We're not keeping him...really.

Traveler's World, San Antonio, Texas 78214

February 18 - 25, 2013

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RV LIFE:

So my life is not so quiet this week. Just as I was re-adjusting my attitude to enjoy the solitude, Bam! Things start happening.

We traveled the 4+ hours from Livingston to San Antonio, TX. When will we learn that it's so much more pleasurable to have a 3 hour drive tops. There is just so much to see in the USA and life is short.

Our departure was somewhat stressful. **I'll explain later under "Pets" section.

Upon arrival at Traveler's World, we were really disappointed. The sites are very close together. Literally, only enough room to put a picnic table between. That's it!

Scott is always nervous about backing in to a site, even after a 1.5 yrs of moving around. He doesn't like that other people may be watching him. Hmmm, maybe that is because Scott is always looking out his window watching others.

Scott did a fabulous job of backing in to such a tight spot. While I was checking the level, I hear someone saying, "My cat is watching you!". Yep, that close together. Sure enough, I turn around and there's an orange cat looking out the screen and very interested in all the activity. So that is how I met "Travel Bug, Susan". At the time we both didn't know.

One of the first things I do after set up is to boot up the computer to make sure I have internet. We very rarely have had trouble. We are very happy with Millenicom with Verizon.  $60. per month for 20Gig. I open my Gmail and find a comment on my blog..."Hi Neighbor". This is the 2nd time that's we've ended up right next to a fellow blogger.  Susan saw our blog address in vinyl lettering on our back window, as she was WATCHING Scott back up. His nightmare came true. Someone was watching...oh horrors! Easy for me to make fun, since I've never backed up our RV, nor driven it more than 20'.

We're on left, Susan on right.

It's a good thing we have nice neighbors so far.

Susan said that Mona Liza from The Lowe's RV Adventures was also staying here at the park! Wow two for one is always a good deal. Mona Liza stopped by just before she was leaving. Not much time to get to know each other, but another fellow blogger met and checked on my list. Mona Liza seemed quite intimidated by 3 dogs coming out to greet her. It was quite a task keeping them in control.

Although this park is tight, everyone seems very friendly and tolerant of dogs. There is not much green area to walk the dogs. If you walk within the park, you basically have to let them go on the lawns of the sites. But just outside the entrance of the park is a walking & biking trail.

We arrived on Monday, and Susan asked me to join her on her outing to the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. I'm glad she invited me. I'm not sure we would have gone on our own.  Scott was able to have the day to himself.

Susan showed me where the Walmart was and food store, etc. That was a big help and it's nice they were so close by.

Susan and her hubby went to the Rodeo on an earlier day and didn't leave themselves much time to see the stock show. But what little Susan  saw, she knew she wanted to go back for more. So I kept her company. Usually more fun to go with someone than alone. Since I forgot my camera, I will have to rely on Susan to blog about our day.

Parking was $10. but the entrance fee was free on Tues for seniors. This is the 2nd time I've been able to use a senior (over 55) discount. I like it!! We saw quite a few yellow buses, so maybe it was school trip day to. Ugh. Anyone who regularly follows my blog knows I avoid children.  The weather was perfect for walking the fair grounds. If it had been a hot day, we would have been miserable under the Texas sun. But it was cooler. Sometimes even in need of a light sweater, which I just happen to have knitted a few months back.

Our first area we viewed were the swine, and more swine and even more swine! They were all clean with their bristle hair shimmering and reflecting off the lights. They looked happy as ...well... a pig in sh--, oops they were in sawdust. 

We noticed their ears looked almost scalloped. We wondered if this was for show or natural or some other significance. Sure enough, they are purposely notched (Ouch!) to differentiate between litters, etc.

We saw quite a few heads of cattle. We were fascinated by a "pink" Shorthorn. It was the color of a clean pink pig. The owner was brushing and cleaning him/her. Beautiful and docile. Of course, no photo, since I forgot my camera. Just refer to Susan's blog post.

We listened to a Wildlife talk. We ended up surrounded  by young school kids. Multiply them all oohing and ahhing by 50 and it makes for quite a noise. The speaker had a good sound system so I was able to hear quite well if I cupped my left ear to try to silence the lambs (children). The speaker was very interesting and informative.  He had a hawk/falcon and was explaining how great their eyesight is. I've seen falconry shows before many times, but this speaker really explained it well. He said a hawk can see so well, that if we had their vision, we could read a book at one end of a football field while standing at the other end! Along with the Falcon, we saw a Fox (did you know they have a musky smell sort of like a ferret?), wolf mix, a beaver, and a few other animals. 

We met up with the Pillsbury Dough Boy and gave him a big hug. Photo on Susan's blog post.

There was a section of food companies giving out all kinds of samples. Who needed to buy lunch? We received samples of Kettle Salt & Vinegar chips, Better than Bouillon and coupons, Low Sugar Smuckers Strawberry Jam, some chili & beans, ice cream, and on. 

But lunch we still got. How can you resist  Fair food? Deep Fried butter! Chicken fried bacon! Deep Fried Snickers and Twinkies. Of course there was the usual BBQ, blooming onion, Gyro's, etc.  We opted for a somewhat healthy lunch.  We happened to stop by Island Noodles just as the all american guy was machete-ing vegetables into a wok full of buckwheat noodles. This dish had 21 vegetables in it. We saw him hold up a bunch of boc choy and just hack it to pieces into the wok. He continued to do this 21 times. Corn on the cob, hacking the kernels off, some kind of squash...thwap thwap thwap, into the wok. He then took two huge spatula type devices to stir up all the ingredients. It took him maybe 10 minutes to make this huge wok full of deliciousness to serve about 25 people. It was absolutely delicious!!!!!

Photo courtesy of  Travel Bug

Lots of vendors selling anything from great western wear, to those dip mixes you see at all the fairs.

Our last event to be seen were the Dock Dogs.  What VERY little we saw was fun. One dog was new and would not jump off the dock. The other dog was really excited to jump and fetch the "bumper" tossed in the pool. His handler would talk to him to get him excited and ready. The dog would walk backwards barking the whole time. Then he'd run, run, run, and leap off the dock into the pool. That was it though. Just one dog. Back a few years when I had a booth set up for A&B English Setter Rescue at the L'Oreal, Your Dog is Worth it too day , in NJ, they had the Dock Dogs. Much better show with lots of dogs competing and lots of crowd excitement. Maybe on the weekend they'll be more dogs. I keep forgetting, some people still have to work during the week.

Overall a really nice day with a new friend. Susan is easy to talk to.

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PETS:

**Oh boy. This is the part about our stressful departure. Let me preface by stating, Scott is truly a dog lover. He takes the loss of our personal dogs much harder than I do. I love my dogs very much, but I'm more realistic in that, death is part of life. We knew it had to come and we have to deal with it. Scott tries to keep it out of his mind and when that day happens, he has a difficult time handling the loss.

I am very involved in dog rescue. Scott just tolerates my involvement. When we had a house, I would foster dogs occasionally. I never told Scott when one would arrive, because he would state all the problems with fostering. I on the other hand just think, whatever comes, we deal with it. I know how far I can push my husband of 18 yrs & still keep a truce.

This itty bitty doggie showed up at our RV site in Livingston, TX and wanted to play with Devin. I went to pet him and he just turned over belly up with his tail whipping faster than seems possible. Great! I caught him. I put Lyla's leash around this collarless, but not ball-less (un neutered) male dog. Grrrr! It's bad enough to let a dog run around loose, but then a 10# dog? And THEN an un neutered dog, who wants to hump the other dogs and make more unwanted dogs! Grrrr!. Here lies the problem with overpopulation of pets. MILLIONS of dogs & cats are killed each year because there are too many to go around. This itty bitty dog may not weigh much, but he'll still find the means to mate with an unspayed female around. Then the cycle starts again. More puppies born that were not planned. Not enough homes for the current dogs as it is. Yes, even PUPPIES ARE KILLED, because there are too many and not enough homes. Please, spay and neuter your pets. You'll be saving future deaths by doing so.

I asked around and asked and all said this little guy is loose all the time and no, he doesn't belong to anyone in the park. How could I let this guy go, to procreate, to get hit by a car, to be left to find food on it's own. 

Surprise Scott...we're taking him with us! Let the tension begin. Scott knew not to argue and I knew he would be mad but not forbid it. He rode well in the car, gets along with our dogs, is fine with our parrot. 

About 1 foot high and 10 pounds.

 We've named him Renny which is Gaelic meaning Little but Mighty. He is scheduled to be neutered on Monday, by our very own A&B Eng Setter Rescue Vet consultant, Dr. D'Lynn Thompson, whom I've not met yet.

No, we are not keeping him, even though he hasn't made a mistake in the house.

No, we are not keeping him, even though he is well behaved.

No, we are not keeping him, even though he is a cuddle bug.

We hope to find a rescue who will post him available on their site. We will foster and pay the vet bills. Anyone interested in adopting this itty bitty sweetie?