Houston, Tx. (Pop. 2,324,082)

We woke up this morning to some blessed coolness. During the night, we had a small fan blowing on us, but I got a bit chilly, turned it off, and snuggled back under the covers. I made coffee, and we enjoyed it while planning our day. The campground was one of the best we’ve ever stayed at—clean, well-maintained, and with more-than-adequate camping spots. Although we had to walk about 500 feet to the restroom, it wasn’t a big deal, and it gave us a chance to get in a few steps.

As we sat in the quiet morning air, we could hear birds chirping in the distance. I have an app on my phone called Merlin ID, developed by Cornell University. One of its features lets you record live bird sounds, and it then identifies the species singing around you. Almost every time I used it, the app identified five or six birds. It was fascinating because I hadn’t known much about the birds in the park.

After leaving the campground, we headed to Houston and visited The Tipping Point—a coffee shop located in a record store. It was a unique and delightful place, adding a cool twist to the coffee experience.
Our plan for the day included visiting Rothko Chapel and several art galleries in Houston. We made it to the chapel, but unfortunately, the galleries were closed. After the chapel, we visited the Holocaust Museum. The museum was extremely well done and elicited deep emotions in both of us. One quote that particularly struck us (paraphrased) was, “We started dying socially before we started dying physically.” It made us pause and reflect. It raises important questions like, who around us is dying socially right now? The sobering conclusion is that these individuals are likely to face physical hardship as well. While it may be an overstatement, socially marginalized individuals often lack proper healthcare, adequate access to nutritious food, stable employment, and more. Do we care enough about those “dying socially” to take meaningful action?

After the museum, we took a walk through the McGovern Centennial Gardens. The park was expansive and filled with a stunning variety of flowers and plants. We appreciated the beauty, even as we endured the heat of the pounding sun.

Now, we’re settling in for the night. Tomorrow begins our coffee expo weekend. While the show doesn’t officially start until Friday, we’re looking forward to spending time with Jeremy and his family before all the caffeinated chaos begins.

Use your voice for kindness, your ears for compassion, your hands for charity, your mind for truth, and your heart for love. UnknownRead more