Nice Neighbors Left

The nice neighbors who gave us the Subway sandwich left yesterday.  Dad came home from work and asked if we scared them off. We told him he was silly, but you know what?  When we were walking this morning, we saw them. Maybe we did scare them off.  Actually, they moved to a lakeside site, so they moved up in the world.

We like not having neighbors on that side of us.  Mama says she can leave our door open and not feel like people are watching us.

This is our view now.  The sites are close together here. It's nice not having someone right next to us, but it probably won't last long.

Mama went to the office yesterday and asked them if we had to pay for our electric since we are here for a month.  They said yes.  We thought we had to, but Mama told them that she wrote down our meter reading when we arrived and it has not changed. Do you know what the lady said to Mama?  She said "Are you sure you are plugged in?  Do you have electric inside?"  There was another man standing there who just smiled at Mama.  Mama assured her that we had electric.  Mama said she should have said "Oh, let me go check."  Duh!  It has been in the 80's here and both of our AC units have been running.  I think we would have complained immediately if we didn't have electric inside.  The lady wrote down our site number on a post-it note with nothing else, so it's possible they will not come by to check on it. Mama is not impressed with the office.  She also told them that the large dog run was out of dog bags. The office lady said she knew, but hadn't gotten around to it.  Mama told her that people are not cleaning up after their dogs since there are no bags.  They were never good at cleaning up there, but without the bags, it has gotten really bad.  The office lady said "Ewww!"  They finally put bags in the dog run today. It took three days! Supposedly, you can be fined $20 for not cleaning up after your dog. Well,  they are missing out on a lot of money in that dog run.  BOL!

Last night, we watched our neighbor rope a "bull".  It is not a real bull, but it was still neat to see him do it.

 

The Bull

The Emeals dinner last night was Beef Tips over Noodles with Sauteed Yellow Squash.  Mama fixed it in the crock pot instead of baking it for three hours as the instructions told her to do.  The one thing that was different about this recipe is that is called for ginger ale.  It had onion soup mix, cream of mushroom soup and ginger ale.  The folks said it was good. We didn't have any of it.

Beef Tips over Noodles and Sauteed Yellow Squash.  Mama mixed it all together so that it would still be good when Dad came home. We never know what time he will be home.

Saturday night, the folks ate at Escalantes Mexican Grille.  You can click the link for Mama's review.  She said it was GOOD.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Liked Watching The "Cowboy" Rope The Bull

Scenes From Our RV Park

There are some interesting sights to see in our campground.   We don't have a picture yet, but there is a Weimaraner that lays across the dash of his motor home.  There is no way that Dad would allow us to do that.

A new Christmas decoration was put up last night and Mama thinks it is cute.

The door closes and opens and Santa pops out.

There is a fifth wheel that Scout and I really like. They have cats.  The thing that is different is that they have a cage where the cats can come in and out of their home through a doggy door.  They have at least three adult cats and at least three kittens.

The doggy door is in the window.

The kittens are in a cage in front of the trailer.

I didn't want to leave the kittens this morning. 

 It is going to be warm today and we will have to run the AC.  Mama was happy yesterday because we made it through the day without turning it on.  It was cloudy yesterday.  We are not complaining about the heat, but we are trying to save on our electric bill.  There isn't any shade here.  It feels great outside, but the motor home heats up with the sun.

Mama is still using Emeals and loves it.  Last night, she fixed Orange-Sesame Chicken Stir Fry with Ramen Noodles.  She thought it was really good. 

If you are interested in trying Emeals, they have a 30% off coupon right now.  Just enter CYBER when checking out.  Mama just renewed her subscription. She ordered a six month subscription and they let her use the coupon, so I don't think you have to sign up for a full year.  Their prices have definitely gone up in the past year, but Mama says they are still worth it to her.  She doesn't have to plan out menus and grocery shopping is so easy.  She has a really hard time now if she has to plan out a meal. 

The folks are not going to do any sightseeing this weekend.  They decided they want a weekend to just relax.  They are going to a huge RV dealership and will just look around.  They will eat out, of course.  They also need to find a Walmart with a supercenter.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Thinks Kittens Are Interesting

Feeling Fine Friday - #3

It's another Feeling Fine Friday here in Joliet. We have had three walks, vacuumed, printed out our Emeals grocery list and finished the laundry. Doing laundry here is not fun.  There is a high level of iron in the water.  There are signs that say your whites could turn yellow.  Mama has to add special stuff to the water to try and keep Dad's shirts white. It works sometimes and sometimes it doesn't. Last week, the water was yellow.  Yuck!  On the bright side, I won't be getting a bath here because Mama doesn't want me turning yellow.  Anyway, now the work is done and we can kick up our paws and relax!

I sure look handsome here.

Pretty view of the paddle boats.

Cub fans are everywhere!

Mama would like to put a Cardinals logo on this guy.  Last year, the Cardinals (baseball) had a rally squirrel.  It sure would look nice next to their Cubs dog.  LOL

Okay, we have a fun question for you.   Do you know what a "honey wagon" is in a campground? Mama saw that they offered it in their brochure and thought at first it might be a "welcome wagon" or a food truck.  They charge $15 for it to visit your site.

Are you ready?

HoneyWagon

Still don't know what it is?  LOL  It is used to empty your tanks if you don't have a sewer hook up.  We see the "pig man" driving it around all day long.  Maybe that is why he has such an attitude. LOL

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Changed Out Of His Rams' Collar Since He Is Deep In Bear Country

Wet Feet Equals Wet Boot

The ground is still a sloppy mess here.  Water continues to just stand on the ground.  Mama says she is tired of  her socks getting wet when she walks us.  I don't mind my feet getting wet, but it feels strange to have my foot in a wet boot.

Yesterday, we had a bad storm.  There were 490 lightning strikes in just a half hour.  According to the news, four houses caught on fire due to the lightning.  Mama couldn't believe that a man in our park was fishing during the storm.  He definitely doesn't have his head on straight.  Two people died in Houston on Sunday due to being struck by lightning. 

The park manager came by yesterday afternoon and told us we were getting a new neighbor.  We haven't had a neighbor on our right side the entire time we have been here.  We thought maybe they couldn't put anyone next to the propane tank, but the manager said it is because no one wants just a 30 amp site.  She told us the guy had his motor home in storage and plans to rehab it. She said we might hear some hammering noises.   He dropped it off last night and then left. He may not be living in it for a while.

Our view before our neighbor.

We really only see the neighbor's motor home when we go outside.  We rarely look out the kitchen window.  We have been lucky not to have a neighbor for so long.  It definitely will not be like that in other parks.

Mama has been busy making dish cloths and pot holders. 

She actually used the one in the middle and washed it.  It didn't fall apart.  Victory!

This one turned out a little big.  It is her first attempt with a "fancy" border.   She needs practice.  It doesn't seem that practical for a dish cloth.

Most of what she has made.

She likes this one because it matches the RV colors.  It is a pot holder. It is made with half double stitch.  The back is dark brown.

Last night, she made Chicken and Rice Taco Fiesta. 

1 boneless chicken breast, cut in small pieces
(1 T olive oil)
14 oz can chicken broth, 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
15 oz can corn, drained
1½ c uncooked minute rice
¼ to ½ bag tortilla chips
Sour cream

In large saucepan, sauté chicken pieces in oil until barely done. Add chicken broth, tomato sauce, taco seasoning; bring to boil; simmer covered 5 min. Add corn and rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 min. Fluff and serve on crunched tortilla chips. Top with sour cream.

The green sauce is that green salsa she bought at H.E.B.   She thought it was good.  Dad didn't comment, but he ate it all.

This is us this morning.  Really, it is not just another photo taken yesterday when we were sleeping.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Happy That The Space Bar Is Working Better On the Laptop

I Broke Up With Daisy & A Clue To Our Next Destination

Well, my romance with Daisy is over. She is leaving today, but that is not why we broke up. We were out last night and she was just too pushy. She tried to climb on my back!  What is up with that?  I didn't like that.  Scout was scared of her.  She kept walking underneath Scout.  I think my next girlfriend will be another greyhound. I need to stick with my own kind.

It rain until about noon yesterday. Depending on who you listen to, we had about 9 -10" of rain in the past two days.  We are having more rain today.  The lakes all flooded in our park. There are some ducklings that lived in the large lake that is in the other part of the park.  They are now living in our lake.  We think they when their lake overflowed, they just swam down to our lake.   They are the Black Bellied Whistling Ducks. Two interesting things about these ducks: 1) They actually perch in trees.  We saw several one day in a tree, but we didn't have our camera with us.  2) It appears that more than just the parents protect the ducklings.  Yesterday, all the adult ducks gathered around the ducklings when we approached them.  We have been trying to get pictures of them for a few weeks, but can't get close to them.

The is how the ducklings made it to our lake. Their lake overflowed.

The ducklings are in the middle. We think there are 12-14 of them.

Several adults are gathered around the ducklings

Everyone is trying to get to higher ground.

This is the front lake.  The sign is a few feet from the water, normally.

More views from the front lake.

I have noticed that my name is popular.

My name is a on a trailer here.

I have a pizza place named after me.

The pizza inside the box.  It was the first pizza we have had since we left Missouri.  It was okay.

Last night our Emeals meal was Swedish Meatballs, Garlic Bread and Steamed Broccoli.  It was good according to Mama.  We didn't get a single taste of it.

Swedish Meatballs and Noodles

Scout chilling during the rain yesterday.

Are you ready for your first clue as to where we are going AFTER Washington DC? It may be a little vague, but we will see.  Our next destination will be reached the same day that we leave DC. It is about a 7 hour drive, but will take us probably 9 hours due to stops.   

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Single Again

It's Another Rainy Day In Houston

We have had a nice week of temps in the 80's and rain off and on each day. This morning, it is really raining.  We just came back from a walk and we were drenched.  However, it's a good thing we went out when we did because now it is a heavy downpour.

I didn't see my Daisy yesterday.  Well, I did see her from afar.  She was riding in her Mom's golf cart. The park manager has a golf cart and Daisy's parents just bought one. I would love to ride in one, but I would take up the whole thing. Daisy's folks have a toy hauler which is a trailer that has a place in the back for things like golf carts, ATVs, etc.

Last night, Mama fixed spaghetti, garlic bread and salad. Yes, that is what was on our Emeals menu.  The salad had strawberries, blueberries and Italian dressing. Mama liked it.

Salad with strawberries, blueberries and Italian dressing

Saturday night, we were watching Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and they showed two Houston restaurants.  The folks were very excited.  One restaurant was a place that they almost went to when they toured the space center, but Mama chose a different place.  She regretted not going after seeing it on TV. They debated on which one to visit on Sunday.  They chose the one that was about a half hour away.  However, when they arrived, it was closed for the day.  Mama said it was a rookie mistake. She should have checked their hours. It was pouring down rain and they had to find another place to eat.  She kept checking the GPS to see what was nearby.  Finally, they decided on a Mexican place.  It is called Los Cucos Mexican Cafe.  There is a location that is near us and they almost went there last weekend.  Mama really liked it and decided it was the best Mexican place she has visited here.  Dad said it was good, but he thinks Pappasito's Cantina is the best.  Mama said maybe they needed to go back to Pappasito's Catina and she would order something different this time.  She did really like their salsa.   Mama is loving all the salsas here. They are all different. She really likes the green chili salsas.  She never had them until we came here.  There is a grocery store that advertises their green salsa on TV and she is determined to go there before we leave and buy a jar. 

The salsa at Los Cucos - a green chili and a red salsa that is served warm. Both were really good.

Dad's dinner - fajitas with shrimp, chicken, beef and pork

El Burrito Grande - Large flour tortilla filled with tender beef  fajita, refried beans and cheese, topped with chile con carne and cheddar cheese.

Mama really liked the beef in this one.

After they ate, they went to Dad's favorite store, Camping World.

 They didn't buy anything fun, just wax for the RV.

Houston traffic on a Sunday afternoon.  Yes, this is on a Sunday.  Saturdays are really bad.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Hearing Rumors That We Are Leaving Houston Soon

It's Friday?

This has been a strange week with a holiday falling in the middle of the week. It doesn't seem like it can be Friday, but Mama says it is.  Fridays are hectic for us. Okay, hectic is probably not the correct word.  Mama just has more to do on Fridays.  She takes us for our morning walk no later than 5:30 a.m. and then she gets the laundry ready to go.  Dad drops her off on his way to work.  Then she walks back while it is washing. She then walks back to put it in the dryer and then she comes back and either takes us for another walk or fixes breakfast. She then goes back and gets the clothes and brings them back here and puts them away.  Then, we go for another walk.  She then showers and gets dressed.  It sounds exhausting, doesn't it? LOL  In the afternoon, we clean so that the place looks nice for the weekend, but it never looks clean longer than Saturday afternoon.  We do not know what happens, but it always looks trashed on the weekends.  Tonight, the folks will go grocery shopping.

The tent campers left yesterday. Check out is 11 a.m., but they left at 1 p.m.  I'm sure they were not impressed staying here. It is really not a campground.  It is a RV park.  There is a difference. 95% of the people who stay here are long term people.  We do not have a shower house which is unusual even for a RV park.  It doesn't matter to the folks because they shower in the RV, but a lot of weekend campers use a shower house instead of their camper shower.

Banfield called yesterday to follow up on me to make sure I was doing okay after my vaccine. We were surprised they did that because we don't think our vet even does that.  My surgeon does, but not my regular vet.

Mama said to smile, so I am.

LOL, I'm so funny!

Made you laugh!

Time to attack the hedgehog.

A baby panda is making noise on the TV, very strange.

Last night, Mama fixed Baked Tilapia with Tomatoes and Olives. Yes, she is not a fan of fish, but it was on the Emeal menu and she can tolerate Tilapia normally.  We only got a small taste of it because it had garlic and onions, but it was good. Mama said it was good because it had so much stuff on it that she couldn't taste the Tilapia.

 2-4 tilapia filets (cooking spray, salt)
1 Roma tomato, chopped
1 can olives, drained
½ c chopped white onion
(¼ c olive oil, ¼ t red pepper flakes,
2 T bottled minced garlic, 1 T lime juice)

In greased 9x13” baking dish, place tilapia filets. Season with salt. Combine tomato, olives, onion, olive oil, pepper flakes, minced garlic, lime juice and spoon mixture over fillets. Bake uncovered, 20 min at 400°.

She added grated Parmesan Cheese to it because she thought that sounded good.

The full meal, steamed green beans, garlic mashed potatoes and the Tilapia.

The folks may visit President George Bush Presidential Library and Museum tomorrow.  This is Bush Sr's library.  It is located in College Station, TX which is about 90 minutes from us.  They visited the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene and loved it. Mama didn't think she would, but it was very interesting. She hopes President Bush's library and museum is as nice.  Dad told her to find a place to eat in College Station, so she will be reading reviews today and drooling over the menus.

Have a nice day!

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Making Mama Laugh Today With My Facial Expressions

I Had Ants In My Boot!

Yep, I had ants in my boot yesterday.  I can't remember the movie, but there is a cowboy having his feet shot at so he jumps around.That is what I looked like. Mama took my boot off and wiped the ants from my feet. That was strange.

I went to the vet yesterday for my annual vaccines. We went to Banfield Pet Hospital.  They are located inside Petsmarts.  Our vet had told Mama they were expensive. They charged about $20 more than what he charges.  However, their hours are convenient and now my records are available at any Banfield that we happen to visit.  They were very friendly. The vet asked why I was wearing a boot and Mama told her about my corn.  She had never heard of dogs having corns.  We were not surprised. It is our understanding that it is a greyhound thing. Mama showed her the information on how to remove them.  She was very interested it learning about it, so we left the information with her.  Hopefully she will learn more about it and will be able to help the next greyhound that comes in.  She gave me an exam and would you believe that she even took my temperature?  I told her that I could hold the thermometer it in my mouth, but she said she had a better way.  Ack!   Mama did not take a photo of that, thank goodness.  She gave me my shot and then I was happy.  I knew that was it.  She gave us treats.  Scout refused to eat hers, so I ate it. 

Eating my treat.

Waiting for the vet.

Scout waiting for the vet to see me.

Mama likes the convenience of Banfield while we are traveling. If we were really sick, she would try and find us a greyhound savvy vet, but for our annual vaccines this seems to be a good place for us to go.

I was exhausted after my vet visit.  The folks went out for lunch.  They ate at Willy's Ice House again. There are two places that Mama wanted to eat at again and this was one of them.  This time she had a BBQ/Cheddar Burger.

Breaded mushrooms - nicely seasoned

Dad's crawfish sandwich

Mama's BBQ/Cheddar Hamburger - it was better than it looks.

Last night, Mama fixed their Emeals meal.  It was simple.  It was just brats with chili without beans on top with cheese and onions.  Mama liked it. She has leftovers for lunch today.

The party house was quiet yesterday.  Well, there was music, but not a wild party like we expected.  The campers with their tent were gone all day. There tent blew around some in the wind. 

The folks sat outside waiting for fireworks, but came in because the mosquitoes were bad. We watched the fireworks from inside the RV.  They were very loud because the public display was just a few hours away, but Scout and I did fine.

Dad either has a cold or it's allergies.  Mama is not feeling too good this morning either. She says it could be allergies.