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Popcorn Road


Popcorn Road is an imaginary place out in the country about 60 miles in from the central Texas Gulf Coast.  It is far enough away from the coast that hurricanes begin to tire, and close enough to be a 1-hour drive to the beach.

Popcorn Road starts outside some town along the coast, and ends in a T where it meets Wagon Road.  Wagon Road parallels the railroad that runs east-west across Texas.  

A 2-story, 120-year-old farm house sits way back from the west-side corner of Popcorn and Wagon Roads.  This house has 2 large porches that run the length of the front of the house on both the 1st and 2nd floors.  The ceilings of both porches are painted sky blue.  The 2nd-floor porch was screened-in a while back to give the indoor cat some outdoor air.

There is a large chicken coop behind and away from the house, and a large adjacent area is fenced off for the stray goats the family have been gifted with over the years.  Two dogs, one a large, tan Shepherd mix, and the other a smaller, wheaten Terrier mix, have the run of the place.  

The driveway is long, hard-packed dirt.  It used to be paved with oyster shells dredged from the bay, but those days are long gone.  Besides, when hurricanes come in, that stuff gets thrown around.  

The couple who live here worked in the city, enduring long commutes to enjoy the quiet air of the country side, and the company of animals.  They did not have children; instead, they indulge their nieces, nephews, and young cousins.  Now that they are full-time retirees they both realize they are disorganized housekeepers and something needs to change.  Recently, their new social security checks began to arrive, and it feels once again as if they have jobs.  They set about making a new lifestyle choice.  

The house on Popcorn Road smiled.

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