LOCAL ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE EDITION OCTOBER 2006 Horse Heaven A TOUR OF NORTH TEXAS HORSE COUNTRY PLUS The National Park of Texas Veggies for Veggie Haters Hit the Road: Muenster to Lake Texoma The school buses are rolling and excited children are on their way to and from classes. It’s time to start thinking about back-to-school safety! Safety Comes Getting to School First: • Look left, right, then left again before crossing the street. • Take directions from crossing guards. • Cross in front of the bus only after the driver signals it’s OK to do so. SCHOOLSCHOOL Riding the school bus: • Find a safe place for your child to wait for the bus, away from traffic and the street. • Teach your child to stay away from SAFETYSAFETY the bus until it comes to a com- plete stop and the driver signals that it’s safe to enter. • When your child is dropped off, make sure he/she knows to exit ABCsABCs the bus and walk 10 giant steps away from the bus and to be aware of the street traffic in the area. Riding a bike: • Mind traffic signals and the crossing guard. • Always wear a bike helmet. • Walk the bike through intersections. • Ride with a buddy. • Wear light-colored or reflective material. This public service message is brought to you by your local electric cooperative. For more information, visit your local co-op. October 2006 VOLUME 63 NUMBER 4 FEATURES 6 Horse Heaven TAKE A NORTH TEXAS HORSE COUNTRY TOUR By Kaye Northcott Photos by Kent Barker Move over Kentucky—Denton County is the new Horse Country, USA. Driving tours are perfect for fall excursions. 12 The National Park of Texas Photos by Laurence Parent Story by Joe Nick Patoski Experience Big Bend’s splendor through the eyes of two nature 6 connoisseurs. COVER PHOTO FAVORITES Valor Farm by Kent Barker Footnotes By Bill Crawford John C.C. Hill: Teen of Two Countries 25 Recipe Roundup Give Peas a Chance 26 Focus on Texas Scarecrows 35 Around Texas Local Events Listings 36 Hit the Road By June Naylor Muenster to Lake Texoma 38 25 26 35 12 TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS: John Herrera, Chair, Mercedes; Greg Jones, Vice Chair, Jacksonville; Ray Beavers, Secretary-Treasurer, Cleburne; James Calhoun, Franklin; Charles Castleberry, Tulia; Gary Nietsche, La Grange; William “Buff” Whitten, Eldorado PRESIDENT/CEO: Mike Williams, Austin STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS ADVISORY COMMITTEE: Roland Witt, Chair, Coleman; Barron Christensen, Vice Chair, Texas Co-op Power is published by your Douglassville; Bill Harbin, Floydada; Kim Hooper, Bluegrove; Gerald Lemons, Itasca; Larry Oefinger, Hondo; Mark Rose, Giddings COMMUNICATIONS STAFF: Peg Champion, Vice President, Communications/Publisher; Kaye Northcott, Editor; Carol Moczygemba, electric cooperative to enhance the qual- Managing Editor; Suzi Sands, Art Director; Martin Bevins, Advertising Director; Nicole Daspit, Communications Coordinator; Andy Doughty, ity of life of its member-customers in an Production Designer; Sandra Forston, Communications Assistant; Jo Johenning, Production Assistant; Karen Nejtek, Production Coordinator; Shannon Oelrich, Food Editor/Proofreader; Tracy Paccone, Communications Assistant; Alex Sargent, Production Artist; Ellen educational and entertaining format. Stader, Proofreader; Cheryl Tucker, Field Editor; Molly Fohn, Intern October 2006 TEXAS CO-OP POWER 3 letters NO STRINGS ATTACHED © CORBIS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. I really enjoyed reading the article in August’s edition POWERTALK about bringing electricity to rural Texas. I remember the stories of my grandmother, When economists talk who slept PUBLISHER’S NOTES of collective purchas- in a hotel ing power, supply and demand, and marginal costs, my room with eyes glaze over. Yet those economic principles let your the lights electric co-op put this magazine in your hands for less on all night because than the price of a postage stamp! she’d only Texas cooperative leaders figured out 66 years ago seen ceil- that by working together, their members would bene- ing lights with strings hanging fit. That’s how Texas Electric Cooperatives (TEC), the down to turn them off and on! statewide association to which your cooperative JANA VICK belongs, can produce a high-quality magazine that Navasota Valley Electric Cooperative delivers valuable news about your electric cooperative ELECTRICITY SAVVY along with interesting stories from across the state at SAFELIVING HAD TO BE TAUGHT such a low cost. I came to Blanco County as a This is the magic of aggregation—a basic co-op Electric Safety young country girl to be a principle. Through cooperation we can provide you The National Safety home demonstration agent with a better product than could be created individu- Council urges you to follow with the Extension Service in ally. When TEC was originally founded in 1940, it was these safety rules around 1941. The power had been your home and business: because individual co-ops were paying extremely high turned on in April of 1941 but The urge to surge. Use surge many families only used the prices for wholesale power. Co-ops thought they could protectors wherever possible. power for lights. make their voice louder and their business more Give them a test. Test ground-fault Many were just beginning efficient by aggregating their purchasing power. And circuit interrupters (GFCIs) to buy electric appliances. so they formed the Texas Power Reserve Electric monthly. Turn on a nightlight Some left their wood stoves in Cooperative, which later became TEC, and almost plugged into the outlet. Depress the kitchen when they got an miraculously, their whole- the “test” button. If the light electric range. Some had an turns off, the outlet is working sale power costs were cut electric range ready for use properly. If the “reset” button when the power came. It was in half and co-op members pops out but the light stays on, quite an experience teaching saw their rates go down. the GFCI isn’t working. Press the people to use these appliances, The cooperative busi- “reset” button to return the out- and how to freeze fruits, veg- ness model is nothing new, let to normal. In addition, con- etables and meats. but because October is tact a qualified, licensed Electricity really emanci- Co-op Month, we want to electrician to ensure your GFCI pated the housewife. is working correctly. salute it now. Thanks to 61 FRANCES EBELING High and dry. Keep appliances subscribing electric coop- Pedernales Electric Cooperative away from water. Never reach eratives, this magazine into water for a plugged-in We receive many more letters reaches the homes and appliance. Shut off the main than we can fit in the magazine. businesses of more than 1 power, then unplug it. Have an Visit www.texascooppower.com million cooperative members each month. You tell us, item that has been immersed to read a sampling of those. through surveys and letters, that you enjoy Texas Co-op inspected before using it again. Forget the pennies. Pennies may be Power and that you find it useful. We want to hear from our readers. Send a quick fix for blown fuses, but letters to: Editor, Texas Co-op Power, 2550 Thank you for your cooperation. Thanks for letting S. IH-35, Austin, TX 78704, or e-mail us at they could cause the electrical [email protected]. Please include the us work for you. And thanks for being part of our co-op panel to overheat and catch fire. name of your town and electric co-op. family. Letters may be edited for clarity and length Look for these and more tips at and will be printed as space allows. Peg Champion, Publisher www.nsc.org. 4 TEXAS CO-OP POWER October 2006 HAPPENINGS Gene Autry, America’s favorite singing cowboy, would be 99 this year. And if he were still around, the Tioga native WHO KNEW? would no doubt be at the big doings in his honor October 6-8 at Southfork Ranch in Plano. For the past five years, THESE FOLKS ARE the GENE AUTRY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION was NATIVE TEXANS held in Tioga, but now it’s grown so big sponsors are mov- ing it down the road to the Southfork Ranch, where the TV series “Dallas” was filmed. There will be a bit of everything—the National Polo- Crosse Finals (blending polo and lacrosse); performances from four tribes of Native-American singers and dancers; military drills by the 1870s Horse Cavalry from Fort Hood; a Mexican rodeo; David Hartwick and his wonder dog, “Skidboot”; sheepdog herding; a chuck wagon cook- off; a rattlesnake wrangler; folkloric dancing; crafts and music (Ray Price and Gary P. Nunn) … well, you get the © WALLY MCNAMEE/CORBIS picture. Contact the Tioga Museum and Heritage Asso- Newscaster Sam Donaldson ciation at (940) 437-1110 or www.geneautryfestival.info. (1934) El Paso Newscaster Dan Rather (1931) Wharton TEXAS IS TOP U.S. PRODUCER OF WIND ENERGY Dancer Cyd Charisse JOHNNY LYE It’s not just a bunch of hot air: Texas is now the top U.S. pro- (1921) Amarillo ducer of wind energy. Actor/Dancer Ann Miller According to the American Wind Energy Association’s (1923) Houston second-quarter market report, Texas’ cumulative wind power Actor Ann Sheridan capacity now stands at 2,370 megawatts. That’s enough elec- (1915) Denton tricity to power 600,000 average American homes. California is the nation’s second-largest wind power producer with 2,323 Fleet Admiral megawatts. Chester W. Nimitz Until now, California has been tops in installed wind capac- (1885) Fredericksburg ity for nearly 25 years, ever since the first wind farms were built there in late 1981. At one time, California was host to more than 80 percent of the world’s total wind capacity.