Milan, Nancy and LBJ

Last winter in Florida, we met Jerry and Nancy who are from Iowa. Like us, they are active, interested in the local culture and willing to just 'let things happen'. Over the spring and summer, we emailed back and forth and concluded we had a chance to re-connect in San Antonio this winter for about 10 days. And so we have spent some real quality time with them and enjoyed every minute. Nancy is a news junkie like me so it was on this track that the following story came to be:

Yesterday, it was January 25th. We toured Hill Country and part of that experience just 'had' to include the LBJ Ranch when you are a news junkie. The ranch is a place where you drive through and across the ranch grounds, see the airstrip, visit LBJ's office in the house and view the family cemetery where LBJ, Lady Bird and his parents are buried.

Interestingly, it is the cemetery that brought us the most excitement. From the car, we could see the cemetery was over-sized for the 7 or so head stones that were there. The area was completely gated and there was a marker just outside the gate that had information engraved thereon. Nancy and I got out of the car and left John and Jerry there in the front seat to wait for us on the small road. Nancy and I stood at the marker and both read the words out loud together. We noted the fact that the Reverend Billy Graham delivered the graveside address. Then at the end was the date it was delivered - we both saw it at the same time and said out loud together, "January 25th?" as if it were a question. We immediately looked at each other with startled eyes and faces and both said out loud, "That's today!"

Now, neither of us expected LBJ or Lady Bird to jump up out of their graves but it WAS pretty eerie. We were so spooked that we turned on our heels, grabbed each other around the shoulders (making sure we were running at the same speed) and raced back to the car - as if we were scared little school girls! We were in the back seat of the car with our seat belts fastened before John and Jerry even got a chance to ask us, "what happened?"

"Oh nothing", we both said and giggled in the safety and comfort of the car. As we drove away, we looked back at the cemetery and Nancy asked to stop so she could take a picture. I haven't seen ths photo yet but it may show a ghost or two! or three!

Anyway, after this experiecne, I doubt Nancy and I will ever forget the day of LBJs burial. We may forget it was 1973 but never will we forget it was January 25th! Even though we did eventually tell John and Jerry, we are not sure they understood what it meant to be scared little school girls!