AUGUST 2014
Ryan Stewart, Fair Oaks Ranch, TX Superintendent - SBS Construction
C OM PROM I SE
EL SEW HER E
GENT Stylists: Priscilla Gonzalez - Hair & Styling Chrissi Blumstead - Straight Razor Shave
Call today for your reservation 830.443.4500
BOERNE, TEXAS • 930 E. BLANCO
BOOK ONLINE: WWW.COMPLETEGENT.COM
AUGUST
Explore what's inside this issue!
From the Publisher
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10 Calendar 16 Troubadour 20 Travel 24 History 26 Books
32 Dangerous Toys 34 Wine 36 Football Schedules 38 Spiritual 40 Chronicles 42 Old Timer
30 Gardening
EXPLORE magazine is published by Schooley Media Ventures in Boerne, TX. EXPLORE Magazine and Schooley Media Ventures are not responsible for any inaccuracies, erroneous information, or typographical errors contained in this publication submitted by advertisers. Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EXPLORE and/or Schooley Media Ventures. Copyright 2014 Schooley Media Ventures, 930 E. Blanco, Ste. 200, Boerne, TX 78006
Contributing Writers
Marjorie Hagy (History) MARJORIE is a bibliophile, a history nut and an insomniac, among several other conditions, both diagnosed and otherwise. When she's not working tirelessly to avoid getting a real job, she nurses an obsession with her grandson and is involved in passing legislation restricting the wearing of socks with sandals. She is an aspiring pet hoarder who enjoys vicious games of Scrabble, reading Agatha Christie, and sitting around doing nothing while claiming to be thinking deeply. Marjorie has five grown children, a poodle to whom she is inordinately devoted in spite of his breath, and holds an Explore record for never having submitted an article on time. She's been writing for us for five years now.
Kendall D. Aaron (Spiritual)
I’m just a normal guy. I’m not a theology student, I don’t preach in church, and I’ve never written a book. I’m just a normal guy that thinks, and feels, and is on a never-ending journey attempting to be the best person I can be. I fail frequently at this quest, yet each day, the quest continues. I’ve lived in Boerne since the late ‘80s, I’ve got a most beautiful wife, three wonderful children, and just really, really love God. Thanks for going on my spiritual journey with me.
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Rene Villanueva (Music)
Rene Villanueva is the lead singer/bass player for the band Hacienda. Having toured worldwide, hacienda has also been featured on several late night shows, including Late Show with David Letterman. Rene and his wife Rachel live in Boerne, TX and just welcomed thier first child.
Old Timer (Ramblings)
The Old Timer tells us he's been a resident of Boerne since about 1965. He enjoys telling people what he doesn't like. When not bust'n punks he can be found feeding the ducks just off Main St. or wandering aimlessly in the newly expanded HEB. Despite his rough and sometimes brash persona, Old Timer is really a wise and thoughtful individual. If you can sort through the BS.
Keith Amelung (Gardening)
As a former nursery owner and manager Keith specialized in herbs, natives, roses and aquatic plants. There he discovered heirloom veggies, as a way to offer something unique to his customers. For more than two years, Keith worked for Fertile Garden Supply. During the last year with this company Keith appeared as the in-house “garden-guru” for NBC’s local ‘San Antonio Living’ show. It was Keith’s great pleasure to substitute/ guest-host for Bob Webster on the KTSA Garden Show for nearly ten years. Currently, Keith offers his services under the banner of Have Spade, Will Travel Landscape & Consulting. He enjoys speaking to garden clubs throughout the area on a wide variety of subjects such as organic/chemical-free gardening, deerresistant and native plants, water gardening and of course heirloom vegetables.
Publisher Benjamin D. Schooley ben@hillcountryexplore.com Creative Director Benjamin N. Weber ben.weber@smvtexas.com ADVERTISING SALES 210-507-5250 sales@hillcountryexplore.com
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10. Generations FCU 24165 W IH 10 #300 San Antonio, TX 78256 210-229-1128 www.mygenfcu.com 11. GENT 930 E. Blanco, Boerne, TX 78006 830-443-4500 www.completegent.com
August 2014
17. JR Mooney Galleries 305 S. Main St., #400, Boerne, TX 78006 830-816-5106 www.jrmooneygalleries.com 18. Mama’s 30775 IH 10 WEST, Boerne, TX 78006 830-981-9011 www.mamasboerne.com 19. Mellard Dentistry 24200 Interstate Highway 10 #112, San Antonio, TX 78257 210-687-1133 www.leonspringsdentist.com 20. KCN Builders 920 East Blanco Rd., Boerne, TX 78006 830-816-5202 www.kcnbuilders.com 21. Lillian’s of Boerne 107 E San Antonio Ave, Boerne, TX 78006 830-446-2182 www.lilliansshoppe.com
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22. Little Gretel 518 River Rd., Boerne, TX 78006 830-331-1368 www.littlegretel.com
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23. Performance Speed Shop 115 Pleasant Valley, Boerne, TX 78006 830-623-0530 www.pcass-tx.com 24. Phyllis Browning 24200 IH10W, San Antonio, TX 78257 210-698-4700 www.phyllisbrowning.com
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9. Gary Wolff 24200 IH10W, San Antonio, TX 78257 210-643-3165 www.phyllisbrowning.com
16. Hill Country Paddle Sports Boerne City Lake 210-842-4057 www.hillcountrypaddlesports.com
To Leon Springs, Fair Oaks Ranch & San Antonio 6, 9, 10, 19, 24
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8. Colvin Home Health 120 Winding Path, Boerne, Texas 78006 210-833-1861 www.colvinhomehealth.com
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1. Boot Jack Bar 1 FM 3551, Ste. 100, Bergheim, TX 78004 210-861-0074 www.bootjackbar.com
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25. RANDOM 11 Upper Cibolo Creek Rd. Boerne, Texas 78006 210-724-6921 www.randomtexas.com
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26. Riverbed Concrete 39390 W IH-10 Suite C, Boerne, TX 78006 830-981-2210 www.riverbedconcrete.com 27. Texas Investors Title 101 S Main St., #C, Boerne, TX 78006 830-816-5888 www.texasinvestorstitle.com 28. Texas Ranches For Sale & Lonestar Properties 222 South Main St., Boerne, Texas 78006 830-249-9339 www.texasranchesforsale.com
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29. Toyota of Boerne 31205 I-10 W, Boerne, TX 78006 210-870-1800 www.toyotaofboerne.com 30. Woodhouse Day Spa 908 S. Main St., Boerne, TX 78006 830-331-8511 boerne.woodhousespas.com
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From the Publisher Dearest EXPLORE reader, Oftentimes, life can be a series of mundane events, punctuated by an intense bright moment that you remember for the rest of your life. Some are good, some are bad, but all teach you a lesson. In the 8th grade, I played football for the Boerne Pups. I tried out for quarterback, and ended up making the team as a wide receiver. I think that when you’re in the 8th grade, and the team didn’t really have a passing game, being the wide receiver was the coach’s way of saying “I won’t cut ya from the team, kid. Just go stand out there and block somebody”. On the other side of the line of scrimmage from me was a kid named Greg Noble. He had bright, SUPER BRIGHT, red hair and really pale skin that meant if he got flustered, tired, or embarrassed, his skin would turn this amazing color of red. Naturally, we all picked on him mercilessly. After every practice, all of us cool kids would tease him and see if we could get him worked up enough so that he would turn bright red. We always succeeded. I had him in a few classes as well, and I’m pretty confident that ol’ Greg’s days were full of constant harassment. He never lashed out, he simply took the ribbing and waited for us to be distracted by somebody else. I can honestly say I was never a bully, in fact, I often was the victim of teasing and bullying, and so I think that sometimes it was nice to not be the low man on the totem pole. It never made it right, but I was in the 8th grade, and wanted to deflect the attention. He was new to Boerne, and I think that he moved away not long after he arrived, but not before he taught me quite the lesson. Greg was a pretty typical 8th grade kid. Which means he was scrawny and clumsy. So was I. And every day, Greg and I would face off on that dusty old football field and bang our helmets into one another while we acted like we were blocking. One really hot day during practice, I was bored. We were just running the same plays over and over, and Greg and I kept banging into one another, and we were both miserable and hot. So I decided I would take out my frustration on him, and started giving him a hard time about the fact that his face was beet red. Greg took this as he always did…silently. So I kept going. He got more and more red, and when I was sure he would simply explode, he grabbed my facemask. He pulled me close to him and with his lips pulled back like a rabid animal, he seethed, “I’ve had it with you.” At first I was shocked, but noticing that the rest of the team saw this, I quickly recovered. “Oh, whatever Greg!!” I laughed and with that, the next play was called. And because God has a sense of humor, it was a pass play. I lined up across from Greg, and he stared at me like he was shooting lasers through my skull. The play started, and I ran my route. As fate would have it, the quarterback threw the ball to me, I caught it, and looked up to run. To this day, I can still remember the rage that was in Greg’s eyes as he closed in on me. He hit me harder than I had ever been hit, or have been hit since. He immediately knocked the wind out of me, followed by the ball flying up in the air, and lifted me completely off the ground. With his shoulder firmly planted in my mid-section, he pushed me back 4 or 5 yards, and then drove me with all of his weight directly into the ground. I laugh now, but I swear I remember thinking that there might actually be an indentation in the earth where I had just landed. For a moment it was silent, and then the entire football team let out a collective “Oooooooooohhhh!” Greg stood over me panting, staring down at me with those bright red cheeks. And then the cheering started. The whole team took to a collective clapping for Greg, who looked around confused. Players started coming over and patting him on the shoulders. Then they looked down at me and laughed. Greg broke a slight smile, and then looked down at me again. He slowly extended his hand and helped me up. He pulled me up to his eye level and said “Remember this. You ever bother me again, I’ll take you out.” And you know what? I never messed with Greg again. In fact, I don’t distinctly ever remember being a typical punk 8th grader and teasing anyone after that football practice again. I do, however, remember Greg being instantly adopted by the cool kids as one of their own, and he enjoyed a great rest of the semester with all the kids that used to give him such a hard time. Again, I’m pretty sure Greg moved away after that one year, but I can still remember him like it was yesterday. And I have spent many an hour philosophizing about Greg Noble, 8th grade tackling machine. I sit on my porch as a grown man, and watch my kids play. Somewhere, Greg is doing the same thing. I like to think that Greg’s entire life changed permanently after that one football practice. I like to think that at his next school, he came in with a swag-
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ger and was quick to show punk 9th graders that if you mess with Greg Noble, he’ll have no problem teaching you a thing or two. I like to imagine that Greg went on to become class president, valedictorian, and a successful businessman and father because of the day that he knocked the snot out of Ben Schooley on a dusty field in Boerne, Texas. Above all, I think about Greg Noble because there’s a bit of him in all of us. We all desire to fit in, to be “one of the team”, and to have a little respect. Sometimes we have that, and sometimes we don’t. But we are all underestimated. And sometimes, you have to take that self-respect back like a stolen purse. For that, I envy Greg. I envy him for the fact that he did something about that “underestimation”. He took the guy (me) that was underestimating him, and knocked me flat on my back. It wasn’t the violence of the act, it was the intent that I most applaud. An intent to prove not only me wrong, but everyone that had given Greg a hard time. I’m sure that he was scared, and tired, and angry…but he sat all that aside and exhibited a bright moment of passion and intensity that, even if all those other kids on the team forgot about, I sure as hell didn’t. So I lift a glass to Greg Noble frequently. I like to think that God put Greg in my life for that brief year in 1988 to teach me a lesson, but also to teach Greg one, too. And I also like to think that when I’m faced with challenges and frustrations, that I can handle them with the same passion and ferocity as Greg. I hope that if presented with a bright moment in my life where I have a decision to make, that I can have the guts and bravery to take it all on, and to be left standing to applause. Welcome to August. May you enjoy the beauty of the season and find that bright moment in your life. And may it take you in directions you had never imagined. Smiling,
Benjamin D. Schooley PS – I just spent an hour on Google looking for Greg Noble. I finally found him. He’s a family doctor in upstate Ohio. In his biography on his webpage, it says “Dr. Noble’s professional interests include sports medicine, pediatric care, family advocacy and office procedures. He has a functional knowledge of medical Spanish and enjoys fitness, literature, film, spending time with his family, and coaching his son’s football team”. ben@hillcountryexplore.com
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UPCOMING EVENTS AT INTERMEZZO August 22-23 Focus on Nonprofits at Intermezzo
A gallery of artistic gifts to bring color, sound, beauty and light to you and yours where you live, work and play. Intermezzo is an Italian term meaning “intermission” or taking a breath. Take a pause for beauty at Intermezzo. Spend time in the gallery. Choose gifts handmade by local and international artists and artisans from the Texas Hill Country to Ethiopia. Take a workshop in poetry or painting techniques, or sign up for piano or voice lessons and let this intermezzo introduce a new chapter and verse into your life.
September 2-26 “More Than Beautiful” An Exhibit of Oil Paintings by Dr. Bill Nichols, a nationally recognized portrait, still-life and wildlife artist.
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AUGUST
Get out and enjoy the great Texas Hill Country! The most comprehensive events calendar. Send submissions to info@hillcountryexplore.com
August 1 FREDERICKSBURG First Friday Art Walk
August 9 BOERNE Second Saturday Art and Wine
August 1-2 DRIPPING SPRINGS Texas Senior Pro Rodeo
August 9 JUNCTION Martin Memorial Car Show
Tour fine-art galleries offering special events, refreshments and extended viewing hours. www. ffawf.com
Dripping Springs Ranch Park Event Center, 1042 R.M. 12. www.tspra.com
August 1-3 UVALDE Hotter Than Hell 100-Mile Yard Sale
Enjoy sales and events on a route down U.S. 90 from Castroville to Brackettville. www.visituvalde. com
August 1-9 WIMBERLEY Shakespeare Under the Stars: Richard III
The EmilyAnn Theatre and Gardens, 1101 F.M. 2325. www.emilyann.org
August 5 BANDERA Cowboy Capital Opry
Grand Old Opry-style show features Harriet and Gerry Payne and various artists. Begins at 7 p.m. Silver Sage Corral, 803 Buck Creek Drive. www. silversagecorral.org
August 5, 12, 19 GRUENE Swing Dance Lessons and Two Tons of Steel in Concert
Learn simple, fun East Coast Swing steps in this one-hour class held before the Two Ton Tuesday concert. Class starts at 6 p.m.; band starts at 8:30 p.m. Gruene Hall.
August 8 CASTROVILLE Friday Night Fever
See a variety of antique and modern cars and trucks on display, and enjoy music, food and shopping. Wommack Chevrolet, 1955 U.S. 90 E. www. castroville.com
August 8-10 MARBLE FALLS LakeFest Drag Boat Races
More than 100 boats race at speeds up to 250 mph on a liquid quarter mile on Lake Marble Falls. Lakeside Park, 307 Buena Vista. www.marblefallslakefest.com
August 9 BOERNE Moondance Concert Series
Enjoy live music under the stars and oak trees. Cibolo Nature Center, 140 City Park Road. www. cibolo.org
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Enjoy a glass of wine and stroll through the art galleries. Hours are 4–8 p.m. Various venues. www. secondsaturdayartandwine.com
Gather under the shade trees to see old, unique and customized vehicles. Kimble County Courthouse, 501 Main St.
August 9-10 BOERNE Market Days
Artists, crafters and vendors share their creative talents and wares to the sounds of homegrown Texas musicians. Main Plaza, 100 N. Main. www. boernemarketdays.com
August 10 GRUENE Gospel Brunch with a Texas Twist Serves awe-inspiring gospel music coupled with a mouth-watering buffet from 10:30 a.m.–noon. Advance tickets recommended. Gruene Hall, 1281 Gruene Road. www.gruenehall.com
August 14-16 JOHNSON CITY Blanco County Fair and Rodeo
This 84th-annual event includes rodeo action, a carnival, pageants on Friday, parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, live music and dancing, a washer-pitching tournament and food. Blanco County Fairgrounds, 619 N. U.S. 281 N. www.bcfra.org
August 15-17 DRIFTWOOD Hill Country Rally for Kids
Includes a car and motorcycle show, barbecue cook-off and music to benefit a scholarship program. Camp Ben McCullough, 18301 F.M. 1826.
August 16-17 GRUENE Old Gruene Market Days
Nearly 100 vendors offer uniquely crafted items and packaged Texas foods. Hours are 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Gruene Historic District, 1724 Hunter Road. www.gruenemarketdays.com
August 21 GRUENE Come and Taste It
Eleven wineries and their winemakers are showcased on the patio and garden of a popular tasting room. Complimentary tastings are offered of the craft beer and three wines. Hours are 5–8 p.m. Grapevine Texas Wine Bar, 1612 Hunter Road. www.grapevineingruene.com
August 21-24 FREDERICKSBURG Gillespie County Fair
Features displays of agricultural, livestock and home skills, along with horse races, concerts, dances, a carnival and midway. Parade starts at 10 a.m. Friday. Gillespie County Fairgrounds, 530 Fair Drive. www.gillespiefair.com
August 22 UVALDE Stargazing Party
View the season’s stars, constellations, planets and deep-sky objects during a waning crescent moon. Bring a lawn chair, insect repellent and small flashlight. Begins at 8:45 p.m., weather permitting. Fort Inge Historic Site.
August 23-24, 30-31 STONEWALL Grape Stomp
At the end of the grape harvest, barrels are cut in half and filled with grapes to stomp. On Aug. 31, join the fun in the Lucy and the Italian Women Costume Contest at 3 p.m.—contestants are judged on dress, stomping ability and enthusiasm. Becker Vineyards, 464 Becker Farms Road. www.beckervineyards.com
August 24 CASTROVILLE St. Louis Day Celebration
Enjoy food, fun and entertainment under the pecan trees along the banks of the Medina River. Koenig Park. www.saintlouisday.com
August 28-31 BOERNE Kendall County Fair
Includes a carnival, queen’s contest, parade and live entertainment. Kendall County Fairgrounds, 1307 River Road. www.kcfa.org
August 29-31 KERRVILLE Kerrville Fall Music Festival
Songwriters, wineries, concerts, food and camping along with songs around the campfires. Also enjoy Texas wines and craft beers. Quiet Valley Ranch, 3876 Medina Hwy. www.kerrvillefolkfestival.com
August 29-31 ROCKSPRINGS Camp Eagle Classic Mountain Bike Fest
This Labor Day weekend event includes bike races plus rock climbing, children’s races, ziplining, swimming and other outdoor activities. Camp Eagle on Hackberry Lane. www.campeagle.org
August 29-31 UVALDE Texas Labor Day Weekend Celebration
Includes a parade, concerts, rodeo and carnival. Uvalde County Fairplex, 215 Veterans Lane. www. uvaldecountyfairplex.com
August 30 BOERNE Buggy Roundup
Some of the nicest dune buggies in the nation are in town for displays, cruises and more. Main Plaza, 100 N Main. www.texasmanxclub.com
August 31 TARPLEY Homecoming Festival
Includes an 11 a.m. parade, barbecue and live music until 5 p.m. Downtown. www.tarpleyvfd.org
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Bluebonnet Realty HOMES FOR SALE
1.) FOR SALE - $575,000 - GREATLY REDUCED Cordillera Home for lucky buyer. Approx. 3761 s.f. of living area on 5.31 ac, 4 bed, 3.5 bath, pool, near clubhouse.
2.) FOR SALE - $220,000 - 4 bed, 2.5 bath, 2553 s.f. of living area, large shady back yard in Bentwood
4.) FOR SALE - $275,000 - Townhome on the golf course in Beautiful Tapatio Springs. There are 3 bedrooms, and 3 full baths plus garage and great views! Approx. 2250 s.f. of living area.
5.) FOR SALE - $399,900 - 8702 Timberland Trail, immaculate 4 bedroom home in the Woods of Fair Oaks
3.) FOR SALE - $699,000 - Great Potential for this property on Scenic Loop Road behind Mercedes, Toyota and new Nissan dealerships. 3 houses, old smoke house, and storage building on 2.82 acres. Main house has 3000 s.f., and other 2 houses have approx. 1500 s.f. each. Must be shown by appointment only!
HOMES & COMMERCIAL FOR LEASE
6.) FOR LEASE - $1500 - 3 bed, 2 bath restored turn of century home with approx. 1665 s.f. of living area, all new appliances in Comfort, TX
7.) FOR LEASE - $1400 - 3 bed, 2 ba garage, storage, ceramic tile and laminate floors for easy maintenance. Approx. 1500 s.f.
8.) FOR LEASE - $1700 - 3 bed, 2 bath on 1 acre fenced. Approx. 1650 s.f.
MORE HOMES AVAILABLE. CALL FOR LISTINGS.
830-816-2288 • www.boernetexashomes.com
By Rene Villanueva
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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
...Maybe it’s summer that’s making me think of snow and how happy I am that I don’t have to deal with it. I’ll take Texas heat, over a northern winter any year... As best as I can remember we were halfway through a February tour of the mid-west, playing an opening slot for our friends Alberta Cross when this all went down. We were following the highway north cutting through a sea of snow. Banks piled high like crashing waves frozen at apex. Our lone 16 passenger made its course steadily through the afternoon. The farther north we got, the more we passed car after car, abandoned, covered in snow, hoods up. Hundreds of them breaking the surface, like an eerie mechanical whale herd. The storm had come fast, and if it wasn’t for the split second decision by our keyboardist and head navigator to stop at a motel instead of pushing the drive, we could have been any one of those lost cars. To this day I can clearly see in my mind the burnt out body of an 18 wheeler that caught fire after sliding head-first off the road. From the cab thru half of the container, it’d been blasted away and roasted all night. The show was in a tiny corner bar in Minneapolis. We made it to the club just before dark, and loaded in across an icy parking lot; a miracle none of us broke our necks trying to lug 50+ pound cases of equipment in the dark. The wind was hard and painful. I think it was just above 2 degrees and the wind chill had knocked it down to -5. It hurt to breath, like my lungs were sucking in needles with every sip of air. Even the tiniest bit of exposed skin felt like it was. Maybe some of you cold weather tough necks would think it wasn’t so bad, but I’m a guy who never even saw snow until I was 16 much less is capable of work in the negatives. “Ahhhh,” I screamed into my scarf stiff with frosted sweat. We put down the last of the drum cases on the empty bar room floor. Alberta Cross was already loaded on stage, checking mic levels as we shed layers of coats, hats, scarfs, etc. “What’s up doooodes!?” A Thom York/Extra-terrestrial falsetto crooned around us, echoing against lines of half-emptied bottles stacked behind the bar from their singer. A quintessential frontman with foreign charm and mystery; he was amazingly cheery for weather this bad but I guess he’s from Sweden by way of London and the cold doesn’t bother him the way it does me. The other guys, a mixture of top caliber musicians from all over the world, threw up tired nods and murmurs of hellos. I was too frozen to talk and went against the bar where the heater vent was blowing and began to furiously rub my hands together. “This’ll warm you up better,“ a cracked voice said behind me, as he pushed a shot glass my way. I nodded to the bartender taking the shot with a quick throw, “Cheers.” But he was wrong, bad tequila doesn’t warm anything. Mike the bartender. 40 something. Buff with short sleeves to show off a tattooed snake crawling up his forearm. His face seemed too small for the size of his head, but kept some well groomed blonde hair. He took his shot laughing with the kind of smile that says, “I am laughing at you.” But I try not to get in to anything with people I’m working with, especially the drink people. And we get into talking. “Where yah from?” He asked while un-boxing a case of beer. I tell him about Texas, the land of eternal summers, beautiful women, and better tequila that didn’t make my hair want to fall out and all the wonderful things missing in the north. And he tells me about the joys of skiing and how he saw the Alamo as a kid but doesn’t remember much, then gives me a beer and I’m off to load my gear on stage.
We finally ran through two of our songs before doors opened. As we finished, in comes a girl sneaking across the back corner towards the bar. Maybe 5.6 short black hair, pretty with a hard chin, sharp nose, plenty of make up, wrapped in a long beige trench and not an inch of her happy. She must’ve surprised Mike cause he took her to the back corner of the room and they started quiet-yelling at each other like a couple that doesn’t want to be noticed. But everyone sees, and they might as well be on stage with a spotlight. Their hands chopping through the air. Talking through clenched teeth, snarled lips, and embarrassed glances trying to be inconspicuous, and only drawing more attention. To make this whole ugly, high school scene worse: they couldn’t leave. Couldn’t go outside. Nowhere to hide. Caged by work and the cold, and the group of road-weary onlookers. “Jackie shut it,” Mike growled, it was the first words I could hear from the stage. He was furious, ugly and no sign of the happy, free-drink-giving bartender remained. You could see he was wanted to do something. It was burning in him. He was leaning on his toes ready to jump. But before Mike, or any one of us, could move an inch, Jackie, at least I’m assuming that was her name, put her hand up and slapped him hard across the face. Loud enough that the stage mics picked up the thwack. “Jackie don’t, no, no,” she got him two more times in a fury. Big Mike crumpled down like a wet magazine. If it wasn’t for the manager coming in the middle like a heavy weight ref, yelling words I can’t print here, and pushing both of them out in the cold with a final, “Don’t come back!” I don’t know what Mike would’ve done. I don’t know what any of us would’ve done but watched. “...American Birds...” the anonymous words came from behind a beer mug with a few coughs of laughter. But I can’t help think Mike is just the kinda guy to make a big mess of a relationship. They’re plenty of musicians like him, thinking they deserve the world, acting like they own it and everyone, then can’t deal with consequences. I might side with Jackie just for his taste in tequila, thinking of that shot still puts a chill down my back. The fight went out, as the audience came in. I didn’t see Mike again during the rest of the show. Not that I was looking for him, I had work to do. Songs to sing, hands to shake. Our set went by quick, I remember I kept hitting an amp on stage behind me. We were too cramped with stuff for me to really get comfortable, but I make do and try not to fall on my face, that’s a good night. After our set my brothers and I ventured out to find food, it’s amazing how little time there is to eat with so much time to kill. We got word about a decent sandwich shop that stays open even in weather like this. We cut through the parking lot. Huddling tight, back in our layers, looking like out-oftowners, though the wind had stopped it was still unbelievably cold. A wine red mercury cougar was running and smoke was trailing out. It sat at the edge of the lot, parked under a flickering yellowed light. Worn and rusted. Vinyl torn. Emblems missing. Snow stuck in some places from the night before. I only saw a glimpse of his tattoo but it was Mike. And the two of them say quietly, staring out opposite windows, not touching, not talking, but not leaving each other. Waiting for us to pass.
A son of South-Texas, and two of the most beautiful souls I’ll ever know. Writer, dreamer, singer of songs, bass player, and professional observer. Toured the world with my band of “real-blood-tied” brothers, and friends as Hacienda/Fast-five. Recorded three albums, written countless songs, played countless shows, including two national tv late-night extravaganzas, festivals, throwdowns, parties, and hoot-nights. Lover of books, vinyl, dancing, people who laugh loud, walking, vintage craftsmanship, and my home in Boerne.
August 2014
www.hillcountryexplore.com
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8702 Timberland Trail MLS # 1061050 $399,900
Immaculate 4 bedroom home in the Woods of Fair Oaks. Features include: controlled access, cul-de-sac, .93 acres, greenbelt, 2-tier composite deck, hot-tub, and much more. This home is priced for a quick sell!
104 Stone Canyon $575,000
Custom home in Cordillera Ranch on a secluded cul-de-sac. Features include a pool, 5.23 Acres, and easy access to the golf course and clubs.
437 Stone Creek $269,000
4 bedroom, 2 & 1/2 bath on .31acres Call for details
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C 210.912.8221 | P 830.816.2288 F 830.816.5903 angela@smvtexas.com www.boernetexashomes.com
Bluebonnet Realty
TRAVEL
SUMMER’S LAST
HOORAH! It’s August and summer is drawing to a close. However, it’s not over just yet. True you probably won’t be able to make a quick trip to the Grand Canyon or Disney World but there are some pretty great things to do much closer to home. Definitely not day trips, these are places to go and things to do that you’ll want to take a bit longer on. But nothing you can’t accomplish over a three day weekend.
BALMORHEA STATE PARK Balmorhea, TX
Are you the type of family who likes to take trips off the “grid”? Then this is definitely the place for you. Spring-fed swimming is Balmorhea’s claim to fame, and it doesn’t disappoint. Beautiful, crystal clear spring water is a welcome refreshment to the August heat in Texas. The hotel there is relatively spartan in terms of amenities, so be sure to pack food and activities for the family while you’re in your room at night. The Davis Mountains are right on your doorstep making for some pretty spectacular scenery. The McDonald Observatory is a relatively short drive which is always good family activity. They even offer “star parties” so check out their website before your trip to see if they’re offering one when you’re there.
PADRE ISLAND / SEA TURTLE RELEASE Corpus Christi, TX
KEMAH BOARDWALK Kemah, TX
Unfortunately you have to drive through Houston to get there from here, but we think it’s worth the risk. This place is a trip back in time so to speak. Amusement park rides, midway games, an arcade, playground, shopping, and dining. What more could you ask for in terms of family fun? They even have special events year round. Houston’s only three hours away. Eight with traffic. So why not go? You could even stop in Brenham for some ice cream or Shiner for a beer on your way there. See? Lots of family stuff to do on this trip.
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The coast is always an obvious choice when it comes to long weekend getaways. Bay fishing, deep sea fishing, the Texas State Aquarium, USS Lexington, eating seafood that is only hours old instead of days are just a few of the things you can do with the family. Something you might not know about is that the park service releases a WHOLE BUNCH of baby sea turtles around this time of year. After digging up freshly laid eggs, the conservationists incubate the eggs until their time to hatch. They then release the new baby turtles at the Padre Island National Seashore. You can watch these little guys flip and flop their way into the surf all while being protected (relatively) from scavenging gulls. And the best part? It’s free. They do the release at 6:45 in the morning which, admittedly, with a family can be a pain. But if you can muster the motivation to do it you can stay at a pretty nice beach, by Texas standards, all day for free. Check out their website and call the turtle release hotline to see if there is a release scheduled for when you want to go. www.nps.gov/pais/naturescience/releases.htm Hatchling Hotline (361) 949-7163
EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
GREAT WOLF LODGE Grapevine, TX
If parents ever questioned the existence of God, we submit this place as proof. Paradise on Earth with an 80,000 square foot indoor water park, multitude of kids activities, shopping, kid’s and adult spa, movie theatre, and multiple dining options. Kids love it because kids love sensory overload. Parents love it because they can relax while jr goes on his water park induced psychedelic activity trip. Then at the end of the day everyone comes back to eat and sleep like bricks after the day’s activities. No, it’s not cheap. But if you’re like any other parent, you can’t put a price on your child’s happiness. Or a few hours of peace and quiet. www.greatwolf.com
DINOSAUR VALLEY STATE PARK Glen Rose, TX
Long ago, dinosaurs left footprints in the mud at the edge of an ancient ocean. Today, you can walk in their tracks in the bed of the Paluxy River. Find dinosaur tracks, camp, picnic, hike, mountain bike, swim and fish in the river, watch for wildlife, ride your horse, or visit the interpretive center. The park is a short drive from Fort Worth, so if you don’t feel like camping in the middle of summer you’re not far from the big city. There’s also the Fossil Rim Wildlife Center in Glen Rose. So when you’re done looking at the fossilized remains of dead animals, you can go see some live ones.
DIGGING FOR DIAMONDS Crater of Diamonds State Park, AK
This one is a little further than the others here. But let’s face it. You get to dig for freaking diamonds. Granted, you need to keep your expectations realistic here. The chances of you digging up a 40 ct. uncut white diamond (it happened here in 1924) are pretty slim. But for a family with youngish kids it’s great. I mean, they get to dig in the dirt and get messy without mom and dad getting mad at them. And mom and dad get the kids to do all the dirty work with the potential to retire to Puerto Rico next month. It’s win win. The park offers tools for rent to aid in your expedition as well as free identification of any potential money makers you might find. However, you’ll have to employ your own gemologist and diamond cutters to get $$ value out of your find. Most diamonds found in the park are too small to cut and are eventually set into pendants. But it’s fun to think of the possibilities while you get your hands dirty with your now happy, if not a little grubby, kids.
August 2014
www.hillcountryexplore.com
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A new place to find a little bit of bliss in Boerne!
Now Open! 926 E. Blanco Rd, Building #100 PH: 830-331-2824
Locally owned and operated by Natalie Hochstetler & Lisa Schneider
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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
Stunning 138 Acre Estate at Spring Lake Ranch - Ranger Creek Road Luxurious main residence plus 2 guest houses, high fenced, trophy white tail deer. Your own private lake with largemouth bass. Offered at $4,600,000
Cordillera Ranch Home With Amazing Views built by Burdick & Christofilis 5 Hilltop Acres, Approx 5431 Sq Ft, Pool, Spa, Waterfall, Outdoor Kitchen. Adjoining 5 acre lots available. Price Reduced $1,195,000
Hill Country Contemporary in Champee Springs/Ranger Creek Road Area 53 Acres, Unique Custom Residence with a Breathtaking Loggia overlooking the Property Plus Outdoor Arena and Barns. Offered at $1,649,000
Charming Country Estate on the Medina River 57 Acres with 1,000 ft of waterfront. Restored Farm House plus Guest House, Rock Barns, Pool, Airplane Hangar with short air strip. Offered at $1,695,000
Texas Hill Country Views - 67 Acres at Sisterdale near Boerne Magnificent retreat with 9000 sq ft home, guest house, bunk house, 3 wells, Jacobs Creek. Price Reduced $2,275,000.
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Hill Country Hacienda 55 acres rolling hills and great views with total privacy. Custom designed with plaster walls, interior cedar logs separating living areas plus guest house. Wildlife Tax Exemption. New Listing offered at $749,000
Susan Hallmark
Charm and History 1940’s Updated Estate in K-Bar-M. 3.82 Acres surrounded by Gardens, Guest House, Pool. Offered at $460,000
Broker Associate 1002 River Road, Suite 300 | Boerne, Texas 78006 m :: 830-688-6194 | o :: 830-816-5260 susan.hallmark@sothebysrealty.com kuperrealty.com
DISTINGUISHED lifestyles
HISTORY
LOST
SONS By Marjorie Hagy
At first hearing, the legend of the White Indian sounds like a uniquely American fairy tale, a wild and barefoot adventure story , a Hollywood script, every kid’s dream. Snatched from a life of drudgery and hard work, dropped in breechclout or beaded dress into the life of a wild native child in a village of teepees, riding bareback and sleeping on a bed of grass and sheepskin. A trader doing business with a tribe of Comanches glimpses a pair of blue eyes in an Indian face by the flickering light of a campfire; in the heat of battle a soldier catches sight of a shock of golden hair and the beginnings of a beard on a painted face. An Indian agent espies a somehow familiar face among many on the Reservation and the word goes out through the Hill Country that the stolen child has been found. At first hearing. But as you learn the stories of the captive children you recognize the tragedy in lives that will never be peaceful again, you understand the heartache of loss and the frontier family’s worst nightmare- that on any given day on the edge of civilization, your child can be spirited away, can disappear into another world from which he’ll never entirely return, if he returns at all. It happened on a late Spring day in 1870 when Mrs Augusta Adams Lehmann Buchmeier sent her children into the wheat field to scare the birds out of the crop. Augusta and her first husband had been part of the first wave of German settlers to come to Texas under the auspices of the notoriously misrun Adelsverein, which had by dint of poor management set them down right in the middle of Indian country, about twenty miles due north of Fredericksburg in a place called Loyal Valley. Ernst Moritz Lehmann had died and his widow was remarried to a Mr Buchmeier on that day in 1870. Perhaps the birds had been especially troublesome to the wheat plants lately, or maybe it was the kids who were troublesome to Mrs Buchmeiershe had six, after all- but for whatever reason she shooed the older ones outside to act as human scarecrows. I can imagine them waving their hats and aprons and just generally fooling around as kids will do, when out of the clear blue sky their lives were changed in one horrifying instant. A band of eight to ten Lipan Apaches materialized in the wheat field and swarmed down upon the children, and when the dust had settled seconds later Willie, eight years old and Herman Lehmann, eleven, were gone like dew on a summer morning. On New Year’s day of 1870, another eleven year old boy, Adolph Korn,and his twin brother were tending sheep in a Mason County pasture when three Apaches on horseback approached them. Before either boy had time to know what was happening one of the Indians had drawn a pistol and struck Adolph in the head with the barrel, thrown him over a horse and vanished as if into the very earth. Nothing would ever be the same, not for Adolph and not for his family. It was the day that Adolph stopped belonging anywhere. And it had happened years earlier near Fredericksburg, on the 110-acre farm of Gottlieb and Sophie Fischer on the banks of the Pedernales River. A matter of months after the end of the US Civil War, in July of 1865, Gottlieb Fischer sent his eldest son, thirteen year-old Rudolph, out to look for cattle that had strayed off their land. Rudolph was described as healthy and strong ‘with curly black hair, dark eyes and a fair complexion’, and on this last day of his life as a German boy he wore buckskin pants, a striped shirt and no shoes on his feet. It must have been a sweltering hot day, the hottest time of the summer, and that thirteen year old boy must have been thinking of things- maybe girls, or more specifically A girl, or maybe he’d spotted a rabbit and was considering chunking at it- but then the whole course of his future changed in the blink of an eye and this barefoot boy was swept off the ground onto the back of a running horse, and into a different world. And in a split second, that part of his life was over. This practice of hostage-taking was old hat to various Native American tribes since way back, and didn’t just start when European settlers started
pouring in and taking over all the Indians’ land. Women and children were taken for ransom, and were often used as sort of bartering tools, and then there were those taken as slaves, in revenge or as spoils of war. Captive children were used to replace kids lost to violence or illness, and were often adopted into families and treated as a couple’s own child. The Indians realized too that if they stole young children they could easily retrain them and teach them their own customs, that the kids would likely forget their own language and learn the language of the tribe, and just generally identify with their new groups. And the kids did- they learned new ways and words incredibly fast, so that even those reclaimed fairly soon after kidnapping had to be retaught “white” ways. By the middle of the 1800s, too, native populations had been devastated by diseases imported along with the European settlers, like smallpox and cholera, and their numbers had further dwindled because of the American policies of extermination, so children were stolen not only to build their numbers but to inject new life into their bloodlines. But to the settlers themselves, the threat of having their children stolen from them was the worst of all the fears that camped just outside their doors. However different the culture, the customs and the shape of the family in those days from now, no matter how grim the faces in the old sepia portraits of those German settlers, one’s child was still one’s precious child, the downy cheek and chubby little hand of your baby were still the most important, joyful things in a hard-scrabble life, the hope and the promise of the future and the things that you worked and lived for. And to have that all whisked away in a moment of wrenching violence, to never know the fate of your child, was the worst kind of horror imaginable. None of the parents of theses stolen children ever threw up their hands and mourned their young- no, to a woman, to a man, they never gave up hope nor the fight to bring them home. After Herman and Willie Lehmann were kidnapped, a patrol of African-American cavalrymen set out from Fort McKavett to find the boys, and four days later ran down the Apache raiding party. During the skirmish that broke out, Willie fell off his horse and escaped, but the rest of the group got away with Herman. The leader of the patrol, Sgt Emanuel Stance, was awarded a Medal of Honor for his bravery on the rescue mission, becoming the first black soldier to receive that recognition. Meanwhile, the Apaches, in order to discourage Herman’s efforts to escape, told him they had killed his whole family, and eventually they fetched up in New Mexico where the boy was taken in by an Indian couple and received a new name, En Da, which meant white boy. But Herman’s mother would not give up her fight for her son’s safe return. In 1871 Mrs Buchmeier, having heard that General William Tecumseh Sherman happened to be passing through Loyal Valley, was able to cadge a private audience with him, during which she begged for his help in finding her lost boy. Years went by, during which Herman rose to the level of petty chief, waged battle against the Texas Rangers, left the Apaches and joined a renegade Comanche band and finally ended up living with Quanah Parker’s family on the Kiowa-Comanche reservation. His mother had never quit searching though, and finally questioned the commanding officer of Fort Sill, Oklahoma, who, unbelievably, thought he actually might have seen someone who could be her son. In May 1878,Herman Lehmann, escorted by five soldiers and a driver, arrived in Loyal Valley and was met by his mother- and neither of them recognized the other. It took a sister pointing out a familiar scar on his arm to convince his long-suffering mother that this was indeed her son. For his part, seeing these half-familiar faces and hearing their speech began to open the door to old forgotten memories, and when he heard his name spoken he suddenly recognized it as his own. He remained standoffish for a bit though: “I was an Indian,” he later explained, “And I did not like them because they were palefaces.” Adolph Korn, snatched from a sheep pasture on New Year’s day, was sold soon after his abduction to a band of Quehada Comanches who paid for him with a horse, a blanket and some trinkets. He became Cachoco, “the boldest boy I ever knew,” according to fellow white Indian Clinton Smith, and “the meanest Indian I ever met.” Almost three years after his capture by the Apaches, his Quehada village was raided by troops under the command of Colonel Mackenzie- the same commanding officer of Fort Sill who had located Herman Lehmann- and Cachoco, nee Adolph Korn, was taken to Fort Sill and then to San Antonio to where his parents had moved. It was not a happy homecom-
ing for him- he tried to escape twice on his way to the reunion. “Mr and Mrs Korn both cried, and hugged and kissed their boy, but he manifested great indifference to their caresses,” Clinton Smith wrote. Rudolph Fischer, abducted from his family’s farm on the banks of the Pedernales, was adopted into the family of Comanche Black Crow and received a new name, Asewaynah, or Gray Blanket. He quite quickly forgot his own native language and customs and became a naturalized Indian, although his birth father continued to search for him even through the fear that his son had been killed. Gottlieb Fischer spoke very little, almost no English, but he did have friends who helped him write letters to anyone who might be able to help him. Finally, after pleas to a US Congressman, the commissioner of Indian Affairs and an exchange of money, Rudolph was discovered in 1877 after nearly thirteen years, and eventually convinced to return to his white family in Texas. Getting him to agree to meet them was a challenge, as the young man didn’t remember anything about them and showed no interest in finding out. He was twenty-five by then, was married and had two children. He finally gave in, though, and Gottlieb Fischer traveled to Fort Sill to meet him, recognized him right away and was overcome with joy. Rudolph, however, was stoic as he endured Gottlieb’s embraces, and was very reluctant to leave his adopted tribe to return to Fredericksburg with his German father. But none of these reunions brought much joy to the lost and found children. None of them seemed to remember or have any affinity with their birth families, with the people who had so bitterly missed them and so desperately searched to restore them. They had been ripped by violence out of the families to which they’d been born, had lost their words and their memories and everything that kept them rooted to the earth, and to forget again, to lose whatever they’d been able to build up for themselves in that vacuum, was simply too difficult for some of them. Herman Lehmann was gone from his family, from his mother Augusta who never gave up on him, for eight years all told, and was still a very young man when he was given back to her. Nevertheless, he had enormous trouble adjusting to living among his family again. He couldn’t stand the food he was given, and was unable to sleep in a bed, and couldn’t stand wearing the clothes, and he missed his Comanche family and Indian ways for the rest of his life. He gave riding exhibitions and appeared doing trick-riding and shooting bow-and-arrows at rodeos and country fairs for many years, and never stopped visiting his Comanche friends until the end of his life. Adolph Korn never did adjust to life back among the whites. It was said that ‘the concept of private property ownership seemed alien to him,’ after the raiding he had done with the Indians, and that he kept on stealing horses and other stuff after moving in with his family in San Antonio, so that the authorities there ‘strongly urged’ the family to move out of the city and take Adolph with them. By the end of his life he spent most of his time in a cave in Mason County, more or less estranged from his family and unable to ever adjust to the shape his life had taken. He died at the age of 41, ‘a relic and curiosity to most who knew him as a white man but a proud warrior to those who rode with him on the Comanche trails.’ His life with the Indians had lasted not quite three years. And Rudolph Fischer never did return, not really. After riding with his father Gottlieb to the family farm near Fredericksburg, Rudolph- Asewaynah, Gray Blanket- lasted only a handful of months. He took a job moving horses for a man, but only moved them a little ways before he succombed to his longing and shed his white men’s clothes, appropriated a horse and set out for his home among the people on the Reservation. He had German kin all over the Hill Country, including the man for whom Schertz, Texas is named, including the first white child born in Boerne, but when he was spirited away that day while rounding up stray cattle he just ceased to be that guy, he could never again be the white person he started out being. His race is listed on the 1900 census as Comanche, with two white parents, and as a Comanche he received his share of land in Oklahoma- which happened to consist of an oil well, and Asewaynah became incredibly wealthy. He took two wives and had many children, and two of his daughters would grow up to marry two of Quanah Parker’s sons. Quanah Parker, last free chief of the Comanches and son of the White Indian Naduah- the former Cynthia Ann Parker. Naduah: Someone found.
thefam2001@yahoo.com
BOOKS
Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right: What America Can Learn from the Strange Genius of Texas by Erica Grieder Erica Grieder’s Texas is a state that is not only an outlier but an exaggeration of some of America’s most striking virtues and flaws. Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right is a witty, enlightening inquiry into how Texas works, and why, in the future, the rest of America may look a lot like Texas.
The Homesick Texan’s Family Table: Lone Star Cooking from My Kitchen to Yours by Lisa Fain From beloved food blogger Lisa Fain, aka the Homesick Texan, comes this follow-up to her wildly popular debut cookbook, featuring more than 125 recipes for wonderfully comforting, ingredient-driven Lone Star classics that the whole family will love. There are few things finer than a delicious, homemade meal shared with family and friends. Take it from Lisa Fain, a seventh-generation Texan who loves to cook and serve up the best dishes her home state has to offer— even though she now lives half a country away. The Homesick Texan’s Family Table showcases more than 100 of Lisa’s best and most-loved recipes, ranging from down-home standards (think cheesy nachos, comforting chicken and dumplings, and fiery wings) to contemporary riffs on the classics (who knew adding Mexican spices to a German chocolate cake would taste so good?). All of Lisa’s recipes are made with fresh, seasonal ingredients, yet still packed with real Texas flavor that will make your grandmother smile. Whether you’re looking for a party-friendly snack like Pigs in Jalapeño Blankets, a Mustard Coleslaw to bring as a side to your next potluck, a weeknight- and family-friendly meal like Steak Fingers with Cream Gravy, or a mouthwatering dessert like Ruby Red Grapefruit and Pecan Sheet Cake, The Homesick Texan’s Family Table has you covered. After all, with some mighty fine food and mighty fine people to enjoy it, any meal can be cause for celebration.
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Texas Hill Country by John Graves Limestone hills, cold spring-fed streams, live oaks and cedar, old German towns—the Texas Hill Country may well be the most beloved region of the state. Unlike West Texas with its dramatic expanses of plains and sky, or the eastern Piney Woods in their lush fecundity, the Hill Country never overwhelms. Its intimate landscapes of rolling hills, fields of wildflowers, and cypress-shaded rivers impart a peace and serenity that draws the urban-weary from across Texas and even beyond. In this volume, two of the state’s most respected artists join their talents to create an unsurpassed portrait of the Texas Hill Country. With an unerring eye for landscape photography, Wyman Meinzer distills the visual essence of the Hill Country—long vistas of oak-and-cedar-covered hills, clear streams running over rocks, bluebonnets turning fields into lapis-colored seas. His photographs also go beyond the familiar to reveal surprising contrasts and juxtapositions—prickly pear cactus delicately frosted with ice, black-eyed susans growing among granite boulders. With an equally true feeling for what makes the Hill Country distinct, John Graves writes about the land and its people and how they have shaped one another. He pays tribute to the tenacious German pioneers who turned unpromising land into farms and ranches, the AngloAmerican “cedar-choppers” who harvested the region’s pest plant, and even the generations of vacationers who have found solace in the Hill Country. As Graves observes, “since well over a century ago, the region has been a sort of reference point for natives of other parts of the state, and mention of it usually brings smiles and nods.” Together, John Graves and Wyman Meinzer once again demonstrate that they are the foremost artists of the Texas landscape. The portrait they create in images and words is as close as you can come to the heart of the Hill Country without being there.
Lone Star: A History of Texas and The Texans by T.R. Fehrenbach Here is an up-to-the-moment history of the Lone Star State, together with an insider’s look at the people, politics, and events that have shaped Texas from the beginning right up to our days. Never before has the story been told with more vitality and immediacy. Fehrenbach re-creates the Texas saga from prehistory to the Spanish and French invasions to the heyday of the cotton and cattle empires. He dramatically describes the emergence of Texas as a republic, the vote for secession before the Civil War, and the state’s readmission to the Union after the War. In the twentieth century oil would emerge as an important economic resource and social change would come. But Texas would remain unmistakably Texas, because Texans “have been made different by the crucible of history; they think and act in different ways, according to the history that shaped their hearts and minds.”
Speak Texan in 30 Minutes or Less by Lou Hudson In a parody of Berlitz phrasebooks, veteran Lone Star journalist Lou Hudson has spilled the beans on how best to wrap one’s tongue around Texaspeak so that even recovering Yankees can make their way in this whole other country. Finally there’s hope for that brother-in-law from Hoboken and your banker from Duluth. Folks like them will be able to make themselves understood to Texans without having to revert to notepads and hand gestures. Speak Texan not only is a pronunciation guide but also a handy work that provides numerous insights into Lone Star lingo and the thinking that goes behind it in a very entertaining format. It’s designed to fit in the rear pocket of your Wranglers for a quick point of reference. Hudson was born, weaned, and schooled in Texas and has never lived anywhere else. The rest of the book is pure de Texas too. Designer Ty Walls also is a lifelong Texan. The whole deal was printed and bound in Fort Worth. Can’t get more Texan than that, surely. Speak Texan is the first work of the aggressive, but nearly mythical Texas Twang Preservation Society. Its conception was motivated by the need to conserve, promote and document the lingua franca of this unique state of mind, endangered as it is by Hollywood miselocution and by for-profit, accent-reduction scams.
Lone Star America: How Texas Can Save Our Country by Mark Davis Throughout America and around the world, the United States has been known as a beacon of hope and opportunity, the land of the free and the home of the brave. Sadly, from the crumbling urban ghetto of Detroit to the cash-strapped shores of California to the rust belt of the Midwest, America is not living up to that promise. Except in Texas. While unemployment soars elsewhere, Texans are hard at work. While small businesses across the country are going under, Texas entrepreneurs are thriving. While large companies are being squeezed by taxes, regulations and unions, more and more corporations are moving to Texas to grow and expand. While people of faith are ridiculed and marginalized in most cities on both coasts, in Texas churches and synagogues are bursting at the seams. How did Texas embrace what the rest of America seems to have forgotten? In Lonestar America, popular talk radio show host Mark Davis presents a powerful case for economic prosperity, individual freedom, strong families, and even stronger pride of place – alive and kicking in Texas, and easily exportable to the rest of America. Davis shows how Texas has done it, how some “honorary Texans” in other states (governors and even local communities) have adopted some of the same policies and approaches, and how states across the country can reclaim the promise of the American dream.
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As a Master in the Academy of General Dentistry, Dr. Chet Hawkins posses the highest level of education recognized for a dentist. As a graduate of the Pankey Institute, he’s had the finest post-doctoral training in the world. “I want to establish a master plan and then develop a blueprint for my patients’ long-term care,” he explains. “We want to solve the causes of the problems before we do anything else to their teeth. Then we can rebuild or repair with confidence that the fix will last as long as possible. We also educate our patients about other health issues related to oral disease. There is a connection between periodontal disease and heart disease that people need to know about.” Dr. Hawkins and his wife, Deby, have been residents of Boerne for 7 years and are excited to serve the residents of Boerne.
I just went to see Dr. Hawkins yesterday for an exam and cleaning. I was promptly seen, the procedures were done painlessly and in a timely manner with the latest equipment. My necessary dental work was explained fully to me. Everyone in the office greeted me warmly and made me feel special. - Elaine We have been going to the Hawkins Dental Office for 25 years. This office is far superior to the average dental office. Their exceptional practice is due to their sincere desire to provide the very best service to their patients. They maintain the latest technology and genuinely care about the welfare of the people who they serve. I cannot find the words to express the high regard that my family and I hold for this dental practice. - Gene Pleasant, friendly staff. No wait. Dr. Hawkins listens to your issues and then provides clear solutions. Great dentist. Also, great hygienist. Overall, great experience. - Cindy
30 YEARS EXPERIENCE
806 N. Main St. • Boerne • 830-249-7870 • www.drchethawkins.com
August 2014
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GARDENING
To Turf, or Not to Turf... PA RT
ON E
By Keith Amelung • Have Spade, Will Travel www.havespade.com Ok... It’s now officially my least favorite time of year. Although August is the month where I like to take a long vacation far-far away from the hot depressing dog-days of Texas summer; somewhere like the mountains of Arizona, the garden islands in the pacific or just anchoring my couch - reading the latest James Patterson and crushing out Sudoku puzzles...waiting for that first cool front to magically appear in mid-September. (Actually, as I’m writing this, we are in the midst of a freak July ‘cold’ front that is supposed to bring rain tonight – fingers crossed – think I’ll go roll down the truck windows. Always seems to work. I had just told a friend over at the Cibolo Nature Center that we never get rain in July or August without a strong tropical disturbance coming up out of the coast... This is that uber-rare exception to prove that rule!) Over the course of recorded history, we average about two inches of rain for each, July and August... but anyone who has lived here long enough knows these summer showers, and that two inches can all come in about 15 minutes! If we follow a few basic guidelines, and repeat them, over the course of two or three years we can significantly improve our soil by increasing the moisture holding capability of it. This is the work we undergo to make our landscapes ‘drought tolerant’; not just for our lawns, but our flowers, vegetables and yes our beloved oak trees as well. When we met last I was deep in to my usual tirade against the over use of Bermuda grass and what a pain it is to get rid of without the use of flesh-dissolving-cancercausing-toxic-slimly-chemicals. To recap – I HATE Bermuda grass. But for the remaining ‘lesson’ today I will endeavor to discuss the best way to care for all lawn grasses; fertilization, mowing practices, composting and how to water when necessary. Proper fertilization goes a long way to the overall health of our landscape. You simply can not fertilize your lawn without it affecting your trees, shrubs and if they border... even within ten feet, your vegetable gardens. So please, please be oh so vary aware when using synthetic “weed & feed” products... I have yet to find one single example where I would recommend these... ever. Yes I have read the labels of some – that microscopic fine print – “Do not use within 30 feet of the drip line of trees”. Basically anything that isn’t grass is a weed: Tomatoes = Weed, Rose bush = Weed, Oak Tree = Weed, Labordoodle = Weed. It can kill them all, so why use it??? Because we are a lazy, drive-through society that wants everything easy. Yes there are natural products that can reduce weed seed sprouts as well as provide fertilization, but I believe that the best weed control is prevention. Two tools; Lawn mower – keep “weeds” from setting seed by mowing frequently (this is where that lazy thing can pop up again). Fertilizer spreader – FEED your lawn so it is thick and lush – the dominate life form that repels any intruder. Now this takes time, usually about the third spring we can have complete control with significantly diminished weed intrusion. If you have been a frequent reader you know suggest the natural products in favor of the synthetic steroids... I prefer to build soil (life) rather than depleting it; increasing the organic content of our soil is the only way to create a greater moisture holding capability. Natural based products add organic matter while the synthetic products deplete organic material (making the soil harder, and less capable of holding water... oh yeah- they can kill beneficial organisms like earthworms too... good stuff!!!) Fertilization is basically done three times a year for your overall lawn (any type) and landscape. Fall is the most important (October-November) as we are stockpiling energy... much like a bear going in to hibernation; a bear that goes to sleep too hungry doesn’t always wake up! We feed again in the early spring (February-April) so that those plants breaking dormancy have an available food source to bolster the energy we put them to bed with. Our summer feeding (July – August)... well, basically just to make our neighbors jealous When you choose to use natural products there is no bad time to feed. I prefer dry products on the whole as they are generally easier to apply and last longer than liquid based products. I don’t generally recommend one brand of fertilizer over another, but a couple of my favorites which should be easy to find locally: Medina’s “Growin Green 4-2-3” Ladybugs’ “All Purpose 8-2-4”
Mowing is a crucial part of turf management. Not only does it suppress weed growth but if done properly mowing encourages the growth and health of the lawn itself. Regardless of lawn type, a sharp mower blade is essential. If you hire out your mowing check your grass and look for nice clean cut tips – not torn or jagged edges. Good lawn-care crews should sharpen their blades at least every other week – weekly if they are really busy! My least favorite grass, Bermuda, wants to be kept at about 1-1 ½” in height; basically the lowest setting on the mower... the lower and tighter the thicker it will be, regardless of the type of Bermuda. Zoyzia grasses can be just a tad longer, but no more than two inches in height. The exception to these rules is St. Augustine; the taller the better as the grass shades it’s shallower root system. The only time of year we should cut St. Augustine lower than 2 ½” is the first mowing in early spring (late February typically) but from that point forward 3” is optimum. I can’t speak as to frequency, that is all based on rainfall... and all we can do is hope that we will have to mow! Fertilization and mowing are the A’s & B’s of basic lawn care that everyone should do, to really kick things into overdrive lets look at composting our lawns. If each year we can spread a super thin layer – ¼” – over our whole lawn area... so little that when raked and water in you would barely see it... by that third spring you would cut your water use in half. We could even start skipping a year thereafter... we would be putting so much organic material down into our soils. We could build our soil even more so if we mulch up our oak leaves and let them decompose –as much as possible without actually covering Zoyzia or St. Augustine; if there are that many leaves on top of Bermuda, the Bermuda would be too shaded to be happy anyway. This is a labor intense project; a yard of compost covers about 1,000 square feet of turf grass... flipped out over the area with a shovel and raked in with the flat side of a heavy rake. Compost can be added to a lawn at any time of the year – but be careful during the heat of summer! Do not dump large piles of compost directly on to your lawn, put it in the driveway and then distribute, watering it in well one section at a time. Raw compost as is most frequently purchased from the local ‘getting places’ will be far too hot to let sit in mass for even an hour on top of your lawn. When applied in the summer months – again regardless of turf type - it would not be unusual for the grass to turn slightly yellow from the excess of nitrogen, to then follow with a deep, rich and healthy shade of forest green. If you are going to order compost in bulk from one of the local materials yards I would always encourage you to get a little extra for the flower and veggie beds... you are paying for the delivery, why leave space on the truck! Water, water, water... basically what this two part article is all about; how to use less on the most demanding part of our landscape. If we increase the tilth and moisture holding capability by adding organic materials such as compost and natural fertilizers to our soil we can decrease the frequency of irrigation. While not in keeping with the status quo I prefer one deep drink (to the point of runoff, two nights in a row) with ten to twelve days between as an adequate watering schedule for most established lawn types... a lot of water when we water, followed by long pauses between. But yes... once a week is easier to remember... With typical spring and fall rains, we can usually make do with watering our lawns less than ten times a year – Really!!! So lets recap: Firstly, stand back and look at your whole landscape and ask yourself “Do I really need all of this grass? Do I like the weekly upkeep? Shouldn’t I try to grow one of those $64 tomatoes?” Consider reducing your lawn size... if you have Bermuda, consult with a professional or two about the best ways to eliminate it. Secondly, take good care of the lawn you have... I do appreciate the enormous advertising budgets the big chemical company’s have and I’ll borrow one of their lines here... “Feed It” and often; Use fertilizers that build soil – avoid those promising miracles. Mow frequently, and at the correct height for your lawn type. Thirdly, Increase the organic content of your soil by composting your lawn as time and budget allow. Lastly, water deeply. If you have an irrigation system, test each zone by setting out several straight sided cans and measuring – we need one inch of water every ten days. Oh, lets’ not forget... roll down your truck’s windows!
If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.
Eleonora Duse
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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
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LAWN DARTS It doesn’t take much imagination to see why steel missiles with weighted skewers could make for a dangerous toy. Originally designed to pierce lawns in a game similar to horseshoes, children found different ways to use the darts. After the deaths of at least three children lawn darts were banned by the CPSC. The agency also recommended the destruction of existing sets. But unless you’ve spent hours heaving these bad boys straight overhead and then running for dear life, you haven’t REALLY lived.
EASY-BAKE OVENS The popularity of the Easy-Bake Oven, which uses a real heating element to actually bake dessert items, may have reached its apex in 2006. That year, it was voted into the National Toy Hall of Fame. But Hasbro, the makers of the Easy-Bake Oven, didn’t have long to celebrate. A year later they were forced to recall one million of their plastic models when it was discovered that a design flaw allowed the oven to easily trap and severely burn children’s tiny little fingers. This is obviously a recipe for disaster, especially given that the ovens could reach temperatures of up to 200 degrees Celsius (400 °F). All told, nearly 250 incidents were reported, including 16 cases of second- or third-degree burns. One unlucky five-year-old girl was even forced to undergo a partial finger amputation. But I bet those were some damn delicious cookies.
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SKY RANGERS Sky Rangers Park Flyer Radio Control Airplanes (dang that’s a long title) were voluntarily recalled after 45 reports of exploding airplanes, 5 of which involved minor burns. Fun Fact: the actual Navy plane this is modeled after had almost a 90% mishap rate while in service. Maybe the makers of this toy were just trying to be realistic. Mind = Blown.
GILBERT U-238 ATOMIC ENERGY LAB Maybe you think it’s obvious that including uranium in a child’s toy isn’t an especially good idea. But apparently that never occurred to the makers of the Gilbert Atomic Energy Lab. Described when it was sold in the early 1950s as “the most elaborate Atomic Energy educational set ever produced” it featured four Uranium bearing ore samples and a preformatted order form for more. Even in an age when science sets routinely came with substances like potassium nitrate (a component of gunpowder) and sodium ferrocyanide (these days classified as poison), the Atomic Energy Lab was positively glowing with danger. We bet if they look back far enough they’ll see a bunch of these were sold to North Korea. Kim Jong Il was a curious and enterprising little scamp before sending an entire country into poverty.
POWER WHEELS MOTORCYCLES Fisher-Price recalled 218,000 Power Wheels Motorcycles after nine reports of injuries; the gas pedal would often get stuck in “go” mode, causing one child to drive himself into his house at full speed. Don’t worry, he was fine. In fact, he later grew up to jump the Grand Canyon.
THE AUSTIN MAGIC PISTOL In the 1950’s, when BB guns weren’t considered particularly dangerous, it took something special for a gun to stand out. The Austin Magic Pistol managed to do that with its gas-powered combustion. The gun used what the manufacturer called “magic crystals” made from calcium carbide – a hazardous material. When mixed with water the crystals would explode and fire a plastic ball 70 feet or more. Automatic airsoft guns just don’t seem very epic anymore after reading this do they.
AQUA DOTS Chinese-made Aqua Dots, small dots which were constructed to make colorful images, were recalled after the date rape drug GHB was found inside the product. There were reports of slowed breathing and heart rate and even coma in children who licked the dots. Don’t think too badly about the Chinese though. In China it’s used to increase male virility and a setting agent for concrete. Those Chinese sure are innovative.
CABBAGE PATCH DOLLS “SNACKTIME” EDITION The Cabbage Patch dolls were the must-have toy of their time, sparking department store fights and pulling in billions of dollars in sales. The Snacktime edition pulled in more than just money however, as its mechanical jaws tried to consume the fingers and hair of inquisitive and unlucky children. The Snacktime’s mechanism was a one-way battery-powered roller with no off switch. It was supposed to be activated by the accompanying snacks, but the little tykes made no distinction between “food” and fingers. The dolls were eventually pulled from the shelves… after the Christmas season. Because capitalism shows no mercy.
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August 2014
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Wine
Chappellet Vineyards
By Tom Geoghegan TGeoghegan@boernewineco.com
It’s that time of the year for summer vacations, and as we wind down to the end of the summer, all of us desperately try to squeeze those last days left into some productive local road trips. Today these seem pretty painless with dual zone AC, Bluetooth, DVD players, and all the other 21st century tech goodies. But for those who remember back just a little, this involved squeezing everyone and their luggage into the family station wagon (what we drove before they invented SUVs) and heading out for what seemed an endless trip to your destination. What a nightmare at times; counting telephone poles, tracking out-of-state license plates, or sticking our hands out the window and pumping them up and down to get the big trucks to honk their air horns. This had to have been pretty close to what the Chappellet family went through back in 1967 has they headed north from their old home in southern California to an obscure point in the foothills of Napa’s hill country. The central eastern section of Napa valley is somewhat off the beaten path as you head due east on Oakville Cross road. It’s almost like you’re leaving the civilized world, very similar to going past Loop 410 in 1967, heading towards Boerne. As you leave the valley floor the land rises quickly as you head towards the eastern mountains that form the valley…the Vaca Mountains. It was there that Donn and Molly discovered the new home for their growing family on Pritchard Hill. But I’m getting ahead of the story. Does anyone remember where you could get a cup of coffee before Starbucks and Keurig? You either used something called a percolator, or you went to a coffee shop. Getting a cup of fresh brewed coffee at work or anyplace else…it wasn’t going to happen. Donn Chappellet changed all this in a ground breaking move by creating Interstate United Corporation, a food service company that distributed the first vending machines to make fresh brewed coffee from grounds. All this in the early 1950s. By the late 60s, Donn decided to finish out on the top end of his company’s growth curve, sold his shares, and set a new course to try a new venture that would include his love of wine and art.
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While pursuing this new direction, he made several trips to wine-growing regions in the state, and felt he had come home as he discovered the Napa valley. Here was a place far removed from the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles… a place to raise his growing family and try a new way of making a living...making world class wines. In almost any endeavor, “It’s a wise man who knows his limitations”. With that in mind, Donn worked to establish a new network of advisors, who could help him with his knowledge of farming and the art of winemaking. The list of those who advised at the beginning is most impressive…Joe Heitz, the Sebastiani family, Louis Martini, and even Robert Mondavi. The crowning touch was sitting down for sessions with the legendary Andre Tchelistcheff. Donn and Molly had been inspired by the ancient Latin saying that “Bacchus loves the hills”, a classic nod to the Roman god of wine favoring grapes that were grown in the hillsides of Italy. Mr. Tchelistcheff, who at that point in time had accumulated a vast personal knowledge of the valley, counseled them to look for a hillside site for their new winery. As he put it, “All the grapes I get come from the valley floor. If I could get hillside fruit, I would”. Shortly after that they discovered Pritchard Hill, and purchased the initial 320 acres (now a little over 600 acres). Then they began the process of converting the abandoned existing vines from the turn of the century to primarily Cabernet Sauvignon with 65 acres, but also small lots of Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot, Merlot, Malbec, and even Chenin Blanc. Today they farm 102 planted acres, with 34 distinct vineyard lots. Their vision then, as it is now, was to produce wine in the style of a first-growth Bordeaux. Using hillside fruit from higher elevations (800-1900 feet above sea level) was a gamble. But their debut Cabernet, released in 1969, was a huge hit, with many critics comparing it to the great vintages from Chateau Latour. All this, years ahead of the famed Judgment of Paris in 1976. And so at the very beginning, all that networking paid big dividends for that first vintage, with Andre helping Donn with the wine making, crush being done at Robert Mondavi’s new winery, and the barrels stored at Heitz until the new winery for Chappellet was completed. Over the years many young
EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
winemakers learned their craft there on Pritchard Hill, among them Joe Cafaro, Tony Soter, Cathy Corison, Helen Turley, Phil Togni, and since 1990 Phillip Corallo-Titus (himself an interesting story).These are now an elite group of the most celebrated winemakers and wineries in California. Over the next 47 years Donn and Molly raised their 6 children, continued to fine tune their property, and embraced their new country lifestyle. There was something magical about waking up, looking out their window and seeing the valley floor covered in the morning fog, while their higher altitude vines were soaking up the morning sun. And at the end of the day, time to reflect on what was accomplished that day, and maybe a small smile to consider what the land is worth now (raw, unplanted land going for over $250,000 an acre) versus $1000 an acre back when they started. Their vision of mountain fruit derived Cabernets has been more than vindicated. No longer the sole vineyard in the region, they have been joined by some very prestigious neighbors. And although it will probably never be officially acknowledged as a recognized AVA (American Viticultural Area), some very high end wineries have discovered the magic of the “Hill”, among them Bryant, Colgin, David Arthur, Continuum by Tim Mondavi, Ovid, Villa del Lago by Del Dotto , and two newer properties…Brand and Montagna. The fruit is consistently rich, with very concentrated fruit. The red volcanic soil lends a dusty, loamy earth character to the grapes, and the scarcity of water stresses the vines to produce deeply colored juice…as one winemaker puts it…”It’s like Oakville on a mountain”. And now the second generation of the Chappellet family, the 6 children who grew up in the vineyards, continues to fine tune their little bit of wine heaven. Only 16% of the total acreage is planted to vine, harmoniously blend the land to their specific vineyard sites. Environmentally responsible, long before it was fashionable; they continue to innovate, adding solar power, and organic certification to their stewardship of the land. And as a winery, they continue to re-invent themselves. What started as partnerships based on a handshake, has evolved to become new distinct offering under the Chappellet umbrella as The Cervantes and Sonoma-Loeb labels have given the family an opportunity to expand to some of the prime growing areas in Sonoma and the North coast and explore other varietals, including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
August 2014
And the winemaker for all these incredible wines is Phillip-Corallo-Titus…remember, I promised an interesting story. He has been the wine maker at Chappellet for almost a quarter century, and even apprenticed as an assistant winemaker back in 1981, after graduating from UC Davis with multiple majors. His parents, Ruth and Lee, had a long standing love affair with the valley, and in 1968 acquired almost 50 acres of land and began to raise and sell grapes. The quality of fruit was soon evident, and they sold their fruit to Charles Krug, Beaulieu, Pine Ridge, and others. Their 4 sons grew up in the vineyards, and over the years, two sons, Phillip and Eric, helped to take a more hands-on approach. Phillip moving onto school to learn the art of winemaking and Eric learning the art of growing the best grapes possible. It was a unique partnership between the earlier generation that worked the land and planted it, and the current generation that farms it today. Over the years, Phillip worked at a number of wineries, including Quail Ridge, Stratford, and Cartlidge&Brown, before returning to Chappellet in 1990. It was a very busy time for this young winemaker, overseeing the production of the family’s wines and at the same time, doing consulting for former Ambassador John Loeb’s Sonoma project and his debut release. And somehow, in midst of all these projects, he found the time to lovingly craft a wine that was very close to his heart. He had the distinct pleasure of utilizing the grapes his brother had so loving tended over the years, and creating the first release of his families grapes…Titus Vineyards. One guess where these wines were produced…that right, there at Chappellet. It’s hard for me not to love stories like this…family histories intertwined is such a beautiful way over generations of loving the vine, and staying true to the land. I guess that’s why I really have a passion for family owned wineries. I’m thoroughly convinced this is why they taste so good in the glass. Let me help you find a bottle of any of these wines, and find an occasion to share it with your own family. Salud’
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FOOTBALL
Pull out the jerseys, dust off the beer helmet, and call your cable provider. IT’S COLLEGE FOOTBALL TIME! Yeah, we know it doesn’t start until the end of the month, but you have to prepare for these things. Give yourself enough time to go shopping for facepaint and meat. Lots and lots of meat. We here at EXPLORE love this time of year. The anticipation of cooler weather. The thrill of the game. The smell of food being cooked on grills that used to be the trunk of a car or 500lb. bomb. It’s what helps get us through the steamy summer months with kids stuck at home with nothing better to do. And it’s here. It’s FINALLY here!! Here are the schedules of your favorite teams so you can better plan your weekends between now and Thanksgiving. If your team isn’t here, too bad. You’re obviously not from Texas.
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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
BOERNE HIGH
CHAMPION
August 29 7:30p @ Hondo (Hondo, TX)
August 29 7:30p Hays
September 5 7:30p Medina Valley
September 4 7:00p @ Stevens (San Antonio, TX)
September 12 7:30p @ Marble Falls (Marble Falls, TX)
September 12 7:30p @ San Antonio Memorial (San Antonio, TX)
September 18 7:00p Antonian Prep
September 19 7:30p Alamo Heights
September 26 7:30p @ Sonora (Sonora, TX)
September 26 7:30p @ Floresville (Floresville, TX)
October 10 7:30p Taylor
October 3 7:30p Tivy
October 17 7:30p Fredericksburg
October 10 7:30p @ John F. Kennedy (San Antonio, TX)
October 24 7:30p @ Liberty Hill (Liberty Hill, TX)
October 24 7:30p Lockhart
October 31 7:30p Bandera
October 31 7:30p @ San Marcos (San Marcos, TX)
November 7 7:30p Canyon Lake
November 7 7:30p Seguin
TEXAS August 30 vs. North Texas September 6 vs. BYU September 13 UCLA (at Arlington) September 27 at Kansas October 4 vs. Baylor October 11 vs. Oklahoma (at Dallas)
TEXAS TECH August 30 vs. Central Arkansas September 6 at UTEP September 13 vs. Arkansas September 25 at Oklahoma State
October 18 vs. Iowa State October 25 at Kansas State November 1 at Texas Tech November 8 vs. West Virginia November 15 at Oklahoma State November 27 vs. TCU
A&M August 28 at South Carolina September 6 vs. Lamar September 13 vs. Rice September 20 at SMU
October 4 at Kansas State
September 27 vs. Arkansas (at Arlington)
October 11 vs. West Virginia
October 4 at Mississippi State
October 18 vs. Kansas
October 11 vs. Ole Miss,
October 25 at TCU
October 18 at Alabama
November 1 vs. Texas
November 1 vs. Louisiana-Monroe
November 15 vs. Oklahoma
November 8 at Auburn
November 22 - at Iowa State
November 15 vs. Missouri
November 29 vs. Baylor (Arlington, Texas)
November 27 vs. LSU
August 2014
www.hillcountryexplore.com
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SPIRITUAL
PISSED By Kendall D. Aaron :: kendall@hillcountryexplore.com
James 1:19-20 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Yeah, that’s super, but right now I’m bona fide pissed off. I’ve been stomping around the house all evening, and I still haven’t calmed down. My fists are clenched, and my eyes are darting. I don’t even know why I sat down to write this, as this is probably not the best time to try to pen my dang Spiritual article. Why I’m mad is not important. The details behind my issues aren’t crucial to this essay, as my problems are my own. However, I would hazard to say that every last one of you has gotten angry lately. It’s a pretty natural, normal emotion and is one that we all experience frequently. You could be mad at a person or a situation. An injustice or a deception. Pretty much anything we face that makes our life difficult to send us into the galaxy known as ANGER. And man, I’m the VP of Anger right now. It’s not healthy or good, but I’m a wretched sinner and that’s what you get sometimes. Even the “spiritual writer” has moments that aren’t my finest. This is the stuff of our spiritual walk that is beyond difficult. God made us perfect, but we have fallen and are now wretched sinners on a blue marble full of other sinners and that brings with it imperfections. Lots and lots of imperfections. But He calls us to still strive for righteousness, even when we are pacing the living room in a rage. And maybe that’s why I sat down to write this, so that you know that every last one of us living today is imperfect. Even the guy that talks about God all the time (me), has some really hard times and doesn’t always handle them with grace and humility and compassion and forgiveness. Sometimes I just get really, really pissed off. So what do we do? Hell if I know!! Ok, that was a joke. What do we do? We do what we always have to do, and that’s to turn to Him. Even typing that last sentence slowed me down. No, it’s not easy cause it feels really good right now to be angry, but I know that it’s not glorifying God for me to stomp around muttering under my breath. So I pray. And then pray some more. I pray for me to release my anger, I pray for the person that was the source of my anger, and I pray for peace in my heart and in my words. I pray for strength and direction and wisdom and... even more peace. As the verse above says, I’m pursuing the righteousness of God, even though I am never going to get it perfect every day. Or even every hour. Man, cut yourself some slack. I talk with so many of you out there that beat yourself up because you’re struggling with something, or you say “I can’t go to church with all those Goody-Too-Shoes!” or whatever other excuse you create that basically says “I’m just not good enough.” Trust me, I’m not good enough for God. I’m not worthy of His grace, and of His patience, nor of His forgiveness. I’m not. I’m a wretched sinner in a fallen world that’s full of other sinners, too. Don’t be afraid to stumble, and don’t be afraid to get up, either. I know you might think your issues or problems are unique to you and make you unforgivable, but trust me, they don’t. All they do is make you human, and that means that God loves you just where you are. Hang in there, friend.
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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
Facility available for special events Call for details Guitar Workshops • Artist Performances String instrument rentals for students
Premier Custom Home Builder in the Texas Hill Country
Specializing in fine instruments, accessories, and instruction Offering group or private lessons for all ages Guitar | Flute | Harp | Violin Piano | Mandolin | and More
109 Oak Park Dr. Boerne, Texas 78006
830-331-9840 Call today to reserve your lesson space
For over 40 years, KCN has been building beautiful custom homes of all sizes in Boerne, Comfort, Bandera, Castroville and throughout the Texas Hill Country. Our commitment to excellence is reflected not just in the quality of our products, but also in the superior level of customer service we provide during the building process. Our reputation for honesty and integrity, combined with our commitment to deliver excellent quality, expert craftsmanship, and customer service, has afforded us the opportunity to build many long lasting relationships with our clients. In fact, we are now building a home for our 29th repeat customer.
830-816-5202 920 East Blanco Road Boerne, TX 78006 www.kcnbuilders.com
AUGUST 15-17 FOODSTOCK 2014
A Woodstock 45th Anniversary Celebration
80 Ice cold beers on tap FOOD TRUCKS • MUSIC • FAMILY FUN
Kiddo Friendly • Dog Lovers Wonderful Food Truck Eats Live Music! Great space for Weddings, Birthday & Corporate Parties! Please call we are very interested in hearing from you!
11 Upper Cibolo Creek Rd. • (210) 724-6921 Facebook.com/RandomTexasFamilyFun
August 2014
www.hillcountryexplore.com
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CHRONICLES
By Steve Ramirez The morning sun rises over the Llano. It reaches down through the branches of the trees and warms my shoulders, scattering diamonds across the moving water. As the sun touches the river, the breeze begins to rise and so do my spirits. It flows through cedar and limestone hills, across grassy plains, over multicolored pebbles, and with it go my cares. The Llano is a magical river. Life slips by like the river. Once I fluttered above it, tethered to the earth, young and green…living on sunbeams and breezes. Now as I float leaf-like along its rocky shores and look up through the branches: the sunbeams seem more distant. When ever I truly feel adrift in life, I know that I can return to the river. At first I stand along its shoreline, knee deep in the green grass that waits to take me. Then standing in the water- it rushes past me…in front and behind me, and if I pay attention I will find myself there. Sometimes in my mind’s eye, I see a Comanche Warrior standing where I stand. He listens to the same water that has flowed through time down the Llano and up into the clouds only to fall to the river: home once more. His horse is happy drinking cold water as the warrior ponders the passing of time… and day dreams of eagles, and wonders how the Great Spirit has made all that surrounds him. In the end, he drifts down the river just as I do: both of us just memories: but the river remains. Back and forth my fly-line sways as I cast tight loops over the water and bring them to rest upon the Llano. In a moment I am connected to the beating heart of another. He pulls at my fly-line, bending the rod and at once all is in motion: fish,
river, sky, and me. I bring him to my hand all green and golden and alive- he rests there a moment and swims away. I thank him and wish him well. The Llano sustains us both. People live along the Llano. I find myself sitting in the beautiful old Texas town of Mason at my favorite table in my favorite Taqueria. Senora Santos is making tortillas in the tiny kitchen. They smell like heaven and taste like memories. When I was a tiny boy with a big spirit my grandmother made tortillas for me and then as now I was never sure what the best part was: the eating or the anticipation. So I sit there surrounded by the good people of these Texas hills and they give me comfort that “hope” is still very much alive. My sangria cools the wonderful fire of her habanero salsa. Laughter fills the room and life seems as it should be. Life lives along the Llano. Art is born along the Llano. A tiny gallery within the walls of an intimate winery grows organically next to Senora Santos’ kitchen. The building is art and is laden with stories of the men who built it and the lives that once lived within its wooden soul. A front porch calls out for time to be spent engaged in the lost art of conversation…real conversation between people not pixels. We sit together and sip fine wine and speak of what it is to be alive: truly. Smiles cannot be felt in virtual space, but here along the river in this time and place we share them freely. The wine is art that is wrung out from the grapes and from the heart. It – like the river, passes through time from generation to generation- ancient and modern, the smiles are the same. Along the shelves of the
winery are pieces of pottery. They are the color of the earth, river, and sky. They are connected to the potter’s hands and spirit and flow through time. They honor the memory of an ancient soul that once- so long ago huddled beneath the limestone cliffs. He shaped clay with his imagination and his hands and painted his dreams upon the limestone walls. I purchased a small blue bowl. In truth, you never purchase art; you simply trade paper and coin for the privilege of sharing the artist’s vision. I have loved this small blue bowl for some time now, coveting it and daring myself to indulge. It sits upon my writing desk and when I see it- I smile. Memories are made along the Llano. I look up river toward a deep pool where my daughter casts her line. For a moment I stop fishing and just watch as she moves, like music, like dancing…the line suspended above her and then it comes to rest upon the river. She laughs and tiny fish swim around her legs and smiles at the red wing black-birds that sing at the waters edge. I see her catching a fish; she brings it to hand, smiles at me, and then sets it free. In this moment the world is without worries and I am at peace. We stand together at the end of the day and look out at the river one last time: it was a perfect day. Hill Country Rivers are not just rivers. They are spirits that tell us of this land and of who we really are. Their waters carry us home-back to ourselves and wash away the illusion: leaving only truth. Without the rivers the Hill Country dies and with its death go all of the memories, passion, and peace that so many have come to know. The Llano is alive… and when I am with her: so am I. steve@hillcountryexplore.com
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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
Mary Mellard, DDS
Randy Mellard, DDS, MS
• American Dental Association
• American Dental Association
• Texas Dental Association
• Texas Dental Association
• San Antonio Dental Society
• San Antonio Dental Society
• Academy of General Dentistry
• Academy of General Dentistry
DENTISTRY for the WHOLE FAMILY
The minute you walk through the doors at Mellard Dentistry, you will know you’ve come to the right place. Dr. Mary Mellard and Dr. Randy Mellard, a well-regarded husband-and-wife dental team, will help make you and your family more comfortable than you ever thought possible. Both doctors received their degrees from the University of Texas at Houston, and each year they continue to study advanced, postgraduate dentistry with some of the best-known clinicians in the country, In addition, Dr. Randy Mellard is a specialist in periodontology (gum therapy), and has advanced training in implant dentistry. But despite their clinical accolades, Dr. Mellard and Dr. Mellard do something all too rare in today’s rushed world... they listen, and get to know each patient one-on-one. So whether you’re looking for advanced cosmetic and restorative dentistry or simply a dentist to help maintain your family’s dental health, join us. We’ll give you something to smile about! Dr. Mary Mellard and Dr. Randy Mellard have been married more than twenty years, and have four children. They are native Texans, and enjoy being active in our local community.
Important Awards: Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry - Dr. Mary & Dr. Randy Mellard Master, Academy of General Dentistry - Dr. Mary Mellard Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition Award - Dr. Mary Mellard (one of 10 dentists in the state)
Comprehensive Dental Care
Cosmetic and Aesthetic Dentistry
• Great with children and adults • Professional dental cleanings • State-of-the-art equipment • Digital x-rays significantly reduce radiation • We make your comfort our priority • Periodontal specialist on staff
• Advanced training in cosmetic dentistry • Invisalign® “invisible” orthodontics • Galileos ® 3D Dental Imaging System • Implants to replace missing teeth
Twice nominated as Texas Dentist of the Year (2007 & 2009) - Dr. Mary Mellard Master of Science in Periodontics, University of Texas -Dr. Randy Mellard
Services Offered:
Sedation Dentistry for fearful patients or long procedures All-on-Four Smile in a Day Same day crowns (Cerec) Implants Six Month Smiles Cosmetic makeovers Invisalign Non-surgical treatment for gum disease
CARE for the whole Children deserve a wonderful dental experience. We encourage parents to bring their children in for a visit any time after their first birthday. Your child will love it here!
Now Welcoming New Patients
(210) 782-8421
www.mellarddentistry.com
Creating the healthy beautiful smile of your dreams in a comfortable caring atmosphere
Old
Timer
Show us your utility bill.
BOERNE LAKE
I’ve ranted about this before, but I find it ridiculous that the City has set up that ridiculous little security hut out at the Lake where folks have to pay a silly little fee to go swimming. What irritates me more is that Boerne citizens have to prove their residency here in town in order to into the lake for free. A few things about this are comical: 1) your driver’s license won’t work. Never mind that it has your Boerne address listed - for some ridiculous reason, they don’t consider this an official proof of residency. No, they want you find and bring a City of Boerne Utility bill. This is beyond stupid. Your driver’s license is your OFFICIAL identification card! Who the hell drives around with a copy of their utility bill? Sigh. 2) Does anyone but me see the hypocrisy in the fact that people can’t be asked to provide an ID to VOTE FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS, but it’s perfectly fine to ask for ID so that we can go skinny dipping?
Hello? Yes... Yes... No, there’s no 21st century here.
CITY GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATION
If you ask an elected official about much of anything concerning a recent issue or vote, their first question in return is “Were you at the City Council meetings when we discussed that issue?” Couple of things here: NOBODY goes to City Council meetings!! At most there are a half dozen yahoos that show up, and most of them thought they were showing up for traffic court. Two, most people couldn’t even tell you when City Council meetings are. Or where they are. Or when they start. Or what’s on the agenda. City government posts their agenda to their site (maybe - if you can find it) and then they put it on the door of the courthouse. Cause, ya know, we all have time to stop by City Hall to read the agenda for each meeting to decide if we’d like to attend. People, this is 2014 - put it on Facebook, send an eblast, make it easy to find on your site, stream the damn thing online, SOMETHING. The day City government decides to join us in the 21st century is the day they get the voter interaction they have asked for.
THE BRIDGE
Man, our new bridge ROCKS. I mean, seriously - it kicks ass. It’s the same width, the same number of lanes, but damn, it’s amazing. Of course, it’s missing the streetlights (still) and is painted some strange color green, but whatever - it’s AMAZING. (sarcasm is dripping)
VETERAN’S PARK
Well, they tore the hell out of it, but guess what? The renderings for it make it look amazing. I think it should be a tremendous project. Didn’t expect that, did ya?
RESTAURANTS
Cheap ass Mexican food. EVERYWHERE. I’ve ranted about this before, too, but man, we’ve got to do something about the lack of dining fare in town. We’ve added Fredo’s Italian (pronounced Fritos), and we’ve got the staple Cypress Grille, but seriously, it’s time for seafood. It’s time for some German (outside of the fantastic Little Gretel). It’s time for something, ANYTHING that doesn’t involve puffy tacos and $5 fajita plates. When the busiest restaurant in town is Chili’s, something is very wrong.
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EXPLORE it! LIVE IT! The REAL Kendall County.
TEXAS TREASURES GALLERY OF ART & ARTISANS Featuring one of a kind handmade gifts for everyone with a price point that everyone loves. Stop in and sign up for art classes today. This is a one of a kind gallery, a true Hill Country Art Tour all in one place. Meet artists from Fredericksburg, Kerrville, Dripping Springs, Wimberley, Salado, and our hometown of Boerne, Texas. Every piece of art is hand made in Texas. This is a true Texas Gallery!
Open Daily 10:30 – 5:30, Sundays 12:00 - 4:00 | 615 S. Main Street, Boerne, TX 78006
830-816-5331