Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas Outdoor Stories from Texas Parks and Wildlife

To Mindy Waters, all rocks are hidden gems, just waiting to be found and added to her collection at home in Cedar Creek.

Oh we have jaspers, agate, petrified wood. Rocks lining our garden and rocks lining our driveway. They’re everywhere in our house! You open a drawer and there’s a rock, you know.

She and her husband are confessed “rock hounds” and enjoy scouring the Texas countryside in a game of rock hide and seek.

We just love rocks, we hunt rocks, we go to different places. And once you look at some rocks, you get hooked. If it’s in your blood and you want to hunt rocks, that will do it.

And it certainly is in their blood—nipping on the heels of their rock hunt are their up and coming collector grandchildren, or “pebble puppies.”

McKinney Roughs has a lot of good places to look for rocks; just lying on the ground. You find a lot of jaspers, flint. I remember my grandson and I, when he was young, he’d pick up a yellow rock and he’d say, “what’s this?” I’d say, “that’s flint.” Then he’d pick up a red rock and say, “What’s this?” and I’d say, “Well hun’ that’s flint also.” Then he’d pick up a black rock, he’d say, “Don’t tell me it’s flint, right?” I’d go, “yes.” We have a lot of flint here. It’s amazing! So even though it’s flint it just comes in many, many colors. Once you start really looking at what you walk on, it’s amazing, it really is.

Share your outdoor passion at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with research and writing help from Sarah Loden… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas Outdoor Stories from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Nan Crouch and her sister Jan Wigginton of Brady, are avid outdoorswomen and hunt together whenever they can. Nan shared a “dirty” story with us about the rainy day she bagged a big buck on family property in Rochelle.

So, in order to get it out, we had to go back to the cabin and call my husband to come clean it for me. On the way back, we were excited and not paying attention, and we ran through this low place in the road and we got stuck [in the mud] up to the axels on the three-wheeler.

But, anyway, he came down and went over and got the buck, got him cleaned, got him back to town. It was quite an experience and it was fun. (giggles) You know, we never have a camera when we do stuff like this, because we’re always doing something kind of dumb.

Nan listens to our show on KNEL in Brady. She also won the grand prize in our Texas Outdoor Story promotion this summer. Learn more at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Texas Outdoor Story--Nan Crouch Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas Outdoor Stories from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Passport intern, Sarah Loden, shares a story about her lifelong appreciation of fireflies.

I grew up on a small street in San Antonio, and our backyard was woods, and at night there were fireflies.

But, yeah, it’s something nice about a little blinking light that you chase after. I do like fireflies a lot—even now. Where my boyfriend lives, it’s really woody there, and I just saw one the other night. But, it’s so rare, which is why it’s such a treat.

Thanks, Sarah. Go to passporttotexas.org and share your Texas Outdoor Story, if we use it, we’ll send you a Passport t-shirt.

That’s our show… Remember: Life’s Better Outside ©…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Outdoor Story--Passport Intern Sarah Loden Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program

Several years ago, we met, then, 15-year-old Mike Landin at Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo. The Austin resident told us about a time he went deer hunting with his Dad, and they came upon a huge buck.

And this deer was bigger than I’d ever seen in my life, and I was like 14 and I was shaking real bad, and I…I ended up missing him, but we thought I got him. So we sat in the blind for about a half an hour and I was like, okay — c’mon Dad, c’mon Dad, we’ve gotta get him. So we walked around for about two hours just looking for this deer. I heard this like sound, and it was like this sound of something scraping. And I was like, I found the deer, I swear this is it! And I hopped over this little cliff hanger thing and I was like I found it! I found it! And ran over and it was an armadillo. I got all excited over this armadillo there again. And we found out I missed this huge buck! And that’s my hunting story.

Mike’s Aunt Kay who was with him, tipped us off that Mike is all Texan, but likes to tell stories using phony accents… and we’re glad he does.

Join us at Expo this weekend in Austin at Texas Parks and Wildlife Headquarters…and get in touch with your inner outdoor enthusiast…and it’s free.

That’s our show …we receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

EXPO: Deer of Dillo? Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas Outdoor Stories from Texas Parks and Wildlife

We all come somewhere, and Chris Holmes, who oversees the Texas Outdoor Family in State Parks program, comes from England. From the time he was a boy, Chris had a passion for the outdoors. It made sense that when he became an adult, he would seek a career that kept him close to nature. He has followed that career to several continents and two hemispheres. This is his outdoor story.

I was a park ranger once in Australia. And we had some monitor lizards that were fairly aggressive—similar to the raccoons here in Texas—they would go after food. And it was always very funny to watch these monitor lizards slinking up towards tents, and smelling the food. These lizards were about five to six feet long.

So, having a monitor lizard stick their head through the tent—a lot of people are not used to seeing that. So that was a lot of fun. And sometimes, maybe we had some mischievous young adults that have kept us awake at nighttime, so we may have encouraged the lizards to go see them in the morning.

Monitor lizards are like raccoons. I don’t think so. Thanks, Chris.

If you have a fond memory of time you’ve spent in the Texas outdoors…tell us. Go to passportotexas.org and click the Outdoor Stories link. If we use your story, we’ll send you a Life’s Better Outside t-shirt. What are you waiting for?

That’s our show…for today. Remember: Life’s Better Outside… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

Outdoor Story: Chris Holmes Play Now | Play in Popup | Download