www.thegrove-jefferson.com                            March 2020                             ISSN 1558-3252

"When you look at the dark side, careful you must be, for the dark side looks back." - Yoda

     Hello from Jefferson, Texas and The Grove! Well, I blinked, and we had our fifteen minutes of Spring. It was cold one day, and then 80+ degrees the next. I think that it's going to be 90 degrees tomorrow. That's okay, though, because our gardens have started waking up. Irises are blooming in front, tiger lilies are coming up out beside the house, and of course, the purple wisteria is in full bloom. The only downside of this time of year is that the pollen from the trees that give the house its name are putting out a dusting of green pollen that covers the house, the cars, and unfortunately, my lungs. It's something that I deal with every year, though, so a couple of sudafed, a squirt of nose spray, and I'll survive and get to enjoy the flowers.

     Of course, we're still in the throws of the Coronavirus epidemic - or I guess I should say pandemic - and it's changed life in Jefferson just like it has everywhere else. Normally we would be in the middle of Spring tourism... the B&Bs and hotels would be full, restaurants would be crowded, and it would be hard to find a parking space downtown. I took this picture of Austin Street last weekend, and as you can see, there are only a few cars on the entire street, and those belong to the folks working at the few places that are still open.

     A couple of years ago I wrote a book based on the life of John Curington, who spent years as the right-hand man to H.L. Hunt. The gist of the book is that Hunt had something to do with the murders of John F. Kennedy, Bobby Kennedy, Martin Luther King, and Jimmy Hoffa - you've probably read about it in the GroveZine, but if not, click here for the info. We had John set up for an interview recently, and since he didn't have a computer we were going to do his end at The Grove. Now, John is ninety-something (although he has more energy than anyone I know, including me) and so I wanted to make sure that he wasn't exposed to the Coronavirus. My wife and I have both been sequestered, so I knew that we didn't have it, but still I wanted to be overly cautious. I took Lysol spray and disinfected a path into the house, and the chair and table where he would sit. I put on a mask and gloves, and stayed a social distance (if not more) from him as he did the interview. I really love this old fellow, and wanted to make sure that he wasn't at risk. While he was on mic, I took this selfie of me in a mirror with gloves and a mask that I found on my workbench. When the interview hits the 'net as a podcast, I'll provide the link. Meanwhile, this is also how you'll see me at the grocery store when I have to go there.

     I'm sure that life has changed for you as much as it has for my wife and I. We're both working out of the house, staying home and avoiding people, and only venturing out to go to the post office and the grocery store. By the way, I'm happy to report that the shelves are stocked back up and the panic seems to be over... except for the toilet paper. For some inexplicable reason, people just can't get enough toilet paper! That, too, shall pass. Although we're getting a little stir crazy, my wife and I both get up, start working, and then mid-afternoon we start checking the TV for the daily Coronavirus briefing. It's strange that the briefings have become such a part of our lives, but we're trying to keep abreast of what's going on, without dwelling on it enough to panic. Meanwhile, in our limited exposure to people we are social distancing, and we're washing our hands. Actually, we're washing our hands a lot. I know that people around our country, and around the world, are being affected in both their health and their wallet, so our prayer for you is that you and your loved ones are able to ride this problem out. May God bless and keep us all. And please... no toilet paper hoarding!

     And speaking of which, I have to raise my hand and swear to you that this story is real - seriously, I'm not that good a writer to make something like this up. That said, I'm a big fan of the movie Con Air starring Nicholas Cage. One of my favorite lines is from actor Steve Buscemi, who plays the serial killer and says a line that begins with, "Define irony..." Well, that's exactly how this story starts out. Define irony... in a market where panicking people have created an artificial shortage of toilet paper, a truck bringing toilet paper to the market (to assure the panicked folks that there is no real shortage) crashes and burns out on the interstate! The driver is fine, there were no casualties (other than the rolls of toilet paper) so this tells me one certain thing: God has an incredible sense of humor. If you happen to doubt me with this ironic little story, click here to read it from a local news station.

A Breakfast Sandwich!

1. Start by cooking a couple of pieces of bacon, and then set them aside. Next beat two eggs, add whatever seasoning you'd like, and pour them in a skillet like you're making an omelet. Lay two pieces of bread, bottom-to-bottom, in the egg, and then flip each piece over so that they're coated in egg.

2. When the "omelet" solidifies, use a spatula and flip the whole thing over - this is a little tricky, but it can be done.

3. Put a piece of cheese on one side (or a piece on each side if you'd like) and the bacon on the other.

4. Using a spatula, fold the sides of the omelet over onto the bread/cheese/bacon.

5. Finally, fold one piece of bread on top of the other, and serve up a wonderful breakfast sandwich!

     We're keeping our sanity by maintaining our regular work hours, having some fun with cooking while occasionally doing take-out to support the local restaurants, but there's still a lot of evening and weekend hours where we're just stuck in the house. We had an idea the other day - since we're supposed to shelter in place until the end of the month, we're going to go back and watch all of the Star Wars feature films in order. Of course, the nine main films are obvious, but there's the problem of Solo and Rogue One. After doing a little online research, those two go (with Solo first) between Episode 3 and 4. This project should fill some of the extra hours!
     Spoiler Alert! If you're one of the three people on the planet who hasn't seen the Star Wars saga, stop reading this paragraph and jump down to the next one. Now, having given that warning, you may be like me and scratched your head when you saw the order of movies above. After all, in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan not only kills Darth Maul, but literally cuts him in half with a light saber. At the end of Solo: A Star Wars Story, Darth Maul appears to the smuggler Qi'ra and says that they're going to be working very closely together in the future. So is it a mistake in the timeline? As it turns out, not at all. Click this link to read the timeline of Darth Maul.

For the latest news on the Coronavirus, don't listen to internet rumors and sometimes not even to the press. Go directly to the source for good, solid info: The Center for Disease Control (CDC).

     We recently had a super pink moon that has been linked to an "end of times" omen, a "rebirth" of humanity, and even a sign of upcoming disasters like earthquakes. In any case, the moon is closer to the Earth than at other times, making it what astronomers call a "super moon." According to a Jewish Rabbi who gave a statement to the news, the Moon becoming as large as the Sun is an "injustice" to God. "This injustice will be rectified in the end of days," Rabbi Berger said, according to Breaking Israel News. "In the end of days, the sun and the moon will be equally 'great'."
     As far as a "rebirth," I've got to believe that the Coronavirus is going to change the world forever, even after it's gone. Will we give hugs or shake hands anymore? Will you ever feel the same about sitting next to a stranger at a sporting event, especially if you see him coughing or sneezing? With or without the super pink full moon, I think that the world will be changing, which I guess you could call a rebirth.
     On another front, some scientists believe the Pink Moon can cause small increases in tectonic activity because of the effects of the gravitational pull of Earth's rocky satellite. A Super Moon may also bring the largest tides of the year - that's because a closer Moon exerts a stronger gravitational pull and creates more variation between the tides.
     While I don't know about End Times or natural disasters, people actually do seem to get a little stranger during a full moon, so I can only imagine what a super pink full moon will do to everyone!

     You may recall that almost from the time we purchased The Grove eighteen years ago we've occasionally experienced balls of light zipping around the house - pretty much in every room at one time or another, and these are things that can be seen with the naked eye. It's always unexpected, so we don't have a camera in hand to snap a picture. Having said that, the phenomenon happened at the end of a tour when we were all back up front in the parlor, and when Amy Breakey, one of our guests, saw a ball of light go by, she happened to have a camera in hand and took the incredible photograph that you see here.
     Amy was kind enough to allow the photo to be shared with the GroveZine readers. I can certainly attest that it isn't a lamp, and even though it's daylight outside (which is diffused by the curtains), there is no single light source in the photo that I would think this could be a reflection or lens flare from. More interesting than that, though, it appears to be moving and leaving a "light trail" (for lack of a better phrase). A tip of the GroveZine hat to paranormal photography expert Michael Graves who evaluated the photo and determined that it was - in his own words - "definitely the real deal; nice photo." And it actually is a very cool photograph - thanks for sharing it, Amy!

     Some incredible things happen at The Grove - the aforementioned balls of light, a lady in a white dress that sometimes walks through the house, a man in a dark suit who occasionally hangs around the garden, and many other things that are fairly dramatic. At the same time there are some things that are just plain... well, weird. Case in point. In the middle of the night I heard some noises that work me up - a knocking or slight banging. As I was trying to figure out what it was, my wife said, "Did you hear that?" As I've said many times, the supernatural doesn't scare me, but human beings do, so I got up to make sure someone hadn't broken into the house. The first order of business was to locate our cat and two dogs, and they were in the bedroom with us. Next I got up, turned on lights, and walked through the house. Not only did I not see any intruders, but I didn't see anything that had fallen or was out of place. Satisfied that everything was okay, I went back to bed. A few minutes later the noises started back up and seemed to be coming from the den - where I'd just been a few minutes before. Whatever was going on in there was a mystery to me, but it seemed harmless so I turned over and went back to sleep... just as I heard my wife yell, "Whoever you are and whatever you're doing - STOP IT!" I guess that the house listened, because we didn't hear anything else all night. Maybe after eighteen years we have a good relationship with the old place.

     It's been really weird with the town empty of visitors and no tours at The Grove. We have friends whose businesses and livelihood are suffering, and my heart bleeds for them. I hate the situation that this virus has put our entire country in, and I pray that things will get back to normal soon. Meanwhile, Jefferson has decked the streets with flags as both an inspiration and a show of national pride. Please, be extra kind and treat everyone well. And of course, stay a social distance away if you must come in contact with anyone, and wash your hands. Wash your hands a lot. I'll talk to you in a month in the next GroveZine!

Here's what's coming up around Jefferson...

Once again, this is weird but I have to say, "Who knows?" Our sincere prayer is that the country - and Jefferson, for that matter - opens back up in the very near future. Until we get those directives, it's impossible to list upcoming events. Please, please, stay safe and healthy!

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