Texas Visits

After I visited the Pauleys in Indiana I traveled down to Nashville, Tennessee and had a lovely lunch with my friend, Mark.

Katrina had hit New Orleans.  There were evacuees all along the highway and there wasn't much on the current news but word of Katrina. It's one thing to hear about the devastation of hurricanes from home in Alberta.  It's quite another to be in the area at the time and see things first hand.  I was 500 miles away from New Orleans but still close enough to see the people affected by Katrina.  It was very sad.

I started to get sick in Indiana and by the time I got to Texas, I was so sick it was necessary for me to visit the doctor. Bronchitis!! Oh well, some hefty drugs and an extra day in bed and we were on our way. We were on a mission. Lois and I spent a great three days together. We traveled to Galveston and San Antonio.

The Alamo

The Alamo is awesome. The weather was perfect.

Shopping

Lois and I being what we are just couldn't get enough of the stores. 

Shopping is San Antonio was fabulous.  I was still pretty sick - but that didn't stop us.

We landed back in Houston laden with goodies much to our delight and Bruce's horror.

Katrina Evacuees

We met some evacuees from New Orleans. With Katrina so fresh in everyone's minds, to meet and talk to some victims was truly an experience. We met this family in a McDonalds and they were making the best of a horrible situation. They lost everything but were looking forward to a new life in Texas.

With Rita's attack on Texas shortly afterward, I wonder how this family is fairing.

Lois and Bruce have a beautiful home in Texas. Their three dogs really stole my heart. But really - three dogs in my little car to go to the carwash? They just had to ride with Auntie!!! Ricky, Lucy and Sadie are truly gems.

Our visit was over and it was time for me to hightail it back to Canada to prepare for school.

Karen and I stopped overnight at Houston and visited my sister. 

It was a sad time but also a relief to get to my sisters.  While on the trip my mother was admitted to the hospital.  Lois had been keeping me up to speed through text messaging and telephone calls.

Karen enjoyed a dip in the pool and Ricky (the dog) joined her.

We visited Luckenbach, Fredericksburg, San Antonio and El Paso and bid Texas farewell as we started to head north towards home.