0709 CLM

4 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
IN THIS ISSUE
F E AT U R E S
CD spotlight:allgone fishin’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
lost pines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
DEPARTMENTS
Nashville Music News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
Texas Music News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8
’Round About Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
by Sandra Greaney
on the trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
by Kendall Hemphill
Homespun . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Recipe & Grandma’s Hints
by Shirley Baker
Cowboy Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
On Pit Row . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17
by Chuck Licata
The Texas Outdoor Zone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
by Larry LeBlanc
Fishing Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
by Don Gordon
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
5 1 2 - 2 9 2 - 1113
MAILING ADDRESS
9508 CHISHOLM TRAIL • AUSTIN, TEX. 78748
LETTERS & COMMENTS
[email protected]
OR MAIL TO ADDRESS ABOVE
PUBLISHER & EDITOR |
T. J. Greaney
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Chuck Licata, Don Gordon, Kendall Hemphill,
Larry LeBlanc, Sandra Greaney,
Sheryl Bucsanyi, Shirley Baker,
Y
F You know they say you spend the
first half of your life trying to get off
the farm and the second half trying to
get back. I was never raised on a farm,
I was raised in Houston, and the
suburbs were as far as I ever got into
the country. However I dream of living
on a piece of land I can call my own. I
want to give my kids the chance to
experience the wandering and
exploring that comes with land. You
know, I am not sure that the hippies of
the 60s didn’t have something when
they started communes.
We have talked at our home about
buying a communal piece of property
and building homes for both grandmas
and grandpa. For the nieces and
nephews that would want to be there
as well. Would we get to where we
hated each other after a few weeks, or
months or years, I don’t know. If
someone left junk in their yard all the
time or someone’s dog dropped all
their waste in another’s would there be
problems, probably. But would there
be enough good to override the bad —
I wonder.
We have asked others what they
thought about the idea and
surprisingly many have had the same
thought. Some said if we did it they
wanted to be a part of it. Yes, some of
it sounds very Davidian or cultish —
but it wouldn’t be that way.
The place I am looking for I think
comes from the heart though. A
longing for family and time together.
A place where we could share the lives
we have left and the future of the kids,
together. Someone once said, “I am
closer to the end than I am to the
beginning” — that would be me
today…
The whole concept works on
paper. My mom wants to teach kids
about the old ways. She wants to teach
sewing and gardening and crafting.
Grandpa would teach carpentry and
gardening as well, and most likely golf.
My wife would teach the Bible and
some other living skills, maybe
manners. I would work to pay the bills,
maybe do a little fishing and hunting
to provide sustenance. My wife’s mom
would be in charge of all the shopping.
My niece Niki and her son Jake would
be a huge help building the barns and
fixing fences. She is really interested
in the idea.
I see kids on horses and bikes and
four wheelers. I see barns with lofts
and hay and tools. I see an old truck
just for driving on the ranch. The kids
would be driving it early, when they
are 12 or so, all around the property.
So what am I missing? Where is
the glitch? I know there would be
details but I can’t find where the
whole thing doesn’t actually make
some sense. I don’t see it happening
anytime soon because of all the
commitments it would take and just
finding the right piece of land — it is
after all just an idea, or do I just need
to sell everything and do it?
The whole idea for me started
when I was thinking of how I was
going to take care of the grandparents
as they got older and selfishly wanting
the kids to run free on a piece of land.
In the old days you took care of family,
today it is not so easy. I honor my
elders and want to have them around
me. God willing they will stay in good
health and hang in there while I work
on the compound idea and how to fit
two mother-in-laws on one piece of
property. Ideas? Land? Call me.
God bless,
T. J. Greaney
Publisher
[email protected]
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 5
MONDAY NIGHT
FOOTBALL, HANK
WILLIAMS, JR. AND ALL
HIS ROWDY FRIENDS!
The names of the NFL superstars who
have performed on Monday Night
Football the past two decades are
constantly changing, but one name has
remained constant since 1989 — Hank
Williams, Jr. The legendary singer has
earned four Emmy awards (1991-1994)
and national acclaim among fans for
singing the anthem that kicks off the
NFL’s weekly primetime showcase game.
That legacy will continue for the 19th year
when Williams will perform the opening
theme to ESPN’s MNF this fall with a new
all-star band featuring singer/songwriter
Brian Setzer and other popular artists.
Williams will again perform “All My
Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday
Night” – based on his hit song “All My
Rowdy Friends Are Coming Over
Tonight.” This year’s version will offer a
“boogie-woogie” and big-band music flare
with the addition of Setzer and 13
members of the horn section from the
Brian Setzer Orchestra. ESPN introduced
the all-star band concept during its
inaugural MNF season a year ago, and this
year’s diverse collection of musicians is
scheduled to feature new artists
representing rock ’n’ roll, pop, country and
funk, including:
Guitarists Brian Setzer (Stray
Cats/Brian Setzer Orchestra), Richie
Sambora (Bon Jovi), country music
sensation Gretchen Wilson, and young
phenom Drake Bell, the 21-year-old
actor/singer/songwriter from the popular
Nickelodeon series Drake and Josh;
Keyboardist John Ondrasik (Five for
Fighting); Funk bassist Bootsy Collins
(Parliament Funkadelic); and Drummer
Cindy Blackman (drummer for Lenny
Kravitz).
“The open was such a huge hit last
fall, we knew we had to assemble another
all-star band to join Hank as ESPN’s
Monday Night Football continues to put
its own special stamp on this iconic music
ritual that gets fans ‘ready for some
football’ each Monday during the NFL
season,” said Norby Williamson, executive
vice president, production, ESPN.
Williams added: “Bootsy Collins,
Gretchen Wilson, Richie Sambora …
these are definitely some of my rowdiest
friends. With names like these in the open
for Monday Night Football, this year’s
theme will get everyone fired up for that
pigskin.”
The MNF video will debut prior to
kickoff of ESPN’s MNF regular seasonopening doubleheader Sept. 10 —
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
(7 p.m. ET) and Arizona Cardinals at San
Francisco 49ers (10:15 p.m.).
6 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
MONTGOMERY GENTRY
& JERRY LEWIS
Country music duo Montgomery
Gentry will lend their support to assist in
eradicating muscular dystrophy by
performing on legendary comedian Jerry
Lewis’ annual MDA Telethon live from
Las Vegas on Sunday, Sept. 2.
THE MERLEFEST
EXPERIENCE
Ask someone about their favorite
MerleFest experience and often they will
engage in a breathless account of a jam
session that featured favorite artists in
collaboration. These jams remain a
signature of the MerleFest experience that
began during the first festival in 1988.
Recently, fans have been able to relive
those moments via the digital download
service offered by MerleFest partner
FestivaLink.net.
MerleFest is excited to announce that
the festival and artists participating in
three star-studded jams have agreed to
donate royalties from the sale of
downloads and CDs of the jams to the
Bluegrass Trust Fund which supports
professional musicians in emergency need.
The first installment of payments to The
Fund has just been made.
Since its establishment in 1987, the
Bluegrass Trust Fund has raised more than
$400,000 and has disbursed over half of its
deposits to bluegrass professionals and
their families when other sources of
financial help has failed them. Often, the
fund is called on for medical emergencies,
at times of death, natural disaster, or other
hardships. For more information on the
Bluegrass Trust Fund, visit ibma.org.
THE GRASCALS AND
THE ANDY GRIFFITH
SHOW
Mayberry’s Finest, a new line of food
products featuring 36 Southern-seasoned
food items inspired by “The Andy Griffith
Show,” will team up with The Grascals,
the
Grammy®-nominated
2006
International Bluegrass Music Association
Entertainers of the Year. The band will
introduce and feature the line of foods at
upcoming tour dates and public
appearances, in print ads and radio and
television commercials. The Grascals also
wrote and recorded the Mayberry’s Finest
jingle, and they are traveling in a Prevost
XL2 tour bus wrapped with the brand’s
logo.
Mayberry’s Finest, under license with
“The Andy Griffith Show,” managed by
CBS Consumer Products, is a product line
that includes new baking mix flavors such
as peach cobbler, cinnamon toast,
chocolate chunk cookie dough and
blueberry muffin. Canned vegetables
offered in the brand will include creamstyle corn, collard greens and turnip
greens. Beef stew, chili, and chicken and
dumplings round out products offered in
the meat category.
The product will also be available
online at mayberrysfinest.com
CARRIE UNDERWOOD
SCORES HIGHEST
DEBUT OF ANY
COUNTRY FEMALE IN
CHART HISTORY!
Reigning CMA and ACM Female
Vocalist and double Grammy winner
Carrie Underwood broke multiple records
with the blockbuster radio and sales
success from her debut disc, Some Hearts,
and the excitement continues unabated as
“So Small,” the first single from her
upcoming album, explodes onto the
Billboard/R&R country airplay chart at
#20, marking the highest chart entry by a
solo country female in Nielsen BDS
history.
Written by Carrie with Luke Laird
and Grammy-winning songwriter Hillary
Lindsey (who co-wrote three tracks on
Carrie’s debut disc, including the charttopping “Wasted” and “Jesus, Take the
Wheel”), “So Small” was this week’s mostadded new single at Billboard/R&R and
Country Aircheck. Serviced to country
radio last Monday, with an official airplay
impact date of today, “So Small” is already
spinning on a whopping 128 country
reporting stations.
With its #20 debut at Billboard/R&R
and a #25 entry in Country Aircheck, the
track also earns the distinction of
becoming the highest debuting single of
any country artist this year.
Underwood’s to-be-titled new album,
which will include “So Small,” arrives
October 23.
AARON TIPPIN
FLYIN’ HIGH
In August country music star Aaron
Tippin brought along a special guest for his
performance at the Disabled American
Veterans (DAV) benefit in New Orleans,
Louisiana. A restored World War II B-25
Mitchell bomber, also known as
“Panchito,” traveled in the air and water
to reach her destination … and it was
Aaron Tippin who helped get her there.
The B-25 bombers are famed for
being a major force in bringing hope back
to the country during WWII. It was the B25 that Lieutenant Colonel James
Doolittle chose to use in a raid against the
Japanese after their attack on Pearl
Harbor. “Doolittle’s Raid” was deemed a
success thanks to the sixteen B-25
bombers used in the attack.
Aaron Tippin, also a licensed pilot,
helped fly one of the restored B-25s from
Oshkosh, Wisconsin to New Orleans.
Once there Aaron, equipped with his very
own “Working Man’s PhD,” helped load
the plane onto a barge on Lake
Pontchartrain. After being loaded, the
legendary aircraft was taken to Spanish
Plaza and put on display for the DAV
benefit show.
“It was a great pleasure to be part of
the team that brought ‘Panchito’ as a gift
from the DAV to the city of New Orleans”
says Aaron. “Man…it was hot!”
After the aircraft’s trip was over,
Aaron performed several of his hit songs
for the DAV benefit. “Where the Stars
and Stripes and The Eagle Flies” was
included in the performance, an
appropriate song for “Panchito” and her
history.
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 7
by Pauline Reese & TJ Greaney
Pauline’s Notes
Well, the three-day 3rd Annual
Pauline & Outlaws Picnic was a great
success! I’ve had rave revues not just
from the musicians but the sponsors
and fans as well. I’d like to thank the
House Pasture Cattle Company for
allowing us to have it be held at such a
wonderful venue. This event was not
just for some good times and good
music but for a good cause as well. The
Freddy Powers Parkinson’s Foundation
is something that is very important to
me and I hold close to my heart. With
this event I hope to advance the
awareness of Parkinson’s Disease and
just how many people it affects.
I have another opportunity for you
to spread the awareness of Parkinson’s
and have a great time. The 2008
Caribbean Cruise for a Cure is coming
up February 10th-17th. Call Tina
Cantu at 512-338-2828 or 800-4445634 or go to freddypowers.org
Tommy
Alverson’s
Family
Gathering is coming up real soon! This
is such a fun festival! I highly
recommend camping out for the
weekend so you don’t miss anything!
tommyalverson.com
I spoke with Rip Lorick who is
having his CD release party for Hold on
Texas on September 1st at everyone’s
favorite dancehall, Luckenbach! I
hope to make it out there myself …
check out riplorick.com for more info.
Congrats to Sunny Sweeney who
was nominated for new and emerging
artist at the Americana Music Awards!
Bill Rice is also releasing a CD in
September. The first single is
“Seminole Sunday.” Love this guy’s
music! Check out billriceband.com
I asked Todd Fritsch if he had any
news and he told me he just saved a
bunch of money on his car insurance
by switching to Geico!
On a ending note watch my
website change coming soon. I also
have more great news … the band and
I are going to play a Willie Nelson’s
Farm Aid 2007 in New York City!
Some of the acts are Neil Young, John
Cougar Mellencamp, Dave Matthews
and I’m so excited about this one, the
S•E•P•T•E•M•B•E•R
1-SAT
2-SUN
7-FRI
8-SAT
22308 HWY 71 W • SPICEWOOD
512-264-0318
Voted on of the Top 20 Places to
Visit in Austin . —Austin Chronicle
9-SUN
13-THU
14-FRI
21 AND OLDER
15-SAT
MONDAYS
Texas Boogie, 6-10pm
FREE BBQ
16-SUN
20-THU
21-FRI
22-SAT
27-THU
28-FRI
29-SAT
30-SUN
TUESDAYS
The Troubadillos
WEDNESDAYS
Open Mic w/ Fond Kiser
Green Chili Roast & Wildcard
Cook-Off with Shelly King
& Ginger Leigh
Stefanie & Jean, 3-6pm
Bleu Edmondson,
Fond Kiser opens
Rusty Wier, Jimmy Lee
Jones and Fond Kiser
Nathan’s Train Stage
Jammers, 3pm-dusk
Jane Bond & Chad Tracy
Mary Cutrufello,
Mark Benno opens
Phillip Glyn,
Leo Rondeau opens
Stefanie & Jean, 3-6pm
Ricky Stein (Acoustic Blues)
Andrea Marie & Magnolia
Uncle Lucius
Jeff Strahan
Lisa Hayes
Pauline Reese
Stefanie & Jean, 3-6pm
Check out our menu, music calendar and events at
WWW.POODIES.INFO
8 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
Allman Brothers! I’ll keep you posted
via my website! paulinereese.com
PA U L I N E R E E S E I S A P R O U D T E X A S
MUSICIAN. TO FIND OUT MORE, VISIT
PA U L I N E R E E S E . C O M
TJ’s Notes
TEXAS SAPPHIRES TO
RELEASE LIVE ALBUM
The Texas Sapphires are finishing
up their live record, Roadhouse Gems,
recorded at Floore’s Country Store. It
should be out in October, check back
here for details. Catch them live Sept. 1
at Riley’s Tavern in Hunter, Tex., Sept.
8 at Ainsworth House in Luling and
Sept. 22 at Floore’s Country Store in
Helotes (opening for Ray Price). Find
out more at thetexassapphires.com.
KEVIN FOWLER
“BRINGS IT ON” WITH
A NEW CD AND SHOW
Kevin Fowler releases his new disc,
Bring It On, Sept. 25th. If you have not
seen his show recently it is all new. “I
have a new stage show and it fits the
new music and we are pumped,” says
Fowler. Pumped is putting it mildly for
a Fowler show and this new stage show
and the new songs are just another
confirmation that our “Home Boy” is
no flash in the chamber pan. Get more
on his newest record and where you
can catch him on his Web site at
kevinfowler.com.
DOUG MORELAND’S
CATTLEACS CALFRY
Doug Moreland’s 5th Annual
Cattlelacs Calfry will be Sept. 22nd.
For a mere $10 ticket, fans will hold a
VIP pass to the grounds from 5 p.m.
until midnight where they can ingest,
digest and invest in some of the best
music, food, tournaments and
authentic artwork around.
This marks the very first year for
the Cattlelacs Calfry Cooking
Contest. Anyone who thinks they’ve
got the best balls in town is invited to
put it to the test-ies in front of a batch
of celebrity judges. Some of the prizes
include personal and freshly carved
wood trophies by the chainsaw wood
carving extraordinaire himself, Doug
Moreland.
This year’s event will also feature
bull riding from 4-5 p.m. with special
appearance by Doug Moreland acting
as clown, the horseshoe/washer
tournaments, and live music from the
Doug Moreland Experience, Ryan
Bingham, Cody Shaw and other
special guest appearances. Check out
dougmoreland.com for more.
RECKLESS KELLY’S
WACKY VIDEOS
If you have not checked on the
Reckless Kelly site to see what is up
with them, you need to. You can follow
them as they travel — but the reason I
tell you to go to their Web site today is
for the videos. Not the music ones, but
the crazy productions they post there.
The Tux & Chauncey, Beside The
Music, is hilarious. There is language
that might be offensive to some, but
that aside, it is brilliant. These guys are
whacked … recklesskelly.com
1ST ANNUAL
CELEBRITY GOLF
TOURNAMENT &
SONG SWAP
Cory Morrow will be hosting his
1st Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament
& Song Swap Sept. 9th and 10th in
Austin, Tex. All proceeds from the
event will benefit both the Muscular
Dystrophy Association and the new
Dell Children’s Hospital.
The two day event will kick off
with a star-studded song swap at Hill’s
Cafe Sunday, Sept. 9th at 7 p.m.
Performers include Cory Morrow,
Robert Earl Keen, Roger Creager,
Doug Moreland, Brandon Rhyder,
Adam Hood, Owen Temple, Ryan
Turner, Ryan James, Josh Grider,
Rodney Hayden, and many more. Each
participant in the tournament will
receive two tickets to the song swap.
For those not participating in the
tournament, tickets will be available at
the door for $50.
The golf tournament will take
place at the Golf Club at Circle C in
southwest Austin Monday, Sept. 10th.
be an awards ceremony and catered
dinner.
The entry fee is $200 per player or
$600 per foursome. Tickets are
available through Cory’s Web site,
corymorrow.com,
or
through
frontgatetickets.com.
Those interested in becoming a
sponsor for the tournament, please
contact Mark Sanders at 512-644-5781
or [email protected].
10TH ANNUAL
BOWEN CLASSIC
Check-In begins at 11 a.m., and the
driving range will be available for use
at this time. There will be a 1 p.m. shot
gun start, as 4-person teams participate
in a best ball scramble. Artists
performing in Sunday night’s song
swap, will also be taking a swing on the
course! Following the tournament will
The 10th Annual Bowen Classic,
benefiting
International
Rett
Syndrome Association, will take place
Monday, Sept. 17th at the Cottonwood
Creek Golf Course in Waco, Tex.
The tournament this year will be a
two-man scramble, and the entry fee
will be $75 per player. The fee will
include prizes, food, drinks and a
concert ticket to the pre-party concert
the night before on Sunday, Sept. 16th
at Hog Creek Icehouse.
Bowen has a big heart and this is a
fantastic event. Makes ya wanna take
up golf to help out or you can check
out his site for sponsor info.
wadebowen.com.
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 9
TEXAS MUSIC CD SPOTLIGHT
VARIOUS ARTISTS
All Gone Fishin’
BANDIT RECORDS
In most cases on compilation CDs,
the songs are releases from nondescript
albums or sessions that haven’t had a lot
of time spent on them. Let me clear
something up for you, this is not one of
those. And don’t be fooled by the cover,
though this album has fishing songs on it,
it’s just not that simple. This is far and
above some of the finest production I’ve
heard in quite some time and above all
else, is a page of history in the music
business. The artists on this release read
like a who’s who in Country Music.
Fourteen songs are included here and
here’s a breakdown of what you’ll hear:
Two songs, “Something Fishy’s Going
On” by Lori Morgan and “Sleepwalking”
by Tanya Tucker, could very well be
released as singles, right now, for airplay
and stand head and shoulders above what
you’re currently hearing on radio. A
rousing rendition of “Beer, Bait and
Ammo” by George Jones will have you
patting your foot and turning up the
volume, exactly as it was intended to do.
“Front Of The Boat” by Jerry Reed speaks
humorously about the shortcomings of
not owning your own boat and losing out
on all the good fishing. Another one of
my favorites, “As Country Could Be,”
with Gary Shiebler and Marcia Ramirez
with a distant, heartfelt arrangement is a
definite standout. There’s even an offering
from folk music stalwart, Arlo Guthrie
with a rambling, bizarre rendition of
“Talking Fishing Blues.” Other artists
include Porter Wagoner, Bobby Bare,
Patty Loveless, Mel Tillis, Little Jimmy
Dickens, Danny Gilley, Bryan White and
Rachel Procter with special guests Brad
Paisley, Steve Wariner and Jon Randall.
Like I said before, production on this
album is impeccable and kudos go to
executive producer Connie Nelson as
well as Gary Shiebler and Jimmy Johnson
who did a fantastic job on getting that
“Big” sound that is extremely hard to get
and rarely heard. They managed to get it
14 times, no problem. I have to close by
saying that my favorite song on the whole
album was Merle Haggard’s version of
Harlan Howard’s song “Take Him
Fishing.” You might want to watch where
you listen to this one at and be prepared to
have a Kleenex handy, trust me on this
one, it will get you. This album is a nearperfect balance of humor, heartfelt
emotion, storytelling with amazing
musicians, production and on top of all
that, a must have, history making album
that is in a class all by itself. Go to
banditrecords.com and get this one quick.
—GREG ROBERTS
Cruisin’ for a Cure
Swing Your Sweetheart on the High Seas
this Valentine’s Day!
Join the Legendary Freddy Powers,
plus the Lone Star’s Own Pauline Reese!
7-Day Western Caribbean Cruise
Feb 10-17, 2008 • Carnival Cruise Lines “Conquest”
7-DAY CRUISE ITINERARY
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Day 8
Port of Call: Galveston
Fun Day at Sea
Fun Day at Sea
Port of Call: Montego Bay, Jamaica
Port of Call: Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Port of Call: Cozumel, Mexico
Fun Day at Sea
Port of Call: Galveston, Texas
Depart 4pm
Arrive 8am
Arrive 7am
Arrive 9am
Depart 5:30pm
Depart 4pm
Depart 6pm
Arrive 8am
CRUISE PACKAGES FROM $625 PER PERSON
Packages include … 7 nights aboard Carnival Cruise Lines’ “Carnival Conquest”
All meals and snacks • After-Hours on Deck “Pickin’ Party” under the stars
Two private concerts and “Pickin’ Parties” for the “Cruisin’ for a Cure” Group
Great Country entertainment featuring Freddy Powers and Band with Pauline Reese
CALL TINA CANTU, 512-338-2828 or 800-444-5634
ACCENT TRAVEL / AMERICAN EXPRESS
10 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
T
LOST PINES
AN OASIS IN THE WOODS FOR EVERYONE
THE WARM TEXAS SUN STREAMS DOWN
on the plush, oversize leather couches in
the grand entry. A large bare piece of
oak driftwood 40-plus feet long hangs
from the ceiling rafters with lights
affixed atop. Native stone fireplaces are
at each end of the room with an inviting
flickering fire welcoming you to the
room. I liked this place and could
become very comfortable staying there.
All in all we are not but 45 minutes
from our home, seems almost silly to go
that far for a vacation, but we have.
The turn off Highway 71 between
Austin and Bastrop is 90 degrees of
separation from the hustle and bustle of
our daily routine. Here we have found
activities that relax and entertain our
entire family.
The Lost Pines Hyatt has
something for everyone. For the
youngest there is Camp Hyatt Tortuga,
daily activities that keep the youngest
ones busy. What a great concept for
those parents who want their kids to be
active yet within arms reach while they
relax. For the teens there is horse camp,
and movies, bikes, rafting, kayaks and
more. I don’t think there is a moment
they can claim they are bored, unless
they choose to be.
My wife spent a day at the spa.
Face, feet and toes were all part of her
regime planned after a day of tanning
poolside. She loves the whole spa thing,
most women do, and this is a place they
can indulge that desire. I did get a quick
trip to the men’s side of the spa and
wow is all I can say.
When I plan these family outings I
usually do so with a Dad trip in mind.
Being 20 minutes from Lake Bastrop I
took a half-day bass fishing trip with
bass-fishing
guide
Bo
Berry
(hawggobblerboberry.com). My son and
I caught several nice bass and lost one
monster. I hated to miss the big one, but
we love the chase.
If I were a golfer, I would have spent
three mornings on the greens. I don’t
know a lot about golf but we did do a
family bike ride and horseback ride, all
available at Lost Pines, that went along
the golf course at times and it was
beautiful. I’m pretty sure the golf balls I
saw in the woods while we were on our
horseback ride were probably not
supposed to be there.
Family time together was not left
aside. We spent lots of time on the Lazy
River floating around and around the
pool area. The slide and Jacuzzi also
kept us all entertained and bronzed
from the cool water and hot Texas sun.
The s’mores and cold chocolate milk
each night made for a dessert treat that
I know could not have been good for
my carb-counting diet, oh well, they
were fantastic.
Another great piece of the Lost
Pines sanctuary is the music. They host
a wonderful music series under the stars
in their outdoor amphitheatre and live
music weekly in their restaurants and
bars. Some of Texas’ finest musicians
have played their music to the pines
and more are scheduled. The music just
seems to be better out there. They have
tributes and images of Texas music
icons everywhere and they alone are
spectacular — almost museum status —
a proud place for Texas music.
I met families that were celebrating
birthdays and adults getting away from
their hectic schedules. There were
business meetings and conferences, golf
buddies golfing and kids and families
galore. I enjoyed sitting in the lobby
under the old oak driftwood light
fixture on the leather couches watching
the busy employees helping the guests. I
enjoyed the flickering light of the west
end fireplace and sipping on a fat-free
mocha latté.
Our summer this year was full of
activities that included everything but
any real time together as a family. We
had big plans for a summer vacation
this year but it was one thing after
another that fell apart. I knew that if I
did not separate us from the busy work
schedules and daily routines for a least a
few days this summer, it would be gone
and I would have lost the opportunity
to connect with my family one-on-one.
It was that turn, the 90 degrees of
separation from Highway 71 that
brought our family together to conclude
the summer of 2007. The long slow
drive through the pines takes away a lot
of stress and I look forward to enjoying
it again and again. For more
information on Lost Pines, go to our
Web site countrylinemagazine.com
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 11
12 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
by Sandra Greaney
L
F Labor Day is here and every year
people ask, “Why do we celebrate
Labor Day?” It is a historic holiday, a
day set aside to pay tribute to working
men and women and has been
celebrated as a national holiday in the
United States and Canada since 1894.
So there you have it! There are many
ways to celebrate this month and
festivals are hot in Central Texas.
From Batfest to ACL Fest, it’s all about
getting outdoors and enjoying great
music, good food and lots of fun!
in town
S E P T 1 - 2 AUSTIN BATFEST Head
out to the Congress Avenue Bridge to
celebrate all things batty! Activities
include bat watching, bat education,
carnival rides and bridge bungee
jumping. roadwayevents.com, 441-9015
S E P T 1 - 2 2 THE BIG GAME at Austin
Children’s Museum. Oversized games
mean giant-sized fun for everyone!
Visitors will get their minds and
muscles in the game as they play on
jumbo-sized versions of popular familyfriendly games. Designed for children
and their grown-ups to sharpen their
critical thinking and social skills on
familiar games and discover new ones.
Visitors will also gain a historical and
cultural perspective on well-known
games. austinkids.org, 472-2499
S E P T 7 - 9 TEXAS HOME & GARDEN
SHOW at the Austin Convention
Center. The show offers tons of
decorating and remodeling ideas.
There will also be lots of workshops,
seminars
and
shopping!
texashomeandgarden.com
S E P T 1 4 - 1 6 ACL MUSIC FEST at at
Zilker Park. Each year, the Festival
features more than 130 performances
across multiple stages, giving fans a
mix of genres. aclfest.com
SEPT 22-23
MOON FESTIVAL
CELEBRATION at Chinatown Center. This
free two-day event will have authentic
Asian entertainment, vendors, prizes, a
kid’s area and much more. Bring the
whole family to be enchanted by this
yearly lunar festival.
out of town
S E P T 8 - 9 TEXAS METAL ARTS FESTin
Gruene. There will be an array of
artists, including blacksmiths, bronze
sculptors, tinsmiths, silversmiths, steel
sculptors and goldsmiths that will
present their creations. 903-852-3311
S E P T 2 2 DR. POUND PIONEER
FARMSTEAD in Dripping Springs’
Founders’ Park. There will be tours of a
restored 1850’s pioneer home and
farmstead, craftsmen demonstrating
early Texas tastes and traditions and
much more! 512-858-4733
S E P T 2 5 - 3 0 COMAL COUNTY FAIR in
New Braunfels. This is one of the
oldest and largest fairs in Texas! There
will be tons of exhibits, a carnival,
rodeo, and lots of entertainment. 830625-1505
S E P T 2 8 - O C T 2 1 STATE FAIR OF
TEXAS in Dallas. This is a 24-day
entertainment showcase where more
than 3 million visitors enjoy free
concerts featuring top country and pop
artists. Other attractions include
parades, light show, crafts, exhibits,
midway rides, livestock, college
football, international soccer and new
car show. 214-421-8743
O C T 5 - 7 GRUENE MUSIC & WINE FEST
in Gruene. This Americana event
features the best in live Texas music,
food and wines at Gruene Hall and
The Grapevine. Come celebrate with
vintner and music events, wine and
food samplings, the Great Guitar
Auction and a very special Sunday
Gospel Brunch with a Texas Twist.
O C T 5 - 7 THE COWGIRL’S WEEKEND at
Silver Spur Guest Ranch in Bandera.
This escape allows you to live out your
cowgirl dreams with horseback riding,
barrel racing, pole bending, wagon
rides, campfires and more! 830-7963037
E-MAIL YOUR EVENTS TO
[email protected]
F O R C O N S I D E R AT I O N . S PA C E L I M I T S
O P P O R T U N I T Y.
OUTDOOR RADIO
LIVE
IN
AUSTIN
The Texas Outdoor Zone Radio Show
www.texasoutdoorzone.com
Exclusively on 1300AM The Zone
6 - 8 am
Every Saturday
Morning
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 13
by Kendall Hemphill
Noble Causes
A
F
Alaskans, as you would imagine, are a
little different. Not in a bad way, just
different. But then, you would not expect
someone willing to live with the daily
threat of being eaten by a bear to be
normal. This causes Alaskans to have a
more self-sufficient attitude than people
who live in the lower 48 states, where
bear attacks are not much more of a
threat to life and limb than Ted Kennedy.
Still, there are Alaskans who like to
stir things up a little, and one of those
groups calls itself Alaskans Against the
Death Penalty. This is an interesting
attitude. These are people obviously
willing to accept the possibility of an
innocent citizen becoming Yogi’s hors
d’oeuvre, yet they are opposed to the
humane execution of a convicted
murderer. This is especially strange when
you consider that bears seldom kill their
victims before they start eating them.
Anyway, AADP has a fundraiser
every year, and their motto is ‘Fry Fish,
Not People.’ When this came to the
attention of peta president Ingrid
Newkirk she got hot, and sent a letter to
AADP. I guess it was a ‘one bleeding heart
group to another’ kind of deal. She
wanted the Alaskans to change their
motto to ‘Fry Onions, Not People.’
So we have one unrealistic,
paradoxical group of wackos getting upset
with another unrealistic, paradoxical
group because of their beliefs. And when
you consider that asking Alaskans to quit
eating fish is like asking the pope to skip
mass to go golfing, the situation is even
more ludicrous.
The kicker, though, is the line in
peta’s letter that said, “Serving the corpses
of animals at an anti-death penalty event
is like serving cigarettes at an anti-cancer
fundraiser.” Well, I don’t know. Few
people who haven’t had cancer are
willing to donate much to help stop it.
But that isn’t the real issue here.
The real issue is the word ‘corpses,’
which illustrates peta’s totally false belief
that fish, and animals, are equal to people.
The same thing has cropped up in other
news stories, such as the MSNBC article
about the gorillas that were illegally killed
recently in Congo, Africa. There is no
question this was a heinous crime, but the
story, written by Sharon Begley, referred
to the killings as ‘murders.’ An MSNBC
video about the event was entitled
‘Shocking pictures show executed gorilla
family.’
The same type of inference was used
recently in a San Jose Mercury News story
about a couple of coyotes that had
attacked some people in San Francisco’s
Golden Gate Park. Wildlife officials
killed the coyotes for the sake of public
safety. The headline read ‘Coyotes
Spotted In Golden Gate Park Executed.’
Allowing this kind of lie to go
unopposed will only exacerbate the
problem. Since, by definition, only
humans can be murdered or executed, the
next step will be for these nuts to petition
congress to declare animals, birds, and fish
to be humans of alternate appearance, or
something. And their argument will be
that these stories, accepted by the general
public, demonstrate equality between you
and Fido.
Pay attention — this petition is
coming. The question is not if, but when.
Granted, animals are a large and very
important part of our existence, like
automobiles and low fat margarine and
Alan Greenspan. Why, sometimes they
actually save lives. A couple of
Chihuahuas have lately been in the news
for doing just that.
One, named Zoey, lives in Loveland,
Colo. Zoey ran between a one-year-old
toddler and a rattlesnake, and took the
hit. The kid’s grandfather then killed the
snake with a pipe, which probably
irritated peta, who would rather the boy
had gotten bitten instead of the dog in
the first place.
The other Chihuahua, a Canadian
named Manuel (go figure), helped save a
disoriented beaver that was drowning at
Vancouver’s Stanley Park. The dog led the
beaver to a boat, where rescuers saved
both of them, and took the beaver to a
wildlife rescue center. The folks at peta
should have a field day with that one.
In other Canadian news, a Bible
camp counselor at Camp Kadesh, north
of Saskatoon, threw a stick at a squirrel
and accidentally hit it. In order to teach
the boys who were present that you
should eat what you kill, the guy went
ahead and cleaned the squirrel, cooked it
and ate it. Since no laws were broken, and
the counselor didn’t make any of the boys
eat the squirrel against their will, that
should have been the end of the story.
But when some of the kids at camp
went home and told their parents about
it, some irate adults called camp
administrators trying to get the counselor
fired. That may seem severe to those of us
with IQs higher than coleslaw, but these
parents were serious. I guess they plan to
protect their children from the real world.
They want a guy punished when he did
nothing wrong.
But then, the Alaskans Against the
Death Penalty are pretty much in the
same boat. See, there hasn’t been a death
penalty in Alaska since 1957. Maybe
someone should tell them they’ve won.
Nah. No use ruining a good fish fry
…
KENDAL HEMPHILL IS AN OUTDOOR
HUMOR COLUMNIST AND PUBLIC
S P E A K E R W H O W O U L D L I K E TO P O I N T
O U T T H AT N O B E A R S W E R E H A R M E D
D U R I N G T H E W R I T I N G O F T H I S C O LU M N.
W R I T E T O H I M AT P O B O X 1 6 0 0 , M A S O N ,
T X 7 6 8 5 6 O R J E E P @ V E R I Z O N. N E T
?
by Shirley Baker
G R A N D M A’ S H I N T S
?
Clean marble surfaces with paste of baking soda
and white vinegar. Wipe clean and buff.
Use a paste of baking soda and water to get rid of hard water
or rust stains on ceramic tile. Use a nylon scrubber, then rinse.
Add 1/2 cup baking soda with wash powder to increase power
of detergent. For perspiration stains, scrub into area with a paste
of baking soda and water, let sit for one hour, then launder.
For collar stains, rub with a baking soda and water paste, then
add white vinegar and let set for 30 minutes before washing.
12 slices day-old bread, crust removed
6 slices American cheese
4 eggs, beaten
21/2 cups milk
1
/4 tsp salt
1
/8 tsp pepper
Arrange six slices of bread in bottom of greased
baking dish. Cover with cheese slices and six slices of bread. Combine eggs, milk,
salt, pepper. Pour over sandwiches and let stand 1 hour. Bake 40 minutes in 325˚F
oven. Turns puffy and brown.
Men, use a solution of one tablespoon baking soda in one cup of
water as a preshave treatment or use as an aftershave rinse.
?
?
14 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
CHEESE STRATA
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 19
Fall Gardening
A
F
A September gardening conference
will do more than offer speakers about
Texas tough plants and antique
daffodils.
“We’ll have a bulb and plant sale
following the conference where
gardeners can find thousands of bulbs
of many varieties not often found in
local nurseries,” said Keith Hansen,
Texas
Cooperative
Extension
horticulture agent in Smith County.
The annual Fall Gardening
Conference and Plant Expo will be
held Sept. 8th at the Tyler Rose
Garden Center in Tyler.
The two featured speakers won’t
be the usual local fare either, Hansen
said.
The first speaker, Steven L.
Chamblee, is the chief horticulturist
for Chandor Gardens in Weatherford.
He also serves as a consulting editor for
Neil Sperry’s Gardens magazine.
Chamblee’s topic, “Texas-Tough
Plants,” will focus on heat- and
drought-tolerant plants adapted to
East Texas.
“Two things I’m sure of,”
Chamblee said. “I get older every year,
and it gets hot every Texas summer. It
only makes sense to plant gardens that
will settle comfortably and require less
maintenance as they age. Otherwise,
you just set yourself up for endless
drudgery in the heat.”
Chamblee said he created a new
program tuned to Smith and the
surrounding
counties
for
the
conference. For example, though many
nature resource minded gardeners may
use low-water plants, but not know
how to present them.
“It’s time to rethink many plants,
particularly structural plants like yuccas,
agaves, and cacti,” Chamblee said.
“Why in the world anyone would
surround these plants with large
limestone gravel is simply beyond me.
Lay down a smooth, low groundcover
around them — like silver ponyfoot or
woolly stemodia — and you get an
amazing, surrealistic effect that’s also low
maintenance. Of course, the real bonus
is that it’s the eco-smart thing to do.”
The other featured speaker will be
16 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
Keith Kridler, a cultivator of antique
and modern daffodils.
“His speciality is antique daffodils
that are no longer grown, and his
collection includes more than 900
named varieties,” Hansen said.
Kridler is the chairman of the
Historic Daffodil Committee, and he
serves on the board of directors of the
American Daffodil Society. His
presentation will tell how to select,
plant and care for daffodil bulbs,
Hansen said.
The conference is sponsored by
the Smith County Master Gardeners,
an
Extension-trained
volunteer
program. Admission is free and open to
the public.
The doors to the center will open
at 7:30 a.m. for registration. The
conference will begin at 8:30 a.m. and
last until 11:30 a.m.
The plant and bulb sale will be
held across the street from the Rose
Garden Center at the Harvey
Convention Center and will last until
3 p.m.
A list in PDF format of the bulbs
and plants that will be for sale can be
found at the conference Web site
easttexasgardening.tamu.edu/programs
/programs.html. Click on “list of bulbs
and other plants for sale.”
“During the exposition local
Master Gardeners will staff a help desk
and show to properly plant bulbs and
plant bare-root roses,” Hansen said.
by Chuck Licata
Is the #8 saga
really over?
I
F
It was announced in August
that the #8 would not be moved to
Hendrick Motorsports with Dale
Earnhardt, Jr. next season.
Junior was hoping to take the
number with him in his new ride
— as were millions of his adoring
fans. But problems in negotiations
between
his
sister
(Kelley
Earnhardt Elledge) and his stepmom, Theresa Earnhardt (who
negotiated through team president
Max
Seigel)
led
to
the
announcement.
As you’d imagine, Junior was
none too happy.
“She either feels too personal
about the number, or the rift
between me and her is too
personal,” Earnhardt Jr. said
Saturday, according to wire
reports. “I’m not going to sit here
and get personal about this. It’s
upsetting as hell and unfortunate,
but that’s just what happens
sometimes.” Earnhardt Jr. said he
never believed he would get the
number when he made the
decision to leave DEI at the end of
this season. “I’m not really all that
surprised,” he said. “I knew I
wasn’t going to get the number a
long time ago.”
Then came news that Dale
Earnhardt Inc. could announce its
full driver lineup within a week or
two. Max Siegel said DEI still had
plenty of options as to who could
drive the #8 car next season.
So, the battle for the #8 car is
over, right?
Not so fast, according to our
sources.
There’s a step that needs to be
taken that most everyone is
overlooking. That’s the annual
renewal of the team numbers by
NASCAR. You see, every year,
every team — from Hendrick to
DEI to Richard Childress Racing
and so on — has to submit an
application
to
NASCAR
administrators to renew their
“rights” to car numbers. NASCAR
owns the numbers; the teams just
“lease” those numbers.
So, Hendricks will have to
apply for the #24, the #48 and so
on. It’s assumed NASCAR will
continue to give the same teams
the same car numbers — in fact,
teams pretty much have the “right
of first refusal” on the numbers
they’ve had for more than one
year.
However — here’s the “sticky”
part — NASCAR does not have to
give teams their first choice of
numbers. Thus, while it’s expected
that DEI, Inc. will apply for — and
get — the #8, sources inside the
NASCAR NEXTEL Cup garage
say that’s far from a done deal.
The
sentiment
is
that
NASCAR
asked
DEI
and
Hendrick to work out a deal for
the #8; obviously, that didn’t
happen. Wouldn’t it be just like
NASCAR to step in, deny DEI the
#8 and “ship it” over to Junior at
Hendrick Motorsports?
Stay tuned, that will be the
icing on the cake of what has been
an incredible “Silly Season” in ’07.
Of course, Junior better keep
his attention focused on the race
track for the next three races. In
fact, Junior better start keeping his
attention in the pits, too; with 32
laps to go at Michigan, he
overshot his own pit stall, costing
him a top-five position at the
time.
“I was watching the 66 [of Jeff
Green] who was in his stall,”
Earnhardt said according to
nascar.com. “I thought I pitted
past him, but I was two stalls
before him. When you come down
pit road, and guys are anywhere
near your stall, you look at
whether they’re jacked up on the
left, because if they drop and pull
out you’re going to have a crash,
and I don’t want to do that. I was
just looking at that, and I drove
right by my pit. My fault, totally.”
With Junior trailing 12thplace Kurt Busch (who’s put the
pressure on by winning two of the
last three races) for the last Chase
spot at this writing, Dale’s famous
son better “totally” be “without
fault” for the next three races or
he’ll miss NASCAR playoffs for
the second time in his career.
Of course, that’ll give him
more time to talk about the #8 and
his step-mom — something he’d
rather not chat about.
CHUCK LICATA IS THE 2007 TABC SPORTSWRITER OF
THE YEAR WHO COVERS HIGH SCHOOLS AND
MOTOR SPORTS FOR THE ZONE (KVET-AM 1300,
AUSTIN) AS WELL AS THE LIBERTY HILL INDEPENDENT.
HE IS ALSO A CO-OWNER OF K-MAC SPORTS
PRODUCTIONS OF AUSTIN (KMACSPORTS.COM), AN
ONLINE BROADCASTING COMPANY. HE CAN BE
REACHED AT [email protected].
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 17
by Larry LeBlanc
Shotgun barrel
lengths and
chokes
D
F
Dove season is here so many folks
are breaking out the shotguns, wiping
off the dust and rummaging through
the remnants of last years shotgun
shells. Some have even been going
out to the shotgun ranges and
shooting some trap and skeet to try to
regain the lost timing, build up the
specialized muscles one uses when
shotgunning, and everything else
necessary before going out to the field
and probably embarrassing themselves
as they punch holes in the sky,
shooting at those gray streaks known
to the world as doves.
When we address hunting with a
shotgun we run into two items that
may give some cause for thought if
someone is considering the purchase
of a new shotgun and they are barrel
length and choke.
When it comes to barrel length
for field use most field grade shotguns
are offered with your choice of 26-,
28- and 30-inch barrel lengths. As far
as the length adding to the
performance of modern shotguns and
ammunition I doubt if dove could tell
if it was hit by a shot fired from any
one of the barrels.
Two of the shotguns I own are a
pump and a semi-automatic and both
12 gauge. The pump has a 26-inch,
ribbed barrel, with screw in chokes
and the semi-automatic has a 30-inch,
plain barrel with a fixed, full choke. I
prefer the feel and swing of the 26inch barrel to that of the 30-inch
barrel, but when shooting trap I shoot
These two Remington, screw in
chokes, are typical of those used
on field-grade shotguns.
about the same score with either gun.
My skill has never exceeded the
capabilities of either shotgun and I
think that is probably true with most
of us except possibly some
competition shooters.
Therefore unless you are looking
at one specific task, like trap shooting
only, my advice is to get one that feels
good and that you can swing and
point easily and fits. The feel of the
shotgun to the hunter is far more
important than the barrel length of
the shotgun.
Now when it comes to chokes a
book could be written, but for the
hunter it all depends on what you are
planning to hunt and how far your
target.
For those who are not familiar
with the function of chokes let me
explain; a shotgun choke is a
True Texas spring water bottled right
here in Austin. Don’t buy bottled
city tap water when you can enjoy
natures pure refreshing spring water.
KEEPIN’ IT LOCAL!
Home or Office Delivery
Call Today! 512/280-4037
Official Water of
The Texas Outdoor Zone
Texas Proud!
18 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
constriction in the end of a shotgun
barrel which focuses the shot into a
tighter stream. Pattern percentages
are normally taken at a distance of 40
yards. The number of pellets striking
within a 30-inch circle, drawn so as to
encompass as many pellet holes as
possible, is counted and compared
with the number of pellets contained
in an identical unfired shell. The
result is expressed as a percentage.
For example an improved cylinder
choke may show 57 percent of the
shot within the 30-inch circle and the
full choke may show 75 percent of the
shot in the same circle. Therefore one
may conclude that for longer shots a
full choke will have advantages over
the improved cylinder by keeping a
tighter group for a longer distance.
Conversely if shooting at closer
ranges the improved cylinder will
offer broader coverage at shorter
distances, which is great if hunting for
quail over dogs, where your shots will
be shorter range and a full choke
would put too many shot into the bird
probably destroying a lot of good
meat.
In between these two chokes is a
modified choke that will theoretically
put 67 percent of the shot in the 30inch circle. Depending on your skill
you could always say, when in doubt
use modified. Most single barrel
shotguns sold today will come with
three screw in chokes, full, modified
and improved cylinder. The above
shot figures are ballpark, because for
all practical purposes every shotgun
and choke will shoot differently. The
best solution is to pattern your
shotgun and then you will know.
by Don Gordon
T
F Texas’
number one tournament
trail, Skeeter Bass Champs, has lived
up to their reputation once again.
After finishing up a great 2007
season, they are hosting three Big
Bass Tournaments. The first one was
held on July 29th at Lake Sam
Rayburn—The Dodge Mega Bass
Tournament. It was a huge success
with over 1,600 entries. This is the
largest tournament that I have ever
participated in. Seven new Dodge
trucks were given away for first place
every hour, as well as nine additional
places per hour for cash prizes
totaling a whopping $30,450! The
overall winner, Travis Pattillo, won a
new Dodge Mega Cab 4X4 with a
Hemi V8, his fish weighed in at
9.66lbs. The other truck winners are:
Anthony Clemens, 8.88lbs; Stephen
Johnson, 8.88lbs; Justin Marcum,
8.84lbs; Rick Scott,
8.50lbs;
Abram Caton, 8.24lbs and Lloyd
Stuart, 7.70lbs.
The Texas Outdoor Zone Fishing
Team, Jason Patureau and myself, had
a respectable finish in this
tournament. Overall, we placed
ninth and had the second Big Bass —
7.96lbs — of the 11 o’clock hour
taking home a check for $1000. We
pre-fished on the Saturday before the
tournament, and realized that the
fishing would be tough. On the day of
the tournament we fished our starting
water with no results. About 10:15
the sun came out and the wind died,
so I made a decision to go to Powell
Park Marina. I thought the fish would
probably move under the docks. Jason
rolled his eyes as I pulled out my drop
shot rod, but three casts later at the
wave break of large tires and all bets
were off. I set the hook knowing
there were cable and anchors at the
bottom as I turned the boat into open
water. The fish came straight up as
she approached the top and I
increased the pressure on the 8lb line
to turn her down. After a few tense
moments, I let her play out in the
deep water and slowly brought her up
to Jason’s waiting net. Watching
anglers and spectators cheered as we
lifted the big fish into the boat.
Knowing that we had a good fish, we
rushed to the weigh-in site. When I
opened the live well I saw that the
fish was floating because she had
come out of deep water and her air
bladder had expanded. We made a
decision to go ahead and weigh in
even though we knew there was a
larger fish for this hour. This brought
us the second place prize, but we
decided that the risk of holding her
and having her die was too great a
cost. The fish was caught on a
prototype TOZ drop shot rod using a
Grande
Bass
Rattlesnake
in
watermelon red, 8lb Gamma
fluorocarbon line, 3/0 Owner down
shot hook, and 3/8 Mojo weight.
The next Skeeter Bass Champs’
Big Bass Tournament is on Sept. 9th
at Choke Canyon in Three Rivers,
Tex. Registration is at Callaham Park
Saturday (Sept. 8th) from noon- 8
p.m. or at 5 a.m. on Sept. 9th. The
title sponsor is Anchor Marine, who
will be giving away a new Skeeter
SX190 with a Yamaha 150 to the
overall winner. Ten cash prizes will be
paid every hour. Take a test drive in a
Skeeter boat on Saturday to receive a
bonus of $1500 added to your
winnings. The Texas Outdoor Zone
Fishing Teams will be there, so wish
us luck!
Also coming up on Sept. 29th is
Bass
the
Central
Texas
Championship on Lake Travis. First
place prize will be a check for $3,000
with a bonus prize of lodging and
guide service at Lake Huites in
Mexico. There will be a pay out to
fifteen teams based on one hundred
entries. Academy Sports and
Outdoors is the title sponsor and
entry forms are available at the stores
as
well
as
on-line
at
texasoutdoorzone.com. Collectable
T-shirts and a complementary meal
will be furnished to all competitors.
Bring your kids, as there will be a free
kid fish held at the weigh-in site
located at Tournament Point in Pace
Bend Park. Any questions regarding
the tournament can be answered by
any member of the fishing team at
the Web site on the TOZ Fishing
Team message board.
On behalf of the Texas Outdoor
Fishing Team, Don Gordon, Jason
Patureau, Brian Booker and Cody
Greaney, I would like to thank our
sponsors for a great year — Texas
Outdoor Zone Radio Show and
Country
Line
Magazine
(TJ
Greaney), TOZ Rods (Dayne Pryor),
Grande Bass (Jerry Shinn), Printing
Solutions (Ron Faulstich), Hill
Country
Embroidery
(R.L.
Toungate), Sun Signs (Victor
Dearmond), Skeeter Bass Champs
(Chad Potts/Jeff Walsh) and Fishers
of Men (Jeff Cook).
Additionally, I would like to
thank Animal Paintball for the new
team jerseys and Ryan Green
(ryangreenphotography.com, 512989-9295) for the team photo shoot.
Pictures will be on the Texas Outdoor
Zone Web site soon.
Skeeter Bass Champs Championship Tournament
Oct 27-28, Lake Sam Rayburn • 1st Place: $30,000
For more info visit basschamps.com
Fishers of Men Regional Tournament
October 26-27, Atchafalaya Basin — Morgan City, La.
For more info, call 512-413-4178, or visit fomcentex.com
CHECK OUT THE TOZ BASS TEAM BLOG FOR
NEWS AND TIPS AT TEXASOUTDOORZONE.COM
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 19