I have my first commitment for a spot for long term.  Of course, a commitment doesn't automatically equal the people actually showing up and camping out, but it's better than what I've had up until now.  I've asked them when they'll be in town, waiting on a reply.  I need to get over there and finish a few things up, at least.  If nothing else, clean up some messes I've made and dispose of it and also burn that wood in the piles. 

Too bad it just rained literally all night long.  It finally quit, but there will be no burning of anything today.  I did go out and buy a pack of those fire logs, however.  If it's nice and sunny today - which it appears it will be - maybe it will be dry enough to get a fire going. Get enough coals/heat and it doesn't matter how wet the wood is. That's the beauty of those fire logs, you can directly light them and they will burn regardless.  

So, anyway, these people now want to meet up tomorrow.  I have no where they are coming from or why they want to stick around here, I don't really care, either, as long as they aren't the next mass murderers/chucky/mike/etc.  They will have, at least temporarily, the place to themselves.  I am looking for 4 long term at reduced rates.  After that, I will patiently wait for the summer season to come along and see if I can cash in on some of the travelers.  Or not, who knows.  My thoughts towards this operation change as the situation changes along with it.  

Umm, I just got out of bed and yes, I know it's almost 11:00 am but it's the first good night's sleep I've had in many weeks. The coughing is just now starting to dissipate and staying awake all night long apparently going away with it.  I felt very bad yesterday - just out of the blue - and thought "relapse".  I can say I feel better today, not 100%.  

I do wonder about getting some help out there today to clean up- but it's a bit late for getting people.  Even that 25 year old that crashed the trailer into the shed. With constant supervision - and no access to the machinery - I could get some stuff done.  

Anyway, it's going to be a long process trying to get the park full and keep it that way, that's what I'm seeing as of right now.  Maybe that view will change once the weather gets better - which it is - but people start thinking about traveling or if people are moving to this area and need to live in their RV either temporarily or semi-permanent.  I've lived in RV's.  If it is a decent rig, you can easily make it work.  It's just a lot less room and storage.  

I'm still of the mindset to keep long termers to a minimum and see if I can rake in some of the traveling cash.  But when push comes to shove? I'll take whatever.  Definitely not changing my mind on adding spaces.  And once I get some money coming in from a job, I will definitely add a couple of boondocking stations to at least try to get a little more income generated.  

The kids are coming back today. We have had a 5 days retreat without all the noise.  It has been very nice.  I wish it would happen more often.  We have really enjoyed the peace and quiet, words cannot express adequately just how wonderful it's been without them.  For me, it's the lack of hearing little feet running through the house - a thing they are forbidden to do but the youngest one does it anyway.  

The AC people were delayed. They gave James/Taylor a guarantee that if they couldn't make it today, there would be a significant, free upgrade in the unit.  Welp, they are getting, I am hearing, a 3 grand upgrade.  Some new law in Texas that 14 seer units will no longer be legal to install after the 1st, they went with one of those because the price was significantly cheaper.  Oh, yes, the ac company will still make money, that is baked into the price.  If they aren't making at least 50% profit I'd be surprised, on any given unit that they sell or service for that matter.

Well that's it.  I need to get over there and do that cleanup at least.  It's just boxes from the fire rings and other stuff that I have opened that I haven't discarded of yet.  

 The temps went well above what the forecast said today and is sitting currently at 71 degrees! Yayyy!

Did I go do anything at the property? Nope.  I went over there, yes, took a look, got my sawzall and brought it home. James was working on a project to remove an old faucet and replace it with a new one, the metal grooved piece wouldn't budge and was completely rusted.  He cut that off and now is done with that projecct.

The central AC/HEAT no longer works and won't be fixed. It is an old, rusting unit that has seen it's glory days and then some.  They have decided to go ahead and replace the entire system.  I'm very glad to hear that, no longer will have to worry about heat or ac going out at random times, usually at the worst times possible.  Seems like that stuff always happens on weekends. This time? It was Christmas Eve Day, temps were in the 20's range and it was a weekend.  

We survived running space heaters 24 hours a day - they weren't shutting off, it was too cold and it was all they could do to keep up with keeping it from freezing us out in here.  But, they worked.  Now, it's nice outside all of a sudden and I am very happy about that.  

Oh, well I didn't do any work because I am trying to get better. The constant coughing grew old many, many days ago.  The warmer temps are lending towards less coughing, at least. 

I have, in more recent times,  tried to stay out of arguments with complete strangers over the internet.  It's almost always a complete waste of time.  But when I saw a pic of a Great Dane in a Great Dane support group with a prong collar on? I couldn't help myself.  "I don't much care for those types of collars".  Most dog experts will agree that they cause more problems than what they might fix - and they usually don't fix anything.

Many countries have outlawed them because they are really nothing more than torture devices.  That's IMO, of course, but there are far more effective ways to deal with dogs that have behavioral issues than inflicting pain into their necks.  All kinds of people came out of the woodwork on that one both for the collars and against them.  The thing that is amazing, at least to me, is that idea that people can make an "argument" for something without making an argument at all. They just start name calling the people they disagree with and then smugly pronounce that they have won the battle and with a bunch of thumbs up emojis underneath their statement/s. 

I suppose fortunately, there were people that not only don't like prong collars but also suggested other things that could be done or used to help bring a dog out of its behavioral problem and into a nice, loving atmosphere with their humans.  Ever since I started using Milan's wisdom to train dogs to obey without using any collars at all, I have proclaimed his methods to anyone that will listen. I usually only do that on posts where a person is bewildered by their dog's behavior and they can't understand how to correct it.  

I do not claim to be any kind of expert at all, in those posts or here on my blog.  I do claim to follow a man's expertise who shows you how to accomplish what is effectively having a dog under voice control.  Addler is only the latest dog I have used such techniques on.  I can have him laying out in the front yard without any harnesses, collars, leashes and fully confident that he won't take off after anything - or under the unlikely circumstance he does - I can call him off and he will stop mid-gallop and come back to me.  

So, once I stated I follow Milan's methods, then those people started laughing and saying "that explains it all" without explaining anything.  This is why arguing on the internet is a waste of time, people act like trolls and feel they are on the high ground by simply condescending to people.  But, I wasn't addressing those people when I made my statement.  I did have the understanding that it would be highly likely that they would, of course, show up out of the blue and start addressing me in uncivil manner.  

So was it worth it? Perhaps.  I feel like there are lots of people that read such threads that don't say anything, but become curious and perhaps start looking into the matter themselves.  In this case, perhaps seeking out Milan's advice on how to deal with dogs whose owners feel like they need to attach pronged collars that dig into the dog's neck.  I think I tried one of those collars long ago before I became "enlightened" and found a better way.  

Well whatever.  I have been distracting myself a bit from this RV park business, it has occupied too much of my mind for too long now.  I need a break from it.  Whatever happens - happens. I've listed it in dozens and dozens of RV park directories and I've listed it locally trying to find long term tenants.  Only a few bites out of the local postings.  

I mean, realistically, it's simply not the time of year for it. It might change after the New Year, who knows?  I don't consider myself any kind of expert and it didn't take a pro to understand that trying to open a few weeks before Christmas probably wouldn't result in much of anything.  The grass took a beating under this extreme cold spell. I'm not sure if it's going to survive. It will be very disheartening if that grass all dies.  A good rain is coming tomorrow, hopefully that might help it come back to life?  Yes, it is winter grass but even winter grass has it's limitations.  At the coldest, it was 8 degrees.  That's freezer conditions.  

Although I'm hardly in any position to be spending money right now, I do have the money I put into the business account and after looking at all of those weeds today? They have to go.  I don't feel like I have any other choice but to deal with it.  It's ugly and it gives a negative first impression.  Turn into my park and see several acres of weeds before you get to the park portion.  I want to get that dozer, plow up the weeds while leveling the ground and be done with it.  10 hours on that machine will deal with it. 

But, I'm not really spending any money right now.  Just not advisable.  I'll be ready to go back to work - sort of - in a few weeks.  Maybe 3.  Just somewhere around mid to late January.  It will be a shock to my system to have to go back to driving heavy trucks, but, that is my fate I guess.  I'd like to get some stuff done out there first and tomorrow would be wonderful - but - it's high chance of rain.  

Yup. I'm not going out in the rain, thanks.  I am trying to think about other ways beside facebook groups on how to get word of my park for long term people out.  It seems like facebook is really the method to do it but there might be other outlets I'm just not thinking of? It would be really nice to get at least a few units in there and paying some bills.  I can do Facebook advertising that somehow promotes it to people lookings specifically for such things.  You know, you do a Google search for something and the next thing you know, your facebook is filled with those types of ads? Yup, I am getting all kinds of invitations from trucking companies right now. 

Not a single one of those companies am I interested in - it is literally all OTR garbage. I'd take that as a very last resort - I haven't even begun putting in applications yet.  Again, when you put in an application for a trucking company? They want you to come work for them right now if they do, indeed show interest in you working for them. All I can tell ya is I'm good with money right now and could actually survive for many months.  I'm not going to do that, I'm just saying I could survive a while longer.  But, the longer I put it off, the harder it will be to get back into it.  There is a local place that needs local drivers for dump trucks - no experience necessary but must know how to shift an 18 speed. 

Yeah, give me half an hour in a truck with any transmission and I'll figure it out. I drove a truck with an 18 speed in it maybe 9 years ago.  

Well enough.  

 Paying that gravel off to the contractor kind of set things in motion.  It depleted my bank account to a point that started to become - uncomfortable, we'll say.  There are no more 401k's, cash-out refi's, bank loans.  About the time I start feeling better from this latest sickness, I will be finishing up some things at the property and then I will be looking for a new job. 

I want the doggy park completely finished and the firepit social area.  I need gravel for the main driveway, but that is going to wait until after I am working again.  I'm not spending that kind of money right now, it would put my into what I consider "dangerous" money territory where you start to wonder about the viability of all of your payments and financial responsibilities.

I just hope I don't have to take some s*** job. I also hope I don't have to take some job that keeps me on the road all the time.  When it comes down to brass tacks, however, a person will do what they have to do.  I am not averse to working, I"m just averse to the trucking industry as a whole.  It's made me some money, but that is as far as the perks go.  Beyond that? It totally sucks.  I won't even go into all of that today, why ruin an otherwise perfectly fine day?

It's still quite cold outside and so, the space heaters are running constantly.  The heat never turns off on them - but they are doing their job at least.  They are waiting on a part for the central heat.  I know what the part is and how it works, but since a new one was just put on there, I suspect that another new one is just going to burn up as well.  The house needs a new central heat/ac system. It's been needing one for a while now.  Not my house, they can make their decisions the way they like, if it were me, I would have replaced the system at least 2 years ago.  Certainly now, especially with an offer from a family member to pay for it and have them make payments back to that family member.  ;

Anyway, it's Monday and I have no plans. I am going to sit here until this stuff passes. I know bronchitis well and I know how you get rid of it: You do nothing. If you try to do any physical labor, you will just extend it indefinitely.  I've had it last months in the past.  I don't have months here, I need to be well so I can go back to work and spend 14 hour days out on the road.

Anyway, I do intend on taking a drive over to the property today, just to make sure everything is good. The water is off so I don't have to worry about busted pipes leaking all over the place.  I'll turn it back on later this week when the temps will rise back up significantly and we don't have to worry about it.  I find if I haven't been over there in a couple of days, I start getting antzy.  There is money tied up over there. The only thing really destructible is probably the power pedestals.  

Those were pricey - supply-demand issues, good luck finding any right now.  You'll pay for them, I'll tell ya that.  3 month wait is what I'm hearing currently.  Makes me want to have an extra one available in case one gets run over.  But not now.  Once I get a job, I'll save up a few thousand dollars and get the rest of the gravel issues finished.  Then I"ll start paying down credit card debt and get my score back into an acceptable range of excellent. But I won't be looking for any loans until I see if this park is going to do anything.  

I've had a couple people inquire about the ads I've placed locally for long term, but no real bites yet.  It might take a while to get any in there.  

As for jobs, I'm going to apply at fuel hauling places to begin with. I have no experience with it, but I do have the tanker and hazmat experience.  It's a matter of trying to find a place that would train me.  That's all local stuff - but usually a person new to a company will start out with a graveyard shift.  If I can't get one of those gigs, then all bets are off.  Chemical hauling, flatbeds, dry vans - no reefers please.  Even heavy haul.  I'll take a pay cut to stay local, I will say that. But if I"m going regional I want 90k per year and that's that.  80k minimum. Regional still keeps you out on the road a week at a time.  

Enough.  I really want to get out of this house.  At least just a drive in a pre-heated vehicle (remote start) and just go over there and look.  I've been in this house almost entirely since last Sunday.  It's getting old.  

 Merry Christmas!

A blessed morning watching kids opening presents as the magic of Christmas filled the air and huge smiles on their faces.  I know, Christmas isn't about presents but it IS about giving.  
Christ freely gave his own life so that choose to do so may have eternal salvation!

Well, the central gas heater went out yesterday evening.  James tried for hours to figure out what was going on with it and we even called out a tech to look at it.  The tech just shook his head and said no, I can't fix "this".  So, he left wishing us all a Merry Christmas!  Lol, be filled and warmed, no, just be filled lol.  

In normal times, it wouldn't be so bad but now? It's been frigid cold and even space heaters are struggling to keep up with it.  It's 11:30 am and it's still only 35 degrees outside!  Wednesday the forecast shows the temps going back up to normal ranges for this region at this time of year.  James did eventually figure out what was wrong, but on Christmas Eve, good luck finding parts.  So we are without heat until whenever that part shows up.  I would assume Tuesday.  

I took one of my space heaters out of my room last night to heat up the area where the grandma was sleeping.  My room froze.  I just now got it back - grandma left with all 3 boys back to Arkansas where they will spend the rest of their Christmas and several more days afterward before 2 of them are brought home.  

I turned the oven on in the kitchen, the upper oven and opened the door. I was given strange looks on that one but after a while, that entire room was nicely heated up.  Electric bills be damned, it's too cold to be sitting around in an icy cold house, especially having bronchitis where cold air aggravates the condition and causes me to go into coughing attacks.  

Now that I have both heaters back in here, my room is finally starting to heat up again.  Maybe the coughing will go back down after it's warm in here.  You know, a heater couldn't pick a worse time to go out...Christmas Eve Day and on into Christmas, the middle of a extreme cold spell and a weekend to boot.  

Oh well.  I spent several hours yesterday inputting my RV park into various different and more RV park directories and local business directories.  Going out to the property is out of the question, even tho the visiting kid was begging me to take him over there. I just couldn't, it would have caused me to go into a coughing event that I don't want to go through again any time soon. I'm still coughing but it's because it's cold in here.  Another 30 minutes and it should be good with that second heater blasting away.  

Anyway, I can't do anything but internet work for now, might as well get this stuff done.  My Google rankings are going up because of all of these directories I have put the park in.  I'm hoping it will pay off, the information provided me by seasoned park owners is that in January, people will flood their parks with reservations and then it will die off until May which is when it will pick up again.  

But, I have also posted the park in a bunch of local sell groups hoping to score some long term tenants as well.  At reduced rates, I'm hopeful a few will be tempted to take a look.  

 I felt so incredibly miserably this morning - coughing all night long hardly any sleep - I forced myself out of bed, into the shower to get some steam therapy and then out the door to the local urgent care.  Urgent care shut down due to water problem.  Probably burst water pipe because of the hard freeze conditions.  My regular doctor couldn't get me in either.  It was suggested go to ER. No thank you, I don't need that yet and it's costly. 

I couldn't decide what to do, so I drove over to the property to check everything and get whatever mail out.  I then found a brand new EC in the next town over.  This has been a 4-1/2 hour ordeal.  I am finally home after x-rays, nebulizer treatment, steroid shot and then over to the pharmacy to wait on prescriptions.  

I just couldn't go another night like this.  

I would discuss other things, but this is all I can and will muster for now.  I'm just sitting here waiting for it to warm up in here. One space heater has been running continuously since yesterday, I had the other one shut off. Yeah, I'm not breathing in cold air.  Just going from the car to the ec and the pharmacy caused me to go into hacking convulsions.  I'm bedroom bound the rest of the day.  Maybe several days.  

 I annoyed myself to the point of trying again to figure this stuff out - and I finally got it.  The maintenance blackouts are removed - which on some of them were stopping anyone from reserving spot until almost the end of January.  I've got to get the word out about my rates.  Facebook does a "boost" for people looking for rv parks I might try that after the new year. Depending on cost.  

The other thing was this built-in statement at the top of a reservation.  It took more than a minute to find out where to change that but I did, finally, find it.  It made statements about horses, cars and limiting the number of people per space to 4.  I don't have horse facilities, I don't care if they have 2 cars and I am limiting it to 7 to include larger families.  

I found out why the kids are quiet - two of them are now sick.  They probably got what I got tho I have been staying away from them. Grandma was going to take them home for a week, but they are caring for an elderly person in their home and can't afford to risk getting her sick. Elderly as in their 90's.  

Well anyway I am elated to have finally figured those two things out. I think there was a third thing but I can't for the life of me remember what it was. Oh, wait, yes I do remember, lol.  I just took care of that earlier.  It was changing the rates and getting rid of some verbiage I had on the descriptions of each lot that I came to the conclusion would confuse people not thinking it through.  I was giving the pad size and then the lot size.  But, I think many people would read the pad size as the lot size and they would likely move onto another park.  So I had to manually remove that from all of the sites and reword it.  

That's it. There's just one more thing I want to change but I am toast now.  Mental exertions are the same as physical exertions in my current state of being - rather exhausting.  The other thing I want to do is remove the tent category.  It shows up as the first option and if you do a search for a site to reserve on the software system - and if you don't change it from tent to 5th wheel, motorhome or whatever - it will show no spots at all.  Why does that have to show up first? I don't know but I will likely devote some time later on to trying to figure out how to get it off of there entirely.  I don't have tent camping yet and that may not happen any time soon.  

Boy oh boy, did I just get hit with another wave of "I really don't feel well, at all".  I just came over me.  I think I will go back to bed.  

 Haven't been posting because I got - really - sick yet again.  I've been sick more this year than I can remember in any year of my life, save my early childhood. This time, I don't know where I got it from. The kids aren't sick, the adults aren't sick - but I do go to stores around town buying stuff for the property.

The buying is pretty much over for now.  I'm not interested in spending any more money on this project until I see even a single customer come in and take camp for at least one night.  The reservation system is up and running, I thought I had it figured out but the reservation grid is showing blackouts until the 1st of January.  I have several questions for the site developer - this will be one of them. There seems to be no clear way of eliminating blackout dates and there are other things that I have searched the entire site and found nothing that are starting to annoy me. 

I've just been not feeling well at all.  This sickness hit me in the middle of the night all at once. There was no gradual anything, it was one minute I'm sleeping, the next minute I'm hacking my lungs out with a vicious cough that was hurting as if there were needles being stabbed into me every time I coughed.  

Anyway, there is 10 degree weather coming tonight and I wouldn't expect anyone to be coming through town in this kind of weather and the blizzard that is going on throughout the country.  But, I have drastically reduced the rates in order to get some people to come in and check it out.  We're talking $25 per night which is basement bargain prices. The idea of no one coming at this time of year isn't shocking, but I'd like to see some reservations for later on in the year.  It can accept reservations for up to a year in advance.  

As it stands, I forced myself out of bed  yesterday morning to go over and shut the water off at the street valve and then open up a few of the site hydrants to let out the pressure.  There is no sense in taking a chance with a hard freeze busting up lines when no one is there using the facility.  

I am minimally starting to feel better and the only reason I say that is because the coughing has decreased quite a bit.  Where previous nights I was coughing all night long, last night I actually was able to get some sleep.  

I have nothing within me to sit here and try to figure out this reservation system, but I might email the dude and ask him some specifics.  Even the large amount of videos he has for training aren't showing where some of this stuff is or how to do it.  

The kids are off school for 2 weeks, the oldest brother is in town for a visit. It's been nothing but chaos since that boy arrived and I ended up going out there - from my bedroom to the living room - and addressing them and also asking the adult in the room if they were even trying to keep the ridiculous amount of noise down? It's grandma and she apparently doesn't care how much noise they make.  I, however, live here and we do not normally have that much noise going on in this house going all day long.

There are card nights when other people's children are here and those people's kids are undisciplined and just go crazy. But at least they go home at the end of the night. This morning has been better. I am not watching the kids because I simply can't - it's out of my energy and tolerance levels right now to deal with screaming children.  But if they start up again today, I'm going to put a stop to it before it even gets started.  What they really need is an outing to et some energy out. They want to go to the property, I just don't have it within me to go over there and go hiking.  Worse that the temps are going to fall drastically within the next few hours according to the weather app and that doesn't exactly help a cough.  

I don't know what it is about that oldest boy showing up, but whenever he does, everything goes south.  He doesn't live under the same rules that exist within this household and he has a hard time dealing with a lot more structured and disciplined atmosphere. And then, the 2 that live here, start thinking they can act like him and the next thing you know, it's a damn circus.  

Yesterday was insane. The 7 year old wanted to play his Switch, he kept bothering his mom about it until she finally said, ok but since you are up my @$$ about it, I'm only letting you play for an hour and then that's it for the day.  The boy had a meltdown.  I have never seen such a pathetic, appalling, amazing show of emotion over losing the use of a game.  When you see someone so addicted to something like that and especially at that age? It's time take the freaking thing away from them for awhile, which is exactly what she did.  She went so far as to take the game with her today to work to ensure he wouldn't have access to it.  

I don't know what their attitudes are today.   They were kept quiet this morning and I took advantage of it and slept.  It's almost noon and I still haven't talked to any of them lol.  

Well, I'm off to - nowhere.  It's just another day I'm going to stay at home and recover.  

 After the school visit, I went over to the property. First thing's first, I need that burn pile that is right off the edge of the RV part to burn down and be down with it.  It took a while to get a fire going - everything still wet but some cardboard dry enough to get a nice fire going. 

Started feeding the fire wood versus trying to just let it burn everything. It won't happen that way, you have to keep dumping the wood on the fire, not hope that it will spread, cause' it won't.  Then it started raining.

That was almost shocking, for the forecast showed a 4% chance of rain today.  It stopped, after a short time and I went back to feeding the fire. Then it started raining again. Stop. Again. Stop - after that I went home.  For a day that wasn't supposed to have rain? It rained after that all day long.  

Now I'm finding out it's going to get down as low as 14 degrees overnight this coming week and that there is a chance of snow on Christmas.  Huh?  And I'm hoping people to come stay at the park? Lol.  14 degrees.....no thank you.  Lol. 16, 12, 23 19 starting on Thursday next week and going on the 3 days after for low temps.  

I don't wonder if I should just shut the water off at the meter at the street and drain the water out of the pipes.  Versus taking a chance of busted water lines. I have insulation around them but we're talking hard freeze, I don't think anything but heat tape will work.  I could just turn the water off, remove the connection, let the water drain out and not have to worry about it. It's that or open up all the valves to allow a drip. What's the point if no one is going to be there? 

Anyway. We went to the volunteer FF station for their Christmas party. Some fine food, good company, some awards handed out to various individuals. Home and now? I ate way too much food.  Like I wasn't even going to eat after the small lunch I had today, but it was too hard to turn down decent BBQ from a local restaurant.  

 Leaving in a few minutes to go to the older boy's school, in-class Christmas party.  I was invited, I shall go.  

However.  I was doing a Google search yesterday and I saw an ad about "long Covid".  Curios, I clicked on it and it started talking about long term effects of Covid after you are over and done with the coughing and basically the illness itself.

I then started googling long covid and reading several sites worth. This is exactly what I've been going through since I had Covid many months ago.  The fatigue being the biggest one. Whereas, I could go all day long without much of anything but a lunch break? I find myself worn out after 4 or 5 hours max.  

Some days much less than that. A taste. After getting Covid, I had this awful taste in my mouth. Everything had this taste added to it and it was disgusting.  It was a great diet plan, because I would start eating, gross out on the taste and stop.  In fact, the only thing that actually pushed through that nasty taste? A mug of beer.  

There are other symptoms as well, but I loathe to even discuss them - heart, lungs, kidneys, etc.  Whoever unleashed the Covid virus? They did a great job ensuring many people died and many people were affected for long after they got it. Will this fatigue ever go away? I have no way of knowing. For a while there, I thought I was getting my energy back, but then the fatigue hit again.

This is why I fear thinking about going back to work.  It's not that I don't like working, it's that I don't know that I can handle a 12-14 hour day sitting in a truck.  I will probably have no choice but to find out and soon enough.  I am doing fasting atm trying to see if that will disrupt this 'cycle' or whatever it is I'm in. 

When I say fasting, I mean eating nothing for days and drinking only water.  Fasting has been shown to ward off numerous diseases and fix things that ail you.  I figured I should try it while I have the chance, because once I start working again? I will have to eat just to keep some kind of energy levels up. 

Anyway, it is time to leave.  I have no idea - it's a party with the child, his classmates and the teacher in their classroom. A bit out of my territory, but I'll go anyway.  

 My call to the new owner apparently worked. 

The guy that drives the green pickup truck in here every single day was going markedly slower than his normal pace.  I didn't even complain about him, I kept the complaint to the kid that was doing burnouts and running up and down the driveway like it's the Indy 500.  

Whatever works. I am at the property using my laptop. Everything is saturated with water, I can't do anything out here today.  I tried dumping diesel and gas on a burn pile and still couldn't get it to do anything beyond the initial flame up and then fizzle out.  

The fire pit is currently a mud pit.  Rain is unforgiving around here.  It also carried the freshly laid grass seed into piles of it.  Not useful. Not at all.  I'll have to get more seed and try over again.  I'm just not going to get anything done out here today and I will just have to deal with it.  

I also just noticed that the "Sabine Oil & Gas" sign, the one that was apparently run over by either a trackhoe or a bulldozer, has the new owner's name in it.  I thought it hilarious they wedged that sign into that crushed frame instead of simply putting up a new one.  Not my call and not my money.  It's a sign they have at the front of the property of which I left up.  The other sign - no dogs, guns, etc - was taken down a while back and is sitting at the rear of the property next to their operation. 

I have leads on 2 riding mowers.  One is $475 and the other came down to $600. The $600 one is nicer, but the $475 one they claim runs perfectly.  

As for firewood, there is a guy selling it at $190 a cord if I come pick it up - well he doesn't deliver anyway.  Is it a priority? Yes, if I get anything rented out here.  No, if I don't get anything until next year.  I don't have the campground software installed on this computer so I don't know if there have been any bites yet or not.  

Google postcard still not there.  If it doesn't arrive by tomorrow, I will be going to the post office to inquire if they are actually delivering mail out there yet.  They said they would......

A mower is an absolute priority, some of the first seed I planted is starting to get fairly tall.  

And sitting here gazing at the field full of weeds and 3 burn piles? I need that dealt with.  It looks trashy.  I don't really have "extra" funds for that, but I also don't have the luxury of leaving it looking like that if I want people to enjoy their stay here without looking at ugliness.  

It doesn't matter on that one, I can't do anything until it dries up completely and there is more rain in the forecast next week.  It won't be dry enough today or tomorrow for grading and plowing, it'll have to wait until Monday, when there is a 49% chance of rain.  

And whenever I have that dozer here, it's only going to be for a day - I want that gravel dropped.  I have thousands of more dollars to spend out here for bare minimum.  Yet, I will start renting out lots if people are interested.  I'm ready to get people out here, that's all I can say about it.  Get this ground dried up and I can finish everything and get with it. 

Currently the dates are blocked out for anyone wishing to stay now.  I may just change that.  I sent pics to the web guy this morning. The grass is finally starting to get pretty full, regardless of the water blowing out everything.  Anytime I put down the seed, it's a risk of whether the rain coming is going to be light, medium or heavy.  What can I say?  At least I found the seed pretty cheap now. 

I need to install a regular electrical outlet so I can have electricity out here - in case this place ever fills up.  That IS the goal, fill this place up and keep it full.  It might not keep me from having to work another job to begin with but it will certainly make it possible to not have to have an OTR or regional job that keeps me out all the time.   I've been looking, again, for jobs.  It's getting close to time to start filling out applications.  Well, a couple and a half weeks, it will be the beginning of January before I seriously start putting in applications.

If I were doing OTR, I could hired today. Local? That's a bit different ball of wax.  You have to sell yourself to the companies looking for the local drivers because there are a lot of people that want to do the same thing as I do - stay home.  I'll find something - I hope.  It's going to be tough to get back into that type of thinking and routine, I can tell ya that. 

Anyway, if I can get this park at least 80% full and keep it that way, I can more than just survive off of a lower paying local job. Of course, I might just say screw it and find something that pays well - but of course keeps you working all the time. 6 months to a year is the maximum I want to have to do anything like that.  

I've made my decision - just sitting here contemplating things.  The park will open at reduced rates.  Like, available now.  There are good reasons to not open until after everything is done, but I've paid out the money, I have nothing coming in, it's time to at least make it available.  It will mean reduced income if anything does rent out - but I"m hoping if I can get some spaces rented at reduced rates, I can get some reviews up on the board.  I desperately need reviews!  

I am busy removing the blackout dates - from now until the 1st.  Again, I am not going to be depressed if nothing happens, it's the time of year where everyone wants to be settled for the holidays.  There are still people traveling, yes and I expect the only real customers I could possibly get are long term rentals. Never-the-less, I am going to make it available and change the wording on the website. 

In fact, I have determined this to be my next reality to the point I am going home to do all of this on the desktop computer. I'm sitting here with a keyboard in my lap, the laptop on the console and trying to find room for the mouse, lol. 

Yup, I'm doing this. 

 I decided to lower the rates after giving some thought to it.

I need to give an incentive for people to check the park out, setting rates the same as everyone else might not be the best move.  I have no reviews, ratings, nothing from anyone because -no one has ever stayed there before. 

I lowered it by $5, which puts me below the only real competitor in town.  Although they have tight spaces and not that many - more than mine but for something that has been in existence forever, you'd think they would upgrade - they still manage to get decent reviews. They have a fishing pond which is a huge plus for them.  

Still, it's the worst time of year to be opening  a park. Winter and Christmastime. People up north have either already headed down this way and are wherever they are, or they winterize their rig and they are done for the season. The only real people I could possibly find right now are long term tenants.  

So, I didn't drastically reduce the rate but I did bring it down enough to compensate for other parks in the area. I need to get people in there and get some - good -reviews going. We'll see about the good reviews, it's lacking in amenities which is a definitely not a good thing.  No laundry, no clubhouse, no bathroom with showers.  I simply don't have the funds for any of that. 

I mean, I might be able to squeeze by a laundry facility after I find a job, go back to work and get some funds coming in.  But it's really going to take a large loan to get the things in there that I want and need.  

Whatever.

The kids woke me up at 6:00 am.  Mom was outside smoking and the boys were making all kinds of racket just outside my bedroom door, standing next to the toaster.  They know not to wake me up in the morning - or wake anyone up really that is sleeping.  I was never able to get back to sleep so I just ended up getting out of bed much earlier than normal.  Perhaps that's a good thing and I really need to start doing that every day?

It's cold outside, near freezing.  That isn't going to stop me from going over and working today, but it definitely slowed me down, lol.  

I did start listing the park in the directories yesterday.  There are a lot of them, I am only doing it in the ones that are free.  With only 14 spaces, it doesn't make sense to spend money on directories and some of the good ones are free.  This was highly encouraged by the site designer - but makes sense. You end up with "backlinks" that not only give your site more traffic, but also will end up causing your Google rating to go up.  It takes quite a bit of time, lol. 

I'm picking up more junk off the ground today if the ground isn't too wet - I need to be able to take the trailer back there and I'm not risking getting stuck if the ground is still too wet from all the rain.  The sun is shining and that's a huge plus regardless of what I get done today.  

Oh, I knew it was cold today without even looking at the temps. I don't run my space heater in the room at night, no point in wasting electricity when one can just pull more covers over yourself.  But, I sat up and it was freezing in here.  In fact, the heater has now been running for an hour and it has just started to warm up a bit.  

Well, I think I'll add the park to some more directories while letting it warm up a bit outside. Later on today, the older boy is in a choir thing at school - that's not until 5:30 but I am taking them since mom and dad are not going to be available.  Daddy will make it there in time for the actual concert tho, he just won't be home in time to get him to the school for the preparation.  

G'day. 

 Par for the course.

The forecast was for rain at 7:00 am, then 8:45 am, then 9:00 am and now? 

I have plenty to do out there, I just don't want a repeat of yesterday, where it started, stopped, started, stopped - until I was sufficiently wet.  

Whatever the case, I have had the statement that it is open for long term rentals installed on the front page of the website.  

Of course, this is a terrible time of year to be seeking people that want to move in semi-permanently, so I'm not going to be terribly shocked if none or not too many people inquire.

There was one yesterday - he was interested until he heard the monthly rate. I almost laughed at his response, but I guess that's not terribly professional, so I just said ok, bye, have a nice day!  I don't know what he thought was a good rate, but the cheaper ones in this area are trashy. 

I will have competition from that new startup whenever they get that going.  I don't think it's been sold yet.  

There.  I just blocked out the dates until the beginning of next month.  Asked the web designer to go ahead and install the link. that will make the website software "live" and people able to book dates for anytime after January up until - well January 2024 I do believe.  

This will set a fire under my feet to get everything else done.  Not that there isn't one lit there already - well there won't be any fires if no one makes any reservations.  I really have no clue.  

If there isn't any demand, it will signal the "time to go back to work" and find a trucking job.  Which I intended to do anyway, but it'd be nice to get some revenues in from all of this stuff.  My Google site is shut down to seeing any analytics, visitors, etc until that postcard comes and I get the code input into their system. 

Before that happened, it was over 5,000 views in the last 30 days.  

LMAO. NOW it says "Rain expected around 11:00 am".  Make up your d*** minds already!  What the Hercules Hondon! 

You know what I can do instead, since I am left clueless about rain or no rain? Find a good, used riding mower.  I've seen them going for anywhere from $250 on up.  This will be a better idea than just sitting around here wondering if I should go out there or not. YES I should go out there, to check the mailbox, check the property and make sure nothing has been tampered with.  I do that pretty much every single day.  I'm fortunate it's only 4 miles away!  

Oh, and I have a high quality video camera coming for Christmas!  Thanks mom!  I take a ton of videos, a lot of them turn out pretty poor because Iphone videos aren't that great. I was hoping I would get a better camera and video system with the Iphone 13, I was wrong, hope misplaced.  

This thing I'm getting works on either wifi or cable connection to upload to computer or purportedly direction to facebook - not sure how that works.  

Actually, I'm hoping I can just do live videos on the thing via facebook - but I have no clue really. It's probably more of an "upload to facebook" and anywhere else I want it to show type of thing.  It's probably more work - but - it will be much video quality.  I will be able to use it to do a tour of the walking trails and upload it to the website.  

I need to get some help out there.  I just don't want to today because I feel like it might be a waste of time.  Alright, I have something to do now that I have decided to wait to see if it's going to rain.  Off to Facebook Marketplace!

 Pretty much a waste of time. 

I took Addler out there (my doggy) and started picking up all the sticks and digging whatever out of the ground. Then it started to rain. So I went into the shed and waited it out. Back out, pick up more sticks.  More rain.  Back to shed.  Out, pick up sticks.  About the 4th? time, I was 300 feet from the shed and it started raining enough to get me wet is when I decided it's time to pack it up, call it a day and try coming back tomorrow. 

Unless the forecast has changed again, which it well may have, it wasn't "supposed" to start raining until this afternoon.  Whatever. I'm not gong to stand out there getting drenched.  Yes it needs to get done, just like a lot of other things.  I was 5 lots finished at least before I left there.  

Now then, just a few minutes ago, an obviously older gentleman called me, responding to the voicemail I left them last night.  We had a pleasant conversation.  I simply said that I didn't appreciate whoever it was speeding up and down the driveway, getting an attitude with me and doing burnouts on the driveway out onto the street.

That was no exaggeration and I have a witness that could "testify" the same.  You could tell the man was none too pleased to hear about that and said he would take care of it.  Then he said if he had to, he'd put up a gate and that would be that.  No sir, we can't have any gates out there (unless automated with a passcode to get in), I'm just asking these people to slow down, please.  

Anyway, turns out they own a lot of wells around the area, I totally forgot to ask him why Sabine sold the well on my property?  Just out of curiosity, nothing else.  It's interesting that a company would sell off a money maker to someone else.  Why would they do that?

Well, I hope to not have to have another conversation with this gentleman, I'd prefer that that was the only discussion we needed. I don't want to push it.  I did inform him that I had already had an agreement worked out with Sabine, I did not tell him that I have all of that in writing.  I don't want to end up in court, I can't afford that.  You're talking tens of thousands of dollars to hire an attorney with experience with land lease disputes between landowners and oil/gas well operators. 

It's just not worth it.  I had thought of putting speed bumps in but I don't think that's such a great idea with some of these motorcoaches nowadays being so low to the ground, I wouldn't want them bottoming out.  The end result may be that if this man wants to force the issue with a gate, I will have to force the issue with an automated gate.  This would be okay with me, the passcode could just be added to the reservation system. 

There are lots of RV parks with automated gates, it's nothing new or special. I just don't want to have to deal with it. 

Okay, well anyway, I can do nothing else today beyond doing online research on certain things of interest about rv parks that I haven't delved into and also further acquainting myself with the online reservation software.  Or I can just sit in solitude, listen to the rain pattering on the house and have quiet time, something that doesn't happen often around here with kids running around, making lots of noise and demanding attention.  

I need to figure out how to block out dates between now and January 1st and then go ahead and go live with the software.  There is a block out "thing" on there, I just haven't tried to use it.  Then, I can go ahead and get it live, up and running and if anyone is interested, they can reserve dates as far as a year in advance.  

Why so long? Well, I can start earlier if everything is good enough, I just want it up and going so people can start reserving spots. RV'ers do this stuff well in advance, especially if they're coming from northern states heading south either for the winter (now) or heading for locations south or east of here in the spring or summer.  I'm serious, these people do this so far in advance because a lot of the campgrounds fill up to 100% capacity.  You can't take a chance that you are going to just find a place that has an open spot.  

They figure out their destination and then they figure out the route they're going to take and after that, they figure out where they want to stop - and then they start looking for RV parks in the general area that have decided to stop along the way.  Number 1, if you don't have online reservation system, you will lose a lot of potential business. Number 2, when you have that system, it will automatically block out the dates the customer is choosing.  

Well enough of this.  I need to sit here and think for a while.

\

 Typical for the weather forecast.  Severe weather with potential for tornadoes, heavy winds, yada yada yada was supposed to start early this morning. Then it moved to 9 am. Then to noon. Now it's at almost 2 pm.  These so-called forecasts are annoying.  

Since it's not going to rain for a while - quite a while allegedly - I'm going over and start picking up all the sticks on the lots.  Stuff I just haven't gotten to.  I need two full days of sunshine preferably before renting a dozer - and hopefully on that day also have the gravel brought out so I can spread it.

Yeah, I have no clue how to spread gravel, but I'll be learning! lmao 

I watched the dozer operator spreading gravel when they put it all down on the new driveway and lots.  It helps, doesn't make me an expert but I at least have an idea.  How hard can it be? Well, once you get behind the controls of any piece of heavy equipment, having no clue what you are doing, you will find out.  

I have operated a grader in the past - far past.  It took a while to figure out what all of those controls do. There are lots of them on graders as you can angle the blade to any pitch, move it sideways, move it up and down, angle the wheels - lots of things you can do.  Dozers don't have near that many controls and I don't really think it's going to take long to get the idea of it.  

The driveway is the final hold up to opening. It's currently muddy and I can't have that.  There is a 500 foot stretch that absolutely must have a layer of fresh gravel put down.  

Oh, I'm going to call this "new" company that owns the production well today and have a conversation about their employees.  That one yesterday? If I see him out there again pulling that bs, I'm going to get video and I will call the sheriff's office to find out what, if anything, I can do about it.  

Just another annoyance.  People that don't give a s*** about anyone else.  

No sense sitting here wasting valuable time, I'm off to the property. I think I'll take Addler today.  Marc is on his way to Fort Worth and said he could come back next week.  I'll be here!  Lol.

G'day

 Ridiculous.

I had to call the gas company - more than once I will tell you that - to finally get a reply from the man who said I would never hear from him again. I wasn't calling him, I called the main office in Houston.  They reroute it to him and I'm sure he's glad to dump this problem on someone else.

But why, oh why, didn't he tell me this information long ago? What did I find out? The gas company sold the well to some other company last December!  What the Hercules hondons is this nonsense?  

Why would a company sell off a gas well that is producing?  I have no clue. They must have their reasons, maybe it's not projected to put off that much more gas, maybe they don't want to deal with me, maybe a lot of things.  I was going to call them today, but....

This dude comes flying up the driveway today. He's going 25-30 mph - which is a lot for this driveway.  I yelled at him even with windows closed. When he comes back?  He stops. What's up? Could you please slow down?  Instead of saying yes, he asked how fast I think he was going.  At least 25, if not 30, not now on the way back but when you went in here.  

Nope, wrong.  I wasn't going to play with this kid.  I just threw up my hands and said do whatever you're going to do. I didn't bother to tell him I would be calling his company. So what does this idiot do?  He goes flying down the rest of the driveway, slows down but doesn't stop at the street and then does a burnout staring in the driveway, tearing up a portion of it and then flying down the road. 

Yeah, that is NOT going to work. I did not address him with attitude, I asked politely if he could please slow down. I had NO idea this is a totally different company and that explains why everything with these people has changed.  This stuff is pushing me to the edge. I had had enough of this nonsense long ago, today escalated it to another level.  

I'll be calling "them" tomorrow. I looked up the address of the business, it is a house in a residential neighborhood. The address the old gas company gave me. So then, I looked up the name of the company on Google and it came up with the same address.  I hesitate to believe the man at the old company was playing games with me and the name of the company did show up on a Google search, indicating that it is a company involved with gas exploration, so I guess? 

Marc was out there before I arrived this morning.  He was trying to get X amount of the cleanup done.  I spent hours dumping more grass seed. Over all the lots and then working on the back end where Marc has already cleaned up.  That's all dirt and I definitely want grass back there - weeds WILL grow eventually if I don't have something ELSE in it's place. There is no sense in doing all the work and not dealing with it right off the bat.  It will take several seedings, this I know, just like the lots.  But the end result will be worth it.  

Anyway, he is all but done with everything behind the RV pads, he is heading out to Dallas tomorrow.  We left early, around 1:00 pm - last week just didn't get behind me or him. "We are getting old" he stated after I said my legs are aching again. I don't know why my legs are hurting so bad when I'm doing that work - maybe my shoes need upgraded.  I don't have the problem any other time....

The rental place sent me a pic of a dozer today.  I have been asking them for months about renting one, not in a hurry to spend that much money, but I did keep in communication.  Their other unit's engine went out and apparently the cost is more than the thing is worth. Sounds about right. A diesel engine replacement in a semi tractor is at least 30 grand, I can see it costing much more in a huge piece of earth moving equipment with a much larger engine.  They went out and bought another one. It's not new but it looks in decent condition.  I don't care how old it is, I just need the thing to do what I need it to do. 

I replied awesome! And then proceeded to say I would be renting it after the rain stops and the ground dries up.  I am not going to spend that kind of money with wet soil. I want to take down the weeds - and - level the ground.  And then sparsely seed it with the ryegrass. I say sparsely because we're talking at least 5 acres worth.  Just get some grass out there growing. It doesn't need to be thick to start with, I just want to get something going.  

I would rather be overseeding existing grass in the spring than starting from scratch and trying to beat the weeds.  

 Last week pretty much blew me away.  I stayed out there and just worked until I couldn't do anymore.  After Monday-Friday of that, I had nothing left on Saturday.  I went out there, looked at everything and then went to install the mailbox.

The concrete wasn't set, but I decided that since the weight of the box would be on top of the post pushing down, I could still safely install it on the post.  Normally I would just wait until I'm 100% sure it's set, dried out and not going to have to start over.  But, that pesky postcard from Google is coming and I needed to be sure the box is there, ready and waiting.  I need that Google account.

Anyway, there has been lots of rain -good for the grass to grow. I am going to put out another 100 pounds of seed I have left today.  Over the existing grass - a light seeding to try and thicken it and also over the far rear of the back in lots. I have grass going maybe 10 feet back. Beyond that it's just dirt.  Yea, I know, I "should have" seeded it before.  Priorities.  Time. Energy.  

Well, maybe cancel that.  I'll have to check the weather. It's supposed to rain tomorrow and allegedly it's going to be a gully washer.  A waste of time and money to seed it when the rain is just going to wash it away.  However, that area is where all the seed would go to when it does wash it away. I dunno, I'll just have to make a call on it when I get there this morning.  

I think Marc is coming for half a day today.  I was going to light up the burn piles but I suspect everything is still quite wet. That leaves just doing a lot of cleanup work.  Sticks everywhere, I need all of that gone.  Tomorrow may be a rain day, I'm try to get as much cleanup done today as possible.  If it is a rain day, I'll just spend it going over the software again - and again - I'm trying to learn all the different aspects to it. There is a lot to learn.  There are dozens of training videos as well.  

I need to write down what's left to do.  Add up all the costs and see how that is going to leave me financially The big one is gravel - more gravel gag - and getting the weeds cleared on the rest of the land.  I just ordered a dispenser for the dog waste bags, just need a trash can.  I want more picnic tables - I'll get them as I can afford them.  Oh,; and the walking trails.  Just need to do a final clean up.  A good, solid day should finish that off.  

Wait. Hopefully tomorrow it does rain. I need to get Christmas shopping done and over with!  

I'm just trying to get the negativity of the word "monday" out of my head. It is the day that the Lord has made and I will be glad and rejoice in it!

Did I say I went to church yesterday?  I'm pretty sure I wouldn't even be going but now the kids are hooked on it and want to go every single Sunday.  This particular church isn't exactly my cup of tea, but it's a good start.  The boys love it - they get dressed and are ready to go Sunday morning before I even get out of bed. They are still of the age that they really have no sense of time - so they think when they get up it's time to go, lmao.  Uhh, no, it's still 2 hours til church.  

Ohhhh, the look on their faces as they face the prospect of having to wait for 2 hours lol.  The service is only an hour long, the church has a few adult programs but nothing on the scale of what you would expect to find in such a large place with so many people.  They are definitely geared towards children's ministry, all well and fine, I was looking for adult social meetings/clubs to engage new people.  And, the few adult meetings they do have? Are on Sunday morning! Lol, they have 2 regular services, I guess you go to adult meetings during one service and go to the church service after. 

They have a Wednesday service - well bible study - in the AM as well.  It's just strange their setup. Maybe that's just what they found would work?  There are 100 other churches in the area, but now that the kids are hooked on that church, it would be difficult to tell them we are going somewhere else.  

Anyway, it's still early. Coffee time, I got up early to get my thoughts in order, have a cup or two of coffee and prepare myself for a day full of the wonders of picking up branches, lol.

G'day.  

 Yesterday, we stopped at around 5 hours of work. That was enough - for both of us.  I had to leave early anyway and none too soon, as far as I was concerned.

That doggy park ......

There are roots growing up out of the ground from the trees that used to be there - all over the place. There are thorn vines growing - all over the place.  Pull them with hands, dig with shovel, try to cut with shovel and when all else fails, get out the chainsaw and cut that stuff out of the ground.  It's just that there's so much of it.  I can't have dogs running around getting cuts and potentially tripping and getting hurt. 

Dogs are usually very agile but I just couldn't leave it like that.  Not a good look.  The point? I was totally exhausted and my legs were hurting again from all the up and down all over the place.  Not to mention installing signs, tightening up fencing, cutting down tree limbs elsewhere and generally getting stuff done.

Marc was none to slow to agree with me that it was time to quit.  He was also pretty well worn out. He has a trip to Dallas on Tuesday, then down to Houston and then over to Galveston, he doesn't want to be so worn out that he can't enjoy himself.  He's hauling some cardboard out to the property today - I still have huge burn piles and they will likely be there when the park opens.  Not everything is going to be taken care of, I just want the RV park portion done right or as right as possible anyway.  

I'm going out today to install the mailbox.  I might redo the fire pit. I don't like the way it turned out and want to redo it. Marc made it into a big rectangle, but I think I just want a plain old round pit like everyone else has.  I can use the work he did in digging down a bit, I'll just have to dig out to the sides a bit more.  I'm looking for about 48 inch diameter.  

I'm taking the weekend off after that.  I have had enough and it's going to start raining today and supposedly through tomorrow anyways. I need a rest.  As I have stated repeatedly, but it keeps creeping into my mind, this is probably not the best time of year to be opening an RV park anyways. 

Regardless, when the Google pass code arrives, I will enter that, get my site showing again, get the gravel dumped and open the park. The gravel for the old driveway that is.  I am limiting it to areas that absolutely must have it - which is about 500 feet worth of alongside the RV park itself.  5 loads will be around $2,700.  Scaling it down from what I was going to do, in other words.  Much of the driveway alongside the RV park is just dirt, the gravel has been ground down so long it's nothing but fine powder, but in this area, it's not even there anymore.  

Haircut day.  Inconsequential things a day of the life in...lol.  Boys as well. I usually take them to get haircuts when I go - get the mailbox in, look at the bricks, look at them again, leave lmao.  No, I might stay and at least dig out the rest of the hole.  I just don't think a rectangular fire pit looks - normal.  I have 2 picnic tables built, the firepit won't take maybe a couple of hours to form it and then I'll have to use special glue to hold the bricks together.  There is some more cleanup and there is a field full of weeds and the driveway.  Put down more seed in the doggy park - I did some yesterday but I have 2 more 50 pound bags. 

We are, in other words, getting this almost done. A lot of the grass seed came up, not all of it but I think  at this point? Yeah.  I can put down more seed, of course, but waiting on that any longer isn't going to happen.  So, more grass seed and there is cleanup on the lots to do.  I'd say 4 hours of cleanup on the lots.  I just need some decent help to get past the finish line.  I can do it myself, of course, it will just take longer.  

If I can find some decent help - and yes I have been looking for people - I could probably have all or most of this done by the end of next week.  Go live on the campground reservation system and get her rolling.  If there is no or little customers to start with, that's not really going to shake me up too much considering the time of year it is.

G'day

 Lmao @ the forecasters saying there was a 57% chance of rain this morning.  How about a 99% chance they are wrong. They are always wrong.  Even if it does rain, they are way off by when it will start and when it will end.  Well, there's no rain. The sky continues to be overcast, something that has been that way a lot lately.  

But, it's good news for working.  Let's keep moving forward with this, shall we? I have 2 stops to make this morning before I can get to the property and since I have the trailer, I want to get there early so Marc can continue with  his cleanup stuff while I continue with signs, the doggy park, etc.  

The boys replied to an ad I put out for workers.  I had to laugh. No mention of running the ATV into the brand new shed!  I didn't even reply to him.  He is probably too dense to figure out that people that destroy other people's property while working for the other people and don't even fess' up to it? Probably aren't going to be welcomed back with open arms.  

However.  It may come down to me addressing him about it and then seeing if he admits to it and apologizes or not.  I could use the help and if he is under supervision, he'll work. The other one not so much.  I am referring to the 25 and 17 year old brothers.  The 17 year old started out well, but digressed into watching his brother work while he stands there holding a rake or whatever.  

Anyway, I don't get a lot of replies for this kind of work. Why would anyone want to actually work for some money?  Well, at least there is some replies to it now that I had a spare moment to take a look. And lookit that! The rain that was supposed to start in the middle of the night? Just now started! Won't last long, but maybe enough to water the grass/seed.  

Not going to stop me from heading up to Harbor Freight for some drill bits and then over to Lowe's for the remaining blocks for the fire pit.  

Besides gravel, I should be getting down to the point of "I don't think I need anything else but some people to show up in RV's".  

Oh, but that damn Google postcard.  That's just a bit maddening.  Why don't they require that right at the start? You know, while you're setting it up, a prompt comes up and says, "Oh, by the way, we need to verify your address. We will send you a postcard with a code on it, your account will be inactive until this is accomplished".  Yeah, you know, something along those lines?

I'm tired. I need a break, lol.  It's just constant go go go. There is an end in sight, it's just still a bit far away. 

Oh well, sitting here complaining accomplishes nothing. Off to the races!

G'day

 The post office this morning. They were not busy, but they made me wait close to half an hour to speak a manager who turned out to be the postmaster and made sure that I understood who she was, lmao. I'm sure I was at that post office for an hour trying to figure out what I needed to do. This lady said well THERE'S your problem! You don't have a mailbox installed yet! Yes, I know that, but I was informed there were other things that need to be done to get mail delivered?

Yes. A litany of things- but none of which are my responsibility and not worth going into. The end story is that they are going to deal with it on their end and I started the process of installing a mailbox today on mine. The process is putting in the pole, lol. I cemented it in but it may take days for it to dry enough to put the box on top of it. But it's vitally crucial that I get that thing up and probably just going to do it tomorrow and be careful not to disturb the pole too much. 

That's because of this Google situation where they want to verify the address by sending a postcard before they will reinstate my account.  OK, I just clicked on the stuff to get them to send the postcard.  They say 5 business days that means Thursday next week, gag.  I'll wait to put up the box since I have time and I'd like the concrete to have time to dry out.

The posts I put in for the gates aren't even dry yet. 

Much more grass came up as of today. It isn't a full lawn on any of them, but it's much closer to looking full than it any point up until now.  

Did I say I am totally worn out? We went at it for 8 hours today - I haven't done anything like that since before I got Covid the last time. But, Marc showed up again today and was there long before I got there. Because after the post office, Lowe's. I was dragging the 7 year old with me, who was begging me to get him something to eat.  Lowe's was an hour.  Another $128 worth of stuff there and then over to Walmart - out of dog food. They didn't have Addler's food, the Iam minichunks. Addler absolutely loves that stuff. I got him the Chicken adult chunks instead. Sorry doggy, they didn't have your stuff.  

Getting hot again - or very warm I'll call it with high humidity - I stopped for ice and then off to the races. He was there with the trailer, loading up leaves, branches - whatever.  I got busy digging a hole for the mailbox post, put the post in, cemented it and moved on to the picnic tables.  Horrible design and ridiculous to put together.  I ended up switching from their screws to the type I use for wood projects - goes in much easier.  After putting those together, I checked the posts for the doggy park gate. 

Still visibly wet.  To the shed, I finished up the remaining fire pit rings.  Off to the rear of the property, installed more signs for the walking trails.  By the time I got all of that done, it was close to 4:00pm and I went over to ask if he was done for the day. YES!  So, we unloaded all of that stuff on the trailer at one of the burn piles and we went home.

My legs are killing me.  It's been a long day and there are many more of those to come.  I would like to get all of this over with - the hard part stuff that I won't have to do again any time soon.  There's a chance of rain tonight and tomorrow, in the 50% range.  I'm not looking for excuses not to work, especially with this guy helping me.  I intend on cutting out all the stuff sticking out of the ground in the doggy park tomorrow.  Roots, twigs, all kinds of junk.  It's chainsaw work.  Clear everything out - that will take a good portion of the day right there.  

But, I have to go back to Lowe's yet again and get the rest of the block to finish the main fire pit.  And a set of drill bits.  I'm trying to not spend money, but these things? I have no choice.  I'm not going to have a half-assed set up with what little amenities I have.  It would have been nice if I had remembered the game I was going to get for near the fire pit.  Oh, and I need stain for those picnic tables.  

All I can say is it's coming together.  2 more weeks max.  I hope anyway.  I need Google going again, that's a bit ridiculous. They could have asked for this verification long ago.  I also changed the address for the park today - it was at my house for when I started the LLC because I had no address over there at the time. 

I've got to get all of those tall, dead weeds mowed down and I need a riding lawn mower, used please, less than $500 preferably, please and thank you.  Very likely going to rent the heavy duty machine to get rid of the weeds - it's less than what anyone wants to come out and do the job and after the last dude I had out there to clear everything? I'd far rather do that stuff myself.  

And, of course several thousand more dollars worth of gravel gag. 

Cleanup - including getting rid of the weeds - is the biggest energy consumer left to go, I think.  It's just long days, that's all I can say about it.

 It was not my inaction that caused this problem. I went to the Post Office and asked to speak with whoever to have an address listed for mail delivery.  Okay, it was my fault. They never called me back and I put it out of my mind - until last night.

That's when I realized my Google business page is gone. Well, not gone, just not showing to anyone but me.  They want to verify the address by sending a postcard. Never heard of such a thing.  So, I just changed the address with Texas Comptroller - but that will take up to 7 business days and I suspect I will have to show paperwork proving it's the actual address to the Post Office to get mail service started.

I wonder if I can just change the address on Google and have them send the mail here to my house.  Google is very important to the success of this business, it's what everyone uses to find campgrounds in any given area.  "We're going to stop somewhere around here" and then they look up campgrounds in the area.  Literally, a lot of them do it like that. If they are on their way somewhere, the full timers typically drive around 300 miles per day (max) and then stop somewhere for a day, several days, whatever they wish.  

It's a lot of retired people and there many who have jobs where they can "work from home".  

Anyway, told the boy to get out of his pajamas, get some clothes on cause' I have a lot of stuff to do. He was sick with fever yesterday, he hasn't had a fever since yesterday morning. However.  The school system requires a student to show 24 hours of no fever before returning to school. It's just a requirement they have - he can't go back to school today and mom is out working.  I am able to drag him along with me, she is not.  She goes to people's homes to visit in person with the program she is doing with them.  

I don't mind, he likes "adventure" aspect of it and he usually tries to help out of his own volition with whatever I am doing.  

After the post office, Lowe's is required. 

Texted Marc and told him I won't be out there until after 10 am.  Post Office takes priority, even if they tell me things I don't want to hear, I need to know what they require to get postal service over there.  I need it in the business name, not my name - or a combination of both I guess.  Or I guess getting mail delivered to me personally there would be my name and then C/O the rv park?  

Who knows.  

I have a list of stuff to do at the property today, tomorrow, until it's done basically. I'm starting the thing up after everything is done regardless of Google. If I can't get any business without Google, so beit, it's not going to cost me anything more to have it opened with no customers. The grass is an issue, hopefully all of that seed will sprout soon!  I dunno, but after I get everything else done, I am highly likely just going to open up and be done with it, grass or no grass. I have like half of it growing and the rest is dirt with seed on it.  

Well, off to the races.

G'day

 I spent a solid hour this morning - well maybe more actually - going through the campsite software.  I saw the things I needed to change and started working on that. This is hardly my forte.  Just burdensome to me.  I couldn't for the life of me remember how to get to the refunds page. It took me almost the entire time I was perusing things and trying to get the software into my head to remember they have training videos - a LOT of them - and sure enough I found one.

And then remembered why I couldn't find it. It's only to be found on an existing reservation.  Yeah, no one is staying there - yet.

As it stands, the 7 year old was sick this morning begging me to stay home with him. But, the friend of Maria's was coming out to the property and I need the help.  Mom had already determined he could go with her so I was out of there.  Well, I sat with the boy for a while - he was just clingy, pretty much his nature.  

We spent a good portion of the day getting stuff done. Marc started on the fire pit but ended up getting the big trailer and working on cleaning up the west side of the property. Oh, how badly that needs to be done!  I just haven't had time for it and frankly, I was going to just let it pass even with the opening -whenever that will be. 

I dug out the other post hole for the gate, put the post in, cemented it, leveled it and done with that.  Then I put all 8 of the fire rings together - well mostly, some of the screws had damaged threads. In fact, some of the rings themselves were slightly damaged.  Nothing I'm going to report, I don't have time to be returning stuff and I got it all together. I just need to go to Lowe's in the morning, get some extra screws/nuts and finish those.  

I also put together a dump wagon - it's a thing with 4 wheels, a tub that holds whatever you want in it and tilts to dump it.  After that, I went to look at the picnic tables. I was going to start putting those together - but - I need a carpenter's square and clamps according to the front panel.  I don't have either, but James does have some clamps. I'll have to go get the square.  

I then looked at the firepit.  Put the second layer of stones on it.  I think it's going to need some mud to hold it together.  I need to look that up. I can't have them loose, they'll just get knocked over by people. It won't take much to cement them in, not a big deal. I need 25 more stones and the mud and that's finished.  

As I said, I got a lot done today and the friend got a lot done. It's really motivating to have someone out there with a good work ethic helping.  At the end, I was using the new dump trailer to pick up sticks in the doggy park. There are several roots sticking up out of the ground I need to cut with the chainsaw, but that is 75% cleaned up.  I'll be out there again tomorrow, of course. There is a 22% chance of rain- meaning if it does rain, it's not a death blow for working. I'll finish the rings, work on the picnic tables and if time permits, cut out the roots.  It does need to rain, tho.  The ground was wet today, I didn't bother to water the seed, it was clearly moist.

Some of the seed has popped out.  I'm not sure which batch it is that popped up tho.  

I can tell ya, if this seed doesn't want to play nice, I will end up opening the park with half-grass and screw it.  I need to get this thing going, waiting eternally for grass to grow isn't going to cut it. I'll give it another week - while I'm finishing everything else. It's really just everything else that I'm working on now before I go ahead and get the thing posted as open for business.  I'm not going to be dismayed if there isn't a lot of traffic coming in at first.  It's almost Christmastime. 

Oh. Well there is also cleanup to do in the walking trails. It isn't a lot, but it's just more time and energy.  

Oh yes.  I waved at the gas operator employee as he exited the property today. I mean, waving big and smiling big. What was his response? Ignore me, as is their want. These people are total jackasses.  Whatever. I'm going to just continue waving at these people, if they are miserable people, they can be miserable people.  I'm not going to be miserable with them and more importantly, now that they've said they won't communicate with me further, I'm going to do my thing. I won't be informing them of any changes or alterations or usage of going through "their" setup.

They are not going to stop me from having tent camping sites back there - excepting the driveway.  That's a sticking point.  If these cost overruns hadn't gone so high - inflation kicked my @$$ in this venture and it's still biting me - I would have easily had enough money to have the entire driveway dumped with fresh gravel and also have a boondocking site going with gravel as well.

I'm stuck at around 5 truckloads of gravel now.   That's close to 3k.  It's going to be one of the last things I do before I open the park. It would only take a few hours for them to deliver it and they can get it done without a lot of notice.  It doesn't matter about weather, either, it's an existing driveway.  

So what's left.  The grass, of course.  Cleanup - that's a big one and a lot of time and energy being spent on that.   Sign installation - about 8 signs that need to be put up . Wifi - totally spaced that out, I have been so busy with everything else.  Get the property cleared/bush hogged.  I dunno what else, missing a few things I just can't think of. Laundry will have to wait, unfortunately. Probably a deal breaker for some.  Picnic tables, finish fire rings and install them - which is just place them where I want them.  Corn hole - that's a trip to Walmart.  Benches - build a couple and order one for the doggy park. Good thing I just thought of that, I can order that one for the doggy park tonight.  

Every doggy park I've every been to has at least one bench and a dog waste station.  You might be surprised how much money they want for one of those stations - and I have endlessly looked. My answer is just a plastic bag dispenser mounted on a pole and a regular trash can.  I don't want to come off cheap - not trying to at all - but some of this stuff is just too much money and I can't deal with it right now. Put something out there to deal with it that actually works.  "Pretty" things will come later.

BTW, this guy that has been helping me? He's in his 60's, not in the best of condition but not terribly bad. He far outworks that 17 and 25 year old set of brothers I was having out there previously. I don't put any pressure on him at all, he can work at his own pace and quit when he wants to. But today? I got 5 hours out of him and that was solid work. There were breaks, of course, but I couldn't be happier.  He's coming again tomorrow and I hope he will just continue on with the cleanup he's been doing while I get the other stuff done. 

I need to get up early and get to Lowe's, get the blocks, the mud and the screws to be able to finish those projects.  I don't think the post concrete will be set, I'm going to let that go a couple of days.  It's a semi-permanent setup, I want that concrete solid.  

And with all of this going on - I need to get presents for people for Christmas! Dang!  Talk about spacing things out.  

Oh well.

G'nite. 

 Another hour and 20 minutes on the phone today with the campgournd software dude taking me through a bunch of stuff and pointing out things I still need to do - which I have since finished half of it - and helping me how to figure out how to do certain things. Such as a refund - I couldn't figure out how that works but he walked me through that one. There was a lot of ground covered and I did take notes but there is so much to this software.

I am spending free time just trying to remember what he showed me today.  Some of it is fairly simple, some of it is rather complex.  It's a lot of different things you have to click through to get something done.  Right now, I need to work on my letters.  These are cancellation letters, thank you letters, policy letters, etc.  And I need to add a disclaimer to the form they have to click on when registering for a lot.  This is that mumbo jumbo no one reads but is necessary inclusion that a person has to agree to before they can pay.

And there is an entire grid for the lots, showing which is available on whatever days and what has been rented. And the ability to block days on certain lots - or all of them if you needed to - to have it available for whatever. I can't imagine that, but you never know.  

I'll figure it all out eventually. Just have to keep going through it and get it all in my head.

Anyway, I put in one of the posts for the gate today but I didn't have enough concrete for the second post. Instead, I went around putting on bailing wire to hold the fencing to the posts.  I still have a bit to do on that, but it's almost done.  

The grass seed still hasn't popped up.  

The friend of Maria's is coming out tomorrow, I'd like him to finish the community fire pit.  This is all him volunteering, Maria said he doesn't want paid.  I don't really want to be taking advantage of people or even feel like I am tho.  Anyway, the signs were done so I went up and got them, went to Chili's - I won a gift card at the Christmas party - over to Lowe's where I spent quite a bit of time looking for everything and trying to get the two picnic tables. 

I did get them, but they are kits. All of the wood is in them, I would assume the screws and whatever else as well. I have no idea how long they take to assemble. 

I'm going to put in the other post tomorrow for the gate, assemble a dump wagon - it's a plastic thing on wheels with a handle that holds whatever you want to put in it.  I need something to pick up sticks as I'm walking around with it and shovel dirt to move elsewhere.  Just something I really need. There are sticks literally everywhere and there are small mounds of dirt that need shoveled and gone.  

I have my 15 MPH speed limit sign, there is already a nice, wood post near the front of the driveway to mount it to.  And other signs I needed as well.  

Anyway, I got what I could get done today, tomorrow is another day.  

I don't really have anything else. It's been a long day. 

 That was easy.  It's all quite wet out there and I'm not sinking into the ground trying to dig out post holes, I definitely don't need to water anything and the only thing I could have really done out there is start putting the fire rings together. 

However, I am called to Longview in a little bit, so I will either start on those this afternoon or get a jump on it tomorrow morning.  I have the trailer hooked up, I am going to get 2 picnic tables tomorrow morning as well.  I would get all of them that they have at Lowe's - but I don't think it's prudent to spend that much money right now.  

If people want an outdoor picnic, they'll have to go to the community firepit area for use of picnic tables.  That's where I'm putting the 2 tables, near the what will be built-in firepit.  I actually need 16 tables in total. That's $2,704 plus tax, call it an even 3 grand. Nope.  That money is going to gravel.  I'll spend $350 instead on 2 tables and call it good - for now. 

I'm looking for that grass seed to germinate and pop up soon.  The next couple of days, hopefully.  I decided to list rentals available on my Facebook page at a discounted rate.  I'm not getting many views on that page yet, last week was like 12 views.  

But, if someone wants to rent a lot, they can do so in person.  Hand me a check, cash, paypal or cashapp. Lol.  When the site is up and running - and it should be this week - it'll take credit cards.  

Since I'm getting close to opening, I need to ask the septic dude if there's anything I need to do before turning the switch to the on position.  I have no idea and they didn't tell me.  

Well Longview looms.  I don't think we're going to be over there all afternoon tho if we are, I might as well look at Home Depot in person and see if they have any tables. They are usually cheaper than Lowe's - but online it looks like they are $40 more expensive.  

I did stop at the sign place today, I'm having a permanent 15 MPH sign made for the driveway which will be posted near the front, a sign with the address only on it and I needed another walking trail sign.  There is a place where it may be confusing where to go.  Just a $10 sign make it worth it for people to understand that one of the 3 directions they can go? Only one of them is going to take them out of there the same way they came in.

Now, if they want to explore the other trails, be my guest.  It's all safe for walking.

Anyway, I need to get ready to leave - again.

 Well lit rained overnight.  It didn't sound like a heavy rain - I surely hope it wasn't.  As I have stated before, heavy rains just wash the grass seed away, wasting time, money and energy.   I'm out of time, money is going down and energy levels come and go.  I have no desire to have to reseed that entire thing all over again as if starting from scratch. 

I don't mind reseeding after all of this current seeds pops up.  It's all about motivation.  You'd have to put yourself in my shoes to understand where I'm coming from. This has been a very long road with a lot of obstacles.  Many of the obstacles are gone, it's just getting everything in place now.  

There is one continency that isn't going away anytime soon and that's that gas company.  The manager that I was communicating with is a total jackass.  We aren't talking anymore and I am going to do my thing.  If they don't like it, they can come out there and tell me to my face.  More likely, they'd take me to court.

The RV park is safe. It's in front of the "Production Unit" area and they can't do anything about that. I have, in writing, their "permission" to use "their" driveway.  Those emails aren't going anywhere. In fact, I think I'll store off-computer.

But, the man alluded to the idea that "no one is allowed on the production unit".  I didn't ask his permission and we weren't discussing that, he was just being an @$$.  Previous conversations with him - long ago actually - had him stating that owners on other properties were driving right through those production areas and he thought it "dangerous" Meaning, at least to me, that they really can't stop you from driving anywhere on your property.  

We've already been down this path of him attempting to tell me that I had to build a separate driveway next to the existing one. In a pig's eye.  

Anyway, I am done with those people.  The only thing I am going to address now is their employees speeding down the driveway.  I've been putting that off because I really am not wanting to get into physical confrontation with them. Not that I'm afraid of confrontation, but it may open up a Pandora's box - the worst case scenario them taking me to court. They have millions of dollars, I do not.  Highly likely they have a legal team - I do not.  But they trash the driveway every time they go speeding down it with no cares in the world. 

Why should they care? Those employees don't care about my operation and they are basically immune to any idea that I can somehow force them to slow down.  Well, I can, actually.  I have thought about what I can do and one thing I can do is install speed bumps that will send them flying if they go over them at 25-30mph.  

Anyway, I'm going to get a 15MPH sign made up - that was the original speed limit that their company had set on that driveway.  I wanted 10. I'll go with what they had.  And now I'm hearing from fire department that they would "like" me to have a sign out front that has the actual address written on it.  It's a $10 sign, I'll be happy to indulge them.  Basically, one of my friend's friends was over yesterday asking about if they had come out to inspect the line installation?

Uhhh, I called over there twice and they said I didn't need permission to do anything out there besides septic.  This is when you feel glad that you used a contractor.  If there is a problem, it's on the contractor. If they were supposed to show someone line installations, I'm not paying for it to be dug up to show them.  

I'm not concerned about that. I paid enough money for that stuff, the contractor will have to deal with it.  But I doubt he will, the county has said nothing about any installation of pipe. The contractor has been installing septic systems for 30 years, I'm sure he has some sort of relationship with the county. 

Shrugs shoulders.  

Back to the Production area, there is no access to the rear of the property without going through some portion of it.  This is what he meant the other day when he said "you should have done your homework".  Sorry, jackass, I did my homework when I originally contacted you about setting up an RV park and if there were any objections.  There was no mention of traveling through the production area - either yea or nay.  All of that is also in writing. This is why I don't really like talking to these entities on the phone, you have no record of it.  

I don't really know what the future of any tent camping sites is, it's on hold anyway.  I just can't spend the money on spreading gravel that entire driveway.  I'll do what I have to up to the RV area, but the rest of it is just going to have to wait.  I really wanted tent camping and some day I may very well get it, but it's not going to be right now.  

I do have "permission" to us the corner of the production area to have hikers use to access the trails.  Again, I'm trying to stay out of legal trouble with these people.  I'm sure they are well accustomed to dealing with land owners that are doing things they may not approve of.  One thing I do know, I have found online access to all kinds of information about the well, who owns and operates it. I just have to find any records of a lease agreement.  That well is 10,000 feet deep, according to the graph, lol.

Anyway, time to be off to the property.  Take the rest of those fire rings over there. If nothing else (if it's muddy out there) I can start putting those together. 

G'day