A BRIGHT SPOT IN EVERY DAY.

An early appointment for a therapeutic massage put me on the road to Angels Camp on the Murphys Grade Rd. And this tree popped into my line of sight. It was so bright it appeared to be on fire. I couldn't believe it, but, the picture doesn't do it justice. Kind of reminded me of Moses and the burning bush. My daughter Virginia climbed Mt. Sinai and spotted a similar burning bush lit by the rays of the sun. She went to college one year in Egypt.

Because I was early for my appointment, and the sun was so perfect, I stopped for a couple of barns. I'm sure everyone but me is tired of barn pictures. I don't know the owner of this one.

This one belongs to Tom Tryon, a friend I haven't seen in a three or four years. How does that happen, I ask myself?

And, this little miners shack, just west of town. I wanted to do some grocery shopping but the stores were packed, so I skipped.

About 4:00 in the afternoon,  I drove to Tuolumne County for my Elks Club dinner meeting. The reservoir is down so low it is scary.

You can see remnants of the old road before Spicer Dam flooded the area. I used to love this windy road down to the bottom of the canyon, over the river and then back up to the Tuolumne side. I still like it, even with the changes and the "new" bridge.

The low sun lit up the hillside across from the Bridge, and I had to stop a minute and admire the scene.

I left early enough to stop in and see Anne and her caretaker, Tynna. They are now out of quarantine. Tynna showed me the lap robes they are knitting for wheelchair bound people, for Christmas. Their charity. Tynna does most of the knitting and Anne tells her how to do it in a round shape so they don't catch on the wheel chair mechanics. Years ago, Anne made give away baby quilts and used up tons of what would have been throw-away material.

Then, on I went to my Elks Club dinner meeting. Because I travel so much, I don't know everyone. But, I usually get to know one person at a time. I ordered a craft beer at the bar and Dennis Costa told me about his son, who is the brew master for Half Moon Bay's brewpub. I love Half Moon Bay, so hopefully I'll get to meet him someday and enjoy a brew.

Another bright spot. I spoke with this woman and said, "How are you?"  Her answer, "I'm superb!"  I loved it. Apparently she had been ill and was reveling in her wellness. Her husband is the Elks Foundation Leader. I like Elks Charity which supports abused children. The foundation raises funds for the National Office.

I sat next to Laurel...

...and Dave Utecht. They are former members of the Escapees, an RVing Club. Jim and I both know members of that club. They were very active for years in the singles Birds of a Feather Buff group within the Escapees, which had about 115 members.  So we had a lot to talk about, mutual friends and wonderful travels. What a surprise.

With the Elks, I always consider my self their traveling ambassador and I announce what Elks Clubs we visited in our travels.  For 2012 and 2013, this two-year circumnavigation of the U.S. we visited, Kingsville, Texas Elks, Camden, Tennessee, Oakland, Jew Jersey,  Norwalk, Ohio, Iron Mt. Michigan, Devils Lake, N. Dakota, and Kallispell Montana.  And, All I had to show for it was this Crappie T Shirt. What a nice bunch of people.

LOOKING BACK AT TEXAS.

We like it here in Port Arthur at the American Legion so much, we stayed an extra day and just lazed around. I’m reading a Mary Higgins Clark mystery and played with picture files most of the day. I have to qualify my book. I enjoyed her early books and then at some point she got sloppy and so formulaic you could guess the ending in the first five chapters. I quit reading her books. Recently, I picked up another, Night Time Is My Time and hey, she has redeemed herself. I get in the mood for mystery and true crime books. But, so far, Ann Rule is the best true crime writer. My recent favorite books? None are genre books. Night Whispers by Judith McNaught, Before Women Had Wings, by Connie May Fowler, Fortune’s Rocks, by Anita Shreve.

Looking back at pictures over the past few weeks, I’ll just post them willy- nilly. But first, let me warn you :


I KNOW YOU wouldn’t.


A beautiful sculpture of a local hero at Rockport.


Jim taking pictures on the streets of Galveston.


Remember the Naked Mermaid store?  Well, they weren’t ALL naked.


I think this mermaid is drunk. I call her the floozie mermaid.


Getting ready for Mardi Gras in Galveston.


Quite a catch. These were caught with a rod and reel, when sport fishing was really a sport. It isn’t against the law here in Texas to pull your pick-up truck next to the river, turn on a big spotlight and shine it into the water, and net the fish up that are attracted to the light. Night fishing or frogging in every state I’ve lived in is not allowed, it puts the critter at such a disadvantage. Can’t call it sportsman-like. It is slaughter.


Another photo of the great Miss Joplin from The Gulf Coast Museum.


And exquisite glass pieces too.


Beautiful, aren’t they?


The way I look at it is this:   I can’t afford beautiful glass like this. But, I can collect pictures of beautiful objects and keep them forever to look at and enjoy again and again.


I have a hard time to fathom the skill and technique it must take to create these pieces. There is a need for those of us who can only appreciate such beauty.


These tiny birds are not magnificent long-billed water birds, but cute little common street birds. I think I must like all birds, even the pesty jays, woodpeckers and crows.


Indelible impressions of the Texas Gulf Coast are the many boats at many marinas. The shimmering shadows in water, the blue, white, and gray colors.  Lovely.


The black gold that put Texas on forefront of the economy.


This is a common practice to honor an artist who has died. Her paint brushes in the back of a turtle sculpture.
So, this is Texas. This morning, the Commander of the American Legion Post we are about to leave, invited us in for omelets with he and his wife and dog. Bar none, The friendliest post we’ve ever been to. What a way to end our stay here. Unforgettable. We will unload in Louisiana by the end of the day. Goodbye Texas, for now.