February 5 - “Kissing Pigs”

We got off to a very late start for our latest trip.  We were headed to Waco to watch Zakary’s last basketball game.  We haven’t been able to see him play for the junior high team yet, so this was a last chance kind of thing.  Amidst all the pre-trip packing, Chris made a birthday apple pie for Josh (His is the 16th, but we probably won’t be in Waco then.  Then we had to stop for gas.  At least there we saw Ed and Drake, so it wasn’t a boring stop.

After our lunch stop at Buc-eyes, I convinced Chris to take another short cut.  Actually it was the one we were goi no to take last time when we ended up at Washington-on-the-Brazos.  We went through Chappell Hill again, but this time we kept on going toward Brenham.  We discovered that Chappell Hill is a whole lot bigger than what we were able to ascertain from Washington.  Sprawling.

One of the new sights we passed this time was a spay and neuter clinic located across the street from a local dog park.  I have been wondering if that would be in the same category reputation-wise as, say, a Japanese restaurant sharing the same building as a veterinarian’s office.  Hmm.  We passed through Somerville and Lyons and Caldwell, where we saw the carcass of a very large and very dead wild hog.  Just Outside of Cameron we saw the Cameron Air Park.  Not airport.  Air PARK.  Looked strangely similar to an airport, albeit quite small.  Maybe Galveston has an international air park.  Ben Arnold is an actual town.  So is Rosebud and Lott and Golinda.  That’s where we were surprised to suddenly see an entire field full of hundreds of four-legged cows.  And then another full filed on the other side of a ravine that separatedd the two.  You’ll never guess the name of the little creek.  Cow Bayou.  No way.

We made it to Waco in plenty of time to get to Zak’s game, which was about 40 minutes away at a small Catholic school in West, Texas.  The boys did a fabulous job at their last game of the season.  This team pretty much destroyed Zak’s last time they played, but adjustments had been made.  In an exciting back and forth battle the good guys took the win in overtime.  Zak’s playe dhis minutes well, showing some powerful defense and rebounding, in particular.  Nice job, Zak.  And as a special bonus, Luke and his group of Teams Of Tomorrow (TOTs) performed at halftime.  TOTs is a program that teaches preschoolers basketball skills.  These little guys were dribbling with both hands and showing ball handling skills that many high schoolers would be proud to have.  And the best of them all?  Well, that would be the youngster with the Vaughan last name, of course.  Way to go Luke.

Oh, I almost forgot.  We ate supper in West at a local establishment.  Something like Slovacek’s.  The eating part was called the Kissing Pig Cafe.  Not bad barbecue if you’re ever gliding through town.  Don’t be deceived by the truck stop look on the outside.  It actually is a massive gas station, but once you make your way through the huge gifts shop, the food is not bad.  And who doesn’t want to eat at The Kissing Pig Cafe?  Come on ...

Isaiah 43:19 says, “See, I am doing a new thing!  Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?  I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Father, thank you for perennial short cuts and athletic grandkids.  And for Kissing Pigs.  Amen.