George Strait - Country Line Magazine
Transcription
George Strait - Country Line Magazine
Since 1995 It's not just music ... it's a lifestyle Personal Carry Firearms ARE Allowed While Reading This Magazine march 2013 George Strait A Call to FARMS, Arms & Fishing Poles! Battling BaSS pg. 22 Country’s Covered at SXSW RODEO SCHEDULE Cover photo credit: Kelley Mae The Cowboy Rides AwAy Texas evenTs Calendar • Hunting and Fishing • Texas Living • Lifestyle & More ... From The Live music capiTaL oF The WorLd, ausTin, Texas • counTrYLinemaGaZine.com SAVE THE DATES for Live Music and Wine at Becker Vineyards BECKERVINEYARDS.COM (830) 644-2681 BECKER FARMS RD. STONEWALL, TX 78671 April 6 & 7 Blues, Bluebonnets & BBQ April 7 (New) TX Wild Hog Cook Off April 11 "Lavender Luxuries" @ Intercontinental Stephen F Austin April 27 & 28 15th Annual Becker Vineyards Lavender Festival Expand your horizons... 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Austin Credit Office 512.892.4425 Toll free 1.866.886.4425 T E X A S ’ L A R G E S T Agribusiness Financing Leasing CapitalFarmCredit.com R U R A L L E N D E R O Our street dead ends into a small grassy easement that leads to the back of a schoolyard. Crossing alongside the school property you end up in a nice city park. The whole time our kids were in middle school we walked them to the end of the street, followed the trail and then to school. To this day, we walk that route to relax, exercise the dogs and enjoy the time outdoors. There is also a nice pasture property across the street from our house. From all that green space we get some pretty amazing wildlife activity. Hearing coyotes at sunset is common from our house. Seeing fox, deer, skunks, raccoons and possum is not a big deal. A few years ago, I heard the coyotes going crazy, and I knew they had taken something down. The next morning I went to explore the end of the street, the pasture and green space. There was a big old deer almost completely eaten. I knew this guy; one of his legs was messed up. There was a blood and fur trail from the fence out into the middle of the field. He didn’t make it over to get away this time… My wife is a city girl, the baby of three girls, and never knew hunting or guns until she married into our family. I could not be more proud of her and how she has accepted the lifestyle. Almost all the meat we eat in our home is from game we harvested. She acquired her personal carry licenses and is proficient with most firearms. She still loves to shop and do all the things a city girl loves, but she is not afraid to take care of business like a country girl. Not long ago as she and our youngest son walked the dogs down the street toward the park they saw a cat lying in the tall grass off the side of the worn trail. They recognized it as one of the feral cats that lives in the woods down there, nameless but recognized. It was moving slightly, erratic. “Oh my, he must be hurt or sick. Quick, son, go get the gun. We have to put him out of his misery,” she said with care and concern in her voice. Our son looked at her in disbelief – who is this lady? They kept walking, and she repeated her request to him and to hurry; she did not want this kitty to suffer. Whatever its fate had been she would end the pain and misery. They moved closer to assess the wounds when the cat sprung up, looking at the humans and dogs. It evaluated its exit strategy and raced unscathed into the woods and its safe haven. My son laughed so hard his sides hurt. A couple days ago as I sat in a coffee shop working, my phone rang. “Honey, I think Rudy (our son’s Border Collie) has killed one of the chickens,” were the desperate and sad words my wife used. On occasion, as he does what Border Collies do, round up livestock or chickens in our case, one gets roughed up a bit. “She is lying there, and I think she is by TJ Greaney hurt bad. You have to come home right away and shoot it. I don’t want her to suffer.” I told her I had to complete the tasks at hand, and she was going to have to muster up the strength to pick up the poor wounded chicken and put it into the coop until I got home. She was not happy with the idea of touching it, but agreed. “OK, I will,” was the stressed and sad tone I heard from her. Hours passed, and I called her to see how she was. She started right in telling me about the current project she was working on and other family news and information. I stopped her and asked how the chicken was and how bad it was moving her broken and bloody corpse into the coop. “Oh, she is fine. She is with the rest of them and doing fine. I guess she wasn’t hurt – just stunned or something.” I laughed so hard I almost wrecked my truck. My oldest son Cody Ryan has a fishing partner, David. David has struggled with a life-threatening illness for years. He has actually undergone hundreds of surgeries and continues to fight. One of the things that keeps David going is tournament bass fishing. He loves it and is quite accomplished at the national collegiate level. Just a few months ago, though, he was the sickest we had seen him experience. The doctors had little to no hope he would come out of a long coma that consumed him. Everyone prepared for the worst, but hundreds of people prayed for healing. He came back, and it was nothing short of a miracle. In February, just a few months after his near-death experience, they fished their first tournament of the year and took third place. David also caught the second biggest bass of the event, the kicker that put them in the money. It was incredible. I cried as I read the tournament press release. I have seen God heal the sick. I have seen myself, people, He has given the gift of healing. Use that gift to heal others. Does He always heal the sick? Does He always remove the cancer or bring someone out of a coma? No. Does He love on us, stand with us, care for us as we mourn the loss of someone? Yes. I cannot answer why some are healed and some are not. He knows. I don’t. I do know that through the process, through pain, I learn my most intimate lessons about Him and me. I found myself a little uneasy as of recent around the house. I have kept quiet about the sniffles and headache I had a few days ago. I used to be able to take a pretty good nap on the couch, but I am not sure about laying around our house these days. I can just hear it now, “Oh geez, Dad is sick. He looks out of it. This is it, the end. I guess we need to get the gun.” AKINS ANNUAL PLANT SALE $1 PER PLANT Vegetables Various Peppers Herbs Flowers AKINS HS GREENHOUSE Now until supplies last • www.akinsffa.org Monday thru Friday 5:30PM-7PM Saturday and Sunday 8AM-4PM Akins High School • 10701 South 1st St. • Austin, TX 78748 Located in the Greenhouse in back of school off Old San Antonio Rd. All proceeds go to support the FFA livestock program. The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 3 in this issue FEATURES king george - the cowboy rides away . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo Concerts ALL STAR series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 “A word from from The Herd” – The Return of Travis’ Letter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 sxsw has “country” covered: Check out CLM’s Top Picks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Fancy Feathers 6th Annual Open Chicken Show . . . .20 Waste Less Food: A Call to Farms, Arms and Fishing Poles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 DEpARTMENTS Texas roadhouse by Dale Martin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 coffee shop moments by D. “Bing” Bingham . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 recipe by Shirley Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 grandma’s hints by Shirley Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Texas tales by Mike Cox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 TEXAS SERVICES AND PROFESSIONALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 following the way by Jeff Gore . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 counting your chickens by Mike Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 on the trail by Kendall Hemphill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 the outdoor classroom by Larry LeBlanc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 texas outdoor zone by Cody Ryan Greaney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine w w w. c o u n t r y l i n e m a g a z i n e . c o m 512-292-1113 MAILING ADDRESS 9508 CHISHOLM TR • AUSTIN, TX. 78748 LETTERS & COMMENTS tj@countrylinemagazine.com or mailing address E D I T O R | T. J. Greaney P U B L I S H E R | G&G International M A R K E T I N G D I R E C T O R | Sandra L. Greaney sandra@countrylinemagazine.com Scan with your smart phone & join us on Facebook! C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S | Cody Ryan Greaney, Mike Young, Larry LeBlanc, Shirley Baker, Sandra Greaney, D. “Bing” Bingham Kendall Hemphill, Jeff Gore, paul pryor Cover Photo Credit: Kelley May B U L L O C K M U S E U M The biggest screen in Texas! DISCLAIMER: 1800 N. CONGRESS AVE. (512) 936-4649 ™ Shows subject to sell out, change, or cancellation without notice. 4 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the various authors in Country Line Magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the editor, publisher or owners. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form without prior written permission from the publisher and is only deemed valid if approval is in writing. Kids Outdoor Zone, “No Kid Left Inside”© Austin, Texas – Upcoming Banquet helps answer the question, what do we do to get kids outside? The average time a kid today spends outside is a whopping 40 minutes a week. On the other side, or should I say inside, a kid spends 70 hours a week staring at some form of electronic screen. Does that shock you? There is also an “epidemic” in this country of fatherless children. Boys in particular are in need of male role models and finding them is scarce. “I asked a bunch of boys in my Sunday School class once if they wanted to go fishing; next thing I know the boys, their brothers and all their friends show up at my door,” laughs TJ Greaney, founder of Kids Outdoor Zone (KOZ). “Since then we have developed an outdoor program that trains men to mentor boys through outdoor adventure. We have regular meetings every month and camps almost year-round.” The program has garnered the attention of state parks and wildlife departments across the country, the biggest manufacturers in the outdoor industry and pastors from churches everywhere. pastor Jody Mayes of Fellowship Southwest in Austin, Texas is thrilled that the program reaches the men in his church and the kids in the community. “In my 30 years of ministry, this is one of the few and rare programs that infiltrates the church and turns lives around in enormous and remarkable ways. It is incredible.” Steve Hall, former director of education at Texas parks and Wildlife believes it supplies the missing links. “There are a few pieces to the puzzle the outdoor industry struggles with; the ability to find a place for youth to socialize and recruiting adult mentors, KOZ does both. KOZ is doing something we struggled with.” “Kids today need mentors that care about them, they need to disconnect from the electronics and they need to be outside. They long for it, they are hardwired for it, and we love sharing it with them,” explains Greaney. KOZ will be holding their annual Dinner and Fundraiser on March 30, 2013 at the Texas Disposal Systems Exotic Game Ranch and pavilion. Get more information about KOZ, starting a group in your church, buy a ticket, sponsor a table or donate auction items or monies at kidsoutdoorzone.org, or call 512-292-1113. KOZ, “No Kid Left Inside” © The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 5 King George-the Cowboy Rides away After performing for 30+ years, George Strait began his final two-year U.S. tour in Jan. of this year. City after city he has been pleasing crowds and the party continues even closer to home in San Antonio and Houston. Also joining The Cowboy Rides Away Tour, is a longtime friend and fan of Strait’s, Martina McBride. The excitement surrounding this tour was evident when tickets in most markets sold out within mere minutes of going on sale. Sharing in the fans’ enthusiasm, Strait reveals, “I’ve got over 30 years of great memories out on that road. I’m sure these last two are going to be just as good or better. It’s going to be fun but at the same time sad. I can’t wait!” With 59 No. 1 hit songs under his belt, concert-goers can expect to hear many of their Strait favorites plus new music including his latest single, “Give It All We Got Tonight,” one of the first releases from Strait’s h x 5wπ forthcoming album due out later this year. “Give It All We Got Tonight” is currently available on iTunes.com For more information more of King George visit www.GeorgeStriat.com www.Facebook.com/GeorgeStrait Strait on Twitter @GeorgeStrait The Cowboy Rides Away – 2013 Tour Dates Thompson-Boling Arena Knoxville, Tenn. Mar 2 Rupp Arena Lexington, Ky. Mar 17 Reliant Stadium Houston, Texas Mar 1 Upcoming Gigs!! 3/2 Gruene Hall 3/6 Sun City 3/8 Rileyʼs Tavern 3/10 Drippinʼ Dancinʼ 3/16 Bell Springs Winery 3/18 Samʼs Burger Joint Friday, Mar. 8 Casey Donahew BanD Rockin’ a Ranch - 8:00 PM all staR seRies & Josh aBBott BanD Rodeo arena - 7:00 PM Sunday, Mar. 10 all staR seRies & ChaRlie Daniels BanD Rodeo arena - 3:00 PM Academy of Western Artists Has named Hot Texas Swing Band Finalists in Western Swing Group, Album and Song of the Year; and Alex Dormont Western Swing Male Vocalist 2012 www.HotTexasSwingBand.com Monday, Mar. 11 all staR seRies & eli young BanD Rodeo arena - 7:00 PM tueSday, Mar. 12 all staR seRies & saRa evans Rodeo arena - 7:00 PM WedneSday, Mar. 13 all staR seRies & alaBaMa shakes Rodeo arena - 7:00 PM thurSday, Mar. 14 all staR seRies & Megan & liz Rodeo arena - 7:00 PM Friday, Mar. 15 all staR seRies & easton CoRBin Rodeo arena - 7:00 PM 6 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine * On sale date March 9, 2013 StaR Of tEXaS faiR anD RODEO COnCERtS aLL StaR SERiES Saturday, Mar. 9 Hot Texas Swing Band Mar 22 Bi-Lo Center Greenville, S.C. Mar 23 Greensboro Coliseum Greensboro, N.C. Apr 5 The pit Albuquerque, N.M. Apr 6 pan American Center Las Cruces, N.M. Apr 12 Verizon Arena N. Little Rock, Ark. Apr 13 New Orleans Arena New Orleans, La. Jun 1 Alamodome San Antonio, Texas* Saturday, Mar. 16 all staR seRies & kiP MooRe Rodeo arena - 7:00 PM Sunday, Mar. 17 all staR seRies & MeRle haggaRD Rodeo arena - 3:00 PM Monday, Mar. 18 all staR seRies & Restless heaRt Rodeo arena - 7:00 PM tueSday, Mar. 19 all staR seRies & thRee Dog night Rodeo arena - 7:00 PM WedneSday, Mar. 20 all staR seRies & Josh tuRneR Rodeo arena - 7:00 PM thurSday, Mar. 21 all staR seRies Finals & kevin FowleR Rodeo arena - 7:00 PM Friday, Mar. 22 XtReMe Bulls & kyle PaRk / CoDy Johnson Rodeo arena - 7:00 PM Saturday, Mar. 23 suPeR shootout & gaRy allan Rodeo arena - 7:00 PM The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 7 Texas roadhouse by Dale Martin Even though they aren’t from Texas, we love them anyway. The Zac Brown Band have risen to the top of the music scene the hard way, by playing every venue that had electricity for over a decade before finally hitting it big with the song “Chicken Fried” from their album The Foundation. After that, the hits just kept coming. There was “Toes,” “Free,” “Highway 20 Ride” and “Sic’em On A Chicken.” You catch Zac Brown and the boys when they come to Austin on April 18 for a show at Tower Amphitheater at Circuit of the America’s. Tickets are on sale now at all area ticket outlets. They are single-handedly keeping Texas swing music alive and well. Yes, I’m talking about Asleep at the Wheel, but you probably already knew that. Born in philadelphia, Ray Benson grew to be a towering musician, standing at 6' 7" tall without his boots. He wasn’t born in Texas but he got here as quick as he could. After moving around America as a young musician, he settled in Austin in the early 70’s. It was the home of Willie Nelson and he’ll be 8 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine the first to tell you, Bob Wills is still the king. Many have tried to emulate Wills; George Strait was one of the most successful. Few can deny that Asleep at the Wheel have done a fantastic job of keeping the tradition of Texas swing alive and well. They have even gone as far as producing a play titled A Ride With Bob, that documents the life of Bob Wills. See their website at asleepatthewheel.com for a complete schedule of the performances of this fantastic play. If you want to see the band in concert, check them out on March 30 at the historic Anhalt Hall in Spring Branch. Go to anhalthall.com for more info on this show and more. They are a proud member of the Texas Dancehall preservation Society, with the motto of “Saving Texas Dance Halls, one two-step at a time.” It’s been a decade since Chris Wall has given fans a new album but that drought has ended when he released El Western Motel in January. It’s a collection of intimate, mostly acoustic songs inspired by the American West, a period Wall dearly loves. His other influences can be heard as well, like Hemingway, Faulker, James Dickey and Richard Hugo. The new CD captures Wall reflecting on the peaks and valleys of his life. Though he’s best known for his humorous tunes like “Trashy Women,” he has an uncanny depth in his songwriting that really shines through on the new album. He digs deep on tracks like “Six Tiny Strings” and “Silver Hair and Silver Wings” and addresses some personal issues in “I Should Have Called.” Co-produced by Wall, Lloyd Maines and Merel Bregante, he released the CD on his own Cold Springs Records label. Dale Watson helped write “Hello, I’m an Old Country Song,” an answer song of sorts to the George Kent hit “Hello, I’m a Jukebox.” It also features fiddle, mandolin and harmony vocals by Reckless Kelly’s Cody Braun, who credits Wall as a mentor and major influence. Wall admits this wasn’t the easiest record to make. “playing guitar sitting right across from Lloyd Maines is a challenge of the first order,” he explains. “Even though Lloyd is a very easygoing, humble guy, his sheer talent is intimidating. Also, with just a few guitars as background there is no place to hide. It’s my songs, my voice and it’s hanging out there for all to hear.” A-Blake Entertainment announces that the Crawfish & Cowboys Music Festival will take place March 22-23, 2013 at The Waterfront Lodge, Marina & RV park in Onalaska, Texas. A favorite time of year in Texas, the festival will certainly liven up the tradition of a crawfish boil by bringing in two days of live music to spice things up. Kicking off the festivities on Friday night in style is Cajun artist Wayne Toups, while Saturday will feature an all-star lineup featuring Stoney LaRue, Jason Cassidy, Ashley Ray and Backseat Molly. Situated on scenic Lake Livingston, a water wonderland for residents and visitors who enjoy a variety of activities such as swimming, fishing and boating, the festival is a kid-friendly music event that provides the opportunity to gather and enjoy friends, family and crawfish at The Waterfront Lodge. An icon on the Red Dirt scene, Stoney LaRue will headline the festival on Saturday night, March 23. Sharing the bill with LaRue will be Jason Cassidy, who just released Blame It On Waylon, the first single from his upcoming album Keep It Country. The festival runs from 4pm to 10pm on Friday, March 22 and from noon to 10pm on Saturday March 23. Individual General Admission tickets for Friday are $10 for adults, $5 for children ages 5-12; Saturday ticket prices are $15 for adults and $8 for children ages 5-12. Tickets are available at OuthouseTickets.com. “Aword from from The Herd” – The Return of Travis’ Letter Howdy Texans, It is my Favorite time of the year as March is Texas History Month. We have the best history in the world right here in the Lone Star State. The Alamo story is one of the most compelling stories in the world about men who were willing to give it all in the name of FREEDOM. They sacrificed their precious lives to buy time. Time for 59 delegates at Washington on The Brazos to draft the Texas Declaration of Independence, time for Sam Houston to raise an Army and time for a new nation Texas born. They held Santa Anna’s Army at bay for 13 thirteen days at a crumbling Old Adobe Mission we have all learned to Love – The Alamo. The vanguard of Santa Anna’s army arrived on February 23rd, 1836, a blood red flag was raised on top of the San Fernando Cathedral signifying no quarter. Travis answered the demand for surrender with a cannon shot and the 13 day siege of the Alamo began. February 24th with James Bowie gravely ill, command on the garrison fell into the hands of the 26-year-old Colonel William Barrett Travis. He writes the letter that is acclaimed to be one of the most historical and moving documents in American history. The most important letter in Texas history. Captain Albert Martin of Gonzales leaves the Alamo to deliver the letter which reads: Lancelot Smithers reached San Felipe with the letter on February 27th 1836. facilitating this display and the return of the Travis Letter. I highly encourage everyone in Texas and the rest of the USA and world to come and check it out. Hats off to the Men of the Alamo and GLO and DRT for making this happen. The display will end on March 7th, the day after the 177 Anniversary of the Fall of The Alamo. please come join us at the Texas State Capitol on Saturday March 2nd to Celebrate Texas Independence Day, then take a trip to San Antonio to view the wonderful Travis Letter display. NOTE: I had the privilege of viewing the 1836 Travis Letter at the Alamo on Friday night February 22, 2013 as it arrived for its return to the Alamo after 177 years. I also had the honor of playing music from my “Father of Texas” CD Series for the reception. The Travis Letter display is an incredible display of Texana letters and a wonderful tribute to the life of William B. Travis and the rest of the Defenders of The Alamo. The GLO (General Land Office) and DRT (Daughters of the Republic of Texas) have done an outstanding job God Bless TEXAS and Remember The Alamo, K.R. Wood a.k.a. Camp Cookie The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 9 SXSW Has “Country” Covered CheCk out CLM’s top piCks ShowS for TueSday, March 12 The carper family 10PM @ The Parish Underground ruby Jane 11PM @ The Parish Underground Turnpike Troubadours 11PM @ The White Horse Jason eady 1AM @ The White Horse ShowS for wedneSday, March 13 Butch hancock and rory hancock 8PM @ Saxon Pub ronnie fauss 8PM @ The Velveeta Room Jimmie dale Gilmore and colin Gilmore 9PM @ Saxon Pub The dirty river Boys 10pm @ The White Horse Jason Isbell 10PM @ Blackheart corb Lund 9PM @ Blackheart cody canada and The departed 11PM @ Saxon Pub warren hood and The Goods 11PM @ Victorian Room at The Driskill The dirty river Boys 12 Midnight @ Blackheart wheeler Brothers 11PM @ Blackheart rob Baird 1AM @ The White Horse ShowS for ThurSday, March 14 ray wylie hubbard 10PM @ The Stage On Sixth The Black Lillies 11PM @ The Stage On Sixth Jason Isbell 12 Midnight @ St David’s Historic Sanctuary Jason Boland 1AM @ St David’s Historic Sanctuary The Mavericks 1AM @ Antone’s dale watson 1AM @ Hilton Garden Inn ShowS for frIday, March 15 Jonny fritz 8:15PM @ Mohawk Outdoor ashley Monroe 9PM @ Vice Bar horse opera 9PM @ The White Horse hudson Moore 1AM @ Rebels Honky Tonk Mike and the Moonpies 1AM @ The White Horse rodney crowell 9PM @ The Stage On Sixth The whiskey Sisters 8PM @ Continental Club emmylou harris and rodney crowell 11PM @ Antone’s ShowS for SaTurday, March 16 Billy Joe Shaver 12 Midnight @ The Stage On Sixth nicki Bluhm and the Gramblers 1:30PM @ Auditorium Shores for a full schedule visit www.sxsw.com 10 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine A State-of-the-Art Facility REHEARSAL ROOMS RECORDING STUDIOS STORAGE EQUIPMENT RENTAL www.spaceatx.com 512.448.9518 7915 Manchaca Road Austin, TX 78745 4 miles South of Ben White Blvd. Austin’s Rock ‘n Roll Dentist AUTHENTIC SMILES DENTAL STUDIO Downtown Austin’s most technologically advanced dental office. We offer the latest treatments in reconstructive and aesthetic dentistry including same-day crowns and veneers, dental implants, teeth whitening and a full range of neuromuscular treatments to correct TMJ problems. Contact us today for an appointment! Shane Matt, DDS 211 San Antonio Street | Austin, TX 78701 512.330.9403 Book Your Appointment Online! www.authenticsmiles.com The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 11 :::: NORTH :::: FINANCING & ON THE SPOT DELIVERY GREG CHAPMAN MOTORS gregchapmanmotors.com 950 S. Bell at 183 | Cedar Park 512-401-2555 :::: CENTRAL :::: POWER SEARCH 500+ AUTOS ... CHAPMANMOTORSALES.COM DOYLE CHAPMAN MOTORS doylechapmanmotors.com 6000 Cameron Road 512-454-3763 BILL CHAPMAN AUTO SALES billchapmanautos.com 5324 Airport Blvd 512-459-1141 :::: SOUTH :::: CHAPMAN MOTOR SALES You can trust a Chapman Family Dealer A TEXAS TRADITION STEVE CHAPMAN MOTORS stevechapmanmotors.com 5919 E. Ben White Blvd 512-385-8807 & 4712 S. Congress Ave 512-444-6800 KYLE CHAPMAN MOTORS kylechapmanmotors.com 2301 S. Lamar Blvd 512-476-5304 & 1503 River Road | San Marcos 512-396-9966 CHAPMAN ONE AUTO SALES chapmanone.com 905 E. Cesar Chavez 512-431-6775 KYLE CHAPMAN IN BUDA 18300 South IH-35 Exit 217 Buda, TX 78610 512-782-0111 12 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine YOUR TRUCK SOURCE The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 13 \ On the Historic Square Cowgirls & Cowboys Cowgirls Jeans& *Cowboys Boots Lockhart * Hats * Jewelry & Ice Cream Parlour TX JeansHome * Boots *Décor Hats * Jewelry Home Décor & Ice Cream Parlour Like us on Facebook On the Historic Square 114 South Commerce Street Lockhart, TX 78644 (512) 398-4466 Like us on Facebook www.ranchstylegeneralstore.com 14 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine D. “Bing” Bingham D For a Dog, The Right Spot Diesel the dog quietly tiptoes to the back of the classroom. Quickly, he climbs into an empty desk and sits facing the teacher with the rest of the students – that’s a good thing, it means he’s no longer in a tough spot. Years before, as a puppy, from the first moment in his new home he was in his element. His new owners were a grief-stricken young couple who’d lost their much beloved American Eskimo dog. Diesel stepped into the gap and bonded with the people. Together, they formed a family and made a new life. As an adolescent, this Australian Shepherd traveled to work with the wife at the dog groomers. He was the one happily riding behind her bicycle in the baby trailer. There, he spent his day sleeping, eating and playing with the others in doggie-daycare. He was the center of attention and that was OK with him. As Diesel got older, he graduated from his baby trailer to behind-the-bicycle jogger and newspaper delivery dog. His speciality was retrieving thrown papers that had missed their mark for a second toss. He was growing into an intelligent and personable dog. In his canine mind, there was no doubt the world was his friend. “He was about the best dog I’ve ever had,” the wife said. That’s when the threads of Diesel’s life unraveled. The husband got a job in remote Montana. For him, it was an excellent career move. However, housing options were minimal and job demands immediate. They located one rental house. Diesel’s owners were thrilled and they jumped at their new life. All too soon, RECIPE Cheeseburger Pie Filling 1 lb. ground beef 1/4 cup chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon oregano 1/4 cup chopped green pepper 1 teaspoon oregano 1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 can tomato sauce 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 pie shell heat oven to 425 degrees. Brown beefin small amount of fat. add remaining ingredients; mix well. Place in prepared crust. spread cheese topping evenly over filling. Bake about 30 minutes. serve with sauce made of remaining tomato sauce, equal amount of chili sauce. Cheese topping 8 oz. sharp cheese, grated 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon wjorcestershire sauce 1 egg 1/4 cup milk Beat egg, milk; add seasonings. mix well with grated cheese. they found the reason for the opening – it came with attached irreconcilable landlord issues. “I think you better find another place to live,” the landlord said with no notice. A tiny apartment was the next landing spot for Diesel and family. There was no yard and no welcome for a young and active dog. The rental agreement specifically stated, “No Dogs Allowed.” Mediation, dog damage deposits and pleas were no help: the dog had to go. Diesel was in a tough spot. His owners had a choice between a home for themselves or getting rid of their buddy. Excuses wouldn’t be tolerated. The owners frantically searched for an option. It seemed as if there was no room for a dog that was “everybody’s friend.” Diesel had a deadline that would change the rest of his life. On the day before the reckoning, Diesel’s owners heard about a university professor who was in a tough spot. Her husband had died just before the holidays – within days of putting down one of her two beloved dogs. In the space of a couple weeks, the professor’s life had been shattered. “I thought about adopting from the pound to help me and my remaining old dog with our grief,” the professor said. Two young dogs had applied for the empty spot in the professor’s life. However, the old female– the canine Queen Mum – had rejected the youngsters. For the professor, the oldster’s acceptance was paramount. On Diesel’s big day, within 24 hours of homelessness, the young couple gave him a tearful goodbye and sent him across the state to the professor. For them, he traveled on a hope and a wish. “The first thing I noticed about Diesel,” the professor said, “was that my old dog backed away less rapidly than she had the previous two dogs.” She goes on, “Then I realized he was well trained, had good manners and loved people ... these were important to me.” Once again, Diesel stepped into the gap. He turned up the volume full-force on his winning personality and aimed it directly at the professor – it worked. These days, Diesel slips into the classroom whenever he can – snowing students with his charisma. At the university, any circle of cooing and admiring students is likely to have Diesel at ground zero in the center of attention. In class, whenever he’s in their midst, attendence is better and the students relaxed – a plus for everyone during the days preceding a difficult test. Should attention wander, he’ll crawl back into an empty desk and oversee the proceedings from there. For Diesel, he’s in his element and has made a new life. That’s a good place for a dog to be. Bing Bingham is a writer, rancher and storyteller. t h e r e ’ s n o w o r d y e t a B o u t d i e s e l ta k i n g n o t e s i n class. For Further stories, check BingBingham.com/ Blog Grandma’s hinTs To remove old wax from a glass candle holder, put it in the freezer for a few hours. Then take the candle out of the freezer and the wax will fall out. • Permanent marker on appliances or counter tops come off with rubbing alcohol. • Place fabric softener sheets in dresser drawers to make clothes smell fresh. • Remove burned food from skillet, add drop of dish soap and spoon of baking soda to water, bring to boil. Let sit after turning off for a few minutes, wash as usual. • Wrap celery in aluminum foil when putting in the refrigerator to keep for weeks. —shirLeY BaKer Pride and Groom Pet Salon Dog & Cat Grooming Pet Taxi prideandgroompetsalon.com Now open on Mondays For Baths, Nails & Furminating only No Grooming or Haircuts so your Pet(s) will be in and out faster. 512-413-3835 The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 15 THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE BEGINS HERE! Feb. 22-24 Boys Quail Hunt and Shooting Camp April 5-7 Girls Quail Hunt and Shooting Camp May 3-5 Boys & Girls Ultimate Hog Hunt and Outdoor Skills Challenge June 23-29 Boys Hunting & Fishing Camp June 30-July 6 Girls Hunting & Fishing Camp July 13-17 KOZ Mission Trip - Mexico Ministry July 23-31 Boys Mountain Leadership Training – Wyoming-New Mexico July 27-31 ALL NEW KOZ Family Gathering, In Sipapu, New Mexico BOOK YOUR KID NOW The Ultimate Summer Camp Experience Kidsoutdoorzone.com - 512-292-1113 Sponsor a Kid too! Please donate to help a child afford to experience the adventure of a lifetime. Donate online or call 512-292-1113 to donate land or outdoor items. The Kids Outdoor Zone (KOZ) is a youth hunting, fishing and outdoor adventure ministry designed to teach boys Christian-based values through cutting edge outdoor programs. We believe the key to this program’s success is mentorship. KIDSOUTDOORZONE.COM 16 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Texas Tales E Early spring is dewberry time across much of Texas. So named because dew often covers them in the morning, dewberries bloom in late February and early March and can stay around until May. The berries go from green to red to a purplish blue, which means they’re ripe. Savvy pickers usually let the berries be for about a week after they’ve ripened before harvesting them. Rubus trivialis, or southern dewberry, are trailing, low-growing thorn-covered plants that grow best in disturbed soil. part of the rose family and common all over the usually wetter South, dewberries like loamy or sandy soil. The plant grows along rural roads, railroad right of way, fence lines, in draws and old fields. Full of vitamin C, dewberries also have lesser amounts of vitamins A and B, along with minerals. And they taste good; sweeter than their relative, the blackberry. While a gift of nature, dewberries don’t always come cost-free. Since spring is also when snakes are most active, a dewberry picker has to keep an eye out for rattlesnakes and copperheads in addition to looking for ripe berries. “I always pick with a stick in my hand to scare off snakes,” one Bastrop County oldtimer told me years ago. “They raise up looking for insects and rodents and if they see your hand, their liable to strike.” In fact, this man’s father had been bitten by a copperhead while collecting dewberries and while he recovered from the venom, he got plenty sick. Dewberry pickers should also wear gloves, unless you want lacerated hands stained purple. Bramble-like, dewberry plants can scratch legs and tear clothing if you’re note careful. Archeologists and botanists know that humans have been willing to poke around snaky, prickly vegetation for the sweet berries for a long time. Texas Indians not Dewberry Cobbler Crust: 1 cup flour 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup sugar 1/3 cup shortening 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt To make the crust, combine ingredients and mix until crumbly. by Mike Cox only gathered and ate the berries, they used them for medicinal purposes. Cherokees, for instance, ingested a concoction of dewberry roots and leaves to treat diarrhea and rheumatism. They used a similar preparation as an external wash for hemorrhoids. For sore throats, the Indians mixed dewberry roots and leaves with honey as a remedy. Finally, a dewberry leaf-based preparation was used for urinary problems. That early settlers had a taste for dewberries is scientifically proven. According to one online overview of Texas dewberries, an archeologist analyzing soil samples from 19th century outhouse sites in Houston unearthed ample evidence of the fruit’s popularity. “I found thousands of dewberry seeds in samples collected from the privies,” he wrote. “The dewberry brambles had not yet given way to urban sprawl, and Houstonians were picking their own and enjoying that springtime delight. They obviously enjoyed preparing and consuming dewberries, and they left abundant deposits in their outhouses.” Dewberries can be eaten raw, folded into cream (from low-calorie to ice cream), cooked in cobblers or transformed into jam. The berries also can be used to make wine, and young dewberry leaves supposedly make a good tea. However they may be prepared, don’t go looking for dewberries at your local grocery store. Some farmer markets sell them, but since they don’t store for long if not frozen, the majority of Texas’s annual crop is harvested individually. Homemade dewberry cobbler is a classic Texas dish. While not for dieters, it ranks right up there with peach cobbler. Here, collected in my interview with a long-time rural Bastrop County family in 1976, is their recipe (with some modifications) for this tasty treat: Filling: 1 pint dewberries fresh or frozen 1/2 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon lemon juice Rinse the berries, mix with the ingredients and let filling sit for 20 minutes. Place the filling in an eight-inch pan and pat crust down on top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until the crust is brown. For a topping, the family cook I interviewed suggested a mix of a quarter-cup of butter with two tablespoons of flour, sugar and cinnamon spread over the cobbler before baking. (A caveat: I’ve not tried this recipe, but it should work. However, comments are welcome.) Dewberry cobbler is not for the diet minded, but at least you get some exercise, sunshine and fresh air when you pick them. 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Taking Care of Your Property Today, Not Tomorrow Kyle, Buda, Manchaca, Austin (512) 576-2200 Complete Professional Residential & Commercial Lawn Care The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 17 H Hello friends, This month I want to talk to you about something that may be a little touchy to some of you and though I don’t want to offend anyone, I must speak the truth in love. I have always been intrigued by the time span between the Old and New Testaments. It covers 400 years. Over that time God did not speak to the children of Israel at all. That was especially weird to them because, as you know, He spoke to them audibly and moved amongst them often in the form of great miracles. Because of Israel’s rebellion, God left them without His guidance for a while. A long while, in fact. But in spite of that, and though several generations had passed since He spoke, Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were chosen by God to have a child named John who would announce the coming of the messiah, Jesus. They were chosen because it said they were “righteous” in the eyes of the Lord. When my horses are ridden every day and I handle them and use them and they hear my voice every day, they are gentle and do what I want them to do. When I’ve been gone a while, a couple of months or so, they get lazy, apathetic, and ornery. It takes a lot of work to get them straightened out. Just imagine how hard it must have been for a man and his wife to continue in the way of the Lord and do His will when they didn’t have Him speaking to them or showing them what to do but only what they knew in their hearts to be good and right in His eyes. America, in my opinion, may very well be entering a time when God stops speaking to us because of our by Jeff Gore rebellion against Him and His word. We know what His word says and yet we have gone against it at every turn since we took prayer out of schools in the early 60’s up until now when the moral values and lifestyle of our modern society has completely thumbed our nose at God. God is moving in mighty ways everywhere in the world except the USA. What can you do today to be sure you are in the center of God’s will for your life? Stop listening to the sinful, ungodly, immoral world and start doing what it says in God’s word. God means what He says and says what He means. And for now He is saying it to us loud and clear, “Repent, and come back to me!” But there may be a time in the near future when He won’t be talking to us anymore at all. Will you quit listening and following? Or will you be like Zacharias and Elizabeth and keep doing what you know us right anyway? For now He is speaking. But, I fear, not for much longer! ThanKs For readinG, JeFF Gore p.s. QuesTions? LeT me KnoW WhaT You ThinK. WWW.JeFFGore.orG austin’s 5th annual Funky chicken coup Tour & Bicycle Tour de Funky chickens rides into town on sat. march 30th Grab your Bike & Coop Ride with a Friend! March 30, 2013 marks the date of the Fifth Annual Funky Chicken Coop Tour. This also marks the first bike tour of the coops. So grab your bike and ride to your neighbors’ coops and invite them to be on the Fifth Annual FCCT with you. Each year the FCCT strives to showcase an array of coops that display a variety of construction designs and materials, from recycled to custom designed coops, including production hens to exotic chickens and roosters. You’ll also be able to meet Rob Ludlow, owner of BackyardChickens.com and coauthor of Raising Chickens for Dummies and Building Chicken Coops for Dummies will be at the Funky Chicken Coop Tour Information Center on tour day from Howdy! Today is the 21st – so I am right on time for this article that was due at the publisher’s two days ago. Whatever! If I am not in the mood to compose or if nothing really moves the spirit, then I have to wait until someone asks the right question. Luckily for me, that happened around 3 p.m. this afternoon. A customer being troubled by cannibalism in her flock activated my curious self. I said simple! Just cull the offending party and consign it to the stew pot. She did not respond very well to my suggestion so I covered it up by claiming that I was merely joking. I wasn’t, by the way. Sometimes, that’s the only permanent solution. In her case, more than half of the flock had begun to peck so I shared with her, the “Super Salt Remedy.” Chickens peck and can develop a fondness for the salty taste of blood. Once this behavior gets started, it’s “game on” in the brutality department. Remember those velociraptors in Jurassic park? Their great grandchildren 3 million years removed are living amongst us today. Anyway, back to the salt. Years ago, I had been told by an old timer that chickens should not be given too much salt. The operative part of that sentence is “too much salt.” What is “too much salt?” At the time, I was told that salt would create excessive thirst in chickens, followed by excessive consumption of water which would be followed by excessive dehydration and electrolytic shock resulting from excessive diarrhea, then death. Sounded real to me. Anyway, I never questioned the theory and, consequently, never recommend supplemental salt except in the aforementioned type cases. Today when the topic came up, I first advised using anti-pick lotion but because of the larger numbers of birds involved, that was not going to work. So, a pinch of salt could be used on the ration for the next few days. I explained the dangers of that treatment and she, having nothing to lose, agreed to call me in a few days with the results. TURNKEY HORSE PROPERTY 9:00 am to 11:00 am to meet visitors and introduce his new book – Chicken Health for Dummies. Stop by the BYC table to meet Rob. A few of his books will be available for purchase and signing. AustinCoopTour.org 18 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine After we said goodbye, I felt a little uneasy with the “old wives’ tale” and determined to research it more thoroughly. One of my favorite sources for chicken husbandry and science is Gail Damerow who writes books for Storey publishing of Massachusetts. I have been reading her stuff for at least the last twenty years and have never found her to be wrong. In her book, Storey’s Guide To Raising Chickens, she totally debunks my long held belief about too much supplemental salt. It seems that the problem does not lie with the salt but rather, with the availability of water. “Salt is needed by all chickens but only in a minute amount.” says Damerow. Commercially prepared rations contain all the salt a flock needs. Range fed chickens that eat primarily plants and grain may need a salt supplement. Deficiency causes hens to lay fewer eggs and can cause chickens to become cannibalistic.” Loose salt” says Damerow, “should be available at all times to range fed birds in a separate hopper on a free choice basis.” She also adds a word of caution: “A normal amount of salt can cause poisoning if chickens do not have access to water at all times. plenty in the hot summer and making sure to prevent freezing in the winter. If these conditions arise, simply remove the salt.” Thank you, Gail Damerow. If everyone read your books, chickens would live better lives. ADIoS, m i K e Y o u nG • WithCustomBuiltRanchStyleHome • 6StallBarnplus4stallLoafingBarn • 6Paddocks-11.25Acres 204BridgesLaneinBuda Contact:JimHollisat512-296-5730 www.204bridgeslane@view24hours.com by Kendall Hemphill Hard Heads Sometimes the hardest thing about doing this column is not finding something to write about, but deciding among all the strange, ridiculous, or pretty-muchunbelievable stories sent in by readers. picking which offthe-wall event to showcase is often like taking a sip from a firehose. This week is kinda like that. For example, my friend, John Gammill, sent me a Fox News story about a seven-year-old boy named Alex Watkins who lives in Loveland, Colorado. Alex was recently playing a game called “Rescue the World,” at recess on the playground of his school, Mary Blair Elementary. In this game, see, there are these bad guys, and they want to destroy the world, and Alex was trying to stop them. And he was suspended from school for pretending to throw a hand grenade at these imaginary bad guys. Alex didn’t throw anything, he just went through the motions. And he didn’t even pretend to throw this nothing at other kids. He pretended to throw it at bad guys who weren’t even there. No one was there. And he got suspended for that. I can’t even think of anything to say about this story. There are no words to convey how ridiculous this is. I just hope someone like Alex is around when the bad guys actually come and attack for real, because whoever made up the rules for Colorado schools will be useless. Another story in the ridiculous category is the one that was in the Outdoor Hub newsletter last week about a benefit squirrel hunt held every year in Holly, New York, to raise money for the volunteer fire department there. The total population of Holly is about 1,800, and although pretty much all fire departments are perpetually short on funds, the ones in small towns usually hear crickets when they check their bank accounts. Hence the annual fundraiser which, in Holly’s case, is a squirrel hunt. They charge folks $10 to enter, and since there’s a six-squirrel limit, the $200 prize goes to whoever kills the heaviest squirrel. Only this year the “Friends of Animals” group decided to organize a protest of the hunt, on the grounds that they don’t expect their houses to ever catch fire. And if they do, I guess they can always go live with the squirrels. The strangest story I’ve seen lately came from Guns.com, with the title “Bullet kills motorist after ‘freak ricochet’ off boar.” So, of course, the question is whether the bullet ricocheted off the hog, or the car did, or maybe just the motorist bounced off a pig, and ran into a bullet. Or maybe a freak ricocheted off the boar, hit the motorist, and the pig shot him. I hate it when you have to read a whole story to find out what happened. Turns out, some fellows were out hunting hogs in France (I didn’t even know they HAD hogs in France), and this one guy shot a boar, and the bullet bounced off his (the boar’s) head and zinged away at almost a right angle. It (the bullet) traveled two kilometers (which is either several hundred yards or a quart and a half) and hit a fellow driving along a highway in his car. It was, to say the very least, a remarkably unlucky shot. Unless that was what the hunter was trying to do, in which case it was a remarkably lucky shot. The shooter was described in the article as an “experienced and level-headed 68-year-old hunter.” The president of the local hunters’ federation, a guy named Guy Harle d’Ophove, was quoted as saying, “It’s unheard of.” I’d say what’s unheard of is anyone who can pronounce “Guy Harle d’Ophove.” Now, a lot of people commented on this story, and most of them evinced skepticism, understandably. No one seems to believe a bullet could travel that far after a ricochet and still be going fast enough to kill someone. And it does sound a little windy, like the Frenchies may be stretching the blanket a little, but I think it’s within the realm of possibility. The story didn’t mention the caliber involved, which would be a major factor, and it didn’t say where in the head the driver was hit, which would be another, but different, major factor. It doesn’t take much of a shot to the temple to do somebody in, under the right circumstances. Besides, if I was just driving along, minding my own business, and a bullet whacked me in the noggin, I’d probably die of a heart attack. There is also the possibility that someone shot the fellow on purpose, and blamed it on the “experienced and level-headed hunter.” Which is unlikely, so forget that idea. All I know is that once, when I was about a dozen years old, I shot a feral hog, a big boar, nine times between the eyes with a .22 rifle, from less than ten feet, over the course of about ten minutes, and none of the bullets penetrated his skull. The last time I saw that hog was over my right shoulder, after he finally had enough and came after me. I ran for a while, and when I looked again he was gone. So strange things happen, and consequences are often unintended. One day you might throw an imaginary hand grenade at some squirrel hunters, and the next day your house might burn down . . . kendal hemPhill is an outdoor humor columnist and P u B l i c s P e a k e r w h o o n c e s av e d t h e w o r l d B y t h r o w i n g a n i m a g i n a r y F r e n c h m a n . w r i t e t o h i m at P o B o x 1 6 0 0 , mason, tx 76856 or jeeP@verizon.net ALL THE COMFORTS OF HOME MINUS THE BILLS! Most models include: A/C, microwaves, flatscreen tv’s, stereo systems and MORE! “Create travel memories with family & friends today to last a lifetime.” CURL’S RV RENTAL & HAULING, LLC 2415 HWY 71 East, Del Valle, TX. 78617 M-F 8:00AM-5:00PM SAT 8:00AM-3:00PM SUN CLOSED 512-614-2262 Fax 512-614-2263 curlsrvrental.com The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 19 McBride’s Guns, Inc. Guns Optics Fishing Clothing Knives Gunsmith 2915 San Gabriel (30th at North Lamar) Austin, TX 78705 | 512.472.3532 Fancy Feathers 6th annual open chicken show Saturday, April 13, 2013 - 9:30 am – Approximately 2:00 pm Hays County Civic Center 1249 Civic Center Loop, San Marcos Texas 78666 The Fancy Feathers chicken show is a professionally judged poultry show set up and run by Fancy Feathers 4-H members. There will be adult and youth classes as well as a backyard class for both bantam and standard sized birds. You will be able to see over 40 varieties of chickens originating from all parts of the world, including the classics, such as Rhode Waste Less Food: A Call to Farms, Arms and Fishing Poles It’s just easier to spend money with a credit card. That slide, beep, and sign here (or don’t) distract us from the outsourced transaction. They protect us from the math of our money. Someone else is forking over our cash, so it doesn’t hurt in that moment. But, hand over a stack of bills and feel the burn. More than once, I’ve reached for my wallet for an oh-soimportant Cabela’s impulse-buy and, when I saw the cash escaping, I turned around and left the store. It’s hard to waste bills. There’s nothing standing between them and you but the recollection of all it took to earn them. Food is similar. It also has math. The other day, I threw out about half a spoiled roast. “Boy,” my grandmother’s voice came from the freezer or somewhere. And, I was a little ashamed that I’d let myself get so disconnected from the simple arithmetic of food. The math of meat is this: Someone has to kill an animal, clean it, and cook it. Vegetables, fruit, and other foodstuffs require a similar investment of time and resources. The more of that we outsource, the less connection we have to our food; and when our only investment in our food comes through a detached slide, beep, sign here, we haven’t really invested at all. Waste comes easy. What do we do? We simplify things. Cut out the middleman. We reclaim our rightful place in the farm-fur-fin-andfeather-to-fork-food-chain. participation therein is a prophylaxis to wastefulness. Now, we can’t all feed ourselves by 20 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Island Reds to the more exotics, such as Seramas. In addition to seeing the birds you will be able to participate in a cluck-off, where the contestants perform their best imitation of a chicken, participate in our raffle/silent auction, view or enter an egg show, or have fun at the Home Depot Kid’s Corner. Information and entry forms are available on our web site www.fancyfeatherstx.org. Enter your birds or eggs or just come and join in the fun. Admission is free. farming, gardening, hunting, fishing, and so on. And, of course, some folks dislike gardening as much as others disdain hunting. Fair enough. But we can all try to find our own preferred way of reconnecting with the food we eat. After the spoiled roast debacle, I decided to do just that by hunting invasive feral hogs with a couple of friends, one of whom had never before hunted. We drove four hours; hunted for four more; shot, skinned, and quartered three feral hogs (thereby turning them into meat); drove four hours back home; cured the pigs for three days; wrapped them in freezer paper and froze them. I saved one shoulder that I brined and prepared for the grill and then spent 14 mindful hours cooking it in a smoker. It seems like a hell of an investment for a piece of meat. It is. And, it was a blast. I spent good times with good friends. I learned some things. And, most importantly, I was reminded of the hard work that goes into every piece of meat, every vegetable, every shrimp we eat. Someone is doing the hard work for us. They’re feeding us. Every once in a while, we should tip our hats to them and just feed ourselves. In the end, the hogs filled the better part of three freezers. Cooking entertained us for a day. The delicious meat fed us for several more. The bones are in the freezer too, awaiting their chance to make crockpot beans. And, one thing’s for sure: There will be no wasting any of it. The unseasonable warm weather we have been having now and then has brought out the boaters, even though the water is still on the cool side of comfortable for me. Of course me being a Gulf Coast born and raised son of Texas, I could possibly succumb to hypothermia in water below the temperature of 80 degrees. The warm spells we have had brought to my mind the preparation a boater must make before the first outing of the year. I know to a long-time boater these may seem simplistic, but it never hurts to rethink what you are doing in the name of economy and safety. I think most people are aware that the gasoline we have to use nowadays is only a shadow of the gasoline of the past. The alcohol in the present regular gas soaks up water like a sponge and has a shelf life of about 30 minutes (Uh oh, there I go exaggerating again). Actually the shelf life is measured in weeks and not minutes, but the bottom line is one should use fuel stabilizer in their fuel to keep the gasoline from turning to a shellac-type coating in your carburetors and fuel injection systems of your engines. Something else one should have is a water filter in the fuel line to keep the water absorbed by the alcohol from making your engine run poorly as it tries to make the water burn. And don’t forget to check by Larry LeBlanc PHOTOGRAPHy By LARRy J. LEBLANC the outdoor classroom While launching your boat is not the time to find out you have a problem, so plan ahead. the fuel filter periodically and dump the water so it can continue to do the job you want it to do. If you happen to be inclined to write your congressman, there is and has been a movement afoot to increase the alcohol content in gasoline to 15 percent. Those interested can check this out with the makers of any outboard motors, on line at BoatUS, or the shop that maintains your boat engine, and learn how such an action can affect you and your marine engines as well as any other small engines you may use. Another important step to take prior to the first trip out is to make sure the life jackets are rated properly for each person you are going to have on the boat. This can really sneak up on you when you see how kids can put on a growing spurt, and you suddenly find the shorts they now wear were a few months ago long pants. So make sure the life jacket they wore last year is still size appropriate for them now. Also make sure all straps and fasteners on the flotation devices in your boat are in good shape and not rusted or rotten. Another very important item that should be on every pleasure boat, in my opinion, is a ladder that will allow an individual to climb out of the water and into a boat. Unless you have a very low gunwale on a very stable boat, the average person cannot pull themselves out of the water into a boat without a lot of help or a ladder. Also if a person is boating alone and falls overboard they will need a ladder to climb back aboard. I speak from experience about trying to get back into a boat from the water as I was thrown out of a boat one time while out fishing alone in Sabine Lake, over by port Arthur. I was in a 14.5 foot boat with a 5 foot beam and V hull, and I was able to climb up the motor and transom from the stern, but I was much younger and in better shape. So friends have a great boating year, and make sure your boat and accessories are in good shape before you leave the house. The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 21 Texas outdoor zone Battling More Than Bass A few years ago, I was looking for a fishing partner good enough to catch fish, humble enough to let me boast, yet strong enough to tell me how it really is. This is hard to find. A man to travel with, stand beside through the long hours of extreme heat or frigid cold weather, raining, wind, all in hopes of catching a few fish that will lead to a payday. Not many take into consideration all that fishing partners endure together, from laughs, snores, agony, defeat and triumph. pure emotions. Bass Champs tournament season was just ahead. Season one with my new partner was rough in more ways than one. He had experienced some health issues and literally within a week of every tournament that year he was in the hospital. It became routine. Almost to a point of it being a joke that we knew a tournament was nearing because he would be prepping for a surgery. When most people think about surgery, fear of the unknown comes to mind but not with him. We knew that he would be out in a few days and we would be on the water just as planned. And we were. He always managed to get released by Cody Ryan Greaney just in time. I remember one tournament that season where he was released within a day of us having to fish and a guy on the bank making a comment about him sitting down while he fished, “If your partner would stand up and give you a hand, y’all might catch something.” We both looked at each other and smiled, if he only knew. That year we didn’t do much as far as winnings. Season two was much better as we experienced far less hospital scares of missed tournaments and the disease was much more under control. We fished hard. We caught fish and we had a very respectable finish with two Top Ten finishes and a 13th place finish in the championship. This is not easy as there are at least 150-200 other teams of very good anglers fishing every event. We got into a rhythm and our decision making was executed. We were confident and excited for the next year, knowing that we had room to grow our finishes, yet we were within striking distance of a win. It’s only a matter of time. Just a few weeks following the championship, I read on Facebook that he was heading to the hospital. Later that day, his status said he was going in for surgery. Knowing that he has endured this many times, I said a small prayer and knew we would be talking about fishing in just a few days. I was wrong. The surgery was not enough and he was put in ICU; then in a chemically-induced coma; then given just a 20% chance of ever waking up. My buddy Andrew and I made a decision after a couple days of talking to make a trek to the hospital. His father was there meeting with a pastor for information on the next steps of arrangements should things go south. Seeing a lifeless body of a fishing partner whom I had just shared a week of fishing highs and lows, much less coming off of a great season where we really were starting to mesh, made me ask the question, “Why?” We prayed silently and both my buddy Andrew and I left the hospital in total shock. We had no words. What do you say and what can you offer a family at this point? A couple days later, with ups and downs and a picture appeared of David Cosner awake. He had done it. He had beaten the war. His will to live was more than the darkness. Losing over 50 pounds, Cosner could not walk and had to relearn the simplest things we too often take for granted. He told me his doctor said it wouldn’t be until March that he could be on the water again, if he worked hard in rehab. For some reason, our regular tournament started a month late this year. Cosner didn’t realize this and told me that he would have to miss the first tournament but he would be ready by the second tournament. After checking the dates, I asked if his doctor would mind adjusting that early March date to maybe the end of February because our season was scheduled for a late start. An Excerpt from the February 23, 2013 Bass Champs press Release: The 3rd place winners overcame more obstacles than most. “My partner David (Cosner) was in a nine day coma just two months ago, and is just now getting back in action,” Cody Ryan Greaney began. The awe, respect and pride for his partner’s strength and tenacity was resounding in his voice. “Our day started out alright, but we didn’t have anything in the live well until nearly 10am. At that point we started catching small keepers, and had a small limit by 11:30.” Fishing what they describe as ‘typical Travis style,’ their lures of choice were jigs and creature baits. “We decided to go back to a spot where we have caught some good ones in the past.” That’s when David landed their kicker. “I was using a watermelon Jewel ½ ounce finesse football jig with a craw trailer. It was the only keeper I caught all day,” David laughed. “We had a great day.” Their total weight for the day was 12.60 lbs winning 3rd place overall for $3,000. They nearly won Big Bass with their 7.36 lb kicker, only missing it by a margin of 0.04 on the scales. Cody would like to thank Champion Toyota of Austin, Renewal by Anderson, Temple Fork Outfitters, Fins Braid, TTI Blakemore, Stanley Jigs and the Kids Outdoor Zone. David would like to thank Ducket Fishing, Jewel Jigs, Get Five Lures, the Tackle Warehouse, Hags Tornado Baits “and the Good Lord for letting us have a great day on the lake. It’s a good day to be alive.” Cos, I think we are off to a pretty good start… Fish Texas, Texas Outdoor Zone and Cody Ryan Greaney provide full day and half day guided fishing trips to some of Texas' hottest areas. Call and book today. Now accepting Credit Cards on-line at TexasOudoorZone.com. (512) 576-2200 Cody@TexasOutdoorZone.com 22 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Champion Toyota of Austin has been Tuned In... to Central Texas Car Buyers Since 1999 Come in and let us treat YOU like a Champion! Champion Toyota 4800 South IH 35 Austin, Texas 512-518-6900 championtoyotaofaustin.com The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 23 EST. 1978 GENERAL STORE Savings are SPRINGing Up at Callahan's! REVITALIZER COMPOST 11.2gal/1.5cft reg $7.95 sale $6.88 blend of humus & manure composts LADYBUG : VORTEX POTTING SOIL 11.2/1.5cft reg $8.49 sale $6.88 Multi-Purpose for all Containers Rain Barrels “Save Your Rain!” 1 inch of rain on a 1,000 square ft. roof equals to 600+ gallons of water! HILL COUNTRY GARDEN SOIL 7.5gal/1cft reg $6.49 sale $5.88 ideal for all vegetables, flowers,trees, shrubs & great for roses While Supplies Last! Onion Sets, Potatoes, Garlic, Rhubarb, Horseradish, Shallots, Berry Plants. Conventional Conventional+Heirloom & + Organic Vegetable & Flower Seeds NAME OUR GIANT ROOSTER You Could WIN A $50.00 CALLAHAN'S GIFT CARD Rooster name and Winner will be announced April 1 SCOTT’S EASY Hand-Held Spreader reg $14.95 sale $10.88 be more accurate on spreading fertilizers and seeds CHAPIN 1gal LAWN & GARDEN SPRAYER reg $11.95 sale $7.88 great price to have 1 each for fertilizers, insecticides and herbicides Go to our Facebook page Callahan's General Store or come in the store to fill out your entry to WIN! CHICKEN COOP TOUR TICKETS AND T-SHIRTS WILL BE FOR SALE Saturday, March 23 (week before the coop tour of March 30) From 1:00-3:00 PM Callahan’s will be hosting a book signing for authors Matt Wolpe and Kevin McElroy “Reinventing the Chicken Coop” Open: Monday - Saturday 8AM - 6PM 501 bastrop highway/183 S., austin, TX 78741 512-385-3452 callahansgeneralstore.com Gift Card Available