We have not seen any Zebras in a while.

I got up at a reasonable hour for me and the first thing on the agenda was to take the dogs out walking. Before that, I rehung all the bird feeders, filling those that needed it. 

I spotted Daniel and Gary sitting outside of the breakroom and let go of the leash. Sandy dragged Mikey over to meet them although Mikey was a bit reluctant and kept looking back at me. I tried to reassure him it was OK and eventually he allowed Daniel to make a fuss of him. 

We sat and chatted for a couple of minutes and then went on our way to the dumpster to drop off today’s offerings. It was already warming up and we did not stay out long. 

I knew that I had a 1:00 pm appointment with the Audiologist in Dr Bittars’ office and kept one eye on the clock as I worked on the blog. Even then, I was a little late when I arrived and made my apologies to Lisa. She blew it off and we went back to her little closet of an office to go over what hearing aids I was about to buy. 

I had several decisions to make, stay with the same type ones that I have or get those with Bluetooth capabilities. Should I get battery driven or rechargeable ones? There were a few other offerings and eventually, I had a pair picked out. 

Then came the fun part as far as I was concerned. Lisa had to make ear impressions so that the new ones would be a snug fit in my ears, and we even had a discussion over that as they too came in sizes. The more” stuff” they were capable of doing, the bigger the unit. 

She had the usual problem with my left ear that Dr Bittar had when he cleaned them, and I had to signal Lisa to stop a couple of times as she worked on it as I would suddenly start sneezing for several uncontrollable sneezes. 

She eventually finished making the casts which would be the foundation of the hearing aids and by then, I had made up my mind as to what to actually order in regard to bells and whistles. Incidentally, I decided to stay with the battery driven ones just in case the rechargeables would go out when were out and about. Even though it is a nuisance to change batteries, that is better than trying to find a recharge station and waiting a couple of hours. 
 
She finished her work and gave me a bill for a deposit on some of the cost and I gave her a check for $2500.00 dollars which is approximately half the cost of the new aids. The rest due on receipt of them as long as they are satisfactory. Incidentally, I have had the “old” set since 2009 meaning that they are all fourteen years old. No wonder they need replacing. Oh yes, you can only insure them for the first three years of service. 

I thanked her and got out of Dr Bittar’s office and went back to the car. I started to drive back when I remembered that I had mail that I needed to pick up at Far West Blvd. I did a quick about turn and noticing a large traffic jam in front of me, changed routes to bypass the mix up and eventually arriving at PostNet. 

I only had four pieces of mail but one of them, I had been waiting for. I will be glad when the campground finishes up the mail boxes they have been building after finally working out a delivery system with GPO to the Park. We are still a month or more away from that actually happening. Then of course, it will be up to every individual to notify the many organizations and such that we each belong to. It will be nice to have a permanent address, again, and not have to rely on a mailbox system or imposing on a friend to use their address. 

I thought about stopping at Walmart’s on the way home but did not really need anything special and so made the drive straight back to Henly, where I was met by two very excited little dogs. 

We did not have any groceries to unload and so I quickly harnessed them up for a quick walk about. It was very hot, over 100 degrees outside, so we did not stay out very long. We did get in our minimum of a mile walking, just… 

Back in the RV, I sat down in front of the computer and wrote catching up with today’s blog. We went out for one more short walk later in the evening and then sat outside under the awning, which, although still hot, was bearable. 

Written 06/27/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

I awoke early and seriously thought about getting up but dropped back off to sleep before I could do so. So much for all my good intentions. It was a bit cooler, and we wandered around for three quarters of a mile before returning for breakfast and the all-important, coffee. 

Mikey has taken all the pills that were in his bottle, as has Sandy with one of hers. She still has the big pill taken twice a day for her heart which she will be on for the rest of her life. Needless to say, after I folded the pill inside one of the new disguise chewie’s, I had bought yesterday, she just sniffed it and walked back to where she was sleeping, totally ignoring my offering. Big sigh. Back to the drawing board. 

I had made myself a bacon sandwich for breakfast and she very eagerly helped me eat that although she only ate the good stuff and left the bread part. Maybe, I need to wrap the pill in bacon. 

I settled down to write just to stay up to date although nothing much has happened so far. We have nothing planned for today except to stay cool. I wrote for a bit and then took the dogs out. It was bloody hot outside and Miss Sandy was obviously struggling with the heat. Any patch of shade and she lay down under it. Taking the hint, we walked back to the RV and then spent the next couple of hours sitting around in the cool listening to an Audiobook. 

I even closed my eyes for a bit but did not go to sleep. It was nice and peaceful though. Later on, we went out for that final walk although it was not very much cooler, finally heading back to The Caboose for the usual evening meal and a glass of wine. 

Written 06/24/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Monday 06/26/2023

Texas has it’s own beauty…

I got up at a reasonable hour for us and took the first walk of the day. Even early, it was hot and humid in the shade. We wandered around and covered almost a half mile. 

I tried again to give Sandy her medicine wrapped in one of those chews that I bought but she ignored it, and I spent the rest of the morning keeping it out of Mikey’s mouth. 

I had received a response to my claim to 24 Hour Petwatch that I have for both Mikey and Sandy asking for more information, which I found and sent on hoping that it was sufficient. 

I put in a load of laundry and then forgot about it as it did it’s wash thing. 

There was a knock on the door and Malinda wanted to know if I was “ready to go”? She had told me yesterday that we needed to go and register my RV. First, she wanted to use my computer to download the necessary paperwork from my end. She was surprised that I had a printer, and we ran off all the necessary documents.  

I jumped in her truck, and we drove into town to the Sheriff’s Office. Of course, we had to hang around awaiting our turn. The first time up at the Window after our name was called, the Clerk went through the reams of paper that Malinda gave her before telling us we needed this and that and to come back after we got what she needed. 

We left the Tax Office and returned to both mine and Malinda’s RV to rectify the missing paperwork before heading back to the Tax Office. After awaiting our turn, we had a different Clerk this time and she breezed through all the corrections before handing everything back. I handed over a check for almost $1000.00 and we were all legal for another year although, this time, we are talking about The Caboose. 

Back at the RV, I thanked Malinda profusely for all her help and we went our separate ways. Mine consisted of making a beeline to the A/C as did Malinda but her day is not done, far from it as when I was with her, she had received at least four different calls for RV’s looking to find a site. I put the washing machine on the dry mode and turned to do other things. 

I settled down to play catch up with the blog, thankful, that now, The Caboose is officially mine and I have a title to prove it. I took the dogs out for a short walk, but it was very hot outside, and I could tell that Sandy was uncomfortable as was I, so we headed back to the RV. 

The rest of the day was spent indoors lazing around. We went out for the final walk of the day and then sat outside for a bit listening to an Audiobook before going back inside for the usual food and evening’s entertainment. 

Written 06/26/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

We crawled out at a reasonable hour and went out to walk around the campground. I let Sandy lead us to wherever she wanted to go and like the good little followers that we are, wandered blindly along behind her. We passed the girls’ RV and Peggy stuck her head out just to say hello. Back in The Caboose, I got out the bird feeders filling those that needed it, and then we went back inside for the usual breakfast and coffee. 

I sat in front of the computer for the world news and, finding it both repetitious and boring, moved on to other things. We have no plans for the day which is true of most of my days… 

I completed yesterday’s offering and posted it and then started today. As nothing much had yet happened, I was quickly caught up. I got thinking about the dogs and the pills that I am struggling to give them, and I received an email from my Bastrop BJ friend with exactly the thing I was looking for. These are little chewies made to take most medication and then the top gets folded over. The plan is that the dog thinks it is chewy and gobbles it down without realizing that the dreaded pill is wrapped up inside. 

I looked it up online and it said that Walmart’s should have them and without further ado, I said goodbye to the dogs, jumped in the car and headed to the nearest Walmart’s at Brodie Lane. I was in luck as they had two different packages left of what I was looking for. Different in the sense of flavors. Knowing how fussy my dogs are, I bought both packets. Incidentally, these were the last two left on the shelf. 

I had a couple of other groceries to pick up and then drove back to Henly the back way which just happened to take me by Starbucks. I grabbed an Iced Latte and a piece of walnut cake and then continued driving the back way home just for a change. 

The drive was uneventful, and I arrived back to my little helpers, who as usual, were more in the way than of being any actual help. Still, their little noses were going a mile a minute with the tempting smell of Fried Chicken. I had bought a whole precooked chicken which always smells much better than it tastes, and I put it in the fridge for later. 

As it happens, I have a dinner date with the girls this evening, along with a few other friends at the Break Room. I should probably use a different word other than “date” as that conjurs up a different meaning and can be construed as something heart wrenching and in my case, life threatening. I have not been on a “date” in so many years that I probably would not know how to react. It’s a sure thing that I would make a fool of myself. 

We sat outside listening to an Audiobook and then I received an email from Peggy, telling me to come over to the Breakroom. I put the dogs back inside and wandered the 50 yards over to be greeted by BJ, Peggy and Gary who were already there. This time, there were only the four of us as Delores was visiting family and of course, Daniel and Malinda had left on their weekend trip to Bastrop. 

The girls had prepared ribs with all the fixin’s and we sat and chatted as we enjoyed the food. I refused the offer of a beer preferring to drink water this time around. Incidentally, I was literally forced to get a second helping with dire threats to my body unless I complied. Being the coward that I am, I went back for seconds but restricted how much I put on my plate. 

For dessert, we had homemade peach cobbler with ice cream. When we have these get togethers, I eat in one meal, as much as I usually eat in 3-4 meals in my RV. Sometimes I wish I was a camel so I could store the food I eat in my hump to be used as needed. Incidentally, I have gained 4 lbs. and eaten more meat in this past year and if I keep hanging around with this group, that number will go up and up and up…. Still, a small price to pay for such wonderful company and I really only need to walk more.

Around 8:30 pm, the party broke up mainly because I needed to walk the dogs and for myself, walk off some of the food. We wandered around for a while before returning to The Caboose for the rest of the evening’s entertainment. 

Written 06/24/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com

I got up early knowing that I had an ear doctor’s appointment, and I did not want to be rushed or late. I harnessed up the dogs as we usually do and then tied them to the table so they could watch as I brought out the bird feeders, which is a part of our normal morning routine. 

The usual group of Daniel, Malinda and Garry were over by the Break Room, and I wandered over just to say Hello. We chatted briefly before heading to the dumpster and then out and about. We wandered around trying to find as much shade as possible and then returned to the RV for breakfast.  

For a change, I ate a container full of fruit, berries and such for breakfast but did have the all-important coffee and then sat down to read the latest news. Moving on from that depressing stuff, I worked on the blog for a bit with one eye on the clock not wanting to be late for the Doctors Appointment. 

Saying goodbye to the dogs, I set off for the drive into Austin. The traffic was light, and I made good time arriving a bit early. I was quickly shown into one of the examination rooms and Dr Bittar soon walked in. We chatted for a bit as I had been coming to see him for over 40 years.  We first met after I broke my nose playing soccer and then he discovered my deafness and things moved on from there. I believe he is of Italian descent, and he too loves soccer or football as we know it. 

This time, it was nothing as serious as a broken nose but more about deafness and that I probably needed new hearing aids. The ones I have are getting old and no longer work as well as they should. Plus, of course, new technology has made huge strides in hearing. The only good thing about this enforced deafness is that it kept me out of the Korean war both here and in England. 

The Doc worked on cleaning both ears and got all kinds of gunk out saying that we should probably do this every three months instead of the current six. He uses a vacuum syringe that literally sucks the wax out of my ears. The right side went fine but as usual, the left side is much more prone to cause a whole lot of sneezing and coughing as for some reason, I am much more sensitive on that side.  

Dr Bittar wanted me to take another hearing test as I had not had one in a couple of years, and I went back to the Audiologists office. She put me through a series of tests and told me to come back tomorrow around 10:30 pm. 

I left Dr Bittar’s office and drove to Far West Blvd to PostNet and picked up my mail. I had previously called ahead to arrange the pickup.  

The next stop was at Walmart’s for groceries and a couple of RV items. One of which was a new septic hose as the current one has broken in half. I have no idea how that happened unless yesterday, the washing machines in the spin mode vibrated it off the support blocks. Normally, this would not be a problem as the hose is usually empty but because of using the washing machine, I had opened the valve so that the water could flow out through the different cycles. I thought that I had a spare hose but could not find it anywhere. As my stored possessions are now very few, I must have given them away. My grocery list was very small, and I got out of there for less than $100.00, $35.00 of which was for the new hose. 

On the way home, which incidentally was by what I call the back way through the country roads avoiding much of the traffic, I stopped at the “old” Starbucks that I used to haunt for a hot Latte and a piece of walnut cake to consume on the way back to the RV. 

Back at The Caboose, I was met by my two little friends but as the temperature had already reached 103 degrees, we did not go out immediately but sat indoors in the A/C to cool down from the exertions. I worked on the blog bringing us up to date. 

We sat around relaxing and listening to an Audiobook to pass the time before harnessing up and going out walking. It had not cooled off one little bit and by now, the temeprature had reached 103 degrees. Needless to say, we did not stay out very long before returning to the cool RV. 

We sat outside for a while as a bit of a breeze had picked up. I could see the dark clouds on the horizon and there was rain in the forecast. When I felt the first drops, I brought the deck chairs back inside and then scuttled down to retrieve the bird feeders and put them away. The dogs sat on the deck, and I swear, were cheering me on as I hastened to beat the rain. 

With everything put away and secured, we went back inside just in time as the storm hit us. Loud thunder, bright flashes of lightning and torrential rain made for an awesome sight. The storm continued for most of the night, but I was tired enough that I slept through most of it. 

Written 06/21/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Thursday 06/22/2023

I wonder if is the one that eats my flowers?

I used the restroom in the night and noticed that my balance was off but did not think too much of it, putting it down to having to get out of bed in a hurry. It had not improved very much as I got back into bed, but I managed to drop back off to sleep. 

When I awoke in the morning, my balance was a bit better. I thought it was caused by the ear cleaning yesterday as the ears play a big part in normal day to day balance although, this is the first time I have had any problems from this procedure. Just to be on the safe side, I used one of my hiking sticks when we took that first walk. 

Back at the RV, I knew that I had an appointment with the Audiologist to get new hearing aids so was planning my day around that. I had fixed breakfast and had settled in front of the computer and came across the card that Lisa, the Audiologist had given me and to my dismay, saw it was for 10:30 am which happened to be the time I was looking at the card. I quickly got on the phone and was full of apologies for the missed appointment. Lisa was very understanding, and we rearranged it for next Tuesday, this time at 1:00 pm. 

I continued to work on the blog and wondered what I would do now that my day had taken a different turn. 

We went out for a very short walk to the dumpster and then sat outside under the trees where it was cooler. The temperature has dropped quite considerably currently to 91 degrees, almost 10 degrees cooler than yesterday. I love it as it is a blessed relief. 

We walked back to The Caboose and sat outside for about an hour just watching the world go by. I did not even have an Audiobook open to listen to, just glad of the peace and quiet. We spent most of the time watching the bird feeders and at the many birds coming and going. The Hummingbirds are very interesting as they feed or in some cases, try to feed. Every now and then, a rogue Hummer will sit above the feeders and drive off any other Hummers that come along wanting to protect what he considers as “his or her property”. 

I suppose as with all species that size does not matter as much as determination. How anything that tiny can be so aggressive is beyond me especially as there is plenty to go around. There are bullies in all walks of life. 

I came back inside and sat at the table/desk and caught up with the blog. The day is passing really slowly for some reason, so I went outside and replaced the sewer hose that had split in half probably because of the rocking and rolling created by the laundry machine in the spin mode. Either that or the force of the water from the wash. That is the only thing I can think of that caused the problem. I bought a new hose yesterday in Walmart’s getting two for the price of one. The one I bought was two 6 footers in a box and I only need a 6-foot piece. I had noticed the broken hose the day before. 

Normally, the black tank and the grey tank valves are kept closed and then periodically, I empty the tanks using the grey tank to flush out the line after the black tank has emptied.  

For those of you that are unfamiliar with an RV tank system I will explain. RV’s are made to travel unless they are like mine, built tor a permanent spot. The plumbing system does not change even if they are considered permanent. Consequently, they have a three storage tank system. There is a clean water tank that is used for holding a certain amount of water based on tank size for “Boone docking” or in English, camping with no outside resources. These tanks can usually hold 60-80 gallons of water and can be bypassed when hooked up to a water supply. 

Then there is a grey tank that holds waste water from sinks, and showers. Finally, the black tank that holds the waste from the toilet. The last two are the ones that need emptying periodically sometimes when decided by gauges inside of the RV. These gauges are renowned for not working properly so the experienced camper keeps an eye on his tanks and opens the valves to release the contents, black tank first followed by the grey tank as he considers necessarily. Incidentally, I had a brand new RV earlier in my RV’ing career and the tank gauges did not work on it.

It is a pretty straight forward process. Obviously, if you don’t keep an eye on things, then you have the nasty experience of the tanks backing up inside the RV either through the toilet for the black tank, yuk, or the shower or sinks for the grey tank, another yuk. 

Incidentally, because of the tank system, it is not a good idea to leave the valves open to flush directly into the sewer system all the time. What this does is leave the solids from the toilet behind eventually creating a buildup which then needs to be backflushed out to clear it. Another messy and thankless job and really unnecessary with the proper tank management. 

Okay, enough of talking about the drainage systems in an RV although I should say that this process applies to even the most expensive RV’s on the market. You cannot compare an RV to a permanent dwelling in any way, shape or form. 

For some reason, the day is passing very slowly. My little buddy, Mikey, sits in the chair alongside me and usually goes to sleep. Today, he must have been having a bad dream as he squeaked and snuffled and shook a little as he slept. He eventually quieted down. I wonder what he was dreaming about? 

We sat outside under the awning, and it was a bit cooler with a breeze blowing through. Malinda stopped by as she had some paperwork that I needed to sign. At the same time, Peggy also stopped carrying a plastic container with a hot dinner inside. The girls have been cooking again and they often share with me, for which I am very grateful. Especially as I am not much into cooking myself and their offerings make a pleasant change from the straightforward fare that I normally eat. 

They both left and I settled back down to doing nothing, sitting quietly on the couch with a dog on either side of me. I was waiting to go to see my Audiologist but to my dismay, discovered I had got the times wrong and so missed the appointment. I at once got on the phone and, full of apologies, made new arrangements for next Tuesday. We sat there for a while and then harnessed up to brave the hot weather to walk around the park. Again, we took Henly Loop towards Hwy 290 because of the shade. We did not see an exotics this time. 

When we got back, we sat outside listening to an Audiobook that was not very good. In fact, it was bloody awful, but I stuck with it to the bitter end waiting all the time for the story to improve. I read the reviews and everybody that had commented all said how bad it was. Hope I do a better job of picking the next read. 

Finally, it was time to bring in the bird feeders and store them for the evening. Incidentally, it has given me much pleasure in watching the birds come and go, especially now that the birds are teaching their young the ways of the world. I had a Cardinal male with two offspring, and he fed then in turn, and I could see he was showing them how to do it for themselves. 

Another Mourning Dove was trying to break the baby bird of his help from his actions that was going on. Like all youngsters, the baby did not like this independence thing and wanted more from its parents. Pretty harsh to be abandoned just when you are getting used to being fed… Nature’s way of learning or suffer the consequences. 

With everything put away, we went back inside for the usual evening meal and then television. 

Written 06/22/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

This deer watched us as we walked by just on the other side of the fence. Finally, it turned and from a standing jump, leaped over the fence behind it which is all of 6 feet tall. Amazing…

I got up at a respectable time for me and we went outside to hang the bird feeders while the dogs watched. They are used to the morning routines and know they will go walking as soon as we are finished. We wandered around as we usually do, and I took the lane leading to Hwy290 as it had the best shade at that time of the day. Actually, of all the roads we walk, that one has the best shade at any time. It seems that most of the others are in a direct line with the sun or have very few trees to cast any shadows. 

Back in the RV, I fixed the usual breakfast and coffee for me and gave the dogs something to work on which of course, they totally ignored and then settled down in front of the computer full of good intentions to write the blog. Alas, the mouse would not cooperate and had given up on the ghost. I tried to write using the other methods of moving around the screen but quickly got fed up with it and closed the computer. 

Saying goodbye to the dogs, I jumped in the car and drove the 20 odd miles to the nearest Best Buy located in Bee Caves and bought a new mouse from the large selection available. Then I drove back to the RV and went back to work on the blog. The new mouse works just fine, I am happy to say. Maybe, I should get out the new computer which is still in its box to go along with the new mouse. Fresh start and all that… 

I wrote and caught up on the blog and posted yesterday after adding pictures and then looked around for something else to get up to. The outside temperature had already reached the 100-degree mark at 3:00 pm and is forecast to get as high as 102 degrees. Being outside is not very pleasant and is usually because of necessity like dog walking. They do not like it either. 

But, then again, this is Texas, and it is summertime. 

I sat on the couch with a dog on either side of me just contemplating the World. I even closed my eyes but had no intention of going to sleep. It was peaceful, just relaxing like that. After a while, something outside caught the dogs attention and the mood was broken. 

We went for another walk even though it was 101 degrees outside but did not stay out long. You would think that the dogs would be walking on the grass but surprisingly, they walk a lot on the blacktop even though the grass is right there. When we got back, we sat outside for a bit as the breeze was blowing under the awning making it a bit cooler. 

My next door neighbor, the one that has the little Maltese, stopped by and we chatted for a bit. By then it was getting late, so I brought in the bird feeders and put them away and we went back inside of The Caboose for the usual evening’s food and entertainment. My life is pretty repetitious, and some people would find it boring. To me, it is just plain relaxing… 

Written 06/20/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

My good friend, BJ Jenkins, sent me this picture of her first ever Lotus in her pond. Just Beautiful…

I awoke early again and this time, I did get up as I hurried to get outside hoping that it might be a bit cooler. The first thing after harnessing the dogs and tying them up to the picnic table, was to hang the bird feeders. This takes all of ten minutes if I refill them, but I have learned that it is better to hang them half full as less seed gets wasted. Actually, none of the dropped seed is really wasted as there are as many birds on the ground as on the feeders. 

I watched as a Sparrow fed her baby. She was very industrious about it and the younger bird sat there with the feathers all fluffed up and shaking like crazy as the Momma bird kept going back and forth with mouthfuls of seed for the baby. Nature is such a wonderful thing. 

We went out walking and both Daniel and Gary were sitting outside of the Break Room talking and drinking coffee. Daniel had Remington with him, and Sandy spotted them, so I dropped the leash and both dogs raced over to say hello. We chatted for a couple of minutes and then we went on our way walking around the campground. We hit the outside lane because of the shade before returning to the RV. 

I fixed the dogs breakfast which naturally, they ignored and then worked on my own. It is becoming more and more difficult to find anything tasty to eat and today was no different. I finally settled for beans on toast as at least the beans are full of flavor. 

I turned my attention to reading the world news and the more I read, the stupider people get. It seems that common sense has long gone in many cases as people cannot control their tempers and consequently, their actions. That one moment of lack of self-control generally costs them their freedom and, in some cases, maybe another person their life. 

I worked on the blog wishing that I could write wonderful and beautiful things that by magic, would come true and maybe change the World, but alas, I do not have those capabilities. So, I wrote about what happened yesterday in my little part of the Universe knowing full well that nothing I ever write or even talk about was ever going to change anything. 

Other than the blog, we have no plans for today and then I remembered that I needed to make a claim on the Pet Insurance that I have for both Mikey and Sandy. I worked on the forms, filling in the information as requested only to find that certain parts of the form would not allow changes much to my annoyance. I spent a couple of very frustrating hours filling in and then refilling the forms. In the end, I sent them and sent a follow up note explaining the problems. The forms demanded changes/corrections but would not allow any. All I can hope for is that I managed to get in enough information to get the process started and we can make corrections as we go along. 

I had a load of laundry working as I was writing the blog.  I realized that the RV was not shaking with the spin cycle like it normally does when it is washing, which told me that wash cycle was over. I had to walk all of 15 steps to add the smelly sheets when I switched it to the dry cycle. I just love having my own washing machine.  

When I owned my own home, I took having a washer/dryer for granted never giving it a second thought but because RV living is so different, not all RV’s come fully equipped with a washer/dryer combo. That is mostly because of lack of room and also of course, that they are considered vacation vehicles, except for the more expensive or park models, like the one I own and live in permanently. 

We went out for another walk just around the park as it was way too hot to go very far. Sandy seems to make hard work of walking in the heat and will sometimes find shade and flop down for a while. Mikey generally only walks to be with me and so Sandy does not have me all to herself. He is quite a jealous little fellow in that respect. 

Back in the RV, we sat and listened to an Audiobook for a while. The weather was forecasting a chance of rain and it did cloud over but the rain was nonexistent, and we took the opportunity of the cloud cover to go out for the last walk of the day. It is getting more and more difficult to keep our step count up because it is so hot and humid outside. 

I tied the dogs up while I brought the bird feeders back in for the night. While I was at it, I sprayed the plants that the deer likes to munch on with the Deer Away in the hopes of deterring the deer from eating them. 

With those chores finished for another day, we went back inside for the usual evening food and entertainment. 

Written 06/18/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

Notice what the sign says, Bull and Bear Ranch?

I got up at a reasonable hour and we harnessed up for that first walk of the day. I tied the dogs up outside so they could watch me put out the bird feeders which needed seed replenishing. At least, it is the birds that are emptying the hoppers and not the deer, which is the way it is supposed to be. 

With that chore complete, I watered the flowers as they looked dry because we did not get any of the promised rain, last evening. We wandered around and ran into Daniel and Malinda and were introduced to Daniels daughter, Sandy and son in law, Randall along with their kids who are staying the weekend. The two young boys, Caden and Maddox, politely shook hands with me as Malinda introduced them. 

We went on our way and wandered around, but it was already hot and humid out. Luckily, there was a bit of cloud cover, but the humidity was already very high making it feel hotter than ever. The sweat rolled off me as we walked, and I was soaked by the time we got back. 

I fixed breakfast and tried to get the dogs to eat something mainly to take their pills but to no avail as neither dog would touch the food. Guess they are just going to have to get better without them although I will keep trying. What is the old saying, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink”. Well, the same thing applies to dogs and pills… 

Giving up on the pill thing, I turned my attention to world news and then to writing the blog catching up with yesterday’s events before they slip away from me lost forever in that great mystery of failing memory. As an ex-athlete, the old adage was that it was always the legs that were the first to go. Well, my legs are fine, and, in my case, it is the memory that is slowly failing. So even though my legs are holding up, I will probably forget how to walk. Just kidding…I sure hope not. 

I sat writing for a while and noticed that a new RV had pulled into the spot next to me. Earlier, I had said goodby to the South African friends who had moved on this morning. They come and they go… 

We sat on the couch for a bit, and I managed to get both dogs interested in their food. I kinda held my breath as they were eating not wanting to distract them in any way. Both dogs ate their pills, I am happy to report. 

Looking around for things to get up to as it was so damn hot outside, I decided to load the guys into the Jeep, and we would go out for a drive around. We took the first road that turned off from Hwy 290, not knowing just where it would take us. We drove out in places we had never been before and took a few pictures. I came to a road I thought I recognized, and we took it only to discover that we were covering the same ground all over again. I finally got us out of there and we drove around some more. We came across a very large estate and the houses were humongous, all of them. Not just one or two but the entire estate was made up of these huge mini mansions. 

Incidentally, we drove around with both dogs on my lap. Mikey, as he usually does, had grabbed the prime position on my knees. Sandy, who was a bit late in the game, kind off pushed her way on sitting half on me and the other half on the seat and consul. Mikey kept slipping between my legs and I spent the entire trip boosting him back up. Sandy, on the other hand, made herself very comfortable in her limited space Mikey had left her.  

We drove around for a while just for the hell of it and then finally, after a couple more wrong turns, I finally got us back on the highway. On the way, I discovered I had a message from Peggy, telling me that I was late for the birthday party for both Peggy and Malinda. 

 I took us back to the RV and let the dogs into The Caboose. and then snuck back out the door and made my way to the Commons Area. As I was late. Most everybody had finished eating but was sort of waiting on me. A few were working on their second helpings of ribs and such so I was not the only one eating. 

With the main course out of the way, it was time for the birthday cake, not one but two, one for Malinda and the other for Peggy. I had a small piece of both, but the chocolate was so heavy and rich, I barely finished it. Because I was too late to the party, I was also too late for beer and had to make do with water which was probably better for me anyway. 

Incidentally, Delores was not there to defend herself, but we re-lived last evenings episode of her story, over and over cracking up with laughter every time. We sang “Happy Birthday” somewhat off key to both Malinda and Peggy which brought the evening to a close. 

I walked back to the RV and then took the dogs walking as although we had been out and about, they never got out of the Jeep to do their business. Sandy sensed something downwind and kept barking and whining in that direction, so I let her lead us to whatever was bothering her. She led us to Remington who was outside with Daniel and Malinda along with Gary and Toni. Everyone made a fuss of her, including Remie, and then we went on our way to complete our walk. Through all of this, Mikey had jumped up in a chair as though he was above all of the fuss and bother. Gary made a fuss of him anyway. 

Back in the RV, as I had already eaten, we sat outside listening to an Audiobook and then finally went indoors. All that was left was to feed the dogs who, as they have been doing lately, turned their noses up at the offering. Their loss 

What remained in what was left of the evening, as it was now almost 9:30 pm, was watching television until midnight. 

Written 06/17/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Sunday 06/18/2023

We see all types of entrances on our drive.

I awoke after a good night’s sleep but every time I thought about getting up, I just rolled over and dozed off some more. Finally, I climbed out of bed and got ready for the day but by then, it was past 9:00 am and half the cooler part of the day was gone. 

The first action was to harness the dogs and then tie them up to the table so they could watch as I brought out the bird feeders. I changed the water in the water feeder after giving it a good cleaning and noticed that our one and only rose was gone, eaten by the damned deer. They have no conscience or respect for other people’s property, bloody four-legged crooks. I hope the rose gives that deer diarrhea. 

With that chore out of the way, we made our way over to the Breakroom where Daniel and Gary were sitting outside drinking coffee. Daniel made me a cup and a little while later, we were joined by Malinda. The dogs got more than their fair share of petting and attention. 

The four of us sat and chatted for a while before the party broke up and we went on our way to the first stop at the dumpster with our bag of trash. From there, we took Henly Loop towards Hwy 290 only because it has a lot of shade at this hour of the morning and managed to walk a half mile before returning to The Caboose for breakfast and another cup of coffee. 

This hot weather makes me want to stay inside in the A/C rather than be out and about walking and what not and we had no plans for the day. Consequently, that is what we did, staying indoors working on the blog and catching up with everything to bring us up to date. 

We took another short walk just around the Commons area staying in the shade and then came back and sat outdoors for an hour or so listening to an Audiobook with the big fan focused directly on me and Mikey who was sitting in the deck chair alongside me. I had given Sandy a couple of rib bones from Daniels earlier party, and she was busy working on them and not concerned about the heat at all as she had food on her mind. Mikey was not a bit interested in bones, so Sandy got his share. 

We sat there for an hour or so but even with the fan, I could feel myself getting hotter by the minute in the 100-degree heat. The story I was listening to was very good, but we came to the end of a chapter, and it was the signal for us to do something else. 

I packed everything away including the big fan I had brought out to stay a bit cooler and then harnessed up the dogs. We did not go far but still managed to rack up our mile for the day. This is the minimum that I shoot for but if it stays this warm, it is going to be hard to get in the steps. The answer is to get up early before it gets hot. Yeah, right… 

We got back to the RV and huddled indoors in the A/C in an attempt to cool off which took a while, but we eventually managed it. I worked on the blog to get us up to date so that I do not have to try and remember what happened today, tomorrow. 

The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way, food, drinks and television. 

Written 06/18/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

I slept very soundly only awakening for the call of Nature and dropping straight back to sleep. It was 9:30 am before I finally crawled out to face the day, ready or not. We did our usual walk about but not going very far as it was already hot out. Sandy walked under a parked car and flopped down in the shade, so I knew we should not stay out long. I really need to change my habits and become a morning person so we can get out while it is still comparatively cool. All I need to do is to stop watching midnight television and go to bed around 10:00 pm or even earlier. Maybe tomorrow… 

I set out the bird feeders as soon as I got outside and before we went walking. While I was out there, I sprayed the different plants and rose bushes that the deer like to eat in the hope of deterring them or at the very least, maybe giving them indigestion. 

By the time we got back from our walk, it was already 88 degrees and going to be another scorcher. Summer is well and truly here in my part of Texas. Again, we have no plans for today and will just play it by ear as we usually do. Unless something important comes up, most of today will be in the A/C somewhere. 

I had a quick breakfast, this time one of the very small pizzas that I thought I would try for a change, which incidentally was all thick crust and very little topping. Remind me not to buy that brand again… 

Then I settled down to catch up on the blog after the usual perusal of world and local news. Gotto stay in touch with the world even if the news is sometimes either sad, bad or downright horrible. 

I spent a couple of hours writing the blog and posting the latest which brought us up to date, thank goodness. Otherwise, I would spend an hour just trying to remember what we did yesterday. My short-term memory is going to hell in a handbag. 

Then we sat for a while on the couch with a dog on each side contemplating everything and nothing at the same time. I tried to doze off but every time I had my eyes closed, all I could feel was Sandy’s cold nose poking me to give her more attention. Those women! 

We sat outside for a while, and I used my bino’s to watch them unload more of the stone blocks at the swimming pool. I thought about it and realized that if anyone saw me, they might think I used them to spy on other campers. Nothing is further from the truth as I have no interest in other people’s personal lives, no matter what. It is different if I am asked to help or volunteer my services, which nowadays, are limited but I would do for most anyone here at the campsite. 

It was getting late enough that I harnessed up my two little friends and we went out walking. It was still bloody hot, and the high today was 96 degrees with high humidity and 100 degrees forecast for the end of the week. Not very much difference in how hot we feel between one or the other. 

We were only out for a short time because I knew that both dogs are not comfortable out in this heat but they still gotta “go”. Daniel and Malinda were just finishing up working on her truck putting a tonneau cover on the bed and both were totally soaked in sweat from their activity. It did not help that they were working inside an un-air conditioned garage without even a fan to help move the air. 

I did not stay long as I could see they were both tired from their efforts and we finished our walk, which was not very long. We are having trouble covering our minimum of a mile a day in this heat and we were glad to get back inside to the A/C. We had only been out for a very short while and it is the humidity that is making it so uncomfortable. 

I sat around not doing much of anything except thinking about life in general, until it was time for the last short walk of the day. When we got back, I brought in the bird feeders and put them in their usual safe place, and we adjourned inside for the evening. 

All of my good intentions of going to bed earlier went out of the window when I got engrossed in a movie and watched it to the end. Oh well… 

Written 06/15/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Friday 06/16/2023

Henly RV Park, Home Sweet Home.

I awoke earlier than normal as my original plan I suggested yesterday, which was a good thing. The only trouble was, I just rolled over and went back to sleep. Still, I was up before 9:00 am which is a start. That damn bed is so comfortable first thing in the morning and the dogs are no help as they are just snoring their foolish heads off with no intention of getting up. 

It was already hot when we went out and I chose to walk the road leading to Hwy 290 as it has shade early in the morning. Sandy was not her usual busy sniffy self-charging ahead as she usually does so we cut the walk short and headed back to The Caboose. Mikey was all for it as energetic as he can be, he only walks because I make him and if he does not go, Sandy gets me all to herself. 

We returned to the RV, and I put out the bird feeders, this time switching them around for a bit of variety. Actually, I am trying to get the birds to use all of them as they tend to use just a couple before the others and only go to them when the first ones have run out of seed. I also put out the deck chairs aptly named as it happens as that is where they sit, on the deck and then we went back inside.  

The dogs are on medications because of their Dentist visits, and I have been experimenting with trying to convince them to take their pills through various mixes of dog food, ham, pork and anything else I may have laying around. This morning, both dogs ate their food and the medication. Hooray. Incidentally, the medication is given twice a day although, I am lucky to get it to them just once a day. 

I settled down with coffee and a bacon sandwich in the hope that it would hit the spot. The coffee tasted OK, but the jury is still out on the bacon sandwich. Incidentally, the new coffee maker is already on the fritz as it will not heat the milk and make the froth for the latte. Guess I might be drinking the coffee either black or with plain milk, not frothed in the future. Oh well! 

I turned my attention to the blog but before that, looked at the world news which was as depressing as it usually is. It makes me sad that there are so many messed up people in this country and probably, in the world. 

Writing the blog gives me an opportunity to use my brain and my memory, things that we normally take for granted. Unfortunately, as we age, so does our brain and it gradually declines in things like memory and recall. I have a hard time remembering people’s names and I usually write them down later as soon as I do recall them. 

I posted yesterday’s writing which keeps me up to date and then looked around for other things to do. Not finding anything around the RV, I decided to go to HEB in Dripping Springs to get a few groceries. I really did not need that much but by the time I got out of there, I had spent almost $100.00. So much for “just a few things”. 

I drove straight home without stopping at Starbucks which has slipped very low in my list of favorite things. Way too overpriced and no longer tastes the same as it used to. When I got back, I was met by my two little friends all excited that “dad is back” as they stuck their noses in all of the plastic bags to enjoy the smells of whatever they held. In spite of their help, we managed to put everything away.  

Then I went out and watered the plants that were in containers on both sets of steps leading into The Caboose. I need to water the garden too, but I will wait until it is almost dark and a little cooler, not for me but to stop water evaporation. 

Back in the RV, I sat in front of the computer to catch up with the blog. After their first burst of excitement and activity, both dogs found their hidey holes and zonked off. What a life they have got. Still, mine is about the same but without the sleep during the day… 

The current temperature at 4:00 pm was 99 degrees and supposed to reach that 100 degree mark tomorrow. This is Texas after all and is hot in the Summer although this year, it has gotten much hotter much quicker than it usually does. Damn Global warming… 

I sat on the couch for a while with my eyes closed not asleep but really relaxed. I had a dog on either side who both took the opportunity to go to sleep.Then the phone rang, and it was Malinda telling me that I was late on coming over. I had not forgotten about the invite but had forgotten what time and thought it was for later. 

I walked over to Malinda’s RV and the “gang” was all there and this time Delores, fresh from her trip to Italy, had also joined us. Also, there were Lucas and Shyrl, the ones with the RV problems in an earlier blog. We sat around talking and exchanging stories and drinking beer, which incidentally, I nursed to make it last. I can’t drink like the others and do not try to keep up with them. 

We were sitting outside under canopies with a large fan blowing and as we chatted away. We sat on Malinda’s new patio furniture that she had got for her birthday as the thunderclouds rolled in, and it looked like rain. The food was cooked, it was packed in containers, and we all made a beeline for the Break Room.  

I made a quick detour back to The Caboose to let in the awning as I did not want any damage from the wind and/or rain and then headed back to the Break Room. 

The table was already laid, and we assembled around it. The couples sat side by side as expected, which left Gary and me as the oddballs and no, we did not sit next to each other. Gary sat next to The Girls with Malinda next to them, and I was squeezed in between Lucas and Delores. Daniel, of course, sat at the head of the table. 

The food was absolutely delicious, and the meat barbecued to perfection. I chose a small piece to go along with corn on the cob and other fixings and got to hear about it from Daniel who promptly placed another large chunk of meat on my plate. Don’t get me wrong, I like food, but I try not to eat too much even though the food is delicious. I can’t burn off the calories as I used to in years gone by, but at least I can control how much food I take in. 

For dessert, we had peach cobbler that Delores had made. It too was delicious, and as we were eating it, Delores told us the story of how she made it and had us all cracking up. This led to more stories all on the same theme to everyone’s amusement. 

I had another beer and as before, nursed it to make it last. We learned that Lucas, who is studying to be a Preacher, is leaving soon with his wife, to go to Oregon. Delores, who has just returned from a trip to Rome, told us some of her experiences which included nearly getting locked up for taking pictures in the Vatican. We sure do get to meet some very interesting people with some great stories. 

We noticed that Peggy had literally let her hair down which prompted another conversation as it came mid-way to her back. Personally, I thought she looked great with it down as it outlined her pretty face. 

The evening wore on and as usual, Gary was the first to leave followed by Delores who complained of feeling tired from her trip. This was the cue for the party to break up as we all went our own way back to our individual RV’s. 

It had still not rained but the lightning was crackling all around us and I took the chance, and we went out for a walk around the park, this time in the dark. The lightning was still sparkling, and I noticed that Delores had her awnings out as we walked by. I made a quick call to remind her that she might want to get them in until the storm has passed. 

We made one circuit around the park and then went inside for the evening although by now, it was 9:00 pm. I made the mistake of turning on the TV and did not get to bed until almost 12:30 am. So ended another fun day with good friends and acquaintances. 

Written 06/16/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

The deer missed this one…My first rose.

Another morning and a new day. We got up at a reasonable hour and went out walking the park. I had forgotten to charge my phone last evening and had to rely on the new Galaxy that I generally use just for taking pictures. I like to carry either one or both just in case something happens when we are out and about. Gotta be prepared. 

The dogs did not appear to be any worse for yesterday’s busy day and surgery as we wandered around covering our usual half mile before returning for breakfast. While I was sitting writing, there was another knock on the door and “The Girls” were standing there having brought over a desk chair they had offered me. I had jumped at getting a free office chair as I had been thinking that I needed to buy one. 

BJ and Peggy came in for a while and we sat and chatted catching up with each other’s news. They spent a lot of time making a fuss of the dogs who were all too willing to have someone pet them. I thanked them profusely for the new to me, chair and received an invitation to come over later and see their new furniture which I promised to do later in the day, around beer time! 

They left and I went back to writing wracking my brain trying to remember yesterday’s events. My short-term memory really is getting bad, and I virtually have to relive things in order to remember the details although days like yesterday tend to stick as it was full of events and worry. 

I brought the blog up to date by posting the past couple of days along with pictures I have taken and then looked around for other things to do. I had a couple of household type things and spent some time working on them. 

The weather has been warming up and the outside temperature was hovering close to 95 degrees. On the other hand, the A/C was working just fine, and I was not inclined to go outside unless absolutely necessary. 

Daniel stopped by to invite me over for ice cream in the Break Room, and I wandered over to discover, The Girls and Malinda already there plus of course Daniel. We all got our helping of peach cobbler and ice cream and sat and talked for a couple of hours. Incidentally, when the ice cream was gone, we started in on Mango Margaritas and Banana Coladas and sat drinking and spinning yarns for a couple of hours. 

While we were in the Break Room, Daniel spotted a deer heading towards the bird feeders and frightened it off. This in broad daylight.They sure are bold… or hungry. 

Eventually, the party broke up and we each went our separate ways. I took the dogs out for just a short walk about before returning back to The Caboose for the evening meal, the cobbler and ice cream long gone from my system. 

Written 06/14/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

I slept very late and did not crawl out until 10:00 am. Still, it is Sunday, a day meant for leisure and laziness…I took a quick shower and then we went out walking in the park. With our late start, it was already hot out and we only did a couple of short circuits until the dogs did their business and then it was back indoors.  

We stopped at another fellow camper, Lucas and Shryl, while we were out as I noticed they had moved their Class A and had a Class C, in fact, the Girls “old” coach, in its place. Apparently, they have some problems with the Class A which is why they changed RV’s. We chatted for a while as both Daniel and Malinda were helping to set up the “new” RV and I learned of the problems. 

Daniel came over and made a fuss of the dogs and invited me over for lunch at 1:00 pm. We continued our walk as there was nothing, we could do in the way of helping out and wandered around the park covering our usual half mile. The park was quiet, but it was Sunday so understandably so. 

Back in The Caboose, I fixed the usual breakfast and coffee but am fast running out of ideas for something tasty to start the day. I turned my attention to the blog and before I knew it, the time was 1:15 pm which meant I was already 15 minutes late. I had eaten a couple of pieces of toast less than an hour before, so the thought of more food was a bit of a struggle. 

I wandered over to Daniels RV and the “Girls” were already there accompanied by my new neighbors, Lucas and Shryl and of course, Gary who usually, quietly sits in the background and then occasionally pops up with a remark or retort or sometimes, even a story. As Daniel put it, “The gangs all here”. 

We sat and drank beer and eventually ate some of Daniels barbecue of different kinds of meat accompanied by all of the fixin’s, which were supplied by our host and everyone else there. I felt a bit of a free loader as I had not supplied anything in the way of food and not even beer, this time around. 

As we chatted and told stories, some a bit wilder than the last, and oohd and aahd about each tale, the afternoon wore on. It really was fun listening as everyone had something to say, most of which was highly amusing. Sometimes, there was a sad tale about the family and such and the afternoon turned into the evening. By the way, we consumed a lot of beer although I managed to contain myself and drink only 3 cans over a seven hour period so I was very sober. 

Gary was the first to leave, bidding his farewell as he walked off. The rest of us sat there with more stories, some of which had us rolling on the ground and others almost wiping our eyes. Even the Girls joined in with yarn or two. 

Finally, the Girls left, and I took the hint and walked back to The Caboose to be greeted by my noisy little dogs. We harnessed up and wandered around the park seeing it in the dusk as it began to darken. 

Back at the RV, I tied the dogs up and then brought in all the bird feeders plus sprayed the flower plants with the Deer Off in the hope it will keep them away and from eating them. The forecast is for rain this evening, so I brought in the canopy, so we do not have any wind problems if it was to blow hard, or heavy rain accumulating on the canopy.
 
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way except I had already eaten, and it was just a case of finishing the blog and then watching TV. I did not even have my usual glass of wine having already consumed three beers.

Written 06/11/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Monday 06/12/2023

I wonder who these belong to? Obviously, a big dog.

I got up at a reasonable hour for me, and we quickly harnessed up for that first walk. It was another bright and sunny day, and we met a couple of other campers on our walk, stopping to chat as we normally do. We met Daniel on the way and both dogs trotted over to make a fuss of him. Even Mikey was pleased to see him. 

He went on his way as did we just wandered around glad to be outside although the temperature was already getting hot heading towards a high of 95 degrees. We returned to the RV and the dogs helped me to bring out the bird feeders and hang them in their respective places. 

Back inside, I got out a saucepan and mixed sugar and water to a 4-1 ratio and put it on the stove to heat up so that the sugar dissolved. I then poured it into a container and put it in the fridge to cool down for later use in the humming bird feeders. 

With that out of the way, the next major item on my agenda was coffee and breakfast. I settled for the good old burrito standby and then settled down in front of the computer to play catch up.  

I remembered that I needed to call the RV insurance company, Good Sam, to get some corrections made to the current policy and while I was on the phone, inquired about an extended warranty on The Caboose. Unfortunately, they did not offer one much to my frustration. 

I returned to the blog writing mumbling under my breath about insurance companies and caught up with the writing to date. I looked at the time and it was 4:00 pm. I had no idea where the day had gone but it had just flown by. 

I sat outside for a while enjoying the cool breeze and just chillin out until I considered it about the right time to go out for the evening walk. We walked the Loop towards Hwy 290 and saw several exotic deer in the distance although not really visible enough to try a picture or two. We walked to the last of the shady areas before turning back as neither the dogs nor myself were into the humidity. The sweat was pouring off me and Sandy kept laying down in any shade that she could find as she was obviously hot. Mikey was not as bad, but I could tell that he too was uncomfortable. 

Back in the RV, we went inside to the A/C and just sat on the couch to cool off. My energy level was practically zero, but I made the dogs food and fed it to them as they are not allowed to eat after 8:00 pm this evening because of the surgery planned for tomorrow. 

We just sat and chilled for a while before I worked up enough energy to work on the blog catching up with the day’s events. Finally, as it got dark, we brought in the bird feeders. 

Written 06/12/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

There was another tremendous storm in the early hours of the morning. The lightning flashed very brightly followed by the roar of thunder. The storm was right on top of us for a while, but it gradually blew away.  

I got up to see if the awning was damaged as I had forgotten to bring it in. It was still intact but was bowing under the weight of the water on top of it. I tried to run it in, but the motor would not budge with all that weight. There was nothing I could do but wait for the morning and hope that there would not be any major damage. 

Luckily, although it was one tremendous storm as far as lightning and thunder and then rain, there was no wind otherwise the awning would have collapsed. 

I went back to bed but could not sleep and got up around 7:00 am, unheard of unless there is an emergency. I glanced out of the window and saw Gary walking towards the RV with a hose pipe in hand. As I watched, he flung it up onto the awning, sucked on it to get the water flowing and stood there as it ran full pipe and slowly took the water off. 

By this time, I had opened the door to greet him and watched as the weight was lifted off the awning with the disappearing water. When I tried it this time, it slowly retracted pouring the last remnants of water on the ground. I let it back out so that it would dry in the morning sun. I thanked Gary for being such a help as he coiled up his hosepipe and walked over to the breakroom. I am so lucky that there is Gary and a couple of others like him like the girls and Delores, not counting Malinda and Daniel, that are only too happy to help. 

I shaved and put regular clothes on which for me are shorts and tee shirt, and we went out walking stopping at the breakroom to chat more with Gary who was sitting outside drinking coffee. We finally went out for that walk but only made one circuit of the park. My hip muscle was sore…again, and it was painful to walk. This time, I had aggravated it by changing the sheets on the bed. Go figure…Must be a lesson here, like, never make the bed again. 

Back at the RV, I noticed that I had also forgotten to bring in the bird feeders last evening and of course, every one of them had been emptied. Not only that, but the deer had also been at the rose bushes nibling on the top and eating the flower buds, Damn deer. I have yet to see a rose from 4 different bushes as the deer keep eating them. 

I have some new deer spray but every time it rains, it cleans off the plants and as it rained hard last night, that is the only invitation that the deer needed. It seems that the roses are their favorite meal as they do not eat any of the other plants in the garden. 

We went out walking so the guys could stretch their legs and do their business and then, when we returned, I refilled all the feeders…again. Good job I have just bought another 25lb of bird seed. We went back inside for breakfast, and I caught up on the blog. 

I had to replace the jacks that are under the main slide out as I had inadvertently pushed the retract button on that unit while working on the awning. This meant hunching over to get under the slide out at one end and using the small footstool to sit on at the other end. I’m just not flexible anymore. Oh, for my younger days…I finally got the jacks reinstalled and tightened them up so that they were just under pressure. 

With that done, I decided to drive into Austin to the Walmart’s there, a trip of around 30 miles one way. Walmart’s is the only local store for camping supplies, and I was out of toilet additives to keep the tanks from smelling up the place. The drive in was uneventful and as it was Saturday, the traffic was not too bad. 

I wandered around the store knowing what I wanted and where it was found, which included the toilet bowl drop-ins. I loaded up on fruit and of course, wine and headed to the exit. The drive home was quick and uneventful, and I went the back way for a change ignoring Starbucks on the way. 

Back in the RV, I had all kinds of help with the groceries and little noses going a mile a minute. Between us, we quickly put things away and went out walking the park stopping to chat to a few people and their dogs that we met as we walked around. 

Back at The Caboose, we sat outside, this time with a beer instead of wine, and listened to an Audiobook for an hour or more before going out one more time to walk the lane leading to Hwy 290. We saw a couple exotic deer in the distance but not close enough for any pictures. 

We managed to walk 2.6 miles for the day. Those big stores will do it every time. 

Written 06/10/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com

I just love the beauty and artistic work that has gone into this wall. These stones are all dry stacked and no mortar to hold them together. A real work of art of days gone by. I wonder if there are any skilled trademen left who do this sort of thing
 
I got up early for a change and after the usual morning ablutions, we went out walking the park. It was already in the mid 80’s and looked like it was going to be another muggy day. We saw a couple of other campers out walking but generally, it was quiet.  

Work was ongoing down by the swimming pool where Daniel spends a great deal of his time. He was away elsewhere yesterday, and Malinda had jumped in to help with painting the boards before assembly. 

We went back in after bringing out the bird seed units and had the usual breakfast and coffee. I sat and wrote in the blog keeping one eye on the weather as the forecast was a heavy thunderstorm approaching our way. As promised, the storm rolled in accompanied by lightning and of course thunder and torrential rain driven by fierce winds. It just fell out of the sky. Still, we were inside in the dry and it was cozy watching the storm and at least, we never got any of the promised 2-inch hailstones. 

I continued writing until I was all caught up and then looked around for other things to get up to. Yesterday, I finished going through the storage boxes which included the ones under the bed so technically, we have finished that chore. What is more, I still have storage space within the RV that has not yet been used. Most of it requires that I get out my small stepladder to reach the upper storage areas with me being so short (and getting shorter) … 

The rain finally eased off, but heavy showers were still in the forecast making it difficult to plan on doing anything outside. 

I completed and posted the blogs to bring us up to date. I am having trouble with One Drive and spent some time fiddling around blindly trying this and that before giving up and copying the files elsewhere. Guess, I will not be using One Drive to store my files for a while until I get it working properly. Computers, you either hate them or love them. There is no in-between. Maybe it is time to get my brand new one out of its box and set it up. Then again, setting up can also be a pain. 

We went out walking again just to get some fresh air. It was a bit muggy out with the recent rain showers and now the sun is beating down and we tried to take advantage of as much shade as possible. We walked the road leading towards Hwy 290 as it has the most shade in the afternoons and discovered a whole bunch of exotics out grazing. There were both deer and a pair of zebras, the most we have ever seen in one place. I took a whole bunch of pictures to work on later. 

We continued our walk to the end of the road and Hwy 290 before turning back to The Caboose. I had a couple of chores and then decided to go into town to the HEB store. I managed to find everything I wanted except for a couple of small items, and I had to go to Tractor Supply for them. I drove straight back to the park and with a lot of help, unloaded the groceries. 

After putting things away, we sat outside and listened to an Audiobook and drank a beer which went down extremely easy after my shopping experiences. It looked like it might come on to rain again and I brought folding the chairs inside to keep them dry. 

Just as it was getting dark, I went outside and took down the bird feeders and put them away. At least, I remembered to do that this time… 

The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion of food and television. 

Written 06/08/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Friday 06/09/2023

These are the sheep we see on our walks

I awoke early for the call of Nature and contemplated getting up but had nothing planned for the day and went back to bed. Big mistake as it was 10:00 am before I woke up and crawled out. It does not really matter as we had nothing planned. It will be a big shock to my body on Tuesday when I must be at the Vets by 8:00 am and it is an hour’s drive…Anything for the dogs though. 

We went outside and I tied them up so they could watch as I brought out the bird feeders and put them in their proper places and then we went out walking the park and the outside road. It was already bloody hot, and today’s forecast it will be in the mid 90’s. It will not be long before we hit the 100-degree mark. After all, this is Texas, and the hot weather is why we love it so. Yeah, right… 

We wandered around but it was too hot with very little shade to stay out too long, and we returned to The Caboose mostly to cool off in the A/C. I had a couple of indoor chores which included doing a load of laundry. I had put the machine on the wash mode when I got up and it was doing its thing while we walked and had breakfast. I kept an eye on it as we did other things but apart from the fact that the entire RV shakes when it is in spin mode, everything was just fine. I just love having my own washing machine and am worse than the proverbial old washerwoman except they did theirs by hand… 

I ate breakfast and had the all-important first coffee of the day although I did not need it to wake up as the morning walk did that for me. I ate an unappetizing Burrito and then turned my attention to the blog. The good thing about not having a whole bunch of followers is that I do not have to spend a lot of time responding to comments so that part moves along very swiftly. I really write to satisfy that artistic side of me and to keep my brain occupied. Still, I am very grateful to those that do take the time to read my blog even though it is very repetitious. Nothing very exciting happens in my life, thank goodness. 

I wondered what we could get up to today and nothing came to mind so I turned my attention to the blog, completing it as I brought it up to date. I posted the latest blog accompanied by the usual pictures.  
Looking around for something else to do, I dropped back on the old faithful of taking the dogs out walking around the park. It was so hot out that even the dogs were reluctant to walk very far so we headed back to The Caboose. There, we did our usual thing of listening to an Audiobook only this time, I drank a beer instead of the usual small bottle of wine. 

After a while, Daniel pulled up on his ATV and parked it on the grass and then sat at the picnic table and his first question was, “Where is the beer?”. Luckily, I had a couple of cans still in the fridge as he does not like warm beer. Me, I am British and am used to drinking beer that is cooled in a cellar naturally and not artificially although in the 56 years I have been here, I have adapted well and can drink it cold along with the best of them. Well, I used to. Not so much anymore as it takes less beer to get me lightheaded. Damned old age… 

When the first beer was downed and he wanted a second, we adjourned to his RV as he has a full sized refrigerator fully stocked with the stuff. Before going over, I took the dogs out for another short walk and then wandered across the road. 

We sat outside talking while Malinda was busy trying to find out why the refrigerator was leaking. In the end, Daniel joined her and between them, finally figured out the problem which was a blockage in the drain line. While all this was going on, I sat outside with Remington on my lap as we waited for them to complete the work. I would have helped if they needed me but there was nothing I could do. 

Finally, they successfully completed the project and sat back down to drink beer and chat. Daniel had a large steak cooking on his new Grill, and he left it for quite a while before declaring that it was time to eat. Malinda had brought out a bunch of fixin’s including Brussel Sprouts which I have not had in a while. 

We sat and chatted and enjoyed a very good meal with even better company until it was time for me to wander back to The Caboose. I took the dogs out for a short walk in the dark just wandering around the campground, which, incidentally, looks a lot different at night. 
 
Back in the RV, I fed the dogs and then we settled down to watch TV until it was time for bed. 

Written 06/09/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

It looks like a typical male dwelling with jackets and such carelessly hanging on the back of chairs and a general air of untidyness

I had a good night’s sleep waking up around the usual time and after a quick shower, we went out for a stroll around the campground. The girls were sitting outside, and the dogs spotted them and dragged me in a beeline in their direction so they could both get the mandatory attention. 

I sat talking to them for a while before moving on with the walkabout around the park covering our normal half mile. Back at the RV, I did a couple of outside chores and worked on the Hummingbird feeders. I took them both down and gave them a good scrubbing in the hope of attracting the Hummers as I have only seen one or two lately. Maybe they are busy nesting or have moved on. 

With the outside chores done, we went inside for the usual breakfast and coffee. I had been complaining to my Bastrop BJ friend about how food tastes mediocre at best and she suggested eggs, not indicating on how I should eat them, cooked or otherwise. 

I have never eaten raw eggs but know of athletes that do. In their case, they are usually cracked raw into a glass of milk. As my athletic days are long gone and the thought of a raw egg kinda turned me off, I opted to cook mine in the microwave which did the job. I had already toasted a bread roll and buttered and then added tomato ketchup for flavoring and ate it helped by Sandy. She liked her “tasters” and in my case, the ketchup tasted good. The egg did nothing for me… 

Still, I always have coffee! Now, if it was food… 

I sat and wrote, and it started to rain hard. One of those short gully washers where a lot of rain falls in a truly short space of time. As usual, my yard flooded where it always does right under the bird feeders. When it left off, the birds returned to the feeders as before. I wonder where they go when the rain just pours down? 

One of the good things about the rain is that it washes off the deck where my shoes manage to carry the dirt up onto the nicely painted boards. Cannot blame the dogs for that one… 

I worked on the blog and brought it up to date, posting yesterday and then a couple of poems which are published on Saturdays. The old brain has not been very poetical, (is that a word?) lately and I am having to resort to poems I have written over the years, from my Archives. 

Before I knew it, the clock said it was 4:10 pm and I had no idea where the day had gone. As the rain had stopped and the sun was shining, it seemed like a suitable time to go out walking again. I harnessed up the guys and we went out to walk around the park. We met a couple of others doing the same and stopped at Sharon and Larry’s RV to make a fuss of their dog. 

The girls were outside, and we stopped to chat for a while before continuing our way around the park. We finally ended up at The Caboose and sat outside listening to an Audiobook and just watching the world go by waving to different people as they passed. 

Finally, we went out once more walking for the last walk of the day before adjourning back indoors for food and television. I watched the last of the weekends games which also brought the Premier League Season to a close. 

Written 06/06/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

The Caboose at night.

Another month has flown by, and I have no idea where it has gone. Maybe it is because I am an old man that time goes by so much faster. When I was a kid, all those years ago, the days were at least twice as long as they are now, or that is how they seemed, just never ending. Now, when I blink, another hour has passed. Oh well, all we can do is enjoy every minute of the time remaining to us. 

For some reason, it was 10:30 am before I even woke up. It was probably because I watched a movie until 2:00 am. I hastily scrambled into my clothes and harnessed up the dogs to take them out walking. As you can imagine, because of my late start, it was already hot outside. 

Before we actually went walking, I rehung all the bird feeders that are now stored away each evening. The dogs were tied to the table so they could watch. Then we went out walking the park and the outside lane passing only a couple of other dogs with their Hooman’s along the way. 

Back in the RV, I fixed that all important cup of coffee and the not so important breakfast and as I usually do, caught up with the world news before turning my attention to the blog. I worked on some pictures that I took yesterday in Lightroom and then imported them into the blog. 

When I was finally caught up with both writing and pictures, I checked on other things. The scammers are very busy, and it is getting harder and harder to tell the truth from the frauds. If there is any doubt and I cannot see a safe way to check the validity of the message, I instantly delete it. 

Because of the late start, the day was flying by. It did not matter too much as I had nothing planned and I did not need to go into town for any reason, especially now that I had renewed my sticker for the Jeep. That, at least, is good for another year. 

We went out for another walk around the park. It was very hot out and we tried to find as much shade as possible. When Sandy finds shade and flops down on the ground, then I know it is time to head back to The Caboose, which we did. 

We stayed outside in the shade and listened to the latest story on Audiobooks for a couple of hours before taking that final walk of the day. There were no invitations to imbibe or eat steaks for the evening, which is probably a good thing as then I can control how much food and drink, I consume. 

Back indoors, it was the usual food and a Premier Football game before heading to bed. Incidentally, I did not drink that usual glass of wine. 

Written 06/01/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com