Columns

Mutton Bustin’, Great Beer and Beautiful Flowers – A Trip to H-Town

HOUSTON — We spent a few days of Spring Break in the Bayou City, where spring has fully arrived, with azaleas and wisteria in full bloom, and the weather was chamber-of-commerce perfect — a season that lasts about two weeks before summer arrives here for an extended visit. Our first stop was St. Arnold’s Brewery, the oldest craft brewery in Texas, located just north of downtown. We arrived just in time for a tour of the brewery, which began operating 30 years ago and has expanded into an impressive operation. A young man took a small group of us through a tour of the brewery, closed on Sunday....

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The Geese Return to The Farm

The Canada geese finally returned this week, as you can see from the photo accompanying this piece. The waterfowl in the grass is a decoy duck. And, of course, that’s Pancho in the background watching with a bemused expression. We named this place Three Geese Farm after a trio showed up last winter. I was seated at my computer, as usual, when I heard them honking and watched them glide to a smooth landing in Pancho’s Pond. They stayed long enough for me to snap the photo, then took off again. I later headed to the feed store to get a sack of cracked corn, in hopes of enticing them to linger...

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Celebrating My Two Heroes Named Sam

March 2 is Texas Independence Day. It is also the birthday of two of my heroes, both named Sam, a fitting confluence of events. Sam Houston was born on March 2, 1793, in Rockbridge, Virginia and died at the age of 70 in Huntsville, Texas. His colorful career included serving as a member of Congress and governor of Tennessee, a stint living with the Cherokee Indians where he earned the sobriquet “Big Drunk,” hero of the Battle of San Jacinto, twice president of the Republic of Texas – and a U.S. Senator once Texas joined the United States. His political career ended because, as governor, he opposed...

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A Magical Night at Café Momentum

DOWNTOWN DALLAS — As part of my Beautiful Mystery Companion’s birthday celebration, which we usually manage to stretch into a week, we returned to Café Momentum, our favorite restaurant. It is our favorite not just because of the food, which is superb. Café Momentum is consistently rated one of the best restaurants in Dallas, featuring exquisite meals prepared from locally sourced ingredients. Located on Pacific Avenue across from Thanksgiving Square, what makes this place special is its mission. It is a culinary training facility for youth aged 15-19 who have been involved in the juvenile...

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Exploring the Confluence of Two Creeks

I went exploring on our land earlier this week, on a blustery winter day, clad in rubber boots, a beanie and a heavy coat. Despite the foul weather, mist fogging my glasses, it felt good to get outside after a rainy weekend kept me cooped up inside, mainly working on my graduate course. Although we have lived on Three Geese Farm for two-and-a-half years, the part of our 57-acre property that is east of Glade Creek remains somewhat of a mystery. I was aware that Witcher Creek empties into Glade Creek but didn’t realize until recently that the confluence is actually right at the bridge on Mackey...

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Gatsby Officially Earns Title of Therapy Dog

It has finally come to pass. Gatsby, our rescue Cavapoo pup, has been certified by the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. He can legitimately wear his therapy dog vest and volunteer in classrooms, nursing homes and other public places. The entire training process took a little more than a year. When we adopted Gatsby from Texas Star Rescue here in Longview, he had spent the first nine months of his life as a puppy mill dog, locked up in a crate for almost his life. He was afraid of everything, spent hours hiding in corners and under couches. Our hearts nearly broke watching him trying to figure out how to run in our backyard....

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Let’s Celebrate Taylor and Travis, Not Snipe at Them

Since this is the off weekend before Super Bowl LVIII (58 in English), it seems a perfect time to weigh in on the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce romance that has dominated sports news for months. For the 12 people in America who are unaware, Taylor Swift — the dominant figure in popular music — and Travis Kelce — the superb tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, who are heading to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in six years, are an item. Sightings of her in a luxury box with Kelce’s mom, Patrick Mahomes’ wife and others, spike television ratings to atmospheric heights. Unsurprisingly,...

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Memories of the 1968 N.H. Primary

The New Hampshire primary election concluded with the winners being no surprise to anyone who keeps up with such matters. As always, I enjoyed seeing familiar scenes from my native state in the news broadcasts, even if I was not exactly thrilled with the election result. The 2024 primary brought back memories of a more consequential primary held on March 12, 1968. At the time, our family lived in Allenstown, N.H., a small town about 10 miles southeast of Concord, the state’s capital and my birthplace. Allenstown now boasts almost 5,000 residents. In 1968, that number was more like 1,000. The public...

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Braving the Cold for a Winter Walk

My morning walk on MLK day was much quieter than usual. U.S. Hwy. 259 is normally a busy road filled with folks heading to work in Longview, from Diana and Ore City and points beyond. That highway is three-fourths of a mile east of our farm. The constant hum of traffic on 259 is the aural backdrop to my three-mile walk up and down Mustang Drive most days. But not today. A wintry mix began falling late yesterday afternoon and continued through the night. By the time I headed out the door, it was 21 degrees and flurries continued to fall. I was bundled up like the Michelin Man, wearing a beanie,...

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‘Swedish Death Cleaning,’ Also Known as Decuttering

“Decluttering” is a word one hears often as the new year arrives. Books are written providing advice. Videos are made, lists created of how to tackle the often-daunting task of getting rid of stuff. My Beautiful Mystery Companion and daughter Abbie have been busily decluttering over the past few weeks – before the semester began, and we all had to return to academia. I was primarily the designated driver to Hope’s Closet, which received several contractor bags worth of stuff. I also got rid of a bunch of clothes and shoes. There is more to be done as always. We have a three-car garage...

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