October 8, 2018. Arrived at Bay Landing Thousand Trails on Saturday, October 5 for a few days before heading to Tres Rios. We have never been to this TT before, and I wanted to see what it was like. It is pretty big but doesn’t have a lot of FHU sites; most of them are just W/E, which is what we got. The park is around Lake Bridgeport, which is down quite a bit. I found a place to walk the dogs on the ATV trails but there is so much cactus off the trail that we have to just stay on the path. The ATV trails don’t seem to be used very much, so it’s nice that we are able to walk them without meeting anyone. It’s a little over a mile walk down to the primitive camping area, then back again makes it just over 2 miles.
There is a bunch of rain that is supposed to be coming through on Tuesday, so we put off our leaving until Wednesday when the rain has passed.
October 15, 2018. Arrived at Tres Rios on Wednesday, October 10. It was a nice, sunny day and stayed that way for a few days. The Brazos, Paulxey and Squaw Creek are rising a lot, I guess from upstream dams being let loose. Not going to be walking the dogs down the Paulxey this visit. It started raining again Saturday night, rained all day Sunday and Monday. The ground is saturated and the incoming RVs just sink into the ground.
Lucy has been throwing up a lot lately, especially since I got them new dog food. I tried a few small bags of Rachael Ray and Nutro, which she did pretty good with, but then I bought a big bag of Diamond. It has big chunks, but it does not seem to agree with her and she would throw it up about 15 minutes after eating it. The fish oil I was giving them seems to have spoiled so I threw that out and gave them new, but she threw that up too. This morning I gave her breakfast but she threw that up.
Today I bought her some Rachael Ray dog food again. I gave her ½ cup for dinner and let her eat that and see how she handled it; and then gave her the other ½ cup when she did not throw the first part up. It’s been 30 minutes since she ate the first ½ cup, and so far, so good. She’s sleeping under the table right now. Let’s hope she keeps it down. Other than throwing up the food, she is very energetic and not lethargic at all. She is not acting sick, so I hope it’s just the dog food. Hayley does not seem to have any trouble with it at all.
Jim had an appointment with Dr. Mueller this afternoon to get this eyes checked a year after he had his cataract surgery. He complains about his eyes not being clear, and she said that with the lenses he had put in, they cause eyes to be a little more dry, so she said to put eye drops in twice a day, so we are going to start doing that. She also said that the ball inside his eyes where the lenses area creased a little bit. She suggested laser surgery to correct the wrinkle. We will keep doing the drops, but Jim thinks he may still want the laser surgery to fix the crease so he can see clearer. We made appointments for Oct. 29 and then Nov. 12 to have the surgery done.
October 17, 2018. Thought Lucy was over throwing up her food, but this morning after eating she threw it all up again. I think she also threw up some food that Jim gave her from the other night’s dinner. She also pooped twice, so I hope she got stuff out. She also ate grass during our evening walk, and threw up again. For dinner I just gave her ¼ of a cup and she kept that down. She also did not look for more food. Her stomach may be a bit raw from all the throwing up, so hopefully the small amount will help. I’ll give her a small amount tomorrow as well.
I had my “annual Wellness exam” that Medicare wants us old folks to get. Also went over my lab tests. Seems my mammogram was incomplete from last year so I have to get another one. Also talked to her about my foot hurting so I will go to a podiatrist to see what they can find.
Jim had his annual doctor appointment today. His blood pressure is good, but he put on over 10 lbs. from last year. Doc told him to lose 20+ so he does not get diabetes, heart disease, etc. I know he has to lose, so I will change his diet a bit and once the rain stops, he will get out and ride. But he does need to cut down on his drinking – don’t know if he will though.
Doc also suggested getting the pneumonia vaccine, so Jim got his first shot today and I will get one Monday. We will also do the shingles vaccine in December.
October 21, 2018. The rain has finally gone – for a few days. Expect more rain on Wednesday, then it’s gone again. So Saturday I decided to get the bathtub done. Took off the butyl caulk and then cleaned it the rest of the way with Mineral Spirits. Then I drilled holes on each end of the crack since I was told that the hole keeps the crack from spreading. I then used the dremel to make a small grove in the area of the crack. After cleaning that with Acetone, I was ready to start the work. I do not like the Acetone on the ABS plastic because it makes the plastic sticky. But I then heated the cracks with my hair dryer to heat the plastic and then used Jim’s plastic welder to fill in the crack. That was hard and I may have made it too hot because it came out dark, which seemed burnt in some places. But I put the ABS plastic down and then went to play cards. After that I heated the flattner to smooth down the plastic so there were no sharp pieces sticking up.
We then were wondering what to do about shimming up the tub between the tub and the foam. Got some plastic shims and popcicle sticks, which I stuck up under the front end to support it. Could not get any at the back of the tub, so I hope what I did works.
October 29, 2018. Josh, Karen, Ellie & Jason came up Friday as Josh & Karen were participating in the Spartan Race on Saturday. Jim & I got up early Saturday to go and babysit Ellie & Jason while they participated in the race. We spent time at the trailer while Ellie & I went and did some crafts at the kid’s center. Jason declined to go but when he found out one of the crafts was edible, then he wanted to go. But, Ellie shared a bite with him. In the afternoon we went and had soda floats and at 5-6 the kids had trick or treats through the campground.
After that we went out to eat and Ellie was disappointed that she did not get to walk the river trail where all the spooky stuff was out. We went to a new place, a sports bar. Unfortunately, I did not care for the food. Jim’s first choice was not available so he ordered chips and salsa/cheese, which turned out to be a bad choice as there was a stone or hard piece somewhere and he broke off the back part of one of his molars. The quesadilla I had was not very good.
So now Jim’s broken molar had a sharp end and rubbed against his tongue and rubbed it raw to the point he could not eat. He did not sleep very well Saturday night (neither did I) and his tongue hurt a lot. On Sunday morning, we made a trip to Granbury to buy a tooth fix kit and then after lunch made another trip to buy wax to put on the tooth so it would not rub his tongue so much.
Today Jim had an appointment with the eye doctor for laser surgery to fix the wrinkle in this eyes. Today he had his right eye done and when we come back from our week out, he will get his left eye done.
While there we found a dentist, who I called and they had an opening this afternoon. The Doctor just filed down his tooth so it was not sharp against his tongue but said he would not do any more as Jim has periodontal disease and could not do any more to this tooth because of that. The cause of the periodontal disease was because Jim does not brush his teeth or floss on a regular basis and the plaque has built up on this teeth, going into the gums and causing the bacteria to eat away at the bones. So now he has to get an exam to determine the extent of the disease and then laser treatment to try to eradicate it. If we don’t do anything, he will eventually lose all his teeth. I have a call into the dental clinic trying to get an appointment for the exam.
Lucy has still been throwing up and woke up late Friday to go outside. So I decided to go back to Tractor Supply 4Health for her, which I bought Sunday afternoon. So far, she is doing OK and not upchucking.
November 16, 2018. We had our week out at Lake Whitney from October 31 to November 7, when we returned to Tres Rios. Jim had his dentist appointment on November 15 where he got a bunch of x-rays and diagnosis of his periodontal disease. We have decided to come back after our week at Green Caye, so we will be back November 27 to December 18. I think I will contact my doctor so I can get another thyroid test to see if me taking 1-1/2 pills makes a difference. Sure hope it does! Jim will undergo two lasar treatments for his disease, and then we are told he has to go somewhere every three months for further treatment. Evidently, periodontal disease does not go away, it is just curtailed and must be treated for the rest of his life. He was also told that he needs to have his amalgum fillings removed as they are seeping into his body – yuck. That will be an expensive endeavor so we have decided to start that next year when we return.
I have been trying to get reservations in Florida for January – March. I have some done but unfortunately Myrtle does not have any openings at River Oaks for the end of February into March. I will try somewhere else, but have not decided where yet.
November 27, 2018. Just got back from our week in Houston for Thanksgiving. It was really nice visiting with Jason and Ellie. I so enjoy spending time with them. Jacklyn & Joe flew in from Tampa and Jake & Robyn also drove in and stayed in another RV park. Wednesday we all met for dinner at J. Henry’s, a nice restaurant just down Space Coast Pkwy; Thursday of course was Thanksgiving. On Friday we went to San Jacinto Monument to see the new exhibit they have, which is about Shell Energy and the impact they have had on the area called Deer Park, which is close to the Monument. It was quite interesting. Saturday Jake helped Josh install an exhaust fan in the kids’ bathroom, then Jim & I went later in the day. Jake & Robyn left early Sunday to drive all day to get back home. Jacklyn & Joe were to leave Sunday and we all met for brunch before they got their flight back to Tampa. After brunch, Jim & I went to their house to visit for the pre afternoon. We left before sunset to pick up Subway and get gas before getting back to Green Caye.
Monday we made our way back to Brazos RV park in Caldwell and got back to Tres Rios on Tuesday. Jim has an eye doctor appointment on Wednesday and next week starts his periodontal treatment.
December 12, 2018. Jim finished his second periodontal treatment and is doing the treatment they want him to do with the mouthwash and toothpaste. I guess his teeth are doing better; in three months he will have another treatment and three months thereafter until next year when we get back here and get another assessment. Have not done very much since getting back as playing cards every afternoon takes a lot of time out of the day.
Lucy seemed not to feel very good the last couple of days. Last night she seemed to get stomach cramps and was shaking, I guess because she was scared about how she was feeling. She pooped on our evening walk and after that seemed to get her stomach ache. I gave her a Pepto Bismal tablet and she seemed to settle down after that. She slept OK and this morning she did not poop and walked like it was stuck up her butt. I expressed her and took some poop out of her and then decided to take the dogs for a walk. I stuck some grass up her butt hole but she did not seem to feel it. But she did poop and ate some grass. That afternoon she puked up some grass and black hair. She seemed to feel better after that. She did not poop on our evening walk, but did eat her dinner. She was not drinking much water but this evening she is drinking more and seems to be doing much better.
There is a bad storm heading this way for late Thursday into Friday. They are talking about snow and high winds. So I think we are going to put things away, stuff some things in the truck and take in the awning. Not taking any chances here.
December 25, 2018. Well, another year is almost at an end. This is the first Christmas we have not spent with family, and I do miss them. I have already been thinking about next year’s itinerary, and I think we will spend more time at Tres Rios, travel to Houston for Thanksgiving, and then again for Christmas before heading out again on our travels. But, this year we are at Abita Springs for the week.
We left Tres Rios on December 18 and took three days to get to Abita Springs, taking a route through Tyler, Texas off of I-20, then into Louisiana down I-49. We stayed in Marthaville then Morganza. The park in Marthaville was a nice small Passport America park, and the one in Morganza was also small and very nice. From there we headed east on Hwy 10 through some very small towns to I-59 south to I-12 east. I tried to take a route that would keep us off of I-10 as much as possible.
Saturday we went on the Honey Island Swam Tour. Our guide was very informative and did a great job telling us about the swamp and the area. Sunday we were going to take a bike ride but the town was having its weekly food and craft fair, so we ended up staying there and eating lunch at Abita Bar. Unfortunately, they changed ownership and the new owner changed the menu, taking off my favorite salad (Pepper Me Up). Jim got his usual muffalata.
This morning Jacklyn video chatted with us through FB Messenger. It was great being able to do that and see both her and Joe. So we talked for a while about a bunch of nothing. They went out on the boat this afternoon for a cruise. This past weekend they went over to visit with Bill & Julie for a couple of days.
This morning into afternoon Jim & I took the bikes into town and took a ride on the Trace trail into Covington. It was almost three miles each way, and the trail is nice and flat. It was really nice.
December 29, 2018. Went to visit the guy at the Abita Mystery House yesterday. He did not remember us, but he and Jim talk about a lot of different stuff. He gives us leave to go into the museum without paying, but we did go this time. Maybe next trip.
We also spent a few hours at the Abita Brewery, took the tour and tasted samples. Found out that the guy who was behind the counter last time we were there, a cop from New Orleans, decided to buy an RV and take off. We talked with him for a long time, and I wonder if we inspired him into that decision.
It has been raining a lot here at Abita Springs, and Thursday night a huge storm came through with lots of rain, thunder and lightning. Next morning found out that Abita Creek over flowed blocking the trails that I walk on. The creek has continued to rise into the park where the cabins are and about 3 of them have water all around them. Last night the water was going over the road from the lake to the middle land, but by morning it was gone. However, the trail next to the two lakes with the fence around it was under water this morning and we could not walk much. Next time we come to Abita Springs, I’ll have to make sure it’s not during the wet and rainy season.
Back to Daily Journal 2018
There is a bunch of rain that is supposed to be coming through on Tuesday, so we put off our leaving until Wednesday when the rain has passed.
October 15, 2018. Arrived at Tres Rios on Wednesday, October 10. It was a nice, sunny day and stayed that way for a few days. The Brazos, Paulxey and Squaw Creek are rising a lot, I guess from upstream dams being let loose. Not going to be walking the dogs down the Paulxey this visit. It started raining again Saturday night, rained all day Sunday and Monday. The ground is saturated and the incoming RVs just sink into the ground.
Lucy has been throwing up a lot lately, especially since I got them new dog food. I tried a few small bags of Rachael Ray and Nutro, which she did pretty good with, but then I bought a big bag of Diamond. It has big chunks, but it does not seem to agree with her and she would throw it up about 15 minutes after eating it. The fish oil I was giving them seems to have spoiled so I threw that out and gave them new, but she threw that up too. This morning I gave her breakfast but she threw that up.
Today I bought her some Rachael Ray dog food again. I gave her ½ cup for dinner and let her eat that and see how she handled it; and then gave her the other ½ cup when she did not throw the first part up. It’s been 30 minutes since she ate the first ½ cup, and so far, so good. She’s sleeping under the table right now. Let’s hope she keeps it down. Other than throwing up the food, she is very energetic and not lethargic at all. She is not acting sick, so I hope it’s just the dog food. Hayley does not seem to have any trouble with it at all.
Jim had an appointment with Dr. Mueller this afternoon to get this eyes checked a year after he had his cataract surgery. He complains about his eyes not being clear, and she said that with the lenses he had put in, they cause eyes to be a little more dry, so she said to put eye drops in twice a day, so we are going to start doing that. She also said that the ball inside his eyes where the lenses area creased a little bit. She suggested laser surgery to correct the wrinkle. We will keep doing the drops, but Jim thinks he may still want the laser surgery to fix the crease so he can see clearer. We made appointments for Oct. 29 and then Nov. 12 to have the surgery done.
October 17, 2018. Thought Lucy was over throwing up her food, but this morning after eating she threw it all up again. I think she also threw up some food that Jim gave her from the other night’s dinner. She also pooped twice, so I hope she got stuff out. She also ate grass during our evening walk, and threw up again. For dinner I just gave her ¼ of a cup and she kept that down. She also did not look for more food. Her stomach may be a bit raw from all the throwing up, so hopefully the small amount will help. I’ll give her a small amount tomorrow as well.
I had my “annual Wellness exam” that Medicare wants us old folks to get. Also went over my lab tests. Seems my mammogram was incomplete from last year so I have to get another one. Also talked to her about my foot hurting so I will go to a podiatrist to see what they can find.
Jim had his annual doctor appointment today. His blood pressure is good, but he put on over 10 lbs. from last year. Doc told him to lose 20+ so he does not get diabetes, heart disease, etc. I know he has to lose, so I will change his diet a bit and once the rain stops, he will get out and ride. But he does need to cut down on his drinking – don’t know if he will though.
Doc also suggested getting the pneumonia vaccine, so Jim got his first shot today and I will get one Monday. We will also do the shingles vaccine in December.
October 21, 2018. The rain has finally gone – for a few days. Expect more rain on Wednesday, then it’s gone again. So Saturday I decided to get the bathtub done. Took off the butyl caulk and then cleaned it the rest of the way with Mineral Spirits. Then I drilled holes on each end of the crack since I was told that the hole keeps the crack from spreading. I then used the dremel to make a small grove in the area of the crack. After cleaning that with Acetone, I was ready to start the work. I do not like the Acetone on the ABS plastic because it makes the plastic sticky. But I then heated the cracks with my hair dryer to heat the plastic and then used Jim’s plastic welder to fill in the crack. That was hard and I may have made it too hot because it came out dark, which seemed burnt in some places. But I put the ABS plastic down and then went to play cards. After that I heated the flattner to smooth down the plastic so there were no sharp pieces sticking up.
We then were wondering what to do about shimming up the tub between the tub and the foam. Got some plastic shims and popcicle sticks, which I stuck up under the front end to support it. Could not get any at the back of the tub, so I hope what I did works.
October 29, 2018. Josh, Karen, Ellie & Jason came up Friday as Josh & Karen were participating in the Spartan Race on Saturday. Jim & I got up early Saturday to go and babysit Ellie & Jason while they participated in the race. We spent time at the trailer while Ellie & I went and did some crafts at the kid’s center. Jason declined to go but when he found out one of the crafts was edible, then he wanted to go. But, Ellie shared a bite with him. In the afternoon we went and had soda floats and at 5-6 the kids had trick or treats through the campground.
After that we went out to eat and Ellie was disappointed that she did not get to walk the river trail where all the spooky stuff was out. We went to a new place, a sports bar. Unfortunately, I did not care for the food. Jim’s first choice was not available so he ordered chips and salsa/cheese, which turned out to be a bad choice as there was a stone or hard piece somewhere and he broke off the back part of one of his molars. The quesadilla I had was not very good.
So now Jim’s broken molar had a sharp end and rubbed against his tongue and rubbed it raw to the point he could not eat. He did not sleep very well Saturday night (neither did I) and his tongue hurt a lot. On Sunday morning, we made a trip to Granbury to buy a tooth fix kit and then after lunch made another trip to buy wax to put on the tooth so it would not rub his tongue so much.
Today Jim had an appointment with the eye doctor for laser surgery to fix the wrinkle in this eyes. Today he had his right eye done and when we come back from our week out, he will get his left eye done.
While there we found a dentist, who I called and they had an opening this afternoon. The Doctor just filed down his tooth so it was not sharp against his tongue but said he would not do any more as Jim has periodontal disease and could not do any more to this tooth because of that. The cause of the periodontal disease was because Jim does not brush his teeth or floss on a regular basis and the plaque has built up on this teeth, going into the gums and causing the bacteria to eat away at the bones. So now he has to get an exam to determine the extent of the disease and then laser treatment to try to eradicate it. If we don’t do anything, he will eventually lose all his teeth. I have a call into the dental clinic trying to get an appointment for the exam.
Lucy has still been throwing up and woke up late Friday to go outside. So I decided to go back to Tractor Supply 4Health for her, which I bought Sunday afternoon. So far, she is doing OK and not upchucking.
November 16, 2018. We had our week out at Lake Whitney from October 31 to November 7, when we returned to Tres Rios. Jim had his dentist appointment on November 15 where he got a bunch of x-rays and diagnosis of his periodontal disease. We have decided to come back after our week at Green Caye, so we will be back November 27 to December 18. I think I will contact my doctor so I can get another thyroid test to see if me taking 1-1/2 pills makes a difference. Sure hope it does! Jim will undergo two lasar treatments for his disease, and then we are told he has to go somewhere every three months for further treatment. Evidently, periodontal disease does not go away, it is just curtailed and must be treated for the rest of his life. He was also told that he needs to have his amalgum fillings removed as they are seeping into his body – yuck. That will be an expensive endeavor so we have decided to start that next year when we return.
I have been trying to get reservations in Florida for January – March. I have some done but unfortunately Myrtle does not have any openings at River Oaks for the end of February into March. I will try somewhere else, but have not decided where yet.
November 27, 2018. Just got back from our week in Houston for Thanksgiving. It was really nice visiting with Jason and Ellie. I so enjoy spending time with them. Jacklyn & Joe flew in from Tampa and Jake & Robyn also drove in and stayed in another RV park. Wednesday we all met for dinner at J. Henry’s, a nice restaurant just down Space Coast Pkwy; Thursday of course was Thanksgiving. On Friday we went to San Jacinto Monument to see the new exhibit they have, which is about Shell Energy and the impact they have had on the area called Deer Park, which is close to the Monument. It was quite interesting. Saturday Jake helped Josh install an exhaust fan in the kids’ bathroom, then Jim & I went later in the day. Jake & Robyn left early Sunday to drive all day to get back home. Jacklyn & Joe were to leave Sunday and we all met for brunch before they got their flight back to Tampa. After brunch, Jim & I went to their house to visit for the pre afternoon. We left before sunset to pick up Subway and get gas before getting back to Green Caye.
Monday we made our way back to Brazos RV park in Caldwell and got back to Tres Rios on Tuesday. Jim has an eye doctor appointment on Wednesday and next week starts his periodontal treatment.
December 12, 2018. Jim finished his second periodontal treatment and is doing the treatment they want him to do with the mouthwash and toothpaste. I guess his teeth are doing better; in three months he will have another treatment and three months thereafter until next year when we get back here and get another assessment. Have not done very much since getting back as playing cards every afternoon takes a lot of time out of the day.
Lucy seemed not to feel very good the last couple of days. Last night she seemed to get stomach cramps and was shaking, I guess because she was scared about how she was feeling. She pooped on our evening walk and after that seemed to get her stomach ache. I gave her a Pepto Bismal tablet and she seemed to settle down after that. She slept OK and this morning she did not poop and walked like it was stuck up her butt. I expressed her and took some poop out of her and then decided to take the dogs for a walk. I stuck some grass up her butt hole but she did not seem to feel it. But she did poop and ate some grass. That afternoon she puked up some grass and black hair. She seemed to feel better after that. She did not poop on our evening walk, but did eat her dinner. She was not drinking much water but this evening she is drinking more and seems to be doing much better.
There is a bad storm heading this way for late Thursday into Friday. They are talking about snow and high winds. So I think we are going to put things away, stuff some things in the truck and take in the awning. Not taking any chances here.
December 25, 2018. Well, another year is almost at an end. This is the first Christmas we have not spent with family, and I do miss them. I have already been thinking about next year’s itinerary, and I think we will spend more time at Tres Rios, travel to Houston for Thanksgiving, and then again for Christmas before heading out again on our travels. But, this year we are at Abita Springs for the week.
We left Tres Rios on December 18 and took three days to get to Abita Springs, taking a route through Tyler, Texas off of I-20, then into Louisiana down I-49. We stayed in Marthaville then Morganza. The park in Marthaville was a nice small Passport America park, and the one in Morganza was also small and very nice. From there we headed east on Hwy 10 through some very small towns to I-59 south to I-12 east. I tried to take a route that would keep us off of I-10 as much as possible.
Saturday we went on the Honey Island Swam Tour. Our guide was very informative and did a great job telling us about the swamp and the area. Sunday we were going to take a bike ride but the town was having its weekly food and craft fair, so we ended up staying there and eating lunch at Abita Bar. Unfortunately, they changed ownership and the new owner changed the menu, taking off my favorite salad (Pepper Me Up). Jim got his usual muffalata.
This morning Jacklyn video chatted with us through FB Messenger. It was great being able to do that and see both her and Joe. So we talked for a while about a bunch of nothing. They went out on the boat this afternoon for a cruise. This past weekend they went over to visit with Bill & Julie for a couple of days.
This morning into afternoon Jim & I took the bikes into town and took a ride on the Trace trail into Covington. It was almost three miles each way, and the trail is nice and flat. It was really nice.
December 29, 2018. Went to visit the guy at the Abita Mystery House yesterday. He did not remember us, but he and Jim talk about a lot of different stuff. He gives us leave to go into the museum without paying, but we did go this time. Maybe next trip.
We also spent a few hours at the Abita Brewery, took the tour and tasted samples. Found out that the guy who was behind the counter last time we were there, a cop from New Orleans, decided to buy an RV and take off. We talked with him for a long time, and I wonder if we inspired him into that decision.
It has been raining a lot here at Abita Springs, and Thursday night a huge storm came through with lots of rain, thunder and lightning. Next morning found out that Abita Creek over flowed blocking the trails that I walk on. The creek has continued to rise into the park where the cabins are and about 3 of them have water all around them. Last night the water was going over the road from the lake to the middle land, but by morning it was gone. However, the trail next to the two lakes with the fence around it was under water this morning and we could not walk much. Next time we come to Abita Springs, I’ll have to make sure it’s not during the wet and rainy season.
Back to Daily Journal 2018