Throughout much of Texas the vegetation is low enough so I could look away to the horizons, but in some sections there are many trees - and the bare trees are often covered with mistletoe, making them look green in winter and eventually killing them. One thing I found almost everywhere in Texas was friendliness. In places where I had walked before, like Dallas, old friends arranged good speaking opportunities. Friendliness is more than traditional in Texas, it is actual. I spend most of them walking.
Many people go for a drive on a holiday, so it is a good time to contact people.
I remember one Christmas Eve when I slept under the stars. One planet was so bright that just a little imagination could transform it into the Star of Bethlehem. The next day, at a temperature of 80 degrees, I walked into New Orleans to find poinsettias blooming abundantly for Christmas - and to find some fine new friends. I spent one Christmas in Fort Worth, where the towers and the tall buildings were outlived with colored lights, presenting an unforgettable picture as I walked in the city. That day I was given the welcome Christmas present of enough time to catch up with my mail.