But The Agave Lives On

If you read last week’s blog, “Death of an Agave,” you know that my oldest, biggest agave ended its life by blooming. But what I didn’t mention is that besides blooming to procreate, agaves also produce babies, called pups, and I found eight that had hidden under their parent, just waiting to start their new lives. I chose the largest one to carry on in its parent’s place and put the rest out in the nursery area. Some of them are pretty small and may not make it, but I suspect more will make it than don’t.

I found seeds from the bloom stem everywhere as I cleaned the bed to plant the baby. They were stuck in the Spanish broom and littered the ground all around the area. It will be interesting to see if babies spring up around us from seeds that were carried by the wind.

So let’s see. I am 66 now. If this one blooms in about 15 years like its parent did, I will be 81. Since genetics and gender are on my side, there is a good chance I will be around to watch it bloom as well. And won’t that be fun! I’ll roll my wheelchair out each morning to check its progress, and I will still marvel at the sight of that bloom reaching for heaven.

Something to look forward to in my old age!

Mules 48, Dimmitt 7

The Dimmitt Bobcats came to town and the Mules came to the game with pink feet in support of finding a cure for breast cancer. Those pink feet carried the Mules to victory to the tune of 48 to 7. I was banished to the house and not allowed to watch the game in person since I had a very pink throat with a cough to match. And it was our coldest weather for a game to date, our thermometer registering about 36-38 degrees by the end of the game. So my report is based on the play-by-play I heard on the computer. I took notes the whole game and wished I was there.

The game started with Dimmitt receiving, but we managed to intercept the ball on their second play of the game and made it all the way to the one yard line, but were unable to score. Then when Dimmitt gets the ball they manage to eat up lots of clock with five first downs until Ray Martinez intercepts. We make three first downs but can’t score before the first quarter is over.

But quickly into the second quarter Matt Barron makes a 39-yard pass into a touchdown, Nacho Elizalde makes a point after, and the score is Mules 7, Dimmitt 0 with 11:31 on the clock. When Dimmitt gets the ball Tony Molina makes some good defensive plays, there are some penalties, and then I have a technical difficulty with the computer. The Mules’ defense goes on to hold the Bobcats and get the ball back. Junior Baca runs for 25 yards, quarterback Caleb Wood makes some yards but then throws an interception and Dimmitt is in possession again. It is during this possession that Tony Molina goes down and out for the rest of the game. The defense continues to hold and the Bobcats have to punt, which is caught by Ray Martinez, who decides to just run it back 78 yards for a touchdown. So with the PAT, the score is now 14-0, Mules, with 2:44 on the clock. Dimmitt has one more possession, we have one more possession and can’t get in for the touchdown, so Elizalde tries and misses a 32-yard field goal, and the the quarter ends.

The third quarter begins with Dimmitt’s attempted onside kick, which is unsuccessful. We then march right down the field and Joel Regalado scores. Mules 21, Dimmitt 0 with 9:33 on the clock.This is followed by Dimmitt marching down the field with seven, if I counted correctly, first downs, several flags with extended discussions by the officials, a called-back Dimmitt touchdown and finally a good Dimmitt touchdown and point after, and the score is 21-7, Mules. At this point Dimmitt has actually had possession of the ball more than Muleshoe, about seven minutes, but the score does not reflect that. And before the quarter is over, the Mules manage to take it in again with Wood scoring with 1:27 to go. The score is now Mules 28, Dimmitt 7.

The fourth quarter starts with Dimmitt having to give up the ball on fourth down, and in two quick first downs Austin Ross catches a touchdown pass, and the score is 35-7. After the kick-off to Dimmitt, they fumble, and we recover and make another touchdown, by I don’t know who makes it due to technical difficulties again. Dimmitt has to punt after one drive, and Saul Sanchez goes in to quarterback the Mules the rest of the game. And at this point there is another phantom touchdown and good extra point, another possession each by both teams, a good QB sack near the end by Ramon Mendoza, and the game is over; Mules 48, Dimmitt 7.

The next game is the road trip, and I do mean road trip, to Childress. The Mules now stand at 7-1 overall, and 3-0 in district.  Childress has a neat and pretty WPA-Depression ear-built stadium and the luxury of a concession stand on both sides of the field. What a deal!

Be there. Mule Mania will getcha!

Death of an Agave

April 4, 2012 – My worst fears were answered; my oldest, biggest agave was gearing up to bloom.  Normally, a cactus/succulent enthusiast looks forward  specimens blooming. Well, I will certainly enjoy this bloom, but agaves are monocarpic, which means they  bloom once in their life, and then they die. And that I am not looking forward to. Look right in the middle of the plant and you will see the pointed tip of the bloom stem, or mast, as it is called, beginning to form.

April 11, 2012 – Once the process starts, the mast grows really fast. This picture was taken a week later. Agaves are sometimes called century plants because it seems like they live a hundred years before they bloom and die. Not so. Depending on the variety, soil, moisture, and growing season, they can bloom starting at around 15 years of age. This one is probably about 15. When I planted it, I was not into keeping up with details like that. Now I am more aware of keeping up with the ages of my plants.

April 19, 2012 – The process continues. This is two weeks and a day later.

April 25, 2012 – These two shots were taken on the same day. Notice in the close-up that the flower buds are beginning to form. The trunk is hard and solid as wood. Also note the Spanish broom blooming yellow by the agave. Everyone needs a Spanish broom; they bloom in the spring and the scent is wonderful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

April 30, 2012 – As the mast grew and the buds formed, it created an interesting and  pleasing picture with just its shape, seen here at sunset.

May 16, 2012 – The buds are beginning to take shape. The mast is now six-weeks old.

 

May 27, 2012 – The buds are beginning to open. I am standing by the plant as a point of reference. At 5’3, I am not very tall, but you can see the bloom stem is tall. The bigger the agave plant, the taller the mast will be. My plant is an agave parryi; agave americana grows even taller than this.

 

May 29, 2012 – The buds are opening more and more.

June 6, 2012 – These four pictures were all taken on the same day, even if the sky is lighter in the second one!  I wanted to show the full effect of the plant’s imposing presence, from far away to close up. This is the agave in bloom at its finest, nine weeks after the process began.

August 29, 2012 – Time is taking its toll. The blooms have all fallen off, the mast and plant itself have started the dying process.

 

September 10, 2012 – After five and a half months, the time had come for the agave to be put to rest. I preferred that it come down while it still had some dignity left since it had shared its beauty with us for so long.

I prefer to remember it this way, still leaving its indelible image on the landscape. You were a good one, little agave.

The Lubbock Community Theatre

If you read last week’s blog, you know I attended a writing workshop presided over by Jaston Williams and that I promised more information about the Lubbock Community Theatre, where the workshop was held. So, here we go-

The organization known as the Lubbock Community Theatre has been around since 1950, although local community theatre productions date back to the ‘40s. LCT as we know it today was incorporated in 1989 and is a non-profit organization that depends on ticket sales, grants, endowments, and underwriters to keep things going.  The mission of LCT is to do just what their name implies: promote and produce community theatre, and, as I was told, keep community in community theatre. They have been housed in several places around town, but their current home is at the corner of Boston and 43rd Street, in what I was told was the first strip mall in Lubbock. They started out in a small portion of the repurposed (the new politically correct term for recycled, I have noticed) building, gradually expanding into adjoining floor space, and now have quite an expansive set-up, with all the necessary areas for a theatre company, including a “Green Room” where the actors wait for their stage entrances.

The workshop participants relax in the Green Room before our performance.

We needed no props for our presentation other than the table provided for those who might rather sit down while giving their piece. We did get the full treatment of stage lights upon us, so now we can say we performed under the bright lights!

The theatre as it now stands was built by the hands of many volunteers. The sound and lighting booth was already in place; the stage and risers were installed when LCT moved to the building. The seating capacity of the theatre itself is 65.

Backstage, seen here, was cluttered with the props needed for the play the group is now working on, All In The Timing, so that we could have the stage for our workshop presentation.  I suspect all backstages would look cluttered to those of us not familiar with theatre; it’s the nature of the beast. I found all the rooms behind the stage to be interesting and fun because it was all so new to me.

I’m sure this makeup and dressing area is much more exciting the night of a production.

Patti Campbell works in a far corner of the Green Room. Her work is never-ending and constant as each play needs its own unique wardrobe, which she turns out quickly and beautifully.

Jay Brown and his wife Pam have been involved in LCT productions for many years in a variety of jobs.

Lubbock Community Theatre is a labor of love for all those involved, from the board of directors to Patti Campbell, the wardrobe/costume wizard, John Packard, the office assistant, as well as Jay Brown  the managing/artistic director who happens to hold the only paid position, a move that became necessary to ensure the success of the organization. That having been said, John’s job is a part- time paid position, Patti sometimes gets paid for more challenging wardrobe assignments, actors and directors get some reimbursement, so when the occasion calls for it, money does change hands. But after talking to those committed to the cause, I can assure you passion for theatre and not money is the reason they do it.

The board or directors serve two-year staggered terms, and many have been on the board for what seems like forever because they enjoy what they do. New people are added, too, when circumstances create a need. De Lyn Wolcott is this year’s board president who guides board members Andy Rasa, Lonny Howell Fox, Kevin Ten Eyck, Gloria Mason, Donna Hopkins, Kimberly Ansolabehere, Jana Barnhill, Robert Barnhill, Pam Brown, James Bush, Julie Harris, C. Kevin Helmer, Chris Kabes, Todd Klein, Ida Esquivel Rasa, Ashley Rhodes, and Ruth Schiermeyer.

LCT  stages five productions a year, along with what is called the second season, which consists of a children’s play and a Christmas play. A play selection committee is appointed to come up with a list of five plays they think will be interesting, challenging, and that reflect community standards, but have been known to sometimes push the envelope a bit, with plays such as The Laramie Project.  And occasionally a classic will make an appearance, like The Crucible. The agreed-upon list then goes out and interested directors and actors magically appear. Productions usually run for three week-ends straight, so a theatre-goer has many chances to catch one of the plays.

So if you are in need of a night out and tired of the same old movies, try a local version of Broadway. Check out the website www.lubbockcommunitytheatre.org for a schedule of upcoming productions, ticket information, as well as a look at some previous plays, more information about the organization, and information about their youth theatre program. Jay Brown can also be reached most mornings at 806-749-2416 to answer your questions.

Then break out the dress clothes and treat yourself to a LCT production. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised and definitely entertained.

Thanks to Jay Brown, Pam Brown, Jim Bush, Patti Campbell, and all those who helped provide information for this article.

Jaston Williams Comes to Town

Jaston Williams of Greater Tuna fame, was in Lubbock this past weekend to conduct a writing workshop, The Art and Heart of the Story, hosted by and held in the Lubbock Community Theatre at the corner of Boston and 43rd Street. (More about LCT next week.) I couldn’t afford to pass up an opportunity to study and work with an author/playwright who has performed on Broadway, in Europe, twice played the White House, written and acted in a variety of productions, had an HBO special-in other words, a real live famous creative artist with whom I had a chance to work. So of course I did. Well, not before talking it over with Colten since it would involve missing one of his football games, in which he saw lots of playing time and that they won. But I digress.

Jaston grew up in Olton, Texas,  where his grandparents were some of the first settlers in Lamb County. At sixteen the family moved to Crosbyton, Texas, where he finished high school. He attended Texas Tech, and majored in theater arts, although he said he really had seen himself as a writer, not an actor, but life, as they say, had other plans. What should have been his senior year at Tech he spent in San Antonio with the First Repertory Theatre Company, which started what Jaston smiled and called his Bohemian decade. He bounced around Austin, San Antonio, Taos, and San Francisco.

Somewhere during that time he met Joe Sears in San Antonio, and they came up with  Greater Tuna, which went on stage for the first time in Austin in 1981. A New York critic just happened to be in town and saw the show; within a year Vera Carp, Pearl Burras, Didi Snavely, and the whole crew opened in New York. The Tuna phenomenon then toured for the next 30 years and during that time Tuna Christmas, Red and White Tuna, and Tuna Does Vegas were created. It has been quite a run.

Jaston and Joe Sears decided to retire the Tuna series, and  Jaston, at 61,  is ready to slow down a bit and do other things, like conducting more writing workshops and enjoying time with his family in their newly purchased home in Lockhart, which still keeps him close to his beloved and inspiring  Austin.  He is currently touring  a new one-man show, Camping with Gasoline, is working on a novel, and will star in another  one-man show about Truman Capote, Tru, written by Jay Presson Allen, opening in Austin on January 15 and running until March 5th.

Jaston wanted us to be inspired to write from real life experiences, which we did. As a group we discussed and shared ideas, wrote several drafts and rewrites, and on Sunday afternoon, read our pieces to an audience of about 40 friends, family,  and Lubbock Community Theatre board members. I think we all broadened our writing skills, and for those of us without a theatre background, like me, it was fun to perform under the lights.

As we worked, Jaston came around and looked at our progress and gave suggestions and direction for our piece.

We shared as we made changes and edited our work.

Not surprisingly, all of us were from the Lubbock area, even John from Paris, who grew up in Childress, which is not exactly Lubbock, but the general area.  Most were involved in or had been involved in some way in education, usually connected to theater arts or UIL literary events, which I didn’t find surprising, either.

Andy Rasa practices at the dress rehearsal on Sunday.

The rest of the group waits their turn to practice under the lights.

Our group portrait-front row, left to right: Sylvia Ashby, Lubbock; Pam Brown, Lubbock; Jaston; Yours truly, Muleshoe; Amber Patrick, Lubbock. Back row, left to right: John Wright, Paris, Texas; Andy Rasa, Lubbock; Tony Thornton, Lubbock; Kevin Helmer, Lubbock; Jim Bush, Lubbock, Rachel Morrison, Plainview; Joan Sears, Lubbock; Cynthia Davis, Lubbock; Kathryn Rainwater, Lubbock; and Cindy Campbell, Lubbock.

A tremendous amount of talent was displayed by this group, and we produced a variety of topics and styles in our writing; drama, satire, humor, a bit of history., remembrances, a letter home, even a song. The settings ranged all the way from Africa to Viet Nam to Louisiana to North Carolina and back to Texas and our hearts. See, aren’t you sorry you weren’t there to see what you could come up with?

My condolences to those of you who did not have the chance to meet and laugh with the residents of Tuna, Texas. But if you want to get to know one of their creators and develop your writing skills at the same time, perhaps you’ll have the chance to attend a writing workshop hosted by Jaston one of these days.

Who knows where it might take you.

My thanks to Jaston for graciously allowing me to interview him and to all the workshop participants who patiently let me bug them for information and  take pictures of them. Thanks to the Lubbock Community Theatre and their board members for sharing their facility and time with us.

 

 

Mules 40, Bushland 17

The Mules traveled to Bushland tonight  for their second district win. It was a long game, a cold game, a somewhat uneven game, but the Mules persevered and won 40 to 17.

If you recall last week’s game against Friona, you might remember that the scoreboard was dead the whole game. Well, tonight we had a scoreboard but endured a sound system that for all practical purposes, might as well have not been working because nothing was understandable. And I do mean nothing. Perhaps the home side could make it out from their vantage point; we certainly couldn’t. And then it also felt like they had called in the NFL’s replacement refs, so many flags were thrown for so many questionable, we thought, infractions. But you have to rise above the roadblocks, and the Mules did, so there you have it.

We kicked off, and right off the bat Bushland fumbled, and we are in possession quickly. Just as quickly we fumble and give up the ball ourselves. They have some success until Saul Sanchez brings down the quarterback, turning the ball over to us, and Junior Baca runs it right in for the touchdown with 5:31 on the clock, and the score is 7-0. After we kick off, there is a flag against us, and they manage to make it first and goal when Chris Lozano sacks the quarterback. But they manage to get a field goal out of the deal and the score is 7-3 with 1:49 left in the first quarter. Then when we get the ball, quarterback Caleb Wood makes a long run called back for holding and promptly throws an interception, which gives Bushland possession at the start of the second quarter.

The second quarter starts with one of those questionable interference calls against us. But revenge is sweet when Ryan Johnson manages to come up with a bumbled ball and runs probably 60 yards for the TD. This had to be the play of the game, heck, the play of the week, as Ryan is the Mules center and a nose guard, neither of which is a position known for the ability to sprint past the goal line! So the score now stands at 14-3. After we kick off, the defense holds them and they have to punt. A few plays later, Austin Ross scores, making the score 21-3 with 6:02 on the clock. We sack their quarterback after the kick off, and we march down the field, only to use the remaining two time-outs to try to score before the half, but throw an interception instead. They have 17 seconds to score and don’t, so at the half the score still stands at 21-3 in favor of the Mules.

The third quarter starts with us receiving the ball, can’t make the first down and Ignacio Elizalde makes a nice punt that lands on the ten yard line. Our defense holds, so Bushland can’t move, either. Then Ray Martinez catches an intercepted pass, goes on to miss a Wood pass that would have been a touchdown, misses another one, and on 4th down Matt Barron catches a long one for first and goal, only to be stopped again by a holding call, lose 15 yards, get called for holding again, and then Austin Ross catches what had to be considered a Hail Mary pass because we desperately needed it, and the touchdown is made. The two-point conversion is not, however, so the score is 27-3 with 4:49 left in the quarter. We kick off, and they change their game plan, going into a series of very quick, no huddle plays to throw us off, and it works because a few plays later they get a nice pass to an empty receiver. But even at that, the Mules manage to get the ball back, get Baca open, and he runs in for the TD, which has yet another flag on the play. The touchdown stands, the PAT is good, and the score is now 34-3.

They start the fourth quarter with the ball, and after one good pass, their QB intentionally grounds the ball and is not flagged for it. Then we get a late hit call, also suspicious, the defense stands their ground for two plays, and then Bushland goes in for the score. The kick is good and the score is 34-10. On the kick-off Baca stops the ball on about the three yard line, which is scary, but the Mules get the ball away from the end zone and make steady yards down the field in an attempt to eat up the clock, which they do, until Wood completes a long pass to Ross, and the Falcons finally have a penalty called on them. We get down to the one yard line, but Bushland manages to hold us till fourth down, and Wood passes to Barron for the touchdown. The PAT fails, and the score is 40-10 with 3:07 left in the game. After we kick off to them, they make a determined set of three first downs, get a holding call followed by a pass for the first down, which leads to a good pass to the end zone for one last touchdown and extra point. The score is 40-17 with 26 seconds left. Muleshoe runs out the clock, and the game is over.

Next week Dimmitt comes to Muleshoe. The pre-game meal is Mexican pile-on. Come eat and then watch the Mules win.

Mule Mania is alive and well. Go Mules!

600 Miles and 60 Years

I traveled back home to Rosenberg a few weeks ago to pay my respects to Loma Koenig, mother of my friend Carol Sue and friend of my family. I had also been back to Rosenberg for the class reunion in August, so between the two trips I had a double dose of one of those trips down memory lane. I’m not sure whether the distance or the time had the strongest effect on me.

Obviously both played their part in making me feel  disoriented and lost in a strange place that I kept trying to make familiar. I guess there is something to that you can’t go home again thing. I could go home, but what I found was not the home I remembered. Well, actually, I did find my first home in Rosenberg, right there on 4th Street, where we lived until I was eight or nine, I guess, when we moved to the house Mother and Daddy built on Timberlane Drive. I didn’t drive by that house again, though. I remember how hard it had been to drive away the day I officially moved Mother out of it and to Graham after Daddy died. Figured I didn’t need to relive that.

But every time I go back, I can’t seem to help comparing where I live now to where I lived then. Not necessarily better or worse; just different. And interestingly enough, the history of the two places, besides me being a resident of both, starts with the railroad. Where Rosenberg now stands started out in the 1830s as an unnamed shipping point on the Brazos River, which, by the way, has tons of water in it year round, unlike the skimpy, if not dry, Brazos River you might cross up here. The Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe Railroad eventually came through what was called the Rosenberg Junction in 1880, having been named after Henry von Rosenberg, the first president of the railroad. By 1883 it had officially been named Rosenberg.

Muleshoe was founded in 1913 when the Pecos and Northern Texas Railway came through the area and a nearby small town named Old Hurley literally picked itself up and moved to the railroad to become what is now the town of Muleshoe in 1913. Muleshoe stands on land that had been a part of the Muleshoe Ranch, which had been a part of the famous XIT Ranch, and stories abound as to where the name came from. One story has it that the name was taken from the Muleshoe Ranch; another says it was because of the number of mules in the area; yet another says a mule shoe was found somewhere on the ranch and the name stuck; take your pick. No matter how it came about, it gives the town the distinction of having one of the more unique Texas town names.

So Rosenberg is older than Muleshoe. That plus the fact that their climates are worlds apart-think sand storms versus hurricanes- factor in to the appearance and personality of the two places. Rosenberg was a small town when I lived there, a little bigger than Muleshoe, but it has grown to 31,676 residents, according to the 2010 census, so it is also considerably larger than Muleshoe, whose population now stands at 5,158, also according to the 2010 census. Located on the Gulf Coast, the town is covered with live oak trees which, thanks to the rain and warmer temperatures, grow to enormous size. Johnson grass is the weed everyone fights. Muleshoe has elm trees which do get big, if they live long enough, and of course tumbleweeds run rampant all over the place.

Carlisle Street is one of the older streets in Rosenberg, and I have always thought one of the prettiest because the trees meet in the middle, forming what looks like a long green tunnel, which is not uncommon on other streets in town.  I hunted all over Muleshoe for a street like that, and what you see below is the best I could find. Give those trees some water and lots of time, and they may one day meet in the middle, too.

Age and climate mark the houses and landscaping as well. I like shiny big new houses, too, but it’s the more modest, smaller, older homes that sometimes have the most character and can certainly be as appealing as high end homes. That’s what I noticed as I drove around the streets of both towns. Rosenberg had the advantage in this category since many of the homes were older and had older, bigger trees which, let’s face it, really dress up a yard. But the modest homes in Muleshoe had their appeal, too.

The two homes above are in Rosenberg; the two below are in Muleshoe.

The trees were a major difference in the landscaping of the two towns. The Gulf Coast has all the rain, humidity, and heat necessary to keep everything lush and green. West Texas is green if it rains, which is not all the time. Oak and pecan are prevalent in Rosenberg; elm and honey locusts grow well in Muleshoe. Muleshoe does have the occasional really big one, but big trees blanket Rosenberg, like in the picture below.

I love big beautiful trees, but it is the shade they grace us with that is their real gift. Shade in Rosenberg is everywhere; If you look hard enough, you can find that kind of shade in Muleshoe, as seem below, just not as much of it.

 

With the warmer winters and wet weather, tropicals like these elephant ears thrive in Rosenberg. Raised beds around oak trees are successful, too.

 

Yards in Muleshoe rely on wind and drought-resistant plants like evergreen conifers, above, and below, agaves, and yes, cactus!

 

Even the Rosenberg post office looks older and has a different character when compared to the one in Muleshoe.

 

The funeral I attended was held in the Methodist Church of my childhood, pictured above.  It was built in 1941; the Methodist Church in Muleshoe, below,  was built in 1956. I found it interesting that the smaller church is in the larger city.

Look at the similarities in the sanctuaries of the two churches, Rosenberg above and Muleshoe below.

I grew up looking at this stained glass window. It was nice to see it was still there.

Downtowns of both cities have changed over the years, obviously, but one look at the buildings, Muleshoe above and Rosenberg below, and you can tell which downtown has been there the longest. All over Rosenberg I could see the influence of Houston and growth in the shopping malls, hotels, new housing developments, schools, everything. I could still find my way around, but it certainly wasn’t the little town I grew up in any more.

A favorite place to eat chicken fried steak and such used to be the Texas Grill at the end of highway 59 as it went through town. Time has changed that, but I was glad to see the girl still waving from atop her horse. At night she would be outlined with neon lights. In Muleshoe the place to eat Mexican food has been Leal’s, which has probably been in Muleshoe about as long as that cowgirl has been waving to passersby.

 

I was there for the funeral on September 24th. They had already picked their cotton and modules were neatly stacked along the highway. I came home to cotton still in the fields, defoliated and ready to be stripped, but still in the fields, nonetheless. Both towns grow cotton, corn, and milo. Rosenberg also has rice; Muleshoe has vegetables and wheat.

I am always a sucker for sunrise and sunset pictures, so naturally I have to make one last comparison.  Above is a sunset from my front yard in Muleshoe; below is the sunset as I was leaving Rosenberg on highway 36 to come home.

Rosenberg will always be home, no matter how much it has changed, no matter how long I am gone from there. The trees will always fascinate me, the kolaches, which are so much more than the imitation pigs in a blanket I find up here, will always be a temptation, the memories will always be there, and eventually a part of me will be there forever, as the plan is for Bill and me to be buried there along with Mother and Daddy and Louise.

But Muleshoe is home, too. A  family grew up and memories were made there,  and a part of me will stay here as well. No matter the miles, no matter the years, I will always have two homes.