Moving

[Cindi]

I've been coming here for years and writing about growing up in Texas, ruminating and rememberating on riding my bike around the old neighborhood, turning over rocks in the creek down the road, and plucking crawdads from their watery beds.

As it turns out, my new job is less than 2 miles from this very same neighborhood that I hold so close to my heart, so one day last month I got to driving around there, just looking, and found a house two blocks away from where I spent my childhood years, and well, I rented the damned thing.

So now I will be walking Frog down those same streets, and some 30 years later I will be in that same creek, looking for crawdads and one day I will go looking for the old hollow tree (that I doubt is still there, but maybe) and see if I can find it.

I may be odd, but it's a gift to me to be able to live there and I can't wait to get up in the morning and sit on the porch and drink my coffee and listen to the birds and think back on some of the best years of my life. I move in on the 15th. I can't wait.

The landlord, also grew up in the same neighborhood, and still lives there. We have already hashed over some seriously old memories and I expect there will be many more to come, as he is near my age. Funny how things work out.

[TXAnn38]

Who says you can't go home again, huh, Cindi?

[Greywolf]

I envy you for being able to do that.
With all that , will come some bittersweet realities , but it's still better than never returning at all.
So, did you and the landlord know each and other back then?:rolleyes:


I never miss a chance to drive past the place where I was born. It helps me appreciate how far I've come. But, to have a chance to do it again, I'd repeat it in a heartbeat, just to relive the times and be with those long gone friends.
When the Native tribes marched in the 60's and wanted some of thier land back, I bet that this was the first place the government gave up to them.
As desolate and quiet as it is there, I can understand the connection to thier spirtual beliefs and the feeling that thier land was sacred ground.

GW

[Altjaeger]

Last I remember you were in Florida so I need updating. As I recall you grew up in north Austin so must be there. How long have you been back and who came with you besides Frog? Where are you working and what are you doing?

[Cindi]

Greywolf, we must have at least seen each other, he's my brother's age, but neither me or my brother remember him by name, nor he us.

Alt ... Florida basically shut down, economy wise, the company I worked for closed, the company Jill worked for closed, and Fred got laid off. He and Jill and Jake came back to Texas in February, I came in March. Jenny came in late March. Fred and Jake live in Marble Falls and the girls and I will be living in north Austin, just as you remember. The neighborhood was in really bad shape back in '05 but many of the houses have been bought by young families and are being redone. My old house had gray siding, and wasn't much to look at ... here it is now, 3 years later:

http://www.kountrylife.com/gallery/a25251.jpg

It has been resided with rock and looks pretty sharp. Similar changes going on all over the neighborhood.

[Cindi]

Hey Ann! Yes, I am home again. I'll know in a year if I want to stay in the neighborhood or move on.

[BigRedDog]

Well, what a surprise!:rolleyes:
Cindi, I will be in Burnet for the Memorial Day weekend!
So close...

[M99ER]

Clicking your heels Dorothy? ;)

Hope you like your new tent uhh, I mean home...

Mine is once again in the 'backyard' of where I was borne sorta.. It's like going down a trail and hearing a squirrel and talking back at it as if it was the one you remember from childhood..

Hope them Crawdads taste good, I've yet to try them but I would not hesitate, the Lob'sta just dwarf 'em 'round here' and if I'm trappin' out of a brook I'm usually grabbin' baitfish for the day so I toss 'em 'dads all back.

It's still smelting season 'round heah'...

[Bayrat]

That's great!

I had a "Huck Finn" childhood on a large bay until ......

They bulldozed all the trees, paved the dirt roads, filled in the wetlands, bulkheaded and back-filled it all, then put up 100's of houses.

It was great while it lasted, but it's gone now.

Hope your second chance goes well.

Bayrat

[M99ER]

Paving over wetlands down your way was what it took to protect ours. This is part of the difference in economy's. We can't throw a shovel full of dirt without someone complaining...

What was Shotgun only is now Bowhunting only and the area is 1/10th what it was then. :o But I still call it Home Sweet Home'... :D

[Bayrat]

M99er,

We can't throw a shovel full of dirt without someone complaining...


It's pretty much the same down there now.

Moved up here 17 years ago to get away from that attitude to a more 'common sense' attitude here.

Up here, if a nieghbor wants to throw a shovel of dirt, the other nieghbors will at least loan him their shovel, if not go help him dig.

Down there, good luck just finding a parking space, much less hunting space.

Up here, they went from shotgun only to rifle several years ago.

Bayrat.

[Jo Ann]

Hi Cindi, good to see you. Did you sell the farm in Florida? Be sure and let us know when the book comes out. I can't wait to read it.

[Twanger]

Cindi - good to see you posting again.
A walk down memory lane, right to your front door. Pretty cool.

I bought a townhouse in a nearby town back in the early 80's, and sold it in 1990 when I got married. My wife also sold her house, and we bought one together - where we are now. Sometimes I drive by the old house just to do a little "wool gathering." It seems like a lifetime ago.

[Cindi]

BigRedDog

My sister lives in Burnet!

M99

I don't eat them, catch and release only.

Bayrat

There've been some changes to my old neighborhood too, but enough is still the same to bring back some very vivid memories.

Joann, farm is still for sale.

Twanger, I know what you mean. You must have some good memories there.