It’s cold here. We are sinking into a frozen state with the temperature having just fallen below 32 degrees. Yeah, I know, back home the day started at 15 below so we don’t have any room to complain. But at home the house is actually built for colder weather. Here, in this tin can that we call home, the cold seeps in from all sides, and especially through the floor. I’m writing this wearing a double layer of socks.
It seems like the entire state of Texas has hunkered down and is not moving. We disconnected this morning and drove the RV to Burton, the site of a Cotton Gin museum, complete with a live demonstration of a cotton gin in operation. We got there at 10am, precisely when it was supposed to open. The place was deserted. Phone calls went to an answering machine. There were no signs on the door, and nothing on their web site to indicate any change in schedule. We waited around for another 10 minutes or so and then left.
In an attempt to rescue this outing, we drove to Round Top, the site of an annual antiques fair, happening this weekend. We’ve heard that the traffic is crazy during this fair, and the many antique shops along the road are mobbed with people. This is the weekend of the fair. And the roads were largely deserted. There were a smattering of cars at the various shops, but nothing to suggest that a large event was in progress. Nobody is moving. We seemed to be one of very few on the road.
We did stop at Royers Pie Haven, a place in Round Top that was recommended by several others in our group. We came away with a cinnamon roll and a slice of Texas Trash Pie, and even brought a couple pieces of pie to others in our group who wanted some. So the trip wasn’t entirely a bust. The pie and the cinnamon roll were very good.
One thing that this trip did: it warmed up the RV so we were very comfortable by the time we got back. And then the afterburners plus an electric heater kept it nice and toasty until the afternoon, when the falling temperatures overwhelmed the electric heater and the cold started seeping in.
I have been monitoring the temperature back home and saw that our furnace has been running non-stop since yesterday morning and the temperature inside fell to as low as 54 degrees. The system just isn’t designed for 15 below. So Abigail woke up to a cold house this morning.
One of our group texted a picture of the grocery store near here. This is apparently an issue all over this area. The roads are deserted, the stores are empty, you’d think there was something major going on.
We got back just in time for lunch. Pulled pork sandwiches and peach cobbler. Just the thing for a cold day. We stuck around the dining hall and played games for a while.
We braved the cold again for dinner. Lasagna. And really good lasagna. Again, we are fed well. We were told that this project and one other that we’ve been to are at the top in regards to keeping the volunteers fed. I guess it’s all downhill from here.
Actually, we don’t serve at particular projects just for the meals. We come to serve by working. But the meals are a nice perk.
On the walk back, we could see that the footbridge over the dry creek was icing over. We almost saw it very close up when one foot went one way and the other foot went a different way. Now it’s actually getting treacherous to walk here. The wind is howling around this tin can, and the only thing missing is the snow. Perhaps we’ll see that tomorrow morning.
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