Texas Co-op Power May 2011 by American MainStreet Publications

LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION PALO DURO CANYON

THE

COWBOY WAY

MAY 2011 SPRING: A FRUITFUL TIME

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May

2011 VOLUME 68 NUMBER 11

F E A T U R E S

The Cowboy Way By Jesse Mullins Photos by Skeeter Hagler The storied Renderbrook Spade Ranch south of Colorado City has known the tread of Texas cow horses and cowboys for 122 years.

A Real Jaw-dropper By Mike Coppock Palo Duro Canyon, the so-called “Grand Canyon of Texas,” floors the imagination with dramatic drops and a lush riot of colors. The canyon has been center stage for some of Texas’ most significant history.

8 D E PA R T M E N T S Footnotes by Clay Coppedge Gail Borden Jr. Recipe Roundup Spring: A Fruitful Time Focus on Texas Unlikely Duos Around Texas Local Events Listings Hit the Road by Ashley Clary Space Center Houston

25 27 35 36 38

O N L I N E TexasCoopPower.com The following May stories are available on our website.

Texas USA by Charles Boisseau Booger Red: This Cowboy Could Ride Any Bronc

Observations

by Harry Noble

For All the Marbles: Grade-school Competition

Kendall Montgomery, Chair, Olney; Rick Haile, Vice Chair, McGregor; Ron Hughes, Secretary-Treasurer, Sinton; Randy Mahannah, Perryton; Billy Marricle, Bellville; Mark Stubbs, Greenville; Larry Warren, San Augustine TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

P R E S I D E N T/ C E O :

Texas Co-op Power is published by your electric cooperative to enhance the quality of life of its member-customers in an educational and entertaining format. C O V E R

P H O T O

Mike Williams, Austin

William (Buff) Whitten, Chair, Eldorado; Melody Pinnell, Vice Chair, Crockett; Roy Griffin, Edna; Bryan Lightfoot, Bartlett; Stan McClendon, Wellington; Gary Nietsche, La Grange; Anne Vaden, Corinth S T R AT E G I C C O M M U N I C AT I O N S A D V I S O RY C O M M I T T E E :

Martin Bevins, Sales Director; Carol Moczygemba, Executive Editor; Camille Wheeler, Associate Editor; Suzi Sands, Art Director; Karen Nejtek, Production Manager; Ashley Clary, Field Editor; Andy Doughty, Production Designer; Sandra Forston, Communications Assistant; Suzanne Haberman, Communications Specialist; Kevin Hargis, Food Editor; Rachel Frey, Intern

C O M M U N I C AT I O N S S TA F F :

John Welch, CEO and president of Spade Ranches by Skeeter Hagler

May 2011 TEXAS CO-OP POWER

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POWER talk

down to the queen, killing the whole mound in about a week. Reapply as needed. Don’t let pets eat it.

Letters from Texas Co-op Power Readers

FIRE ANT COMMENTS What a great cover and article on South American phorid flies and red imported fire ants (“WAR,” March 2011). Several years ago, officials with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in Denton County asked if we would participate in an experiment to see if the flies would winter in North Texas. One fall morning, we met officials at a family ranch on Denton Creek and dug out ant mounds with trowels. The ants were sent to a lab and [exposed] to the phorid flies. A few weeks later, when we returned the ants to their home mounds, it was like a bad sci-fi movie in which earthlings are snatched away, infected with a killer disease and returned home to spread the disease. As spring came on, the flies were hovering over the ant mounds. The last we heard, the flies had spread several miles in all directions. While not gone, the ant population is not as much of a problem as before. BILL MARSH Fannin County Electric Cooperative

As much as we hate fire ants, we hate ticks even more. When we moved to Blanco County in the 1970s, there were zillions of seed ticks in the cedar trees and swarms of them in the barn. They were a frightening nuisance at picnics: There was nowhere to run to, nowhere to hide. Then, the fire ants moved in, and it seems they ate all the ticks, because we’ve not been troubled by them for decades. We can kill the fire ants, but never could deal with all the ticks … so hooray for fire ants? MARCIA CASH Pedernales Electric Cooperative

ANNA LAWLER Victoria Electric Cooperative

Please do not let anyone spray phorid flies over the countryside. We are living in near-harmony with the fire ants. My experience in the cattle pasture is that they have a beneficial function in inhibiting the populations of ticks and chiggers. The ants are in turn limited by the serious Texas periodic dry conditions. I prefer the ants. ROBERT SCHUHMANN Fayette Electric Cooperative

Personally, among houseflies, fleas, ticks, fire ants and the unknown problems that bringing in another foreign critter may produce, give me the fire ant. MERLE GRALL Pedernales Electric Cooperative

READ MORE LETTERS See “Letters to the Editor” in May’s Table of Contents at

TexasCoopPower.com When it comes to getting rid of fire ants, here’s what works for me: Start with dry cat or dog food, stir in jelly to make it sticky, then mix in about a tablespoon of powdered boric acid. Drop a teaspoonful of this concoction onto each mound. The worker ants love it and will carry it

When I acquired a small place near Bergheim 20-odd years ago, I was unhappy to find several mounds of fire ants in a pasture. We bought chickens, and the big surprise came about a few years later when I discovered I had

no more fire ants. I can’t prove it, but it seems to me that the chickens did the job— and in very environmentally friendly ways. PAUL HUDGINS Lake Dallas

BARBARA JORDAN We watched our son receive his diploma at The University of Texas College of Pharmacy graduation ceremony in May 1986. Former U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan (“The Eloquent Barbara Jordan,” March 2011 issue) was the speaker and said something that I have remembered all these years: “There ain’t nothing worth nothing, that ain’t a little trouble.” D. BRYANT LANGFORD Director, Cherokee County Electric Cooperative

We want to hear from our readers. Submit letters online under the Submit and Share tab at TexasCoopPower.com, e-mail us at letters@TexasCoopPower.com, or mail to Editor, Texas Co-op Power, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. Please include the name of your town and electric co-op. Letters may be edited for clarity and length and are printed as space allows.

EXPERT: NO NEED TO FEAR PHORID FLIES LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION PANCAKES: BATTER UP!

WAR DIE, FIRE ANTS, DIE! Scientists Unleash New Secret Weapon: Squadrons of Merciless Attack Flies

MARCH 2011 ROUND TOP ANTIQUE SHOW

The March 2011 “WAR” article explains how South American phorid flies are being used as weapons in the fight against red imported fire ants. What is to stop the flies from laying eggs in household pets, livestock or even in people outdoors? Will these flies be a nuisance to the public? Where can further information be found on these critters? Very interesting article. Murphy Ross, Jasper-Newton Electric Cooperative

Editor’s note: We asked Rob Plowes, a research associate at The University of Texas’ Brackenridge Field Laboratory, to respond to concerns from Ross and other readers that the phorid flies described in the story would cause harm to humans or animals. Plowes writes: “The introduced phorid flies are not going to take over or become pests for humans or other species. Pseudacteon flies are only known to parasitize ants, and each species has particular adaptations to specialize on their host ants. This level of host specificity is also true of the introduced flies that attack red imported fire ants. Detailed host testing was needed to get permits for release of these flies. Over 40,000 species of phorid flies likely occur, each with a specialized diet and life history.” For more information about the flies, go to www.sbs.utexas.edu/fireant/FAQ.html.

May 2011 TEXAS CO-OP POWER

POWER connections Energy and Innovation News—People, Places and Events in Texas

CFLs: Questions, Concerns and Answers Debunking some myths about those curly, energy-efficient bulbs By Kevin Hargis

or more than a century, the incandescent lightbulb has been the global standard for electric lighting. But those days are numbered as more efficient lighting options become available. In fact, U.S. sales of some incandescents will be phased out by 2014 under the socalled, federally mandated “lightbulb law.” But concerns have been raised about the safety and expense of the most common alternate lighting technology—compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs)—which typically last longer than equivalent incandescent bulbs and use a fraction of the energy. Considering that about 12 percent of home energy use is devoted to lighting, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, switching to CFLs can provide savings. Here are some common concerns about CFLs and some facts that may allay them:

CFLs cost too much. The price of a CFL, which went for $9 or more a decade ago, has dropped, although one of those curly CFLs still costs substantially more than an incandescent. But consider the energy savings: They use about 25 percent of the electricity to provide the same amount of light. So despite paying more up front, users will save in the long run with reduced electricity costs.

CFLs don’t last as long as incandescents. Consumer Reports (www.consumer reports.org) has tested an array of CFLs and found that they lasted five to 10 times as long as incandescents. Many bulbs have warranties, so if one doesn’t last as long as 6 TEXAS CO-OP POWER May 2011

advertised, consumers may be able to get their money back if they have their receipt.

Putting CFLs in the trash can contaminate the environment, and recycling programs don’t exist. Unfortunately, the approximately 4 milligrams (mg) of mercury contained in a typical CFL can escape into the environment if the bulb is thrown in the trash. But some retailers, including The Home Depot and Lowe’s, now have CFL-recycling programs (not all stores participate). And many counties in Texas have disposal programs that accept CFLs. (Find a recycling option in your area at www.epa.gov/cfl/cfl recycling.html.) Popular Mechanics magazine has calculated that the electricity used to power a CFL over its 7,500-hour life will be responsible for 3.5 mg of mercury from powerplant emissions. The equivalent emissions from using incandescent lighting are about 13.2 mg. This means that even if a CFL breaks and its mercury content escapes into the atmosphere, it will have released about 6 fewer milligrams of mercury over its lifetime than an incandescent.

The bulbs emit a harsh, bluish light. The spectrum of light from early CFLs was a white-blue that many people found unappealing. But manufacturers now offer bulbs that give off a warmer light, similar to that emitted by incandescent bulbs. Kevin Hargis is a Certified Cooperative Communicator.

How to Clean Up a Broken Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb (CFL) A CFL’s glass tubing contains about 4 milligrams of mercury. While this isn’t much (classic thermometers contained 500 milligrams), consumers should still take precautions if a CFL breaks.

1. Close off the room and ventilate it if possible, then wait 5 to 10 minutes. 2. Scoop up powder and glass fragments using stiff paper or cardboard. Place everything in a sealable plastic bag or jar.

3. Use duct tape to pick up remaining fragments or powder. Put used tape in bag or jar.

4. Seal bag or jar and immediately place in an outdoor trash container. Remember to wash your hands. 5. Not all recycling centers accept broken CFLs. Check with your local and/or state waste authority for disposal requirements, or visit http://earth911.com. To learn more, visit http://epa.gov/cflcleanup. Source: Electrical Safety Foundation, Environmental Protection Agency

Burleson County has all the right ingredients for its second annual GREAT TEXAS SAUSAGE FESTIVAL:

sausage races (for those zany and unpredictable dachshunds), a Dutch oven cook-off (featuring sausage recipes only) and a sausage-eating contest. The festival, sponsored by the Burleson County Chamber of Commerce, is set for May 7-8 at Welch Park on Lake Somerville. One fun event links to another, with the lineup also featuring lawnmower races, doggie costume (dachshunds only) and kite-flying contests, a car, truck and motorcycle show, and hydroplane boat races. For more information, call (979) 596-2383 or go to www.greattexas sausagefestival.com.

CO-OP PEOPLE

OFFICIAL LARGE MAMMAL The longhorn is famous as The University of Texas at Austin’s mascot. A lesser-known fact is that the longhorn also is the state’s official large mammal, as designated by the Texas Legislature in 1995. The Texas longhorn is a hybrid resulting from a random mixing of solidcolored Spanish retinto (criollo) stock, typically tan or dark red, and English cattle that Anglo-American frontiersmen brought to Texas in the 1820s and 1830s.

Milkshakes, Malts and Marriage: A Recipe for True Love

old-fashioned soda fountain. BY ASHLEY CLARY On September 14, 2010, that dream came In 1954, high school sophomore Hank Lovejoy true when Lovejoy’s celebrated the official openwas a soda jerk at Finley-Hayes Pharmacy in ing of a soda fountain. Here, customers step Whitesboro, north of Dallas. While he created into the past: The milkshake maker, lime creamy milkshakes, malts and other sweet squeezer and refrigerator unit date back to the treats, a girl named Rita caught his eye. 1950s. And the stained-glass cabinets are repliRita came to the soda fountain almost cas modeled after an earlyevery day carrying an 181900s photograph of the soda month-old baby who called her fountain where Hank worked Mommy. “I thought, ‘Golly! I as a teenager. don’t know anything about “He loves it,” Rita says of babies!’ ” Hank recalls, chuckher husband. “He has such a ling. “It turns out, she was just good time behind that counter the baby sitter.” whipping up those milkshakes. And as it turns out, the 15And he's pretty fast at it, too,” year-old Rita was to become she says, pausing before the love of his life. Fifty-seven adding, “for his age.” years, three children and nine “Ah, Rita,” Hank responds, grandchildren later, Hank and “we still have a good time, Rita—the Lovejoys and loveHank and Rita Lovejoy share a don’t we?” birds who have been married treat at Lovejoy’s on Main Street. Hank said he recently told 52 years—remain inseparable. a visiting couple from Denton, “You know, back In 1983, Hank and Rita, members of when I was a sophomore, I did this for work. Grayson-Collin Electric Cooperative, opened Now, I do this for fun.” a business called Lovejoy’s on Main Street, which included a garment factory and a ladies’ For more information, call (903) 564-3685 or wear store. They eventually added gifts, homego to www.lovejoysonmain.com. décor items and a restaurant, eliminating Have a suggestion for a future Co-op the garment and fabric-cutting operations. People? Contact editor@texascooppower.com. But something was missing: Hank had long — Ashley Clary, field editor nurtured a dream of owning and operating an

ILLUSTRATIONS BY CARL WIENS

WHO KNEW?

Texas Co-op Power (USPS 540-560) is published monthly by Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC). Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX and at additional offices. TEC is the statewide association representing 76 electric cooperatives. Texas Co-op Power’s website is TexasCoopPower.com. Call (512) 454-0311 or e-mail carolm@TexasCoopPower.com. Subscription price is $3.84 per year for individual members of subscribing cooperatives. If you are not a member of a subscribing cooperative, you can purchase an annual subscription at the nonmember rate of $7.50. Individual copies and back issues are available for $3 each. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Co-op Power (USPS 540-560), 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. Please enclose label from this copy of Texas Co-op Power showing old address and key numbers. ADVERTISING: Advertisers interested in buying display ad space in Texas Co-op Power and/or in our 30 sister publications in other states, contact Martin Bevins at (512) 486-6249. Advertisements in Texas Co-op Power are paid solicitations. The publisher neither endorses nor guarantees in any manner any product or company included in this publication. Product satisfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely with the advertiser. Direct questions or comments about advertising to Martin Bevins, Sales Director. © Copyright 2011 Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Reproduction of this issue or any portion of it is expressly prohibited without written permission. Willie Wiredhand © Copyright 2011 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.

May 2011 TEXAS CO-OP POWER

BY JESSE MULLINS • PHOTOS BY SKEETER HAGLER

THE

Cowboy Way RANCH-HAND ACES KEEP THE FIRE BURNING FOR ONE OF TEXAS' MOST STORIED BRANDS: SPADE

TOP: A stone arch spans the entrance to Renderbrook Spade Ranch,

the oldest, largest and most celebrated of the Spade Ranches’ spreads. BOTTOM: When it comes to toughness, Marty Daniel is a cut above:

It takes more than a broken neck and a broken femur—injuries from which he’s fully recovered—to keep this cowboy out of the saddle.

8 TEXAS CO-OP POWER May 2011

With the dawn but an hour away, the night is damp and bracing. Overhead, the Milky Way—yes, it’s visible here!— spreads its filmy, barely-there swath. In the taillights of his four-horse trailer, John Welch, CEO and president of Spade Ranches, tugs at the cinch on his horse. Another mount, saddled, also awaits loading. Sounds carry on the night air: the ticking rumble of the idling diesel pickup; the thudding stamp of a hoof; the ching-ching of spurs; the nicker of a don’t-let-me-be-lonely gelding, left penned for action another day. This is cattle country. This ground south of Colorado City has known the tread of Texas cow horses and Texas cowboys for 122 years. It’s the dirt of Renderbrook Spade Ranch, the oldest, largest and most celebrated spread in the Spade Ranches operation. And its influence runs deep across the history of West Texas ranching. As described in Steve Kelton’s book Renderbrook: A Century Under the Spade Brand (Texas Christian University Press, 1989), Renderbrook traces the evolution of ranching from an open-range, longhorn-dominated industry to state-of-theart operations that specialize in genetics, nutrition, marketing and range science. Barbed-wire fences, of course, have been built on plenty of other ranches, but this place is, literally, the ranch that barbed wire built. Founding owner Isaac Ellwood of Illinois, one of the nation’s first barbed-wire patent holders, dipped into his burgeoning fencing fortune to fund the purchase of the ranch in 1889 when it was hardly more than a frontier cow camp. These days, it’s a sophisticated, spread-out operation. Welch, 60, normally works out of the company’s Lubbock headquarters more than 100 miles to the northwest. But on a brisk October morning, he’s made a special trip to Renderbrook. With passengers—equine and otherwise— loaded, he slides behind the pickup’s steering wheel and eases the rig out, bound for the far side of the ranch, a long haul away. Like, 15 miles away. A 45-minute drive on caliche ranch roads.

Of the six ranches under the Spade Ranches brand, Renderbrook, by far the largest unit, employs only about five people most of the time. “We have longtime employees and young men, too,” Welch said, in the glow of the dashboard. “Kind of a mix. We have two in their early 20s.” The soft-spoken Welch has remarked on more than one occasion that the West Texas ranching occupation calls for “the kind of person who has some character and bottom to them.” “Bottom” is a cowboy’s term for staying power. For tenacity. For gumption. So the question is, are those kind still “out there”? “I think we are producing them, in the kids that grow up on these ranches,” he said. Renderbrook Manager Steve White believes there are kids today with that character, just waiting for the opportunity. “Yes, and there are a lot of good young cowboys out there right now,” he said. “Like anything else, it runs in cycles. But it’s back in vogue, and there are a lot of young people who want to get back to nature, or [get back to what’s] ‘green,’ or just to be outside and [on] horseback.” Here, there’s nature in abundance. At 190 square miles (roughly 122,000 acres), Renderbrook Spade consumes a sizable chunk of Mitchell County and spills into Sterling and Coke counties as well. The pickup comes to a halt, and Welch and a companion are soon horseback themselves, picking their way among the mesquite and junipers along a ridge above the Colorado River. The yipping of coyotes rises from a nearby draw.

Welch sits a horse with a natural ease, as might be expected of one whose uncle is renowned horseman and rancher Buster Welch. Buster, dubbed the “Father of the Cutting Horse,” is the only five-time winner of the National Cutting Horse Association’s World Championship Futurity. In places on the ranch, the mesquite and cedars and prickly pear have closed ranks. “The biggest challenge is the encroachment of brush,” John Welch said. “You can clear it, but it comes back strong. One mesquite stump will sprout a bunch of shoots where only one trunk had been before.” Records indicate that the ranch, which runs more than 3,000 head of cattle, stocked roughly twice as many cattle a century ago before brush encroachment affected the ranch’s carrying, or grass grazing, capacity. The proliferation of mesquite has affected something else as well. With the countryside becoming brushier, and more difficult to navigate, “real cowboying” remains an indispensible skill. Maybe more so than ever—here and on ranches across Texas. “What we have found—what generation after generation [here] has found—is really that some of the traditional methods are still the most efficient,” Welch said. “This country is too rough and too brushy to gather any other way but horseback.” And that’s what keeps the real-deal cowboys at their posts. The Renderbrook hands have it tough. Injuries happen— bovines being generally “disapprovin’ ” when they’re not

Renderbrook regulars, from left, Wichita Falcon, Marty Daniel, Steve White and Kaleb Jackson, head out for a day’s work.

May 2011 TEXAS CO-OP POWER

downright ornery. The hours can be long. The summers are scorching. In winter, bitter cold and tree-bending winds can make a guy wish for a town job, a windbreak, anything. But here, things are still done the “right” way, the cowboy way—and that makes everything worthwhile. White ticks off the names of three hands who ride full time for this brand: “Marty Daniel, Kaleb Jackson, Wichita Falcon.” Yes, Wichita Falcon. Was there any way he could have avoided a cowboy career, with a handle like that? White laughs. “Poor Wichita—he never had a chance.” Falcon, though, is fine with it. “I’m doing what I love,” he said. At 20, Falcon is already a family man, with a wife and young daughter who share an on-premises home with him. In his working life, his biggest satisfaction is “being left alone so you can do your job.” The hardest part, he said, is rounding up every head—“getting everything” when riders sweep a pasture. And the riskiest part of the work comes when one is trying to do a job “on a green horse.” The work is risky enough as it is. The green—that is, stillin-training—horses only make it riskier. But that just comes with the territory. Jackson, who has been employed at Renderbrook only slightly longer than Falcon, is on the Spade Ranches’ ranch rodeo team (in fall 2010, the team advanced to the World Championship Ranch Rodeo in Amarillo). Rodeo riding is rough. And on a recent workday at the ranch, Jackson went about his work with some stiffness from the beating he took from a bronc the week before. Daniel, the third regular on ranch manager White’s everyday lineup, has worked on ranches since he was 16. Now 48, Daniel has a résumé that includes stints at other wellknown ranches such as the TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Pitchfork, the Beggs, the Tongue TOP: A catch rope hangs at River and the Waggoner, just to the ready on a saddle. MIDDLE: The distinctive name a few. Spade brand is a miniature, So why the Renderbrook? short-handled shovel. Daniel said he likes the people BOTTOM: Tall boots—with here. And, believe it or not, he spurs to boot, of course—are also likes the brush. standard equipment in rattlesnake and brush country. “It’s the challenge of this

1 0 TEXAS CO-OP POWER May 2011

‘BRISTLING BARBS’ No matter which side of the fence you’re on, history is clear: Barbed wire, alternately cursed and praised by farmers, ranchers, settlers and politicians, did not have smooth beginnings en route to reinventing the American West. In a 1939 Agricultural History journal article titled “Barbed Wire Fencing—A Prairie Invention: Its Rise and Influence in the Western States,” author Earl W. Hayter describes “bristling barbs”: the fencing that carved a new face of the West. In addition to writing that barbed wire “encouraged the further settlement and exploitation of the Great Plains,” Hayter explained that the fencing forced bitter battles over land ownership, ended the open-range era of cattle drives, and dictated that travelers follow roads rather than cross formerly wide-open, unfenced land. Barbed wire is essentially that: smooth wire with barbs. Its American origins date to 1867, when William D. Hunt of New York was issued the first crude patent for the fencing. Over the next several years, inventors in the DeKalb, Illinois, area began experimenting with barbed wire. One of them, farmer Joseph Glidden, known as the “Father of Barbed Wire,” perfected a fence whose twisted, doublestranded design is still seen throughout Texas. In 1874, DeKalb businessman Isaac Ellwood purchased a half interest in Glidden’s patent and formed a partnership with him. In the wake of their work, tough competition arose among small factories. By 1889, Ellwood, who was manufacturing barbed wire on a commercial scale, had ventured to the Lone Star State to market his product. He used part of his growing fencing fortune to purchase what now is the Renderbrook Spade Ranch in West Texas—one of the state’s first spreads to use barbed wire. Barbed wire, as is befitting the name, sparked many a controversy: Livestock sometimes were killed by the electrical charge when lightning struck nearby fences, and cattle huddled along fence lines during blizzards froze to death when they couldn’t find shelter. But not even the violent fence-cutting war of the early 1880s, which started in Texas, could stop the proliferation of barbed wire. As Hayter wrote, “a new chapter was ushered in on the plains. The stockmen and farmers with their better breeds of cattle, better management, better grass, and smaller herds had come to stay.” —Rachel Frey, editorial intern

There are no easy trails on the Renderbrook Spade Ranch. This rugged brush land demands staying power—bottom, cowboys call it.

country—it’s different than a big, clear flat,” he said. Like all cowboys, he relishes his time in the saddle. In January, early one frigid morning, Daniel, in a hurry to gather the horses, saddled a mount that was “a little too fresh.” Being in a hurry, he ignored his better instincts and climbed aboard—whereupon the horse, as the saying goes, “took him to a bronc ride.” As White described it, the horse “just blowed up” and bucked Daniel off. The cowboy came down on a knee and broke his femur. It took surgery, including the insertion of a rod and a couple of screws, to patch things up. The wreck, cowboy lingo for something going terribly wrong while riding or working with a horse, occurred on a Wednesday. By the weekend, Daniel was back to chores, albeit hobbled. In three more weeks, he was fully recovered. That accident happened with Daniel aboard a well-broke horse. And there’s an even riskier situation: trying to get something done, as Daniel and Falcon put it, “on a horse that doesn’t know anything.” And, yes, it happens. In summer 2010, Daniel was on such a horse and was trying to maneuver a bull through a gate. He loped his horse around the bull, opened the gate and then was trying to get back around the bull to drive him through the gate. “I don’t know exactly what happened with the horse,” Daniel said, “but he went down. He fell with me and rolled on me.” Daniel’s neck was broken. His collarbone, too. He was all alone in a big place. “My first words, soon as I got up, were, ‘Jesus, you’re going to have to help me.’ And he did.” Daniel was “two or three miles” from help. He’s not sure how he managed to cover the distance. But he did. And for all of that, he is delighted to be recovered and back in the saddle, doing the same work as before. Bottom, they call it.

Cowboy poet Paul Zarzyski once said that 19th century cowboys “were made out of whang leather and grit.” Well, they’re still making them that way. There have been some new twists, of course. Even Renderbrook has implemented new technologies. As White remarked, “When it comes to the marketing of our calves, to get into the overseas market, we are age- and source-verifying our calves and putting electronic ear tags in them—that kind of stuff.” Still, for sheer satisfaction, the “real cowboy” dimension seems to be what’s most gratifying about Renderbrook Spade. As for carrying on the old ways, “We are not doing this to honor tradition or just for sentimental reasons,” Welch said. “But it is nice that it is a traditional way of doing it.” White agreed. And he finds something else in it, too, such as when he sees young cowpokes helping with Renderbrook roundups. “I dunno—you can get to thinking that the world is going to hell, but then you can visit with some of these younger kids, and they are very respectful, very mannerly, and they will look you in the eye,” he said. “And it kinda gives you hope for this world. It’s like they say, there are still good cowboys out there—you just can’t see them from the highway.” Jesse Mullins, who lives in Abilene, was the founding editor of American Cowboy magazine and served as its editor-inchief from 1994-2009. He blogs at www.jessemullins.com.

On TexasCoopPower.com Read more about Spade, a hallowed name in Texas ranching lore that covers roughly 300,000 acres on six storied spreads. The oldest and largest of the Spade ranches, Renderbrook, traces its beginnings to “Cool Water and Cold Steel,” the title of the opening chapter in a book that describes the ranch’s two key, initial ingredients: barbed wire and a freshwater spring.

May 2011 TEXAS CO-OP POWER

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How does Harbor Freight Tools sell high quality tools at such ridiculously low prices? We buy direct from the factories who also supply the major brands and sell direct to you. It’s just that simple! Come see for yourself at one of our 350 STORES NATIONWIDE and use this 20% OFF Coupon on one of our 7,000 products*,plus with any purchase of $19.99 or greater, pick up a FREE 7 Function Digital Multimeter, a $9.99 VALUE with our compliments. We stock Automotive products, Shop Equipment, Hand Tools, Tarps, Compressors, Air & Power Tools, Material Handling, Woodworking Tools, Welders, Tool Boxes, Outdoor Equipment, Generators, and much more.

28° ANGLE FRAMING NAILER

LOT NO. 68068

NEW! WE CARRY A FULL LINE OF FASTENERS

FREE!

OFF

Item 90899 shown

ANY SINGLE ITEM!

ITEM 90899/98025

REG. PRICE $9.99

HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS - LIMIT 1 Use this coupon to save 20% on any one single item purchased when you shop at a Harbor Freight Tools store. *Cannot be used with any other discount or coupon. Coupon not valid on any of the following: gift cards, Inside Track Club membership, extended service plans, Compressors, Generators, Tool Cabinets, Welders, Floor Jacks, Campbell Hausfeld products, open box items, Parking Lot Sale items, Blowout Sale items, Day After Thanksgiving Sale items, Tent Sale items, 800 number orders, or online orders. Coupon not valid on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase date with original receipt. Coupon cannot be bought, sold, or transferred. Original coupon must be presented in-store in order to receive the offer. Valid through 8/25/11. Limit one coupon per customer and one coupon per day.

HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS - LIMIT 1 Free item only available with qualifying minimum purchase (excluding price of free gift item). Cannot be used with any other discount or coupon. Coupon not valid on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase date with original receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Shipping & Handling charges may apply if free item not picked up in-store. Coupon cannot be bought, sold or transferred. Original coupon must be presented instore, or with your order form, or entered online in order to receive the offer. Valid through 8/25/11. Limit one coupon per customer and one coupon per day.

R ! PE ON 2000 LB. SU UP ELECTRIC CO

R ! PE ON RAPID PUMP® 3 TON SU UP HEAVY DUTY FLOOR JACK CO

ATV/UTV WINCH WITH AUTOMATIC SAVE LOAD-HOLDING SAVE $40 LOT NO. 68146 BRAKE $50

5999 $6999

REG. PRICE $99.99

20%

WITH MINIMUM PURCHASE OF $19.99

7 FUNCTION DIGITAL MULTIMETER

NOBODY BEATS OUR QUALITY, SERVICE AND PRICE! R ! PE ON SU UP CO

R ! PE ON U S UP CO

REG. PRICE $119.99

NEW!

6999

LOT NO. 68048

REG. PRICE $119.99

SAVE $50

NEW!

3-1/2 PUMPS LIFTS MOST VEHICLES!

HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS - LIMIT 5 This valuable coupon is good anywhere you shop Harbor Freight Tools (retail stores, online, or 800 number). Cannot be used with any other discount or coupon. Coupon not valid on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase date with receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Coupon cannot be bought, sold, or transferred. Original coupon must be presented in-store, or with your order form, or entered online in order to receive the coupon

HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS - LIMIT 4 This valuable coupon is good anywhere you shop Harbor Freight Tools (retail stores, online, or 800 number). Cannot be used with any other discount or coupon. Coupon not valid on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase date with receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Coupon cannot be bought, sold, or transferred. Original coupon must be presented in-store, or with your order form, or entered online in order to receive the coupon

discount. Valid through 8/25/11. Limit one coupon per customer and one coupon per day.

R ! PE ON U S UP CO

3 GALLON 100 PSI OILLESS PANCAKE AIR COMPRESSOR

SAVE 46%

90 AMP FLUX WIRE WELDER LOT NO. 98871

LOT NO. 95275

REG. PRICE 99 $74.99

SAVE $60 NO GAS REQUIRED!

8999

REG. PRICE $149.99

SAVE $150

11 DRAWER ROLLER CABINET

INCLUDES: LOT NO. • 6 Drawer Top Chest 67421 • 2 Drawer Middle Section • 3 Drawer Roller Cabinet

149

REG. PRICE $299.99

HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS - LIMIT 3 This valuable coupon is good anywhere you shop Harbor Freight Tools (retail stores, online, or 800 number). Cannot be used with any other discount or coupon. Coupon not valid on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase date with receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Coupon cannot be bought, sold, or transferred. Original coupon must be presented in-store, or with your order form, or entered online in order to receive the coupon

discount. Valid through 8/25/11. Limit one coupon per customer and one coupon per day.

R ! PE ON U P S U CO

3" HIGH SPEED CUT-OFF TOOL Item 47077 shown

LOT NO. 47077/67425

6SAVE

REG. $ 99 $19PRICE .99

65%

R ! PE ON U P S U CO

LOT NO. 66287

LEATHER INDUSTRIAL WORK GLOVES, 5 PAIRS

R ! PE ON U P S U NO. CO LOT65570

RECIPROCATING SAW WITH ROTATING HANDLE

SAVE 50%

REG. $ 99 PRICE $9.99

One size ﬁts all.

1999

REG. PRICE $39.99

SAVE 50%

HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS - LIMIT 9 This valuable coupon is good anywhere you shop Harbor Freight Tools (retail stores, online, or 800 number). Cannot be used with any other discount or coupon. Coupon not valid on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase date with receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Coupon cannot be bought, sold, or transferred. Original coupon must be presented in-store, or with your order form, or entered online in order to receive the coupon

HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS - LIMIT 8 This valuable coupon is good anywhere you shop Harbor Freight Tools (retail stores, online, or 800 number). Cannot be used with any other discount or coupon. Coupon not valid on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase date with receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Coupon cannot be bought, sold, or transferred. Original coupon must be presented in-store, or with your order form, or entered online in order to receive the coupon

discount. Valid through 8/25/11. Limit one coupon per customer and one coupon per day.

HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS Quality Tools at Ridiculously Low Prices 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed!

R ! PE ON SU UP CO

870 LB. CAPACITY

SAVE 40" x 49" HEAVY DUTY $80 UTILITY TRAILER WITH 8" WHEELS AND TIRES

R ! PE ON SU UP CO

â&#x20AC;˘

Lifetime Warranty On All Hand Tools!

1.5 HORSEPOWER 7" BRIDGE WET TILE SAW

LOT NO. 98265

Stand and diamond blade sold separately.

LOT NO. 42708

DOT CERTIFIED

119

REG. PRICE $199.99

R ! PE ON SU UP CO

12 VOLT, 15 GALLON SPOT SPRAYER LOT NO. 9583

SAVE $50

149

7999

SAVE $40

REG. PRICE $119.99

discount. Valid through 8/25/11. Limit one coupon per customer and one coupon per day.

R ! PE ON U S UP CO

AUTO-DARKENING WELDING HELMET LOT NO. 91214

800 RATED WATTS/ 900 MAX WATTS PORTABLE GENERATOR

LOT NO. 66619

SOLAR-POWERED

SAVE 50%

R ! 10/2/55 AMP, 6/12 VOLT PE ON U SAVE BATTERY CHARGER/ S UP ENGINE STARTER 62% CO

3999

REG. PRICE $79.99

SAVE $60

8999

REG. PRICE $149.99

LOT NO. 66783

2599 REG. PRICE $69.99

discount. Valid through 8/25/11. Limit one coupon per customer and one coupon per day.

R ! PE ON U P S U CO

36 LED SOLAR SECURITY LIGHT

LOT NO. 98085

Includes 1.2 volt, 600mAh/6 volt NiCd rechargeable battery pack.

SAVE 28%

1799

REG. PRICE $24.99

SAVE 37%

1/2" VARIABLE SPEED REVERSIBLE HAMMER DRILL 1/16" TO 1/2" CHUCK CAPACITY

Item 68169 shown

SAVE 46%

LOT NO. 67616/ 68169

105 PIECE TOOL KIT

LOT NO. 4030

4 DRAWER TOOL CHEST INCLUDED!

2499 $3499

REG. PRICE $39.99

REG. PRICE $64.99

HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS - LIMIT 6 This valuable coupon is good anywhere you shop Harbor Freight Tools (retail stores, online, or 800 number). Cannot be used with any other discount or coupon. Coupon not valid on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase date with receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Coupon cannot be bought, sold, or transferred. Original coupon must be presented in-store, or with your order form, or entered online in order to receive the coupon

discount. Valid through 8/25/11. Limit one coupon per customer and one coupon per day.

R ! PE ON U P S U CO

R ! 3/8" PE ON U P SAVE S U COItem 40%

4-1/2" ANGLE GRINDER LOT NO. 95578

Grinding wheel sold separately.

40462 shown

SAVE 44%

$ 99

x 14 FT. GRADE 43 TRUCKER'S CHAIN

R ! PE ON U P S U CO

SAVE 33%

LOT NO. 40462/97711

REG. PRICE $17.99

Not for overhead lifting.

1799

REG. PRICE $29.99

6 PIECE PLIERS SET

LOT NO. 38082/46005

Item 38082 shown

$ 99 REG. PRICE $14.99

discount. Valid through 8/25/11. Limit one coupon per customer and one coupon per day.

R ! PE ON U S UP CO

HIGH SPEED METAL SAW LOT NO. 91753/113

SAVE 66%

12 VOLT MAGNETIC TOWING LIGHT KIT

R ! PE ON U S UP CO

LOT NO. 2707

SAVE 36%

LOT NO. 96933/67455

SAVE 66%

Item 113 shown

REG. $ 99$29PRICE .99

Item 96933 shown

$ 99 REG. PRICE $29.99

8 FT. 8" x 11 FT. 6" FARM QUALITY TARP

REG. $ 99 $10PRICE .99

HARBOR FREIGHT TOOLS - LIMIT 7 This valuable coupon is good anywhere you shop Harbor Freight Tools (retail stores, online, or 800 number). Cannot be used with any other discount or coupon. Coupon not valid on prior purchases after 30 days from original purchase date with receipt. Offer good while supplies last. Coupon cannot be bought, sold, or transferred. Original coupon must be presented in-store, or with your order form, or entered online in order to receive the coupon

discount. Valid through 8/25/11. Limit one coupon per customer and one coupon per day.

WAYS TO SHOP! T 3 EASY

1. VISIT!

2. GO TO!

3. CALL!

350 Stores Nationwide

www.HarborFreight.com

1-800-423-2567

BY MIKE COPPOCK

a real jaw-dropper

Flat-out amazing: Majestic Palo Duro Canyon floors the imagination

Driving U.S. Interstate 27 between Lubbock and Amarillo, the world whizzes by and morphs into a monotonous landscape: an unbroken horizon line, pale blue sky, pale blond grass and fields as far as the eye can see. From the heart of the Southern High Plains and on up north to the Panhandle, the region known as the Llano Estacado (Spanish for “staked plains”) is dead-flat and mostly treeless tableland dominated by farms and ranches. If you’re a stranger to these parts, you would never guess that southeast of Amarillo, and only 15 miles east of Canyon, is the most spectacular and scenic place in the Panhandle: a jawdropping formation known as Palo Duro Canyon—the so-called “Grand Canyon of Texas” whose walls abruptly leave the flat land behind, plunging some 800 feet to the canyon floor. It’s the second-largest canyon system in the United States (after the Grand Canyon in Arizona), a geologic wonder in the Caprock that erupts in a lush riot of colors—red, orange, yellow, purple— where layers of sedimentary rocks trace the timetable of life on Earth. Majestic and surprising, Palo Duro (Spanish for “hard wood” in reference to the Rocky Mountain junipers found in the canyon) was center stage for some of the most significant history in the development of Texas: massive buffalo herds and Indian sanctuary, frontier battlefield and one of the West’s most legendary cattle ranches. Now the canyon, whose land mass predominantly is carved up by privately owned ranches, is home to one of Texas’ 1 4 TEXAS CO-OP POWER May 2011

largest and oldest state parks—Palo Duro Canyon State Park—which state officials, in recent years, have nearly doubled in size to 30,000 acres. Today, the park, which officially opened in 1934, serves as a starting point for history buffs and outdoor enthusiasts wanting to explore the deep mysteries of the Panhandle region.

C OOL R ELIEF Over the course of roughly 1 million years, the Prairie Dog Town Fork of the Red River cut into the Caprock Escarpment, creating a deep gash some 800 feet deep, about 100 miles long and an average of six miles wide. Erosion took the canyon deep into the earth to open the massive Ogallala Aquifer, which by some estimates holds the same amount of water as Lake Erie. Even in the hottest summer, cool water runs under the shade of the canyon’s walls and water-carved rock formations. For ancient Indian tribes, the canyon offered protection from bitter Panhandle winters—no wonder scientists have found evidence of native people living here as long as 12,000 years ago. Although there is no archaeological evidence to support the story, some oral histories hold that in 1541, Spanish explorer Francisco Vázquez de Coronado—while searching for the fabled “Seven Cities of Gold”—became the first European to enter Palo Duro Canyon. By some accounts, Apaches living in the canyon brought Coronado’s men gifts of buffalo hides. But finding no cities of gold, Coronado struck out toward what is now Kansas. By 1700, Comanches migrating

from the north drove the Apaches south and west, where many remain today throughout parts of New Mexico, Arizona and Texas. There is evidence that throughout history, nomadic Southern Plains tribes sometimes wintered within the canyon, most likely clustering tepees into tribal villages. In the winter, it’s about 10 degrees warmer on the canyon floor than it is on top, said Bill Green, curator of history emeritus for Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon. “It was almost a Garden of Eden, I would think,” he said.

T HE R ED R IVER WAR In 1864, cultures collided in a big way when explorer and Indian fighter Kit Carson encountered and fought a large number of Comanches and Kiowas living in villages at an abandoned structure called Adobe Walls, which was built by merchant William Bent in 1843 as a trading post for Southern Plains Indians. Carson and his men were greatly outnumbered, and he retreated back to New Mexico. But the tables were turned in 1874, during the second battle of Adobe Walls. A group of mostly Comanche, Kiowa and Cheyenne—according to some accounts led by Comanche warrior Quanah Parker, Comanche medicine man White Eagle (Eschiti) and Kiowa Chief Lone Wolf—attacked the post in an unsuccessful effort to drive out white buffalo hunters. The Indians, in a battle that stretched over several days, proved no match for the hunters and their new technology: .50-caliber Sharps rifles accurate from long distances.

Lighthouse Peak looms as Palo Duro Canyon’s signature geologic feature. The 310-foot-tall peak is an excellent example of a hoodoo—a strangely shaped spire of rock—and holds National Natural Landmark status through the U.S. Department of the Interior. LAURENCE PARENT

May 2011 TEXAS CO-OP POWER

L EGENDARY R ANCHER After the Red River War, the canyon underwent a remarkable transformation—it became a massive ranch where cattle roamed free before the arrival of barbed wire. In the fall of 1876, onetime Texas Ranger and famed pioneer Charles Goodnight, with backing from Irish financier John Adair in 1877, created the first permanent ranch in the Texas Panhandle. Known as the Palo Duro Ranch, and using JA as its brand, the ranch at one time encompassed some 1.3 million acres. Still in operation today, the JA has been carved up into many smaller parcels. In 1887, sensing the end of the era for his mighty cattle ranch, Goodnight terminated his partnership with Adair’s wife, Cornelia Ritchie Adair. Ultimately, he did not receive a onethird portion of the ranch, as was originally promised, but he did receive, in part, the north end of the ranch and moved there into a two-story house that he constructed near Goodnight, a town to which he gave his name, about 12 miles southeast of Claude. The house still stands near U.S. Highway 287. Goodnight died in 1929 and is buried in the Goodnight Cemetery.

J EALOUSLY G UARDING ITS B EAUTY

TOP AND MIDDLE: : The faces of Comanche warrior Quanah Parker and legendary rancher Charles Goodnight serve as indelible images of the historical dichotomy of Palo Duro Canyon. BOTTOM: Bernice Blasingame (left), interpreter for Palo Duro Canyon State Park, helps generations of Texans get a close-up look at details big and small.

During the 1930s, Palo Duro was considered as a site for the first national park to be established in Texas, but with land acquisition too expensive and troublesome, Big Bend eventually got the honor. Instead, in 1934, Texas created Palo Duro Canyon State Park with about 15,000 acres of purchased land. Texas Highway 217 was built to descend from a visitor center (built by the Civilian Conservation Corps) to the floor of the canyon, crossing the main

tributary of the Red River six times. Generations of Panhandle residents have frolicked at Palo Duro, enjoying varied outdoor adventures. State Park Interpreter Bernice Blasingame, 65, remembers swimming at Palo Duro with her family as a child. When they emerged from the water, their skin and swimsuits, or shorts and T-shirts, were tinged red from the river’s high iron content. Today, visitors also can explore the canyon south of the park by driving Texas Highway 207 south from Claude, which crosses the fork in a breathtaking downward plunge along one of Texas’ most scenic drives. In recent years, Blasingame has accompanied Comanche tribe members who visited the canyon to honor their ancestors from the Red River War and participate in a cedar ceremony (a traditional cleansing ritual involving smoke from cedar chips). She heard stories that were passed down through generations. “You could see the sadness in people’s faces,” she said. In 2005 and 2008, the state acquired several nearby ranches to expand the park to nearly 30,000 acres, principally with the addition of the Harrell Ranch, which includes the original JA ranch headquarters and the Palo Duro battlegrounds. Over the next year or so, state park officials plan to start opening portions of the expanded areas to visitors. Local historian Green notes that unfortunately for tourists, some of the most spectacular and breathtaking portions of Palo Duro Canyon remain out of reach, in the hands of private landowners. “On the positive side,” Green says, “Palo Duro Canyon remains relatively untouched by humans, including the people who own pieces of it and jealously guard its beauty.” Mike Coppock, a former college history instructor and newspaper editor, is a Denver-area freelance writer.

On TexasCoopPower.com Learn more about Palo Duro Canyon, including “Texas!,” one of the world’s most spectacular outdoor dramas. And read up on a plethora of activities offered, from horseback riding to primitive camping.

QUANAH PARKER COURTESY OF DOLPH BRISCOE CENTER FOR AMERICAN HISTORY, CHARLES GOODNIGHT COURTESY OF PANHANDLE-PLAINS HISTORICAL MUSEUM, BERNICE BLASINGAME COURTESY OF JIM STEIERT, TEXAS! RIDER COURTESY OF TEXAS PANHANDLE HERITAGE FOUNDATION, PRODUCERS OF TEXAS!

The attack was the catalyst for the Red River War, a series of skirmishes with the U.S. military that resulted in the confinement of Southern Plains Indians to reservations in Indian Territory (now Oklahoma). Ultimately, as explained by Jeff Indeck, chief curator for PanhandlePlains Historical Museum, the South Plains Indians retained their culture, even as they were forced off their native land. But their free way of life as bisonhunting nomads on horseback was lost forever.

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Electric Notes

TRIM THE FAT from Your Biggest Electric Expenses Knowing which household activities consume the most electricity can help homeowners determine where they can save on electric bills. Regulating temperature inside the home uses the most electricity. Almost 40 percent of the electric bill for an all-electric home covers the cost of cooling and space heating, according to U.S. Department of Energy data. As Texas approaches hotHOW YOUR HOME USES ELECTRICITY weather months—when temperatures outside can reach triple digits—having an effective cooling system becomes crucial. Finding ways to increase the efficiency of an air conditioner can create a cost savings on electric bills during the summer. To make the best use of an air conditioner, it helps to know two basic principles about how most units work: Air conditioners (1) decrease humidity; and (2) lower air temperature. Decreasing humidity inside and increasing a unit’s capacity for cooling can help keep your home comfortable. Here are some practical methods to keep humidity and temperatures down:

Humidity ≠ Close doors and windows to prevent humid outside air from coming in. ≠ Vent dryer exhaust to the outside. ≠ Fix plumbing leaks. ≠ Move houseplants with wet soil and moisture-producing leaves outside. ≠ Prepare meals without boiling or simmering liquids, or use the exhaust fan. ≠ Consider investing in an energy-efficient dehumidifier.

Temperature ≠ Set thermostat no lower than 78 degrees. ≠ Clean indoor and outdoor coils of the air conditioner. ≠ Change air-conditioner filters. ≠ Block light from entering through windows with shade trees, blinds

or awnings. ≠ Consider buying a programmable thermostat. For an overview of

programmable thermostats, visit www.consumerreports.org. ≠ Use ceiling or box fans to bring the temperature down by about 4 degrees. Source: 2009 Buildings Energy Data Book, U.S. Department of Energy, Table 21.5. Represents an all-electric home. Updated February 2011.

Keep Ladders Away from Power Lines While you are cleaning gutters, painting, trimming trees or doing roof repairs this spring, beware of allowing ladders to get near or contact electrical lines. Metal and wood ladders act as conductors of electricity and present dangers when they touch or fall into wires. If possible, use a ladder made from materials that do not conduct electricity, such as fiberglass. When only a metal or wooden ladder is available, follow these tips to help protect yourself from electrical shock: ≠ Look around for overhead power lines. Phone lines and electric lines are similar in appearance, and it’s safest to assume they are all dangerous. ≠ Set up ladders at a distance twice their length away from power lines. If the ladder falls, you want to have plenty of distance between you and a power line. ≠ Make sure you place your ladder on solid ground. Soft soil or irregular terrain can cause your ladder to be unstable. ≠ Ensure that your ladder is clean and dry. Moisture can increase conductivity of electricity through your ladder. ≠ Avoid imbalance. Your balance can be thrown off by wind or overreaching. ≠ Use caution in moving ladders. When you pick up a ladder to carry it, be aware of where the top is. If a ladder does fall into a power line, let go and don’t try to move it. Call your electric cooperative immediately for assistance. 2011 © RTIMAGES | BIGSTOCK.COM

1 8 TEXAS CO-OP POWER May 2011

E L E C T R I C N OT E S

Prevent Home Electrical Fires F

ire departments across the nation responded to about 380,000 homestructure fires between 2003 and 2007, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). One of the main causes of residential fires, whether sparked in houses, condominiums or apartments, was electrical distribution or lighting equipment. Of the home electrical fires during that four-year period, 41 percent involved such equipment. Some culprits of those fires were: ≠ Wiring and related equipment; ≠ Lamps, light fixtures and lightbulbs; ≠ Cords and plugs; and ≠ Transformers and AC adapters. Other potential electrical fire hazards include kitchen ranges, washers or dryers, fans, and space heaters. Fires involving electrical distribution or lighting equipment caused about $709 million in direct damages, according to NFPA statistics. Electrical failure or malfunction can cause home-structure fires, but some preventive measures can limit your risk. The NFPA recommends taking the following measures to avoid electrical shock and fire dangers: ≠ Swap out or fix damaged or loose cords. ≠ Don’t run electrical cords across doorways or beneath rugs. ≠ Make sure your home has tamper-resistant outlets, especially in households with children. ≠ Think about having additional outlets installed by a technician to

Avoid putting electronics that produce heat near the thermostat during summer. Heat coming from a lamp or TV set can skew the temperature reading, Never run electrical cords beneath rugs.

causing the air condition-

eliminate the need for extension cords. ≠ Don’t overload outlets, and limit one high-wattage appliance to each. ≠ If you have problems with circuits tripping, fuses blowing or lights flickering or dimming, call an electrician. Warm switches or electrical outlets can also be a sign of a potential problem. ≠ Keep lamps on flat surfaces and away from flammable materials. Only use bulbs that match a lamp’s recommended wattage. ≠ Get ground-fault circuit interrupters in the kitchen, bathrooms, laundry rooms and basement to prevent electrical shock caused by ground faults, and consider installing arc-fault circuit interrupters to prevent arcing faults in home electrical wiring.

ing to work harder than needed.

Did You Know... Cooperatives are voluntary, democratic organizations, open

Electrical Home-Structure Fires—By the Numbers

to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept

72 39

the responsibilities of member-

percent of electrical-distribution or lighting-equipment fires happened because of electrical failure or malfunction.

ship. In the case of an electric cooperative, that means the

percent of civilian deaths from electrical home fires resulted from fires starting in the living room, family room or den.

people who buy the electricity own the company. ILLUSTRATION BY CARL WIENS

May 2011 TEXAS CO-OP POWER

TEXAS USA

Booger Red It’s a cinch: Tall tales and all, this pint-sized cowboy could ride any bronc.

By Charles Boisseau

2 0 TEXAS CO-OP POWER May 2011

Tourists visiting Fort Worth’s historic district have long quenched their thirst at Booger Red’s, an Old West-themed saloon where you can sit on saddle bar stools and shoot the bull while drinking Buffalo Butt beer. Most of the patrons have no idea there once was a real Booger Red, a pint-sized Texan and nearly forgotten legendary cowboy who overcame a childhood accident that disfigured his face to win widespread acclaim as a rodeo pioneer and “the man who was never thrown by a horse.” But separating fact from the tall tales about Booger Red can be as messy as walking across a livestock corral without getting your boots dirty. It is possible, but you have to watch where you step. Several sources agree that Booger Red earned his nickname on Christmas Day in 1877, according to one of the most often-told stories of his life. As a teenager, the redheaded Samuel Thomas Privett—his real name—and a friend filled a hollow tree stump with gunpowder to celebrate the holiday. But the gunpowder ignited prematurely, killing Privett’s friend and seriously burning Privett’s face. Doctors had to cut open his eyelids and nostrils as the tissue healed. A child who saw Privett after the accident said, “Gee, but Red sure is a booger now, ain’t he?” Privett’s siblings began calling their brother “Booger Red,” and Privett liked the nickname. He went by Booger Red for the rest of his life and often made fun of his scarred face. While sources differ on the year and location of his birth, the Handbook of Texas states that Privett was born in Williamson County in 1864. As a youngster, he moved with his family to Erath County, and he spent most of his adult life in the San Angelo area, where he specialized in breaking horses and running a traveling Wild West show with the help of his wife and their six children. Privett later sold his show and went on the road with Buffalo Bill’s extravaganza. He retired to a ranch in Oklahoma where he died of Bright’s disease, a kidney ailment, in 1924 (again, sources differ on the year). One of the most famous stories of his life is “Booger Red’s Last Ride,” which was retold in Reader’s Digest in June 1946. The story recounts how he traveled to the 1924 Fort Worth Fat Stock Show (now the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo) as an anonymous spectator. A rider was thrown from a particularly unruly horse, and a man in the audience began a chant, calling for “Booger Red.” A woman sitting nearby spotted Booger Red, and the aging bronc buster agreed to ride the horse. Men carried him on their shoulders down to the arena floor, where officials agreed to let Privett ride the outlaw horse that was still foaming and viciously kicking. Five minutes, 15 minutes, or half an hour? No one could say how long the exhibition lasted. As the story goes, Booger Red rode that horse until it was whipped, then dismounted as the crowd went wild and spectators poured into the arena trying to get near him. But he slipped away and returned home to Oklahoma, only to

die a few weeks later. “He rode the horse to the finish, and many people said it was the prettiest riding they ever saw,” said Privett’s widow, Mollie Webb Privett, when interviewed in 1938 as part of the Depression-era Federal Writers’ Project. Alas, the story might be fake. According to one essayist, Booger Red did ride a bronco at the Fort Worth rodeo in early 1924 and died soon after. But beyond those facts, the story appears to be mostly fictional. J. Boyd Trolinger’s essay titled “Rodeo Cowboy: ‘Booger Red’ Privett and the Origins of Rodeo” appears in the book The Cowboy Way: An Exploration of History and Culture (Texas Tech University Press, 2006). In the essay, Trolinger notes that the Fort Worth Record newspaper announced Booger Red’s ride a day in advance, and Privett rode a “flea-bitten” bronco that had been one of the stars of his old Wild West show. The tales—and questions—go on and on: Did Booger Red also discover Bill Pickett, the black cowboy credited with inventing bulldogging? Did Booger Red break an estimated 40,000 horses during his career? Did he ride a horse for 40 days and 40 nights—and then after taming the horse take a six-hour bath with him? This last bit is part of the repertoire of Jerry Young, a professional storyteller from Mesquite who has recorded the tale of Booger Red on a CD, a transcript of PHOTO BY RALPH R. DOUBLEDAY, COURTESY OF NATIONAL COWBOY & WESTERN HERITAGE MUSEUM which is on file at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City. In an e-mail, Young admits that his Booger Red story “is fact and tall tale meshed together. Much of the factual material was gleaned from Mrs. Mollie Privett’s oral history interview. And yep, the 40 days and 40 nights is stretching the case. He may have rode only 35 days.” Even without the embellishments, Booger Red’s official history is worth remembering. All sources seem to agree that this little man could ride virtually anything on four legs, earning the reputation as one of the world’s best tamers of wild horses and a natural showman during rodeo’s early years. “For more than a quarter of a century, Booger Red was regarded as the greatest bronc rider in the world,” wrote rodeo announcer Foghorn Clancy, who got his start in the business at Booger Red’s Wild West show. His three-paragraph biography at the cowboy museum in Oklahoma City, which inducted Privett into its Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1975, paints the picture of one tough cowboy: “With fans screaming themselves hoarse, five-foot-four, bowlegged Booger Red would stick to the back of a bronc like a tick to a longhorn. After winning prizes in all the regular Texas rodeos, in 1901 he started his own exhibition as Booger Red’s Wild West and Vaudeville Shows. He offered a $500 prize to anyone who could bring him a bronc that he couldn’t ride. He never had to pay off.” Charles Boisseau, a former associate editor of Texas Co-op Power, is a freelance writer living in Austin. May 2011 TEXAS CO-OP POWER

OBSERVATIONS

For All the Marbles The sharp clack of glass against glass reverberates from playground showoffs long ago.

BY HARRY NOBLE

2 2 TEXAS CO-OP POWER May 2011

n the early 1930s, the game of marbles was the king of sports in country schools. Times were hard, and money was scarce. Sophisticated toys were out of reach for most families, but a web pouch with five marbles cost a nickel at Perry Brothers 5 & 10 Cent Store in San Augustine. For some youngsters, this was all they got for Christmas. Most marbles were perfectly round, about a half-inch in diameter, and were made out of glass and penetrated deep inside with a variety of brilliant colors. A few were made of steel, stone, baked clay or other materials with 1/3- to 2-inch diameters. But veteran shooters always went for glass. Rosevine, in Sabine County, near the Louisiana border in East Texas, was a typical country school where children either walked or rode a flatbed truck converted into a school bus. Many arrived before the first bell rang and had time to start a new day of games. Girls, the majority wearing feed-sack dresses and bows in their hair, opted for hopscotch or jacks. Some of the boys started a game of deer and dog where “dogs” chased “deer” between two bases—a large white oak and a giant sweet gum. But for the rest of the boys, marbles were king. The boys typically wore blue or striped overalls, went barefoot and carried pocketknives. The overalls were made of durable material that could take multiple patches. Shoes were too costly, and the pocketknives were used for cutting watermelons, trimming fingernails, digging marble holes and carving girlfriends’ initials in the desktop when the teacher wasn’t looking. Grover Eddins was the No. 1 marble ace at Rosevine. His taw (favorite shooter) was clear with two yellow streaks shot through and connected by a shaft of bright red. He shot with his right hand, palm up, knuckles touching the ground, his index finger curled in, and his taw balanced between the tip of the index finger and his thumbnail. When he fired, it usually hit the opponent’s marble dead center, sticking his taw on the spot and sending his opponent’s taw far out of the ring. The campus was naked, sandy soil; the pounding of bare feet had long since killed any grass, making it easy to dig marble holes. But the lightest rain could wash them out. John Robert was second ace and fighting to move up. He and Grover came early each morning and warmed up with two or three games of rolley-holey. The most common game—and one endorsed by the school principal—was played with four

holes, three in a straight line and the fourth at a right angle to the third. The holes were named “first,” “second,” “third” and “rover.” The object was for the player who had won the lag (shooting to see who could get the closest to a designated line) to take a span (placing a thumb at the shooting spot, extending and spreading the fingers to make an arc, and shooting from the tip of the arc) at first, knuckle down and shoot at second. If made, he continued by shooting at third and then rover. If he missed, he lost his turn. When the player made rover, he turned around and shot his way back to third, second, first and diagonally across to rover. At that point, the player was finished with the four holes and became a rover with the power to knock out his opponent and win the game. When the two aces matched their skills, word spread, and an audience of boys and girls quickly gathered. Rolley-holey was strictly prelim, and it was time to move up to more exotic games such as bun-hole, cherry pit, hundreds, chase or ringer. The two titans chose ringer. It had an air of sophistication and was played by the better shooters. A two- or three-foot ring was drawn with a bull’s eye in the center. Each player put a number of marbles on the bull’s eye. Shooting order was determined by lagging. With the initial shot from outside, each player tried to knock as many opponents’ marbles as possible out of the ring while keeping his taw inside. As soon as his taw stopped outside, he lost his turn. School rules prohibited any form of gambling—no betting was allowed. All marble games were played for “funzies.” No one had money, but there was betting, and the chips were marbles. For onlookers, bets sometimes included white oak acorns or chinquapins. On rare occasions, betting reached a zenith when the individual pictures of two class beauties were at stake. Games with the purpose of winning the opponent’s marbles were called “keeps.” Back then in rural East Texas, one could hear the sharp clack of glass against glass. Anyone looking for the best marble shooters in the world could have started right there with Grover Eddins and John Robert, when marbles were king. Harry Noble lives in Iola and is a frequent contributor to Texas Co-op Power.

ILLUSTRATION BY JOHN KACHIK

May 2011 TEXAS CO-OP POWER

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FOOTNOTES

IN TEXAS

HISTORY

Dairyman to the World BY CLAY COPPEDGE

ike a lot of people known primarily for one thing, Gail Borden Jr. did a lot of things besides that for which he is most famous: inventing the process of preserving and canning milk. That invention made his fortune and his reputation, but the “Dairyman to the World,” as he was called by one biographer, traveled a strange and winding road to the land of prosperity and posterity. Borden, born in New York in 1801, made his way to Texas in 1829 with little more than a year’s worth of formal education in Indiana, where he studied surveying. He and his brother Tom had met Stephen F. Austin in New Orleans in 1821, where Austin told the brothers of the free land that Mexico, of which Texas was a part, was giving away to families willing to settle the Texas wilderness. Tom took Austin up on the offer, but his brother settled in Mississippi for seven years because he believed the climate there would be good for a troubling cough from which he had suffered for most of his life. Gail Borden Jr. brought his wife, Penelope, and their children to join Tom and Gail Sr. in Texas, where Gail Jr. took over from his brother as chief surveyor for Austin’s colony. Even without his condensed milk as a legacy, Gail Borden Jr. would still warrant at least a mention in the state’s history. He published one of the state’s first newspapers, the Telegraph and Texas Land Register—which on March 17, 1836, was the first to report the fall of the Alamo 11 days earlier. And he is credited by some with writing the headline that became the rallying cry for Texas independence: “Remember the Alamo!” Under the Republic of Texas, President Sam Houston appointed Borden collector of customs for the Port of Galveston, where he served a little more than a year before Mirabeau Lamar, who succeeded Houston, removed him for political reasons, appointing a lifelong friend to the post. Borden returned to the position when Houston served his second term as president of the Republic, but resigned after a spat with Old Sam over the valuation of Texas paper money, known as “exchequer bills.” After Penelope died during a yellow fever epidemic in Galveston in 1844, Borden began to experiment with ways to preserve food, specifically meat, without refrigeration. After much trial and error, he boiled a side of beef down to just a few pounds and mixed it with flour to create what was billed as “the wonderful meat biscuit from Texas.” He sold a supply to explorer Elisha Kane for his early 1850s exploration of the Arctic, but six Army officers reported that the biscuit had a “disgusting” flavor and was prone to produce headaches and nausea in people who ate it. ILLUSTRATION BY RICHARD BARTHOLOMEW

Returning home on a ship from England in 1851, Borden was distressed by the crying of ill and hungry babies who had no access to milk because the rough seas had either killed the ship’s cows—brought onboard to provide fresh milk—or made them too seasick to milk. He vowed to find a way to preserve milk and dedicated the next two years to devising and perfecting his method. Borden’s idea was to retain the fat but remove the water by evaporating it in a vacuum pan to prevent contamination. Key to the process was the exclusion of air during the evaporation process. Borden was the first to realize that milk is a living fluid that begins to decompose as soon as it leaves the cow, an observation that was at the heart of later scientific breakthroughs like pasteurization. After several rejections, the U.S. Patent Office approved Borden’s design in 1856 after the editor of Scientific American and others lobbied on Borden’s behalf. Initial attempts to market the product from New York failed, mainly because most people in 19th century America had their own dairy cows and didn’t want or need canned milk. With the help of benefactor Jeremiah Milbank, Borden persisted. The Union Army ordered 500 pounds of condensed milk when the Civil War started in 1861 and eventually ordered all the condensed milk that Borden could produce. He returned to Texas in 1867 a wealthy and respected man. The town of Borden in Colorado County, west of Houston, where he settled for a time after his return, is named for him. Two other namesakes lie southeast of Lubbock: Gail, the seat of Borden County. Gail Borden Jr. died in Borden at the age of 72 from pneumonia, and his body was shipped by private train car to White Plains, New York, for burial in the Woodlawn Cemetery. The epitaph on his grave monument sums up his life pretty well: “I tried and failed, I tried again and again, and succeeded.” Clay Coppedge is a regular contributor to Footnotes in Texas History. May 2011 TEXAS CO-OP POWER

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R E C I P E

RO U N D U P Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine berries, 1/2 cup sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, lemon juice and 1/2 cup water in a pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens and remove from heat. In bowl, combine butter, 3/4 cup sugar, flours, allspice, baking powder, salt and milk and mix until smooth. Fold in almonds. Pour batter into 8-by-8-inch baking dish. Spoon berry mixture into center of dish. Bake for 45 minutes or until pastry top is browned. Allow to cool about 15 minutes before serving. Servings: 8. Serving size: 1 cup. Per serving: 287 calories, 3.2 g protein, 6.5 g fat, 54.5 g carbohydrates, 2.3 g dietary fiber, 219 mg sodium, 36.7 g sugars, 18 mg cholesterol

Bumbleberry Cobbler

Picky? Spring Bears Fruit for Us All BY KEVIN HARGIS

One of my stomach’s favorite times of the year comes about now, when the weather has turned warm and the locally grown fruits of the spring are in their prime. While we have available almost any fruit at any time of the year nowadays— greenhouse-grown or imported from far-away climes—nothing compares to locally (or regionally) grown, seasonal fruit picked at the height of ripeness. I am lucky enough to live in Central Texas and enjoy its abundance of peaches, strawberries and blackberries during late spring and early summer. Folks in other regions of the state can avail themselves of locally grown plums, blueberries and wild dewberries. If you’re lucky, you live close to one of the state’s pick-your-own farms and can harvest a sweet bounty yourself. And if you are very fortunate, you may have your own fruit trees. Whether I’ve picked them off the bough or from a grocery store shelf, spring’s sweet treats make me glad to see winter in my rearview mirror. As for the following recipe, there’s really no such thing as a bumbleberry—it’s a mixture of sweet and tart berries. It’s a fun word to say, though, and the taste is fun as well.

BUMBLEBERRY COBBLER 1 cup blackberries 1 cup blueberries 1 cup hulled and quartered strawberries 1 1/4 cups sugar, divided 1/8 cup cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoon lemon juice P H O T O S B Y R I C K PA T R I C K

4 tablespoons butter, melted cup whole-wheat flour 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon allspice 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 1 cup sliced almonds 1/2

My wife and I were introduced to this next dish one frosty January morning at a bed-and-breakfast between Fredericksburg and Kerrville. Because of the season, the peaches were not fresh, but the canned ones tasted just fine. This combination has become a breakfast favorite of ours. (But I think it’s much better when peaches are in season.)

PEACH CRUNCH 4 peaches, halved and pitted, or 8 canned peach halves Cinnamon, if desired, to taste 1 cup whole-grain granola (without fruit) 1 tablespoon butter, melted 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 cup plain or vanilla yogurt Heat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange peach halves (peeled or unpeeled, your preference), cut side up, in 8-by-8-inch baking dish and sprinkle with cinnamon. If using fresh peaches, bake 15 minutes, or until they begin to soften. Bake canned peaches about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, toss together granola, butter and brown sugar. Remove pan from oven. Top each peach half with about 2 tablespoons of granola mixture. Return to oven for about 10 minutes, or until granola has toasted. Top each peach half with two tablespoons of yogurt and serve immediately. Servings: 4. Serving size: 2 halves. Per serving: 267 calories, 6.6 g protein, 4.9 g fat, 51.6 g carbohydrates, 3.8 g dietary fiber, 106 mg sodium, 37.3 g sugars, 11 mg cholesterol May 2011 TEXAS CO-OP POWER

R E C I P E

RO U N D U P

GLADYS ESPENSON, Navarro County Electric Cooperative Prize-winning recipe: Plum Peachy Crisp The sweet-tart flavor of plums and peaches works nicely in this dessert, which sneaks in a bit of nutrition in the form of a whole-grain topping. It’s wonderful served warm and would be great with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Winner Gladys Espenson says she likes to make this dish from the fruits off her own trees. st

PLUM PEACHY CRISP 2 cups sliced plums 2 cups sliced peaches 3/ 4 cup sugar 1/ 4 teaspoon salt 1/ 4 cup quick-cooking tapioca Crisp Topping

CRISP TOPPING 1/2 1/2

1 1 1/2 1/2

2 1

cup wheat flour teaspoon salt cup brown sugar teaspoon cinnamon teaspoon nutmeg cup butter cups old-fashioned oatmeal cup seed and nut mixture*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish. Mix plums, peaches, sugar, salt and tapioca and pour into dish. For topping, mix together flour, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, then cut in butter. Stir in oatmeal and seed mixture. Spread oatmeal mixture atop fruit to within a quarter inch of edges. Bake for about 50 minutes. * To make seed and nut mixture, combine equal parts of whole millet, sesame seed, sunflower seed, flax seed and walnuts or pecans. Servings: 9. Serving size: 1 cup. Per serving: 471 calories, 6.9 g protein, 17.8 g fat, 73.2 g carbohydrates, 6.5 g dietary fiber, 207 mg sodium, 47.8 g sugars, 27 mg cholesterol

STRAWBERRY SALSA 2 1/2 1 1 2 2 1/ 3

cups fresh strawberries cup chopped green pepper jalapeño green onions teaspoons fresh chopped parsley cup Catalina salad dressing Splash hot sauce (optional)

Dice strawberries and vegetables finely and mix with the salad dressing. Add hot sauce if desired. Allow to set in refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours before serving. Servings: 16. Serving size: 1/4 cup. Per serving: 39 calories, 0.3 g protein, 3.2 g fat, 2.8 g carbohydrates, 0.8 g dietary fiber, 53 mg sodium, 1.6 g sugars LYNN HUCK

Pedernales Electric Cooperative

7TH ANNUAL HOLIDAY RECIPE CONTEST

$5,000 in total prizes! How sweet and savoryit is!

5 Winners! $2000 Grand Prizewinner. $1000 Best Savory Recipe. $1000 Best Sweet Recipe. Two Runners-Up Each Win $500.

Send us your best original pecan recipes—savory and sweet. Winning recipes will highlight how to use Texas pecans in clever and imaginative ways to dress up savory vegetables, meats and salads or your favorite cookies, pies and candies. All recipes must include pecans. Be sure to use real Texas pecans for the best results. Winners will be featured in our December 2011 issue. Enter by August 10, 2011 at TexasCoopPower.com.

SP ONSORED

TEXAS PECAN BOARD www.TexasPecans.org Enter online at TexasCoopPower.com. Each entry MUST include your name, address and phone number, plus the name of your Texas electric cooperative, or it will be disqualified. Specify which category you are entering, savory or sweet, on each recipe. Send entries to: Texas Co-op Power/Holiday Recipe Contest, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. You can fax recipes to (512) 763-3408 or e-mail them to recipes@texas-ec.org. E-mails must include “Holiday Recipe Contest” in the subject line and contain only one recipe (no attachments). Up to three entries are allowed per person/co-op member. Each should be submitted on a separate piece of paper if mailed or faxed. Mailed entries can all be in one envelope. For official rules, visit TexasCoopPower.com.

2 8 TEXAS CO-OP POWER May 2011

R E C I P E YUMMY PEACH CAKE 1 1/2 2 1 1 1 1/ 2 1/ 2

1 1 1 3 1 1 1/2

cups sugar cups flour teaspoon baking soda teaspoon cinnamon teaspoon nutmeg teaspoon allspice teaspoon salt teaspoon vanilla cup buttermilk cup oil beaten eggs cup chopped nuts cups peeled, sliced peaches Sauce Topping

SAUCE TOPPING 1 cup sugar teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup butter 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/2 cup buttermilk 1/2

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease Bundt pan with cooking spray or shortening. Combine dry ingredients in large

RO U N D U P

bowl; in separate bowl, combine vanilla, buttermilk, oil and eggs. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and blend with mixer or by hand. Fold in nuts and peaches and pour into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until firm. As cake is baking, mix all sauce ingredients in saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and continue to cook until slightly thickened. Immediately upon

removing cake from oven, slowly pour hot, thickened sauce topping over cake. As sauce soaks into cake, continue to pour until all sauce is used. Cool, and turn out onto large cake plate. Servings: 12. Serving size: 1 slice. Per serving: 567 calories, 5.9 g protein, 32.5 g fat, 61 g carbohydrates, 1.6 g dietary fiber, 299 mg sodium, 44 g sugars, 75 mg cholesterol JULIE SUE ANTOSH

Fayette Electric Cooperative

$100 RECIPE CONTEST

September’s recipe contest topic is One Dish for Supper. We’re seeking quick and easy recipes for simple stovetop suppers that don’t require a multitude of pots and pans. The deadline is May 10. Submit recipes online at TexasCoopPower.com under the Contests tab. Or mail them to Home Cooking, 1122 Colorado, 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. You may e-mail them to recipes@TexasCoopPower.com or fax to (512) 763-3408. Please include your name, address and phone number, as well as the name of your electric co-op. Also, let us know where you found the recipe or whether it’s one you developed yourself. The top winner will receive $100, a copy of 60 Years of Home Cooking and a Texas-shaped trivet. Runners-up will also receive a prize. 2011 © CATHY YEULET. IMAGE FROM BIGSTOCK.COM

Wrinkles, Under-eye Dark Circles and Bags –Does Any CreamWork? DEAR DORRIS: I am a vibrant woman of 55 years old. I feel 25 years old still, but I have lately developed these wrinkles and dark circles under my eyes along with puffy bags, that make me look older than I am.

Dear

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I have tried many products that the Celebrities endorse, but they didn’t work. Is there any product out there that can really get rid of these wrinkles, bags and dark circles? Dark and Baggy, Tyler,TX DEAR DARKNESS : There is definitely a product that really works on your three big problems of wrinkles, dark circles, and bags. The product is the industry’s best kept secret, and it’s called the Dermagist Eye Revolution Gel ® It is a light gel that you apply around the eye area, that has some serious scientific ingredients that do exactly what you’re looking for.

It has the ingredient, Haloxyl, which penetrates the skin and breaks up the blood particles that cause those dark circles. Another ingredient, Eyeliss works to release the fat pockets that develop under the eye that appear as bags. The Dermagist Eye Revolution Gel ® also works on wrinkles by using Stem Cells to regenerate healthy skin cells, and reduce wrinkles. As an overall treatment for the skin around the eye area, this product is a serious choice that the other creams only aspire to compete with. Since it’s priced affordably, it will not be long until the whole world is talking about it. The Dermagist Eye Revolution Gel ® is available online at Dermagist.com or you can order or learn more by calling toll-free, 888-771-5355. Oh, I almost forgot… I was given a promo code when I placed my order that gave me 10% off. The code was “TXEYE345u. 4 It’s worth a try to see if it still works.

May 2011 TEXAS CO-OP POWER

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Correction: Two photos were transposed in “Catch of the Day” in the April 2011 issue. Clayton Richardson, 11, caught a 29-pound blue catfish, and 9-year-old Nolan Bayer hauled in a 47-pound flathead catfish. To see the boys—and their big fish—go to TexasCoopPower.com.

1 Lauren Blackwell, daughter of Pedernales Electric Cooperative member Nancy Sanders, snapped this shot of Maisie the basset hound making an unlikely friend.

1 Mufasa the goat tries to get his buddy Radar the donkey to play—no word on whether he was successful. Houston County Electric Cooperative member Fannie Salmon sent us the shot of the odd pair.

1 San Bernard Electric Cooperative member Sandra Stevens says Rusty the dachshund always has a padded seat and great vantage point when his miniature donkey pal Adelida obliges him.

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THOSE WERE THE DAYS is the topic for our JULY 2011 issue. Send your photo—along with your name, address, daytime phone, co-op affiliation and a brief description—to Those Were the Days, Focus on Texas, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701, before MAY 10. A stamped, self-addressed envelope must be included if you want your entry returned (approximately six weeks). Please do not submit irreplaceable photographs—send a copy or duplicate. If you use a digital camera, submit your highest-resolution images online under the Contests tab at TexasCoopPower.com. We regret that Texas Co-op Power cannot be responsible for photos that are lost in the mail or not received by the deadline. Please note that we cannot provide individual critiques of submitted photos.

GP the guinea pig has a secret to share with guide-dog trainee Lakota. Pedernales Electric Cooperative member Rob Shook captured this moment on a sunny afternoon. 3 May 2011 TEXAS CO-OP POWER

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Gedenke Festival, (979) 725-9511, www.weimar.tx.org

EMORY Founder’s Day Festival, (903) 473-2465 ext. 112, www.foundersday festival.org SAN AUGUSTINE (6–7) El Camino Garage Sale, (936) 275-3610, www.sanaugustinetx.com SALADO (6–7) Tablerock Gospel Festival, (254) 634-4658

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BRENHAM (6–7) 121st Annual Maifest, 1-888-273-6426, www.maifest.org CANTON (6–8) Auto Swap Meet, (903) 567-6762 HAMILTON (6–8) Sweetest Loop, (254) 386-8754

DOAN’S CROSSING Doan’s May Picnic, (940) 552-6655 MICO VFD Barbecue, (830) 751-2658 LULING Indian Artifact & Collectible Show, (512) 227-1872 LONE CAMP Lone Camp Chili Cook-Off, (940) 329-1116

PATTISON 28th Annual German Sausage Dinner, (281) 934-8218, www.lutheransonline.com/ christlutheranpattison HILLSBORO (7–8) Texas Pirate Festival, (254) 548-6238, www.middlefest.com

A ROU N D T E XA S A ROUN D T EXA S 13

VICTORIA Family Fish Out, (361) 485-3200, www.victoriatx.org MIDLAND (13–15) Great Outdoors Expo, (806) 253-1322, www .silverspurtradeshows.com

FLOMOT (19–21) Bluegrass Festival, (806) 269-1578

SHEFFIELD (20–21) Western Frontier Days, (432) 836-4391, www.visit fortlancaster.com

CORSICANA Coyote Squadron's Air Show, (903) 872-3507, www.coyotesquadron.org COLEMAN Walk for a Cure, (325) 625-3455, http://chhale foundation.com

MOUNT PLEASANT (20–21) Moonlight Festival and Outhouse Races, (903) 572-8567, www.mtpleasanttx.com

VALLEY SPRING Fish Fry Fundraiser, (325) 247-4023

DAYTON Kenefick Kaper, (936) 258-3319, www.kenefick volunteerfiredepartment .com

FREDERICKSBURG (27–29) Crawfish Festival, 1-866-839-3378, www.tex-fest.com ENNIS (27–29) 45th Annual National Polka Festival, (972) 878-4748,www.national polkafestival.com

ATHENS 2nd Annual Texas Swing Festival, (903) 677-2001, www.athenstexasswing festival.com LEAKEY Shrimp Boil, (830) 2325222, www.friocanyon chamber.com CLARKSVILLE Fine Arts Festival, (903) 341-0761, http://clarksville artfest.com

BLEIBLERVILLE VFD Fish Fry & Fundraiser, (979) 249-6382

LUCKENBACH (28–30) Luckenbach’s Birthday Celebration, 1-888-3118990, www.luckenbach texas.com

SHINER Catholic Church Picnic, (361) 594-3836, www.sscmshiner.org

JUNE 01

SHERMAN (1–4) Melody Ranch’s 5th Annual Bluegrass Festival, (903) 5466893, www.chrystal opryhouse.com

MONAVILLE (2–4) Warbird Fly-in, (832) 455-3723

Event information can be submitted on our website at TexasCoopPower.com, mailed to Around Texas, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701, or faxed to (512) 763-3407. Please submit events for July by May 10.

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I have always been fascinated with space—the final frontier, the great beyond—and as a child I’d stretch to touch the stars and pondered whether the Milky Way were really made of milk. When I became educated and learned that stars essentially were suns, that many of those suns had planets—Earth, for example, orbits around our sun, Sol, the largest body in the solar system—and that the size of the known universe was unfathomable, I became even more intrigued. I’d imagine distant galaxies and other worlds where someone like me wondered, “Is anybody out there?” That same feeling arises at SPACE CENTER HOUSTON, the perfect place to stretch a child’s imagination. Since 1992, the official visitors center for NASA’s Johnson Space Center has been granting guests big and small a star-bending journey through humanity’s adventures in space. More than 11 million earthlings have passed through the front doors of the 180,000-square-foot facility in Houston to take the trip. Upon taking in my spectacular surroundings, I had one thought: “I want to be a kid again.” You’ll probably think the same thing. So, parents, don’t miss bringing your kids to this gateway to the universe that features something for all ages with a multitude of interactive exhibits, hands-on attractions and theaters. Your little ones will have great fun climbing around the large, intricate playscape. On the day of my visit, every twitch of the eye revealed another porthole or cubbyhole where a young ’un was gleefully waving to his or her parents resting on the benches nearby. At press time, few details about the upcoming summer 2011 exhibit were available. It is, however, based on extreme sports and is slated to be an exclusive, one-time experience. Spokesman Jack Moore said kids will be able to try out the life of a professional athlete, “get their feet off the ground” performing extreme stunts and be immersed in an 3 8 TEXAS CO-OP POWER May 2011

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interactive, virtual and digital world. In the STARSHIP GALLERY’S DESTINY THEATER, I was thrilled to see the lectern that President John F. Kennedy stood behind on May 25, 1961, when he announced the ambitious goal of sending an American safely to the moon. The featured show, which gives a bit of space history, is perfect for eager and curious young minds. It chronicles the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo space programs and highlights such achievements as walking on the moon and tragedies such as the Challenger space shuttle disaster. It gave me a sense of pride in what we’ve accomplished and wonder about the magic that is space. It seems unimaginable! And yet, it’s very real. Afterward, we filed into a museum with a Skylab station, lunar core samples and replicas of satellites and rockets. Here’s your chance to touch a piece of moon rock! In THE FEEL OF SPACE EXHIBIT, we learned what it’s like to be an astronaut

in space where a lack of gravity affects everything: The human spine extends about an inch. Blood rushes to the head and torso, legs become thinner, and eyes become bloodshot—without gravity, blood can’t easily flow to the extremities. We also learned how the astronauts played: surfing on clipboards and using tortillas as Frisbees, among other creative things. The kids in the crowd chorused “Yuck!” when they saw the package of brown stuff that was chicken teriyaki. After thrilling to the rumble and roar of a rocket being launched in the BLAST OFF THEATER, we learned the difference between shuttle and space missions and that there are space hotels in the works. Galactic Suite, the first hotel planned in space, is scheduled to open for business in 2012. For a mere $4 million, you can book a three-day stay. In a SPACE SHUTTLE REPLICA, I saw how close quarters are for astronauts who rest in canvas sleeping bags attached to the wall. Being in the shuttle made me feel trapped—cornered— and I wondered how astronauts can mentally handle the close confines. I think I’d go nuts. A boy next to me excitedly said “Vrooooom, vrooooom!” as he grasped at what appeared to be a zillion buttons and controls. Future shuttle commander? Maybe so. Claustrophobic? Not likely. I ended my journey with a trip on the NASA TRAM TOUR around the Johnson Space Center. We saw the MISSION CONTROL CENTER and where astronauts train for missions using actual-size replicas. On our way back to Space Center Houston, the tram passed by a grove of trees lit with twinkling lights, each one designating an American life lost in the space program. Beat the heat this summer by taking your kiddos to the farthest corners of their imagination. It’s an out-of-thisworld adventure, and you don’t even have to leave Texas. Ashley Clary, field editor ILLUSTRATION BY GIL ADAMS

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