Preface
Day 2 was not posted until Day 3 because your beloved author apparently passed into Dreamland while watching a "western" starring Gary Cooper. I know...I know...this is almost sacrilegious, but apparently your beloved author (and lover of "westerns") was in more dire need of sleep than he realized. So your beloved author neither saw the end of "Hanging Tree" nor typed a single word of the following post at the end of Day 2.
DAY 2
We were up at the crack of dawn...but that was just because ONE OF US left the alarm set for 0630! But the alarm was quickly quashed. I did not see further daylight until well after 0900 this time! That was more like it, no hurry and no pressure. So a little before ten we finally hit the road...after a little drama between my lovely bride and I, just a small misunderstanding about who was going to drive, and why. The situation was settled by my sister, who bravely took the steering wheel. And we were off to the Third Coast!
Just about that time a phone rang. I was in the back seat (also called by some "the dog house" due to the previously mentioned situation) and I heard my sister say, "Hmmm, why am I calling MYSELF?" The phone rang again a minute later. This time I heard my sister say,"Oh, that's my husband's phone!" We had driven only five miles or so by then, so it was not too much of a delay to turn around, so we drove back so that my sister and her hubby could exchange phones. But the good news was that we were in no hurry, so there was no pressure.
We stopped at Cameron, after switching from Highway 77 to Highway 36. The stop was for fuel, which was not really necessary, and for the "facilities" which WERE necessary for some in the vehicle. We supplied ourselves with the necessities of a three-and-a-half hour road trip that could stretch out to four. The supplies consisted of nutritious choices including powdered donuts, a cheese Danish, and of course, mini chewable SweeTarts (registered trademark). With the purchase of these and other equally healthy choices, we again took to the road.
After leaving Cameron we drove to Milano. After turning left on Hwy. 190 then right on Hwy. 36 again, we headed east toward what is, for me, one of the highlights of this stretch of the road trip. Just about five or so miles southeast of Milano stands a house, a most beautiful lady, made of limestone and built who knows when, but I am sure well before 1900. For several years I watched helplessly as time and the elements took down this lady one piece at a time. Then, probably around 2009 or 2010, someone purchased the house and began a renovation project that eventually restored this beautiful mansion to a grand appearance, if not its original glory. Every time I pass this house, I am thankful for the new owner's gift to Texas.
The trip to Angleton was overall non-eventful, other than the suspense entailed every time someone in the truck announced "facilities" were needed but we were several miles from the next (legal) stopping place. After about two scheduled stops (and at least two unscheduled stops) we arrived at our loved ones' residence. We had a glad reunion, then we settled in for an afternoon of visiting, and also a few westerns on television, with one Chuck Norris oldie thrown in for variety. The good thing about seeing good friends or your loved ones after a long absence is that it almost seems like the good times and conversation starts right where they ended on the previous visit.
My lovely bride and my uncle in Angleton are both great cooks, and when both are in the kitchen, the menu is guaranteed to satisfy. I had made much progress over the winter toward my summer figure (or was that figment of the imagination?) but I probably set myself back at least two waist sizes on the dinner of the evening, and the pie fest that followed. But if I have to let out the belt, it was all worth it! And it may well be that the larger than usual meal I consumed was in part to blame for my failure to launch this blog at the appropriate time. All I know is that I had a full meal, settled in for the "Hanging Tree," and that was the end of the night for me. Thus ended Day 2.
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you all!
Day 2 was not posted until Day 3 because your beloved author apparently passed into Dreamland while watching a "western" starring Gary Cooper. I know...I know...this is almost sacrilegious, but apparently your beloved author (and lover of "westerns") was in more dire need of sleep than he realized. So your beloved author neither saw the end of "Hanging Tree" nor typed a single word of the following post at the end of Day 2.
DAY 2
We were up at the crack of dawn...but that was just because ONE OF US left the alarm set for 0630! But the alarm was quickly quashed. I did not see further daylight until well after 0900 this time! That was more like it, no hurry and no pressure. So a little before ten we finally hit the road...after a little drama between my lovely bride and I, just a small misunderstanding about who was going to drive, and why. The situation was settled by my sister, who bravely took the steering wheel. And we were off to the Third Coast!
Just about that time a phone rang. I was in the back seat (also called by some "the dog house" due to the previously mentioned situation) and I heard my sister say, "Hmmm, why am I calling MYSELF?" The phone rang again a minute later. This time I heard my sister say,"Oh, that's my husband's phone!" We had driven only five miles or so by then, so it was not too much of a delay to turn around, so we drove back so that my sister and her hubby could exchange phones. But the good news was that we were in no hurry, so there was no pressure.
We stopped at Cameron, after switching from Highway 77 to Highway 36. The stop was for fuel, which was not really necessary, and for the "facilities" which WERE necessary for some in the vehicle. We supplied ourselves with the necessities of a three-and-a-half hour road trip that could stretch out to four. The supplies consisted of nutritious choices including powdered donuts, a cheese Danish, and of course, mini chewable SweeTarts (registered trademark). With the purchase of these and other equally healthy choices, we again took to the road.
After leaving Cameron we drove to Milano. After turning left on Hwy. 190 then right on Hwy. 36 again, we headed east toward what is, for me, one of the highlights of this stretch of the road trip. Just about five or so miles southeast of Milano stands a house, a most beautiful lady, made of limestone and built who knows when, but I am sure well before 1900. For several years I watched helplessly as time and the elements took down this lady one piece at a time. Then, probably around 2009 or 2010, someone purchased the house and began a renovation project that eventually restored this beautiful mansion to a grand appearance, if not its original glory. Every time I pass this house, I am thankful for the new owner's gift to Texas.
The trip to Angleton was overall non-eventful, other than the suspense entailed every time someone in the truck announced "facilities" were needed but we were several miles from the next (legal) stopping place. After about two scheduled stops (and at least two unscheduled stops) we arrived at our loved ones' residence. We had a glad reunion, then we settled in for an afternoon of visiting, and also a few westerns on television, with one Chuck Norris oldie thrown in for variety. The good thing about seeing good friends or your loved ones after a long absence is that it almost seems like the good times and conversation starts right where they ended on the previous visit.
My lovely bride and my uncle in Angleton are both great cooks, and when both are in the kitchen, the menu is guaranteed to satisfy. I had made much progress over the winter toward my summer figure (or was that figment of the imagination?) but I probably set myself back at least two waist sizes on the dinner of the evening, and the pie fest that followed. But if I have to let out the belt, it was all worth it! And it may well be that the larger than usual meal I consumed was in part to blame for my failure to launch this blog at the appropriate time. All I know is that I had a full meal, settled in for the "Hanging Tree," and that was the end of the night for me. Thus ended Day 2.
Thanks for reading, and may God bless you all!
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