#01 / 2003 Beatlick Peace Tour Remembered

Corpus Christi

#01

On the road for almost one month now. I have made so many mistakes already that Beatlick Joe and I are calling this our “trial run.” I imagined long stretches of being alone, needing no one, fancy free, but already I have learned that we’re not as independent as I would like to think.

As soon as I crossed the Texas border, heading to Mary Langley’s home in Angleton, I came down with some sort of bug. I lost five pounds in one day, another pound the second day. I don’t want to get graphic about how I lost all that waste from my system, but I cannot imagine how I could have dealt with such an illness if I had been parked on the side of the road somewhere. For three days I lay in Mary’s bed with the covers over my head as sick as I have ever been in my life. God bless Mary.

Coming south heading down the Natchez Trace we ran into a few cold nights, but nothing we couldn’t handle. Last night, Monday, in Austin Texas, we encountered sleet and snow. I always insist upon staying in my van, who knows why, but I worry about all that sensitive electronic equipment.

But, after I was all tucked in last night I realized the last propane gas canister was empty. We wouldn’t have made it if our hosts Neil and Hope Astor hadn’t given me a second down comforter and a big woolen army blanket. We made it through the night with five layers of covers. I also burned an oil lamp and two candles all night long. With those extra covers we were perfectly comfortable. But again, without the help of others we would have been very cold indeed.

Speaking of others, we actually got the hat passed for us on Sunday night, no we weren’t in church. We caught up with our benefactor Thom the World Poet, a poetry icon in Austin, and he passed the hat for us at the Kung Fu Athletic Academy open mic. Not only did they give us money, but food as well.

We felt like we made out like bandits, plenty of gas money to get to Dallas, and plenty of food and drinks. Thom wants to feed us again today, but right now Austin is covered with a blanket of ice and the temperatures are still below freezing. I’m afraid to take the van out in these conditions. We are scheduled to head for Dallas on Wednesday, so we hope the weather clears up before that. We also have to get to Target or KMart and get some more gas canisters. So that’s it for now. 

Love, Beatlick Pamela