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Wayne Lake

Hello everybody, I’ve been enjoying the pix lately.

I just finished a book called ‘In the Kingdom of Ice’, a fascinating story about 1880’s maritime quest in search of the North Pole by the American explorer/US Navy Captain De Long. Do any of you Cooley alumni remember a kid (Milton?) in our class from the Heights area that reportedly had a grandfather/explorer that went to the North Pole in the late 19^th century, maybe related to Admiral Byrd?

I picked up a free, local magazine today at a sandwich shop in AP (cause it was free!) called Texas Now and noticed an article by one of our very own (class of ’64), Willie Younger. He is the coordinator of Rally on the (Colorado) River slated for April 11 which is to be featured on Earth Day by Matagorda County Birding Center) MCBNC. For those of you who don’t remember Willie, he got degree(s) in biology from Texas A&M and worked for the state for several years out of Matagorda, ran a research vessel/education from Matagorda Harbor and officed/retired in Palacious and now resides in Bay City. FYI, Willies’ contact info is 979 240 4872, w-younger@att.net. PS, Willie recently hiked hundreds of miles of the Appalachian Trail – just like ol’ Thomas Jefferson!

Lloyd, I am so impressed with your musical skill sets and you write great stories also! I do good to tune in the radio and scratch out a line or two.

I spoke with Frank Lynn the other day and he has been commissioned by the state of Texas parks to restore furniture built by the CCA workers nearly a hundred years ago. I wish I would have learned more about making sawdust from his Dad. 

The more I know about my classmates, the more impressed I am and glad to be part of such a great group of fine people; war hero’s, teachers/educators, authors,writers,  ranchers, farmers, bankers, horse trainers, musicians, software experts, successful business people, nurses, police, firefighters, mayors, lawyers, etc. Did’ja know that Sweetie Marbury is currently Mayor of Durango Colorado, Tony Maddox was Mayor of Navasota and Larry York played on the 1980 Men’s World Fast Pitch Softball Championship Team?  Whodathunkit?

Pat, I am guessin’ you went to the prom in a black, ’55 Chevy. I too like to see all the predatory birds especially the red tipped hawk that frequents us in great numbers this time of the year.    Where I am in Aransas we see all kinds of migratory birds, loons, great white pelicans, hummers, osprey (saw one carrying a fish the other day – what a high pitched sound), shore birds of all kinds, American oyster catchers, curlews,  all sorts of water fowl (red head, canvass backs, coots, etc.) and on and on………….I took my nephew on the ‘Skimmer’ (1-800-TX-BIRDS) out of Fulton harbor (near Rockport) to see whooping cranes last week and we had a good’ birding day’ – the count is now up to about 300 adults which is a great conservation story since they were down to about 38 in the ‘60’s but hurry as they head back to Canada by the end of March.   

Nearly every night I have either a night heron or great blue heron sitting on a piling looking for prey at my underwater light behind my house.

There are several good coastal birding areas between Port Lavaca and Port Isabel which have all sorts of migratory birds – I understand San Jose Island has more species of migratory birds in the winter than any other place in North America:

Calhoun Loop – Port Lavaca Bird Sanctuary @ US 87 and TX 35 head East on TX 35. Magnolia Beach,   from Port Lavaca head West on TX 35 to FM 2433 to TX 238 to TX 316 toward  Indianola – I think the state recently purchased 20,000 acres of the old Powder Horn ranch for a wildlife reserve with money from the BP oil spill, Magic Ridge (same area) – see texasnowmag.com Jan 2015, Seadrift/Swan Point, Guadalupe Delta Wildlife Area, Aransas Wildlife Refuge, King Ranch Loop including Santa Gertrudis Creek, Dick Kleberg park and then south to the Atascosa Wild Life Reserve near Laguna Vista (Port Isabel area).

Speaking of marine wildlife, there are numerous dolphins around here and while fishin’ last week with the nephew we started catching specs, mostly undersized (legal size is > 15”) but we were not keeping any regardless of size and a adult dolphin was following us taking advantage of the stunned ‘throw backs’ – he/she must have eaten 6-8 fish while circling around from end to end behind the boat as we drifted along fishing, care full not to go in front of the boat – I firmly believe the hungry/lazy dolphin was herding the fish in sort of a symbiotic arrangement –anyway we had a hoot watching it grab the fish and afterward rolling upside down showing the white underside, maybe saying gracias. The next night I was sitting outside on the back porch and noticed one swimming by my underwater light, told the nephew and later he said he saw three around the light, went down to the dock, tapped on the side and they starting jumping 2-3’ out of the water – he thought they were putting on a show for him, begging for handouts! Of course, he had drunk several beers by then so who knows for sure but he was pumped up the next morning telling the story. Then yesterday afternoon, three came in behind the house and were copulating, some sort of a Frenchy  ménage of sorts which went on for 5-10 minutes – local biologist say each ‘act’ only takes 13 seconds but they seem to having fun for sure. Today, I counted four in here at once looking for an easy meal along the bulkheads.

Well, I hope I have not bored or offended too many this time, from Pelican Cove AP, where I am

‘dancin’ with dolphins’ and hoping for sunshine as too much of this gloomy weather puts me in a foul mood,

wtl       

Ps I hope to see you all @ spring thing in April       

Ronna Brand

I really don't have any great stories to add to the forum, but I wanted to let you all know that I truly enjoy reading the stories you are sharing with all of us.  Through these messages, we are getting to know folks we went to school with, but really didn't know! 

Robert Derrick

Ronna, I am with you. Don't have many to tell, but really enjoy reading all the others.

Wayne, I seem to remember a Milton at Cooley that had someone famous in his family. Checked the old class photos I have but no luck.

Jan Barnes '65 (Nimtz)

I see that my prom picture shown in "Prom & Celestial Ball-1964" has my former date/current husband listed as being Eric Nimtz.  That is not correct.  My date/husband's name is Ed.  One of our three sons is Eric.

Teddie Jordan

Jan, what's this "current" husband stuff?

I guess that's just a woman's way of keeping us old guys on our toes huh!

You could also refer to him as your "first" husband.

Beau Wann, Jr.

Or "Trial Husband" is another toim!  I was a trial hubsand oncet!  Maybe still am! Or is that trail hubsand?

"WILDERNA MARCH HARE"...Just one of the many "sayings" my brain has been assaulted with over the years.
I just thought it was something somebody's "grandpa" made up!   NOT SO MON AMI ! ! ! It is true it is true...My beloved and our own Jimmy Hilsher can attest to that. Jimmie paid us a visit yesterday on his way home! What a pleasant surprise that was. Allus enjoy visiting with Jimmie and all our friends and classmates!  Anyways, as wwe were saying our goodbyes, we noticed in the northwest pasture, cottontails, rabbits, hares, running to and fro, willy nilly, and amok. Back and forth dodging and darting, some hoppin and scamperin and some running flat out.

Didnt look like anything was chasing them, cept maybe craziness. Then, it came to me...this is march...the hares are acting wild....hence, "wilderna march hare"....that was pretty cool, even if I do say so myself.  I dont knwo if Diane or Jimmie were as amazed as I was, but them it doesnt take much to entertain yours truly!  I can sit and stare for hours with my eyes closed!

Rat after Jimmie left, as I  closed the gate, it started raining AGAIN! ! ! Rain ed all nightlong...OMG (oatmeal is good) when in the name of dark chocolate is the sun ever gonna shine again??????

Hey Wayne, I gno you are a saltwater fitcherman, but did you see that article about the 38.7 pound brown trout caught in the White river in Arkansas?

Since my grandfather and my dad and uncles began regaling me with stories of their exploits and expeditions on both of those rivers, it's been a lifelong dream of mine to go fishing in the White and Buffalo rivers in Arkansas, and maybe even catch a fish or three! ! !  "Visions of rainbow trout danced in his head..."

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

Hi Jan,

I corrected your husband's name.  But I did come pretty close - at least I got the "E"  since you don't have his name listed anywhere on your 65 or 64 profiles or pictures.

Have a good weekend.

Thanks,

Jackie

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

Alert - no Fuddrucker gathering in April!

Houston Gang - Next Fuddrucker gathering is Tuesday, May 12 at 6:00 p.m.

We will not have an April gathering since it falls in the same week as our Spring Fling (Saturday, April 18).  Hugs, J

Jan Barnes '65 (Nimtz)

Thanks for making the name correction, Jackie.  Ed's name has been listed under "spouse/partner" right up at the top of my profile on the '64 website.  At least you kept the name "in the family" and didn't list me with someone named Goober (or something).  My apologies to any one of our classmates named Goober.

Teddie & Beau, yes, he is my "current, only, first (and last)" husband.  And if this has been a trial marriage I'd say it has/is working out pretty well.  For that I am thankful to him and God.

Beau, if you want a bright, sunshiny day, come on over to Boerne as we have had three beautiful ones in a row.  Rain is predicted for early next week, and we can use it.  Our bluebonnet patch has lots of growing plants but none have bloomed yet.  Any bluebonnets yet in Chappell Hill?

Teddie Jordan

Jan, you are lucky and blessed in the marriage department indeed. Several years ago, while driving on an expedition somewhere and listening to the radio in my truck, I heard an interview with a couple that were celebrating their 75th wedding anniversary. So rare just because most couples don't both live that far into their nineties. The man didn't seem to have too much to say ( probably one of their secrets ), but the wife was talkative and sounded real cute. The interviewer asked her if over all of those years she had ever thought about leaving him. She said " leaving him, never, but killing him, hundreds of times!" If the guy had been willing to talk and was honest, he would have probably had a similar response. That's just reality.

Beau, most behavior of animals wild and domesticated can be explained by either the drive for food and water, reproduction, or cover. In the case of your rabbits, who are almost year around breeders, their March activities as you described are directly and famously related to reproduction, especially that jumping up in the air routine. In the case of the cattle that acted agressive toward your truck, it was food. Most cattle around our latitude have to be supplemented with either hay or  range cubes from about December until March, because all of the grass is killed by the first frost and doesn't come back until spring. And almost all ranchers show up to feed them from their pickup trucks several times a week this time of year. So as ol' Pavlov proved, see truck, it's mealtime. They meant no harm to you. And they didn't really understand that they were tresspassing. But I'll bet you gave that rancher some new material the next morning at his regular morning coffee get together with the other ranchers around there. He probably started by saying, yall aint gonna believe this one but I got a call from one of my neighbors yesterday...!

Wayne Lake

According to Teddy, It appears that people are just like wild animals, everybody is looking for drink, food, sex and their fair share of the covers.

I had to go to Houston on Friday and thought to myself how much I dislike driving in the big city and enjoy small town life where you see people you know nearly every where you go. Don't get me wrong, Corpus and the surrounding area has it's share of rude/fast drivers (moslty in F250-450 4x4 trucks) but since nearly everyone is packing, I don't thinbk they are so quick to confront each other. But we do have alot of boat traffic, some going nearly as fast as cars on an open stretch of Houston freeway.

Gonna go see Carlos Santana this next week, hope he plays that electric stratocaster as good as Lloyd can strum his mandolin, if not I am sure will be at least as loud.  

Whoopee, the sun is shining again,  

wtl   

Pat Brantley (Ross)

Wayne, where is Carlos Santana playing?  We went to Dallas yesterday to get our new cat and I saw a sign for bob Dylan for a May 2nd concert.  

Jan, our blue bonnets are blooming in new braunfels.  

Wayne Lake

Santana is playing Corpus 3/19 on his way to Mexico for several dates, then to Europe and back to a stay at Las Vegas, sorry no Austin venues, I guess he considers Corpus as part of Mexico.   

Larry York

I enjoyed Jan & Teddy’s pictures and stories of the old cars, thought I’d quite being a sponge and chime in.    Understand I don’t have the wit of Beau or smooth flowing style of Lake but here goes.

I forgot to use the brownie Kodak years ago or lost the pictures of the 57 & 64 Chevys in one of several moves.  It’s amazing what little things we throw away and years later whished we had kept.  Maybe Hilsher, Lake or Sketter can hook a brother up with a picture of the 57 and 64.  I know the cars could tell some very interesting stories of the three of you.  That is another story for another day.

In order, the 57 was in high school and two years of college.  What a fine looking car, wished I still had that one!  Next up the 1964 Chevy, the 64 finished college and was sold just before Debbie and I  got married.  Brought a brand new 1969 VW what an idiot.  The car selling not the marriage.  The 69 VW was a good car till a 1961 Mercury Monterey T-boned me going to work.  It was quite a mismatch, the Mercury had a scratched bumper and the VW was totaled.  The wreck brought on the 1972 240 Z Datsun, what a nice little car.  After all it was the Wild 70’s!  Great car till a nice little baby girl showed up at the York household.  The 240Z was a two seater and Debbie got tired setting in the back, like that was going to happen.  The 240Z was sold which started a long drawn out 40 years of dull boring nice family cars.  Very uncool cars even the names will put you to sleep like VW station wagons,  88 & 98 oldsmobiles, Suburban, Tahoe, I30, Rx330 & Rx350. I know how Moses must have felt roaming around the desert.

Then something cool happened, the first big plum on the mucho grande bucket list appeared.  A very nice COOL Corvette, hello promise land!!!!  Finally after 40 years back in the real car world.

That’s my car stories except, Debbie still does not like Mr.  Lake (just kidding Wayne) for throwing up Shakey’s Pizza and a lot of cold beer in the back seat of the 1964 Chevy.  Can you image the mess and smell of pizza and beer in the rolled and pleated grooves of the rich Corinthian naugahyde??????  This should bring back many good memories and stories from HS days!

Larry D. York

Teddie Jordan

Larry, I sure enjoyed your picture and your car stories!

And now I finally understand why Debbie always hisses whenever Lake walks up, and after that I don't blame her. 

Hey maybe you can take us a picture of the Vette sometime and post it on here. I have always wanted one too. When I sold the blue '55  Chevy about seven years ago I said I was going to rent a new Vette for one weekend each year, and Francine and I take it down and terrorize Galveston and tool around for a couple of days, and I still haven't done it.

Jan Barnes '65 (Nimtz)

Larry, I thought your wit and flowing style were just fine.  And I enjoyed all your car stories.  Is the Vette the last one on your list?

Here's the 57 Bel Air, the iconic American car.

And the world's most perfect Chevy, the 64 Impala.

Wayne Lake

Why Larry Don, I am pleased to see you finally contribute to the forum. However, I am appalled at the story you told and after me bragging on the blog about how lucky I was to be good friends with a champeene’ soft ball  player like you, you go and spill the beans about the one and only time I had an unfortunate and untimely 24 hour stomach flu and you wouldn’t stop to let me out for a much needed comfort stop!    You did always have cool cars though and hopefully I have apologized profusely for christening the ’64. I guess I must have made a big impression on your soon to be wife but she married you in spite of one of your rude, crude and socially unacceptable friends.

By the way, I was thinking about sending you a personal email inviting you to come early and stay late at the spring thing next month out at 290 & 6 so maybe we could slam a few beers and then go for a ride in your new corvette but now I thinking that may be out of the question? Hope to see you there.

From Sea World @ Aransas, home of the copulating dolphins,

wtl, 'aka that girl in the Exorcist except my head doesn't rotate so good'

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

The older we get, the more the "REAL TRUTH" keeps coming out about so many of our escapades back in the day.  I'm finding out so many things from my own kids - FINALLY - about some of their teen fiascos (now that they are in their 40s).  Then I remember the stories they told us at the time and that makes me wonder - WHAT DID ALL YOU GUYS TELL YOUR PARENTS ABOUT YOUR MISADVENTURES.  Would love to hear some of those "fibs."  I had to make up enough lies to my parents just about all the times Charles got me home late - but the "difficulties" you guys got into had to have taken some great storytelling. 

Wayne Lake

Jimmie Lee, I whole heartedly agree with you how interesting it is hearing and laughing about the war stories of our misspent youth but they always seem to be a lot funnier when the person of record is someone else.  So let’s hear stories about others…………………and besides, I don’t think Larry’s ’64 Impala really had Corinthian leather seats.

wtl                                 

ps: While having my routine morning bowl of oatmeal and cup of coffee around 6 am I noticed a mid-sized (yearling) dolphin blasting through my underwater light feeding on small fish of some sort (there are litterally millions sometimes) - what a sight to behold - makes me want to jump in and swim with'm but the water is still too cold and I'm not sure how it would turn out anyway

Susan (Suzi) Smith '66 (McMillian)

Jimmie, my favorite story was that Chrystal Pool had a sand parking lot.  For sone reason I was not allowed to go to the beach, so that was my story.  Never went to Chrystsl Beach in my life, but I had a great excuse for the sand in my stuff.

Larry York

Wayne the stomach flu is a good democrat excuse but the truth is we went to Shakey's Pizza on Bellaire. Between eating, drinking beer and singing we got drunker than Cooter Brown!!  I hate to ruin your image after all these years. Yes my 64 Chevy had rich Corinthian Naugahyde seats!  Do you remember going over off Pinemont street to Unk's a minority owed store who would sell us Lone Star Beer in Quarts for 50 cents out of the back door? Another image killer.  We were at Galveston Beach during spring break seating on the hood of the 57 Chevy when a beer bottle came out of no where and busted your head open.  What great times, I glad we were all bullet proof!!!! LD

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Suzi, I love that one.  I wasn't permitted to go to drive-in movies - but did that stop Charles?  We probably went 2 times in all, but I had to come up with the storyline of some movie that was showing @ an inside theater to give to my parents.

Wayne Lake

Ok Larry, I agree, your ’64 had real leather seats, I was kidding about that and the flu. You bring back memories of some wild times during splash days on Stewart Beach. So this one time, Jimmie Lee I will tell the stories on me:

Larry, you had it about right, we were leaning on your ’57’s hood watching some drunken idiots fighting over a girl when someone slammed a beer bottle at another car hood and piece of the broken Lone Star label and glass came twirling in the air headed right for my pumpkin so I raised my left arm to shield my choir boy good looks and it cut deep into my forearm (this was before beaches had No Glass Containers Allowed signs everywhere). Maybe you or someone else drove me to John Sealy hospital and while wandering the lobby, we ran into the guy that had his head cut from a falling beer bottle. He told us that they would not stitch him up because he was under 21 and therefore needed parent approval but who was going to call home? At that point I realized I was no longer 18 but now 21 years old myself and somehow convinced the admitting nurse (probably whipped out the fake ID/driver license) and agreed to allow 5-6 interns to practice tying surgeon knots as barter for free emergency care. After the real doctor stitched up each end of the cut, It went pretty good until the last guy, who looked sort of like Flounder in Animal House, nervous sweat beads on his forehead and all picked up the needle and thread. Well that guy stuck me good and I can still remember the pain and the look on his face when I came up off the table at him.

But the best dumb-ass  Lake splash day story was a couple of years later on a peaceful, quite Sunday morning around 11 am at Stewart Beach again, Keith Kupec and I were leaning on the trunk of my old ’63 red MGB sipping ice tea from plastic cups watching the girls drive by and trying to look cool. We both finished our iced tea and dropped our empty cups (cause this was before Willie was singing Don’t Mess with Texas on the TV) and two cops swooped down on us like we was real hardened criminals, arrested us and took us to the Galveston County jail house. There we were in our bathing suits, sandals, no shirts and beads around our necks (pretending to be hippies), just like Arlo Guthrie in Alice’s Restaurant with the father rapers et al but we somehow survived with all orifices in original condition.  Like all criminals, we each got one phone call and Keith struck out but I got a hold of Jimmie Hilsher and asked him if he could bail us both out, $25 each. Here is the funny part; Michele borrowed $50 from her grandmother and they drove down to Galveston and freed us from our destiny.   I still owe all three for that one!  To this day, Keith and I are the only persons I know arrested for littering.

Well, Jimmie Lee, you said bring on the stories,

wtl     

Jimmie Lee Smith (Brawner)

Well, knowing as many stories as I do about Charles, Brian Copeland, Tony Maddox, Bruno Leonardt, etc., that's not so bad, except for your poor head.  Hope you realize that women - Michele & her grandmother - were your saviours.  Michele, what did you have to say to get the $50?  That was a lot of money way back when.

Thanks for the story, Wayne.  I'm sure you and others have many more.  Fun to hear.

Jackie Crowe (Finch)

"Tell alls" are good, keep'em coming!  Of course I was so sweet, I have no stories! Ha!

Hugs,

J