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June 2016 Letters

TCP Talk

Letters and comments from our readers

John Kachik

Texas on Top

I don’t think the Western hat [Cowboy Hatters, April 2016] has ever actually been indicative of a cattleman wearer, even though it has, over the years, acquired the name “cowboy hat.” I firmly believe that nowadays, the hat doesn’t say, “cattleman.” I believe that it says, loudly and proudly, “TEXAS!”

Bill Morris | Chappell Hill
Bluebonnet EC

Pecos River Experience

I was blown away by Lonn Taylor’s story Pecos River Flood of 1954 [March 2016]. My family made frequent fishing trips to the Pecos River area in Southwest Texas before it empties into the Rio Grande, and we are living proof of how treacherous the river can be.

We were enjoying a fun-filled fishing trip after school was out in June 1954 when that flash flood hit. It was very early in the morning, but my dad could hear it coming, and we left everything except our two pickups and headed uphill to a ranger cabin to escape the raging currents. We lost all our camping gear and boat, but at least we all survived—and that was not the last time this happened to us.

I fully agree with Charles Goodnight’s description of the river: “the graveyard of the cowman’s hopes.” But, boy, could you catch a lot of big catfish down there!

Jean Rinehart | Kingsland
Central Texas EC

What Goes Around …

Yep, the old saying of “what goes around comes around” (pardon the pun) must be true [Don’t Skip It, Currents, April 2016]. I have hundreds of vinyl records dating back to the early 1950s and have enjoyed thousands of hours of listening to country, folk, classical, jazz and rock ’n’ roll.

Doris Fontaine | Mountain Home
Central Texas EC

Hands of Time

We’re with the reader from Waxahachie [Springing Forward, Letters, March 2016]. We oppose daylight saving time, too. The twice-a-year time change is disrupting and totally unnecessary. Why can’t we choose a time and stick with it? Why not put it to a statewide vote with three options: continue with the status quo, stay with DST year-round or stay with standard time all the time?

Sharon Schwertner | Ballinger
Coleman County EC

I really, really LOVE daylight saving time. So I vote to keep it. It has never bothered my sleep pattern.

Gary A. McDonnel | Valley Mills
Heart Of Texas EC

In Search of Cantaloupes

Thank you, Lonn Taylor, for your July 2012 article, The Truth About Pecos Cantaloupes. I did some digging myself when I couldn’t find my favorite cantaloupe in the local grocery stores in Houston. To this day, it’s hard to find the fruit in our stores. I even have the Mandujano brothers’ phone number in my cellphone. I once saw the product labeled as “Stetson”—haven’t seen it since. I want my cantaloupe back!

Shari Woolson | Houston

Keyhole Inspirations

After reading Keyhole Gardening [February 2012], I was excited to learn that Deb Tolman was coming to our county to hold a keyhole workshop. After attending the workshop and with your magazine in hand, I started rounding up the supplies and soil. We decided to use a new but damaged water trough instead of building with rock.

The first year I found that burying plastic flowerpots and filling them with water helped me distribute the water better.

I always overplant, but it doesn’t seem to bother the yield. I found that squash and tomatoes grow too large for the small space. Cucumbers did well, but the peppers always outdo themselves. Thank you for bringing such a wonderful project to our attention.

Sue Broyles | Cherokee
Central Texas EC

Editor’s note: See more readers’ keyhole garden photos (and post your own) on TCP’s Facebook and Pinterest pages.