0808 CLM - Country Line Magazine

4 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
IN THIS ISSUE
I
Grown Men Don’t Cry
I am one of the meanest old congers
you would never want to run across on
the wrong day. I can take a nail in the
hand, a half dozen bee stings and a
thump on the head from a falling 2x4,
and I keep going. I was kinda raised that
way; if you got soft, you got eaten alive.
I also have a darker, scarier side — a
little softy guy who cries in church and
while watching television commercials.
What the heck? I don’t usually wail
away with sobs and water pouring from
my eyes, but there can be tears and a
stifled breath. It seems like this guy
comes more often now as I get older, too.
I am thinking if it keeps up I am going to
keep a hammer in my pocket in case I
have to get the tough guy back quickly.
This weekend I watched a tribute to
Tony Snow, the former press secretary,
speech writer and TV/radio superhero.
He was, in my opinion, one of the finest
writers, radio and television guys ever. As
a man of the media, I loved a lot of his
work, but none more than his speeches.
Snow wrote speeches for George H.
Bush. He was a brilliant conservative
and could deliver a message that even a
simple man like me could understand.
He fought cancer these last few years.
One of the revelations he had while he
was sick was, “In many cases, a bout with
sickness stretches your soul, opens your
eyes and introduces you to a world of
unimagined grandeur, possibility and
joy.” He got to the core of being alive
through his illness.
I grew up in a broken home. When
my parents divorced, like so many do, I
decided to go out on my own. I was in
my early teens. I could have gone and
lived with my mom, but it did not work
out that way. I remember the night I got
tough. It was on an interstate highway in
Alabama in the middle of a cold night
when it started to sprinkle. I had
nowhere to go and knew absolutely no
one. I was traveling and knew at that
moment that if I lost it, I would not
survive. So I got tough, I shut down, I
just did not allow myself to go there.
That tool has stuck with me; it is a
familiar tool to many.
Many adults today lived the same
life I did. Many had it a lot worse and
some of the kids today — forget it, it is
just bad. It is kids today who can really
bring out that monster softy guy inside
me most often. I think of that boy, me,
walking across the field cold, wet,
hungry and scared in the middle of the
F
F E AT U R E S
artist spotlight: bill rice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
artist spotlight: ryan turner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
beach,surfboards and the pier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
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
by Shirley Baker
horsing around . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16
by Laura Haugh
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
Don Gordon, Kendall Hemphill, Larry LeBlanc, Sandra
Greaney, Sheryl Bucsanyi, Shirley Baker
COVER PHOTO
Katie Garcia
night with no place to go. I don’t want
that for any child. All lost kids want is
someone to love them, to actually care
for them, a home. For most of them it is
not their fault they are where they are or
they have crappy parents.
Boys need to be tough and
compassionate. They need love and
discipline. They need to explore and sit
quietly. They need to be boys. It doesn’t
matter what age their bodies are either. I
know many a lost sad boy who lives in a
40-year-old body.
My mom tells a story about when I
was young and told her when I grew up
I was going to get a ranch and help out
lost boys. That was before my parents
split and before I was lost and alone.
Today I am part of a new ministry that
shares the outdoors with boys who need
loving. Destiny. God’s plan for me —
predestined? Yes, I believe so.
Me, personally, I know better than
to watch Terms of Endearment before I
have to meet with a bunch of tough guys
about chunks of metal, dirt or horses. I
am learning to bring a bandana to
church in case — and when I am driving
alone in my truck, if the band Mercy Me
comes on the radio, there’s a good
chance I am gonna tear up so I have
some baby wipes under the console.
We are looking for a ranch if you
know anyone who wants to donate or
help with it. We will trade our home for
a small piece out there somewhere if we
can. As for me and the soft guy, I am just
going to go with it. Chicks dig the
compassionate soft type. My wife really
likes it, and that new shirt of mine, is
salmon, not pink.
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
JOHNNY CASH
CONTINUES TO
RAISE PRAISE
There is an inspirational new
release Johnny Cash: Chapter & Verse,
DVD/CD set featuring music and
narration from one of the most
distinctive and heralded voices ever.
This exclusive collection is the first
ever to feature Cash’s narration of the
New King James Version® New
Testament on DVD with a CD of 14 of
Cash’s most beloved gospel hits. The
new collection is set for release on
October 28.
The new set features over 19 hours
of Johnny Cash’s narration of the New
King James Version New Testament on
DVD
with
on-screen
text
synchronized to the Dolby Digital®
Stereo Audio. Handy interactive
menus enhance enjoyment and bible
study by allowing direct access to any
book or chapter and viewers will
appreciate the synchronized graphics
and text.
The DVD’s special features include
include favorites such as, “The Miracle
Man,” “Precious Memories,” “Wings In
The Morning,” and “The Greatest
Cowboy Of Them All.”
AND THEN THERE
WAS SNOOP DOG
AND CASH …
“Walking the Bible,” a Holy Land
Photo Tour. It also includes an
introduction by John Carter Cash,
Johnny Cash’s son, who played an
integral role in this very special
project.
The CD offers music fans a unique
look at Johnny Cash’s gospel music
legacy in a collection that is not
available anywhere else. The 14 songs
6 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
Compadre Records/Music World
Music has announced the release of
Johnny Cash Remixed, featuring bold
new interpretations of Johnny Cash
classics from top music remixers and
producers who were recruited to take
the original master recordings and
infuse them with the sounds and
technology of modern music styles
such as hip hop and dance music. The
album, which includes a performance
from Snoop Dogg, will be available in
stores and online on October 14. A
vinyl deluxe-edition will be available
on September 23 in select independent
record stores.
Johnny Cash Remixed is a tribute to
the legacy of an American music icon
whose work has touched every
contemporary genre, and has the
blessing and support of the custodians
of Johnny Cash’s legacy.
“My father made his stead by
defying the expected and accepted way
of things” says John Carter Cash son of
Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash and
Executive Producer of the Academy
Award©-winning film Walk the Line. “He
set the standard at the same time. He
would have loved this remix record.
While it stays true to the original
recordings, this CD touches on
undiscovered ground. This is what my
father was about: staying true to
tradition while creating groundbreaking
new music.”
The remixed tracks (and remixers)
include “I Walk The Line” featuring
Snoop Dogg (QDT, the new
production team led by Snoop Dogg —
featuring Snoop, Teddy Riley and DJ
Quik), “Country Boy” (Sonny J, whose
album will be released in August on
Astralwerks US), “Get Rhythm”
(Philip Steir, the only remixer allowed
to work with the Reprise Records
Frank Sinatra collection), “Leave that
Junk Alone” (Alabama 3, creators of
The Sopranos theme song), “Folsom
Prison Blues” (the legendary Pete
Rock), “Hey Porter” (Mocean Worker,
whose remix of Elvis Presley’s “Burnin’
Love” was used as a soundtrack to
Honda’s Superbowl TV commercial),
“Sugartime” (Kennedy, cornerstone of
the new UK Dirty Pop movement),
“Trail to Mexico (indie favorite
Mexican Industry of Sound/MIS),
“Doin’ My Time” (The Heavy,
critically-acclaimed UK-based band)
and “Wide Open Road” (Count de
Money) among others.
A documentary following the
making on this album is also in
production. This short film features
interviews from select remixers, filmed
in their home studios, including Snoop
Dogg captured at the Cash Recording
Cabin in Hendersonville, Tenn.
GRETCHEN WILSON
RELEASES BRAND
NEW SINGLE TO
COUNTRY RADIO
Gretchen Wilson released her
brand new single, “Don’t Do Me No
Good,” to country radio. This driving,
up-tempo record is from her upcoming
release, I Got Your Country Right Here,
due out this October.
“What a great way to kick off the
summer with the new tune,” says
Wilson. “After being on the road and
taking the time to graduate, I’m ready
to rock again on country radio.”
Written by Wilson, Ashley Gorley and
Wade Kirby, her fiery live performance
of “Don’t Do Me No Good” is already
a concert favorite.
Gretchen Wilson is currently in
the studio adding the finishing touches
to the new disc and will be playing
select dates throughout the summer.
Catch a glimpse of more new music
from Wilson in Regal Cinemas
nationwide and online at tnt.tv as she
lends her empowering voice to the
marketing campaign for the second
season of TNT’s critically acclaimed
hit drama Saving Grace starring Oscar®
winner Holly Hunter.
Houston (Cynthia Woods Mitchell
Pavilion)
RANDY OWEN ON CMT
Randy Owen recently taped an
episode of CMT’s popular online
MORE GRETCHEN…
Fans have voted Wilson’s version
of “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” the
winner. ESPN’s Baseball Tonight
commemorated the 100th anniversary
of the famous seventh inning stretch
song with a “battle of the bands”
competition. Nine artists recorded
their versions of “Take Me Out to the
Ballgame,” which were televised on
the show over a two-week stretch.
Fans then voted on ESPN.com and
the winner was announced on
Baseball Tonight. gretchenwilson.com
MARTINA MCBRIDE
BEGINS TOUR
For Country Music’s biggest voice,
Martina McBride, the sky’s the limit
this summer as she takes her “Waking
Up Laughing Tour” outdoors. The tour
began July 11, at the DTE Energy
Music Theatre near Detroit, Mich.
and will bring the country superstar to
over thirty markets by mid-October.
After a successful arena run in
both the US and Canada, this
extension will offer fans the
opportunity to take in hit after hit
under the stars. “This is the first time I
have headlined an amphitheater tour,”
says McBride, “and we are really
excited.”
Continuing on the tour with
Martina will be 2008 ACM Top New
Male Vocalist Jack Ingram who has
wowed audiences with his intensely
entertaining live show. After a decade
of critical acclaim, Jack Ingram’s
breakthrough album, This Is It,
debuted at #4 on the Billboard
Country Album Chart. His #1 smash
single “Wherever You Are” kicked off
a clean sweep of hits that was followed
by the Top Ten tongue-in-cheek
rocker, “Love You;” Jack’s rendition of
“Lips of an Angel;” “Measure of a
Man,” and his most recent single, the
romantic lament, “Maybe She’ll Get
Lonely.”
In addition, two hot newcomers
will open the stage: Chris Young (on
through Aug. 30) and Jason Michael
Carroll (Sept. 19-Oct. 11).
Texas dates include: July 17,
San Antonio (Verizon Wireless
Amphitheater); July 18, Dallas
(Superpages.com Center); July 19,
performance show “Unplugged at
Studio 330,” and it began airing on
cmt.com in July. Guitar-slinger Wade
Hayes, Broken Bow Records label mate
Megan Mullins and keyboard player
Steve Peffer joined Randy on stage for
acoustic versions of “Braid My Hair”
and “Let’s Pretend We’re Strangers In
The Night” from his debut solo project
One On One and the Alabama smash
hits “Feels So Right” and “Mountain
Music.”
In addition to the performances,
fans will see exclusive interview footage,
a photo gallery and compelling stories
behind each song. Randy’s new single,
“Like I Never Broke Her Heart,” hits
radio airwaves in July as well, and One
On One and his memoir “Born Country”
both hit stores Tuesday, Nov. 11.
TRACE ADKINS
JOINS ALAN JACKSON
ON TOUR
Alan Jackson, one of country
music’s greatest voices and most
accomplished artists, will invite Trace
Adkins along when his Good Time
tour hits the road this Fall. Sorry, no
Texas dates at this time …
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 7
KYLE PARK IS
COLLIN HERRING
ANYWHERE IN TEXAS COMES TO AUSTIN
Singer-songwriter Kyle Park is
scheduled to release his new album
Anywhere in Texas Sept. 16. The new
album was recorded at Ray Benson’s
Bismeaux Studio in Austin, Tex. and
mastered by Independent Mastering in
Nashville, Tenn.
Park was joined by several of
country music’s elite in the recording
of the album including Grammy
Award winners Lloyd Maines (Dixie
Chicks’ Home) on steel guitar, Dave
Sanger (Asleep At The Wheel) on
drums, and Jason Roberts (Asleep at
the Wheel) on fiddle.
“I’m very honored to have so many
great musicians contribute to my new
album,” says Park. “We are proud of
Anywhere in Texas and hope music fans
worldwide enjoy our work as much as
we enjoyed recording it.”
Kyle Park fans can get a taste of
the new album this summer with the
July release of his first single on the
new CD “Tossin’ and Turnin’.”
kyleparkmusic.com.
Alt-country rock singer-songwriter
Collin Herring will be performing
songs from his debut release Past Life
Crashing, a record filled with
spectacular sounds of emotional
wounds and breakthroughs, on two
dates here in Austin — Jul. 20 at The
Scoot Inn and Aug. 13 at Hole in the
Wall. collinherring.com
JACKSON TAYLOR
COULD FINALLY GET
HIS DAY
After a decade of decadence, hard
lessons learned and a new attitude on
life, country music artist, Jackson
Taylor is topping the Texas Music
Chart this month with his hit “Outlaw
Women.” The second single from the
critically acclaimed 2008 album, Dark
Days (Smith Music) has rewardingly
paid off for the fresh faced veteran after
years of building solid fan bases on the
road, accompanied by a strong
grassroots promotion that included
endless concert dates, radio tours, a hot
new video and creative promotional
ideas like giving radio callers the
country singer’s own Jackson Taylor’s
Outlaw Salsa. “Outlaw Women” is
currently at #3 on the Texas Music
Chart and some of country music’s best
known and respected DJs are rooting
for the single to hit the top spot.
“For over six years, I was that artist
that traveled around the country in a
broken down van, without air
conditioning or heating, played any
place that would have me and sell my
CDs out of the back of my van … but
learning as I grew as an artist. Please
know that none of this would be true if
it was not for each and everyone of you
supporting my music. Thank you,
thank you, thank you,” said Taylor,
who will remain on the road for the
rest of the year.
GEORGE STRAIT TEAM
ROPING CLASSIC
The 27th Annual George Strait
Team Roping Classic (GSTRC) is
scheduled to take place Friday and
Saturday March 13-14, 2009 at the
San Antonio Rose Palace in San
JESSICA SIMPSON TO RELEASE DEBUT
COUNTRY ALBUM DO YOU KNOW?
Dallas native Jessica Simpson will
release her highly anticipated debut
country album, Do You Know?, Sept. 9.
Produced by Brett James and John
Shanks, Simpson co-wrote all but three
of the tracks featured on the disc,
including her current Top 25 hit single,
“Come On Over.”
Simpson is certainly ready to come
on over to country music. Recorded in
Nashville, this album gives listeners an
inside look into the real Jessica
Simpson. “Every single song is a piece of
my heart … who I am,” comments
Simpson. “I’m not what everybody
thinks that I am. Believe it or not, I’m a
simple country girl. I might buy
expensive shoes,” she laughs, “But, I’m
definitely a simple country girl and this
album will hopefully give people a sense
of who Jessica is again.”
Helping share Simpson’s story is
none other than country legend Dolly
Parton who lends her powerful vocals to
the title track, “Do You Know.” Parton
Antonio, Tex. The event, which
originated as a small family roping by
George and his brother Buddy in 1982,
has grown into the most prestigious
open Team Roping competition in the
country. The GSTRC has become the
premiere open in the sport with
hundreds of thousands of dollars up for
grabs each year.
The GSTRC is not just for the big
names however. As an open roping,
ropers of all levels may compete
alongside each other for a chance at
the big winnings. In March, nearly 500
teams competed for more than
$660,000 in cash and prizes.
“It is definitely a life changing
experience to win the GSTRC,” says
2008 winner Michael Jones. “With
nearly 500 teams entering, this chance
just doesn’t come along every day.”
“The most gratifying thing about
putting on the GSTRC comes when
we present the awards to the winners,”
said Strait. “The looks on their faces,
the excitement and their words of
appreciation make all the hard work
worth every minute.”
All ropers will participate on
Friday, March, 13 for cash and prizes.
Following Friday’s competition, the
top 50 teams will come back for the
final three rounds on Saturday, March
14. Entry fee for the 27th annual
George Strait Team Roping Classic
will be $800 per team. Each roper will
have the opportunity to enter up to
three times with different partners.
Details
on
registration,
competition and ticket purchasing go
to gstrc.com.
NO JUSTICE
wrote this record just for Simpson. “It’s
such a great song,” comments Simpson.
“I’m so blessed to be able to sing with
her on it … she is so much a part of me
finding myself as an artist.”
8 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
Simpson will be giving country fans
a preview of her new music as she hits
the road this summer, playing select fairs
and festivals. jessicasimpson.com
When you are a band responsible
for three record releases spawning a
handful of hits on the music charts and
are on the road religiously doing 200
plus shows a year, it is difficult to block
away time to record your next muchanticipated studio release. But No
Justice will be back in the studio this
winter to record their early 2009
release. Their last album Live At Billy
Bob’s included the likes of Willie
Nelson, Merle Haggard, David Allan
Coe, Asleep At The Wheel, Roy
Clark, Jack Ingram, Pat Green, Kevin
Fowler and the Randy Rogers Band …
just to name a few. nojustice.com,
myspace.com/nojusticeband
THE BACKYARD
IS CLOSING
Sunday, October 26 will be a very
special and sad day. Celebrate the final
season of The Backyard with Willie
Nelson and Friends! After 16 years of
unforgettable music and memories,
The Backyard will be closing its doors
forever. The celebration will begin
early and last until the music stops.
The first 400 ticket buyers will
receive an Early Bird ticket price and a
portion of all ticket proceeds will be
donated to charity.
MIRANDA LAMBERT
AND THE JUKEBOX
TouchTunes Corporation, the
largest
out-of-home
interactive
entertainment network, has announced
an exclusive promotion with awardwinning Columbia Nashville recording
artist Miranda Lambert. Beginning
today, TouchTunes will feature the
“Miranda Lambert Autographed Guitar
Giveaway” on 10,000 jukeboxes
nationwide. Users will be able to enter
for a chance to win an Epiphone guitar
autographed by Miranda herself by
entering their email addresses on the
TouchTunes screen at any participating
location. Each location will also feature
Miranda’s chart-topping album Crazy
Ex-Girlfriend and will promote her
current Top 10 hit single, “Gunpowder
& Lead.”
MICKY AND THE
MOTORCARS ARE
“NAÏVE”
Micky and the Motorcars, the fivepiece country band out of Austin, will
release its fourth studio album, Naïve,
with a series of in-store appearances
and special album release shows across
Texas starting at the end of this month.
The 14-cut album, all but one
track written or co-written by band
front man and lead singer Micky
Braun, was recorded at Cedar Creek
Recording in Austin. Starting on
Release Day (Tuesday, July 29) fans
can get a free download of the new
album’s title track — a rock ’n’ roll
version of a cheatin’ song featuring
Braun’s signature smoky vocals — at
emusic.com.
Special Naïve release events
include: July 28 — a listening party
with Micky and the Motorcars,
autographs and beer at LoneStar
Music, 1243 Gruene Road in New
Braunfels and July 29 — Official CD
Release Show at Saxon Pub, 1320 S.
Lamar in Austin;
The busy week is just the start of
the tour by the road-tested alt-country
band that plays more than 200 dates a
year — sharing the horse power of such
tracks “Grow Old,” “Long Enough to
Leave,” “Bloodshot” and other sweet
and simple originals with an old-school
country sound, some with that classic
beat.
Micky and the Motorcars —
Braun, lead vocals and acoustic,
electric and rhythm guitars; older
brother Gary Braun, harmony vocals,
harmonica and electric guitar; Mark
McCoy, bass guitar; Kris Farrow, lead
guitar; and Shane Vannerson, drums
and percussion — headline on
Saturday, August 9, at the annual
Braun Brothers Reunion Festival in
Challis, Idaho, as part of the three-day
music extravaganza started by band
leader (and father of Micky and Gary)
Muzzie Braun nearly 30 years ago.
braunbrothersreunion.com,
mickyandthemotorcars.com.
SPEAKING OF BRAUN
BROTHERS …
Roots rockers Reckless Kelly,
which includes Cody Braun, amassed
first-week sales of its powerful new
album, Bullet Proof, that put it at #2 on
Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, #22 on
its Country chart and #117 on its Top
200 chart, the magazine reported.
Reckless Kelly released the disc of 14
originals — spicy love songs and spirited
rock anthems — on June 24 with a soldout show at Antone’s in Austin and an
in-store appearance at Austin’s Waterloo
Records & Video earlier in the day that
drew more than 200 fans.
As the summer gets hotter, so does
Reckless Kelly’s schedule, with a twonight stand at Gruene Hall and shows
at Sam Houston Race Park in Houston
and Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth in
August.
August 1-2, Gruene Hall, New
Braunfels; August 7-9, Braun Brothers
Reunion, Challis, Idaho; August 22,
North Texas State Fairgrounds,
Denton; August 29, Sam Houston
Race Park, Houston; August 31,
Ziegfest at the Lake Bryan; August 31,
Billy Bob’s Texas, Fort Worth
recklesskelly.com
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 9
C
F Combine a childhood in rural
Oklahoma with plenty of heartache, two
near death experiences, a whole lotta
backroadin’ therapy, a couple of bar scars
and the perfect farmer’s tan with
meaningful lyrics, a soulful voice, solid
guitar work and you’ve got Bill Rice.
What inspires you to do what you
do? I guess I’m inspired by real life. I
write a lot about my own life. Being
able to play music and being on the
road is also inspiring. I have a job that
I love, that enables me to travel and
meet many different kinds of people
from all walks of life. I’m thankful that
I'm right here doing what I love to do.
If you weren’t a musician what
would you want to be? Not sure. Since
a kid, I never wanted to be anything
else. If I had to choose, probably a
fishing guide in Colorado. I might
wanna fish for crab in Alaska, sounds
like fun. Gonna need a Dramamine®
sponsorship for that one though, you
don't know anyone over there do ya?
ARTIST spotlight
Bill Rice
How do you spend your off time? I
play a lot of Halo with my little boy
and sometimes he lets me win. I have
never grown up. I also love to fish and
on occasion I’ll catch a Monte
Montgomery or Jimmy LaFave show,
no pun intended. I love to write music,
so I spend a lot of time at home sitting
with my guitar and notebook.
BILLRICEBAND.COM | AUG 5, HILL’S CAFE |
AUG 9, TUFFS TAVERN (PFLUGERVILLE) |
AUG 12, HILL’S CAFE | AUG 19, HILL’S
CAFE| AUG 21, BLANCO’S (HOUSTON) |
AUG 26, HILL’S CAFE | AUG 27, HILL’S
CAFE/KVET MUSIC SERIES W/ ROGER
CREAGER
11th Annual CTBA
Band Scramble Triumphs
I
F Once
again this year’s Central
Texas Bluegrass Association comes out
smelling like a rose much to the credit
of singer, song writer, composer and
teacher Eddie Collins. Eddie, a long
standing member of CTBA who
volunteered to oversee the proceedings
this year as he has in years past and as
usual all went soothe.
The Band Scramble has been held
every year now with this being the
eleventh year and the turn out seems
to get larger each year. There are
people who travel from Lubbock,
Amarillo, Houston, San Antonio,
Where is the most unusual place
you and your band have ever played?
At a gentlemen’s club. Not sure I played
a single chord right that night! The
ratio was fantastic, now I know why
they paid us at the end of the night.
How do you want people to
remember you? A nice guy that told
the truth thru his music. A good ol’
boy. The kind of guy that you wouldn’t
be afraid to introduce to your
mom. Well, maybe I went a
little too far on that last one.
No, all kidding aside, just a
good guy that loved his family
and loved playing music.
Laredo, Corpus Christi, and many
smaller town in between just to take
part in this once a year event. Bands
are formed randomly by drawing
names that have been put in hats
relative to the various instruments
they play and given one hour to
practice and have at least four songs
ready to perform to the anxious
audience.
This family event is held at Artz
Rib House on South Lamar and is
standing room only almost every year.
centraltexasbluegrass.org
—ROY
GLOVER
10 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
D
F During his high school days in the
small prison-town of Gatesville, Tex.,
Ryan picked up his first guitar and
started writing songs. His musical tastes
were shaped from a variety of influences.
Classic sounds from the likes of
Creedence Clearwater Revival, the
Beach Boys, John Mellencamp, the
Beatles, the Eagles, George Strait and
Tom Petty have all made their impact
on Ryan. Along with the greats from the
past, he also credits many current song
men as mentors — Bruce Robison,
Radney Foster, Darrell Scott, Rodney
Crowell, and many other behind-thescenes songwriters are among those he
chooses to study and learn from.
Tell me about your music and
band right now. Well I’ve got a new
five-song EP that I’ve been sitting on
for a while. I worked with the amazing
songwriter/guitarist/producer Keith
Gattis, who’s known for his work with
Dwight Yoakam, Waylon Payne, and
Cory Morrow. Working with Gattis
was definitely the best musical
artist spotlight
Ryan Turner
experience I’ve had so far in my career.
I can’t wait for these tunes to get out
there. The songs have all been getting
great reaction at the liveshows and I’m
hoping to get the EP out sometime
before 2008 is over … stay tuned!
What or who inspires you to do
what you do? I guess it’s just that hardto-explain “feeling” you get when you
hit just the right chord or stumble
upon just the right lyric. There’s
definitely a sudden “high” feeling that
music brings to some of us and I’m a
card-carrying addict of that “high.”
Music’s always had the ability to take
me somewhere else so I’d say that it’s
just simply that “feeling” that keeps
me in this crazy game.
Where is the most unusual place
you and your band have ever played?
Oh, wow … I might need a few more
pages to list them all! Probably the
infamous “Mudfest ’07” gig. Django
Walker and I played a high school
graduation party out on a huge ranch.
It had rained nonstop for what seemed
like a couple of days. First our van got
stuck in the mud a few times trying to
get to the stage … we had to get towed
in by a tank-sized 4x4. Then came
another torrential downpour during
which about a 100 kids flooded onto
the stage. By the time we actually got
to start playing, the entire stage was
covered in mud … along with
ourselves and all of our instruments
and equipment. But those kids were
definitely fired up which made it all
worth it. It’s the closest thing I have to
a Woodstock experience so I’ll take it!
(Search “Mud Trip” on YouTube to
witness the chaos firsthand … please
excuse the non-PG rated language …
it was a very long day!)
If you weren’t a musician what
would you want to be? I’ve thought
about this a lot and have never been
able to come up with any other
suitable career options. I’ve had tons
of other jobs … from my first job as a
“minnow dipper” at Wayne’s Tackle
Shop in Gatesville to being a valet
parker to being the “slicer/glazer guy”
at Honeybaked Hams; along with a
seemingly countless others … none of
which ever interested me much. I
really can’t imagine being happy doing
anything else.
How do you spend your off time? I
can definitely kill some time playing
video games or surfing the internet. I
like to knock a golf ball around when I
get the chance … though I definitely
wouldn’t call myself a golfer! I like to
fish and campout too.
How do you want people to
remember you? Personally: Just as a
good guy and good friend … someone
of with integrity. Professionally: Willie
Nelson says there’s two kinds of music
— bad and good. I’d basically just like
to have my peers say that I belonged
into the latter category … I’d be
satisfied with that.
R YA N T U R N E R M U S I C . C O M | A U G 2 0 ,
H I L L’ S C A F E | A U G 2 7 9 5 . 9 T H E R A N C H
T E X A S M U S I C S E R I E S AT 8 . 0 ’ S ( F T.
W O R T H ) | O C T 1 8 , KY L E C I T Y FA I R
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 11
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12 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
by Sandra Greaney
A
F
According
to
Wikipedia,
traditionally Labor Day is celebrated
by most Americans as the symbolic
end of the summer but actually
originated in 1882 as the Central
Labor Union sought to create "a day
off for the working man". Congress
made Labor Day a federal holiday in
1894 and now all fifty states have made
Labor Day a state holiday. So as this
wonderful holiday approaches don’t
think of it as the end to summer
vacation, because there is still a lot on
the calendar to consider doing in the
month of August.
in town
EVERY SATURDAY A U S T I N FA R M E R S
M A R K E T Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. and
Wednesdays, 3-7 p.m. at Republic
Square Park (4th and Guadalupe). Buy
fresh fruits, vegetables and more from
local growers. austinfarmersmarket.org
S U N S E T VA L L E Y FA R M E R S M A R K E T
offers fresh local fruits and vegetables
at the Tony Burger Center. 512-2801976, sunsetvalleyfarmersmarket.org
AUG 7-9 D I S N E Y ’ S B E A U T Y & T H E
B E A S T presented by Zilker Park
Theatre Productions at 8:30 p.m at the
Sheffield Zilker Hillside Theater.
Admission is FREE! 512-479-9491,
zilker.org
AUG 9-12 C H A N G I N G F A C E S O F
O N I O N C R E E K N AT U R E H I K E at
McKinney Falls State Park. 512-2431643, tpwd.state.tx.us
AUG 16 ICE CREAM FESTIVAL at Waterloo
Park includes games, activities, icecream-eating and best homemade ice
cream contests, live entertainment and
tons of ice cream! 512-441-9015
AUG 24 AUSTIN HOT SAUCE FESTIVAL
Many amateurs and pros compete for
the bragging rights to the best hot
sauce. Live music, Austin restaurant
vendors and merchants from across the
Southwest are just a part of the
festivities
at
Waterloo
Park.
austinchronicle.com, 512-454-5766
AUG 27 LBJ’S 100TH BIRTHDAY at the
LBJ Library. The the public is invited
to a free, Texas-size party to celebrate
LBJ’s 100th birthday. President and
Mrs. Johnson were famous for the BarB-Q dinners they held to entertain
dignitaries,
astronauts,
foreign
members of his administration, and
their friends. The celebration will be
held from 6 – 8 p.m. in a large tent on
the lawn in front of the Library. In this
election year, learn about our country’s
36th President and First Lady, Lyndon
and Lady Bird Johnson. Celebrate
LBJ’s birthday by enjoying free Bar-BQ, ice cream, drinks, some great music,
and learn about the history of
America’s space program.
AUG 30-31 BAT FEST This fun event
features a “bat wing” eating contest,
bat watching, bat education, carnival
rides, bridge bungee jumping and more
at the Ann Richards Congress Avenue
Bridge. roadwayevents.com, 512-4419015
AUG 31 SPLASHJAM in Cedar Park.
Enjoy music poolside by Common
Thread, swimming, washer tournament,
fireworks and more at the Elizabeth
Milburn Park. cedarparkfun.com
Fredericksburg. Go see live parimutuel horse racing, livestock exhibits
and carnival and midway, and more at
the Gillespie County Fairgrounds.
gillespiefair.com, 830-997-2359
AUG 28 TEXAS LABOR DAY WEEKEND
CELEBRATION at the Uvalde County
Fairgrounds in Uvalde. A family
festival with live Texas country music
featuring Roger Creager and Los
Palominos, plus sporting clay shootout,
a car and truck show, a snake
encounters show, gunfighters, carnival
midway, games and lots of activities for
the kids all benefiting Southwest Texas
Junior College Scholarship Fund.
TexasLaborDayWeekend.com, 830591-7351
outside of town
more activity ideas
ALL MONTH LONG DEVIL’S WATERHOLE
CANOE TOUR at Inks Lake State Park in
Burnet. Take a guided canoe tour and see
many of the unique geological and
natural features. Reservations required.
tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/inks/
512-793-2223
EVERY WEEKEND (THRU LABOR DAY)
MOVIES UNDER THE STARS at Corral Theatre,
Wimberley’s walk-in outdoor theatre!
Movies showing this month include The
Incredible Hulk, Journey to the Center o
the Earth, The Dark Knight and
Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants II. See
Web site for complete show listings,
corraltheatre.com
AUG 8 FRIDAY NIGHT FEVER in
Castroville features classic, vintage race
cars along with motorcycles, ’50s music,
food and more. castroville.com, 830538-3142
AUG 8-10 LAKEFEST DRAG BOAT RACE
in Marble Falls. Watch more than 100
boats at speeds up to 200 mph at
Lakeside Park and Johnson Park. 800759-8178, marblefallslakefest.com
AUG 9 M O V I E S U N D E R T H E S TA R S
at Lyndon B. Johnson National
Historical Park in Johnson City.
lbj100.org
AUG 14 SUMMER IN THE PARK CONCERT
SERIES in San Marcos presents Two Tons
of Steel in the San Marcos Plaza. 512393-8400,
ci.sanmarcos.tx.us/departments/parks/index.
htm
AUG 16 G U A DA LU P E R I V E R PA R A D E
in Kerrville featuring live music by
Harry & the Hightones. 4-11 p.m. Flat
Rock Park. clearriveradvocates.org,
830-377-9838
AUG 21-24 GILLESPIE COUNTY FAIR in
FISHING! With National Hunting
and fishing Day (nhfday.org) coming
in September, try your hand at fishing
in one of the many bodies of water in
Central
Texas.
Check
out
tpwd.state.tx.us/kids for places to go
and tips for kids.
FLY A KITE! Or even better yet,
build a kite and then take it out and fly
it! Visit pbs.org/benfranklin/exp_kite.html
for kite building ideas. This is a great way
to spend some time with the kids and
encourage personal creativity.
COOKING OUTSIDE over an open
fire can be a ton of fun! Try your hand
at making a wood fire in a fire pit
cooking corn on the cob in the husk,
meat wrapped in foil placed on the
coals and all kinds of deserts. This is
one simple pleasure that don’t cost
hardly a thing, but builds priceless
memories! Visit lovetheoutdoors.com
for easy cooking tips and recipes.
I F Y O U AT T E N D A N E V E N T L I S T E D H E R E ,
P L E A S E S H O OT M E A N E - M A I L A N D L E T M E
K N O W H O W I T W A S . I W O U L D L O V E TO
H E A R F R O M YO U !
[email protected]
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 13
by Kendall Hemphill
Good news,
bad news
B
F By now, unless you’ve been living in
a cave somewhere, you’ve probably heard
about the Supreme Court’s decision in
the case of District of Columbia v. Heller
on 26 June. The justices decided the
Second Amendment means that
Americans have an individual right to
keep and bear arms. That’s the good
news.
When the story first broke that day, I
told my wife that 26 June should be
declared a national holiday. A few hours
later I got an email from Don Zaidle, my
editor at Texas Fish & Game magazine,
that said the same thing. Everyone in the
country who is involved in the fight for
individual gun rights started celebrating,
and hasn’t quit yet.
Because of the Supreme Court’s
decision, the NRA quickly moved to file
lawsuits in San Francisco and Chicago to
challenge gun bans similar to the one
Washington D.C. has struggled under for
32 years. Citing the 26 June finding, the
NRA hopes to reclaim individual rights
in other places that should never have
been taken away from citizens. Hopefully
the suits will be successful.
But behind every silver lining there
is a cloud, and the cloud behind the
Supreme Court’s finding is very dark.
The more I’ve learned about the
decision, the more worried I’ve become.
The Second Amendment is still a long
way from being restored.
First of all, the justices voted 5-4 that
2A means what it says, as far as an
individual’s right to arms. Other
amendments were examined and used as
examples to show that the Bill of Rights
applies to people, not organizations, and
definitely not government. This is good
news, since the main argument against
2A was that it applied only to militias,
and not individual people.
The disappointing part is that only
five of the justices seem to believe that.
The other four are either so liberal they
are willing to knowingly rule against the
obvious meaning of the constitution of
the United States, or so stupid they don’t
understand plain English. Either way
those four people do not belong in a
position to interpret parking tickets,
much less legislation that affects every
American’s right to self-protection.
But then it gets worse. About 54
pages in (the finding is 157 pages long)
the document says, “Like most rights, the
right secured by the Second Amendment
is not unlimited.” The usual prohibitions
are mentioned, such firearm ownership
by felons, or the mentally ill. “Conditions
and qualifications on the commercial
sale of arms” is also mentioned, without
clarification of whether the court means
those already in place, or others yet to be
thought of.
But the scariest part is on page 55,
which starts with “We also recognize
another important limitation on the
right to keep and carry arms.” Never
mind that 2A itself says the right “shall
not be infringed,” the Supreme Court,
too big even for its own oversized
britches, proceeds to do just that. The
document states, “the sorts of weapons
protected were those ‘in common use at
the time.’”
So, according to the Supreme Court,
you don’t have the right to keep and bear
arms except in certain circumstances, in
certain places, at certain times, and not
at all unless you meet certain criteria.
And the ONLY weapons actually
protected are muzzle-loading percussions
and flintlocks.
This is the part I’m afraid will come
back to haunt us, and not in some
distant, hazy future. Because on 12 June
2008, H.R. 6257 was introduced to
congress, “To reinstate the Public Safety
and Recreational Firearms Use
Protection Act.” (Cue the scary music
here)
This is an attempt by four
congressmen to reinstate the infamous
‘Assault Weapons Ban’ that ran out a few
years ago. We knew this was coming. The
culprits, in case you want to write or call
and tell them they are idiots, are Mark
Kirk (R-IL), Michael Castle (R-DE),
Michael Ferguson (R-NJ), and
Christopher Shays (R-CT). I already
contacted Kirk’s office, but he won’t
return my calls.
Because of the Supreme Court’s
wording about 2A that “the sorts of
weapons protected were those ‘in
common use at the time,’” that decision
could be used to help pass H.R. 6257.
There were no semi-automatic weapons
when the Bill of Rights was written. But
in case you don’t care, and don’t think it
matters, bear in mind that there were no
bolt actions or pumps at the time, either.
Those WILL be next.
There are other problems with the
finding of the court, such as wording that
implies possession of arms is a privilege
given us by the government, instead of a
right the government recognizes and
protects for us. You get the idea.
Maybe I’m being pessimistic, but
every silver lining really does have a
cloud. The historic decision of 26 June
looks good on the surface, but it seems to
me the Supreme Court is patting us on
the back with one hand and picking our
pocket with the other.
KENDAL HEMPHILL IS AN OUTDOOR
HUMOR COLUMNIST AND PUBLIC
SPEAKER WHO BELIEVES THE
C O N S T I T U T I O N M E A N S W H AT I T S AY S .
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
Light candle near cutting board when slicing onion to prevent tears.
Rub olive oil on stainless steel to rejuvenate.
Summer is when the car usually heats up. Turn on heater
and watch gauge go down until you reach a service station.
Cut up lemon and place in disposal.
Turn on water then disposal to freshen the sink.
For scratches on glasses, rub toothpaste on as a polisher.
?
?
14 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
THE “ISLANDS” TUNA
A different flavor for the family to experience something new.
11/2 cups pineapple tidbits and juice
1
/2 cup green peppers, chopped
1
/2 cup celery, sliced
1
/2 cup pimento, chopped
1
/4 cup vinegar
1
/2 cup water
1
/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 (6.5oz) cans tuna, drained
Chinese noodles
Mix pineapple, green pepper, celery, pimento, vinegar, water, sugar, soy sauce in
saucepan, bring to boil. Combine cornstarch with enough water to form paste. Add
to mixture in saucepan. Boil 1 minute. Add tuna, heat thoroughly. Serve over
Chinese noodles. )Water chestnuts can also be added at this time)
Beach, Surfboards
and the Pier
T
F The
Texas coast has ample
opportunities for family fun and
adventure. You can fish from sunup to
sundown, surf, lounge, sail, eat
fantastic seafood or just enjoy the
breeze. The trick is to find a place that
offers something for everyone in the
family. Port Aransas, Tex., is one of
those places.
“Port A” is located in Nueces
County on Mustang Island, across
Aransas Bay from the city of Aransas
Pass. The beautiful beaches, worldclass
fishing
and
affordable
accommodations make Port A one of
the most popular vacation spots in
Texas.
History tells us that Port A was a
favorite of pirates in the early 1800s.
They enjoyed the waters of the Gulf as
they searched for riches and fame.
Capt. Jean Lafitte and his hearty band
of dasturdly cohorts spent lots of time
on the Texas coast. Mustang Island was
one of their favorite places to camp.
You can investigate local lore that
tells of pirate treasure buried in Port
Aransas. The treasure chest is
supposedly marked by a Spanish silver
dagger. It’s believed the dagger is laid
on its side with a silver spike driven
through the hilt, securing the location.
Families can enjoy a fantastic
variety of beach fun aside from treasure
hunting. Some of the easiest and most
popular activities are swimming or
simply walking the beach, picking up
shells. Long stretches of these beaches
still offer you the opportunity to park
on the beach as well.
World renowned surfer Morgan
Faulkner, a Port A resident, comes
home from Honolulu, Hawaii, where
he attends school to host summer
surfing camps at the pier each year.
Faulkner grew up in Port A and first
got on a surfboard at age 8. Now, at the
ripe old age of 22, he holds two
national surfing titles, 22 Texas state
titles and numerous other titles from
both the West and East coasts. This is
one of the coolest summer camps in the
world, and it happens all summer. Kids
can go for one day or a full week.
(texassurfcamps.com)
The fishing all around the island is
world-class. A guide can be hired for
half or full days, and offshore fishing
and offshore party boats are also
available. An easy option is to bring
your own gear, buy bait at the local bait
stand and fish from the surf, jetties or
any one of the numerous public piers.
This can be dad’s day out or an
adventure for the whole family, and
many of the local restaurants will cook
your catch for you.
The food, yes the food. No major
grocery chains can be found on the
island. Small local shops do offer the
necessities, but your best bet is to bring
what you plan to have with you then
plan several meals out at local
restaurants. If you like seafood, you’re
in luck. Fresh fish and shrimp are easy
to find and some of the best anywhere.
On weekends you can listen to
great live music from the patio at
Pelicans Landing Restaurant at 337
Alister. This place will bring on a
Jimmy Buffet moment if there is one in
Texas.
Lodging can be hard to find on the
island on some of the holiday or
summer weekends. The best option is
the privately owned condominiums.
The Dunes have the best location and
sit closer to the beach than any other
lodging on the island. They have one
to three bedrooms, a workout room, a
very nice pool and great staff. Each of
the units overlooks the water with a
balcony. The surf camp, public fishing
pier (with café), beach and jetties are
all just outside your back door. The
most important thing to bring is your
flip-flops so you can get to one of them.
(thedunescondos.com)
Accessing Port A can be from
Corpus Christi down the far end of the
island or, even better, by ferry from the
Aransas Pass side. A short wait may be
required to cross by ferry, but even the
longer waits are not bad. When
crossing on the ferry you can often see
Bottlenose Dolphins playing alongside
the ferry or other boats.
For many, the smell of the Gulf
breeze, the sound of the seagulls
singing and the ride across the ferry
immediately put them into the relax
mode where life, all that business,
seems to fade away. The perfect
vacation any time of year. —TJ GREANEY
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 15
by Laura Haugh
A
F As the summer heat continues to
linger, it causes us to be creative in
keeping our animals cool and ourselves.
Most people, who have been around
horses for a while, have found their own
best ways to keep their horses cool during
these sweltering summer month.
However, has anyone ever told you the
reason why horses sweat, what that sweat
is made of and how to look for unhealthy
sweat levels on your horse? Well I’ve
been doing some research to make sure
my horse is staying healthy, vibrant and
cool during these summer months.
A horse begins to sweat when it’s
body temperature increases as a result of
the humidity, outside temperature or
work level. Sweat glands within the
horse’s skin excrete water, salt, and
electrolytes. Did you know that a horse’s
sweat is 10 times more concentrated
than a human’s? Sweat helps with heat
loss by evaporating the heat away from
the horse’s body. It is important to try
and ride your horse during the cooler
parts of the day, because the heat and
humidity will cause the sweat to
evaporate slower.
A human produces sweat at an
average rate of 2-3 Liters per hours, while
a horse produces 10-15 liters per hour.
Talk about sweating buckets! Learning
how to monitor your horse’s temperature
is also important because during exercise,
a horse’s endurance can decrease
significantly.
Some horses have a problem of not
sweating at all, it’s called Anhydrosis.
This is when the horse is inable to
produce a normal amount of sweat. “The
extremes of Anhydrosis range from a
horse that has no functional sweat
glands, to a horse that produces sweat at
a rate lower than expected at certain
degrees of exercise, temperature, and
humidity,” explains Dr. Scoggins from
the University of Illinois College of
Veterinary Medicine. This can become
detrimenental to the horse’s health.
During exercise the normal horse raises it
temperature to around 104˚. When a
horse’s temperature reaches 106˚ it
begins to kill brain cells, therefore, when
a horse in unable to sweat, it is unable to
release the heat from its body and could
cause brain damage. Look for this disease
if your horse is sweating less, or not
sweating at all. You may even notice that
your horse seems to be intolerable to
exercise. Keep a close eye on your horse's
health and you’ll ensure their health.
For those who are new to horses,
here are a few tips to keeping your horse
from getting “overheated” or too hot.
Cool down your horse with water or a
sponge by wicking away excess sweat. If
it is humid and hot out, consider
decreasing the level and/or time of the
workout. Try and ride your horse during
the morning or evening when it is cooler.
If stalled in a barn, go buy a fan to keep
on your horse during the heat in the
afternoon. Your horse will be happier
and healthier when you keep it cool. So
while you’re at the pool with your family,
your horse will be just as comfortable.
If you have any ideas for articles you
would like to read about, or if you have a
horse show that you would like published,
email [email protected]
Horse Shows
AUG 1-2 BENEFIT BARREL RACE, Open
4D-Added Money; Diamond F Arena,
Seguin, Tex. Benefits Susan Niell and
Roberta Horton. Susan’s husband has
been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer
and Roberta is in the hospital with heart
problems. Friday, starts at 7pm (entry
fees $35). Saturday, starts at 12pm (entry
fee $45). Stalls $15 and RV hookups
available for $25. Exhibitions $5 each —
Friday, 3:30-6:30 p.m. and Saturday, 911:30 a.m. Donation checks should be
made payable to Neill-Horton Benefit
Fund and mailed directly to American
Bank of Texas, 200 N. Austin Street,
Seguin, TX 78155. There will also be a
Silent Auction, please bring items to the
race. Added money both days - no office
charges. FMI call Janet Thome 830-3051814 or Cricket Dietert at 830-6600559.
AUG 2 HORSE SOCCER, Equitech Stables
in Round Rock; 1st Saturday of the
month at 7pm. Each game costs $5.
We’ll play 3-4 games per night. Bring
your horse, lawn chair and drinks (no
alcohol please). Current Neg. Coggins
Required. No stallions please. Call
before you haul to ensure arena
conditions are favorable for soccer. FMI
call
512-341-0685
or
visit
home.austin.rr.com/joncon/
AUG 2 GUADALUPE COUNTY FAIR
ASSOCIATION COUNTY BARREL RACE; City of
Seguin Events Complex Arena, Seguin,
TX. Books open at 8am, exhibitions at
9am until Noon $5 per run. 4D Jackpot
starts at 1:30 pm, $25 per run, 75%
payback. Permit and card holders may
compete, but will not be eligible to
compete in the PRCA Rodeo Finals.
Open to residents of Guadlaupe County
16 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
& Adjacent Counties Only. Top 9 fastest
times will advance to the PRCA Rodeo
during the Guadalupe County Fair
Rodeo October 9-11. Buckles will be
awarded to the Top 3 contestants during
the fair rodeo. RV Hookups & Stalls
available. FMI call the Fair Office at 830379-6477.
AUG 8-10 DECKER LAKE HUNTER JUMPER
SHOW (CTHJA/THJA “C”) Travis
County Expo Center in Austin FMI call
Beverly at 512-376-3107. Every Saturday
night July 5-Nov 15; Summer-Fall Open
Pro Rodeo Series. Cibolo Livery Stables,
401 Obst Road, Bulverde, Tex. Bull
Riding, Tie-Down Roping, Team
Roping, Barrel Racing & Calf Scramble.
Trailer Awarded to high point overall
combined series champion. Buckles
awarded in every event. Grounds open at
5 p.m., Books open 5:30-7:30 p.m.,
Rodeo will start promptly at 7:30 p.m.
Food and drinks available. Dance to live
country music following the rodeo.
Admission $8/Adult, $4/children 6-12
and 5 & Under Free. Visit
tejasrodeo.com for award rules and entry
fees. General info 830-980-2226.
Contestant info 830-377-4017.
AUG 15-18 SAN ANTONIO SUMMER CHARITY
SHOW II, THJA “C” Rating, San Antonio
Rose Palace. FMI call Show Secretary
Linda Kirk at 713-782-2942
AUG
22-24
SUMMER CIRCUIT
CHAMPIONSHIP SHOW Travis County Expo
Center in Austin, FMI call Beverly at
512-376-3107.
SEPT 13 PLAY DAY at the Cowboy
Church of the Hill Country, 11918
Camp Ben McCulloch Road. Cloverleaf
barrels, poles keyhole race, flag race,
straight-away barrels. $5/event. Pays 1, 2,
3rd Place. cowboychurchhc.org
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 17
by Larry LeBlanc
T
F Today
I am touting the State
Parks Department, because I am so
thrilled at the progress they are
making since the state politicians
have finally turned loose of the tax
money that was passed for the Parks
Department a number of years ago.
They passed the tax that was
supposed to have been for the TPWD
Parks Department, but then decided
to use it for something else until
recently. Not an unusual story. If you
and I did that it would be called
misappropriations of government
funds and equipment and we would
go to jail.
The State Parks Department has
a new program called The Outdoors
Family. It is devoted to people who
would like to explore camping, but
do not know enough about the
outdoors to be comfortable trying it
on their own, or with one trip
through Academy have seen one
could spend hundreds of dollars on
equipment and not know if they had
what they need.
The cost for the State Parks
program is $55 per family — up to
eight people — and they supply
everything but the food and they will
give you a shopping list of the food
and any other item you may need to
bring with you. All basic camping
equipment is supplied by the Parks
Department.
You will be with trained
professionals at all time who will
show you everything from how to
setup the equipment to how to
prepared food while camping. You
will be in areas that have individual
car sites for each family, restrooms
and hot showers, and overnight State
Park Police Officer public safety and
security.
They will cover family fishing
and teach everyone how to catch
fish. They will cover how to prepare
lunch, have a picnic and go through
an explanation of the practice of
recycling.
You will learn kayaking and/or
caching in on state park trails, how
to pitch your tents and create a
campsite. You will also learn how to
break down a campsite and leave no
trace you were ever there.
This is an outstanding program
and anyone out there who has ever
considered camping or have children
or grandchildren who have asked to
go camping this is undoubtedly the
way to start. On top of satisfying an
urge to camp you will learn how to
can call toll free 1-800-792-1112 and
tell the operator that you want to
talk to someone about the Texas
Outdoor Family Program and they
will directly accordingly.
P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y L A R R Y J. L E B L A N C
State Parks
Department
teaches people
how to camp
My wife and three grandchildren and I explored a nature trail at
Fort Parker State Park last week.
do it properly and find out what
equipment you really need and do
not need and all for the cost of $55
plus food. I cannot see how you can
beat a deal like that.
To get in on this program or find
out more information about it go on
line to the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department Web site. At the very
top of the page you will see,
OUTDOOR LEARNING, click on
that. Now you are on a page headed
OUTDOOR LEARNING and a
subheading of OUTDOOR SKILLS
TRAINING. The fifth item down in
the left column is Texas Outdoor
Family, click on that and there you
are.
All of the information at your
finger tips. If for some reason you do
not have a computer or internet you
18 • The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E
Neighbors this is the best and
most enjoyable way to explore
camping, our state parks and how to
get the most enjoyment out of both.
Even if you are an old time camper
consider going to one of these outing
and I will bet you learn something
plus have a great time.
As I have stated before my family
and I are state park junkies and we
have fun in nature, marvel at the
history of our great state and are
thankful for the men and women
who keep these facilities up for our
use and enjoyment.
I
F It’s
looking like a busy fall for
Central Texas fishermen, four
tournaments have been announced for
this fall!
Skeeter Bass Champs announced
the location of their championship this
month — Eagle Mountain Lake to be
held on Oct. 18-19. Eagle Mountain
Lake is located north of Fort Worth. It is
a fairly small lake at 8,000+ surface acres.
There will be a total of 100 teams with
25 from each region competing for prizes
totaling $100,000.
The next big open event hosted by
Skeeter Bass Champs is the second
annual Anchor Marine Big Bass
Tournament on Choke Canyon Sept. 7.
Weigh in will be at the Caliham Unit on
Choke Canyon. basschamps.com.
The 8th Annual Central Texas Bass
Championship will be Sept. 27 on Lake
Travis. This annual event is the biggest
and best in Central Texas and all anglers
on all levels are invited. All proceeds
raised go to Kids Outdoor Zone youth
outdoor
ministries
(kidsoutdoorzone.com) and includes the
Ultimate Kids Fishing Tournament for
all kids at the same place (Pacebend
Park) off the bank that day.
countrylinemagazine.com
Fishers of Men announced their
regional championship is to be held on
Sam Rayburn in East Texas on Oct. 3031. In addition, Fishers of Men is also
having an open tournament on Lake
Travis, Nov. 10. Weigh in will be at Jones
Brothers
Park
in
Jonestown.
fomcentex.com.
Summer fishing on the Highland
Lakes can be very rewarding. I like to get
on the water before sun-up to take
advantage of the cooler temps and the
early morning bite. Starting shallow, try
a top water or shallow-running crank
bait. Search pockets on the main lake
that have flats running into creek
channels. A seven-foot medium action
rod with a parabolic bend works best for
me using hard baits. I spool ten-pound
Vicious mono for my surfaces lures.
As the sun climbs higher, back off of
these same areas into deeper water
utilizing your boat position by keying on
the remaining shadows. I slow my
presentation and go to deep diving crank
baits and soft plastics. For deep diving
crank bait use the same styled rod with
ten-pound Vicious fluorocarbon. This
line sinks and will give you more depth.
Beef up your rod for the soft plastics. I
prefer a seven-foot medium-heavy worm
rod. Try a Grande Bass Rattlesnake on a
spot remover jig head. You can also
Texas-rig or Carolina-rig these baits.
Later in the day, keep working
deeper, this time to the steep cliff walls
and docks. These walls can be fished
with the same soft plastics that I
mentioned earlier. Docks are probably
the most consistent cover on these lakes
and you can pick them apart by hitting
the edges and sides with the Texas rig or
my preference — a drop shot. I use a
seven-foot spinning rod with eightpound fluorocarbon line with a 3/8oz
weight and a 3/0 hook. Another good
technique that I use on the docks is a
slow falling wacky worm fished on a
spinning rod — a six-foot-six-inch rod
works well for me to skip to the backs of
the docks.
Fellow teammate Brian Booker will
now give you his thoughts on another
tool to help you solve the puzzle of bass
fishing! —DON GORDON
GPS in the Tackle Box of Today’s Angler
Fish relate to structure — points,
humps, ledges, deep drops, holes, grass
edges (both inside and outside), and any
other abnormality that you can imagine.
Abnormalities are key in bass fishing. I
know, I know … you are probably
thinking tell me something new.
What I am about to share with you
is something I went into kicking and
screaming. It is the wonderful and albeit
sometimes frustrating world of GPS.
GPS is the technology that has
introduced outdoorsman to the endless
possibilities of being able to go to the
same location repeatedly, but it is not
without some challenges.
Whether a hunter, fisherman, or
general outdoors enthusiast GPS can
open doors you never imagined. They
come in all shapes and sizes and at all
price points, but anyone can get started
for less than $100. Some of the things I
am about to share with can be done with
the cheapest unit on up.
GPS quite simply uses satellite
technology to read your position on the
earth’s surface within a tolerance of
around six to eight feet in most cases. It
is used by most hunters and anglers to
mark a “waypoint” of areas of success
with a simple click of the unit … and
that is where most stop.
Something I became aware of a few
years ago really expands the GPS tool
and makes you more competitive in
whatever outdoor pursuit you prefer.
Many Web sites, namely Google Earth at
maps.google.com give you the ability to
scroll down to a particular region. What
you might not know is that beyond the
cartoonist view of the area, you can click
on “satellite” at the top right of the page
and see actual satellite images of the
earth surface. From that point you can
actually click on an area of interest and
get a decimal representation of the
longitude and latitude of the area. You
then take this number and place it into
your GPS tool.
If it stopped there and were that
simple everyone would be doing it, right?
This is where with a little effort you can
start to separate from the competition.
Lake maps are great, but they are just
that. GPS imagery shows you actual
photo image of the earth’s surface. Sure,
you will be at the mercy of when these
images were taken, but this can be to
your benefit. For instance, a current
image of Lake Austin was taken during a
draw down, when many elements of
structure are plainly visible on dry land.
Once you have coordinates of your
desired location on Google Earth, you
will need to translate these numbers into
a format your particular GPS will accept.
That is easily done at one of several GPS
converter websites. My favorite is
boulter.com/gps. Once you have your
acceptable format, which can be
determined in your GPS user’s manual,
you can enter that into your GPS
manually.
This may sound like Greek at this
point, and believe me; I had the same
glassy-eyed feeling when I first was
introduced. But with a little practice, it is
not bad at all. When you pull over that
first rock pile in your bass boat that you
found sitting at your computer at home,
the rewards you feel will be priceless …
whether you catch one there or not!
If I can be of any assistance as you
tackle this exciting, yet challenging new
addition to your arsenal, please contact
me at [email protected].
Good luck! —BRIAN BOOKER
C OU N T RY LI N E M AGA Z I N E The Only Texas Lifestyle Magazine • 19