It has been nearly 34 years since Michael Busby, one of my closest friends, died from lung cancer at the far-too-young age of 36, in June 1990. I think of him often, even decades later. Michael was a renaissance person who loved books as much, if not more, than I do. We met in Nacogdoches in 1974 while both attending Stephen F. Austin State University. I co-owned a modest, and ultimately unsuccessful, bookstore in a small two-story house next to the fire station on North Street, where Austin Bank is now.
Michael worked across the street at Pizza Inn (now Cotton Patch Café) and would come over...
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Four years ago, the world had largely shut down, as the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world. Schools closed, non-essential businesses either shuttered completely or went to curbside only service. I shot photos of empty mall parking lots for an online piece for Texas Highways, talked to folks by phone on how it had affected their jobs. Interviewees included longtime local sports editor Jack Stallard, on what it was like to cover sports when no games were being played, someone in the oil and gas business worried about the effects on the economy, a health care professional on the massive stress of dealing...
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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 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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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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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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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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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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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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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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