Texas Tidbits: We Were All Aggies For a While

DISCLAIMER: I am a diehard, 50 plus years fan of the University of Texas Longhorns. But, for one day eleven years ago today, we were all Aggies.

Aggie Bonfire

November 18, 1999 is a day that will live in history not only for Texas A&M University, but for the state of Texas and the rivalry between the Aggies and the Longhorns. It was on that day, that a 90 year old tradition literally went down in flames and the lives of twelve young people were taken in a horrific accident. Twenty-seven others were injured.

It was a tradition that was part of the rivalry between two great legendary college football programs for nine decades. The tradition? A bonfire. Not an ordinary bonfire, a bonfire that stood forty feet tall. A bonfire that symbolized the Aggies' burning desire to beat Texas in their annual football game. After eighty-nine previous bonfires that went on without incidence, a terrible accident happened at the bonfire of 1999. Without notice, the bonfire collapsed and in the process twelve TAMU students died and another twenty-seven were injured. The Aggie Nation was stunned, to say the least and the rest of the state of Texas looked on in disbelief as the accident made headlines all over the world.

In case you didn't know, the Aggie Family is very much like the US Marines Family. Once an Aggie, always an Aggie and if one of your Aggie brothers or sisters are in need, the Aggie Family responds to that need. It's truly an amazing thing to see. The facts that twelve Aggies died that night, is very ironic. The Aggies are also known for the very enthusiastic crowds at TAMU football games. The crowd is known as "The 12th Man", giving the Aggie football team the support  to carry them to victory. Now the 12th Man tradition symbolizes so much more than loud football fans, the 12th Man has come to mean that the young people who died and were injured that night eleven years ago are with Aggies in spirit and urging them on to great heights in their athletic endeavors.

The football Aggies went on to defeat the University of Texas in their gridiron clash. I have NEVER EVER rooted against the University of Texas in any game in any sport and I didn't root against them at this game. I can say however, that I felt a certain pride for the Aggie Nation that day. What that football team accomplished was not just to win a ball game, but summon from somewhere deep inside themselves, the courage and will to defeat a mighty opponent. The Aggie football team must have felt the weight of those emotions from Aggies all over the world, yet somehow they bore that burden and displayed the character and determination to do what needed to be done.

I didn't root for the Aggies that day, but after the game was over, I remember standing up in my living room and giving them a standing ovation. The Aggies made all Texans proud that day. For a while, we were all Aggies. And damn proud to be one. Gig 'em!

Texas Tidbits: Sorry, Massachusetts, The First Thanksgiving Took Place in Texas

Francisco Vasquez de Coronado

I am about to piss some people off, especially those in Massachusetts. The matter at hand is the first Thanksgiving. Sorry, Plymouth Rock, you ain't the home of the first Thanksgiving, maybe not even the second or third Thanksgiving. There are historical records that show that the First Thanksgiving was held in Palo Duro Canyon, Texas a full eighty years before the celebration of thanks at Plymouth Rock. in 1621.

The First Thanksgiving in the New World was held at Palo Duro Canyon on Ascension Thursday, May 23, 1541. On that day, Spanish explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado and his men held a day of thanksgiving after "Coronado's expedition had left Mexico in search of the Seven Cities of Cibola, but instead of a mythical city of gold, Coronado and his men found the Llano Estacado, where there were no cities, no trees and very little water." (from homepages.vvm.com)The rest of that story can be found here. This series of events has been verified by historians the world over, so this is the first instance of Thanksgiving as we know it in the New World.

On April 21, 1598, another Thanksgiving took place in Texas. That story can be found here. Now we have two "Thanksgivings" quite a few years before the Pilgrims celebrated their own day of thanks at Plymouth Rock.


I know this story may ruffle a few turkey feathers, but history is history. I don't bring this up to in any way diminish the importance of the Thanksgiving at Plymouth Rock in 1621 as it was certainly one of the most historic days of the American story. Three groups of people came to the New World for various reasons and independent of each other by miles and by years, found a reason to celebrate a day of Thanksgiving in what is now the United States of America, long may She live.

Maine Minutiae: Coop Comes to Visit

Coop - My Newest Fishin' Buddy

I usually write a Texas Tidbits post before everything else, But Maine Minutiae takes precedence today because Coop is coming to see us!!! A quick refresher: Coop is my newest fishin' buddy from my wife's side of the family. He's two days shy of being a month old, so I figure he's ready for lessons on how to pitch a plastic worm on top of a lily pad. Since I don't have a lily pad to pitch to, we'll use a gimme cap. Easy money. Anyway, this will be the first time we've seen Coop since the day he was born and I'm looking forward to it, Heather is thrilled and Bailey the Three Year Old is going ape shit with anticipation.

I'm glad Coop gets to stay with us for a little while. Babies are kinda cool. They're a great audience for stupid faces and silly noises and it just so happens that I am a Master of Stupid Faces and Silly Noises. At least the Coop will be entertained while he's here. I'm searching through my memory bank for the most recent baby boy that I have spent more than a few minutes with. I guess that would to be my nephew Hoss. And Hoss is in his late 20's, so it's been a while. Otherwise, it's been a steady parade of baby girls in my family, including Bailey the Three Year Old. Since Coop is now here as a full fledged member of the male persuasion, I hope that I can teach the boy about bass fishin' and stuff like that. After all, Fish.Fear.Me. Technically, Coop is my cousin, but since I am 54 years old, I'll be like a third grandpa or something...maybe a crazy uncle kind of dude. It really doesn't matter to me, just as long as I can take the boy fishin' once in a while, all with be right with the world..

I just felt like sharing that with you today. As I get older, it seems that I like kids more and more. Don't get me wrong, I have always loved children and I have been the "crazy uncle-type"to dozens of kids over the years, but they are now all grown up and don't need a crazy Uncle Toby, so Coop got here just in time. :)

I gotta run, Coop will be here in a few minutes and I've got rig up a plastic worm on the Mickey Mouse Fishin' Pole. It's never too early to learn about fishin' and soon, Fish.Will.Fear.Coop. :)

Maine Minutiae: Part Time Mainer Travolta Is a Goofball

Nice People, But Dumbasses.***

I come praise John Travolta, not bury him. By all accounts, John Travolta is a nice man and his wife, Kelly Preston is an equally nice lady. However, being a nice person does not preclude one from being a goofball. And the Travoltas are goofballs of the first order. They are Scientologists. Enough said. I am not here to blast Scientology, but I must tell you that I think it's a bunch of crap. A big steaming pile of crap. I felt it necessary to make that disclaimer, so you understand where I am on Scientology. In a minute you'll see why.

The Travoltas, who are part time residents of Maine, are expecting a new baby and I am very happy for them. There's nothing quite as exciting and to me, as holy as the birth of a child. I have witnessed the birth of two of my kids, Trey (31) and Bailey (3). To see such a miracle as child birth first hand is a humbling and profound experience. Truly a gift from God. I think it's safe to assume that the Travoltas feel the same way about their new baby, Benjamin. Considering the tragic death of one of their other children not so long ago, Benjamin will certainly be a special arrival for John and Kelly.

Here's the goofball part of this story. Baby Benjamin is coming into this world in vacuum of silence. Say what? The newest Travolta will enter this world with nary a sound around him. No shouts of joy. No sounds of happiness and not an "I love you" to be heard. Why? The Travoltas are following Church of Scientology doctrine by having a "silent birth". A family friend says, "The couple will follow the church's guidelines during delivery," a family insider tells me. "No music, no talking and no screaming will be allowed during the pains of labor. Also their new son cannot be prodded for medical tests or spoken to for the first seven days of his life. You don't want to do anything that will haunt them for the rest of their lives." Yep. I can see how all that love and attention a newborn might get from adoring parents, grand parents and siblings could haunt him for the rest of his life. And it would be horrific to run some medical tests that could predict or detect a health problem and the treatment of said problem that could save the baby's life...I mean haunt him for the rest of his life.

I guess I have been celebrating the birth of babies in my family for over fifty years. Had I only known of the Scientology "silent birth" before today, I could have been spared the joy of a newborn crying for its supper. And those pesky 3AM feedings would be a burden, not something to look forward to. I'd hate like hell to bond with my baby in the middle of the night because it might "haunt him for the rest of his life". Seven days of "No music, no talking and no screaming will be allowed during the pains of labor. Also their new son cannot be prodded for medical tests or spoken to for the first seven days of his life. You don't want to do anything that will haunt them for the rest of their lives." I am glad the Church of Scientology straightened me out on how to act at the birth of a child. Without them I might have had, you know, fun, welcoming my son into this world. God bless you, Church of Scientology. Dumbasses.

***Photo from popeater.com***

Texas Tidbits: Central Texas and Glass Bottom Boats

Glass Bottom Boat for Shark-hunting and Spongebob Spotting

I don't know how I could have been writing on this blog for five months now, (five months?...wow!) and not mention once one of my fondest child hood memories. It involved traveling south on I-35 to Austin, San Antonio and San Marcos. I can't recall what we did in Austin, but I think we went to the Capitol Building, which was real cool for a kid my age. I was maybe 6 or 7 at the time. In San Antonio, we of course, went to the Alamo. I still remember being that most sacred of Texas monuments and replaying the Battle of the Alamo, probably recalled from the John Wayne movie about the battle. In my little boy mind, I was Davy Crockett, fighting off the attacking Mexican soldiers with Old Betsy, my trusted long rifle. Bang! I shot one of the bad guys. Smack! A rifle butt to the chops! Davy (me) saves the day! Then reality sets in when my Dad calls me over to look at another exhibit in the mission. From the Alamo went up to San Marcos to visit something called "Aquarena Springs". I wasn't very enthused by having leave the Alamo before Davy Crockett (me) could save the day, but this was my fate. Aquarena Springs it was. I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that the boat we were getting ready to board, had a glass bottom! From Davy Crockett, I was now a miniature Jacque Cousteau, exploring the crystal clear waters of the San Marcos River. Through that galass bottom I could see all manner of fish, soft shell turtles, giant squid and man-eating sharks! I made up the part about sharks and giant squid, but a kid can pretend, can't he? That glass bottom boat was one of the best things I have ever seen in my life! I almost forgot about the diving pig! They put a pig on a diving platform way up in the air and a pig actually dived off of it! Way frakkin' cool. Here it is, almost fifty years later, and I remember that boat ride like it was yesterday, giant squid, sharks and all.  :) My family and I are tryin' like hell to get a trip to Texas to fit into our summer plans next year. Maybe my two little girls will see the magic in that glass bottom boat that I saw on that summer day so long ago. I get this sneaky feeling that Bailey the 3 year old will say something like, "Daddy, I just saw SpongeBob!" And that will probably be her memory of the glass bottom boat fifty years from now. I know I'll believe it. After all, I saw that giant squid and those man-eating sharks.

Maine Minutiae: A Story With a Valuable Lesson

Bob***

This is the time of year where the weather is obviously cooler and outdoor activities like hiking become a welcome treat after a long, hot summer in states like Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, etc. Here in New England winter hasn't arrived yet and taking a hike into the woods is a great idea. Exploring in the woods, desert or mountains are a favorite past time of many, but they can become a tragedy for a few. Before setting out to enjoy the gifts God has given us, please remember two words: BE PREPARED!

I am bringing this up today for a very good reason. My good friend Bob at Texas Tweeties was almost one the tragedies of exploring. He and his better half, Ann, nearly became victims of their own passions - hiking and bird watching. I realize it sounds a bit odd that birding can end in tragedy, but it almost did for Bob and Ann, who are both in their 70's.

Here's the story in Bob's own words. Click the link, then come on back and I'll have another word or two about what happened.

I know that when the snow does fall here in Maine, many of you will go hiking or cross country skiing. You may have done either of those a hundred times and not had a problem the scope of Bob's. Please don't be over confident to the point of carelessness. Take all necessary precautions when you set off on your jaunt through the woods. It could save your life!

I am not writing this post to make fun of or ridicule Bob, quite the contrary. I would be heartbroken if something were to happen to him or his bride. I write this as a friendly reminder to all of us (me included) to take an extra few minute to be certain that we are prepared for any contingency. This website gives you some information for assembling a survival kit when you set off into the wild. In addition to that site, here's a "bing" search with a great deal of information on how to be ready for a possible emergency situation.

I hope that you'll find this article useful as a guide to make sure you are better-prepared for you outdoors activities.

Personal to Bob: I'm glad you and Ann are OK. I have a trip to Texas in store and you owe me a margarita or seven.  :)

***photo from hikingworld parks.com***

Texas Tidbits: What's That Name Again?

Kermit or Kermeet?

Howdy, y'all! I found the subject for today's Texas Tidbits like I find many of the posts for this blog - just goofin' around on the internet. But this post is unique. It's more about audio than the written word. let me 'splain.
I am a Native Texan and I have traveled to thousands of nooks and crannies all over the state. I have seen some of the weirdest names of towns you can imagine - Cut and Shoot, Gun Barrel City and Uncertain to name a few. I have also been to places where the name is pronounced completely different than the way it is spelled. Simple names like Colorado City. Easy, right? Not so fast there, diction breath. The correct (at least to the locals) way to pronounce Colorado City is Colla-ray-da City. Weird, huh? What about some other towns in Texas that present a similar dilemma? Mexia? Miami? Gruene? I am not going to give you those pronunciations. I ain't gonna leave you hangin' either.

This is where my Accidental Internet Discovery of the Day comes in. I found a site called Texas Tripper that has a bunch helpful information about Texas. It also has a pronunciation guide to help even the most seasoned Texan avoid those spoken faux pas. Click on the link and scroll down till you see the alphabet written in red letters. Click on a letter and a list of Texas towns whose name begins with that letter will be displayed. Then just hit the "play" button on the media player and a man's voice will give you the correct way to pronounce that city's name. I think it's pretty cool and as smart as I thought I was, I ain't. Give it a go and see how well you do and let me know in the comment section.

Good luck and I'll see you in Palacios !