Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood,
He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy
that one
Today, I am distinctly tired. We had a car crash into us and went halfway across the continent to buy a new used car. And in a few weeks, we have been to NC, SC, Charleston, Savannah, GE, FL, AL, MS, LA. Then cancelled a trip to Austin to head to East Texas. Returning home to leave in 3 days to go to Alaska. So we have flown over all the states between Texas and Seattle. Then passing by British Columbia, seeing 3 sets of Glaciers and the wonderful Alaskan Fjord. Going to Victoria, Canada and seeing the magnificent Butchart Gardens with their giving back to the community and also 600 gardeners.
We enjoyed the people we spent time with in NC, Charleston. Loved staying in Alabama briefly. Enjoyed the people we saw in East Texas and visited with. Stayed on a farm with 200-year-old Oaks and a log cabin that was very much an original architecture of early settlers. It is called round pole construction and made from small, small trees or branches.
The true version of log cabins in territories across the USA.
We've met lovely people from Virginia, Tingrith, UK. Manchester, UK who live across the street from a huge botanical garden and back up to a park. A couple from NJ and Florida.
Tourism and the Service Industry - Wow!
And it just wouldn't be complete without adding in, the NC car dealership people who explained and made sure the deal closed before the dealership. Really nice people. Then the Charleston hotel people who wanted to hear about the travels. And recommended beautiful places to go, to see and eat. The travel industry is filled with people who like people. The cruise industry is filled with the people who linger to visit, and you see over and over. The people who make sure you are scheduled for all 3 of the dinners you were to receive. The restaurants who want you to come back and go beyond to make sure all is perfect and tell you about themselves. Tourism is filled with people who want to know people. Locally too!
And then, yesterday, we couldn't find a seat to wait for the plane
and
then
in the middle of all the noise
you hear something to hear
“If you see something, say something.”
LARGE CRIME
During our travelsWe sat down to relax and, suddenly, a 40s something couple sat with us. First, they asked where are you from? Texas. All of us. And they began to describe, what became apparent, a large crime they had committed.
I will describe the outline of their story and, then, the incongruent pieces making the puzzle complete.
Where have you been recently? Second question.
They had lived outside of Asheville, NC and had done well. To build a house in the mountains, but no, the 16-year-old son would die racing his car up the mountain street. The family had bought “a huge parcel of land on the hill.” So, then, they scraped all of those made, already completed and discussed and worked upon building plans and went .... to build a different new house. “Then the family had to work to sell the huge parcel of land.” The new house with a sturdy foundation, very near the river. All was going well. The sturdy foundation was in place, but the 'builder' had absconded with all the total funds for the entire house. They had liked him very well.
So, after that happened, they moved to San Antonio, but decided, it was just too large.
And recently moved to the Eastern part of Texas, “where the trees just became pine trees.” And now live where the streets are horse/carriage streets, and they are very off the beaten path. Very small streets, hardly on the map. They like East Texas, it is like NC. But just his luck, the giant trees that are “300” years old are starting to die. He isn't comfortable trying the Ag Extension because they don't reply to his phone calls. He isn't sure he really wants to go in and see them. Nah. But he has left multiple phone messages. Why doesn't the Ag Extension call him back? He wonders.
I urge him to go in to see the Ag Life Extension and find out about his Oak Wilt.
I ask what he did in NC, does he do this and it takes him from NC to San Antonio and then small farm roads off the map. His wife starts to answer. He puts his hand out and says, “Various. Changing careers.”
I ask, do you feel grateful, now you didn't stay to build on the river again?
They look at each other. Like they don't understand the question, but feel not in the question. The wife asks me, “Why grateful?” Because. People were asleep when the flood hit and died in their homes being swept down the river. You are both alive. The wife suddenly, immeasurably, lights up and turns to her always, intently, eye smiling and constant eye looking husband. My, he is so very offbeat, agreeable. Hmm.
She excitedly says, “We hadn't thought about that. It did save LIVES!”
He is broader, sturdier, similar coloring.
He responds. With a careless shrug.
She isn't pleased with his shrug. But it drops the subject.
I say, that's right, your 16-year-old son is still alive.
He responds: “Yeah. So you think, if I went in to Ag Life, they would help me?” He makes an odd statement about people who aren't helpful in, “law and order.” Continuing with a scoff at Justice.
suddenly realizing his intense smile eyed, eye lock was far from usual or ordinary. The charm is very, very intense, and superficial.
This shrug over life-saving. Interest in his son, had changed those well planned, specific plans, ditched them entirely to a new, safe location. Now a shrug, he survived? Hadn't thought of it.
Making fun of Law and Order. Not wanting to appear before an AG Life Extension because they are Law and Order?
“Is your son a teenager still?” I ask.
Yeah, yeah. Teenagers. He says. The wife adds, it wasn't that long ago. Before Covid. No, no, he replies, before the flood, the year before.
Really. Hmm. I think. Was it 2019 or 2023,4? If it was 2024, how did you have time describing the moving and buying of houses?
I want out of this discussion. I add, “Not all Law and Order is bad. My brother was an Assistant DA in Dallas. And then protected the Dallas Police in Federal Court. Attorney for the City of El Paso. Clerked for a Federal Judge. Has a great private practice now and does very, very well. And gosh, the Lt. Governor, Dan Patrick, Lives in our Area in The Woodlands.”
He now has no smiley eye. And is visibly angry. He changes his tone to his wife. “I am done with this discussion. Do you want to go? Then, get up, let's get out of here. NOW.” I told you his charm was superficial. We got up too and very deliberately went the other direction down the hallway. Should I mention the speed they had in the hallway? It drew attention from several other tables.
SHOULD YOU KNOW OF SOMEONE WHO HAD A BUILDER RUN AWAY
WITH LARGE FUNDS
From NOT building a house on a creek/river outside of
Asheville, NC
probably in 2019, before Covid was mentioned twice out of sequence in the earlier conversation. The builder left with the entire purchase price of the whole house.
1. They are in an East Texas county, new in 2024, as the county begins to turn to Pine Trees.
2. They have contacted Ag Life about Oak Wilt, several times in the last year.
3. They live on a farm to market road that is very off the map. But would have given their name and address to the Ag Life Extension.
4. The Pine Counties "Borders" are East and North, Smith County
and then start at Madison. Not that many to check.
He is 40s. Light brown colored hair. Now a beard. Is very smiley eyed and doesn't like to lose eye contact. But at times the mask of congeniality drops completely. He makes a pretence of including his wife, asks her, in his opinions, but sweeps hers away. He asks her, but then expects her to fall to the line of twin. She agreeably does this.
They both used their passport to gain access to Canada on the Cunard Cruise June 12 to 23 Alaska Passage. Not many Texans aboard that voyage. Find the name, address and voilà.
They made several and repeat references about liking to be deep in the small parts of the county. He said they have lived there since early 2024.
When I asked them if they built again in NC, he said, no, we left the state.
Posts
