FOOD FESTS
ARE EVERYWHERE
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WHERE EXACTLY
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Oh, My Heavens Check out the dazzling displays at planetariums around the state
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contents
September 2026 04 05 16
25 26 10
30
for Everyone
The Fungus Among Us
33
By Melissa Gaskill Photos by Tiffany Hofeldt
By Pam LeBlanc Illustrations by Jim Starr
06 Making Space Light pollution blotting out the stars? Head to your local planetarium.
The good times just mushroom when small-town festivals celebrate local produce.
34
Currents The latest buzz TCP Talk Readers respond Co-op News Information plus energy and safety tips from your cooperative Footnotes in Texas History The Line in the Sand By W.F. Strong TCP Kitchen Pancakes and Waffles By Vianney Rodriguez Hit the Road The Mother of All State Parks By Chet Garner Focus on Texas Photo Contest: Rodeo Observations Speaking of Long Commutes By Erica Flocke
ON THE COVER
Visitors enjoy a show at the Burke Baker Planetarium in Houston. Photo by Tiffany Hofeldt ABOVE
Mushrooms and tomatoes are among the dozens of locally grown products celebrated at street festivals. Illustration by Jim Starr T E X ASC OOPPOW E R .COM
S EP T EMB ER 2026 T E X AS C O - O P POW E R 3
currents
Among the Trees Contests and More $500 RECIPE CONTEST Lemony Delights
FOCUS ON TEXAS PHOTOS Barns
ENTER ONLINE
FINISH THIS SENTENCE
When I was a kid ... Big Jake, the mascot of the Texas State Forest Festival, demonstrates ax throwing. W H E N T H E F O U R- DAY Texas State Forest Festival kicks off September 17 in
Lufkin, it continues a tradition that began in 1938. The event, in the heart of the Pineywoods, features a variety of activities, including a carnival, barbecue competition, music and chain saw carving. In 2022, Texas sawmills produced enough lumber to make two-by-fours that could reach the moon and back. Did you know? Texas has 59 million acres of forestland, more than any other state except Alaska. About 93% of that is privately owned.
Hair Apparent
Only five elected American Presidents— John Adams; John Quincy Adams, right; Martin Van Buren; James Garfield; and Dwight Eisenhower—were bald or balding. Considering that 85% of men suffer hair loss by age 50, that’s perhaps an astonishing record. Something to think about on National Bald is Beautiful Day, September 13.
Tell us how you would finish that
sentence. Email your short responses to letters@TexasCoopPower.com or
comment on our Facebook post. Include your co-op and town.
Here are some responses to our
July prompt: Need a hobby? Learn to … Volunteer in your community.
DEEDEE SIMPSON CECA CISCO
Appreciate and utilize all that the state parks have to offer. K I T VA U G H N PEDERNALES EC LIBERTY HILL
Do tai chi. It will make you want to be a better person. MARY BUSEMAN COSERV LEWISVILLE
Sign language—or any language. CRISTI SWINNEY T AY L O R E C TRENT
Letterboxing: a secretive treasure hunt activity that combines hiking, puzzle solving and stamp carving. S T E V E YA T E S PEDERNALES EC WIMBERLEY
Visit our website to see more responses. 4 T E X AS C O - O P POW ER SEPTEMBER 2026
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LUMB ERJACK : CO URTE SY TE X AS STAT E FO REST F EST IVAL . JO HN Q U INCY ADAM S: ‘A SCHOO L HI STORY O F T HE UN ITE D STATE S’ (1894). PIE : MAT THE W BE N OIT | DRE AMSTIME .C OM
RECOMMENDED READING Learn about William Johnson McDonald, the eccentric banker who funded the McDonald Observatory in West Texas against his family’s wishes. Find our story from December 2020 on our website.
TCP TALK J U LY 2 0 2 6 A Big Leap From Doodles
A NNA M A Z U R EK
“ I probably have the only one of Jeffie Brewer’s works in San Angelo. It survived a wildfire while being relocated from Alto, New Mexico, to Lubbock.”
Spotting His Critters
My mom and I recently visited a friend in Santa Fe, New Mexico. I think we ran into Jeffie Brewer’s Orange Cat on an art walk [A Big Leap From Doodles, July 2026]. Now I know the artist’s story. How fun! Lisa King Pedernales EC Austin
Our regional bike trail network in eastcentral Illinois has commissioned several sculptures to place alongside the trails. People love them and even set their routes by the distance between critters. There are designated “critter loops” riders enjoy. Thanks, Jeffie, for making our rides more fun and whimsical. Betsy Carlson-Ward Via Facebook
ROBIN LONG C O N C H O VA L L E Y E C SAN ANGE LO
Historic Washout
I remember that Houston Astros rainout because I was at home waiting for my dad to come home from work while listening to what was supposed to be the start of the game on the radio [Currents, Under the Weather, June 2026]. They announced the game was called, noted the historic nature of the event and Dad didn’t get home until about 11 p.m. Michael Knight Via Facebook
Artifact No-No’s
As an archaeology steward for the Texas Historical Commission, I feel it important to remind readers that in the state of Texas, it’s illegal to search for and recover artifacts—be they projectile points or stone tools—on private property without permission and on public lands at all, ever [He Kept Digging, May 2026]. The penalties can be severe, including imprisonment. Readers can research this topic on THC’s website. Françoise Wilson Central Texas EC Gillespie County
WRITE TO U S
COU RT ESY KE NN E T H GARRE T T
letters@TexasCoopPower.com
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Editor, Texas Co-op Power 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor Austin, TX 78701 Please include your electric co-op and town. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.
TEXAS ELECTRIC COOPERATIVES BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chair Cameron Smallwood, Burleson Vice Chair Jim Coleman, Edna Secretary-Treasurer Robert Walker, Gilmer Board Members Ryan Bartlett, Merkel Matt Bentke, Bastrop • Kerry Kelton, Navasota Zac Perkins, Hooker, Oklahoma PRESIDENT/CEO Mike Williams, Austin
COMMUNICATIONS & MEMBER SERVICES COMMITTEE Mike Ables, Bellville • Kathi Calvert, Crockett Tachi Hinojosa, Fredericksburg Gary Miller, Bryan • Bryan Story, Blossom Grace Subealdea, Dalhart Buff Whitten, Eldorado
MAGAZINE STAFF Vice President, Communications & Member Services Martin Bevins Editor Chris Burrows Associate Editor Tom Widlowski Production Manager Karen Nejtek Creative Manager Andy Doughty Advertising Manager Elaine Sproull Communications Specialist Samantha Bryant Digital Media Specialist Cayt Calhoun Senior Designer Stacy Coale Assistant Production Manager Alex Dal Santo Print Production Specialist Grace Fultz Communications Specialist Erin Perez Food Editor Vianney Rodriguez Communications Specialist Claire Stevens Communications Specialist Kelly Tran Proofreader Louie Bond TEXAS CO-OP POWER Volume 83, Number 3 (USPS 540-560). Texas Co-op Power is published monthly by Texas Electric Cooperatives. Periodical postage paid at Austin, TX, and at additional offices. TEC is the statewide association representing 77 electric cooperatives. Texas Co-op Power’s website is TexasCoopPower.com. Call (512) 4540311 or email editor@TexasCoopPower.com. SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription price is $5.53 per year for individual members of subscribing cooperatives and is paid from equity accruing to the member. If you are not a member of a sub scribing cooperative, you can purchase an annual subscription at the nonmember rate of $7.50. Co-op members: Please notify your co-op of address changes or other subscription requests. POSTMASTER Send address changes to Texas Co-op Power (USPS 540-560), 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701. Please enclose label from this copy of Texas Co-op Power showing old address and key numbers. ADVERTISING Contact Elaine Sproull at (512) 486-6251 or esproull@texas-ec.org for information about purchasing display ad space in Texas Co-op Power and/or in our 26 sister publications in other states. Advertisements in Texas Co-op Power are paid solicitations. The publisher neither endorses nor guarantees in any manner any product or company included in this publication. COPYRIGHT All content © 2026 Texas Electric Cooperatives Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this issue or any portion of it is expressly prohibited without written permission. Willie Wiredhand © 2026 National Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
Texas Co-op Power S EP T EMB ER 2026 T E X AS C O - O P POW E R 5
MAKING
SPACE FOR EVERYONE BY M E L I S S A G A S K I L L • P H OTO S BY T I F FA N Y H O F E L DT
THIS PAGE The wonders of the night sky are always accessible at the Burke Baker Planetarium in Houston.
OPPOS ITE , FROM TOP With more
than a dozen planetariums around the state, visitors have access to celestial sites that can stir the imagination. Burke Baker was one of the first planetariums in Texas when it opened in 1964.
Light pollution blotting out the stars? Head to your local planetarium
I
n the 1950s, Harlingen Air Force Base used
a domed planetarium building to teach pilots navigation by the stars. When the base closed in 1962, the building was donated to what is now the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and it eventually fell into disrepair. But in 2008, H-E-B funded renovations that added a digital projector system and, in 2012, a new dome. Now regular folks of all ages can visit and get a front-row seat to the stars in Edinburg. “H-E-B asked that it be free and open to the public,” says Christian Hernandez, program specialist at the UTRGV planetarium. “They wanted to inspire a new generation, and I think they made good on that desire.” The Milky Way shines high above in September, with the constellation Pegasus rising in the east. Venus will be bright in early evening, with Jupiter most visible at dawn. But if it’s cloudy or you live near a big city or industry, you won’t be able to see any of it. At a planetarium, you can enjoy these constellations and planets as well as other astronomical wonders from a comfy chair with no worries about light pollution from cities or satellites, cloudy skies, heat or cold, bugs, or the hard ground. And in Texas—with at least 15 permanent planetariums
across the state—chances are good that there’s one just down the road from you and with technological advances you might not expect.
Space Over Time The first modern planetarium opened in Munich, Germany, in 1925, displaying 4,500 stars and the planets of our solar system. Five years later, the first facility in the U.S., the Adler Planetarium, opened in Chicago. More quickly followed in Philadelphia, Los Angeles and New York City. Texas got its first, Fort Worth’s 40-foot-diameter Noble Planetarium, in 1955, and soon Houston and Abilene had their own. Planetarium popularity soared after the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 1 satellite launched in 1957 and during the 1960s race to the moon. These days, as artificial light drowns out more of the night sky, folks flock to planetariums to see what they’re missing outside. Those early planetariums used mechanical star projectors that beamed light through slides patterned with tiny holes to depict celestial bodies on a domed ceiling. Gears and motors simulated the movements of stars and planets, creating astonishingly realistic night skies. Such machines, made by Zeiss, a German company that produced the original Munich projector, and Pennsylvaniabased Spitz Laboratories, which developed its first system in the 1940s, remain in use at many planetariums. But now most facilities have digital projector systems that
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Sunset at the Burke Baker Planetarium, where, indoors, it can always be nighttime.
“ Under the dome, phenomena that can seem abstract or distant become tangible and awe-inspiring. It’s like a time machine, looking back at how the universe was.” blend multiple high-resolution images into an uninterrupted scene covering the entire dome. These systems can produce the likenesses of millions of stars and extremely detailed 3D objects and events in deep space. Advances in sound and control systems and improved dome surfaces help make planetarium experiences even more immersive and realistic. For example, the Stephen F. Austin State University Planetarium in Nacogdoches, which opened in 2018, features a state-of-the-art 4K Digistar system, says Director Dan Bruton. Abilene’s Morgan Jones Planetarium upgraded in 2004 from its original Spitz Star Projector to a digital projector, says Jason Barber, planetarium director, and in 2019, it installed a laser system. “With modern projectors, you can go into the stars, you can model the entire Milky Way,” Barber explains. “It’s kind of like a video game, but the shape of a dome creates a 3D effect, so you feel like you’re there. It’s like being in a spaceship.”
Beyond Space Nowadays, planetarium experiences go well beyond tours of the night sky, popular as those are. You can fly visually through space and time and view immersive films about the Great Barrier Reef, dinosaurs or Mars. Experience a laser light show set to music from artists like Pink Floyd, Queen and Taylor Swift. 8 T E X AS C O - O P POW ER SEPTEMBER 2026
The H-E-B Planetarium in South Texas shows educational films about space, Hernandez says, and others just for entertainment. Bruton says SFASU designed its planetarium to connect the university with its East Texas community and make science accessible and engaging for all ages. Astronomy students at the university keep track of what’s currently visible in the sky—perhaps a constellation, planet or comet—and program the Digistar system to show it. Immersive shows include Dark Universe, which explores dark matter, dark energy and the structure of the universe, and Antarctica, a dive into one of the most extreme environments on Earth. Abilene presents monthly public shows, and Barber’s favorite is one produced by the European Southern Observatory in Chile, called Unveiling the Invisible Universe. It uses actual time-lapse imagery of stars, not a computer model, he says. Another, Messengers of Time and Space, shows how astronomers use land-based telescopes along with spacebased facilities like NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, currently orbiting the sun 1 million miles away from Earth, and Hubble, circling 300 miles above Earth since 1990. “Planetariums give people a sense of perspective,” Hernandez says. “It’s one thing to talk about the scale of the universe, but that 360-degree dome screen does an amazing job of letting you feel it. Watching a film about searching for the edge of the solar system, it really hits you how big the solar system is. “Films that go into the universe, dark holes and cosmic matter really put into perspective that we are a blue dot in a grand tapestry of planets and stars. It’s an important and humbling experience.” Bruton agrees. “Under the dome, phenomena that can seem abstract or distant become tangible and awe-inspiring. It’s like a time machine, looking back at how the universe was.” So grab one of those comfy chairs at your local planetarium. You’re bound to have a stellar experience. D T E X ASC O O P POWER .C O M
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The good times just mushroom when small-town festivals celebrate local produce
B Y PA M L E B L A N C • I L L U S T R AT I O N S B Y J I M S TA R R
sampled mushroom-flavored soda, chatted with the author of a book about toadstools, admired a roomful of fungus photographs and learned a little about mushroom farming. But the real magic of the Texas Mushroom Festival occurred when I watched a crowd form outside a tent serving portobello mushroom tacos. Was I really still in Texas? 1 0 T E X AS C O - O P POW ER SEPTEMBER 2026
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A quick glance at the boots- and hat-wearing folks surrounding me as I strolled the courthouse square in Madisonville assured me I hadn’t wandered off course. This city of 4,400, located 40 miles northeast of Bryan, is home to one of several farms operated by California-based Monterey Mushrooms, and in 2005, the Texas Legislature named it the official Mushroom Capital of the Lone Star State. Madisonville clearly loves fungus, and its annual celebration draws mobs of mycophiles. The Texas Mushroom Festival is one of dozens of street festivals around the state that celebrate local produce and growers. You can toast tomatoes in Jacksonville, salute strawberries in Poteet and Pasadena, honor onions in Weslaco, praise peaches in Stonewall and Weatherford, recognize rice in Winnie—and a whole lot more. T E X ASC OOPPOW E R .COM
Many of the events have deep roots in Texas, which is known as a leading producer of specialty crops such as pecans, sweet potatoes, blueberries, watermelons and citrus. Each has its own quirky traditions. The Texas Citrus Fiesta in Mission, which started in 1932 as a nod to the Rio Grande Valley’s winter harvest of grapefruit and oranges, has long included a style show featuring elaborate gowns made from citrus leaves, stems, fruit and peels that have been pulverized, dehydrated, blended and microwaved. Visitors race to see how many tomatoes they can peel— using only their teeth—at the Jacksonville Tomato Fest. Growers compete to see who can bring the best price for their harvest during the auction at the Poteet Strawberry Festival. The Texas Onion Fest in Weslaco draws more than 25,000 attendees, all who come to celebrate the sweet Texas 1015 onion, the state vegetable of Texas, named for its suggested planting date of October 15.
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asher pitching, mutton bustin’ and a full-blown rodeo are part of the action at the Stonewall Peach JAMboree, which also features peach pit spitting and peach eating contests. And at the Luling Watermelon Thump, which dates to 1954, visitors can pucker up for the watermelon seed spitting contest or square off in an (impressively messy) watermelon eating competition.
With all that to choose from, I couldn’t resist the idea of spending a fall day in a small town, focusing on something that grows from a microscopic spore into one of nature’s most perfect pizza toppings. The Texas Mushroom Festival officially began in 2001 under a single tent, with a few vendors, a sole musician and about a dozen fungus-themed T-shirts. This year’s event, set for October 17, is expected to draw between 10,000 and 15,000 visitors and 150 vendors. The day starts with the Shiitake 5K Run and includes such attractions as a quilt show, an automobile showcase, beer and wine tasting, live music, a kids’ zone, silent auction, and mushroom picking contest.
“It just kind of sparked into this monster,” says festival director (and confirmed mushroom lover) Dennum Hudson, who was watching the action at last year’s event from a sidewalk at the edge of the square, where she waxed poetic about edible fungus. “I love mushrooms any way—fried, grilled, sautéed, raw. And we have lots of pickled mushrooms here as well.” But mushrooms are an acquired taste for some. A few minutes after arriving at the festival on a muggy October afternoon, I spotted Miss Mushroom, Allie Brewer of 1 2 T E X AS C O - O P POW ER SEPTEMBER 2026
Centerville. The 20-year-old pageant winner, wearing a bedazzled silver crown, a rose-colored shirt, gold sandals and a red sash, confessed she doesn’t much like them. “But I’d be up for trying some of them for sure,” she added quickly. Then she showed me her finds from a few laps through the festival’s mushroom market—a pair of earrings, a shirt and a lavender lemonade snow cone. Next, I wandered over to the Monterey Mushroom tent, where white, thumb-shaped shrooms sprouted from a mound of soft, dark soil. The farm’s growing manager, Armando Juarez, told me that the company’s local facility, located about 5 miles south of town, grows white, portobello and specialty mushrooms such as shiitake and oyster. It also makes dried mushrooms. In all, the facility produces more than a half-million pounds of the fleshy, spore-bearing fruits of fungus each week. “They’re extremely healthy,” he told me, noting that mushrooms contain vitamin D and potassium. They’re also low in calories and rich in fiber. I learned a few other facts about mushrooms at the festival. Besides coming in handy for cooking—and dang, those portobello tacos were tasty—they’re used for medicinal purposes and have been for thousands of years. T E X ASC O O P POWER .C O M
At its booth, Viking Farms, based in nearby Normangee, was selling an array of tinctures that purport to ease symptoms of menopause, improve mental clarity and boost recovery from injury. It also was selling a colorful lineup of gourmet mushrooms used for cooking, including pink and blue oysters, black pearl kings, shiitakes, and lion’s manes, which look more like softball-sized pompoms than something you’d toss in a sauté pan. I also learned that unless you’re making soup or a liquidbased one-pot meal, you don’t have to wash mushrooms. That just makes the caps slimy. Instead, brush off any dirt and wipe them with a damp paper towel. At another booth I sampled mushroom coffee, which I can only describe as “earthy.” (I’ll stick to hot tea, thanks.) I perused a display of mushroom honey, a rack of mushroom jerky and bottles of mushroom kombucha. One vendor peddled energy shots made with a root-like fungal structure called mycelium, which looks like a wad of unspooled thread.
I chatted with Alisha Gabriel, author of the picture book Fungi Are … More Than Mushrooms, and spent a few minutes listening to singer Wade Phillips belt out a few numbers next to the courthouse steps. That’s a lot of mushroom madness. I ended my day at the Texas Mushroom Festival with a full belly and a newfound respect for the funky fungus. Who knew a lowly mushroom could do so many things? The experience reminded me of the importance of Texas agriculture. Food doesn’t magically appear in the grocery store; it comes from farms. And Texas farmers work hard to bring their crops to market. Get out and celebrate them. If you’re not into mushrooms, get fired up for Hill Country peaches or East Texas yams. And as a bonus, you’ll get a side of small-town Texas, delivered with pride. D
Best of the Fests Across Texas, communities celebrate their annual harvests with old-fashioned festivals. Here are some of the better known.
Texas Citrus Fiesta Mission, January
Watermelon Jubilee Stockdale, June
Floresville Peanut Festival Floresville, October 6–10
Texas Onion Fest Weslaco, March
Luling Watermelon Thump Luling, June
Groves Pecan Festival Groves, October 8–11
Poteet Strawberry Festival Poteet, April
Holland Corn Festival Holland, June
Avocado Festival Pharr, October 10
Pasadena Strawberry Festival Pasadena, May
Parker County Peach Festival Weatherford, July
East Texas Yamboree Gilmer, October 14–17
Jacksonville Tomato Fest Jacksonville, June
Gorman Peanut Festival Gorman, September 12
Texas Blueberry Festival Nacogdoches, June
Grapefest Grapevine, September 17–20
Stonewall Peach JAMboree & Rodeo Stonewall, June
Texas Rice Festival Winnie, September 30– October 3
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Texas Mushroom Festival Madisonville, October 17 Golden Sweet Potato Festival Golden, October 24
S EP T EMB ER 2026 T E X AS C O - O P POW E R 1 3
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BANDERA EC News
Safety is our Primary Concern MESSAGE FROM CEO
WILLIAM “BILL” HETHERINGTON
WITH THE NEW SCHOOL season underway, we should reaffirm the commitment to practicing safe driving. As you know driving is not a right but a privilege, and requires practice and patience. BEC has more than 100 vehicles on the road each day, traveling more than 1 million miles annually, so for us vehicle safety is an everyday focus. Unfortunately, not all roads are created equally. As one of the many who travel on State Highway 46 between Boerne and Bandera, I have seen my fair share of accidents and near misses on that 11-mile stretch of road. I recently met with a member who lives along this corridor, and he provided me with some shocking information. The 11-mile stretch of SH 46 between I-10 and SH 16 is one of the busiest and, by state crash data, one of the most dangerous. 47% of the fatal and serious-injury crashes were head-on crashes and over the last 5 years there have been 6 fatalities and more than 20 serious injuries. But there is promising news: due to the tireless efforts of this member and his sustained advocacy and coordination with the Texas Department of Transportation, TxDOT has
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committed to a set of funded safety improvements for the corridor. These include centerline rumble strips, a wider buffer between opposing lanes, protective barriers, and turn lanes at several intersections. This is funded and is scheduled to move forward in the next several months with construction scheduled for early 2028, but this can be moved up if we let our elected officials and TxDOT know that this is a priority. Not only is BEC an advocate for safety for our employees, we are also advocates for the safety of our members. Bandera Electric Cooperative is proud to add its voice and support for these much-needed improvements along with many local governments, school districts, and community organizations that have called on TxDOT to keep this important safety work moving forward without delay. Members who would like to learn more or share their thoughts on the SH 46 safety project are encouraged to contact their local officials, county commissioners, state representatives, and senators. Let’s commit to doing all we can to make our roads safer.
BAND E R A E LE CTRI C C O O P E R AT IV E
8/5/26 11:38 AM
Shining a Light on What Matters: Become a BEACON Founding Member EVERY GREAT MOVEMENT STARTS with a small group of people who choose to be involved from the very beginning. At Bandera Electric Cooperative, we’re inviting you to become one of those people by joining BEACON, the Bandera Electric Advocacy & Community Outreach Network, as a Founding Member. BEACON is a new way for members to stay connected to the issues that matter most to our cooperative, our communities, and the future of rural Texas. From energy policy and broadband expansion to infrastructure and other issues that may affect BEC, BEACON provides timely, factual information when it matters most.
Why Become a Founding Member?
This is your opportunity to be part of BEACON from the very beginning. Members who join by September 30, 2026, will be recognized as Founding Members of BEC’s newest member initiative and will be among the first to receive important updates, resources, and opportunities to engage.
As a Founding Member, you’ll: Be among the first to know when important issues affect BEC, electric cooperatives or rural Texas. Receive invitations to future Community Conversations with elected officials and community leaders. Gain access to BEACON’s growing library of member resources, including a new county-by-county Election Resources page. Receive advocacy alerts only when important issues arise. Most importantly, you’ll be helping build a stronger, more informed cooperative from day one. Your participation demonstrates a commitment to staying informed, engaged, and connected to the future of your cooperative and the communities we serve.
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Information When It Matters
At BEC, we know your inbox is already full. That’s why BEACON isn’t another marketing email list. Our commitment is simple: we’ll only contact you when there’s important information that could affect your cooperative, your community, or rural Texas. No political endorsements. No campaign messaging. No unnecessary emails or texts. Just clear, factual information that helps you stay informed and engaged when it matters most.
Learn More in Person
Curious about BEACON and how it helps keep members informed and connected? Be sure to stop by the BEACON booth during Bandera Electric Cooperative’s Fall Festival and Annual Meeting on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Enchanted Springs Ranch in Boerne, Texas. Our team will be there to answer your questions, explain how BEACON works, and share how it helps members stay informed about issues affecting Bandera Electric Cooperative, rural communities, and the future of Texas. For more information about BEC’s Fall Festival and Annual Meeting, visit BanderaElectric.com/annualmeeting.
Join the Network
For more than 85 years, BEC has connected communities through reliable electric service. BEACON is the next chapter in that commitment, connecting members with trusted information and meaningful opportunities to stay engaged in the future of their cooperative. Become a BEACON Founding Member before September 30, 2026, by scanning the QR code below or visiting BanderaElectric.com/beacon. Be among the first to know. Be among the first to engage. Be among the first to help shape the future of your co-op. Stay informed. Stay connected. Stay engaged.D
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Save Energy This September with BEC Home Upgrades AS THE SUMMER HEAT BEGINS to fade, September is the perfect time to make energy-saving improvements that will keep your home comfortable and your electric bills under control year-round. BEC offers a variety of services and programs designed to help members improve energy efficiency while preparing for future weather challenges. One of the best ways to reduce energy use is by upgrading your HVAC system. New, high-efficiency units use less electricity while providing better comfort, helping you save money every month. Adding new insulation is another smart investment. Proper insulation keeps cool air inside during warmer months and helps maintain indoor temperatures throughout the year, reducing the strain on your heating and cooling system. Replacing old, drafty windows can also make a significant difference. Energy-efficient windows help minimize heat transfer, allowing your HVAC system to work more efficiently and keeping your home comfortable in every season. Upgrading your HVAC, insulation, and windows is easy with BEC’s low interest, on-bill financing, but it doesn’t stop there! Do even more for your home by joining BEC’s Smart Battery Program. By enrolling in the program, you can help strengthen the electric grid during periods of high demand while gaining added peace of mind. A home battery can provide backup power during weather-related outages, helping keep essential appliances running when you need them most.
This September, take advantage of BEC’s energy-saving services to improve your home’s efficiency, lower your energy costs, and increase your resilience against weather-related outages. Small improvements today can lead to lasting comfort and savings for years to come. For more information about energy saving programs and services, scan the QR code or gives us a call at 866.226.3372.
SCAN ME!
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Activities Abound at BEC’s 2026 Fall Festival & Annual Meeting – RSVP Today! BANDERA ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE IS gearing up for its largest
event of the year – the 2026 Fall Festival & Annual Meeting, taking place on Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Enchanted Springs Ranch located at 242 TX-46 Boerne, Texas, 78006. Whether you attended last year or you’re joining us for the first time, we invite you to spend the morning with us. This year promises to be our biggest and most exciting festival yet, with new attractions, expanded children’s activities, delicious food, live entertainment, and opportunities to connect with the employees and directors who serve our membership every day.
More Family Fun Than Ever
Throughout the morning, guests can enjoy an impressive lineup of family-friendly entertainment and activities spread across the beautiful grounds of Enchanted Springs Ranch. Children can explore the obstacle course, bounce houses, hay maze, and petting zoo before climbing aboard a wagon ride through the ranch. Families are encouraged to stroll through the pumpkin patch and capture festive fall photos in front of several fall-themed photo areas. Professional trick ropers will showcase the skills and traditions of the American West while live western music provides the perfect soundtrack for the morning. Members can even join in the fun with line dancing demonstrations that are sure to get everyone moving. Creative activities return this year as well. Members can design their own custom bandana at the bandana bar, add a little sparkle at the glitter & gem bar, or visit the balloon artists for colorful creations. Need a break from the excitement? Families can relax in the Chill-Out Zone where younger children can enjoy coloring activities, cartoons, and a quiet space before heading back out to explore everything the festival has to offer. No matter your age, there’s something waiting around every corner.
Learn More About Your Cooperative
While the Fall Festival is filled with fun, it’s also an opportunity to connect with the cooperative you own. Throughout the morning, members can visit with employees from across BEC to learn about the many programs and services available to them. Representatives from BEC Fiber, Energy Services, Member Relations, and Operations will be available to answer questions, provide information, and share resources that can help members make the most of their cooperative membership. Interested in bringing high-speed fiber internet to your home or business? Curious about ways to reduce energy use or improve your home’s efficiency? Our employees are happy to visit with you and answer your questions. The Fall Festival is also a wonderful opportunity to meet many of the people who work behind the scenes to keep BEC operating safely and reliably throughout the year. From line workers and member service representatives to fiber technicians and leadership, you’ll have the chance to put faces with the names and departments that serve our members every day.
Your Cooperative in Action
The Annual Meeting is the cornerstone of BEC’s democratic cooperative governance and one of the most important benefits— and responsibilities—of cooperative membership. The business meeting begins at 10:00 a.m. in the Silver Spur Saloon, where members will hear updates on the cooperative’s progress and priorities and the results of the 2026 Board of Directors election for Districts 1, 2 and 3. Unlike investor-owned utilities, BEC is owned by the members it serves. The Annual Meeting provides an opportunity to hear directly from cooperative leadership about BEC’s financial health, major projects, system improvements and the strategic initiatives shaping the future of your cooperative. More than just an update, the Annual Meeting reflects the cooperative difference—where transparency, accountability and member ownership come together to ensure BEC remains guided by the needs and priorities of the communities it serves.
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Stay Connected Through BEACON
This year’s festival also provides an opportunity to learn about one of BEC’s newest member initiatives—BEACON (Bandera Electric Advocacy & Community Outreach Network). BEC has always believed that members should have a voice in the decisions that affect their communities. BEACON helps strengthen that voice by providing timely, factual, and nonpartisan information about legislative and policy issues that may impact electric cooperatives, rural broadband, energy reliability, infrastructure investments, and local control of electric service. Members who join BEACON will receive updates about issues affecting rural Texas and opportunities to engage with elected officials when their voices can make a difference. Stop by during the festival to learn more and see how easy it is to become involved.
RSVP and Win Great Prizes
Admission to the 2026 BEC Fall Festival & Annual Meeting is completely free for all BEC members and their families. To help us prepare enough food and activities for everyone attending, we encourage members to RSVP before arriving. Please scan the QR code to learn more and register – you will receive your free admission ticket via email and text message. Even better, everyone who RSVPs in advance will automatically be entered into one of several onsite prize raffles. This year’s raffle prizes have been generously sponsored by SEnergy, an energy-focused consulting firm delivering expert solutions for medium- and high-voltage electrical infrastructure. Bring your family and experience one of BEC’s favorite traditions. We look forward to celebrating the tradition of the cooperative spirit with all our members on October 17! D
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SCAN TO LEARN MORE AND RSVP!
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Bandera Electric Cooperative
A NGI E M OSI ER
Multigrain Pecan Waffles
2 cups low-fat buttermilk ½ cup old-fashioned rolled oats ⅔ cup whole-wheat pastry flour ⅔ cup all-purpose flour ⅓ cup chopped pecans ¼ cup whole-grain cornmeal 1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon canola oil 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1. In a medium bowl, mix buttermilk and oats. Set aside 15 minutes.
CO NTACT U S CO NTACT S P.O. Box 667 •UBandera, TX 78003 P.O. Box 667 • Bandera, TX 78003 Toll-Free 1-866-226-3372 (1-866-BANDERA) Toll-Free 1-866-226-3372 (1-866-BANDERA) Web banderaelectric.com Web banderaelectric.com Email mas@banderaelectric.com Email mas@banderaelectric.com Board of Directors Board of1 Directors District Robert Aguirre, Secretary-Treasurer Robert Aguirre 1 Pending District 2 Fulfillment 2 Jeffery Laue Frances“Jeff” “Fran”Slocum District 3 3 Jeremy Jeffery “Jeff” District 4 Diller, Slocum Vice Chairman Jeremy Diller, 4 Annegreth ViceNiemann Chairman District 5 “Anna” Annegreth 5 Richard “Anna” Niemann District 6 “Dick” Earnest 6 Christopher Earnest Richard “Dick” District 7 Blakemore, Chairman “Chris” 7 Michael Christopher “Chris” Blakemore District 8 D.T. Edwards 8 Kurt Michael D.T. Edwards, Chairman District 9 Solis District 9 Kurt Solis, Secretary-Treasurer Key Staff Key Staff William “Bill” Hetherington, CEO William “Bill” Hetherington, Stephanie Pankratz, CFO CEO Stephanie Pankratz, CFO John Padalino, General Counsel and CAO John Padalino, COO Counsel and CAO Shane Schmidt,General Shane Schmidt, COO Mission Statement Mission Statement Empowering communities with reliable and Our mission is lighting grid services andthe technologies to enhance innovative to empower everyday life.our members.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flours, pecans, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
Vision Statement Reimagining rural America. Building a sustainable and connected future together.
4. Coat a waffle iron with cooking spray and preheat. Spoon in enough batter to cover three-quarters of the surface (about ⅔ cup for an 8-inch round waffle iron). Cook until waffles are crisp and golden brown, 4–5 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Serve immediately.
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3. Stir eggs, oil and vanilla into the buttermilk-oat mixture. With a rubber spatula, mix in dry ingredients just until moistened.
SERVES 6
Find this and more delicious recipes online at TexasCoopPower.com.
TO LLLL- F FR RE EE E TO 1-866-226-3372 1-866-226-3372
my B B EC EC my Mobile Mobile and and desktop desktop app app
O NLINE NLINE OU OU TAG TAG E E M M AP AP O banderaelectric.com/OM banderaelectric.com/OM
OF FF F ICES ICES O For hours and information, visit banderaelectric.com/hours.
Bandera Headquarters | 3172 Highway 16 N. Boerne | 1100 N. Main St., Suite 104
Comfort | 739 Front St. (Highway 27) Leakey | 485 W. Ranch Road 337
MARK YOUR CALENDAR Labor Day Monday, September 7
All BEC offices and lobbies will be closed in observance of Labor Day.
Patriot Day Rosh Hashanah Begins Friday, September 11
National Voter Registration Day Tuesday, September 15 ROM OLOTAVA NI | GE T T Y I M AG E S.C O M
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P P AYMENT AYMENT O OP P TIO TIO NS NS For a list of accepted payment options, • myBEC online or mobile app bill payment visit banderaelectric.com/paymentoptions • Free bank draft service
• Paperless billing F LLObilling W US Level •O • Automatic recurring credit card payment • Visa, Mastercard and Discover accepted • ECheck payment by phone • Cash or check payments in office • 24/7 payment kiosks at select offices • Payments at Fidelity Express CO NTACTaccepted US • Time-based usage program P.O. Box 667 • Bandera, TX 78003 • PrePay program Phone 1-866-226-3372, option 5
BEC Fiber
Web BECFiber.com Email mas@banderaelectric.com Check us out at F O LLO WTexasCoopPower.com/bandera US
8/5/26 11:40 AM
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T E X ASC O O P POWER .C O M
Footnotes in Texas History
Listen as W.F. Strong narrates this story on our website.
The Line in the Sand Where does West Texas begin? The 100th meridian, more or less B Y W. F. S T R O N G • I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y T H E B R AV E U N I O N
I F YO U E X A M I N E any good map of Texas, you’ll notice a natural division of East and West Texas that runs from the eastern edge of the Panhandle down to Abilene and San Angelo and on past Uvalde to Carrizo Springs and Laredo. On the west side of that line is arid land, and on the east side, it’s wetter and greener. It becomes increasingly dry as you go west and wet and humid as you go east. This line is better known as the 100th meridian, and it maintains this calculus of wet and dry lands all the way up into Canada. T E X ASC OOPPOW E R .COM
John Wesley Powell, famous for exploring and mapping the Colorado River and the Grand Canyon over 150 years ago, was one of the first conservationists to see that the 100th meridian served as a demarcation. “Passing from east to west across this belt a wonderful transformation is observed,” he wrote. “On the east a luxuriant growth of grass is seen, and the gaudy flowers … make the prairie landscape beautiful. “Passing westward, species after species of luxuriant grass and brilliant flowering plants disappear; the ground
gradually becomes naked, with bunch grasses here and there; now and then a thorny cactus is seen, and the yucca plant thrusts out its sharp bayonets.” Powell, for whom Lake Powell in Arizona and Utah is named, would become the head of the U.S. Geological Survey in 1881. He used his knowledge of the West to create a prescriptive map for water management. Powell took his map to a Senate committee in 1890 and suggested dividing the Western U.S. into water districts that would be managed by the people living along the rivers rather than the states. He advocated for need over greed. The senators practically rioted, as this flew in the face of the fever dream of Darwinian development that had dominated the Western states. The gold must be mined, the forests harvested, the rivers dammed and the railroads built. Powell argued for sustainability and good stewardship of the Earth. Powell was against big dams—ironic, given that his namesake lake was created by Glen Canyon Dam. He preferred smaller, more democratic irrigation systems that he believed would be more efficient for the land and serve more people more equitably. As we know, the arid West was not developed as Powell envisioned, but it’s interesting to consider what might have been if Powell had had his way. What’s more interesting to me are the facts on the ground these days. The geological truths that defined the 100th meridian in Texas a century and a half ago are now truer for the 98th meridian, running just west of Fort Worth, east of San Antonio and west of Corpus Christi. This tells us that the Texas water challenges of the future will be far greater than any our ancestors faced. D S EP T EMB ER 2026 T E X AS C O - O P POW E R 2 5
TCP Kitchen
Pancakes and Waffles Breakfast will never be the same after tasting these morning staples BY VIANNE Y RODRIGUE Z , FOOD E DITOR
Growing up, there was always a jar of applesauce in our fridge. One morning we were greeted with apple pancakes, and I haven’t looked at applesauce the same since. These are thicker and cakier than your typical pancake, but isn’t cake for breakfast simply sweeter?
Apple Pancakes TOPPING
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, plus more for serving 2 medium apples, cored and diced 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt PA N C A K E S
11/2 cups complete buttermilk pancake mix 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 cup cinnamon applesauce 1/4 cup water, plus more as needed
1. T O P P I N G In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Add apples, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples start to soften and the sugar is dissolved and syrupy, 3–5 minutes. Remove from heat until ready to serve pancakes.
2. P A N C A K E S Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a bowl, combine pancake mix and cinnamon. Stir in applesauce and water until just moistened. If batter is too thick to pour, add water. Preheat and lightly grease a nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat. 3. Pour ¼ cup batter onto skillet or griddle, repeating as allowed for pan size. Cook each pancake until bubbles form on the surface. Flip and cook until the second side is golden brown, 1–3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low if the pancakes are cooking too quickly. 4. Keep cooked pancakes warm in preheated oven, and repeat with remaining batter. Serve warm with butter and reheated apple topping. SERVES 4
Follow Vianney Rodriguez as she cooks in Cocina Gris at sweetlifebake.com, where she features a recipe for Poblano Breakfast Scramble.
2 6 T E X AS C O - O P POW ER SEPTEMBER 2026
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$500 WINNER
Oatmeal Waffles B E V E R LY A N T H E S FA N N I N E C
Sweet Potato Waffles T R AC E Y ST E WA RT SAM HOU STON EC
Anthes’ easy waffles are a delicious breakfast. They’re crisp on the outside and fluffy inside. Serve warm, topped with fresh fruit or maple syrup.
RE CIPE PHOTOS : JASO N DAV ID PAGE . WIN NE R PHOTO : CO URT ESY TR ACE Y STE WART
11/2 cups flour 1 cup quick-cooking oats 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 11/2 cups milk 2 eggs, slightly beaten 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, melted 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking powder and cinnamon.
2. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, vanilla, butter and brown sugar. 3. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and stir to combine.
4. Preheat and lightly grease waffle iron. Pour batter into waffle iron, close and cook according to manufacturer’s directions. Keep cooked waffles warm in preheated oven, and repeat with remaining batter. SERVES 6
C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 2 8 > T E X ASC OOPPOW E R .COM
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes 11/2 cups buttermilk 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter, cooled Maple syrup, for serving
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
This is the most delicious way to transform dinner leftovers into brunch. Hearty, crispy and lightly spiced, I was blown away by these waffles. After testing this recipe, you can surely find me cooking up an extra batch of mashed sweet potatoes to whip up these waffles on the weekend. 21/2 cups flour 1/4 cup sugar 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2. In another large bowl, whisk together sweet potatoes, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and butter.
3. Add the flour mixture to the sweet potato mixture and stir to combine, being careful not to overmix. If the batter is too thick, gradually add 2–4 tablespoons water.
4. Preheat and lightly grease waffle iron. Ladle batter onto waffle iron, being careful not to overfill, close and cook according to manufacturer’s directions. 5. Keep cooked waffles warm in preheated oven, and repeat with remaining batter. 6. Serve warm with maple syrup. SERVES 4
$500 Recipe Contest LEMONY DELIGHTS DUE SEP 10 When life gives you lemons, what do you make? Submit your delicious citrus treats for a chance at an easy-peasy $500. Watch for the recipes in February 2027. UPCOMING: WINNER, WINNER CHICKEN DINNER DUE OCT 10
ENTER ONLINE
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Pineapple Upside Down Pancake With Pineapple Cream Syrup
Don’t Overdo It Take care to mix pancake or waffle ingredients just until combined. A few lumps in the batter are OK. But overmixing overworks the gluten, which results in a dense pancake. Go easy and enjoy tender, fluffier pancakes and waffles.
JA N B OX T R I N I T Y VA L L E Y E C
Dessert for breakfast? Sign me up! I loved the presentation of these pancakes. They do take a little patience when flipping, but once you get the hang of it, these pancakes are so much fun to make—and even better to eat. 1 can pineapple slices (16 ounces) in syrup 1 cup sugar 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter 6 tablespoons heavy cream 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 cups prepared pancake batter Maraschino cherries, for topping Whipped cream, for topping
1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Drain pineapple slices, reserving syrup. To a
—Vianney Rodriguez
saucepan, add reserved syrup and sugar. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, at a soft boil about 25 minutes or until syrup turns golden. Remove from heat and stir in butter, heavy cream, salt and cinnamon. 2. Preheat and lightly grease skillet over medium-high heat. Pour about 1/3 cup pancake batter onto skillet.
3. Cook until bubbles form on the surface of the pancake. Place a pineapple ring into batter and press slightly. Flip pancake and press into skillet and finish cooking. Keep cooked pancakes warm in preheated oven, and repeat with remaining batter. 4. Serve warm with a cherry, pineapple syrup and a dollop of whipped cream on each pancake. SERVES 6
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S EP T EMB ER 2026 T E X AS C O - O P POW E R 2 9
Hit the Road
Know Before You Go
C O U RTESY C HE T G A R NER
Call ahead or check an event’s website for scheduling details, and check our website for many more upcoming events.
SEPTEMBER 6
10
The Mother of All State Parks BY CHE T GARNE R
AB OVE Chet at Mother Neff State Park, which
used to be the property of Gov. Pat Neff’s family. Neff held office in the 1920s.
Watch the video on our website and see all of Chet’s Texplorations on The Daytripper on PBS.
3 0 T E X AS C O - O P POW ER SEPTEMBER 2026
Abilene [10–19] West Texas Fair and Rodeo, (325) 677-4376, westtexasfairrodeo.com Corsicana [10–13, 17–20] The Guys, (903) 872-5421, thewlac.com
Explore history amid peace and quiet along the Leon River
E V E RYO N E W H O V I S I T S Texas’ first official state park feels like they’ve been let in on a quiet secret. This 400-acre hideaway between Temple and Waco doesn’t get the attention (or crowds) of Hill Country destinations like Enchanted Rock State Natural Area or Garner State Park. But from its quiet perch along the Leon River, Mother Neff State Park waits patiently, like a front porch swing, inviting you to slow down and breathe in some fresh air—and maybe put your phone away for a little while. The story of this park—and really our entire state park system—goes back to Isabella “Mother” Neff and her son, Gov. Pat Neff. The family owned this stretch of riverfront land that became a local hot spot for picnicking, swimming and fishing long before a “state park” was even a thing. When Mother Neff died in 1921, she made a very Texas-sized decision to leave the land to the state so everyone else could enjoy it too. Not a bad legacy. I started my visit by hitting the limestone trails, winding beneath a canopy of oaks before dropping into a shady ravine. That’s where I found one of the park’s rock shelters—massive stone overhangs that Native American tribes used for thousands of years. Turns out, good real estate along the Leon River has always been in demand. From there, I made my way to the park’s iconic stone water tower, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. The climb to the observation deck on top isn’t exactly Mount Everest, but it’s enough to earn a view of the sprawling valley below—and justify a solid snack afterward. Mother Neff State Park may not be the biggest or flashiest, but it just might be the most meaningful—a place where history, nature and a mother’s generosity quietly collide. D
New Berlin Sausage Festival, (210) 343-9570, facebook.com/ nbtxsausagefest
11 12
Brenham [11–19] Washington County Fair, (979) 836-4112, washingtoncofair.com
Chappell Hill Airing of the Quilts, (979) 337-9910, chappellhilltx.com Fairfield Show of Wheels, (903) 389-5792, fairfieldtexaschamber.com Luling Luling Foundation Youth Grill-Off, (830) 875-2438, lulingfoundation.org Stephenville Morgan Mill Arts and Crafts Fair, (972) 467-8646, bit.ly/mmartsandcrafts
18 19
Royse City [18–19] North Texas Antique Tractor & Engine Club Show & Pull, (214) 934-2414, north-texas-antiquetractor-and-engine-club.net
Azle Silver Creek Lord’s Acre, (817) 607-8039, facebook.com/ silvercreekmc Blanco Classic Car Show, (512) 632-0648, blancoclassiccarshow.com T E X ASC O O P POWER .C O M
C O U RTESY TR ACY BYR D M U SIC
Pick of the Month Salt Festival Grand Saline, September 24–26 gssaltfestival@gmail.com facebook.com/gssaltfest
Celebrate the heritage, community and spirit that define this corner of East Texas. The festival includes street dances, cornhole and horseshoe tournaments, yoga, a parade, petting zoo, classic car show, 5K race, and three nights of live music. Country music artist Tracy Byrd, above, headlines Saturday night.
Fredericksburg Classic Car & Truck Show, (830) 990-4433, pecangrovestore.com Fort Worth [19–20] Bluey’s Big Play, (817) 212-4280, basshall.com
25 26
Giddings [25–26] Texas Word Wrangler Book Festival, (979) 542-2716, www.giddings publiclibrary.org
Experience Texas Wine Month in Grapevine! Sip your way along the Urban Wine Trail while exploring Grapevine’s Historic Main Street District lined with one-of-akind cafés, boutiques and art galleries. Visit GrapevineTexasUSA.com to plan your Texas Wine Month Getaway.
Bertram Oatmeal Festival, (512) 882-2992, oatmealfestival.org Bryan Brazos Valley Beekeepers Association Bee School, (979) 218-3070, bvbeeks.org
MORE EVENTS >
Submit Your Event We pick events for the magazine directly from TexasCoopPower.com. Submit your December event by October 1, and it just might be featured in this calendar. T E X ASC OOPPOW E R .COM
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S EP T EMB ER 2026 T E X AS C O - O P POW E R 3 1
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Restoring and Preserving Our History
SEPTEMBER EVENTS CONTINUED
Fairfield Breakfast With Santa, (903) 389-5792, fairfieldtexaschamber.com
In the heart of the Texas Hill Country visit 17 historic one-room schools built between 1847 and 1936 by following the 120 mile Gillespie County Country Schools Driving Trail through the scenic Fredericksburg,Texas countryside.
A Driving Tour map and an Open House schedule are available on our website.
WWW. HISTORICSCHOOLS . ORG All schools listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Member of Country School Association of America.
Lakehills Medina Lake Cajun Festival, (830) 4600600, cajunfestival-medina lake.com Kerrville [26–27] Supertri Kerrville, kerrvilletri.com
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Giddings Texas Wendish Fest, (979) 366-2441, texaswends.org Luling Quilts & Cars, (512) 567-5091, facebook.com/quiltsandcars Meyersville Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic Church Fall Festival, (361) 275-3868, stspeterpaulaloysius.org
OCTOBER 1
Smithville [1–Nov. 15] Airing of the Quilts, (979) 540-9222, bit.ly/airingofthequilts
Stephenville [2–3] Town N Country Quilt Guild Quilt Show, (817) 676-5165, bit.ly/townncountryquiltguild
2 3
Granbury Romancing the Monarch, (817) 5793280, lakegranburymaster gardeners.org
5
Corsicana [5–29] Piecemakers’ Quilt Guild of Corsicana Quilt Show, corsicanaquiltguild.com
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Focus on Texas
Rodeo
Texans young and old love a rodeo. Despite the pain, the mud and the blood, competition and camaraderie keep us coming back for more. Everyone to the main arena; these fearless competitors are ready to ride. C U R A T E D B Y G R A C E F U LT Z
1 1 MIKE ZARELLA PEDERNALES EC
“Youngsters gather on the arena railings for a better view of the opening ceremonies of the Blanco County Fair & Rodeo.” 2 H O L LY B U F K I N BIG COUNTRY EC
“Unwavering grit as this paint bronc shows the untamed heart that defines rodeo.” 3 BOB NORRIS PEDERNALES EC
A silhouette of a cowboy at a rodeo. 4 L AU R A B R E W E R COSERV
North Texas Fair & Rodeo cowboys wait their turn to ride.
2
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Upcoming Contests BARNS DUE SEP 10
SWAMPS DUE OCT 10
IN THE GARDEN DUE N OV 10
ENTER ONLINE
See Focus on Texas on our website for many more Rodeo photos from readers.
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OBSERVATIONS
Speaking of Long Commutes
Finding silver linings—and snacks— when it’s hard to find childcare BY E RICA FLOCKE I L L U S T R AT I O N B Y G W E N K E R AVA L
3 4 T E X AS C O - O P POW ER SEPTEMBER 2026
“ H O W WA S YO U R day today?”
No response. “Did you have fun?” Still nothing. At the stoplight on Ranch Road 12 and Hunter Road in San Marcos, I laughed to myself and thought about how silly this one-sided conversation must sound. I glanced in the mirror clipped to the backseat headrest and caught my 13-monthold daughter’s grin. She can’t talk yet, but I can’t wait for the day she finally answers back. I live and work in Wimberley, a town that prides itself on being family friendly. And it is—except when it comes to daycare. There’s only one option in town for babies her age, and I’ve been on the waitlist for more than a year. So every weekday we make the 30-minute drive to San Marcos, where she goes to daycare. That
adds up to two hours of commuting each day: one hour with my daughter, one hour solo. We’ve learned to make the most of it. Together we listen to audiobooks and albums I think she should know. While some babies get The Wheels on the Bus, mine gets Turnpike Troubadours. I like to tell myself it’s making her smarter, or at least building character. Only time will tell. I narrate the drive like a tour guide: “Look at that bird!” or “We’re going over the river.” She probably understands none of it, yet she looks at me and smiles like she’s clued in anyway. Some days, traffic crawls along so slowly that I have to break out the emergency snack stash I keep in the car. Fruit bars or a lone teething cookie. By the time we reach the next stoplight, she’s happily munching or asleep. I notice the same cars each morning and afternoon, their drivers as familiar to me as neighbors at this point. I wonder about the people inside. Do they have a baby in the backseat listening to a Lyle Lovett album for the very first time too? I imagine a tiny community of parents and children, each of us on our own little journey, connected by the same roads, the same traffic lights, the same shared struggle of making it work. Sometimes I think about it more broadly. In a state as rural as Texas, countless parents are on even longer drives for childcare, and I can’t help but wonder how they fill those hours. I know this is just a phase. We won’t be commuting forever, and one day I know I’m going to miss these drives and how my baby smiled at me from the backseat. But for now, I think my daughter knows every curve of Ranch Road 12 better than most grown-ups. When she does learn to talk, she’ll probably have plenty to say about it. D T E X ASC O O P POWER .C O M
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