Texas Tidbits : The Greatest Town Name Ever in the History of Town Names

If you were in Houston and were to head North on I-45, forty miles or so later, you'd be in Conroe. The subject of today's Texas Tidbits is located six miles East of Conroe and goes by the handle of Cut and Shoot. I.Love.That.Name. Cut and Shoot. There are many stories about how Cut and Shoot got its sobriquet as there are letters in its name, but this one seems to be the one mentioned most. Hell, it doesn't make a rat's patootie how Cut and Shoot came to be called Cut and Shoot, I simply like saying that name. Cut and Shoot. That name is 110% Texan. One would think that a town with such a menacing moniker would have earned its label by virtue of being a Wild West, rough and tumble, gunfightin' kind of place and one would be wrong. Cut and Shoot didn't go by that name until 1912.Cut and Shoot was such a small community, that population stats weren't kept until the mid-1970's. However, the town garnered world-wide attention when in 1958 a local lad fought the great Floyd Patterson. From Wikipedia ; "The town of Cut and Shoot gained fame when local boxer Roy Harris, a heavyweight contender fought Floyd Patterson for the heavyweight title in 1958. Harris appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and was featured in Life Magazine. So much mail was addressed to "Roy Harris, Cut and Shoot, Texas" that the U. S. Postal Service granted a franchise post office to the town." Cut and Shoot had arrived! Now you can impress your friends at parties and social gatherings of all sorts, with your near encyclopedic knowledge of Cut and Shoot, Texas. You can thank me later. :)


Hat tip: n2l

NOTE : Doctor Stuff

Posts will run a bit late today. I gotta go pay the Doctor's kid's college tuition. Nothing too serious. I'll fill you in later. Meanwhile, check some of my earlier posts. there's some good stuff in there. Thanks !

Toby

Colorado Chronicles : The Rio Grande Starts Here

Falling For the Rio Grande

The Rio Grande is one of the most famous rivers in the world. "The Big River" has been memorialized in John Wayne movie classics, Johnny Rodriguez songs, and literature. Texans think of the Rio Grande as a border between the Lone Star State and Mexico, where it's known as El Rio Bravo del Norte. But it's much more than that. Modern history shows that the river has been used for irrigation since before 1540 when Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado set eyes on the Pueblo Indians doing just that near Las Cruces, New Mexico. Some folks will be surprised that the Rio Grande begins as a trickle high in the mountains of Southwest Colorado in Rio Grande National Forest. Located four hours southwest of Denver and four hours north of Albuquerque, Rio Grande National Forest is an outstanding place to hike, camp, cross country ski or snowshoe, depending, of course, on the season. According to the USDA.gov website : "The 1.86 million acre Rio Grande National Forest is located in southcentral Colorado and remains one of the true undiscovered jewels of Colorado. The Rio Grande begins its 1800 mile journey to the Gulf of Mexico high up in the San Juan Mountains in the western most part of the Forest. The Continental Divide runs for 236 miles along most of the western border of the Forest and the jagged tops of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains form the eastern border.  In between these two mountain ranges sits the San Luis Valley which is the largest agricultural alpine valley in the world. The Forest is composed of a myriad of ecosystems ranging from high elevation desert at 7600 feet above sea level to rocky crags at over 14,300 feet in the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains.  Portions of four Wilderness Areas (South San Juan, Weminuche, La Garita and Sangre de Cristo) make up almost ¼ of the Forest." Rio Grande National Forest is a more than worthy addition to any vacation schedule. I plan on taking my family on a cross country trip in the next few months and Colorado was on the list because my Mom lives there. The Rio Grande National Forest is not on the direct route home for us when we head back to Maine, but having discovered such a place as RGNF and its incumbent Natural Splendor, I think we'll take the long way home.

Maine Minutiae : Carrabassett Valley

Mount Bigelow*

 I often say that I'd rather be lucky than good. Today I was lucky. I found out about Carrabassett Valley. Read on. As you may have correctly surmised by now, I am an outdoors kind of guy...especially if there is fishable water in the general vicinity. Fish.Fear.Me. Using my 5th Degree Black Belt in Google-Fu and blazing speed of hand, I round-house kicked and back flipped my way through the deepest, darkest, most villainous part of the internet like Jackie Chan through a beauty parlor full of hairdressers with dull scissors. The result of this death-defying dive into deviousness was to find one of the coolest websites I have ever seen.. Not cool because of the technical aspects of it (which are 1st rate), cool because of the content. If you are like me and see God's Handiwork and in it, God Himself, please click this link and thoroughly peruse the site about Carrabassett Valley. You will not be disappointed. I promise.  And to think this place is only 74 miles from where I live and is open year round.  Chances are that you'll never be able to make it to Maine to behold this masterpiece, perhaps however, you can use your own Google-Fu to find something just as breathtaking near you. Maybe you'll, like me, get lucky and discover a Carrabassett Valley in your neighborhood.

Texas Tidbits : The Law West of the Pecos

The Law West of the Pecos*

 Other than Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston and a handful of other famous Texans, perhaps none is quite as famous (infamous?) than the man who was self-anointed as "The Law West of the Pecos" - Judge Roy Bean. When it comes to separating fact from fiction regarding Phantly Roy Bean, Jr. (1825-1903), the line is, put mildly, blurred. It is said that Judge Bean held court in his saloon and passed sentence on defendants by bellowing, "Hang 'em first, then try 'em". Smithsonian Magazine by way of JudgeRoyBean.com further informs us "By Gobs! There was nothing judicious about Judge Roy Bean "Doffing his saloon apron,  the grizzled barkeep dons a dirty alpaca coat,  sits himself down behind the bar, draws a pistol and bangs for silence using the butt as a gavel.   "Order, by Gobs!   This honorable court is now in session, and if any galoot wants a snort before we start, let him step up to the bar and name his pizen." The good judge had never seen the inside of a law school.  His only law book was the 1879 Revised Statutes of Texas.  But the self-styled "Law West of the Pecos" knew how to hold court. There, in his Jersey Lilly saloon in the minuscule West Texas town of Langtry, Roy Bean doled out drinks and his own brand of justice for more than 20 years." You. Can't. Make. This. Stuff. Up. For this tale of Law West of the Pecos-style "justice", we go to desertusa.com : "One of Bean's most outrageous rulings occurred when an Irishman was accused of killing a Chinese worker. Friends of the accused threatened to destroy the Jersey Lilly if he was found guilty. Court in session, Bean browsed through his law book, turning page after page, searching for another legal precedent. Finally, rapping his pistol on the bar, he proclaimed, "Gentlemen, I find the law very explicit on murdering your fellow man, but there's nothing here about killing a Chinaman. Case dismissed." They say justice is blind. Could it be that Judge Roy Bean was blind to justice? You decide. You don't need my help. Here's a good, one page bio of Judge Bean. Like George S Patton said about some Russian general, "He may be a son of a bitch, but he's our son f a bitch". Thus it is with the Law West of the Pecos.

*Judge Bean photo courtesy of desertusa.com

  

Texas Tidbits : Just Steve and The Lake - Handcrafted By God

My long-time friend Steve Hardy, with whom I graduated from Nimitz High School ('75), still lives in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex that we grew up in. Last night/this morning, Steve pulled an all-nighter on Lake Grapevine and it looks like he's got the whole lake to himself. With Steve's permission, I am posting his observations from his Facebook page.

Steve's Got a Grip

'Steve Hardee Sitting in my boat at the dam Lake Grapevine, putting a fishing pole in the water, listen to the Stones, gazing at the moon (looks to be about half off to the east) the universe looks pretty big for were I am sitting. It is spectacular ! 

'Steve Hardee There is the Glass Cactus at 230am. A dark view from the water. The moon above. I don't think I would be out here if the moon wasn't so bright. I am one of about 4 boats on the entire lake. 85 degrees now, tomorrow will be 105! It doesn't get much better than this, except for next month when my granddaughter is born!

Glass Cactus

'Steve Hardee You can't imagine how amazing it is out here on the lake right now! With any luck the fish won't bother me. The sky is huge and I am so insignificant, well you know. There are no mesquitos and there is a chill in the air!!!!! The tunes are on! The eagle fly with the dove ;) this is you 312am update

'Steve Hardee Ok here is your 420am update. The fish ain't bothering me. I stopped tying. I am now on the south side of the lake. Chest deep in the water about 200 yards from shore. The boat is on the shore and I can here David Bowie playing. Getting kind of tired? I slept earlier. I know this lake like the back of my hand. Oh crap ...

God's Turning On the Lights For Us

Big Orange Ball

'Steve Hardee ‎6 am update. Day break looking awesome.

 

'Steve Hardee Time for some coffee! :)

When our good friend Clay Money reminded Steve that we aren't 20 anymore, Steve replied thusly: 

'Steve Hardee Clay this goes out to you from your earlier post when you said we are not 20 any more. Well you are right. I am not as good as I once was, however I am better once than I have ever been!!!!!!!! I hope I got that right :) have a great day! :)

Steve, I couldn't have said it better. Good man, that Steve Hardee.

UPDATE : Video added!

Three States Plus One Plus a Few More (Plus Some Overseas Places, Too)

Sexy Russian Spy Lady

This blog first published on June 14, 2010 with this Award-Winning (OK...my Mom gave me a Dinky Button because she liked it) post about Outlaw Sam Bass . Over the last six weeks you've been incredibly supportive of a wet-behind-the-ears Middle Aged First Time blogger. And I thank you for that. I am honestly humbled by your generosity, but not so impressed that you don't have something better to do than read this drivel  well-researched documentary information. I say that with love in my heart. On to the point : you'll notice on the home page a widget for "Flag Counter". As you can tell, it shows where my readers are located by country. So far, I am a major disappointment  big hit in the USA, Canada, France, Great Britain, Taiwan, Germany, Saudi Arabia, and I am HUGE in Russia and the Ruskies haven't sent me a single sexy Russian spy lady NOT ONE!! in return. WTF, comrades? I am, today, gonna share some Super Duper Secret Inside Blogger Information with you. If the Russians won't send the Sexy Russian Lady Spies to me, I'll share with you for free. Take that you Commie bastards! This link will give you a breakdown of  which state/country my readers are in and how many of them there are. These 259 unique visitors have viewed Three States Plus One over 1300 times in just six weeks. I thank you and am forever in your debt...unless the Russians send over some Sexy Female Spy Ladies. Then all bets are off. :)

Toby

Quick note : When you click the link above, be sure to expand each listing on Flag Counter by clicking on the "+". Doing that will give you a little more detail on who's where.

UPDATE : My wife says if I have anything to do with any Russian Spy Women, sexy or not, she will cut off my "caviar", if you know what I mean and I think you do.