Looking back on 2020, it sure was a hell of a year, wasn’t it? There were a few good highlights, the best one being our new granddaughter, Arwen. When we left FL and headed to TX after New Years’, we looked forward optimistically for things to get back to normal, fully realizing that “normal” might very well look different.
Some things remain the same though and one of them was we stopped to see our friends James and Cindy on our way to TX. We were so happy they reached out to invite us to stop on our way west. After a conversation about COVID, we happily accepted. After quick overnights at Perry FL Elks, Fort Walton Beach FL Elks (where we had a consult with a client,) and Slidell LA Elks, we finally landed in Lake Charles.
While there, we saw a lot of devastation from the two major hurricanes that hit that area in 2020, Laura on 8/27 and Delta on 10/9. It was eye-opening to see firsthand all the damage. James and Cindy told us about when they returned (they bugged out with their RV) how so many people’s homes were just gone. There were several houses within a couple of blocks of theirs that were just destroyed beyond repair. James and Cindy, thankfully, only sustained a very small amount of damage to their home. Worst for them was the carport they usually park their 5th wheel under was completely down and in the process, it damaged a small area on the roof of their house. No water got inside though, so that was great news. James told us about how he and a group of other men went around with their chainsaws and helped people get their homes out from under trees, etc.
We both headed out and made our way toward Houston. When we learned they were heading there, we decided to extend our visit with them and stayed the night in Houston. Unfortunately, it poured rain most of the day while we drove and also while we parked. It was especially annoying when the site we were originally assigned was not large enough for us. Well, to tell the whole story, if cars had been parked differently Bill probably could have swung into it, but he gave it his best shot. After trying to wiggle over, it became apparent that it was just going to be easier to move to a different site. I was soaked to the skin.
The following morning, we said our “see ya later’s” and soon after found ourselves on familiar territory. By about 2pm, we were parked and setting up at The Center for Mental Wellness – a.k.a. Greg and Cori’s.
The featured pic (above the post title) is of the water view from Ft Walton Beach Elks.
More on that next time!
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I’m sure you’ll find Nirvana at “The Center for Mental Wellness”. After last year a little mental wellness will go a long way!
I’m surprised I didn’t catch it when you first introduced us to Arwen. The name is from Lord of the Rings, or is it a family name? It’s a great name for your ‘princess’.
Hi Jeff! We definitely enjoyed our time in TX! Always do!
Arwen isn’t a family name – my daughter came across it in a baby book and liked it, but it is recognizable from Lord of the Rings.
Can read about her arrival here:
Grandparents Again!Grandparents Again!
Miss you guys
Awe – miss you too! Hugs!
It is amazing the devastation of those hurricanes. I cannot believe the force of Mother Nature!
Growing up on the east coast, we are all too familiar with how destructive hurricanes can be. Only good thing about them is there is notice so you can prepare.
Looking back it’s funny how we thought that as soon as the date changed to 2021 things would immediately improve – certainly where my head was at! Alas many things did improve in January 🙂 We traveled through Michael and Florence devastation and still can’t believe the level of damage. Good to hear your friends’ property survived.
Safe travels!!
Thanks for checking in Jodee! It was a sad state of things in Lake Charles for sure, but the stories we heard of people helping people were uplifting.
And yes – things improved a lot in January! And continue to now!
Safe travels my friend!