After the wonderful Wimberley event and visiting New Braunfels, we took a nice hike through the woods and around the shore of Canyon Lake before setting off for Houston.
Canyon Lake is huge, with several big marinas. We expected a lot of fishing boats, but these sailboats, many over 35 feet long, were a surprise.
Our campground was protected from marauding deer by this wooden fence; okay, it was probably more scenic than effective in keeping out the deer.
On Friday, we packed up and headed for Houston. On the way to Houston, we passed a shop that caught the eye of My Lovely Bride – Bad Girlz of Texas. Don’t worry, it wasn’t one of those shops with red lingerie and stilettos, but most of the clothes seemed to be made for teenagers, and seemed skimpy, if not exactly naughty…
We also passed this sign suggesting that visitors come see their dam… or the local judge if you drove too fast.
On the road, we passed a giant statue of Sam Houston, with a plaque with one of his quotes that I really liked: “The great misfortune is that a notion obtains with those in power that the world, or the people, require more governing than is necessary. To govern well is a great science, but no country is ever improved by too much governing… most men think when they are elevated to position, that it requires an effort to discharge their duties, and they leave common sense out of the question.”
In Houston, Suzanne spoke at the Edgar Cayce Association for Research and Enlightenment Center. Then we drove up to Dallas, where she spoke at the Center for Spiritual Living (CSL), a Science of Mind church with terrific energy, a very dynamic staff and a warm, welcoming community. Dallas CSL is now among our favorite venues, and we hope to return one day very soon. Thanks to Rev. Vince, Toni Hill and Jill Zeagler for their hospitality and help making this event such a success.
We were gratified to have friends meet us in Dallas – Mary Ellen and Len Alton, parents of one of Suzanne’s high school classmates, Julie Alton Porter. Mary Ellen is loads of fun, as you can tell from her smile, and is also a Loyal Reader of this blog. (She is obviously a person of discriminating taste.) Len and Mary Ellen moved from their home in West Chester, PA, to San Diego, and are now full-timing in their beautiful 43-foot Allegro coach.
The Altons, their son Jeff and his girlfriend Amanda attended one of the CSL services, and then we joined them for dinner at a Corps of Engineers’ campground on Lake Lavon in Wylie, northeast of Dallas. Len grills a mean pork loin, and Mary Ellen is an attentive hostess and wonderful cook. It was great to catch up with them and trade RV stories while enjoying a terrific meal.
Dallas was a great stop, but bad weather finally caught up with us Sunday evening, with a series of severe thunderstorms passing through the area during the night and keeping us awake for hours. The rain continued most of the day, including our rush hour trip through downtown Dallas.
The drive along I-20 westbound was mostly wet, but without incident… at least on our side of the road. This jackknifed 18-wheeler was blocking both eastbound lanes, and traffic was crawling past on the shoulder, with a backup about seven miles long. Fortunately, there did not appear to be any serious injuries. Coincidentally, we had been talking to the Altons just the previous night about a jackknifed rig that someone we met out west had almost hit while driving at night. We almost never drive after dark; less visibility means less time to react, and big rigs like ours have very long stopping distances.
We arrived in Odessa, Texas, this afternoon. After sprucing the car and coach up for the Dallas event, both were trashed by the rain and road splash from the 340 mile drive. But we do fit in now… most of the other vehicles here are muddy from “field work”. The campground here is also bit unusual, since most of the campsites are filled with trailers and fifth wheels occupied by oil field workers and support personnel for the rigs and pipelines in West Texas, almost all of which are off main roads. Everyone is very friendly, but we feel a bit odd because our Honda CR-V is miniscule compared to the half- and one-ton trucks driven by most of the oil field folks. And no, we haven’t seen a single “Smart Car” here.
Finally, another billboard caught my eye, and got me into trouble. This one read “Golden Chicks”; I thought it was one of those Gentleman’s Clubs for Seniors, but My Lovely Bride chastised me and said, “No, Ty, it’s not a girlie bar… it’s a fried chicken joint.” Well, that was a disappointment; I liked my interpretation much better than hers…
1 Comment
Debenport Ellen
Oh my goodness, you've taken a trip through my past! I was in Dallas for 10 years — that traffic looked SO familiar — and I grew up in Odessa. Glad you had a good time in Texas. I love CSL Dallas, too.