On Beckman Hill

This is the house I lived in when both of my children were born--received by text from Will yesterday.

From 1968 to 1979, we lived in this little house in Helotes.  For $125 a month, we rented the house and 65 acres of land--from "Old Man Beckman," who was quite a character.  We brought both our children home from the hospital there.  And now--one of those children is snapping pictures of his wife and children by the door I know so well.  It's now a walking park and the house has an engraved sign on the door, Beckman House.

We used to listen to a young Willie Nelson singing at Flores Country Store--from that porch.  Friends came to visit and had to drive up a long bumpy driveway to get there.  The flat area at the bottom of the hill we made into a motorcycle race track--where I drove my 250 Montessa trials bike.

Because it's so hard to get to in a car, I haven't been there in decades--so now I'll get to take a walk and see it again.

When we moved in there as newlyweds, after living in San Antonio for a year. there was a circular fountain-in-the-works in the front yard.  It had a row of Mexican tile around the top, but we never saw it finished.  I notice that it's still just like it was, unfinished.