Day 55, Things Are Finally Drying Up

Mama laughed and laughed over the comments about me being naked and drugged.  I feel empowered while on these drugs.  Today, I barked and barked when Mama came back from doing laundry.  Scout joined in and we had a nice time, but Mama was not happy with us. She said we were going to get thrown out of the park.  I am not worried about it.  I am on drugs under doctor's orders. 

It doesn't seem like the drugs are doing anything to help my limping on the pavement which Mama thinks means that I just don't like the pavement. She needs to follow up with the vet either today or Monday.

The ground is finally starting to dry up.  We still have water in the gully though.  We are going to hit triple digits next week. We should find out tomorrow if we need to worry about a storm that is forming in the gulf.  A flight was supposed to made today to tell us more, but it has been canceled because right now the storm is just too disorganized.  We are getting mixed thoughts on it from the weather people here. It could hit Florida, Louisiana or Texas.

The elderly couple that Mama has been worried about are fine.  She asked the park manager last night and she was told they are in Alaska. They are just leaving their rig here.  It's a pretty expensive way to store their rig, but that is their business.

Mama does laundry twice a week.  She likes to do it at 6 a.m. before anyone else is there. Today, there was only one washer available because someone left their clothes in the other three. Mama thought about emptying the washers out, but decided not to do that. Another lady came in and said she was going to empty them out because they had been there for at least an hour.  It turns out that they had been there all night and the offender does this all the time.  The park manager came in to the laundry room and told Mama if it happens again, to just take the clothes out and use the machines.  She said she has told this tenant numerous times not to leave her clothes in the machines. Mama and the other lady decided to claim all the dryers before the offender showed up and took them.  Mama kept the dryers going until the other lady's clothes were ready for them.  The offender showed up and apologized, but according to the manager she has been rude to other people about it previously.  She admitted she put the clothes in last night, but this morning she couldn't come to get them because she had to have her coffee, take a shower and walk the dog.   It took Mama an additional 30 minutes to do her laundry, but she met a nice lady in the process.  By the way, the laundry offender also doesn't clean up after her dog.  She may end up getting kicked out because her dogs run free quite a bit and actually went in someone's camper once.  We just saw the dog running around and he was bothering someone. The dogs likes to bite at people's legs. The man did not look happy about it.  Most of the people are really nice here, but there are a few bad eggs.

Last night Mama fixed Pepper Steak in the Crock Pot. 

½ lb top sirloin steak, cut into strips
(Garlic powder- to taste,1½ T vegetable oil, ¼
cup hot water, 1 bouillon cube,1 T cornstarch)
½ c onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, cut roughly
14 oz can stewed tomatoes, with liquid
(3 T soy sauce,1 T white sugar,1 t salt)

Season beef with garlic powder. In large skillet, heat oil to medium temp and brown beef strips. Transfer to slow cooker. Heat water and add bouillon cube and cornstarch, stirring until dissolved. Add to cooker. Stir in onion, green pepper, tomatoes, soy sauce, sugar, and salt. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hrs or on low for 6-8 hrs. Cook rice according to package directions. Serve pepper steak over steamed rice.

Pepper Steak over noodles

Yes, the recipe calls for rice, but Mama decided to fix hers with noodles and Dad's with rice.  She really liked it. Dad said it was good, but he didn't eat it all.  Hmmmm......makes us wonder if he really liked it.   We didn't get to try it due to the onions and peppers.

The folks are going out for a quick dinner tonight before grocery shopping.  They were supposed to have a chicken/bacon sandwich for dinner, but the bread has gone bad and Dad ate all the bacon. Mama offered to go to the store last night, but Dad said they could eat out instead.

The folks haven't decided for sure what they are doing this weekend, but will be sticking a little closer to home since it is going to be so hot.  They want to be able to check on us more due to the heat in case something happens to the air conditioning.  You just never know.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Will Probably  Be Off  Drugs Soon

Day 54, The Ground Remains Soggy

I have been back on the Tramadol for almost 24 hours and so far no change in my hopping. I think that is good. It means that I just don't like the pavement.  I took Tramadol after both of my surgeries. It makes me tired, but it also makes me very stubborn according to Mama.  I don't listen as well because well, I really don't care.

Life is good!

I'm drugged and naked!

 Mama noticed my collar was around my ears and said I really looked drunk. She took it off of me and tightened it up.  I wasn't naked long.  I look pretty cute naked though.

The missing neighbors have not returned.  They are an elderly couple. We hope they are okay.  It's possible that they are sightseeing somewhere and didn't want to take their Class C with them.  We hope that is the case.

We found out this morning that someone we know from here has been kicked out because her little dog bit someone.  It doesn't surprise us.  She doesn't keep them leashed and she opens the door and lets them chase people.  They chased us the first day we were here. We have avoided her area since then.  She told Mama that they don't like being on a leash. Apparently, the dog broke the skin on a lady and she went to the hospital.  They are probably lucky that they are only being kicked out.  She told Mama that she didn't think her dog could break the skin.  Yeah, she seems pretty clueless. Our next door neighbor had told us previously that the dogs were really mean.  We are not sorry to see them go. 

It is still really soggy here.  We are going to have a real mosquito problem.

Some areas of the grass is just this wet.  Lots of standing water.

Big puddles.

The gully is full of water. The lake is beyond the gully.  There is a bridge that we cross to get across the gully.

Mama has been working on her own RV blog.  She stole a lot of material from ours, but in the future it will be different.  Yesterday, she was looking at other RV blogs and she found someone who is in Houston and not to far from us.  She was excited to read everything that they have been doing because it has been different from us.  It was nice to read some tourist tips from fellow campers.

Want to see a simple way to make a pizza? Mama learned it at a camping cooking class.   She takes pepperoni and heats them in a skillet for a few minutes just to cook them a little bit.  She removes the pepperoni.  Then, pour a little bit of olive oil in the skillet and take a flour tortilla and rub the oil on both sides of the tortilla.  Let tortilla cook for a few minutes and then turn it over.  Spread pizza sauce or spaghetti sauce over the tortilla.  Place pepperoni or whatever you want on top.  Add cheese. Cover and let cook until cheese is melted and the bottom of the pizza is a little crisp.  Mama also adds garlic power and parsley flakes to it.  It's a quick pizza that is nice for lunch or a snack.  She really likes to add mushrooms to it, but she didn't have any yesterday.

We had Sauce Topped Salmon last night for dinner. Mama is not a fish lover, but she thought it was pretty good. It was seasoned enough that it didn't taste like fish to her.  Dad liked it.  Scout and I liked it.


(2 T olive oil)
12-16 oz salmon fillets, thawed
Juice from 1 Lemon
(½ t olive oil, 1 t minced garlic, ¼ t basil, ¼ t each
salt and pepper)
½ c sour cream


 Heat oven to 200. Heat olive oil in skillet on high. Add fillets to skillet. Cut lemon; squeeze juice over fillets. Cook about 4 min on each side. Transfer to an ovenproof plate; put in warm oven. Combine ½ t olive oil, garlic, basil, salt and pepper in skillet. Stir in sour cream until heated.Drizzle over fillets when serving.

Salmon and steamed green beans

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Plans On Sleeping Until Judge Judy Comes On

Day 53, Summer Is Here!

Today is the first day of summer.  It doesn't feel any different to us.  Actually, our temps have been cooler this week.  We had storms yesterday.  Scout and Mama were nervous because the RV was "moving" in the wind.  I wasn't scared, but I laid on Mama's feet to help her feel a little safer.   It rained a lot. The campground is a soggy mess.  We hear "squish, squish" when we walk.   Mama said we can't walk around the big lake until the ground dries up and they cut the grass there.  She is worried we will step on a snake.  It's raining again, so it will be a few days before it dries up.

See, it is wet here.

This site flooded.  Mama hopes they are okay.  They left before the rains came and they didn't come back last night.   We didn't see them take anything with them when they left.

Mama is trying to get my prescription for Previcox re-filled.  She has a call into the vet.  He had told her that we could get it at Walgreens, but they don't carry it.  She found out that there is a generic form for humans that many people use on their dogs, but she needs to get approval from him.  She is wondering if that is what he was talking about when he said Walgreen's had it. If he doesn't approve the generic form, she will ask him to send the prescription to an online place.

UPDATE:  Dr. Mike called back and said I should take Tramadol for a few days.  If I am really in pain, that will make a difference.  He said he will give us the generic drug, if I need it.  :-)   Mama feels better after speaking to him.

I took my medicine for four days straight and Mama thought I was doing better.  I skipped a day and last night I hopped in the RV and that worried Mama.  She thought maybe it could be from me playing in the rain and maybe I have arthritis in that foot again.  Dr. Mike said it could come back.   She gave me a half of a pill and I am doing okay so far today.

Last night, Mama fixed Easy Chicken Tortilla Casserole.  She liked it.  No comment from Dad, but he ate it all.

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cook & dice
10 oz can cream of chicken soup
1 c shredded cheddar cheese, divided
10 oz can Rotel tomatoes, drained
6 flour tortillas (cooking spray)

Mix together cooked diced chicken, soup, ½ cup cheese and drained tomatoes. Layer 3 flour tortillas on bottom of greased square dish, then ½ of mixture, then 3 more tortillas, then the other ½ of mixture. Cover and heat at 350° for 40 min. Top with ½ c cheese and return to oven to melt.

Easy Chicken Tortilla

Tonight, we are having salmon.  It is not a favorite of Mama's, but she is making it.  I think I will eat hers if she doesn't like it, so no worries.


Scout was good last night.  She didn't even go into the bedroom and whine.  We didn't get up until the alarm went off this morning, so Mama was very happy this morning.  Mama hopes that Scout is over the whining phase.

We met a lady yesterday who used to foster greyhounds.  She said I didn't act like any greyhound she has ever met before.   I don't get why everyone thinks I am so different.  I just have a lot of energy and a zest for life. 

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Always Ready For A Walk

Day 49, Sunday's Activities

On  Sunday, the folks went out for a while.  Their first stop was Kohl's.  If you don't have a Kohl's, it's a department store that has clothing, shoes and kitchen items.  They usually have decent sales and then they offer savings from 10% to 30% with coupons. Mama gets excited when she gets a 30% off coupon. They even allow you to use the coupons on clearance items.  Mama received a 20% off coupon through email  on Sunday.  She was happy to find some shirts for $4.99.  They were normally $12.  She bought 4 of them.  It was a good deal and then she added the 20% off coupon.  They had hoped to find Dad some more work clothes, but no luck on this trip.  They then went to Academy.  It's a sporting goods store.  Mama said she found a bed that she wants to get me.  It will replace the quilt that I am using the floor on the floor.  It is basically a mat with some foam in it, but she said it feels like it would be pretty comfy.  It will easily fold up if we need more space.  She decided to look at a few more stores before making the purchase though.  Dad bought an adapter for our BBQ grill so that we can use a bigger propane tank with it.  It only takes the small canisters without the adapter.

After shopping, they went out to eat.  They ate at Pappasito's Cantina.  Remember when they ate at the seafood place that had the chicken pasta that Mama said was the best chicken she had ever tasted?  Well, it is owned by the same people. There are seven different types of restaurants owned by this family and they are big in this area.  When they arrived at the restaurant, Mama heard someone leaving and they said they were not waiting 1 1/2 hours.  Mama told Daddy she wasn't waiting that long either after waiting that long for Bubba Gump's the day before.  However, seating was immediately available for them since there was just two of them.  Mama said the place was packed with families since it was Father's Day. Mexican restaurants seem to serve a lot of seafood here.  There were a few items that Mama could order though.  She chose the Beef Chimichanga & Chicken Tamale.  She thought she didn't like enchiladas, but it is actually tamales that she doesn't like.  Oh, well.  She said the beef chimichanga was really good.  She forgot to take a photo of it.  It was the lunch portion and it looked more like a dinner portion.  The tortilla chips were served with a warm salsa and also a green chili sauce.  She is really liking the green chili sauces.  Dad ordered Ribeye & Diablo Shrimp: ribeye topped with grilled peppers & onions,with Diablo shrimp & choice of enchilada.  The ribeye was quite large and it was really good.  Mama tried a bite of it.  They liked this place.  We are down to about four more weekends in Houston, so they are running out of time to repeat eating at places, so they probably will not make it back there.  If they had more time, they probably would try it again.

Dad looked at the snake photo and he thinks it might be a cottonmouth.  If it is, it is poisonous.  It's hard to tell for sure if the head has a diamond shape. Mama is on high alert when we walk now.  She about jumped out of her skin last night thinking she saw a snake, but it was a pipe.  This morning, we saw a stick that was black and brown. She made an "eeek" sound.

Last night, Mama made Sloppy Joe Special.  This was really good.  We even had a small taste of it.  Yum!
1 lb ground beef chuck
½ c onion, chopped
1 can diced tomatoes, undrained
(2 T brown sugar, 2 T white vinegar)
½ loaf Italian bread
½ c shredded cheddar

Brown ground beef and onion; drain. Add tomatoes, brown sugar and vinegar; heat thoroughly. Slice bread in half lengthwise and bake at 425° until toasted. Top each half with meat mixture and sprinkle with cheese. Bake at 425° until cheese melts and bread is heated through.

Sloppy Joe Special - Mama added mozzarella cheese to it as well as the cheddar.

This was an easy meal and one that we will repeat.  Mama served coleslaw with this and made brownies for dessert.

Want to see a photo of Scout?  Yep, she is still around.  She is doing better on our walks.  We are not having to drag her out as much as we were.  She has been bad at night though.  She wants Mama's bed and she whines and whines.  Mama got upset with her the other night and shut the bedroom door. Last night, she was much better and Mama woke us up for our walk at 5:30 a.m. instead of us waking her up at 4:45 a.m.

She is so classy, don't you think? 

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Enjoying Some Cooler Temps This Week

Day 48, Galveston, TX

The folks visited Galveston, TX on Saturday.  It is 80 miles from our campground which was an hour and half drive each way due to traffic.  When they arrived, they were greeted by a downpour of rain.   The rain didn't last long though and it was nice and breezy along the beach.

The folks took a tour of the city aboard the Treasure Isle Tour Train. It is not really a train though.  The guide said it used to have a engine to it, but now a Jeep pulls it.  Mama enjoyed the tour.  They saw a lot of old homes.  Daddy said that seeing all the old homes got a little boring towards the end though.  They learned a lot about the history of Galveston and learned about the damage of Hurricane Ike in 2008 as well as other storms the city has endured.

Waiting on the train before the tour.

This is the pink "train" that they took on their tour.

Many people rent these to get around.

A crab on a restaurant.

Mama thinks this is the second oldest house in Galveston.

The alligator and Sponge Bob in the back are made from oak tree stumps. The trees died during Hurricane Ike.

A mansion in Galveston.

A beautiful home that can be toured.

Another look at this home.

Another victim of Hurricane Ike.  The tree is now carved.  See the birds on the end of the branches.

There are four fountains like this and they are for man and beast.

See the tower on the blue house.  That is a widows walk.  The women would go up there and wait for their men to come home from see.  They could see the ships from there.

Cute dog!  He is made from an oak tree.

A better view of the dog.  The tour guide said he was a greyhound because he is a grey dog.

The ferris wheel is part of Pleasure Pier. It just opened.  Mama things they could have named it something a little better.

Mama was very excited to eat at Bubba Gumps.  It is modeled after Forrest Gump, the movie.  They went at 2 p.m. and was told there was an hour and ten minute wait.  Finally, 3:10 came and their name was called.  They were told to go upstairs.  They then had to wait in another line while the host told the people in front of them all about Pleasure Pier.  After he finished his talk, he then called someone to find them a table.  Mama and Daddy were next and the same thing happened to them.  Mama was not happy because now the wait turned into an hour and a half.  Mama said if they ever go back, she would go directly upstairs and wait in that line and see if she got caught.  LOL  The restaurant was not full, so they must not have had enough workers.  After waiting an hour and a half in the heat, they were finally seated.  They had a waitress that sat down at their table to go over ALL the drinks with them.  Finally, they were able to order their food, but their waitress likes to ask trivia questions about Forrest Gump before she places food on the table. Grrrr!  I guess that is okay, but not when their food is getting cold as she is asking questions.  Mama noticed that nobody else had to go through the trivia questions.  While they were paying their bill, another waitress came and opened a pot and poured shrimp on a plate in front of Dad.  They didn't know what was going on, but soon they realized it was supposed to go to another table.  Mama said it took the waitress a while to find the correct table and those people didn't get to see the shrimp come out of the pot like they did. 

Bubba Gump is on Pleasure Pier

Frizzled Onion Strings - Appetizer

Mama's baby back ribs

Mama said the food was good.  She had a choice between ribs, a steak or a burger.  She can't eat shellfish.  Dad had a variety of shrimp.  She would have enjoyed the visit more if she had a different waitress.  They were seated outside which was nice, but Mama said being inside would have been nice because she could have looked at all the movie items.  They played a soundtrack from the movie which was fun.

This was their view while eating.

Mama enjoyed reading all the comments concerning our grey and black tanks. She really didn't think anyone would be very interested in it.  She is working on her own blog and it will give more information about camping and we can keep dumping information off of our blog. LOL  We only have to dump the black tank about every 10 days, so it's really not a big deal.  It takes about two minutes.  If we did not have full hooks up, we would have to dump the grey tanks every four days and that would be a pain because we would have to take the RV to a dump site or buy one of those portable water carriers. If you are camping long term, you really need to have full hook ups.

We are supposed to get a lot of rain over the next three days.  The temperatures are going to be cooler for us this week.  It's really hot at home.  Scout said she is glad she is here and not there.  LOL

Mama and I saw a snake on our walk this morning.  We think it is a Texas Rat Snake.  If it is, it is not poisonous.  He definitely blended in well with the black dirt along the lake.  He is the second snake we have seen here.  Mama is always looking at the ground when we walk.  She had to tell me again that snakes are why she doesn't appreciate us getting her up at 4:45 a.m. for our morning walk.

Texas Rat Snake?  It was black with brown.  She didn't want to get too close to it and took the photo with her phone.

Oh, I saw something unusual today.  It was a cat being walked on a leash.  His Dad walked him all around the campground.  They are from Arizona.  We have a lot of cats around here, but he is the first one I have seen on a leash.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Thinks It Is Strange To See A Cat Being Walked And Wonders If His Dad Carries Poop Bags