September 2008 Newsletter

Check it out at www.russellgraves.com/sept08.html

Football 2009

I am not much of a football photographer. In fact, I'd say that it is a pretty tough gig and I envy those top shooters who do this all of the time. However, from time to time I help out our local newspaper and shoot a few Friday football images for them.

I love going out to the football games and seeing the kids I teach participate not only on the field but also in the band and as cheerleaders. Friday Night football in West Texas is also a strong tradition that brings folks together to support their local teams and in Childress, things are no different.

Even with $3.50 gas and an away game that was more than 120 miles from home, the stands were full of stalwart Bobcat fans. While we didn't win this game, you can be the the 'Cats will rebound and finish the season strong.

The License

Seventy years ago today, E. Sterling stepped into an office somewhere in Dallas and smacked down $2.00 to purchase a Texas hunting license from agent John R. Mitchell.

The license was issued by the Texas Game, Fish, & Oyster Commission (now known as the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department). Now, I don't know Mr. Sterling but I do know that he was 5' 10" tall, 180 pounds, brown hair, brown eyes, and was 40 when he purchased the license (that means he was born in 1898).

Around the turn of the new century, a twist of fate put his license in my hands. I found the small leather pouch a few years ago when I was digging through a box of stuff that my mom set aside for me.

As I sifted through pictures and trophies - all of which were recognizable - this little leather pouch was foreign. I asked my mother about it and she told me that she put it in my box because I might like to have it. When I opened the pouch, I unfolded this old, yellowed license.

My mother told me that she found the pouch back in the early 1960's. She and my dad had only been married a few years when she found a hunting vest at a garage sale and bought it for him. When she got the vest home, she found the pouch in one of the pockets and then put it away where it sat for years.

I had really forgotten about the license until a couple of days ago when I found them in a box. When I looked at the date, I couldn't believe that it was nearing the 70th anniversary of the transaction.

On the back of the license, it lists the bag limits for the various species like:

BEAR, 1 a season
DEER, mule deer, 1 a season west of the Pecos River. whitetail, 2 a season except in counties where the season is closed. Two of the aggregate of both kinds of deer and bucks must have three prongs or more.
DOVES, 15 a day
DUCKS, 10 a day
GEESE, 5 a day
PRAIRIE CHICKEN or PINNATED GROUSE, no open season
QUAIL AND CHACHALACAS, 12 a day and no more than 36 a week
SQUIRRELS, 10 a day
TURKEY GOBBLERS, 3 in one season

Oh yeah, it also says that, "Persons convicted of violating the Game Laws shall forfeit their right to hunt with a gun in this State for a period of 12 months following the date of conviction."

When the license was purchased, my daddy was still a baby (three months shy of his first birthday). Every time I look at it I wonder what the hunting was like back then and what Mr. Sterling liked to hunt. Was he a deer hunter or did he like squirrels? Were quail still plentiful in the blackland prairies that surrounded Dallas and did he love hunting them? Plenty of questions swirl but the answers are forever locked in time.

Admittedly, there is a lot I don't know about Mr. Sterling. But I do know this:

He was an outdoorsman.

He loved the outdoors enough to lay down 16-bits for the privilege to legally hunt ($29.73 adjusted to today's dollar).

His love of the outdoors reached through time, a garage sale, and a second-hand hunting vest to first connect with my mother, then my dad, and then to me.

Undoubtedly, Mr. Sterling is long gone. If he were alive today he'd be 110 years old.

Undoubtedly, we'll all pass on some day. But individually, what kind of legacy could we leave to our posterity if our unflappable outdoor ethic, our memories afield, and our wise stewardship remained as strong and as resilient as this old hunting license?

I am a believer in fate. The license was meant for my mother to find back when she was a young bride in her 20's. After sitting forgotten for forty years, she found them again and passed them to me. What are the chances that I'd re-discover them just two days shy of their 70th year since origination?

One of my favorite quotes from the movie Forest Gump goes something like, "I don't know if we each have a destiny, or if we're all just floatin' around accidental-like on a breeze. But I, I think maybe it's both, maybe both happening at the same time."

Thank you, Mr. Sterling and Happy Hunting...

Paint Rock

Today, I had the incredible experience of traveling to Paint Rock, Texas to photograph an incredible lady who owns an incredible piece of land. Kay Campbell and her husband Fred owns the ranch and it has been in Kay's family since the 1870's.

On their ranch is a thousand yard cliff that is home to more than 1,500 Native American pictographs that range in age from 200 to 500 years old.

Mrs. Kay is a gracious host and it was treat to have her guide me to the rock art and tell me the history and interpretation of each piece of art.

Being Texan

I've often lamented on what it means to be a Texan. Born and raised in Texas, I've been keenly interested in the Lone Star State since before I could spell, T-E-X-A-S.

When I was young, my dad was a truck driver and he would plant me in the cab of the truck and point out things like Guadalupe Peak, Enchanted Rock, or Fort Parker while our glorious state rolled past the cab of his Freightliner. He'd talk about Texas people and places and haul my family to see and experience the Texas culture as a participant. His underlying lesson: be proud of who you are and where you are from. Be proud that you are a Texan.

In fact, I am proud to show my love of Texas by contributing to our culture.

True story: In 1995, I led my ag classes to lobby the Texas Legislature to name the Texas Longhorn the State Large Mammal of Texas. Now, 200 years from now, when elementary kids are learning about all of the state's symbols, one's origins can be traced back to my classroom in Childress, Texas.

As Texans, we are a unique breed. The fact that our state was once a sovereign nation isn't lost on many who live here. Our nation was borne out of rebellion when a handful of brave Texans fought a much larger and exponentially better armed and organized Mexican army. The Texas spirit is a mix of fierce independence, guts, gusto, a love of neighbor, and a love of our heritage. Six flags have flown over our state - six flags. The great state of Texas has been a melting pot and a conglomeration of cultures for centuries.

When I visited the shrine of Texas liberty back in June, I was reminded of the sacrifices that brave men made on behalf of a burgeoning nation. In a letter from the Alamo, William Barrett Travis, commander of the Alamo wrote:

"To the People of Texas & all Americans in the world-- Fellow citizens & 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 dispatch -- 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 deter mined 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

P.S. The Lord is on our side -- When the enemy appeared in sight we had not three bushels of corn -- We have since found in deserted houses 80 or 90 bushels & got into the walls 20 or 30 head of Beeves -- Travis"

***

It is obvious as you visit places like the Alamo and other places around the state that the Texas spirit is very much alive today. I am proud to carry on that spirit as I take my kids - just like my dad took me - to all of the places that make our state, and ultimately our state of mind, so unique.

Lark Books Love

Lark Books, the folks who published my book, The Kodak Most Basic Book of Digital Nature Photography just posted an interview I did with them.

Check it out:

http://www.larkbooks.com/digital/qa_russell_graves

The Oil Patch - Part 2

This past week, I got the cool job of traveling off shore to the Gulf of Mexico to photograph a drilling barge that sat at the edge of the big water in the Gulf of Mexico. Shoots like this are fun because of the adventure.

I flew out of Amarillo on Tuesday morning and landed in New Orleans on Tuesday afternoon. After an uneventful drive through New Orleans, I got to the Breton Sound Marina and left by boat for the rig.

The rigs are incredible: Probably the size of half a city block, they are like a floating city complete with super comfortable living quarters and a full service galley.

On the rig, I was in awe of how much water surrounded me. You could live in the Texas Panhandle for a million years and not see as much water as what surrounded me within eye shot.

The Pease River from a Helicopter

More from my helicopter flight...

The August 2008 russellgraves.com Newsletter is Ready!

Check out www.russellgraves.com/aug08.html for all of the details.

The Pease River

I took a flight over parts of the Pease River in Northwest Texas this evening. I flew by helicopter and stitched 441 images using Final Cut Pro into the video below.

Enjoy!

Bass Pro Shops Photography Seminars

I am pleased to announce that I'll be presenting three photography seminars at Bass Pro Shops in Grapevine, Texas.

The dates and times are:

Hey guys,

August 8th - 7:30pm
August 9th - 12:30 pm
August 10th - 2:00 pm

Hope to see you there.

Tame Cows and Wild Pigs

I was on a photo shoot for an animal health company over the weekend and when I was waiting for good light, this wild pig cruised through the herd.

By the look of the cows, they were as surprised to see the pig as I was.

The Rack Report

I have a new gig...

The cool folks over at Realtree Camouflage asked me to be the Texas correspondent for their new website that's all about whitetails. At the site, you can find quizzes, whitetail information, and the part in which I contribute, The Rack Report, is a compendium of whitetail news and info from all over the country.

Be sure to check it out and leave me some comments!

Ponds

One of my great passions is stock pond fishing. Growing up, I was fortunate to have my choice of a dozen or so ponds within walking distance f my house. Expectedly, I spent a bunch of time with my brothers and my buddies casting into farm ponds and seeing what would bite.

In that same spirit, my brother and I traveled a short distance from where we grew up and fished an amazing farm pond on a ranch in which we have permission. While the largemouth weren't biting that morning, the white bass were and Bubba caught a couple of dandies.

Kid Fish

One of the absolute joys of my life is taking my kids fishing. I've been hauling Bailee along since she was about four and she is such a talented angler, she could probably give a clinic to others on how to catch a fish.

Ryan, on the other hand is a rookie. So imagine my delight when my boy finally got to the age where he would sit still long enough to actually catch a fish. Now I didn't say he would set there long - just long enough.

On this perfect day in June, me and my dad took the two to the pond on the place where I grew up. When I wasn't baiting their hooks I watched them talk and laugh with one another the way me and my brothers did so many times.

For me, childhood was a delight. Even more delightful is seeing my two children loving life and each other while growing up on the banks of an old stock pond.

Fish Heads

When I was a kid, every time my dad would catch a big catfish, he'd hang the head on the fence. Kind of a "hey, everyone, look what I caught" declaration . Taxidermy for the not so rich and famous if you will.

Anyway, I remember throwing rocks at the fish heads and how they would clunk and rattle when I would throw a perfect strike. Entertainment for a country kid comes in all fashions and playing Nolan Ryan while the catfish head served as Jim Sundberg was just one of the ways I passed the lazy summer days atop a blacktop hill.

While driving down Texas Highway 16 between Goldthwaite and San Saba, I passed by these catfish heads and turned around to take a second look and relate that story to my wife and kids. It is amazing how something as arcane can kick start memories. As I drove away, I couldn't help but smile and think of the way I imagined the cicadas cheering whenever I'd throw a strike... all those years ago atop a blacktop hill.

Luckenbach, Texas

In 1970, rancher Hondo Crouch bought the town of Luckenbach and its accompanying dance hall for $30,000. In turn, he established a spot in the road that is legendary among Texans and Texas music. In short, the place is downright magical.

For reasons I cannot articulate, I manage to end up there at least once a year to hang out and enjoy the laid back atmosphere. According to their motto, "everybody is somebody in Luckenbach" and it's that kind of positive atmosphere that led Hondo to call the tiny burgh under towering live oaks" a free state... of mind."

My kids love it but they don't know why. My wife loves the place for precisely the same reason I do. It is a spot that screams "Texan."

As a kid, I can remember the song by the same name as the town playing in our country home as the wind and the sounds of the cicadas drifted through the windows during the hot North Texas summers. In a way, being in Luckenbach, Texas and thinking of the Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings song takes me back in time.

Here's a little from the Handbook of Texas on-line:

"In 1971 Benno Engel sold Luckenbach to John Russell (Hondo) Crouch,qv from nearby Comfort. Kathy Morgan and Guich Koock also bought into the town as Crouch's partners. Styling himself the "mayor" and "Clown Prince of Luckenbach," Crouch, a former swimming champion, actor, and columnist, declared Luckenbach "a free state...of mind" and successfully turned the small community into a foil of the nearby "Texas White House"—Lyndon Johnson's place down the Pedernales at the LBJ Ranch. In 1973 singer–songwriter Jerry Jeff Walker recorded his best-selling album Viva Terlingua in Luckenbach. Frequent festivals—including an annual Mud Daubers' Day, an annual Hug-In, a women's chili cook-off, the Luckenbach Great World's Fair, and the Non-Buy Centennial Celebration (a take-off from the Republic of Texas Bicentennial in 1986), to which the Prince of Wales and Elizabeth Taylor were invited—brought tens of thousands of people to the pastoral setting.

Popularized in regional culture as the place where "Everybody is Somebody," Luckenbach achieved legendary proportions in 1977, the year after Hondo's death, when the Waylon Jenningsqv hit song "Luckenbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)" became a national favorite. The town attracted both professional and amateur musicians who enjoyed the laid-back, historic atmosphere. State historical markers for the Luckenbach school and town of Luckenbach were erected in 1982 and 1986, respectively. At the beginning of the new millennium the Texas Almanacqv gave the population of Luckenbach as twenty-five, even though the marker for tourists at the entrance to "old" Luckenbach gave the population as three. A Luckenbach Club continued to meet seasonally at the old school to maintain the grounds and to support what remained of a sense of community."

The Menger Hotel

In 1898 then United States citizen Theodore Roosevelt sat in this very room - The Menger Bar in downtown San Antonio - and recruited a force of cowboys, seasoned ranch hands, Pawnee scouts, Ivy Leaguers, policemen, and others from society to serve as volunteers for the 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment.

Roosevelt and his group of men drilled just outside of downtown and prepared to fight in the Spanish-American War.

Then, on July 1, 1898, Roosevelt and his band of Rough Riders made a charge up San Juan Hill in Cuba to win one of the most decisive battles in the war despite suffering a 76% casualty rate.

San Antonio

For the second year in a row I took the gang to San Antonio for a vacation. San Antonio is a beautiful city in which to vist with a great family atmosphere and plenty to see downtown as well as lots to do outside the loop.

We packed a lot into a week by seeing some of the Spanish Missions, The Alamo, of course, touring the Riverwalk, Bass Pro Shops, the Buckhorn Saloon and Museum, and Sea World.

If you've never been to San Antonio, you have to put it on your list of places to see.

Full Circle

A little more than 30 years ago, my mom and dad brought our whole gang to Enchanted Rock between Fredericksburg and Llano, Texas to climb the granite outcropping known as Enchanted Rock. Now, all of these years later, here I am with my kids climbing to the top once again.