Tuesday December 11, 2012-Inks Lake State Park

My day began with a bang this morning. When I turned the television on to start checking the news, the receiver decided not to come on. It showed me a "repairing hard drive" screen like it had done a while back when we were traveling back to Texas. The problem with today's alarm was that it didn't reset and apparently couldn't find the antenna because it came up as not receiving a signal. I went through the resetting process several times but it just wouldn't work. I gave up on it for now and went about my business but when Stella got up, things got much more serious. When she couldn't watch Price is Right, I knew the receiver was doomed. Sure enough, we took it into Marble Falls where I had seen a Dish Network store. When we got there the lady told me that they only sold new Dish Network subscribers and did not service existing customers. She referred us to another Dish store in nearby Kingsland, Satellite Station. When we got there, the lady was much more curt and seemed in a bad mood when she informed me that they would ONLY serve their customers and since we had not bought from them, there was nothing she could do for me. Wow, what a total lack of customer service! As soon as we left, I called the Dish Network and spoke to a very nice lady there who agreed that the receiver had gone out and took my information so they can send me another receiver. I told her about the lady at Satellite Station but she said it was up to individual dealers to take care of outside customers. I told her that this was a reflection on the company but she had no comment. At any rate, we should have a new box in a couple of days.

On a brighter note, I came back home and after fiddling around with the box, turning it off and on and jiggling the wires (and saying a few bad words), the receiver came back on. It started and stopped a couple of times, but we had television reception again. And best of all, I didn't miss NCIS.

This afternoon I went on the nature trail hike with some of the ladies in the park. It was a beautiful day for a hike, with temperatures in the 60's and bright sunny skies. Several of the other hosts here have been coming here for years, and one couple, Mike and Cathy, are from this area. Mike told me that he has been coming to the park for 60 years! Cathy was with us today as well as Sue, another who has been coming here for 10 years or more, so they led us on our trek. Two other ladies, our friend Becky-along with her little dog Scooter- and another lady who is a visitor in the park and just wanted to make the hike (didn't catch her name) went today. Fresh and ready to start the hike, we decided to walk the .4 mile to the park headquarters where the hiking trail was. We later paid the price when we completed the hike and had to walk back...

Before we go too much further, I told you the other day that I would take photos on this hike but decided not to take my camera for fear of dropping it or falling and damaging it but I did take my phone. The photos just didn't make me happy, so I am not including them. Trust me, there were some beautiful views that we saw and I wish I could show them to you. Maybe Becky got some good shots that I can get. I'll get back to you on that.

The hike went very well and we only took one wrong turn. The trail is marked with painted dots alongside the trail. There are red dots, blue dots and our trail, with yellow dots. At one point, we came to a fork in the trail and briefly went down the wrong path but soon realized the error, so we turned around and got back on the right one. I'm not saying we were lost, only on the wrong path. Of course, if I had been leading, it would have been said it is just like a man to not stop and ask directions. Just sayin'....

We walked about 4 miles today and I think all were pretty tired when we got back. I know I was! I was glad to have gone on the hike and will look forward to another hike in the future.

The Dish receiver was not working when I got back home, so I sat outside and had coffee while reading in my Kindle. Stella had been washing our clothes while I hiked, and when she got back home was when we went inside and worked with the Dish receiver and got it going again. You don't realize how much we rely on the television set until you don't have it.

I was tired and feeling every foot of the 4 miles that we had walked, so I went to bed about 8:30. Imagine that, an old retired man going to bed in prime time! Of course, I was awake at 3, having gotten my night's sleep. I hadn't been up long when the propane ran out, so I was forced to go out and switch the bottles out. It was either that or face the wrath of Stella and the cold doggies. You can see what I did because there is no blood on this paper.

So long.