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WILLIAM BARRET TRAVIS' DEFINING MOMENT

While fighting for independence from Mexico in the 1830's Texans (or Texians) suffered a major yet, defining setback at the Alamo. Approximately 250 rag tag volunteers under the command of Lt. William Barret Travis held off Santa Anna's Mexican army for 12 days. Santa Anna's army numbered in the thousands. On the thirteenth day 1800 Mexican assault troops sieged the Alamo and showed no quarter.  Today the Alamo stands as Texas' number one sacred shrine, and symbolizes the eternal chivalrous Texan disposition. 

Furthermore, on this day in 1836 Travis wrote his immortal letter to Texans and Americans all over the world. His letter emphatically reminds us of a day when character embodied bravery. Here is a copy of Travis' letter:

Commandancy of the Alamo Bexar, Feby. 24th, 1836

To the People of Texas & all Americans in the World-- Fellow Citizens and Compatriots--

I am besieged by a thousand or more of the Mexicans under Santa Anna--I have sustained a continual Bombardment & cannonade for 24 hours & have not lost a man--The enemy has demanded a surrender at discretion, otherwise the garrison are to be put to the sword, if the fort is taken--I have answered the demand with a cannon shot, & our flag still waves proudly from the walls--I shall never surrender or retreat. Then, I call on you in the name of Liberty, of patriotism & everything dear to the American character, to come to our aid with all despatch--The enemy is receiving reinforcements daily & will no doubt increase to three or four thousand in four or five days. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country--Victory or Death.

William Barret Travis Lt. Col. comdt.

JOE ELY WEST TEXAS POET LAUREATE

Texas' vastness demands that it embrace a plethora of cultures. The old television hit from the seventies Dallas, epitomized North Texas with all its glitz and glamor. Central Texas is hill country, ripe with ranches, cedar trees, and plush rolling hills. The natives there love their barbecue. East Texas, better known as the piny woods, comprises some of the most beautiful landscape in America. 

Then there is West Texas, a region that sends travelers packing the moment they arrive. But, if one dare hang on for a while, enduring the spring time blowing dirt, they find themselves growing eerily fond of the place and they don't even know why. Budding snow white cotton fields, migrant workers, vast open irrigated farm lands, and Tex-Mex cuisine make West Texas a little country of its own. In fact, during the Republic's formative years, lawmakers were perplexed over West Texas boundaries. "To be or not to be," a part of the Republic was the million dollar question. And, they continue to quarrel about the region even today. 

Nevertheless, this little country used to possess bragging rights when it came to affluence. Hale county (Plainview) at one time was the most prosperous in all of Texas. Bumper cotton crops made millionaires out of those pioneers in the 1950's and 60's who stuck with the program amidst dust and all kinds of inclement weather.  

We West Texans even lay claim to our own poet laureate Joe Ely. Mr. Ely now lives in Austin, but cut his musical teeth on the the Lubbock music scene. While growing up in Lubbock, took a little Buddy Holly here, and Tejano there; sprinkled it with Waylon Jennings, and presto chango out popped a very fine troubadour. 

Ely sings of migrant hardships, whiskey drinkin' rowdies, and bar maids named Loretta. Over the years he played with the best of them including Bruce Springsteen. Let the inquiring listener beware-recordings fail to do Joe Ely justice. Although I enjoy plopping his discs into my Texas Edition Chevy pickup's Alpine superior sound system, I'd rather hear him live. Ely's mildly graveled voice, along with his gracious disposition, expose a magic worth watching in person.  Listen below as Ely shares a bit of his mysticism. 

Below is my favorite Ely piece. This less than perfect video comes from a performance several years ago in Italy and showcases the essence of Joe Ely's musical character.

WEST TEXAS PARADISE

Yes Virginia, West Texas does have character. (via Avalanche Journal)

TEXAS CHARACTER

With all the hype from Rick Perry about Texas seceding from the union the controversial governor has appealed to the Texas spirit and has raised his political stock considerably. He follows  the suit of Texas native Waylon Jennings, whose song The Wild Ones offers a peek at the unique Texas character. These young rock and country punks today think they're tough. Waylon was the real deal. He grew up tough, in the dusty cotton fields of West Texas. The night the music died Waylon gave up his airplane seat to Buddy Holly. Jennings never lived it down. Watch the video below and catch a glimpse of the spirit we call Texan. 

TEXAS GOD'S COUNTRY

Out here in the great state of Texas we don't cotton to damn Yankees up in D.C tryin' to tell us how we must run our business. Governor Rick Perry spoke for most Texans in this report via Drudge:

Gov. Rick Perry joined state Rep. Brandon Creighton and sponsors of House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 50 in support of states’ rights under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 

“I believe that our federal government has become oppressive in its size, its intrusion into the lives of our citizens, and its interference with the affairs of our state,” Gov. Perry said. “That is why I am here today to express my unwavering support for efforts all across our country to reaffirm the states’ rights affirmed by the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. I believe that returning to the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution and its essential 10th Amendment will free our state from undue regulations, and ultimately strengthen our Union.” 

Perry continued: "Millions of Texans are tired of Washington, DC trying to come down here to tell us how to run Texas." 

Gov. Perry may speak for most Texans, but he remains a controversial Gov. among Republican constituents. Furthermore, he faces a possible stiff battle in 2010 with the very popular Kay Bailey Hutchison. So he's become proactive and publicly let the world know he is a conservative. 

Meanwhile, a reader sent me this in a circulating email that expresses how we native Texans feel about Texas our Texas:

Have you ever looked at a map of the world? Look at Texas with me just for a second. That picture, with the Panhandle and the Gulf Coast , and the Red River and the Rio Grande is as much a part of you as anything ever will be. As soon as anyone anywhere in the world looks at it they know what it is.  It's Texas .  Pick any kid off the street in Japan and draw him a picture of Texas in the dirt and he'll know what it is. What happens if I show you a picture of any other state? You might get it maybe after a second or two, but who else would? And even if you do, does it ever stir any feelings in you? 

In every man, woman and child on this planet, there is a person who wishes just once he could be a real live Texan and get up on a horse or ride off in a pickup. There is a little bit of Texas in everyone. 

Texas is the Alamo Texas is 183 men standing in a church, facing thousands of Mexican nationals, fighting for freedom, who had the chance to walk out and save themselves, but stayed instead to fight and die for the cause of freedom.

We send our kids to schools name d William B. Travis and James Bowie and Davy Crockett, and do you know why?  Because those men saw a line in the sand and they decided to cross it and be heroes. 

John Wayne paid to do the movie himself. That is the Spirit of Texas 

Texas is Sam Houston capturing Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana at San Jacinto 

Texas is huge forests of Piney Woods like the Davy Crockett and Sam Houston National Forests 

Texas is breathtaking mountains in the Big Bend 

Texas is the unparalleled beauty of bluebonnet fields in the Texas Hill Country 
Texas is floating the rivers of the Hill Country on a hot summer day

Texas is the beautiful, warm beaches of the Gulf Coast of South Texas
Texas is beaches you can drive on and have many memorable bon-fires with close friends
Texas is that warm feeling you get when someone asks where you're from 

Texas is the shiny skyscrapers in Houston and Dallas 

Texas is world record bass from places like Lake Fork 

Texas is Mexican foods like nowhere else, not even Mexico 
Texas is chicken fried steak and world famous Bar-B-Q

Texas is the Fort Worth Stockyards, Bass Hall, the Ballpark in Arlington and the Astrodome (Guess now the Reliant Stadium too)

Texas is larger-than-life legends like Michael DeBakey, Ann Richards, Denton Cooley, Willie Nelson, Buddy Holly, Gene Autry, Audie Murphy, Tommy Lee Jones, Waylon Jennings, Farrah Fawcet,  Janis Joplin, Sandra Bullock, Kris Kristofferson, Tom Landry, Eva Longoria, Darrell Royal, ZZ Top, Eric Dickerson, Earl Campbell, Nolan Ryan, Sam Rayburn, Howard Hughes, George H. W. Bush, Lyndon B. Johnson, and let's not forget GEORGE STRAIT- PANTERA, the Big Bopper, Tex Ritter, George Jones, Clay Walker, Mark Chestnut, Annie Villarreal to name ONLY a few

Texas is great companies like Dell Computer, Texas Instruments, EDS and Compaq, Whataburger, Southwest Airlines, Bell Helicopter and LOCKHEED MARTIN AEROSPACE, Home of the F-16 Jet Fighter and the JSF Fighter, Valero 

Texas is NASA 

Texas is huge herds of cattle, beautiful horses and miles of crops
Texas is home to the world famous King Ranch

Texas is home to the most amazing sunsets of gold over an empty field  

Texas is hundreds of deer running around neighborhoods and fields 

Texas is skies blackened with doves and fields full of deer

Texas is a place where towns and cities shut down to watch the local high school football game on Friday nights and for the Cowboys on Monday Night Football, and for the night In Old San Antonio River Parade in San Antonio 

To drive across Texas is to drive 1/3 the way across the United States 

Texas is ocean beaches, deserts, lakes and rivers, mountains and prairies, and modern cities 

If it isn't already in Texas , you probably don't need it  

No one does anything bigger or better than it's done in Texas  

By federal law, Texas is the only state in the U.S. That can fly its flag at the same height as the U.S. Flag. Think about that for a second. You fly the Stars and Stripes at 20 feet in Maryland , California , or Maine , and your state flag, whatever it is, goes at 17 feet. You fly the Stars and Stripes in front of Klein Oak High or anyplace else at 20 feet, the Lone Star flies at the same height - 20 feet. Do you know why?  Because it is the only state that was a Republic before it became a state 

Also, being a Texan is as high as being an American down here. Our capitol is the only one in the country that is taller than the capitol building in Washington , D.C. And we can divide our state into five states at any time if we wanted to!
We can become a republic again at any time the voters of Texas choose, and we included these things as part of the deal when we came on. 
That's the best part, right there. 

Texas even has its own power grid!! And don't even lie to yourself... Did I mention Live music capitol of the world? 

GOD'S STATE

Texas may not be heaven, but heaven must look like this. And I'm sure when I get there I'll walk streets of gold and my mansion's garden will be flowered with bluebonnets and Indian paint brush much like these found in the Austin area. (click on pictures to enlarge)

TEXAS GOVERNOR'S MANSION BURNS

Authorities suspect arson.

Arson is suspected in a fire that swept through the historic Texas Governor's Mansion early Sunday and left much of the 152-year-old home charred and severely damaged, the state fire marshal said.

"We have some evidence that indicates that we do have an intentionally set fire," said state Fire Marshal Paul Maldonado. "So we believe that we may be looking at a criminal act here."

Calling it a "devastating loss to the state of Texas," Maldonado did not provide details on how the fire may have been set or whether authorities had identified a suspect.

Security cameras are set up around the mansion, which sits downtown on a lot the size of a city block, and investigators were interviewing people who were nearby and might have noticed suspicious activity.

The mansion was a sight to behold before the fire. Let's hope experts can restore it to its original state.

NOAH'S ON HIS WAY

Floods are getting serious in central and south Texas. See the pictures here.