Diesel and Cigars!

 There's something to be said for FALL.  It's good, and it's here.  Not that it's going to last long because the forecast says we are heading back up the scale soon, but on this day it was a lovely 60 degrees when Mr. Cooper and I wandered out the door.

This kid ... without all the RV walks we take when on the road, he has gained WAY too much weight.  I've cut his food intake in half, and just like me, he STILL puts on the pounds.  So here we are at 6:30 am, walking the roadside.  Maybe I'll lose half a pound after a week and be able to eat another dessert in the process.

Back home, this gardening thing has taken over.  Y'all should have warned me about how much WORK this is!  Every morning, I'm still watering the cherry tomatoes, getting maybe ten a day.  THESE however ... I have to crawl behind the huge plants next to the rose bushes, getting stuck with thorns every time, to harvest the Early Girls.  

I'm down on my knees, hair caught up in vines, knees soaking wet, trying to reach the red ones every morning now.  And oh yeah .... Kitters is biting my legs the entire time demanding breakfast.  I think there is another batch of sauce in my future.  This is MUCH more work than I bargained for.

I forgot to mention I stopped for fuel the other day.  While everyone is enjoying their $2.00 gas, if in fact that is true, we are SORT OF enjoying our $4.79/gallon diesel versus last month's price of $6.00.  Drill Baby Drill ... maybe we will even get down to $4.00, but I'm not holding my breath.

I knew the monthly Elks Trustee Meeting would be controversial, so I tried to keep a sane mind by working on this quilt a little more.  It's a weird one.  I'm hoping it will look a whole bunch better when all the parts and pieces are joined together.  Pumpkins ... they will be pumpkins, or so the directions say.

I guess I have to buy more bacon with that whole SLEW of tomatoes to eat.  Really, I can't complain because I love them and they are FREE!  Making them with a FREE loaf of French bread?  Priceless!  Okay, the lettuce and mayo did cost a few pennies.

Here's the Harvest Host update.  After sending three messages since there apparently is NO phone number to call, they responded that the discount was NOT added to the sale.  I wonder how many times that happens and people don't ask for a receipt.  

At any rate, in an email, the nice lady said they would add the discount coupon, giving me a credit.  A lot of good that does because the charge has already gone through my credit card.  Maybe they will send a credit through?  That remains to be seen because it hasn't showed up yet.  

In the meantime, I discovered most all of their sites are boondocking.  Mostly I have to be plugged in, so for the next few days, I'll be camping in the rig in the back yard to see just how long I can go without power.  I hear tell the TV and the Starlink take a bit of battery, not to mention the heater, AND the fridge is battery only.  Most do allow generators, so that helps.

In the meantime, I watched more PENDLETON RODEO as the cowboys ran from the bulls, then ran back to repair the PVC fence.  Sounds like fun, yes??

At long last I headed out to the meeting, arriving just in time to give this baby a scritch.  Meet Vader ... as in Darth.  Believe it or not, they say this is a pug/labrador mix.  I'm not sure how THAT could happen.  Anyway, he was found along with two siblings and his Mom, stuffed in a plastic bag and thrown out in an orchard.  

I personally think the same should be done to the previous owner.  Vader was just adopted by one of our Trustees, who has to take him everywhere due to his propensity to chew up everything in sight.  I don't blame him.

All went well until the end of the meeting when a very disgruntled gentleman stood up and demanded to know WHY they could not sell cigars at the Brisket and Bourbon event we had.  Ummm because we don't have a license to sell tobacco products, nor can you smoke in our building.  

He responded with ... we set up a table outside so we could enjoy our bourbon and a stogie.  Ummm you can't take alcohol OUTSIDE the building.  The voices got VERY loud as I snuck out the door and down the back stairs.  I'm not getting in the middle of THAT one!!  I'll let the MEN hash it out.

Today I've got accounting work to do ... and again tomorrow.  It's Estimated Tax time and books have to be updated.  

I have another project in mind also ... door cameras.  You see one of our Trustees is a detective, who specializes in all things surveillance.  He says BLINK is a ten.  You buy the cameras, they hook up to your WiFi and they don't charge you like Ring does.  I'm looking into it today!!

Cooper and I will be on the couch ..... in the rig ..... testing out the batteries.