Week Thoughts: Left Behind
The stock market rallied in this short week, but midstream lagged, especially natural gas pipeline companies that have been riding the AI/data center momentum higher. It seemed like first day of the quarter rotation action, but there were sharp moves, including WMB dropping more than 6% on Tuesday. Natural gas prices were lower on the week too, which didn’t help.
Left Behind
I write this to you alone in my house. My three kids and wife are out of the country for the next two weeks. I originally wrote this post with the title “Left Behind”, because MLPs midstream was left behind in a stock market rally and because I was left behind alone in my house. But the events of July 4th in Hunt, TX made these words take on a much more tragic meaning.
News from the area has been truly heartbreaking as those who were lost and then confirmed lost forever were mostly the youngest campers. I know many of you readers have friends or friends of friends who were impacted in some way by the flooding. Thoughts are with everyone impacted, and with the heroes working to account for those still missing. Knowing something like this could have at any point in the last 8 years been a child of mine lost down the river and knowing the gaping hole that would have left behind has me pretty messed up this weekend.
Like many who grew up in Texas, I spent my summers in Hunt attending summer camp along the Guadalupe River, like my mother and Aunt before me, like my daughter would for 8 years ending last year. I was actually in Hunt for the last major flood in July 1987.
To many the tiny town has been a special place of escape, fellowship and fun. But for my sister and her family who operate Camp Mystic and live there year-round, it is their whole life. That life was destroyed this weekend, including their house and the 100+ year old institution they have dedicated their lives to, on top of tragic loss of life for their family and for the families who trusted them with their children.
Picking up the pieces across the area will take a long time. Looking forward to brighter days, thanks for reading.