Thursday, January 04, 2007
The Journey of the Three Legged Dog - Running from Rita
I had been watching the projected path of Rita on the Golden Triangle Weather Page the week of 9/18. I was convinced that the landfall would be far enough away so the the effects in Beaumont would be small. I was not going to leave. The night of 9/21 I got two phone calls, one from son-in-law Scott (of Scooter & Ferret fame) and the other from a cousin in godly, TX. The message from both was the same - leave. I went to be d a little less certain that the hurricane would hit more that 100 miles away. On the morning of the 22nd, I got up and turned on the local TV station -KFDM - and sure enough, there was the County Judge ordering a mandatory evacuation. The hurricane was headed right for us. My wife continued to get ready to go to work. After a bit of arguing back and forth I conceded it was OK to go by her work (I knew no one would be there) so long as she continued on to get her mother who lived in Port Arthur. I had already decided that I would not go to work. No need. Instead, I got the car ready. The car was a 1995 Nissan Sentra GX - no AC - and only one of 4 hubcaps left - It was the 3 legged dog. The tank was already full of gas - 10 gal - and at 32 mpg I felt confident we could get far away, almost to Godly.
Here is what I put in the trunk - photos, insurance papers, SS cards, car registrations, computer hard drives, Star Wars & Lord of the Rings DVD’s, a bit of food, water, ice, and some clothes. I made an attempt to get ice at the quick stop, but all the ice was gone. I got back just as Linda drove up with her mother. In less time that it takes to tell, we were ready to go AM. I headed north on Major Drive with the intention of getting on to US 69 at Tram Road. -At about 9:30 AM on 9/22 we made our getaway. More to come......
The Three Legged Dog Goes West
Dawn breaks over the Lufkin HS parking lot the morning of Sept 23rd. All night long (2 hours long) people had been talking, kids playing, and the port a potties were stinking.
“Wake up everyone, “ I said. “We are leaving.” It was 6 AM.
I started up the car and off we went. Problem number one, very little gas in the car. “We gotta get gas.”
I got one the loop around Lufkin and headed clockwise. I saw a gas station of on the other side of the freeway. Just ahead of me there was a fuel tanker headed for the same station. I followed.
The both of us pulled into the station. He headed for the gas tank covers and I somehow got very close to the pumps having come into the station from the opposite direction that everyone else. By everyone else I mean hundreds of cars and multiple hundreds of people. Like in most of the population of East Texas. Through a modern miracle, 40 minutes later I had gas, less than $3 per gallon, and I was back up on the loop. It was then that the enormanty of my stroke of good fortune hit me. The line of cars going into the gas station was nearly half way around the Lufkin loop. All coming from the opposite direction than me. People had been and probably would be in line for hours. I breathed a thank you prayer and drove.
I was looking for TX 7. I feared it might be traffic locked. It was not. Soon we were headed west at 70 mph, no one ahead of us - no one behind us. Yesterday seemed a dream already. The plan was now clear in my head - TX 7 west to TX 6. Tx 6 north to Waco. Interstate 35 north to the Fort Worth area where my cousin lives. I called her on the cell, and she said come on.
We drove west a few miles and came to a small country store that had a cafe. We had a hot breakfast and bought ice. We had the big three - hot food, gas, and ice. Looks like the worst would be behind us.
Looking at the map I saw the first potential bottleneck was Crockett. There might be people coming from the south that would cause traffic jams. But going through Crockett took on 20 minutes. Great! The next pinch point would be where TX 7 crossed Interstate 45. That would be at Centerville.
We arrived at Centerville before 11:00. Traffic was at a stop. It took us two hours to get into Centerville and get to where we could assess the problem.
And soon we saw the problem. I’ll not soon forget the scene. It was right out of War of the Worlds. (neat tripod sound ) . There were people, not cars, people, hundreds of them, lined up with cans, cups, bottles, in their hands to get gas. At 1 PM it was about 100 degrees. The crowd was monitored (not controlled) my a few Texas State Troopers. I asked them to help me cross over 45. I did not want gas, so they waived me through. In an instant we were free again. No traffic on TX 7 beyond IH 45. I watched the pitiful scene now behind me my in the rear view mirror. All those people from Houston. Most of them now out of gas and only a little over 100 miles out of Houston. All headed north. I breathed another prayer. Set my jaw and drove.
We stopped after about 50 miles and I topped off. We actually got ice cream. Another 50 miles and we were at TX 6. I had anticipated traffic, but there was none. In a few more minutes we were in Waco and on IH 35 going north at 75 mph trying to keep up with the traffic. An hour and a half later - Friday 9/23 about 6 PM - we were in her house in Godley. Safe. Comfortable. I called my daughters and assured them we were OK. I breathed another prayer.
In the night, Rita came ashore. The next morning, I got up and went outside to look towards the East. Everything was black in that direction. All of East Texas was getting smacked. Hard.
We got no rain, no wind. We stayed Sat & Sun and headed back on Monday Morning. I wondered, what would we find. The little car with one hubcap had done well so far.
The Dog’s Journey Ends
The journey from Godley (Sept 26) to Hempstead was uneventful. There was no sign of the evacuation or the hurricane along TX 6. We bought gas, ate, had cold drinks, etc. After checking in our motel, we decided to drive on to Port Arthur and Beaumont to check on damage to our houses.
We got to Winnie, about 30 miles from home) before we saw any sign of damage. In Winnie we started seeing trees down and more importantly, downed power lines. We also encountered a TX Highway Patrol roadblock on TX 73. The officers advised me that we should turn around, but they did allow us through. Once we got to the Port Arthur city limits, there was another roadblock made up of city police and county sheriffs. I got through that roadblock by showing them my refinery badge.
Now we really began to see a lot of storm destruction. Many houses with damaged roofs and lots of trees and downed power lines. There was no power in the city at all. We carefully made our way to my mother-in-laws house. Once we got there the news was mostly good. No apparent damage to the house, but a lot of tree limbs in the yard.
On to Beaumont to look at our house. No road blocks coming north out of Port Arthur. Once in Beaumont, we stayed off the major streets. The damage was incredible. Mostly trees, downed powerlines, and some damaged buildings and homes.
We finally got to our house. Our damage was roof shingles and our privacy fence was down. We emptied out the refrigerator, fed the cats, and took the meat (which was still frozen) from the refrig with us in an ice chest. Two days later we moved in to my brother-in-law’s (George Messer and wife Wanda) house in Baytown. He had a computer and we filed insurance claims on the roof and the fence. This was about 9/28. While we were there we bought groceries, went to the laundromat, cooked our salvaged meat, and watched TV. We were very grateful to George and Wanda for having us. We made another run into Port Arthur to feed the cats. The Port Arthur police chewed us out and did not want to let us in. One officer in particular was rude and foul mouthed. And to think, all we were doing was trying to take some responsibility for getting back and getting a normal life going again.
Well, the evacuation episode finally ended. I got a call from my neighbor that power was back on in my neighborhood in Beaumont. The next day(10/5), we moved back in. It all seemed like a dream. Did it all really happen. I recall standing in the front yard and looking at the Nissan - three wheels with no hubcaps - “I name thee the tree legged dog. You took us out of here, got us far away, never ran out of gas, and brought us home again. Well done little car. Well done.” And then we started to put our lives back together. Something had changed. There was a difference. The hurricane that blew through and brought some much destruction had also brought us to a cross roads of sorts. My about that in future postings. I went back to work on 10/6.
So this is my hurricane story. Not all that exciting, not dangerous, but it did test us. I found I had the patience to sit in a cramped, hot car for 18 hours while it went 90 miles. I think my wife and I both long to leave the area. Its now Feb 5 and Beaumont is still not as it was. I guess it may never be as it was. I guess we will never be as we were, smug in our belief that it won’t happen to us. But we survived. Me, Linda, Linda's Mom, and the three legged dog.
I had been watching the projected path of Rita on the Golden Triangle Weather Page the week of 9/18. I was convinced that the landfall would be far enough away so the the effects in Beaumont would be small. I was not going to leave. The night of 9/21 I got two phone calls, one from son-in-law Scott (of Scooter & Ferret fame) and the other from a cousin in godly, TX. The message from both was the same - leave. I went to be d a little less certain that the hurricane would hit more that 100 miles away. On the morning of the 22nd, I got up and turned on the local TV station -KFDM - and sure enough, there was the County Judge ordering a mandatory evacuation. The hurricane was headed right for us. My wife continued to get ready to go to work. After a bit of arguing back and forth I conceded it was OK to go by her work (I knew no one would be there) so long as she continued on to get her mother who lived in Port Arthur. I had already decided that I would not go to work. No need. Instead, I got the car ready. The car was a 1995 Nissan Sentra GX - no AC - and only one of 4 hubcaps left - It was the 3 legged dog. The tank was already full of gas - 10 gal - and at 32 mpg I felt confident we could get far away, almost to Godly.
Here is what I put in the trunk - photos, insurance papers, SS cards, car registrations, computer hard drives, Star Wars & Lord of the Rings DVD’s, a bit of food, water, ice, and some clothes. I made an attempt to get ice at the quick stop, but all the ice was gone. I got back just as Linda drove up with her mother. In less time that it takes to tell, we were ready to go AM. I headed north on Major Drive with the intention of getting on to US 69 at Tram Road. -At about 9:30 AM on 9/22 we made our getaway. More to come......
The Three Legged Dog Goes West
Dawn breaks over the Lufkin HS parking lot the morning of Sept 23rd. All night long (2 hours long) people had been talking, kids playing, and the port a potties were stinking.
“Wake up everyone, “ I said. “We are leaving.” It was 6 AM.
I started up the car and off we went. Problem number one, very little gas in the car. “We gotta get gas.”
I got one the loop around Lufkin and headed clockwise. I saw a gas station of on the other side of the freeway. Just ahead of me there was a fuel tanker headed for the same station. I followed.
The both of us pulled into the station. He headed for the gas tank covers and I somehow got very close to the pumps having come into the station from the opposite direction that everyone else. By everyone else I mean hundreds of cars and multiple hundreds of people. Like in most of the population of East Texas. Through a modern miracle, 40 minutes later I had gas, less than $3 per gallon, and I was back up on the loop. It was then that the enormanty of my stroke of good fortune hit me. The line of cars going into the gas station was nearly half way around the Lufkin loop. All coming from the opposite direction than me. People had been and probably would be in line for hours. I breathed a thank you prayer and drove.
I was looking for TX 7. I feared it might be traffic locked. It was not. Soon we were headed west at 70 mph, no one ahead of us - no one behind us. Yesterday seemed a dream already. The plan was now clear in my head - TX 7 west to TX 6. Tx 6 north to Waco. Interstate 35 north to the Fort Worth area where my cousin lives. I called her on the cell, and she said come on.
We drove west a few miles and came to a small country store that had a cafe. We had a hot breakfast and bought ice. We had the big three - hot food, gas, and ice. Looks like the worst would be behind us.
Looking at the map I saw the first potential bottleneck was Crockett. There might be people coming from the south that would cause traffic jams. But going through Crockett took on 20 minutes. Great! The next pinch point would be where TX 7 crossed Interstate 45. That would be at Centerville.
We arrived at Centerville before 11:00. Traffic was at a stop. It took us two hours to get into Centerville and get to where we could assess the problem.
And soon we saw the problem. I’ll not soon forget the scene. It was right out of War of the Worlds. (neat tripod sound ) . There were people, not cars, people, hundreds of them, lined up with cans, cups, bottles, in their hands to get gas. At 1 PM it was about 100 degrees. The crowd was monitored (not controlled) my a few Texas State Troopers. I asked them to help me cross over 45. I did not want gas, so they waived me through. In an instant we were free again. No traffic on TX 7 beyond IH 45. I watched the pitiful scene now behind me my in the rear view mirror. All those people from Houston. Most of them now out of gas and only a little over 100 miles out of Houston. All headed north. I breathed another prayer. Set my jaw and drove.
We stopped after about 50 miles and I topped off. We actually got ice cream. Another 50 miles and we were at TX 6. I had anticipated traffic, but there was none. In a few more minutes we were in Waco and on IH 35 going north at 75 mph trying to keep up with the traffic. An hour and a half later - Friday 9/23 about 6 PM - we were in her house in Godley. Safe. Comfortable. I called my daughters and assured them we were OK. I breathed another prayer.
In the night, Rita came ashore. The next morning, I got up and went outside to look towards the East. Everything was black in that direction. All of East Texas was getting smacked. Hard.
We got no rain, no wind. We stayed Sat & Sun and headed back on Monday Morning. I wondered, what would we find. The little car with one hubcap had done well so far.
The Dog’s Journey Ends
The journey from Godley (Sept 26) to Hempstead was uneventful. There was no sign of the evacuation or the hurricane along TX 6. We bought gas, ate, had cold drinks, etc. After checking in our motel, we decided to drive on to Port Arthur and Beaumont to check on damage to our houses.
We got to Winnie, about 30 miles from home) before we saw any sign of damage. In Winnie we started seeing trees down and more importantly, downed power lines. We also encountered a TX Highway Patrol roadblock on TX 73. The officers advised me that we should turn around, but they did allow us through. Once we got to the Port Arthur city limits, there was another roadblock made up of city police and county sheriffs. I got through that roadblock by showing them my refinery badge.
Now we really began to see a lot of storm destruction. Many houses with damaged roofs and lots of trees and downed power lines. There was no power in the city at all. We carefully made our way to my mother-in-laws house. Once we got there the news was mostly good. No apparent damage to the house, but a lot of tree limbs in the yard.
On to Beaumont to look at our house. No road blocks coming north out of Port Arthur. Once in Beaumont, we stayed off the major streets. The damage was incredible. Mostly trees, downed powerlines, and some damaged buildings and homes.
We finally got to our house. Our damage was roof shingles and our privacy fence was down. We emptied out the refrigerator, fed the cats, and took the meat (which was still frozen) from the refrig with us in an ice chest. Two days later we moved in to my brother-in-law’s (George Messer and wife Wanda) house in Baytown. He had a computer and we filed insurance claims on the roof and the fence. This was about 9/28. While we were there we bought groceries, went to the laundromat, cooked our salvaged meat, and watched TV. We were very grateful to George and Wanda for having us. We made another run into Port Arthur to feed the cats. The Port Arthur police chewed us out and did not want to let us in. One officer in particular was rude and foul mouthed. And to think, all we were doing was trying to take some responsibility for getting back and getting a normal life going again.
Well, the evacuation episode finally ended. I got a call from my neighbor that power was back on in my neighborhood in Beaumont. The next day(10/5), we moved back in. It all seemed like a dream. Did it all really happen. I recall standing in the front yard and looking at the Nissan - three wheels with no hubcaps - “I name thee the tree legged dog. You took us out of here, got us far away, never ran out of gas, and brought us home again. Well done little car. Well done.” And then we started to put our lives back together. Something had changed. There was a difference. The hurricane that blew through and brought some much destruction had also brought us to a cross roads of sorts. My about that in future postings. I went back to work on 10/6.
So this is my hurricane story. Not all that exciting, not dangerous, but it did test us. I found I had the patience to sit in a cramped, hot car for 18 hours while it went 90 miles. I think my wife and I both long to leave the area. Its now Feb 5 and Beaumont is still not as it was. I guess it may never be as it was. I guess we will never be as we were, smug in our belief that it won’t happen to us. But we survived. Me, Linda, Linda's Mom, and the three legged dog.
Walter's Insight
Well, this blog thing is really neat. Now if I can figure out how to use it.
I decided to write my Library piece based on a story in the book Flags of Our Fathers. It seems the son of one of the Iwo Jima flag raisers was going through his dad's closet after his dad's funeral (looking for a will) and found a box of stuff related to Iwo Jima. Only after going through the box did the son reailze his dad was at Iwo Jima and was one of the flag raisers. In 50+ years the Dad had never memtioned it. My life has not been exactly like that, but I think now is the time to know each other better, not after someone is gone.
I recall a song with the words to that effect - In the Living Years. I wish I had done more to find out about my parents, in their living years. I did not.
Several day's after my Mother's funeral I was listening to a Cher song - I Believe in Life After Love - and I felt the spirit of my mother. I wanted to dance and did.
Well, this blog thing is really neat. Now if I can figure out how to use it.
I decided to write my Library piece based on a story in the book Flags of Our Fathers. It seems the son of one of the Iwo Jima flag raisers was going through his dad's closet after his dad's funeral (looking for a will) and found a box of stuff related to Iwo Jima. Only after going through the box did the son reailze his dad was at Iwo Jima and was one of the flag raisers. In 50+ years the Dad had never memtioned it. My life has not been exactly like that, but I think now is the time to know each other better, not after someone is gone.
I recall a song with the words to that effect - In the Living Years. I wish I had done more to find out about my parents, in their living years. I did not.
Several day's after my Mother's funeral I was listening to a Cher song - I Believe in Life After Love - and I felt the spirit of my mother. I wanted to dance and did.
My Little Library
Two years ago, my wife Linda bought a 50's looking hutch and put it in the living room. We began to put a few decorative items on it and in it.
Without any particular plan in mind, I have decided to put into the hutch a series of books from my childhood. Having the time to do it because your mother is off at Sears working, I've decided to write and tell you about the collection of books. So here goes.
Let me start by telling where I'm getting the books. Some of them are actually mine, that is they are roughly 50 years old. Others are books I've bought to serve the purpose of books I had 50 years ago.
As of now , I've not arranged the books in any particular order.
The first is actually four Little Golden Book titles - The Shy Little Kitten, Gene Autry, Puffy Plays Baseball, and Bugs Bunny and the Easter Party.
- The Shy Little Kitten - my Dad bought me this book and a cap at Weingaten’s grocery store. I had just got a burr haircut. The book was my idea. The hat was his. Burr haircuts were a fad. That was why I did it. I let it grow back and got a burr only once more in my life - when I joined the Corps of Cadets at A&M. You can see where I've put my name in the book and on the second page is a word circled. I did not know it. The word is paws. Someone, likely, has put stickers on the book.
- Gene Autry- I can't recall anything about it other than I was in the 1st grade when I got it.
- Puffy Plays Baseball is actually a Little Owl Book. I don't remember any of the circumstances around this but I do remember I liked the book. The story is about a small, unimpressive train that does something really important. In summary, what I've always thought about myself.
- Bugs Bunny and the Easter Party. The story in this book always scared me.
- (The Christmas Story – is missing. It was given to me by me Granny Jones.)%0
Two years ago, my wife Linda bought a 50's looking hutch and put it in the living room. We began to put a few decorative items on it and in it.
Without any particular plan in mind, I have decided to put into the hutch a series of books from my childhood. Having the time to do it because your mother is off at Sears working, I've decided to write and tell you about the collection of books. So here goes.
Let me start by telling where I'm getting the books. Some of them are actually mine, that is they are roughly 50 years old. Others are books I've bought to serve the purpose of books I had 50 years ago.
As of now , I've not arranged the books in any particular order.
The first is actually four Little Golden Book titles - The Shy Little Kitten, Gene Autry, Puffy Plays Baseball, and Bugs Bunny and the Easter Party.
- The Shy Little Kitten - my Dad bought me this book and a cap at Weingaten’s grocery store. I had just got a burr haircut. The book was my idea. The hat was his. Burr haircuts were a fad. That was why I did it. I let it grow back and got a burr only once more in my life - when I joined the Corps of Cadets at A&M. You can see where I've put my name in the book and on the second page is a word circled. I did not know it. The word is paws. Someone, likely, has put stickers on the book.
- Gene Autry- I can't recall anything about it other than I was in the 1st grade when I got it.
- Puffy Plays Baseball is actually a Little Owl Book. I don't remember any of the circumstances around this but I do remember I liked the book. The story is about a small, unimpressive train that does something really important. In summary, what I've always thought about myself.
- Bugs Bunny and the Easter Party. The story in this book always scared me.
- (The Christmas Story – is missing. It was given to me by me Granny Jones.)%0
