Lost Maples -- a Texas hidden treasure

Lost Maples State Natural Area covers 2174.2 scenic acres in Bandera and Real Counties, north of Vanderpool on the Sabinal River. Acquired by purchase from private owners in 1973 -1974, the site was opened to the public on September 1, 1979. The annual visitation is approximately 200,000 visitors.

The park is an outstanding example of Edwards Plateau flora and fauna. It is a combinations of steep, rugged limestone canyons, springs, plateau grasslands, wooded slopes, and clear streams. It features a large, isolated stand of uncommon Uvalde Bigtooth Maple, whose fall foliage can be spectacular. Generally, the foliage changes the last two weeks of October through the first two weeks of November. The park is extremely popular during the fall and is often crowded. Parking is limited to 250 cars, so for maximum enjoyment and serenity, we suggest visitors schedule trips during the weekdays, if possible.

Rare species of birds, such as the Green Kingfisher, can be seen year-round. The endangered Black-capped vireo and Golden-cheeked warbler nest and feed in the park in spring and early summer. Wild animals include gray fox, white-tailed deer, armadillo, raccoon, bobcat, rock squirrel, and javelina.

Lost Maples State Natural Area exists as a portal to Texas' primordial past where bigtooth maples and other relict species from the Ice Age have adapted to climate change over the ages and thrive in special riparian and woodland habitats of the Texas Hill Country.

The Sabinal River and its several tributaries have carved limestone canyons through the 2,200-acre park straddling Bandera and Real counties at the western fringes of the Edwards Plateau. Here, the canyons' moist, cool microclimates support a remarkable diversity of plant life found few other places in Texas.

The bigtooth maple tree ranks as the park's marquee species. In late autumn most years, the stands of old-growth maples set the canyons ablaze in a riot of red, orange and gold foliage, drawing upwards of 50,000 leaf-peepers to the state natural area. The western cousin of the eastern sugar maple retained a foothold in the Hill Country canyons after vast sheets of ice advanced southward across North America almost to present-day Texas, and then retreated. (For an explanation of the park's geological history and information about the bigtooth maple and other indigenous plant species, visit the exhibit hall in the park headquarters.)

The park is home to the state's largest known species of the bigtooth, also known as the Uvalde bigtooth maple and canyon maple. The 40-foot tall maple with a 45-foot crown spread stands at the head of the park's most popular trail, the .8-mile Maple Trail, just a few steps from the day-use area parking lot. However, to really appreciate this wondrous arboretum, visitors should park their vehicle and stroll the wooded canyon trails that traverse the upland canyons of the Sabinal River, as well as Can, Hale Hollow and Lane creeks.

But no matter the time of year, Lost Maples SNA - about an hour's drive southwest of Kerrville -- makes a worthwhile destination that will not disappoint. Visitors hoping to enjoy the park under less crowded conditions of late October and early November when the maples' color peaks should consider an early fall visit. Nights tend to cool off and during warm, sunny days, the waters of the Sabinal and spring-fed swimming holes prove tempting spots to take a soothing splash.

Almost 11 miles of well-marked trails lead to scenic overlooks, spring-fed ponds populated by Texas' state fish, the Guadalupe bass, prime birding habitat and 40 primitive backpack camping sites. Composting toilets near several backcountry campsites make the wilderness experience a bit more pleasant.

The Maple Trail provides the easiest access to the park's natural wonders, traversing mostly flat terrain through a moist, shaded Sabinal River canyon. Mature bigtooths share fertile canyon habitat with monstrous chinkapin and Lacey's oaks, Florida basswood, pecan, black willow, green ash and American sycamore. Boulders the size of a subcompact car sit in the middle of the river and at the base of soaring limestone cliffs.

Few people know the state natural area as well as park ranger Jesus Rubio, who grew up in nearby Leakey and has worked for Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for 20 years. During a recent hike up the canyon, Rubio pointed out patches of green maidenhair fern and small openings in the canyon walls that leach moisture and cool air.

"You can walk into some of these canyons," Rubio says, "when it's 100 degrees up on the flats and immediately feel the drop in temperature. The maples are very adaptable and prolific.

"This place, for no more than the amount of acreage we have here, is a true showcase of natural beauty," Rubio says. "I'd like to think it's Nature at its best. There's always something to see that will capture your attention."

Because of the canyonlands' microclimate effect, the park contains numerous species of plants and animals of both eastern and western affinity, as well as rare species endemic to the Balcones Escarpment. Found here are the unusual Texas madrone tree, three kinds of buckeye, witch hazel (common in Mississippi), six different kinds of oaks, Texas mock orange and sycamore-leaf snowbell whose white clusters of flowers bloom in late September.

The park's birdlife reflects Lost Maples' location in the North America's central flyway, as well as its diversity of habitat that includes grasslands and scrublands; mixed evergreen and deciduous escarpment woodlands; and streamside woodlands. Birders from around the world visit the park to catch a glimpse of the endangered golden-cheeked warbler and black-capped vireo, as well as specialty birds such as the green kingfisher and zone-tailed hawk.

Water-and-electric campsites are at a premium at Lost Maples SNA. The 30 campsites, which also feature in-ground barbecue pits and shaded picnic tables, book up 11 months in advance for the peak fall foliage period. Other times of the year, booking reservations early is recommended.

In keeping with Lost Maples' state natural area designation, the park has limited development and facilities. However, young and old alike can enjoy nature photography, hiking, camping, bird watching, backpacking, fishing and swimming.

The day use-only park entry fees for persons 13 and older are: $5 from December through September and $6 for October and November. Those staying overnight, pay a $3 entry fee. Hike-in campsites are $8 a night and water-electric sites are $15.

Other things to do while visiting the canyon country near Lost Maples State Natural Area include: tour the Lone Star Motorcycle Museum (open Friday-Sunday); drive scenic FM 337 between Vanderpool and Medina and stop at overlooks; visit the Love Creek Cider Mill Store in Medina; eat at the Lost Maples Café in Utopia; and stop at Bandera County's more than 20 wildlife viewing sites along the western branch of the Heart of Texas Wildlife Trail.

Lost Maples State Natural Area is located about an hour's drive southwest of Kerrville and five miles north of Vanderpool on Ranch Road 187. It is one of 112 state parks that make up the Texas State Park system. For more information about the park visit the Lost Maples State Natural Area web site --
Lost Maples

Hill Country Scenes

Here's a slideshow of some photos I took while hiking around recently at Lost Maples State Natural Area, located in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. It's a great place to get away from it all and enjoy some peace and quiet and natural, rugged beauty. Here's the link to see a photo gallery that includes more Texas Hill Country photos --
Hill Country

Downtown Houston

Hope you enjoy this slideshow of the dynamic Downtown Houston skyline. Some of the featured buildings are One Shell Plaza, the Conoco Tower, the Bank of America Tower, the Texaco Tower, and City Hall. Most of the panoramic pix of the skyline were taken from the Sabine Street bridge. Here's the link to a photo gallery of these and other skyline pix --
Skyline

What is it?

Abstract art (noun) -- def. Art that does not attempt to represent external, recognizable reality but seeks to achieve its effect using shapes, forms, colors, and textures.

Walked past an abstract steel sculpture in a park near Downtown Houston, and I noticed that as I looked at the object from different perspectives it called different things to my mind, which is probably what the artist had in mind when he created the work. For example, in the first photo the object resembles a large pistol, or perhaps a rifle being aimed toward the sky. (At least that's what it resembles to me. It may look like something entirely different to you).

To me, the second photo resembles Gumby, the bendable little toy that's been around since the 1950s.

The third photo resembles a rocket ship that's about to blast off from the earth.

The fourth photo (to me) looks sort of like a big dog sitting on its haunches with his nose pointing up in the air.

The fifth photo (to me) sort of resembles a pterodactyl, one of those very odd flying dinosaurs. Speaking of the word "pterodactyl," bet you that's one word that eliminates a lot of contestants in spelling bees around the world.

In the sixth and final photo of this post, there is a person jogging on the trail near the steel sculpture.

There are parallels between the artwork and the human. In some ways a human is sort of like an abstract work of art.

We are ever changing. We can be many things to many different people, manifesting all sorts of traits that depend on what perspective others use when they examine us.

I continually discover different qualities and characteristics in people around me and it all depends on my own perspective.

So, I'm calling an end to this little dive into art appreciation and philosophical rambling because all of this heavy thinking is giving me a headache.

Happy trails to you, until we meet again!

World of Color

Hope you enjoy this slideshow of some of my butterfly and floral photos. Background music: "Romance Dance" by Govi.

My First Real Fish

One of the most vivid memories of my youth was the time I caught my very first big fish.

Must have been about 8 and in the third grade. Went with Dad to a small pond located somewhere near Tomball, which was sure enough out in the country in those days.

We were not having any luck catching anything. Couldn't even get the small perch to bite. I was at that stage when I was just learning how to cast with a rod and reel. I asked Dad if I could borrow his nice Shakespeare rig and practice casting. He said: "Well, since I'm not having any luck, sure go ahead. I'll walk down the shoreline a way with a cane pole and see if I can at least catch some perch."

So, he put a heavy "Devil's Horse" topwater lure on the line of the rod and reel and gave me a few pointers on how to cast it at a distance and how to tug on the line in such a way as to make the lure mimic a small swimming fish.

I remember how fun it was just to watch the wriggling action of the lure as I gently tugged on the line.

I told Dad I would not know what to do if a big bass were to strike because I'd never caught anything larger than a perch.

As Dad walked away he said: "There's not much chance of you catching anything right now because it's about noon and it's hot and bass generally are not feeding at this time of day. So, you don't have to worry about a big bass striking. It will be good practice for you to work on casting."

After practicing on casting for a while I began to get tired of it and had decided to forget about fishing and instead to go find a good place to go swimming.

So, I was reeling the lure back toward the shore, just watching one last time at how the Devil's Horse looked like a real fish swimming along the surface of the water.

Then, all of a sudden something happened that scared the daylights out of me. The lure was only about 6 yards away from the bank, and there was a loud splash as a very large bass attacked the lure and jumped high out of the water.

I was so shocked and surprised that I completely forgot about the rod and reel, which popped right out of my hands.

Fortunately, Dad was returning and saw what was happening. He had enough presence of mind to jump down the bank and grab the rod & reel just before it disappeared into the water.

He handed the rod to me. "Here. You caught him, so it's up to you to bring him in."

I had heard stories about how a large mouth bass can really put up a fight, and I'm here to tell you, those stories are not just "fish tales." That fish literally dragged me into the water. But I stood my ground and landed him, even if it was in the shallow, muddy water. By the time I grabbed him by the lower lip, Dad had a bass net and he jumped in the water and worked the bass into the net.

He was really proud of me, and I was grinning from ear to ear.

When we got home, Mom prepared the fish by lightly dusting it with a corn meal mixture, and she then pan fried it. I've never tasted better fish in my life.

Also, I've caught quite a few fish since then, but I've never quite captured the magic and thrill of the time I caught my very first "real" fish.

Wedding Photography

It's been a while since I included a slideshow in a post. Here's an audio slideshow of a wedding that I photographed some time ago. The wedding was the joyful union of Jeff Lopez and Terry Shirley, two very special and talented people. If I enjoyed photographing every wedding as much as I enjoyed photographing theirs, then I would gladly be a full-time wedding photographer. The slideshow includes music, so you may need to adjust your volume.

Austin Showcase

The city of Austin is one of the many great places to visit in the great state of Texas. It's a growing metropolitan city, and yet there are places within the city limits that retain the natural beauty of the Central Texas Hill Country.

The photo above, which I took during a recent vist, shows Downtown Austin reflected in Town Lake.

One must-see place in Austin is The Oasis restaurant, which is considered the "Sundown Capital" of Texas. Time your visit to The Oasis so you can see a sunset, and you will see why the place has the nickname. The sun setting over the lake is one of the most glorious natural wonders you will ever witness. Be sure to take a good camera (not a cellphone camera or a cheapie point-&-shoot), because you will want to take sunset pix.

Another must-see place is the State Capitol building. On most days, the Capitol building is open to the public at no charge and you can freely roam around outside and inside. The Rotunda has some very stunning architecture, both inside and outside.

Also, climb to the top of Mount Bonnell and enjoy a panoramic view of Lake Austin and the nearby upscale neighborhoods. From the summit, you will also be able to view the downtown area and the UT Tower. There are nice, sturdy stone steps leading up to the summit, which make the climb relatively easy. And the views you will see when you reach the top make the effort worthwhile. The photo above is a sample of the panoramic views you can see. Mouse over the photo and click for a closer view.

Please click on the link below if you want to see an Austin photo gallery that I recently created.

Austin Scenes

Cotton Pickin'

Sandy & I recently went to see Memom & Pawpaw Tex (her parents), who live on a farm near Bellville. During our visit we got to see something that a lot of city folks don't have a chance to see -- cotton harvesting.

The top photo shows the harvester (which you could call a Cotton Pickin' Machine). You can click on the photo for a closer view (then press backspace to return to the post). Notice the 8 silver-colored arms in the tractor front (just below the driver). Those act like powerful vacuum cleaners and they neatly whisk the ripe cotton right off of the plant stalks, and then the cotton is quickly blown into a large storage bin behind the driver.


The next photo shows the harvester driving down rows of cotton, harvesting thousands of cotton bolls from 4 rows at a time. If you look carefully, you will notice that the harvester driver is talking on a cell phone.


Whenever the harvester gets a load full of cotton, the driver hauls the load over to the processing area. Once there, the harvester driver dumps the load of cotton into a huge steel-framed compressor bin and another worker begins to tightly pack down the cotton in the bin using a powerful hydraulic compressor. The photos show the driver off-loading the cotton into the steel-framed bin, and then the hydraulic device tamping down the cotton inside the steel casing. You really have to click on the smaller photos and access the larger photos to get a better view of the operation.

When the compressor operator cannot pack any more cotton into the steel case, then the sides of the case are loosened and a tractor moves the large bin to a new location so that the filling and compressing process can start all over again, as illustrated by the photo at left. Tex stated that one large block of the tightly compacted cotton is the equivalent of about 16 standard bales of cotton. The large blocks of compacted cotton are loaded onto big trucks to be hauled away for the wonderful transformation into cotton clothing (the "fabric of our lives" as the advertising slogan so aptly describes it).


The next photo shows some of the very straight rows of cotton as the fluffy stuff ripens in the sun and awaits the harvesting process. And the subsequent photo provides a close-up view of a cotton boll. As we watched the workers harvesting and compressing the cotton, Sandy and I would sing snatches of the familiar song that was a Credence Clearwater Revival hit a few years back:
"When I was a little bitty baby my momma would rock me in the cradle, in them old cotton fields back home.
"It was down in Louisiana, just a half a mile from Texarkana, in them old cotton fields back home.
"Now when them cotton bolls get rotten, you can't pick very much cotton, in them old cotton fields back home.
"It was down in Louisiana, just a half a mile from Texarkana, in them old cotton fields back home."

Nikon D700

I recently purchased a Nikon D700, the first truly "pro level" camera I have ever owned. The camera is somewhat on the pricey side, however it is loaded with great features and is already receiving some of the most positive reviews ever awarded to any digital SLR. My main reason for wanting the camera is the way it can take very clean photos with little or no digital noise, shooting available light (no flash) at very high ISO settings (2500 and above). This will be very useful because at work I shoot indoor photography in which using a flash is either prohibited or would be very distracting -- basketball & volleyball games, theatrical performances, etc.

In this post I will include some of the first pix I've taken with the new D700 to demonstrate the versatility of the camera. I will include some technical info and provide some background just because I find such info interesting. If the technical info bores you, then skip it and just enjoy the photos. You can see a larger version of any photo by simply mousing over it and clicking it, then press the "back" button to return to the post.


'Clean'
This first photo was taken at 6400 ISO shooting available light (no flash) with a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens. The shooting mode was set to Aperture priority and the f/stop was set at 7.1, which produced a shutter speed of 1/125. Notice how the photo is "clean," meaning it has minimal digital noise. This photo has about the same level of digital noise as most other digital cameras produce shooting at about 800 or 1250 ISO. Those who keep up with digital camera technical developments know that such an accomplishment is nothing short of revolutionary.



Flash
The next three photos were taken in our Marketing office at work. The three photography nuts, myself, Aaron and Kyle, put together a portable backdrop (light gray, seamless paper). We used a three-light wireless flash setup, to wit -- the primary light was a Nikon SB600 firing into one black-backed silver reflective umbrella. The hairlight behind the backdrop was an SB800 firing through a "homemade" gridspot (fashioned by Rob). The secondary (fill) light was an SB800 equipped with a colored gel filter and firing through a "homemade" snoot (fashioned by Rob, the original "Do-it-Yourself" cheapskate). We did this exercise for several reasons -- to learn how to use some of the new equipment we recently ordered, and to experiment with different lighting effects, and to experiment with different blur-action special effects. We used the D700 coupled with a Nikon 50mm f/1.8 lens. Another thing I really like about the D700 is that the camera is "full frame," which means that the Nikon 50mm f/1.8 (one of my favorite lenses) is now much more useful. With a D70 (my other Nikon camera) the 50mm lens is actually a 75mm lens, due to the 1.5 crop factor, which means the 50mm is not really a medium focal range general purpose lens, but rather a short telephoto lens. With the D700, the 50mm is now a true 50mm and is ideal for general purpose and everyday photography.

No noise
The next photo is taken of Kyle, shown "slaving away" at work. I shot this photo availabe light (no flash) at ISO 5000 with the in-camera High ISO Noise Reduction option set to the High level. The lens was a Sigma 24-60mm f/2.8. The f/stop was set at 5.6 and the shutter speed was set to 1/100. Even when you take a close-up view of the photo you will notice a very low level of noise. I made an 8x10 print of the photo with our color laser printer at work and was amazed at the detail and minimal amount of noise.


Nature
Here's another high ISO photo taken at the Cockrell Butterfly Center, one of my favorite places for photography. Technical specs -- D700 coupled with a Tamron 70-200m f/2.8 lens (outstanding glass just recently released); ISO 5000; aperture set at f/16; shutter speed set at 1/400. I shot the photo hand-held, using available light with no flash. Being able to shoot at ISO 5000 enabled me to crank up the aperture to allow a greater depth of field. It also enabled me to crank up the shutter speed so that the action could be better "frozen." I made an 8x10 print of the photo with our color laser printer at work and was once again amazed at the detail and minimal amount of noise. The bottom line is that I simply would not be able to get this particular photo with any other camera because of ISO limitations.

Action
Here's an action shot to demonstrate focus tracking of fast-moving subjects. Like the high-end D3, the D700 features the Expeed image processor, which provides 51-point 3D tracking to provide responsive coverage of fast action. This photo is one in a series of pix shot in the Contiuous "busrt" mode at 5 frames per second with the AF selector set in the Dynamic mode and the Continuous Focus mode (designed for sports). Specs -- ISO set to 320, matrix metering, shooting in Program mode (the camera chose an f-stop of 9 and a shutter speed of 1/320). The lens used is a Phoenix 100mm f/3.5.

Skin tones
I included the final photo (below) of this little essay to demonstrate how the D700 handles skin tones. Technical stuff -- Sigma 24-60mm f/2.8 lens; 5.6 f/stop; shutter speed of 1/60; ISO set at 320. I used a Nikon SB600 Speedlight with a Joe Demb bounce-type flash diffuser. This is a photo of 3 students at a San Jacinto College cosmetology event. The camera is set at the default saturation level of "Standard" and there was no post-processing. You can click on the photo for a closer view and notice in particular how natural looking the skin tones are of all three subjects. All in all, I'm very pleased with the initial results from the D700 and it's fun to experiment and learn what all can be accomplished with this very versatile and responsive camera.

Crossroads in Concert

These photos show Crossroads performing live in a recent concert. The band is very versatile, performing a wide range of soft rock and classic rock songs, mostly from the 1960s and 1970s. They hired me (freelance) to take pix and to put together a photo collage. The collage is the final photo in the slideshow.

Nature

Hope you enjoy this tapestry of landscape, plants and animal photos I have taken during some of my ramblings. I try to have a camera handy at all times, because there are always so many beautiful and wondrous images to capture in God's great big wonderful world.

Firefighters in Action

Here's a slideshow of San Jacinto College Fire Technology cadets during "wet" training. They work in teams to attempt to bring a runaway high-pressure hose under control. The hose has the metal nozzle removed to avoid causing injuries. Got soaking wet taking the pix, but I also had a great time. They hoisted me up in a snorkel ladder bucket for the aerial shots.

Firefighters in Action (Part 2)

Recently took photos of San Jacinto College fire protection technology students training at the La Porte VFD training complex. They have to wear hot, heavy protective gear and train inside fiery buildings. (The buildings are specially designed to take the heat without damage). I have a lot of respect and admiration for anyone dedicated enough to go through such strenuous and demanding training.

Mikey & Ian

Recently set up a home studio for a photo session of my niece Mikey and her boyfriend Ian. Pix include individual portraits of Ian, followed by portraits of Mikey, and then followed by photos of the 2 together, and then concluding with some carefree, candid photos of Mikey. The slideshow includes background music, so you may need to adjust your volume.

New & Improved

The Central Library in Downtown Houston recently reopened after an extensive renovation project. The library got an extreme makeover and thorough upgrading, featuring new computers, drastic changes in design and services and other changes. Click on the link below to view a photo gallery that showcases some of the changes.

Library

Texas Scenes

Hope you enjoy this slideshow of pix I've taken in my ramblings around the Texas countryside. The slideshow was created in iPhotos, then uploaded to Photobucket, and then embedded into Blogger. There's background music, so you may need to adjust the volume.

What is it?

What is in the photo? Can you tell at first glance?

If you guessed a cell phone, then you would be correct. It is a dis-assembled cell phone and it's placed inside of a sealed jar of rice.

Huh?

Let me explain.

Like most women, my wife Sandy loves her cell phone and she keeps it with her at all times. During a recent heavy thunderstorm, she rushed from the car to her office and in the process did not realize she had dropped her phone right beside her car in the parking lot.

The phone stayed in the parking lot for a couple of hours, getting fairly wet from the rain. For a while it was dead. Then after the phone began to dry out, the service began to return, sporadic at first and then a little better over time. But some features, such as the phone's ring tone, were not working.

She told her sister Janeen about dropping the phone and how it got wet. Janeen told her that sealing the phone with rice was supposed to help in the drying-out process. So, that's the way the phone came to be sealed up in a jar of rice.

And after an overnight stay in the Rice Hotel, her phone was back to normal with all features working. So, if you ever get your cell phone wet, I recommend trying the rice treatment.

P.S.
I cooked and ate the rice used to dry out Sandy's cell phone and was amazed at the distinctly flavorful taste. I think it was caused by all the spicy gossip the rice absorbed during the drying-out process.

Lyrics

Song lyrics are amazing in their power to paint mental pictures and to evoke feelings or emotions.

I can distinctly remember graphic song lyrics I heard in my childhood, like Nat King Cole singing: "Red sails in the sunset, way out on the sea; please carry my loved one, home safely to me."

I also clearly recall sitting in my Chevy Corvair during my high school days the first time I heard Bobbie Gentry sing her masterpiece "Ode to Billy Joe," which begins with some of the best lyrics in the history of songwriting: "It was the third of June, another sleepy, dusty Delta day; I was out choppin' cotton and my brother was balin' hay; And at dinner time we stopped and walked back to the house to eat; And Mama hollered out the back door "y'all remember to wipe your feet" And then she said "I got some news this mornin' from Choctaw Ridge. Today Billy Joe MacAllister jumped off the Tallahatchie Bridge."


And anyone from my generation can probably tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing the first time they heard The Beatles burst on the scene with their high-energy songs and catchy lyrics such as: "and when I touch you I feel happy inside. It's such a feeling that my love, I can't hide, I can't hide, I can't hide."

Speaking of The Beatles, lyrics to their songs clearly illustrate how the group -- probably the most important and influential band in modern history -- drastically changed before their highly-publicized break-up in the 1970s. For example, it's a mighty long way from early lyrics like: "Love love me do, you know I love you, I'll always be true. So please, love me do" to some of the lyrics in later Beatles songs, such as: "Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye." Sort of graphically illustrates just how strung out and messed up they were in the later stages.

My favorite lyrics have always been the kind that paint clear mental pictures, such as these lyrics from the Kris Kristofferson song made popular by Janis Joplin: "Windshield wipers slappin' time, I was holding Bobby's hand in mine. Feeling good was good enough for me, good enough for me and Bobby McGee."

My least favorite lyrics are those that are shallow, superficial, insipid and yet stick in your head. Remember the days of "Bubble Gum Music?" I think the phrase evolved from the teeny-bopper chicks who listened to the junk while they smacked on bubble gum, but perhaps it came to be called Bubble Gum Music because, like a big wad of bubble gum, it tends to get stuck in your head and you can't get it out. Classic examples: "Yummy, yummy, yummy I've got love in my tummy" and "Oh, Sweet Pea, won't you dance with me? Woncha, woncha, woncha dance with me?" And I think the worst sort of Bubble Gum Music was the garbage known as disco music, exemplified by K.C. and The Sunshine Band. Their big hit was "That's the Way I Like It." The very deep and profound lyrics to the song go like this: "That's the way (uh huh, uh huh) I like it." Those lyrics (and those lyrics alone) are repeated about 15,000 times over and over again.

I stopped listening to popular radio music in the mid-1970s because the songs just kept getting worse and worse -- junky lyrics that you couldn't hear anyway because they were drowned out by even junkier loud music. And popular music nowadays is for the most part one huge pile of garbage. It's not in any way melodious, edifying, entertaining, fun, relaxing or enjoyable. It's just very obnoxious noise that gets on my last nerve.

So, perhaps anyone who can remember the good old days of real music from back in the 1950s, 60s and early 70s can talk about some of your favorite lyrics.

Talent Pool (featuring The 3 Drips)

Talk about talent ...

In our Marketing office we have three guys who possess the rare ability to make a very realistic "drip" sound.

I kid you not. aAron, Kyle and Rob have mastered this highly-coveted skill. Anyone of The 3 Drips can make a drip sound so realistic that, if a stranger were to hear the sound and was unaware of the origin, then he (or she) would swear that the sound was the result of a leaky roof.

On any given day in our office and at any give time, any one of The 3 Drips might snap off a loud drip sound, just to sort of provide a pleasant background noise.

I (meaning Rob) began perfecting the fine art of "dripping" in elementary school. Most of my teachers really got on to me whenever I would make the sounds during quiet times (such as assigned reading periods). Never could understand why they could not appreciate a little background enhancement sound effect.

aArron is also highly gifted in making other very cool sound effects. You really ought to hear him thump his throat. (I also sometimes call aArron just "AA" or "Double A" because he is long and thin, sort of like a AA battery. Well, he is tall, but the word "thin" might be a little less than accurate, but hey, we are Marketing and our job is to make things look good).

You also ought to see AA fool people with his fake slamming-a-door-in-his-face move. He is so slick with it that the first time I saw him pull it off, I actually thought he had really hurt himself.

Double A's self-assigned nickname is "Geezer" (coz he ain't no spring chicken anymore) and he claims he can also pull off a really convincing falling-down-the-stairs stunt. I keep trying to get him to try it on the stairs here at the District Office, but he keeps putting me off, using his age factor as an excuse. aA also boldly claims he has at one point in time "fallen UP a staircase." Such a stunt seems scientifically impossible and I have told him so (more than once). Yet, he insists he has done it and even claims there were eyewitnesses to the feat. And I still say: "I will believe it when I see it." (Falling up a staircase ... puh-leeeeeze).

Kyle (aka Karl) is also gifted in regards to making other way cool sound effects. He's a very talented percussionist (plays drums at his church) and you ought to hear the sounds he can get out of his desk, laptop and other surfaces in his cubicle. I sit right next to him and I get to hear these rhythmic sounds all day long. The tapping sounds might get on the nerves of other people, but I'm also a percussionist (prosumer level) who also has an uncontrollable "tapping" habit, so I can relate.

Rob also has other very impressive talents, such as the crafting of paper airplanes. He can also blow spit bubbles, which is a rare inherent talent that cannot be taught. These bubbles resemble the kind of bubbles you can produce with those bubble-blowing kits you can get in the toy department.

He got in trouble in the 4th grade when he was standing in line, waiting to have a spelling assignment graded by the teacher. He crafted a very large spit bubble and launched it into the air. The bubble gracefully landed on the eraser of the teacher's red pencil. The teacher studied the bubble and asked (in a very threatening tone of voice): "Is that bubble saliva?" and wanted to know who blew it. Several of Rob's friends looked at him and started laughing (which was a dead give-away). The teacher's report led to a sound spanking from dad.

Which shows to go you that some people just do not appreciate real talent, but I hope you do.

A Whole Nuther Kuntry

Never forget when we moved from Houston to the Lufkin area (due to a job transfer). I'd always heard East Texas was like "a whole nuther kuntry," and boy howdy, it sure nuf really is. A body almost has to learn to speak a new language in order to communicate.

Shortly after we arrived, I went shopping at a local supermarket. The lady walking in front of me was pushing a shopping cart with the little daughter seated in the child's seat and the little son seated on groceries in the basket. The little boy pulled the girl's hair and the mother promptly called out (very loudly): "Jimmy, I told you to turn her a'loose."

Not long after that, I was talking to a new work buddy, Brian, and we were discussing destination options for a fishing trip we were planning. He was an easy goin' ol' country boy, born and reared in the East Texas Piney Woods and he just didn't like to make decisions. So, his contribution to the planning of the fishing trip was: "Don't make me no never mind." During the two years we lived in East Texas, I heard that expression "Don't make me no never mind" numerous times and it always grated on my nerves like chalk scraping across a chalkboard. Elementary school teachers always stressed avoiding double negatives. I think that expression is actually a triple negative.

Then there was my other work buddy James, another native East Texas good ol' boy with a penchant for double negatives. Anytime a body would say something that he found hard to believe, his typical reply of disbelief was: "It ain't nuther."

After hearing Brian repeat the phrase "Don't make me no never mind" a few times, and then hearing James spout his "it ain't nuther" a few times, I recalled how I had been told that moving to East Texas was like moving to a whole nother country. It occurred to me that it's also like moving to another time zone -- backwards in time about 100 years.

Native East Texans also have the strangest way of backing into phrases. For example, if you ask a buddy which route he'd like to take on a trip, his reply might be something like: "Don't make me no never mind. Everhow you want to go is jes fine with me." Or it might go something like this: "Everwhich way you think is best suits me jes fine." Or if a pit bulldog gets a good grip on somebody, a native East Texan would say something like: "That ol' dawg turned him everwhich way but loose." Actually, to true East Texans, a pit bulldog don't really get a good grip on anything. What he does is he gets a "holt" of him.

That reminds me of the time we were in our office adding up our sales figures for our monthly report to send to the main office. Brian stopped in the middle of writing his report and asked: "Hey Rob. How do you spell 'helt?'" I replied: "I'm not sure. Use the word in a sentence." His answer was: "Well, I want to tell them big bosses down there in Houston that my sales helt up real good during the month of July." My answer: "Oh, in that case here is how you spell the word: h-a-i-l-t." Brian spelled out the word and studied it for a while and said: "Hmmmmm. Don't look right, but if you say that's how it's spelled, then it must be OK."

Which reminds me of the way East Texans butcher the pronunciation of many words. For example, they pronounce the word "can't" as though the word rhymes with "paint." And they also omit certain sounds, so that the word "help" is pronounced "hep." If, for example, you were to ask a buddy to give you a hand tilling your garden, you might get this reply: "I'd love to hep ya, but I cain't. The ol' lady tol' me I gotta run over to Brookshure Brothurs to git some groceries on my way to the house."

And if you ever want to hear an East Texas good ol' boy get real passionate about something, just get him to talking about bush hogs. (For the uninitiated, a bush hog is a tractor equipped with a large, high-powered mowing attachment for clearing overgrown property). They love their bush hogs almost as much as they love their Red Man chewing tobacco and Skoal snuff. Typical bush hog story might start out something like: "Tell you what. Got me a new John Deere bush hog and that sucker'll wack down brush as thick as a man's arm. I ain't lyin' If I'm lyin' I'm dyin' I'm tellin' ya. Jest chews 'em up and spits 'em out like a pit bull. I'm tellin' ya, when yer strong, yer strong ..." And the whole time Jimmy (or Billy) is telling his bush hog story, his buddy Tommy will be nodding his head in agreement while he either spits tobacco or rearranges his snuff by using his index finger to poke it around in his lower lip.

Anyway, anytime you get a notion to step back in time, just travel up Highway 59 for about 130 miles and maybe turn off the main road and hop on over to, say, Etoile, or maybe Dezavalla, or maybe Huntington and just hang around a place where the locals hang out and listen to them shoot the breeze. But don't listen too long, because if that East Texas twang ever gets a good "holt" on you, it's liable to turn you "everwhich way but loose."