Back to Beaumont

Back to Beaumont


Finally we have arrived in Texas. When we had driven through last year, there were very beautiful multicolored potted tiny chrysanthemums at various plant stands. This year, we stopped at one of the first stands, and came away with two pots – one bright yellow and one dark red, each about 18 inches in diameter, on sale that day for $5.00 each! They fit nicely into the truck box which John had made, and we will surely enjoy them in “our yard” for the 4 months we can keep them down here.

While traveling in the evening on Tuesday, we noted some ugly storm clouds gathering to the south and east of us, with the odd streak of lightning. The next day, as we drove, it was apparent in the ditches that there had been heavy rain. Stopping at Lone Oak for coffee, we learned that there had been a tornado in the area, with golf size hail in some places and pea sized hail in others.

As we drove on, we noted that Americans are mighty big on pumpkins. There are hundreds of them in every school yard we see waiting for upcoming Hallowe’en.

The owners of the storage unit were happy to see us. They said they had some hail there as well this summer. It appears our awning may have some hail damage but we won’t know the extent until we roll it out. We stayed the first night in the storage yard, and enjoyed watching Arnie Armadillo rooting around in the yard just after dark.

There was time the first day for us to make a trip to Newton to visit with my cat lady friend and see her new house. Unfortunately she still has some problems with shoddy workmanship in her home, and also problems with harassment from her neighbours. She was delighted to see us.

We pass by all kinds of flea markets and there is little point in stopping, as there is virtually nothing I need, either at home or in the R.V. However we did stop at one very interesting little place just out of Jasper and there was a bobblehead Aunt Jemima piggy bank which will be perfect for my Aunt Jemima collection…only $2.00.

We left our R.V. at Jasper while we traveled back to Beaumont to see our friends at the Ben Rogers Welcome Centre who were so helpful to us last year. Then we checked in on Miss Jane in the Alzheimers wing of the Care Home. She has deteriorated considerably since we left her in February. I had a little visit with her and left her a couple of photos and a stuffed animal and can only trust that God is holding her in the palm of his hand as she lives out her life in that facility. Travelling through Cheek, we stopped in to see Miss Orma and Mr. John, our two favorite homeowners, both of whom were happy and healthy and thrilled to see us. It was great to see quite a few more new homes have been built in that poor area since we left.

Texas weather has been superb. It was 80 degrees for 3 days, one of which we understand it snowed in Prince Albert.

Well, now I have to tell you my “turkey” story. The Walmart greeter at Jasper welcomed us inside the door. A few seconds later, she hurried after us, saying she forgot to tell us that there was a big sale on turkeys. She said some people were going out with 6 and 8 turkeys. I told her I would be going out with the same turkey I came in with. We all laughed. As John waited for me at the checkout, he learned that the older round gentleman sitting beside him had been at a family Thanksgiving in Newton, Tx. where we had been invited two years ago. When I was done at the checkout and joined John, this fellow’s wife came over with her cart as well and she showed me the price of the turkey she had just bought. It was a large turkey for under $4.00!!! Anyone who knows Linda knows that 25 cents a pound is simply too good a deal to pass up. So despite the fact that John thinks turkey once a year at Christmas is one time too many, that we just had turkey for our Thanksgiving at home and that our oven in the R.V. is too small to cook a turkey, a small one was purchased. I can probably make it for a pot luck and our friend Nettie won’t mind putting it in her oven,. Went in with one turkey, came out with two…