Houston-Baytown

Closeup of backyard oil pump

Sunday May 22^nd

In the deep South.  Everyone is in Church or at the shopping malls.  There are an incredible number of churches around here.  Early on it was Baptists and Catholics but now they seem to be Baptists and Methodists and other unusual sects. We were in a department store yesterday that was playing hymns, even though it wasn’t a religious shop (arts and crafts).

Passed through Huntsville en route, which is where they have their execution unit.  There is a museum there where they exhibit an electric chair that used to be used for the executions.  It is known a s "ole fryer" locally.  Much more humane these days as the baddies get lethal injections.

We intended to stay in Houston but it turned out that the hotel we had booked was 20 miles outside Houston.  Houston is a bunch of glass skyscrapers and one of the richest cities in the US.  It was growing very slowly until the invention of air conditioning, which facilitated a population explosion and now Houston is the hub of the energy industry.  There are lots of canals and deep drains and the average rainfall is 56 inches, but surprisingly, the houses still don’t have guttering.

 Predecessor of the North sea oil-rigs?
We’re keeping an eye on the floods in the Mississippi, but as far as we can tell, there aren’t problems with crossing it.  And we have just heard of the tornado in Joplin, Missouri.  At least all seems quiet on the hurricane front.

Off to Louisiana tomorrow after changing rental cars.  I shall be sorry to leave Texas as I like the kind of cheeky arrogance that the people have.  They know that they are braver, stronger, and richer than other Americans.  Saw a wooden plaque for sale that read “Its hard to be humble when you’re a Texan”.  Still, Louisiana should be fun.  Lots of swamps and mosquitos the size of elephants I hear.