Shuffle Off to Buffalo

Many times our journey takes us within a few hundred miles of friends, but usually when this happens, our schedules still prevent us from getting together, even if only for a quick meal and round of hugs. Our stay in the north Houston area (very close to the city of Conroe) has given us the chance to see two couples that you have already met in the pages of our blog.

Marian and Lloyd, our dear friends from Vancouver, BC, will be leaving from Houston Intercontinental next week to visit friends in Newfoundland, (they are currently wintering in the Rio Grande Valley - that would be a little out of the way to drive to Bush Intl from Vancouver, wouldn't it???) so we will catch them for lunch near the airport  a short 30 miles away, and give you a full update.

But this week we asked Rick and Vicky (more dear friends who live in Grand Prairie, TX) to meet us halfway for lunch, maybe about 100 miles for each couple. See, we have our new HHR, but Vicky just got a new car too, so they were just looking for an excuse to take it out on an American Autobahn, I45 - it's a Mercedes SUV, you see. Rick checked the lunchtime opportunities, and found one of our faaaavorite BBQ restaurants - Dickey's - in the town of Buffalo, TX, almost exactly equidistant for us. It must be fate.

We met up in the Dickey's parking lot, and cruised around the town (about ten minutes to take it all in,) and we discovered a neat little book store/coffee shop called the Horse's Mouth ("You got this from the Horse's Mouth," their slogan goes.) right next to the pawn shop and gun store - this is central Texas, you know...

Then it was back to lunch (before the crowds built up.) Typically great food and great conversation as we got caught up on each other's summers.

Just a quick 2 1/2 hours together, but sooo good to see them again. Might not be back this way for a couple of years. Wonder if we can talk them into joining us in Vegas between now and then????

One more thing - in a major coincidence - would you believe that the proprietors of the Horses Mouth, Glenn and Laura, are an ex-liveaboard boating couple, recently returned from cruising the Caribbean. They resettled in Buffalo to be close to her parents. A really neat couple. Enjoyed trading tales and favorite stops from our sailing days.