A Shot of Texas #29 by Design2Pro

Junior Editor Kendall Rae Kahn bringing LOCAL Outdoor Life Magazine to EVERYONE in your household!

Home And Self Improvement MAY 2017

It’s your dream. Let’s make it a reality. At Capital Farm Credit, we understand that a piece of land is more than a place to go hunting; it’s an escape where you create memories with family and friends. That’s why we’re with you every step of the way throughout the entire lending process. We’re a cooperative, and that means your goals are our goals. And our «>ÌÀ >}i ` Û `i ` «À }À> i> Ã Üi Ã >Ài ÕÀ «À w ÌÃ > ` «ÕÌ iÞ L>V Þ ÕÀ « V iÌ° iV>ÕÃi Üi½Ài > Ì Ã Ì }iÌ iÀ° Ƃ ` Ì }iÌ iÀ Üi½Ài LiÌÌiÀ°

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Teffany & Robert Kahn Founders & Co Editors

MELIA REZAIE was raised in Round Rock, Texas, and holds a Bachelors of Fine Art in Photography from The Art Institute of Austin. Coming from a multicultural family that celebrated the beauty of diversity, she grew to love the importance of indviduality and how to best capture that in her photos. Melia specializes in portrait photography for individuals and families, and also has experience in editorial, architecture, and product photography. Her favorite part of the job is building relationships with new people and helping them feel beautiful in their skin. Currently, Melia operates her business in Georgetown, Florence, and the greater Austin area 512-703-7776.

A Shot Of Texas Magazine is excited to share a publication about Texas Style Outdoor Living. Outdoor hobbies, wildlife photo’s and content relating to home and self improvement are topics of engagement included in our content. After five years of success with an outdoor publication in Houston, our family decided to expand by adding a local magazine. As outdoor enthusiast and a family who has a passion for nature and the outdoors, it only made sense to expand our magazine to include Central Texas and the Hill Country. We hope you enjoy our new magazine! We welcome your feedback and suggestions, just email us at tef@ashotoftexas. net, rob@ashotoftexas.net or Kendall Rae Kahn camogirl@ashotoftexas.net. Junior Editor & Event Planner

Our Team

Music & Entertainment Editor Lois Jenison Publicist, Poet, Lyricist, & “Promotress” of local Singers, Songwriters, & Musicians

Over the last few years I have built a career that allows me to be present for things that matter most, like my family. I am driven to help people capture their most fleeting moments and deliver memories that you can treasure for a lifetime. Weddings, portraits, and events are my business, but I got my start in landscape photography while studying abroad in Europe and it is still a hobby of mine today. Check out more of my work at www.kpphotographydesigns.com

Kayla Prasek PHOTOGRAPHY

4 Shot of Texas Magazine™

Features May 2017 8 Nala My Husbands Girlfriend

22 Hill Country Gobblers

10 African Leopard Research

25 Grow Organic Food Tips

12 Attracting & Caring for Hummingbirds

27 MUSIC Alex Winters

14 Fishing In May

29 Napa Valley Wine Tours

18 Reclaiming The Coop

30 The Hollow

20 Simplify Your Life

32 Cool Stuff To Do Near Austin

C 2014 A Shot of Texas Magazine. All Rights Reserved. Printed in the USA. For current Media Kit, advertising or questions about our Traveling Trade Show contact Rob Kahn. Email rob@ashotoftexas.net Office 512-746-2729 or Cell 832-922-1508

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Networking Around Town

have had great prizes! Cold Come out and network with A Shot Of Texas Magazine EVERY 1st Tuesday of EVERY month! We Thank you Robert Garret for beer from Mesquite Creek Outfitters & mouth watering BBQ by our very own Full House BBQ. fine and the martini’s were slaving over the pit! Our second networking was upstairs at local Gumbo’s where the wine was event locations and monthly our on info For venue! great and hospitality the for Page Shuler & Denise endless. Thank you to RSVP email tef@ashotoftexas.net

Legislative Day with Senator Charles Schwertner and the GTown Chamber Of Commerce

Ribbon Cutting at Alan’s Auto Sales

Ron Garland represent’s Boy Scouts Of America

Legislative Day local business on Capital Hill

One Year Anniversary Mas Fajita’s, tell Mario we sent you!

A Shot of Texas Magazine™ 7

Nala: My Husband’s GIRLFRIEND By-Nicole Rysdyke

Truth be told. I’m a pretty jealous woman about this girl during a certain time of the year. Let me just explain. She’s blonde. She has a beautiful complexion with light brown eyes. She grabs my husband’s attention like love at first sight. She rides shotgun. She gets breakfast tacos after a hunt. She has more selfies with him on his phone than with his own wife- me the other blonde. She does what he tells her to do. She sits in his lap. She even sleeps on the bed when it’s season time because she needs her beauty rest. So who is this stunning blonde we are talking about? Nala, my husband’s “golden” Labrador retriever. 8 Shot of Texas Magazine™

Nala is our 5th fur baby, 2nd yellow pup born from mama Bristol. Nala was the only yellow pup that was up for sale from our litter; we decided to keep the other. God had different plans. We were being very picky to whom our pups went to; we almost wanted to have background checks from these people. Tony and I both wanted her to go to someone close so that we could see her because our hearts were so filled by her precious love. We had someone in line but it didn’t fall through at the last minute. We just couldn’t let her go. So you guessed it. She stayed making #5 in our pack. Here’s the twist of the story: Tony wanted her to be my dog because the other yellow lab, he claimed, was going to be his and wanted to

send him to,”Best Retrievers” school. Soooo this is the story all about how it got flipped, turn upside down. We started not just our pups, but allll of the pups with the DTS, “Dog Training System.” This DTS launcher is one of the BEST things you could EVER invest in for home training. It shoots 22blanks and sends a dummy into the air for the dogs to see, watch and retrieve all while correlating the gun shot with the “bird” falling from the sky. (We wanted our pups to at least be aware of the gunshot before we sold them) Well, MY girl Nala caught on real quick, quicker than Hank, Tony’s pup. (another blog). She got the sport. She understood. She caught on to a retriever’s duty “eyes to the sky and nose goes and knows.” While Hank was off at “school” for a couple of months, we wanted to work Nala ourselves and see how it would go. Either we were blessed with a good bird dog or we were just damn good teachers. I’d say it’s both. We worked her everyday command after command, launch after launch. She had it in her blood. Dove season rolls around and that’s when their love started to bloom, literally like two white doves. She was fierce in the field. She was on top of those birds, like flies on cow manure. There were times though that she would lose point when they’d drop, but Tony would command her different directions with his arm and she’d sniff them out. Oh I failed to mention, at this time I was six and half months pregnant. Then here comes waterfowl season. Oh! Yeah, we didn’t work Nala in the water not once. Sayyyyy what?!? Don’t ask why. BUT, here we go

again, she’s a natural. Do you ever see something in the someone or something that just has raw talent or raw beauty and it automatically appeals to you or is attractive to you? Mmmhmmm *cue the hearteyed smiley emoji* First time out on the boat, Tony’s wading in the water, me my pregnant butt and Nala are hanging in the boat. Tony shoots and there goes Nala flying into the water. *cue the heart-eyed smiley emoji* He turns and looks at me. I thought to myself, “Well there goes my bird dog.” Days go on, hunts go on, I’m seeing less of Tony and Nala. It’s so true, “We interrupt this marriage to bring you duck season.” I was only capable of going hunting up until I was 36 weeks pregnant- waders got too tight. Anyways……. A man and his dog. But really though. When you look at the bond between these two, it really is incredible. Nala, I would have to admit, is attracted to her instructor. (Gaw, me too!) She works her tail off to see him smile. When she works, she is always looking at Tony to see if he is satisfied with her work. She has swam in 19 degree weather before where water is ice. She has hopped across the ice, like Bambi, just to retrieve her bird. 87 retrieves in her first hunting season and was less than a year old is not bad…at all! Camo on, truck fires up, guns loaded, she knows it’s game time and her time to shine. He has spent so much time, patience and dedication to training Nala, of course their bond is bold. At the end of the hunt, Nala just sees it as a job well done with her partner in a sport they love, that’s all; birds or no

birds. They’re like Bonnie and Clyde! It really is remarkable when you see a dog work in the fields or waters. Hunting isn’t always about hunting though. It was about these two creating something special that made them best friends out on God’s land. God blessed Tony with Nala in a certain way, I feel from the pregnant momma looking in. The placement of Nala in Tony’s life before Stetson came, really helped him realize a lot and changed him in different areas of his life. How to have patience when teaching someone something new, to not give up on someone when they can’t get it the first time, to love unconditionally and give praise, to spend time with the other to form an unbreakable bond, to construct in different tones for realization of what is right and what is wrong.

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God knew what he was doing when the “sale price” seemed too high or wasn’t suppose to go the way we planned. He planted Nala for my husband to gain the fatherhood before he became a father. Was I jealous because Nala had his attention more than I did at the time? Hell yeah!! But what it did to my husband to make him a damn good father was worth it all! AND let’s not forget, our Nala girl will still be around when it’s time for our son to join their team in the glory land of hunting.

Call Marc

A Shot of Texas Magazine™ 9

DSC SHIPS TRAIL CAMERAS

TO AFRICAN LEOPARD RESEARCH PROJECT DALLAS (April 11, 2017) - DSC is shipping 25 trail cameras donated by Cabela’s to Zambia Lion Project’s pilot program to conduct leopard surveys in Zambia and Tanzania. DSC and the DSC Foundation support the Zambia Lion Project through their grant program aimed at conserving wildlife and habitat. DSC Executive Director Ben Carter was instrumental in facilitating the donation. 10 Shot of Texas Magazine™

“C

abela’s gracious donation will expand efforts to document an elusive species to help further its conservation,” said DSC Executive Director Ben Carter. “In our community, we raise funds and approve grants for conservation in a big way. But sometimes, it’s just a matter of picking up the phone and making a direct connection with the source. That’s what makes this community stronger.” “DSC is glad to help put those actively working to conserve wildlife in touch with our industry partners who share the same goals and values,” said DSC President Craig Nyhus. “We would like to thank Cabela’s for their generosity and commitment to joining our mission of securing a future for wildlife.” The 25 donated trail cameras will be distributed amongst 12 different hunting operators in Tanzania and Zambia to ensure a maximum data collection during the upcoming hunting season.

The newly developed program aims to gather documentation of numbers and distribution of leopards across multiple hunting blocks comprised of various habitat types. The results will be used to generate scientifically-based population estimates that support sustainable utilization of leopard hunting in Africa. This data will be useful in the effort to combat sentimental arguments put forth by anti-hunting groups seeking to sway decision makers with emotional rhetoric.

SERVING GEORGETOWN AREA FOR 50 YEARS

AMAZING SELECTION About DSC A member of IUCN, DSC is a mission-focused conservation organization, funded by hunters from around the world. With an administrative staff of less than 15 and a volunteer army of 500, DSC hosts the Greatest Hunters Convention on the Planet™ that raises funds for grants in conservation, outdoor education and hunter advocacy. In the past five years, more than $5 million has been channeled to qualified projects, organizations and programs in support of that mission. Get involved with DSC at www.biggame.org.

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By:Johann Erickson

he oldest historical mention of hummingbirds likely dates back to the Taino Native Americans, who were reportedly the first humans to greet Columbus when he landed in America. The Taino believe that hummingbirds are the spreaders of life on Earth, and their warriors were known as Colibir, or Hummingbird warriors, because they are a peaceful bird that will defend their territory with the heart of an eagle.

Attracting

and Caring for Hummingbirds How long they have been in America is unknown, but they have delighted bird watchers for many years, with their quick dashes into the garden, and the shine of the sun on brilliant feathers. While there actually are duller colored birds, the ruby-throated hummingbird is the most commonly recognized for its iridescent feathering, and dazzlig ruby-red throat. The color though, is not all it seems. Hummingbirds get their unusual coloring from the fact that not all feathers are pigmented, or colored. In the duller colors, including the Rufous Hummingbird, the brown hue is actual pigment in the feather structure. In the ruby-throated variety, light refracting through the feather segments, breaking it up much like a prism would. Only certain levels of color will be seen by the human eye, and that color will change 12 Shot of Texas Magazine™

with every movement of the feather, or angle of the light striking it. This is one of the features that makes them so charming to watch as they flit around a garden or feeder. Hummingbirds are very fast, traveling at an average 25 miles per hour, with wingbeats of anywhere from 10-15 per second in the Giant Hummingbird, up to 80 per minute by the Amethyst Woodstar. The ruby-throated hummer falls into the middle range, at about 53 beats per second. To sustain such rapid and prolonged activity, the hummingbird’s heart must beat accordingly. For birds that are hot, or sleepy, that can be as low as 50-180 beats per minute, but a heart rate of an amazing 1360 beat per minute has been recorded in a Blue-Throated Hummingbird. All this activity requires a humming bird to eat almost continually, to fuel

the activity that will maintain its 105109F body heat. That means dining as many as 15 times an hour, on high-energy food. In volume, they consume up to eight times their body weight a day. But reduce the nectar to a solid by eliminating the water, and it would amount to their own bodyweight. A hummingbird can starve to death in as little as two hours, if still active. That makes rescue of birds trapped in garages or other enclosed areas, imperative within a short time. At night, their “thermal generators” shut down as they rest, and allow their body temperature to drop, so that less energy is used up while they sleep. If you enjoy watching these delightful little birds, and are also an enthusiastic gardener, why not plant clumps of flowers or bushes, to bring them into your yard? Hummingbirds are creatures

of habit, and will develop their own paths to food, checking them frequently and on a daily basis. Once they find out you have goodies, they’ll return over and over. Other hummers will follow, and you may then get to see hummingbird behavior at its worst, as they dive at each other to protect their food sources. Good choices of food producing plants for hummingbirds includes such trees or bushes as Azaleas, Mimosa, Weigela, Cape Honeysuckle and Flowering Quince. Another semi-permanent attraction is a perennial bed with Bee Balm, Columbine, Lupine, Coral Bells and Canna. You can also plant a wide range of annuals like Fuschia, Impatiens, Petunias and Firespike, but consider growing some of your own plants from seed, as many flowers that are nursery grown, tend not to have as much nectar. Hummers will be overjoyed to discover this bonanza of blooms, and the tiny bugs that constitute the protein source of their diet. To make sure you enjoy these little feathered friends for the whole season,

hang some hummingbird feeders around your patio or gardens. But make sure there is a bit of distance between them, to avoid the squabbles, which can be quite a sight! Because hummers are attracted to red flowers, you’ll find many of the hummingbird feeders available, are also colored red. This isn’t an absolute necessity, but it can be a bright spot in your garden. And the feeders come in all kinds of charming shapes from a hanging bunch of grapes, to a giant strawberry. Commercial powdered “food” formula is available, but you can easily make your own by combining one part sugar to four parts water, and boiling it for two minutes, then cooling and storing in the fridge. Never use honey, which can ferment, or red dye, which can be harmful to the birds. Only fill your hummingbird feeders to the one-third or halfway mark, as it would take many birds to empty the contents, and the feeders will need cleaning every few days to prevent the occurrence of mold. Wash in mild dish de-

tergent, with no more than 10% bleach, and rinse several times. If you have mold inside the feeder, and can’t reach it with a bottle brush, put some sand in with the water, and swish that back and forth, until the mold is rubbed off.

HUMMINGBIRD TRIVIA • The hummingbird is so small, that an insect, the Praying Mantis is its natural enemy. • They are the only bird that can hover, and fly backwards as well as straight up or down • Hummingbirds can’t walk • The average life of a hummingbird is 3-4 years, although one specimen was caught in 1976 in Colorado, banded, and captured again in 1987 ABOUT THE AUTHOR Johann Erickson is the owner of Online Discount Mart and TV Products 4 Less.

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A Shot of Texas Magazine™ 13

FISHING IN MAY We need to back track a little bit in this article, because this May will change some from what we normally see for the month. We are currently in the middle of April, and the Guadalupe River has flooded yet again in San Antonio Bay. No, this hasn’t hurt our fishing, but it changes the ball game dramatically. Areas we should be fishing in May, like our many oyster reefs, may not be accessible, ¾ of our bay’s surface water is fresh. Some of my favorite big trout places I fish in May are covered with chocolate milk colored water. We still have plenty of shorelines and southern regions around Mesquite Bay that are holding fish. My projection is if we have no more heavy rains up the country, by the middle of May, things should hopefully be getting back to normal.

n saying that, adjusting to the conditions given, May can still produce a lot of great days of wading lures. One place I can be spotted several times in May will be Cedar Bayou. It has seemed to hold redfish all winter long, but for me May starts to produce some solid trout moving in from the Gulf. Just like last year, even when our oyster shell was clean and producing, I found myself passing it all, either to hit a grassy shoreline where I know big trout like to call home this time of year, or making the early morning run in the dark to be in the surf by sun up. It’s funny, a customer of mine and I were just talking the other day, and he asked, “how do you pattern these fish each month,

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every year?â&#x20AC;? I kind of laughed and said there is a method to the madness, but all you have to do is pay attention. Water temps, current and incoming weather, tide levels, and most importantly where are the rafts of mullet holding. We hit the same weather patterns each year within a few weeks from past years, and for that, I know how fish react and where they retreat to. My most successful asset is my 10+ years of fishing logs. If I experience a few tough days on the water, I pour over my logs that night, and find places I have had success in the past under similar weather patterns/events. The best advice I can give to any level of saltwater angler in the month of May is to get a plan the night before. Each morning on my drive down to Seadrift I am checking all 4 of my weather apps, and based on wind, tide, and major/minor feed predictions gathering intel for my game plan that day. What A Shot of Texas Magazineâ&#x201E;˘ 15

spots I am going to hit and what times I need to try and be there. This only falls into play if the signs of life are in areas I have picked. If the bait fish aren’t present and other signs such a trout slicks, and maybe a redfish or two chasing bait on the bank we move on. Don’t go out

16 Shot of Texas Magazine™

there blind, know your water and most importantly be able to read what the water is telling you. I have dedicated myself to running a full time guiding operation since 2007, and will do my best to meet the needs and standards of any customer. Much of

this wouldn’t be possible without great companies and fine folks standing beside me. I am thankful I get to make my living sharing my saltwater/hunting experience with people. I would like to thank Kresta’s Boats and Motors in Edna, Texas, for always keeping me on the water. Majek

boats for building a dependable and smooth ride. Waterloo Rods in Victoria, Texas, for an awesome product that allows me the best sensitivity in a rod. Fins Braid for making line I can depend on to never fail when fighting fish, and Hookset Marine Gear for great wading products. Their wading belts offer so much back support, I do not ache at the end of a long day. Thanks to Down South Lures for providing my customers and I with durable soft plastics with a great action. Port O’Connor Rod

and Gun team, they have a great selection of tackle, clothing, and waterfowl needs for all levels of outdoorsmen. Also, Buggs T. Fishing lures, baits that redfish can’t resist. Thank y’all!

Captain Nathan Beabout (210) 452-9680 www.nmsportsmansadventures.com “Like” us on Facebook to follow pictures and daily reports

A Shot of Texas Magazine™ 17

RECLAIMING I THE COOP

had been wanting chickens but we weren’t prepared for them yet. My neighbor so graciously let me have her 2 hen Chicken coop. I was really excited about it so I went out and bought me some chickens! 15 Chickens! HaHa! My husband Kendal said “ You can’t raise 15 chickens in a 2 hen coop”. So I said “well we have time to build a chicken coop because the chics are still small”. Well it wasn’t before too long they started getting big quick. I wasn’t interested in buying a chicken coop that every one else had. I wanted something unique. So I went searching on craig list. I found an old white

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18 Shot of Texas Magazine™

rusted 10 x 10 shed. The owner said it was free to anyone who wanted to take it down. So I sent my husband and 2 boys to downtown Austin to go get it. Kendal spoke to the owner and he said that it wont be too easy to take down. To the owners suprise, Kendal just hacked off the bolts holding it to the concrete pad and him and the boys picked it up and carried it to the trailer. they strapped it to the trailer as is. What a sight that was. Im guessing we looked pretty hillbilly. HaHa! He got it home in one piece. Over the next several weeks, we got to work. We added on a run to the shed. The chicken run is 16x18 which makes

the over all size 28x16. We used old pallet wood and other wood from an old barn and fence we took down on the property. We had some used metal roofing from another building that was taken down. My husband is pretty resourceful that way. We stained it with used die-

sel oil that was changed out of all the work trucks from his busisness over the couple weeks before. I am very happy with the outcome. Better yet, my chickens are happy! We got our first egg a couple days ago! Kendal and Nicole Caldwell

A Shot of Texas Magazineâ&#x201E;˘ 19

Simplify Your Life, REVEALING 5 PROVEN WAYS

to own your Life By: Kunbi Korostensky ND

ou’re here to live a life of joy and abundance. To experience a rich inner life of recognition and inspiration which should translate into your outer world. If this is not the case, you can redirect the course of your life by following these 5 proven ways. 1. Live fully in the present. Simplify your life by living consciously in the moment. The present has so much to offer you. It is in the present that you can lay the foundation for the rewards of your dreams in the future, not in the past. To do this, bestir yourself sufficiently in the right way by taking one step at a time . To live fully in the present, you need to experience every minute of your life inwardly and not just outwardly. This means, grasping aright deeply within yourself the experience of the moment before moving on. This safeguards against taking on too much at any time and getting overwhelmed. Which often develops into struggle. 2. Do what comes naturally to you. Get into the habit of first doing what comes naturally to you and polishing it up. When you do this often enough, in time you’ll find that you’re able to handle other difficult matters with lesser efforts. This is because your becoming disciplined and adept in one area of your life, equipes you with the necessary tools to tackle other challenging areas more effectively. The result is greater competence and deeper satisfaction. 3. Have a heart full of joy and appreciation. A joyful and appreciating heart has no room for fear. Fear is always an indication of a sense of lack. This could be conscious or subconscious. I have observed that people whose hearts surge with joy of deep appreciation and gratitude feel only love. Even in the face of grave calamity, as in the case of bereavement, there are always things you could be grateful for. Like taking comfort in knowing that you are never alone. Something I was vividly reminded of when I suddenly lost my own mother. 20 Shot of Texas Magazine™

4. Move with ease into any change as a natural happening. Life IS. Meaning, it is in constant motion. To own your life, you need to accept this fact. Trying to evade or to negate changes is the least smart way of becoming masterful at the game of life. A question for you. Can you stop the sun from shinning after a raging storm or stop the dawn of a new day breaking in at the end of the night? Right. You can see how ludricous my question is. This is to underline the foolishness of wanting to control the cycle of changes in your life at any time. It simply is impossible and only results in more struggles. The wisest thing to do is to stay open for changes and deal with them when they appear. Remember the expression never to go looking for trouble, it will find you? So just be in the NOW. 5. Trust and follow your intuition to the letter. Residing within you is a wealth of knowledge. The key to unlocking this treasure is your intuitive power. People who have learned to access their intuition before making any decision live in harmony with their environment.

Any fresher and you’ll have to buy a boat !

My own life completely changed from second guessing myself when I truly began to listen to my intuition. I now have a sense of profound joy and clarity as I remain congruent with my values. The more you learn to trust and follow your intuition, the more control you’ll have over your life. What you thereby gain are strong emotional balance, mental and psychic alertness to guide you to a life of bliss and prosperity. As you can see, you don’t have to become enslaved to your life. For life is meant to be simple[Free Articles], provided you become aware of what is wrong and change it. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kunbi Korostensky, N.D., Psychotherapist and Certified Life Coach is specialised in supporting people in transition, turn the changes in their lives into invigorating joy and happiness. View her ebooklet Top 10 holistic Questions to Embrace Change and Grow at: http://www.embracingchanges. com/Books-and-Tools-to-facilitate-Changes.html or: mailto: kunbi@embracingchanges.com

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A Shot of Texas Magazine™ 21

Hill Country

Gobblers

22 Shot of Texas Magazineâ&#x201E;¢

any year I’ve opened Spring Gobbler season in the Hill Country near Blanco Tx. with a good friend of mine Curtis Kuhlmann, we always have those days before opening day, when we look @ the weather in advance and hope for 60 degree mornings and just a slight wind to make the Decoys move, but not spinning around like a psycho on drugs! Opening morning arrived, and what a perfect morning, 65 degrees, SSE wind 5 mph, Crystal clear, as we set up my blind the Gobblers were going nuts, Avian-X decoys set out, then the magic moment arrived the toss of the coin to see who was going to get the first shot! I called tails and the coin went up and hit in the dirt and all I could see was that ill-fated Indianhead! Of course Curtis was going to get that first shot! 7:15 am I gave a вЂњfly down CackleвЂќ the timber lit up, Gobblers were Gobbling in every direction, within minutes we had an old hen to walk in вЂњhush mouthвЂќ seeing our decoys she was all over one of the hen decoys, with high pitch purrs, slapping the hen decoy, trying to establish her dominance! Then off from our right we had two more hens to arrive. They were really poвЂ™d I want to tell you I had purchased a set of Sport Ears and these are amazing as I was able to hear noises that I had not heard for years. Then the hens just got tired and walked off, feeding away from us. I then knew it was going to be a tough morning, I settled into calling by my watch every 5 minutes using purrs, clucks, soft yelps and every 15 minutes I would use a loud call such as a cackle, cuts or a lost call. Here is a sequence of my calling based on time lapse. 9:20 AM after using a Cut & yelp I heard my first Gobbler, then he shut up and would not answer me. 9:30 AM: did a series of 5 yelps, Gobbler Gobbled again 10 t0 15 times вЂњhad to be hung upвЂќ 9:45 AM: did a series of yelps with a cluck nothing 10:00 AM used a lost call NOTHING? Usually this will get a Gobbler fired up thinking that a hen was in the area looking for company 10:30 AM I gave a purr & cluck and instantly heard a Gobbler fire up, within minutes we had two / 2 year old Gobblers walk in one was strutting and the other Gobbler was walking around just looking to see what was going on! The Avian-X decoys held their attention, while Curtis tried to figure out which Gobbler he wanted to shoot. Finally, Curtis picked out the Gobbler he wanted to shoot and put a Victory 350 Thru the Gobbler, let me tell you there was a huge amount of Feathers on the Ground and that Tom was flopping all over the place and out of the blind we came running to the Gobbler. After, many attempts to gather up the flopping Gobbler, a Gobbler flopping around is very dangerous with those razor sharp spurs can be dangerous! Curtis was able to get his hands on that Gobbler and it was all over, one happy Bowhunter, this was CurtisвЂ™s 8th Gobbler with his bow and he had a huge grin on this face. This Gobbler had an 11 inch beard / 1 & ВЅ inch spurs/ and weighed 20 lbs. A huge Rio Grande Gobbler. We both could only hunt till noon and off we went with a very successful morning. It was a week later before we, my wife and I, could return to the Blanco area to hunt again, and this time it was my turn to shoot, FINALLY! It was 10:30 AM before we arrived, we was very late!

By the time I got set up it was 11:00 AM (&*%%&) I waited for 30 minutes to let things to calm down. I gave a Lost Call; this is a series of yelps which start out real low and then builds to a very loud yelp with as many as 14 to 15 yelps. This is the call of a hen that is looking for company! Within seconds I had a Gobbler to answer, this Gobbler was hot and he was on the run to come and see this lost hen. The Gobbler Got to within 30 yards and locked up? I could not believe this! Finally the Gobbler decided everything was ok and he strutted in with one thing on his mind вЂњLOVEвЂќ I waited for that Gobbler to give me an open shot and it was over before you could bat your eyes! That arrow went thru that Gobbler like a hot knife going thru butter, lots of flopping and bouncing. I was out of my blind as quick as I could and what a thrill to put an arrow thru a Gobbler with a huge beard. This Gobbler had 10 inch beard and 1 & Вј spurs Number 85 Gobbler on the Ground for me with my bow. God bless Turkey hunting, great fun, lots of outdoor enjoyment, and hunting with my wife even made it more enjoyable. Plus all on film. Watch for Tex Mex Outdoors on Sunday mornings @ 9:00 AM out of Abilene Texas on KRBC / NBC Affiliate. Buena Caceria /Good Hunting Jim Miller

(512) 547-4867 Address: 2316 N. Austin Ave Georgetown, TX 78626 A Shot of Texas Magazine™ 23

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How You Can Grow Organic Food – 7 PRACTICAL TIPS

ating organic food has grow to be very popular diet in the food industry. The main reason is the fact that not only organically grown vegetables and fruits taste better, but it also contains more vitamins and has less risky chemicals. Nevertheless, organic and natural food is usually more expensive than typical food and that is why there’s a growing trend to grow up your very own organic garden. If you want to make your personal organic food listed here are some useful tips that will help:

Select The Proper Plants Select crops that grow best in your zone. Some crops can grow successfully in nearly any conditions, whereas others could require long growing seasons or a more temperate climate. Seed catalogs provide you with a listing of the zones that are most favorable for that particular plant.

Hook Up With A Friend One thing that may particularly help you is to hook up with a gardening buddy and to share seeds, tools, buy cheap bulk products which you can split (such as potting mix) and share equipment rental fees. Join a local garden society or check with your local council to see what services are available in your area.

Save Money On Commercial Weed Mats In the event you have problem with weeds in your garden beds, use cardboard or carpet under mulch to smother them. They’ll finally break down and provide organic matter in your garden. This is much better than spending money on commercial weed mats.

Try Containers Whereas seeds grow in the soil, there is no such thing as a rule that the soil must be in the ground. It’s easy to grow fruits and vegetables in containers and this is something I personally recommend.

Lettuces First Begin with planting lettuces first since they grow without difficulty and get used more often than most of the vegetables.

Worms Is Good Having worms in your garden is a must! The organic and natural matter that worms leave behind is much better than what the worms eat. Worms digest the organic matter in your soil and leave behind worm castings. Worm castings are an amazing 100% natural fertilizer for your garden. Worms in addition aerate the soil because they dig and move

through it. This allows your roots to penetrate throughout the soil.

Composting Is Great Garbage is without doubt one of the biggest problems of a growing population. For eco-friendly issues, one of the simplest ways to process them is through composting. One simple method is by making a portion of your backyard as composting zone. Throw vegetables and fruits peelings and food left-overs in your composting area and the worms will do the rest. These tips and tricks can be very helpful for you if you want to grow organic food by yourself. However in case you really want to get the very best outcomes I’ll recommend getting a step-by-step guidebook that will show you all the things that you must know to make your very own organic and natural food at home. I hope that these tips will be useful for you, good luck with your garden! A Shot of Texas Magazine™ 25

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Alex Winters A shining star musical performer in and around Austin, Texas, Alex Winters may be described as a shy, sweet, sassy, spirited, sexy, strong, successful survivor! Writing has been therapy for Alex, carrying her through her rough times, and helping her cope with situations. Within her lyrics she expresses emotions, releasing stress and tensions. She explains that connecting with her fans and learning how her music touches them is a powerful motivator, propelling her to write, play, and provide more of what she has to give. She enjoys the local community that builds around her music.

Alex’s story began at birth in Seattle. She has progressed through many new beginnings ever since. After leaving home at 15, she eventually settled within the home of a special aunt and uncle in Yakima, Washington, who guided her back on track with her life, and schooling. She entered a “Running Start Program” and attended a community college where she could earn coinciding college and high school credits. Alex worked full time, nights and weekends, at various jobs, supporting herself, while attending classes. Eventually, she “graduated from a high school which she never physically attended.” A “former band nerd” flutist, Alex switched to singing in a choir during high school. Her family was sprinkled with musical talent. A singing grandmother gave Alex a guitar at the age of twelve. She taught herself how to make music with the magical strings and began writing lyrics while working full time during her school days. Within passing years, Alex has had a few guitar lessons, as well as performance and vocal coaching. She became

serious about her music in her 20s and joined her first band, “Eleven 69”, with whom she made 2 CDs. She gives credit to her mentor, “Willie Hoffee” in Washington State and “A Premium Blend” in Texas. Alex currently describes her music as moody rock-pop,

with meaningful lyrics about real life situations, “except for one song about vampires”! She has also made 2 CDs as “Alex Winters”. Alex first came to Texas in 1999, only for job training, and began to dream of moving to the Austin metro-

plex. Today, after 12 years in the Austin area she feels “at home”. She has been fortunate to meet and connect with the “Blackroom Studios” producer, who has propelled Alex in delivering her own sound. She received the first ever “Shining Star” award from Luna Guitars, and has participated in multiple songwriting showcases in and around Austin during the last few years. Alex’s goal is to perform more intimate house concerts, as well as more full band shows. She sometimes appears on stage behind a beautiful mask, adding mystique to her performance, and reminding others that she is a very private person. Throughout Austin and central Texas Alex has been truly electrifying the stage of many various venues including cafes, restaurants, saloons, dance halls, and wineries. Catch one of her dynamic upcoming shows. You’ll become an Alex Winters fan! Life’s a song! Sing it! Lois Jenison Publicist, Poet, Lyricist, “Promotress” of local Singers, songwriters, and Musicians A Shot of Texas Magazine™ 27

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28 Shot of Texas Magazineâ&#x201E;˘

NAPA VALLEY WINE TOURS Y

By: Pablo Huarez

Time spent with family is one of the best things that can happen and we all want it to be memorable. When you consider of having an exhilarating and a pronounced quality time with your family then Napa Valley Wine Tours would be an exceptional choice. Your journey lies ahead, amongst the ceaseless romantic vines and rolling hills, you will notice the hidden gems of Napa Valley.

ou will get a chance to savour rare vintages, discover new varietals, attempt barrel tasting, or blend your personal wine. By a sip, you can end up having the utmost pleasure of tasting some of the world’s finest wines. If you have not been to the place and have never tried it out means that you should arrange for it one day as they are completely lip smacking. The wines that you get to taste here are some of the supreme quality ones that are particularly chosen to showcase the good idea these wine growers necessity to supply. Whether you are a wine connoisseur or not, you will obtain a really decent learning of both wine making procedure and some history about the winery area. These tours are dedicated in taking you from corner to corner of the region, as a voyager you can experience and quintessence on specific vineyards and styles of wine that you wish love to take pleasure in. With all that said there is an additional thing that anyone would love and it is the chance of stopping by at some of the striking vineyards and savouring some of the diverse wines. Wine tour does not only have to be about tasting the wine! You can try various other exciting things there and explore various new things that are popular in that region.

BEST WINERY TOURS IN NAPA VALLEY • Art and Wine Converge At HALL Wines, the gratefulness for fine wine and art go hand in hand. Both passions are highlighted in the wine and art tour, which consist of a stroll through the assortment of modern art, with tastings of HALL’s newest releases woven all through the exploration. Or check out the “sunset cruise,” an outdoor tour of the property at sunset, completion with a savouring on the terrace watching the vineyards. • Medieval Magic A tour and savouring at the Castello di Amorosa is an unique experience. Motivated by a 13th-century Tuscan castle, the Castello provides its guests a prevue into medieval history. The royal food and wine pairing tour, which comprises an informative tour of the castle, presented by the winery’s sommelier, and completes with a tasting of finest wine and food ranges in the extravagantly appointed Royal Apartment. • An Equestrian Affair Tamber Bey Winery, situated at Sundance Ranch equestrian location, provides an exceptional and pleasing wine tasting experience. The tasting chamber is housed in the innovative barn clubhouse, and guests are invited to associate with the estate’s horses in the chief courtyard. The ranch and winery tour and tasting comprises a directed exploration of the ranch.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Pablo Huarez is a blogger and marketer with strong passion. He usually hangs out on twitter tweeting marketing links regularly. If you use Digg actively he can be great friend there and don’t forget add to stumbleupon too! i you have any question feel free to write and add him to Gtalk- is is beautiful way to get contacted directly!

A Shot of Texas Magazine™ 29

708 S AUSTIN AVENUE GEORGETOWN TX 78626 512-868-3300

t took awhile to get to my mouth, which in and of itself is hard to believe, but I may have had the best duck dish “What The Duck” on the planet at The Hollow recently. Chef Jacob was not only paying attention in school but most likely hijacked the class entirely. The crown of elderberry sauce was the pinnacle of the experience. This dish will make you eat it even after you have downed several

30 Shot of Texas Magazine™

Cook on Chef Jacob, your love of food is a blessing to all those who grace your table

underpriced for these two spectacular selections and nobody loves a great find more than me. No worries, Chef Jacob has promised not to read the line about the cost. Cook on Chef Jacob your love of food is a blessing to all those who grace your table. Next time Im bringing that fresh goat that we have spoken of so often. BY ROB KAHN A SHOT OF TEXAS MAGAZINE

burgers and beer. Your taste buds will overcome the full stomach and drive you home where you belong. It’s hard enough to find duck that is not over cooked much less one that should share a pallet with Picasso himself. For starters I tried something simple yet easy to destroy if done incorrectly. The”Skrimps” (Shrimp) with b’sirra, cilantro, and yoghurt tempted me to order three more and call it a night. But don’t stop there, allow the staff to describe the deserts and head for the finish line. The bottom line is that The Hollow is

A Shot of Texas Magazine™ 31

Cool stuff to do near Austin By Kendall Kahn/ Camo Girl

ypress Valley Canopy Tours is a great place to go if your looking for a fun, fabulous adventure! The high tree tops and swinging sky bridges, from one end of the canopy to the other, is the absolute highest point of exhilaration. Located in Austin Texas, deep in the rolling hills and through the trees, several different tree houses are available to choose from. I stayed in The Nest which was awesome. Also available for rental are The Loft Haven, Juniper, Willow as well as a 5 bedroom ranch house! Each and everyone of them unique and breath taking. Not only can you zip line from tree top to tree top, but you can also enjoy the pool down below overlooking the lake. I had the privilege of being able to stay in this one of a kind cozy suite. Spending the night up in “The Nest” is exactly how we felt. It was a comfortable, beautiful place you can escape to, a haven of joy and temptation. The kitchen was stocked with fresh coffee beans left for us to grind. Water in the fridge equipped with ice and an electric stove top. Everything I needed was there. The large magnificent tree house palace was absolutely perfect, I can only hope you get to enjoy the same experience as i did. I do believe there is no place like it, with the river running below this was an absolute find. Cypress Valley not only offers tree houses, but comes complete with a grilling area, with gas or charcoal grills. There is even a trampoline if your up for it! You can come and go as you please which made it convenient for my guest and I to drive down the road to the local market where we picked up some sausage and tortillas to toss on the grill. The weather was absolutely beautiful, we enjoyed our time laying in the hammocks, and sitting out by the lake side where we watched the turtles flop into the still water. After a great dinner we headed back up to the tree tops. We crossed back and forth between the hanging bridges to the platforms of the tree houses. We walked deck to deck, up stairs and from room to room. The sights all absolutely breath taking! In the middle of the night I woke to the sounds of lighting cracking & the thunder rolling. As unsettling as it may seem it was a surreal and amazing moment. The slight swaying of the tree tops, made me feel as if I was one with nature. That is what this place is all about. I do hope you take the time to escape from the daily grind and come relax in the tree tops at Cypress Valley Canopy Tours. Happy Trails! Kendall Rae Kahn Camo Girl A Shot Of Texas Magazine

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