Inside of every older person is a younger person asking,
“Where Did It Go?”
Vol 2 Nr 5 May 2010
A Fun and Informative Rag for Those Who Have Been Around the Block and Attended at Least One Rodeo
THE HILL COUNTRY BECKONS
MOTHER’S DAY - MAY 9
Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush Near Inks Lake
Things My Mother Taught Me My Mother taught me LOGIC... “If you fall off that swing and break your neck, you can’t go to the store with me.” My Mother taught me MEDICINE... “If you don’t stop crossing your eyes, they’re going to freeze that way.” My Mother taught me TO THINK AHEAD... “If you don’t pass your spelling test, you’ll never get a good job!” My Mother taught me ESP... “Put your sweater on; don’t you think that I know when you’re cold?”
My Aunt Zoe, who I mention in the Jacob’s Well article, along with her husband Capt. Charles Crotty of Port of Houston fame, retired to a small town in the Hill Country near Kerrville, called Ingram. That was my first experience with that part of the state. the Guadalupe River came roaring through their property and at one point we too bought a small parcel on the river. It was oh so rocky but fun to camp on. You had to be careful of flash floods, however, because that portion of the river could become a raging torrent with just a little rain upstream. It was clear and beautiful and lined with cypress trees. From there we got familiar with Kerrville, Hunt, Bandera and Fredericksburg, which was pretty but not such a big tourist deal back then. Through the years our vistas expanded to Harper and the Y.O. Ranch, and eventually Luckenbach. As adults several friends and I acquired a hjunting ranch north of Hunt and spent many a winter
weekend up there chasing Bambi. At some point is when we ventured over to Luckenbach, played a little music and made friends with a lot of the locals. Gleaves Whitney, a presidential historian writing of Lyndon Johnson said, ”Many Texans believe that the Hill Country is the best part of the Lone Star State. Certainly it is “deep in the heart of Texas.” It has a distinctly western feel, a hardscrabble land of scattered cedar, pecan, and oak trees. Geologists call the region the Edwards Plateau, whose raised limestone strata have been incised with canyons and crisscrossed by caves carved by millions of years of erosion. The Hill Country offers scenic entrance points, for it is set off by an escarpment that rises from the plains north of San Antonio and west of Austin. Indeed, if you fly in a westerly direction over central Texas, you can observe the abrupt change in land use from a quiltwork of cropland on the
A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government. ---Edward Abbey
coastal plain to dark green forests alternating with open pasture in the Hill Country. Every April the land bursts into bloom with Indian paint brush, bluebonnets, and other wildflowers. The pictute above gives you an idea. The Hill Country has not just a vivid natural history, but a fascinating human history. In the mid-19th century, once the Comanche and other Indian tribes were removed from the Hill Country, a variety of ethnic groups of European origin settled there: mostly people whose ancestry was English, Scotish, Irish, German, and Czech. They mixed with people whose ancestry was Mexican (Texas had been a state of Mexico until 1836), and African. During the Civil War, a large number of Hill Country Germans opposed Texas’s entry into the Confederate States of America and fought battles on Texas soil on behalf of the Union.”\ Things To Do In The Hill Country TexasHillCountry.com is your Hill Country Map of TX online guide to all of the local accommodations, attractions, restaurants, shops, malls, churches, and other places of CONTINUED, PG. 6
My Mother taught me TO MEET A CHALLENGE... “What were you thinking? Answer me when I talk to you... Don’t talk back to me!” My Mother taught me HUMOR... “When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don’t come running to me.” My Mother taught me how to BECOME AN ADULT... “If you don’t eat your vegetables, you’ll never grow up.” My mother taught me ABOUT SEX... “How do you think you got here?” My mother taught me about GENETICS... “You are just like your father!” My mother taught me about my ROOTS... “Do you think you were born in a barn?” My mother taught me about the WISDOM of AGE... “When you get to be my age, you will understand.” My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION... “Just wait until your father gets home.” And my all time favorite thingJUSTICE “One day you will have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you. Then you’ll see what it’s like.”
2 WHERE DID IT GO May 2010
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I can see your point, but I still think you’re full of it. Chaos, panic and disorder - my work here is done. I’ll try being nicer if you’ll try being smarter. I’m not being rude. You’re just insignificant. I’m trying to imagine you with a personality. When I want your opinion, I’ll beat it out of you.
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The ultimate American holiday. After all, where else but Mexico would people use a relatively obscure battle between the French and Mexican armies in 1862 as an excuse to down Corona beer and margaritas by the pitcher-full? Mexicans are truly festive; any excuse gives way for a celebration! But the most important and exciting are the 16th of September, Independence Day and Cinco de Mayo, the Fifth of May. They are good occasions to show the pride of being Mexican, the love of the Motherland, and the certainty of being a free country, thanks to the many men and women whose struggle made history. The 5th of May is not Mexican Independence Day, but it should be! And Cinco de Mayo is not an American holiday, but it should be. Mexico declared its independence from mother Spain on midnight, the 15th of September, 1810. And it took 11 years before the first Spanish soldiers were told and forced to leave Mexico. So, why Cinco de Mayo? And why should
Americans savor this day as well? Because 4,000 Mexican soldiers smashed the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico, 100 miles east of Mexico City on the morning of May 5, 1862. The French had landed in Mexico (along with Spanish and English troops) five months earlier on the pretext of collecting Mexican debts from the newly elected government of democratic President (and Indian) Benito Juarez. The English and Spanish quickly made deals and left. The French, however, had different ideas. Under Emperor Napoleon III, who detested the United States, the French came to stay. They brought a Hapsburg prince with them to rule the new Mexican empire. His name was Maximilian; his wife, Carolota. Napoleon’s French Army had not been defeated in 50 years, and it invaded Mexico with the finest modern equipment and with a newly reconstituted Foreign Legion. Under the command of Texas-born General Zaragosa, (and the cavalry under the command of Colonel Porfirio Diaz, later to be Mexico’s president and dictator), the Mexicans waited. Brightly dressed French Dragoons led the enemy columns. The Mexican Army was less stylish. General Zaragosa ordered Colonel Diaz to take his cavalry, the best in the world, out to the French flanks. In response, the French did a most stupid thing; they sent their cavalry off to chase Diaz and his men, who proceeded to butcher them. The remaining French infantrymen charged the Mexican defenders through sloppy mud from a thunderstorm and through hundreds of head of stampeding
cattle stirred up by Indians armed only with machetes. When the battle was over, many French were killed or wounded and their cavalry was being chased by Diaz’ superb horsemen miles away. The Mexicans had won a great victory that kept Napoleon III from supplying the confederate rebels for another year, allowing the United States to build the greatest army the world had ever seen. This grand army smashed the Confederates at Gettysburg just 14 months after the battle of Puebla, essentially ending the Civil War. Union forces were then rushed to the Texas/ Mexican border under General Phil Sheridan, who made sure that the Mexicans got all the weapons and ammunition they needed to expel the French. American soldiers were discharged with their uniforms and rifles if they promised to join the Mexican Army to fight the French. The American Legion of Honor marched in the Victory Parade in Mexico, City. In gratitude, thousands of Mexicans crossed the border after Pearl Harbor to join the U.S. Armed Forces. As recently as the Persian Gulf War, Mexicans flooded American consulates with phone calls, trying to join up and fight another war for America. Mexicans, you see, never forget who their friends are, and neither do Americans. That’s why Cinco de Mayo is such a party -- A party that celebrates freedom and liberty. There are two ideals which Mexicans and Americans have fought shoulder to shoulder to protect, ever since the 5th of May, 1862. VIVA! EL CINCO DE MAYO!!
May 2010 WHERE DID IT GO 3
HOW TO SING THE BLUES 1. Most blues begin “woke up sing the blues? this morning.” Yes, if: a. your first name is a southern state-like Georgia b. 2. “I got a good woman” is a You’re blind c. You shot a man in bad way to begin the blues, unless Memphis. d. You can’t be satisfied. you write something nasty on the No, if: a. You were once blind but next line: now can see, b. You’re deaf, c. You “I got a good woman- with the have a trust fund, Your baby didn’t leave you. meanest face in town.” 3. Blues are simple. After you have the first line right, repeat it. Then find something that rhymes. Sort of. “Got a good woman With the meanest face in town. She got teeth like Margaret Thatcher. And she weighs ‘bout 500 pounds.
14. Neither Pat Boone nor Randy Travis can sing the blues. Somewhat surprisingly, Willie Nelson can sing the blues. 15. If you ask for water and your baby gives you gasoline, it’s the blues.
4. The blues are not about 16. Other blues beverages are: limitless choices. a. wine (Ripple, MD 20/20) , b. Irish whiskey, c. muddy water. 5. Blues cars are Chevies and Cadillacs. Other acceptable blues 17. Blues beverages are NOT: transportation is the Greyhound a. Any mixed drink, b. Any wine bus or a southbound train. Walkin’ kosher for Passover, c. Snapple plays a major part in the blues (any flavors) lifestyle. So does fixin’ to die. 18. If it occurs in a cheap motel 6. Teenagers can’t sing the or a shotgun shack, it’s blues death. blues. Adults sing the blues. Blues Stabbed in the back by a jealous adulthood means old enough to lover is a blues way to die. So is get the electric chair if you shoot a the electric chair, substance abuse, man in Memphis or Ann Arbor. But or being denied treatment in an Memphis sounds better. emergency room.
24. People with the Blues 28. Blues jobs include eat barbecue, grits, corn bread, working on the railroad, picking beans, and their (they) last meal. cotton, musician, just got fired. 25. Good blues instruments: Guitar (Lucille), Slide Trombone, Saxophone, Harmonica, string bass, piano, drums. Bad blues instruments: are the oboe, French horn, and viola.
29. Blues animals include the junkyard dog and mule (not donkey).
30. Most country songs can be interchanged with blues songs (woman left me, crop didn’t come 26. You got the blues if you in, dog died, etc pretty much work have lumbago or a bad back but in the blues). not if you have a mental disorder ending in “syndrome.” Finally: Epitaph on a blues musician’s tombstone: 7. You can have the blues in 19. It is not a blues death, if you 27. Black Jack is a good blues New York City, but not in Brooklyn die during a facelift, a liposuction game. Keno is not. “I didn’t wake up this morning” or Queens. Hard times in Vermont or treatment, or Botox application. North Dakota are just a depression. Chicago, St. Louis, Ann Arbor and 20. Some Blues names for Kansas City are still the best places Women: a. Sadie, b. Big Mama, c. to have the blues. Bessie, d. Bertha, e. Josephine f. Lucille, g. Stella. 8. The following colors do not belong in the blues: a. violet, 21. Some Blues Names for Men b. beige, c. mauve, d. taupe, e. a. Joe b. Willie c. Little Willie d. Big flamingo. Willie, e. Willie B., f. Lightning, g. Blackburn, h. Shotgun, i. B.B. Call for a free consultation and Energy Audit 9. You can’t have the blues in Note: Persons with names like Houston: 281.468.9928 Austin: 512.563.9349 an office or a shopping mall, the Sierra, Sequoia, or Skye will not For more information checkout: www.coolattix.com lighting is wrong. be permitted to sing the blues no matter how many men they shoot 10. Good places for the Blues: in Memphis. Nor should juggling a. the highway, b. the jailhouse, c. comedians. the empty bed. 22. Other Blues Names (Starter How do we do that? 11. Bad places: a. The Mall Kit) a. Name of Physical infirmity Install a True Radiant Barrier Foil (NOT A SPRAY) (c’mon, folks!), b. receptions (Blind, Cripple, Asthmatic), b. First We conduct a Free Energy Audit of your attic: of any kind, c. Kennebunkport, name (see above) or name of fruit • Ensure Adequate Insulation (Lemon, Lime, Kiwi), Maine, Crawford, Texas. • Air ducts for leaks c. Last Name of President • For air leaks in ceiling 12. No one will believe it’s the (Jefferson, Johnson, Fillmore, etc.). Or, you could generate your blues if you wear a suit, unless you • Ensure Adequate Ventilation happen to be an African American own blues name. A Great Investment! Not only will you will see a cash savings man in his advanced years and you every month in your electric bill, but buyers are looking for slept in it. 23. Blues weapons: a. shotgun, energy efficient homes. Save your electric bills to show the b. snub nosed 38, knife, “doing the savings to all potential future buyers. 13. Do you have the right to dozens,”
Would you like to save up to 40% on your Electric Bill?
4 WHERE DID IT GO May 2010
Computer Tips Ron Jones Owner - Friendly Computers
Searching for Documents and Emails on Your Windows XP Computer If you spend time looking for emails or documents composed at some time in the past but you can only remember a few things about the verbiage contained within those documents, Windows Search 4 can save you a lot of time. Indexing does require quite a bit of time but the program runs in the background with minimal interference with user activities. One quirk is that Outlook must be open for indexing of its saved files so you need to keep Outlook running. Windows Search 4 is available for Windows XP and provides the same extensive search capabilities provided in Windows Vista and Windows 7. The search software was released almost a year ago but I just discovered it when attempting to find something superior to the software I was using. Approximately 2 years ago a search program called X1 was widely used in the Windows search market. It was unique because it provided searches for documents as well as Outlook emails. Microsoft purchased the product and incorporated the code in their latest releases. I continued using X1 but recently Outlook started “hanging” probably because of updates provided by Microsoft over the last 2 years. Several alternatives were used but none were really acceptable. If you have a lot of saved files on your computer and want a quick and easy way to find them using a search option, you will love Windows Search 4. It is like having a Google search box for the files on your computer. You can see Windows Search 4 at http://www.microsoft.com/ windows/products/winfamily/desktopsearch/getitnow.mspx or by simply Goggling “Windows Search 4”. If you are still running Windows XP, download and install Windows Search 4 today and start enjoying the results right away.
A Well Planned Retirement Outside England’s Bristol Zoo there is a parking lot for 150 cars and 8 buses. For 25 ZOO years, its parking fees were PARKING managed by a very pleasant attendant. The fees were $1.40 for cars and about $7.00 for busses. Then, one day, after 25 solid years of never missing a day of work, he just didn’t show up; so the Zoo Management called the City Council and asked them to send them another parking agent. The Council did some research and replied that the parking lot was the Zoo’s own responsibility. The Zoo advised the Council that the attendant was a City employee. The City Council responded that the lot attendant had never been on the City payroll. Meanwhile, sitting in his villa somewhere on the coast of Spain (or some such scenario), is a man who’d apparently had a ticket machine installed completely on his own; and then had simply begun to show up every day, commencing to collect and keep the parking fees, estimated at about $560 per day -- for 25 years. Assuming 7 days a week, this amounts to just over $7 million dollars!
Where Did It Go? P.O. Box 1460 Dickinson, TX 77539 832-265-5691
WDIG2009@gmail.com Editor/Publisher Gene Rutt Contributors Gene Rutt Marlene Jones Captain B.G. Willie Captain Lynda Hall Account Rep Elizabeth Scott 832-454-1940 A Fun and Informative Rag for Those Who Have Been Around the Block and Attended at least One Rodeo. We are essentially targeting 15,000 40+ readers each month from San Leon to Pearland and all points in between but have enough fun for everybody no matter their age.
AD RATES - Effective April 1, 2010 Full Page $399 per insertion for 3 months 1/2 Page $263 per insertion for 3 months 1/4 Page $149 per insertion for 3 months 1/8 Page $ 99 per insertion for 3 months 1/16 Page $ 59 per insertion for 3 months ADD 10% FOR SINGLE INSERTION ADD $20 FOR COLOR WHY 3 INSERTIONS? Most buying decisions are emotional, rather than logical. Emotions are often influenced by the sub-conscious mind which best responds to repetition. Repetition is an important part of advertising. Why? Because, it is through repetition that you establish your credibility, establish brand familiarity, become the first thought when a need for your type of product or service arises, etc. You have to give the advertising a chance to work. WHY ADVERTISE? Shoppers don’t have the store loyalty they once did. You must advertise to keep pace with your competition. TO REACH NEW CUSTOMERS. Your market changes constantly. New families in the area mean new customers to reach. People earn more money, which means changes in lifestyles and buying habits. YOUR AUDIENCE IS A MOVING TARGET WHEN SHOULD YOU ADVERTISE? Always! Good times and bad you’re trying to sell your products and services no matter what is happening to the economy. Hard times are not the times to quit advertising. Advertising should be the last item cut from your budget.
May 2010 WHERE DID IT GO 5
Stuck in a Rutt
Letter from the Editor As Jerry Jeff Walker once opined, “It’s record time again.” That’s how I feel every month when deadline time arrives. No matter how far ahead you plan and how soon you contact advertisers, when the final day gets here there is still stuff to be done. So much for sniveling. I could be having to carry heavy stuff up stairs. One of my very favorite places is the Texas Hill Country and we’re featuring it this time. From hunting near Hunt and picking at Luckenbach, I’ve enjoyed that area since I was a wee lad. We used to enjoy tubing down the Guadalupe to the dam in Ingram and attending outdoor plays at the Hill Country Arts Center. We had fun when my youngest son, Darrin, attended the Y.O. Ranch Camp and an ostrich jogged a half mile across a huge pasture to greet us. I’ve enjoyed Arkie Blue’s Silver Dollar Saloon and the Purple Cow in Bandera, the Ingram Social Club, Flores Country Store in Helotes, the Hunt Dancehall in Hunt, the Enchanted Rock north of Fredericksburg and a couple of chili cookoffs I’ve attended. Never have made it to one of Willie’s Picnics but I have been to Wimberly, Dripping Springs, Gruene Hall and New Braunfels for Wurstfest. Anyway I have lots of fun memories of the Hill Country and highly recommend visiting there if you never have. It starts roughly in San Antonio and Austin and heads out northwest and west from there. One memory that really sticks out is when I went varmint hunting with my friend, Don Arthur, near Leakey. We were perched on top of his station wagon with a red spot light and and a recording of a rabbit in distress trying to lure in a coyote. The sun had just gone down but it was pitch black. Suddenly we heard a scream just out in front of us. I’d heard that a panther or mountain lion sounds just like a woman as did this scream. We assessed our rather vulnerable position sitting on top of a car trying to attract predators in the dark and assumed that we had been successful. The thought of an angry mountain lion jumping up amongst us was too much to comprehend so we called off the hunt and went looking for a cold beer. That also seems to happen a lot in the Hill Country.
Gene Rutt - Publisher/Editor
At least two-thirds of our miseries spring from human stupidity, human malice and those great motivators and justifiers of malice and stupidity: idealism, dogmatism and proselytizing zeal on behalf of religous or political ideas. - Aldous Huxley
GOOD ADVICE IN THESE DAYS OF STOLEN IDENTITIES
IDENTITY THEFT IS NOT A JOKE AND NEITHER IS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION. IT WAS COMPILED BY AN ATTORNEY WHOSE IDENTITY WAS STOLEN Do not sign the back of your credit cards. Instead, put ‘ PHOTO ID REQUIRED.’ When you are writing checks to pay on your credit card accounts, DO NOT put the complete account number on the ‘For’ line. Instead, just put the last four numbers. The credit card company knows the rest of the number, and anyone who might be handling your check as it passes through all the check processing channels won’t have access to it. Put your work phone # on your checks instead of your home phone. If you have a PO Box, use that instead of your home address. If you do not have a PO Box, use your work address. Never have your SS# printed on your checks. You can add it if it is necessary but if you have it printed, anyone can get it. Photocopy both sides of the contents of your wallet (licenses, credit cards, etc) on a photocopy machine. You will know what you had in your wallet and all of the account numbers and phone numbers to call and cancel. Keep the photocopy in a safe place. Also carry a photocopy of your passport when you travel either here or abroad. We’ve all heard horror stories about fraud that’s committed on us in stealing a Name, Address, Social Security number, credit cards... To limit the damage in case of a theft or loss: Cancel your credit cards immediately. The key is having the toll free numbers and your card numbers handy so you know whom to call. Keep those where you can find them. File a police report immediately in the jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc., were stolen. This proves to credit providers you were diligent, and this is a first step toward an investigation. Call the three national credit reporting organizations immediately to place a fraud alert on your name and also call the Social Security fraud line number. 1) Equifax: 1-800-525-6285 2.) Experian (formerly TRW): 1-888- 397-3742 3.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 7289 4.) Social Security Administration (fraud line): 1-800-269-0271 The alert means any company that checks your credit knows your information was stolen, and they have to contact you by phone to authorize new credit.
A Few Specific Hill Country Hot Spots Kerrville: The Heart of the Hills. the Guadalupe River runs through the center of the town. Schreiner College; Museum of Western Art.
Ingram: On north bank of Guadalupe River, city founded 1883. Visit Old Ingram; Hill Country Arts Foundation
Fredericksburg: German settlement; great tourist town; still celebrates Easter Fires, Schuetzenfests (marksmanship tournaments), Oktoberfest, Kristkindl Market, and Kinderfest. Admiral Nimitz Museum; Enchanted Rock.
Hunt: At the fork of the North and South Forks of the Guadalupe River. The area around Hunt is home to many superb summer camps each with its own rich history. Visit the famous Hunt Store; Crider’s Rodeo.
Medina: The road from Kerrville to Bandera through Medina is perhaps the prettiest scenic ride in the state.
San Marcos: Home of Texas State University; Aquarena Springs; Devils Backbone Scenic Drive and Wonder World Caves.
Johnson City: LBJ Ranch at Stonewall; Pedernales State Park and waterfalls.
Marble Falls: A popular vacation destination for watersports enthusiasts, boaters, fishermen, campers, and hunters. It also hosts one of the largest drag boat races in the United States each August.
Wimberly: Quaint river town has numerous, unique shops, a large artistic community, and a large number of bed and breakfasts Bandera: Dude Ranch Capital of the world; Frontier Times Museum; Arkie Blue’s Silver Dollar Saloon; Hill Country State Natural Area and scenic drives
Gruene (pronounced “green”) is a ghost town in Comal County, which was originally named Goodwin. Gruene Hall is the oldest running dance hall in Texas. Texas wine tasting.
6 WHERE DID IT GO May 2010
Hill Country Waterfall
Own Captain Ron’s “Wanderer” “Possibly the most famous sailboat in the World”
This beautiful 51” Formosa, along with Kurt Russel, was the star of the 1992 movie “Captain Ron.”
Perfect cruiser, charter or tourist attraction. Can be seen in Kemah, TX.
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Live Music 6 Nights a Week - NO COVER See our musical line up at:
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Benny Brasket, Luther & The Healers, Guilty, The Groove Kings, The House Rockers, James Reese Band, Tommy Dardar, The Groove Kings, Scott Mcgill & Old Dog Mac May 15 BENEFIT FOR BRENDA TERRY - BBQ, Bands ’Exceptional music in an intimate setting’
315 Grand Ave * Bacliff, TX * Phone: (281) 559-3773
From Texas Hill Country page 1 interest. The accommodations in the Hill Country offer some of the finest hotels, motels, resorts, bed and breakfasts, inns, cabins, cottages, condos, retreats, villas, houses, apartment rentals, camps, ranches, RV parks and retreats in all of Texas. When you fall in love with the Hill Country, and we know you will, there are a number of timeshares available such as timeshares or timeshare sales. The Hill Country dining experience can range from a cafe or fine restaurant in Kerrville, to a fast food joint, grill, deli, or pub in San Antonio , to a bar, diner or outdoor food stand in Austin. If you are looking for attractions, nobody compares with the activities, recreational areas and natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country combined with good old Texas hospitality. The hills, lakes, streams and rivers offer the perfect place for camping, fishing, hunting, canoeing, kayaking, tubing, rafting, swimming, boating, skiing, climbing, riding, hiking, walking, bird watching, climbing, bicycling, motorcycling, driving, or just touring in the country. No matter if you’re cruising in a sports car, truck, RV, hot rod, or antique collector car, bicycle or motorcycle, you will love our scenic routes. Did we mention hunting? There is no better hunting than the Hill Country hunting experience, from white tail deer to exotic animals, we fill the hunter needs. Then each town offers vacation recreation like western museums, art shops, music festivals, country fairs, gift shopping, wine tasting, dancing events, live theaters, opera, symphony orchestra, unique bands and craft shows. There are plenty of antique shops, jewelry galleries, indoor markets, relaxing retreats, day spas, church camps, golf courses, fitness centers, outdoor malls, fine restaurants, dinner shows, wineries, theme parks, book stores, libraries and so much more that you will literally never run out of places to go or things to do. We are renowned for our summer camps, dude ranches, hunting spots, golf
courses, country resorts, and overall scenery, but we also have world class vineyards, art galleries, live theatre and unique museums. There are bus tours, art tours, craft tours, wine tours, antique tours, food tours, Motorcycle and bicycle tours, hiking trails, river runs, and scenic automobile drives to get a breath of country fresh air. We have caves, natural caverns, castles, aquariums, Enchanted Rocks, Bat shows, Lazy Rivers, Exotic game, Wurstfest, Schlitterbahn, Stonehenge II, San Antonio Spurs, Alamodome, and the historic Alamo. Of course we cannot forget Six Flags, Sea World and Fiesta Texas for children and retirees alike. Students will have plenty of choices in colleges like the University of Texas, Texas State University, Trinity College, Incarnate Word, Schreiner University and others that fill the need for education. When you live, work and play here, you will plan on retiring here because we have become the #1 retirement spot in the world. Senior living here is good living, with great retirement communities, recreation facilities, and retiree activities. We have more than our fair share of radio stations, television stations, newspapers and other forms of media and information to keep you entertained and informed about the rest of the world as it passes by. For business folks, farmers, ranchers, hunters, students, teachers, builders, artists, musicians, craftsmen, and realtors this is home. Engineers, lawyers, bankers, accountants, financial consultants, millionaires, celebrities and superstars have made this their last stop. Our crime and cost of living is low, while our morals and spirits are high. The Hill Country of Texas has more Texas Rangers coming home and being buried here rather than anywhere else for a reason, we are Texas. The real estate values on residential or commercial property, houses, homes, condos, vacation cabins, ranches, hunting land, development property, business locations and other realty have remained steady while other areas have suffered. Our home builders, house designers, construction architects and building contractors can build it green, efficient, modest or rich and luxurious because it all fits in the Hill Country. Hill Country Hot Spots Page 5
May 2010 WHERE DID IT GO 7
Libations for May Please Drink Responsibility
Hill Country Peach Sangria Makes 10 tall drinks Ingredients: 6 Fredericksburg peaches skinned and sliced 1 cup peach schnapps ½ cup fine sugar
Casper’s Billiards
21st Street & E. Bayshore San Leon, TX 281-559-1400 Billiards Digest has named Casper’s one of the top ten new billiard halls in America! It is a clean, comfortable place for pool players and spectators alike to gather and enjoy the sport of billiards. Two story establishment with 14 tournament tables and regular tournaments.
Try the Yellowfin Tuna, Chicken Fried Steaks, Shrimp Salad and our unique “Kobe” Beef Burger
HOURS Mon Closed Tues-Thurs 12 -10PM Fri-Sat 12-12PM Sun 12 -8PM
Smoking & Non-Smoking Areas
FULL BAR
FANTASTIC KITCHEN & NEW DINING AREA Steaks - BBQ - Seafood - Burgers - Fries - Onion Rings
750ml bottle of rose wine 4 cups 7 up or other citrus flavored soda 1 cup rose champagne Directions: Place ingredients in a pitcher and stir with a spoon until well combined. Refrigerate for about 2 hours. Sit back drink and relax!
HOT TAMALE
“Explore the Undiscovered Charm”
TM
HOMES AND LOTS ON Sargent Beach * Intracoastal Waterway Caney Creek * Canals AFFORDABLE WATERFRONT PROPERTY Only 70 miles from Houston
Ingredients: 1/2 oz Cinnamon Schnapps 1
Sargent, TX
oz Fruit punch
Gulf Coast Star Realty 22114 FM 457 Sargent, TX 77414 www.gulfcoaststarrealty.com 979-244-5353
Directions: Mix and serve. Can be varied, depending how one likes their drinks.
Memory Loss Cocktail <<DON’T DRIVE CAREFULLY, DON’T DRIVE AT ALL>> Ingredients: •Peach Vodka •Jamaican Dark Rum •Gin •Apple Juice •Lemon Quantities for one drink: •2 oz Peach Vodka •2 oz Jamaican Dark Rum •2 oz Gin •2 oz Apple Juice •1 Slice Lemon Blending Instructions: •Pour the rum and the vodka over ice into the glass, and then add the rum •Then pour in the apple juice and squeeze the lemon on the top •Do not stir Serve in a beer mug
Alcohol is not the answer ..... but then neither is milk.
8 WHERE DID IT GO May 2010
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Everybody’s Somebody in Luckenbach Post Office Saloon and General Store
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Almost everyone is familiar with the song,”Luckenbach, Texas” and many have visited there, but not everyone is familiar with the history of the town itself. This tiny hill country town was established as a Trading Post in 1849 making it one of the oldest settlements in Gillespie County. The Post Office/ General Store/ Beer Joint, was first opened in 1886 by August Engel, an itinerant preacher from Germany, who’s daughter Minna chose the name Luckenbach in honor of her fiancé, Albert Luckenbach. They eventually moved away and opened another town, called Albert. Go figure! The Trading Post catered to pioneer farmers and Comanche Indians alike. A steam-powered cotton gin was built on the banks of Grape Creek in 1879, and operated with varying degrees of success until it finally closed in 1929. It washed away in recent hill country floods. In 1970, Luckenbach, which remained in the hands of the Engel family the whole time, fell into eclipse. Benno Engel retired as postmaster and placed an ad in the local paper: “TOWN FOR SALE” lock, stock and dancehall. Luckenbach was purchased by a collection of individuals including Hondo Crouch and his cohorts, actor Guich Koock and Kathy Morgan, who had what might charitably be described as over-active imaginations. Hondo formed a make-believe town and proclaimed himself Mayor. He made Marge, a long-time fixture in the saloon, the Sheriff and appointed ambassadors to foreign countries. The trio began to use the nearly-abandoned buildings as a backdrop for anything that smacked of mirth and diversion: “HugIns”, a Luckenbach World’s Fair, Ladies State Chili Bust, the Mud Dauber Festival and daily sessions of song-picking, domino playing and beer drinking beneath the 500-year-old oak trees. Today, over thirty years later, these events are still celebrated and the pickers are still pickin’ out under the big oak trees. Hondo became the “Clown Prince” of Luckenbach, authoring poems celebrating Luckenbach’s big full moon, holding court at various “offishul” festivities and generally giving grown-ups permission to get in touch with the child within. Hondo’s business cards read “Imagineer,” and people began to fall under the magical spell of Luckenbach. Hondo Crouch, “Imagineer“, a “mirthquake,” a “legend in his own mind,” put the backwoods Camelot on the Texas map simply by being himself. With that and not much more than an elfin smile and a mischievious twinkle in his eye, his magical personality attracted thousands to Luckenbach. In 1973, Texas country-rocker, Jerry Jeff Walker came to Luckenbach to record an album. Walker wanted a laid-back Texas locale for a backdrop and Luckenbach was as laid-back as they come. Jerry Jeff and his Lost Gonzo Band took over the old dancehall, stacked hay bales for sound baffles and sat around the ancient saloon writing songs during the day. At night, they recorded in the dancehall— fast and loose. The album, Viva Terlingua, went “gold”and made Luckenbach a destination point for everyone who heard it. It produced such Texas classics as: Gary P. Nunn’s, “London Homesick Blues” (Home With The Armadillo); Ray Wylie Hubbard’s “Up Against The Wall Redneck Mother”; Guy Clark’s, “Desperadoes Waiting for A Train” and “Sangria Wine”. Four years later, Bobby Emmons and music producer Chips Moman wrote the now famous ballad, Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics)”—which became a massive hit for Waylon Jennings
May 2010 WHERE DID IT GO 9
GROUP TRAVEL IS FUN AND SAFE ADVENTURES OF A LIFETIME
AFT-TER THOUGHTS
Join us in 2010 on some of the most fantastic trips we’ve ever put together. These travel adventures are priced right and offer Texas First Bank members the experience of a lifetime! A few trips are listed below ----‘Trips are open to bank customers AND guests.’ Come join us for an awesome vacation!
by Capt. B.G. Willie I’ve got a friend over in East Texas looking to buy a saw to cut down some trees on his property, so he goes to a chainsaw shop and asks about various chainsaws. The dealer tells him, “Look, I have a lot of models, but why don’t you save yourself a lot of time and aggravation and get the top-of- the-line model. This chainsaw will cut a hundred cords of wood for you in one day.” So, the man takes the chainsaw home and begins working on the trees. After cutting for several hours and only cutting two cords, he decides to quit. He thinks there is something wrong with the chainsaw. “How can I cut for hours and only cut two cords?” the man asks himself. “I will begin first thing in the morning and cut all day,” the man tells himself.
So, the next morning the man gets up at 4 am in the morning and cuts and cuts, and cuts till nightfall, and still he only manages to cut five cords. The man is convinced this is a bad saw. “The dealer told me it would cut one hundred cords of wood in a day, no problem. I will take this saw back to the dealer,” the man says to himself.
• Passion Play, Germany
• New York City
• Montana-Big Sky Adventure
• Shades of Ireland
• Alaska Cruise-Tour
• Southern Charm Journey
Contact: Linda Holm - Texas Travelers Coordinator Phone: 409-945-2515 Email: lholm101@yahoo.com www.texasfirstbank.com/texas-travelers.php
The very next day the man brings the saw back to the dealer and explains the problem. The dealer, baffled by the man’s claim, removes the chainsaw from the case. The dealer says, “Hmm, it looks fine.” Then the dealer starts the chainsaw, to which the man responds, “What’s that noise?
Luckenbach Interior view of the Saloon
& Willie Nelson, bringing Luckenbach to its ultimate worldwide fame. Tour buses and tourists from around the world began to make Luckenbach a regular stop when visiting other Fredericksburg area attractions. Hondo passed away in 1976, the year before “Luckenbach Texas” became a hit, but his spirit is carried on by a collection of descendants. Hondo’s memory is also perpetuated via an eight-page monthly newspaper, The Luckenbach MOON, which is dedicated to “Peter Cedarstacker,” Hondo’s nom de plume when he wrote a column for the Comfort newspaper. In the Nineties, Luckenbach has become something of a cottage industry, a trademark-registered slice of old-time Texas. Willie Nelson returns to Luckenbach annually for his 4th of July Picnic with thousands of his closest friends. Walker came back in 1993, the 20th anniversary of the Viva Terlingua recordings to record a follow-up. The legendary Dancehall still hosts monthly dances by some of the best Texas musicians. Texas minstrels such as Pat Green, Gary P. Nunn, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Billy Joe Shaver and their audiences come to partake of the timeless ambiance, the cold beer, and the increasingly rare sense of being in the center of the known universe, a place where everybody is truly somebody. Many of the Luckenbach faithful celebrate the music, magic & memories of times they’ve spent in Luckenbach by returning for special occasions.
ON SARGENT BEACH
HOG PROBLEM? The feral hog population is exploding and doing serious property damage.
Humane traps for sale or rent Custom on request J & D Hog Traps 936-327-0436
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10 WHERE DID IT GO May 2010
Kala Garcia, Realtor 832-721-7121 kalarealtor@gmail.com
League City/Kemah Bay Ridge: 4/2/2 Remodeled and Landscaped. Newly installed designer tile, laminate floors, appliances, carpet, paint, screens, recent roof, gutters, garage door openers, solid surface countertops. Screened Florida Room. $119,900 Dickinson - Nice 3 bedroom 2 bath home with good curb appeal. Large living area with fireplace. Kitchen has lots of cabinet and counter space. Laundry room in the house. Large fully fenced back yard.
$96,500 Waterview
Legend Point: Lovely 3rd floor waterfront condo with beautiful waterviews of the marina and Clear Lake. balcony. Wet bar, breakfast bar, appliances included. Dining room with fireplace. Garage; elevators. 2 pools. $139,900
Highland Bayou Waterview 4/3/1. Pretty laminate and tile floors, big kitchen, large lots, corner property. $124,900. Possible owner finance.
San Leon - Cleared lots with culverts. Good locations priced from $20,000. Build your dream home. Unrestricted. Possible owner finance.
Gulf Coast Realtors
312 FM 517 W 281-534-GULF (4853)
Dickinson, Texas 77539 www.gulfcoastrealtors.net
It’s not that you’re overweight, you’re just about 9 feet short.
HOT TAMALES!
Tamales just might be the best food ever created. If you have ever had a good one, you know just what I am talking about. Tamales are best on a cold winter day but are equally good on summer, fall and spring days. My earliest remembrance of eating tamales was in my hometown of Beaumont. We would have them occasionally but absolutely when my Aunt Fornia visited from North Carolina. We procured the tamales from a little kiosk under the viaduct on Mariposa Street. A viaduct is a bridge going over the railroad yards below. I clearly remember a black gentleman in a fresh white smock and white admiral’s hat dispensing the tamales, a dozen wrapped in newspaper for a dollar. To me they are still the standard by which tamales are measured. While researching this article I Googled, “Beaumont-tamales” and came up with a result, Uncle Henry’s Tamales. I decided to call and sure enough, Uncle Henry Guillory was the gentleman in the kiosk and these were his nephews carrying on the tradition. Notably they have two locations in Beaumont and I had planned on going over there before publishing this article but a little flu bug postponed that roadtrip. Tamales can be traced back as early as 5000 BC. They served as a nutritious and portable food for Aztec, Mayan, and Incan warriors. In modern times, Tamales have become a favorite fall time food in Mexico and many parts of the United States starting about 1893 when they featured at the World’s Columbian Exposition. During the holiday season in December, Texas families of Hispanic heritage often celebrate by gathering to make tamales. Making tamales for the Christmas holidays is a tradition that has been passed down for decades.
Fishing Paradise on Caney Creek in Sargent 1712 Carancahua
Very nice home, fully furnished. Sleeps 10+, large screened porch, 2 refrigerators and freezer. Built up yard, security lights, lighted pier partially covered with electricity; “grandfathered” fish cleaning area and plenty of storage. 150 Yards from the ICW. Type: Home Bedrooms : 3 Bathrooms : 3 Sq Ft : 1100 Contact: Jeanne Halik Taggart 979-429-1844
A tamale or more correctly, tamal (Spanish tamal, from Classical Nahuatl tamalli) is a Latin American dish consisting of a starchy dough, often cornbased, which is steamed or boiled in a leaf wrapper. The wrapping is discarded before eating. Tamales can be further filled with meats, cheese, vegetables, chilies or any preparation according to taste, and both the filling and the cooking liquid may be seasoned.
Probably my second best tamale experience occurred in south Texas. When we came in from hunting one evening, the landowner’s wife had surprised us with a bunch of fresh tamales in a steel bowl. Admittedly they measured right near the top in goodness and we sat there in our camp drinking beer and eating tamales. Almost heaven! In Latin America, hot tamales are as ubiquitous as the sandwich. This holds true in, of all places, the Mississippi Delta. Better known for its association with cotton and catfish, the Mississippi Delta has a fascinating relationship with tamales. A tradition of roving tamal sellers was documented in early 20th century blues music. They are the subject of the well-known 1937 blues/ragtime song “They’re Red Hot” by Robert Johnson. In the Mississippi Delta, AfricanAmericans developed a spicy tamal made from cornmeal (rather than masa), which is boiled in corn husks. Uncle Henry apparently used a similar recipe that he received from a man in Louisiana. Nowadays, tamales are often sold directly, much like the carts of old. Family members take them up to offices, into bars or on street corners at grocery store entrances. I have personally had some good ones and some not so good ones from those sources but I keep trying. I need to get a phone number when I buy them so if they are especially good I’ll know where to find them instead of playing tamale roulette. In restaurants, street corners, and kitchens throughout the Delta, this very old and time-consuming culinary tradition remains vibrant. But how and when were hot tamales introduced to what has been called “the most Southern place on earth”? Oral history interviews with tamale makers and vendors in the Delta today offer us some answers. They reveal the various ways in which tamale recipes have been acquired and how they have evolved, helping to explain their persistence in the Delta. As a generalization, Hispanics seem to prefer pork (sometimes chicken) and masa in their tamales while the African-American recipes utilize beef and corn meal. One thing is for sure, however, no matter the source, a good tamale is about as good a bite of food as you can wrap your lips around.
May 2010 WHERE DID IT GO 11
Tropicalattitude
“Celebrating the Waterfront Lifestyle”
Jacob’s Well – a Deadly Attraction Sometime in the late 1800’s, my maternal great grand-father and his sister, Zoe, taveled to the Hill Country of Texas by covered wagon from Kansas, eventually settling near Comfort. At sometime in my youth, my aunt Zoe told me that they had camped on the Cypress Creek near what is now Wimberly next to a fountain that bubbled up from the depths known as Jacob’s Well. Even earlier settlers followed the creek to its source and described the cavern bubbling up in the creek bed as like unto biblical times and thus it was named. It has been commemorated in song and print by several artists and authors. Ironically, it was once considered impossible to descend into Jacob’s Well because of the upward water pressure. Local historians say the artesian spring spumed anywhere from 10 to 30 feet above the ground in centuries past, creating a much heavier flow into Cypress Creek. Documentation from 1924 indicates a flow of 170 gallons per second. There is some fear now that because of the added strain on water supplies that it could dry up. Recent measures have been taken and the property sold to a conservation district to avoid that possibility. Jacob’s Well is a natural spring flowing into Cypress Creek about
three miles northwest of Wimberly in Hayes County. It issues from an inclined shaft forty meters deep along a fault line in the Edwards Plateau. In the past, the threemeter width of the shaft and the multi-chambered cave at its bottom has attracted scuba divers for many years. In the late sixties, I finally realized my own dream of learning to scuba dive, having grown up on Lloyd Bridges and “SeaHunt” and the movie, “The Frogmen.” Diving offshore was prohibiting back then for recent college graduates so we limited our activities to a few “almost” clear inland lakes, most notably Canyon Lake. By then I’d heard of Jacob’s Well and its inherent dangers. Diving in a cave didn’t appeal much to me but I figured we could go look anyway. It turned out to be less scary than I’d anticipated. However, the day before we dove, when we went to have our tanks filled, the local dive shop operator told us a story of recently having to remove the bodies of two divers from the third chamber. He said he had to go in, break their arms, remove their equipment and bring out the bodies. I’ve always been fortunate in being able to learn from others’ mistakes, so there was no way I was going into that third chamber. Jacob’s Well is nevertheless a
by Gene Rutt fascinating place. Picture a shallow hill country stream about 15 feet across, maybe a foot deep but which contains a hole about 10 feet wide that drops down initially to 30 feet and then angles down to 90 feet. These are known as the first and second chambers. The water is so clear that from the surface you can literally see a nickel lying at the bottom of the first chamber. When you angle down from that point you need a dive light. You can still see the reflection of light from the surface but not enough to see what is in front
of you. At the 90 foot level you reach a small opening which leads to the third chamber. This is where it gets sticky. In the old days, at least, you’d have to remove your dive gear and pull or push it through the opening. Thank you, no! This was deep enough for me and there truly isn’t much to see except more cave walls and they have been worn smooth by the passage of the water. The horror stories are that you get into this lower chamber and stir up silt to the extent that you cannot find the opening where you came in and are trapped until you run out of air in your tank. This lower chamber has been explored by experienced and well-equipped cave divers since that time but even they can get in trouble with the treacherous silt. Jacob’s Well definitely has a national reputation of being one of the most dangerous places to dive in the country. Even if you manage to escape the third chamber, it is over ninety feet down and you take the risk of contracting the bends if you have been at that depth for long. This is where dissolved nitrogen in your blood resulting from the pressure of the water at that depth starts coming out of solution if you rise to the surface too quickly. It can be excrutionatingly painful as well as fatal. It is believed that as many as 8-12 divers have lost their lives in Jacob’s Well through the years. That’s a lot of people considering the size of the spring. One unfortunate’s body was not recovered until 21 years later. There have been attempts to seal off the lower chamber but the grates always get removed. If someone is determined to do something foolish, they’ll find a way to do it.
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12 WHERE DID IT GO May 2010
AMAZING SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES: Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold the vegetables while you chop.
The Nautical Flea Market One Man’s Trash, Another’s Treasure
Avoid arguments with females about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink. For high blood pressure sufferers ~ simply cut yourself and bleed for a few minutes, thus reducing the pressure on your veins. Remember to use a timer. A mouse trap placed on top of your alarm clock will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives. Then you’ll be afraid to cough. You only need two tools in life WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn’t move and should, use the WD-40. If it shouldn’t move and does, use the duct tape. If you can’t fix it with a hammer, you’ve got an electrical problem.
Terrys Marine Service
Engine Rebuilds, Outboard & Stern drive repairs Located at San Leon Marina
Phone (281) 559-4827 Cell (281)507-4889
Evinrude 25hp Older model, good shape $600 Late model Honda 14 4-stroke Electric, extra-long shaft $1495 OBO
Benefit for Brenda Terry at Katie’s 315 Grand Ave, Bacliff Saturday, May 15th 12 pm til ? Brenda is suffering from a tumor in the roof of her mouth & sinus cavity & it’s slowly destroying her facial bones. She has no medical insurance & needs major surgery to remove the tumor & repair the damaged bones. For those of you who know Brenda, know that she has always been there to help others in the community in their time of need. Now she needs our help! Please join us Saturday, May 15th
Bar-B-Q Plates (Plate includes salad, beans, bread & your choice of meats: brisket, sausage or chicken 1 meat - $5 * 2 meats - $7 * 3 meats - $9
50-50 Drawing Raffles Live & Silent Auction Live Music: Toni Hill 1:00 Benny Brasket 3:00 The Groove Kings 5:00
Flea markets are big everywhere but there is a certain species that occurs near the waterfronts of the world, namely the nautical, sailors or boaters’ flea market. Storage units are a natural part of most boater’s lives, especially those who actually live on their boats. Periodically these units get overstuffed and either a larger unit must be rented or you have to remove some of the “stuff.” Thus the flea market is a purging process. It starts with a trip to the storage unit to size up what must go. This “stuff” is usually categorized as (1) “get it out of here”, (2) “Don’t really need or use that much”, and (3) “ if no one takes it, that’s fine with me, cuz I was planning to install it pretty soon.” These categories are usually determined by spousal pressure with such comments as “What the hell is that and what on earth do you want it for?” Another common one is, “Why have we been paying $1200 per year rent for five years on this storage unit when all this stuff together is only worth about $600?” The buying and selling is the important part of the affair but also keep in mind that the good ones are really social events and may even offer up food and beverage. The Texas Mariner Cruising Association (TMCA) use to hold theirs in early March. It was a combined flea market, hot dog social and membership recruiting party but the hot dogs and recruiting was gradually phased out and I’m not sure if the Flea market is even held any more. It was a pretty good meet with lots of participants. Blue Water Ship’s Store also had a nice turnout for their March Flea market but they are now out of business. Autie McVicker’s Boaters Flea Market is the Big Daddy of the area flea markets and is coming up on May 15th and 16th in the large grassy area in front of Watergate Yachting Center on Marina Bay
Drive in Kemah. Autie usually has a couple of kegs on hand to control thirst when the negotiating gets heated. His wife, Janie, is usually on hand to control Autie when he gets heated. Mike Seich and S.J. Stout are usually on hand cooking hamburgers and hot dogs and making sure they get heated. We can usually depend on several days of torrential downpours a few days prior to the meet to make sure the ground is muddy and a few cars get stuck. With Autie’s voluminous voice advertising and instigating, the event takes on the aura of an Algerian Bazaar and a bizarre bazaar at that. Fortunately no one sells brassieres or the alliteration would just be too much (a bizarre, brassiere bazaar.) You may attend this event as a spectator or buyer for free. If you have some items to sell, you must rent a space which you can do for $45 for two days from Autie’s son Trace at Maritime Sanitation 281334-5978, who is now running the show. Perhaps the most significant result of the nautical flea market process is that most of the participants find other items that they can’t live without to replace what they’re selling and end up carrying home as much (albeit different) stuff as they brought in the first place. So essentially there is no change in the overall volume of “stuff.” It’s just been moved to different storage units but we all had a good time during the reallocation procedure.
15 16
May 2010 WHERE DID IT GO 13
Rep. Pete Olson is trying Improving to save NASA’s Human Your Space Flight Program
Memory by Gene Rutt
As we advance in years (21 years on up) there is a tendency to feel that our memory is slipping. This tendency tends to increase as we tend to get older. In some cases there may be an actual problem but so often we have just convinced ourselves that it’s natural and it’s happening and then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Often, our minds are just not engaged and challenged like they were in school or perhaps in the work place and have become lazy and out of shape. Following are a few tips gleaned through the years to help you restore your ability to remember stuff: 1. Pay attention. This is one of the most important things you can do to learn and remember. Paying attention is more important than IQ in school, business or life. 2. Short-term memory supposedly can only hold seven items at one time, so don’t hesitate to jot down notes. Smarter people do. They don’t rely just on their memory, even if it’s pretty good. 3. We remember things by association. Every piece of information in our memory is connected to other pieces in some way or another. So if you do not see an association, create one. Ask yourself how the new idea relates to ideas with which you’re already familiar. 4. Teaching has always been a great method of learning. Memory is just a form of learning. You have to know the material in order to teach someone and that process ingrains it into your own mind. 5. Write it down or say it out loud or both if you can. Recite what you are reading, then paraphrase it. Review your notes out loud, too. 6. Try to repeat something immediately after learning it, especially names. If you can repeat that name and possibly make an association right after you hear it, you can avoid that frequently embarrassing moment when you forget someone’s name immediately after hearing it. Pay attention! 7. Meeting several people at a time is always a challenge unless you’re a real memory whiz. Try the name repeating and association if you have time (you never do) then when the introductions are over get some coaching from your host. I always explain to new folks that “While I can never remember a name, I always forget a face.” It breaks the ice and the people will tend to remember you even if you don’t remember their names. They will also likely reintroduce themselves when you talk to them. 8. Speaking of which, when you meet someone you’ve met before, immediately introduce yourself again. They’ll likely say “Sure, how are you doing?” as though they remember. It saves them the awkwardness of not remembering and you the slightly ego-deflating feeling that someone didn’t remember your name. By speaking first, you’ve saved the moment for all. 9. Exercise your mind and memory by learning something new. Languages are a great example. You don’t have to become fluent, just the basics will be satisfying and useful if you’re traveling or maybe in a restaurant. It will bolster your ego as well and inspire you to greater challenges.
I have the worst memory ever, so no matter who comes up to me - they’re just, like, ‘I can’t believe you don’t remember me!” I’m like, ‘Oh, Dad, I’m sorry!’ - Ellen DeGeneres
“...the vows of this Nation can only be fulfilled if we in this Nation are first, and, therefore, we intend to be first. In short, our leadership in science and industry, our hopes for peace and security, our obligations to ourselves as well as others, all require us to make this effort, to solve these mysteries, to solve them for the good of all men, and to become the world’s leading space-faring nation...We choose to go to the moon. We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard, because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win, and the others, too. .” President Kennedy, Rice University 1962 Pete Olson on the importance of human space exploration - Since that historic speech, the United States made the commitment and we became the global leader in human spaceflight. America not only put the first man on the moon, but also made technological advancements that have improved our every day lives. The economic, scientific and technological returns of space exploration have far exceeded our nation’s investment. Earth observations through space exploration have provided G.P.S., meteorological forecasts, predictions and management of hurricanes and other natural disasters, as well as surveillance and intelligence. Satellite communications have changed how we live through computer operations, cell phones, and television. The United States global superiority depends upon a vital human space flight program. For the last 50 years, we have been the world leader economically, militarily, and scientifically. Our nation forged paths that were previously unimaginable through our willingness to make the investments and take the risks required to be the best. America prides itself on this ability and we have seen many great accomplishments as a result of this commitment. The Administration’s Fiscal Year 2011 budget will shut down America’s ability to continue human space flight by killing the Constellation program within NASA. Constellation is the best option to get to the Moon and beyond. The Moon should be our first destination so that we can develop the expertise and systems necessary to go even further. Yet the Administration’s own Augustine report stated that, “There is now a strong consensus in the United States that the next step in human spaceflight is to travel beyond low-Earth orbit.” It is absurd to abandon the only program designed for operations beyond low earth orbit. Commercial operations, while important , still set the United States back decades with respect to human space flight. They have no proven track record in this arena. Human space flight is enormously complex and the costs cannot be underestimated from a safety standpoint. NASA has 50 years of experience and the track record to continue these operations, not start from scratch. If the United States abandons human space flight we are, without question, placing America in the second tier at most with all other nations.
“At the peak of the Apollo program, NASA was consuming almost 4 percent of the federal budget, which in terms of the 2011 budget is about $150 billion. Today the manned space program will die for want of $3 billion a year -- 1/300th of last year’s stimulus package with its endless make-work projects that will leave not a trace on the national consciousness.” Charles Krauthammer February 12, 2010
14 WHERE DID IT GO May 2010
THE SENILITY PRAYER Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway, The good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference.
SARGENT, TX
MARINA * BEACH * ICW * FRONT ESTATE LIQUIDATION Jean Davis 713-296-9699 texslatwater@aol.com
To compel a man to subsidize with his taxes the propagation of ideas which he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical. ~ Thomas Jefferson
ALSO, THE BRIDGE IS OUT AHEAD
“Switched from Sail to Yard.” by Captain Lynda Hall
Jimmy Buffett wrote a song about his grandfather going from sailing ships to raking Mom’s back yard. It always saddened me to hear it, knowing that his grandfather had seen so much and experienced life beyond the normal land based man, and now that life was over, he was biding time until the end. Although I haven’t seen all the places and all the people he did, I’ve seen more than most, and I’m thankful for that. My sailing ship was a mere 35’ long, but it got me from the Texas coastal town of Kemah to Florida, the Bahamas, and the Virgin Islands. At 34 years of age, I had the will, stamina and drive to take ‘boat trips.’ It didn’t hurt to have a husband who was supportive in many ways. My husband, Jim, kept working to feed my habit. As all boat owners know, it takes a lot of deniro to keep a boat afloat and in a sea worthy condition. Besides, it cost a lot of my cruising kitty just to fly Jim in when I arrived at a destination. Our marina friends use to quote Jim’s sayings like –“Nothing goes to weather like a 747”, and they invited folks to join the “Jim Hall School of No Sailing”. Jim always said he liked everything about boating but boating. He enjoyed the friends on the dock, and the atmosphere, but was perfecting happy to never venture past a day sail on the Bay. Those were fun and exciting times. We saw some great things at sea. One time when I had coerced Jim into making a Gulf crossing with me, we sailed from St. Pete, Florida back to Kemah. The Hale-Bop Comet was passing overhead and I can tell you there is nothing like seeing ‘that’ on a black ocean. It was spectacular. Another time going from Kemah to St. Pete with my friends David and Walt as crew, we had flat calm seas the entire way. So each day we took a cooling dip over the side in water so blue it didn’t seem real. Of course, I always let Walt go in first, just to be sure there wasn’t anything hungry out there. The thirteen days from Nassau to St. Thomas in the Atlantic was both awful and wonderful. January in the Atlantic is mighty lumpy, but a little girl from the ‘Grove’ captaining her own boat for over 2,000 miles and actually finding an island that was only six miles long by three miles wide after that long at sea was a feeling of accomplishment that cannot be forgotten. Just as Buffet’s grandfather eventually had to return to land, I guess the same is true for me. At 60, I no longer have the physical condition to venture out to sea on anything other than a cruise ship and sometimes even those stairs are a challenge. Now and then I long for the old days, but then again, I am beginning to enjoy my land based home. The yard projects have replaced the boat projects and I don’t have to hang upside down in the engine room to do them. Just take a look at the picture of my current boat. It will never float again, as I drilled about twenty holes in the bottom of it for drainage. This sailing dink belongs to James, an old F-dock friend from the marina. We kept it in our storage shed for several years, and then in our garage when we bought our house. As is the way with boating friends, he sailed off to Florida several years ago and we have lost touch. So, James if you read this, you can go ahead and sell the mast, boom and sails, as the boat to go under them is no longer seaworthy. I hope you can appreciate its new home.
May 2010 WHERE DID IT GO 15
8-MILE GRANITE REVETMENT WALL ZERO EROSION-BEACHFRONT PROPERTY !
Prior to 1991 the rates of erosion on Sargent Beach were so rapid that it was a matter of when, not if, the Gulf of Mexico would breach the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway thus shutting down this vital waterway to interstate barge traffic. With the billions of dollars in commerce generated from traffic in the GIWW, it could have been devastating to the entire country. During 1991 President Bush set aside funds for a feasibility study to determine what action to take. One option was to relocate the GIWW inland through the San Bernard Wildlife Refuge. The other was to build this “one of a kind” revetment wall on Sargent Beach. The result was an 8-mile long, 30-ft. deep granite revetment wall constructed with a limestone base. These granite rocks weighed an average of 5 tons each. In the end there were some 82,000 of these laid in the structure. Additionally, concrete sheet pile was driven along a section of the wall then capped in concrete to prevent any movement.
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This project not only saved the GIWW but also protects this little known beach and homes from the inevitable erosion that occurs in coastal areas. Sargent’s revetment wall will preserve this valuable beachfront property which is now probably the most affordable beachfront property in the country. Because this property is no longer under threat of being eroded away, it also has the highest potential for value appreciation. Sargent Beach has the only residential beachfront property in Texas that is protected by such a seawall and can boast that our beachfront property is here to stay, other coastal areas are not so fortunate. It is a great example of how a coordinated, cooperative effort among government agencies can accomplish significant objectives for the country, while simultaneously benefitting small communities as well. Not only does Sargent Beach have the protection of the revetment wall, a law was passed in September 2001 that allows homes on Sargent Beach to be built seaward of the vegetation line as long as the property is between the revetment wall and the GIWW. This law is very specific and applies only to Sargent Beach. It does not apply to any other part of the Texas Coast. Another project to have a positive effect on Sargent Beach is the dredging of the San Bernard River. The purpose of this is to increase the river flow where the San Bernard empties into the GIWW. It is estimated that 235,000 cubic yards of sand from the dredging will be deposited southwest of the new channel in the surf zone. A study by The University of Texas concluded that placement of the dredged sand in the surf zone should result in sand replenishment on Sargent Beach by natural Gulf currents. For more information about Sargent, contact Gulf Coast Star Realty in Sargent, Texas.
Bad Habits Take Decade Off Life
Middle-aged male smokers with high cholesterol and blood pressure die, on average, a decade sooner than peers without any of these heart disease risk factors, according to a recent study. Many studies have shown that not smoking, eating healthily and exercising cut heart disease rates. But few have tackled the problem from the other end: to what extent is life expectancy shortened by having these heart disease risk factors? Participants provided detailed information about their medical history, lifestyle and smoking habits, and doctors recorded their weight, blood pressure, lung function, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The study, published in the British Medical Journal, found that the men who faced a triple risk threat at the outset were two-to-three times more likely to have died of a heart-related problem than men free of all three risk factors. On average, their lives were shortened by a decade, the study found. -Source: Newsmax Health
Light travels faster than sound. That’s why some people appear bright until you hear them speak. Kimberley Gibbons Gulf Coast Realtors 409/392-6358-cell 832/645-7400-fax kimberleygibbons@mac.com
Teichman Rd Galveston 3/2 1/2 Gulf and bay views.Warm and inviting open floor plan with a gourmet kitchen/dining combo. Full Master Suite w/ 2 decks. Large gameroom downstairs. Easy access to I-45 and public boat ramp. $349,900
La Marque - 3/2 Open concept kitchen/living area.All appliances included. Energy efficient roof, decked attic, cul-de-sac. Optional surround sound and flat screen television. Reduced to $179,900. SANTA FE ISD
Galveston - 4/2 for Lease Large Family room /gas fireplace. All bedrooms up. Appliances included. Updated kitchen. Utility room in house. Large fenced front & back yard. For Sale $189,900 Lease: $1500
El Dorado Way Condo 2/2 Near I-45. Lots of light, open-concept, built-in bookshelves, wood burning fireplace. Appliances included. Pool, exercise facility, tennis courts and clubhouse for your convenience. Reduced to sell $50,000 or Lease $675
Gulf Coast Realtors
312 FM 517 W 281-534-GULF (4853)
Dickinson, Texas 77539 www.gulfcoastrealtors.net
16â&#x20AC;&#x192; WHERE DID IT GO May 2010
Gulf Coast Realtors 312 FM 517 W Dickinson, TX 77539 281-534-GULF (4853)
2000 Loop 197 Suite 111 Texas City, TX 77590 409-945-7653
www.gulfcoastrealtors.net Find out what properties in your area sold for: www.propertyvaluesinyourneighborhood.com
View of Marina from balcony
Formal Dining area Back view of house
Pool and backyard
Stunning Palazzo Waterfront Custom home on Clear Lake. Gourmet Island Kitchen w/Granite Countertops. Perfect for entertaining. Pool/jacuzzi. 3-4 bedrooms, theater room. Elevator. $685,000
Office Space-Lease
GOT HORSES? 2 -1/4 acres waiting for your ranch home and/or horses. Good investment property. Higher elevation of San Leon partially fenced - $165,000
1612 23rd Texas City - Cute two bdrm Seller updates game room fenced yard $89,900*
Residential
League City office Space for rent--6100 sq ft space available $1.50 sq ft-will divide.. 1500 sq ft with 10 offices already built and ready to go! $1.50 sq ft. Faces Gulf Fwy.
CCISD-near Kemah Boardwalk and shopping. Easy access to 146. Updated interior paint and roof. Enjoy laminate wood, tile floors and a huge gameroom. $118,000
Office Space-Lease
Dickinson 2 office spaces for lease in high traffic location across from Dickinson post office,1700 sq ft and 1000 sq.ft....ready for tenant
2009 N 14th Texas City. updates master faucet, stove, masterbath sink,carpet & tile,disposal,hardi on 3 sides,8 light fixtures, inside paint, dishwasher...Roof & A/C replaced recently. 2 Living areas. Den has a woodburning stove. $112,000
Commercial
Edwards Landing - San Leon - Canal front with Bay views, 2/2/2 plus workshop area, Granite countertops in kitchen, full deck facing canal, $222,500
San Leon - Canal front lot with 2 sides of waterfront - restricted waterfront community - bring your own plans or build to suit. $85,000
Investment
Over 300 years agent experience serving Galveston County