Texas week two Nov 7-16 1971

I left Alpine travelling with a passenger, Kaye, who I had met through the sorority while at UCLA. She was a field secretary for the sorority visiting chapters in the region, doing work for National. So instead of flying to her next job, she hitched a ride w/ me and used her expense stipend to cover gas and lodging to the Georgetown, Texas chapter. We drove South and East to Del Rio, stopping to take a walk over to the border town of Acuna, Mexico, which was hot and dusty and the only noteworthy event was buying some gum from a few little kids. On to Uvalde, Texas for our overnight and then away to the east the next morning to San Antonio for a visit to the Alamo and lunch along the river walk, an upscale and a fun change from our up-until-then low-budget ventures. From a letter home -

"they're sure aren’t many radicals out here – one hippie on a street corner – (LA look beard & embroidered levis) in San Antonio saw my UCLA decal as we turned the corner & started grinning and madly waving – its funny from a lot of the longhairs out here LA is a magic Haven – but I guess the grass is always greener – most of the folks (here) have their own plans for their future & don’t need to bother with any ‘isms’ – most people I’ve met are surprised at what I am doing ...– most are pretty open about their feelings ... and are eager to share thoughts and meet someone who is tied to them (thru ФM) but from a different world – I keep getting asked ‘what is LA really like?

We arrived in Georgetown later in the day where Kay was to stay at an elderly alum’s home while working with the chapter, I was welcomed to stay as well and gladly took advantage of that. We shared a room in their ancient house and laid awake at night listening to the critters crawling up and down inside the walls. Mice? RATS???? We got used to them after a night or two - even giving them names. The childless couple was lively and fun-loving, compensating their barrenness by taking care of an endless chain of college girls, perpetually welcoming them into their home. ‘Aunt Margaret’ and ‘Uncle Frank’ - It was better than staying with a relative, we were taken care of without parental ‘just when will you be getting home?’ I described them in a letter home

-" Aunt Margaret is pretty opinionated but I like feisty old ladies – took me out to the 40Acre Club – Texan High Class last night for dinner & as 2 of the ФM’s here dropped by & asked to go along they said sure – toured the fraternities and sororities at the university in Austin
as well as capitol had a great dinner - "

Georgetown was filled with older buildings which I happily sketched. Having grown up in the shiny new suburbs of Southern California I was enthralled by anything over 100yrs old. At the time I was fond of felt pens and drew on illustration-board, toning the back ink with orange felt pen - garish but effective and very 70’s. During the days, while business was being done, I drove around town and the surrounding countryside sketching. Aunt Margaret asked me if I was a ‘people painter’ and I’d have to say yes, although I spent much of my time on landscapes then. She was quite taken with a nearby locale that had bending trees “…that grew right back into the ground!” So I went out and sketched the area, doing a painting of them to leave with the couple as a ‘thank you’ for accommodating me. They had some spare storage rooms down the hallway and let me set up my easel and paints in one of them. An idyllic time, drawing and painting by day and being taken out to lunch and dinner by our generous caretakers –Georgetown became my new best friend. One night ‘Uncle Jim’ arrived. (everyone seems to have an Uncle Jim and this guy even looked like my own, they are all fat bald jolly and single) He asked us what we were going to do that night, “write up some reports and read” we replied. “Like Hell! It’s Friday night! I’m taking you out for a cool brew and some real sausages!” So off we went to Walburg (a little town settled by German Immigrants in the 1880’s with a population that never got over a few hundred) for sausages and beer at one of his favorite spots. I drew the bar scene later when we got home. Uncle Jim hated Star beer insisting anything but Schlitz “outta just be put back in the horse.” He entertained us with tales of his 30 year stint in the air force and how to make coconut hooch. a recipe I luckily preserved in a letter home (you never know when this sort of information might later come in handy)

– get some coconuts – drain the juice & store it in the icebox – then get the cheapest hooch – 2 bits a gallon & put it in the coconut – the meat will absorb the poison –(you plug the shell & store it about a month) & it will be really smooth – also you can put the coconut juice in your drink w/ ice & have a great highball

(I wondered if the GIs used rubbing alcohol – a lotta time on their hands in the Pacific - and a need to drink.)

I was enjoying Texas so much; I had been there for over a week. It was time to move on, Louisiana beckoned and I planned to be in Gatlinburg Tennessee for Thanksgiving with relatives. So off I went - the passenger seat empty this time, but my mind occupied to capacity.