I managed to get up late again but as I had no real plans, it really didn’t matter that much. We did our usual thing with a walk around the park before getting breakfast and coffee followed by the check of messages just in case there was anything interesting. My friend B.J. is in Maine with her daughter and sent me pictures of some Moose that tops out anything that I have taken so far. I have yet to see a Moose in the wild.
With emails, pictures and writing out of the way, I decided that I needed to go into Coldspring and stock up on groceries as we were getting low on essentials. It was a straightforward drive to a small community of 890 residents. The biggest store is Brookshire Brothers Supermarket which I spent time wandering around. It had pretty much everything I needed. At the check out register, the clerk, an older lady, got my name off my credit card and henceforth addressed me as Mr. Frank. While I was in the parking lot unloading my cart, two different people approached me to ask if my name was Frank and to tell me I had inadvertently left a bag of groceries at the register. I thanked them and also the clerk when I approached her for the bag. She still addressed me as Mr. Frank so she had a good memory. Nice to have people look out for each other in this way. Incidentally, I think that myself and a couple of other older ladies who were shopping were the only ones wearing facemasks. As far as I could see, none of the staff wore them.
The drive back was uneventful except I could not get the map system in the Jeep to accept the address and I had to rely on my phone for directions. Even it was not working as it should as it was not giving out voice commands. The countryside here is absolutely beautiful and very green with lots of tall pine trees. We made it home safe and sound and Mikey and Sandy helped me to put the groceries away, sort of. They were more interested in going walkies than work so I harnessed them up and we set off along one of the trails and wandered around for a bit. We came across some interesting things on the walk put their probably to amuse the children although they gave me a chuckle.
On our return, we sat for a while in the wicker couch just relaxing after another hard days lounging around of not doing much. There are some interesting hikes out there and I do want to visit Lake Livingstone. With today already Wednesday, I am seriously thinking of extending my stay here. I’ll decide tomorrow.
09/15/2021 Departure from Rockport and Arrival at Texana Park
Daisy at Texana
Well, today was a very interesting day. I got up relatively early for me just so that I could get an early start on the road. We did the usual walkies and breakfast and then I went through the final stages of getting ready to move which basically consisted of storing things inside the RV so they wouldn’t shift while travelling. It take’s me longer to hook up the Jeep than it does to get the RV ready for the road but I finally managed it and with a last look around, drove out of Rockport Resort RV Park. We left around 11:00 am. This is a very nice park with a lot of long time residents but it does not have much in the way of trails. BTW, I never did reach the Gulf seashore.
The trip was actually uneventful and was a pretty straight shot and took almost 2 hours. Horribly boring countryside, very flat, not many trees and come to that, not much traffic. I passed several oil refineries belching out smoke and flames and finally arrived at Lake Texana and this park. Trip was almost 100 miles. I had to use my phone as a mapping system but it worked pretty well. Maybe not so much if there were a lot of twists and turns and changes of streets but this one was a straight shot.
This used to be a State Park and now it is handled by LNRA- Lavaca-Navidad River Authority. I stopped by the office and squared away before driving to my allotted site which I immediately disliked, did a U-turn back to the office and asked for a different site. The Park is almost empty and they have over 250 park sites but I guess many are reserved for weekenders as the person I was dealing with only had a dozen or so open sites. I chose a different one with a partial view of Lake Texana which is within walking distance. So far, I have no close neighbors but that will change come the weekend I expect as those weekend warriors come in..
Setting up was a piece of cake with a quick back in after unhooking the Jeep and the push of a button to level the rig. Hooks ups were close by and easy and in no time flat, the A/C was running, cooling the place down. We took our first walk around the park venturing close to the lake to take a look. Lake Texana itself is huge as is this park. It is actually comprised of two separate but adjoining parks, Brackenridge and Texana Park which is the one we are in. The campsites are spaced well apart from each other with lots of grass and many trees providing shade and cover.
There are deer all over the place in all shapes and sizes causing Mikey to have a fit when he sees them. There are also signs up to watch out for snakes and crocodiles. Hope I get to see both although at a distance. So when we are walking on the grass, I have to keep watch just in case. We did get to see an Armadillo when we were out walking but I didn’t get a good picture with my phone. I need to start carrying my big camera with me with the telescopic lens. My site is almost next door to the trail entrance. Couldn’t be any better.
09/16/2021
This time, I don’t mind him being there…
This was a very strange day as I didn’t wake up until 10:30 and when I did crawl out of bed, I felt like crap. I took the dogs out for a walk and then went back to bed I felt so rotten. I got up later in the evening to take the dogs out and feed them before feeding myself, the first meal of the day feeling a lot better but still a completely wasted day. No idea why I felt so bad.
09/17/2021
Today, we were up bright and early for us which actually means waking up around 8:30 or so. I am sleeping really good so it must be that I have a clear conscience and that this outdoor life is good for me. Our first trip of the day with the dogs was towards the lake and on the way, we discovered another trail leading back to our campsite which we explored. It brought us out just below where we are camped. We all had our leisurely breakfast although in the dogs case, it is wolfed down in 10 seconds flat. They get more enjoyment licking out the food cartons than the bowl of food so nothing gets wasted.
I watched as two new neighbors pulled in. I have yet to meet them although it appears that they know each other and I imagine they are regulars here. Both are older couples and the men look as old and decrepit as I am but they still are able to do what is needed in setting up camp. Both are hauling regular hitch trailers and both had no trouble in backing up although to be fair, they did have wives to assist in the backing process, directional wise. If I had a companion to help, I probably would have kept Eagle Two for the extra room but it is no fun in setting up alone.
Internet here is a bit of a problem as the park doesn’t have WIFI or at least, one that is working. Consequently, I am having to rely on my Netgear booster which works well but is expensive to purchase extra gigabytes of service. It costs roughly $10.00 to watch a movie. Still, needs must. I drove into Ganado, a small little town but it has an ATT store which was serviced by just one person. She was very knowledgeable and had the fastest thumbs of anyone I have ever seen on a cell phone and tablet. I wanted to buy a tablet that I could use in the RV until such times that I can get the radio unit fixed. Something a little bigger than my phone. I waited at least 30 minutes while she dealt with a young couple who couldn’t make up their mind and eventually, directed her attention to me. After purchasing the tablet, I talked to her about my internet problem and the fact that I am burning through gigs of service at an astounding rate. The Netgear unit comes with a 100 gigs of service for $55.00 a month. Extra gigs can be purchased at five at a time for $10:00. I figured out that 5 gigs lasts about two hours, enough for one movie. I didn’t have this problem back at Henly because they had a good working internet service. She offered some advice and fiddled with a few things so we need to see what happens.
The drive back to the park was uneventful and fast as the speed limit on most of the roads is 75mph with hardly any traffic. It was late when I got back and the gates were closed. I forgot to bring the passcode and had to make a call but I couldn’t get the gate to open. Luckily for me, a car pulled up behind me and a young lady got out, punched in the code and without a word, got back in her car. I thanked her anyway and drove back to the RV to take two very excited little dogs out for their evening walk.
09/18/2021
Lake Texana
We got up late for no reason other than we slept good and took the dogs out for their early morning walk although by that time, it was 10:30am. I decided to walk one of the trails which was close by and we covered around 1-1/2 miles by the time we got back. It was uneventful but enjoyable although I am much more aware of what might be on the ground in front of us. There are a whole series of these trails all interconnected so we have a few to choose from.
One thing we noticed is that there are quite a few more RV’s and several tent campers filling the spaces. Most people so far are pretty friendly. The gigabyte problem has not cleared up so I decided that I needed to visit the ATT store one more time and at the same time, find a store for some grocery shopping. I drove back into Ganado and chatted with Imeeda, the same lady as yesterday but even after much research, was unable to help me. She did give me the case off her tablet in lieu of finding a suitable stand that I could purchase. She kindly directed me to a Dollar General where I purchased some of the food that I needed.
On the way back, I decided to drive into Edna which is a little bigger and actually a bit closer to the campsite to see what it may have in the way of grocery stores. Lo and Behold, it has a small HEB where I very happily was able to get everything that I needed. I also took the time to drive around this park just to see what it contains besides RV sites. It has the usual comfort rooms and a Community Recreational Center but unfortunately, the washing machines are broken in the laundromat so it means a trip back into Edna for this. So, so far, no WIFI and no washing machines. Hmm.
When I got back and was unloading the groceries, one of my new neighbor stopped by, introduced himself and offered a hand with the unload. Very nice of him. We chatted for a bit before going our separate ways, me back to take the dogs walking and him back to his wife and family. Actually, he and his family are visiting their parents who are the ones in the RV. My evening ended by watching the English Premier League and going to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour, to sleep like a baby.
Looking out of the window of my RV watching the birds flying so free squabbling and flapping and not singing a song afraid that the food will all be gone before they get their share of the seed in the feeders hanging from the tees of the units placed in the ground for the birds happily flying around.
I like to feed our feathered friends it gives me pleasure and to this end I hang the feeders within my view so I can watch for a moment or two mostly sparrows and finches somber and brown nothing flashy about them except they’re all clowns squabbling and scrambling to get at the seed for which there is plenty much more than they need.
It’s quiet and peaceful just sitting here giving me feelings of nothing but cheer with plenty of time for the rest of the day now what shall we do so as not to delay but reality rears it’s ugly head and back to the house I must go instead with plans made for the rest of the week deadlines and appointments I need to keep.
An eye appointment for tomorrow I must go continuing treatment for a minor woe with my vision improving getting better each day hoping this is the last time before driving away then on Wednesday I need to drive out of town back to Round Rock for my second round of the Covid-19 life saving vaccine keeping me safe to fulfil my dream.
From there I will drive back to Henly and spend time in the Eagle in my RV while I wait for the sale of furniture and stuff and selling the house for enough is enough of living in one place when I can travel around and see more of the country with limits unbound fulfilling my dream to travel this land with it’s richness and wonders and sites that are grand.
I will not have a great deal of time especially should my health decline and as a person of advancing years which is the very least of my fears in good health as far as I can tell with a brain that’s forgetful and slower than hell I plan to make the most of my worth of the time I have left on Nature’s Green Earth.
This is what I hope to see eventually or beautiful birds just like it. A Painted Bunting
I am sitting at the desk in the RV writing this, gazing out of the window at the many birds that have found the feeders that I have rescued from the “house” and placed on their stands in the ground behind the Eagle. The birds are very busy and provide an endless source of interest. So far, nothing exotic. Just sparrows and finches and such but even they are entertaining as they fight and squabble over the seed. Occasionally, a bigger bird comes along and pushes them out of the way but they return just as soon as the coast is clear. I have a couple more of these pole type hanging feeders back at the house which I will bring along to add to the variety for the birds.
For those of you following my blogs, you have been reading about the activities that have been going on in the garden as I prepared the ponds for the “fish rescues” that have both now happened, leaving the ponds active but lifeless fishwise for want of a better way to put it. Now, with that out of the way and the ponds back up and running, I can concentrate on what remains as I do not plan on doing anything more in the garden.
Living in an RV is very different than living in a “bricks and sticks” house in very many ways. First there are the obvious things like the difference in the square footage of my house at 1800 to my RV at 300. Being a Bachelor for the the past nearly 30 years with only dogs for company and no wife to pick up after me meant that I really didn’t need or use all of the space available. True, it wasn’t empty space and used mainly as a place to “keep” things that were either no longer immediately useful or “just in case” they might get needed in the future. Consequently, my house is filled with junk and the drawers and closets full of clothes that I no longer have a use for. Nowadays and pretty much most of the time, it is shorts and tee shirts although I did put on jeans when the freezing weather was here. Can’t remember the last time that I dressed up for anything and probably most of my “dress up clothes” no longer fit. Hell, as far as I am concerned, they can bury me in the same shorts and tee shirt preferably dirty and well worn from all of my activities along with my oldest and most scuffed up pair of hiking boots.
There are about 200 hundred books for others to enjoy. I wonder if anyone reads anymore?
I did go through all of the nearly 200 books that I have gathered over the years. Unfortunately, I have not cracked one open or read any of them for a long time with the advent of cell phones, computers and TV and so currently, they are all sitting on the bed in the spare room awaiting their fate. Such is the way of this modern world. The same is true of the many LP records and tapes that have not been listened to in years.
The workshop and storage shed are just the same as the house, places to store unwanted and unused “stuff” only of a more practical nature such as tools and spare parts for both ponds and house. As you can imagine, over the 35 years of living in this house and being very much a “do it yourselfer” plus of course the fact that I spent my entire life either in or associated with construction. I am trained as both a bricklayer and carpenter and can even weld a bit plus I used to operate heavy equipment whenever the opportunity arose. Back in the day when I lived in New York State, I drove tractor trailers in the wintertime, hauling a tanker trailer with 6500 gallons of heating oil to schools and such. I had my own construction company for 5 years, so it is no surprise that I have a lot of hand tools. Many are electric but in my later years, I opted to go with the Ryobi line of battery operated tools both for the convenience and also that most of my heavy construction days were over. Nearly all of the Ryobi tools are already in my RV along with many wrenches and such and will be my travelling companions just in case something needs repair. I even have an expandable ladder just so that I can blow off the slides before withdrawing them. The couple of Ryobi’s that I will sell are garden related which I do not see in my future. Oh yes, the other shed contains motorized garden equipment like lawn mowers and weed whackers and such many of which no longer work. The greenhouse come storage shed contains nothing but pond related repair pieces and parts. The Estate Sales people will have a field day as they try to sort through all of that stuff in those buildings as will the prospective buyers as they search for that certain something. One man’s junk and all of that…
Where I would rather be. Out on the trails.
I guess the point is, there is still a lot of work left to do before I can hand it over to my Realtor and spending time in the Eagle does tend to lessen the pain making it easier to transition from big to little. I also get to figure out just what I want to keep in the way of kitchen equipment for example. What pots and pans should I bring, What about the pressure cooker and the crockpot? Can I use them in the future and what about all of those dishes and cutlery? Way too much for just one man and two little dogs even if I could find the storage space. Currently, I am making do with a single piece of everything and it works just fine. One cup, one plate, one set of cutlery and one wine glass and on and on. Incidentally, all of these items are of some lightweight and unbreakable material as opposed to ceramic or china dishes and cups. I was going to bring all of the cutlery from the house with me but when I took a good look, I realized there are at least two full sets of the stuff so I opted for two pieces of each just in case I ever get a guest stop by. I don’t know how many in a setting but probably eight.
RV’ing is all about adaptability. How to make do with less and still have a very nice lifestyle. In a “bricks and sticks” house, generally speaking, space is not an issue or shouldn’t be. Neither are things like electricity, septic systems and water supply. These are all built into the home in a very standard way and all the owner does, at least most of the time, is pay for the cost of the services with the occasional repair thrown in here and there. Life is much different in an RV and the owner has to be very aware of such things as the black tank or the grey tank and when to empty them or even the water tank and when to fill it or what voltage to hook up to, 30 amp or 50 amp and many other things that are used and needed in the day to day working of an RV. Keeping an eye on the propane levels and then reinstalling the heavy tanks is quite a challenge. Not checking on if they are empty as there are electronic gadgets that can do that but lifting the filled tanks which in my case weigh over 40lbs, into their spot which is usually very cramped to begin with, can be frustrating.
Even the comparatively simple process of backing the rig into a narrow site and then levelling the rig can be very daunting especially if one is on their own. Yet, many people choose this way of life for various and different reasons as I have done. I am a newbie at this and the first to admit it. Many things I can do for myself but when I suffered the freeze damage a few weeks ago, I had to call in a specialist to make those repairs as I had no clue and what made things tick. Again, the difference between a regular house and an RV. To work on an RV, one also has to be a bit of a contortionist or at least much more flexible than I am nowadays. Now, back in the day…..
Even with the different challenges that an RV lifestyle presents, more and more people are choosing it as their way of life. If you were to ask them, they would all have many different and yet much of the same reasons for choosing this lifestyle. Circumstances might be different but the end result, still the same and I can’t wait to be a member of this particular tribe or group or is it a clan. Whatever.
