Faces of Texas

(These photos are ordered from most recent to the past

and the formatting is off. Don't ask.

Fortunately, the stories haven't changed at all.)

. . . . .

"No matter where you go in this world,

you'll always find someone from Texas."

- Andy Hodkinson, with wife Ronda,

commenting on how small this world really is.

Henderson, TX

. . .

"What I fear is people not getting out

and living as good as they could."

- David Baugh playing the devil's advocate

to the view that we should live in fear

of all the crazy people in the world.

I met David on Hwy 31. He was going south on his bicycle

and I was going north on foot. We both pulled over

and talked for an hour in a random driveway.

De Berry, TX

. . .

"You be careful now. Don't take no wooden nickels."

- Businessman Robert Williams giving me some last minute advice.

Robert let me camp out at his business out of the rain.

Newton, TX

. . .

"I'm the youngest one here. And I'm 78!"

- Park caretaker Fred Andrews on his position on the veteran committee

in charge of the Golden Triangle Veterans Memorial Park. We talked for a long time about the park, his family history, and the region.

Orange County, TX

. . .

"People I didn't even know would show up with ten boxes of books and say 'I bet you can use these.' That kind of stuff happened all the time."

- Galveston Bookshop owner Sharon Zwick on reopening her store after Hurrican Ike. The water level had been up to seven feet inside the store, which trashed the entire ground level. The community, grateful that business owners hadn't abandoned the city, came out with lots of unsolicited support. Galveston Bookshop was one of the first businesses to reopen.

Galveston, TX
. . .