Kids outdoor Zone launches school program

in this issue
Features
clint black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Stoney larue contemplates life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Cool weather helps organic farmers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
three urban rancher/smallacreage short courses . . . 16
new feral hog publications to help landowners . . . . 17
feel the thunder at thunderhill raceway’s opener . 17
Kids outdoor zone launches school program . . . . . . . . 19
Austin’s 2nd annual funky chicken coop tour . . . . . . . . 21
fly fish texas coming to texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
departm ents
Nashville Music News by Jennifer Asbury-Hughes . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
on the air by Eric Raines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Texas Music News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
coffee shop moments by D. “Bing” Bingham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
recipe by Shirley Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
grandma’s hints by Shirley Baker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
’Round About Texas by Sandra Greaney . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
on the trail by Kendall Hemphill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
counting your chickens by Mike Young . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
The Texas Outdoor Zone by Larry LeBlanc . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
fishing report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine
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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
S A L E S D I R E C T O R | Jennifer Asbury-Hughes
jen@countrylinemagazine.com
C O N T R I B U T I N G W R I T E R S | Don Gordon, Cody Ryan Greaney,
Mike Young, Larry LeBlanc, Shirley Baker, Sandra Greaney, D. “Bing” Bingham
Kendall Hemphill, Jennifer Asbury-Hughes, Eric Raines, Mike Barnett
2 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine
I
I remember when I was young, I had
a thing with fire. I made a lot of bad
decisions with fire. When I was about
8, my father built us a life-size, full out
playhouse. It had doors, windows, rafters
and shingles on the roof. It was truly a
miniature house. He was a great carpenter.
You can guess where this is going.
One morning I climbed into the rafters
and held a match to the wooden roof. I
watched it as it began to catch on fire. By
the time I ran and got a dog bowl full of
water, it was too late — it took my dad,
a hose and a fireman to put it out. My
tailbone got a lashing that day.
A few years later I stood over a fivegallon bucket of water, poured gas on top
and dropped a match in. The explosion
burned my face and all my eyebrows off.
I thought the water would minimize the
effects of the gas — not true.
Today I enjoy my fires contained in the
fireplace at my home, carefully crafted
and screened. I also enjoy a good fire pit
at the ranch. I can sit and watch what has
been called “Texas TV,” (a burning fire pit
outdoors) for hours. There is something
peaceful and calming about sitting there
watching the flames and colors, the
warmth and the sounds.
When I went to Colorado last
November to the Wild at Heart
conference with John Eldredge, I was
again drawn into the flames. It was not
a physical burning flame that consumes
playhouses and five-gallon buckets, not
even logs of cedar or oak. It was a burning
flame inside me to be a better man. To
come to know Christ in a deeper and more
personal way. It is a fire I hungered for a
long time.
It seems most of us today are always
in a hurry and few of us fan the flames of
our passions. Even fewer folks listen to
the quiet talk of our hearts or when God
speaks to us. Oh, we try to when someone
gets hurt or we are in trouble, and I believe
God listens to us then, but what about in
between?
Our country after 9-11 is a perfect
example. The flames of patriotism and a
search for God in our lives was evident
by the masses heading into churches and
giving financially to help organizations.
Eventually that all faded and we returned
to the hustle and bustle, the business of
our lives. God, well He will be there when
I need to chat with Him, on my terms,
right?
What I want to do is live in the peace
and comfort knowing God, a loving
Father, cares about me. I want to please
4 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine
Him in who I am and what my life means.
The love of a father is an intricate part
of knowing love, feeling comforted,
feeling safe, feeling OK. When I was on
the mountain, I learned a lot about it. I
learned more about God as my Father and
how important that love is to me and for
me.
The fire that I now crave is the one
God placed on my heart to know him. It
is a deep and burning flame that warms me
and fills me. Yes, it does burn down and
I have to intentionally and purposefully
stoke it. The difference is that I want to
know it more; I want it to burn in me.
When I burned down the playhouse, I
remember being confused as to why I did
it. I also remember when I was looking
at myself without eyelashes after the
water bucket fire experiment, thinking
how stupid that was. Today, though, I
am excited about the new flame I found
burning. The one for which I was looking.
I want to sit and enjoy it, the warmth, the
comfort, the quiet, the complete sense that
no matter what, my Father loves me and it
is all gonna be OK.
Adios,
T. J. Greaney
Country Line Magazine Publisher
Kids Outdoor Zone
tj@countrylinemagazine.com
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by Jennifer Asbury-Hughes
Even Dolly Parton
gets the blues
It might be hard to imagine that
superstars, with all of their wealth, talent
and fame can suffer from depression. But,
even the likes of Dolly Parton have been
there. In the mid 1980s when she started
going through menopause, the idea of not
having children was almost too much for
her to handle. “I went through a dark time
— it lasted several months,” the country
music legend told Globe. “I think I would
have made a nice mama. I always thought
I’d have kids. We tried to for so many
years, and then I put it on hold because my
career was doing so well and I was on birth
control pills.” How did she kick the slump?
“One day,” she said,” I just said to myself,
‘Right, get off your fat butt, or if you
really are suicidal, then go and shoot your
brains out,’” she says. “I thought, ‘Maybe
God didn’t want me to have kids so that
everybody else’s kids could be mine.’”
CSI goes country
If you tune in to CBS on March 4,
you will find a little band known as Rascal
Flatts on CSI. In this episode entitled
“Unshockable,” the band will play
themselves in a storyline that finds one
of the members in danger. On their Web
site, several fans that were present during
the filming weighed in on the event. One
moments, too. Another fan noted, “Gary
surprised us all when he heard me yell out,
‘Broken Road’ ... He sang it a cappella
for us right there on the stage for the
people on set.” Will there be any music
on the show? “Of course, there will be
lots of music,” executive producer, Carol
Mendelsohn promises, “and perhaps, even
a new original song.”
A fatal wreck involved Trace
Adkins’ band bus
Dolly Parton and Girl Scouts of Tanasi
Council at the launching of a global
“Coat of Many Colors” patch program in
June 2009. The patch program is based
on Parton’s ballad about taking pride in
yourself, no matter the circumstances.
divulged, “I know who the victim is, you
would never guess. Sorry [you’ll] have
to watch to find out.” There were fun
When a Ford F-250 crashed into Trace
Adkins’ band tour bus in Caddo, Parish
Louisiana, two people were killed and five
injured. Louisiana
native, Trace Adkins
was not on the bus
when the crashed
occurred, but was
already in Bossier City
preparing for a show.
Authorities say the
driver of the pickup
had been swerving on
Highway 71 before
crossing the center line
and hitting the bus.
Both men in the truck
were killed on impact.
Of the nine people
on the tour bus, five were taken to the
hospital for minor injuries. Trace arrived
about thirty minutes after the accident,
picked up the uninjured band members
and they all went to the hospital together
to check on the others.
Taylor Swift loves
the limelight
Taylor Swift seems to be in all of
the headlines, these days. After all, it
is hard not to be interested in a young
lady who seems to be the star of every
award ceremony and performance. At
the Grammys, she once again cleaned up
when she brought home four awards after
lighting up the stage with her performance
with Stevie Nicks. Her latest venture,
her role in the new film, Valentine’s
Day, however, has stirred rumors of a
relationship with her co-star, Taylor
Lautner. Do you think that bothers her?
She tells Australia’s Herald Sun, “I’m never
gonna have that moment when I lash out
and scream and yell about the fact that
people are watching me, because I asked
for this life and this career.” She adds,
“I never want to turn into that person
who says to whoever I may be seeing or
thinking about going on a date with: ‘Let’s
not go to dinner in public tonight because
that might get written about.’ I don’t want
to let the fact that people are watching
me change the course of my actions in
relationships.” Good for you, Taylor.
Shania Twain is warming up
to write new songs
Shania has flown south for the winter
to help get her creative juices flowing.
6 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine
Since the three degree weather of
Timmins, Ontario is not so inspirational
for her, she hopped on a plane to the
sunny Caribbean. She posted on her
website “I’m writing you from the
Caribbean where I’m warming up after
a cold stretch in Canada during the
holidays... The sunny weather gets me
into writing mode. Many of the songs from
‘The Woman in Me’ and ‘Come on Over’
were written in the tropics, so it’s a good
place for me to be creative.” I can’t wait
to see what the 78 degree temperature
inspires!
Carrie Underwood’s new tour
boasts new tricks
Carrie Underwood is preparing for
her second headlining tour and this time
she is taking it up a notch. “There’s going
to be a lot of different stuff on my tour,”
she shared. “We took the production to a
whole new level. We have a lot of pieces
on the stage that move around. A few
very interesting surprises that get me a lot
closer to the audience than I’ve ever been
before. Of course I have two wonderful
acts that will be on the road with me —
Sons of Sylvia and Craig Morgan, who
I am friends and fans of. They’re just
great people.” Carrie will be performing
in Austin at the Frank Erwin Center on
Wednesday, May 12. Tickets are currently
on sale and are priced between $35-$55.
See you there!
W
You call that country?
What happens to your favorite
music artists once the flavor of the month
has faded? … or once the record company
has squeezed every last penny out of them
and dumped them for the next “Taylor
Swift?” Larry Gatlin visited us recently on
the Bucky and Bob Show and posed the
question, “Why can’t I get my music played
on mainstream radio anymore?” Larry just
released his new album Pilgrimage which
includes an intriguing title called “Johnny
Cash is Dead and His House Burned
Down.” Why isn’t this song in rotation?
Has country evolved into a “young man’s
game?” Is radio to blame for this evolution?
Possibly, but I will say that there are a few
of us who haven’t totally bought into that
yet.
KVET has a long-standing tradition
of breaking the norm and playing “classic
country,” the songs that might have been
the soundtrack from days gone by. On the
Bucky and Bob Show, we play whatever
we feel like. Surprise, we’re the number one
station in Austin.
Before music videos, iTunes, and
Facebook you could get on the air based
on your sound! If Crystal Gayle and Taylor
Swift sing the same song, who gets played?
The industry often gives higher marks for
youth and glamour than for talent. Forget
the days of faceless entertainers who were
often well known for their hit sound before
you even knew what they looked like.
Imagine the shock of showing up to see
Charley Pride for the first time … probably
not what you expected, but most of the
time the fans didn’t care.
Today, record companies target kids,
hoping to scan their daddies’ credit cards at
the iTunes store. Lost in the mix are some
of the greatest singers who have acquired
a couple wrinkles under their eyes. The
modern music business is typically a “what
have you done for me lately” mentality
where aging gracefully has little value. In
recent times, there have been a number
of so-called “traditional country” artists
who have made disparaging comments
about the current state of country music.
Complaints of the “sellout mentality”
have run rampant since country started
enjoying true mainstream popularity in the
’90s. It reached a fever pitch at the turn
of the century when artists like Shania
Twain and Faith Hill bared their midriffs
and crossed over to the pop charts thanks
to smooth production and bubblegum
sensibilities. Since that time, country has
been categorized as either “new” or “old.”
Even though the stars on the “old” side of
the equation were once fresh commodities,
let’s turn to some examples from the last
quarter century that help illustrate the
evolution.
In the early ’80s, country music saw the
birth of the “Urban Cowboy” movement,
popularized by the John Travolta movie
with the same name. Many in the industry
regard this period as a “black mark” on
country music … pop songs that couldn’t
make it as country and were equally
abysmal at being pop. Johnny Cash was a
legend of country music well before this
era and enjoyed moderate success through
“Urban Cowboy” until 1986 when his
label dropped him for not fitting into
“current country.” When country music
turned back toward the more traditional
sound, Cash and others of his era didn’t fit
the new version of “traditional” country.
Instead, artists such as George Strait,
Reba McEntire, Dwight Yoakam, Randy
Travis and Ricky Skaggs exemplified the
contemporary country sound and led the
industry.
This short period was abruptly halted
by the “Hat Brigade,” led by the likes of
Garth Brooks and Alan Jackson. At this
point, country became wildly popular.
But still … those from the previous eras
raised their voices, each trying to define
“country” as it was in their respective era.
Currently, artists from more than
one era complain about the new crop of
country music stars. Loretta Lynn can’t get
five seconds on modern country radio nor
can Larry Gatlin (except on KVET). So,
what do we make of all this? The simple
truth is that the music and the music
industry continue to evolve. Recognizing
that today is tomorrow’s yesterday and
yesterday is equally as important as today,
there should be a place on the airwaves
for all generations of country music. —eric
raines
The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 7
Brandon Rhyder soars to
No. 1 with “Rock Angel”
Texas country mainstay Brandon
Rhyder is celebrating his fast rising single,
“Rock Angel,” which landed in the
coveted No. 1 spot on both the Texas
Music chart and the Texas Regional Radio
recently and is holding strong.
Written by Brandon Rhyder, “Rock
Angel,” is an up tempo song that says
exactly what women want to hear and has
an edgy aggressiveness that will have you
stomping your feet from beginning to end.
This song is the lead track from his new
disc Head Above Water released nationwide
Feb. 16. The album also includes a bonus
DVD featuring an exclusive behind-thescenes documentary about the making of
this disc. Produced by longtime friend and
mentor Walt Wilkins, Head Above Water is
Rhyder’s sixth full-length album and is the
follow-up to Every Night. To date, Rhyder
has delivered 3 Top 20 singles, 2 Top 10
singles, 3 Top 5 singles and now 2 No. 1
singles with “Rock Angel” and “Before I
Knew Your Name.”
This record is not unlike any of his
previous recordings in the fact that it’s
different. “You learn, you grow, you change
and then you do it again,” says Brandon.
Many people have come to know
Rhyder’s name and music over the last few
years. Regionally he’s definitely a staple of
the Texas scene. When you hear the voice
you know it’s unmistakably him. When
he comes out with a new single you never
know what you’re going to get. Rhyder
loves to take you to the top and then jerk
the rug out from under you and start the
process all over again. He doesn’t write for
a genre, but rather for the inspiration he
receives. He’s as real as they come, and this
album is his best album yet.
Ragweed and Reckless Kelly
Join Forces
Cross Canadian Ragweed and Reckless
Kelly are two of the bands most closely
associated with the Americana-based genre
known as Red Dirt music. Now they are
teaming up to hit the road on the Ragged
and Reckless tour, kicking off March 3 in
Nashville.
“I’ll probably come back with a couple
of good stories from [that run], I imagine,”
says Reckless Kelly’s Willy Braun. “It’s been
a while since we’ve done a full-on tour
with those guys, so that will be pretty fun.”
The impetus for the tour was this year’s
sold-out MusicFest in Steamboat Springs,
Colo., where the two groups shared the
stage with Robert Earl Keen, Lee Ann
Womack, Chris Knight, Dean Dillon and
others, but the two bands have often been
on the same touring circuit, which includes
Lucy’s in Austin, Texas, the music town
both bands now call home.
“Austin’s fun for us, because we’re all
home,” Willy told The Boot recently, “and
we can go home at the end of the day.
Austin’s a really fun city. There’s a lot of
artist vibes floating around there. It’s an
inspirational town. There’s a lot of great
musicians who will come over and play on
the records.”
“We’ve toured with a ton of bands,”
says Cross Canadian Ragweed’s Cody
Canada. “The two that we would tour nonstop with year round is Robert Earl Keen
and Reckless Kelly. We first saw Reckless
Kelly in 1998 in Dallas and our jaws
dropped, and we said that’s who we need to
jam with. After a couple of years of chasing
those guys we finally got to be friends with
them. There’s not a harder working band
of brothers than our two bands and we
wear that like a badge of honor. We look
forward to this run and the rehab that
follows.”
Aaron Watson begins 2010
with charities, awards and a
No. 1 single
Hospital in Memphis, TN and had a
chance to learn about the program and
meet some very special children. Aaron
hopes to make this an annual trip saying,
“I have helped a lot of local stations in
the past with their St Jude’s telethons but
actually going there, meeting the people
involved, seeing the hospital and being
a part of the whole event really made an
impact on me and I want to be involved
with this charity every year.”
Aaron wrapped up the week performing
his first annual “Honky Tonkin’ For The
Hungry” at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth,
Texas and helped raise over $10,000 for
Fort Worth’s initiative “Directions Home”
and Union Gospel Mission homeless
shelter of Fort Worth. These organizations
help to provide necessities for the city’s
homeless.
With help from the Fort Worth
mayor’s office and Pam and Billy Minick,
proprietors of Billy Bob’s, Aaron performed
for over 3,000 people, the largest
attendance for Aaron ever at Billy Bob’s,
during which Mayor Mike Moncrief of
Fort Worth proclaimed January 16 “Aaron
Watson Day.” The show was attended by
Aaron’s friends and authors of NY Times
best selling book Same Kind Of Different
As Me, Ron Hall and Denver Moore. The
book is currently being adapted to film.
To cap off a great January, “The Road,”
the lead single from Aaron’s upcoming
record made it to number 1 on both the
Texas Music Chart and Texas Regional
Radio Report and is currently climbing
both the Music Row Chart and Billboard
Indicator charts. With the year now in
full swing, Aaron is back to an active
tour schedule with plans to play Texas,
Oklahoma, Kansas, Arizona and California
in the coming months as well as putting
finishing touches on his new studio album
due out later this year.
Fowler pairs up with Disney
Lyric Street Records and Triple 8
Management gathered in Waco, Texas
recently to celebrate the signing of Kevin
Fowler to the Lyric Street (Disney) label’s
artist roster prior to his show at The Heart
of Texas Complex. A native of Amarillo,
Texas, Fowler is an all-around artist who
rocks his distinctive brand of southern
country from the stage, winning devoted
fans with such crowd favorites as “Beer
Season” and “Best Mistake I Ever Made,”
and delivers solidly as a songwriter, with
such credits that include Montgomery
Gentry’s recording “Long Line Of Losers”
and George Jones’ recording “Beer, Bait
and Ammo.”
With an already established loyal
fanbase in the Southwest that has allowed
him to sell more than 325,000 albums, and,
in 2009 alone, over 180,000 hard tickets
as a headlining act, Lyric Street Records is
set to launch Fowler to country radio and
retail at a national level.
Kevin Fowler’s first music on Lyric
Street Records is expected this Spring.
Aaron Watson’s 2010 is off to a
great start having already won two awards,
provided aid to two different charities,
earned a number 1 single for “The Road”
and been honored with a day to call
his own.
Aaron took home two Gruene With
Envy Awards on Jan. 13: Songwriter Of
The Year and Live Album Of The Year for
Deep In The Heart Of Texas: Aaron Watson
LIVE. The Gruene With Envy Awards,
currently in their 10th year, are the largest
fan voted awards in Texas. Aaron was the
only other multi-award winner this year
along with The Eli Young Band.
That same week, Aaron was among the
artists visiting St. Jude Children’s Research
The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 9
two texas legen d s f inall y come together
C lint Black
to play Nutty
Brown Cafe
p r o l ific si n g e r - s o n g w r ite r c l i n t
Black has long been heralded as one of
country music’s brightest stars. His many
talents have taken him even further, as
Black has transcended genres to become
one of the most successful artists in the
music industry. To date, Black has written,
recorded and released more than 100
songs, a benchmark in any artist’s career.
Although born in New Jersey, Texas
can legitimately claim Black, as he was
raised just outside of Houston in Katy,
Texas. The baby of Ann and G.A. Black’s
four boys came to the music business with
boundless optimism and purity of intent.
Black’s father is a passionate country fan
who instilled the same fervor in his boys
Mark, Brian, Kevin and Clint. But it was
the youngest who took that passion to its
pinnacle. It started with his brother Brian’s
harmonica, and continued a couple of years
later when he learned guitar. From there,
seemingly overnight, Black was pursuing
Stoney LaRue contemplates life
w h e n asked t o desc r ibe h i m se l f,
Stoney LaRue said, “Spiritual, driven and
always searching, dot dot dot. I love that
word, searching, or the idea of it.”
During my interview with one of
the top Red Dirt music leaders, LaRue,
expressed himself openly and honestly. He
was right on top of every question with no
hesitations. He made me laugh and think.
Raised in southeastern Oklahoma
but born in Taft, Texas as Stoney LaRue
Phillips in 1979, LaRue’s mom named him
Stoney after an old cowboy movie star
named Stoney Burke and LaRue was his
great grandfather’s middle name.
LaRue is married with three kids. Eight
years ago, he met his wife at a backyard
six-kegger party in Norman, Oklahoma.
LaRue wearing borrowed pants that were
too big, a Bahamas shirt, and a cowboy hat
with glued turkey feathers on it, handed his
bride-to-be some green beads. During break
time, he stared at her blatantly. It was love
at first sight.
“I was dressed so ridiculously. I asked
her later what’d she ever saw in me and she
said she saw my eyes.”
I asked him what was one of the most
romantic gestures he’s ever done. He said
that he bought his wife a square foot piece
of the moon a couple of years ago.
When I asked him his definition of
love, he said, “Love is understanding,
non-judgmental, accepting and nurturing.
It can be angry sometimes, a war, or can be
beautiful. Love is all you need.”
Three dos in life, LaRue suggests: open
yourself to love, adopt a pet, and mow
someone’s yard. His three don’ts in life are:
don’t take friendship for granted, don’t
kick animals, and don’t ever point a gun at
a caged animal.
LaRue stands by advice he once
received.
“You should be confident in yourself,”
he said. “You’re the only one who truly
knows what you want.”
His favorite mottos are from Max
Ehrmann’s prose poem “Desiderata.”
They are, “Do not feign affection and it is
perennial as the grass.”
When asked if he would change
anything about himself, he said, “Right off
the top of my head, my balding. No, I don’t
think I would change one thing. Maybe my
quickness to anger or just my anger at all. I
wish it weren’t available.”
If LaRue could meet anybody in the
world he said, “I would like to see what’s
up with Jesus, Buddha or any deity or
soothsayer — anybody with knowledgeable
truth or life lessons. I want to see what it’s
all about, so then I can tell my kids or the
world.”
The happiest times of LaRue’s life are
the wonderful moments like when his
children were born. He also said, “I try to
make every moment happy. Ya know it’s
10 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine
up to you to make a moment. I want every
moment to be happy cause you just don’t
never know.”
Happiness, LaRue also said, is seeing
the looks of people’s faces when they eat
something he cooked, a clean house and
two old people kissing. Larue finds that the
most difficult times are when he’s trying
to find the right words to say in a tragic
situation.
the muse of music with astonishing focus
and devotion. It was during this time that
he also began his prolific songwriting.
Most would admonish a kid for
dropping out of school to play bass in his
brother’s band, but that’s just what Black
did in 1978, and went on to land solo gigs
within three years. A 1981 gig in Houston’s
Barton Springs led to eight solid years of
playing in coffeehouses, bars and night
clubs.
In 1987, Clint met Hayden Nicholas,
a guitarist and songwriter who had a
home studio. Nicholas and Black began
collaborating together, writing songs and
recording demos; Nicholas would become
the bandleader for Black, playing lead
guitar and co-writing a large majority of his
hit singles. A tape of their songs made its
way to Bill Ham, the manager of ZZ Top.
Impressed with the tape, Ham became
Black’s manager; the singer had a contract
He likes it when people say thank you.
He is proud of himself when he makes
the effort to get up after a late night of
partying, work out and eat right. What
makes him angry or upset is when people
don’t feel comfortable to come to him
about a situation. If there was one thing he
would change about the world, he said the
love of money.
Ten years from now, LaRue said that he
hopes to “be on a horse on my ranch, with
a 30/30, fishing pole and a joint.”
His favorite musician is anybody who
can sing well. He did however mention
Lee Ann Womack, Ray Charles and Scotty
Emerick.
LaRue just released a new eight-song
acoustic album called Stoney LaRue-Live
Acoustic. You can purchase it at shows, on
iTunes, or stoneylarue.com. Currently, he
is in the studio recording his next album.
To raise money for Autism Speaks,
he has teamed up with Blue Edmondson
and guest artists Jason Boland, Brandon
Jenkins, Micky Braun and Gary Braun for a
music festival called North to Alaska June
29-July 3 in Sitka.
“Alaska is really amazing. There’s more
bald eagles up there than vultures here.
Alaska is a very spiritual experience and I
think others would want to experience it.”
The idea came from a radio show host
in Sitka who has an autistic son. Her
husband owns the fishing charter. LaRue
said that autism is the most misunderstood
and he is anxious to raise awareness.
To find out more about Stoney LaRue’s
Alaska trip or his tour dates, go to his Web
site at stoneylarue.com. —Sheryl Bucsanyi
with RCA Nashville by the end of 1988.
Released while Black was still an
unknown Texas-based artist and writer,
“A Better Man,” Black’s first single, was
released early in 1989 and it went to
number one — making him the first new
male country artist to have a number one
hit with his debut single in 15 years. Black
was an immediate sensation throughout
country music and he played the Grand
Ole Opry in April, one month before his
debut album, Killin’ Time, was released. It
was an immediate hit, going gold within
six months and spawning four other hit
singles — unprecedented from a debut
album in any genre — including the
number ones “Killin’ Time,” “Nobody’s
Home,” and “Walkin’ Away.” At the
end of 1989, he won the Country Music
Association’s Horizon Award, as well that
organization’s Best Male Vocalist Award.
He also won Best Album, Best Single,
Best Male Vocalist, and Best New Male
Vocalist awards from the Academy of
Country Music and the NSAI Songwriter/
Artist of the Year Award. By the end of
1990, Killin’ Time sold over two million
copies in America. A critically acclaimed
fan favorite, the Triple Platinum Killin’
Time, marked a shift in the industry, with a
return to the more traditional sounds of the
genre. CMT lists this album as one of the
100 Greatest Albums in Country Music.
Put Yourself in My Shoes followed in
1990, and quickly went Triple Platinum.
Since then, Black has had nearly two
dozen #1 hit singles, and almost as many
Top 5 and Top 10 hits — all of them his
original compositions, which is itself a
notable rarity in popular music.
Clearly, Black’s devotion to family
was the best thing for his career. In
2003, he boldly founded Equity Music
Group, an especially artist-friendly record
company that became home to his own
recordings, as well as those of other likeminded artists. It was his company that
launched Little Big Town’s career with
their Platinum-selling album, The Road
to Here. And Black’s highly anticipated
debut album for the label, Spend My Time,
received great critical acclaim.
Amongst his music artistry, Black has
also flexed his acting chops with a cameo
in 1994’s Maverick (alongside Mel Gibson
and Jodie Foster), as well as in film roles
such as 2000’s Going Home (with Jason
Robards) and the starring role in 1998’s
Still Holding On: The Legend of Cadillac
Jack. He recently wrapped shooting on
Flicka 2 (with Patrick Warburton) —
expected to be released in 2010.
Back on the music side of things,
at a time when country artists seem to
be leaning towards bigger and more
spectacular concerts, Black has stripped
things down to deliver more personal
performances like the one he’ll play
here in Austin at the Nutty Brown Cafe
on April 30. Find details and ticket
information at nuttybrown.com.
ADVERTI S I NG
March 20th, 1-6pm: Bo Porter, Headliner
Opening Band: Jenny & The Corn Ponies
Guest Musicians: Fred Walser, Jessica Hyde Moody
& Oj Laier, Ratliff Dean Thiebaud, Gaylynn Robinson
L-R: Fred Walser, Bo Porter, Joel Aaron
Gammage and Ratliff Dean Thiebuad
“We Top the Best” is no idle boast
for the folks at Manny Gammage’s
Texas Hatters at 911 S. Commerce
St. in Lockhart, Texas. Whether you
are talking about famous Texans like
Jerry Jeff Walker, Stevie Ray Vaughan,
Jeff Hughes, Willie Nelson, Doug
Moreland and Don Walser or those
from elsewhere like Donnie Van Zant,
Ronnie Van Zant, Hank Williams, Jr.,
Don Was and even one for Kid Rock;
Texas Hatters really has topped some of
the very best in the music world.
Manny credited Jerry Jeff Walker
with introducing him to all of the best
musicians, and the movie industry
in Texas. In keeping with that long
association with the music scene Texas
Hatters now has monthly live music
events held on their back patio, weather
permitting, and hosted by Manny’s
grandson, Joel Aaron Gammage.
These shows feature some well known
talent like Jeff Hughes and Chapparal,
Bo Porter, Weldon Henson, Tom
Ben Lindley, Jenny & the
Corn Ponies, Gaylynn
Robinson and Del
David, as well
as some up-andcoming talent
like Fred Walser,
Jessica Hyde
Moody, Ratliff
Dean Thiebaud
and more.
It’s not just musical talent that’s
been “topped” by Texas Hatters
either. Movies and mini-series such
as Barbarosa, Lonesome Dove, Spy
Kids 2 and 3-D, Monte Walsh and The
Watchmen, have featured Texas Hatters
hats. There have even been some in
the South by Southwest offerings in
the past, such as Abilene, starring Ernest
Borgnine. Texas Hatters even shipped
a reproduction of the late Ronnie Van
Zant’s white hat all the way to Australia
for the filming of the “You Know They
Got a Hell of a Band” episode of Steven
King’s Nightmares and Dreamscapes,
which aired in 2006.
Often, the stars themselves come
back for more after they’ve tasted the
fruits of these masterful hatters’ labors.
Robert Urich bought several hats for his
wife and himself, which prompted his
cost-star, Markie Post, of, Stranger at My
Door, the film he was working on at the
time, to come in and have hats made
for her whole family as well. Robert
Urich and Burt Reynolds were both
such good customers that they each
bought hats for the other as gifts. And,
Poodie Locke of Willie’s entourage gave
Texas Hatters hats to Frank Sinatra
and Sammy Davis Jr. Their greatest ally
to date seems to be writer/producer/
director/musician, Robert Rodriguez,
who buys his own hats from Texas
Hatters, as well as a large number of
the stars from most of his movies, such
as; Daryl Sabara, Bill Paxton, Holland
Taylor, Taylor Dooley, George
Lopez and Sylvester
Stallone.
The good
news is, you don’t
have to be famous
to own a Texas
Hatters hat, just
patient. A custom
made hat takes
around one week to complete, more if
you want to make payments on good
old-fashioned layaway. Give them a call
at 512-398-4287 or find them on-line at
texashatters.com.
Manny Gammage’s Texas Hatters
911 S. Commerce St.
Lockhart, Texas 78644
512-398-4287
Toll Free 1-800-421-HATS
The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 11
The day the
cat saved us
I
In ranch country, barn cats live on
the edge of existence. Their average life
span is about two years — not surprising
considering the number of animals which
think of them as a consumable — eagles,
owls, bobcats, cougar and especially,
coyotes.
Survivor cats are smart, tough
and strong.
Feisty was that kind of cat. Born of
feral stock, she traveled our ranch for years,
leaving presents of half consumed rodents
for us to see. Sometimes she was gone for a
couple of days and we assumed she was up
a tree or under a rock outwaiting some cat
predator.
It was a lovely, early summer evening
in the desert — a soft and gentle quiet
time for me and my wife to take a walk and
discuss the day. The dogs followed, making
sure all the smells were in order and Feisty
was padding along behind, overseeing our
whole bunch.
We were a couple hundred yards from
the house when the cat screeched an alarm
call. We turned and she was sitting in the
dirt road showing no sign of distress.
“C’mon Feisty, we’re going for a walk,”
my wife said.
We turned and traveled ten feet.
“YOWWWWLLLLLL,” Feisty squalled
at the top of her lungs.
We were amazed. She’d never behaved
this way before. Feisty was a veteran of
many walks. She acted as though she
enjoyed them as much as we did.
“Let’s go, you silly cat, you’re holding
up the show,” I called and started off once
again.
“YOWLLLLLLLLLLL,” the cat
hollered, still sitting and refusing to take
a step.
Our walk beckoned and she refused
to budge. It was as if she, and us, weren’t
allowed to travel in that direction. My wife
and I were debating the situation when
coyotes started yipping, directly upwind, in
front of us.
Slowly, our human brains figured out
what was happening.
Feisty smelled the coyotes nearby and
understood the danger. She didn’t realize
the coyotes weren’t a threat to us and was
warning of a possible attack the only way
she knew how.
We weren’t sure what to do. If we
continued our walk, the cat was in
no danger — she was an old pro in
circumstances where coyotes are near, but
not close. Still, it didn’t seem right not
paying attention to what the cat was trying
to tell us.
We went with the flow.
My wife picked Feisty up and carried
her back to the house. The cat purred
all the way. I think I overheard my wife
whispering “thank you” to her for saving us
from the coyotes.
We headed home and enjoyed the
rest of the sunset on our porch—Feisty
included. We didn’t get our walk that
night, but [wink-wink] we weren’t eaten by
coyotes either. —D. “Bing” Bingham
B ing B ing h a m i s a w r ite r , r a n c h e r
a n d s t o r y telle r . F ei s t y li v e d m a n y
RECIPE
Grape Bunch
Look-Alike
SE RVES 4-6
Hosting a luncheon or just want
something different to entice the
family to eat more fruit? Just try this
little recipe. — Shirley Baker
s u c c e s s f u l y e a r s in h i s b a r n . I f y o u
h av e a s t o r y i d e a t o pa s s a l o ng ,
c o nta c t h i m at bing @ bingbing h a m . c o m .
FILLING
1 can pear halves
3 oz. cream cheese
2 Tbsp. milk
1 bunch seedless grapes
Endive
1. Place pear half, rounded side up
on plate. Blend cream cheese and
milk thoroughly. Spread over pear
half.
2. Cut grapes in half. Place cut side
down over cream cheese and pear
to resemble bunch of grapes.
3. Place endive around top of pear
to look like grape leaves and vine.
So simple and so comment-getting
GRANDMA’S
HINTS
Black heel marks on floors:
Dampen sponge, dip in baking
soda, rub marks till gone.
•
Also use this method to remove
stains on coffee cups.
•
Pour baking soda down drain,
pour in vinegar. It will foam
and remove soap scum from
pipes. Rinse after a few minutes
with warm water.
•
Enamel cookware can be
cleaned by a baking soda
paste of soda and water. Let sit,
use plastic scrubber, rinse.
—SHIRLEY BAKER
14 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine
G
Get ready to kick into high gear
with all the events coming to town in
Austin where live music dominates. From
SXSW and Rodeo Austin, to our very
own Texas Country Music Showcase at
Rebel’s Night Club on March 20, you
won’t want to miss a beat. If you’re visiting
… Welcome, we’re glad to have you! We
invite you to stay up-to-date on Austin all
year ’round at countrylinemagazine.com.
around austin
march 5 Cowboy Breakfast at
Auditorium Shores is the official kick-off
to Rodeo Austin where volunteers serve
up a FREE hot breakfast while live music
plays. austinrodeo.com
march 7 Zilker Kite Festival at Zilker
Park will feature fabulous kites of all kinds
— gigantic kites, homemade kits, crazy
kites. Take your own, or just hang out and
watch. zilkerkitefestival.com
Zillker Kite Festival, March 7
march 12-27 Rodeo Austin Get out
your boots — there’s fun for everyone!
rodeoaustin.com
march 13-14 The Whole Bead Show at
Palmer Event Center. Shoppers will have
access to merchants, bead makers, and
importers from all over the world who are
direct suppliers of many professional and
novice jewelry makers. wholebead.com
march 19-20 La Pasadita’s 21st Party
The biggest party at Rodeo Austin’s BBQ
Cook-Off is celebrating its 21st year with
cold beer, great BBQ and live music by
Austin’s best ’80s rock band, LC Rocks!
It’s all to help send Texas kids to college,
so bring some cash for their donation
tip jars and join in the fun! More info at
lapasadita.org, or on their Facebook page.
march 20 Thunderhill Raceway
Season Opener Tons of fun for everyone
by Sandra Greaney
with event s scheduled for all ages all
out at the Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle.
thunderhillraceway.com
St. Baldrick’s Foundation
headshaving Event at Dell Children’s
Medical Center of Central Texas. St.
Baldrick’s Foundation strives to raise
awareness and funds to cure kids’ cancer by
supporting cancer research and fellowships.
You can help! stbaldricks.org
march 20-21 South by Southwest
Music & Media Conference (SXSW)
at various locations around Austin. The
entertainment industry and other movers
and shakers come to our city to discover
the next hot musical act or independent
filmmaker. sxsw.com
march 26-28 Kids Outdoor Zone Quail
Hunt Get your kids outside and treat them
to this fun outdoor experience for all ages!
512-292-1113, kidsoutdoorzone.com
march 27-28 Texas Knife Show
at Williamson Hotel in Round Rock.
There will be a cutting competition,
demonstrations, and shopping for all kinds
of knives, even collectable antiques. 512341-7000
march 28 Spring Egg-Stravaganza in
Cedar Park. Kids 12 and under can hunt
for more than 79,000 pieces of candy, prizes
and eggs. Great fun for everyone! 512-4015500, cedarparkfun.com
Colorado River Day Festival at the
Wilkerson Center in Austin. Join in the
fun and a FREE day of learning about the
Colorado River and the lakes of Austin,
including science experiments, fishing
and kayak clinics, reptile and river bug
shows, arts and crafts, games, and much
more. This year’s event will also include
educational door prizes, “green” vendors
and live music provided by local musicians.
Parking is free!
next month
Cook-off season is here! La Pasadita BBQ
Team members get the chickens on the
grill at the Rodeo Austin BBQ Cook-Off,
March 19-20.
Day Concert. In March, they’re featuring
one of our favorites, Kori Jean Olsen!
thegeorgetownsquare.com
march 20 Al Hopkins Tolbert Texas
State Chili Championship Chili CookOff at City Park in Lockhart. The public
is invited to participate, judge or just
enjoy the festivities which begin at 9
a.m. on Saturday. Sponsored by the
Lockhart Chamber of Commerce and
the Central Texas Tolbert Chili Group.
centraltexaschili.com
april 2-4 Spring Fest 2010 at Rio
Vista Park in San Marcos brings together
paddling enthusiasts, competitors and
the City of San Marcos to celebrate the
springs. 512-393-5900
april 3 Austin’s 2nd Annual Funky
Chicken Coop Tour Austin-area poultry
keepers will open their backyards to show
off their chickens and coops. Visitors
will see how scavenged materials can be
transformed into a low-cost coop or how a
fashionable coop can enhance a landscape.
fccooptour.blogspot.com
april 10 Louisiana Swamp Thing &
Crawfish Festival in downtown Austin.
This popular annual event is always about
the food and music where the big highlight
of the show is 5,000 pounds of crawfish,
plus other bayou favorites and fun.
april 15 Old Settlers Music Festival
at Salt Lick Pavilion and Camp Ben
McCulloch. A nationally known music
festival featuring the best in roots and
Americana music. Old Settler’s Music
Festival offers great music and activities for
the whole family. oldsettlersmusicfest.org
c h e c k m y c a len d a r e a c h m o nt h f o r
ne w a n d u p c o m ing e v ent s ! if y o u
h av e a n e v ent li s ting y o u ’ d li k e u s t o
m enti o n , gi v e m e a s h o u t at s a n d r a @
c o u nt r y line m a g a z ine . c o m
a little bit farther
march 6-7 Bow Hunters Education
Course at L&L Archery in Bastrop. Try
something new and fun and tackle bow
hunting. 512-695-6111
march 13 Georgetown Market Days
in Georgetown Square. March is the
Grand Opening with “green bow specials”
throughout the market as well as a Market
The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 15
Cool weather
helps organic farmers
cool temperatures make for tastier
vegetables according to Barbara Storz, a
Texas AgriLife Extension agent in Hidalgo
County.
“All these cool days and nights we’ve
had forces plant sugars inward,” Storz said.
“Winter vegetables love this cool weather
and that means the carrots, beets, kohlrabi
and turnips will be sweeter than ever.”
The organic farmers market program,
now in its third year, is a creation of
Grow’n Growers, an AgriLife Extension
program organized by Storz that teaches
low-income residents how to grow organic
vegetables on their own properties, then
sell them to the public.
“Our program is expanding,” she said.
“We’ve had new members with a bit more
acreage this year, which allows for a bigger
variety of organic vegetables and room to
try specialty crops, like kohlrabi, which is
often used in Indian cuisine.”
Grow’n Growers is also attracting the
attention of researchers at Texas A&M
University in College Station, Storz said.
“Since our program is all about growing
crops organically, several scientists want
to partner with us for organic production
research,” she said. “This will help
everyone, especially those producers in
South Texas where bugs and diseases never
rest.”
“There’s no dormant season that kills
off pests and diseases,” she said. “Yearround farming is a real test for any grower,
but especially for those of us who produce
crops organically, without the use of
synthetic pesticides.”
Grow’n Growers have taken advantage
of the recent cool temperatures by planting
extra crops of winter vegetables.
“We have really sweet root vegetables
for sale right now, like carrots and turnips,
along with freshly harvested garlic,
onions, spinach, kale, collards, broccoli,
cauliflower, red and green cabbage, and
several herbs, like cilantro and dill,” Storz
said.
For more information on the Grow’n
Growers program, call the AgriLife
Extension office in Edinburg at 956-3831026. —Rod Santa Ana
Three urban rancher/
small acreage short courses
the texas agrilife extension service
of Randall County will offer a three-part
Urban Ranchers/Small Acreage Short
Course series beginning this spring,
according to J.D. Ragland, AgriLife
Extension agent.
These educational programs will be
held on April 15, May 20 and June 17.
All programs will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the
AgriLife Extension office at 200 N. Brown
Road in Canyon.
This program is specifically designed
for all small acreage landowners (3-10
acres) to learn how to better manage and
maximize production of their property,
Ragland said. Each series will feature
presentations from guest speakers who are
experts in their fields.
During the April 15 program, “The
Importance of Knowing your Soil Type”
will be presented by Dr. Clay Robinson,
West Texas A&M University professor
of plant and soil science, who will also
include recommendations for applying
proper fertilization.
He will be followed by Dr. Ted
McCollum, AgriLife Extension beef cattle
specialist, whose topic is “Establishing
Various Native Grasses.” McCollum
will introduce various types of native
grasses and provide recommendations for
establishing and managing each.
At the May 20 meeting, Nicholas
Kenny, AgriLife Extension irrigation
specialist, will present “Irrigation and
Water Management” and offer ideas for
16 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine
low water-use plants for small acreage
landowners.
The second topic for the day is
“Pesticide Safety Requirements and
Regulations,” presented by Levon Harman
of the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Harman will cover all aspects of laws
and regulations pertaining to applying
pesticides and/or herbicides.
The final program in the series on June
17 will highlight “Establishing Wildlife
Habitat for Small Acres.” Ken Cearley,
AgriLife Extension wildlife specialist will
discuss the different types of wildlife that
could be established on small acreage areas,
along with necessary plant species needed
for maintaining various types of fowl.
The final topic will be “Developing
Rainwater Harvesting Units.” Robin
Garrison, AgriLife Extension urban
programs coordinator for Randall County,
will present and demonstrate how to
construct these types of systems.
The cost will be a onetime fee of
$20 per participant which can be paid
at the first program meeting, Ragland
said. Attendance space is limited to 50.
Interested participants must RSVP through
the AgriLife Extension office on or before
March 15.
For more information regarding the
Urban Rancher/Small Acreage Short
Course and to RSVP, call the AgriLife
Extension in Randall County at 806-4685543. —Kay Ledbetter
New feral hog publications
to help landowners
the texas agrilife extension service
has developed five new feral hog control
publications to help landowners corral this
growing menace, according to an AgriLife
Extension specialist.
These publications were funded by the
Texas State Soil and Water Conservation
Board and U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency through a Clean Water Act §
319(h) nonpoint source grant. Publications
are available online at http://plumcreek.
tamu.edu/feralhogs/ .
These publications specifically target
the Plum Creek Watershed in Hays and
Caldwell counties, an area especially hard
hit by the marauders, but are applicable
wherever feral hogs are a problem, said Dr.
Jim Cathey, AgriLife Extension wildlife
specialist at College Station.
Chancey Lewis, AgriLife Extension
wildlife assistant at Lockhart and his
colleagues developed the new publications.
Lewis works closely with landowners
in Hays and Caldwell counties, giving
instruction and technical guidance on hog
trapping, as part of the implementation
of the Plum Creek Watershed Protection
Plan.
The five publications are: “Recognizing
Feral Hog Signs,” deals with the evidence
or sign the hogs leave in passing. By being
able to read sign, Cathey said landowners
can learn where the animals are traveling
and apply the appropriate management
technique to reduce their numbers.
“Corral Traps for Capturing Feral
Hogs,” discusses large traps that Cathey
said have proven useful in reducing hog
numbers quickly. According to Lewis, feral
hogs typically travel in large family groups
called “sounders,” and a corral trap can
often be used to capture the entire group.
“Box Traps for Capturing Feral Hogs,”
deals with a second option that should be
considered after corral traps, Cathey said.
While they are not the best choice for
removing large hog numbers, box traps,
because they are readily movable, can be
used to quickly remove small numbers from
trouble spots.
“Snaring Feral Hogs,” offers
instructions on placement and handling of
snares. Snares are ideal for situations where
feral hogs have become wary of box or
corral traps. Snares are also much cheaper
than traps, according to Lewis.
“Building a Feral Hog Snare,” provides
step-by-step instructions for producing
snares used for catching feral hogs.
For more information contact Lewis
at 979-393-8517 or cdlewis@ag.tamu.edu.
—Steve Byrns
Feel the thunder at
Thunderhill Raceway’s Opener
the season opener at thunderhill
Raceway in Kyle, Texas is coming up March
20, and everything is moving forward at full
speed to make 2010 the best racing season in
the 11-year history of this 3/8-mile asphalt
track.
Open Test-n-Tune practice sessions
began Feb. 6, and drivers continue work on
fine-tuning their race cars each weekend as
the first race date approaches.
During the winter months, the
Thunderhill Raceway (THR) staff and
racing teams have been working hard to get
ready for this big day, including coming up
with innovative ways to create excitement
and entertainment for the fans.
Changes for the upcoming season
include an expanded Midway area near the
front entrance to the grandstands. Various
food booths will be available, and fans will
be given the opportunity to
interact with the drivers at
the new Drivers’ Autograph
Booth. Kids will also enjoy
inflatable bouncers, bike races
and rides on the track in the
race cars.
“We went through a few
rough spots at the end of last
year, and we weren’t sure if
we’d even be able to keep the
track open in 2010,” said Mary
Ann Naumann, THR’s owner
and promoter. “Fortunately,
we were able to work out an agreement with
the landowner, and we plan to make this
year the best one ever — and hopefully for
many more years to come!”
Naumann added, “Stock car racing is
my life, and we’re so lucky to have a great
car count and lots of dedicated drivers
at Thunderhill Raceway. It’s our goal to
showcase our drivers and make them more
available to the fans. We also feel that we
have the best entertainment value in the
area — with 4-5 hours of jam-packed, upclose racing action on a Saturday night.”
Thunderhill Raceway is a 3/8-mile,
D-shaped asphalt oval track that’s located
at 24801 IH-35, on the access road just
north of San Marcos near Yarrington Road
(Exit #210). Information on Thunderhill
Raceway may be found on the track Web
site at thunderhillraceway.com.
The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 17
by Kendall Hemphill
Truth, Lies
and Red Tape
W
When Algore invented the internet,
he made a few mistakes. This is not
necessarily a surprise, coming from a guy
who can, with a straight face, claim there
is more snow and ice these days because of
global warming. Still, it’s irritating.
One of the really big, honking mistakes
Algore made is that there is really no easy
way to tell if something you find on the
internet is true or not. Any gooberhead
with a computer and ten bucks can start a
website, and put any old thing he wants to
on there, and people, being basically pretty
gullible, will believe it’s true. This causes
confusion, obviously, and the problem is
compounded by the fact that just about
every gooberhead in America now has
access to email.
No doubt you have received some
correspondence perpetuating some pretty
ridiculous stories. For instance, there is an
email going around that the ACLU has
filed a suit to remove military cross-shaped
headstones from all government cemeteries
in America. There is another one claiming
the ACLU is trying to stop military
chaplains from praying in Jesus’ name, and
to end all praying in the military.
None of those rumors is true. The
ACLU is a strange bunch, and has pulled
some extremely anti-American sounding
stunts lately, but not everything you hear
about them is true just because it’s bad.
But then, it seems you never hear anything
good about the ACLU, so I guess that tells
you something.
All these untrue email rumors, or
erumors, are a pain, but generally not for
me. I just do what everyone else does when
I get them — I hit delete and forget about
them. But there are some going around
lately that have caused me to have to hit
delete a lot more often than usual, so I
figured I should address them.
One particularly persistent erumor
of late is the one that claims congress
is either considering, or has already
passed, legislation that will require every
American to list all the guns they own on
their next income tax return. It also usually
says fingerprints will be required, and that
the government is going to charge a $50
tax per firearm.
This is definitely NOT true. There is
no such legislation before our lawmakers,
so you can stop forwarding those emails to
me, prefaced by your personal notes that
say things like, “I thought you should know
about this,” or “What are we going to do
about this?” or “When you head out for
D.C. to straighten out those knuckleheads,
drop by and pick me up.” I am not going to
D.C. to straighten out the knuckleheads,
18 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine
because I’m in favor of secession.
Now, there WAS a bill introduced
in the senate to require all guns to be
registered, back in 2000, and it would have
created some other stupid problems for gun
owners, but it didn’t pass. It was SB2099,
the Handgun Safety and Registration Act.
And I fully expect it to come up again,
probably soon, so keep a weather eye out.
Another recent erumor said that our
beloved government was going to stop
selling its once-fired brass to private
ammunition manufacturers, because it
was planning to sell all of it to China as
scrap. That one turned out to be true. If
it had happened it would have drastically
increased the cost of ammo all over
America (yes, even more than has actually
been the case lately), not only for private
citizens but also for law enforcement
officers. Luckily there were enough
complaints that the government changed
its beady little mind about that one. So you
can stop forwarding it, too.
The micro-stamping thing, I’m
ashamed to say, has not gone away. During
October, the Governator of California,
that paragon of waffletude, signed into
effect a law that all guns sold in the state
would have to be engraved in two places
with the gun’s make, model, and serial
number. One of the places had to be the
firing pin, so that the information would be
imprinted on the fired case primer as the
gun was discharged. The law was supposed
to go into effect this year but, as you can
imagine, there are problems. Most of these,
according to California, involve patents.
The main problem, according to me, is
that the idea won’t work. Even if it did, all
crooks would have to do would be to pick
up their brass. But it’s a non-issue. If I lived
in California (shudder) I would buy my
guns somewhere else, anyway.
There are plenty of other erumors
making the rounds, including the one
that says our president, BO, has signed a
deal with the U.N. to agree to ban private
ownership of firearms. I haven’t been able
to get to the bottom of that one yet, but I
sincerely doubt the possibility of anything
being imposed on the American people
that has not first gone through our own
legislature. Not that that’s much comfort.
The bottom line is that anything you
learn from the internet is suspect, and
should be checked out thoroughly before
forwarding. Try truthorfiction.com or one
of the other such sites to confirm wild
claims.
And if you find out something is indeed
true, and provably unconstitutional, go to
D.C. and straighten out the knuckleheads
for the rest of us …
Follow up: After I sent this column
to the newspapers, I realized it contained
a few mistakes. One, the big one, is that
the microstamping thing in California
is a non-issue. It is not a non-issue. It’s
a big deal, because, whether we think of
them that way or not, Californians are
Americans, and deserve to have their 2A
rights protected just like the rest of us.
If the microstamping thing actually
starts being implemented, it will shut
down all the gun stores in California,
because they won’t be able to comply.
Once that happens we will have to make
a choice, as law-abiding, gun-owning
Americans. We can either swallow it, or
fight back. Fighting back will involve a
large amount of money and years of court
cases, and we might not win. If we don’t
win, the rest of our gun rights will be taken
away too, little by little. This thing is as
serious as ear puss.
So it would be best if the
microstamping thing never got off the
ground in California, even though it’s been
passed. If you care anything about your
rights, not just gun rights, but any of them,
you need to start writing your elected
federal and state knotheads right now, and
don't let up until California grows a brain,
somewhere out there.
Thank you for your support.
Ken d a l He m p h ill i s a n o u t d o o r h u m o r
c o l u m ni s t a n d p u bli c s p e a k e r w h o
w ill be h a p p y t o g o a n d h el p w it h t h e
k n u c k le h e a d s , u nle s s T e x a s d o e s t h e
r ig h t t h ing a n d s e c e d e s . W r ite t o h i m
at PO B o x 1 6 0 0 , M a s o n , T x 7 6 8 5 6 o r
j ee p @ v e r i z o n . net
Kids Outdoor Zone
launches school program
the outdoors, to many today in our
urbanized world, is a brief encounter
with air and sun or air and rain between
buildings or a building and a vehicle. A
recent survey by The Outdoor Foundation
found that outdoor participation of youth
aged 6 to 17 dropped 16.7 percent in 2008.
The most staggering was kids aged 6 to 12
at nine percent.
Feb. 16 started out like most days at
Paredes Middle School in far south Austin,
Texas. Kids were laughing and running,
teachers were busily preparing for the
onslaught of youthful energy. The sun was
up and warming everything covered by
frost the night before. This same general
scenario was playing out in thousands of
middle schools across the country. The
difference today at Paredes was that today,
the new outdoor adventure program was
going to start at 3:30 p.m.
The Kids Outdoor Zone (KOZ
hereafter) Youth Outdoor Adventure
Program introduces kids, both boys and
girls, to hunting, fishing, hiking, archery,
outdoor safety, outdoor cooking, survival
skills and much more. It also creates
mentors in the lives of the kids who
participate. These mentors are seasoned
outdoor enthusiasts who also have a heart
for kids and teaching them the waning
traditions of the outdoors.
“I love this stuff,” explained James, one
of the first KOZ members at Paredes. “I
never get outside. My brothers and sisters
just like to sit around.”
“I have never been hunting and only
fishing once, but it was fun!” chimed in
Haley as the group sat in a circle under the
warm afternoon sun.
“The kids are so hungry for so many
different parts of what KOZ offers,”
explained T.J. Greaney, KOZ founder.
“The outdoors is crucial, but they also
crave adults who will participate in their
lives. Adults who listen, teach and listen
some more. Not all the kids are green
horns when it comes to the outdoors;
some of the boys in our group have a lot
of hunting experience and they are more
than happy to share their adventures with
the others. It is a lot of fun!”
The pilot program is set to run through
the end of the year, and if the interest
continues to grow, so the program will in
other middle school s that host afterschool
clubs and programs in Austin and across
the country.
KOZ is a youth outdoor adventure
program that introduces kids to hunting,
fishing and outdoor adventure. Chapters
are created in churches where the mentors
are trained to come alongside boys who do
not have male role models. It also teaches
kids whose parents are interested in the
outdoors and now includes chapters in
schools. KOZ also hosts youth hunting
and fishing summer camps, weekends and
monthly meetings where kids are trained
in the skills of the outdoors.
For more information on Kids Outdoor
Zone, visit kidsoutdoorzone.com or call
512-292-1113.
The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 19
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by Mike Young
march in austin means that the star
of Texas Fair and Rodeo is just around
the corner, and I get excited just thinking
about it. I’m not a real big fan of the
carnival rides, but I love the chili and
barbeque cook-offs, the Rodeo and the
Stock Show. Cattle, hogs, sheep, goats and
poultry are all on display competing for the
grand prize. The youth of Central Texas
have worked long and hard to prepare
their respective animal for the show in
hopes that the judges will validate their
efforts. That particular stamp of approval
translates into scholarship money for
college.
There is a lot of material available here
for discussion, but since this is normally
about chickens, let’s concentrate on show
birds. The first poultry show in the United
States was held in Boston at the Public
Gardens. The year was 1849, and by my
reckoning, that was 161 years ago. This
is not a new deal, folks, and it seems that
these shows have been encouraging people
to perfect existing breeds and develop new
ones since the beginning.
Broilers, or meat type birds, are popular
with 4-H or F.F.A. members and are an
integral part of this and most youth live
stock shows. This is true for a number
of reasons but I think the top of the list
would be that chickens are a less expensive
option than a steer or hog. Consider
the purchase price, housing, equipment
and feed, and I think we can agree that
chickens are cheaper.
Expensive housing and equipment
are not necessary. However, a clean, dry
structure that can be well ventilated, a
brooder or heat lamps to warm the chicks,
and feeding and watering equipment are
needed. Normally, two square feet of floor
space per bird is needed. Openings on
three sides of the structure allows for plenty
of fresh air during warm weather, and these
in turn can be closed with plastic sheeting
for protection against the cold. Make sure
that the floor is at least six inches above
ground level to avoid flooding.
Electric heat lamps are good heat
sources for brooding chicks. Two 125 Watt
light bulbs per 50 chicks are recommended.
Make sure that lamps are secured so that
they cannot fall to the litter and create a
fire hazard. The lamps should hang so that
the bottoms are 18 to 24 inches above the
chicks. Lamps can be raised and lowered
depending on temperature conditions.
When chicks are comfortable, they will
bed down in a semi-circle around the
perimeter of the heat zone. If cold, chicks
will crowd under the heat source. If too
warm, they will move away. After broilers
are four weeks old and fully feathered, heat
is seldom required.
There is a lot more to getting a bird
from a chick to ready to show. Fortunately,
there is also a lot of information available
that will get you there. Your local feed
store, Ag Teacher, and even the internet
will all be valuable sources. As a matter of
fact, some of my material today comes from
Bulletin PSS.141 of the Texas Agricultural
Extension Service, which is part of Texas
A&M University System. Dr. Fred D.
Thornberry is a professor and extension
poultry specialist at A&M, and is perhaps
the best source to answer most poultry
questions. His brochures are available at
your county agent’s office. See you at Star
of Texas!
a.m. to 4 p.m.
The lucky winner of the raffle will
receive their choice of either a mobile
chicken coop, that houses
4-8 chickens, or a stationary
coop for 4-5 chickens. The
coop will be donated by
Josh Hudgins of Mobile
Chicken Coops, one of our
sponsors for the 2010 Tour.
To be eligible to win, stop
by our Information Center
on the day of the tour,
located at Buck Moore Feed
and Pet Supply at 5237
North Lamar Boulevard.
The drawing will be
held shortly after 4 p.m.,
following the end of the
tour.
Chickens and other backyard livestock
are growing in popularity. Besides being
easy-to-care-for pets, chickens provide
insect control, supply delicious fresh eggs,
and help create better yards and gardens.
Most chicken owners report that it's just
plain fun to have them around.
The Funky Chicken Coop Tour
will include coops all over the Austin
area. Maps to the coop locations can be
downloaded in March 2010 from our Web
site at http://fccooptour.blogspot.com.
Printed copies of the map will be available
in limited quantities at select locations,
also listed on the Web site.
Austin’s 2nd Annual
Funky Chicken Coop Tour
when more than 1,000 people showed
up for the first one, it was clear that Austin
would have a Second Annual Funky
Chicken Coop Tour. So, make some time
on Easter weekend to check out this free
event. You can even enter a free raffle to
win a brand new chicken coop!
On Saturday, April 3, Austin-area
poultry keepers will open their backyards
to the public to show off their chickens
and coops. Visitors to the tour sites will
see how scavenged materials can be
transformed into a low-cost coop or how a
fashionable coop can enhance a landscape.
The tour hosts will be on hand to share
their experiences with chicken care,
compliance with city ordinances, coop
design and more. If you’re thinking about
keeping chickens in your own backyard,
you’ll get some great ideas. Chicken coops
often integrate into larger projects, such
as organic gardens, sustainability and
permaculture efforts, and school activities.
The free, self-guided tour will run from 10
The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 21
by Larry LeBlanc
Turkey hunting season
is on the way
W
Well, folks it is time to get ready for
a real challenge if you are up to it; turkey
season!
In the eastern part of the state we have
the Eastern Turkey season from April 1-30,
and that includes 43 counties.
In north and south Texas we have Rio
Grande turkeys and that includes 155
counties with seasons ranging from March
through May so be sure and check the
listing for the county in which you intend
to hunt because it varies greatly from
county to county.
For hunting Eastern turkeys, keep
in mind you can only hunt them with
shotguns, lawful archery equipment and
that includes crossbows. Check your Rio
Grande turkey counties because rifles and
archery are not uncommon out there, but
check the book and don’t get in trouble
with the TPWD because of ignorance —
they really do not go for that as a defense
for breaking game laws.
Shotgunners can use at least a full
choke or a turkey choke on their shotguns.
Federal Premium ammunition has the
Mag-Shok® HEAVYWEIGHT® turkey
ammunition that will also give you an
edge. This HEAVYWEIGHT shot is onethird denser than lead and comes with the
Choosing the right choke is important for any game by you really need a tight choke for
turkey hunting.
FLITECONTROL® wad that gives you a
tight pattern that allows you to take birds
a little beyond your typical range. The
shot does not leave the FLITECONTROL
wad until about 15 feet from the end of
the barrel so you can even get good tight
patterns even from a modified choke if
that is what you have.
Turkeys are extremely hard to hunt
in the woods. They are so wary that they
will not go into an area unless they can
22 • Country Line Magazine The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine
see for a good 30 yards through the trees.
Therefore if you are hunting in an area
that has thick underbrush you might
reconsider you chances in that habitat. I
would strongly recommend that you do
some scouting before the season starts to
make sure there are turkeys where you
intend to hunt.
Camouflage is vastly important on a
turkey hunt in the woods. A turkey has
fantastic eyesight and can spot anything
that is out of normal or that moves and
that includes a shining face and hands.
Gloves and good camouflage that blends
into the background is a necessity.
There are specific patterns and colors of
camouflage nowadays, so it is important
not to use a west Texas camouflage in an
East Texas forest if you are hunting for
turkeys because they will spot those as out
of place in a heart beat.
I kind of like the Ameristep® G-20
Pop-up Blind that you can get on line or
at Cabela’s. It weighs 12 pounds and is
five-feet square and folds into a backpack
for transporting. It is a pop-up stand so
there are no setup problems, it is light
weight and easily portable and can be used
for shotguns or archery equipment and
will keep you from the eyes of those wily
gobblers. The camo pattern will also keep
you hidden and the shape will blend into
the background not showing a specific
pattern against the background. The price
I saw was around $80 plus tax and shipping
online.
I know people who have hunted for
years and never taken a turkey so do not
get discouraged if you strike out, but take
the challenge and when you do get one
you will truly joint the ranks of the real
hunters when it comes to bragging
rights.
S
Skeeter Bass Champs
Skeeter Bass Champs’ first Central
Texas Tournament for 2010 was held Feb. 2
on Lake Belton. With water levels ten feet
above normal pool and still rising, Chad
Potts, Bass Champs president, moved the
weigh-in site to higher ground at Cedar
Ridge Park. There was some concern that
this small site would be too crowded, but as
usual, Bass Champs had it covered. The staff
directed traffic through from launch to final
parking and provided an equally well-run
weigh-in, with the majority of the 200 teams
launching from this site.
If only the fishing had been as great as
the tournament was run. Out of 200 teams,
there were only two five-fish limits weighedin. There were 27 places paid
with the last place in the money
weighing in only 4.48lbs. 133
teams zeroed — not a very good
showing at all!
While pre-fishing, Jack
Waldrop, Jr. and Hub Bechtol
found clear water in the back
of a pocket that was holding
fish. The rise in the water had
not muddied this area as it had
the majority of the lake. By
using light line they coaxed a
total of six bites from this water.
They never left this spot near
the weigh-in site. Some other
teams tried to intimidate them
by casting around them with
one even striking their motor,
but they held firm, catching
their last fish at 2:35 just before
the 3 p.m. deadline. The team’s
final weight was 14.38lbs
winning them $20,000 plus
the $200 Sure-life bonus. Jack
and Hub caught their fish on
a Lucky Craft 100 jerk bait, flukes, and 4.5"
swim baits. They would like to thank their
sponsors: Fitover Eyewear, SRB Marine, Bee
Caves BBQ, TheAnglingChanel.com and
The Lakes Custom Upholstery.
Second place went to Brandon Tingey
and Blake Poncio. They won $5,000 for the
second limit of fish at 13.62lbs. They caught
their fish in two to six feet of water using
spinner baits and rattletraps.
• 3rd: James Hesterand/Chet Sutton, 3 fish
12.50lbs, $3,000
•4th: Joe Bray/Brandon Bray, 4 fish
12.06lbs, $2,000
•5th: Phillip Massoletti/Jack Meredith, 3 fish
10.14lbs, $1,200
•6th: Damon Ross/Scott Ross, 4 fish
10.10lbs, $1,090
I
Stay in the front …
It’s all relative. Some lakes, the
angler is thrilled about a giant three pound
bass, while others are disappointed with
catching only a three pound fish. Why is
this? The lakes across the state are taking a
great turn in population of better fish. Is it
that the anglers are learning more about fish
habits? Technology is playing a larger role
in the structure and finding of areas prone
to holding fish that lay deep beneath the
water’s surface.
How does one overcome the advances
being made without bleeding the bank at
every new turn? The key relies primarily
in a matter of a few things; confidence and
Fly Fish Texas coming to Texas
Freshwater Fisheries Center
fly fish texas is your one-stop shopping
center for everything there is to know about
fly-fishing in Texas, and it takes place March
13 at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center.
Show hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. All Fly
Fish Texas activities are free with regular
paid admission to the center.
“Fly Fish Texas is a great show and
the only event of its kind,” said Walter
McLendon of Lufkin, who has organized
the show since its beginning. “Other shows
cater to people who are already fly-fishers,
but we try to introduce people to flyfishing.”
“We take people from ‘This is a fly’
to ‘This is a fish-you’ve caught one,’”
explained Allen Crise, who co-chairs the
casting lessons.
Fly Fish Texas emphasizes hands-on
learning and immediate application of
newly acquired skills. Visitors can collect
aquatic insects from the center’s streams,
•7th: Randall Christian/Randy Hibler, 1 fish
9.68lbs, $1,080
Big Bass, 9.68lbs, $1,000
Randall caught his fish on a white and chartreuse
spinner bait. Nice work!
•8th: Dean Alexander/Eric Crumley, 2 fish
8.30lbs, $1,070
•9th: Justin Fisher/Bryan Cotter, 3 fish
8.08lbs, $1,060
•10th: Mike Garrett/Ron Seevers, Jr., 3 fish
8lbs, $1050
Skeeter Double Your Money Bonus, $1,050
First Even Weight Bonus, $250
All results are available at BassChamps.com.
The next event will be March 6 on Lake
Travis. At the time of this article the lake
is within seven feet of full pool. With a few
warm days to raise the water temps, all of the
recently flooded brush could produce a real
“slug fest” in March. See you there!
Grande Bass has announced a rod line
— check out Cody’s Youtube spot — and
a jig line to go along with their new and
innovative soft plastic baits. See them at
GrandeBass.com. —do n g or don
tie a fly to imitate one of those insects
under the supervision of a skilled tier,
learn to cast it from a certified fly casting
instructor, then use it to catch a rainbow
trout from one of TFFC’s stocked ponds or
streams.
Vendors will be displaying and selling
fly-fishing gear, and seminars will brief
visitors on where and how to fly-fish in
Texas fresh and salt waters for a variety
of species. The program will include
presentations on fly-fishing locations such
as Caddo Lake, the Texas Hill Country,
the middle Texas coast and the Bolivar
Peninsula.
Speakers will also detail where fish are
and how to fish for them, how to fish the
white bass run, fly-fishing for carp, flies
for spring bass and other species-specific
information. In addition, instruction will
be available on rigging a kayak for flyfishing, ferruled leader making, Spey rod
casting and double-hauling. For a complete
schedule of activities and seminars plus
a video of the event, visit http://tamus.
pr-optout.com and click on the Fly Fish
Texas link.
The Dallas Fly Fishers will teach classes
persistence.
Being confident in a certain pattern and
technique is often very hard to do when the
fish aren’t actively giving you reassurance.
This is what often separates the hero’s from
the zeros. As some say, you can’t catch a fish
at 60 miles per hour, so stick it out, put your
head down and fish. Confidence that you
are in an area that is holding fish and giving
your area a fair amount of effort is essential
in assuring the bigger bags of fish. Ninety
percent of the fish are in ten percent of the
water, so find a percent of that ten percent
and fish it hard.
Persistence is key in any arena to become
successful, yet fishing is notorious for testing
this very thing. If you are looking for that
percent of the lake holding fish, stay at it
until they fish give you some data. At this
time of year, you are either ahead of the fish
or behind them because they are moving
into or just out of their spawn. Gaining
knowledge of their route and trying to
remain on the forefront of their journey will
assure the angler to have bigger and better
bags of bass.
Stay strong and in front of the fish
and you too will be making leaps and
bounds into your fishing future! Fish ON!
—C ody Ryan Gr eaney T O Z T eam, C ody@
texasout doorzone. com
F o r m o r e inf o o n p l a nning y o u r ne x t
fi s h ing a d v ent u r e , c o nta c t C o d y R ya n
at c o d y @ T e x a s O u t d o o r Z o ne . c o m o r
512-576-2200.
for beginning fly-fishers; pre-registration is
required and is available by calling Craig
Brooks at 903-670-2222.
The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine Country Line Magazine • 23