Hello from the Coastal Bend of Texas.

I returned here yesterday morning. I left Abilene very, very early which made my day very, very long.

I only brought two trucks with me at this time. The plant will run only one shift. As of last night we had enough cotton to run today and tomorrow. We may have a day off before the harvest begins to feed cotton to the plant again. But that is O.K., my two drivers are stuffing money in their pockets!

There was supposed to be a third truck, and he was getting ready to head South when he remembered he had a court date this morning in Sweetwater. So, it is after lunch and I have not heard from this man. This is the one who was crying wanting to work and once he had a couple of good checks, he kind of lost his "want to".

I will probably leave him at home a few more days for disciplinary reasons. Kind of let him stew in his tracks. Thing is he is probably losing out on two grand a week because this is prime running if I ever saw it.

I have just made a jaunt into Corpus to return a parts core. While I was in town I decided to eat and buy some groceries for my trailer. (I had thrown all my bread, chips, anything that had been opened out before I left, even my milk).

I was looking for somewhere to eat when I ran across a Golden Corral. It seemed to be either that or Luby's. I went inside, went through the line and then found a place to eat. Now I really don't like eating out alone, so I found a booth on the fringe of one of the more remote dining areas. After I had fixed my plate I began to notice how ethnically mixed my dining neighbors were. There were Hispanics (the majority), Oriental (who barely were not the majority, Caucasian, and Black.

It was interesting to listen to the different languages being spoken and I instantly became jealous of a very small Asian American who bounced back and fourth between English and one of the oriental dialects. This young man was probably four years old and already had two languages.

It amazed me how his family spoke a blend of both languages.

That has always been a problem for me and my Hispanic friends, I will be concentrating on what they are saying in Spanish when they will begin injecting English and locks down my brain.

The restaurant may have made money on me, but they lost money on the three tables of orientals. They attacked that buffet with the same work ethic the display at their jobs.

Serious business. When I left, I noticed one young mother had gathered all the dishes in to a pyramid stack, largest to smallest.

I don't know how long this run will last down here. One to two weeks? Maybe. I visited with one farmer who said he has cotton that won't be sprayed until three or four weeks, if it is sprayed at all (he is trying to have it adjusted by insurance).

I was relieved to see that Gustav took it easy on the "Big Easy".

I heard this morning that the next hurricane that may have us in its sights is Ike. We should know by the weekend.

Have a day and a week!

FATHER, thank YOU for sparing those in the path of Gustav a horrible blow. Bless them as they re-gather their lives.