Ted Boyce Birthday Weekend

On Friday Ted, Kathleen and Tadd came into Houston so we could celebrate Ted's birthday. We started out by going to an Astros' game on Friday night (hint: the Astros' lost.)

Saturday we took the day trip of Ted's choice, to the Sabine-Pass Battleground in far east Texas. Here, First Lt. Richard Dowling and 50 men defended Texas from four boats full of Yankee aggressors without losing a man - capturing 350 men and killing 61.

Dowling is the subject of the first public monument in Houston, dedicated in 1905. Besides the battle at Sabine Pass, Dowling was famous for his Houston bar, the Bank of Bacchus. Houston streets Dowling and Tuam (after his birthplace town in Ireland) were named after him.

We then visited the Sabine Pass Cemetery, the oldest continually used cemetery in Jefferson County. The cemetery had many folks killed during the 1886 hurricane and several Woodmen of the World tombstones, carved to look like tree stumps.

On the way back home we stopped at Valero's Pt. Arthur Refinery - one of the oldest refineries in America (and site of some of the biggest environmental remediation projects in Texas.)

Saturday night was BBQ time with Nick, Heather and Elissa. Drama insued when Barbara cut her hand while slaughtering an innocent avocado. Many thanks to the St. Lukes Clinic for a quick stitch in time.

Sunday, after brunch at Baba Yega, we toured the new addition to the Buffalo Bayou park systems west of Downtown, between Sabine and Bagby.

After Mass at the Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral we dined at Brasil.