July 30, 2022
It’s been a while since we have done any adventuring. Kristi is getting over a bout of stasis dermatitis, which is the result of circulation issues caused by the wreck that took our Patrick. Without getting too graphic, the rash at its worst looked like a second-degree burn. Treatment mainly centered around applying various ointments and covering the affected areas with non-adherent pads. It’s been a rough month.
But Kristi is getting better, and after having been cooped up in the house for several weeks both of us were ready to get out for a little while.
But where to go? Well, that question was not so easy. We needed to keep the trip relatively short. And there would have to be little or no extravehicular activity.
After much discussion and debate, we decided to make our outing an adventure/date.
A lot of people who know more about these sorts of things than we do say that one of the things that helps keep a marriage healthy is for the couple to go on dates on a regular basis. We highly recommend carving out some time together–whether away from the house or hiding from the children at the back of a closet–as often as possible. We call our dates “Hot Dates,” because each of us has a hot partner to go out with!
Today’s date was particularly hot. Texas has been experiencing record highs and drought–probably the worst since the drought of the 1950s. Even though it has cooled somewhat this past week, it was still a hot Hot Date.
Our original plan was to visit Fayetteville, Texas and have lunch at one of the local cafes. Before leaving town, however, we stopped at McDonald’s for on-the-road drinks. While waiting in line we decided to alter our plans and do something closer to home. It had been a while since we visited one of our favorite restaurants, Texas Legends Steakhouse in Madisonville, Texas, so that became our new destination for lunch.
Texas Legends is about half an hour away from where we live. The food and service there is always excellent. Kristi loves the margarita chicken, and their grilled ribeyes are delicious. We enjoy the atmosphere of the place, too. Madisonville is one of our favorite towns.
After stuffing ourselves silly on chicken, steak, fried mushrooms, and fresh bread, we headed east from Madisonville on TX-21 toward Crockett. Crockett, Texas is named for the famous Davy Crockett, who died defending the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. I hope to do a thorough visit of that town someday. We didn’t visit today.
Our primary goal after lunch was to visit Rattlesnake Ranch Pecans to pick up some diet-busting candied pecan snacks. I’m always amazed how much money we can spend there during such short visits.
Delicious, sugar-coated pecans in hand (and in belly), we continued east on TX-21 to Austonio, where we turned south onto FM 1280 to head toward Lovelady.
Lovelady is one of those small towns that, to me, seems teetering on the brink between being a vibrant community and fading into obscurity. Probably most of the residents work at the nearby Wainright Unit of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. There are several businesses in town that seem to be doing well. Maybe things are better off there than I think. There is some very pretty land in the area. And, for anyone into amateur astronomy, the sky in that region is about as dark as it gets in East Texas.
Traveling south on TX-19 from Lovelady to Trinity, we passed through a section of the road where a thunderstorm had very recently passed. We occasionally get a few storms in the area despite the drought. They help green things up a bit for a short time, but the ground quickly dries out in the high heat.
Fires in this area are not uncommon, but during times of drought they occur more frequently and quickly grow much larger than usual. One of the recent large fires occurred near the town of Glendale, Texas, east of Trinity on TX-94. Those of you who read this blog regularly might remember Glendale from our Machete Man Adventure.
We took a detour to see the damage. It was a sad sight, and the fire came right up to some houses on the other side of the highway.
Heading back toward Trinity on TX-94 we stopped at a historical marker that had previously escaped our attention. It turns out that there was a Civilian Conservation Corps camp near the present location of Trinity High School back in the 1930s and early 1940s. The men who worked at this camp were responsible for planting many of the trees in the Sam Houston National Forest, as well as numerous other projects in the surrounding counties.
We kept this trip short–baby steps for now until Kristi is fully recovered. Remember, folks, we are in a very dry season this year. No outside fires! Don’t throw lit cigarettes out vehicle windows and keep your vehicles out of the tall grass. Eventually this will be over, and we’ll be back to having floods again.
So sorry that Kristi is having health issues but happy that you were able to enjoy your hot HOT Date. My stepfather, Howard Davis Ellis, worked in the CCC in the 1930’s when he was a young man. Many of the things they constructed are still viable. Well done.