Welcome to Spring Valley

Welcome to Spring Valley

It was one of those moments, a simple statement that would forever change my life. As Lewis, my husband, walked into the kitchen that evening where I was preparing dinner, he said, “It’s just what I’ve always wanted.”

Lewis had met a realtor in East Texas to look at some land we could use for a weekend get way, a home away from home. His eyes were full of excitement and he was very eager to share his findings. He began telling me about this piece of land he wanted to buy. My heart sank. He spoke of a wooded area where animals play and a place where our own children could enjoy the beautiful outdoors. His enthusiasm grew as he spoke, and the “No” in my mind became “Yes” on my lips. I knew he desperately wanted this dream.

The days flew by and by Saturday of that week we were on our way from our home in the city to who knows what in the country, our children watching every little turn in the road as we made our way to this “Heaven on Earth” about ninety miles away. As we drew near the site and left the highway, we rumbled over bumps in the road, curves ahead, and were finally faced with what seemed to be an endless journey.

Out of nowhere, a huge whitetail deer leaped in front of us as we made our way down a long bumpy road. Yikes! “Did you see that?” I was as surprised as the deer. Startled, the deer ran in front of the big station wagon, his white tail standing up straight.

Deep in the heart of Texas, there are many pine, oak, hickory trees, and lots of wildlife. Whitetail deer roam, beaver hide in the marshes, raccoons play, and a world of ducks reside in the woods. Many animals surface throughout the year and even uninvited alligators appear at times.

Lewis envisioned a cabin in the woods surrounded by lots of trees where Mike, Debbie, and Gina could grow and learn about God’s wonderful world “first hand.” One by one, they jumped out of the car clearly looking for the ultimate recreation spot. This had to be it, but where? The only things they saw were big, tall gorgeous trees and a sandy road overgrown with weeds and deep ruts. Totally virgin land, finding this spot had to be a dream, or was it a nightmare? I wondered about my sanity.

The day was bright and sunny, a warm day in March. We felt the brisk air of the season. Maybe it would have been better to be back in an air conditioned home watching television. It would be cleaner and not near so grimy. We wanted a family outing, so with smiles on our faces, and wiping sweat, we made our way. Off we ran through the woods, exploring as went.

“Wait for us, Mike.” When he heard me call, he stopped and waited for us to catch up, kicking an old log that had fallen. The passage of time and all kinds of weather had caused the log to rot. As the toe of his shoe hit the wood, pieces of that old log flew in every direction. Jocko, the family dog watched as if to say, “Why did you do that?” The little black and white poodle ran ahead, and we heard him yelp. Jocko had burrs from the weeds and a bit of sand in his fur because of walking through the woods.

As jocko walked on three legs, I called, “Jocko, wait for me.” He stopped as if he knew exactly what to do. I pulled a sticker from the dog’s foot. Jocko let out another “yelp,” as if to say, “Thank you,” then licked my hand and ran off, his tags jingling.

As we made our way down the hill to the valley below, we noticed several bubbling springs coming out of the ground. These were live springs, just trickling, unnoticed in the overall scheme. A bright idea hit me as I admired the bubbling water.

I said, “Because of the natural setting, a little hill overlooking the valley below, and the springs coming out of the valley, how about calling our place Spring Valley? Everyone applauded the idea, so Spring Valley was born.

The beauty of nature was quickly taking on a new meaning. A bright idea hit me as I admired the bubbling water. I said, “Because of the natural setting, a little hill overlooking the valley below, and the springs coming out of the valley, how about calling our place Spring Valley?” Everyone applauded the idea, so Spring Valley was born.