I awoke just as the alarm was going off and took a quick shower before we headed out the door. The first thing was to refill all the bird feeders before rehanging them in their proper places. The birds barely wait for me to back off before they are on the feeders and eating up a storm. I can almost hear them yelling at me for not getting up earlier. 

We wandered around and then took the outside Loop heading towards the magnificent oak tree. It was shady most of the way, but we did have some areas where we were in the sun. There were other people out walking, some with dogs and others just striding it out alone. It was unusual to see that many people but then I remembered that it was Sunday. 

We headed back to the Breakroom and met Peggy who was walking Remington and Gary who had a cup of coffee waiting for me. We sat and chatted for a while. She and Gary left, and we walked back to the RV.

This time, I worked on the Hummingbird feeders and refilled all three of them after giving them a good cleaning. We adjourned back inside of The Caboose where I ate two tangelos and two bananas for breakfast along with another cup of coffee. At least, the fruit tastes good so maybe, I need to stick with it for a while. 

I turned my attention to the blog and caught up with yesterday and started on today. Time flies when I am writing and before long, I had caught up with today and finished posting yesterday and was looking around for something else to get up to. 

Not finding anything, I sat in the easy chair and before I knew it, dropped off to sleep coming to when Mikey started barking at someone who was knocking on the deck gate. I looked out and discovered Peggy with yet another food offering which I gratefully accepted. She went on her way, and I took that as a cue to go out walking again. 

We wandered around for a bit, but Sandy was not into it, and we returned to The Caboose. By now, it had cooled off quite a bit and there was enough of a breeze to sit outside and continue listening to the Audiobook. 

We stayed there until the light began to fade and then I brought in the bird feeders, which for us, is generally the last outside chore of the day. Back inside, the evening was spent in the usual fashion with the evening meal and then watching the TV. I really got into a series I was watching, and it was almost 1:30 am before I went to bed. 

Written 07/09/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com

I got up early again and after the usual morning routine, harnessed up the guys so we could go walking. I tied them up outside so they could watch as I brought out the bird feeders. Then we went to the dumpster with our usual single bag of trash before heading over to join Gary who was sitting by himself outside of the Breakroom. 

Daniel had been there earlier but had left to work on one of his other projects.  The two of us sat and chatted and drank coffee until Gary jumped up and said he had to go to take care of business. I wandered around the park continuing the walk that we had started but had not gotten very far. We too had an appointment at our veterinarians to remove Sandy’s stitches, but it was not till 11:30 am. 

We returned to the RV and after a quick breakfast and Grape juice as I had already had coffee, we worked on the blog until it was time to take that drive. I loaded the guys and both of them managed to squeeze onto my lap. Mikey takes the No1 pole position and Sandy kinda squeezes her fat little butt onto whatever remains of my lap. I can’t say that it is very comfortable for her but there is no way that Mikey is giving up his spot. No doggy chivalry here. 

The drive-in was quick, and we arrived almost 30 minutes early and walked around a bit outside. Then we went inside, and it was not long before one of the staff came by and took Sandy to the other room to remove the stitches. Five minutes later, she was back. I had them trim the fur on her nose while they had her as she was covered in tiny little burs from having her nose in the grass all of the time. I chatted to a couple of other dog owners while me and Mikey, waited. 

We left and on the way to the car, both dogs watered the grass before hopping in. The drive back was uneventful and for a change, I drove back a different way. 

Back in the park, we went out for a short walk and managed to see the donkeys and zebras who were just inside the fence to their park. I took a few pictures. When we returned, I spent most of the afternoon on the phone to National General replacing the insurance to the Jeep. 

I had inadvertently managed to cancel that insurance while I was cancelling the insurance on the Jayco bus as apparently, both insurances were tied together. With patience and perseverance, I got the Jeep part reinstated. My rates have gone up considerably, probably because of the claims I have made for both the Jayco bus and the Jeep. 

With the insurance taken care of for six months, I finished writing the blog as far as I could and posted yesterday’s efforts. 

I was so busy concentrating on the blog that I did not keep an eye on the weather. The next time I looked up, I was raining a heavy shower which was a good thing. The bad thing was that I had left the deck chairs outside and now they were well and truly soaked. I guess we will not be sitting outside on them this evening as we usually do. Still, when the sun comes back out and with the almost 100-degree heat, they will not take long to dry. 

We went for another walk and just wandered around both in the park and on the outside roads. Sandy was not really in to it and at the first opportunity, she turned us around and headed back to The Caboose. 

The chairs had dried out enough and we sat outside listening to an Audiobook until it started to get dark. We moved back indoors after me bringing in the bird feeders and continued to listen to the Audiobook there. 

Finally, with that story ending, I turned on the TV and we found a new series to watch. 

Written 07/06/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

Another view of the deer family with four fawns. I wonder if she is babysitting or if they are hers.

I am really on a roll about getting up early. I have even started to wake up on my own although I wait for the alarm before I actually get up. 

We went out for a walk with the first stop at the dumpster before returning for coffee with Daniel and Gary who were already at the breakroom. A little bit later, Remington joined us dragging Malinda along behind him. 

We set about solving the day’s most pressing worldwide problems and after we discovered they were probably more than we could handle, gave up and went our separate ways. 

I walked the park with the dogs, and we covered well over a mile on the first walk, which is a good start to the day. Back at the RV, I fixed them something to eat mainly to convince Sandy to take her medication which is mixed in with some good tasting treats in an effort to get her to eat the damn stuff. Today was a good day as she ate everything up. 

I sat and read the world news as I usually do before turning to the blog. I was busy writing when I received a text telling me to come on over to the Breakroom for lunch. This was an impromptu gathering strictly to try to finish up the food left over from yesterday evening’s meal. I dropped what I was doing and wandered over. The girls and Daniel and Malinda were there, and I went about the business of filling my plate with leftovers. 

I had a hard time convincing them that I had enough food as they were encouraging me to go back for seconds and even thirds . For one thing, I am not used to eating at midday anymore and my food usually includes breakfast and the evening meal and not much else unless it is one of those parties, like last night. 

I successfully warded off their attempts at fattening me up but did allow myself a piece of peach cobbler which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

When the meal was finished, Daniel and I went about the business of filling propane bottles, including my own. All I did was unload the empty bottles for him to fill and then put them back in his runabout for delivery. He did most of the work on the delivery end and I unloaded the filled bottles and handed them to him. I think he is afraid that I cannot lift weights and might either injure myself or plain drop dead. 

He dropped me back off at The Caboose and went about his business and I headed back indoors to the cool A/C to work on the blog. 

I was looking around for something else to do and remembered that I had a note from the Dry Cleaners telling me that my order was ready for pickup. I jumped in the Jeep and made the short trip to the Dripping Springs and picked up my goods. The Cleaners is found in the same building as Starbucks, but I did not feel like a Latte and did not stop. Like I said in an earlier blog, they just don’t taste the same anymore… 

On the way back, I stopped at Tractor Supply to find another plant to take the place of one of the potted plants that did not make it. First it flowered and then it died. It was not an Annual so should have lasted a bit longer at least. 

When I got back to The Caboose, we sat outside for a while until I got too hot. The wind was blowing a bit stronger, and I brought the awning in. Although I was still sitting in the shade, I had lost the wind tunnel effect created by having the awning out. We went back inside to the A/C to cool off. 

We went out for yet another walk before returning to the RV for the usual evening’s entertainment only this time, I found something light to eat having already feasted at lunchtime. 

Written 07/05/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

I wonder what the Mama Deer is saying to her baby. Notice there are four young fawns with her. I have no idea if they are all hers or whether it is her turn to Fawn Sit.

I was awake before the alarm although I did not get up until it went off, crawling out for the usual morning ablutions. We went out at once and as usual, the first job was the bird feeders. With them re-hung again, we went out walking with the first stop, the dumpster. 

From there, I backtracked to the Breakroom where Gary was sitting outside. He had a cup of coffee waiting for me for which I was very grateful. We sat a while and then Daniel arrived and added to the conversation. A while later, we were joined by Malinda along with Remington on her leash. 

We sat chatting for about 30 minutes and then Gary left for places unknown. I had earlier mentioned to Daniel that I needed to flush the tanks out on The Caboose as it smelled of sewage when the toilet was flushed. After Gary left, Daniel and Malinda came over to the RV and went back to where the sewage outlets were located and spent the next 30 minutes flushing pipes until the tanks were running clear. 

I watched him carefully as next time; I need to do it myself as Daniel suggested it should be flushed every couple of weeks. I thanked him and Malinda for their help and they went about their business. 

I went back inside and found something to eat and made do with grapefruit juice instead of coffee before settling down in front of the computer to read the World news and then work on the blog. I usually spend a couple of hours every day working on this as I try to keep up with events. My life is such that anything different than the usual run of the mill things gets mentioned in the blog. 

Another problem is that my memory recall is getting pretty bad, and I find it easier to write about things just after they happen rather than the next day or so. Most of my days are the same and it has to be something special or unusual to make any changes. I could probably write tomorrows entry, today and it would not be far off. 

We took another walk round the camp grounds running into Greg who was walking Olive, his little Boston terrier. Olive, as usual, was carrying a big stick that was at least twice as big as she was. She is such a funny little dog. 

Back at The Caboose, we sat outside listening to an Audiobook until it was time for one more walk. This time, Sandy walked us around the first loop of the park and then back home where she plonked herself down as though to say,” That’s it. I have had enough”. 

I had an invite over to Malinda and Daniels RV to chat and drink a couple of beers. Peggy and BJ were already there, and we spent a pleasant couple of hours shooting the breeze. We got to hear a lot of funny and interesting stories from everyone. Except me that is, as compared to them, mine has been a very ordinary and dull existence. 

When we got back to the RV, we sat outside again listening to the Audiobook before it was time to bring in the bird feeders and shut the door on the outside world. 

The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion. 

Written 07/03/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Tuesday 07/04/2023
Independance Day

The sheep next door.

Today is July 4^th, Independence Day here in the US. Being a Naturalized citizen but born in the old country, England, it is a day of mixed emotions. If the settlers had not claimed their independence from the Mother Country, I wonder just how much the course of history might have changed? 

The first order of the day after getting up at 7:00 am, was the walkabout with the dogs. Our first task was to bring out the bird feeders as I normally do before heading to the dumpster with the most recent offerings of trash and then to the breakroom where Daniel and Gary were already sitting and drinking coffee. By the time we got there, Daniel had made my coffee and it was thrust into my hands. That and a chair to sit on. 

Both dogs got a whole bunch of attention, and it wasn’t long before we were joined by Peggy who had Remington with her. Luckily, all three dogs get along just fine. Then Malinda came over and before Peggy left, there was a big discussion about the get-together for that evening. The Park is under a burn ban so there will not be any fireworks. 

We shot the breeze for a while solving at least half of the World’s problems and then we went about our own business. In my case, it was back to the RV to work on the blog and attend to a couple of chores. I fed the dogs breakfast to get Sandy to take her medicine with, I might add, no cooperation from her. Stubborn little bitch… 

I warmed up a burrito to munch on as I needed something in my stomach besides the coffee and hoped that the tiny tasters, she got from my burrito would get her to eat her own food but no such luck. 

We sat around and I did a lot of nothing catching up with the blog and looking for other things to either do or write about. When I get bored, I usually resort to taking it out on the dogs by making them go walking with me, not that they mind too much. 

Back in the RV following the walk, I was just sitting around when I got a text from Peggy telling me to come over to Daniels RV. I knew we had plans for a get together but thought it was for later in the evening. 

I wandered over and besides Daniel and Malinda and the girls, Gary was there along with Jeff and his wife. We sat around and I nursed a beer as the evening progressed.  

Daniel was working his barbecue magic and the aroma of cooking meat filled the air. There were a lot of funny and interesting stories, some of them almost confessions of long ago deeds. Soon, everyone was relaxed as the beer and wine flowed. Incidentally, Malinda was making Margueritas, but I refused the offer of one and stuck with the beer as did all of the men. 

When it was time to eat, we filled our plates and found any flat surface that would do to rest the plates on as we consumed the food. We ate so much that nobody had room for the peach cobbler desert. 

We sat and shot the breeze until the girls said they had to leave. Jeff and his wife had already left so I took that as my cue to go back to The Caboose to be greeted by my little friends. I harnessed them up and we went out for the final walk of the day. 

The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion. 

Written 07/04/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

We could use a lot of this about now.

The start of another month. I wonder what this one will bring? One thing is sure and that is the days will only grow hotter temperature wise. We have already topped 100 degrees on several days and there is not much difference between 100, 105 or even 110 degrees. They are all bloody hot. 

I set the alarm again to wake up at 7:00 am although I was already awake when it went off. Maybe my body is already adjusting to the new time schedule. We went outside and I brought the bird feeders out, adding seed as required and then the usual trip to the dumpster. 

Gary was sitting outside of the Breakroom, and we joined him, taking the very welcome cup of coffee that he offered me. We sat and chatted for a while and then Delores drove up and joined us. She stayed for 10 minutes as she was on her way to visit her Grandkids. Her leaving was our cue to do the same with Gary heading back to his RV and us continuing with our walk. 

We wandered around the park guided by Miss Sandy and her whims. All I did was ensure they were safe and give a gentle tug here and there to push or pull her in a certain direction. Mikey, being the good little boy that he is, just follows along…She sure has us trained. 

Back at the RV, it was breakfast time and a second cup of coffee. I have not had two successive cups of coffee in a long time. Usually, one is sufficient for the day. 

The day was a quiet one as we had nothing planned. I did make a trip to HEB for some groceries but mainly to rebuild my supplies of the smelly cans that go into a deodorizer. I had run out and they keep the place smelling nice. I bought some food but did not need very much as other people keep feeding me and bringing over all kinds of goodies. By “Other people” I mean the girls and Deloris. 

Back at the RV, I had all kinds of help to put the groceries away and the task was quickly accomplished. I sat on the couch along with the dogs and dozed off for a while. When I awoke a bit later, it was time to go out walking. 

It began to cloud over as though it was going to rain. I was kinda hoping that it would even while we were out and about, but it held off. 

We sat outside listening to an Audiobook and drinking a mini bottle of wine until it started to get dark. I brought in the bird feeders, and we went out for one more quick stroll. Altogether, we covered 2.7 miles for the day. 

We sat and watched TV while eating our evening meal. Currently, I am watching a science fiction series called “Grim” which keeps me entertained enough to go to bed at 12:30 am. Got to change that if I want to keep on getting up at 7:00 am. 

Written 07/01/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com 

An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Sunday 07/02/2023

Seen on our walk. It stayed right where it was as we walked by

I heard the alarm and made the effort to get out of bed straightaway. I am on a roll of getting up earlier and want to keep it going. I took a shower luxuriating in the warm water and put on clean clothes taking them straight out of the drier having washed them yesterday. All I wear are shorts and tee shirts plus underpants of course and one set of clothes is as good as the next, especially after they have been washed and smell nice. 

I opened the sliding door and noticed that there was standing water on the deck so we must have had at least a shower in the night. We sure could use some real rain. 

With the dogs harnessed up and tied to the outside table, I brought out the bird feeders first checking to make sure they had seed in them. Our next stop was at the dumpster, where else? Then it was back to the breakroom to join Gary who was sitting outside on his own. 

He made a fuss of the dogs who returned the compliment. Even Mikey joined in. Gary made me a cup of coffee and we sat and jawed for about 30 minutes trying to solve the world’s problems. Figuring that they were beyond anything we could do, Gary went back to his RV. He is an interesting man to talk and listen to and then we continued with our walk. 

We wandered around taking the outside road towards Hwy 290, this time on the long side. It was bloody hot and uncomfortable outside and I made sure that we did not rush from one place to the next. Sandy does an excellent job of dictating our speed. We are either flying along at a gallop or crawling along with more stops than starts depending on how hot or tired she is or how interesting the smells are. 

We saw a deer, actually a doe, that eyed us warily as we approached before effortlessly jumping the fence. Even on the other side, it just stood and watched us making no effort to run off. We continued our walk passing the magnificent Oak tree before eventually turning back to retrace our footsteps. 

I wanted to go up the hill before turning back into the park, but Miss Sandy had other ideas and we turned into the bottom entrance, walking past the dumpster to discard the poop bags I had collected along the way. 

We headed back to The Caboose, and I made us breakfast. I am still struggling to get Sandy to take her heart pill twice a day mixing it with all different things to tempt her and having some luck. I have to keep an eye on whose bowl is which otherwise Mikey is just as likely to eat it. You can never tell with him. Somedays, he wolfs his food down and looks for more. Other days he ignores it forever before eventually eating it. 

I worked on the blog as I ate my breakfast and drank my coffee, again, the second one of the day. It seems that I lead a pretty boring existence nowadays as nothing much different happens in my life. It is pretty sad when the high point of the week is a trip to HEB, Walmart’s or Far West Blvd. It will not be long before I will lose one of those high points when we get our own mailbox here at the Park as it will end the trip to Far West Blvd to pick up my mail. Most of it is junk anyway but it is a reason to go into town. 

As there was a nice breeze blowing, I decided to listen to an Audiobook outside on the deck. Making sure that I had everything I needed, phone, speaker, chips and a small bottle of wine, we went outside to sit in one of the deckchairs and listen to the current Audiobook story that I had just started reading, or in my case, listening to. 

We sat there for probably an hour and a half before it was time to go walking. We had no sooner started to walk with Sandy leading the way, when she brought us back around in a small circle to where we had started. We had managed to cover 1.5 miles for the day. I guess she just was not into walking this evening. 

Back in the RV, I unharnessed them, and they both went indoors from the deck so taking the cues from them, I did the same. No more walking this evening. The humidity was very high and maybe that is what warned them not to walk? 

Back in The Caboose, I sat and caught up with the blog before turning my attention to important things like food for the dogs. For me, I have not decided what to eat this evening. 

Written 07/02/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com  

In the park across the road from us. although we have not seen them in a while.

Having decided that I needed to change my lazy habits, I set the alarm for 7:00 am and actually got up when it went off. It was quite a bit cooler outside as I tied the dogs up to the table so they could watch as I brought out the bird feeders. With that done and after I had finished watering the flowers that are on the RV steps, we went out walking. 

There was quite a bit of shade and a nice breeze blowing as we went out for that first walk. Because it was so comfortable as compared to what it will be like later, we wandered around and managed to cover a mile. There is something to be said for getting up early. 

Back in the RV, I fixed us breakfast which neither dog paid any attention to. I scratched around to find something tasty for myself and ended up with Taquitos, five of them. Incidentally, the pill pouches are not working as Sandy turns her nose up at them. I must come up with a different idea to get her to take those darn pills. 

I turned my attention to the blog after reading the World News just to stay informed. As I wrote, one of the RVs in the temporary slots was getting ready to move on. The owner appeared to be on his own, so I walked over to act as a spotter for him as he hitched the truck to the RV. He thanked me and I wished him a safe journey and went back to The Caboose. 

Again, we have nothing planned for the day except to try to stay cool, which is easy to do inside of the RV. The current heat wave has moved on and the temperature has dropped to 98 degrees. Not much of a drop but every little bit helps. 

We did a lot of sitting around doing a lot of nothing. The dogs were in heaven as they sat one on each side and zonked off. I closed my eyes for a bit but did not go to sleep, just sat there and contemplated the ways of the world. I had a few household chores to take care of and did them and the harnessed up the dogs for another walk. 

There was a nice breeze and it was almost bearable outside so when we got back, we listened to an Audiobook sitting up on the deck. Before long Daniel came over bringing two beers with offering one of them to me. We sat up on the new deck and then Malinda joined us along with Remington. My dogs and Remi get along just fine but Remi and Malinda were sitting at the table while Daniel and I were up on the deck along with my dogs. 

We sat and chatted for a while just passing the time and then they both went back to their RV. We went out for another walkabout and managed to cover almost 2 miles for the day which, considering just how hot it is, was pretty good. 

When we got back, we sat outside again listening to the Audiobook until it started to get dark. Then, I brought in the bird feeders, sprayed the plants with deer repellant and called it a day. 

Written 06/29/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com

An Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park,TX. Friday 06/30/2023

Last day of the month…again. Like I have said many times before, I have no idea where the time goes as it is just flying by. I had set the alarm and when it went off at 7:00 am, I seriously thought of ignoring it but managed to force myself out of bed. There is a lot more day when I get up early and yesterday, I found myself with time on my hands. 

There were several people over by the Breakroom sitting and talking and drinking coffee, but we made our first stop at the dumpster as I had two bags of garbage to dispose of. Then, we wandered back and made a fuss of Remington after saying good morning to Gary and Daniel. Later, Malinda joined us, and we sat and chatted for a while. 

The party broke up when Gary left to go about his daily business and the other two went about their park business. We wandered around both inside and on the outside roads and managed to cover a little over a mile. A good start to the day. We stopped by the office where Daniel and Jeff were working on installing the new mailboxes.  

It will not be long before we have a Henly address. Then will come the process of notifying whoever needs to be told that we have a new permanent address. At least, that will save having to drive to Far West Blvd in Austin to pick up my mail. While I am in the process of getting the new mailing address, I will need to keep that Mailbox open for a while longer. 

Back in the RV, I tried to convince Sandy she needed to take her pill which by now was all mashed up in tiny pieces after multiple attempts to disguise it and being ignored every time. The hardest job is keeping Mikey from eating whatever I have concocted in my feeble attempts at fooling Sandy. 

I was sitting in front of the computer writing the blog and noticed that I had forgotten to put out the bird feeders and quickly rectified the matter. It’s not like the birds do not have any seed as there is always plenty under the hangers that the birds spill on the ground. They just have to work a bit harder to find it. 

The rest of the day was spent in the usual way. We did a lot of sitting around either listening to an Audiobook or with my eyes closed but not asleep. I am always accompanied with a dog on each side when I just sit and contemplate. 

We went out for another walk later in the day and managed to cover almost 2 miles. Pretty good considering how hot it is outside. The heat really bothers Sandy, and she will sometimes find some shade and just flop down. What I find unusual is that both of them prefer to walk on the blacktop rather than on the grass. It could be because of all the cockaburs they pick up off the grass which are painful to even pull out let alone walk on. 

The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion. We sat outside listening to an Audiobook waving or chatting with our neighbors as they drove or walked by and then finally went inside for the usual evening meal and relaxation. 

Written 06/30/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com

One curious deer..

I heard a knock on the door which got the dogs barking but when I peered out of the window, there was no one there. Good thing too as I did not have any clothes on, as I could not find my shorts. I noticed that Daniel and Gary were sitting by the breakroom and as I had decided that I was going to stay up, dressed and then we made our way over to meet them. Daniel made me coffee and we sat and chatted about all kinds of things.  

Both said that they had not knocked on the door this morning so whoever it was stays the “Mystery Person”. We sat there drinking coffee and tried hard to solve the world’s problems which included having a discussion on the merits of rechargeable versus battery operated hearing aids.  

I told them I had ordered battery operated units and they convinced me to get rechargeable ones instead. By some very strange coincidence, I received a call from Lisa, Dr Bittar’s Hearing Aid Specialist while we were sitting there. I took the opportunity to change the order to rechargeable units. Talk about luck. 

Gary left and Daniel went back to work, and the dogs and me went back to the RV to hang out the bird feeders before continuing our walk around the park. It was beginning to warm up but was not unbearable. There is something to be said for getting up early. Maybe, I will change my lazy habits as it definitely is much cooler. 

We did not see anyone else out and about as we walked but today is a working day so those that had a job had probably already left. 

I sat inside and worked on the blog after reading the World News. Nothing new there. Sam ole same ole. With the blog up to date, I looked around for something else to get up to. 

I turned my attention to the RV and made some calls as I tried to get an Extended Warranty on it. I had no luck with the calls and was told that I could not insure the unit as it is a Park Model, which incidentally, they could not even find the brand name while looking for details. 

Malinda came by as she had been tracking down some other things and I mentioned not getting insurance on the rig. She jumped on it at once and first called the Good Sam company, the ones that had Liability Insurance, and questioned them as to why they would not insure the rig. They claimed that they do not insure park models which mine is even though mine can be towed.  

She hung up and searched around for other insurance companies that did cover stationary RV’s and found three of them. The first was way too expensive and so she tried no 2 and spent fifteen minutes talking to the Agent. Bottom line is that the rig is now insured for 7 years and includes every part of the RV. I chose the payment choice because of my age as I might not last long enough to see the end of the policy. I will be 95 years old in 7 years’ time. I hope that I defy all the odds and do see the policy out but only if I have all of my faculties. 

Gary stopped by to chat to Daniel and there were four of us grouped around the table. Five if you count Remington. My dogs were up on the porch but were still enjoying the added company. 

Eventually, all three left to go about their business, Malinda with my grateful thanks ringing in her ears. She is such a helpful lady as are both Daniel and Gary. They are definitely not ladies, but you know what I mean… 

I came inside in the cool although it is only 99 degrees out and not forecast to go any higher. Still, even that is hot. The dogs who had been on the porch the entire time, were glad to get back in the cool as did I. It was nice just to sit and write, catching up with the blog rather than be messing about in the hot sun. 

It was a day to spend indoors which we did only going outside out of necessity which included the afternoon walk. We managed to cover 1.3 miles even in the heat, for the day. 

I watched the US Women play Canada in the final of some cup or other. It was a good game and the US Women won on a penalty. I was totally frustrated by the two female, obviously American commentaters. They were so biased for the US in how they saw the game being played and it made me angry. The Canadians played good football just as the US did but you would not have thought so if yould only listened to their commentary and not view it. There should be a law that states that all commentaters must be neutral. 

Written 06/28/2023. Read my other blog at https://pondblog2011.com

We have not seen any Zebras in a while.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Texas has it’s own beauty…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I wonder if is the one that eats my flowers?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Notice what the sign says, Bull and Bear Ranch?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

We see all types of entrances on our drive.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Henly RV Park, Home Sweet Home.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The deer missed this one…My first rose.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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