June 23, 2014. Canyon Lake, Texas. The Antler Cafe.

Almost every time Ken and I visit Texas Marilyn and Richard come to visit. As they winter in Houston, our schedules often overlap and find us both in Texas at the same time. We always enjoy their company but they never stay long, which means we have lots to talk about the next time. Their pattern is to spend several summer months in the mountains of Colorado but Richard has donated his trout farm and property to the state. This summer he will shut down his home and get rid of their belongings and leave Colorado for good. They drove to the lake from Houston this morning, and arrived after lunch. As we always do, we sat and talked. They wanted to know details of our long trip and of our various cruises. When we got tired of sitting, we moved to the deck and drank wine and talked some more. Richard's only son died five years in a motorcycle accident so he knows all about grief so we talked for ages about Andrew. It is the first extended conversation we have had about Andrew when neither of us cried, so this is a good thing. Then I did a bad thing. I suggested that we go out for dinner as we had not yet gone to the grocery store. Everyone agreed to the plan which was to go to a new restaurant on Highway 46 called the Antler Cafe. It was kind of a Texas honkey tonk and funky but the food was fine. The problem was that I suggested we dine out and I suggested the restaurant, but Richard and Marilyn paid the bill!! Marilyn reminded me that when they visited us in Nova Scotia I had paid the bill. "This is pay back", she said. I really should have gone to the grocery store. Being lazy is never a good thing. Tonight they will drive to San Antonio and visit the museums and galleries tomorrow, pretending to be tourists. And we look forward to seeing them when we return to Texas in the fall. Our time together is always delightful.