I got up at a reasonable hour after a restless night probably caused by worrying about our water situation. It was also very warm under the covers, and I kept throwing them off one by one. I even turned the thermostat down to slow the heaters from coming on. In the end, I gave up and prepared for the day instead.
The first order of business was that of walking the dogs as we usually do. This time, we hit the outside road that leads from the park to Hwy 290. Altogether, we covered 8/10 of a mile. Not bad for the first walk of the day.
Following a quick breakfast, I checked the World news which was, as it usually is, very depressing before turning my attention to the blog. After writing for a bit and posting yesterday, I decided that I could not delay it any longer and put on my boots and jacket and went out to really look at the damage caused by the freeze. I could see what the problem was and that parts needed to be exchanged and while thinking about it, decided to take the dogs out for a walk.
I ran into Daniel, back early from his skiing trip, and we chatted for a bit. I mentioned I had a freeze problem and he at once walked over to the RV with me and started checking things out. I tied the dogs up outside so they could watch and then helped as much as I could as Daniel went through a whole different set of checking routines, making some adjustment as he went. He worked diligently for an hour or more and discovered the problem, finally announcing that I should go into town and buy certain parts.
I pointed out that I did not have any wheels, so he said that he had to go in to get Melinda’s prescription as she had a very sore throat, and I could ride with him. We visited the prescription part of HEB which has a separate drive through entrance, and he picked up what he needed before we went to The Home Depot next door. It took a good 30 minutes to find the parts we needed before I checked out and we returned to the RV Park.
Prior to going into town, Daniel had jury rigged the water system so that at least we could get water into the RV for our use and said he would return in the morning to finish the work and went to his RV. I unlocked the door to be greeted by two very excited little dogs and we harnessed up to walk the park. We did not stay out long as it was getting both very chilly and also dark and returned back to Quatro for the evening meal and entertainment. Now, at least I have water back in the RV, plus, the English Premier League is back…
All in all, a very unexpected and productive day thanks to Daniel.
Wonder what this New Year will bring to us in the way of cheer or will the Covid thing still survive and if even if we are still alive to celebrate that we will continue to face the hazzard’s of living as the human race on a planet that we slowly defile polluting the air and all the while pretending we are the superior race and it is others that can be replaced it is not too late for us to change but I am afraid that our frame of mind will not let it go as it is we have to show that we are in fact the superior race although that reasoning flies in the face as Nature in fact is the way to go as she puts on a far better show and year after year reawakened to please with plants and animals, birds and trees and to bring forth an abundance of green the likes of which is only seen as we look around at this glorious planet that Nature provides as she began it and is now looking to protect her own for her wisdom and might that she has shown that she was here long before Man came knocking on the door and when Man has long ago gone Mother Earth will still carry on
Another year has come and gone and still we are here to carry on with living this life that we have chose in an RV and driving the road staying in one place for a couple of weeks or longer if the campground fits with maybe trails to walk the dogs for exercise though we do not jog as a slow pace is what we walk so, the dogs can smell and sometimes stalk whatever it is that they smell and for us all is well.
Me I need to take these walks to stretch my legs and clear my thoughts and exercise to keep my health extend the years and add to the wealth of living for as many years not letting them interfere with doing what I want to do whatever that is as I have no clue and ponder about the latest thing that maybe Mother Naure will bring wind and weather, rain or snow who knows which way she will go in the end it matters not as we have little control over what is our lot.
We came across a large buck standing on the other side of the fence and for the longest time, as we watched, he just stood there not moving. I took a couple of pictures as we walked on, several steps apart and they both appeared to be the same and then I noticed in the second picture, the buck has lifted one leg. We moved on as I am sure did the buck. The beauty of Nature and how anyone can shoot and kill such a magnificent creature, is beyond me.
Christmas Day and we awoke to a bright, cheerful and sunny day and it was below freezing. The water inside the RV was still frozen although it did make some attempt to flow when I tried it and the pump at least is working. Obviously, it needs to thaw out a lot more before we find out if there is any damage.
We went out walking and the temperature was just above the freezing mark, and I had foregone the long track bottoms that I have been wearing and was in my usual attire of shorts and a jacket. As I did not feel cold, we walked around the park and down the road for a bit, but we did not see any other campers out and about. All indoors opening their Christmas presents, no doubt.
Back in Quatro, I fixed breakfast which I shared with the dogs and then settled down to read the World news followed by emails. I received several wishing me seasons greeting which pleased me enormously and grateful for those people for taking the time to remember this old man and his dogs.
We had nothing planned for the day mainly because we did not have any wheels plus with-it being Christmas Day and all, nothing would be open. On the other hand, it is a good thing that the employees get time off to celebrate Christmas with their families.
I spent some time tidying up Quatro before we harnessed up and went out walking Henly Loop, this time almost all the way to the other end where it is more residential. Normally, we stay away from here as the traffic is much busier but just as I hoped and expected everyone was indoors. See the pictures above.
We finished the walk and adjourned inside of Quatro and sat around, listening to an Audiobook. Well, I listened, and the dogs zonked off in their respective spots, Mikey next to me and Sandy on the other recliner.
Time passed and I took the dogs out for the final walk of the day. It was beginning to cool off again as we wandered around the park. There is a light overnight frost in the forecast. Altogether, we covered almost 2 miles for the day, a good days walking.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual way although I did manage to complete the last episode of “Deliverance”. I thoroughly enjoyed that series. The English Premier League returns again tomorrow. Hooray.
The Diary of an Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, Dripping Springs, TX Day 26, Monday 12/26/2022 – Boxing Day in England.
Last Years frost
We got up at a reasonable hour although, still without running water and making do with the bottled stuff. Clean my teeth and splash some on my face and that was the extent of it. Lots of body lotion and deodorant for the rest of me. Still, it really does not matter that much as I am not planning on being close to anyone else and those that I do encounter are in the same boat as me. The dogs do not care as they are well used to all my scents and smells.
We went out for a walk around the park enough to get some exercise, just wandering around. Every time Mikey and I were ready to head back to the RV, Sandy would take off in another direction. This happened several times until I had to get firm and direct her to where I wanted to go, which was back to the RV.
The temperatures were climbing all the time and this cold front is expected to be over by tomorrow morning. Hopefully, the tanks and pipes will quickly thaw out and we will see what damage if any, or if we are very lucky, has not occurred. In the meantime, we continue with bottled water although, if I do not get my Jeep back in the next couple of days, we will be out of it. All part of the toils and tribulations of living in an RV which make life interesting, to say the least. Incidentally, I have been saving the empty bottles which I will refill as I need to now that the water is back on.
The Christmas Holiday season is over for another year although we do still have the upcoming New Year’s Eve and then New Year’s Day to celebrate. To me, these are more important as they stand for a new beginning to another year but then again, I am not much of a religious person, anymore. On the plus side, the English Premier League returns with lots of games over that time period.
Talking of games, I suddenly realized that it was already tomorrow and that the games were already here and without further ado, we watched Wolves versus Fulham. Then I started to watch the first half of Brighton versus Southampton, a local derby from my neck of the woods. Brighton is also the team that my Great, Great Grandson, Solly March, plays on.
At halftime, with Brighton leading 2-0, Sandy started giving me “The Look” which indicated that she had to “go”. With a big sigh, I turned off the TV and harnessed up the dogs and we went out walking and managed to cover a bit over 2.0 miles for the day before returning back to Quatro where I decided to look at whatever frost damage I might find.
I hooked up the water hose and turned it on and water came out everywhere, much to my alarm. I turned it back off and then inspected the damage. There are two filters inside the RV and both of them are in the outside plumbing compartment and have both frozen and split. One is easy to replace as it is only the filter that is damaged but the other is more serious. This one has a filter placed inside a plastic housing which is a part of the plumbing system. This housing has split and has fallen off and needs to be replaced.
There was nothing I could do except disconnect the hose, again…and then when I got back inside, I made the call to James, the travelling RV mechanic who texted me back that he is on vacation and will not be back for a week. The situation is further aggravated by not having the Jeep, although, with water at the outdoor spigot, I can refill the plastic bottles to save on buying more. That must have been one hell of a freeze to cause that much damage inside that compartment and these filter units are not the sort that can be covered, insulated or even drained. I should have taken them off completely as the water was shut off. Hindsight is a wonderful thing…
Giving up on the water problem for the day, I adjourned back inside of Quatro and let my frustrations disappear as I finished watching the Brighton game with Brighton coming out the winners and Solly involved in one of the goals. So proud that he is my great, great grandson and living my dream.
Today is Christmas Eve although, to us it is just another day. I gave up believing in Santa Clause years ago and anyway, I do not have a chimney for him to come down. Back in the day when I owned a house, he never came down it even though, I hung my stocking up and left him snacks and a drink and everything…I am not a religious person, and the spiritual side is lost on me. But each to their own as the saying goes.
I bundled up and we went out walking and I had only taken a few steps before realizing that the jacket I had on was way to warm. We returned to Quatro, and I found a lighter jacket that was much better. We wandered around the park and the big old dog was outside of his RV. Taking a chance, we wandered over and as I expected, he was just a big old friendly, furry guy. Sandy and I made a fuss and even Mikey did not bark at him I guess, realizing that he was old, friendly and harmless and an old age pensioner in doggy years.
We continued our walk just wandering around the park and out onto the outside road before returning for breakfast and coffee followed by my usual session of catching up with the rest of the world, which incidentally, is still a sorry place. From what I read, quite obviously a lot of people do not have the Christmas Spirit unless they can literally steal it from someone else.
This got me thinking. Has the world always been like it is today and we just never got to hear about it because there were no cell phones, internet and computers and such. Or, has the world changed because of those aforementioned items and this is the way things are today? One thing is sure, it will never get any better as there is no way to wind back the clock. Even though I use the gadgets, I liked it best when the world was a much simpler place to live in. On the other hand, back then I was also much younger. My fondest memories are of wandering the woods and countryside when I was just a kid with my buddy. Leaving home in the morning and back in time for the evening meal. Those were the days even though there was a World War going on.
Sandy was giving me “the look” so I harnessed them up and we went out walking. This time we walked the part of Henly Loop that leads from the park to Hwy 290 hoping to see some wildlife in the Preserve next door. We did see a herd of deer but the minute they saw us, they were gone. We wandered along and then went down the hill to check to see if the sliding gate to the Preserve was closed as it was wide open the last time we passed. It was closed and we did an about turn and walked back up the hill, into the park, and back to Quatro. Not that I can do much about the gate as it is on one of those keypad gadgets that requires inputting a code.
Incidentally, “the look” can also be interpreted to mean that she has “Gotta go, Dad”.
Back in the RV, I settled down with one of those tiny bottles of Pinot Grigio as a reward for our efforts so far and to get the blog up to date. This got me thinking that if I did not write this thing, what would I do with my time as I spend several hours a day working on it. Heaven forbids that I would resort to watching the TV during the day. That is reserved strictly for important soccer games only. I do spend some time listening to a good Audiobook but not every day so maybe I would just increase the listening time on those. After all, not much else to do…Walking, writing, evening TV and sleeping is the story of my life when we are not travelling or exploring a new campground. What a life. Notice that I did not include eating in that list as it is way far down on the pecking order of important things. Grow old, eat too much, get fat and die early.
We went out for the final walk of the day and just wandered around the park. The temperature had dropped again and was below freezing. This is supposed to last one or two more days of overnight freezing temperatures and then it will clear up to our somewhat normal 40-50’s for this time of the year.
Back in Quatro, the day ended in the usual way with food and more episodes of “Deliverance”, the current series I am watching.
There was not much point to getting up early as we had nothing planned nor any wheels even if I did have something in mind. It was almost 10:00 am when I rolled out of bed, where it was cozy and warm compared to the outside temperature of 12 degrees. The water has frozen as I suspected it would and we have to hope there is no damage when the pipes eventually thaw out in a couple of days. Today, it is not going to get above freezing all day and all night although it is supposed to warm up a bit to just above freezing tomorrow, during the day. This cold front is with us all the way through next Tuesday.
I put on long pants when I got up and found a heavy sweater to wear even indoors as although it was not cold, neither was it warm enough to sit around without some extra clothes. We harnessed up and then took a short walk around the park only covering a third of a mile before returning to the warmth of Quatro. Even the dogs were glad to get back inside.
I sat and watched the little activity outside in and around the park. The Management has shut off the water except for the Laundry and Bathrooms. Thank goodness my friend B.J. was kind enough to take me shopping yesterday when I bought a crate of bottled water. This is all we have inside until the water is turned back on and the pipes thaw with hopefully, little or no damage and it needs to last at least until I get the Jeep back.
I sat and wrote, and the dogs found their hidey spots and zonked off. I thought about it and then searched around for the business card for James, the Travelling RV repair person that I have used before hoping all the while that I would not need him. We will see after everything thaws out. I would imagine that about every camper here at this park are all hoping the same thing as very few units will be winterized with heated pipes and such. The 5th wheel that I previously owned even had an insulating sheet attached to the bottom of the RV and covering the pipes and they still froze. The repair mechanic that I used at that time had to cut through the sheet to get to the frozen ones.
We went out for a walk and this time, we hit the road at the bottom of the park and saw several deer crossing the road ahead of us. I watched as they gracefully and effortlessly jumped the tall fence. As the saying goes, “The grass is always greener….” . A couple of them that had not yet crossed over, saw us and took off in the opposite ditection, I suppose to catch up with the rest of the group later. I wonder how they know where to find each other when they ger separated like that?
We walked just over a mile for the day and it was bloody cold out there especially out in the open where we got the full force of the wind. The temperature was hovering around the 22 Degree mark and with that strong wind, it felt much colder. I was well wrapped up, but my face was very cold, and I could have used a balaclava, or a facial scarf and I have neither.
Back in the RV where it was nice and warm compared to outdoors, I sat and worked on the blog to keep us up to date. Now I remember one of the reasons that I left New York State was because weather like we are having here is the norm for a lot of the winter, up there.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion.
We got up at a reasonable hour and went out for that all-important first walk of the day and wandered around the park and out onto the road outside. I was hoping that Sandy would walk into the park entrance when we passed it, but she had other ideas and we continued down the hill to the bottom entrance and came back up through the park to Quatro. I did not mind as I could use the exercise too although Mikey was not so thrilled with the extra walking.
Back in the RV, we did our usual breakfast and coffee thing before settling down in front of the computer to read the world news and then catch up with the blog. With no wheels, the next few days are restricted to finding things to do in and around the park and in the RV. I sat writing and noticed that it was cooling off outside and checking the temperature, it had dropped to around 32 degrees from 50 degrees an hour or so before. I guess the cold front has reached us and winter is here and come early, for us. Last winter, it was late February before we had any real sign of winter with a couple of inches of snow.
I bundled up and then went out to shut off the city water and drain the hoses and then back inside, we switched over to the RV’s fresh water supply that I had filled yesterday. This cold front has blown in earlier than I thought as I was expecting it to come this evening. But here it is and unfortunately, the weather is something we have no control over. It could be worse as we could still be in the Ozarks…
It was nice and warm inside the RV with both the main propane heaters on plus the portable auxiliary electric heaters that I use. Usually, the portables are sufficient but with the low temperatures that are only going to get colder as the night progresses, using both makes the most sense. The problem with propane heaters is just that when I run out of the stuff, I must move the whole rig to get the tank filled here in the park, but even so…Just got to complain about something.
I sat and wrote for a while and then bundled up for that last walk of the day. It was bloody cold out and we did a quick walk around just so the dogs could do whatever they had to do. I hustled them along not giving Sandy much time to explore much to her disgust. She pulled and tugged, and I did the same. Mine was more pressure than tugging as it is less stressful to the dogs. Eventually, I persuaded them that it really was cold out and that we should go back to the RV.
We spent the rest of the evening in the usual way.
I had set the alarm to wake us up at 6:30 am but if it went off, I did not hear it and eventually awoke a little after 7:00 am. I scrambled around and took the dogs out for a very brief walk before returning them to Quatro. They both looked at me as if to say, “What is wrong with you this morning” as I rushed around and stepped out of the door and into the Jeep.
The drive into town was a bit faster than I really should have as I was supposed to drop the Jeep off at Whitlock Repairs at 8:00 am although as it happened, the traffic was light even through Dripping Springs. I arrived on time and then had to sit and wait a half hour for my ride back to Quatro. I was driven by a young man who looked like he was a High School Senior and although he tried to make conversation, I had a tough time hearing what he said and, in the end, he gave up.
I have a hearing appointment tomorrow which my good friend B.J. has offered to drive me to so maybe some of this hearing problem will be cleared up. At least, I can get the hearing aids adjusted which will help. No telling how long the Jeep will take to get repaired.
Back in Quatro, the dogs were happy to see me, and we went out for a short walk. It has cooled off considerably and the forecast for the next few days is more of the same only with freezing temperatures. I might even have to put on long pants…
I sat and wrote for a while after spending time with both emails and the World news. My son, Phillip, who had a birthday yesterday, emailed me to say that the health news is good for him for which I am very thankful. He is currently undergoing radiation treatment for prostate cancer. Been there, done that…I wonder if it is hereditary.
We have nothing planned for the rest of the day except to go out walking and then, to stay inside in the warmth. I cannot go anywhere anyway as I have no wheels. As the English expression says, all I have is Shanks’ Pony (Look that one up!).
I sat around not doing very much. I would think of something that needed attention and then work on it and when it was finished sit down for a bit and try to think of something else. This went on for a couple of hours and then it was time for walkies. I did put on my long sweatpants and was glad of them. The Park was quiet, so we took the outside lane after dropping trash and walked it almost to the end before returning to the RV. Altogether for the day, we covered 1.6 miles.
The rest of the evening was spent writing the blog and then food and entertainment.
The Diary of an Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, Dripping Springs, TX Day 21, Wednesday 12/21/2022
I got up early for us and took a shower. With the upcoming freeze warning, who knows when I get to take the next one…We went out walking the park and then the hill outside and covered 7/10 s of a mile. One of the dogs in a fenced area came over to say hello to Sandy, talking all the time. They rubbed noses and then Sandy decided she had said enough, and we went on our way,
We finished the walk and adjourned back inside of Quatro where it was nice and warm, for breakfast and the all-important coffee and then settled down to read emails before working on the blog. I had arranged with my good friend, B.J., that she would come over to take me to see Doctor Bittar with whom I had an appointment. He is my ear doctor and I have been going to see him for more than 40 years. We met after I broke my nose playing football, the English and rest of the World kind.
She arrived at the designated time, and we made the drive into Austin to Ben White where the doctor’s office is found. Dropping me off, B.J. went shopping and I got in the elevator for the trip to the third floor. I was hoping that I could also see the Audiologist, but it turns out she was on vacation, but I did get to see the Doctor who went about the business of cleaning the wax from my ears. Suddenly, I could hear again, and I felt like I was attached to the rest of the world. We chatted for a bit before and he assured me that he has no thoughts on retiring yet. I left after making my next appointment which is in June of next year. When I get the Jeep back, I will get the hearing aids adjusted or replaced.
I had called B.J., and she was waiting for me, and took me to Walmart’s as I needed supplies including bottled water, especially with no wheels and an upcoming freeze, weatherwise. We did separate shopping and I wandered around finding all the things I needed and $170.00 later, checked out. B.J. had already checked out and brought the car around for me to load my groceries. Incidentally, she had called me to warn me that the checkout lines were exceptionally long, which they were although they moved along albeit, slowly.
I had received a call from Whitlock Automotive, and they told me what was wrong and of course, how much it would cost to repair. I gave them the go ahead but it will be next week before I get the Jeep back. Good job I stocked up.
B.J. drove us back and although it was rush hour, we made good time. She helped me unload the groceries and refused my offer of payment for the gas. I thanked her profusely before she made the long drive of almost 70 miles back to Bastrop. It is truly great to have such a friend.
The dogs were all excited to see me back and without putting the groceries away, except for the freezer items, we went out walking the park dodging from one interesting smell to the next, at least for the dogs. Me, I could not smell anything that I needed to dwell on.
Back in the RV, I finished putting the groceries away and we settled down to our usual evening pastime of food, wine and TV.
To all of my friends and aquantancies that I have had the pleasure of meeting in years gone by whether on the playing field or some other mutual place of enjoyment, I would like to wish each and everyone of you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thank you for enhancing my life in one form or another as memories, good times and friendship, are never forgetten.
Group Of Children Playing Football With Friends In Park
Gone are the days of long ago when life was simple and oh so slow and we ran and jumped when we were kids not a care in the world just endless bliss climbing trees and miles of walks out in the country as Nature talks telling us to go this way here is a better place to play down by the stream to catch a fish and putting it back deaths not our wish as life is precious in every way and we did not eat that fish today spending all day out in the woods amusing ourselves as kids should life was simple without many cares no TV or cell phone just us and fresh air coming home tired at the end of the day to parents who asked if we enjoyed our play knowing we were out in the woods playing our games just as kids should not stuck indoors unless it had rained although to us kids it was all the same
I feel sorry for the modern-day kid not knowing the joys that we all did as we played our games without a care and for each other we would always be there long gone are those days never to return for life has changed those years we have burned the world is different and now it’s not safe for kids in the woods or down by the lake no longer climb trees and nature in place instead, stuck at home with a screen in their face and where they go so does that phone as people walk, they are never alone they are so glued to that bloody screen that life passes by to them unseen.
The modern kids of today know not the joys as we did in play but life was so much simpler then and I feel sorry for you my friend raised in a world with a phone in your face the beginning of the end of the human race for Nature’s world will pass you by and will die before your very eyes and you will see it on your phone and realize you are alone. no birds or animals’ grass or trees all gone all extinct just to please those of you of the human race that needed that phone stuck in your face. for the phone has replaced the wonders around all of which can only be found by looking up and glancing about and thinking then there is no doubt that the wonders of Nature can only be seen by eyes no longer on that screen.
It rained hard through the night and was still raining when we eventually rolled out of bed. Even the dogs showed no inclination to get up as we lay there listening to the rain on the roof. I avoided the intermittent drips from the overhead fan that is located directly above the toilet, luckily for me. I really need to get up on the roof and inspect and make any necessary repairs, but I need to wait for it to stop raining before I look and by then, it will not be leaking, or I will have forgotten about it.
Regardless, we harnessed up and went out in the rain. The dogs did not really mind as they trotted around. I had an umbrella to keep me dry, but the dogs just got wet. We covered .06 of a mile even in the rain before adjourning back to the RV where they both had to be toweled off to some semblance of dryness. Sandy likes to roll on the bed when she has gotten wet, and I remembered to put up the portable gate that I have for such purposes to keep her out of the bedroom.
After the usual breakfast and coffee, I turned my attention to both reading the World News (depressing) and then the blog and completed yesterday after much brain scratching to remember what had happened late in the day.
I decided to do a load of laundry and collected all the things I needed and wandered over to the Laundry Room which is about 50 yards away. Very convenient. I dumped the wash into one machine and as I was the only person using the machines, managed to get one of the coveted ones next to the window. The machines are no different except the ones by the window will nearly always work off the App. Those closer to the door, it is a guessing game as sometimes it works and other times, not so much. All to do with the strength of the signal.
The App told me that the wash was finished, and I walked over to put the clothes in the dryer. Again, I was the only person using the Washroom and an hour later, was back over to fold the clothes and bring them back to Quatro. This is the first time that I have ever had the Laundry Room to myself.
Back in the RV, I put the clothes away and we are good on laundry for a couple of weeks. It will be 2023 before we must do it again. I have no idea where this year went. Time flies as you grow older and nearing the end.
We are expecting some freezing weather at the weekend and the Park sent out freeze warnings telling us to disconnect the hoses and such. It is a little earlier this year for the first real freeze and all we can do is hope that we get through without any damage. Overnight freezes are usually OK but when it continues through the day and into the next night, is when the pipes freeze.
The rain stopped but, in its place, a fog descended that created a very gloomy atmosphere. We went out walking in it as we had no choice and stayed out just long enough for the dogs to do their “thing” and then we made a beeline back to Quatro and its warmth and security.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion, only this time, there were no World Cup games to watch.
We wandered around the park, and it was not until Mikey did his business; did I realize that I was out of doggy poop bags at least on hand. We did a smart turn around with me making a mental note of the poop location before heading back to Quatro to load up with the proper articles. Then we retraced our steps to find the offending pile before someone stepped in it and from there to the dumpster. We continued our walk avoiding contact with any other dogs as much as we could, by changing direction, before heading back to Quatro for breakfast.
It got down a bit below freezing last evening and I had disconnected the water hose, so I reconnected it and noticed a small leak in the connection. All it needed was a new washer and I searched high and low for them to fix the problem. I know I have some but could not find them and came up with the brilliant idea of taking the old one out and reversing it. This did the trick and it saved me a trip into town, at least, this time around. Next time I go, I will stop at Home Depot and buy some and then put them somewhere easy to find when needed. Yeah, right.
I sat and read the current world events and then switched to emails where I did have a couple to answer. My Stepdaughter, Cathy called, and we had a very enjoyable conversation for about 30 minutes before she had to go. She is a wealth of information about the goings on in the family and even is truly knowledgeable of the English side of things as she stays in touch with those still over there. She hung up and I turned my attention to writing the blog.
There are two recliners in the RV, and they are a single unit, one right, one left. I have been using the right-hand one just because the overhead light switch is found above it and it has a nice space for the small folding table to sit when we are not using it for meals. I pulled the handle to recline the unit and the handle came off in my hands. Further inspection showed that the cable had broken. The cable is in an exceedingly difficult to reach spot and I have no idea how to repair or replace it. I had no alternative other than to switch to the other recliner which is not as convenient as the first one in terms of table and switch location. One more thing to research to see if it can be repaired. No one has ever claimed that living in an RV would be boring or without problems.
I sat and wrote for a while all the time, wondering if there was anything that I should be doing. I need to do laundry but will wait until tomorrow so that the working members of the community can use the laundry room over the weekend. The two big RV’s that were parked in the temporary lots in front of me, both pulled out this morning. I had spoken to one of them and he was heading for Big Bend Country in West Texas which is a long drive. Good luck on their journey.
I sat and wrote in the blog trying to keep up with current events in my very dull and boring life, at least to others. Obviously, not to me otherwise I would do things much differently. It is a grey and cold overcast day but no rain in the forecast, a good day to stay inside in the warm. In retrospect, if I still owned the house, I would not be doing anything different as life back then, although busier because of the ponds and garden, was much the same as it is now.
Even as I wrote this, Sandy was giving me, “the look” which interpreted from dog means, “I got to go, Dad”. We harnessed up accompanied by much excitement and jumping around and went out walking the park. It was chilly outside and I was glad of my jacket. We wandered around and I noticed that the big old dog was sitting outside just as he was yesterday. He is tied up and hopefully it is something he is used to. We wandered the bottom road until I spotted another dog walking his Master further down the road and not wanting a confrontation, we turned back into the park
I noticed that one of the campers was leaking water and knocked on the door and got into a conversation with the owner. He said that he was draining the hot water tank as he could not get hot water flow into the RV but thanked me for being helpful. We chatted for a while, and I offered him tools if he needed them and went on my way.
We passed the big dog, and he has an orange cat for a friend so hopefully, being tied outside is something he is used to. Sandy wanted to kick up a fuss as we passed but I shushed her with a yank on the leash and we went on our way back to Quatro. Incidentally, the dogs each wear a walking harness rather than use their collars for their leashes as it is less stressful to them when they need correction. Mikey is surprisingly good on the leash as he is usually either beside or behind me as we both follow Sandy in her maze-like walk as she rushes from this smell to the next one. Funny things, dogs…
I watched both the Third/Fourth place World Cup Final between Croatia and Morrocco which was a surprisingly good game and then turned my attention to watch the Final between France and Argentina. As expected between both of these incredibly good teams, it was a tremendous game, well played and well officiated plus it went into overtime and the penalty kicks. As watchers, we really got our money’s worth. As a sidenote, one of the absolute best players the game has ever produced, Lionel Messi of Argentina, finally got his World Cup Medal. What an achievement.
It was another grey and cloudy day when we went out for the morning walk plus it had also cooled off and I needed a jacket. The dogs did not mind as they lined up to have their harnesses put on, which is always a bit of a contest. Sandy keeps pushing Mikey out of the way who in turn is jumping up and down in excitement but eventually, we get them harnessed and out of the door.
We walked the outside lane leading to the residential area and came across a lady with the hood up on her car which I have seen parked in her driveway before. She told me that she had overfilled her radiator and did I think it would be a problem. I replied that I did not think it would be but if she were worried about it, to get some paper towels and dip some of the liquid out. I warned her to be careful as radiator fluid is poisonous.
We continued our walk to the end of the road and then turned to come back. I saw in the distance that another camper was walking her dog, but she saw us and made an about turn before we even got close, so we had no confrontations. The lady with the car was still working on it so I stopped to ask how it was going and she showed me that she had dropped the level in the tank and asked if it was enough. Telling her that it looked OK she thanked me, and we continued back to Quatro. She knew what she was doing but just wanted reassurance she was doing it right.
Back in the RV, I fixed breakfast and then settled down to read about the state of the world which was no better than yesterday and then turned to emails which were the usual batch of stuff, most of which were unread and discarded. As usual, there was a couple that looked suspicious which were quickly discarded.
Then it was time to write the blog playing catchup with yesterday which is always a tricky thing as memory recall is not one of my strong suits anymore. Ask me about my childhood and growing up and I can tell you everything to the last detail. What happened yesterday, not so much. I wrote for a while and then decided that I needed to go into town to buy Christmas cards and a few groceries. As usual, I left it late with the cards and as two of them are going to England, they will arrive in time for the New Year. Still, it is the thought that counts, right?
I wandered around HEB and picked up the few groceries that I needed and even then, managed to spend almost $90.00 although, I did stock up on batteries. I bought three cards and sat in the parking lot filling them out and then making sure that the correct card was in the proper envelope and headed for Starbucks. The traffic was horrendous, and I waited a full 5 minutes to get out onto the highway. Next time, I will use the entrance with the traffic light. It is hard to believe that such a small town as Dripping Springs had such a traffic problem, especially at rush hour with everyone either going to or coming from work.
The post office was on the way home to Henly and I pulled in only to discover that they closed at 4:00 pm. No wonder they are losing business as they do not keep reasonable hours to serve the public. I will need to mail out the cards tomorrow.
I drove back to Henly and then we went out for the final walk of the day. The temperature has dropped and is forecast to be just above freezing this evening or rather, tomorrow morning. I stopped to chat with Melinda as she happened to be outside and then we adjourned back to Quatro.
I spent more time writing so that we are up to date and checked the weather forecast again and it still said that we should be OK this evening but that it will freeze tomorrow evening. This means disconnecting the water hoses and making sure there is enough water in the tanks to see us through until morning. It is only at night that the frosts are forecast, thank goodness. Winter is slowly arriving here in Henly. Just as long as it does not snow…
The Diary of an Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, Dripping Springs, TX Day 17, Saturday 12/17/2022
I got up at a reasonable hour and we went out for the first walk of the day and noticed that my neighbor directly behind me had pulled out leaving us with open spaces all around. That is good because I do not know if the TV sound is loud enough to bother others at night. We ran into another camper that had just pulled in yesterday and stopped to chat with the owner. He plans to pull out tomorrow so he’s just a couple of days here.
The overnight frost that was forecast did not materialize but there is another one forecast for tonight, plus the long-range forecast shows a couple of freezing days as well as nights.
Climbing into the Jeep, I made the short drive to the Post Office with the intention of mailing out the Christmas cards only to discover that the only window open was for pick-ups. Apparently, the Post Office only works a short 5-day week, closing at 4:00 pm and neither does it care nor consider those that work in their opening hours. Governmental bureaucracy is at its very worst. No wonder other private services are all doing far better than USPS and why it has such a bad name.
I drove back to the RV and made breakfast which I shared with the dogs. Just tiny tasters but enough to keep them happy. Then it was time to check the World News which, although depressing, at least did not herald the end of humankind… yet.
From there, it was checking emails none of which needed as much as a second glance. I like it that way although, on the other hand, it does mean that I have very few friends or acquaintances that bother to correspond with me anymore. Most of that is my fault though as I have chosen to lessen my circle of “friends.” In retrospect, most of those people were created by social activities and the sports that I played. As my interests changed over the years or as I got too old to play anymore, then those “friends” all disappeared…Such is the way of the world.
I decided to go out for a drive as we had nothing else planned and we all piled into the Jeep. We made a left turn coming out of Henly Loop as we usually do but instead of heading for Austin, after a couple of miles, we turned off and took the road to Blanco driving until we reached the small town. We had no reason or business there except I knew it would eventually connect with 281 and then back home in a big loop. We were after all, out for a drive.
Back in the RV Park, we took a final walkabout for the day because even with the 40 odd miles we drove, the car was the only thing that got any exercise. I then drove to The Home Depot looking to replace the outside sensor for the Indoor/Outdoor thermometers that I have as I managed to run over the original sensors with the RV. I know, I know, stupid me…Unfortunately, they do not sell them separately from the entire unit which costs upwards of $75.00 so I passed.
I stopped at the plastic Tote boxes and took a while to look for one to replace what I have inside of Quatro for the dogs to use as a step to get up onto the recliner. The current one does a good job, but it is one of the larger boxes and as space is a priority, I thought that using a smaller sized box would do the trick. We will see how it works out.
There was a frost forecast for the evening, well really for the early morning and I made sure that the tanks had water in them before disconnecting the water hose as a safety precaution. I remembered to turn on the inside water pump otherwise the water does not flow.
The rest of the evening was spent in the usual fashion with food and then TV. What a life…
It was 9:30 am before I even woke and lay there for a while snoozing and trying hard to really be awake enough to get out of bed. I eventually crawled out and following the usual morning ablutions, went out for the first walk of the day. It was bright and sunny out with a coolness in the air making a jacket a necessity as we wandered around. There was very little activity in the park and not a single car passed us on the lane outside.
Back in Quatro, I had the usual breakfast and coffee before turning to the computer to read the World News and then emails as I usually do. I had a couple that needed some attention from me including one of the offer of an earlier appointment with my Dentist and which called back and confirmed. I also received a call from the Insurance Adjuster from General Insurance, the ones that I have for the RV and Jeep. He wants to come out and inspect the damage to the RV… again and I set up an appointment for an hour or so later.
I sat writing and watched as a truck pulled up next to the Jeep. Guessing it to be the adjuster, I stepped out of the door, and we chatted as he went about the business of taking pictures and getting information about the damage caused by backing into the Jeep. He asked me some questions and finally left saying he would email me. I am more interested in finding a local place to do the repairs as it will take dealing with both a long waiting list and then however number of days needed to do the work. It might also entail finding temporary accommodation during that time that it is in the shop although some places allow for overnight stays as they work on it.
After he was gone, we harnessed up for the final walk of the day and then made our way to the bottom road, walking it for the entire distance. On the way back, a big dog walked with us on the other side of the fence. I took Sandy over and she sniffed as did the other dog and soon they were friends. Mikey, in the meantime, was doing his Mikey thing of hiding behind me.
We continued our way back and the air had a definite chill to it. There are frosts forecast for the end of the week so maybe the Arkansas weather is slowly making its way down to us. Hope not as I do not like cold weather and all that goes along with it like disconnecting water hoses and such.
Back in Quatro, I worked on the blog to bring us up to date and then we did the usual evening thing of food all around and then TV and a glass of wine.
The Diary of an Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, Dripping Springs, TX Day 15, Thursday 12/15/2022
Black Faced Sheep finding us interesting.
Another late morning of crawling out of bed, and I should say, ready to face the day. Ready or not, there is not much in the way of alternatives except to rollover and go back to sleep. We went walking as we usually do and wandered around the park, not meeting a single person or dog. The walk was uneventful which is the way I like them.
Back in Quatro, I happened to check my phone and realized that I had changed the Dentist cleaning appointment to later today. I knew I did this but did not remember that it was this soon. Thank goodness for cell phones where all appointments are stored. It is either that or write them down and then I would forget which pad I wrote them on, my memory is now that bad.
I worked on a few things before getting ready to go into Austin. We went out for a walk as I knew I would be away a while and that it would be dark when I returned. The drive in was 30 miles long as I was also going to pick up my mail while I was in town. I headed up to Far West Blvd first and collected all that had arrived to date before heading back down the road to 35th street. My Dentist is located just off this busy thoroughfare.
I did not have to wait too long before I was led back to the Surgery where my usual nurse worked on cleaning my teeth and taking x-rays before the Dentist came in to talk to me. She is a very friendly lady and chatted the whole time. Coupled with the fact that I could not hear half of what she said plus that she was working on the cleaning, the conversation was very much a one-sided thing.
The Dentist came in and gave his report and the actions we needed to take in filling a couple and adding crowns on three more and I wandered back to the receptionists area to pay and to make future appointments for the recommended treatments.
By then, it was getting late, and I got caught in the rush hour traffic which was bumper to bumper until I got out of Austin when it began to ease off. My trip home had taken me to a Starbucks in my old stomping grounds and I had the luxury of drinking coffee and eating a slice of Walnut Cake on the way home. I had taken the backway as I knew that Hwy 290 going into Dripping Springs would be bumper to bumper when we reached town, which took a little longer. It was getting dark when we reached Dripping Springs but the last few miles to Henly were uneventful.
The dogs were extremely excited that Dad was back and as we had no groceries to worry about, we harnessed up and walked around the campground in the dark which also gave me a chance to take pictures of the Christmas decorations. Back in Quatro, I had a knock on the door which proved to be one of my earlier neighbors, Ayumi. She stopped by to welcome me back and I invited her in. She also brought me a homemade loaf and said they were opening a bakery. We talked for a bit before she left.
The rest of the evening, we did the usual thing of the evening meal and television.
Today, we were greeted by a thick fog a bit reminiscent of the good old days back in England where foggy weather was quite the norm. Not so much over here as usually, the sun burns it off very quickly. We wandered around as we do, and it was interesting to note that Sandy stayed out of the wet grass which is very unusual for her. That was good as her feet stayed dry. Mikey always stays on the hard surfaces as much as possible unless there is that special something that he just must investigate.
We ate breakfast and I read the World news, which was as usual, very depressing, followed by checking emails, none of which was important. I suppose that is a good thing because at least that means nothing to worry about for a few hours at least.
Then, I turned my attention to the blog finishing off the one from yesterday and posting it before starting today. With that out of the way, I had already decided to go to Austin as I had some business with my bank that I wanted to attend to. I made a grocery list to take with me as I planned to stop at Walmart’s along the way.
The drive-in was foggy the entire way and much to my surprise, the traffic behaved itself and everyone was aware of the hazardous conditions and limited visibility. I headed for my bank and in no time flat had conducted my business. From there, it was a short drive to the closest Walmart’s on Brodie Lane where I spent a good 45 minutes wandering around. I found everything that was on my list and as a bonus, did not add to it by buying anything else that caught my eye.
I drove back onto Brodie Lane and headed south until I reached the Starbucks in my old stomping grounds, buying the usual Latte and treating myself to a piece of Banana Walnut and Pecan Loaf at the same time. Why not? The rest of the drive back to Henly was uneventful plus most of the fog had blown away making for much easier driving.
I arrived back to Quatro to be met by my little dogs who were ready to help to put the groceries away. Instead of doing that as we usually do, I only put stuff that needed it in the Freezer and Refrigerator and left the rest to put away later.
We harnessed up with much excitement and jumping around from Mikey and Sandy running back and forth and sticking her butt in Mikeys face which is her way to push him away. We eventually got things sorted and went out for a short walk. On the way, we ran into both Malinda and Daniel, and she informed us that she just got news that there is a young armed and dangerous man on the loose in the neighborhood and to be aware. Hope they catch him and nothing bad comes of it.
Back in Quatro, I grabbed a glass of wine and then settled down to play catchup with today’s goings on before the evening meal and then TV. Incidentally, I put my own pistol close at hand, just in case someone comes knocking on my door in the middle of the night. I am a legally registered handgun owner in Texas.
The Diary of an Old Man and an RV. Henly RV Park, Dripping Springs, TX Day 13, Tuesday 12/13/2022
It was late when I awoke, and I crawled out of bed and took a quick shower. What am I saying as all of my showers are quick, or I might run out of hot water and must finish rinsing off with freezing cold water. OK in the summer but this time of the year???
We went out walking and just wandered around, not really trying for any distance but more for the dogs to do their thing. We got through the night without anyone knocking on my door, but I have no idea if the shooter is still at large. Later, I ran Into Melinda, and she said that the shooter had been apprehended.
Following breakfast, I did the usual thing of reading the World News followed by working on the blog, posting the latest one to keep us up to date. I then spent another hour searching the RV and the Jeep for the missing glasses to no avail. Looks like I will need to buy new frames.
As it happened, I had an appointment with my eye doctor later that afternoon, hence the flurry of searching activity. I left in plenty of time telling the dogs I would not be gone long although of course, they did not understand a word I was saying and took the uneventful drive into Oak Hill. I have been seeing Dr Tybor, my Optometrist for more than 30 years and have watched him grow old along with me.
I was early and spent time looking at frames trying to make up my mind which ones I would get when the time came. I will not get the same ones as I got before which were actually frameless as I noticed that they fogged up much easier because of the lack of a frame on the bottom of the lenses. They sure looked good though.
I spent the next hour looking at charts and all of the other things that the Doctors use in their evaluation and by the time we were through, it was after 5:00 pm and the Office staff had left. As it happens, the Doctor wants me to come back in a couple of weeks anyway so I will choose the new frames then. In the meantime, I will make do with what I have.
I stopped at Starbucks and bought my usual Latte to drink on the drive home. By now, it was getting dark, and I opted to drive back on Hwy 290. It has a lot more traffic, but it also has white lines on the curb side to help with the night time driving, plus a dual highway of four lane traffic making it easier to avoid the glare of the oncoming headlights which bother me. That is why, I only drive at night out of necessity.
I arrived back safe and sound and harnessed up to go out for a short walk with my two excited little buddies. We wandered around the campground which, incidentally, looks so much different at night. There are a few RV’s that had decorated for Christmas with displays, lights and blow up figures and they showed off their true colors at night.
Back in Quatro, it was the usual evening spent in food and entertainment. All in all, a good day with one appointment out of the way and three to go, four if you count having the Jeep repaired.
I was watching the TV the other day and the World Cup was being played football a sport that is played with the feet and sometimes the head if the ball it does meet it started in England in years gone by when villages from one to the other would try to kick a pig’s bladder and make it go as far as it could along the road.
From one village to another by using the feet and the playing field was the village street that joined the two and it could be miles and to the winner’s so worth while and the whole village would turn out to run and kick and scream and shout for this was a contest that had to be won for the shame of losing was not any fun.
All the villagers would join in all trying to kick at that pigskin and when a winner was eventually found there was feasting and drinking, and joy abound that the Village was champions for one year until next time the contest drew near and then to have another showdown in the hope of retaining the crown
Today the game has many laws and Referees to enforce the cause to make it fair so both teams can win although to the players with much chagrin they never agree what the Ref implies pleading their innocence without any joy but the Referee has the last word and no amount of pleading can be heard.
No longer villages of any number of players now each team has eleven in their number and only one can use his hands the Goalkeeper is the last to stand to stop the others from scoring a goal as between the posts the ball must roll and sometimes the game will end with a tie with nobody scoring although hard they did try.
The game is now played in each space no longer rushing to win the race from village to village which was fine instead on a field all marked with lines and distances all basically the same with length and width that can be changed to fit into the available space to control the game and not make it a race.
The ball is now perfectly round and made of leather and can only be found inflated with air to a certain degree making it easy for all to see to head or kick or control with grace the players themselves are of different race unbelievable skills to make them the best what they do with a ball they are truly blessed.
To the rest of us as we did grow and played the game although very slow hoping one day to be so skilled a Professional player our dreams fulfilled but knowing that we are not the best instead, we play along with the rest enjoying our moments out on the pitch dreaming our dreams and fulfilling our wish.
One group of villages changed the game instead of leaving it the same decided instead of kicking the ball would use their hands before it could fall and pass it off from hand to hand to advance the ball along inland they ran with the ball as though in a race and the game of Rugby took its place.
Now both games are played side by side and to the extent they are played worldwide instead of a village wearing the crown now a Country can be renowned for winning the World Cup and champions be the best in the World the top Country at playing the game that started so small from village to village with a pigskin ball.
We wandered around on our first walk, staying mostly in the top half of the park. It was quiet out with this being a Sunday although one of the Campers in the temporary slots, was preparing his rig to pull out. Thank goodness, we will not be doing that for a while. Travelling around was enjoyable though but it is nice to stay in one place for a bit. The time is just whizzing by and we have already been here eleven days. Time flies when you are having fun.
I prepared breakfast and coffee and settled on a bacon sandwich. Everything was going fine as I carefully prepared one thing at a time so as not to flip the breakers. I made the coffee first, then toasted the bun before putting the bacon wrapped in a paper towel into the Microwave, I meant to hit the 30 second button and instead, hit 2 minutes which is the time it takes for a tea bag to brew. I do not know what I was thinking as when I took the bacon out; it had almost burned to a frizzle. Quite literally burned. It is a wonder the Microwave did not catch on fire. I picked off the black, burnt pieces and gave them to Sandy, who did not care that it was a little on the very well-done side as she gobbled it up. I ended up with a half bacon sandwich with only myself to blame for not paying attention. Funny thing, when you live alone, there is no one else to pin the blame on as I can’t blame the dogs.
I read the news which was as depressing as it usually is but at least, no one is reporting the end of the world, yet…Then it was time to work on the blog after reading the emails most of which were the usual junk. I posted the latest blog after working on a few pictures, many of which are repetitious of ones taken previously here at this park. My only hope is that Nature makes them appear a little different or that my very few readers have short memories.
With nothing planned, I considered going out walking at one of the parks, but it was overcast, and a very dreary day and it just wasn’t appealing at all. I settled to go out for a drive instead and we harnessed up and jumped in the Jeep. No matter how hard I try, I cannot get either dog to stay in the passenger seat for very long and before you know it, both are on my lap.
Mikey is smarter than Sandy when it comes to laps as he curls up and assumes a sleeping position. No idea if his eyes are closed but he takes up most of the lap. Sandy, realizing that she has been outsmarted by a mere male dog, at once tries to squeeze on as well but there is no room for her to lay down, so she stands throughout the entire trip. She compromises by resting her belly or whatever part she can get down into whatever space is left. Neither wants to relinquish any area they have control over, so it makes for a very interesting trip.
I must be on my guard all the time in case one or the other starts moving around but generally speaking, it works out fine. The things the dogs do to control their space are very funny sometimes.
We drove down Hwy 290 until we hit Hwy 281 heading into Marble Falls, a distance of about 30 miles passing a spot where I had an accident with my truck a couple of years ago and silently cursing at my stupidity that day. In retrospect, I have done some pretty dumb things in my life over the years. Luckily, the only injuries were to the truck and the other car.
I contemplated driving into Marble Falls to the Starbucks they have there but decided against it. Somehow, I was just not in the mood for a Latte, much to my surprise and made the turn onto Hwy 71 heading towards Austin. This is my old stomping ground and very familiar territory. I passed the turn off to the first house I built here in Texas and lived in for 10 years only to be persuaded by my third and final wife to move closer to town. That was my first big mistake with her as I should have stood my ground and insisted, we stay there. As it was, she left me for greener pastures 10 years later and I was out two houses and a wife. What is the saying, “Three strikes and you’re out”?
I suppose there are some bright spots as I sold the house we had bought in Austin and made enough money for me to do this travelling and living in an RV life thing. Incidentally, half the original house that I sold, and the barn were both blown away in a tornado a couple of years after we sold it. All of that is water under the bridge as it now is just me and my two little dogs enjoying life in our RV.
Back to reality. Instead of driving back to Quatro, we stopped at Frontier Park and jumped out to take a walk. We found a trail of about .75 miles and took it. Real easy walking and we only met a couple of people, none of whom had dogs. There are other trails as well, mostly of concrete so we will be back again.
I was too late for a Latte at the Dripping Springs store, and we drove back to the RV where I tried to hook up the sound bar that I already own. It worked very well on the other TV’s I had in a couple of my earlier RV’s but for some reason, I cannot get it to work on this one. I have to do something as the sound from the TV is just awful. I played around still with no luck and gave up settling in for the evening with the usual meal and then watching the noisy but mostly incoherent, TV.
I had a restless night because I was too warm under the covers. I began to throw them off until it was just the sheet and at least, I was able to drop back off to sleep. When I did eventually awake, it was cold with just that single sheet over me. Oh well, at least I was able to sleep OK.
I got up and took a shower and put on a clean set of clothes before taking the dogs out for that all important, first walk of the day. We wandered around and hit the outside road returning for breakfast and coffee. Again, we have nothing planned for the day.
I sat and wrote and even spent time drafting a poem prompted by the current World Cup that is going on. Watching some of those players just leaves me in awe at their incredible skills and the things they can do with a ball. They are genuinely gifted, all of them regardless of what position they play.
We went out for another walk, this time along the road at the bottom of the campground. I saw another dog and his Mistress approaching and we walked into a driveway to avoid a confrontation waving to the owner as they walked by. The rest of the walk was uneventful, and we made it back to Quatro.
We sat outside for a bit listening to an Audiobook and just relaxed and watched the world go by. A couple of people stopped to chat as we sat there which was for about an hour or so before going for yet another walk, this time just around the park. We ran into another long-term resident, a genuinely nice oriental lady who also welcomed us back. I stood and chatted for a while before heading back to the RV where we went inside for the usual evening meal and television.
The Diary of an Old Man and an RV Henly RV Park, Dripping Springs, TX Day 10, Saturday 12/10/2022
Have a Very, Merry Christmas, RV style.
It was overcast and looked more and more like it would rain but we managed to get in our first walk of the day without getting wet. We did not go far, just wandering around so that the dogs could do their “thing” before returning to Quatro for breakfast.
I sat and read the World news as depressing as it is before turning my attention to the blog, catching up with the posting and such. Now, I am all up to date and looking for things to write about. Maybe, I need to get out more…
I had some things to do around the RV and worked on them for a while. Nothing serious, just the usual maintenance work that one must do every so often. I knew that England was playing France in the World Cup and decided to watch it. Remembering my friend James had said about the games being on Fox, I secured membership to that channel and then had to wait 30 minutes for the game to start.
I would like to say that it was an enjoyable watch, but it was far from that. The Chanel repeatedly kept telling me that my session was up, and I would have to do things to get it back. This must have happened ten times as I watched which was very frustrating.
Then I had to put up with the American commentators who, although I could understand the language, I had to tolerate them having so many opinions that I turned the sound down. Why can’t they just comment on the game as it is played and not all be so self-opinionated, trying to show how superior their knowledge is? Who cares what they think? Just a straightforward commentary would do it like the ones that comment on the English Premier League games.
Finally, England gets awarded a penalty and the English captain, Harry Kane steps up to take it. Personally, I think he should not have been the one as he had already scored from an earlier penalty kick to make it 2-1. A different penalty taker should have taken his place. Anyway, Kane blew his shot over the crossbar and that was that. At that point, I shut off the TV figuring that England had their chances regardless of the time left which proved right.
After watching France play in an earlier game, I thought they had a very good side and would not be a bit surprised to see them go all the way.
I was still steaming and decided that I needed to cooldown and take the dogs out walking. They were all for it and we hit Henly Loop walking it nearly all of the way to HWY 290 before turning back and managed to cover 1.4 miles for the day.
Back at the RV, we sat outside listening to an Audiobook and just watched the world go by. Seven Mourning Doves flew down to pick up seed from around the bird feeders. They must be ground eaters as not once did any of them fly up to the feeders themselves. They are aggressive birds and spend some of their time chasing one another away. One in particular was picked on and remained behind when the others walked off. Notice I said “Walked off” as that is what they did as they disappeared under the other RV’s across the street. It flew off when I stood up so it must have been OK, just very low in the pecking order, literally.
After a while, with the bird entertainment gone for the day, we went back inside for the usual evening meal and TV.
One of the Zebra’s in the Wildlife Park across the road from the campground.
Even with the barest minimum of covers on, it was still warm in bed last evening and I awoke a couple of times feeling hot and uncomfortable. I had left the fan on at the front of the RV hoping that it would move enough air to keep the place cool but apparently not. Probably because the outside temperature was 65 degrees. Maybe, I need to leave the A/C on…
With the restless night, I crawled out of bed at a somewhat reasonable hour, and we went out for the morning walk. I had forgotten my phone yet again but as nothing happened, it was not important. Back in Quatro, I continued the search for the missing eyeglasses, but I am out of places to look. It appears they are gone.
After checking the State of the World, which had not improved since yesterday, I sat and wrote for a while. I got thinking about the A/C in the Jeep and did some research and ended up calling Whitlock Auto in Dripping Springs. I set up an appointment for December 20 at 8:00 am and arranged that they would bring me back to Quatro and, when the time comes to retrieve the car, pick me back up.
Satisfied that this arrangement would work fine, I glanced at the calendar on the phone and noticed that I had a Doctor’s Appointment for the following day. As this was for my ears and because one of the hearing aids needed either work or replacing, I did not want to reschedule. I emailed my good friend BJ to work out some travel arrangements just in case the Jeep is not fixed in time. Now, we will just have to wait and see.
I decided to go into town to pick up the Quilt that BJ had made for me and was being dry cleaned. It was in the same building as Starbucks, and I took full advantage and bought my usual Latte. Before heading home, I took a drive around and discovered some concrete trails in Frontier Park and made a mental note to bring the dogs here for a change of scenery. I continued to drive around for a bit exploring some of the other roads before heading back to the RV.
We went out walking again and this time, took the outside lane on Henly Loop. I remembered to bring my phone although we seem to walk much further than the phone shows in terms of miles. I appear to have no concept of distance. Back at Quatro, we sat outside and listened to an Audiobook for a while and then made a trip to the dumpster before calling it a night and adjourning back to the RV where it was the usual evening meal along with watching TV.
