A Most Beautiful Lake
I spent every summer weekend at my grandparents’ Possum Kingdom Lake cabin [Playing Possum, July 2016]. So many fond memories of water skiing through Hell’s Gate, swimming at Sandy Beach and fishing with Granddad. To me, Possum Kingdom will always be the most beautiful Texas lake—with huge catfish and plentiful crappie.
Sharon Paladino | Kerrville
Bandera EC
The Butterfly Business
I attended a two-day class on raising butterflies several years ago [Honey, I Shrunk the Livestock, July 2016]. I then had to apply for permits from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for each state I wanted to ship to.
I had more than 500 cater-pillars to feed daily. More than six hours a day to feed and clean. Then I drove back roads looking for milkweed to feed the caterpillars. Very little return for your time and energy, but a lot of fun!
Sharon McLaughlin | Athens
Trinity Valley EC and Farmers EC
Southern Aircraft Bus
I noticed the mention of the Southern Aircraft Roadable built in Garland during and after World War II [From Hill Valley to Humble, Currents, July 2016]. The company also manufactured aluminum school bus bodies after most aircraft- and war-related production de-creased after the war.
I have one of those buses. It was installed on a Diamond T truck-school bus chassis. It is the only one I have ever seen. I haven’t been able to find any pictures or information about it. I am fairly certain that it is the only one left in existence.
Stephen Davis | Forney
Farmers EC
A Boy and His Dog
I cannot find redeeming value in Clay Coppedge’s With a Pit Bull on My Knee [July 2016]. I understand the analogy with Old Yeller. Both are stories of the relationship between a boy and his dog. But that’s as far as it goes.
Old Yeller was a moving tale of sacrifice and love. Coppedge’s version is a description of sending a family dog to the pound. The use of “pit bull” supports a negative stereotype.
Raye E. Ward | Davilla
Bartlett EC
Cool Story
It was very exciting to read about my great-grandfather and his refrigerating apparatus [The Iceman Came to San Antonio, June 2016]. I heard about his ice machine all my life and was thrilled to see the diagram.
My great-grandmother was Josephine Fischer Muhl. Her family members were stonemasons who helped build the Capitol and bridges in Austin.
Marilyn Trautschold Tolle | Callender Lake
Trinity Valley EC
A Welcome Sight
When I was a child, my father was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. My grandparents lived in Temple, so we often drove the 300 miles south for visits. After we passed through Gatesville southbound, my siblings and I eagerly watched for the big red Kyle Hotel sign [Lofty Landmarks, June 2016]. When we saw it, we chanted, “I see Temple! I see Temple!” It was a pleasure to read a little of the hotel’s history.
Henry Mecredy | Austin
Bartlett EC
