The Camp...... The Refuge

Years and Years Ago...............

The Pipes Family had a farm near in the neighboring Parish.... It was named The Refuge.....

I think back to those times...... of Anna Lou, Dottie, the comings and goings of the past.....

Of the community that surrounded Places that we lived and truly enjoyed the expanse of our lands...

For the last almost 25 years .... I have had that feeling of security, of presence, of being safe and in my Being...... here on the Brick Street of the Lil City by the Red.......

Tonight was one of those rainy, damp, humid but (and there is always a but) firmness in the air...

I walked outside and came back in, grabbed the camera.... ...... ....... ...........

I felt The Refuge.... I felt the Safe Secure Home I have been in for these almost 25 years,,, this Bungalow ... this home built in 1923..... and ... Me.... being only the Second Owner.... unheard of these days.....

Tonight for some reason..... I was overcome with the Joy of My Solitude............

In my Home.... known locally as The Camp.....

Its Wednesday Evening

Wednesday Wednesday........



Today, work was good..... I completed a letter to the Pardon Board with an objection for the Boss to sign...

I usually don't really discuss work here, but today I want to for some reason.... I was sitting at the old oak table in the Clerk's office going over a file of a murder that occurred in 1974, one of my assignments is to write for the Boss recommendations of offenders who have committed  murders and crimes of violence, for those offenders who are applying for Pardons, Commutations of Sentences, Clemency, Paroles.

I was there on that old oak table researching a file of a murder that was committed by two guys in 1974... one of the offenders is dead, the other was applying for a commutation of sentence.  My assignment is to research and write the correspondence to the Board of Pardons or Board of Paroles for my Boss.

The research that I do, the recommendation that I write for his signature has a lot of weight in the determination on the offender and what the outcome will be from the respective Board.

As I was there thinking.... I am back to doing what I was first hired to do, make recommendations, base on facts, human errors, human past behaviors, and other factors.. . so many years ago.. actually I began my Corrections career in 1978... as a Classification Officer.. so many years ago.. and here I am now performing the same task that I learn way back then.  I have sort of come full circle in my working career...

I was reading a file of this murder that happened to "an old helpless man"; those words were written by the DA at that time to the Pardon Board in 1981 when one of the offenders applied for a Pardon.

Most, almost all parties in that file are now deceased... history of the Judicial System was in front of me.. and those words spoke to be again.... "an old helpless man" .... the only man standing is the offender who is seeking a commutation of sentence.

The facts hit me.... this old man... died at the hands of another man.. who didn't know him, just because the offender... needed money and the old man was known to have "coins" in his home.

The reading of the file, which was many, many pages, brought me back to a time when the Parish was very rural, life was very simple... it harken to a time when some folks didn't have running water in their homes, that walkin' to the store was a 7 mile adventure and took all day...

So the thoughts just poured through me today... I was remembering my early days in Corrections, now I am back....

Its Wednesday Evening in the Lil City by the Red.... I am glad I am alive... I am proud of my career.. I am thinking about that "old helpless man"... his last moments on this earth... and the crack of the pistol that ended his life, by a man that just wanted a few "coins" to buy liquor with.

Home .... Its where I am

On Monday, I had my exam and received my cupcake with one candle.

The cupcake is my 10 year celebration of my entering the MARC Urology Program at University of Texas Health Sciences.  MARC is their research arm located in San Antonio.

I began my journey there in September 2009, when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer and did a self referral by the suggestion of a family member.

Ten Years.... of poking, prodding, biopsies, and a lil of that and a lil of this, ....  No Focal Lesions etc was news this time.

Its a 452 mile drive one way, in the last few years I have broken it up on a two day trip over, stopping in Houston for supper with friends. But (and there is always a but) then on the exam day a jump off the table, quick shower, in the truck and a drive home in one day..  It is usually a seven  and half to eight hour drive through the countryside, I don't take any of the Interstate till the last 25 miles at San Antonio.... Texas back roads are usually 70 to 75 miles an hour.  It takes me about 55 minutes to get from the Lil City by the Red to the Louisiana/Texas State Line at Burr' Ferry on the Sabine River.

I usually ride by myself, its time for me to think about Life, and just be quiet with the radio.. However, this time Lisa rode with me, cause her girlfriend lives in SA.

I think riding by one's self provides for clearer thoughts and a frank conversation with your self.. Ain't no one but You to hear what You say...

I am Thankful to the wisdom of my Doctor in SA, Thankful for the Higher Power and Spirit that is keeping me around this long and hopefully a lil bit longer.

Well its been Three Days of Feast....

Friday Evening at the Liberty Kitchen at the Tree House on Memorial Drive, Houston TX as a delight beyond description......

A Spanish Seafood Stew, complete with light tomato broth, heavy on the Saffaron ....  a a crushy bread....

Then at my old haunt in San Antonio, the always extreme fresh Wasibi Sushi....

With the Cucumber Roll, no rice, just veggies fresh from the oraganic gardens...and Tuna still flippin' its tail...... Last Night upon arrival here

Today, I had lunch with a nephew once removed.. actually second cousin.. he is here at Trinity College in San Antonio.... we had brunch at LaFonda's on Main. in San Antonio... such a great neighborhood and local eatery....  ..... Here is Spinach Enchilada's totally Organic .. so good.. not meat...

Tomorrow its the bi annual check up and then that 452 mile drive home.... but I can relish the three dishes for sure....

Tomorrow...... Road Trip Friday Afternoon

Tomorrow... Its a Friday road trip, half of the trip tomorrow and the other half on Saturday morning....

In the morning, Friday, I will be photographing for the Boss at the Senior Citizens' Day at the Parish Fair...then on the road by 2pm to Houston...

At 2pm its  off to Houston tomorrow afternoon, staying at the Omni Westside near Katy, eating at the Liberty Kitchen at the TreeHouse on Memorial. Reservations at 8pm...

Then on Saturday morning making the rest of the trip to San Antonio for the Fall Check Up on the Prostate.... my PSA remains fairly low, 1.1 which is a fairly good score, being I still have the small walnut inside of me. I will drop my dear Lisa off by her Love's home in SA

Over the past ten years I have gone alone to SA, twice a year.  This is only the second time I am having someone go with me..... Lisa, the dear lesbian friend, is riding along.  Her girlfriend lives in SA... its one of those long distance affairs.... Hmmm is all I can say.

I usually leave on Sunday, drive to SA, have the appointment on Monday, drive home the same day.... however, due to the romantic affair of my dear dear friend, I am splitting the trip up.  So, if I am doing it... you might as well enjoy it.... Liberty Kitchen has three locations in H Town... they are known for the freshest seafood and culinary delights... Have to see....

When I am in SA on Saturday night, I will be alone, since Ms. Thing will be dripping the pussy licks with her Love.... Wasbi Sushi ... is on my Saturday evening Supper schedule... its near my hotel the Omni at the Colonnade in SA.

Sunday Brunch........ is yet to be determined.. I sort of would like La Fonda's for Brunch..


Then on Monday... its poked  and probed by the Good Doctor Hernandez and his team of young aspiring interns.... maybe they will have nice fingers.. review of blood work, and chat chat on what is going on with me....

Monday... its the usual drive back with a late afternoon lunch at What A Burger somewhere on the Road.... and home by 8pm Monday Evening...

See y'all Soon..........

Sunday Morning.........

Sunday Morning almost  Eight....

Got up this morning feeling better than I have in a good while, still nasally but do deep deep hack or cough..... This shit knocked me back.....

Next  Saturday I will be in SA to see another Good Doctor for the  finger insertion, reading of the PSAs, etc......... hopefully another six month of good reports.  I have to remind my self this is my tenth year of going to SA to see the Good Doctors of the University of Texas Health Sciences ....

But yesterday, I allowed my self to haul a few neighbors around on my morning rounds, hardware store, meat market, and the ever popular Hokus Pokus.

We ended up at a Mexican Cafe, Mi Terraa, and drank the afternoon away.... 2 for one....with heavy  beans, rice, and a Lil grilled chicken.....

On the way back to the Garden District I saw some Spider Lilies ( Lycoris radiata) in full bloom by the side walk of the Red Bricks.......

Here are them..................  its Spider Lily time .....Which means Fall is about to breeze into the Deep Deep South.......

Home

I'm home today, somewhat sick, the good doctor said I had a touch of streptococcal pneumonia.

Friday, last Friday, I had a staff member in my office reviewing files, he hacked, coughed, his head off for two hours and decided to go home.

Saturday I woke up and wasn't feeling to chipper, by Sunday it was all going down the drain... I had acquired something, called the good doctor, she saw that I got my it all cultured, and got some antibiotics in me... Well I thought fine, off to work on Monday, part of the day on Tuesday...

It put me here in the bed now here on Wednesday....  I'm better, no coughing or hacking up Rust colored phlegm anymore..... .. Good Doctor said Rust Colored Phlegm is the tell tale sign to Strep Pneumonia