Comal Street.  I remember as a boy so many things… My dad having a rent house or two there.  I especially remember the cemeteries on both sides of it a few blocks down, with the ominous headstones that when passing at night might scare the be-Jesus out of the faint of heart. 

I remember Comal Street stretching from crossing Mary E. Branch Library on Angelina Street all the way to 11th Street to Manor Road.  As a child I thought Comal started around 6^th but that was only because we shopped at the HEB at 6^th and Comal until Hurricane Carla landed and destroyed it.  That was in the early 1960s.  Funny what I remember from my childhood, huh? 

Even as a young adult when meeting Rudolph and Naomi Adams in their house on Comal near Manor Road thru my friend and soon to be ex father in-law Reverend Algie Lee Collins, I learned new things about the people of the neighborhood and myself.  I learned that most of the old ones knew who I was thru my family even though I had no idea anything about who they were or what they were about.  In meeting these people in the neighborhood I began to appreciate them even more and really loved the friendships I made because of this inner link and weave of our akin ship.  I was welcomed and comfortable in my element even though I didn’t even know it existed before I got there.

Now in thinking about that day that I first met Rudolph and his wife Naomi, I realize the commonality between them and my friend Reverend Collins: Thunderbirds.  Naomi drove a maroon 1966 Ford Thunderbird Convertible.  You know the type with the swing away steering wheel.  That was a beautiful car.  Naomi died and I think Adam (that’s what we called him) still has that car.  Man I really liked Adam.  He worked for Union Pacific as a Brakeman I think and was doing pretty good for a Brother, all thinks taken into consideration.  He only worked a few days a week and he was rolling in it compared to the rest of us.  Adam was cool. He loved his wife and his cars and although he never said it, he loved his friends too.

Reverend Collins had a lot of people around him that loved them some Fords.  Alton Jones, T-Bird Frank, ME, Ricky Davis, his FIVE sons and wife and even his beautiful but selfish daughter.  Yes I mentioned her.  That’s the only time I will.  Don’t ask… Please.

I met Harold who now owns Henslee Auto Salvage in Lockhart, Texas thru Reverend Collins too and I have to be honest, I went to see the latest Indiana Jones movie today and while walking back to our car with my beautiful 2^nd wife Diane and daughter Jasmine, as the hot May sun bore down on me and the cool breeze brushed by, I thought back to a time of walking Henslee's salvage yard in respite another hot summer day many years ago.  I used to go visit Harold’s yard much like many of you go to Six Flags.  It was relaxing and I definitely miss those days and visiting those people at that business.

My eyesight is terrible and a salvage yard is more like a landmine to me now.  I have had enough mishaps to know that my clock cannot turn back.  Still I weave all the people and places that I remember together as one and all the memories are fond because of the loyalties and great friends that I knew and still know… even if they all didn’t work out.

A lot of the people I cared for didn’t make it to my circle today, whether in reality of life or by death of the friendship.  Still I wouldn't change a thing because knowing them is what helped me get here.  Thank you friends...