Heritage Center Gala

I attended the opening gala of the South Texas Heritage Center at the Witte Museum, May 3^rd with friend, Mamie Carter, advisory trustee and long time member of the Witte. A black tie affair, I chose to wear a bolo tie crafted by Jaime Buitron and black goat skin Lucchese boots with my tux. As formal as this cowboy gets, but appropriate for the opening of the Heritage Center named in honor of King Ranch heirs, Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg.

The mud wagon of Captain Richard King, founder of the famous King Ranch, was on display. It drew much attention, as well as a vast collection of ranching memorabilia, donated by South Texas ranchers.   

Dinner was served by the RK group in the garden, under the stars.  The sculpture of Gutzon Borglum’s “On the Trail” could be seen from our table. Borglum created Mt. Rushmore; a winter Texan, with his studio in Alamo Heights. Agnes Harwell, Witte Board Trustee, entertained our table with tales of her childhood days in San Antonio.  

After dinner, we were entertained by The Sounds of Cactus Country, who played both kinds of music; country and western. The Texas style fandango finished with an impressive fireworks display that reflected on the waters of the San Antonio River.

The South Texas Heritage Center officially opens to the public on May 26, 2012. If you like Texas history, you will be impressed with the exhibit.

San Antonio River at the Witte

Turn Out the Lights, the Party is Over

As the Willie Nelson song goes, after the last float in the Flambeau Parade passes Saturday night, the 2012 San Antonio Fiesta is over. The city will be back to normal by Monday morning; many organizations that make this grand event possible will start planning for next year’s Fiesta, as always looking to make it bigger and better.

The grand finale of Fiesta is the Flambeau, the largest illuminated night parade in America. Flambeau is a French word, for a long candlestick or burning torch. The early Flambeau parades were lit by torch-bearing brigades of men carrying pyrotechnic type flares on the end of 5 foot poles. Today, thanks to long lasting batteries and portable generators, lighting the parade has been greatly improved and much safer.  

Known as the people’s parade where everyone can participate, if their entry is approved by the parade committee. Shriners in fez’s, dressed as clowns, riding bikes and little motor cars. It’s hard to tell who is having the most fun, the spectators or the participants. Lighted floats with Fiesta royality and special guests from all over. It’s a grand ole time in San Antonio every April. Come next year and the señorita’s will show you their el zapatos.

Viva Fiesta 2013!

North Texas Book Festival

Come and check out The North Texas Book Festival, Saturday, April 14, 2012 from 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. at The Center for Visual Arts, 400 E. Hickory St. at Bell Ave. in Denton, Texas. You will find books from many genres, meet the authors on-site and get autographed copies of their books. Nearly fifty authors have registered for the all day event.

I will be presenting “The Smith Family Goes to Austin” at 11:15 a.m., in the crafts room of the Visual Arts Center. They were one of the first families that built and organized the town of Austin and Travis County during the early days of the Republic of Texas. 

The funds received from the North Texas Book Festival, are given in grants to schools and public libraries, literacy and reading programs in Denton County. For more information, call 940-565-0804 or 940-464-3368 or visit the North Texas Book Festival website at http://www.ntbf.org/

 

Why Texans Don’t Pick Bluebonnets

I had asked for pictures of bluebonnets and cousin, Ann Hinrichs forwarded one from cousin, Donna Moynihan shown below. 

The bluebonnets are in abundant supply due to the rain during the winter. Texans love bluebonnets, but, we know what may be lurking amongst them.

 Pickers beware!

Need we say more?!

South Austin Memories

My dogs (Lulubelle and Daisy) and I had a great time at the South Austin Memories (SAM) Golf Tourney and Tailgate Gathering, last Saturday at Willie’s Cut-N-Putt Golf Course near Spicewood, Texas. The Red Headed Stranger wasn’t there; but, Patty Finney was and sang many of the songs she has written, including The Lady Bird Waltz, a historically correct song about our 36th President Lyndon Johnson and the courtship of his First Lady. An appropriate song for our gathering, as the Pedernales River that meanders near the Johnson Ranch flows into Lake Travis near Willie Nelson’s Briarcliff Recording Studio and Golf Course. Patty told a neat story about why she wrote The Lady Bird Waltz.

Carolyn Crumley Grumbles provided great refreshments; David Mostesiler and his lovely wife, Carolyn organized the event. As golfers played, tall tales were told, and old friends reminisced about our days growing up in South Austin. My longtime friend, Marcia Hammer Patterson, brought a picture of me with one of my prize lambs at the Austin Livestock Show with the late Jimmy Clay, who purchased it. He owned the Wilke-Clay Funeral Home on S. Congress and always supported South Austin youth activities.

Mike Carlson keeps the South Austin Memories site (http://southaustinmemories.com/) and needs more old pictures of things south of the Colorado River. Please send Mike your SAM pictures and join the site to be notified of future fun events.