Good bye Texas .... for now ....

After leaving San Angelo State Park I headed to Waco to have lunch with my sister Charlsie. Then I headed for Seymour, Texas to visit my sister Bobbie and her husband AB. We had a nice visit although we were all suffering from a cough that just wouldn't leave us alone. I left this morning and the cough is almost totally gone. It was good to see my sisters again again.

My next stop today will be Shreveport, LA to pay my respects at my mother and stepfather's graves. Then I will be heading to Elkmont, AL to visit with Margie and Mason.

The storms of west Texas

From the old song El Paso by Marty Robbins "One day a wild young cowboy came in, wild as the west Texas wind". I really got to experience that west Texas wind first hand over the last couple of days. I decided to pass on Big Bend National Park and opted for San Angelo State Park to weather the storm. Now, I'm back on the road, the sky is clear blue with white fluffy clouds.

Our lives change like the weather ...

It has been an uneventful few days on the road except for a little bit of weather pushing me around. I have been avoiding too much people contact and it has given me time to reflect on how our lives change like the weather. My plan to visit Big Bend National Park was put off today by a storm moving in from the south. I will stick around the Pecos area to see if it clears but it doesn't look like it will. I will probably continue eastward tomorrow.

Just a little too late ....

My road trip starts tomorrow and today as I made one last trip into town for food for the road when I got the call from my cousin Kay that dear Ivy had passed away. Knowing that her health was failing it was my hope to have one more visit with her but it just wasn't meant to be. I will pay my respects to the family as I pass through their respective areas. She was a dear, sweet lady who brought much joy to the world in song and in every aspect of her life. She will be missed and remembered fondly by many. I believe that she is with the Lord as she always knew she would be. Ivy, I am so glad that I knew you.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/atlanta/obituary.aspx?n=ivy-walsh-eskridge&pid=140344128

Road Trip 2010 ...

The stars have aligned and all is right with the world. I will start Road Trip 2010 on Wednesday March 3rd by heading south toward San Diego. Then on to Texas, Georgia, Florida, Kentucky and possibly Virgina. I have some good leads on the Walls family's whereabouts in 1850 and maybe that will lead me to the previous generation in Va. Some genealogy just has to be done in person.

DeJ has arrived !!!!!

Finally, after years of waiting, my dear nephew DeJ has arrived in Oregon. He and his mom flew in from Houston yesterday and we are all so very happy. He is eagerly embracing the Oregon ways; walking through rain with no hat and a smile on his face, enjoying all the sights and sounds of rush hour traffic and in general, getting his feet wet.

Autum

Autumn is here. The leaves are changing and falling. The days are cooler and shorter. The nights are chilly and the air smells rich and earthy. Although I already miss summer I still walk as often as the weather will allow and turn my face toward the sun when it's available. Somehow, coffee tastes better and I am eating more soups and stews. And sleep, yes, sleep is deeper and more rewarding. But how I long for a walk on a tropical beach and trekking through ancient ruins. How I long for discovering new places, meeting new people and tasting new foods. My pallet cries out for fresh mango, papaya and avocado with a little shrimp and lime on the side. I am not excited about the even shorter days to come and the freezing temperatures. Last winter we had more snow than we have had in 40 years and I'm just not looking forward to more snow and ice. I need the tropics. I need sun. I need to be out and about. Zihuatanejo, and points south, call out to me.