I got up late as it was almost 9:30 am when I rolled out. I guess I was tired as I was sleeping the whole time I was in bed, not just laying around. It did not matter as we had nothing planned for today.
We went out walking on the first walk of the day and just wandered around. There was not a lot of activity anywhere although we did run into a couple of people walking their dogs with the usual barking and sniffing that follows such encounters.
Back in the RV, I fixed us breakfast and this time, the melted ice cream was enough to fool Sandy into taking her pill. There were a couple of household chores that needed taking care of before I remembered that I had a date with my friends at 12:30 pm. Right on time, BJ pulled up by the rig and I jumped into the front seat which they had very kindly left for me. I was handed a beer which I thought was a good way to start any trip.
BJ was driving and Peggy, Daniel and Malinda were in the back. There was a lot of chatter and I gleaned from the conversation that we were going to a drinking establishment found in Johnson City where a coworker of the girls was performing.
This was a typical country drinking place with the typical country name of Reck ‘Em Right Bar and Grill. It was not that big and there were only a few other customers besides us. BJ found her friend and introduced him to the rest of us and in the meantime, other band members kept straggling in. From what I could gather, anyone musically inclined to Country and Westen music could sit in as a couple of other people did just that.
We stayed there for a couple of hours listening to the music and drinking beer before all piling back into the van for the ride back to the RV Park.
This was followed by the usual chore of walking the dogs which was timed perfectly as Lo and Behold, we had a quick ten-minute rain shower of our own. This was unexpected and very welcome, but it did not last long enough. It was accompanied by a strong wind but luckily, my awning was already in.
The rest of the evening was spent watching Brighton lose their game to West Ham before heading off to bed.
As many of you are well aware I lead a different life that I share with two little dogs that are a pair of troublemakers of the worst possible kind as they rule the roost, and they find that they can do whatever they like as long it does not mean a fight between them or with me because we are a family they get on very well indeed with the Sandy the female taking the lead and Mikey and I go where she walks where the best smells that to her nose talks and if she finds the perfect smell she raises her leg for others to tell that she has been here and left her mark be aware you others don’t try to park as this property is in her name marked by her as part of the game. It can be said she’s a bossy bitch and Mikey and I sometimes find a niche and sticking together like good buddies do let her have her way for we have no clue as to what it is that we did wrong that caused her to bark along we really mostly get on well as we live together our lives do dwell walking several times a day for exercise and a lot of play wandering around with all of the smells that only a dogs nose can possibly tell.
This deer is watching me and waiting for me to leave so it can eat my flowers
I had a very good night’s sleep and awoke refreshed and almost ready to go. Still, I did not jump straight out of bed but just lay there enjoying the warmth as I waited for the A/C to shut off. It gives off a lot of cold air which is very noticeable after the warm bed hence waiting for it to shut down.
I took a quick shower and marveled at the bald head of the stranger looking back at me in the mirror and vowed to make sure that I had my hat with me most of the time. Amazing the difference hair makes even if it is thinning. Oh well…I have had a couple of complements on the short haircut but whether in jest or to make me feel better, I will never know.
We went out walking around the park, but it was already starting to warm up. I tried to stay in the shade as much as possible but there is not very much early morning shade due to the angle of the sun and we only covered a half mile.
Back in the RV, I brought out the bird feeders as per usual and checked the plants for deer damage. Unfortunately, Deer Off does not do a very good job and the plants showed visible signs of being desert or maybe even the main course.
When it starts to cool down, maybe I will replace some of the plants the deer eat for ones they don’t. No good doing it now as it is too hot, and the plants will die.
I read the world news and then moved on to the blog. I finished and posted yesterday and looked around for other things to do. I had bought pork chops and chicken legs at the store and decided that I should cook them on my indoor grill.
That is the sum total of barbecuing that I do. I am not an expert at barbecuing like Daniel or Malinda and my unit turns itself off when it believes the meat is cooked. Apart from loading it, I do not do anything to it. The hardest part is cleaning it, and usually the grills need to soak to get them clean.
Incidentally, the pork chops are for me and the chicken legs for the guys. I cut the meat off, and they do NOT get the bones to chew on. I read somewhere that chicken bones splinter too easily and are dangerous for dogs.
I looked at the clock and it said 4.30 pm. I have no idea where the time goes. I also happened to notice that the date was August 25th. This month is almost over and there is nothing to show for it. Well except for a very short haircut maybe…
I had received an invitation from Kerry to eat over at the Breakroom and to be there sharply at 5:30 pm. I wandered over at the proper time and the usual gang was there minus the girls. We had a great meal of tropical fish tacos and when I enquired what they were, Kerry told me they were pineapple, mango, slaw and salsa with fish on corn tortillas.
They tasted good and I had to resist everyone’s encouragement to “Eat more”. I just do not have the stomach capacity to eat a huge amount of any food.
We had ice cream for dessert, and someone handed me a huge helping of the stuff which I readily consumed even though it took a while, and I was the last one to finish. For some reason, I now have the reputation of being the ice cream lover…
We collectively watched a movie on the large TV which was an oldie but goodie and pretty funny. When it ended, we all went back to our respective RV’s each to do whatever it is we do for our own entertainment. In my case, it was take the dogs for a short walk, bring in the bird feeders and then watch a Premier League game. In between all of that, I fed the dogs.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Saturday 08/26/2023
I slept very well and felt very rested when I awoke even though that was not very early. Still, we have absolutely nothing planned for the day except to stay as cool as possible.
We went out for the morning walk and when we got back, I brought out the bird feeders. It was already hot and humid out and very uncomfortable. We hit the outside road that leads to Hwy 290 as it had some shade.
I had noticed a couple of For Sale signs at the turn advertising some House Sale. It had not occurred to me that it was today and for the first time, we had to stop many times on our walk as cars zoomed by, many more than normal.
Safely back inside the RV Park, I brought out the bird feeders as per usual and then we adjourned back inside to the A/C. It was already very hot and with the high humidity, it was very uncomfortable to be outside.
I gave Sandy her medicine trying the method that we used yesterday which was to smoosh up the pill and mix it with ice cream. She still manages to ignore the larger parts which are very tiny, so she is not getting her full dose. Guess I need to grind it up even more into a powder.
My own breakfast of a Burrito was OK but did not exactly set my taste buds on fire. Even the coffee was so, so. I suppose that with my advanced years, things like taste buds and such wear out or at least do not function as well as we age.
I sat working on the computer and Mikey started to bark up a storm. I looked up and Peggy was standing at the top of the steps. Only then did I remember that there was a luncheon at the Commons, and I was late. I quickly followed Peggy back over and grabbed a plate and loaded it with a taco and all the fixings.
There was the usual crowd Malinda and Daniel, Kerry and Chris, the “Girls” and Gary. Later, Delores joined us. I had to put up with a few comments on my new hairdo, but they were all complementary. Maybe, I will keep it short from here on out.
Following the food, some of the group left to go to the pool. I was asked but refused the invitation not being too much into water sports. Gary, Chris, Delores and I stayed behind and chatted for a while before the party broke up and we each went our separate ways. I walked back to The Caboose glad to be out of the heat as by then, the temperature was reading 105 degrees.
According to the long-range weather forecast, we have one more day of 103-degree heat and then it will drop into the high 90’s for just a couple of days and then back into the 100’s. After that, with any luck, it will hopefully keep on dropping to a somewhat and more normal temperature whatever the hell that it is.
Quite honestly, I have no inclination or desire to do anything outside while it is this hot except stay in my air conditioned RV. A trip to the Supermarket is OK as there is only the distance from the car to the store and back to walk.
The rest of the day was spent indoors in the cool listening to an Audiobook. As time progressed, we went out walking around the park and even at that late time, it was still 105 degrees. As it got dark, I took in the bird feeders after almost forgetting them.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way although this time, I did not have to feed myself.
My new haircut. This is the shortest my hair has ever been.
It was so warm and snuggly in bed that I was very reluctant to get up. I thought that if I just laid there, all the World’s problems would just go away. Maybe even mine too not that I have too many problems. Then I noticed the dogs giving me “the look” which is usually interpreted to mean, “We gotta go Dad” and I crawled out of bed.
We went through our usual morning routines of bird feeders and such and then the trip to the dumpster before stopping at the Breakroom where several of my friends were still gathered. I had to put up with some ribbing for being late again, but they got me a chair and Gary thrust a cup of coffee in my hand and I settled down to listen and/or join in the conversation.
As usual, this group was doing its best to solve the world’s problems accompanied by much laughter as one crazy idea was outdone by the next one. Eventually, the group broke up and went their own ways.
We continued with our walk around the campsite before returning to The Caboose for breakfast and more coffee. I had a couple of chores to take care of before deciding that I had to go pick up Sandy’s medication that I had ordered earlier.
Her heart medication costs $102.00 a month but to me, she is worth it. The drive in was uneventful and I stopped at the Vet’s to pick up the medicine. I have been coming to this vet with all my animals for more than forty years and have seen a procession of different veterinarians come and go. Luckily, Dr Varga who is the owner, is still here but my favorite, Dr Donop has retired.
I picked up the medication and chatted to the ladies behind the counter before heading back to the car. I was in need of a haircut and stopped at Great Clips at Oak Hill. This time, I was lucky as I sat straight down in the chair.
The hairdresser asked me how I wanted it cut and I mumbled the usual about short back and sides. I also pointed out the weird crown I have to one side and asked her to be sure to cut that short. She made the first cut with her electric clippers and just zoomed over the top of my head.
My mouth fell open and I was about to protest before I realized that as she had already made that first cut, it was no good telling her to stop so I kind off watched in amazement as all of my hair fell off and I was left with the shortest haircut of my entire life.
I get it cut short anyway but usually, the top and back stay long, sort of. She showed me the finished product and as I was still in a state of shock, I told her it was OK. Maybe, it is the start of a new fashion for me. It is not like I have anyone to impress, and the dogs probably will not notice although I can guarantee a hard time from my camper friends.
Luckily, I had my new hat with me which I placed on my head to stop the feeling of baldness and near nudity and made my way into town. I had decided that as I was in town, or close to, anyway, why not go to Walmart’s to do my shopping. I drove the extra 5 miles and walked into the store to do just that.
I found all of the stuff I wanted and fought off the urge to pop other things into my basket and still managed to spend $202.00. Some of that was on the case of beer I bought for Daniel as my contribution to the parties we have. I cannot cook worth a darn, so it is easy for me to help supply the beer.
I drove home the back way and stopped at my usual Starbucks for a hot Latte and a piece of walnut cake which I enjoyed immensely on the drive home. I have learned my lesson on ordering the fancy cold drinks as they are a rip off.
The drive home was uneventful, and I had a lot of help to unload the groceries and put them away. Daniel’s 4×4 was by his shop so I put the beer in the front seat. He must have noticed it as he caught up with me as I was working on the groceries and gave me a hard time in a good way.
I took the dogs out again and it was still just as hot as ever at 102 degrees, so we did not walk very far. As soon as Sandy started to lag, we headed back to the RV where we sat in our indoor/outdoor position listening to an Audiobook and drinking a beer or two. After bringing in the bird feeders, the rest of the evening was spent watching a Premier League game before heading to bed.
The day started the same as most other days with me rolling over instead of getting up early. Still, as we had nothing planned for the day, it did not matter too much. Eventually, I rolled out and prepared to face the day glad just to be alive and feeling good.
As we do every morning, it was harness the dogs and then bring out the bird feeders followed by a walk wherever Miss Sandy decided we should go. I keep us on a general direction, and she drags here there and everywhere else.
We spotted the heifers and again, there were only three of them. As far as I could tell, there is no calf that I swear I saw the other day.
It was a bit cooler because of yesterday’s rain shower but not much as we wandered around and we eventually arrived back at The Caboose. As usual, I fixed breakfast and today, Sandy would not eat hers meaning she was not getting her pill which is a bit of a worry.
My own, which was a couple slices of toast, was not very satisfying but the coffee was good. I settled down in front of the computer and after reading the usual dull World news, caught up on the blog. I tossed in a load of laundry to do its thing as I did other things. Love washing machines, toss in clothes, add detergent and press “go”. Now, if I could teach the dogs to fold the clothes and put them away, I would have it made.
Thinking about it, dogs are useless when it comes to household chores as I can’t think of a single thing, they do in the way of house cleaning and such. They are good at barking so maybe their role is as watchdogs…All of the love and attention that I get from them more than makes up for their not being very good at helping.
I was listening to an Audiobook and sitting in the open doorway and noticed a lot of activity going on with Gary, Malinda and a couple of others walking backwards and forwards carrying food to the Breakroom. Then I got the call, “Be there or be square, breakroom, now…” and wandered over to join my friends.
For a while, I was the only man alone with five women and wondered if I should be concerned but finally, the guys all came in together and I breathed a sigh of relief. We sat and ate two different types of sausages along with other meat and all of the fixings.
I carefully nursed my plate of food and watched as most of the others went back for seconds and thirds. The one plate I had was all I could manage as I just do not have the room for it in my stomach. We sat and ate and chattered for a couple of hours before the party broke up.
I walked back to the RV and harnessed up the dogs as I needed to walk off some of the food I had consumed. The dogs did not care why we were walking, just glad to be doing it. It was late enough to bring in the bird feeders and shut up shop outdoors as we adjourned indoors for the rest of the evening spent watching a Premier League match.
This is the lone Zebra and hangs out with the donkeys and deer.
I went to bed an hour earlier than I normally do last evening but I still laid around instead of getting up. I do not know why as I slept very well. A lot of it is mental as I have nothing planned for today so why get up? Especially as it is so warm and snuggly in bed with the A/C blasting away.
I eventually rolled out somewhat reluctantly around 8:30 am. As one of my workmates, a guy by the name of Ernie Baker who I first started work with all of those years ago would say, “Follow the three “S” rule and you’re ready to go”. In his case, the three S’s were “sh**t, shave and shampoo”. He was a funny guy. Unfortunately, he contracted Tuberculosis and died at a comparatively young age and as I had worked with him for almost three years, my sister with whom I was living, kept a very close eye on me, “just in case”.
After bringing out the bird feeders, we went out walking and just wandered around not going very far. It was already warming up although today is supposed to be a few degrees cooler with some cloud cover. About bloody time…
Back in the RV, I fixed breakfast and today was a good day as Sandy ate her food and her medicine. I sat working on the blog trying hard to stay up to date. There is not a lot to write about as nothing much happens in my life anymore. That’s a good thing and the way I like it.
I noticed it growing darker and could see the clouds building in the sky. Gary walked by and pointed at the clouds on the darkening horizon and mentioned something about rain.
I brought in the awning just in time as the wind started to blow and it began to rain pretty hard. It only lasted for ten minutes, and the clouds passed through and that was that. Still, any rain is better than no rain.
We went out walking while it was still a bit cooler and just wandered around the park. When we got back, I sat in my usual place half in and half out of the sliding door in line with the A/C as it escaped which kept me cool. By then, the sun was out and blazing down again only this time, with higher humidity.
We sat listening to an Audiobook for a couple of hours and as the afternoon progressed, I watched as Gary, Malinda and a couple of others made a steady stream as they walked between Daniels RV and the Breakroom.
I remembered that Daniel, had been fishing the day before down on the Gulf and that he was having a Fish Fry for all of his friends which included me. I joined everyone in the Breakroom and for a while, was the only man surrounded by six ladies thinking how lucky I was. Well, maybe twenty years ago it might have been lucky but nowadays all I worry about is having good friends and drinking a beer with them.
Then the men showed up all carrying different containers of fried fish that Daniel had been cooking over at his RV. Altogether, there were twelve of us sitting in the Breakroom enjoying fresh fish with all of the fixing’s and drinking beer.
The fish was delicious, and the company was very good, and we had a very pleasant evening. Eventually, the party broke up as we each headed back to our own individual RV’s.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way watching an English Premier game only this time, on a very full stomach.
One of the Zebras is in the open and the other is in the trees to the right
I slept very well, including after the alarm went off. I gotta adjust it so it does not ring as I never get out of bed. For some reason, I feel more tired after a good night’s sleep at least, that is what I tell myself as I roll over and close my eyes.
I finally got out around 8:30 am and took a shower before dressing in summertime clothes. For me that is a tee shirt and shorts. I also wear undershorts and socks and it all adds up to less laundry but unfortunately, it does nothing to alleviate the heat of the sun.
The new straw hat that I bought does a good job of keeping the top of my head cool although it cannot do anything about the sweat that is streaming down my face and soaking my clothes. It is definitely not comfortable being outdoors during the current heat wave.
So far, it has 43 consecutive 100 degree days and no end in sight and to be truthful, I cannot tolerate it as I did when I was a younger man hence the reason I stay in as much as I do. There has to be a really good reason to venture outdoors, like walking dogs although, they are not very enthusiastic like when it is cooler.
I fixed breakfast and coffee and again, that little stinker Sandy, did not finish her breakfast and and so, did not take her medication. Little rat… I turned my attention to the World news and wondered why this country is in such a mess. It seems that good manners no longer apply, and it is OK to badmouth your opponent to prove a point. I hate all politicians regardless of their party.
Disgusted at the whole bloody mess, I turned to writing the blog, something that is just a journal of daily events over which I have had very little control. Sure, I make decisions all of the time. Things like, should I do this or this, go here or there or buy this over that but none of them are earth shattering and the end of the world will not happen because of something I did or did not do.
I watched a new camper pull in and for some reason, had come in the wrong way and then had to circle around to make the correction. Luckily, there is plenty of room to perform these maneuvers. That constituted the entire excitement for the day so far.
With the blog up to date, I turned my attention to posting the latest offering. I got a text from Daniel wanting to know if I was up for coffee, which of course, I was. I met Gary as I came out of my RV and we both walked to the breakroom where Daniel had a coffee for each of us.
We spent an hour chatting and I got to hear some interesting and sometimes funny stories from the pair of them. Gary and I made our way back to our RV’s and Daniel said he had to clean the bathrooms. At least, he was indoors and not out in the sun in the 102-degree heat.
Back in the RV, I completed the blog to bring it up to date. I’ll bet I could write the rest of today and then when I looked at it tomorrow, it would be exactly what we did. Things do not change very much unless I have a doctor’s appointment or go shopping.
Sandy was giving me “the look” so we harnessed up and wandered around dodging from shade to shade and trying hard to stay out of the sun. We did not go very far and managed to cover 1.2 miles for the day, which is pretty good all things considered.
I sat with the sliding door open with a cold beer and listened to an Audiobook with the escaping A/C circulating around me to keep me cool. We stayed there until it started to get dark, and we went through the usual “shut up shop for the evening” things like the bird feeders and such and then adjourned back indoors for food and entertainment.
Incidentally, I watched Brighton and Hove Albion with their game and Solly March, my great, great grandson scored 2 goals. Way to go, Solly.
I very reluctantly got out of bed to face another hot day. Having day after day of 100 plus degree weather without any break is very tiring and I certainly have very little inclination to do anything outside other than the absolute necessities like feeding the birds and emptying the tanks and of course, walking the dogs.
Saying that, we went through the usual morning routine of hanging bird feeders and then walking although we did not walk very far. We took the outside lane leading up to Hwy 290 and got very lucky as there was a herd of deer plus the pair of Zebras close enough to take pictures. We have not seen this herd in a while.
We wandered up the lane, but Sandy was not into walking in the heat, and we did an about face and walked back to The Caboose. We must be careful with her because of her heart condition not to mention getting her to take her medication.
Back at the RV I emptied the tanks which is not a big chore but one that needs doing periodically and then we went back inside for breakfast. Today was a good day as Sandy ate her food and licked the bowl clean which meant that she had taken her pill for the morning.
I have no idea where today has gone as when I looked at the clock it showed it to be 4:00 pm. Funny how some days just fly by, and others drag along. It is all the same time after all.
I glanced at the Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer that sits on my desk and it reads 103 degrees. This is the hottest part of the day here in Dripping Springs, Texas.
I had a few indoor chores which I took care of, all just normal routine stuff and then looked around for something else to do. At least I feel better than yesterday as I have not fallen asleep yet. I just glanced at the clock again and now it says it is 5:40 pm. Time is just flying by.
The temperature peaked out at 103 degrees and is now dropping and has already reached 100 degrees. It should cool down by midnight… Around 7:00 pm, I harnessed up the dogs again for the final walk of the day.
It had cooled down a bit to around 99 degrees. Our walks generally consist of rushing from one shady area to the next and dawdling when we reach them and at this late hour, the shadows are much longer.
We sat outside for an hour listening to an Audiobook and drinking a beer, OK 2 beers, until it started to get dark. That was the signal to bring in the feeders for the night and for us to adjourn inside to watch the Premier League.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Sunday 08/20/2023
You can just pick out the deer silhouetted against the back ground.
I heard the alarm go off and quickly turned it off with absolutely no intention of crawling out of bed. In 10 seconds, I was asleep again. I finally got up around 8:30 am and after the usual morning ablutions, we went outside to go walking.
The first thing though, was to bring out the bird feeders, three that are seed holders and two for seed cakes all hung on the same pole. Yesterday, I refilled the Hummingbird feeders but when I looked at them today, both were covered in tiny ants. The water holders on the top that are designed to keep the ants away, dried up overnight with the excessive heat.
We went out for that first walk but it had already warmed up and neither dog was very interested in walking. We wandered around for a bit dawdling between shady areas and from the point of view of bowel movement, both dogs outshone themselves with a score of two each. That has never happened before so a first for everything. As that is the main purpose of the walk with exercise a distant second, the walk was a major success.
I fixed breakfast for the dogs and Mikey gobbled his down. Sandy picked out the “good stuff” and left most of it which meant that yet again, she is not getting her medication. She is supposed to take two large pills a day and I am lucky if I can get one crumbled up into her. I have yet to find that magic, irresistible something that she likes and that will disguise the pill and I have tried everything.
I sat and read the World news and noted that England Women lost to Spain in the World Cup final. Guess I will watch it this evening. I now have a choice with the English Premier League going on although today’s game was the last one in this World Cup with the next one four years away. Wonder if I will still be around to watch it or better yet, understand it?
I wrote for as much as I could for the day and now must wait for things, anything to develop. I hope that the day goes a bit slower than yesterday as I had no idea where that time went.
I sat and listened to an Audiobook indoors as it was way too hot to sit outside, and the afternoon slowly passed. I made good use of the time though as I put in a load of laundry which did its thing in the background. I did not bother to empty the laundry machine and fold the laundry and will do that tomorrow. No one cares if my tee shirt has a few wrinkles.
We went out for the final walk of the day. It was still bloody hot with the temperature hovering around 100 degrees and that was at 6:00 pm in the evening. We definitely did not look for distance, just exercise. When we got back, I sat in the RV’s open doorway and listened to an Audiobook. At least, there was some cool air as the A/C escaped but what the hey, that is what the units are for, to produce more of the cold stuff.
It started to get dark and that was my cue to bring in the bird feeders and shut up shop for the evening, The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way, feed the dogs, feed me and watch TV.
I set the alarm and it went off at 6:45 am leaving me plenty of time to do things before driving into the Ear Doctor’s Office in Austin. The first thing was to bring out the bird feeders and then to take the first walk of the day.
After dropping off the small bag of trash, I stopped by the Break Room to drink coffee with Daniel. Later, Malinda joined us, and we chatted for a while. I got up and left to get ready for the drive into Austin and fed the dogs before leaving.
The drive-in was uneventful and there was not a lot of traffic. I made my way to the Ears, Nose and Throat Office and chatted to all and sundry as I awaited my turn. I did not have to wait long before I was sitting in Lisa, the Technicians’ office, and we went over how the new hearing aids were working out. She explained some things to me, and we were all through.
I had decided that I needed a new straw hat as the one I have is getting a bit beaten up and drove back towards South Austin to Whole Earth Provision Company. First, I looked at the hats and had to go through nearly all of them to find a small size. I eventually found one I liked, and it fitted my small head. Can’t think why people think I have a big head…
My next stop was to the shoe section where after several attempts, I found a pair of hard soled shoes in my size. I kept them on and put the originals back in the box to carry home. I took my goodies to the counter to pay and managed to spend $202.00 between the two. Still, I needed both things.
Driving home, I took a wrong turn and drove all over South Austin before eventually having to resort to the map finder on my phone to get me back to the where I wanted to go. Still, I got to see some of Austin that I had never seen before.
When I was finally back into territory that I recognized which happened to be a Starbucks, I bought a Latte and some sort of Breakfast sandwich and drove the back way home to Dripping Springs. Incidentally, before very long, the sandwich had gone out of the window to feed the birds as it did not taste very good. The coffee was fine though.
Back at the RV, I hitched up the dogs and we went out for a short walk. By then, the temperature was hovering around the 100 degree mark and we did not stay out very long.
I worked on the blog bringing it up to date which included today. With it getting so hot in afternoons with the temperature usually peaking out at around 4:00 pm, both of the dogs and myself have a great reluctance to go outside at that time and only the necessity of potty breaks forces us out at all. Potty breaks for the dogs, not for me… Maybe I could teach the dogs how to use the indoor toilet…
We sat around indoors, and I nodded off to sleep on the couch with a very contented dog on either side of me. I must have been tired as I napped for a couple of hours before deciding that it had cooled off enough to take that walk. Consequently, the step count was way down, and we did not even cover a mile for the day but at least we did not cook or get sunburnt…
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way with me in seventh heaven now that the English Premier League games are back.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Friday 08/18/2023
I awoke late because I had turned the alarm off as it is of no use if all I do is roll over and go back to sleep anyway. It’s not like I have anything important going on today as was the case the past three days. In fact, I have absolutely nothing planned for today which is just as well. I do not feel 100% as I have a bit of a sore throat.
We followed our usual procedures which we do every morning harnessing up the dogs and tieing them up to the outside table while I fill and then hang the bird feeders. Today, I hung the two big feeders even higher than before as I had a word from Malinda that she had seen the deer standing on their back legs to reach them. Gotta hand it to the deer for trying.
We went out walking and it had already warmed up with high humidity making it very uncomfortable for all of us. Sandy sat down in the shade, and it took a while to coax her into walking again. I took that to mean that she did not want to go far, and we only wandered up the outside road leading to Hwy 290.
Back inside The Caboose, I made us breakfast and coffee for me. Today was one of the better days as Sandy ate her breakfast and licked her bowl clean meaning that she took all of her medication. I ate my breakfast and started work on the blog.
The deer were after the feeders again and I stood up and shoo ’ed them away and they bounded off. I made the mistake of sitting on the couch as immediately, there was a dog on either side of me. The next thing I must have dozed off as I did not wake up for a couple of hours. Apparently, that was not long enough as I dozed back off again not waking up until it was time for the afternoon walk.
This time, I dragged myself off the couch and harnessed up the dogs and I staggered around outside gradually waking up as we walked along. Maybe that should read me or I as the dogs were fine and wide awake.
I have no idea why I slept at all as it is very unusual for me to do that. We wandered around with me coming more and more awake as we walked.
I had an invitation to eat at Malinda’s and Daniels RV that evening and I headed over there when we got back. The usual crew was there, and we ate and drank and had a lot of fun.
I walked back to the RV, and we went out for a quick walk before retiring for the evening to watch another Premier League game.
I got up late again even though I went to bed at a reasonable hour. Guess I needed sleep. There was no one over at the Breakroom which was not surprising considering how late I was.
We harnessed up and as usual, the first thing was to bring out the bird feeders. Then we went walking and managed to cover 1.2 miles on the first walk of the day.
Back in the RV, I fixed us all breakfast and that all important first coffee. I posted a poem from my archives as I have not been very active in the poetry world these past few weeks. The poetic side of my brain needs stimulation somehow for it to start working again.
I had to play catch up with the blog as I was behind with the posting and there was only one blog in the queue waiting to be posted. I know that my friend BJ would like it that way, but I need a cushion just in case I fall behind as I just did.
All the while I was working on the blog, I was keeping one eye on the clock as I have a Dentist’s appointment this afternoon. Leaving plenty of time to drive into town, I set off heading for the Dentist’ Office.
Traffic was light, which was surprising, and I made good time and I walked in and was warmly greeted by the Receptionist who checked all my details to make sure they were correct. I had filled out the forms online to save time.
There was a bit of a problem with my insurance card needing to be replaced but they got over it. Dr Reed examined me following up on the Technicians’ work who did the original examination and ran all the tests.
Bottom line after being in the chair for almost a half hour was word that I needed to have a couple of teeth treated. I made an appointment with the front office for next week and made my way back to the Jeep.
Back in the Jeep, I drove back to Henly to be met by my little buddies who showered me with attention just so they could go walking. We wandered around the park and managed to cover 1:00 mile.
The rest of the evening was spent in watching the English National Women’s team make it through to the World Cup Final.
I turned the alarm off and went back to sleep because I felt tired for some reason, eventually rolling out of bed around 8:00 am. We harnessed up and the first order of the day was to go out walking. We only made one circuit of the Breakroom and ended up drinking coffee with both Daniel and Delores.
Daniel had a small project requiring my help, so I put the dogs away and jumped on the 4×4 and started picking up branches that he was cutting off from the trees. We cleaned up several areas including down by the new swimming pool.
He dropped me back off at my RV and I brought out the bird feeders as I had not had time to do it earlier. Then I made the dogs their breakfast before getting my own.
I spent time working on the blog bringing it up to date and then looked around for something to get up to. I had an appointment with my eye doctor and drove into town arriving in plenty of time. There were some problems with one of my medical cards, but we got it straightened out.
Then I spent the next hour looking at moving objects and trying to read the fine print. Bottom line is that I have some new medication to put in my eyes, once a day.
I got out of the Doctor’s office and headed back to Henly stopping at the HEB located in Dripping Springs where I had the Doctor send the prescription. It was not ready, which was OK as I had grocery shopping to do and wandered around the store trying to stay with the list I had written out.
Needless to say, a couple of things snuck into the basket which included a case of beer for Daniel. I got back to the RV and with the help of my little buddies, unloaded and put everything away except for Daniels beer.
Malinda and Daniel were down in the swimming pool, and I left her a message to come and collect it when they were ready. I had thought about joining them in the pool when I first got back but my heart was not into it as I am not big into swimming and such.
They stopped by and loaded their case of beer and gave me a hard time for not joining them in the pool. I watched an English Premier League game until it was time to go out walking again.
We wandered around and we managed to cover a little over 2 miles for the day. Back in The Caboose, I fixed the dogs food and then fed myself before settling down to watch another Premier League game
I turned the alarm off and dropped straight back off to sleep and then, did not wake up until 8:30 am. I jumped into the shower to try to clear the cobwebs and then we went out to work on the bird feeders.
The two large ones that I now have hanging in the trees way up out of the deer’s reach, were both empty and needed refilling. I took care of that as it is a little more complicated now with them hanging up high. I played around with the other smaller feeders rehooking them up to the pole.
I noticed that one of the two seed cake holders was empty and laying on the ground so the deer must have figured out that they are good to eat. I will bring them inside at night with the others in the future.
While I was out there and feeling all energetic, I watered the plants both in the garden and on the steps. Even though the deer have done a number on a couple of them, I noticed new green shoots growing so there is still hope. If the deer stays away, that is.
We went out walking and managed to cover a mile for the morning. Because I was late getting up, it had already warmed up when we were wandering around.
Back in the RV, I fixed breakfast for us all and this time, as I had been too late for the early morning get together, fixed myself coffee. Suitably refreshed and ready to face the day, I settled down and read emails and the world news.
There was not a single email that presented any problems or needed any action on my part, and the world news was just the same as yesterday and quickly skimmed over. I took care of the blog keeping it up to date before looking around for other things to get up to.
Not finding anything that needed my attention, I turned the TV on and watched an English Premier League game, well actually two games as the new season has just started. This took the entire afternoon and by then, it was time to go out walking again.
We wandered around as we usually do but it was so hot out that we did not stay out for very long but still managed to cover 1.9 miles. Back in the RV, we spent time listening to an Audiobook before bringing in the bird feeders and shutting up shop for another day. Written 08/14/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com
My Friend BJ striding it out at Bastrop State Park,
I had a visitor today my friend from Bastrop but she did not stay she happened to be in town and stopped by and the very reason why is she had some marmalade for me taken from her own pantry that she had made as she often does with her own special touch and lots of love she sometimes includes me when she makes jam knowing just how fond I am for breakfast on toast is always the best two slices at least passes the test and then I have to put it away saving the rest for another day I really appreciate my friend for including me and I recommend that if she ever offers to you you jump at the chance for a bite or two of the wonderfuls jams and jellies she makes her talent for cooking is really no fake and if she was more inclined could sell her wares to human kind but I am lucky just like Sam who is my friends long suffering Old Man as they have been married many a year and they hold each other dear I would too given the chance not because I want a romance and not with any disrespect as my reasons have no effect but to share the jelly and food as my friends cooking is really that good.
I managed to get up around 8:30 am and we went out for a short walk about ending up at the Breakroom for the usual coffee. It wasn’t a good start to the day as I had hardly drunk any of it and set it on the ground. A strong gust of wind blew my hat, that was also on the ground, into the coffee cup, knocking it over. Malinda splashed water over the spilt coffee to prevent it from staining the concrete. I thanked Malinda for cleaning up the mess and meanwhile, Gary made me a fresh cup.
We sat there for a while talking and noticed one of the campers, an older gentleman, was getting ready to leave and was having trouble backing up his truck to the rig. I walked over to act as a spotter and before long, Daniel had joined me. It was obvious that the camper was not very experienced, and I stepped back to let Daniel finish helping him.
I took the dogs walking and we managed to cover almost mile even as hot as it was after our late start.
Back in the RV, I made breakfast and could not get Sandy interested in eating anything which was unusual. She usually eats the meat even as she eats around the medicine.
I finished the blog for yesterday and posted it and looked around for other things to do. I noticed that I had not emptied the washing machine, so I took the time to do that and folded the clothes and put them in their respective drawers. Like I said, wrinkled shorts and Tee shirts really do not matter very much.
We did a lot of sitting around listening to an Audiobook and at one point, I nodded off to sleep. I must have napped for at least 30 minutes waking up with a start and wondering where I was.
The dogs like it when I nod off as they are usually sitting one on each side of me on the couch. Needless to say, they too are zonked off and I can’t rely on them to wake me up.
I took that as a cue to go walking just to clear the cobwebs. We wandered around but it was way too hot with the temperature hovering around 102 degrees, and we quickly came back inside.
With nothing else to get up to, I turned on the TV to the English Premier League games for which the season has just started. I watched my great, great, Grandson, Solly March who plays for Brighten and Hove Albion, scored the opening goal. Brighton who went on to win 3-1 for a good start to the season.
The alarm went off and I thought, “Five more minutes” and ended up waking up 45 minutes later. I got out of bed and harnessed up the dogs.
The first thing was to bring out the bird feeders as we usually do. The one we hung in the tree was still where it was supposed to be and full of seed. Obviously, it is high enough that the deer are not bothering it. I want to hang the other large one higher as well. That way, I will only have the two smaller ones to bring in at night.
With the birds taken care of for one more day, we went out walking around the park and up Henly Loop to Hwy 290 and managed to cover 1.1 miles, a good start to the day. I noticed that there was a small calf in with the three cows in the fields across the road. Guess one of them had birthed.
Back in the RV, I fixed breakfast after contemplating for a long time what I fancied to eat. In the end, I settled on four taquitos which filled a spot. Sandy really liked them.
I settled down in front of the computer for the usual morning perusal of the World news which was full of the same old crap. I turned to the blog and caught up with events to date struggling to remember what had happened of any importance yesterday.
As far as I can remember, it went something like this. I woke up albeit an hour late. That is worthy of a mention as important as what it is considering the alternative. I fed the birds, nothing new there. We went walking and covered a very good number of 3.6 miles for the for the day. I went to a Sea Food Restaurant to eat with my friends and the food was very good. Gary treated me to my meal. It will be my turn next time…I drank two beers and slept like the proverbial log.
Having caught up on the blog, I looked around for other things to get up to. I went outside and worked on the second bird feeder and got it hooked up the way I wanted it.
Now, it is high enough that the deer cannot reach it plus the two big feeders are now spaced apart. The two small ones are still on the seed pole, and I will bring them in at night. For some reason, the deer do not touch the seed cakes, so I do not have to fuss with them other than to replace them from time to time.
I tried sitting outside on the deck in the shade and even with a strong breeze blowing, the air was too warm for comfort. The actual temperature was 102 degrees, which is hot by anybody’s standards.
We ended up back indoors in the cool A/C. I listened to an Audiobook and came to the end of the story or at least, Part 1. Apparently, I do not have Part 2 downloaded and neither could I find it to do so, and I started another Stephen King story instead.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion watching a Women’s World Cup game.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Saturday 08/12/2023
Again, I was awake before the alarm went off and when it did, I rolled over and went back to sleep. I was just not ready to get up. I really do need to get to sleep earlier and then maybe I would get up.
It is not like it really matters as I have nothing planned of any importance.
We harnessed up and I tied the dogs up so I could bring out the two small bird feeders, the only ones that are not permanently hanging up high and out of the deer’s reach.
Then we went out walking making the loop around the Break Room as we headed for the dumpsters and then coffee. Gary was the only one there as Daniel and Malinda had already left to go about their business. We sat and chatted for a bit and then we both left to go and do our “thing”.
Ours was a continuation of our walk which took us up Henly Loop towards Hwy 290. There was enough shade for us to get 2/3 rds. of the way up the road before turning around to come back to the RV. It truly is miserably hot.
Back in the RV, I made coffee and fixed all of us breakfast. Today was a good day as Sandy ate hers and licked the bowl which means that she unknowingly, ate her crushed up medication. I sat and read the World news and then turned my attention to the blog.
I watched as a squirrel perched on the feeders and this time; I allowed him to eat his fill which was not very much. When I looked up again, he was gone.
We went out for another walk but unlike the morning walk, the one in the afternoon is usually shorter because of the heat. Not just on me but for the dogs too as they sometimes flop down in any patch of shade. Then, we have to wait until they are ready to go again.
When we got back, I sat and listened to an Audiobook for a while and then adjourned back indoors where it was cooler and watched a Women’s World Cup game. Half way through, came a knock on the door which set the dogs barking.
I looked out and it was Gary with his car telling me it was time to go and star watch. I put on my shoes, and he drove us down to the swimming pool where a whole bunch of my friends had already gathered. There was supposed to be a display of shooting stars visible to the naked eye.
We sat there for more than 2 1/2 hours but all we got to see was an occasional shooting star. Giving up on that event as a flop, I declined a ride back to the RV and walked back mainly to get the cricks out.
Laying in a deckchair was not very comfortable for all of that time. By then it was almost 1: 30 am and long past my bedtime.
I fully intended to get up when the alarm went off but somehow, could not resist the temptation of rolling over and going back to sleep. It was almost 8:00 am when I crawled out which meant that I had missed the usual morning gathering.
I am sure though that they did not miss me as my contributions to the conversation never amounted to very much. So instead, after we harnessed up and as I usually did, I tied the dogs up so that I could bring out the feeders. Then we went out walking.
We wandered around the campground and then headed down one of the dead-end roads that leads away from the campground. Early in the morning, it has a good amount of shade cover and hardly any traffic, making it fairly comfortable to walk.
We managed to cover 1.3 miles, which is a good start to the day. It always surprises me just how much walking is needed to cover a mile. Quite obviously, I am not a good judge of distance.
Back at the RV, I messed around outside watering the plants and such and played around with the new bird hanger that Daniel started. It was empty so I refilled it. I was planning a couple of refinements to make it more practical to use but I need some parts which means a trip to The Home Depot.
I was sitting and writing and when I looked up, there were two deer working on the feeders. They are probably the same ones but there is no way of telling as one deer very much looks like the next one. I opened the door, which was enough to frighten them away, but I hollered at them for good measure.
They were very reluctant to move very far away, and they both surveyed me for a good ten minutes from about 50 yards off. Eventually, they moved away, and you could almost see the look of disappointment on their faces. The last thing I need is to feel guilty about not feeding them…
I continued to write with one eye on the feeders, just in case the deer decide to try again although, they are probably waiting for me to go into town which was the next thing on the agenda.
I grabbed my list as without one, I tend to buy all the wrong things and forget the important ones and hopped in the car. My first stop was at Home Depot as I wanted to find parts to rehang the bird feeders in the tree high enough so that the deer cannot reach them. At the same time, I need to devise a way to lower them when they need refilling. I found the section with the parts that I needed and picked out what I hope will be the right ones.
My next stop was at HEB where I wandered around sticking pretty much with my list of groceries. I bought beer for Daniel as it is my contribution to all the food and such that I get invited to share with the group. I got back and put the groceries away and remembered that a bunch of us were going to eat out to celebrate Terri’s birthday.
Gary stopped by to pick me up and we drove away from Dripping to a restaurant named The Boil Shack which specialized in seafood. It was a very interesting place. I ordered fried halibut over rice which was delicious.
It was a lot of food, and I was the last one to finish eating. I really would have been satisfied with half the amount that I was served but I managed to chow it all down. It was a fun evening.
When we got back, I harnessed up my little buddies and we went out walking around the park. It was a little bit cooler as the sun was going down fast. Altogether for the day, we covered 3.6 miles, a very good day indeed.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way except of course, I had no need to feed myself.
I got up as soon as the alarm went off at 7:00 am and jumped in the shower which finished waking me up. Dressed and ready to face the day, I harnessed up the dogs and then, as I usually do, brought out the feeders.
With this done, I grabbed the small bag of garbage and we headed for the dumpster. I let the dogs lead as much as I can when we are out walking and help them with the occasional tug on the leash to get them go in the right direction. After all, for them, it is not the distance we cover but the number of smells they find plus they are supposed to do their business, which they usually do on the first walk.
As usual, we ended up along with Malinda, Daniel and Gary drinking coffee outside of the Break Room. We chatted for 30 minutes or so and then I got up to go walking while it was cool. For once, it was overcast so it had not yet warmed up.
We wandered around the campground and then hit the outside road walking towards Hwy 290 only this time, the opposite end to what we normally use. Again, our walks are all governed by the amount of shade although today it did not matter as we had that cloud cover. Altogether, we covered 1.5 miles on the morning walk.
Back inside the RV, I fixed breakfast and fed the dogs and puttered around on a couple of household chores before settling down in front of the computer to read the World news. I was especially interested in what other people had to say about the USA Women’s team’s loss. I read a lot of the comments, some good but most of them bad because of the players’ actions during the singing of the National Anthem. The soccer powers that be, have a problem that they need to get sorted out before these players get to represent their country again or maybe they should not.
I continued to write and then posted the latest blog on the website. It seems that around mid to late afternoon is when I run out of things to do. That is usually when I sit and listen to an Audiobook, preferably outside on the deck. A lot of that is governed by how much shade there is although I do have the overhead awning that I usually never let out all the way. If it gets too windy, I bring it in.
Daniel stopped by and he had brought a roll of heavy string with him, and we messed around hanging one of the bird feeders in a tree. We only worked on one of them as an experiment and with a bit of refinement, I think I can make it work. I just need to get them higher up out of the Deers reach and then I will not have to bring them in each evening.
We went out for another walk around the campground and out onto the outside roads. We stop and talk to many of the people that we meet or who are outside their RV’s.
Back at The Caboose, we sat outside on the deck half in and half out of the doorway cooled by the escaping A/C air. I figure it is a small price to pay for my comfort.
We listened to an Audiobook, and we are nearly at the end of that story. Daniel had already invited me over to the commons to eat at 6:15 and I was keeping an eye on the time so as not to be late. The food was delicious as it usually was, and I was stuffed when I finally left the party to bring in the bird feeders.
With that done, we went inside for the rest of the evening.
The alarm went off and I lay there long enough for the A/C to shut off, so it did not freeze me as I showered. Then it was the usual, harness up, out the door, and tie up while I took care of the bird feeders.
We started to wander around carrying our usual bag of trash and we did our normal circuit around the Clubhouse before sitting down with Gary who is usually the first one there. He made me coffee and we sat and chatted before Daniel and then Malinda joined us.
She did not stay very long as she was already working on her phone. Chris also stopped by and Peggy strolled up and fixed hers and BJ a coffee and then disappeared back to her RV. I guess they had a rough night with a bottle, last evening.
Daniel got up to go to work and I took that as a cue to continue walking the dogs. We wandered around and walked most of the way down the hill before turning back to the RV and managed to cover 1.1 miles.
Back at the RV, I fixed breakfast and this time, drank orange juice as I already had coffee. I am not that much of a coffee lover to require two cups in a morning. I was keeping one eye on the door as Sandy had a haircut scheduled for today.
We are very fortunate that we have Bethany, a resident doggy hairdresser here in the campground who picks the dogs up and then brings them back after they are all cleaned up. Mikey started barking as she walked up the stairs onto the deck and I gave her Sandy all dirty, disheveled and desperately in need of a bath.
We chatted for a couple of minutes as she mentioned she would like a deck like mine, and I suggested that she talk to Daniel.
Somewhat reluctantly, Sandy went with Beth, and they drove off and Mikey and I went back indoors to work on the blog. We wrote for a while and pretty much caught up.
I found other things to get up to like putting in a load of laundry and making the bed and fun things like that. I happened to look out of the window and my two friendly deer were there brazenly walking up to the bird feeder. I grabbed the phone to take yet another picture of them as I opened the door, and they sprang away.
I really do need to consider hanging the feeders in the trees higher off the ground and out of their reach. BTW, that is three days in a row they have come searching for food. I don’t know if their natural food is in short supply because of the heat and lack of rain or because the seed in the feeders is easy pickens and tastes good but they certainly are attracted to it.
About midafternoon, Mikey jumped up and rushed to the door and Bethany was standing there with Sandy all clean and looking sharp. Sandy was very pleased to see Mikey and even had time to make a fuss of me. I chatted to Beth for a while and paid her and she went on her way with my thanks.
We went back indoors as it was bloody hot outside with the temperature hovering around the 103 degree mark and I went back to work on the blog. With this caught up for the day, I was at a bit of a loss figuring out what else to do as It is just so hot and uncomfortable outdoors not only for me but also for the dogs.
We sat around doing a lot of nothing except to listen to an Audiobook and I think I dozed off as the next thing I remember is waking up with a start and looking at the clock. Not sure why the time mattered as we had no plans.
The rest of the group, especially those with Grandkids have been spending time at the pool but it holds no real attraction for me although the kids are amusing.
We harnessed up and went out walking and managed to cover 1.7 miles for the day. Not bad for the weather being as hot as it is. When we got back, we sat on the deck in the doorway to the RV so we could be in the cool air as it escaped listening to an Audiobook and drinking a beer until it began to get dark.
That was the cue to bring in the bird feeders and shut up shop for the evening.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Tuesday 08/08/2023
The alarm clock woke me up and when I looked at it after turning it off, it said 6:40 am. I stared at it in disgust and wondered why it was not set for 7:00 am, rolled over and promptly went back to sleep. I awoke at 7:15 and this time crawled out of bed.
Cold water on my face and in my eyes woke me up and I dressed ready to face another day, not that we have anything planned. We harnessed up and I hitched the dogs to the table so they could “help” bring out the bird feeders and then we grabbed our small bag of garbage and headed to the dumpster.
We followed our usual morning pattern of walking around the Breakroom before ending up with the “Gang” or at least, those that were present. This morning it was Gary, Malinda, Daniel, Remington and myself. Incidentally, Malinda was already working on her phone.
We chatted and drank coffee as we usually do before each going our separate ways. In our case, we started walking around and headed out on the Loop that leads to Hwy 290 although Sandy seemed reluctant to walk very far.
Maybe the heat was already getting to her as she is not as well insulated after her haircut. Anyway, we turned back, and instead, she led us down the hill and then back through the park to the RV. I guess she just did not want to walk on Henly Loop for whatever reason.
Back in the RV, I fixed breakfast for the dogs and wonders never ceased as both ate what I put in front of them. In Sandy’s case, she licked the bowl clean, so she got all this morning’s pill. That, by itself, is a good start to the day.
I fixed my own breakfast although I am having trouble finding appealing things to eat. Today I settled on two pieces of toast, one with peanut butter and the other with Marmalade. The coffee tasted good though!
I had already read the world news and several different write ups of Team USA loss to Sweden. It was interesting that some of the writers supported the team 100 percent regardless of how they had behaved during the playing of the National Anthem.
Others lambasted them for those same antics, calling them unpatriotic and worse. For my part, I must agree that the team’s behavior both during the pregame and National Anthem left a lot to be desired especially after watching other players on other teams in earlier games singing their National Anthems with great gusto and enthusiasm with their eyes closed and obviously very grateful to represent their countries.
You could almost feel their pride. In truth, almost the entire rest of the World has caught up with the USA in terms of skill and coaching and there is no longer that gap. This is good for the game and Team USA will now have to work even harder.
After working on the blog, I had a couple of household chores. I emptied the washer and put the clothes on the bed ready for folding although I put that off to do it later. As all I wear are shorts and Tee shirts, a few wrinkles do not matter.
I watched as the pair of deer walked up to the feeders and started to eat which was my cue to get up and clap my hands. They bounded off but they did not leave the park. Probably waiting for another opportunity to attack…
I finished working on the blog and posted the latest edition. I thought about watching another soccer game but decided against it and opted to go out walking instead. We managed to cover 1.2 miles for the day, which was not bad considering that after the morning walk, any walking after that is done in 100 plus degree heat.
When we got back, I sat and listened to an Audiobook sitting in the open doorway on The Caboose which allowed the cooled air to blow past me. That is the only way it is tolerable with the 100 plus degree heat.
I have tried bringing out the big fans that I have but they only blow hot air around. We stayed outside listening to an Audiobook and drinking a nice cool beer, well OK, maybe more than one and then I brought in the bird feeders one more time.
With this done, it was the signal to close the door on the world and go back inside the RV for the evening meal.
I had reset the alarm to wake me at 6:45 am which it did, and lay there a couple of minutes before crawling out to face the day. The idea was to walk when it was cooler, at least for the first walk of the day. Not much I can do about the other walks as the hottest part of the day here in Texas is around 6:00 pm
I harnessed up the dogs and then tied them up outside so they could at least watch as I worked on the bird feeders, making sure there was enough seed in each one before we went out walking.
We wandered around and as we usually do, ended up in the Breakroom to drink coffee and to sit with the same crowd including the Grandkids, although different ones this time. We followed this with another walkabout not going very far as we ended up at “the girls” RV where we sat and chatted for a bit.
Then we continued walking and this time, we took the outside road leading from one entrance to the other. I thought that we might walk down the hill, but Miss Sandy had other ideas and turned back into the park and back to the RV.
I settled down in front of the computer and the dogs found their hidey holes and went to sleep. I wrote for a while playing the usual catchup with a lot of head scratching as I tried to remember what we did yesterday.
With the blog caught up, I remembered that I had an invitation to lunch over at the Commons and at noon time, made my way over only to discover that the time had been changed. I spent time talking to Daniel as he fussed with his new jet skis and then walked back to the RV.
Thirty minutes later, I received a call to head back over to the Commons where a lot of people had congregated. We sat down to a lunch of Hamburgers with all the fixings. I ate one followed by some fruit and was stuffed. I had to keep saying no as I was practically ordered to “eat more”. I finally convinced my tormentors that I was full up and after a while, the party broke up and several of us headed down to the pool.
There is an an old English saying that you should never go swimming on a full stomach in the belief that it would cause cramp. Still, some of my friends, including me, full stomach and all, headed for the Pool to test that theory.
I stopped at the RV first to change into my swim trunks before grabbing my towel and heading off. I messed around in the water working on my nonexistent swimming skills before finally calling it a day and heading back to The Caboose.
I dried off and put on fresh clean clothes and then sat down to work on the blog. The outside temperature was reading 103 degrees… With the blog finished and posted for the day, I looked around for other things to do.
There was a nice breeze blowing outside so I opened the sliding door and put my new chair in the middle of the doorway. Armed with a beer and my little speaker unit, I sat in the doorway catching the cool air as it escaped through the open door.
I sat and listened to an Audiobook for an hour or so before deciding I should bring in the bird feeders. That is usually the last outside act of the day and signaled that it was time to head indoors for the evening.
I watched the US Women’s team lose to Sweden on penalty kicks which was a bit of a shock upset. In truth, the US team had not been playing well and squeaked through their earlier games. Many of the players on the team had come under criticism for their political views which they brought onto the soccer field by not singing the National Anthem or holding their hands over their hearts during the pre game. Consequently, there was a lot of bad feeling and many suggested it was a good thing they had lost.
I got up a little earlier in time to wander over to the Breakroom and chat with the others over there. We solved all the world’s problems as we sat and talked before Daniel, Gary and Malinda left to work at the swimming pool and the Camp Internet. That left Peggy and me and we just looked at each other and got up to do whatever it was we had planned for the day.
In my case, it was to walk around the campgrounds with the dogs to get some exercise. We wandered around going here and there wherever Sandy directed us to go. My job is to point us in the general direction we need to walk and try to find shade as much as possible. Incidentally, I always have one eye on the ground where the dogs walk just in case we come across snake or other creepy crawlies. I have no wish to kill them but just to make sure we are out of their reach.
Back at the RV, I fixed breakfast and coffee and then went on the usual Sandy challenge of taking her crushed up pill. No matter how I try to disguise the pill or how crushed it is, she either just eats around it or ignores the entire bowl of food. I turned my attention to the blog and caught up with yesterday and started on today.
I worked on the blog for a couple of hours which included the pictures. Not that I do very much to them anymore not like I used to when I was really into photography. My cameras have barely seen the light of day for a long time as I take most of the pictures with my iPhone or Galaxy.
I always have either or both of them with me and it saves lugging a camera around. I bought the Galaxy six months ago strictly for the camera and have yet to make or receive a phone call on it. Take that back as I have received junk calls on it which are at once trashed. How or where they got the number beats me as I do not even know it. I have it written down somewhere.
After completing the few chores that I had to do, I sat around in the cool and listened to an Audiobook until Sandy reminded me that she had to “go”. We harnessed up and wandered around stopping to chat to whoever was out and about.
I put the dogs back in The Caboose and then changed into my bathing shorts as I had received a phone call ordering me to report to the swimming pool asap. The shorts are really soccer shorts that have outlived their usefulness as regards soccer and are now my swim trunks. That and my loafers and grabbing my towel, I wandered down to the swimming pool.
The usual crowd was there, and it was a bit strange to see them all in swimming attire. There was Malinda, BJ, Peggy and Delores although BJ was not in the water. On the men’s side was Daniel, Gary and me with another gentleman who we did not know also using the pool.
Malinda and Gary were both pretty good in the water but the rest of us sort of splashed around and talked a lot. That for me was the first time that I had been in a pool in years or come to that, in any water to talk of. I used to be a fairly decent swimmer but alas, my swimming skills are sadly lacking and the best I could do was to dog paddle for a few yards before going under.
In my excuse, over the years my ear problems have kept me out of the water as the two do not mix. Any amount of water in my ears would result in the ears both discharging and aching while they did it and it was just not worth it to go swimming.
Gary was able to submerge and stay under for at least a minute or more and Malinda showed several floating skills. I eventually got out, dried off and bid my farewell as I walked back to The Caboose and to my two little dogs.
I changed into dry clothes and then harnessed up so we could go walking. We wandered around and then sat outside listening to the Audiobook, again. Eventually, it was time to go indoors, and I brought in the bird feeders once more. The day ended in the usual way with food and television although I did manage to get to bed by 11:30.
An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Saturday 08/05/2023
Broad daylight and eating the bird seed.
I managed to both wake up and get up at a reasonable hour, beating the alarm clock by a couple of minutes. We immediately harnessed up and went out for that first walk, after rehanging the bird feeders.
We did our first loop which is around the Break Room and past the dumpster for the usual disposing of our one small bag of litter. Then it was back to the Break Room to sit and chat as we usually do as we drank coffee.
There were the same people there, Daniel, Malinda, Gary and me along with three of Malinda’s Grand Kids who were all under ten years old.
The little girl was the oldest and she talked up a storm and was very interesting to listen to. She had magic thumbs as they sped across the keyboard as she worked on her little tablet chattering the whole time. I was in awe just listening and watching.
Malinda cooked breakfast for her group and came out with a Taco for me to work on. I thanked her for her kindness and went about eating it.
Eventually, we broke up and we continued our walk about. We hit the outside road, but I could see that Sandy was not into walking in that direction. We did an about turn which satisfied her and headed back to the park this time walking down the hill and coming back in the bottom entrance. Sandy was happy enough with this arrangement and trucked along leading the way as she usually does.
Back in The Caboose, I sat outside for a while and then decided to flush out the black water tank. This consists of hooking a garden hose up to a faucet and the hose valve on the tank lines and backflushing for two and a half minutes. This washes out the tanks and must be done periodically or the toilet will let out a cloud of terrible smelling gas when it is flushed.
It is not a big job, but it is important. The secret is in the timing of how much water to introduce through the hose. Two to two and half minutes will allow sufficient water to clean the tank. Any longer and the toilet bowl will overflow with not very clean water all over the RV floor. Yuk.
With the flushing done for a couple of weeks, I coiled up the hose although it will be needed shortly to water the plants as I try to keep them alive. We badly need rain and lots of it.
I hooked up the dogs and we went out for a walk. Peggy and BJ were both sitting outside so we wandered over to chat with them. Then Gary joined us, and we sat and talked for a bit more before we went on our way again.
Our other friends, Sharon and Larry, were sitting outside along with their dog, and we just had to stop and say hello. Sandy likes to stop anyway as she gets treats.
We moved on and made the loop back to the RV. I decided to go into town to Home Depot to see if they had an outdoor chair that would work for me. I wanted one with a wicker back and seat to try to allow air to circulate around my body when I sit in it. The deck chairs that I currently have both soak me with sweat when I use them.
I made the trip and found exactly what I was looking for and made my way back home. The chair sits next to Mikeys outdoor chair as he likes to be on my level. Sandy not so much as she hides indoors in the A/C. most of the time. It was way too hot to use the chair, so I headed back indoors and worked on the blog in the A/C.
I worked for a while and when I looked up, there were two deer happily feeding away on the bird seed. I took a couple of pictures and frightened them away and sat back down. 10 minutes later, they were back, and I had to drive them off again. Determined little buggers although these two are both full grown and not so little.
The birds need to stick up for themselves and at least peck the deer on the nose a few times. That would stop them. It will always be an ongoing battle with the deer. I bring the feeders in at night, or they will be empty in the morning. The deer are bold enough to chance it during the day if there is no one around.
Maybe I need to rig up a pulley system in the trees to raise the feeders up high enough to be out of their reach…Something else to work on.
Several of us gathered at Daniels RV to chat and drink beer while he was busy cooking hamburgers and other things ready for us to eat. As soon as the food was done, we all traipsed over to the Break Room to eat it.
Besides the adults, Daniel and Malinda’s three Grandkids were also a part of the party. We sat and ate hamburgers and hot dogs with all of the fixing’s and chatted amongst ourselves until I decided that I really needed to walk the dogs.
Saying goodbye to the group, I wandered back over to The Caboose and harnessed up the dogs and we wandered around the park and managed to cover 2.2 miles for the day.
