​More rolling green hills on today’s drive. Texas has good freeways! We had a bit of a navigation issue, which resulted in us circling Gladewater before getting directed via phone to the home of John Rodriguez, son of Ralph and Jean, Hank’s aunt and uncle by marriage. Ralph and Jean were also the organizers and hosts of Hank’s mother’s first reunion with her seven children, three of whom had been estranged prior to the reunion. 

This year will be the 30th anniversary of these reunions. Hank’s mother Nettie died one week after the sixth reunion. Those reunions were always the highlight of her year. Her children have carried on with this annual events almost every year since. This year’s landmark event is on our itinerary June 25th in Radford, Va.

John and his wife Cathy have a shady, 9-acre ranch in Gladewater, where they live with two horses, two donkeys, four dogs and three cats. After a chicken dinner and strawberry shortcake dessert, John helped us fire up our generator for the first time, so we could cool the trailer and get a good nights sleep. The generator ran until 3:30 am, when it ran out of fuel. It was Angie’s best night of sleep on the trip to date.