24 March 2018
It’s very difficult to get out of Lumberton, Texas. My gps apparently was set to the shortest route. I was routed through back country roads in Lumberton. One in particular ended in a cow pasture and another was more a trail in the woods. Ever since I upgraded the software on the gps, I get very weird directions. Instead of taking about 15 minutes to get to I-10W, it took me at least 45 minutes to find a way to get to I-10.
Once on I-10, there was a traffic jam were we inched along for about 45 minutes. Several times the gps had me get off I-10 (for no reason) and then re-enter I-10. Whoever did the software upgrade apparently phoned in the new coordinates while at some bar.
One of my favorite drives, strangely, is I-10 from Houston to San Antonio. Not for the road but for Lady Bird Johnson. In her “Beautify America” campaign, she had Texas roadsides seeded with blue bonnets, paintbrush, and other wildflowers. Spring is the optimal time of the year on this stretch. The combination of the blue of blue bonnets, the orange of paint brush, and the pink of primrose was pretty stunning. It never fails to please.
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After we returned to the house, we spent the next few hours reminiscing about family, childhood, and current events. It’s always special to get to visit with Jo and catch up on each other’s lives. We see too little of each other. Jo’s sister Jimmie texted me a welcome to San Antonio from London (returning from a cruise). We’ve all (sisters Jo, Jean, Jimmie, me and Archie) been close over the years, as children and adults. Now, if I can get their sister Jean to visit in Fort Lauderdale….
While waiting to go to dinner, I called an old friend Larry Thrash. Larry, like me, is retired and I had hoped he would be able to go to Guadeloupe Mountains National Park for some hiking but, like me, he’s had a few days of ill health plus house problems. Hopefully, I can convince him and Bill to come down for some Fort Lauderdale time. I first knew Larry when I was manager of Golden Memorial State Park in Walnut Grove, Mississippi and Larry was a student at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi. He came to work at the park as a lifeguard. It’s a friendship that has lasted over the years.
Tomorrow I’m off to Guadeloupe Mountains. It’s at least an eight hour drive. I don’t have reservations there – it’s a first come, first serve basis campground. I hope to spend three nights there and if I can, climb Guadeloupe Peak, the highest mountain in Texas at over 9,000 feet. No promises other than an effort. The park recommends you allot 8 hours for a round trip to the top and back.
