Dear Deer Baby Is Still Fending For Himself

Five teenagers on two jet skis, riding side by side when one cuts in front of the other causing a collision on Hartwell Lake. Two went to the hospital with serious injuries. All this the day after the public water safety campaign started.


But you can't replace brains.  Some have them, some don't. 


Mid week it's quiet on my part of Hartwell Lake, but tonight is the Wednesday night fishing tournament, so those guys will fill up the boat parking, launching all their fishing boats. The last two Wednesdays, we've had dreadful storms. 

The little fawn is still prancing around. But my dog Harley just won't let him get close. I did manage to snap this picture of him. That post he is next to, is barely 3 feet tall, so you can see how tiny he is. We were 100 plus yards away. Harley didn't see him that far away. So the picture is lousy. 


He seems to be thus far, fending on his own. The ranger claims Harley's markings will keep the coyote away, so I am taking Harley far and wide to mark the area, to try to make it safer for the little lonely fawn.


He tries to come within 20 feet of the motorhome, but if Harley sees him, he goes nuts, scaring him off. The fawn can snort really loudly when Harley does this. 


We ran into two, yes two more turtles laying eggs in the same field as the last one.  It was different turtles too. I guess they like that field for their nests.  


I also ran into a box turtle trying to close the road. So I picked him up, relocating him to the woods, across the road. I didn't want him to be a flat turtle. Of course I was walking without my camera at the time. Never good, all the great stuff happens then. 

I actually caught the lake in a blue mood.

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Musing Mews

I wrote this note for a couple that had lost their aged cat, then later adopted a beautiful kitten from the Animal Shelter. 

Hi.    I'm new here. 

Happy tails to your mewist family member!

I was paw-rusing the forum when I read Cadie purr-suaded you to adopt her.  

Previously when I read about the passing of your 20 year old cat, I felt sympathy for your cat-astrophe.  

It made me paws,  cause your mewd was very sad.

Adopting Cadie from the humane shelter,  is a good paws for the cause. 

She is paws-itively cute!  (More pics, please!)

Just don't let anyone sneak off with her in their paw-ket.

Kittenhood is fun, but beware of claws-trophobia as they turn your RV into a toy.

With that beautiful long fur, she looks like part Purr-sian cat-pet, a very good choice for a traveling kitty.

If she gets too frisky, just put decaf in her Purr-colator. 

Nothing like a new kitty for inspiration and a great Mews. 

I'm glad you are feline happy with Camper Cat Cadie. 

I'm sure you'll take good care of her, (so she doesn't end up playing poker in the jungle with those cheetahs.)

Just remember during these hot summer days, kitties love a good mice cream cone. 

Oh the joys of kittenhood!  You lucky devil. 

PS: For the Halloween roundup in Georgia, she'd look good as a kitty cop in a Claw Enforcement uniform collaring purr-patrators.  

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Survival of the Patio

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread,

places to play in and pray in,

where nature may heal

and give strength to body and soul.

~John Muir (read more about John Muir)

I just hate it when I miss a picture moment. I've missed plenty lately, but I did finally catch a picture of a local deer (above). 


However, I wish I had photographed my clean patio. I spent hours cleaning this huge expanse of pavement that came with with my camping spot.


It's made of nonskid concrete. I believe it was finished with a rough straw broom, because it has a zillion ridges and tiny bumps in it. Super non skid. If you fall down on it, you will definitely be donating some skin. 


Sweeping the patio with my little household broom for the motorhome's vinyl flooring, is a joke, to say the least. For some ponderous reason the patio is chronically covered in leaves, branches, and dirt.  


I was told it would be blown away by the maintenance company with their leaf blower, but they haven't showed up in months. I spent hours trying to sweep this confounded patio. Everything seemingly sticks to it. I managed to more or less shovel off some leaves between the wimpy broom and the dustpan. Still there was forrest debris clinging to the rough concrete, sticking to every nook and cranny. 


Next I hooked up the spray attachment to the water hose, then tried hosing the dirt off the patio. This took a good long while, but it was a very hot day, so I enjoyed playing with the water in between cleaning. The patio actually looked fairly good by now. The leaves were gone, the dirt stuck in the irregular concrete ridges, was washed away. 


For some silly reason, I decided it was time to rearrange the patio. My 9x12 foot patio mat looks dwarfed on this jumbo concrete patio.  Actually a patio mat for the RV is for camping on dirt or weeds or gravel.  I prefer camping without a paved patio, I  like grass or dirt or sand. But this place came with a huge paved pad. Even my motorhome looks small, parked on it. 


Last fall, I ended up in a campground that resembled a huge gravel parking lot. The sharp gravel was so rough on the feet, I put out the patio mat.  Harley the dog, was ever so grateful.  It would have been lovely if the campground had used smoother or smaller gravel. I won't be staying with them again, but at the time we were dead tired so we paid to stay. We had already paid before we saw the awful lot they put us in. Part of the campground was nicely done, but this new section was dreadful. 


But I digress...


My current place came with an 8 foot, 8 ton picnic table. It took me some serious pushing, shoving, nudging, ramming, jostling, pulling, jerking, yanking,  to move it about 8 inches.  I was exhausted. 


A few hours later, I finally had the picnic table moved to where I thought I wanted it. But I forgot to use it to anchor down the patio mat. Me bad.  Very bad. 


A friend came by to visit for a few days.  I was so proud of my very clean patio. It was arranged nicely with the outdoor camping mat, card table with a bright pretty table cloth, assorted chairs, the picnic table with rugs tied to the benches so you don't have to sit on splintered wood. There was even a table cloth tied down to the picnic table. I was thinking how nice it all looked, that I had not had those ferocious winds in a while. I figured they were long gone. 


How wrong I was. 


My friend and I were sitting down to iced tea under the shade of the awning, ten minutes after his arrival, when he said "Did you hear there might be 40-50 knot gusts of wind today?"  I looked around at the clear skies, saying something like "Um, well, no."  


I thought maybe he was pulling my leg.  


About 3 minutes later, out of nowhere, this squall hits us with at least 50 knot winds.  The awning frame came loose, causing the awning to blow up like a balloon about to take flight. We scrambled to fight with the awning frame to get it closed.  Then the rains hit us hard, the tornado like winds just picked up the patio mat and furniture, flinging everything off the patio and into the woods,  before our astonished eyes. 


We scrambled around to grab things that were blowing around, then we gave up, ducking inside the motorhome with some of the salvaged items. We were both dripping gallons of water.


"Where is Harley?" 


We did a frantic search for my little puppy dog. 


He was hunkered down outside, under the motorhome, still on his tether, cowering beside the driver's tire. I snatched him into my arms, then ran back inside. I pulled out towels, to mop up the floors, mop up the puppy, then fought to get out of my rain soaked clothes.   Harley dog was dancing on my bed, on top of a towel I had laid out for him. He does a pretty good job of drying himself off. I wish I had a video of him doing it. He lays on his back, wiggling all his legs, then he flops over, pushing the right side of his face down the length of the towel, then he flips over, pushing the left side of his face down the towel, then he turns over to his belly, dragging himself  along on his little elbows, like a baby crawling.  It's a hoot to watch him dry himself off. 


The fabulous pictures I missed was I meant to take one of my spotlessly clean patio. An hour later, after the squall had hit, another picture would have told the story. 


When the rains let up, we went outside, to retrieve the furniture out of the woods, lay the patio mat back down, anchoring it with the sodden picnic table down one side. We hung up all the dripping rugs on the clothes lines, then spread out the canvas chairs for drying. 


The patio was now covered, and I mean COVERED in broken tree branches, leaves, dirt and mud. It was a wreck. *sigh*  It looked like a tree had exploded with all the bits landing on every square inch of patio. 


My hours of cleaning down the tubes in a few brief minutes. As we surveyed the mess, I turned to my friend, "Aren't you glad you stopped by?"

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Friday June 24, Is Take Your Dog To Work Day

You can outfit your pooch in a canine suit for 

Take Your Dog To Work Day.

(No, this isn't Harley, it's his cousin)

Friday June 24, is take your dog to work day.  I love it!  What a concept. Every company should allow pets in the work place.  Of course this is impossible for food establishments, due to health laws. But what's the excuse for the rest of the companies?


Does your company need exposure?  Alert the media that your company is pet friendly. 


Before taking your dog to work, consider whether he is social and presentable. You can rush him off to the groomer for a makeover, or you can simply bathe him.  There is also  Pawfume or doggy cologne. 


Lucky for me, my pooch goes to work with me everyday!  


You can read about Harley Dog and his duties at Woofcamping As A Bark Ranger.

Harley takes a break from his Woofcamping Duties

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Summer Solstice

Grow up?  

We're supposed to grow up?

I don't think I got that memo...

What the heck...

Life is Short.   Make fun of it!

A friend once said to me "You always have a lot of projects going on.  

You waste your time wisely."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

For the Northern hemisphere (those of us above the equator) today is the longest day (visible daylight) of the year. 


For those below the equator, the opposite is true, as they experience Winter Solstice, with the shortest amount of sunlight today. The North Pole is tipped closest to the sun today, and will slowly move away until winter solstice. 


At noon today, the sun will be exactly overhead for those located on the equator. The further north you are, the lower the angle. 


In Scandinavia, Solstice Means Fun in the Midnight Sun.


Summer Solstice changes dates, because it operates on an astronomical calendar, not the printed calendar we use daily. In 2008, Summer Solstice was on June 20th. This year it's on June 21st.  An astronomical calendar actually is 365 and a quarter day. We have leap year every 4 years, except for years ending in zero, to make up for the subtle difference. 


Solstice is not the hottest day of the year. The earth takes time to warm up and time to cool. While the planet earth may be absorbing lots of sunlight today, it take several weeks to release it. So the hottest days of summer typically occur in July or August. 


Today, if you are at the Great Pyramids, the sun will set precisely between two of the pyramids if you are viewing from the Sphinx.


Summer solstice will rise just over the Heel Stone, in Stonehenge on summer solstice. 


For agriculture, summer solstice is a turning point in the growing season. 


Enjoy your first day of summer!

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Fire Extinguisher

It's been on my wish list for awhile. Get more fire extinguishers. I only have the one puny one, that is more than likely the original model, from circa 1994. 


Ever since I had my RV fire scare, in June 2010,  I realized that one is not nearly enough. I was thinking four would be ideal by each exit. I have a driver's door, passenger door, main entry door and emergency window exit in the bedroom.

Make sure you have fire extinguishers for your RV, and home.  

I figure you are either running to the fire or running from the fire, so having one by all exits would be great. How has a whole year gone by and I still haven't found the money to buy more extinguishers?  Sheesh. I must seriously work on this. I could blame it on the fact, I lost my RV list.  Then when I started a new list, of things to get done for the RV, it didn't make it to the new list.  I must rectify this. This list just keeps getting longer. 


I read the saddest story today about a couple trying to save their 5th-wheel. 


Quote:
I grabbed the fire extinguisher and nearly had the fire out when the extinguisher became expended. It was the only one we had.


By this time the fire was burning pretty good and a fire truck was arriving.

They worked to control the fire but ran out of water, carrying only 500 gallons. They had to call another truck as we sat watching our world go up in flames and smoke.


For you non-Rv-ers, a fifth wheel is a travel trailer with a coupling semilar to a a tractor trailer rig. You then hook it up in the bed of a pickup truck to the receiver. This redistribution of weight, makes it easier for towing than a regular travel trailer. The downside is you need a pickup truck with the specail reciver in the truck bed.  The upside is, you can park your rig for camping, unhook your pickup truck to go tootling around minus the home. 


RV-ers have had a rough time lately with fires. From Kendall County, Texas:


The fire, which started (Sunday) in the median on I-10 between Boerne and Comfort, burned down six RVs and the clubhouse at the Top of the Hill RV Resort.


 The couple above, have insurance according to their blog. The six in Texas, I have no idea. I feel so sorry for their loss. I honestly can say I know how they feel.


On February 29, 1976, I came home to see smoke pouring out of my home. I watched helplessly as my home was completely destroyed by fire while spectators arrived for a good show including the volunteer fire department who declined to help but came to watch.  Apparently we were supposed to pay $100 advance dues to the fire department. We had lived in our home one week, in this new town.  We were unaware of this requirement. Watching it burn, literally burned an image in my brain, like an endless video that will never go away. Tragically 3 pets were lost in the fire.  Nothing was saved or salvaged. The insurance company fought us long and hard. About a year later, we ended up with $666.  That's another story for another day. 


It's a very strange feeling when you walk away with just the clothes you are wearing, and start a new life. How was I to know, this would become a recurring theme in my life. Not the fire, thank goodness, but starting over. 


I used to think it was only humans that were attached to "things".  But I see my puppy is an avid consumer too.  He is very attached to his toys, bedding, blankie and so on. He will hunt all over the yard or RV looking for a specific toy.  One was stuck in such a way he couldn't retrieve it until he set up a pitiful cry for me to come help him. 


We went for a walk today. Often we find an errant toy at the bottom of the hill. Sure enough, today, we found an escaped tennis ball. He triumphantly picked it up out of the ditch, carrying it in his mouth, all the way back home. 

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Handy Dandy Candy Colorful RV For Sale

This super cute whimsical   RV is up for sale in Palm Springs, California.  Owner contact details are below. (Mention you saw it here!)


Who says RV-ing has to be dull?  This charming motorhome puts the fun back in summer vacations.

It's a 1994 Lazy Daze, 30 footer, Class C, with an island bed. (You can walk around 3 sides of it).  Lazy Daze is famous for their quality craftsmanship. 

They have outstanding durability, with gusseted steel reinforcing framework.  The exterior coach walls are covered with smooth, sectional replaceable aircraft aluminum panels.   These durable laminated panels can be individually replaced, if substantial body damage occurs.  There are also built in roll bars, so in the event of the worst, you are well protected. 

One very nice thing about Lazy Daze, is their rigs are built with  the largest windows possible, to create that spacious, wide open feeling with an unobstructed view to the great outdoors. The windows are deeply tinted for added privacy and comfort. 

 The 3rd (current) owner, did the fancifal exterior paint job with trompe l'oeil artist, Michael Lee Scott.  

 The 2nd owner did the vivacious interior paint job and redecorating.  The current owner explains that the original dining area was  removed to make more room for dancing. Many campers enjoy dining al fresco, as most campgrounds and RV parks provide picnic tables or there's room to add a folding table.  Amazon offers this solid wood folding table that attaches to the wall for around $45.  Add a few folding camping chairs that double as outdoor use, and you've got your cake and icing too. 

The sofa folds out into a queen bed, making this camper easily sleep four. 

 The owner did a 13,000 mile comedy tour in it last summer. I like the use of the plastic pockets for storing things.  These candy colors are awesome and cheerful. 


The carpet was removed and replaced with carefree Pergo flooring. The tires and ultra premium severe duty rear brakes are nearly new as is the in-tank fuel pump. The gas tank was thoroughly cleaned when the new pump went in with  new filters. 


Also on the nearly new list is a Sway Bar Bushing set- front suspension/ Stabilizer Bar Control.  (Steers nicely.)


At some point the owner rented it out for a fashion show.  The engine kept overheating and the renters kept driving until they killed it. Oops!  So sad to say, it needs a new engine or a rebuilt engine.  The owner isn't the mechanical type, she's not able to afford an engine,  at this time, so this beauty needs a new owner. 

The bathroom is bright and cheerful, with a separate shower. 

 The bedroom isn't quite as busy as it looks. On both side of the bed are cabinets with mirrors.  The mirrors are reflecting the rainbow curtains.  

The owner is SERIOUSLY entertaining cash  offers. 


If you can stick an engine in, you could have lots of fun with this very well built Class C by Lazy Daze. 


Make a great offer!  Tell her you saw it on Dear Miss Mermaid.
Shann's email is girlmoxie AT aol.com
Phone is 760-202-0404


You can use the share button in the right column to send this to others. 

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Hiccup

Hartwell Lake

Georgia and South Carolina

Don't worry if there is an interruption here. I haven't been feeling so well lately and everything is not getting done every day. But I try!    


I keep pretending that everything is WONDERFUL!   I keep SMILING, cause smiling to yourself, makes you feel better. 


Try smiling. Now hold that smile as long as you can!


See?


Doesn't that feel better already?


For financial reasons I've been avoiding doctors and drugs, but I may be forced into rethinking this idea, but I hope not. I'd rather get well naturally.  I still have huge medical bills I am paying on each month to the bank.  The bank complains bitterly, through numerous phone calls,  that my monthly payments are not enough lately (they keep raising them). Matter of fact they've raised them so high, exponentially, that the payments are more than 12 times what they used to be. Yes, 12 times!  Talk about punishing the customer... 


So hey, can I just call up Amazon and tell them I am raising my book price times 12 because that is how the bank does it?  They want 12 times the normal payment now. Insane. It makes no sense to me. 


Huh?  I didn't know a bank could do that. A lot has changed with the way Americans do business since I lived in America last.  I left in 1987 when answering machines were still newfangled. No one had a computer at home, unless they were forced to do work at home (and we felt sorry for them!). Many people didn't use computers at all in their work. People still had real offices, secretaries and assistants. 


Customer service was a joy, people took care of their customers, apologized sincerely, when mistakes were made, even going out of their way to make it somewhat right again. 


The bank calls for the 7th time today. I tell them, I am doing the best I can here. If they would revert the payments back to normal, I could scrape by. The LAST thing I want to do is run up more medical bills.  Frankly, the fact that the bank has called me 43 times this week does seem a bit excessive, and I have told them so. Each person I talk to, claims the last person didn't put any notes on my file. The person on the phone claims they have not read my letters nor emails. 


Well, what do they do with  my letters to the bank?  Make paper airplanes out of them?


Don't they hire people that can read, write and put notes on my account when they talk to me 43 times in one week?


Jeez, why don't they hire me?  I can read, write and listen.  :)


That is the other annoying thing. The person on the phone from the bank,  keeps interrupting me. How are they going to put notes on my account, if they won't let me get a word in edgewise?


Is the bank going to repossess me?  Will I be put up for auction?  


This Saturday, Live Auction: One Used Mermaid (Proceeds to settle bank debt for medical bills).


What if nobody wants to buy me but they want my parts? Say, somebody just wants my kidney but not the rest of me.  Will the bank auction off my kidney?  


Will they rip out body parts and sell them peicemeal to the highest bidder? 


This could get real ugly.  And very messy.  


Who will take care of my little dog? That worries me more than the thought of having my body parts ripped out. He's  good little doggy who has brought me improved health and lots of  love. 


He has a favorite little blanket, besides mine. His blankie. Actually it's a super soft fleece hand towel that was being sold in the auto parts department for $1.  I touched it and WOW was it ever soft. So I bought it for the dog. I put it on the back of the dining booth seat, that is adjacent to the drivers seat in the motorhome. It's his favorite perch when we are camping, so he can see out the windows. He often comments on what's happening out there too. 


Today I threw his blankie in the washer. He looked crestfallen!  Later when it had dried and I brought it back inside, he was all tail wagging. I laid it down for a moment, to put the wash cloths away. When I came back, he was rubbing his face all over his blankie, then he laid down on it with a satisfied sigh. 


It's getting to where I almost dread when the phone rings now. But I answer, I explain everything all over again, I ask them to put notes on my file. I send them letters and email. Matter of fact, between the chronic phone calls, my letter writing and emailing, the bank is consuming way too much of my time.  It's becoming a whole new career, just explaining over and over the same thing to different people who only have one first name and no last name, but claim to work for the bank. 


Well, I am trying to get all better, and make everybody happy, including me and the bank. 


It might be a coincidence about that air-freshener on the repaired air-conditioner, but I just keep getting sicker and sicker since they did that as part of the repair. Which the roof was painted  too the week before in an emergency repair. Toxic paint?  It is rubber paint...  


Did the painter at the RV shop zap my A/C so I would be back for more repairs?  I certainly hope not and that it was a bizarre coincidence. They did tell me my A/C was old and I should buy a new one, but I said "Why?  The one I have works fine!"  Then the next day, well it didn't work fine. 


Very strange. Makes you wonder. 


Today it's hot, but I have all the windows open.  I feel much better when the A/C is off, even if it is super hot. What's a little sweating?  I can sweat and drink loads of water. Since the roof leak was brief and the repair almost immediate, I don't think much mold could have grown. I sure don't see any.  


Come to think of it, they put in a used fan in my air conditioner repair. Could it have had some weird mold on it? 


Well, I just read all about mold.  That will cure insomnia!  (The reading, not the mold!)


It can affect someone who is weak, so maybe that's it. I'm just not strong enough yet to tolerate weird mold. I sure can't see any obvious mold problems, but I am going to work up the energy to clean, clean, clean everything everywhere. Have vinegar and soap, will clean, clean, clean!  Vinegar does a superior job over bleach when it comes to mold. I also bought a $2 vacuum cleaner at a nearly new shop. Amazing bargain. It small but powerful. I shall super suck the dirt out of my life. 


My little motorhome looks pretty clean now, but then again, let me do my best to do a big spring cleaning. What fun!  :(


Maybe I will try to take the A/C apart and clean the filter again. I just cleaned them (2 filters)  last week. But they look dirty again, to me. I've tried running the fan only (with no A/C)  to try to "air-out" that annoying air freshener the repairman coated the A/C with.  I guess he thought he was being helpful, but it's adversely affecting me, I do believe. 


If anyone has any ideas or encountered this before, let me know!


I have numerous ANGELS to thank who have helped me out in a multitude of ways.  I've discovered the world has lots of Good Samaritans.   I am super uber lucky to have met so many.  


Less than 2 years ago, my whole life went upside down. From a month in the hospital to a brutal assault. But here I am ALIVE, almost well and jumping around doing things every day. 


Well not jumping, but hey, I can leap to conclusions can't I?


I just can't seem to do enough every day. But at least I wake up with enthusiasm.  I start off with a roar and a bang! Plus I smile and walk. That does a lot for the old brain. 


TODAY could be the day, that miracle happens.  I want to be awake, ready and smiling!  


My book could be discovered, maybe Oprah will read it, maybe the NY Times will feature it,   and suddenly a zillion copies sell, then I pay off that bank and medical mess, so they quit pestering me.  I could enjoy a phone again, not dread it every time I say hello someone from the bank is mispronouncing my name again, making unruly demands of me. I'm making monthly payments, the old ones, not the news ones that are sky high. Punitive way to do business.  Awful way to treat customers. 


It seems to be the way to do things now. One month I transferred a payment to the bank on my account. There was a hiccup.  The payment didn't make it. It got lost in cyber world. I did not know this. Then I got a phone call from a bank employee who only has one name. The norm now. People don't have last names at the bank. 15,000 people work for this bank and they go by first names only. Is it just me or does that sound odd to you?  


The really annoying thing is today, three different people from the bank kept calling me "sir".  That was exasperating. Maybe since I've been sick my voice dropped an octave?  I sure don't think so, but it's hard to hear yourself talk. I have a feminine name and surely it's somewhere on their records that I am female. 


In the interim, I want to get another book out.  Doesn't that sound so easy?  Well, I keep plugging away, it will happen. The cookbook was published (limited edition, out of print now) then the book of short stories published (Hurricanes and Hangovers) and by golly, I will get the 3rd book out. 


Maybe the third book will be the miracle. Or the fourth or fifth...


As in the islands we would said "Soon come, mon, soon come!"


Keep on smiling!  


It sure does feel good when I smile amidst adversity!  

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Residential Vehicle or Wheel Estate

The heat has cooled down considerably. Even though I drove 160 miles to repair my RV air-conditioner, I am thrilled when I can shut it down to enjoy the fresh air.


A gentle reader mentioned in a comment that RV also stands for "Residential Vehicle".  I like that too, much better than Recreational Vehicle, though Wheel Estate is my favorite description for what I live in. 


As a teenager, I thought a recreational vehicle, was simply the backseat of your boyfriend's car.


I'm afraid the cleaning solvents and freshener they used to clean the entire unit have affected me adversely. I agreed to pay extra to have the whole unit sanitized, but nobody said anything about adding all this freshener chemical.  I could see the unit needed a good cleaning, because my filter (unaware to me) had come up in one corner, allowing all sorts of dust and crap to enter the unit.  When the repairmen announced, after they had reinstalled the entire unit, that  they had coated it in this air freshener type stuff after cleaning it, to give my RV all these wonderful smells, I gritted and about ground my teeth off, hoping it wouldn't affect me.  


I don't care for artificial aromas at all, many of the chemicals used to make them sometimes irritate me. I used to never be this sensitive, but whatever they did to me that month in the hospital, has left me with temporary super sensitivities, that I pray will pass as I get stronger each and every day. 


Since the A/C repair, it's been brutally wretchedly hot and humid, so I've been forced to use it a good bit. Even the dog has begged for it, yet he typically loves the outdoors as much as I do.  Unfortunately,  I've about hacked up a whole lung.  


I assume it's the annoying freshener that I detest.  In the interim, I've spent a great deal of time cleaning the entire motorhome with plain old soap and vinegar trying to rid it of all minute particles of dust and dirt. Of course having the windows open invites more dust and dirt, but humans are built to withstand nature better than artificial chemical compounds. 


I've also pressed my electric germ killer as well as my negative ion generator into heavy duty work. It's only been a few days since the A/C repair.  I cleaned the filter, when it first went into a coma.  But I am willing myself to climb up on my stool to remove the filters from the ceiling unit again, and clean them once more. How I wish the engineer who designed this had made it an easier task. 


Any chance I can shut the A/C compressor off, I do. I have been throwing all the  windows open, but leaving the fan unit running on the A/C in hopes to get rid of that dastardly freshener. 


Yuck.  My eyes are watering, I'm whooping and a coughing. 


Around 7pm last night, it cooled right off, so my windows have been open ever since. I moved back outdoors.  Company called that they were arriving on short notice.  Being a southerner at heart, I insisted they come for dinner as well.  


Southerners are notorious for pushing food and copious amounts of iced tea on all visitors.   


I can usually throw something together on short notice. Even though I live alone, I often cook extra amounts of everything, so my fridge is full of my own version of "fast food" but it's the healthy type, not the drive-by kill-your-thighs type. 


The day before I had made a quart and a half of this heavenly pasta sauce in the little crockpot with organic tomatoes, garlic, olives, summer squash, vidalia onions, sliced mushrooms, chopped bell pepper, tiny bits of pepperoni, TVP (made from soy beans) and of course generous amounts of herbs such as basil, oregano and thyme. Because the sauce had cooked all day, then sat in the fridge all night and much of the next day, the flavors had thoroughly married giving it an awesome taste. I had some whole wheat spaghetti on hand, so that coupled with a salad made a great dinner for company. 


We dined al fresco, with a view of the lake, fortified with the fan I bought the other day (when the A/C first went into respiratory arrest).  It gave us  the illusion of  gentle breezes wafting across the patio. 


I'm a romantic at heart, so my plastic card table that I use outdoors when camping, is most always covered with a festive table cloth. Actually I use my old sarongs from the Caribbean, that fit a card table nicely.  This certainly gives it an elegant inviting look. Can you tell I was a private chef for years?  This campspot where I am workamping (trading work for rent) also came with a jumbo picnic table that seats 10. So theoretically, I could seat 14 for a dinner party. 


I've found that picnic tables are not always the best desk, hence the cheap card table I found at Big Lots one day. Even though it was cheap, it's top is heavy duty plastic, the legs are sturdy metal, that lock into place firmly. 


I've seen in campgrounds and many RV parks, that some folks live fully ensconced in their motorhomes or travel trailers, never once venturing outdoors except to hook up their utilities upon arrival. 


For the life of me, I would slit my throat, if I couldn't enjoy the great outdoors on a regular basis.  





Recently a fan and gentle reader, sent me all these wonderful organic herbs and organic tomatoes along with numerous other ingredients. I've been smitten with these fabulous spices and new choices in foods.  The organic tomatoes just burst with flavor. 


Even my company commented on the food, showing their appreciation by eating hearty amounts.  


There was only about one ounce of pepperoni in the sauce, chopped up. I was perusing my fridge for ingredients, when I saw a bit of leftover pepperoni, so I chopped it up and  in the pot it went. The TVP is Textured Vegetable Protein made from lowfat Soy beans which are high in protein and iron, super low in fat. When used in recipes, it resembles ground meat. It needs lots of flavoring, which it soaks up like a sponge.  Without good seasonings,  it's about as exciting as eating a raw potato. So if you are new to this stuff, it's great as a meat replacement (your waistline will thank you) but be sure to cook it with other ingredients and liberal seasonings. 


I also scraped together a hearty salad for three, even though I had barely a cup of leafy greens.  I managed to fortify the scant greens with shredded carrots, slivered almonds, chopped radishes, black olives, red bell pepper and broccoli florets. I  lightly steamed the broccoli in the microwave, then quickly chilled it in water fortified with a few ice cubes.  Once drained and added  to the salad, it wasn't hard as a rock, but it wasn't limpy either. Just a nice beautiful addition to the salad, without giving one's jaw pause for the cause. 


Afterwards, I actually managed to drag my friends out on a short walk. Puppy dog was thrilled.  He had already been doing his circus tricks and trying to play kissy face with his visitors. He thinks anyone that drops in (including the mail-lady, UPS and the folks that collect the garbage) is here for the sole reason of being entertained by a puppy.  

Since I don't much care for doggy kisses, he tries to sneak one on company, if he can get away with it. 


Silly dog!  

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