Armchair quarterbacking our favorite local festivals

It’s time for a little armchair quarterbacking.
In the last three weeks we have had the Waller Freedom Fest and the Hempstead Watermelon Music Festival. My family and I had a great time at both events. But attendance was down and I’m hearing some grumbling here and there from locals who were less than thrilled.
While I haven’t been here long enough to know what the festivals of old were like, I certainly didn’t have much to complain about beyond getting a little sunburned. The heat certainly impacted both festivals, but that’s to be expected in South Texas in July. You really can’t do much about that.
Using my limited experience and unlimited hindsight, I have a few suggestions that might make both events bigger and better.

Waller Freedom Fest
Next to the fireworks display, the most successful part of this event is the children’s play area where they can have a blast in the water. I think the festival should capitalize on this and expand it. I could see something like a mud volleyball tournament, water balloon toss, tug-o-war over the mud pit, dunk tanks, greased pig contest, and other such events.
Another thing that was highly successful in my hometown of Longmont, Colo., was a picnic in the park. There was a contest for the best picnic display and people came out to compete, eat and enjoy live symphony music with patriotic tunes.

Hempstead Watermelon Music Festival
I though this year’s festival was greatly improved over last year’s. It helped a lot having everything in one central location. Crossing Austin Street is dangerous, especially without traffic control. I also liked the idea behind the evening concerts.
I suspected there would be a problem when the Hempstead Chamber of Commerce announced that it wanted to bring in a “name act” and then contracted with Cowboy Troy. “Cowboy who?” was not only my response, but that of many people I talked to. He is not a name act. The headliner has got to be a more recognizable personality – someone who doesn’t make people ask, “who’s that?”
Another concert killer was having the headliner go on at 11:30 p.m. That’s just way too late. The headliner should go on around 9 p.m., or 10 at the very latest.
I would also recommend expanding the watermelon contests. I think it is very realistic for the watermelon eating contest to become a sanctioned International Federation of Competitive Eating event with big cash prizes. I think there would be a lot more participation in the watermelon judging if it were promoted far enough ahead of time so people could start growing their own for the competition. That way the commercial growers don’t dominate everything.
Another event that I think would go over well is a watermelon wine tasting. In that same vein, a watermelon cooking contest of some kind might be a lot of fun.
I have really enjoyed having the Brazos Bottom Cowographers here. Assuming they are invited back – and I hope they are – I would like to see them get a more prominent place for their set. In the two years I’ve been here, they have been off to the side where they haven’t been as visible as they could be.
An unrelated event starting up this year is the Watermelon Run For The Fallen. I think if the event is held next year that it should be done in conjunction with the Watermelon Music Festival. It doesn’t have to be on the same day, but at least the same weekend.
Finally – and this is probably the most important part – next year’s festival needs more volunteers. The core group of about five people at the chamber busted their backsides to pull off the festival and they deserve our thanks and our help.
As I said at the beginning, I’m just armchair quarterbacking here. That being said, I plan to pitch in next year and do my part to make the festival a bigger and better success. I hope many of you will too.

Buzz, Woody bring childhood to life

I took the kids to see Toy Story 3 last week at the Hempstead Theater.
I love the Toy Story movies. In fact, I like just about all of the Pixar/Disney films. The Toy Story trilogy, however, has a special place in my heart. When I first saw the original Toy Story, I thought someone had probed into my life and crafted a film around my childhood imagination.
The protagonists were a cowboy and a spaceman. My heroes were the Lone Ranger and Capt. Kirk. The toys, Woody and Buzz, were owned by Andy, a little boy who could have been me. I loved to play with action figures and imagined all kinds of adventures for them.
It may not have been very manly to shun sports for action figures (don’t you dare call them dolls!), but I didn’t mind. I’ve never had the eye-hand coordination or blazing speed to be competitive in athletic endeavors, but I had a vivid imagination. My toys could take me to places only my mind could go.
The antagonist in the original Toy Story was a mean kid named Sid. I’ve been Sid. In my early teens I had a thing for blowing stuff up with firecrackers. But most of the time I’ve been Andy, treating my toys though as if they were living things. On weekday mornings before school, “The Lone Ranger” came on TV. I would watch it with my Lone Ranger and Tonto figures sitting on their horses so they could see it, too. I’d get angry if my brothers sat in their way. After all, it was their show and they had a right to watch it with me.
I still have those figures. They’re displayed on a shelf above my desk. I have a second Lone Ranger figure here in my office. But the toys I really miss are the old Mego superhero figures. I had a huge collection, including the Star Trek figures (and bridge set), Spider-Man, Batman, Superman, Captain America, Fantastic Four and more, including many of the villains. But I left them one day at a friend’s house. The next thing I knew, they were packed up and his family moved to Oklahoma. I never saw my figures or my friend again. What I wouldn’t give to have those back, including the friend.
I had other figures, too, such as Johnny West, G.I. Joe, Muhammad Ali, Six Million Dollar Man and Evel Knievel, among others. But the Lone Ranger and Mego figures have always been my favorites.
In 1977, when Star Wars came out, I just knew Mego would make a line of Star Wars figures. Little did I know at the time that Mego had gone out of business. I got stuck collecting the little, plastic, 2-inch figures instead. I collected them all, including the mail-order Boba Fett. But when I reached my mid-teens, I figured I had outgrown action figures and I sold off the Star Wars set at a garage sale for 50 cents each. D’oh!
When the new trilogy of Star Wars films came out, I bought the action figures for my children (at least, that was my excuse). When they gave them up, I took them back and they now sit on a shelf here in my office.
In 1995, when Toy Story came out, I got my daughter the Buzz and Woody figures. Yeah, like a 3-year-old girl wants anything to do with that. The figures went from her to each of her younger brothers. Buzz bit it a couple years ago when someone barfed on him and we couldn’t get it cleaned out. Woody was headed for a garage sale before I intercepted him and plopped him amid my stuffed raccoon collection.
I don’t know what possesses me to possess my collections. Maybe it’s just the memories or the way the toys fire up my imagination. I certainly don’t idolize them. I could even live without them, though there would be an empty spot in my heart.
Maybe the thing that’s so appealing to me is watching how we grow and change through the eyes of our toys. In Toy Story 3, we got to see Andy head off to college. The movie was a coming of age for the boy and his toys. It addressed many of the fears of the future that were hinted at in the second movie – college, storage, landfills and children destroying toys.
As I grow older, I know I’d love to see my toys passed down through the generations behind me. My kids don’t have an interest in my toys. They barely keep interest in their own things. But maybe there will be a day when, at the very least, they see the monetary value of keeping these old playthings. Better yet, maybe one of them or their children will love and respect them the way I do. If so, I know they’ll be taken care of for infinity and beyond.

What could be worse than living in hades?

An interesting point was made in the Wednesday night men’s group at my church last week.
One of the guys told how he had befriended a nonbeliever years ago and asked him if he knew of anything that was worse than hell. The nonbeliever couldn’t think of anything that was worse than the fire and brimstone of eternal damnation.
My Christian brother said he could think of one thing: Getting there and finding your wife and children there because you didn’t lead them to eternal life though Jesus.
That was profound. It was profound enough that this nonbeliever is now one of the strongest Christians I know and is a servant leader in our church.
It’s one thing to think of your soul existing in torment for all eternity because of decisions you willfully made. It’s another to think of your loved ones souls condemned for all time because of decisions you didn’t make.
Conversely, how would I feel arriving in heaven with the full knowledge that my loved ones and acquaintances were eternally doomed because of my inaction?
I don’t want it to ever be said that I was ashamed to speak about Jesus. I want anyone to feel welcome to talk to me about faith – yours or mine. I know what I believe and I am not embarrassed by it. I am humbled and honored to be loved beyond comprehension by the creator of all that is and ever will be.
It was also interesting to me when, guys being guys, someone said that they would be willing to die as the Apostle Paul did for the sake of Jesus Christ. There was a lot of murmuring in agreement about that until I asked how many would be willing to risk their employment in order to talk about Jesus on the job. The room fell silent.
I don’t think there was a man in the room who is not willing to risk losing his job so he can talk to a coworker about Christ. At the same time, I think many of us don’t want to be in a spot where they have to make that choice. We’re comfortable with a don’t ask, don’t tell mentality toward proselytizing. We won’t open the door for that conversation unless the other person opens it first.
I’m not the kind of person to walk up to a stranger and say, “Hi, my name is Joe. Do you know Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior?” I am, however, the kind of person who will wear Christian T-shirts, put fish logos on my car and do my best to live my life as an example for others to see. I guess I hope that will open doors.
That being said, I am far from perfect. My current car does not yet have any Christian symbols on it. My office has a cross on the wall, but far more items indicating my interest in the Lone Ranger and Star Wars. I have many personal failings; among the more obvious ones are a lead foot and a propensity toward gluttony. I can only hope to overcome my failures before they overcome me or get in the way of my ability to reach others for God.
To my credit, I try my best to be a spiritual leader in my home. We attend church regularly, have nightly family prayer time and encourage our children to read the Bible and understand their faith. I feel confident that come judgment day I will be six-for-six when it comes time for my family to enter the pearly gates. I wish I could say the same about everyone near and dear to me, but sadly I cannot.
I can only hope that by writing this that someone, somewhere will be convicted or inspired enough to investigate the claims of Jesus and come to know him as their savior. This is my way of reaching out and saying that I don’t want you to make a mistake – willingly or in ignorance – that will cost you eternity in paradise.
It is my hope that when I reach Heaven that I will be greeted by a large number of people who are thankful that I showed them how to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I hope that this column will reach others long after I’m gone. It’s the best way I have to impact generations yet to be born on behalf of the one born to die for them.

Y’all come now
This Saturday is the 22nd annual Hempstead Watermelon and Music Festival. I hope everyone will come on out and enjoy the festivities. Once again the Waller County News Citizen will have a booth. This time we will offer an incredible deal on subscriptions in honor of our 120th year. Come on by. You won’t want to miss it. I won’t be at the booth very much because I will be out taking pictures and covering the festival. But I will be easy to spot in my new, green Waller County News Citizen polo shirt. Please feel free to come by and say hi.

Festival fun abounds in Waller County

It’s festival time in Waller County! This is the week between Waller’s Freedom Fest and Hempstead’s Watermelon Music Festival – kind of a breather between the two major events.
This is certainly a fun time to be in Waller County. I took my family to the Waller Freedom Fest on Sunday and we had a great time, just as we did at last year’s festival. This year’s event was much smaller and more intimate than last year’s inaugural Freedom Fest.
Even though the crowd was smaller, I think I liked it better. It kept all the best parts of the previous celebration and added a few things which made the day memorable. Last year’s festival was good, but it suffered from 100-plus degree heat and not enough activity to sustain participation from the opening until the main events began that evening.
This year, however, the event did not start until 4 p.m. and there was as much, if not more, to do. All of the events were centered in the area behind the Waller Junior High School football stadium. When we first got there, the Waller Fire Department was spraying water from a truck and my two youngest boys ran out and got soaked.
From there we made the rounds at the booths, checking out the food, crafts and things for sale. Three of my kids took shots at climbing the rock wall. After that we moved over to the children’s area where my three sons lost themselves on the water slides and in the bubble machine. My wife and daughter spread a blanket in the shade and settled down to work puzzles, draw pictures and relax.
I busied myself throughout the afternoon taking loads of pictures. I had fun watching the skateboarders do their thing. It was also a thrill to watch the team from Skydive Houston parachute into the football stadium. That’s something I want to try someday.
As evening came on, we got some food and settled down to listen to the concert. Contemporary Christian recording artist Matt Brouwer performed, giving a great show under the big, white tent.
After the concert, the crowd made its way into the football stadium for the fireworks show. The display was colorful and fun, but then what do you expect from a fireworks show?
An added bonus for me was getting to hold some baby raccoons that people brought. They were my favorite animals as a kid. It brought back some very fond memories.
In all, I have to say that Waller had a great sophomore outing with its Freedom Festival. Hopefully the city and the Waller Ministerial Alliance will keep building on the momentum for next year.
Looking ahead, we’re just a week away from the re-named Hempstead Watermelon Music Festival. Despite the heat, last year’s festival was a big hit and a lot of fun. It was my first Watermelon Festival and I really enjoyed all there was to see and do. There’s so much going on that one person cannot possibly do it all in a day.
Of particular interest to me was the Wild West Show featuring the Brazos Bottom Cowographers and the Civil War display by the 11th Texas Cavalry. I really get into the Civil War and Old West periods of American history.
For most people, however, the festival is all about watermelon, music and barbecue. For others it’s the car show, food and craft booths and the quilt show. Whatever your interest, there is something for everyone at the festival. Assuming we’re not getting deluged by tropical rains, I encourage everyone to come on out and have a great time.

Upsy-daisy
I finally broke down and did it. It took prompting from my doctor and a reminder that I’m reaching one of those milestone birthdays, but I finally had a colonoscopy. For those who don’t know what that is, it’s a procedure where a doctor takes an upside look at your downside from the inside out.
In other words, you go to the hospital where they either knock you out or send you so far into la-la land that you don’t care what’s going on behind your back. The doctor inserts a cable up the wrong direction of your digestive tract and looks through a tiny camera to see if there is any sign of polyps or cancer. The worst part of the procedure is not the main event, but the preparation.
To get ready, your digestive system must be empty. That means not eating the day before. That is bad enough, but then you get to take a couple pills and drink several glasses of an oily-thick laxative. That is followed by what feels like several days spent mounted on the porcelain throne, attempting to launch yourself into orbit.
While the prep was nasty, the recovery was nice. I got to lock myself in my bedroom and take a nice, long nap. That alone made the whole thing worthwhile. The icing on the cake was the clean bill of health that I got.

The complications of a simple life

If it’s true that time seems to get faster the older you get, then at this rate a year will pass each day by the time I’m 80. That’s funny, because when I was little, it seemed like each day lasted a year.
I always thought technology was supposed to simplify our lives. It seems the more gizmos and gadgets we get, the more complicated life becomes. Of course, having four kids and being active in church and Scouts doesn’t slow things down, either. Even here at the newspaper things have picked up quite a bit.
It’s July already and I’m still trying to figure out where last Christmas went. In the last few weeks, I’ve had my daughter fly in to spend the summer with me, sent my oldest son to Scout camp, had all three of the boys visit my folks in Colorado and have made a trip to San Antonio.
In between all of that have been a couple Astros games, several church activities and a few Scout related things. If that weren’t enough, I had my home computer die a couple months ago, taking everything with it. Since then I’ve commandeered my children’s computer in order to reestablish e-mail and to start rebuilding everything I need to run the Lone Ranger Fan Club. I’ve just about finished my June newsletter, not a moment too soon.
Oh, and in preparation for my daughter’s arrival, we moved two bedrooms around, ripped out some ancient carpet and have been doing some reorganizing of the house.
In order to be that busy requires tools and things that were not commonplace, if in existence at all, a decade ago. While our busyness may sound typical of the average American family these days, none of it could happen efficiently without the aid of e-mail, cell phones, texting and other technological wonders of the 21st century.
We have had to communicate on the move, move farther on a tankful of gas, and be able to manage the schedules of six people on the fly. I don’t think we’d be accomplishing nearly as much without the modern marvels at our fingertips.
What gets me is how we used to talk about technology making our lives easier and freeing us for more leisure and intellectual pursuits. What I’ve discovered is that I am now doing the job that three or four people used to do. As the saying goes, the hurrier I go, the behinder I get.
It also feels like we are engaged in more activity, but not the depth of involvement that we had when I was a kid. In the rush of things, we don’t seem to get as heavily involved in any one project like we did back in the day. One the other hand, my children are involved in more things than I was. Who knows, maybe this is what all this technology was meant to free us to do.
Then again, if my kids didn’t spend so much time playing video games, texting and watching DVDs, they’d have time to engage at a deeper level. We do try to limit how much electronic entertainment they’re exposed to, but ironically it seems we have to communicate it and enforce it by electronic means.
All of this has me pining for the simple days of farm life that I enjoyed as a kid. To clarify that, we lived on an acre lot. On the back half my dad built a barn. We had a couple cows, a few sheep, a couple pigs, some chickens and turkeys and about 200 rabbits to care for. We also had a large vegetable garden that was well fertilized and in need of constant weeding.
Whenever I hear my kids complain about their chores, I have to laugh (as my father did to me) whenever I think about what I had to do compared to their small list. My list included everything they have plus critter care.
At the time, I would have loved to have had the iPods, cell phones and other contraptions to make life more comfortable, if not easier. But then I shudder to think of how busy we would have been back then if we had all those so-called time-saving devices to free us up for more “leisure” activity.
Anyway, back to the farm. I think spending time outdoors working with animals has benefits that can’t be measured with any number of modern gadgetry. Milking cows by hand, collecting eggs, seeing foals and calves born and butchering meat for supper are experiences most folks don’t have today. We were more fit and ate better back then and no amount of amazing high-tech machinery can replace that.
I’ve come to the conclusion that technology doesn’t simplify our lives; it only enables us to become busier. The proof of that is in how fast time flies with all the “leisure” time that has been afforded us.