Regardless, Mike Cox knows his stuff, is articulate and is a joy to be around (I always enjoy spending time with west Texans!).

Accompanying music by Ocean Alexander used under the Creative Commons License from MusicAlley.

Click HERE to listen...

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- Four minutes, thirty seconds

Music by Tracy Jane Comer

In the waning days of 1940, Hugh got lucky and we qualified to live on the Lyman Forrest Place at the intersection of the Leon River and the paved highway. The crop of boys Hugh and Thel had amassed probably strengthened Mr. Forrest’s judgment. Three healthy, growing lads plus Hugh’s ability to manage stock and his lack of prejudice for hard work added weight to the plus side of the balance scale.

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Dr. Barksdale, a local Dallas physician, was driving home past White Rock Lake from a country-club dance late one Saturday night.

He slowed a bit while driving past the lake so he could admire the glistening of the full moon against the water.

As he drove, enjoying the view, out of the corner of his eye appeared a lovely young girl by the roadside, dressed in the sheerest of evening gowns, beckoning him for a lift.

He slowed, stopped and motioned her to climb into the back seat of his sedan.

"All cluttered up with golf clubs and bags up here in front," he explained. "But what on earth is a youngster like you doing out here all alone at this time of night?"

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My boyhood friend, Bill Wagner, passed over to the other side several days ago, a victim of cancer.

As was his character, he fought the “good fight” for a year and a half, and was surrounded by close friends and an adoring family, who cheered him on as he battled the insidious adversary.

Although we were boyhood friends, Bill and I drifted apart when I left Houston to attend parochial school, later to attend college, work in real estate and soon thereafter, wander around about a bit.

He married an incredibly wonderful woman, Carter Baber, and had, with her, two beautiful children.

As things go in this American generation, he and Carter later dissolved their relationship and went their separate ways.

Both eventually remarried, happily, as I understand.

Bill remarried Susan, whom I met once, and was stricken by her depth of character and that their closeness wasn’t only physical but spiritual as well.

I remember Bill as working in the financial business but also remember him as an avid outdoorsman.

Once upon a time, as teenagers, I remember driving my father’s open-sided Jeep into a laguna in south Texas (too fast for sure) and spotting a group of Javelina, which fled immediately.

“Catch up! Catch up!” Bill shouted.

I did.

And as I gained upon the fleeing throng (about 30 miles-per-hour), Bill launched himself from the Jeep onto a lagging pig like a bull-dogger at the rodeo.

I didn’t see it all because I was driving; braking immediately when I realized my buddy wasn’t sitting beside me.

When I looked back, Bill was sitting on his rear in the short grass wrestling with this wild pig which, in short order, got the better of him and split for the woods.

Whereupon, Bill flopped onto his back and guffawed at the heavens, bloodied, clothing torn and covered in dirt and Javelina hair.

It’s something I’ll never forget.

That was Bill Wagner.

When my wanderings brought me back to Houston in 2005, Bill embraced me as though nothing had changed over the 30 years we hadn’t seen one another.

We lunched occasionally, and he told me his stories and I told him mine. Many not to repeated, don’t you know.

Such is the testimony to the man, his spirit and his love of life.

Though a distant friend now, I will miss you, Bill Wagner, as much as your family does.

Rest in peace, my friend.

A divisiveness, I have observed, that began during the previous Administration.

On April 15th last week, people organized "tea parties" across the nation to express their concern over the direction the new Administration is taking on spending, taxation and a slew of other issues. 

I live in San Angelo, Texas.

We had a "tea party" here.

Attendees seemed to be divided along the two traditional party lines - Republican and Democrat (although there was at least one avowed Libertarian in the group).

I took some pictures of the gathering.

Here they are.

Watch ...

Nine minutes

in Quicktime... 

(two minutes-ish to start streaming)

in Windows Media Player...

(30 seconds-ish to start streaming)

Excerpt taken from:

“Wildcatting for Wind: The Texas Experience from Turbine to Market”
Produced by The University of Texas School of Law
Full DVD can be purchased at www.utcle.org

next years’ conference: 

2010 Wind Energy Institute
February 2-4, 2010
Austin Convention Center

Watch ...

Nine minutes

in Quicktime... 

(two minutes-ish to start streaming)

in Windows Media Player...

(30 seconds-ish to start streaming)

Excerpt taken from:

“Wildcatting for Wind: The Texas Experience from Turbine to Market”
Produced by The University of Texas School of Law
Full DVD can be purchased at www.utcle.org

next years’ conference: 

2010 Wind Energy Institute
February 2-4, 2010
Austin Convention Center

So, they went about it.  Building stock pens and attracting meat packers.

Fort Worth for many decades was one of the nation's largest livestock markets.

Here's another Texas History Tidbit that might shed a bit more light on the subject.

Listen...

Three minutes, thirty-three seconds

Music by Aff The Cuff
under Creative Commons License
Podshow Podsafe Music Network