AUSTIN/FINAL CHAPTER

Early the next morning, we washed the big rig from stem to stern. With her chrome rims polished she was a show stopper. We moved her to her designated spot for the rodeo and spent the rest of the day relaying equipment and supplies from the support vehicle. That afternoon the operations crew arrived, Kim, the manager, and Ashley from California and Cynthia from Atlanta. All are very valuable, hard working, experienced food service people. Cynthia possesses the magic formula for the barbecue sauce that makes Joe’s Famous KC Barbecue so exceptional. It is all committed to memory. You might as well try to rob Fort Knox as to try and extract her secret recipe from her.

With the aroma of Cynthia’s smoked ribs and beef brisket filling the air we spent the next day putting the finishing touches on the rig. Kim lined up a restaurant supplier for local needs and interviewed temporary workers to assist the core group. Tommy arranged for propane service and did a variety of invaluable fix-it chores. We were ready. The fair and rodeo opened with gorgeous spring weather and temperature in the high 70’s.

For someone like me, from out of state, it was a showcase of all that is Texas. Pick up trucks were labeled Texas Edition. What other state has its own Edition. The two largest exhibits there were Dodge Truck and John Deere, with all their tractors and farm equipment. Cowboy boots were almost as common on women as they were on men. On women it did not seem to matter if they were wearing Levi’s or dresses of any length, they still wore boots.

Guys, of course, wear the Texas uniform. I love the look. It starts with the mandatory boots. There is the traditional cowboy boot heel worn by the hard core and younger Texans that seems to go to a more moderate or gentlemen’s heel as they get older. But make no mistake they are still boots. Next come the Levi’s. They appear to be starched but that does not seem possible. In some cases they are most certainly ironed to a sharp crease, almost like military dress pants. Half way up the body you have the belt and requisite belt buckle. These can range from something rather tasteful to something resembling a hub cap, often obscured completely by an overhanging gut. I love the shirts. They are always highly starched and most often brightly colored plaids and checks with the cowboy yoke in the back. Top all of this off with a cowboy hat the size of a man-hole cover and there you have it.

I did not get to see extreme bull riding. It was paired with whatever country and western act that was appearing. If you bought a combined ticket you could view the bull riding first and then the concert. Among the acts were Lady Antebellum, The Doobie Brothers and others. I watched some of the early round rodeo events such as calf roping and an event where a pair of riders tries to team up to separate a calf from a herd of 10, in sequence. Exciting stuff. One of the more moving events to watch was an equestrian event where handicapped children were led around different obstacles in the ring.

George and Bridget, two good friends who have lived in Austin for years, picked me up for dinner one night. Fulfilling my request for something with a local flavor we dined at a well known Austin steakhouse. After a meal to-die-for they drove me on a tour of the city. They showed me a tower where some 40 plus years ago the nation watched as a sniper terrorized the city of Austin and killed several innocent people. We saw Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, home of the Longhorn football team. Being an avid college football fan and having visited many of our countries famous college stadiums, I was happy to add this to my list. We drove by the State Capital building and then down 6th Street, the night life center of Austin. It was a nice finishing touch to my visit to this very special part of our country.

I flew home that Monday with the thought that I would return when the fair and rodeo were over to help pack up and return the 2 trucks to Kansas City. Unfortunately I will not be able to make the return trip. I had not been feeling well while in Austin and my wife Terry could sense that when I made my nightly calls home. She picked me up at the airport on my return and insisted I go to a walk-in medical clinic before going home. I was sent for x-rays that showed double pneumonia. A return to Austin is not in the cards.