EXPLORE June 2016 by Schooley Media Ventures, LLC

JUNE 2016

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JUNE

Explore what's inside this issue!

10 From the Publisher 12 Calendar

34 Father’s Day

20 HOT DOGS 22 BURGERS

Gift guide for dear old dad

mouth-watering inspiration

14 TROUBADOUR

Montreal & dogs: Part 3

Publisher Benjamin D. Schooley ben@hillcountryexplore.com

38 Spiritual

Side by side

Operations Manager Michelle Hans michelle@smvtexas.vom Creative Director Benjamin N. Weber ben.weber@smvtexas.com

26 LIFE

Life’s secret formula

18 History

TEXAS LEGENDS

Assistant Creative Director Kayla Davisson kayla@smvtexas.com

30 ART OF SATIRE

ADVERTISING SALES 210-507-5250 sales@hillcountryexplore.com

44 Charity It’s SUMMER!

EXPLORE magazine is published by Schooley Media Ventures in Boerne, TX. EXPLORE Magazine and Schooley Media Ventures are not responsible for any inaccuracies, erroneous information, or typographical errors contained in this publication submitted by advertisers. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EXPLORE and/or Schooley Media Ventures. Copyright 2015 Schooley Media Ventures, 930 E. Blanco, Ste. 200, Boerne, TX 78006

Contributing Writers

Marjorie Hagy History

Rene Villanueva Music

Kendall D. Aaron Spiritual

Old Timer Just Old Timer

Paul Wilson Life & Living

MARJORIE is a bibliophile, a history nut and an insomniac, among several other conditions, both diagnosed and otherwise. When she's not working tirelessly to avoid getting a real job, she nurses an obsession with her grandson and is involved in passing legislation restricting the wearing of socks with sandals. She is an aspiring pet hoarder who enjoys vicious games of Scrabble, reading Agatha Christie, and sitting around doing nothing while claiming to be thinking deeply. Marjorie has five grown children, a poodle to whom she is inordinately devoted in spite of his breath, and holds an Explore record for never having submitted an article on time. She's been writing for us for five years now.

Rene Villanueva is the lead singer/bass player for the band Hacienda. Having toured worldwide, hacienda has also been featured on several late night shows, including Late Show with David Letterman. Rene and his wife Rachel live in Boerne, TX and just welcomed thier first child.

I’m just a normal guy. I’m not a theology student, I don’t preach in church, and I’ve never written a book. I’m just a normal guy that thinks, and feels, and is on a never-ending journey attempting to be the best person I can be. I fail frequently at this quest, yet each day, the quest continues. I’ve lived in Boerne since the late ‘80s, I’ve got a most beautiful wife, three wonderful children, and just really, really love God. Thanks for going on my spiritual journey with me.

The Old Timer tells us he's been a resident of Boerne since about 1965. He enjoys telling people what he doesn't like. When not bust'n punks he can be found feeding the ducks just off Main St. or wandering aimlessly in the newly expanded HEB. Despite his rough and sometimes brash persona, Old Timer is really a wise and thoughtful individual. If you can sort through the BS.

An insatiable curiosity for life and an incurable fascination with human behavior has forged in Paul Wilson a keen interest in helping people think about wise living. As a Life Coach, Paul offers professional mentoring to clients seeking greater personal fulfillment in their life. He currently serves as the Lead Pastor of Cibolo Creek Community Church in Fair Oaks Ranch, a faith community he began in 1996 to serve people who didn’t really like church. As artistowner of The Paul Wilson Studio, he also creates bronze sculptures for private and corporate collections. Paul and his wife, Charlotte, who make their home in Fair Oaks Ranch, are the proud parents of two teenage sons. If you’re interested in receiving daily thought-provoking insights about life and living, follow Paul on Twitter at @paulwilsonTX or Facebook at facebook.com/ paulwilsonTX.

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

PUBLISHER

DEAREST EXPLORE READER, I took this photo of a bucket full of vintage polaroids a few weeks back while meandering through an antique shop in some town that I can’t even remember. I’m certainly no antique shopping expert, so I was moderately bored as I was shuffling along the aisles of the store, but when I came to this bucket, I spent the next hour simply thumbing through each photo and soaking up what each contained. Family portraits, casual shots of some elderly guy holding up a large catfish, and friends that were arm-inarm hoisting beers into the air with huge smiles on their faces. Most were from the ‘20s or ‘30s I’d guess. Pictures that appeared to be grandma, bouncing twin babies on either knee. Little girls with their arms wrapped around their daddy’s knees. They all had that “rough and tumble early Texas hardass” look to them. And now, they sit forgotten and anonymous in a simple Tupperware bucket in the back of a grimy old antique mall with a “.10 per photo” sticker on the side of the bucket. I snapped my picture haphazardly, and I suppose I did it because I knew that I would spend weeks thinking about that silly bucket of photos and wanted to be able to look at it again. And, sure enough, that’s exactly what I’ve done. I suppose it was the anonymity of it all that struck me. And how FORGOTTEN they were. These photos of men and women in the prime of their lives, laughing and loving, and within the span of a generation or two, they were unknown and sold to the local antique mall for next to nothing. It’s depressing to consider, as it means that someone might stumble across a photo of me holding my three children in 75 years in some future version of a Tupperware bucket in an antique mall. Someone will hold my photo, see my goofy smile as I laugh with my kids and buy my photo for some arts/crafts project for .10. They might wonder about who I was, but they’ll never know. I’m gone. And I’m forgotten. The more I thought about these lost faces and anonymous lives, the more I wanted to know about them. Who were they? Where were they from? Why were they laughing? What did they do with their lives? Where and how did they die? Were they happy? I wanted to know the story of their lives, even though I knew that I never would. Once I was resigned that I would know nothing about them, I began to just…..think. There’s a photo in the bucket of a young man, sitting in a chair around a simple little campfire. He has a small dog lying on the ground to his right. Around the campfire are several other young men, all of them laughing and each holding what appears to be an ancient version of a Shiner. They were happy in the photo, and for me, that’s the only way I’ll ever know them to be – happy. But I wonder: were they poor? Did they have a sick relative? Had they recently lost a home? A job? A marriage? Were they in the middle of some sort of life-altering situation that was inherently BAD? If so, I’ll never know, but I do know that they were happy during the hours that this photo was taken. And they went on to live their lives, die, and have a portion of their memories tossed away like sand in the wind. And so there’s a picture of me somewhere that might end up in such a box. And a picture of you, too. You’re smiling in your photo, with your arms around your best friend…beer in each other’s hands, and you just heard the best joke right before the photo. You are also in dire financial trouble and in risk of losing your car. Or your home. Or your father died just a month previously and you’d really been struggling. Or your marriage is a mess and you just met with an attorney a few days previously. But there you are, belly-laughing like you’ve never laughed before. In that moment, you were happy. So in 75 years and someone views your photo, what should they know about your life? Should they focus on your struggles? The stressors? The pain and heartache? Or should they just know about you and your friends, and the many happy times that you had with your family? Do they need to know about your asshole boss and how you lost your job and ended up in bankruptcy? Or should they know that your kids honored you so well and became great successes?

The lesson I think that I learned while thinking about those random photos I found in Nowhere, Texas is this: here’s this moment that we’re all experiencing right now. It can be a good moment or a terrible one. A period of time in our lives that will invariably change and become the next moment. How would you like to script THIS moment? Are you currently waist-deep in bad stuff, or are you overflowing with contentment right now? Regardless of where you are or I am, I suppose that we still have a choice to make: how will you remember it? This is a secret that I haven’t ever told anyone, but as my brother’s health was failing from cancer, he shrugged it off and whispered to me one night shortly before he passed and said “This shall be my finest hour.” And it was. So I have drama, and you have job issues, and your landlord is a jerk. Your health is a mess, your marriage is crashing and burning, and your teenager is one step away from juvenile hall. And yet, there you are in a photo, surrounded by loved ones, and laughing like you may never stop. So in spite of the messes that are in all of our lives, why not make it your finest hour? This is not an easy exercise by any stretch, and I don’t mean to imply that it is. I’m neckdeep in crap that surrounds me daily that I just want to run away from and never return, but just like you, I arise each day and do the best I can. Because, in the end, that’s ALL we can do. So why spend an insufferable moment, wrapped around the axle about extraneous issues that are happening in your life….which cause you to miss one beautiful, glorious, awe-inspiring moment of LIFE? Welcome to June. Summer is in full swing, and belly laughs await you throughout the summer. EXPLORE the rivers, the trails, and your heart. Take a photo with your friends, put it on your fridge, and no matter what else is happening around you, remember that the story is this: This is a photo of my friends and I. I love them, I love my life, and I am happy. Because THIS is my finest hour. Smiling,

Benjamin D. ben@hillcountryexplore.com

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

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JUNE

Get out and enjoy the great Texas Hill Country! The most comprehensive events calendar. Send submissions to info@hillcountryexplore.com

BANDERA June 4, 11, 18,25 Flying L Ranch Chuck Wagon Dinner Includes barbecue, wagon rides, roping lessons, hat and pistol branding, archery old-fashioned photos, a cowboy stage show, gunslingers, line dancing and other entertainment. June 7 Cowboy Capital Opry Features Grand Old Opry-style entertainment hosted by Gerry and Harriet Payne. Begins at 7 p.m. June 25 Bandera Riverfest Enjoy river activities, arts and crafts, children’s activities, car show and parts swap meet, barbecue contest and music along the banks of the Medina River.

BOERNE June 11 Second Saturday Art and Wine Participating galleries go all out each month with complimentary beverages and a variety of hors d’oeuvres along with fantastic art. Travel to each gallery in the downtown area on foot or on the Shabby Bus. June 11-12 Jail House Rock and Roll Market Days Since 1850, Main Plaza has been a center point of trade for the people of Boerne. In the present day, on the second weekend of every month, Main Plaza is home to a magical outdoor market that blends the traditions of the Texas Hill Country with the creations of today’s culture. Hundreds of festive booths display everything from collectibles and remembrances of the past to modern innovations that will bring a smile of wonder to those who stroll past. Scrumptious food and captivating music top the experience and delight the senses. June 17-19 Berges Fest It doesn’t have to be October for people to gather and celebrate German culture in Boerne! The Boerne Berges Fest proves that! A three-day family friendly German heritage festival that commandeers Boerne’s Main Street on Father’s Day weekend, the Boerne Berges Festival is one of Boerne’s biggest festivals. Attracting people from all over Texas, the Boerne Berges Fest boasts music from one of Texas’s best German folk bands. Further, there will also be the Berges Fest Parade on Saturday, dachshund races, carnival rides for people of all ages, and much much more! What’s more, general admission for the Boerne Berges Festival is free, and everyone is invited to attend. June 26 Boerne Concert Band Fourth of July Concert The Boerne Concert Band performs live musical concerts for audiences in the Boerne area. The concerts are always free to the public. This group of volunteer musicians is proud to present a wide variety of music to entertain audiences of all ages.

FREDERICKSBURG June 3 First Friday Art Walk Tour fine art galleries offering special exhibits, demos, refreshments and extended viewing hours. Various locations. www.ffawf.com June 4 Masonic Open Car Show Features classic cars, live music and food. June 17-19 Fredericksburg Trade Days Shop with more than 400 vendors in seven barns, acres of antiques, biergarten, live music and more.

June 25 Hill Country Food Truck Festival Third annual event featuring regional food trucks, Texas Hill Country wine, Texas craft beer and live Americana music. Family-friendly event. June 19 Open House Tour of Historic Schools Self-driving tour of 10 historic country schools located in Gillespie County. Tour the schools and meet Country School Association of America National Conference attendees.

GRUENE June 12 Gospel Brunch with a Texas Twist Advance tickets recommended. Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road. www.gruenehall.com June 16 Come and Taste It A featured winemaker showcases three of their newest released, top-selling or hard-to-find wines, alongside a craft beer. Grapevine Texas Wine Bar. www.grapevineingruene.com June 18-19 Old Gruene Market Days Nearly 100 vendors offer uniquely crafted items and packaged Texas foods. Gruene Historic District. www.gruenemarketdays.com

JOHNSON CITY June 25 Art Walk Galleries, wine shops and shops are open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. June 25-26 Market Days Open air market with diversified vendors.

KERRVILLE June 3 First Friday Wine Share Meet new people and try new wines at this fun and friendly event at a different location each month. Bring one bottle of wine per two people and your own wine glass. Begins at 6 p.m. June 3-4 Shakespeare in the Park: “Hamlet” Shakespeare’s immortal tragedy is presented. June 4 Kerr County Market Days Offers an indoor market with handmade crafts, artwork, and homegrown plants and produce. June 30-July 24 KACC Exhibits Includes “Hometown Crafts Teachers’ Show,” a tribute to Hill Country educators; “Visions 10,” works in a variety of media; and “Trees,” photographs of leaves and trees by Joseph Walsh.

MARBLE FALLS June 17-19 Soapbox Classic Adult Soapbox Derby This event is produced by the National Adult Soapbox Derby Association/ National Adult Soapbox Downhill Association, a Marble Falls Texas based sports association. www.adultsoapboxderby.com

NEW BRAUNFELS June 10-12 Texas River Festival Attendees of the Texas River Fest will have opportunities to float the Comal and Guadalupe rivers, eat and drink at the best venues, listen to iconic music and stay for the entire weekend. The weekend will feature planned events throughout the area. Shuttle service available to participants to all events.

UVALDE June 10 Four Square Friday Late night shopping, food, live music and art from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. every second Friday. June 11 Big Game Awards The TBGA is designed to promote big game hunting in Texas and to promote and encourage sound habitat and wildlife management. The program recognizes: 1) The quality of big game animals in Texas; 2) The hunters who harvest these animals; 3) The land managers who produce these animals; 4) The importance of our hunting heritage; and 5) The achievements of young and new hunters. June 24 Uvalde County Stargazing Just after sunset, the public is invited to view the season’s stars, constellations, planets, and deep sky objects. Bring your own lawn chair, small flashlight and insect repellent.

WIMBERLEY June 4 Wimberley Lions Market Days The Hill Country’s oldest and largest Outdoor Market, established 1964, sponsored by the Wimberley Lions Club. June 11 Second Saturday Gallery Trail More than a dozen galleries offer wine, snacks and art displays from 4-7 p.m. June 11 Wimberley Book Festival Authors from around Texas will be presenting their books for the general public to learn about them and to purchase. TxAuthors.com will also be there presenting 200 Authors and their books to the public. This event is free to the public. Old book donations are welcome.

LUCKENBACH June 16 Bach at Luckenbach TX The music begins at 5 p.m. with Suzuki students, followed by the Suzuki ensemble, the Fredericksburg Community Orchestra, and special guests The 4 Proches.

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

TROUBADOUR

Montreal & Dogs: part III By Rene Villanueva

Montreal was quiet. Sunlight poured low and soft. Broken rays across the last few streets as I made my way back to the club. Two more lights, then a left, then over the hill... I think... Seemed like a lot of places were closed - bars shut over windows and plexi-doors with heavy pad locks. Some things looked familiar, a rooftop, a statue, a falafel shack. But they seemed off, or I was off? Times I’d like to have my phone. I raced across a ‘Do Not Walk’ before a line of cars. ‘I’m usually good about remembering my way’, I’m thinking as I turn behind a grocer into an alley where I came across a group of windows. A row of apartments tucked behind the store front.

“What’s going on?” I answered. “What?” He said something else I couldn’t understand before cocking his head, “F**k off. F**k off right now...” We were still…in a deadlock. I just about ran out of ideas. I could see his anger grow, a nostril flared, a wider eye. Just before he could say anything, another window opened, and an older lady started yelling across the way in French. Pointing at him. At me.

At the end, about a block down, I can see the sunlight again cutting over a patch of green.

She was vicious. Blue hair and translucent, white skin. Vicious.

‘I’ve passed thru a park coming over,’ I’m trying to assure myself, but there’s this little ball of nervousness that I’m lost…’Has to be the same one.’

“Bronson” yelled back, and the old lady held out a corded phone yelling even more. Then she pointed back at me, and asked something. Tone doesn’t need translating either, it was a question. But I missed it.

I’m about to pick up my pace, when a sound caught me. A crack - like the split of a tree branch. Something heavy and bearing out splinters. I quickly saw in my mind pieces of a branch tearing apart. The crack bounced out over my head down the open air of the alley. Then a scream. A man - deep voiced and French above my head. I looked around me. Empty. The alley was still…until I saw an open window on the third floor behind me.

“I dunno,” I answered. The old woman brushed me off and went back to yelling at the big guy. “No, NO,” the bald man yelled back to her, “No.”

A black, half-window curtain slipped in and out of the alley.

By then another neighbor had come out, an older man in his forties put his hand on my shoulder. He was thin, olive skinned. He shook his head and pointed up to the bald man, whispering in French.

The sound of cracking came back. Splintering.

“I don’t know man,”

I froze. The window and the curtain gently threw out his shouting. Then the worst sound two whacks and the screech of an animal. A high frightened cry of mortal fear, of weakness and pain, a yelp. Then another whack.

“American?” he asked kindly.

The yelp is nearly imperceptible under this yelling. There are some things that need no translation. Anger is one. Fear is another.

Slowly, I walked away towards the end of the alley, and the falling sunset, as the thin man said something behind me. I left the yelling of the old woman and the bald man.

I’m frozen in this alley. Listening. Phone-less. Useless. A cold witness. Something is desperate in my throat, but the only thing I can think, “Hey!”

Left with this knot in my soul.

Another crack. “Hey!” I tried louder.

“I’ve got to go,” I said and threw my thumb back to the park.

But a feeling stayed. Emptiness is not a thing to easily shake. It stays. Like the sound of a crack. Like the sound of a terrified animal whimpering. Like the fear of being nothing but a curtain blowing out into the alley. -rene

Crack. Crack.

p.s. as always like, share, subscribe, and if you want to talk you can reach me on youtube, facebook and Rene (@Hacienda_TX) | Twitter

“Hey!” Then silence. He appeared head first. Bald. Built like an ugly, mustache-less version of Tom Hardy in Bronson. Massive and evil. “F**k you want?!?” He called down, pointing out a large chunk of wood that looked like a table leg right at me.

A son of South-Texas, and two of the most beautiful souls I’ll ever know. Writer, dreamer, singer of songs, bass player, and professional observer. Toured the world with my band of “real-blood-tied” brothers, and friends as Hacienda/Fast-five. Recorded three albums, written countless songs, played countless shows, including two national tv late-night extravaganzas, festivals, throwdowns, parties, and hoot-nights. Lover of books, vinyl, dancing, people who laugh loud, walking, vintage craftsmanship, and my home in Boerne.

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

JUNE 2016

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

HISTORY

TEXAS Legends By Marjorie Hagy

“They were men who could not be stampeded.” “They have robbed us of our hunting grounds, they have destroyed our game, they have brought us disease, they have stirred up discord among our own race, they intimidated our braves, they have made profligates of our children, reprobates of our wives and destroyed our traditions. They have wrought despair and desolation to our tribe, and for my part I am ready to fight until I fall.” At the Pinta Trail Crossing on a bluff above the Guadalupe River on a June day in 1844, the enemies would meet, and that battle would change the course of the American west. Our story begins way, way back, when European explorers first ‘discovered’ America, a continent teeming with native people who never realized it needed discovering, who had been living here for thousands and thousands of years, time out of mind, and knew this land and its seasons and moods and had a deep love for it bound in respect. It begins with governments and individuals hungry for new lands upon which to plant their flags and where they might plunder for gold and fortunes, with power and greed and colonization and so many vastly different cultures and ways of life. I don’t mean to tell this story in a way that’s either an indictment of the (horrible) treatment inflicted on America’s native people, or a white-washing of the acts and outrages committed in turn by the Indians upon white settlers. The fact is that horrible atrocities were committed on both sides in this dark time in the nation’s history- some Indian bands stole white children and slaughtered whole families on their raids into frontier settlements, while ‘Indian hunters’ and the US government would lay merciless waste to entire native American villages, killing women and children in their blind conviction that the indigenous people were savages, and the only good Indian was a dead Indian. At any rate, I’ll try to present this piece of history as fairly as I’m able.

Let’s start with Moses Austin, who received an empresario grant from the Spanish government authorizing him to recruit settlers from the US and Europe to come and live in Tejas. His famous son, Stephen F, was meanwhile busy in Arkansas losing all his money and getting canned from his job as a judge, after which he moved down to New Orleans in order to study law- but God or fate or the universe or all three had other plans for him. Moses Austin died before he could fulfill his contract, leaving the empresario to his son. Well, Stephen F Austin didn’t really want it- he hadn’t come to Texas with his folks to aid in his father’s venture, after all, but a letter from his mother Mary written from his father’s deathbed made him rethink his plans, and on to Texas he came. On his way here, though, he found out that Mexico had gone and declared its independence from Spain, so that Texas had become a Mexican province rather than a Spanish territory. First snag. Anyway, he went ahead and got the grant reauthorized, and by 1825 he had recruited three hundred families to the brand-new Austin Colony, nowadays just simply Austinthese folks would forever after be known as The Old 300. But this wasn’t happy news for the native Americans to whom this had so long been home, and their frequent attacks on the colonists needed addressing by Austin, who as empresario had military authority over his little village. “By 1823,” according to the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum in Waco, “there were serious problems with raids by the Comanche, Tonkawa and Karankawa Indians. Under Mexican law, Austin was authorized to form a militia to ward off Indian raids, capture criminals and patrol against intruders.” When Austin was down in Mexico City, his lieutenant, Moses Morrison, invoked that authority and assembled a company of men to protect the Texas coast. When Austin got back, he called for additional troops, recruiting “ten men...to act as rangers for the common defense…” These two companies are considered the ancestors of the now-famous Texas Rangers.

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

This was a rag-tag crew to be sure. They weren’t called the Texas Rangers in those early days, but referred to variously as ‘ranging companies, mounted gunmen, mounted volunteers, minutemen, spies, scouts and mounted rifle companies,’ and they styled their maneuvers around the old European Colonial method- they marched and fought on foot, and with accompanying fifers and drummers. But they soon found out that that modus operandi wasn’t going to get them anywhere but dead in this new game of frontier warfare. The native Americans were expert horsemen, mounted on swift Mexican ponies, and could rain down arrows like fresh hell on their foes. The rangers had to adapt to frontier battle conditions, and eventually “became so effective against Indian guerrilla raids that they strongly influenced the formation of the US and CSA cavalries during the Civil War.” The men often carried as many weapons as they could haul, including rifles, pistols and knives. The new recruits- enrollment records show that whites, Hispanics and native Americans all served in the companies in all ranks- were required to provide their own horses and weapons, and variously “shot Spanish pistols, Tennessee and Kentucky rifles, [and] carried Bowie knifes made in Sheffield England.” Many of the men hailed from the deep South, from where a majority of the new Texas settlers were coming, but recruits also came from as far away as Germany, Ireland, Poland, Scotland, England and Bohemia. In 1835, a council formed of representatives from the Texan colonies established by Austin officially created a “Corps of Rangers” to protect the frontier from hostile Indians. Though they wouldn’t be called the Texas Rangers in official documents until 1874, the oldest state law enforcement agency in North America had been born. And along about that time, here comes a guy named John Coffee Hays, all of nineteen years old with a letter of recommendation tucked into his back pocket signed by the president of the United States, a fellow who would become the embodiment of the Texas Ranger, that great, ‘gallant partisan captain of the West.’ Born in Tennessee, Jack Hays had made his way to Mississippi by the time he was fifteen, where he studied surveying, but somewhere along the way he decided to head to Texas to seek his fortune. One of his first acts upon getting to Texas by way of Nacogdoches was to join up with the troops under Thomas Rusk in order to bury the remains of the victims of the Goliad Massacre. Next he got in touch with Sam Houston, who’d recently been elected as president of the Republic of Texas. Remember, 1836 was a big year for Texas- the year of the Alamo, the year we won our independence from Mexico. A lot was going on here, and that’s what had attracted young Jack Hays in the first place. Jack stood about five nine, was of fair complexion and had a mild, pleasant manner, but that appearance belied his fearless, adventuresome spirit. Anyway, he got ahold of President Sam Houston, who’d fought alongside Hays’ own father in the War of 1812, and showed him this letter from another president, Andrew Jackson, who’d also fought in the war with Hays Sr, and said he wanted to get in on the action. Houston advised Hays to join up with the rangers under the command of fellow Texas revolutionary Erastus (Deaf) Smith, whose company served in the territory from San Antonio to the Rio Grande. Around this time Hays was also appointed deputy surveyor of the Bexar District, and worked at both surveying and soldiering for many years. His one career helped him in the other- as he became more knowledgeable about how the Indians fought, the more able he was to protect his surveying parties from their attacks. From 1840 through 1846 Hays proved himself to be a fearless fighter and a good leader of his men, and he climbed the ranks from captain to major, leading the Rangers against the Comanches and other tribes, as well as Mexican troops, throughout the early years of the 1840s. Hays led the charge into nearly every battle he fought alongside his best friend, an Apache Chief named Flacco. “His rangers gained a reputation as mounted troops with revolvers and individually styled uniforms, who marched and fought with a noticeable lack of military discipline. This roughand-ready image of an irregular force left its imprint on the chronicles of ranger history.” Meanwhile, the native American tribes were fighting to stay alive. In 1838, under orders from President Jackson, the US Army began enforcing the Removal Act, in which the people of the Cherokee Nation were rounded up and forced into prison camps, onto boats and into long files toward their banishment into the so-called Indian Territory. Four thousand people died from hunger, exposure and disease on that Trail of Tears. Back in San Antonio in 1840, officials of the Republic of Texas arranged to meet with a Comanche peace delegation under a truce, with the purpose of negotiating peace after two years of war. Sudden, angry words were followed by the wholesale slaughter of the Comanche chiefs inside the Council House, and the day ended with thirty-five Comanches dead and thirty taken hostage, with seven Texans killed. The Council House Massacre was such a heinous violation of the peace negotiations, that it put to rest any hope of peace between the two sides. Years of war and escalating violence were the result. The Penateka Comanches- or ‘honey eaters’- were the southernmost band of the Comanche tribe in Texas, having come southeast from their original foothold in the Rocky Mountains. During the 18th century, they migrated into Texas and set out raiding Apache, Mexican and Texian settlements all the way down into old Mexico territory. With new Texan settlements encroaching further onto Indian land and the horror of the massacre fresh on their memories, hostilities had reached the breaking point. Captain Jack Hays and fourteen of his men left their San Antonio headquarters around the first of June, 1844, in order to track down a Penateka Comanche war party led by Chief Yellow Wolf. This band had recently been raiding in and around Bexar County, which in those early days covered a vast area, Boerne and Sisterdale. The Ranger party got to the Pedernales River without encountering the Indians and had turned back along the Pinta Trail. Do you remember the Pinta Trail? It was part of an old network of roads across Texas, once used by the Conquistadors to explore, and by Indians, settlers, and soldiers and of which the Camino Viejo- which would become Highway 87 and Boerne’s Main Street- was a spur. Hays’ Ranger patrol reached the point where the trail crossed the Guadalupe River near Walker’s Creek- also called Asta’s Creek, but known today as Sisters Creek- around where FM 1376 crosses the Guadalupe in present-day Sisterdale. It was June 9, 1844, and Hays and his men made camp in this beautiful spot by the river. Some of the men were “fell[ing] a bee tree”, when one Private A. Coleman caught sight of a band of Indians following their trail. Just at that moment, Noah Cheery, up in the bee

JUNE 2016

tree, shouts down to his leader, “Jerusalem, captain, yonder comes a thousand Indians!” The Rangers took to their horses as the Comanches, reaching the creek, quickly hid themselves in a thicket of brush along the base of a hill. The Rangers advanced as the Indians tried to taunt them into charging, but the Rangers wouldn’t be drawn into the ambush. As they slowly advanced, the Comanches fell back into an excellent defensive position in a ravine at the base of a hill. As the Indians continued to cuss the Rangers in Spanish, trying to draw them into a frontal assault, Hays and his men took advantage of the fact that there movement was screened by the position of the ravine, and attacked the Indians from the rear. ”What happened next - seventy-five Penateka Comanches on fifteen Rangers, arrows and lances against repeating pistols - sounds like pure bloody pandemonium” -Pulitzernominated S. C. Gwynne, author Empire of the Summer Moon “The fight for the hilltop,” according to Ranger Ben McCulloch, was soon hand-to-hand, and “they took it rough and tumble.” The band of Comanches. But the Texas Rangers, in this instance, had a nasty surprise in store for the Indians. Before this Battle of Walker’s Creek, the Rangers had carried single-shot rifles into combat, while the Comanches were deadly accurate with their bows and could easily pick off their enemy while they stopped to reload their weapons. But this time, Hays and his men were armed with a new invention by a guy named Samuel Colt of Connecticut. It was a new kind of gun, a revolving pistol, and as the Comanches attacked the company from two sides, the Rangers circled up and answered with their five-shot Colt Paterson revolvers. The Indians didn’t have any idea what kinds of guns these were, nor why their enemy didn’t have to stop to reload. A Comanche who had been part of the Battle of Walker’s Creek was said to remark that the Rangers “had a shot for every finger on the hand.” After enough of this treatment, and as the dead fell around them, the Indians turned to flee while the Rangers gave chase for three miles, firing until they ran out of ammo. “Crowd them! Powder-burn them!” Hays hollered to his men. At the end of the fight, from twenty to fifty Comanches were killed or wounded, including their chief Yellow Wolf. The Rangers lost one man, while four others were seriously wounded, including officers Samuel Walker and Robert A. Gillespie who were pierced with Indian lances. Walker wasn’t expected to live but both the men did recover, after which he traveled to New York to meet with Colt and pitch his new design on the five-shot revolver that had won the Battle of Walker’s Creek. The new Walker Colt Revolver “the five-pound frontier equivalent of a nuclear bomb,” was in production by 1847. According to Josiah W. Wilbarger, a Texan of some legend who lived a good, long life after being scalped, “it is the Walker’s Creek fight that is depicted on the cylinder of the 1847 Walker Dragoon model Colt revolver.” According to author Gwynne: “Before Jack Hays men came into the American West on foot carrying a Kentucky longrifle, and after Hays they came on a horse with a six gun,” “Is it too much to say that something that happened in an obscure corner of Kendall County changed the entire American West?” his interviewer asked. “What you said is absolutely accurate,” Gwynne replied. The Houston Morning Star reported the battle and called it “unparalleled in this country for the gallantry displayed on both sides, it’s close and deadly struggle, and the triumphant success of the gallant partisan captain of the West.” That gallant partisan was, of course, Captain John Coffee ‘Jack’ Hays. Hays, Walker and Robert Gillespie all went on to serve as “highly effective [R]anger captains” in the Mexican War, and to cement the legendary reputation of the Texas Rangers. “Hays became the prototypical Texas Ranger officer, and he and his cohorts— John S. (Rip) Ford, Ben McCulloch, and Samuel H. Walker established the ranger tradition.” According to yet another source: “Into Mexico rode Hays’s rangers. Out of Mexico came a mounted irregular body of rangers celebrated in song and story throughout the United States.” According to fact and fiction, reputation and adulation, a Texas Ranger was a brave and reckless citizen soldier who could “ride like a Mexican, trail like an Indian, shoot like a Tennesseean, and fight like the devil.” In 1847, Hays was married to Susan Calvert in Seguin, and after the Mexican War they set out from New York leading a wagon train of Forty-niners bound for California. Hays was elected sheriff of San Francisco County in 1850, and in 1853, he was appointed US surveyor-general for California. He got rich out there, and was one of the first people to move to Oakland, where he died and was buried in 1883. This man who had been called “Devil Yack” and “brave too much” by his enemies, at least one of whom grew to respect him and remembered him on the birth of his first son. Chief Buffalo Hump sent Jack Hays a golden spoon for the baby, engraved “Buffalo Hump Jr.” In September 1847 Nicolaus Zink bought a tract of land that included the Pinta Trail Crossing and established his “Latin Colony” of Freethinkers and intellectuals near the site of the battle. Zink’s land would eventually grow into the little town of Sisterdale. *** The Penateka Comanches, in 1855, would be coerced into signing a treaty relocating them from their ancestral lands to a reservation in Throckmorton County. The rapid growth of Texas settlement and the westward rush to Manifest Destiny, had decimated the tribesman, and they finally agreed to give up the fight for their land. Four years later, the Throckmorton reservation was overtaken by “progress”, and the Penatekas were moved out of Texas altogether, and onto a reservation in Oklahoma. *** “We have set up our lodges in these groves and swung our children from these boughs from time immemorial. When the game beats away from us, we pull down our lodges and move away, leaving no trace to frighten it, and in a while it comes back. But the white man comes and cuts down the trees, building houses and fences and the buffaloes get frightened and leave and never come back, and the Indians are left to starve.” -Muguara, Chief of the Penateka Comanches, to representatives of the Republic of Texas.

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HOT DOGS

Few things are more synonymous with summer than the hot dog. Whether at the ballpark or in your backyard, hot dogs are THE summer staple. Here are a few examples of how folks across the nation adorn their dogs.

THE SEATTLE DOG:

Cream cheese and grilled onions on a toasted bun.

THE CINCINNATI DOG

Chili topped with cheese mustard and a small amount of diced onion.

THE CHICAGO DOG

THE KANSAS CITY DOG

Chopped onions, sliced/diced/wedged tomatoes, both a dill pickle spear and sweet pickle relish, yellow mustard, pickled sport peppers, celery salt, and a steamed poppy seed bun.

THE MICHIGAN DOG

Steamed bun, topped with a runny beanless, allmeat chili.

THE CONEY ISLAND DOG:

Steamed bun, topped with a beanless, all-meat chili, diced yellow onion, and yellow mustard.

A Kansas City-style hot dog includes sauerkraut and melted Swiss cheese.

THE NEW YORK DOG

Mustard and sauerkraut. Often cooked in a warm water bath by street vendors - they have also been given the semi-affectionate moniker "the dirty water dog."

THE JERSEY DOG

Diced stewed potatoes, roasted peppers and brown mustard

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CONCERNED ABOUT RETIREMENT?

HUNGRY FOR AN EDUCATION?

Join us for a free educational dinner held weekly at Bob’s, Ruth’s Chris, or Maggianos. RSVP at 210-255-3040 Texas License Number 1490984

507 E. Blanco Rd.

Boerne, TX

210-255-3040

BURGERS

Classic Cheeseburger

Bacon Cheeseburger

Lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mustard and or mayo plus your choice of cheese. Depending on how fancy you want to get you can buy the $1 bag of buns from HEB, or go super snooty with a deli style bun. Both provide an adequate vehicle to get the beef from plate to face.

How do you make a burger better in one simple step? Add some bacon. Throw in some lettuce, tomato and mayo and you’ve got yourself an artery splitting bundle of heaven in your hands. Anyone who tries to tell you otherwise is probably a card carrying communist. Or a UT grad. Which just might be worse.

Summer’s in full swing and what better way to spend the balmy evenings than grilling up some 100% grade A beef. Here are a few ideas that we here at EXPLORE like to womp up when the mercury starts rising. Enjoy!

Barbecue Burger

Pulled Pork Burger

We couldn’t call ourselves Texans if we didn’t include a burger with barbecue sauce on it. Build to your hearts desire but make sure to thin slice and fry up some onions as a topper. Come by our office to thank us later... and bring beer.

Again we have pork making beef better. Quantifiable proof that God meant for us to eat meat. Lots of it. This combo is so near perfect that all you need is to give it an unhealthy dousing of your favorite bbq sauce and let your taste buds explode in a heavenly chorus of “Whoop, There It Is!”

Chili Cheeseburger

Pot Roast Burger

El Paso Burger

Chili and cheese. They go together like peas and carrots. Or beer and guts. We’d like to shake the person’s hand who decided plain chili just wasn’t enough. Throw it on a pure beef patty. Add some crispy onions and your choice of cheese (we like cheddar here). Nestle that in a warm bun and you’ve just created the place where rainbows are born and unicorns frolic.

Not all burgers need be in patty form. Use a good beef roast and your family and friends will sing you praises. Pile it high with some cheddar cheese, onions, horseradish sauce and unhinge that jaw to take a T-Rex sized bite out of this carnivore’s delight.

For those who like a little kick but prefer not to burn down the “back door”, this is for you. Poblano peppers, sautéed onions, pepper jack cheese, guac, chipotle mayo and yes, bacon. See? Bacon = Better.

6-Alarm Burger

Some like it hot. Others like it REALLY hot. Salsa, jalapeños, hot pepper, chipotle sauce, pepper jack cheese and chipotle mayo. It’s a good thing this sucker tastes awesome because everything else is going to taste like cardboard for about a week.

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JUNE 2016

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CRYOTHERAPY BENEFITS

PACKAGES AND PRICING

Decreases muscle soreness

Introductory Session: $45

Shortens injury recovery time

Single Session: $60

Reduces pain and swelling

3 Sessions: $165 ($55/session)

Inhibits inflammation

6 Sessions: $300 ($50/session)

Eases chronic pain

9 Sessions: $405 ($45/session)

Increases training intensity and athletic performance

12 Sessions: $480 ($40/session)

Triggers weight loss (burns 500-800 calories per session) Lessens fatigue

Unlimited: $199/month Spectrum Physical Therapy patients receive a 15% discount. (Excludes Introductory Session and Unlimited)

Speeds surgical recovery Tightens skin Reduces cellulite Improves skin conditions like psoriasis and blemishes Boosts energy

www.boernept.com 1002 E. Blanco Rd., Suite B | Boerne, TX 78006 | 830.331.8420 Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/spectrumphysicaltherapy

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LIFE

LIFE’S SECRET FORMULA Every soft-drink has one. So does your favorite yogurt or shampoo.

By Paul Wilson

Your toothpaste of choice and favorite brand of pickles has one too.

concerned about their health and decide to start exercising….again. They begin with a bang, but fizzle out somewhere between three weeks to three months. They’ll do this exact same routine about once a year or so. That’s their habit; their formula.

Every pill you put in your mouth or ointment you rub on your aching back is no exception.

Another person chooses to exercise regularly. It’s their habit to do some form of bloodpumping activity four days a week for an hour. That’s their formula.

You’ve never selected an item off the shelf at the grocery store that didn’t have one.

Stand both people next to each other, and I am positive their level of physical fitness will reflect the contrast between their different habits. Both follow a formula – one seldom exercises, the other, regularly – and both experience the results each formula produces.

What is it that each of these different products share in common? A formula. From potato chips to detergents, from cosmetics to condiments, every consumer product out there is created using a carefully followed formula. Manufacturers use formulas to ensure their customers enjoy the exact same experience every time they use their product. In short, formulas perpetuate consistency.

An overweight person’s size and shape often reflects the result of the formula they are currently using for eating and exercise. A fit person’s size and shape does the same. Their lean build and energetic vitality are the result of the formula they are currently using when it comes to physical fitness.

People use formulas when they want similar results every time.

THE WRONG FORMULA

Your favorite products are produced using a tried and true formula to consistently deliver an experience that looks, tastes, feels, smells, and performs exactly like it did the last time you bought it. These formulas are copyrighted, kept under lock and key, and accessible only to a few trusted employees sworn to silence about a company’s secret recipe.

If you keep getting the same results every time you do something, you are using a formula. I guarantee you.

WHAT’S YOUR FORMULA? In the same way manufacturers use formulas to create consistent results in their bestselling products, we do the same thing in how we go about living our life. We all use a formula. No exceptions. Everybody has a formula for the life they live. So let me ask you, “What’s your formula?” What recipe are you using for how you live your life? Do you know? Have any idea? Don’t be embarrassed if you don’t. Most people don’t have a clue about what formula they are following for the life they live. It’s fairly normal to not give it much thought.

Somewhere along the way you adopted a certain routine – a habit – for going about your daily activities. Your continued use of these particular habits demonstrates your confidence in the formula you have chosen. How else do you explain why you keep using it over and over again? But what about when your life is not working quite like you imagined? Disappointment in your relationships? Frustration in your finances? Bored in your career? Discouraged by your physical well-being? It might be time to explore a new formula; a new set of habits.

A formula is defined as:

If you have less than desirable results in the important arenas of your life, it might be time to change the formula you’re using. If it’s not producing what you prefer, you need to alter the recipe. Add something to it or take something away, but don’t keep using the same equation over and over if it keeps you from enjoying your life.

“A plan or method for doing, making, or achieving something”” “A list of the ingredients used for making something”

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results.”

A formula is a recipe; a specific approach used to arrive at a particular result.

-Albert Einstein

When we’re talking about baking a cake, the idea of a recipe makes perfect sense. We understand that a recipe calls for ingredients like flour, eggs, sugar and vanilla to bake a dessert. When we start talking about the ingredients we use to make (“bake”) the life we live, it isn’t quite as clear to us. It gets a little fuzzy when we’re talking about a recipe for living our life. So let me put it this way. The ingredients in the recipe we use to create our life are called habits. Our formula for living is the sum total of our habits. Every day of our life is a compilation of the routines and rituals we employ in different situations to navigate throughout our week, our month, and our year. Eating habits. Thinking habits. Work habits. Relationship habits. Exercise habits. Television-watching habits. Social-media habits. Yard-work habits. Car-maintenance habits. Sleeping habits. Time-management habits. Conflict-resolution habits. Sexual-intimacy habits. Dental-hygiene habits. Coping habits. Drug-abuse habits. (Commonly called an addiction) Spending habits. Driving habits. Reading habits. You get the idea, right? All you do in your life is a reflection of the routines you’re following to produce the results you’re experiencing. That’s your formula. Even when you rarely do something, it’s still a habit. Take for instance, exercise. For many, their exercise “habit” is to rarely do it. Every so many months (or years) they get

ANATOMY OF A HABIT Every habit begins somewhere. Long before it becomes a predictable routine in your life, it started out as a new and awkward approach to solving a problem. The more you use that particular solution, the more familiar it becomes and the more experienced you become with it. Before long, it becomes an automatic approach to handling a situation you encounter on a regular basis. From shaving to eating, handling conflict to coping with anxiety, habits are our way of dealing with life. Every habit is born in your mind. Whether a challenge is getting yourself fed or dealing with an overdrawn bank account, you chose a way to react based on a series of thoughts about a given situation. Every time something happens in your life, you think thoughts that lead to choices that result in certain actions. Repeated enough times, those actions become habits. When totaled together, those habits become the formula you use for living your life. Unfortunately, if our thoughts are misguided, our choices will be ill advised. This results in taking the wrong course of action and, if done repeatedly, a bad habit is conceived. THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT BAD HABITS Here’s the good news about bad habits. If we have habits that aren’t producing the results we’d like to see, we can do something about it. If certain eating habits keep us overweight and tired, we can change them. If certain financial habits keep us in debt, we can change them. If certain relational habits keep us feeling isolated from the people closest to us, we can change them. That’s the beauty of a habit. It can always be traded in for a better one. You can come up with a different formula for how to go about living your life. Habits are predictable behaviors; things we do the same way every time. So if they are predictable, they are manageable. That means we can step right into the middle of them and change the routine once we identify what it is. This is true of every habit in your life. Think of it this way.

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You take the same route to work every day. Unfortunately, that particular way is full of traffic congestion due to what seems like never ending road construction. Thousands of other people in your city use that exact same route along with you each day. Travel delays and the corresponding aggressiveness of annoyed drivers make your drive to work miserable. You arrive at the office each morning feeling annoyed and frustrated before you even start your day. What if you decided to point your car in a different direction?

Until you do that, you’ll never truly achieve a lasting, sustainable change. If you keep ending up at Z, you might have to work your way back to A before you’ll really get to the bottom of why you do what you do. Sure, you might be watching television until all hours of the early morning, but the real work required to break that habit is to have an honest conversation with your spouse about your broken marriage as evidenced in the lack of sexual intimacy between the two of you.

You have a couple of options.

EVERYTHING IS A HABIT

You could take a different route using less traveled roads. You may encounter a few more stoplights than you’d prefer, but far fewer people choose that particular route in the morning. All told, it takes about the same amount time to get to work, but your mental and emotional state when you arrive at the office is completely different due to a less stressful route.

Everything is a habit. From the most basic rituals of personal maintenance to the significant nuances of relational interaction, everything we do is ultimately a well-worn routine of thoughts, choices, and actions.

You could also change the routine by deciding to start earlier in the morning before rush hour hits its zenith. Sure, you have to get up and out the door much earlier, but the trade off may be worth it in the grand scheme of things. A half hour less sleep is better than the additional hour of stop and go traffic on the way to the office. A third option would be to make arrangements with your boss to come into work later in the morning. Perhaps she’d be agreeable to you working from home at the start of the day while you wait for the morning gridlock on the interstate to dissipate. Each of these options represents a new formula; a different recipe. The point is you are the driver of that car each day. If the route you are currently taking leaves you frustrated and frazzled by the time you arrive at work, you can take a different route. You can always come up with a different approach. Now think of this scenario in terms of any situation in your life that leaves you frustrated and disappointed. This exact same principle applies to any and every arena of your life. To get what you want, you may need to find a different route. Do you feel tired and grouchy at work each day because you end up watching television until way past when you should have gone to bed every night? That’s a habit. You choose to do that every time it happens. Nobody is forcing you to sit there and watch another episode of your favorite sitcom on Netflix. That’s all on you. It has become a habit and you can change it.

The way you brush your teeth, the foods you choose to eat for breakfast, the coffee you consume to jump start your battery in the morning are all habits you have developed over time. The way you always end up talking to your spouse about finances is a habit too. If those conversations always turn into an argument, the two of you have created some habits for those discussions that predictably result in frustration and anger. You say, “We always end up in a fight when we talk about money.” The key word there is “always.” “Always” is the by-product of a formula; it declares consistency. The reason you and your spouse always end up arguing about money is that you have developed a series of individual habits from how you spend money to how you talk about each other’s spending habits. These habits, when combined together, have created a rift in your marriage. Even our attitude is a habit. It is shaped by a routine of thoughts we’ve established in our brain that always end up in the same place. Bad attitudes are thoughts that follow the same path and end up in a negative, critical, or grouchy spirit. A good attitude is the trail in our mind that always finds the positive, grateful, or indomitable perspective on what is happening around us. That’s why we know people who always seem to be grouchy and others who always seem to be happy. They have made it a habit to think a certain way about how they are going to live their life. LIFE IS NOT A FORMULA, BUT LIVING IS.

The first step in changing the habit is to figure out the reason you do it in the first place. Here are a few options to consider.

Life is not formulaic. There is no way to reduce life to a predictable formula. It is too unpredictable by nature. Life can change at any time due to circumstances beyond our control. It comes at us each and every day and we respond to it “the best we know how.”

It might be because you really hate your job and dread the thought of going to bed knowing it starts all over again in the morning.

There it is! That “best we know how” is all about the habits we have adopted for navigating our way through life’s circumstances.

It might be because you’re really frustrated with your spouse’s lack of interest in sexual intimacy and you can’t stand to go to bed at the same time only to lay there in your disappointment.

People make choices that have bearing on our well-being. Circumstances beyond our control impact our regular routines. Tragedy strikes when we least expect it.

It might be you’re addicted to watching really lousy television programming as some mindless way to forget your life for a few hours.

Such is the nature of life. It happens outside the rules of carefully construed routines.

It might be because it’s the only few moments you have in a day that somebody isn’t expecting, demanding, asking, or waiting on something from you. It might be because sitting there watching television is the perfect distraction while consuming an entire carton of ice-cream as a way to eat yourself into an emotional coma before heading off to bed. You chose a course of action at some point in time and kept doing it the same way again and again until you established a pattern for how you think about your evening routine. Consequently, every night around 11:00 PM you crash on the couch, grab the remote, and start your nightly ritual. Night after night.

Only when we decide a certain habit is no longer working to our advantage are we determined to change it. You say, “I really want to change some of my habits, but I can’t.” You can’t or you won’t? There’s a big difference. “I can’t” is usually code for “I’m unwilling to do the long-term training and conditioning necessary to achieve that.”

Week after week.

- Brendon Burchard

Month after month. It will never change until you change it. Change it by choosing a different way to handle your evening. That’s where the hard work of breaking a bad habit begins. People think the most difficult challenge in changing a bad habit is coming up with the willpower to keep doing the right thing in place of the wrong one. What I have found to be the real work of breaking a habit is figuring out the thoughts and choices that underlie the pattern hardwired into the way you go about life.

JUNE 2016

However, while life is not formulaic, living is. Living our life can be reduced to a formula. We do it all the time. When we choose to keep using a particular habit, we keep counting on that formula to create what we want.

Here’s the bottom line. We’re always using a formula for the life we live. The formula can either be the wrong one or the right one for what we’re trying to do. If we recognize that the current recipe we are using is not producing the results we’d like, we can change it. We can always come up with a better formula. And when we do, we can change anything we want to about our life. “What you allow is what will continue.” - Unknown

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

ART OF

EXPLORE columnist “Old Timer” has cultivated more feedback, laughs, and anger than any other columnist. While we feature several authors that certainly churn out some wonderfully written pieces that give readers reasons to pause, reflect, laugh, or cry, none have simultaneously caused an uproar of anger along with guffaws of laughter more than Old Timer. This past issue, he penned an article about a looming decision with the City Council over a proposed $21m City Hall project. Many readers were outraged, a petition was started and more than 700 signatures were presented to City Council a day later where the Council was ultimately forced to table the proposal for 30 days. The fallout was one of frustration from City Council, who felt that the public’s objections were misguided, and anger from citizens who felt like things were being voted on without enough input. For this month’s “Art Of” piece, we decided to sit down with Old Timer and review his column, his motivation for it, and the slippery slope between opinion, comedy, and satire.

Q: Old Timer, what was the origin of your column?

Q: Any plans to run for office?

OT: Frustration. Simple old frustration. Our town is growing so fast, and it just seemed to me like so many things that happen around here are happening outside of the public’s eye. We’ve become accustomed to things being approved and funded without much information given to the public. So I thought that I could change that a bit. Oftentimes I just piss and moan about ducks and traffic, but sometimes, I really give info the public that makes them raise their eyebrows. Like last month.

OT: Oh Lord, NO. My head would explode. Any entity that pats themselves on the back for ONLY being $24m in debt is not a group that I could be part of. You do realize that our little town is $24m in debt, right?

Q: Allright, let’s talk about last month’s column. Did you expect the response? OT: No. I actually hated the article and thought it was poorly written. It was angry and whiny and read like someone that just didn’t care anymore. And maybe I don’t. Maybe I’m frustrated to the point I don’t care anymore. I don’t know. But I just couldn’t believe what they were doing. The response to it made me both proud and even more frustrated. The citizens that quickly responded, generated a petition and marched into City Council and forced them to slow down really made me smile. As for the other side, instead of applauding the citizens and their input, the City Council got irritated and began disparaging these very citizens by saying that they were misinformed, misguided, and uninvolved. If you want to see why citizens don’t trust government, look no further than this episode.

Q: With your column, what’s the goal? What are you trying to accomplish? OT: Very little. I just want people to know that things are sometimes only as complicated as government makes it. Perhaps the most fun part of the column: taking something “complex” and via some simple old brainpower, fixing the problem. I am by no means a smart person, but when you rubberstamp every new development, you aren’t allowed to be confused by traffic and water concerns. And when you give the CVB a free building in front of Wal-Mart, you don’t get to move them 10 years later to a new building just because you feel like it. Outside of government crap, I really just wanted you to laugh. I rail on the stupid ducks and that asinine duck statue, the Esser Road debacle, the stupid zillion dollar crosswalks, and that little security hut about by Boerne Lake that I want to hand grenade. Sometimes all you can do is just laugh at the lunacy of it all.

Q: What was your favorite column you wrote? OT: (laughs) – the one where I outlined what I would do as Mayor for one day. From running over the Staff Parking signs at City Hall to all my new policies and red-tape cutting I would do. It was such a fun exercise and gave me a good chuckle. Plus, I was told it pissed off the Mayor so that made it even more fun.

Q: Does the column ever frustrate you? OT: Yes, frequently. The stuff I’ve written is obviously tongue-in-cheek. Yet it seems like each month somebody gets irritated about it. C’mon people – you gotta learn to laugh a little, even when it’s at your own expense. The guy working in the little security hut at the lake is probably a nice guy…but we still need to hand-grenade the stupid thing. I would hope that he would agree and not take it personal. As for the Mayor and City Council, I think that it has exposed that oftentimes they don’t really want the public’s input. They always say that I’m misinformed (sometimes I am and I don’t care), but even so, they should embrace the public when they come asking questions instead of reprimanding them for not showing up earlier.

Q: What’s next for Old Timer? OT: I don’t know. I’ve enjoyed doing the column and I hope that people have enjoyed it too. Life is short, and I hope that at some point you have chuckled at the ridiculous ideas I’ve had and maybe even learned something. I suppose I’ll keep doing it a little while longer, but you never know. I live here, and I don’t need to be creating any more enemies for myself.

Q: You’re anonymous for your column and just go by “Old Timer” – any reason why? OT: I’m glad I’ve done that, because the amount of vitriol that the City spits at me is intense. If they knew who I was, my utility rates would triple and I’d be pulled over every time I left the house. I’m just an older guy that has lived her a long time and enjoys being snarky and I figure that if I’m pissing off the City, then I’m doing something right.

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

JUNE 2016

www.hillcountryexplore.com

WHEN THE FAIRYTALE ENDS.

L AW F I R M

507 E. Blanco Rd.

Boerne, TX

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JUNE 2016

www.hillcountryexplore.com

DAD

June equals rising temperatures, mosquitoes and Father’s Day. Dads are a little different than moms when it comes to gifts. If you don’t know what to get the man who gave you half of your chromosomes, you can just ask. No need for guess work. Though some of you out there probably think a gift means more when it’s more of a surprise. Problem is, sometimes guys can be hard to shop for. Fear not oh loyal readers. Below you’ll find some pretty awesome items that any dad worth his weight in motor oil soaked saw dust will be more than pleased to receive.

EYE IN THE SKY They’re all the rage now. From the crappy versions you can buy at Radio Shack (yes, Boerene still has a Radio Shack), to the uber expensive “professional” drones that’ll set you back a solid month’s salary. They’re fun can offer Dad hours of fun by spying on the neighbors or just zooming around the open skies. Just don’t forget, they’re regulated now. Make sure to fork over the five bucks to Uncle Sam before Father’s Day so Dad doesn’t have to worry about it.

WRIST CANDY Watches are timeless. Sort of. But you can’t go wrong on Dad’s day when he tears into a poorly wrapped box and finds a decent time piece staring back a him. Don’t cheap out though. Unless he specifically asks for it, don’t run down to Walmart or Target and grab him a $15 Timex. You want this to be something he’ll want to REMEMBER. Not want to FORGET. You can’t go wrong with simple face styling and a good leather strap.

FOR YOUR BUD If your dad enjoys working out and doesn’t already have a pair of wireless, bluetooth earbuds, trust us... he wants some. Many come with almost as many bells and whistles as a smartphone. Or you can go bare bones with a pair that just allows him to listen to music as he blasts his glutes in the garage. You’ll just have to pick the ones you think YOUR dad would want. The cool things about dads is that if you don’t know, you can just ask. No need to be secretive like you have to be with your mom.

A REAL CUT-UP Knives. They’re almost as primal as fire. Sure you can go to Bass Pro or the amazing interwebs and buy whatever drivel has Bear Grylls’ name on it. Or you could get your dear old dad the supplies to MAKE his very own knife. A kit that simply requires him to put on a handle and sharpen might be the way to go. However, if your dad is more adventurous in his pursuits, all you may need to do is buy him a bar of 1/8” high carbon steel and say “Happy Father’s Day. This is a knife.”

FORE THE BEST DAD Golfers come in all shapes and sizes. From the serious enthusiast, to the guy on the course in jean shorts and tank top. And unless your dad spends more time on a range or course than he does with the family, chances are his golf game could use a little, or a lot, of improvement. Sure, lessons are probably the best thing for that. But that would require him to think, and schedule and stuff. But with new shiny clubs, you can give your dad a whisper of hope that with these babies he’s going to become an over night Tiger Woods.

BEAST MASTER Is your dad prepping for the Zombie apocalypse? Or maybe he’s wanting a robust vehicle to get away in when those pesky DEA and ATF agents show up waving their badges and warrants around like they own the place. Either way rugged doesn’t even begin to describe this bad boy. It’s built using a Tundra as the base, so mosey on down to Toyota of Boerne, grab daddy dearest an awesome truck, then ship it off to become even awesomer. This is sure to case manly prepper dad to shed a manly prepper tear when he sees it.

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

SPIRITUAL

SIDE BY SIDE

By Kendall D. Aaron

I’m just like you. Yeah, I write a “spiritual” article, but I assure you, I am no elder at my church. I skip services sometimes, I blurt out a curse word frequently, and I don’t pray before every business meeting. I think that it’s important for you to understand that, because I think that often times the readers of a “spiritual” article just naturally assume that the author is this extremely religious scholar of the Bible. And I’m not. I’m just a guy that struggles with my spirituality and my own walk with Christ. And as I’ve aged, I have these periods where I can sense His presence in my life and feel that He is truly leading me each and every day. There are also periods where I feel that I drift from where I should be and become quite frustrated at my lack of devotion. And for whatever strange reason, I feel like I’m currently adrift a bit and am losing sight of the shore. My beliefs are the same, and my trust in God is the same, but I just don’t feel like I’m making the progress I should. Hopefully I’m not the only one out there that has ever felt that way, because it’s a pretty lonely feeling. Psalm 145:18 tells us, “The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” The Bible is chock full of LOTS of verses about how God is always with you, and how He is constantly thinking about you, and loving you. And perhaps, that’s the part that I struggle with sometimes because if God is always around me and worrying about me, then He’ll be there later when I want to pray to Him. But then when I don’t, I just figure that He’ll be there tomorrow where I can lay some of my concerns at His feet. But then when my meetings run long, and my dinner was cold, and I’m awfully tired now, I just figure He’ll be there next week when I have a day off. And the reality is that He ALWAYS will be there beside me. The question is will I be there beside Him as well, or will I be running off in the wrong directions with God following behind?

And once you’ve done enough running, sometimes you just sit down in the dirt, tired and out of breath, and you look around. You sit there, breathing heavily, and look around. You realize that you don’t recognize where you are, and are quite confused, and then you just feel low. And lost. And I guess that’s just where I am right now. I’m sitting in the dirt, a little lost and confused, and pretty ticked off at myself for the distances I run in the wrong directions. My only solace is that I know who is sitting right there beside me in the dirt: Christ Almighty. He’s got His arm around me, and just whispering at my heart about the direction that will lead me back to my path and that I should FOLLOW Him. If Mother Theresa was “close to God” because of her behavior and how she lived her life, we all naturally assume that she was very near to God. Hitler was the exact opposite and we all assume that he would be very far from God because of his behavior. But the reality is that I don’t think that anyone is “closer” to God because of their behavior. I believe that God is just as close to all of us. I believe that God was there weeping for Hitler as he did his heinous acts, and he was there with Mother Theresa celebrating her endeavors. Just as He envelopes me during the times when I am growing in my faith and devotion, and He chases me like a child as I run off chasing temptations and my own destruction. But the point is that, for each and every one of us, God is with us all. No matter where you are currently, He is there. If you refuse to accept God and don’t believe in Him, He is still there. If you are strong in your faith and are growing daily, God is cheering you on. And if you’re like me and are currently sitting in the dirt out of breath, He is with you as well. Like many times before, I will stand up, dust myself off, and resume my path in the right directions. And hopefully my next diversion is shorter and the path back is easier. But no matter; I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

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JUNE 2016

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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

CHARITY

IT’S SUMMER!!

By Misty McElhannon

I love summer. It is truly my happy place. Nothing makes me happier than not having to set an alarm clock! I love being barefoot outside with my three boys, planning impromptu picnics and enjoying a frosty beverage in my hammock while they run through the sprinkler. Summer is where it’s at, yall! While the freedom of our schedules is very enthralling, let’s get real…we still have to have some things planned so we don’t lose our minds. At the beginning of each summer (or at the end of the school year when I have prematurely “checked out” of school mode) we make a Summer Bucket List. Our Bucket List has all sorts of things on it. Some random things like: Have a lemonade stand. Make tie dye tshirts. Have a picnic at Joshua Springs Park and Preserve. Go Bowling. Etc. And then some staples like: Read a book together. Go swimming. Go to Vacation Bible School. Making the Bucket List helps us all have some fun things to look forward to while balancing out the lazy pajama days and fun adventure days. Something else that is important to me is that we all serve together. We serve together in different ways throughout the year, but the flexible summer schedule allows us different opportunities. Below is some information I have collected on local Vacation Bible Schools, Family Service Activities and a few of our favorite local summer activities!

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL First United Methodist Church Boerne – CAVE QUEST: June 13-17 St. Helena’s – PILGRIMAGE: Seeking the Kingdom of God: June 13-17 St. John Lutheran Church – CAVE QUEST: June 13-17 St. Mark’s Presbyterian Church – SURF SHACK: June 20-24 St. Peter’s Catholic Church Boerne – CAVE QUEST: June 20-24 Boerne Church of Christ – SEASIDE WITH SAVIOR: JUNE 22-24 First Baptist Church Boerne – SUBMERGED: June 27-30 (kinder-4th) First Baptist Church Boerne – DTS (Discipleship Training School): June 27-30 (5th-6th) St. Helena’s – CAMP WACKY: August 2-4

OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE TAKING IT TO THE STREETS There are over 3,000 homeless men, women, and children in the San Antonio and Hill country area on any given day. Out of those, 1,200 go unsheltered at night and 31% are people in families. Join them as they serve dinner in a family-style setting in downtown San Antonio to over 250 homeless men, women, and children every Friday and Saturday night (724 Chestnut Street, which is the gated parking lot of Church Under the Bridge. In inclement weather, we serve inside the church in the fellowship hall) Visit takingittothestreets.com for more information on how your family can participate! YOUNGLIVES CAMP AT CAMP BUCKNER Volunteers needed (ages 14 and up) to serve in child care so these young mamas can have the best week of their life! For more information on camp please visit goyounglives. younglife.org For other ways to serve this ministry as they walk alongside and encourage teen moms please email boerneyounglives@gmail.com

VAULT Fostering Community: Vault exists to provide support and resources to local foster families. This organization was developed to provide community during the sometimes overwhelming process of providing a home for a child. Ways to serve Vault with your family are: host a diaper drive, have a lemonade stand to raise monetary donations, donate new or gently used items like cribs, car seats, mattress covers and strollers, or contact them about volunteer days in the warehouse! More information can be found at vaultfosteringcommunity.org MEADOWLANDS RACE The first annual One Way 5K: One God, One Word, One Truth, benefitting the children of Meadowland. This inaugural race is the culmination of a 12 week volunteer led Bible study that includes training for a 5K. The kids of Meadowland who have completed the study will run on June 11th to celebrate their achievement. Please join us to congratulate these young runners. Register online at www.runsignup.com/Race/TX/Boerne/OneWay5K HILL COUNTRY DAILY BREAD There are tons of opportunities to volunteer at Hill Country Daily Bread! Some of these opportunities include: becoming a family mentor, operationsal support, Friday night distribution and special projects just to name a few. Email volunteer@hillcountrydailybread. org for more information! LOVE BOERNE KIDS Did you know, in our beautiful community of Boerne, more than 1400 kids are on the schools’ Free and Reduced Lunch Program? These kids have insufficient food to eat, and during the summer months, the supplemental meals provided by the school lunch program are not available, often times leaving these kids very hungry. LOVE Boerne Kids, through the Boerne Community Coalition and our partner, Taking It To The Streets, is attempting to help fill that gap . Here’s what you can do: sign up for food preparation, distribution or fellowship or make a monetary donation by contacting Boernecoalitionpr@gmail.com

LOCAL FAVES Ride bikes to Soda Pops Spend a morning exploring Cibolo Nature Center Visit the Cibolo Farmers Market at Herff Farm Pack a picnic and head to Boerne Lake Paint some masterpieces at Captured Sunshine or Shabby Palette Visit Guadalupe State Park Explore Cascade Caverns or Cave without a Name Walk the trails and then stop by Sugar Belle’s for a cupcake break Visit the ducks and then stop by Sno Biz to cool off with a snow cone Make a family evening out of one of the monthly Movie in the Park showings at Main Plaza Claim a spot for the Berges Fest Parade There are just endless ways to enjoy summer time in Boerne. So many wonderful local businesses to support, local organizations to serve with and a fantastic community to celebrate life with!

EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.

FATHERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DAY WEEKEND JUNE 17-19 HERFF PARK/ KENDALL CO. FAIRGROUNDS

Free Parking & Admission Live Music and Events All Weekend Carnival Rides For Kids of All Ages Main Street Parade Family-Friendly Games Arts and Crafts Vast Variety of Food And So Much More Visit the Berges Fest website for more information about events, entertainment line up and Berges Fest news.

FRIDAY, JUNE 17 6:00 pm

Miss Berges Fest Pageant

SATURDAY, JUNE 18 10:00 am 12:00 pm 1:00 pm 1:30 pm 2:00 pm 3:00 pm 4:00 pm 6:00 pm 7:00 pm 9:00 pm 10:00 pm

Berges Fest Parade (Main Street) Washer Tournament Sign-Up Wheelbarrow Races Washer Tournament Starts Sack Races (3 legged race) Egg Toss Dachsund Races Brautwurst Eating Contest Root Beer Drinking Contest Stein Hold (Must be over 21 to participate) Nagel Schlagen

SUNDAY, JUNE 19 9:30 am 12:00 pm 1:00 pm 2:00 pm 3:00 pm 4:00 pm 5:00 pm

Worship Service Horseshoe Tournament Sign-Up Wheelbarrow Races / Horseshoe Tournament Starts Little Tractor Races Dachsund Races Egg Toss Watermelon Eating Contest