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

Day 47, It's Been A Long Week

Mama says it has been a long week.  I guess she feels that way because she didn't really get to do anything fun last weekend and then we had to "suffer" through three days with only one air conditioning unit.  Tomorrow, the folks are going to Galveston for the day, so that should cheer her up.

Not much is going on and I guess that is good.  Yesterday, Mama cleaned Goldie.  She also dumped the tanks. Daddy said we should explain to you about dumping tanks, but Mama said she didn't think anyone wants to hear about that. He thought you all would, but he is obsessed with camping, so....... Basically, you have a grey tank which holds shower water and sink water.  The black tank holds the toilet water.  See, we told you it wasn't something you would want to read about. Anyway, when you are staying long term, you have full hook ups which includes your sewer. There is a hose that goes from the tanks to the sewer.  We leave our grey tank open until it is time to dump the black tank and then we close up the grey tank for a day before to collect water so that there is water to rinse out the hose after opening the black tank.  There is only one hose for the black and grey tanks.  When we are ready to dump, we open the grey line slightly just to put a little water through the line and then we close it and open the black tank.  Now, you want to do it slowly because if there is a leak, well, it will make a mess that you do not want on you.  After it is done, the hose kind of shrinks up and then you close the valve.  Then, you slowly open the grey tank and then open it all the way and it stays open again until the next time.  If you are dumping at a dump station, the process is different because the hose is not attached and you have to attach it.  It can be a little messier and you should wear gloves for that.   Daddy used to do all the dumping, but he thinks Mama needs to learn to do that sort of stuff, so she started doing it. 

Mama thawed out the freezer yesterday. Our freezer is not frost free and it was shrinking in size due to all the frost and ice.  Mama turned off the freezer and used a hair dryer to melt the ice.  She is not sure that is the proper way to do it, but it worked. 

My foot has been bothering me.  Mama is concerned, of course.  It only bothers me when I walk on pavement or gravel.  At first, Mama figured the pavement was hot, but it bothers me all the time even when it is cool.  She has looked at my pads and touched it all over. Nothing hurts.  The pain medicine doesn't seem to help, but again, I don't hop when I am inside or on grass.  Maybe the pavement just feels strange?   She has talked about buying me a boot.  I am not thrilled with that idea.  She is doing the ice pack treatment and said she wants me to take medicine for a few more days to see if it helps at all. 

Wednesday night, Mama fixed the Ham & Asparagus Casserole.  The folks both really liked it.  Mama was surprised that she liked it because it was like a quiche. Mama really liked the ham and onions in it. She didn't get a picture of it because she wasn't sure it was done and she messed it up checking on it. 

9 oz pkg shaved ham
¼ c chopped onions
½ bunch asparagus, chopped, save ½ for Meal 7
4 eggs
1 c milk
(Cooking spray, ½ c flour, ¾ t salt, ½ t pepper)
1¼ c shredded mozzarella cheese, divided. Combine ham, onions & asparagus and put into an 8x8"
sprayed baking dish. Beat together egg, milk, flour, salt, pepper, and ¼ c mozzarella until smooth. Slowly pour  over ham mixture. Bake 20 min at 425º. Sprinkle with 1 c mozzarella and let melt.

Last night, she fixed Italian Casserole.  She liked it.  Dad didn't comment, but he ate it all. 
½ lb ground beef
½ chopped onion
½ 23 oz jar spaghetti sauce
4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
4 oz sour cream
1 can crescent rolls
(2 T melted butter & grated Parmesan)

In large skillet, brown beef and onion; drain. Add spaghetti sauce to meat and heat. Spread mixture into
bottom of square baking dish. Mix together cheese and sour cream. Spread over meat mixture. Lay crescent
triangles on top to form crust. Drizzle butter over top and sprinkle with grated Parmesan. Bake uncovered at 350°, 20 minutes, or until top is done.

Italian Casserole

Mama added cheese to the top because she thought it needed something more.

Tonight, she is fixing Loaded Bacon Baked Potatoes.  That should be a quick and easy meal.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Doesn't Like Cleaning Days

Day 45, Stormy Afternoon

Yesterday afternoon was very stormy.  Mama was nervous because reports said there were wind gusts that were up to 70 mph.  She asked me if I thought Goldie could handle that.  How the heck am I supposed to know?   Mama was amazed that the local stations didn't report on the warnings.  At home, they put a ticker at the bottom telling you about it and then they break in and tell you about it.  Sometimes they are on the air for hours.  She tuned into the Weather Channel because that is the only place that was reporting it.  There was a warning for us.  We had a lot of lightning, thunder and rain.  Lots of rain.  We did not have the wind though. We were so happy about that.  Scout was a little scared and left the comfort of the bedroom and laid on the couch next to Mama.  I wasn't scared.  I played with my toys.   It was so loud in here with the rain pounding on us.  Mama turned the AC blowers on to try and drown out the noise.  She called Dad to tell him to get ready for the storm at work.  It was about time for him to leave and she told him it was going to get bad.  He misunderstood and didn't realize we had already had the worse of the storm here.  He was very concerned when the storm hit his area because he did have the full force of the wind.  He said trees were down all over along with billboards along the road.  He said that all the campers were standing at the RV sales places that he passed, so I guess they can stand up to really high winds.  Dad didn't get home until about 8:15 p.m.

We ended up having about 3" of rain here.  Some of the sites flooded.  People had to move their cars.  Our site was fine.  It's a good thing we didn't have our awning out.  LOL  The whole place is a soggy mess today and we might have more storms this afternoon.    Mama says we will be fine though.  She is always nervous with storms.  She was alone a lot as a child and went through several bad storms by herself and she thinks that is why she gets so nervous.  Maybe she is scared because the weather people at home made her scared by reporting on storms constantly.  It doesn't seem like it's a big deal here.

We have a bonus for you today.  Mama made a dessert yesterday and it is so easy and good.  It is called Magic Peach Cobbler.

1 stick butter
1 c. sugar
1 c. flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 c. milk
1 3/4 c. sliced peaches, use juice and all 

1/2 c. sugar for topping

Melt butter in a 9x15 pan. Mix sugar, flour, baking powder and milk and pour this mixture over the butter - don't stir.  Add peaches on top of this.  Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake at 350°F for 30 minutes or brown on top.
It tastes great served warm with whipped topping or ice cream.

Magic Peach Cobble

 Mama realized that she used her only casserole dish for the peach cobbler, so she couldn't fix what she had planned for dinner. She had to fix something in the electric skilled instead.  She chose a recipe from her Campbell's Kitchen Recipe Collection.  This is one of her favorite cookbooks and the only cookbook that she brought with us.  The recipes are so easy to make and they are good.

She made Cheeseburger Pasta. Recipe and picture taken from Allrecipes.com

Cheeseburger Pasta - photo from Allrecipes.com

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
• 1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Tomato Soup (Regular, Healthy Request® or 25% Less Sodium)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 cups uncooked medium shell-shaped pasta

Preparation

Cook the beef in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until it's well browned, stirring often to separate meat. Pour off any fat.

Stir the soups, water and pasta in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender, stirring often.   

Mama usually has to cook it for much longer than the 10 minutes because the pasta needs to cook.  She likes to add mushrooms to it as well as Parmesan cheese, but we didn't have those last night.

Tonight, we are having a ham and asparagus casserole.  We will report back tomorrow on how good it is.  Next week's recipes from Emeals look really good according to Mama.

Joey,

The Greyhound Who Is NOT Scared Of Storms