Pull Tight

  Paluxy River White Bluff Creek “SIR, SIR” came an urgent shout from some distance behind me. I was standing near the confluence of White Bluff Creek and the Paluxy River on what is sometimes referred to as Flat Rocks with my back to the road traversing the creek without a bridge. It was an early spring morning after a rainstorm the night before. I stopped my car a few minutes earlier to enjoy hearing nothing except the sound of water rushing over the limestone riverbed. About 6 miles upstream from Glen Rose, Texas, and less than a mile from the little patch of land made famous in the book Hard Scrabble by John Graves.  Flat Rocks is a nickname given to the fairly flat and usually dry rock formation of a few thousand square feet.  It may be that the locals called it flat rocks because the city park in Glen Rose is officially named “Big Rocks”. It was popular as an out of the way place for high schoolers to congregate on weekend nights around campfires many years ago, pe...

Cynthia McIntire Born to Ben and Montie Holmes Wann, the second of five children on April 9, 1927. Cynthia was born, raised, and lived in Paluxy where she spent the next more than ninety years. Only leaving Paluxy for a few months in Florida early in her marriage and then for her last couple of years in a nursing home as the result of a fall followed by a stroke. She is survived by Clinton (Junior to many), husband of 73 years, children Terry, Sheila, Sharon, sister Glenda, sister in law Jean, 7 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren. While the last 3 years of her life were difficult because of declining health, very few of us will experience 91 good, happy years with family, friends, and home. And, this is what she had. She and Clinton were rarely apart. They worked together side by side on the farm. They traveled and socialized extensively after retirement mostly with the local Good Sams group of which they were members for over 25 years. She was a great mother, but cou...

Work out number 500 I was already a Medicare recipient for my first Camp Gladiator workout. Attended a presentation and thought why not give it a try.   My only exercise for the past few years was the occasional bike ride.   Got out of bed with joints popping and an aching back each morning. I was also considering surgery for a chronically swollen and enlarged joint in one of my feet. Although everyone at Camp Gladiator was always very supportive, I suspect many thought, “What is this old guy doing here, he will be gone soon.” Made it through the first workout without throwing up or passing out (a co-camper generously reminded me she was a nurse well versed in CPR).   Struggled to finish sets with 8 lb. dumbbells and mostly walked warm-up laps.   Didn’t think my joints would hold up to this kind of work out even if the rest of me did. Fast forward about 3 ½ years.   I now struggle with 20 lb. dumbbells and can do most of the running.   I have ...

Wildhood: The Epic Journey from Adolescence to Adulthood in Humans and Other Animals by Barbara Natterson-Horowitz My rating: 5 of 5 stars If you have a teenager, know teenagers or were ever a teenager yourself, this is a must read. That animal adolescents are so similar to human adolescents is amazing. And the book written by a female scientist gives a somewhat unique perspective. Highly recommend. View all my reviews