What a trip!

Duane trying out the latest John Deere


At the Houston Rodeo - Waiting for Reba

We had a great time in Texas visiting with Carolyn's family and friends as well as being able to take in the wonderful sights of Texas in the springtime. The wildflowers were in full bloom along the roads and the sun brought great warmth (for the second half of our time at least).

One of the more difficult parts of our trip was seeing so much of the damage left by Hurricane Ike! Carolyn's parents had quite a bit of damage and we are hoping and praying that they are able to make more progress in the repairs. They suffered quite a bit of damage from water brought into the house by strong winds. The wind also brought done the fence around their backyard. Many walls are in need of repair as well as their roof.

Many of their friends had even more damage. Their dear friends Patsy and Rogers lost their home to flood waters and wind damage and are now living with their family and pets in two trailers in their own backyard. Patsy spent many years full of care in putting their beautiful dream home together and her once lovely cottage is now gutted.

We also were sad to see many of the other once beautiful waterfront homes now destroyed as well as the city's once profitable fishing pier.

Overall, it was a wonderful trip filled with family, friends, good times, and good Texas food!