Texas Co-Op Power • November 2015

1115 local covers custom 10/13/15 2:38 PM Page 4

BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION NOVEMBER 2015 Witte Museum Pitcher-Perfect Recipes Inn at Dos Brisas

SONGWRITING WITH Turning combat stories SOLDIERS into the music of healing

SEE PAGE 20 BLUEBONNET NEWS FINANCING TEXAS FOR 100 YEARS

There’sThere’s nono escapingescaping change.change. EspeciallyEspecially whenwhen you’reyou’re tryingtrying toto keepkeep BEBE SETSET ININ YYOYOUROUR ppaceace withwith a growinggrowing nation.nation. SoSo whenwhen thethe timetime comescomes toto buybuy nnewew WAYSWWAAAYYS OROR SETSET ON equipment,equipment, purchasepurchase landland oror expandexpand youryour operation,operation, CapitalCapital FFarmarm CreditCredit willwill bebe there.there. SoSo ruralrural TexasTexas hashas accessaccess toto thethe ﬁnancialﬁnancial IMPROVINGIMPROOVVING THEM.THEM. supportsupport itit needsneeds toto nevernever stopstop growing.growing. CCapitalFarmCredit.comapitalFarmCredit.com | 8877.944.550077.944.5500 November Since 1944 2015

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20 Local Co-op News Get the latest information plus energy and safety tips from your cooperative.

33 Texas History Bernardo Plantation By Martha Deeringer

35 Recipes Pitcher-Perfect Beverages

39 Focus on Texas Photo Contest: Music

40 Around Texas List of Local Events

42 Hit the Road Inn at Dos Brisas: Farm to Tableau By Melissa Gaskill A.J. Merrifield, left, and Darden Smith embrace at ONLINE the end of a Songwriting TexasCoopPower.com With:Soldiers retreat. Find these stories online if they don’t appear in your edition of the magazine. FEATURES Texas USA The Next Song A musician learned to put creative Superstars of Childhood By Clay Coppedge 8 energy to work for military service members Story by Darden Smith • Photos by Andy Dunaway Observations Uncle Charlie’s Gifts South Texas Treasures Witte Museum in San Antonio By Sheryl Smith-Rodgers 12 nurtures the region’s historical narrative Story by E. Dan Klepper NEXT MONTH Holiday Recipe Contest Winners We reveal the 2015 winners and their dishes featuring Texas pecans. 33 39

35 42 RETREAT: ANDY DUNAWAY. PIE: UCKYO | DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB

ON THE COVER From left, Darden Smith, Gary Nicholson and retreat participant Palermo Deschamps write a song. Photo by Andy Dunaway

TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: David Marricle, Chair, Muleshoe; Mark Tamplin, Vice Chair, Kirbyville; Bryan Lightfoot, Secretary-Treasurer, Bartlett; Mike R. Hagy, Tipton, Oklahoma; William F. Hetherington, Bandera; Mark Rollans, Hondo; Anne Vaden, Corinth • PRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, Austin • COMMUNICATIONS & MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE: Jerry Boze, Kaufman; Rick Haile, McGregor; Greg Henley, Tahoka; Billy Marricle, Bellville; Mark McClain, Roby; Blaine Warzecha, Victoria; Kathy Wood, Marshall • MAGAZINE STAFF: Martin Bevins, Vice President, Communications & Member Services; Charles J. Lohrmann, Editor; Tom Widlowski, Associate Editor; Karen Nejtek, Production Manager; Andy Doughty, Creative Manager; Grace Arsiaga, Print Production Specialist; Chris Carlson, Communications & Member Services Assistant; Paula Disbrowe, Food Editor; Suzanne Halko, Copy Editor; Randall Maxwell, Videographer/ Photographer; Jane Sharpe, Graphic Designer; Ellen Stader, Copy Editor; Karen Taylor, Communications & Member Services Assistant; Shannon Oelrich, Proofreader

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www.muellerinc.com 877-2-MUELLER (877-268-3553) CURRENTS Letters, emails and posts from our readers

Feed Sack Décor Giving Weirdness a Shot I enjoyed the article and letters For several years I’ve been preaching that Angelina Eberly [Prohibited by City about people making clothing out Ordnance, October 2015] did as much as anyone—ever—to “keep Austin weird.” of old feed bags [Feeding Their Imagine Austin without the Texas Fashion Sense, February 2015]. My neighbor did something interesting Legislature and, most likely, “the uni- with a bunch of old feed bags that versity” in all its glory. Perhaps there he had. He flattened them out and still would have been a beautiful town cut them to fit and used them for where the Colorado River emerges wallpaper. The room looks great. from the Hill County, but no way BOB FARRIS | SANGER would it have been even half as weird! COSERV ELECTRIC KALAN W. FORD | BASTROP | BLUEBONNET EC What Is Right With the World? I was disturbed by the article Right With the World in your August porcupines, badgers, various Native Americans article about Charles Goodnight 2015 issue. It seems barbaric to snakes, lizards, frogs, toads, ducks, As a member of the Comanche [The Goodnight-Loving Trail, desensitize children by teaching geese, cranes and herons. By the Nation, I’ve never been bothered by March 2015] because my sister, them to kill. This seems like a way, does he walk the 12 miles to the term “Indian” [The Old Indian Nancy, is married to Goodnight’s sure way to encourage mental/ his lease? Doctor, March 2015, and letters in great-great-grandson, Ronald Gene emotional issues while introducing JOHN BOZEMAN | PERRYTON May 2015 and August 2015]. Goodnight of Salado. They have them to guns. This can be a bad NORTH PLAINS EC The history of America was been happily married for more and even deadly combination. In influenced by Native American than 34 years. some cases, tradition can be a trap Reading the deer camp article tribes in the Southwest and other It is remarkable how much to keep individuals stuck in an brings back good memories of parts of the country. Native Ameri- Ronnie resembles the late Charles outdated rut. camping trips with my dad in the cans played important roles in our Goodnight. One big difference is Why not just go outdoors, camp 1950s and ’60s with one important wars when our enemies could not that Charles had a quick temper, and take pictures of wildlife that exception: We had great times decipher “Indian” languages, but Ronnie is a gentle giant. will live to see another day? This and enjoyed hiking and camping including Navajo, used as code by LOUIS ASHWORTH | SALADO seems more like being right with without feeling the need to kill the U.S. forces. BARTLETT EC the world. beautiful animals that inhabited Absolute political correctness is L.G. DERRICK | HICO the places we visited. a double-edged sword. The fact UNITED COOPERATIVE SERVICES PAUL DARKO | KAUFMAN remains that Native Americans TRINITY VALLEY EC were mistreated in many situations, GET MORE TCP AT Mike Leggett must have so let us be honest and refer to TexasCoopPower.com misplaced some of his history as it was, not as we cover Sign up for our E-Newsletter for baloney from his old it in literary mascara. monthly updates, prize drawings | AUSTIN hunting lease when he PHIL HOWRY and more! decided to bad-mouth BLUEBONNET EC, PEDERNALES EC oil and gas activity. I can AND CENTRAL TEXAS EC WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! see a half dozen oil and ONLINE: TexasCoopPower.com/share gas wells from my house The Goodnight Legacy EMAIL: [email protected] in Ochiltree County (an I am a contracting electronic engi- MAIL: Editor, Texas Co-op Power, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, area not known for large neer working for our soldiers in Austin, TX 78701 wildlife numbers) and, Afghanistan. My wife, Grace, knows Please include your town and electric co-op. on a daily basis, I see how much I enjoy reading your Letters may be edited for clarity and length. antelope, mule deer, magazine. She gathers three or four coyotes, turkeys, rabbits issues before sending them to me. (jack and cottontail), I was very pleased to read the Texas Co-op Power Magazine

TEXAS CO-OP POWER VOLUME 72, NUMBER 5 (USPS 540-560). Texas Co-op Power is published monthly by Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC). Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, TX, and at additional offices. TEC is the statewide association representing 75 electric cooperatives. Texas Co-op Power’s website is TexasCoopPower.com. Call (512) 454-0311 or email [email protected]. SUBSCRIPTION PRICE is $4.08 per year for individual members of subscribing cooperatives. If you are not a member of a subscribing cooperative, you can purchase an annual subscription at the nonmember rate of $7.50. Individual copies and back issues are available for $3 each. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Texas Co-op Power (USPS 540-560), 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. Please enclose label from this copy of Texas Co-op Power showing old address and key numbers. ADVERTISING: Advertisers interested in buying display ad space in Texas Co-op Power and/or in our 30 sister publications in other states, contact Martin Bevins at (512) 486-6249. Advertisements in Texas Co-op Power are paid solicitations. The publisher neither endorses nor guarantees in any manner any product or company included in this publication. Product satisfaction and delivery responsibility lie solely with the advertiser. © Copyright 2015 Texas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. Reproduction of this issue or any portion of it is expressly prohibited without written permission.

TexasCoopPower.com November 2015 Texas Co-op Power 5 CURRENTS Energy, innovation, people, places and events in Texas

CO-OP PEOPLE Hello, Mr. Mayor

When Trinity Valley EC members call their cooperative, they might talk to the mayor of Kaufman. Jeff Jordan, TVEC’s communications coordinator, took the mayoral oath May 18. Dur- ing his two-year term, he will help the seven-member city council oversee operations of Kaufman, a city 30 miles southeast of Dallas with about 7,000 people. “I wanted to be part of the HAPPENINGS solution rather than just com- plain about problems I saw,” Jordan says. Make the Trek The Kaufman native is a friend of service. Before running to Schmeckenfest for mayor, Jordan served on the council and the economic Been to Schmeckenfest lately? What the heck is Schmeckenfest, you ask? It’s one of development board. Plus, his the ways La Grange kicks off the Christmas season, and it occurs December 3 this year. work for TVEC involves serving co-op members by communi- Schmecken means “to taste” in German, and a main feature of Schmeckenfest cating with electricity con- is sampling 20 or more types of wassail—hot cider—provided by businesses and sumers, government officials OM CENTER community leaders for visitors to the town square. and staff, and the media. Schmeckenfest begins with a parade and lighting of the Christmas tree on the Community involvement is courthouse lawn. The festival includes music, food, children’s activities and a visit also a trait of cooperatives, from Santa. which are locally run. “It goes hand in hand with La Grange is headquarters for Fayette Electric Cooperative Find more that cooperative principle to and the seat of Fayette County. happenings all across the state at serve and bring your skills to TexasCoopPower the table to make this a better INFO: visitlagrangetx.com, (979) 968-3017 .com place to live,” he says.

VETERANS DAY IS NOVEMBER 11, and Texas is home to 1.68 million military veterans, based on September 2014 statistics from the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Of those, 1.31 million are wartime vets. In The Next Song on Page 8, musician Darden Smith tells about the healing process of helping veterans put their feelings into words

through songwriting. RANS HARRY COURTESY REAUGH: CLUB. MD3D | DOLLAR PHOTO FLAG: JEFF JORDAN. COURTESY URBAN. JORDAN: DAVE & DAYLIGHT: SCHMECKENFEST

6 Texas Co-op Power November 2015 TexasCoopPower.com Good Taste in Gifts

The holiday season is right around the corner and with it the strains of coming up with gift ideas and then shopping. It can be the pits. The pits, though, might be your solution. Consider sending a package straight from the pits or grills of some of Texas’ legendary purveyors of brisket, ribs, sausage and steak. Many make gift giving as easy as a phone call or an online visit. Perini Ranch in Buffalo Gap ships its mesquite-smoked, peppered beef tenderloin Reaugh’s Texas Landscapes —“many thousands every year,” says co- owner Lisa Perini—all over the country, and The works of Frank Reaugh, one of the Southwest’s most distinguished artists who docu- 85 percent of its mail-order business hap- mented and interpreted the region before the turn of the 20th century, enthrall admirers pens between Thanksgiving and Christmas. at museums and online. Frank Reaugh: Landscapes of Texas and the American West, an “It really is a thrill when we get a call, exhibition exploring his life and work, continues through November 29 at the Harry Ransom and it’s somebody in Iowa, and they’ve Center in Austin. The book Windows on the West: The Art of Frank Reaugh (University of tasted our beef,” Perini says. “They’ll tell Texas Press and Harry Ransom Center, 2015) accompanies the exhibit. us, ‘My kids won’t come for Christmas if “As a witness to the cattle drives of the 1880s and the trail drivers’ way of life, Reaugh we don’t have one of your tenderloins.’” gave his artworks an authoritative quality that will undoubtedly sustain his well-deserved County Line’s Air Ribs business peaks this reputation as the painter of the Texas longhorn for many years to come,” says Peter F. time of year, too. “The real crunch is the last Mears, curator of art at the Ransom Center. Online visitors can explore the Ransom Center’s week before Christmas,” says Scott Ziskov- digital collection of 217 Reaugh pieces. More than 700 pieces are rotated on display at the sky, marketing director and a member of Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum in Canyon. The National Ranching Heritage Center in Pedernales Electric Cooperative. “It’s crazy.” Lubbock holds 200 pieces and periodically exhibits them.

LEGISLATION Daylight Saving Time Law Intercepted

Daylight saving time ends November 1, much to the chagrin of some members of the Texas House who sought to exclude the state from the twice-yearly practice of adjusting clocks one hour. Football is partly to blame for us “falling back” this month. Lawmakers in May defeated a bill sponsored by Rep. Dan Flynn of Van, who called adjusting the clocks every spring and fall “simply a hassle that we don’t need anymore,” The Associated Press reported. Support for the bill, which would have become law in September, waned amid realizations that being out of step with most of the rest of the country could create a scheduling conflict between the times of church services in Texas and NFL games elsewhere. As Dallas Rep. Rafael Anchia declared: “I don’t want to miss church, and I don’t want to miss the Cowboys game.”

TexasCoopPower.com November 2015 Texas Co-op Power 7 NEXTSONG THE

8 Texas Co-op Power November 2015 TexasCoopPower.com HOW I LEARNED TO PUT MY CREATIVE ENERGY TO WORK FOR VETERANS

BY DARDEN SMITH | PHOTOS BY ANDY DUNAWAY

BEEN CHASING SONGS since I was a 10-year-old kid in Brenham. Sitting in my room, day after day, rewriting songs by people like Willie Nelson, Neil Young and Leon Russell, I first discovered that songs carry secrets. Something happens when you tell a story, make I’VE I’VE it rhyme and put it to melody. A song is an envelope to hold the truth. Once I realized it was possible to make a living writing songs, I wanted to be a rock star. But you never know where songs will lead you. I’ve recorded 14 albums and toured across the United States, through Canada and around Europe. Today, I use songs in ways I never thought possible. This came to me after 40 years of searching for the next song. Three years ago, I founded SongwritingWith:Soldiers. In this program, we pair professional songwriters with active-duty and veteran members of the military to write songs based on their stories of combat and their return home. Songwriters use their craft in the service of these stories. The collaborative process is all about listening, looking for the deep emotional truth that, when captured in lyrics and melody, will resonate not only with that soldier but also with anyone who might hear it. There’s nothing like a song to tell the truth. SongwritingWith:Soldiers grew out of my own search. Around the time I turned 40, after almost 20 years as a professional musician, I was growing restless with what I was able to do with my music. In 2003, I started the Be An Artist program, visiting schools in the United States and Europe to speak with students about seeing themselves as artists, no matter their interests. At the end of each session, I would write a song with the group. I fell in love with writing songs with people who don’t write songs. The collaborative nature of the work, as well as the way people sat up straighter when their part of the song came around, fascinated me. As I continued to write, record and tour, I followed my curiosity into projects such as working with homeless teenagers in Newark, New Jersey, at a center called Covenant House; writing songs about the damage of HIV and AIDS with locals in Johannesburg, South Africa, and rural Botswana; conflict resolution with young adults from Israel and the West Bank; a three-year artist-in-residence position at Oklahoma State University’s School of Entrepreneurship; and working with corporate clients. In every setting, the key to opening up pathways to another person’s truth was helping put their story into rhyme and melody. In 2008, I was asked to perform at the United States military hospital in Land- stuhl, Germany. During my show—which the audience didn’t seem to enjoy much— I was thinking that I had absolutely nothing in From far left, participant common with the soldiers. I felt that we were from Dustin Wright works with songwriters Darden Smith different sides of a divide that I wasn’t really much and Gary Nicholson and a interested in crossing. All I saw were uniforms. I guest observer at a retreat. didn’t see the individuals in the uniforms.

TexasCoopPower.com November 2015 Texas Co-op Power 9 GRIPPED BY THE SENSE OF CALLING AND SACRIFICE AMONG THESE MEN AND WOMEN. AND I WAS GRIPPED BY THEIR WILLINGNESS

I WAS TO GIVE WHEN OTHERS DO NOT.

A Marine named Fred Cale completely changed my perspective. Now, that was too much. He came up after my show, and as we stood talking about It was clear to me that there was a connection among us, but songs, guitars, Iraq and military life, we realized that I knew his I couldn’t find the song. So I started visiting Austin’s Camp Mabry brother-in-law. Then we discovered that the best man at his wed- once a month to sit around a table and have conversations. I lis- ding had operated a club in Monroe, Louisiana, where I played tened to stories, to explanations on the meaning of service and back in the early 1980s. duty, on what it means to wear a uniform. I’d never really thought When I let myself see it, we had a great deal in common. about these things in this way. I was gripped by the sense of Standing there talking with Cale, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be calling and sacrifice among these men and women. And I was great to write songs with this man?” Maybe I could go to Iraq gripped by their willingness to give when others do not. and write with soldiers. It wouldn’t be too different from the At the third meeting, I heard the phrase “angel flight.” I songwriting I did with homeless kids. straightened in my seat and said, “What a great song title.” Pause. Cale and I emailed back and forth for about six months before “Ummm, what’s an angel flight?” we realized that it was just too complicated to get me into a war They told me that when a soldier dies and they fly his or her zone. He suggested I meet with some contacts he had in the Texas body home, that’s an angel flight. I had my song. Or rather, their Army National Guard. Maybe I could find someone to write with. song. The Air Guard arranged for me to speak with one of their I knew there was a song that needed to be written, but I couldn’t members, a pilot who flies for Southwest Airlines for his regular find it. I wanted that next song. job but on weekends flies fallen soldiers home. This pilot’s words As a step in this quest, I had lunch with Maj. Gen. John Furlow, formed the basis for the entire first verse of the song. Like the head of the Texas Army National Guard, and five of his assistants words of Cale and other military men and women, these words at Threadgill’s restaurant in downtown Austin. During lunch, changed the course of my life and work. just as I began thinking again that we didn’t have much in com- Based on those conversations, my friend Radney Foster and mon, we discovered that my high school friend, Bo Kenyon, flew I wrote “Angel Flight” in Nashville, commissioned by the Texas the helicopter for Furlow. Guard. Radney recorded the song on his record and made a video

10 Texas Co-op Power November 2015 TexasCoopPower.com From far left, musician Jay that went viral, and pretty soon we “restored my faith in humanity. I didn’t think anybody cared.” Clementi and participant were getting emails from all over the After a recent retreat, veteran Sandi Primous reported that Todd Hanna write a song. globe from people who were moved she’d finally found the confidence to make a literal journey, Emotions become defined in a notebook. A final circle by the words. Words that I couldn’t joining a Harley-Davidson group ride across Texas. That to me concludes each retreat. have written before I met Cale. is the highest use of my craft, of song: bringing about a change Words that were possible because a in someone, a shift of perspective. It can happen through the few human beings—some wearing uniforms, some not—found collaboration or simply when you find your truth reflected in their connecting thread through the truth conveyed in a story someone else’s song. That’s the magic. and a song. In many ways, I’m no different today from that 10-year-old One of the emails I got was from a man in Colorado Springs kid who was in love with a story and trying to figure out how to who ran an organization called LifeQuest Transitions that helped put it into a song. I didn’t see my life turning out this way. I soldiers move from military to civilian life. At his invitation, I went wanted to be a successful songwriter and for years, I thought to write with some of the veterans in the program. From that that meant following my own songs, getting on the radio, serving experience, from witnessing the transformative power of collab- myself. Through SongwritingWith:Soldiers, I have learned how orative songwriting, came the idea for SongwritingWith:Soldiers. to direct my craft and creativity out into the world. My world Over the past three years, with guidance from Executive has grown bigger, full of new stories. With every group of veterans, Director Mary Judd, the organization has worked with more there’s always a next song, a song that needs to be written, a song than 130 individuals in the military across the United States to that will change lives. write more than 150 songs. It’s not where I thought I would be. It’s better. All musicians want to move people with their work by strik- Singer-songwriter Darden Smith makes his home in Austin. ing an emotional nerve and taking the listener on a journey, but this is especially true of songwriters. At one of our first WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com Watch Darden Smith collaborate retreats, a veteran named Scott McRae told us that the retreat with co-op leaders to write Shine a Light.

TexasCoopPower.com November 2015 Texas Co-op Power 11 The Tejano Freighter exhibit in the Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg South Texas Heritage Center. Opposite: Spur made in Spain, circa 1600. 12 Texas Co-op TexasCoopPower.com SouthTexas Treasures WITTE MUSEUM IN SAN ANTONIO NURTURES REGION’S HISTORICAL NARRATIVE

uring the Great Depression of the 1930s, Native American artifacts, historical costumes and furniture, a San Antonians encountered the natural history collection composed of birds, mammals and other unusual sight of live alligators and rat- creatures preserved by taxidermy, as well as mounted butterflies tlesnakes lounging in a makeshift corral and other insect and mineral specimens. Hanging overhead was BY E. DAN KLEPPER near the San Antonio River. This offbeat a Curtiss JN-4D (known as the Jenny Flyer), the World War I roundup appeared courtesy of the San trainer that became plane-of-choice for barnstorming pilots Antonio’s Witte Museum. The guest throughout the 1920s. The museum’s art collection included herpetologist who collected the reptiles paintings and sculpture by European, American and Texas artists, andD amphibians for the garden charged visitors a dime each to as well as by members of the San Antonio Art League. raise funds for the cash-strapped museum. The plan succeeded Just as San Antonio serves as a capital for South Texas, the when more than 800 visitors arrived on opening day to view Witte Museum has made South Texas a primary focus for its col- the unusual combination of wildlife. A subsequent fish-fry lecting and programs. One of the first major steps in this direction fundraiser—with rattlesnake meat serving as a substitute for took place after World War II when the Witte helped fund an catfish—generated even more donations, inspiring the museum expedition to southwestern Texas. This expedition significantly to make it an annual event for 16 consecutive years. increased the state’s natural and cultural history collections and Today, a visit to the Witte features another unusual sight, but helped attract funds to construct and expand its existing galleries. one of the 21st century. In Ewing Halsell Hall, gateway to the Witte’s By 1951, the Witte’s 25th anniversary, the museum occupied South Texas Heritage Center, visitors encounter the animated new offices dedicated to the natural history collection and began Tejano freighter, a life-size sculpted figure that symbolizes 19th- constructing a new auditorium. By the 1960s, the museum featured century South Texas. The freighter tells his story of travels across a gallery addition that increased its square footage by 60 percent. the southern frontier using a film of a live actor projected on the As the 20th century progressed, the Witte strengthened its face of the sculpted freighter. The voice and movement blend nat- identity as a regional museum of natural and cultural history. urally with the figure. The result is known as a “ciné-robot,” and To help sharpen the focus on South Texas, the Witte ultimately its facial features are lively and lifelike. transferred much of its fine art collection to its sister institution, The Witte (pronounced “witty”), San Antonio’s premier col- the San Antonio Museum of Art, established in 1981. This gave lection of cultural and natural history, maintains its reputation the Witte an opportunity to further emphasize its mission to for innovation combined with judicious resource management. become the city’s premier institution for the preservation and Both characteristics were embedded in the museum’s DNA by presentation of history, science and culture. founding director, Ellen S. Quillin, an area high school teacher “There are dozens of artifacts related to San Antonio and South who joined forces with Mayor John Tobin and Ethel Tunstall Texas,” says Bruce Shackelford, South Texas Heritage’s curator. Drought, president of the San Antonio Art League, to open the “From Sam Houston’s sash to the cowboy artifacts, the King Ranch Witte in 1926. Businessman Alfred Witte bequeathed $65,000 wagon and the pickup and the salesman’s sample windmill, they to the city to build a museum of art, science and natural history all have a direct relationship to San Antonio and South Texas.” in honor of his parents. Witte died in 1925 and did not see the An essential part of the Witte’s success in accomplishing the result of his bequest, but Texas—and South Texas in particular— goal of showcasing the rich cultural history of South Texas came continues to benefit from his gift. about through funding from the estate of one of the region’s most The fledgling museum eschewed the mundane for the eclectic. influential businessmen—Robert J. Kleberg Jr. The grandson of

COURTESY THE WITTE MUSEUM COURTESY Alongside artworks by European masters, visitors could admire Richard King, who created the King Ranch empire, Kleberg led

TexasCoopPower.com November 2015 Texas Co-op Power 13 his grandfather’s considerable operation for more than 40 years. tiles, the Alamo Fiesta coronation gowns and memorabilia from Kleberg and his wife, Helen, committed to supporting and im- the Hertzberg Circus Collection, considered one of the most proving the quality of life in South Texas communities. In 2012, impressive collections of circus art and artifacts in the world. the Robert J. Kleberg Jr. and Helen C. “The South Texas Heritage Kleberg Foundation provided the lead- The South Texas Heritage Center Center exhibits important artifacts ing financial gift to create the South incorporates artifacts with state-of-the-art relating to the history of all eras of Texas Heritage Center, home for the Texas,” says Shackelford. “One Witte’s collection of South Texas history. museum technology to trace the history aspect that makes the Witte STHC The South Texas Heritage Center of 19th- and early 20th-century different is that we place our arti- incorporates artifacts with state-of- facts into a context reflecting how the-art museum technology to trace South Texas and its people. they existed during their time of the history of 19th- and early 20th- use. Many of the artifacts in the century South Texas and its people. Narratives of Tejano South Texas Heritage Center are treasures of the State of Texas.” freighters, merchants, Native Americans, Spanish settlers, vaque- The Witte may serve as archivist to the past, but it moves con- ros, oilmen, pioneer women, cowboys and ranchers share a spot- fidently into the future. A considerable expansion of galleries light with the museum’s extensive collection of saddlery, period and exhibits is slated for completion in 2017. The “new” Witte clothes, ranching artifacts, collectibles from the oil and gas indus- will enhance indoor spaces with outdoor features and will include try, archival photographs and documents. a park-like slice of the city sandwiched between Broadway Street The 20,000-square-foot center features a grand entry hall, and the San Antonio River. The reimagined Paleontology Gallery exhibits, the museum’s early Texas art collection and classrooms. will feature the museum’s impressive collection of fossilized and Across the grounds, some of San Antonio’s most historic homes reconstructed dinosaurs. The artifacts of the ancient Pecos and log cabins have been preserved for presentations, exhibits and region, epicenter for Texas rock art, also will find a new home in museum offices. The collection includes the Ruiz House, home to the People of the Pecos Gallery. the city’s first schoolmaster; the limestone-block Navarro House Best yet, when visitors enter the museum, they will encounter built in 1835; and the 1840s home of the Quetzalcoatlus, the museum’s fossilized “Texas Pterosaur,” Clockwise from top left: pioneer merchant John Twohig. The and the ancient world’s version of the barnstormer—and largest San Antonio Military Plaza, center also serves as an archive for flying animal of all time—will hang from the rafters. 1920s; Mission San José by Seth Eastman; San Antonio scholarly research, providing access to Photographer, author and artist E. Dan Klepper lives in Marathon. Main Plaza, 1870s; On the a considerable collection of artifacts

Trail by Theodore Gentilz such as Texas furniture, firearms, tex- WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com See the more of the collection online. THE WITTE MUSEUM COURTESY

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Manor High School cheerleaders rouse spirit at the Sept. 4 home opener against Shoemaker High School from Killeen.

20 Texas Co-op Power BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE November 2015 bluebonnet.coop

BLUEBONNET MAG NOV 2015.indd 16 10/8/15 5:41 PM Story by Kevin Robbins ● Photography by Jay Godwin Inside ere comes the bus. It’s an ordinary bus, but red instead of yellow, with the stylish silhouette of a horse head on the side. It labors into the lot at Mustang Stadium under a marbled sky. Two hours of THIS MONTH daylight remain. The lights have not yet begun to warm. RECURRING PAYMENTS Now here come the Mustangs. Sign up and you might win a Yeti cooler 26 The 50 boys on the Manor High School football team spill into ARE YOU OWED MONEY? FRiDAY the stadium for their second game of the season and fi rst at home. Visit ClaimItTexas.org to fi nd out 27 “WAMM,” the jerseys read: We Are Manor Mustangs, the rallying cry on this fi rst Friday of September. The Mustangs won their fi rst C O O L T E M P S O N T H E WAY game, and they’ve been busting to compete again, especially since Get your heating system checked 27 Hthe afternoon pep rally earlier in the gym. That’s where their principal, an exuberant former defensive lineman at Goliad, implored them to “take that fi eld, own that fi eld MONTHLY MEETING and defend that fi eld.” That fi eld is bright green and ready. Bluebonnet’s Board of Directors will meet at 9 a.m. Nov. Manor is one of 1,202 high schools in Texas that play football. 17, at Grand Hyatt San Antonio, 600 E. Market St., San Continued on next page Antonio. Find the agenda and last-minute updates Nov. 13 at bluebonnet.coop. Hover your cursor over ‘next NiGHT board meeting’ on our home page. OFFICE CLOSING Bluebonnet’s o ces will be closed Nov. 11 for Veterans Day and Nov. 26-27 for the Thanksgiving holiday. CONTACT US Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative P.O. Box 729 Bastrop, TX 78602 Member services: 800-842-7708, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Email: [email protected] OUTAGES Call 800-949-4414 if you have a power outage. Keep up with outages 24/7 at bluebonnet.coop. Hover your cursor over ‘outage report’ on our home page. You can also send us a text message: To get started, text BBOUTAGE to 85700 and follow the prompts. Save that number in your contacts, perhaps as “Bluebonnet Outages.” If your power goes out, text OUT to that number. If you have our free mobile app for Android or iPhone, you can report an outage on your smartphone.

ONLINE Like us on Facebook! Follow us on Twitter! Connect with us on LinkedIn! Watch our videos on YouTube! ABOUT THIS ISSUE Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative produced the blue- bordered pages 20-27 in this issue of the magazine with content that is of speciﬁ c interest or relevance to Bluebonnet members. The rest of the magazine’s content is distributed statewide to any member of an electric cooperative in Texas. For information about the magazine, contact Janet Wilson at 512-750-5483 or email [email protected]. bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop November 2015 BLUEBONNET EL ECTRIC COOPERATIVE Texas Co-op Power 21

BLUEBONNET MAG NOV 2015.indd 17 10/8/15 5:41 PM Continued from previous page Most of them fi eld 11-player teams, but 138 schools are so small they play a version with six. Football is the most popular sport in the state — as beloved as Blue Bell, Shiner, Whataburger and American-made trucks. Last season, 163,998 boys and 169 girls competed in six classifi cations based on enrollment. With 1,750 students, Manor is a Class 5A school, a step below its opponent tonight, Shoemaker High School in Killeen. And now look: Here come those visiting Grey Wolves, bigger and stronger and skipping and shouting and punching the air like they own it. The aluminum bleachers of the 7-year-old stadium begin to fi ll. Players from both teams stretch. The Manor side teems with red and black and memories of 2012, when the Mustangs lost to eventual state champion Cedar Park in the semi-fi nal game. Here comes the pounding Manor drum line. The Highsteppers prance behind. Wind scrapes the fresh black mulch around the trees outside the gate, where sun toasts the parents carrying seatbacks and KayLynn Mireles, a Manor senior, adjusts the f-stop on her camera. This is Mireles’ last season as a photographer for the school newspaper. She’ll aim her lens tonight at everything: fans, cheerleaders, the band, the players, the mascot, the drum majors, the fl ag corps, the head coach who played here, graduated in 1990 and dressed for the Horned Frogs of Texas Chris- tian University. These are the faces of Mireles’ last year in high school. She wants to get it all because it’s all a part of something greater. “The spirit here really brings up the team,” Mireles says.

ow the whistle chirps. Here come the teams. Here comes the Manor coach, a stern man named Sadd Jackson, who brings a sense of my- town ownership to the fi eld. The sun retreats and the lights glow brighter. Manor quarterback Jonathan Gaston knows immediately that it willN be a long and frantic night in the backfi eld. The Shoemaker defensive line is enormous – especially that tackle in the No. 50 jersey, Kendall Jones, who stands 6-foot-5 and weighs more than ● TOP LEFT: Skyler Dudley crashes cymbals for the 350 pounds. Jones rips through the snaps like an WAMM (We Are Manor Mustangs) Nation Drumline. asteroid. ● TOP RIGHT: Here come the Mustangs. The Manor The Grey Wolves score with three minutes left in varsity football team explodes through an inflatable the fi rst quarter. They pass for another touchdown helmet with a 1-0 record before its first home game. with 10:28 remaining in the second. It’s 14-0. ● ABOVE LEFT: Fans rise for the National Anthem. In the bleachers, Emilio Vargas wears no smile. ● ABOVE RIGHT: Tuba player Nahum Flores booms low He’s the fi rst-year principal at Manor, the one notes from the bleachers for the Manor Mustang Band. who played football at Goliad from 1980 to ’83, ● LEFT: Manor offensive lineman Joseph Dantes gets and while he understands the deep contextual a pat on the helmet as the defense takes the field at signifi cance of football in his rural community Mustang Stadium. ● — that pride goes beyond winning, that football RIGHT: Manor head coach Sadd Jackson, who played for the Mustangs in the late 1980s, barks instructions to Continued on page 25 his team.

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BLUEBONNET MAG NOV 2015.indd 18 10/8/15 5:42 PM ● TOP LEFT: Skyler Dudley crashes cymbals for the WAMM (We Are Manor Mustangs) Nation Drumline. ● TOP RIGHT: Here come the Mustangs. The Manor varsity football team explodes through an inflatable helmet with a 1-0 record before its first home game. ● ABOVE LEFT: Fans rise for the National Anthem. ● ABOVE RIGHT: Tuba player Nahum Flores booms low notes from the bleachers for the Manor Mustang Band. ● LEFT: Manor offensive lineman Joseph Dantes gets a pat on the helmet as the defense takes the field at Mustang Stadium. ● RIGHT: Manor head coach Sadd Jackson, who played for the Mustangs in the late 1980s, barks instructions to his team. bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop November 2015 BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE Texas Co-op Power 23

BLUEBONNET MAG NOV 2015.indd 19 10/8/15 5:42 PM ● TOP LEFT: Jackson watches the Mustangs struggle. Killeen’s Shoemaker High is deeper, bigger and faster than Manor, which fails to score in the first half. ● TOP RIGHT: Manor color guard member Carolina Fisher smiles through the halftime show. ● ABOVE LEFT: Manor supporter Tasha Mora cheers for her son, offensive tackle Matthew Mora. ● ABOVE: A favorite Manor fan fortification: tortilla chips, sliced jalapeño peppers and melted cheese. Splashes of red and black, the Manor school colors, dot the stadium in banners made by students. ● ABOVE RIGHT: Manor quarterback Jonathan Gaston, No. 11, pitches to Jamall Collins, No. 7. ● LEFT: Volunteer Antony Lopez collects trash after the game. ● RIGHT: The Manor Mustang bus awaits the equipment after the game.

24 Texas Co-op Power BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE November 2015 bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop

BLUEBONNET MAG NOV 2015.indd 20 10/8/15 5:42 PM Continued from page 22 should unite a town win or lose — he also wishes the Mustangs’ offensive line could fi gure out a way to stop that big nose tackle, No. 50 for the Grey Wolves. It cannot. Vargas, 50, loves football. He loves everything it means. He wants to see his parents, teachers and families together at the stadium on every Friday night, wearing red and black. He wants all 5,000 seats full, and tonight he is close to getting his wish, but he still sees bare aluminum. Vargas wants the whole town present. He believes a full football stadium can be an adhesive that bonds a community from the inside. “I need our kids, our families, to have a stake in our society,” Vargas says. That’s what football means. It starts here, under these warm lights. It’s halftime now, and here comes the Manor band. The musicians assemble on the fi eld, directing their horns at the home bleachers. Snare drums snap. Bass drums boom. The fl utes strain to be heard over the din of parents and grandparents and uncles and aunts murmuring about how Gaston has no time to evade No. 50 for the Grey Wolves. Another Shoemaker touchdown after halftime. It’s 21-0 now.

his is not the team that Hughie Shaw played for from 1971 to 1974, before he was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings. But this is not the same kind of football, either. Schools in Texas play a faster game now, mostly through the air and far more specialized. Tonight, the themes are the same all over the Tstate: stuffed runs, missed blocks, dumb penalties, sacked quarterbacks, nicked passes, hoarse cheers, seized moments, lifted spirits, canceled dreams and renewed hopes for a better outcome next week. Manor scores in the fourth quarter. Belief rises. So here comes Cheryl Rimes. She’s an 11th-grade American history teacher at Manor. She talked to her classes today about spirit, and she knows that message is being tested right now. Rimes looks around. They might not be celebrating, she says of her students. But they’re here, still mingling. “It reminds me of when I was in high school,” Rimes says. The enduring charm of a Friday night in Texas isn’t a number on a scoreboard, which reads 21-6. The game ends with no Manor miracles. The teams shake hands. Here comes Erick Fowler, a senior linebacker who wears No. 1 for the Mustangs. He’s the last player to leave the ﬁ eld. “Hey!” a friend shouts to Fowler. “Keep grindin’! You’re a good team!” Fowler forces a smile. This week is gone. Next week is Brennan High School in San Antonio. Here comes a new chance. ■ Editor Note: (The Mustangs lost, 37-27). bluebonnet.coop bluebonnet.coop November 2015 BLUEBONNET ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE Texas Co-op Power 25

BLUEBONNET MAG NOV 2015.indd 21 10/8/15 5:42 PM Pay your bill automatically on time every month.

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BLUEBONNET MAG NOV 2015.indd 22 10/8/15 5:42 PM BLUEBONNET where your daughter saw your name. To see if you are owed money, visit ClaimIt- Texas.org and click “Search Unclaimed Property.” Click on any search result and “View & Details” to get more information and follow the prompts. You may also request a search by phone Q at 800-654-3463, by fax at 888-908-9991 or by A mail at Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Unclaimed Property Claims Section, P.O. Box My daughter recently looked at the 12046, Austin, Texas 78711-2046. Q:state’s unclaimed property list and dis- About $4 billion in unclaimed assets statewide covered I am owed a small sum that was reported is waiting to be claimed, according to the comp- above what it takes to run Bluebonnet each by Bluebonnet Electric Cooperative. How do I troller. There is no deadline to claim forgotten year — that is returned to co-op members, all claim that money? assets, though proof of ownership is required. If of whom are also co-op owners. Sometimes it’s property, such as the contents of a safe deposit difﬁ cult to give this money back because a Blue- box, isn’t claimed within six years, the state may Lucky you! Banks and companies, bonnet member moves away before the check is auction it on eBay.com. Although your precious such as Bluebonnet, try to return cut and doesn’t leave a forwarding address. Other A: gems may be gone, the proceeds still belong to money and items owed to individuals. But when times, estates of deceased Bluebonnet members you (the owner), not the state, and there is no time they are unsuccessful, Texas law requires the aren’t aware that money is owed. limit to claim those auction proceeds. assets be turned over to the Texas Comptroller of The comptroller’s ofﬁ ce compiles a master list Wondering if Bluebonnet (or anyone else) Public Accounts. of unclaimed assets from around the state. Blue- reported unclaimed assets for you? Check out the Each July, Bluebonnet gives the comptroller bonnet’s unclaimed assets are published along list at ClaimItTexas.org. a list of unclaimed assets. This year Blubonnet with forgotten bank accounts, overpayments, re- reported 64,835 unclaimed assets. The bulk of funds and other types of unclaimed property from — Shanda Hernandez, those are checks for capital credits — money other businesses at the website ClaimItTexas.org, accounting supervisor

Heating systems need tune-ups before winter arrives By Will Holford This gauge is attached to t’s time to add one more item to your valves inside checklist for the holiday season: Make sure the HVAC unit your home or business heater is working to check the Iproperly. A safe and effi cient heating system pressure of can save money – and your home or life. the freon. The “Annual or semiannual checks will blue gauge increase the longevity of an HVAC (heating, measures the ventilation and air conditioning) system, make ‘low’ side of the it safe and improve effi ciency,” said John unit (suction Osgood, who co-owns Austin-based Service pressure of the Wizard with his brother, Charles. “They will inside coils). also often uncover little problems that might The red gauge otherwise go unnoticed by the homeowner, measures the like leaking ducts.” ‘high’ side Tune-ups can be performed by an HVAC (pressure of professional. A comprehensive check should the unit as it include the inside and outside components, pushes air out). including the compressor, condenser, coils, capacitor, furnace, heating element, ducts Sarah Beal photo and vents. Ask about seasonal maintenance specials. capacitor are the most important components and president of the Mid-County Volunteer Fire The three most common types of central to maintain. Most heat pumps have back-up Department, which covers the area in Caldwell heating systems are gas furnaces, heat pumps electric heating elements to augment them County between Luling and Lockhart. and geothermal units. Less common are on very cold days, so make sure that heating “We see an uptick in the number of fi res electric heat furnaces. element is in working order, too. and calls related to improperly maintained A gas furnace burns fuel such as natural A geothermal HVAC system works much heating systems when cold weather hits,” gas or propane in a combustion chamber that like a heat pump but uses the earth’s heat to Ritchey said. “It is very important to get your heats air that circulates through the home warm the home. heater checked out before you turn it on. For or business. Burning fuel produces carbon An electric furnace uses electricity – a lot of gas furnaces, make sure the carbon monoxide monoxide, so it’s critically important to make it — to heat strips of metal or other conductive is vented outside and the combustion chamber sure the furnace’s combustion chamber and material over which air is circulated through is clean. And for electric heaters and heat fl ue are clean and clear and that harmful the system’s ducts and vents. Making sure pumps, make sure they’re free of dust and fumes are vented outside. the electric heat strips are clean and dust-free things that could catch fi re and cause extreme A heat pump is basically an air conditioner reduces the chance of a fi re. hazard to your family.” working in reverse. During summer, it moves Martin Ritchey knows what can happen More information about protecting your heat from a home to the outside. During if HVAC systems are not tuned up. He is home from fi re hazards is available on the winter, it brings heat from outside into the chief of homeland security and emergency National Fire Protection Association’s website home. A heat pump’s coils, condenser and management coordinator for Caldwell County at nfpa.org.

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1. Publication Title 2. Publication Number 3. Filing Date Texas Co-op Power 0540-560 October 1, 2015 4. Issue Frequency 5. Number of Issues Published Annually 6. Annual Subscription Price Monthly Twelve $7.50 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication (Street, city, county, state, and ZIP+4) 1122 Colorado St., 24th Fl, Austin, Travis, Texas 78701-2167 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher 1122 Colorado St., 24th Fl, Austin, Travis, Texas 78701-2167 Family owned, 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor Publisher Texas Electric Cooperatives, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Fl, Texas-built Austin, Texas 78701-2167 Editor Lifetime guarantee Charles Lohrmann, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Fl, Austin, TX 78701 Managing Editor against leaks Karen Nejtek, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Fl, Austin, TX 78701 10. 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TexasCoopPower.com November 2015 Texas Co-op Power 31 DESIGN TECH HOMES READY TO BUILD ON YOUR LAND? CUSTOM BUILDER

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32 Texas Co-op Power November 2015 TexasCoopPower.com Texas History Bernardo Plantation

This East Texas landmark witnessed important events during the state’s war for independence

BY MARTHA DEERINGER

History seeps from the soil at the site of historic Bernardo Plantation, where archaeologists have uncovered artifacts that tell a story from the years before Texas won independence from Mexico. In this prairie pasture near Hempstead, a stately house once stood on a hill over- looking the Brazos River. This building served as homestead of Jared E. Groce II, a wealthy planter from Virginia who arrived in Texas in 1822 to join Stephen F. Austin as one of the Old Three Hundred. Bernardo was the first and largest plantation in the Republic of Texas, growing and ginning cotton until the Civil War. Austin’s first settlers arrived in 1821 to colonize this area of East Texas. When Groce learned of plans for the new Texas colony, he and son Leonard organized his Jared E. Groce’s house at Bernardo Plantation arrived at Bernardo. The Texian Army family and 90 slaves for the trip. They as it might have looked in 1822—painted by crossed the Brazos aboard the steamboat loaded 50 wagons with farm implements, Mary Groce Mackey, his great-granddaughter Yellow Stone and marched toward San tools, seeds, sugar, coffee, tea and salt, along Jacinto, where they would help set a new with bolts of cotton and wool cloth. This for decades. A dairy and a small house for course for history on April 21, 1836. That wagon train also included a herd of cattle, the resident doctor were built, and the same year, Jared Groce II died and was horses and mules and carried portable pon- original cabin was furnished with six buried at Bernardo, but his son Leonard toon bridges to facilitate river crossings. beds to accommodate visitors. Bernardo continued to operate the plantation until Groce’s assets qualified him to receive quickly became a welcome stopping place the end of the Civil War. 10 leagues of land (44,280 acres) from for travelers. In 2009, archaeologists unearthed Mexico. On the east bank of the river, he Although he initially opposed the Texas brick and sandstone fireplaces, nails, glass, staked a claim where the Coushatta Trace Revolution, by 1836 Groce had changed ceramic shards, bullets, buttons and coins. crossed the Brazos and set his slaves to his mind. He developed a close relation- The artifacts are on display at the Sam work building cabins. Skilled craftsmen ship with Sam Houston, as did sons Houston Memorial Museum in Huntsville. constructed a 30-by-30-foot cabin of cot- Leonard and Jared III. Records show that In his book Bernardo: Crossroads, tonwood logs for the landowner’s first res- Jared Groce II and his son Jared III were Social Center and Agricultural Showcase idence, and by the end of 1822, they had at Bernardo in April 1836. During that of Early Texas, historian James V. Wood- completed a more elaborate house in a period, Bernardo’s main house and out- rick writes, “Three generations of Groces nearby grove of walnut trees. buildings were filled with Texans, mostly and their slaves lived on the plantation, Groce named his plantation “Bernardo,” women and children, fleeing the Mexican and many remained in the area into the presumably in honor of former Spanish Army during the Runaway Scrape. twentieth century. Literally hundreds of governor Bernardo de Gálvez. Groce’s first Sam Houston set up a training camp people living today have ancestors who cotton crop failed, but a subsequent crop for his army across the Brazos from were part of life at this fascinating and proved successful and was the precursor Bernardo. On April 11, the Twin Sisters, unique corner of Texas called Bernardo.” of a boom in cotton farming, which con- two 6-pound cannons that were a gift to Martha Deeringer, a member of Heart of

MARY GROCE MACKEY GROCE MACKEY MARY tributed mightily to the Texas economy Texas from the people of Cincinnati, Texas EC, lives near McGregor.

TexasCoopPower.com November 2015 Texas Co-op Power 33

MELISSA SKORPIL the puréethroughafinesieve. ing onthesizeofyourblender.) Strain may needtodothisinbatches, depend- blender andprocesstoafinepurée.(You and asprinkleofgroundcinnamon. wheelsorslices garnished withorange Cheers toagreatseason! flavors makeitperfectfortheholidays. and thefragrantcinnamonorange make, incrediblyrefreshingtodrink, by steeping riceinwater. It’s simpleto creamy, comfortingMexican drinkmade shares afavoriterecipefor emphasis isonfreshness. Here, Johnny beautiful andcolorfulfruitstands, sothe The Fruteria isinspiredby Mexico’s in SanAntonio, includingTheFruteria. chef-owner ofseveralgreatrestaurants (chefjohnnyhernandez.com) isthe My friendJohnnybeverage. Hernandez off theholidaysthanwithafestive I can’t thinkofabetter way tokick Pitcher Perfect overnight. rice andcinnamonstick andrefrigerate the until thesugarhasdissolved.Add sealable containerorpitcherandstir sugars, 0mgcholesterol drates, 0.11 gdietaryfiber, 8mgsodium,23.37 g calories, 0.11 gprotein, 0.01 gfat, 23.91gcarbohy- Servings: 9. Servingsize: 8ounces. Perserving:93 COOK’S TIP 4. 3. zestthe vanillaandorange juice. andstirtainer fromtherefrigerator in 2. 1. Ground cinnamon,for garnish Finely grated zest andjuice of1orange, extractvanilla teaspoon ½ (approx.stick cinnamon Mexican 1 uncookedrice,whitelong-grain cups 2 water cups 8 sugar cup 1 Cinnamon Orange because itgrindsupmore easilyintheblender. plus additional orange for garnish fororange additional plus long) inches 3 Combine sugarandwaterinalarge, Transfer theliquidmixture toa The following day, remove thecon- Serve the PAULA DISBROWE, November 2015 Use aMexican cinnamon stick horchata FOOD EDITOR Texas Co-op Power over ice inglasses Recipes Horchata horchata, the 35 Recipes

Pitcher Perfect Hot Mulled Cinnamon- 1. Combine all ingredients in a slow Cranberry Punch cooker and cook on low setting 2–4 THIS MONTH’S RECIPE CHARLIE AND MARY COPELAND | BLUEBONNET EC hours, stirring occasionally. If you CONTEST WINNER need to serve it sooner, cook on high DEBBIE SUGAREK | BLUEBONNET EC 32 ounces pineapple juice setting 1½–2 hours. The longer this Whether you’re hosting a 32 ounces cranberry juice mixture cooks, the deeper the flavor family dinner or a holiday ½ can orange juice concentrate of the drink. party (cookie decorating, (6 ounces total) plus 6 ounces water Servings: 24. Serving size: 5 ounces. Per serving: anyone?), ’tis the season ½ cup cinnamon Red Hots candies, or 80 calories, 0.17 g protein, 0.08 g fat, 20 g carbohy- for serving festive beverages. This 12-15 cinnamon candies, unwrapped drates, 0.22 g dietary fiber, 5 mg sodium, 17.68 g month, our readers shared their 3 cinnamon sticks sugars, 0 mg cholesterol favorite ways to welcome friends 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon and share a cup of cheer. Dessert Coffee 1. Combine all ingredients in a slow NANCY FILER | COSERV ELECTRIC Almond Punch cooker and cook 3–5 hours below boiling This easy-to-prepare drink doubles as a point (adjust heat setting according to dessert in a cup and is nice to serve with a 2 ½ cups sugar your slow cooker), stirring occasionally. tray of cookies, especially varieties that are 3 quarts water 2. When the candy has dissolved and good for dunking. 46 ounces pineapple juice the flavors have melded, remove the Juice of 3 lemons (approximately ¾ cup) cinnamon sticks and serve warm. 1 scoop chocolate ice cream 3 teaspoons almond extract ⅔ cup strong brewed coffee 2 teaspoons vanilla extract COOK’S TIP This recipe calls for a substantial Whipped cream to taste amount of cinnamon. For a subtler flavor, use 2 Toasted Texas pecans, chopped, to taste 1. Combine sugar and water in a large cinnamon sticks and omit the ground cinnamon. Chocolate sprinkles, to taste pitcher and stir until sugar is com- Servings: 12. Serving size: 5 ounces. Per serving: pletely dissolved. 103 calories, 0.61 g protein, 0.13 g fat, 25.36 g carbo- 1. For each serving, place a scoop of 2. Add pineapple juice, lemon juice hydrates, 0.26 g dietary fiber, 3 mg sodium, 21.81 g chocolate ice cream in a cup, and then and almond and vanilla extracts. Stir sugars, 0 mg cholesterol pour in the hot coffee. to blend. 2. Top with whipped cream, toasted 3. Refrigerate 24 hours. Serve cold. Slow Cooker Apple Cider pecans and sprinkles, as desired. BRANDEE HALEY | SOUTHWEST TEXAS EC COOK’S TIP For easier blending, use a super- Haley has enjoyed this warming, cinnamon- COOK’S TIP Rich, robust coffee is essential fine sugar. For a festive party beverage, substi- scented cider since childhood, when her for balancing the sweetness of the other tute amaretto liqueur for the almond extract. mother first got the recipe from a friend. ingredients. “I serve it every Christmas when we have Servings: 24. Serving size: 6 ounces. Per serving: Servings: 1. Serving size: 10 ounces. Per serving: 94 calories, 0.20 g protein, 0.03 g fat, 23.70 g friends over,” she says. “It makes the house 304 calories, 5.03 g protein, 16.73 g fat, 35.93 g carbohydrates, 0.11 g dietary fiber, 5 mg sodium, smell amazing.” carbohydrates, 1.81 g dietary fiber, 92 mg sodium, 22.10 g sugars, 0 mg cholesterol 31.15 g sugars, 39 mg cholesterol 2 quarts apple juice 1 cup cranberry juice Orange KB 2 ⅔ cups unsweetened pineapple juice CHUCK BURGESS | HEART OF TEXAS EC 1 liter ginger ale Burgess and his wife, Kathy, loved the ½ cup sugar drinks at Orange Julius so much that he 1 cinnamon stick created his own version (in 1976) and named it after her.

$100 Recipe Contest 2 cups orange juice 2 teaspoons vanilla extract April’s recipe contest is Perfect Pies. Whether you fill them with fruit, nuts 1 ½ cups crushed or chipped ice or creamy confections, pies are a timeless dessert and frequently a family 4 large scoops vanilla ice cream favorite. Send us your favorite recipes for pies. The deadline is November 10. 1. Combine all ingredients in a blender SPONSORED BY THE TEXAS PEANUT PRODUCERS BOARD and process until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately. There are three ways to enter: ONLINE at TexasCoopPower.com/contests; MAIL to 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701; FAX to (512) 763-3401. Include your name, address and phone number, plus your co-op and the name of the contest you are entering. COOK’S TIP For the best flavor, use freshly

squeezed orange juice. | HARPER COLLINS STRAZIS SHELLY DISBROWE: DESIGN | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. SMART BACKGROUND: | SHUTTERSTOCK.COM. DRINK: JREIKA

TexasCoopPower.com Servings: 4. Serving size: 8 ounces. Per serving: 296 calories, 4.84 g protein, 11.70 g fat, 39.92 g carbohy- WELCOME PAULA DISBROWE TO OUR KITCHEN drates, 1.04 g dietary fiber, 93 mg sodium, 34.74 g sugars, 49 mg cholesterol I first became a fan of Texas Co-op Power when I spent four years cooking on a ranch in the Texas Hill Country (this after a Banana Punch decade of living in New York City—I’m a sucker for adventures). LINDY SWETNAM | SOUTH PLAINS EC The publication provided a delicious window into home cooking around the state, and I loved learning about the various ways 2 cups sugar Texans put dinner on the table. The ranch experience led to my 3 cups water first cookbook, Cowgirl Cuisine: Rustic Recipes and Cowgirl 23 ounces pineapple juice Adventures From a Texas Ranch. As the new food editor for the 1 can frozen orange juice concentrate magazine, I look forward to sharing my favorite recipes with (12 ounces) you and getting to know you through the recipes and anecdotes ½ can frozen lemonade concentrate that share the story of your dinner table. —PD (6 ounces total) 3 mashed bananas 3 bottles ginger ale (2 liters each) mashed bananas. Freeze the mixture in the ginger ale, when the drink has an appeal- 1. Combine sugar and water in a 2-quart until needed. ing slushy texture. saucepan over medium heat and cook, 3. To serve, transfer juice base to a punch Servings: 20. Serving size: 8 ounces. Per serving: stirring, until the mixture boils for 3 bowl. (If it is frozen solid, you’ll need a 203 calories, 0.74 g protein, 0.08 g fat, 51.81 g minutes. Cool the syrup completely. metal spoon to break it into pieces.) Pour carbohydrates, 0.69 g dietary fiber, 13 mg sodium, (This can be made in advance and re- ginger ale over the mixture, and then stir 48.25 g sugars, 0 mg cholesterol frigerated until needed.) until the punch reaches a slushy consis- 2. To prepare the juice base, stir together tency. Serve immediately. WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com syrup, pineapple juice, orange juice Find more dishes and drinks in our online archive concentrate, lemonade concentrate and COOK’S TIP Plan on serving soon after you stir of more than 500 recipes.

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TexasCoopPower.com November 2015 Texas Co-op Power 37 Meet the Beauty in the Beast Discover this spectacular 6½-carat green treasure from Mount St. Helens!

or almost a hundred years it lay dormant. Silently building strength. At F 10,000 feet high, it was truly a sleeping giant. Until May 18, 1980, when the beast awoke with violent force and revealed its greatest secret. Mount St. Helens erupted, sending up a 80,000-foot column of ash and smoke. From that chaos, something beautiful emerged… our spectacular Helenite Necklace.

Helenite is produced from the heated volcanic rock of Mount St. Helens and the brilliant EXCLUSIVE green creation has captured the eye of jewelry designers worldwide. Today you can wear this FREE massive 6½-carat stunner for only $149! Necklace Helenite Earrings enlarged Make your emeralds jealous. Our Helenite to show luxurious -a $129 value- Necklace puts the green stone center stage, color. with purchase of with a faceted pear-cut set in .925 sterling silver Helenite Necklace finished in luxurious gold. The explosive origins of the stone are echoed in the flashes of light that radiate as the piece swings gracefully from its 18" luxurious gold-finished sterling silver chain. Today the volcano sits quiet, but this unique piece of American natural history continues to erupt with gorgeous green fire.

Your satisfaction is guaranteed. Bring home the Helenite Necklace and see for yourself. If you are not completely blown away by the rare beauty of this exceptional stone, simply return the necklace within 30 days for a full refund of your purchase price.

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Smart Luxuries—Surprising Prices™ Focus on Texas Music a DEANNA MCCABE, Bandera EC: Mayci Pickin’ which photos to publish this month was Rose, 4, plays some tunes with Uncle J.T. tough, but they had us grinnin’—and it sure made for a out on the back toe-tapping good time. porch. GRACE ARSIAGA d LYNNE OGLETREE, WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com Don’t fret—we have Deep East Texas EC: more online. Real Texas music outside the Lucken- bach post office

o KATHY THALMAN, Guadalupe Valley EC: Granddaughter Malia performs her first violin recital.

g KELLIE NEAL SALAZAR, San Patricio EC: Inspired by San Antonio mariachis, Salazar’s son, 2, found his own guitar at Market Square.

UPCOMING CONTESTS

MARCH BOATS DUE NOVEMBER 10

APRIL SWINGS DUE DECEMBER 10

MAY HOME SWEET HOME DUE JANUARY 10 All entries must include name, address, daytime phone and co-op affiliation, plus the contest topic and a brief description of your photo.

ONLINE: Submit highest-resolution digital images at Texas CoopPower.com /contests. MAIL: Focus on Texas, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. A stamped, self-addressed envelope must be included if you want your entry returned (approximately six weeks). Please do not g MICHAEL AND YVETTE FOSTER, Peder- submit irreplaceable photographs—send a copy or duplicate. We do nales EC: Michael’s parents were DJs at a not accept entries via email. We regret that Texas Co-op Power cannot Corsicana radio station, and this photo of be responsible for photos that are lost in the mail or not received by an unnamed trio was in their collection. the deadline.

TexasCoopPower.com November 2015 Texas Co-op Power 39 Around Texas Get Going > This is just a sampling of the events and festivals around

Pick of the Month November Weddings 4 Warriors Fayetteville [November 8] 7 (979) 378-1108, LasBrisasFarm.com College Station BCS Push for Purple, November 7 (979) 776-8771, facebook.com/bcspushforpurple College Station Kathy and Eldon Aydelotte’s venue periodically BCS Push for Purple offers weddings free of charge to members of the military, she says, as part of “a grassroots 13 Bastrop [13–14] Veteran’s Weekend Car effort to support and say ‘Thank you’ in a small Show, (512) 636-0727, bastropareacruisers.com way to our heroes.” The Aydelottes are members of Fayette Electric Cooperative, and Kathy says they welcome volunteers to help with 14 these special days. Caldwell Pecan Harvest Festival at Royalty Pecan Farms, (979) 272-3904, royaltypecans.com Hamilton Holiday Market, (254) 372-3120 Kingsbury Fall Harvest Festival, (917) 613-6016, kingsburytexas.wix.com/kingsbury 19 Livingston The Cleverlys, (936) 933-5852, Longview [19–22] The Wizard of Oz, visitlivingstontexas.com ArtsView Children’s Theatre, (903) 236-7535, artsviewchildrenstheatre.com Canyon Lake [14–15] Holiday Haus Bazaar, (830) 964-3497, stthomasatcanyonlake.org Manchaca [14–15] MUMC Craft Group 20 40th Anniversary Craft Show, (512) 282-7274, Jasper [20–22] Lakes Area Cruisers Rod manchacaumc.org Run, (409) 383-4617, lakesareacruisers.com

COUPLE: BEZNIKA | DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB. SHOES: SIRAPHOL | DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB. COOKIES: ROMANTSUBIN | DOLLAR PHOTO CLUB

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40 Texas Co-op Power November 2015 TexasCoopPower.com Texas. For a complete listing, please visit TexasCoopPower.com/events.

New Braunfels [20–22] Weihnachtsmarkt Huntsville [4–6] Huntsville for the Holidays, (Christmas Market), (830) 629-1572, December (936) 291-5920, huntsvillemainstreet.com sophienburg.com San Angelo [4–6] Christmas at Old Fort Ingram [20–December 5] Chaps! A Jingle 4 Concho, (325) 655-4136, visitsanangelo.org Jangle Christmas, (830) 367-5121, hcaf.com Waxahachie [4–5] Christmas Market and Preview Shopping Party, (214) 868-3623, 5 21 waxahachiejsl.org Bandera Cowboy Capital Camp Fire Crockett Christmas in Crockett, Christmas, (830) 796-3045, (936) 544-2359, visithoustoncountytexas.com banderacowboycapital.com La Grange Annual Christmas Craft Show, November 28 Port O’Connor Annual Lighted Boat Stonewall (979) 968-8323 Holiday Cookie Decorating Parade, (361) 983-2898, and German Traditions portoconnorchamber.com 27 Rockport Tropical Christmas, Fredericksburg Lighting of the German (361) 727-2158, cityofrockport.com Christmas Pyramid & Community Christmas Tree, (830) 997-6523, visitfredericksburgtx.com 6 Granbury Night of Lights Parade, Garrison Christmas on the Square, 1-800-950-2212, visitgranbury.com (936) 347-2316 28 Mason Light Up the Town Celebration, (325) 347-5758, masontxcoc.com Submit Your Event! Stonewall Holiday Cookie Decorating We pick events for the magazine directly from and German Traditions, (830) 644-2252, TexasCoopPower.com. Submit your event for tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/lyndon-b-johnson January by November 10, and it just might be featured in this calendar! LOWLOOWW COSTCOST MMobileobile HomeHome InsuranceInsurance

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TexasCoopPower.com November 2015 Texas Co-op Power 41 Hit the Road Inn at Dos Brisas: Farm to Tableau The pastoral resort offers five-star dining and 42 acres of organic ingredients near Brenham

BY MELISSA GASKILL

Not long after turning off U.S. 290 east of Brenham, I followed a narrow gravel road around a low hill, across a shaded creek and onto the 313-acre Inn at Dos Brisas property. I skirted a pond and resisted the temptation offered by inviting clusters of chairs on its shore. Just beyond, a couple of handsome horses watched me pass. I could have gone home refreshed by the pastoral setting right then. But I didn’t want to miss dinner at the only Forbes- rated five-star restaurant in Texas. First, the inn’s head farmer, Lisa Roese, treated me to a tour of the 42-acre organic The Dos Brisas menu features farming operation that includes a berry offerings from the organic garden, patch, orchards and a 7,000-square-foot including sweet pickling peppers. greenhouse. We zipped via golf cart from garden to greenhouse as she explained that the farm specializes in heirloom varietals duck entrées accompanied by asparagus, originality and personalized, attentive and of fruits and vegetables and was certified carrots, mushrooms, field onions, English discreet service, according to Forbes. organic in 2004. Owners Doug and Jen- peas and edible flowers. Nightly dinner This property previously served as a nifer Bosch made organic fine dining a features an eight-course tasting menu cattle ranch and cotton farm, and briefly focus for the inn’s restaurant, and Chef with or without wine pairings, including housed Union soldiers held prisoner dur- Cory Untch meets with farm staff regularly a vegetarian option, and Sunday serves up ing the Civil War. Doug Bosch purchased to discuss current crops and then designs a special brunch menu. it in 2000 as a family retreat, but shortly his menus around them. Overnight guests Signature cocktails served at the restau- after, he and Jennifer began transforming can take tours of the gardens, with tasting rant’s mahogany bar incorporate herbs it into a resort. and picking encouraged year-round. and other field-fresh items, part of a larger Today, nine spacious, Spanish-style I began to understand why this is such a “garden-to-glass” movement that mixol- haciendas and casitas are scattered around popular place to celebrate special occasions, ogists say creates unique tastes. At the inn, the property; each comes with the use of and the restaurant staff knows how to han- the Brisas Garden Savory is a gin cocktail a golf cart and meals, either in-room or at dle them. I was enchanted by a description featuring muddled purple bell pepper the restaurant. The grounds feature pools of a wintry scene made to romanticize a and cilantro, and a martini is made with a and tennis courts, and guests have privi- marriage proposal. The staff created "snow" truffle-infused vodka. Wine by the glass leges at nearby golf courses. Activities on the patio to complete the effect. And I and a carefully chosen list of beers are avail- include horseback riding, carriage rides, had to admit a sense of envy when told able at the bar or with meals in addition to fishing in the ponds, clay shooting, that farm staff once planted vegetables the extensive list of wines by the bottle. picnicking and bicycling, as well as cook- six weeks before Thanksgiving so a family The restaurant earned its five-star rating, wine tasting, gardening classes and spending the holiday at the inn could see ing in February. Anonymous inspectors tours of the farm—picking encouraged. their requested vegetables growing in who visit each facility determine Forbes Melissa Gaskill is an Austin writer who spe- the field and then enjoy watching them Travel Guide star ratings. A five-star cializes in nature topics. harvested and prepared for their meals. restaurant offers a “unique and distinctive I had no special requests and was dining experience” and “consistently pro- WEB EXTRAS at TexasCoopPower.com pleased with the tasting menu for lunch, vides exceptional food, superlative service . Learn more about the Inn at Dos Brisas which included crab, bass, chicken and and elegant décor,” with an emphasis on online. MAXWELL RANDALL

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