I got up at a very reasonable hour for me and the first thing of course was to fill the bird feeders. During the time that I was over at the break room at last evenings party with my friends, the deer moved in cleaned out all the seed holders. I filled the four small holders and hung them out and then the dogs and I went walking. We didn’t get very far before we crossed paths with Daniel who had his granddaughter with him. We sat outside the break room drinking coffee just passing the time. His granddaughter is extremely intelligent 8 years old and so funny to listen to. She amused us all by herself with her constant chatter.
We eventually continued with our walk around the park and got to see a couple of exotic deer across the road. I even got a couple of pictures off then. We wandered around and eventually returned to the RV. Where we sat inside and had breakfast. Plus, that all important coffee.
I fiddled around with the iPhone but could not get that to work for me in the blog. So I switched to the other phone that I have and managed to get it to record today’s events. I will be glad when I get my new computer back. We have nothing planned for today except maybe a trip into the grocery store.
With nothing better to do and after already writing it down, I decided to go into town to the HEB there and do some grocery shopping. I didn’t think I needed that much when I tried to make a list it only had one thing on it, beer.
I knew That once I got in HEB I would figure out all kinds of things that I needed. This turned out to be true as I ended up spending $160, I only bought one 6 pack of beer. I kept finding things that ended up in my basket although I probably will use them all.
I stopped at Starbucks and got small latte to help me on the drive Home which was straightforward. The dogs helped me unload and put the groceries away with lots of sniffing and poking noses into bags stuff like that.
I really don’t have much else going on today and was just sitting around when the phone rang. It was Peggy telling me to come over to their RV. Delores was already there and I accepted the offer of a beer. Then followed the real reason we were there and that was to eat homemade ice-cream which was delicious.
I declined the offer of a second helping and we sat there exchanging stories before Delores said she had to go. I walked out with her and saw her safe in her RV before going to my own little house to be greeted by my two little dogs.
I found something to eat and then spent the rest of the evening in the usual way.
I got up at a somewhat reasonable hour for us and we went out for the usual morning walk about. It was already pretty hot out and it’s going to be another very hot day.
We walked around the park and then settled back indoors for the usual coffee and breakfast. Except, this time we never got around to it. Instead, I loaded up the two computers into the car and made sure that I had all the stuff I needed and drove into Austin to the nearest Best Buy.
I got lucky as there was nobody at the counter. Usually there’s a line unless you call ahead and make an appointment you’re stuck at the end of that line. I had not called ahead but like I said, I got lucky as there was nobody else around.
The salesperson took all my information and after a lot of filling out forms and such, took both of the computers . He carefully looked at the new one that I had already bought and was returning and gave me a full refund on it. Then he suggested that I go find another computer and told me what brand I needed to buy that would be compatible and I wandered over to the computer section.
I was met there by a salesman who just happened to work for Hewlett Packard, the company that he said I should buy. He showed me one and it looked OK to me but then again so did the last one that I bought and I just returned. I took it back to the repair section and the same salesman worked with me on getting everything checked in. He told me that the new computer should be ready by next Tuesday.
I thanked him and then went on my way back home, pleased that things had worked out well. The drive home was uneventful and I thought about stopping at Starbucks for coffee and decided against it.
Back at the RV, I was met by my two little buddies who were ready to go walkies which we did for a short walk around the grounds. It was pretty hot out so we did not stay out long and quickly adjourned back inside The Caboose.
It occurred to me after I’d eaten breakfast or rather lunch, that I would not have a computer for the next few days. I need to keep up with the blog on a daily basis as my memory is so bad I hardly remember what day it is. I have it’s a small tablet that have not used very much plus the Samsung phone which also has recording capabilities. That got me thinking and I started messing around with it and managed to get it to record the blog. Now I don’t feel quite so bad as at least I can record Stuff even if I can’t post it until I get the computers back, supposedly next Tuesday. Four days time.
By then, it was already 4:00 and another day had flown by. We harnessed up the dogs and went out walking although it was still pretty hot out outside. The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way, listening to the audio book drinking a bottle of beer and generally relaxing.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, TX. Thursday 09/21/2023
I got up at a very reasonable hour probably because I was worrying about the things going on that I was trying to fix. As we usually do, I harnessed up the dogs and we went outside to work on the bird feeders. Well let’s say we went outside and I worked on the bird feeders. Then we went walking around the park.
We ran into Daniel who had been sitting over the Common’s area with somebody I didn’t recognize. We chatted for a little bit and then then he went on his way as we did. We wandered around and hit the outside road known as Henley Loop, and walked all the way down to the very large oak tree. I thought that it was at least 1/2 mile to that tree but according to my trusty phone, it was only eight tenths of a mile there and back. Quite obviously, I am not a good judge of distance.
Back at the RV, I fixed breakfast of a bacon sandwich for me and then I crushed up Sandys medication and covered it with ice cream. I had a flash of brilliance while I was trying to think of how to give her medicine and making sure she eats it. Then I remember how much she likes ice cream and at least this morning, she ate the pill. Maybe I gotta do this everyday.
Following breakfast I glanced at the spot where normally the computer sits and remember that was I was having work done and I wouldn’t have it for a few days. So, I went back to my the phone and after a lot of fiddling around, managed to get it’s too listen to me as I spokeand recording the Blog.
I dictated the morning as far as it had gone and hoped that I could get it to work again when I need it to. I have no plans for today except maybe just throw in a load of laundry. Taking that as a cue, I did just that and we now have a load of laundry doing its thing.
I went outside and did some work on the the bird hangers as they did not look very secure to me. I had used two pieces of 2×2 to hang the big feeders and I changed that out to 2 x 4 and it’s now much more secure. The feeders when they are full have quite a bit of weight and the two boards that I have just changed will take care of that. I also did some work on the gate to the deck as it was not latching properly. With the outside projects taken complete, I went back inside. I will be glad to get a computer back so I have something to work on.
We really did not do very much except to manage the laundry and write the blog. Incidentally, the blog is temporarily getting written on my phone until I get my computer back.
I got an invitation from the girls to go over to the break room so that I could enjoy more food. I wandered over and both BJ and Peggy where there. We sat and chatted for a while and then Melinda, Daniel and the Grandkids came in followed by Dolores. We sat and enjoyed food provided by the girls who in turn had got it from their workplace where they had a party today. The food was really tasty and of course the company is just incredible.
I watched as several of them played a game of cards called Uno including two of Malinda’s Grandkids, Madi, and Landon. The other Grandkid, Wyatt, watched TV. I got the biggest kick watching them play, especially Madi who is a child well beyond her years.
I only drank one beer at least until I got back to my RV. Then I got me another one and sat on the outside deck listening to an audio book. We sat there for a while and then went back inside to shut up shop for the evening.
I got up early, for me, as I knew I had an 11:00 am appointment in Austin with my Dentist. I thought about it and called my Vet to order more pills for Sandy. You know, the ones that I am constantly scheming to find ways to administer to her. Plus, they are expensive at $100.00 for a month’s supply which works out to around $3:00 a pill. Another reason I hate it is when she wastes them. Still, to me, she is more than worth it.
With that out of the way, we walked around for the first walk of the day before returning to the RV where I fed Sandy her special mix, which she ate. Mikey just gets a couple of treats.
I fixed myself coffee and breakfast with one eye on the clock and when it was time, said goodbye to my little buddies and hopped in the Jeep for the drive into town.
My Dentist is located about mid-town Austin, and I took the 38th street exit off Mopac and was there at the proper time. I was quickly seated, and the Dentist and his Assistant went to work. They had done the “dirty” work a couple of weeks ago when they extracted the bad tooth. This time, they did things in reverse and removed the temporary one and replaced it with the permanent one. I was only in the chair for about 15 minutes.
The best part was at check out when I was all prepared to pay whatever it might cost and they told me, nothing. Apparently, I had paid for the complete job the last time I was here. I thanked everybody profusely and made my way back to my car.
My next stop was back on Ben White Blvd to the building where my ear doctor was found. He had supplied the new hearing aids or rather his Audiologist, Lisa, had. She met me and led me back to her little cubicle that she works out of and asked what she could do for me.
I took the new hearing aids out of my pocket (not my ears) and explained that the one on the left was not working. She fiddled around with it and then cleaned both of them and told me that the left aid was turned off and showed me how to turn them back on as needed.
I replaced the older ones that were in my ears with the repaired new ones and handed them to her and explained that these are now just backups but that the left one was making weird noises. She went to work and using her magic touch first cleaned and then got it back working properly again. While she was at it, she cleaned the other one as well.
I put the “old” ones back in their box as I was back to wearing the new ones again as they do give a better sound. I thanked her profusely for her help and on the way out, ran into Dr. Bittar and we shook hands and exchanged a couple of words. It is hard to believe that I have been coming to see him since 1978 when I broke my nose playing soccer which led to him working on all the other parts of my ears, nose and throat.
The drive home was uneventful, and I stopped at the Vet’s to pick up Sandy’s expensive pills. This time I got 2 month’s supply plus as an added bonus, the traffic was light, and I made good time for the trip back to the RV.
I was met at the door by the dogs eager to go out for a walk and we wandered here and there before returning to the RV. There was not much shade this early in the afternoon and although, not as hot as a week ago, the temperature was around the 95-degree mark, still plenty warm.
I sat and worked on the blog completed yesterday after much head scratching as I struggled to remember exactly what happened. It was one of those routine days, so nothing jumped out at me, and I finally was able to post it.
It was 5:00 pm when I was caught up with the blog and time for the evening walk. Again, we just wandered around the park and got lucky as we saw some deer when we walked Henly Loop towards Hwy 290.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way, food, drink and television.
Another week begins. I wonder what this one might bring? I’m not sure that I want to know way ahead of time anyway. Anticipation of an upcoming event whether good or bad might be very difficult. I got up at a very reasonable hour for me because I thought I had a Dentists appointment in Austin. Turns out that it is for tomorrow, but I stayed up anyway.
We went out for our first walk but only walked one circuit of the park. The Dentists appointment was on my mind, not realizing that it is not until tomorrow, and I wanted to make sure not to be late. It was only when I got back to the RV did, I realized that my time was off but only by 24 hours. Go figure.
I fixed breakfast and had just enough milk for the coffee which got me thinking that I will need to go into town anyway regardless of the dentist appointment. My local HEB in Dripping Springs has almost everything I want in the way of food. It’s just that Walmart’s has all this other “stuff” that I like to look at and sometimes even buy.
I settled for the HEB in Dripping Spring mainly because I have a Dentists Appointment in Austin tomorrow. That still did not mean that I did not have to go shopping as for one thing, I was out of bird seed and the feeders needed replenishing. Plus, it was my turn to buy the beer.
I went into town and stopped at Tractor Supply where I bought two 25 lb. bags of bird seed. Then, it was on to HEB where I wandered around and found all the things I needed, including the beer as my contribution. A six pack with my name on it snuck into my cart when I wasn’t looking.
On the way home, I stopped at Starbucks and bought a small Latte which tasted OK. The piece of Walnut cake tasted even better. I got lots of help in putting things away with Mikey sticking his nose into every bag I unloaded from the car. I put things in cupboards and the refrigerator and then harnessed up the dogs so they could help in filling and rehanging the bird feeders. I switched a couple of feeders around so the birds would eat from them and then we went out walking. We wandered around as we usually do with the only specific destination, the mail box just to check, in case someone sent me something. I still have some addresses to reroute and am slowly working on it. Eventually, I hope to be able to cancel the Mail Service that I have at Far West Blvd in Austin.
We walked back to the RV and sat around listening to an Audiobook and watched the world go by. There was not a lot to watch…Daniel called and told me to come over for a beer. Never on to pass on a free beer, I wandered over and we sat talking for about an hour before heading back to The Caboose.
Finally, it was time to do things in reverse and I brought in the seed holders from the low stand. We now have four that are up high and out of the deer’s reach and they stay out all the time. Incidentally, the bird seed that the birds always waste below the seed holders has started to grow with the recent rain. I will probably have to cut that down eventually as it will be too late in the season for it to ripen.
I thought about the recent days and the many different ways that I have spent my waking time living this life so sublime doing what I like to do most of the time without a clue with no one else to tell me wrong I breeze through life like a song knowing the words and humming the tune as the saying goes over the moon with the people I know here at the park always ready for a lark drive fifty miles to go to a show drink some beer and dance real slow or hop around as the music speeds and those of us with clumsy feet need lots of room or we will trip over ourselves as we feel hip so we stand in one place and move real slow just to put on our own show and let the dancers do their thing swinging by like birds on a wing.
Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, so we did, not getting up until 8:30 am and taking the first walk around the campgrounds and the outside road. Others were doing the same with their pets. Even though it was cooler, the humidity still made it uncomfortable.
Back in the RV, I looked around for something for breakfast and settled on two waffles covered in syrup with that all important first coffee of the day. With breakfast out of the way, I straightened up the RV and made the bed and then turned my attention to the world news and then the blog.
I worked on yesterday and had a lot to report with our trip to Fredericksburg which I had thoroughly enjoyed. I am glad that I was not a stick in the mud and had gone with these crazy, fun-loving people as I had such a wonderful and fun time.
Weatherwise, it has cooled down a lot and the high for today is forecast to be in the mid 90’s which compared to a week ago is almost comfortable.
I thought about going into town and decided against it mainly because it was Sunday, and I could not stock up on wine and beer. These are my only contributions to all the food I keep eating from the others. Like I said before, I can’t cook worth a dam.
I found things to do which included catching up with the blog. I also used the new spray on the plants that is supposed to keep the deer away. It stinks to high heaven which is why the deer do not like it. I almost needed a face mask just to apply the stuff, it smelt so bad. As long as my neighbors do not complain…
We went out for another walk and just wandered around the park and the outside roads and just about managed to get in the mandatory mile for the day. Even though it was no longer in the 100’s, it was still pretty warm and humid out. After the busy last couple of days, it was nice to just laze around.
We sat outside and listened to an Audiobook and drank a couple of beers. Then, as usual, came the mandatory last short walk followed by bringing in the bird feeders and shutting the door on the outside world. The rest of the evening was food, a glass of wine and Premier League Football.
This guy was only a few feet away on the other side of the fence.
We awoke to a cloudy morning with a good chance of rain in the forecast and quickly harnessed up ready to walk before it started. I brought out the bird feeders and am pleased to report that all the different feeders get their fair share of our feathered friends.
The night before, I left the two seedcake holders out on purpose as both seedcakes were nearly finished. I wondered if the deer would eat them and of course the answer was not only yes, but hell yes as both feeders were empty by the morning. So, I took the time to refill them as well and will bring them in along with the other seed holders at night.
We went out for the first walk of the day and just wandered around, even though it was cloudy, there was extremely high humidity. I worked up a pretty good sweat and we only walked a half mile. The walk was uneventful, and we did not see any other dogs taking their Hooman’s out.
Back in the RV, I fixed the usual breakfast and continued with the ongoing battle to get Sandy to take her medicine. I keep trying different things. Some work one day and then won’t work the next which is really frustrating. Sometimes, I do other things and not paying attention and Mikey finishes off her food. My guess is that he has a very healthy heart even without the added medicine.
It started to rain but not as hard as last evening nor for as long, but every bit helps. I thought about going into town but my list of items that I needed was very short and none of which were a” must have”.
We went out for another walk around the grounds just to keep the dogs occupied and of course, I always need exercise.
Back in the RV, I pulled out the new computer that I bought a couple of months ago and decided that I would try to set it up. I asked Malinda if she knew how to do that and she said “Yes, bring it over to the Break Room”. I took both of my computers, the one I use every day and the new one still in its box over and she went to work. I spent my time inside with her or outside with Daniel and the Girls.
Malinda worked on the file transfers for a couple of hours, even calling Microsoft for help but to no avail. The new computer will not accept some files and cannot be set up the same as the old one. She returned both computers back to the way they were and at the same time, made the two keys that were not working properly on the original one, active.
I am not sure what I will do with the new one. The logical thing is to return it, but I have had it a couple of months still unopened in the box until yesterday. At this time, with the original one working properly, I do not need to replace it.
I sat around and listened to an Audiobook before I got a call from Peggy telling me to “come over”. Over was the Break Room and the usual group were there with the exception of Delores. As usual, somebody, and I believe it was Gary, had prepared hamburgers with all of the fixin’s.
We sat and chatted and ate our food and eventually, the party broke up with us each going our separate ways with me taking the dogs out walking for the last walk of the day.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, TX. Saturday 09/16/2023
The day started off as it normally does with the first walk around the campgrounds saying “Good Morning” to whoever we met along the way or changing directions if they happened to have unknown dogs with them. Sometimes, it would be the other camper that changed directions not wanting to take that chance with my two ferocious trained attack dogs.
I received a message from Peggy reminding me that we were going to Fredericksburg at 11:00. When I hummed and hawed about it as I was not really sure that I wanted to go, I told her I would call her back on it. A few minutes later, I got a call from Daniel and his first words were, “What do you mean you are not going, of course you are going”.
I mumbled “OK” under my breath and he said they would pick me up at 11:00 am and to be ready. I really wanted to go but was a bit reluctant to leave the guys alone all day. Promptly at 11:00 am, BJ rolled up in her van with everyone on board. Malinda leaned out and told me to wear a hat which I promptly grabbed and jumped into the front seat which is where I always seem to ride alongside BJ who is the driver. Incidentally, Jeff and Terri went with us but travelled in their own Jeep.
The trip was a long one of almost 50 miles one way and we listened to interesting stories from Daniel and Malinda with Peggy putting in her 5 cents worth. Then BJ turned on the radio to a station playing oldies but goodies. Both Malinda and she joined in, and we were entertained for a lot of the trip. BJ has a beautiful voice and knows ALL the words of ALL of the songs as does Malinda. Me, I can barely remember the words to the National Anthem let alone words to a hundred different Country and Western songs.
With all of the entertainment, the drive time passed quickly, and we arrived at the selected spot where we all piled out and started walking through the different buildings, each with a lot of good stuff inside. There was building after building, each having a dozen or so stalls selling a wide variety of items. There was one that had probably at least 500 different types of knives, which was of special interest to Daniel.
We wandered around from building after building and stall after stall and it was not long before we all got separated, and eventually finding each other. We sat in one building for at least an hour that was set up with a stage listening to a three piece band who were very good. The lead singer could belt out a song and the other guitarist played several solos. He too could play. For me, the hit of the group was the drummer who had to be all of 14 years old. He sat on top of the drum which was square and not the usual round shape that one associates with that type of instrument.
Malinda and Daniel got up and started dancing as did a couple of other people. Then both Peggy and BJ dragged me up onto the dance floor where I went ahead to make a complete and utter fool of myself. I got the rhythm and the beat OK but could not remember where to put my feet. It was all good fun and we finally called it a day and jumped back into BJ’s van.
We headed back into Fredericksburg and stopped at a specialty store that sold homemade food items. I bought a packet of Bourbon Pecans but have yet to try them. From there, we moved on to a similar store a half mile down the road only this time, we walked. This was Main Street, Fredericksburg and it was busy and full of tourists. Finally, BJ and Malinda walked back and retrieved the van and picked us all back up for the drive home.
Incidentally, on the drive in as we were leaving Henly, we passed through a very heavy rainstorm which we eventually drove out of before we hit Fredericksburg, but it did give Henly a good soaking. On the way back, both Malinda and BJ sang along to the radio entertaining the rest of us.
I was dropped off at my door and gave BJ and Peggy a quick hug and thanked them for making the day so entertaining. They are both two very nice and fun, ladies along with both Daniel and Malinda. It is good to have such nice friends. We covered 3.4 miles of walking for the day.
The dogs were pleased to see me, and we harnessed up to walk around the park before heading back inside for the usual evenings glass of wine and watch Brighton beat Man United 3-1 although Solly is injured and was not playing.
I awoke early and lay there thinking about the day ahead and wondering if I should get up. In the end, I took so long to make up my mind that I dropped back off to sleep. Oh well, guess I am not meant to get up earlier than 9:00 am. It does not matter much unless it happens to be one of those days when I do have something I need to do and even then, I try to set any appointments no earlier than midday or 1:00 pm. Some of that is also due to the fact that it takes me almost an hour to get into Austin and it it’s North Austin, even longer. If it happens to be rush hour, it will be much longer and much more aggravating.
It was cooler when we went out walking and we wandered around. We got to see an older Gentleman walking his two small dogs and I chose to go in the opposite direction so as not to have any confrontations. We also saw Greg and Olive, the little Bull Terrier who as usual was carrying a branch that was bigger than she was. We waved to them as they were at the bottom of the hill.
We walked the outside road and a part of the lane leading to Hwy 290 although we did not go all the way to the end. On the way back, the donkeys were by the fence along with the lone Zebra. The donkeys let me make a fuss of them and I made sure to keep my hands out of the way.
The Zebra came close but would not let me touch him. Probably a good thing as a lady pulled up in her car who I assumed to be the animal’s owner as she told me the whole history of them including their names which of course, I promptly forgot. Apparently, the Zebra is the leader of this group. She warned me not to try to touch the Zebra because he would bite my hand off, quite literally. I thanked her for her information, and she drove on and we continued to walk back to The Caboose very pleased with how the morning had gone so far.
When we got back, I decided to do a load of laundry and went outside to open the drain valves. I am not sure how much water a load of laundry uses but I did not want to find out with it flooding the bathroom. Better safe than sorry as the saying goes. I had that happen once in one of my other RV’s and looked up from whatever I was doing to see a river of water running over the floor.
I fixed breakfast and that all important coffee and thought about my transition from tea to coffee. When I lived in England all those years ago, the day started with a “cuppa” which is one of the English slang words for a cup of tea just as over here, it starts with coffee. Maybe that has changed to coffee now in England as so much in this world has been Americanized. I still drink tea of course but it is the rest of the day drink for me unless coffee is not available then I will drink it in the morning.
I worked on the pictures I had taken this morning when the exotics came close to the fence. I guess Donkeys are labelled as exotics in this particular setting as they were in the company of a Zebra and other deer.
Back in the RV, I settled down to write about our interesting morning. I also worked on the pictures, some of which are included in this blog.
I started a load of laundry as the stack of dirty clothes had grown considerably. It takes about one and a half hours for the wash and a bit longer for the dry cycle. There are ways to set the machine so that it will automatically switch to the dry mode, but I have not found a way to drop the anti-static sheets in, so I do it as two separate actions, one to wash and one to dry. Altogether, it takes almost four hours. The beauty of it is that I can do other things while it is doing its thing.
After I have finished with any household chores and have the blog up to date and any pictures worked on, I usually just sit indoors and contemplate the state of the world. I guess that it not really true as mostly, I sit there with my eyes closed, not asleep but very relaxed generally with a dog on either side of me who are both soundly zonked off. The only thing that will wake them is if I try to get up and then they are instantly awake.
If it is not too hot outside, I often sit outside and listen to an Audiobook with one of the fans blowing on my face to keep me cool. Sometimes, a beer sneaks into my hands brought to me by my own personal beer fairy who I have yet to meet.
As I was sitting and writing, I glanced up to see a single deer working on the bird feeders. I got up and shooed it away and watched as it galloped off. I went back to writing and a bit later, looked up again to see two deer working on the bird seed holders. They both took off for about 25 yards and then stood there looking at me as if to say, please share. Yeah, right. Eventually, they both ran off.
I got a message from the girls to get over to the Break Room as we were eating again. This time it was Hamburgers with all of the fixin’s. I promptly dropped whatever it was I was busy with and hustled over to the Break Room where the usual crowd had gathered minus Delores who was visiting family. We sat and ate and generally heard many outlandish stories from those assembled. I try to limit my eating as much as is allowed and in the habit of drinking my beer slowly. The others go back for seconds but I do not. As it was, the hamburger was so thick that I struggled to get through it but finally managed.
It started to rain while we were in the Breakroom and literally just fell out of the sky. It only lasted about a half an hour, but a lot of water fell in a short time accompanied by very strong winds. Luckily, I had already brought in my awning as had everyone else.
When the rain finally stopped, we all made our way back to our own RV’s and I settled in for the rest of the evening, this time with a glass of wine and television. I even went to bed early, for me, at 10:30 pm.
I was up at a reasonable hour, for me, and as we usually do, we went out walking. We did not get very far as Daniel and Greg, who had just returned to the park, were drinking coffee in the Breakroom. I joined them and we chatted for a while before continuing with the walk.
This time, because there was a nice breeze blowing and a lot of cloud cover which made it a whole lot cooler, we chose to walk down the hill on the outside road. This road actually dead ends and we did not go all the way to the end. Even so, we walked down it a half mile and obviously, another half mile coming back, which was a good start to the day. Amazing that it being a little cooler can make that much difference.
Back at the RV, I brought out the bird feeders, including the ones that hang on the bird pole that the deer like so much refilling them as needed and then went inside for breakfast. Today, Sandy would not eat the food I gave her that contained her medication, meaning that she did not take her medicine. It is a struggle trying to find something that she likes enough to disguise the medication every day.
I read the World news which was no different than yesterday bringing us up to date on current events. Then I sat and wrote the blog keeping us on schedule and looked around for other things to get up to.
It seems that every day around this time, I start running out of things to do unless I am making a trip to go shopping or maybe a Doctors Appointment and such. Usually, I clean and tidy the RV or maybe even find something to do outside like watering the plants or spraying them with Deer deterrent. The easiest and best thing to do is to listen to an Audiobook…
We went out for another walk around the campgrounds and then hit the outside road and down the hill to the bottom. It had cooled off enough to be almost comfortable although I still sweat a lot.
Back at the RV, we sat outside listening to the Audiobook and drinking a beer and watching the world go by. We stayed there until it started to get dark and then it was time to bring in the feeders and take ourselves indoors for the evening meal and television.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, TX. Wednesday 09/13/2023
I awoke at a reasonable hour and instead of getting up, I lay there dozing and just relaxing, not in any hurry to do anything. Eventually, I forced myself to crawl out of bed and start the process of facing another day. I wondered if the day would be like the rest or if it would bring something different. As I am not psychic nor can I see into the future, I will just have to wait and see what sort of a day it will be.
The good thing is that it has clouded over and there is a chance of rain which we can really use. And, it has finally cooled down a little.
We went out walking the park and taking one of the outside roads just to get the exercise before returning to The Caboose. I noticed that one of the bird feeders had fallen and lay broken with the seed spilt under the deck. Closer inspection revealed that the piece of wood I had screwed to the deck railing had split dumping 5 lbs. of seed. At least it is in one place so I can rescue most of it.
As I did not have any other large bird seed containers, I hopped in the car for the short drive to Tractor Supply and found one that I liked and would hold about the same amount of seed. I drove back to the park and went to work reinstalling the bird hanger filled with the seed from the one that had dropped and broken. Nothing wasted and all of that…While I was at it, I strengthened the other hanger to make it more secure.
With all of the feeders, there is a never-ending supply of birds all with different seed preferences or at least, ways to eat it. All are very wary and constantly on the lookout for any danger.
While I was outside, I took the opportunity to water the plants. It looks like some of them might be growing so maybe the deer spray is working. Now, if we can just get some serious rain. Just a light shower or two would help. We do not need a gully washer as most of that just runs away and does not soak in.
Back indoors, I fed the dogs and made breakfast and coffee for myself as it was closer to lunch than breakfast. Then I read the World and local news and caught up with the blog.
I spent most of the afternoon on the couch listening to an Audiobook with a dog fast asleep on either side of me. Just one small happy family…
Later on, we went out for a walk and just wandered around and then I received a message to the effect that we were eating again at the Break Room and be there at 5:30 pm if you know what’s good for you. The message was from one of the girls. This time, it was Gary that had done the cooking and he had meatloaf with all of the fixings.
I took the dogs back to The Caboose and then wandered over to the Breakroom, being the last to arrive. Someone thrust a can of beer in my hands, and I did a double take as it was the smallest can of beer I had ever seen in my life. Everyone started laughing, I guess because of the look of utter amazement on my face at the smallness of the beer. I figured it would take two, maybe three good swallows and it would be gone.
The meatloaf and fixings were very good, and I enjoyed it immensely. As usual, the company was exemplary, and we got to welcome Malinda back from her trip to visit her mom.
We stayed for a couple of hours listening to some of the stories and yarns, especially from Daniel. That man can spin a good yarn and is very funny as he does it. He had us all in stitches and I noticed that even Malinda had to smile at his antics.
The party broke up and we went out walking for the last time for the day. It had cooled off a bit which made for easier walking and the dogs appreciated the cooler weather. Back at the RV, I put the three bird feeders away in a deer proof place up on the deck and we adjourned indoors for the usual television and a glass of wine.
I was late waking up and managed to sleep through the thunderstorm we had last night. We did not get anything in the way of rain to talk about, just lightning and the inevitable thunder
We went out walking in the park and managed to cover a mile on our first walk of the day. It was much cooler as last night’s storm cleared the air a bit. When we got back, I watered the plants and gave them a good soaking. Some are not in good shape, a combination of the deer and the hot and dry weather. I even cleaned and refilled the Hummingbird feeders to see if I could coax them back again. I prepared my own breakfast and coffee after getting spoilt with yesterday’s Restaurant Breakfast before settling down in front of the computer to read the world news and write the blog.
Yesterday, I took several pictures of the Halloween display that the Home Depot put on and found it not only very amusing but also very well done. Some of the models and the noises and movement that they had were very clever.
After such a busy day, yesterday, today was a bit of a letdown as I really did not do anything at all except sit around and write and attend to a few household chores. The weather had cooled down quite a bit following last night’s storm with the temperature only reaching a high of 96 degrees. Even so, before I knew it, it was 5:00 pm.
We went out for another walk and just wandered around wherever Miss Sandy decided she wanted to go. She does not have a good sense of direction and so, we wander around all over the place. Not much in the way of distance but we get in plenty of steps.
Back in the RV, I fixed the dogs their evening meal and Sandy managed to eat hers much to my delight as her medicine is crushed up and added to it. That is the only way I can get her to take the pills as they are too big to force down her throat and even though they are supposed to be dog friendly, it must be for a different dog as Sandy does not like them at all.
The evening was spent in the usual way, first listening to an Audiobook outside the RV and then coming indoors for the evening meal and watching an English Premier League game.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Monday 09/11/2023
We got up around our usual time after a very good night’s sleep for us all. There are always things I must do before we head outside like pull up the front blinds and those on the side away from the sun. Incidentally, the latter need to be pulled down around midday as by then they are in the sun and the heat it produces. RV’s do not have very thick walls, around 2 inches or so, and are not very well insulated. When it is really hot outside as it has been for the past couple of months, the two A/C units run nonstop through the day and a part of the night.
The first thing was to attend to the bird feeders hanging them on their respective hooks and then it was walkies time for the guys. I always harness them up outside when I do anything that takes any amount of time so that they can be a part of what is going on. We wandered around and it was quite a bit cooler than before. The weather forecast shows quite a drop in the upcoming week’s temperature. Even a few degrees bringing it down into the nineties is a welcome relief.
We wandered around and made one circuit of the park before returning to The Caboose for breakfast. I fed Sandy her pill mixed in a tiny can of cat food which she likes. So far, it is the only thing that works and as she still barks like a dog and does not yet miaow like a cat, figured it is not hurting her.
My own breakfast of a Burrito was dull and uninteresting, but I have not been able to find anything appealing. I eat it because that is what you are supposed to do, start the day off by eating something. At least the coffee tasted great.
I had a 1:00 pm Dentist related appointment, something to do with the color of the teeth that are being replaced with new caps. I arrived early and their office procedure is to call when you arrive and then wait in the car until they call you back. I did as instructed and luckily, did not have to wait very long before I was in the office. The actual process of checking the teeth coloring only took a couple of minutes before I was on my way to the closest Walmart’s which was only a couple of blocks away.
I had a small list and happily wandered around adding things to the basket that I had not bothered to write down. Most of these were of the food variety which included my contribution to our communal gatherings, beer. Like I have said before, I can’t cook worth a dam and as beer comes ready made in a bottle or can, it is the most obvious replacement.
I drove to the nearest Starbucks and bought a Latte for the trip home which was uneventful. I was greeted by my little buddies as though I had been away for a week instead of just a couple of hours. As usual, they helped to put the groceries away before we went out walking.
We wandered around the park, and it was a little bit cooler as it was not 100 degrees, not far off but not quite which made it feel almost cool. I brought the dogs back and did a couple of outside chores with the bird feeders and Daniel whistled at me from the Clubhouse.
He was there with Gary, and I joined them to drink a coffee and chat about nothing very important. Both can be very amusing at times. Eventually, we went on our way, and I took the dogs out for a short walk around the park before we sat on the deck and listened to an Audiobook moving inside after bringing in the bird feeders.
I was up early as Daniel had plans that included me and a trip to the Home Depot in Dripping Springs. After taking the dogs out walking, I brought them back inside and told them I would see them shortly. I jumped into Daniel’s Jeep, and we made the trip into town.
Our first stop was at one of the Restaurants on the way in for breakfast. I ordered one taco with a couple of fillings and the usual coffee and thoroughly enjoyed my choice of food. Daniel had something different. With breakfast and that all important coffee out of the way, we drove to the Home Depot. We went out to enter the store and Daniel suddenly said that he would see me in a few minutes as he had a medical emergency and had to drive back to Henly.
I wandered around the Plant Section and looked at the beautiful plants they had on sale which gave me ideas on what I should replace some of my plants with. The deer have been doing a number on mine. Daniel eventually caught up with me and we wandered around the store. I only needed nonslip pads for my rugs, but Daniel bought several tools.
The Home Depot had put on this wonderful display of witches, ghouls and goblins and the noises they made was quite frightening. Each model could be activated by stepping onto a big floor switch for that particular unit. There were probably 10 to12 switches all set in a straight line. I watched as a young man of maybe 12 or so ran down the line of switches timing each step perfectly and activated the entire show at one time. The noise was deafening as the models swayed or gyrated around and laughed, screamed, shouted and everything else a model could do. I found it all very amusing.
We eventually got out of there and Daniel drove us back to Henly where we went our separate ways. Mine indoors to write the blog and I don’t know what he had in mind. Incidentally, Malinda had taken off to visit her mother and was not around.
I got us back on track with the blog posting both yesterday and the day before and then looked around for other things to do. We had taken several hours on our trip into town, and it was midafternoon when we got back.
I received a message from” the girls” telling me to be ready to go out to eat around 6:00 pm. I fed the dogs and told them I would be back as BJ pulled up in front of The Caboose. I climbed in the car alongside Peggy, and we drove to The Boil Shack which is only a couple of miles down the road from us. This is the second time we have been here, and they do have some very good seafood.
I tried to find something to order that did not have a huge amount of food on the plate as I have trouble finishing up the large platefuls that are served in these local restaurants. I usually end up with a doggy bag but somehow, warmed up leftovers do not taste quite the same. I ended up ordering a single fish taco which, when it came out, was huge as I suspected it would be. That and a side of fruit was sufficient for me and even then, I left the actual taco not feeling the need to eat it after having consumed the contents. I ordered a beer with my meal and noticed that I was the only one at our table drinking liquor. Oh well…
We drove back to the Park and bid each other Goodnight as we went our separate ways after a fun evening spent with fun people. Malinda really missed out on a great time.
I took the dogs out for a short walk and then brought in the bird feeders and then fed the dogs one more time before calling it a night and shutting the sliding door one last time. As usual, I watched TV until almost midnight before going to bed. Apparently, there was a storm that I knew was coming in, but I must have been tired enough that slept right through it. Unfortunately, the storm did not bring anything in the way of rain or at least, not enough to measure.
These pictures are from the display inside of the Home Depot in Dripping Springs.
I wish I could have recorded the wonderful noises coming from this display. Nearly everyone of these displays moved and made ferocious noises. Quite magnificent
This is Daniel’s and Malinda’s site right across from me. Well within staggering distance if I consume too much beer.
We went out for that first walk and for us, at a reasonable hour although too late to join the early morning coffee club. We wandered around the park, and the weather was giving every sign that it was going to be another scorcher. Unless something unexpected comes up, we have nothing planned except for dog walking and sitting indoors in the cool.
Last evening, I tossed some small pieces of bread out that were showing signs of mold and by the morning, it was all gone. I have no idea if it is the deer or some other animals eating the stuff but at least it is not getting wasted.
I was sitting and writing and decided to put in a load of laundry which could do its thing as I wrote or whatever I was up to. I just love having my own washer/dryer. So convenient and I do not have to put in quarters. Now if it only folded and put away the clean laundry.
With the machine buzzing along, I turned my attention to other things like tidying up The Caboose, making the bed and all that interesting stuff. Then I sat on the couch with a dog on either side and made a big fuss of them. It was so comfortable there that I closed my eyes for a while although I was not actually going to sleep.
I harnessed up the dogs and we took the short walk up to the mailboxes and I checked mine just in case someone had sent me something. I am gradually notifying all those that I consider it necessary to know my new address. Most of what I receive is junk mail anyway. I would like to close the Far West mailing address ASAP but can’t do it until I have all the important people notified.
On the short walk to the mailbox, it seemed to be hotter than usual but that might be because I had just come out of an air conditioned unit. Even the dogs were very reluctant to be out, so we headed back to the RV where it was much cooler. Tomorrow is forecast to be much hotter and could reach 105 degrees. Ridiculous weather but this is Texas.
With nothing planned, we did a lot of sitting in the cool and listening to an Audiobook. It was way too hot to be out on the deck as what little breeze we had this morning had long gone. We sat around until it started to cool off a little and went out for that final walk of the day. It was still very hot, but we made a circuit of the park before returning to the RV where I brought in the bird feeders ending one more day.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion with food, a glass of wine and television.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Friday 09/08/2023
I snoozed late and it was 9:00 am before I got up. The first thing was to harness the dogs and tie them up outside while I went about the usual business with the bird feeders. Daniel stopped by to chat, and he said that Malinda was visiting her mom. We talked for a bit while I was refilling and rehanging the bird feeders and we made tentative plans to do something on Saturday.
He went back to work, and I took the dogs out for their first walk of the day. We did not go far as it was already warming up with the temperature forecast to reach 104 degrees and this is September??? I remember when I lived in Fort Plain, in New York State and it started to freeze in September while I was at work, and we had to shut down all outside work. Sure, it is different in Texas.
Back in the RV, I fixed Sandy’s special breakfast and my own coffee and sat down to read the world news. The more I read about the daily happenings around the country, the more I wonder if a big percentage of the people suffer from some form of mental illness or maybe it is just plain stupidity. Why so many people’s answers to a problem is the use of violence is way beyond me. Sure, they may have instant gratification by shooting someone but what about the consequences when they spend the rest of their lives in jail? How can anger be that strong that it overpowers common sense and why is violence their answer?
The trouble is that when I read the news just to stay abreast of anything important, I could be reading the same reports day after day as they do not change very much. The world and especially this country is turning into a sorry old place.
With all my outside chores taken care of at least so far, I looked around for other things to do. I spent time folding and putting away the clothes I washed yesterday and then made the bed. I also tidied up the living area which because it is so small, quickly gets bunged up with clothes and shoes and such.
The dogs have their hidey holes when I am writing. Mikey always sits in the chair alongside me. Occasionally, he will sneak onto my lap but generally doesn’t stay there too long as I guess, I do not have the most comfortable of laps. Sandy, on the other hand, has a basket under the table next to Mikey’s basket where she hides away. If the basket gets too hot, she will sleep on the floor in the same area.
Of course, if I decide to sit somewhere else say to watch TV, there is a mass exodus to grab the seat closest to me or even on my lap. Heaven forbids that I should use the toilet as my audience follows right along with me. Even when I am in bed and sleeping, Sandy is next to the spare pillow and Mikey is spread out all over mine leaving me with very little head space. Just one big happy family.
I glanced at the indoor thermometer, and it was reading 101 degrees outside temperature. This is the first time it has read that high as usually it is a couple degrees off from the actual outside temperature probably due to the location of the outside sensors. When I looked at my phone, the outside temperature was reading 102 degrees. In either case, it was way too hot.
We went out for another short walk just wandering around. We made it as far as the mailbox just in case I had any mail. You never know…Back in the RV, I sat indoors to listen to an Audiobook as it was too hot to be outside. The rest of the day was spent in this fashion before the evening meal and television.
Considering what time I went to bed in the early hours of the morning, I felt remarkably refreshed when I woke up. It must have been all the beer I consumed…We did the usual bird feeder thing only today, I had to refill several of them. Now I need to add a bag of birdseed to my grocery list having almost finished the 40lb bag I had bought last week.
Following the outside chores, I harnessed up the dogs and we went out taking Henly Loop almost to Hwy 290. The Loop has a lot of shade for about half of the walk, which is why I like walking it. Not only that, IF I am lucky, I get to see the exotic wildlife.
Back in the RV, I prepared food for us all. Today was a good day as Sandy ate hers which included her medicine. I sat in front of the computer and realized that I was three days behind in my writing and knew I was in trouble as my memory recall really sucks.
I started work on the missing days and managed to write about what I think happened hoping that I have not got the days mixed up.
James, the Impact Repair man showed up to work on Delores slide out. I called Delores to see how it went and she said that even though James called the Jayco plant direct, he could not get the location of the switches he needed to get the slide to work. He has managed to get it fully extended but it will not retract.
I talked to Delores, and she said that as long as the slide is fully extended, she is not going to bother to get the motor replaced as she does not plan on moving the rig…ever. The cost of the replacement motor is almost $1500.00, and it only gets used when the slide is opened or retracted. A good reason for not getting it done if the rig is never moving again in her lifetime.
I happened to look at the outside temperature and it had not yet reached 100 degrees and it got me thinking that when I lived in England, the hottest part of the day was around noon time or maybe an hour after. Over here in Texas, the hottest part of the day is between 4:00 and 5:00 pm.
I decided that as I do not have any new poems to post on Saturday, that I would post the blog on that day instead at least until I can get the poetic juices flowing again. Finding poetic ideas is not easy and I have to be in the right mood to be successful. I could dig out more from my Archives I suppose.
After I had posted all the blogs to bring us up to date which included using Saturday as a blog day, I got to thinking about it and decided that I did not like that idea. Saturday is poetry day, so I went back into my Archives and dug out a poem and then went through the process of moving three blogs and then reposting them to a day later and posting the poem from the Archives in its place. Now, at least, Saturday is still poetry day.
I was out of beer for myself and decided to go into town and buy some and a couple of other things as well. I said goodbye to the dogs and jumped into the Jeep for the short drive into Dripping Springs. I wandered around HEB and found what I was looking for plus added a case of beer for Daniel. I actually needed a few groceries as well and added them to the cart before checking out.
I stopped at Starbucks and bought a Latte to drink on the way home. Arriving back at The Caboose, I was met by my noisy little dogs who helped to put the groceries into the RV. I took the time to put the groceries away and then jumped in the car to drive the short distance to Daniel’s RV to unload his case of beer. Delore and Gary were sitting over there, and I joined them and drank a beer. We sat for a while chattering and then Daniel suggested that we go into town to get some food. I thought about it and decided that I really did not want Mexican food again and declined the offer to join them.
Back in the RV, I took the dogs out for a walk, and we wandered around as we usually do before returning back to the RV to sit outside and listen to an Audiobook and drink another beer. Eventually, we went back inside, and I fed the dogs and then myself. I made a salad and that was enough food for me along with ice cream for dessert.
We settled down to watch the TV as we usually do and around 10:30 pm, I went to bed. I had undressed as I sleep naked and had only just got into bed and realized I had not brought in the bird feeders. I put on a pair of shorts and shoes and went outside. The minute I touched the bird seed holders, I knew I was too late, as the deer had beaten me too it. All three feeders were empty to the very last bird seed. So, I left the feeders hanging and went back to bed knowing that come morning, I would have to refill all three of them and that I had just about enough seed left to do it.
I wondered why Mikey did not bark as he must have known the deer were outside as he always knows that stuff. Not blaming him as it was my fault for not bringing in the seed holders in the first place.
I went back to bed and fell asleep thinking that I will worry about it tomorrow as that is another day…
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Wednesday 09/06/2023
I slept so well that it was 9:00 am before I even woke up. We went out walking, but it was already hot, and it restricted us to the shady areas. This meant walking Henly Loop towards Hwy 290. Even then, we did not go all the way to the end as there was a 50-yard patch of sun with no cover, and I did not want to walk out in it. Even the livestock in the field next door were all laying down in the shade.
When we got back, I tied the dogs up so they could “help” and then filled the empty bird feeders using up the last of the bird seed to do it. This means a trip back to Tractor Supply for another 40 lb. bag although I think I will get two 20 lb. bags to make for easier handling.
I fixed breakfast for us all before settling down in front of the computer to plan the day and write the blog. I glanced at the clock and the day is just zipping by and I have no idea where the time goes. What is the saying “Time flies when you are having fun”. That is kind of how I view our life, nothing but fun and time sure as hell is just zipping by.
By the above logic, does it mean that time goes much slower if I am bored or working on something uninteresting?
I sat and wrote and brought everything up to date and looked around for something else to get up to deciding that I should go into town and buy that birdseed that I just ran out of. I was also needing a few groceries and could kill two birds with one stone (what a horrible saying). Why kill birds?
I stopped at HEB first and wandered around buying the few items that I needed. I did buy a bottle of wine, well two actually, and then made my way to The Home Depot which is right next door. I only needed to visit the Outdoor section for the birdseed and was quickly back in the Jeep. I had to settle for a 40lb bag as they did not have any 20lb ones.
Next stop was a Latte before heading back to the campsite and my little buddies who helped with putting the groceries away as they usually do. You would think by now they would know where everything should go and be able to do this job for me but no, I end up doing all the work as usual.
We went out for another walk although it is not very comfortable outside as it is so hot and humid. By the time we get back, if we go any distance at all, I am soaked with sweat especially around my waist where my belt makes shirt, underpants and shorts cling together. Lately, when I get back to the RV, I have been taking the outside shorts off and hanging them to dry and sitting around in my skivvies until I cool and dry off. Luckily, I do not get many walk up visitors to catch me half dressed.
Back in the RV, I did some cleanup work and then, as I usually do, sat listening to an Audiobook for a couple of hours. At least, this time, I did not nod off to sleep.
We went out for one more walk and although there were more and longer shadows, it was still over 100 degrees and not very comfortable walking. We walk at dog speed which is not normally very fast as there are too many interesting smells along the way. Even so, I sweat profusely with any physical effort.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way with food and entertainment although I had an interesting experience with the microwave oven. I had some small chunks of dog meat that needed both defrosting and then cooking. I put them onto a microwave safe plate and covered them with a paper towel, pushed a few buttons and walked away. I smelt smoke and quickly got back to the microwave to see that I had inadvertently pushed the wrong buttons and had set the cooking time for nine minutes instead of the 30 seconds I thought I was setting as one button was above the other. Luckily, the fire alarms were not tripped but the Microwave was filled with smoke and the whole RV stank for quite some time. Stupid me. BTW, the microwave safe plate melted, and I had to throw it away.
Nice shady trails The day started off as it usually does with us doing the bird feeder routine before taking that first walk around the park. We met a couple of others with their dogs all doing the same thing as us.
Following the walk, I spent time spraying what is left of the flowers with the Deer Repellant in the hopes of rescuing whatever remains of each of the plants. The deer have not visited through the day at least while I have been home. This is unusual as that was a fairly common occurrence in the past. There are still lots of deer signs around with their droppings, so they are definitely visiting. The watering that I do is enough to keep the plants alive but not really enough to make them grow. We desperately need rain and lots of it.
I was working on the blog and got a call from Daniel that breakfast was being served in the Commons and to get my ass over there (his words). I put the dogs back in the RV and joined the usual group in the Commons. Malinda and the girls were busy preparing the food and soon I had a heaped plate of breakfast in front of me which I eagerly started to work on. I had to work hard to convince Daniel that I was already full and no, I did not need another helping…
There was the usual chatter and we got to hear firsthand some of the stories from their trip together, many of which were very funny. The party finally broke up with the call of duty for both Daniel and Malinda and the girls cleaned up the Commons area.
Time passed as it always does, and I got another call from Daniel to come over to his RV and have a beer. Delores was already there, and we sat and chatted for the rest of the afternoon. Then came more food as Daniel had it working on the grill while we sat around and talked.
Six bottles of beer later, Delores and I left the party walking each other home although I went 30 yards past my RV to make sure that Delores got into her place safely. I made my way the 30 yards back to The Caboose and harnessed up the dogs taking them out for a short walk. I was in remarkably good shape considering that I had consumed 6 bottles of beer and did not feel drunk or have any effects of the drinking at all.
That is until I got back from walking the dogs and sat on the couch to take my boots off. I sat there stroking both dogs, one on each side, and two hours later, woke up feeling refreshed and with no hangover or aftereffects of the drinking. I glanced out of the window; I noticed that I had not brought in the bird feeders. Out I went and did just that although by now, it was already dark outside.
Not satisfied with this crazy day, I sat and watched a movie until almost 1:00 am. After having taken a long nap, I was just not tired and even when I did finally go to bed, it took a while to fall asleep.
It was late when I even woke up close to 9:45 am. It does not matter too much but I do wonder why I slept that late. It is not like I am super busy working and such to make me tired, but I did drink two beers last evening at the Restaurant. I have heard many stories of older people who are not able to sleep more than a few hours at night. Me, I do not have that problem.
The first thing was to harness the dogs and tie them up to the picnic table while I brought out the feeders and then we went out walking around the park. We did not see any other dog walkers probably because we were late in hitting the road. This also meant that it had warmed up quite a bit and we walked in the shade as much as possible.
Back in the RV following breakfast and that all important coffee, I worked on the blog, playing a bit of catch up and looked around for other things to do. It was kinda quiet with nearly all of my friends away doing their thing.
I decided to go into Dripping to the Tractor Supply found there. I wanted to get a couple more bird feeders to hang on the new hooks that I had already bought. I found what I was looking for and then headed for HEB for groceries. I had a small list but wandered around the store “just in case.” Walking in this store is also an effective way to build up mileage.
My next stop was Starbucks for a regular Latte. No more of those fancy and extremely expensive drinks as they were a waste of time and money. I also bought a piece of Walnut cake which was very tasty. Back at the RV, I unloaded the groceries and the other goodies and put everything on the deck before opening the door to the RV to be greeted by my pair of very enthusiastic dogs.
I got all kinds of help in putting the groceries away, mostly of the discovery kind where the dogs stuck their noses into the bags to smell what was in there. Then we harnessed up and went out walking the park and managed to cover almost 2 miles for the day.
We sat outside with the big fan blowing the hot air around and listened to an Audiobook and drank a couple of beers until it started to get dark. Then it was time to bring in the feeders one more time and shut up the outside shop for one more day.
Despite all my complaining about getting up late and so on, I watched a movie until 12:30 before going to bed. No wonder I sleep late in the mornings.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Sunday 09/03/2023
RV’s come in all shapes and sizes. This one is home made.
Despite going to bed late last evening, I managed to roll out at a reasonable hour ready to face another day. We harnessed up and went out for that first walk around the Campground. Because we had gotten out a bit earlier, it was relatively cool out and we managed to cover almost a mile which was definitely a good start.
Back at the RV, I worked on hanging the two new bird feeders that I had bought yesterday. These are hanging off the main deck and may be too close to the RV for the bird’s comfort. We will just have to wait and see. We now have seven hanging seed feeders and two for bird seed cakes. There is a never-ending flow of birds visiting them most of the time.
The hummingbird feeders are a different story. Currently, there are two of them, but I am having a lot of problems with tiny black ants that seem to like the sweet liquid very much. Enough to keep the birds away. I had bought some more deer spray and sprayed the pole that holds the hummers feeders to see if that stops the little buggers.
The other problem is that even hanging in the shade, with our 100-degree weather, the liquid inside the feeders heats up in the warm sun making it too hot to drink. I can’t wait for reasonable temperatures to return, and I bet the Hummers have the same feeling about it.
With the birds all taken care of for another day, we went back inside, and I fed the dogs their breakfast before finding something to go along with my coffee. I settled on a couple of pieces of toast and turned my attention to the blog. I also had quite a few pictures that I worked on, not that I do very much to them anymore.
I had a few things to do around the RV, like make the bed and put the dirty clothes in the washing machine although there are not enough to start the load yet. I had bought some meat for the dogs, and it was cooking as I did other things. My dogs live pretty good…
Daniel, Malinda and the girls all arrived back from their trip with lots of pictures and some very tall tales, especially from Daniel. That man can tell a story although Malinda is not far behindand I knew we would be in for a fun time when we finally got together.
I noticed that both Malinda and Daniel were over at my new neighbor’s RV, and I wandered over to see if I could be of any help. I am usually restricted to fetch and carry or “hold this or that” as so much of what the two of them do when they are working on RV’s is way out of my pay grade at least knowledge wise.
The three of us and of course Delores, worked for a couple of hours trying to get the slide to work properly and we managed to get it to come out most of the way, at least enough for her to use the RV. It will take the Travelling Repair man to do the job properly and he is due to come on Tuesday.
We finally went back to our individual RVs for the rest of the evening.
I fear the world has gone quite mad making me feel so very sad remembering the way it used to be although we have never been truly free there have always been wars of different kinds between nations and countries all looking to find a way to take the others land and enslave the people by their command other countries then join the fight knowing that if they add their might they can end a bloody war so things can return to the way before but people still have many concerns even if normality returns because what caused the problem remains and people look for someone to blame to change the system to a different way so whoever is hurt can have their say not every fight ends in a war sometimes returning just as before other times talking can help the cause with both sides ready to take a pause and work things out in a friendly way by letting each other have their say it matters not the color of the skin for fighting a war is a mortal sin people die or get hurt and suffer the pain sometimes never to be well again we should all be equal and not be ignored except when our natural abilities afford to get ahead by working hard enjoy the fruits of our effort and not be marred by those who are jealous about our success doing everything they can to put us under duress this world we live in is a funny old place with mankind trying to end the race it’s as though we decided that it is time and the life we thought of as so sublime is now coming down around our ears filling us all with terrible fears we may be looking to proclaim it is time for man to accept the blame that he is not worthy of this place as are none of us in the human race as we do not know how to get along or live with Nature and that is wrong and when the last of us departs Nature remains with all of her smarts and she will not mourn that we are gone but instead will sing her loudest song as the last of us returns to dust just as she always knew we must.
Today is the last day of the month. Again. It seems like only yesterday I said this about July and here we are getting ready to start September. At least, we may be through with the 100 degree heat although I don’t think that the weather pays too much attention to any calendar dates.
I harnessed up the dogs and we went out walking after bringing out the bird feeders and refilling them as we usually do. It was starting to warm up a bit as we wandered around the park. There was not a lot of shade this early in the morning, so we did not stay out for too long.
Back at the RV, I watched as Kerry and Chris packed up their RV preparing to leave on a couple of month trip up north to see the Fall displays. That means that temporarily at least, we have lost a couple of the group although they say they will be back. You can never be 100 percent certain on that as they have a home on wheels and maybe, they will find another place that is more appealing. That is the beauty of an RV life.
Daniel whistled at me, and I wandered over to the breakroom for coffee. We sat there chatting for a while before Malinda called him and he went back to his RV. I wandered back to mine and found a couple of things to do like cleaning the hummingbird feeders of the crud that collects in and around the bottles before refilling and rehanging them.
I turned my attention to the blog and by concentrating hard, managed to recall what we had done yesterday. It really is an effort sometimes to remember things or what is worse, even what I was about to do. No doubt that my memory is going to hell in a handbag as the British used to say. Maybe they still do! Whatever, as the memory is still slowly deteriorating. Maybe, I need to keep a notebook and jot down all the interesting things as reminders.
I glanced at the clock, and it said that it was almost 3:00 pm. Time was flying by. When I stop to think about it, I have a very good life. I have my two little dogs for companionship and several very good friends in the campground. My time is my own to do whatever I please. I am still healthy, and my only real struggle is persuading my friends that one plate is enough for me, food-wise. I’ll take at least two drinks though and Thank You very much.
I decided to do a load of laundry as it had piled up again. I put everything in the washing machine including the soap pods, set the timer and went back to my writing. I had a couple of other things I needed to work on and completely forgot about the laundry until three hours or so later. Then I added the anti-static sheets and forgot about it again as the laundry went through the dry cycle. At that point, I forgot about it completely as it will shut itself off and as it is only shorts and tee shirts, a few wrinkles will not matter.
Late in the afternoon, we went out for another walk around the park and upon our return, went through the usual process of sitting outside and listening to an Audiobook until it began to get dark. I brought in the bird feeders, and we adjourned back inside for the usual evening meal and entertainment.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Friday 09/01/2023
September already. At this rate, by the end of the month it should be Christmas…We went through the usual morning rituals before we went out for that first walk of the day and wandered around and ran into the blind dog and his Mistress. This is the very last time that we will see him as they are moving out today. Sush a lovely dog.
People come and go all the time except for the few of us that are here permanently. Such is life in an RV Park. Incidentally, Delores who currently has her RV in Site 5 is planning to move into the site vacated by the blind dog’s family.
We went out for our usual walk around the park. It was already starting to warm up, but I am hoping that the 100-degree weather is over, thank goodness.
I was working on the blog and looking out of the window and saw activity at Delores’s site. Guessing that the move had already started, I put on my outdoor shoes and wandered over to see If I could help. Daniel and Malinda were already working on the RV getting it ready to move.
At the same time, Delores had contracted with a group of Mexican workers to move the stuff surrounding the RV which included moving the steps and deck which were one solid unit and very heavy.
Eventually, Daniel, using Gary’s truck hitched up to the RV and then moved it into the new location where it was set up. That is when the problems started as one of the slides would not go out no matter what everybody tried. The rest worked simply fine but not that one. Eventually, everyone had to admit defeat and Daniel called James, the RV travelling Mechanic, to get it to work when he could fit it in.
That was the cue for Daniel and Malinda to finish their preparations to go camping this weekend and before long, they drove the bus out of the park. The rest of us went about our usual business, in my case, doing nothing except writing the blog. It had been hot outside in the couple of hours we were working on Delores’s rig, and I know that I was glad to get back inside in the cool.
I had not been inside more than an hour and I received a call from Delores asking if I would like to go eat at one of the places in town. At first, I was a bit reluctant and said I would call her back, which is what I did after thinking about it and agreeing to go with them. Gary was the other person included. By the way, I have no idea why I did not jump at the chance of free food and drinks.
Delores picked me up and we cruised over to Gary’s RV where he jumped in the back of the car. I already had the co-pilot’s seat. The Restaurant was named El Rey and it was busy. Luckily, it is a huge place, and we were quickly seated. We spent an hour or more talking and eating good Mexican food. Both Gary and Delores were able to finish their plates, but I had to bring some of mine home in a “doggy bag.” Incidentally, despite both Garry’s and my protests, Delores insisted on paying for the meal in gratitude for the help we had given her earlier today.
Gary drove Delores’s car back with us inside as she had a couple of drinks and just wanted to be on the safe side. I had two beers and Gary was drinking iced tea which made him the obvious co driver.
My first action was to take the dogs out walking, which I was glad to do just to walk off the food. Even though I brought my half full plate home with me, the half I had eaten was very filling. It was a good day walk-wise as I covered 2 miles.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way except that I watched a movie until 12:30 am. I gotta stop doing that.
I got up very late, very contented with sleeping in and lazing around. We had nothing planned so it did not really matter. We attended to the usual bird feeders before wandering around the park. It is definitely a bit cooler and much more pleasant walking. I hope that it lasts as we are almost into Fall anyway.
I did not realize it but the very brief rain squaw that we got the other day, damaged both “the girls” awning and Brian and Whitney’s. We were lucky as we had ours in. Hopefully, we have learned our lesson from our earlier awning accidents. It is the very sudden and very quick rain showers that do it as there is very little warning. It is even worse if you are not home to get them in. It is not always the wind that causes the damage as sometime the really heavy rain puts too much weight on the extended awning, and it brings it down. That is what happened to us when we were in Arkansas, and it cost me $1500.00 to get it repaired as the Insurance would not cover it.
I sat around writing and playing catch up with the blog. I considered going into town, but the jury is still out on that. It is not so important that it cannot keep until tomorrow or the next day or even the day after that. The problem, if there is one, with all this eating out Is that it makes things difficult in planning my own grocery list. I try to eat pretty simply most of the time, not counting the invites and I buy enough food accordingly. At the present moment, my fridge is full and if I am not careful, some of the food will go to waste.
I forgot to mention that generally, after eating at one of my friend’s house, invariably they will press a plate full of food into my hands as I leave, “for later” and as we have done a lot of eating out lately, so has the contents of my fridge grown accordingly. All of the food is delicious and as I constantly remind myself, all very fattening as the muscles deteriorate and the body shape changes into a lump as everything turns into fat.
We went out walking just wandering around. The weather is easing up a bit and the temperature was around the 95 degree mark. Still hot but not at least 100 pus degrees hot. When we returned to the RV, we did as we usually do and sat and listened to an Audiobook until it began to get dark. Then it was time to bring in the bird feeders and shut up shop for the evening.
It was a bit cooler when we went out walking. Apparently, there is a shift in whatever controls the weather and this time, it was in our favor. The long-range forecast shows it not reaching 100 degrees all week long. It will be close to the high 90’s but psychologically, if it does not say 100 degrees, then it will feel much cooler…Maybe, just maybe the hot spell is over.
We still needed to walk in the shade as much as possible, but we covered our morning half mile. Back in the RV, I fixed us breakfast and got Sandy to eat her pill, thank goodness. My own breakfast of a Burrito was not very appetizing, but I am at a bit of a loss trying to find something that tastes good for me.
Yesterday, just for a change, I tried a bowl of cereal and only managed to eat half of it. The rest went to feed the overnight deer or maybe they are Racoons or something similar as anything left out overnight is eaten. I had several slices of bread that had gone moldy, and I tossed it out onto the yard. Next morning, every bit of it was gone. Nothing gets wasted around here.
I sat and worked on the blog and brought it up to date. I have nothing planned for today.I had bought a couple of bird seed hangers and attached them to the railing on the deck. That makes two less I have to bring in at night because the deer cannot reach them.
We had yet another get together planned for a young couple, Brian and Whitney, who are moving on. They have a totally blind dog that they walk routinely through the day. The dogs name is Cooky. This time, the party was planned and put on by Sharon and Larry at their site. There was quite a crowd and we pigged out on all kinds of good food and the inevitable beer. Towards the end of the evening, I switched to wine at Sharon’s urging although I did not need very much persuasion.
That is the thing with living at an RV campground. You never know when your neighbor will drive off into the “wild blue yonder”. No fear of us doing that as we are here to stay. Our travelling days are over.
We spent most of the evening partying and telling stories before heading back to The Caboose, carrying a large plateful of food for later consumption.
I took the dogs out for a short walk before returning to bring in the couple of remaining bird feeders and then settling down to watch a Football Match.
This is where I spend too much of my time especially in the mornings
Up at a reasonable hour and outside to hang birdfeeders and then go for that first walk of the day. The only thing that changes in my routine is the actual time that I get up and that is subject to a lot of variation. We went out walking as we usually do and wandered around. We are in the habit of walking the road that leads to Hwy 290 as it provides the most shade and sometimes, we get to see the exotic animals.
My day was focused on a visit to see my Dentist and I kept one eye on the clock as I ate breakfast and did a couple of chores. At the allotted time, I jumped in the Jeep for the drive into central Ausin where my Dentist is found. I was a bit early and sat in the car before going inside where I was warmly greeted by the receptionist. I did not have to wait very long before I was called back and sat in the chair.
I spent the next hour and a half in that chair as the Dentist worked on extracting one of my teeth. In this case he ground off the bad part leaving the base of the tooth on which to rebuild it by adding a new cap. Even after he was through, I still need to come back and get the permanent cap put on to replace the temporary one. At least, modern dentistry is comparatively painless after the first pricks of the needle. My next move is to set up an appointment for color matching for the replacement tooth.
With the Dentist out of the way, I headed to Walmart’s which is on the way home. I wandered around as I usually do in that store, mainly to get the exercise. I did buy a few things and managed to spend $200.00, sixty of it was on a couple of bird feeder supports that I can hang off my deck and oh yes, I bought a couple of new Tee shirts. I would have bought more except they were not in my size and I did not like the color.
The drive home was uneventful, and the traffic was not too bad at all. When I arrived back at The Caboose, I got the usual very warm reception fom the dogs. They helped me put the groceries away and then we went out walking around the park.
We had another invite over to the Break room to help eat some of the food left over from the day before. The usual crowd were there, and it included a new family of a mother and her daughter and son that had just moved in. We tried to make them feel welcome the way that Texans do. Not that I am a Texan in any way shape or form but seeing as how I have lived in this State for the past 40 or so years, that must count for something. I gotta work on that accent though…
With the meal out of the way, we each went our separate ways back to our RV’s. I took the dogs out for the last walk of the day before bringing in the bird feeders and shutting up shop for another day.
