Getting to know the new guy

 Oh goody, here comes another outsider to try and tell us how to live.

It’s true, as the new managing editor of the newspaper I’m an outsider lacking knowledge of Fredericksburg, Gillespie County, and any of the area’s illustrious history. The good news is I’m not from California.

That being said, my father is from California, but he has lived in Colorado for nearly 60 years. Colorado is where I’m from. I grew up north of Denver. I’ve also lived in Minnesota and North Carolina but have been in Texas since 2005.

Among the many things that led me to take my family from the Rockies to the Lone Star State was the chaos created there by the massive influx of Californians. I don’t mean to pick on them, I just bring it up to commiserate with fellow Texans who are tired of these West Coast refugees who seem to think they’re missionaries.

For what it’s worth, my wife Sandy is a Houston native and her family lines go deep into the pre-Republic of Texas era. Her parents retired down the road in Kerrville. Although the youngest two of our four kids were born in Colorado, they grew up in Texas and consider themselves Texans. We have a daughter in Colorado and a son in Florida.

We’ve lived southwest of Houston in Rosenberg for the last 12 years. Our youngest son graduates high school this spring and then my family will follow me here. We can’t wait to settle in and make Fredericksburg our home. This is such a perfect blend of where we are and where we’ve been that it feels like we belong here.

As you get to know us over the coming weeks and months, you’ll learn that we’re very conservative and a wee bit eccentric. We’re very active in church (Christian/Church of Christ) and Boy Scouts (I’m an Eagle, as are two of our three sons, plus Sandy and I are Wood Badge trained). I’m a colonel in the Texas Army (re-enactment group of the Texas Revolution), a member of the Brazos Bend State Park Volunteer Organization, a member of the Fort Bend Historical Commission, and founder and former owner of the official Lone Ranger Fan Club.

My interests range from a love of nature and the outdoors to space exploration. I love history, genealogy, black powder shooting, renaissance festivals, comic cons, science fiction (Star Wars, Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica), and sports. Football (Broncos and Texans) and baseball (Rockies, Twins, Astros and Sugar Land Skeeters) are my favorites.

My big passion, however, is photography. I love shooting sports and outdoors. Over the last five years I’ve been credentialed with the Texans, Astros, Skeeters, and the upstart Houston SaberCats rugby team. I’ve photographed rodeos for years and thoroughly enjoy it. I got to cover all the Astros home games during the playoffs and World Series in 2019, which was an amazing experience.

My wife works in the Houston Medical Center for UT Health. She has a master’s in healthcare administration and is passionate about rural healthcare. She has an uncanny knack for understanding insurance and has actually read and understood Obamacare. Her interests include sewing (especially costume making), cooking, and Scouting (she’s a District Commissioner and Wood Badge instructor).

Our son Luke is a certified diesel mechanic. Colton, our youngest, will enter Texas A&M this fall where he will major in aerospace engineering and join the Corps of Cadets.

So, that’s us in a nutshell. We look forward to getting to know you and engaging in the community here. And no, I’m not here to change your lives, but rather integrate into the community. Feel free to drop me a line at joe@fredericksburgstandard.com.