It isn't any secret - at least to me anyway - that autonomous trucks are a thing and they are coming soon to a highway near you.  In fact, I saw one at a truck stop on the West Virginia trip I did last week.  It has cameras mounted all over the front of the roof, it's obvious what it is.  

How long will it be until they are actually driverless?  Unknown.  Right now, the technology is required to have a human behind the steering wheel.  So it isn't really going to answer the demand for more truck drivers, not until they can actually drive themselves. Even then, the technology is only good on interstates, they can't navigate city streets, they can't fill themselves up and they can't back into loading docks. 

About the first time one of these monstrosities takes out a family of 5 in their SUV, there will be instantaneous public demand for regulation and demands for guaranties of safety.  I suspect there will eventually be lanes on the interstates devoted entirely to these vehicles with concrete dividers to ensure public safety.  All of this is a ways down the road, autonomous trucks are coming,, but I am not concerned about it right away. It's the major trucking companies that will buy the things up, companies hauling hazmat such as what I do will probably not be real interested in it until it's safety is more or less guaranteed.

I only say all of that because I was thinking last night about this RV park nonsense - it's become nonsense in my mind because of all of this ridiculous trouble just trying to acquire land, even tho I already have approval for a loan, a good appraisal, a completed survey and an incompetent title company.  I don't even know if autonomous trucks will be a threat to the current choice of hazmat hauling in my lifetime, I'm not exactly a spring chicken and I have no aspirations of continuing on in this "career" forever, but it's just another thing driving me on towards finding something else to do to earn an income beyond trucking.  

I could always do a forklift job and make less than half the money I'm currently making lol.

It just crossed my mind that I put that hunting camera up over a week ago.  I need to go get that thing, take a look at what may be roaming on the property back there.  And also in case this deal falls through, it was a $130 camera, I'd like to get it back lol.  

And my realtor just called them - they are listed as open on Google - they should be it's Monday morning during normal business hour - no answer. So I called them as well, no answer tho I did leave a message : )

____________

A few conversations later....the lady that is running the title company went off into personal issues, namely, her husband having medical problems of which she didn't identify (I didn't ask,, that's none of my business), how hard it is to get good help due to covid (true), the fact that this property is not in her county (she has to use the services of another title company to get things done) and that there is a trust issue.

She said trust issue and my heart sank.  NOT again. THIS is what happened with the Finklea property.  I sympathized with her husband's issues, listened to her rant about a lot of stuff and we ended the call. She said she was trying to get the property to close on Friday.  This is far more information than I'm getting from my realtor who apparently knows all of this.  She has been short on info but I think that's just the type of person she is.  I want details, to the nth degree details, that's who I am.  I'm not going to fault her, but it's a bit more reassuring to hear the whole story and understand that no, everything is not completed and therefore that is why it's taking so long.  

I did ask why they would have chosen a title company in another county? She said it's because of people moving here from California and the overload on title companies with them buying up properties.   I watched this occur in Arizona, not just in Phoenix either, they bought up all the good properties up in the mountains and drove property pricing up drastically in all markets.  Hence my house being worth around $275k.  

I'm wondering if this is why these people at the tax lien sale auctions are bidding up prices.  Yet, those over priced properties don't sell, it's only the ones like the one I'm trying to get that sell quickly - tho mine was on the market for a while.  They took horrible pics of it.  Did nothing to show the beauty of the property at all.  You actually had to go see the property in person to see the potential for it and that it's not near as ugly as the satellite view makes it look.

Regardless, I'll just hope for a Friday close.  She didn't give a guarantee, it was just "I'm trying for Friday".  I don't want to contact my dispatcher with that info right now, I doubt I'm working tomorrow since the part wasn't coming in until tomorrow. I'll give another day to see if anything changes, otherwise I'll just let my dispatcher know it's "tentative".  

Finally, I don't disagree with America getting out of Afghanistan. But what kind of stupidity is it to withdraw our troops and leave all of those Americans stranded over there and the embassy with sensitive documents?  It's just another sign of the lunacy we have occupying the White House.  You would THINK they would have thought of this before just saying goodbye.  You would think that at the very least, the generals would have thought have this right off the bat. And now, Biden is babbling in an address to the nation.  I think I"m going to switch off of that, the guy lies, embellishes and changes his tune more often than a hummingbird flaps it's wings in a second. 

With that, I'm outta here.  

 Sunday - morning.

Hotels have been using the ever lasting excuse of Covid to not serve any kind of breakfast, this hotel is no different. They have coffee and that's it.  Well, that's better than nothing!

I have 40 minutes until I can even got on the on-duty clock.  I didn't sleep well last night, not because the room wasn't quiet or the bed wasn't comfy, I'm just tossing and turning.  That's ok, Sunday drives are usually the easiest, get this trip over with and go home - hopefully anyway - and get some sleep.  

The property can stay on a shelf until I hear anything new.  I'm doing no research and haven't been looking for any other properties, that got old long ago. I've already got a pre-determined path for the property anyway, I've written about that several times, I'm just on hold at the moment.

Adventure and challenges are what interest me, tho, hence the property sort of takes close to the top position in my mind.  Everyone needs challenges to stay ... involved in life I guess I'll put it.  Without new challenges, adventures or something to pique your curiosity and perhaps confront you with decisions and things you have to do to get past that challenge, life can get pretty boring.

Goals are also good.  I've always had goals and have pursued them until either realized and done or to the recognition that they are unachievable and create new goals for something different.  My trucking career has been a continuous goal of sorts until I got to this job and have stopped looking for anything "better".  Money and home time were the goal, I've got a bit of best of both worlds going.  Not that I'm happy with this career, but at least I've got it as good as it's going to get.  I think.  Lol, no, I'm not looking for a new job either.  If the company decides at some point my services are no longer needed, that is about the only time that I can think of in my current state of mind that I would start looking again.

There is a Facebook group filled with our company's drivers and many of them are of the thought that there is no job security in this particular company.  I don't believe anyone thinks that after seeing them let go managers, dispatchers, drivers without, in most cases, any good reason.  Ok, the drivers were probably warranted. One ran over an automatic gate and did 10k worth of damage. They didn't get rid of her at that point, but her productivity was in the tanks.  She'd take several days longer than anyone else getting trips done, pull over and sleep for long periods of time.

Turns out she was just trying to make it until the end of last year when she would qualify for the level of Social Security she wanted before retiring.  This lady boasted how she had "nothing" saved for retirement.  Several times over, I heard her bragging how she literally had zero money saved.  I just couldn't fathom that.  

The other driver was a drunk.  He would sit in the office after hours with half a gallon of Wild Turkey and sit there drinking until he passed out.  One day, he forgot about the bottle and got up and went to his truck. A middle management guy found the bottle. They couldn't prove it was him but they had their suspicions.  They were just looking for a good enough reason to fire him and they found it after the driver started cussing out a shop manager at a Peterbilt repair facility.  He was pissed because they kept calling him, telling him the truck was done and then he'd show up and - the truck wasn't done.  Although I can see getting a bit upset, he went off on this dude.  

That's really the liquor speaking tho.  I would see him at the yard in Brownsville so lit up he didn't even know where he was. He'd brag about how he got up at 5 am and started drinking.  Insanity.  He even had the gall to tell the manager that he was a "functioning alcoholic".  She never reported it, but the company fired his @$$ after that deal with the Peterbilt shop.  

The point is that I have no job security regardless of how well I behave myself.  I don't expect it with this company and therefore I won't be shocked if they come to me one day and say it's time to part ways.  I probably won't even bother to ask why, don't really care. If you're just a number/name on their computer screen and nothing more, I'm not going to bother hearing a lecture on whatever their reason is.  Many trucking companies are - or were anyway - like that. We are in a different trucking landscape now, tho, with companies begging for drivers to come to their greener grass and experience higher pay! and better home time! Better home time is an empty promise that most companies won't honor. Recruiters will bald-faced lie to you about home time, new trucks, perks - whatever they think you need to hear to quit your current job and join up with them. 

I don't even have it in my mind what I would do if they let me go, tbh.  Just a bridge I would cross if the bridge presented itself.  Probably look at local jobs tho.  Maybe try to get on with a fuel hauling company. 

Well, I stopped keto diet when we went on vacation and never went back on it.  Amazing how fast the fat piles back on!  I'm thinking to fast all day today and tomorrow and maybe even the next day. Not just for dieting sake, tho, but for seeking the Lord.  Haven't decided on that yet, hence it's good there isn't any food downstairs for breakfast.  I usually do drink coffee - black - on a fast just to keep the caffeine headaches away.  It's enough to stop eating, coffee isn't off the list, just can't add any creamer.  

Kick starting Keto is relatively easy if you just don't eat for a few days, your body is going to go into that mode by itself.  Instead of who knows how long before you get into ketosis.  I'm ready for another diet, tbh, but I haven't decided which and right now? I need to get this gut back off of me.  I don't wear fat well lol.

With that, I bid you a happy, enjoyable Sunday. Don't forget to worship your Creator today!

G'day.  

 Day finally done at 11:20 pm

I've been to Brownsville, dropped the loaded trailer at a "new" yard and then picked up an empty at the old yard.  Contacted my dispatcher, told her I would be in Raymondville tonight, please get me a room at La Quinta.  Drove the 50 miles back north to get up here and walaah, in a hotel room, sitting here just winding down.  

I spent a lot of time contemplating this property situation today and the idea that I seem to get doors closed at every turn.  

It could just be coincidence.  It could be the Lord saying this isn't my plan for you.  It could be the enemy attempting to thwart these plans for unknown purposes.  

Whatever the case, I just let it go.  Into God's hands that is.  If it's meant to be, it will happen, if it isn't, it won't.  I can't sit around getting excited about property and then having the let down every time.  

I'm not going to continue to allow this title company to mess with my life.  If they do, indeed, come up with a date to close, I'm going to demand a written guarantee that it will happen or they can pay a fine.  No, they probably won't go for that, but it will send the message that I'm tired of their games and I am at the end of the line here.  Get it done or I'm moving on.  

This seller can find someone else to buy the property - which was on the market for a long time - or they can find another title company - which there is a much better one in town. Better by customer service standards anyway. I'm not currently looking at any other properties online.  I only have looked at my listing for the little property I am selling in town. By now it should say under contract or contingent or something similar on the ads.

I'm just tired of this property searching. It is going to be over. Either with or without actually acquiring property, I am done with it.  

So that's it.  The realtor can deal with this nonsense, I'm just going to kick back and wait and see what happens on Monday. I canceled the Tuesday day off because of the title company dropping out again and hopefully I will have another run, even if it's just an Oklahoma run, I want more work.

Strike that, I need more work, wanting is a stretch lol.  

I guess there's lots going on - lots of people I know have been dying lately and sadly.  One of them had his whole body stricken with cancer. Another also had cancer and my cousin died of a heart attack.  I hope that's the end of it for a while.  

There's all the politics going on, which I am definitely not going to go into right now.

There are good things going on everywhere as well. My pond seems to be doing well and my aquarium is staying nice and clean now that I got most of the fish out of there and into the pond.  It was getting dirty quick, I was replacing filters at least once a week, they are supposed to last a month lol.

Tomorrow is Sunday, I won't be able to start driving until 9:20 am, which is fine, I'm quite tired and one of those beds sitting behind me is looking pretty inviting right about now.  Not to mention the fact it's 12:30 am, much later than my normal bed time.

Hope everyone is doing well.

G'nite.  

 Coming up from Brownsville. 

First thing's first tho.  Dispatcher sends me another run for Brownsville in the morning.  "Is my truck fixed yet?".  She didn't know, even tho she promised to find out yesterday.  She instantly replied she didn't know but she will get me a hotel room tomorrow night - obviously intending me to drive this other driver's truck again.  I didn't refuse, I just don't want to drive his or anyone else's truck.

My truck apparently isn't going to be fixed until Tuesday - at the earliest.  But hey, if she's going to get me a hotel room I'll just take that and run with it. Probably stop at the same town as I did last night - with one change - they can pay for either a Holiday Inn or a La Quinta room instead of the Deluxe Inn.  I'd do the Deluxe Inn again under the same circumstances and if on my own dime, but on the company's money they can pay for a major brand chain.  

Next:  My realtor.  Uhh, I don't think they legally can close on Tuesday, the rules say they have to give a 3 day notice before closing and they haven't sent anyone....anything.  She went off on that title company and said she would never use them again even if it meant losing a sale.  I finally lost it - well, not full blown melt down but I've had enough of this shit with this title company. A bunch of incompetent idiots.  So I took the bull by the horns and said "How about we tell them Friday and if they don't like is they can kiss my a**. I'm not going to have these people dictating my life like this".  

I had to cancel the day off with my dispatcher again.  I was very apologetic.  What else could I do?  I can't control these people at this title company. The thing that is even more frustrating is they have all kinds of rave reviews from people - it's a mom and pop type thing and is locally owned and operating.  She said it's okay! and said no problem. But I don't owe her anything, I've done all kinds of favors for her and got little in return until I got the bobtail to West Virginia and now 2 Brownsvilles in a row.  And if I"m lucky, something else on Monday since I don't have to have Tuesday off.  

The whole thing pissed both of us off - the realtor and I - and we started mocking this title company.  She's going to have her say, I will wait until it's done and over with - if that ever even happens - and then I"m going to let them know exactly how I feel about them in on uncertain terms and that is going to be face to face or a phone call. Then I am going to blow up reviews with statements that no one will look and say, gee, he really likes them!  This nonsense has been going on waaaaaay too long.  

I don't really know when this is going to happen. I've all but given up on this shit show I call a "search for property". I'm disgusted with the whole system and the incredibly lethargic way you have to crawl through it to actually get land.  I made it clear to my realtor, tho, that I am in control of the closing date now.  They can suggest a closing date and I will have to agree to it.  Here I was getting excited that Tuesday was finally the end of this incredibly long road to getting property and now?  

I'm really at the verge of giving up on this.  Maybe this just wasn't meant to be. There's been way too many roadblocks.  What kind of hell am I going to go through to actually get the operation up and running if I do actually get property?  How long does a person contend with a dream before that person says screw this, the dream isn't obtainable?  

The only thing that is actually stopping me right now is the fact that I also despise trucking and very much want out of it.  I don't care how much money I am making doing it, it sucks and I'm done with it.  But I can't BE done with it until something else takes its place.  

Whatever. I'm just a wee bit disgusted right now. 

Just going to go to bed.  

 Welcome to Friday the 13th!

I don't give the number of the day correlated with a particular day of the week any specific credence, but some people think it's bad luck.  

Because of that, I figure I'll have good luck! lmao

Sleep last night was absolutely delightful. This cheap hotel that I've passed by hundreds of times with a huge truck parking area? Hit the spot. I know I wouldn't have been able to sleep in that sleeper last night and I would have been miserable this morning.  

I wonder what traffic will be like today......

My 10 hours is almost up, time to get out of here and get on down the highway.  Hey, at least I'm already 50 miles headed in the right direction!

Have a great day!

 Brownsville, TX area hotels are pretty strange with their hotel pricing.  One day it's a good price - at any of them - the next it's ridiculous.  Today was in the ridiculous range.  

See, I got in this other driver's truck today, with no small amount of aggravation attempting to remember everything I absolutely have to have from my truck and making several trips back and forth until I was satisfied I had everything I needed - and headed to the plant.  Got in the sleeper to snooze while they were loading.  Horrible bed.

Horrible bed.  Like sleeping on jello or something, the thing was so soft it was more than just  a bit annoying. I can't sleep on beds that soft, I feel like I'm sinking or something, I just don't like them. I already knew I would be getting myself a hotel tonight and oh well, eat the cost and move on.  Not to mention the smell in that sleeper.  Just a non-happening event.

Also of note was the tires on the trailer that I was assigned to that I have reported in the past and that haven't been replaced. They don't need fixed, they need replaced. Last two times I pulled that trailer, there was a severe vibration with other drivers reporting the same.  Well no duh, some of the tires have flat spots on them, someone must have locked them up.  I texted the lead mechanic - he was all of 100 feet away but I have no interest in face to face contact with him at this point after the meltdown he had last time we went through something like this. 

He was cordial at least but told me they don't have those size of tires, they aren't our fleet.  Yes, I know these mexican trailers don't belong to us, that doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared to fix them and bill the customer.  They do it already anyway.  He wanted me to go to a tire shop to have them replaced.  I just blew that all off, didn't lose my cool and contacted my dispatcher, can I take E001 instead?  This trailer has several bad tires on it.  Sure! Please tell Ryan about the bad tires! Already have, I replied and thank you.

Easy peasy, bypassed, Ryan and got a trailer with decent tires.  Anyway, it only took them 45 minutes to load the trailer and I was only at the scale house for maybe 30 minutes, so I made really good time today. 

Back to the hotels.  No way I am spending the night in that truck.  If I had the misfortune of being permanently assigned to it I would be demanding a new mattress.  I just couldn't believe even normally low priced hotels were in the $70 range and everything decent was well over $100.  I only need a place to sleep for the night, I don't need a fancy hotel for that, just a comfortable bed and a quiet facility.  

After checking all of the places, I finally decided to cave in and just get a pricey place and eat it.  But then I realized I had an hour and a half left on the clock.  I could make it back up the road somewhere before getting to no man's land - it's like 60 or 70 miles of nothing but ranch land, literally nothing else there excepting a miniature post office and a immigration check station, they like to call it.  

Raymondville!  There's a place I have been seeing forever with truck parking, cheap prices and at least some decent reviews.  So I drove the 50 miles here, got the trucker discount and paid $55 plus tax.  The room is nice considering this is just a mom and pop place, the ed at least look comfy, I'll find out in a few, I'm really tired.  Long day and everyone woke up tired this morning.  How that hit all of us the same I have no idea, but it did.  I was half awake/half asleep for several hours after getting up today.  

So that's it.  I'm here, in my room, the drunks out in the parking lot apparently decided to go into their rooms - thank God almighty, not in the mood to have to go ask for a different room away from those people, they were being obnoxiously loud out there. They looked like workers staying here on some work duty, so they have to go to sleep at some point, it's only Thursday there's at least another work day left in this week if they are Monday-Friday workers.  

There is nothing else.  Well, the 6 year old had his first day of 1st grade today.  No masks.  The 4 year old was driving Taylor crazy because his older brother isn't around to play with.  Summer is over, at least school wise, still plenty hot out there. 

I'm just counting the days.  Waiting to be sent the info on how much money I need to bring with me - well bring cashier's check/s and get this property over and done with.  The property I am selling I've heard nothing back, I signed off on the paperwork dunno what's going on with that, I assume the lengthy process I am going through now.  Survey, appraisal and title company.  Title company should be interesting since this is a sheriff's deed.  My realtor sort of stopped when I told her this is a sheriff 's deed. OH, well let me do some research on that!  Apparently she thinks she can get it done - really it's all the title company. If I have to come up with "anything" other than the sheriff's deed?  I dunno what I would do, I have no other documents.  Just that the property taxes are paid up on it.  I'm assuming these title companies have experience with these sheriff's deeds since the sales are every 3 months and people have to have the titles cleared to be able to sell them.  

Speaking of tax lien auctions .... lol no, I don't think I'll be going to the next one or any of them any time soon - unless - this deal with this property goes through seamlessly or close enough to it and make it worth the trouble.  Actually, now that I think about it, the next auction is likely done and over with.  There won't be another one until December. That's the one where they try to sell all of the properties that didn't sell during the year.  They start the bidding out at $30 and it goes from there.  If I can sell 2 of these properties before then I'd likely go to see if I can get more at cheap prices.  

Anyway, enough of that talk, I have no desire to do any of that right now, this 25 acre deal is all that is on my mind for worldly things.  

And sleep.

G'nite

 Although I do want another run tomorrow, I do not want to do it in someone else's truck.  I reported mine yesterday when I got back with a broken off quarter panel. It's a plastic cover that goes over the tires, the bracket broke off and the panel was just dragging on the tires.  No idea how long it was doing that, it wasn't making any noise and impossible to see from the rear view mirrors.  It had small holes rubbed through it so it was doing it for awhile.  However, that is an easy fix.  

When my dispatcher told me to take Dusty's truck, I asked what was wrong with mine?  That panel isn't even a DOT warning or ticket, it isn't legally required on there. The only thing I have to have on there is a mud flap at the rear of the tires on the rear axle.  "Ryan said the sensor needed to be replaced and and it is on backorder". What sensor, I thought.  I have been reporting an engine light on on the truck for -  2 months now. Apparently they found that after writing up the panel.  

I actually don't really care about reporting things anymore, but I do it because it is mandatory. What I don't do is keep giving the reports to the mechanics, over and over, for them to ignore. I just give it to them once in their mailbox as required and that's that. The report gets sent into the headquarters via email when I send my trip paperwork in and that's it after I give it to the mechanics once.  I find it annoying and aggravating to continuously give them the same problem to have them do nothing about it.  I said something to my manager and that mechanic about it once. Why do you want us to write up things wrong with the trucks and you don't fix it? Or you don't even read the reports, you just trash them or file them?  

No answer.  

Anyway, I asked if this driver knows that someone else is taking his truck? Why isn't that driver driving?  It is a big time no no to be driving other people's trucks, at least among drivers, in the trucking industry.  I don't want anyone else driving my truck and I know - especially those that keep their trucks clean - they don't want anyone else driving theirs either.  She replied she didn't know, it was Brandon's (manager) call and that Dusty is out of surgery recovering.  Surgery?!!  She didn't elaborate on what it was, I didn't ask, not my business.  He keeps his truck immaculate, I can say that.  

So I said to her I don't like driving other driver's trucks, especially Dusty, he's particular about his truck.  She replied that she didn't have any choice, she's down 5 drivers otherwise she wouldn't have asked.  Well fortunately, it's a 9:00 am load, I'm going to need to get there early to get stuff out of my truck to put in there. Paper towels, my laptop, charging wires, bedding, water, etc.  That's the other thing about switching trucks, all the stuff you want with you on a trip? You'll have to take out of one truck and put it into the other. I won't be using any of his stuff in there, it's drive down to Brownsville and hopefully come right back up the next morning and get that over with and hope that my truck is finished for the next run.  

And if there are no empties down there, I will be getting myself a hotel room and just do that instead of staying in someone else's truck.  I dunno if that truck has a refrigerator so I won't be taking any food. Fortunately the Brownsville run has several options going down to find decent food to eat along the way.  

As for today, the boys played in that pool for hours.  Phoenix didn't even want to get out until mama said time to get out. Us old folks had had enough - it's really hot outside.  5 foot pool that's less than 2 feet tall, only little kids are getting in there. Those of us on the porch - sweating and just nasty. The pool was a good idea, but it's welcome had worn out lol. 

The gentleman that brought the other boy was asking why I wanted to build an RV park?  Umm, just a dream of mine that I've had for a long time.  Yea but there's several parks in the area. Yup and they're full or mostly full.  True. Cooks road? Yes.  He named the former sheriff.  that lives there and another RV park.  Yes, there is another RV park but it's private, membership only thing. You can't just get online and book it.  It's no competition at all.  I knew the Sheriff lived on that street, I didn't know where.  Apparently a few hundred feet from where my intended property lies.  Oh, that's interesting.  

He lives up the hill on the other side, my traffic won't be coming by him, fortunately, I don't need people starting trouble.  RV parks are generally quiet, an exception might be families with noisy kids or drunks making loud noise and blaring music.  The latter will not be welcome.  Drink if you please, but if you get drunk and start trouble with people, you are going to be thrown right out of there. It will be clearly written in my park rules.  Quiet hours will be from 10 pm til 8 am, the general rule of thumb I have found for parks, tho some say 7 am.  

I dunno, I have thought about conflicts, I have addressed several of them, I can't foresee everything.  I'm not going door to door asking people's opinions, there is a reason people move to the county - get away from city restrictions and more importantly, do whatever you please.  There are no HOA's, no associations, that was determined right from the get go.  All the things I have found that could be impediments to progress I have addressed. There may be other things that I don't know about, c'est la vie.  

 Well, that was a decent trip, 3 days and even home relatively early.  That run usually doesn't go like that lol.  

So, one of the properties I bought at auction that I put up for sale has already had 2 offers on it.  They are lowball but I'd still make money on the second offer.  Maybe $750.  I don't really consider that bad for spending an hour at an auction and  the time spent researching those properties.  I figured if I put it up low it would sell, versus a bunch of other properties that are of the same approximate size that have been listed and for sale for a long, long time.  

I hope they don't believe they are going to put a mobile home on that property, because I know the city isn't going to allow it. But whatever, they didn't ask and it's up to them to find those things out in advance.  I didn't do my due diligence on that particular part of it, but then again, I bought those properties so cheap I figured I could resell them for a profit if nothing else.  

This is a test run.  If this property can sell, another one will go up.  If that will sell, the third one may or may not go up - I like the one by the railroad tracks and I still want to do something with it.  Totally out of the question right now, all of my finances will be tied up in this RV deal if the land goes through. I know, I say if because it's - if.  No chickens are counted before they are hatched in this particular situation.

Even the realtor proclaimed "I have learned A LOT working with you! Lol".  

_____________________

Tax sale auction property apparently going under contract.  I'll make around a grand on it.  I'm good with that.  At the end of the year, they'll sell all the properties that didn't sell during the year, if I can sell a couple of these, I'll buy more.  The bidding starts out at $30.  Obviously I have to check all of them out - which is a pain I normally don't check out small lots in town - but it's the only way to ensure there isn't an old house or structure on it that is either condemned or otherwise would need to come down if you are trying to sell it.  

Small lots mostly don't sell, or they might get bid up a little bit, but the people bidding are the rich folks that want to buy the land that sells way higher than it's worth.  I mean, I really don't understand these people bidding up properties like that at a tax lien auction where you are hunting for bargains.  They will sit on those properties forever, no one wants to pay that much, or, if they do, the don't have the cash and banks will not finance properties that won't pass muster with an appraisal. 

Regardless, it's a day off and I'm doing much of nothing.  I have plants for the pond that need potted and put in there, which means a trip to Ollies to buy some more pots.  Other than that, I have no intentions of doing much of anything. Wait and see what kind of run I may get tomorrow.  I'm guessing an Oklahoma run if anything.  I've had 3 good runs in a row, which is miraculous in itself, unlikely I will get another good paying run after all of that.  

There is nothing to report on the 25 acres.  There won't be anything to report until Tuesday of next week - unless - they push it out yet again.  There doesn't appear to be any reason to do that, but the title company seems to be good at finding ways to make things not happen.  I've got that day off now and canceled Friday off is all I can say about that.  

_________________________

Wednesday.  Didn't get up early, lol, I had 3 days of getting up early and being rather fatigued to catch up on sleep worth.  But I did manage to get some stuff done today.  It's still early I just ran out of desire to be outside in the stifling heat.  A day of rest isn't a bad thing, I worked all day Sunday, the traditional day of rest.  I just brought the dogs in too. Call it spoiling them, but Addler was huffing and puffing pretty heavy.  We let all the dogs in when it's getting too hot outside.  I'm sure they can survive it, but I just don't feel good about leaving them outside when I'm literally chillin' inside. 

Anyway, a friend of Phoenix's (the 6 year old) was coming over today so Taylor went out looking for a slippery slide for them to play on. They were originally going to go to a water park, but it turns out that park is closed on Wednesdays.  Seems a rather odd day to close a water park.  She went to unknown amount of stores looking for one and after hitting them all up, came back with water balloons.  She tried.

After she got back and my babysitting stint was over, I went to Ollies to get some flower pots - on sale and far cheaper than Lowe's or anywhere else for that matter. Like half priced.  After that, I thought, why not check the Dollar General? They might have some water play stuff.  Sure enough, they had one kiddie pool left, the kind you blow up with air versus those hard plastic ones. Yes!  Something for them to actually do, Water balloons are fun but they only last so long.  I was amazed there was anything left, especially at the dollar store.  

Got that, went home and found everyone elated about that little pool.  They have been playing in it for well over an hour now, as long as it lasts a day, I'm good with it.  Tomorrow, school starts.  BTW, did I say it's Texas and they aren't mandating little kids to be forced to be wearing masks all day long?  You do realize that masks do not prevent the virus from coming through the pores in the mask?  They are not all that useful and the science isn't there for forcing kids like that to have to wear such inhibiting things all day long.  I'm grateful the governor is taking a stand against Fauci and Biden.  Biden is busy attempting to subvert state's right and force masks on kids anyway.

I think the only thing he could possibly do is threaten the state with holding back federal funding for schools.  I don't know if that's possible, but that's the only thing I can think of, federal funding being withheld in some way, shape or form.  You know, that thing about state's rights, as the Constitution was written? The federal government being limited in scope, size and nature?  We are headed towards totalitarianism.  We are headed towards civil war as far as I'm concerned, this defund the police crap, cancel culture, CRT and every white person is a racist garbage got old long ago.  What a thing it would be, if Biden made that threat and Texas said, fine, we'll just not send our money to the feds.  

Now what?  It can go both ways.  These threats should not be bowed to, the President doesn't have the authority he thinks he has, we only give it to him/feds/white house if we succumb to it.  I didn't say it was a good idea, but neither is the president attempting to threaten 2 states with some form of retaliation if they don't comply.  Florida is the other state, in case you haven't been watching the news and Governor DeSantis is a rock star as far as I'm concerned, snubbing the white house and taking an equal stand to the biden administration bullying.  Basically giving them a middle finger.  

Cuomo, the nursing home murderer, is about to be a goner.  Newsome, the California governor being recalled - may actually be put out according to new polls, it's much closer than anyone had predicted.  These are people - and others like them such as Whitmer of Michigan and Lightfoot of Chicago - that need to go. They take their powers and go well beyond those powers with these emergency powers or just sheer stupidity.  Minneapolis and Portland the same with this defund the police nonsense and now seeing murder rates higher than they have ever been. That was an easy prediction when they first started talking about defunding police, an insane, barbaric idea that has no place in modern society. An THEN, you find out these big name politicians have spent uber amounts of money to hire their own security!  

The hypocrisy and blood lust for power is astounding.  And now, Mnuchin is standing in the way of the 3.5 TRILLION dollar budget democrats want to force through. Thank God for any semblance of a real mind in that party, this guy understands this kind of rampant spending will destroy the American economy as we know it and introduce hyper-inflation into a scenario that is already seeing inflation at exorbitant rates.  I predicted inflation as soon as they started talking about all of these stimulus bills last year and here we are.  It's not just Biden's fault, Trump can take some blame in this as well. No amount of money appears to be too much for these people.  I'm ranting but I'm pissed off about the state of affairs in this nation. College students proclaiming they are ashamed to be citizens of this nation? Then GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE if you don't like it! 

Patriotism will never die in a large portion of the population, thankfully.  God, flag and country.  Freedoms that most other nations can only dream of.  People come here from communist nations and warn us about all of these power hungry politicians and what their intended legislation will lead to.  We already knew this, we studied history, they didn't have to tell us, they are trying to inform the masses that are being lied to by mass media, lunatic politicians, hollywood elites and whoever else can get a platform that will garner attention.

Seriously, all of you that love communism or socialism please go spend a year living in Communist China and then get back to me.  Or go live in a nation that is mostly citizens living in abstract poverty. You don't have to go far, Mexico is full of poverty-stricken people that don't know what it's like to have running water or electricity.  Try India or Bangladesh.  Head down to Venezuela or over to Cuba.  You think it's so great, yet you haven't done anything to find out for yourself about how these people are  currently living under communist and totalitarian regimes.  We have it far too good in this nation to allow it to be destroyed by people like you that think that government in control of everything is somehow a good idea. 

I'm done.  For now.

I have some plants to go pot and then put in the pond.  I also have a cover for the pond - the water is heating up, got to get that hot, beating sun off of it and infuse some cold water from the hose into it. I wasn't concerned about it until I put the fish in there.  Those goldfish can withstand some pretty serious extremes, but warm water? I don't know about that.  The dogs are lazily enjoying my cool room.  Addler is content to pass out on his bed on the floor, Aspyn is on the couch sitting there staring at me lol.

I'm waiting on work assignment for tomorrow, if one is coming. I dunno about that, hopefully tho.  The yard had about 7 trucks sitting in it yesterday when I got in and several of those are now on the road.  As much as I hate driving trucks, I need to earn some serious money. I'll take whatever I get and run with it.\

With that, I'm outta here.

G'day.  

 Monday, August 9.

My dispatcher never sent the run on Friday and waited until Saturday afternoon to send it, telling me it needed to be there Sunday night, even tho she said it is a Sunday run....."So this is a Sunday run, correct?".  "Well they said they needed it there Sunday night but Monday morning will work".  Bypassing everything, I got there late morning today - just stuff happens on the road you have no control over - and they said they weren't expecting me until tomorrow morning and they didn't need it out of there Sunday or today.  

I just - whatever.  I busted my @$$ to get up there, I'll say that, leaving early Sunday morning and driving almost 700 miles the first day, getting up very early today and finishing it off.  After a minor breakdown that cost about 2 hours to fix, I was back on the road.  I'm 606 miles from the yard, stopped at a Truckstop in Cross Plains, Tennessee - I've stopped here many times in the past.  It's small, it's clean and it's not far from Nashville.  I couldn't make it any further, the break down cost me on duty hours and anyway, I am in good position to make it back tomorrow.  I'll be left with around 3 hours on the 70 hour clock after I get back so I will definitely have Wednesday off.  

Not that I want it off, I need to drive and make some money right now and get caught up from all of this loss of days of work and low paying runs. This run is a decent paying run at least and it was easier because I bobtailed all the way up there - the plant is shutting down their ethylene rack temporarily so they can clean their tank out and they are doing some sort of construction there as well.  I had originally thought our competitor had managed to steal the account from us - they've been doing that a lot.  This is a decent run and tho it's only once a week, I think anyway, might be 2,  it keeps us busy.  

On to other things.  I find that I have to make phone calls and text messages and send emails to get this thing moving along. The property that is.  My realtor is a nice person but she really isn't well versed in land deals.  Not that I am, but this thing is dragging on and on and ooooonnnnnn.......

So I texted her today about the title company, Then I emailed the lender about the appraisal. He said it would be finished today. Today? I thought, wow, he originally told me it would be 3 or 4 days after they got the survey to finish it.  Several emails later and he came back with one saying the appraisal is finished and the land values look good. I was a little surprised that he made it sound like they were spot on. I was expecting it to come back that the price per acre is less than market value - seriously.  In that area, land is going high.  Well, it's for sale high, doesn't mean it sells I guess. If you can't get a lender to give you the money, well, those sellers are going to be holding on to those properties awhile.  

After that, my realtor texted me back, saying she had called the title company and the lady on the other end of the phone had been extremely rude with her. If what she said is accurate, then yes, that lady was a real piece of work, to put it politely.  Friday is definitely a no go for closing.  My realtor said the only person in that title company office that has authority to close on files is on vacation until Monday.

Figures.  Closing date is  tentatively Tuesday of next week, time of day it will occur is unknown.   I had to cancel Friday off with my dispatcher and inform her that Tuesday is the tentative date, sorry for the inconvenience and last minute stuff, but this is important to me, please make it work.  She said no problem and that was that.  So I informed her Tuesday is tentatively the date, she said fine, just keep her updated.  

We are, hopefully, getting closer folks.  That doesn't mean I'll have an RV park magically appear, it just means the start of a process that is going to take a while to work through.  I'm definitely not getting an SBA loan to start this thing off.  They want to lend too much money and as tempting as that sounds, I don't want to be drowning in 400k worth of debt.  Just not my style.  I'm going to have to make it work with what's available to me. 401k, a personal loan and then credit cards.  I could cancel the last two if I can find a bank to give me a HELOC loan on my house.  About 75 grand would do it.  Well more would be better but I'll take what I can get.

I just have read that banks are hesitant on HELOCs right now so I'm not holding my breath on that one.  I can't think of any other sources of income beyond selling my house, but that is, at least currently, out of the question.  Just by my choice, not because I have to keep it. 

I will start this thing out by going to the road and bridge department of the county and finding out what permits I may need.  I will be contacting all the utility contractors and asking for bids.  I will find some way to get a 20 foot wide drive way cleared out on the west side of the property and get that started. Actually, I think I'll go 15 feet to start with and see if that looks like enough room.  Clear out the front - it will all have to be cleared of trees as there will be an office building there and a small parking lot.  

I've got the beginning of this started in my mind.  The rest of it I will work through and make decisions as the decisions are forced in front of me to make.  I want around 20-25 pull through lots and the rest will be back ins.  RV'ers are used to both, many seem to prefer pull throughs but I have determined that I can't have all pull throughs.  It's likely the east side lots will have to be leveled - meaning dirt removed to make them level lots meaning a wall - small block wall - at the rear of those lots.  That's not a disappointment for me, I had originally thought of doing all pull throughs but after looking at a bunch of RV parks both online and in person I adjusted that view of it.  

It's been difficult to try and come to definitive decisions about things because I've never done this before.  And I don't want to make the wrong decisions.  Wrong decisions cost money.  I am going to have an electrical engineer design the electrical portion of the park, blue print and at least attempt to install it myself.  I just need the experts to show me how to do it, I don't need their help installing it.  I don't think, anyway.  It's really a matter of affordability.  Without a huge loan right at the start it's going to have to be a lot of do-it-yourself stuff.  It will take longer - much longer - yes but in the end I actually have a functioning park. Not a partly completed park and gee, I'm out of money, now what?  

I'd definitely prefer a 150-200k loan and just get it over with.  In reality, if I can get this thing up and going eventually and hopefully some degree of success, I can then take the park's revenue and records into a bank and say, here, I built this, I am generating this much money, etc etc, can I please borrow  X amount of money.  I really would eventually like to have a swimming pool and a jacuzzi on the property and that will cost some serious money.  

OK, well, my ankles.  My hikes through the woods have resulted in my ankles being severely bitten by insects. Namely: tics.  Those things are horrible.  My feet and ankles are all itchy and not feeling so good because of it.  I hiked the other day with the 6 year old through the entire property - I have videos up on my Facebook of that.  I sprayed him with insect repellent, including on his shoes, I did the same for me but I forgot to hit my boots with it.  I won't be forgetting that again.  

I was impressed by the 6 year old's tenacity. He never once complained and the only thing he wouldn't do without help was to cross the stream on a giant, felled oak tree.  Why do we have to cross here over this tree? Because we are on an adventure boy, have some fun!  So he did it with the condition that I hold his hand the entire time.  Of course, I am not going to let you fall off the tree lol.  About half way across he let go of my hand, gaining new-found confidence in his ability to stand up on it.  Again, it was a huge tree.  I had to pick him up a few times and carry him over the  ridiculous thorn bushes and vines, but other than that, he did very well.  I guess I was doing that kind of thing at his age too, now that I think of it.  I'm trying to make the hikes with the kids into the woods an interesting adventure, something they will learn to like and perhaps go off on their own when they grow old on their own hikes.  It's fun, it's adventurous, it is great exercise and it's far better than sitting at home watching tv or playing on computers or phones all the time.  

But I've given up on the 4 year old, at least for now.  He just isn't tall enough to get over the thorn bushes and he cries and screams the entire time. I have another property I am going to take him to that doesn't have all of that nonsense and he can have a bit happier time hiking.  He didn't ask to go this last time anyway, I reminded him of his very bad time the last 2 hikes and he said I'm good, I'll stay home lol. 

I have not found all of the corner markers.  I am going back without the kid next time and search through a portion of woods he wasn't too keen on going into.  I have no choice, there are 2 corner markers I really need to know where they are at.  Both on the east side of the property. The first is at the end of the driveway - somewhere in the trees there is a pipe, so the survey says.  And then on east of there, an easement that goes along that side of property, there is supposed to be another pipe.  I was looking for both of them but without going into the trees, I couldn't find them.  

Well, it's getting time to go to sleep and I  am going to have to move my truck.  A refer unit pulled in next to me. They are noisy - extremely noisy - I have no idea how those drivers can sleep with all that racket.  A lot of them are starting to nose into parking spaces to keep that ridiculous noise away from other drivers, this one chose not to. I will either pull out into the driveway and get away from it or pull out, turn around and nose in myself.  

With that, I am offa here.

G'nite.  

The realtor sent me a copy of the survey yesterday.

All the corners were shown along with descriptions of what, exactly, is marking the corners.

Turns out, they found and let be existing old pipes that delineate property lines.  They did not cover them with paint or put ribbons around them to let someone like - me - be able to find them.  So, to find the property corners, I have to search for them. I don't recall seeing any old pipes sticking up out of the ground anywhere - but then again, I wasn't looking for them.  

So today, if I feel like it - it's starting to get late - I may go over there and start searching those pipes out. At least at the front of the property and at the gas well site.  I don't know if I feel like getting all bloody and cut up going through the rear of the property looking for those pipes.  

I"m not exactly motivated today, I put in nearly 16 hours yesterday and that kind of took it out of me.  Allegedly I have a run tomorrow to some mysterious location - that is how the dispatcher worded it - but she never sent the run.  I'm wishy washy on that one, but I need the money so I am hoping she sends it to me today.  

Regardless, at least I now know there are, indeed, markers at the corners at least.  Doesn't much help me with the property lines between the markers.  I am going to find the end of the barbed fence on the north east side of the property and paint something there - whatever sticks out - bright orange and then see if I can see it from the front corner marker.  

There isn't much else.  The pond project, I think I"m going to put the fish in there today whenever they get back from Walmart.  

Nothing back yet about the boat and now I need to find a place to fix the 4 wheeler. Whatever that "mechanic" did to it, he just messed the thing up worse.

With that, I bid you a good day.  

After driving by the property today and seeing no markers anywhere, I contacted my realtor.

She contacted the surveyors who said they finished the property this afternoon and would have the paperwork sent to her tomorrow by lunch time.  

Although I am thoroughly elated that this portion of this thing is done, I am left in bewilderment that I saw no markers anywhere.  Perhaps I needed to get out of the vehicle and walk around looking? Specifically the front, northeast section of the property.  I need  at least a corner stake!

I guess I might have missed it, I just drove by it slowly looking the entire length of the front of the property.  I didn't have time to get out and look.  If I can't find any, I will be contacting that company and asking them about it.  I will also be looking at the survey and reading the field notes.  

Regardless, it is hopeful that next Friday we will be closing on the property.  No guarantees, the lender has to get the appraisal done and apparently the title company has to be satisfied with the survey as well.  

That was news to me, I only knew about the appraisal needing it, not the title company.  As far as I knew, the title company has been appeased.  

Well whatever, this long, patience-trying process may - and I stress may - finally be coming to an end.  

I don't want to go into the first moves I am going to make, I've done that already several times over.  

I just want to get STEP 1 over with, pleeeeeeeeease.  Step one is closing on the property.  

Well anyway, it's bedtime. Actually it's past bedtime but I was hanging with the kids as we haven't seen each other in 2 weeks and James and Taylor wanted to go to Walmart to replace a broken coffee maker.  I have an Oklahoma run in the morning - 2cd load - and I need to get rested for that.  It's likely going to be a 16 hour day - try to get it all done in one day and get home so I can go out on Saturday to the property and see about any kind of markers on that property!  

G'nite.  

 I'm still curious how all of these maple trees came to exist in a sea of large pine trees.  I'm assuming the property was harvested of most of the pines. All well and good - tho thankfully there is still a good sampling of pine trees all over the place.  

But who plants maple trees in place of pines? Well, I don't think they were planted. Whether from bird droppings or being carried through the winds or however, they must have gotten there naturally.  They are dense, very thick stands of them that will need to be thinned out substantially in order to have healthy trees.  

That won't be a big deal, they are mostly smaller trees less than 30 feet tall and will come down easily with a chain saw.  It's more of a curiosity thing to me.  The western side of the front of the property is lined with huge trees of various kinds, I assume that's what covered the property previously. Some of those will also have to come down, which is fine, there is nothing for them to crash into besides other trees if the cutting goes foul.  The trees that need to come down are either completely dead or various stages of death rot that I won't even think twice about getting them out of there.  

There's a very large dead tree on the front of the property that I'm not sure I want to handle tho.  It will have to be cut so it falls on the street.  The power lines are literally right next to it on the other side, hence my reluctance to cut the thing down. If it takes down the power lines, I'm probably going to get a bill in the mail for the repair of everything and likely some pissed off neighbors whose power will be out for many hours.  

IF I feel comfortable cutting it down to fall on the street, I will still need helpers there to shut down the street and to hook a chain up to the thing and drag it off the street to clear it for traffic.  It's just that hiring someone to do the job will likely get a hefty bill to do it.  They want 4 grand to cut down the oak tree in our front yard, to give an idea.  This tree is completely dead, however, it's coming down eventually regardless of whether it gets cut down or rots and falls down on its own.  From that perspective, I probably have less worries about cutting it myself and saving thousands of dollars in the process.

I will get good practice on other big trees first before I try that one.  And clear everything out around it, that portion of the property will likely be cleared of all trees in order to make nice, neat entry ways into the park.  There appears to be an easement anyways - maybe 25 feet - from the roadway.  

I don't care too much about the loss of land in driveways, entryways and easements as long as I can get somewhere around 60 lots on the property.  I'm looking at net profit in the end.  Expenses can be fairly high and still make a good living off of this venture.  

At 35 feet wide, I'll have 1,050 feet of space needed out of 1,350.  Take out 25 for the easement.  Take out around 50 feet in the back for a turnaround - please complain endlessly about parks with narrow driveways and no turn arounds.  Another 200 feet in depth, not width, for things such as a bath house and a doggy park and a community area.  A bath house doesn't need to be anything more than 20 feet wide. That's plenty of side to put in 4 rooms that are 8 feet wide - 20x20 - includes the space for walls and such.  8 feet wide, 10 feet deep in other words.  I only want 4 bath/shower rooms. That's enough mess to have to clean up on any given day.  

If the width is enough, I can go 3 spots wide.  That makes 90 spaces, which I don't want.  It's just too much to deal with and you have to have full time management on site.  Of course, if it's making boocoo bucks then no biggies, but I'm stepping into new territory and I'm not going into it thinking the park is going to instantly fill up and stay that way forever.  I'm more of the half full thought - at half full my profits will still be quite good. The weekends typically appear to be when you fill up a park.  

But I am in love with my primitive camping sites idea. .  They will be no where near the RV park.  it will be a separate operation - sort of - all to itself.  They will cost nothing more than putting in the driveway back there, clearing out the lots and putting in picnic tables and fire rings.  Probably some grass.  That's very cheap compared to RV lots with full hookups.  I'm hoping to find enough suitable land for 10 of them.  Minimal cost, $15 or $20 per night.  It will definitely be out in the woods, out in the wilderness. I was out there today, the only sounds you hear out there is nature. No freeway noises, no mining operation noise, not even homeowners doing their thing.  It's so far from the road that the noise of the road simply doesn't carry back there and frankly, that road has very little traffic as it stands.  

Yes, I intend on using every last inch of that property for the operation.  Whether it be rv pads, a bath house, a pond, a series of intertwining hiking trails or these camp sites, it's all going to be integrated into a nature theme that I think will become very popular, very quickly.  Money is an issue, but I think I can get the thing rolling.  I teeter and totter back and forth on the loan idea - big loan that covers it all.  It just looks like an insurmountable amount of information they want that will cost a lot of money to obtain and will not guarantee I get a loan even after getting all of that info and submitting it.  

As far as I know, if I"m not going for a giant loan, I don't have to have a blue print of anything.  I don't know that for a fact yet, my dealings with the county Road and Bridge department have yet to fully begin.  I'd like to get a professional setup on paper first, yes.  That seems prudent.  

Have I gone too far, too soon, with this particular property, such as I did with Finklea?  Perhaps.  I've just had too much time to think about it and try to develop a plan in my mind that will work in real life.  I'm not planning on this property also falling through, but the hint of it remains in my head.  It would be really nice if the surveyors would get their @$$es out there and get the job done, that's what I can say about that.  

My nature theme may not be unique, but I do believe the park will be set apart from most other parks. It will be more like state parks in the nature and trails aspect of it - and people really like the state parks because of the fact that they aren't all dumped closely together and they are out in the nature without all of the elements of nature being stripped from the land. I can't compete with state parks in terms of the cost of the pad rental, they are much cheaper.  One nearby place I looked at is $15 per night.  But, it doesn't have wifi or sewer hookups.  It's a huge facilityand it's surrounded by trees such as what I am intending to do.  How can I compete?  

I dunno, I just know that the RV parks - all of them that are in good locations - in my area are all 80% plus filled up, all the time.  Some of them are trashy, many of them are old and need upgrades.  Many of them do NOT have 50 amp services, something that many newer RV's have. They can use 30 amp outlets, but they can't use all of their electrical stuff inside the RV. I am planning on putting everything in to be able to compete with everyone, with all lots having 50 amp access.  It's the only way to go - these people are spending fortunes on these rigs and they want to be able to use everything in them.The park I looked at only had 30 am hookup.  That's not enough for a rig with 2 ac units and all kinds of electronic gadgets and dishwashers, freezers and laundry.  

I was long, this project has been eluding me for some time.  I am hoping I am near the end of this lengthy search and that I can finally move on with this in the near future.

 No, the surveyors weren't out there lmao.

But I wasn't really looking for them.  I need to get more exercise, more often.  Sitting in that truck is definitely not good for you and there are diseases that prevail amount truckers. Obesity is the most obvious one, diabetes is also another big one.  High blood pressure is also up there.  And some sore of embollism that is related to not moving around enough. 

So I tend to do at least some walking, but I have really been trying to go on more hikes, more frequently ever since this 25 acres came into the potential reality of obtaining it.  

To that end, we went on the longest hike yet. We being Me, myself, I, Addler and Aspyn.  As a kid, I used to talk to myself.  Lots of people do it, I don't answer myself back, lol, but I can talk out loud to no one for long periods of time in having a "conversation" about things going on and what course to take.  Hence, the me myself and I bit.  There aren't 3 of us, lol, it's just me.

I did take the hunting camera this time and got it hooked up to a tree. I was going to put it near where I found the bear dung but I thought twice about it after getting back in there. Will I ever be able to find it again? Probably, but with a lot of trouble I imagined. So I doubled back about 100 yards to where there is an old, falling apart, home made deer stand replete with home made feeder nearby and set it up in an opening in that general area.  

I knew I could find that area, I pass through there every hike I make back in there.  I'll leave that up for a week or so and then remove the memory card from it, bring it home and see what there is to see on it.  I'm guessing deer since whoever put a deer stand up in there.

I went clear back to the back of the property again, this time I found a stake in the ground with a pink ribbon on it.  This was an old stake, not part of any current survey.  I then looked at GPS to determine where I was actually at and was surprised to find how far east I was of where the county appraisal map shows it. At least 100 feet if not 200.  I then looked at the appraisal map again, perhaps I was at the wrong place and well off the property?

No.  There are no other properties besides the one next to me and the one behind me.  It's either the survey is off or the appraisal site is off. I'm guessing the appraisal site.  It was interesting to find that there to say the least. I knew  - or thought anyway - I was off the parameters of the property, I was trying to find some way to get to the other side and the only option was to go well out of the way around the thick underbrush.

I will say here that I had quite a bit of blood on my arms after this hike was over.  I was getting eaten up by thorns pretty bad in my thirst and quest to get to the other side.  Anyway, I eventually found the fenceline - it's old and mostly fallen onto the ground, but it's barbed wire so it's not really going anywhere.  That was about 300 feet to the west of the stake I had found and it was right in line with the stake. I had set a marker on my GPS to keep track of where that stake was at versus where I am at along the fenceline.  Anyway, I got to the stream and that's where the trouble is.  It's so thick with underbrush.

I stood there quite a while wondering how to get through there, the dogs getting restless, staring at me - where are we going next? We aren't just going to stand HERE all day are we" was the look I figured they had on their faces.  Well, I found a way over the creek and started climbing up the hill on the other side. Pretty steep, actually.  But the further up I got, the more it started to level off.  Along the way, Addler was jumping over a log and apparently went down into a hole.  I heard a "ooomph" coming from him and wondered if I would have to get people back in there to haul him out of there?  

Thankfully, no, he got up and started running like nothing happened. But, he's a tough dog and he seems to ignore pain, I'm going to be watching that leg for any signs of muscle or ligament injury.  Regardless, there were no further incidents besides me getting torn up by thorns.  I have huge, long scratches on my arms this time, they went deep and drew some blood this time. There isn't any pain now, but it doesn't exactly look appealing.  

I followed the fence line - as best as one can anyway with all that mess in there - and finally got to the other side and to the west side easement! Yayyyy!  I was delighted to have finally made my way over there.  I got out into the easement - at that point there was nothing but some grass, no small trees and no thorn bushes.  Looked back to the north - towards the front of the property and knew I wasn't going back through there. First you run into all kinds of small maple trees growing and then....you run into those nasty thorn bushes.

Can I say here that if I do end up with this property, eventually every last one of those thorn vines and bushes will be cut down and burned?  Or even plowed under?  I have visions of just cleaning out the entire forest back in there of all of the undergrowth.  It adds nothing to the scenery and makes it a pain to get through anywhere.  Clear that ALL out of there it would be 100% nicer back there.  Just leave up the bigger trees, let some sun get to the forest floor and dry it all up. 

Okay, so I started making my way back to the front along that side.  I hoped to find a way out of there - and hence - a way back in there without having to go clear to the other side, all the way to the back, all the way to this side to get over here. Along the way, I was looking for potential camp sites.  Primitive sites, just tent camping, no RV's.  I found several places that could be cleared out, cut down some trees, put in some grass and put in a picnic table and a fire ring.  That's my style of camping. I could rent those out $15 per day and people that like tent camping really could have a good time back in there, at least from my perspective of tent camping. 

Well, maybe $20 per day.  I dunno, but that's low maintenance.  I've definitely come to the conclusion I'm going to need some part time employees to help run the place.  Cleanup after each camp site is vacated - clear out the fire rings, clean up any trash/waste, make it good to go.  I wouldn't mind having a large trash can at every site.  More work, but less work for the trashy people that just don't care.  Here, dude/dudette, is a trash can RIGHT AT YOUR SPACE. Please use it, don't be throwing trash on the ground.  Yet, you know some people are like that and they will chuck their trash on the ground anyway.  Of course if this thing ever gets up and running I will work full time there and won't need much extra help.  At least, not for the existing campsites.

Anyways, the tent campers would be well in the rear of the property and well away from the RV'ers.  RV'ers apparently don't want to be around tent campers and tent campers the same.  I get it. If I'm camping in a tent, I don't want to be around anyone.  I've tent camped hundreds of times, at least, maybe over a 1,000 times in my life span and we mostly stayed away from people.  We don't got out there for a social gathering, we go out there to get the feel of nature.  The back of that property? Oh yes sir, you are going to get nature.  If  that's what you want, that is definitely what you're going to get.  

I could see some primitive cabins back there in the future.  It's too far to run electricity back there, it would cost a fortune to run a few thousand feet of electrical cable underground.  There are no power easements running through there that I could see, either.  The only utility is natural gas and that is a gas main, not something you would run residential use off of.  Primitive cabins are just a small cabin structure with bunk beds, a table and chairs and not much else.  

I will, however, be looking for any power easements running nearby.   I know, it's not the old ways of camping. Some people are still into that, many people still want power at the very least.  Put heating and cooling into those primitive cabins and they'll come year round.  

I know, I said I wasn't going to get this involved with this property  until after the closing.  I can't help myself.  The possibilities with this property are far greater than Finklea. It's 12 acres larger, the front portion is perfectly designed for an RV park, the rear is perfectly designed for nature buffs.  I don't even care about the gas well now.  That's just a small thing in the way, I'll get around that.  The title came back through clean, that was the biggest roadblock and the only thing really, in my mind anyway, that would have held up the closing of this property.  And anyway, regardless of whether it becomes mine or not, it has been interesting to go hiking back into it and observing nature in al of its mostly untouched glory.  There's no trash laying all over the place, it's pretty clean as far as human interference goes.

I will, however, want to put someone to work cleaning out the brush in the back and I have a solid candidate in mind. 

Got back from that adventure, took a shower, cleaned up the scratches on my arms and went to a new Irish pub/restaurant that opened up in town.  They failed on that one. Not because it's in a hotel, but because it doesn't have the feel of an Irish pub at all. They took over the hotel lobby to build their restaurant. They don't have the nook and crannies Irish pubs do for the eating "rooms".  There is no traditional wood anything. It's all modernistic and simply doesn't look like a pub.  Pricey, the food is ok but not worth what we paid for it.  You pay for the experience as well as the food in a pub like that, the experience didn't exist.  I don't know what they were thinking, they should have bought or leased their own building. They have a pub in a town north of here, that is a real pub atmosphere. We won't be back. I doubt I'll leave negative reviews, just wait and see what everyone else has to say about it.  

And now? We are all taking afternoon naps.  I slept soundly last night but woke up in a fog.  Too much sleep, I had to force myself to get up and go on that hike.  I either sleep too well or get too little sleep, there is nothing in between.  Then it's time to get up and clean the large throw rugs in the kitchen. They have become stained and dirty and need the carpet cleaner on them. They're too big for the washing machine, my favored way of cleaning rugs.  

If there's time, get the canopy up over the pond and transfer the fish from the aquarium into it.  If not, it will have to wait until I get back from the next trip, which I "assume" is tomorrow. I haven't received anything yet, but I'm not working today, I need to work tomorrow.  A good 3 day run would suffice.  The older boy was asking if I would be home when he gets here tomorrow - Wednesday, today is Tuesday.  Mom said "I don't know".  I'm saying hopefully not.  The boys have been gone 2 weeks and they are getting very homesick and not having contact with the people they are normally around, which is mom, dad and me.  Oh wait, I did receive notice from dispatch today that the loading plant is mandating everyone wear masks. 

I think I have a mask in my truck.  I threw those things out.  I am done with masks.  But not done, apparently, I will wear one in there to keep my job.  If I'm "forced" to start wearing one in places like supermarkets, I'll have to pick my battles. I do not like the idea of the government or even private enterprise telling me I have to wear a face diaper.  If you don't have a problem with them, fine, that's your prerogative.  I don't like them and more so, I don't like being told I have to wear one.  

Well enough of this, g'day.  

  

 Getting quote to have the Harrison property surveyed.  It showed upon the real estate listings yesterday, it is by far and away the cheapest property on the list for in-city land.  It's a really great location, I wish I could have done something with it.  

The next thing is to go over to the Caddo property and look around for invisible structures.  I've been up on that property, there is nothing there.  But I'll take a 2cd look, the tax appraisal website shows 2 structures with a combined total of 410 square feet of space on the property.  

Either they have the wrong property, or the structures were torn down, or the structures were portable and someone stole them.  I dunno, but I'm sure there aren't any structures on that property and I don't want to pay taxes on something that doesn't exist.  

This morning - going to the property. Not to see if the surveyors are there, but to take the dogs for a nice walk. It's a bit nicer out today, in the 70's this morning which is a far cry better than the last time I went out there.  No particular plan on trying to access the portion of the property I haven't made it to, just get the dogs and I exercised.  Oh, but I will be taking my hunting camera and finding the area where the bear roams, set it up and hope to catch it on camera.  I've got that thing ready to go.

It can sit up there for  week or so and see what kind of animals are roaming that land.  Someone had put up a crude deer stand replete with a home made feeder.  They obviously think there is something there- they were probably looking for deer, tho, not bears.  Deer droppings are far different looking that bear dung, that's what I can say about that and I haven't seen any deer droppings back in there, but then again I haven't really looked.  Taking kids back there is a chore unto itself, this time no kids and dogs are self sufficient.  They don't need much of anything but an occasional "ADDLER, WHERE ARE YOU GOING!?" and he comes trotting back lol.  

This time I will also look to see if any trees are scratched up by any potential bears, that's another sign they are present.  

Checklist: Pistol, water, mosquito repellent, boots and machete. Checklist complete, let's go!

 Well that was fun.

I was walking through the back yard - which is an admitted disaster zone - tripped on a large sledge hammer, started to fall, tried to kick my left leg up to avoid the fall, but it just hit the hammer again and baam....all the way down to the ground and most of the impact absorbed by my left knee 😀

Ouch.  Instantly got up and started to try to walk around to see what the damage is.  It's scraped up pretty good and the pain will undoubtedly set in later, but it's not destroyed as far as I can tell.  Not that either of my knees are in very good condition to begin with, I'm sure this will help it right along! 

The pond project is coming right along regardless of that little setback. I've got some plants in there and more coming.  I haven't put fish in it yet, the water is too warm. I have a canopy to put over it for the summer months with the sun baking everything and the all months - with endless leaves falling out of the trees, winter months - it's still coming down from the trees folks lmao, spring, dead branches fall off of these giant trees year round.  It may become a semi-permanent fixture, who knows.  

I sort of want to go to the property and get that hunting camera up on a tree near the area where I've sighted the bear dung.  It's hot out but I'd like to get this settled 100%, what animal is doing that and is it really a black bear?  You can't hunt, antagonize or harass black bears in Texas. They are an endangered species.  The property in the rear is probably perfect grounds for them. A stream, wild berries growing and other plant species.  Not a lot of meat around - or perhaps there is. The stream is too small for fish.  

I don't know how  you co-exist with a bear on your property.  I have no intentions of killing them but I don't want them around, either.  It would be a bit uncomforting for a potential hiker going to the rear of the property to see a sign that says warning, wildlife present including black bears.  Proceed at your own risk.  Of course this is Texas - ill advised to be walking around property without a pistol.  I've done it back there out of forgetfulness but the last few hikes I have had my 9 millimeter with me.  It's not likely a bear will just attack you for no reason, they would likely run off seeing humans coming unless they have cubs.  

Well, no sense in attempting to mitigate a problem that may not even exist, I may be off in my assessment of bear dung. 

____________

2 days later.  Brownsville run - down and straight back up. Only hitch was a bad tire coming up from Mexico - 3 hours to get that replaced, 3 hours of breakdown pay. 

I stopped at the property on the way home. Remember, this is the day slated for the surveyors to come.  They never showed up.  Of course they didn't!  No stakes, the gate not open, no pink ribbons, zero sign they were here.  

So I texted the realtor.  She was looking at the order, it said they would be there "Wednesday, August 2cd".  Uhh, today is August 2cd - Monday.  So now I guess we're looking at Wednesday? Or what were they thinking?  I figure she'll contact them and ask them about that.  Meanwhile, my property needs a survey.  It won't cost near as much as the property I'm buying, it's less than a quarter acre, I'm thinking a few hundred dollars at most.  

I don't know.  This isn't getting old, it's been old.  Supposedly they will have the completed survey to her by Friday, so that's what she's going on.  I'll just go along with that until Friday gets here and then we'll see.  Of course, I'll be going over there if I''m in town.

The yard is full of trucks and trailers, I don't expect a run tomorrow even tho I asked for one.  I need one on Wednesday tho to get any kind of check next week......

Loosely following politics.  Something I was avid about I've just sort of shied away from. I watch news, read news but I'm nowhere near as involved in day to day events as I was a few months ago.  I don't miss it, either.  Same s*** different day. We're all supposed to start wearing masks again and social distancing and everyone on the planet should get a vaccine.  

You'll have a hard time getting me to start wearing masks again.  I am not getting the vaccine unless I am somehow forced to - which I'm sure they're conjuring up some way to do just that.  Even then, I'd be in fear for my life after what happened the last time I got injected with a vaccine.  I don't care one way or the other about social distancing.  

Then you have the crisis at the border which the Biden administrations denies but everyone else - especially in Texas - not only affirms but shows proof of.  And all the rest of it - Joe the trucker driver -  laughable at best. Let's see his @$$ get into a truck and drive it - one with a manual transmission.  We are a total joke on the world stage.  China is mocking us and so is Russia.  Trillions of dollars worth of "budget" - and on and on.  

Yea, I have no interest in getting myself all riled up over things I have zero control over.  Like the Olympics and kneeling, turning the back on the flag and all of that s***.  Who are these people representing? Apparently not the USA.  Team USA? Am I just making that up or are they gaslighting us? I think the latter, thanks, used to be a day when everyone was proud to be an American, now we all need to be woke, be resentful of our white skin color and automatically agree that we are all racists. 

In a pig's eye I will.  The liberal media has control of a lot of minds, that's what I can say about that.

Tomorrow I will do some more work on the pond, if the weather permits.  And maybe put some fish in it, my aquarium is strained under the load of growing goldfish and a couple of Koi.  There's a new Irish restaurant that just opened up in town, I"m wanting to go try their version of Shepherd's Pie.  I love that stuff.  I haven't been doing the diet - but I haven't been going crazy eating either.  Like today, I had a miniature burrito, drove all day and then had a small sandwich. Some sort of chicken wraps for dinner tonight.

Kids coming back Wednesday.  We're all happy to have our last little bits of peace and quiet around here.

And nothing else that I can think of right now, g'day.  

 Well, one thing has occurred concerning the property since my last post.  We were out last night over in Shreveport when my realtor texted that the title company is done with it, has only one minor item that needs rectified and they will sign off on it. 

If you remember, the Finklea property was held up by title issues that were related to heirs.  Those 3 properties are still off the market.  That Finklea property would make an awesome cabin site for personal use.  

I said I had backed off doing any research for a while, and I have, but an interesting post came up on one of the RV park sites I'm in, these are specific to owners of the parks and some of them relate to actually building them.  My interest in doing this myself has rekindled now that I have seen the laundry list of required information to obtain an SBA loan.  It's long, detailed and some of it very involved information they want that I would have to acquire the services of professionals to accomplish.  

Here is a partial list, these are shown because of the need to acquire professional help in making the determinations:

• Architectural/engineering drawings and general contractor bid for new construction   
• Vendor quotes for new park models, furnishings, fixtures, and equipment   
• Market/competitor analysis with site feasibility conclusion   
• Business plan including marketing plan and management plan   
• First year cash flow projections monthly (sample format attached) and second year cash flow projections annually   
• List of assumptions for cash flow projections   
• Address attached COVID Considerations in a memo provided with loan application.   

 Obviously drawings have to be done by a professional firm. I don't want park models, that's isn't even in the equation.  Market analysis - more professional work.  Business plan, cash flow projections, assumptions and COVID considerations all would have to be done by a firm or firms to get the required information. That would cost thousands of dollars.  Now, putting out money for all of that wouldn't be a big deal, but would it result in my getting the loan?  No guarantees on that.    

I'm now back to the drawing board: Do I do this myself and just get a small number of lots going to start up with?  No bath house at the get go, either. It isn't off the table, it's just the money isn't there.  Or do I find a person that is a handyman, get blueprint for plans to build a bath house and try to get it done a cheaper route?  My mind will be filled with such things for a while.  I will not be in a rush to make the wrong decisions even after the property closes.  

My city lot is done.  One of the lots I bought at the tax sale. They got out there early before the heat sets in and finished it, sent me pics of the entire property showing they had mowed it all down. They had a crew of people working on it, the guy must make some good money at it, he pulled up to our house in a late model GMC 4 door pickup.  Now my realtor will go out there, take pics and then get it posted online.  It's not showing yet on any searches, I'm assuming she is waiting to take pics first before listing it.

I ended up having today off as well.  I'm going to have to push for work now that I've had all of this time off.  Tomorrow is a Brownsville run but I'm going to need another run the next day after that one is over.  If she doesn't give me one I will have to start asking my manager about this.  My paychecks are going to start showing the lack of any real work starting this coming week, when it will be a $1,200 gross pay check that will have me netting well  under a grand.  As much as that feeling of never wanting to get into a truck again runs through my veins, I cannot do that just yet.  

I do intend on getting this project going at the outset - some decisions are easy: water, septic and power all have to be installed, I need quotes.  The 20 foot wide driveway on the west side is also a no brainer.  Hire a person with a machine to get out there and clear it from front to back, get the construction permit first of course. I don't need trouble with the county.  They just want soil erosion control and that's nothing more than those 2 foot tall black retaining pieces of plastic installed with wood stakes into the ground.  They can come out and look at it I guess, but none of that can be installed until that driveway is cleared out. It's just clearing it, no gravel until later on in the project.  

After that driveway is finished, I can measure out the first lots and have that cleared out as well, then the next driveway clear to the back, clear out the back for a turn around and access to all 3 driveways.  How much money we talking for that? Unknown.  It's a touch decision whether to rent my own bulldozer or pay someone to do it. Tough because I simply don't have the vacation hours available to take a week off for that kind of rental.

Others in these RV park communities advocate for buying your own machine, that you will get more use than the initial land clearing and lot building.  Maybe, but a backhoe isn't exactly cheap.  I'd need a machine big enough to uproot the trees and get the entire root structure directly underneath the trees out of the ground. I don't want to have to add stump grinding to the list of things to get done.  Those trees aren't that big and the root systems aren't enough to be able to withstand a decent sized machine.

Yes, I'm strongly considering doing this myself. Not that I will do all the labor but I will be overseeing the entire project and hiring out whatever needs to be done by others.  And getting some paid help to help with the land clearing.  Get 20 lots cleared out and attempt to get them all up and running. Or even 15 lots.  Heck, even 10 would work from the start.  

We'll see, but this list of things the government wants to be able to get a loan is pretty extensive. The other not so great part about this particular lender that helps acquiring the SBA loan? It's a minimum 400k loan.  You want to talk about some pricey monthly payments, that park would need to get up and running quickly, all 70 or so lots fully developed and all of the amenities in place.  There are other lenders that work the SBA loans, I'm going to check into a few others and see what the minimum loan amount is. I was thinking more in the 200k to 250k range.  I don't need 400k to build a park and get saddled with a huge amount of debt right from the start.  

It's kind of a conundrum that I'm just going to have to work through.  Once I decide either way, I'm stuck with it. The 401k would have to be down money for a large loan or it's working capital to build the park myself.  Can't have it both ways is the point.  

Anyways, no great plans today.  Just enjoy a day off. It's going to be hot outside and no, I'm not going hiking in this heat. I would have had to get up much earlier than I did today.  We didn't get in until late last night.  I'm going to go over and double check the man's work, they sent a bunch of pics as I had requested showing the work they did. It looks good, but I still want to check it.  

And maybe, at least, look up names of local firms that specialize in getting the info I would need for the SBA loan. I can at least look into it...

G'day.