park and stopped at Cheryl’s RV as she was sitting outside with her two girls. They both came over and gave me a hug which was sweet of them. Cheryl offered me a beer which I gratefully accepted but she could not get her dog to stop barking even after she put him in the bedroom.  

We sat and chatted until her boyfriend came home and then we left to continue our walk, Incidentally, the dog was still barking… 

We returned to the RV and settled down for the evening with the usual food all around and then watched some dumb show on the TV. 

Written June 8, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com

Living in an RV Henly RV Park Saturday 06/08/2024

I slept very well and reluctantly crawled out of bed around 8:30 am. We have no plans for the day and will take it as it comes. First thing was the morning walk and we wandered around covering our usual 0.8 tenths of a mile. It was pleasant out, but I could already feel the heat in the air, and it was going to be another scorcher. 

We ran into one of our neighbors who was out getting some exercise and chatted to her for a while before continuing with our walk.  

Back in the RV, I notified James, the travelling repair man that par for the course, I have no hot water. I am sure he was thrilled to death to get that email. I did manage to take one shower after he repaired it the last time. I suggested he install a new board if that is what it takes and to heck with the cost. I will gladly pay for it just to have hot water. Now, I am waiting to hear back. 

I looked at the clock and it is already almost 1:00 pm. I have no idea where the time goes but it sure is just flying by and my life along with it. 

It really was a quiet day and was filled with household things I had been putting off mixed in with a couple of walks around the park. It seems like all my friends have left town or are at least staying indoors as no one else was about. The heat may have had something to do with it as the temperature had crept up to 96 degrees with the first 100-degree day forecast for the end of the week. Luckily, it is dry heat, but it is still bloody hot. 

We took our final walk and then closed the doors on another day in paradise. 

Written June 8, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com   

Again, I awoke early and when I looked at my watch, it said it was not even 7:00 am. I tried to go back to sleep as it was a very overcast day with the promise of rain in the forecast but to no avail. In the end, I got up and harnessed the dogs to go out walking. 

When we got outside, I discovered that it was raining in the wind, but we kept walking anyway. By the time we got back to the RV, my clothes were damp with moisture. It was not cold outside and not uncomfortable.  

We only covered a third of a mile before returning to The Caboose and obviously, it was not far enough as one of the dogs had an “accident” indoors almost as soon as we got back, I cleaned up the mess all the while muttering things under my breath like, “Darn dogs” or “You better not let me find out which of you did this” and other similar things. While I was muttering out loud, the dogs hid in the bedroom until I was through both cleaning and complaining. I don’t know why they are afraid as I would never physically punish them and never have. The most I ever do is yell at them, and they scurry off to find their hidey holes. 

I fixed us all breakfast with the usual result of me being the only one to eat it. It’s OK if Mikey saves his for later but Sandy has her medicine mixed in with hers and it is important that she eats it as she is supposed to take her medication twice a day. What is the old saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink”. The same thing applies to my dogs and their food. 

I heated a breakfast Burrito for myself with that all important coffee. I say that every morning but in truth, coffee is a habit developed over the years of living here in America. I don’t particularly like the taste of the stuff. Sometimes, I drink tea for a change which is an English habit. 

After breakfast, I sat down in front of the computer to catch up on the blog. With that done and it usually takes an hour or so, I sat back and considered our options for the rest of the day. It was already 1:00 pm and the rain had moved on although it was still a bit cloudy. 

Daniel and Malinda stopped by to look at my Jeep. I had asked them to give me a hand in adding a tow hitch to it and they both willingly agreed. The new hitch unit had been delivered and Terri had brought it to my RV. This Jeep has never been set up to tow anything. 

I drove the Jeep over to Daniels shop where he and Malinda went to work. I handed them tools as they needed them or held something in place as they attached it but really, my contribution was not very much. 

They both spent a great deal of their time lying on their backs under the back of the Jeep as they worked on detaching the existing part from the bumper system which was difficult to remove. Daniel cut a piece out of it so that the new tow bar would fit.  Then they worked on re-attaching the new hitch to the rear of the unit and finally, putting everything back together again. It must have taken at least an hour to do the work and for much of the time both Malinda and Daniel were laying on their backs on the hard concrete floor and working on the unit above their heads, 

Greg stopped by and joined in and helped by handing tools and holding parts to be fixed. I did the same but spent most of the time helplessly standing by and just watching on. I felt bloody useless to be truthful. 

Finally, the work was complete, and the Jeep sat there only now it had a brand-new tow hitch. We tried it out by hooking up the carrier that it was installed for, and it worked perfectly. Now, my new to me Jeep looks just like the old one except for the color. 

I thanked Malinda, Daniel and Greg for all the work they just did, and they went back to their own RV’s and, in Malinda and Daniel’s case, to take a shower and clean up. I am so lucky to have such friends. I drove the Jeep from the shop and back to its regular parking space in front of The Caboose ready to be used for the next trip to the grocery store. 

The rest of the day was spent going out for one more short walk around the park and then it was back to the RV for the rest of the evening. I even went to bed early. I must have got tired from watching everyone else do all the work. 

Written June 6, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com 

As usual, I was very reluctant to leave the bed as it was so nice and cozy. I lay there for a while and then forced myself to crawl out to face the day. As far as I can remember, we have nothing of any consequences planned so the day is our own to do with as we please. 

One of my expensive hearing aids is not working and I need to plan a trip to Austin to visit my Audiologist. Luckily, I have my much cheaper set available, and they hear almost as well as the expensive ones. Apart from the cost, the basic difference between them is the expensive ones are charged every night and the others work off batteries. The bottom line is that both sets help me hear although the expensive ones are much clearer. 

I was planning on taking a shower but when I tested the hot water, it was barely warm enough, so the shower idea fell by the wayside. Guess I need to call James again 

I harnessed up the dogs and we went out walking around the park and managed our usual .07 of a mile which seems to be our standard for the morning walk. It was quiet outside with a couple of people walking dogs and others standing around and talking. I noticed one rig that was getting ready to move on. 

On our travels, we ran into Gary who was back visiting. He has moved his rig and he told me this morning that he is looking to downsize to a more towable sized rig. Gona miss him when he moves on. One of the most helpful guys in the entire park besides being a super nice guy. 

Back in the RV, I fixed breakfast all around although I did not enjoy mine very much. I offered what was left to the dogs and they turned their noses up as well, so it ended up in the garbage. Still, the coffee saved the day. 

I sat around working on the blog and brought us up to date. It took a lot of head scratching to remember yesterday’s details, but I finally got it all pieced together. 

Then it was sit back and think of something else to get up to. 

We went out for another walk, the last of the day, and ended up at Jeff and Terri’s RV as they were sitting outside. We visited for about 45 minutes and then went on our way and this time found ourselves at Daniel and Malinda’s house. We sat there for an hour or so drinking beer until I decided it was time to go home. Malinda walked me home and helped bring in the bird feeders before bidding me “Goodnight”. 

Written June 2, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com 

I slept late, and it was almost 9:30 before I even rolled out of bed. I have no idea why as I went to bed at a reasonable hour and haven’t been on any long hikes lately. Still, I’ll take it as I felt really good when I crawled out. The dogs slept right along with me making no effort to wake me up. 

It was an overcast day when we went out walking in the park. I could tell that neither dog was into the walking so we returned to The Caboose after covering .08 of a mile. There, I fed the dogs with the usual mixed results. I don’t know why they are such fussy eaters, but both have moments when they gobble the food down and the next day with the same food, it gets ignored. Maybe, because it is the same food, and they need variety. 

Breakfast for me was a couple of pieces of toast with the all-important coffee which is what really gets me going. Back in England when I lived there, it was a hot cuppa tea that did the trick. I guess we all have our preferences. England, way back then, was not a big coffee drinking country and tea was the preferred drink. Probably, it still is as Tea plantations, and such were an integral part of British History. 

We have nothing planned and still have no wheels anyway so it will probably be another quiet day on the old plantation. 

I worked on the blog and caught everything up and sat there wondering if I wrote what I would like to see happen, would it? Probably just Wishful thinking on my part. 

We did a lot of sitting around because we had no wheels to go anywhere. I sat there feeling sorry for myself in my enforced state of incapacitation and got to thinking about the situation. Everything comes down to the Insurance company and what is their final word. It would be nice to know what I am working on the payout but not necessarily important as I can well afford to pay extra for the car I want. 

I passed the time by looking at cars on different dealerships and kept saying to myself, “I like that one” or “that one is nice” and “If I had wheels, we could go see that one”. 

The day was spent sitting around, walking dogs, more sitting around and eventually shutting up shop for the evening. 

Written May 28, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com

Living in an RV Henly RV Park Friday 05/31/2024

Today is the last day of May and yet another month slips on by. Not much we can do about it. The English have a saying, “Time and tide wait for no man” and the older I get, the faster the tide is going out… 
 
I slept very soundly, and it was almost 10:00 am before I even woke up. Not that it matters much as we have no plans for today, but I hate to waste half the day asleep. We went out walking as we usually do before returning to get out the bird feeders. We had a tremendous lightning storm last evening followed by very heavy rain. 

Then it was breakfast all around, different for the dogs than for me. I ended up with a Bacon sandwich that Sandy helped me to eat. After I gave her some of mine, she proceeded to eat her own food which she had ignored up to that point. Mikey was saving his for later as he often does. 

I sat down in front of the computer and managed to recall enough of yesterday to write it down. My short-term memory is getting worse, and I really have to think hard to recall what happened the previous day 

For some reason, I had managed to screw up the last few postings and had to straighten out the mess. I finally managed to get it right after a lot of cussing and some thinking… 

We did a lot of sitting around in the afternoon with a couple of doggy walks mixed in between. Then I remembered that I needed a couple of things at HEB and had this brand new to me car sitting there. Without further ado, I jumped in and made the short trip into Dripping Springs to the HEB.  

I had made a list but managed to leave it on the table and left without it but figured that as I usually buy the same things every time, this should not be too hard. We wandered around and there was one item that I knew was important and I could not for the life of me, remember what it was. I was hoping to spot it and it would jar my memory.  

As it happened, it paid off when I got to the toothpaste section, and it was as though a bright light had gone off as I looked at my brand of toothpaste and said to myself,” Sucess” and grabbed a couple of tubes of the stuff.  

Back at the RV, I got the usual help with the bags accompanied by a lot of nose sniffing as I unloaded the “new” Jeep which, incidentally, drives very nicely. On the way home from the store, I noticed that one of the big ponds I passed on the way was now full to the brim with the overnight rain. It must have really rained hard to fill that large area as it has been empty forever. 

 We sat outside for a while and then shut up shop and adjourned back indoors for the rest of the evening. 

Written June 1, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com 

With the previous late night caused by TV binge watching, I was late getting up and it was 9:00 am when I rolled out. I was hoping that James would stop by today and true to form, I received an email to that effect. I am third in line as he has a couple more before me which is OK as I have no plans or wheels to go anywhere. 

We went out for the first walk and just wandered around the park not going anywhere in particular and managed to cover our usual 0.7 of a mile. On our walk, we met James who was just arriving, and we chatted for a bit before we moved on. He has a couple of other people before me so probably this afternoon before he gets to us. 

I had brought out the feeders before we hit the road so did not have to do anything in that area. I fixed us breakfast and the all-important coffee for me and then sat in front of the computer to play catch-up. It did not take long before I was out of things to do again except wait for James. 

He was late arriving and as I had no hot water, worked on restoring that rather than the roof vents. He got it working again and then packed up his things and left for the day. We are nearly there on the RV repairs and one more trip should do it until something else goes wrong.  

One thing is for sure, if you live in an RV, you can always expect something to break or malfunction. Most of the time, it is a straightforward fix but occasionally it requires the experts to come out and work on it. 

We went out for a late walk after James had left for the day and wandered around as we usually do and managed to cover 1.5 miles for the day. It is tough walking with Sandy as she needs to smell everything, so we don’t make any distance. Then we sat outside for a while before bringing in the feeders for the night. 

Again, I made the mistake of watching a late movie and it was well past midnight when we got to bed. 
 
Written May 22, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com

Living in an RV Henly RV Park Thursday 05/23/2024

I rolled out about 8:30 am and jumped into the shower glorying in the hot water. Sure, beats the cold ones I had been taking lately. Then it was time for the usual bird feeder thingy and to go walking but we never went very far, just around the block a couple of times. 

Back in the RV, I fixed us all the usual breakfast. Sandy ate hers, thank goodness and as usual, Mikey saved his for later. I made a bacon sandwich for myself and ate all the bacon and only half of the bread. Just wasn’t into eating. 

James called to see if we were going to be here and promised to come out and finish the work. I re-assured him that we had no plans or wheels to go anywhere, and he said he would stop by but did not give us a time. Like I said, I have no plans which I don’t. 

I worked on the blog and brought it up to date and looked around for other things to get up to. James called to say he was on his way to finish the work, which meant I needed to be here when he arrived just in case, he needed help with anything. I cannot do much, but I can hold things and fetch and carry as needed. 

He showed up and put the units he was going to install up on the roof and then disappeared after them. I could converse and see what he was doing from inside the RV. He worked his way from one skylight to the next with three in all to install. He eventually had all the work completed. 

I wrote him a check and thanked him very profusely and he went on his way. Currently, we are up to date with the repairs. 

We went out for another walk and wandered around the park and then when I got back, Gary had stopped by. We sat outside at the picnic table chatting and then my next-door neighbor joined us. The next thing, Delores showed up and before long, we had a party going.  

I had run out of beer, but Malinda saved the day by going back to her RV and grabbed several bottles. We sat chatting and generally enjoyed each other’s company before the others all went to their own RV’s. I love these spontaneous get togethers. 

The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way with food and TV. 

Written May 23, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com 

I slept very well and was very reluctant to get out of bed but forced myself to do so. The sun was shining, and it promised to be a fine day although we have no plans to go anywhere (no car) or do anything (no ambition). Knowing this meant another day of walkies followed by a lot of sitting around. 

It is amazing the things we take for granted. Like having a car for instance. A car is one of the wonders of this modern world and yet we are so used to them and consider it our right to own and drive one. Then, one day, the car is no longer available for whatever reason, and we are helpless with no means of transportation except shank’s pony which is an English expression meaning you walk anywhere you want to go. 

Luckily, I have no reason to go anywhere as I did my grocery shopping yesterday (thanks Gary) and we can find enough to amuse us around here. I keep saying that I am going to sort out a couple of closets and drawers. Maybe, I might just get around to that today. Maybe… 

I brought the blog up to date and got to thinking about it, I have very few readers and really write the blog to keep my mind active as it takes an effort to recall what happened yesterday or Heaven Forbid, the day before. Luckily, most of my days are very repetitious and a trip to HEB for instance, is almost like having a day out even if only for the couple of hours that it takes. 

I noticed that the days are taking on their own pattern especially now I am not very active. We get up at varying times depending on my sleep cycle followed by the usual ablutions of taking a shower every other day or so and cold water splashed on my face for the others enough to wake me up. Then, it is on with the day with the first thing bringing out the bird feeders and then walking the dogs. Depending on the dogs’ moods determines how far and how long we walk. I mumble and moan to myself the whole time we are walking as I can never get into any step routine because of the constant stops and starts. 

Back in the RV, I spend time writing the blog usually as I eat some form of breakfast and drink that all important coffee. The blog takes at least an hour every day, sometimes longer if I am behind.  

With it done and breakfast and the blog, out of the way, I am usually at a loss as to what to get up to unless I make a trip into town. We fill in the time dog walking or performing the few chores that I need to do but by mid to late afternoon, there is nothing left to do. At those times, I might try to take a nap although I never go to sleep but just have my eyes closed and relax. Incidentally, the dogs love this part as they both jump up onto the couch and with one on either side of me, quickly doze off. I wish I could take a nap anytime or place like the dogs. 

James emailed me to say that the parts have come in to repair The Caboose, He thought he might be out tomorrow. I have not heard anything about the Jeep or its status. 

The rest of the day drifted by, and we went out for the final walk of the day. We sat outside on the deck until it started to get dark and then I brought in the bird feeders and put them away. That act usually tells us that another day has passed us by and not only am I another day older but also one day closer to the close of my life on this earth. 

My readers might wonder why I have such morbid thoughts. I guess it is like a form of preparation and adjustment of getting ready for the inevitable over which none of us have absolutely any control. 

The rest of the evening was the usual food and television before hitting the sack. 

Written May 20, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com                             

Living in an RV
Henly RV Park Monday 05/20/2024

I slept like the proverbial baby and awoke only once for the call of Nature. It was before 8:00 am when I actually got up and I haven’t seen things that early in a long time. BTW, they do not look any different than when I get up at 9:00 am except the sun is a little higher and a lot hotter. 

As I still do not have hot water, I chickened out on taking that shower. Incidentally, when I checked my phone, I had a message from James saying the parts were in and he would be out later today. I hope he looks at the hot water or rather, lack of hot water at the same time. 

We went out for that first walk but again, Sandy was not into it, so I about faced, and we came back to The Caboose. We did not even cover a half mile which was very disappointing. 

I fed the dogs their breakfast and I think Sandy ate hers after a lot of coaxing. Mikey, as usual, saved his for later. He is really a one meal a day dog and the only reason he gets two is because Sandy has two to disguise her medication which she is supposed to have twice a day. Yeah, right…. He gets fed the same meal later in the day which he always eats. 

James, the RV Repair Man showed up as he said he would. He spent most of the afternoon working on changing out the hail damaged parts to the A/C. He is still waiting for the parts to come in for the rest of the work. Darn Hail. 

I helped him where he needed it but most of the time, I sat in the cool RV while he was out in the sun. I paid him for the day’s work, and he went on his way. We harnessed up and went out for a short walk. The temperature was registering around 93 degrees and neither dog was that interested in walking so just like this morning, we turned back to the RV. 

There, we sat outside for a bit until the warm weather started to get to us and we adjourned back indoors in the A/C where I completed the blog for today as far as today has gone. We managed to cover 1.2 miles even with Sandy not into walking. Still, anything over a mile is good and at least we are moving, albeit very slowly. 

We went out for one more walk and as we passed Jeff and Terri’s RV, they called us over to sit and visit with them. Daniel and Malinda were already there, and we sat around chatting and drinking beer for quite a while. Then Malinda suggested that we go to the Crab Shack to eat which we were all up for as we all piled into Daniels truck.  

I ordered a veggie plate which I knew I would not finish and true enough, I ended up with a doggie box which in truth, would be all for me as there was no meat on the plate. I guess it should have been called a Frankie box! Daniel would not let me pay for anything as I had paid the last time we came here, which was fine by me. 

Back at my RV, the rest of the evening was spent watching television or at least, that was the plan. In fact, I awoke an hour later sitting in the chair as I had fallen off to sleep, again. Without further delay, we went to bed and fell back instantly asleep. 

Written May 21, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com     

I slept well and was very reluctant to crawl out of bed where it was nice and cozy but forced myself to do so. I took a shower glorying in the hot water that we take for granted and probably stayed there longer than I needed to. After I was dressed, I harnessed up the dogs and tied them to the table while I brought out the bird feeders. I was going to fill them, but they all still contained enough seed for at least today.  

I got to be a bit frugal until the transportation is worked out, Jeep repair and rental car or Jeep is totaled and buy a different car. Maybe, I will take up the girls or whoever else offers to take me grocery shopping. 

We walked about a half mile as the dogs were more interested in sniffing rather than walking before returning to The Caboose for breakfast and that all important coffee. I don’t know why I say that as tea would satisfy me just as well as coffee. As I age, things just don’t taste the same anymore except for ice cream and man cannot live on ice cream alone, darn it. 

I received a call from the insurance adjuster, and we discussed the claim for the RV. He took down all the details and set a date when he would be out to look. The RV has four broken skylights, two of which are in the bathroom. These are currently taped up to keep the rain out. 

It began to cloud over, and the forecast is for it to rain with a chance of heavy thunderstorms. I brought in the two deck chairs that I keep on the deck for those moments of relaxation, usually along with a beer. Incidentally, I sit in one and Mikey claims the other one if he can beat Sandy to it. When we are indoors, she usually has a spot under the table that she calls hers and Mikey again has the chair next to mine. From there, he can sneak onto my lap and go to sleep which is good for about 15 minutes. Then he goes back to his chair. I guess I do not have a very comfortable lap. 

It started to rain just as the forecasters promised it would. The wind was strong and gusty which drove the rain even harder. I had new neighbors pull in across from me and I watched as they set up. They finished the job in the rain as the storm blew in. I thought about going out to offer them my help but after very brief consideration, decided they were doing OK by themselves. 

We sat around indoors watching the storm as it blew by. At least this one was only hard rain and not lumps of ice. 

Finally, it passed and we, being nosy as we are, hitched up to go walking to survey the damage. Actually, it was not too bad as it was just rain although others in the park with roof damage from the previous storm may have had some issues with it. 

We returned to The Caboose and sat around for the rest of the afternoon until it was time to go out for the final walk of the day. 

Written May 17, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com 

Living in an RV Henly RV Park Friday 05/17/2020

I slept very heavily through the night and only made one bathroom trip which is very good for this old man. I awoke early and managed to drop back off to sleep, awakening again around 9:00 am. It was warm and snug under the covers and I very reluctantly crawled out of bed. 

As usual, cold water on my face did the trick and I was ready to face another day, sort of. I thought about taking a shower and then remembered that there was no hot water, and I did not feel like taking an ice cold one.

I harnessed up the dogs and tied them up as I had a couple of clean up things to attend to. As I mentioned in a previous blog, the glass top to a small wicker table that sits alongside the outdoor sofa broke in the ice storm and there was glass everywhere. I had previously picked up most of it but a few more pieces surfaced as I moved things around. 

I wonder if I can buy a new glass top. Guess I need to get online and start searching. With the cleanup done, we went out walking around the park but there was not much in the way of activity. 

Back at The Caboose, I tried to feed the dogs and Sandy was in one of her fussy moods. So, I picked all the bowls of hard food up off the floor and she can either eat the food that I had mixed for her or go hungry. It’s not that I worry about her eating as she is a fat little piglet and could stand to miss a few meals. No, it is because I crush up her pill that she supposed to take twice a day, morning and evening for her heart condition. Those pills are $3:00 each which is another reason she needs to take them besides the health factor. 

I sat down to write as it is one of the few things I do have control over although, my good friend BJ Jenkins informed me that I had posted one without any writing, just a picture. Oh well… I was all caught up with the writing and could not think of anything else that was pressing. I still have no transportation and cannot go into town grocery shopping. The freezer is well stocked so I can live on that for a bit longer.  

A couple of my friends have offered to take me shopping when the time comes. That is after I have cleaned out the fridge. Of course, I may know more about the Jeep by then, junk or repairable. If it is Junk, then I can go looking for a different car, probably another Jeep. 

We went out for another walk around the campsite running into a couple of other campers on the way. If the other campers have a big dog that we do not know, then we always take an alternative route. No need for any doggy confrontations. We managed to cover 1.2 miles for the day, barely making our quota. 

When we got back, we sat outside on the deck just watching the world go by although it was quiet and peaceful. The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way with the evening meal and then an English Premier League game on the TV. We were in bed by 10:00 pm. 

Written May 18, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com   

I awoke early again and decided to get up instead of just laying around as I usually do. I thought about taking a shower but decided it would wait until the hot water is repaired. Not brave enough to take a cold shower this morning. I threw my clothes on, splashed water on my face and harnessed the dogs. 

I tied them up to the table as is our normal routine and brought out the feeders. They have enough food in them for today and maybe, I will refill them tomorrow. Then it was walkies time around the park all the way to the bottom road before heading back up the hill. 

Back in The Caboose, I fixed breakfast which neither dog ate. I found a couple of waffles and heated them up. The coffee was good and if I did not have to eat to stay alive, I wouldn’t. 

Then, I turned my attention to the blog and worked on it bringing it up to date.  

I sat and thought about our current situation which, by the way, is better than a lot of my neighbors. Nearly everyone has car/truck damage and although I do not know the details, I am sure that many have the same or similar RV damage that I do. With so many repairs, the specialists that work on RV’s and motor vehicles are up to their eyeballs in work. Getting parts may be a problem too. It is unfortunate that my Jeep has sliding glass roofs which is what has created the most damage. 

I am hoping that James will be able to take care of the RV as most of the damage is to skylights and such and as far as I know, there is no major roof damage. 

I decided to get away from the doom and gloom of the RV roof and wrote a couple of poems to lighten my day. Some days, the words just flow, others, not so much. On those days, I put the poems away for later and a different day. 

With no vehicle, I am very restricted as to what I can do although several of my neighbors who still have working cars, damaged or otherwise have offered to either shop for me or take me into town. So far, I have not had to take advantage of their offers and plan on taking this opportunity to empty both the freezer and refrigerator. That means, a lot of eating the same old thing depending on which frozen package we are working on. Good job I am not a heavy or fussy eater… 

We did a lot of sitting around doing nothing which was very relaxing but also nonproductive, not that I had anything I should have been working on. I should take this lull in activity and straighten out a couple of drawers and storage areas. I took out my trusty hoe and worked on the weeds in the garden and at least cleared most of them out until they grow back again. 

We took another walk and barely covered a mile for the day. Neither dog is good at walking as there are way too many interesting smells out there and it is all stop and go. 

The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way, watching soccer on the television following the evening meal. 

Written May 16, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com

I slept very well enough that I crawled out of bed around 7:30 am. Totally unheard of but I did not feel the worst for getting up early…for me. We have no plans for today and as we have no transportation, we cannot even go grocery shopping. Good job, we are stocked up at least for a couple of days. May run out of beer though… 

The first thing was to hang the bird feeders watched by the dogs who were tied to the table. Then, we wandered around and as we were up so early, the guys were still over at The Commons, and we wandered over to join them. We chatted for a bit before going out walking. As it happens, I forgot my phone, but I guess that we covered around a half mile. 

I had a couple of emails that needed my attention to do with the Jeep and the RV repairs. I took care of that business and then turned my attention to the blog and worked on it for the next couple of hours bringing us up to date. 

I looked around for other things to get up to, but I had pretty much covered all of the bases as far as Jeep and RV repairs. I had been in touch with James, the RV technician, and tried to send him pictures of the RV damage but I don’t think I got them right. He emailed that he would be out later today. As it happens, neither of the hot water heaters are working but I do not think it has anything to do with the storm. This is an ongoing problem that James has worked on before. 

James showed up late and worked on the water system to give us hot water which we had been without since the storm. The two are not related as he had been working on it previously. While he was here, he took pictures of the damaged roof parts so he could order them. 

We sat around a lot in the afternoon and went out for a couple of walks around the park and managed to cover exactly a mile for the day. Not very good at all but better than nothing. 

Later on, after feeding us all, we sat around and watched a couple of soccer games before going to bed at a reasonable hour. 

Written May 15, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

I awoke around 6:00 am to the sound of something that was running like crazy and could not put my finger on it. It sounded like it was coming from the ceiling area, but I could not see where. It was a loud roaring noise, and I had visions of some part or another blowing up. 

I panicked and called Daniel. Malinda answered and I explained what was happening and in no time flat, they were both at my door. They looked around and focused in on the noise and discovered it was static coming from the radio. Malinda switched it off and took a quick look around at the other damage before returning to their rig. They were leaving on a trip and wanted an early start. I thanked them and they were gone. 

We went out for the first walk of the day and wandered around and covered over a mile on that walk around the park. I do not think we had ever been walking that early ever before. If the dogs noticed the time difference, it certainly did not stop them. 

When we got back, I turned my attention to checking the RV and the Jeep. Gary stopped by and brought a whole bunch of repair stuff with him and went to work. He borrowed a long ladder from Daniels work area that would enable him to get on the roof of The Caboose and then went ahead to cover all the damaged skylights with plastic to keep the water out as there is more rain in the forecast. 

He turned his attention to the Jeep and cleaned out all of the broken glass from the sliding roof. Both sliding roof units were broken and in a million pieces. He had previously opened up the car doors to dry out the interior and the bodywork showed significant signs of hail damage. 

Eventually, there was nothing more he could do, and he moved on to the next project. I continued to mess around cleaning up the area. 

The rest of the afternoon was anti climatic as I pottered around. I had called the Good Sam Agency to see about getting an inspection on the damage and after 5 minutes, a voice asked if I wanted a call back because they were so busy. Incidentally, I never did get that call back. I guess they are snowed under. 

I took the dogs out for another walk, and we just wandered around and by the end of the day, had covered 2.2 miles. We passed “the girls” RV and they waved me to come in, but I signaled to them that I would take the dogs back home first, which I did. 

I returned to their RV and had a beer and a plate of food thrust into my hands barely before I had sat down. A little later, Donna joined us, and we sat and chatted until almost 10:00 pm when I decided it was time for bed and made my way back to my RV. I have no idea where the time went but we had some very interesting conversations. 

Back in my RV, after making a fuss of my dogs for being away all that time, we sat down in front of the TV to watch a game. I remember watching the start and when I awoke, the first game was over, and another one was on. I turned off the TV and went to bed. 

Written May 11, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com

Living in an RV Henly RV Park Saturday 05/11/2024

I slept well and was wide awake and ready to get out of bed. I looked at the time which was a little after 8:00 am and lay there for a bit thinking about the upcoming day and what I had to do. We did not have anything important planned and would just play it by ear, as the saying goes. 

The morning started as it usually does with hitching the dogs up to the table and bringing out the feeders. It is very noticeable that without the Grackles, the seed lasts a lot longer and does not require daily refills. 

Then we harnessed up and wandered over to the dumpster and then back to the Commons where Gary was sitting outside. We stopped and chatted for a while before hitting the road. Our morning walk was not very long, only about a half mile, but the dogs did their business, which is why we walked anyway. Incidentally, it was already hot and humid, and this was at 9:00 am. 

Back in the RV, I fixed us all breakfast and as usual, I was the only one to eat it. The dogs saved theirs for later. 

Then it was time to work on the blog which did not take too long as I was pretty much caught up and besides nothing very exciting has happened in the last couple of days unless you count a visit from the RV Repairman as exciting. 

James, the RV Repairman worked on the water system to try to get both hot and a cold working together. If you remember from an earlier posting, the hot water would not shut off and eventually overflowed until I shut the system down completely. James was as frustrated as I was with the problem and had tried several different cures none of which worked for any length of time. Usually ending up with a part burning out or something similar causing him to try something different. 

He spent a couple of hours on it before he was satisfied it was working properly. I paid him and he moved on to the next job and we went out for another walk. We did not go far just walking around the park, but we got some exercise. 

An hour or so later, the water was still just lukewarm, so we still have the same problem. Need to get James back out here again but at least, lukewarm water is better than cold. 

We were out walking, and it started to cloud over very rapidly. Then it started to drop hailstones bigger than a chicken’s egg. Intermittently at first but gathering momentum. 

Luckily, we were almost home when it started, and we made a beeline to get indoors to the comparative safety of the RV where we listened to the ice dropping onto the roof. The storm lasted almost a half hour and I grew more concerned with each crash as the ice continued to fall. 

It eventually stopped and I went out to inspect the damage. I checked the Jeep first and discovered that both of the sliding roof panels were in a million pieces and the space was also flooded with rainwater. Then I turned my attention to the RV and the damage there was not too bad. Both roof vents had a couple of holes where the ice had fallen through and will need to be replaced but on the whole, I got off lightly. At least the roof itself was not damaged. 

Gary stopped by and took a look, and he agreed that it would keep until tomorrow. There was nothing I could do, and we adjourned indoors for the usual evening meal and TV. 
 
Written May 10, 2024, read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com