Church, a little scare, rain, apartment shopping

Church last night was fun. It has been a while since I have been at Central Baptist so the common joke was people reintroducing themselves as though I was a first time visitor. I was asked to read a mission letter almost as soon as the teasing was over so we are still welcome. Mrs. Patrick and I talked a long time about a variety of subjects but she is very sad to see us go. Mama and I will be back next week to attend a couple nights of the mission’s conference. The church is really getting geared up for it.


On the way home from church I stopped to get gas. I was still in my white shirt and tie when I went into the convenience store to buy an Arizona Green tea when I decided to call Mama. We talked for some time while I stood in the store and watched people come and go. When I got done talking to Mama and went to the register the lady working the register asked me rather sheepishly if that was all I wanted. When I told her it was, she breathed a huge sigh of relief and said, “You’re terrific!”

“Why is that?” I asked. She told me that she thought I was a constable and she was afraid she had sold cigarettes to a minor which was a $500 plus ticket. Her relief was very obvious. She said she had actually been given a ticket last month and was still working on paying it off so another one would have sunk her. I felt bad for her but I still thought it was funny.

More rain is predicted for Bowie over the next couple of days. In total about another two inches. That will put us way ahead for the summer. I do not know if it is unusual to get that amount of rainfall at this time of year but I am praising the Lord for it – normal or not. Along with the rain, the temperatures are a good bit cooler. Mornings will be in the sixties and afternoons will top out well below the century mark. Tomorrow is predicted to be only 85 degrees. That will feel good.

Mama says feeding is a mess with the ground muddy. We have an area of clay that we all try to avoid when it is wet but since it is right in the middle of the lot where all of the activity takes place, it is difficult to do. At least I will not have to water the grape vines for a few days; which is good because Mama and I will be in Amarillo most of next week.

We have decided to take our surplus of eggs to the language institute here in Bowie. We know the families that come here to study are often in great need. The semester will start soon and we are not sure how many families will be there, but it is one little thing we can do to help. We are not having much success selling them so the idea of giving them to missionary couples makes sense. When I got to Amarillo I found we had over fifty eggs in the fridge there and with the chickens laying eight to ten per day we should continue to have a surplus.

Chase is hoping Mama will look at some apartments with him when she is here next week. I am planning on going with him tonight to look at one he thinks he likes – across from the mall on Coulter. There are more to choose from in Amarillo than I was aware of. Andrew Fie told him he may have had a change of heart on taking him in as a roommate but after Chase took his truck keys and hid them through the service last night, he may have reconsidered his reconsideration. With the mess I found in the sink when I got to the house in Amarillo, I told Chase I did not think he was ready to be a roommate yet.

He took the hint and washed the several days worth of accumulation.