Nowhere Tribune

Dress normal. If you try to look like a rancher when you aren’t, they’ll know it before you sit down. Don’t be a clown. Stay quiet. Ranchers and farmers are friendly, but they are generally on the verge of losing their patience, especially during a drought. Don’t test them by asking stupid questions. Know the … Continue reading →

Old Times Gospel Church in Sunny Bog, Florida recently added a new practice to their worship services—shark handling. Judson Whitehead, pastor of the church, requested the baptismal tank be converted to a salt water aquarium to accommodate a number of small bull and tiger sharks during last year’s budget meeting. The updates were completed last … Continue reading →

Vidor, Texas: A small East Texas church is divided after an elderly woman brought a pot of squirrel stew to the church dinner last Sunday. According to local sources, Susie Martin, affectionately known as “Granny,” brought squirrel stew to functions at Murky Creek Baptist Church in the past without causing a stink. But after Pastor … Continue reading →

Judson Whitehead, pastor of Old Times Gospel Church in Sunny Bog, Florida, invites everyone to attend the fourth annual Revival and Turtle Shoot on Sunday, June 3. “We’re hoping folks will join us to get saved, shoot some turtles, and have some great food,” said Whitehead. We asked Whitehead why the church has a turtle … Continue reading →

It was dark and windy when we arrived at Hotel Turkey in Turkey, Texas, population 421. We parked in a dirt lot across the street, which was empty other than a large black dog trotting home for the night. The hotel originally opened in 1927 and has stayed in business continuously since then. George W. … Continue reading →

I recently wrote another post about this state park here. My lovely hiking partner and I arrived at Caprock Canyons State Park (3 miles north of Quitaque, Texas) at 8:00 A.M. last Saturday. The park ranger advised us to be out of the canyon by 2:00 P.M. as the temperature was to reach 103, but … Continue reading →

Last summer I was standing in line for the twisty slide at the public pool with my little boy. Another young boy was behind me, staring at the tattoo on my shoulder with a puzzled look on his face. “Is that a rat?” he asked. It’ not a rat; it’s not a rodent at all, … Continue reading →

My workout buddies and I do some kind of conditioning at the end of each session. The most common things we do are long farmer’s carries, weighted ball slams, man-makers, or sprints. In addition, we try to have a whole workout dedicated to conditioning each week. We meet at our local high school track for … Continue reading →

My nine-year-old son Ben and I recently went on a ghost hunting trip to the historic square in Granbury, Texas. If you missed part one of this story, you can read it here, where I wrote about our favorite stop, the Old Jail and Museum. A close second was the Nuttshell Eatery and Bakery. Built … Continue reading →

I recently read that the historic square in downtown Granbury, Texas has so many resident ghosts that weekly ghost tours are offered. I planned to go to my grandmother’s house in Granbury on the upcoming Saturday, so I jotted down some names and addresses of the most haunted businesses to take along. When the day … Continue reading →

A friend from another country once asked me why Texans are so proud of their state. Other than my dad’s attempt to move us to Florida when I was four (we moved back to Texas in eight months), and my year of teaching in Oklahoma, I’ve lived in Texas my whole life. My roots are … Continue reading →

In 1980, downtown Joshua was still on Main Street, which a few decades before had been part of the main road from Cleburne to Fort Worth.  Most of the businesses were on the west side. The Owl Inn Café was where you could find the old timers (who still said “Josh-u-way”); it was the only … Continue reading →

These rules are a matter of preference. If you prefer to be regarded as a man, follow them. 1. Leave the lifting mittens in your wife’s closet. Don’t tell me they improve your grip. If your hands are that sweaty, wipe them with a towel. A benefit of weight lifting is having strong, calloused hands. … Continue reading →

New to weight-lifting? Want the best results with the least amount of time in the gym? Whether you are a guy or girl, here are the important basics. 1. Concentrate on the big lifts. They work the most muscle groups and lead to the best over-all development. Squats, deadlifts, bench press, rows, and shoulder presses … Continue reading →

You’ve showed up at the rodeo, paid your fees, and signed the waiver. Now what? First, you’ll need to know what bull you’ve drawn. Your “draw” is the bull you are going to climb on and try to ride. Before you get to the rodeo, it will be helpful to familiarize yourself with the vocabulary … Continue reading →

Close to a year ago, I cancelled the gym membership I’d had for years and set up a small garage gym at home. Here’s why that was a great move. I don’t have a monthly bill. It does take some money up front to get started at home, but it doesn’t have to take much. … Continue reading →

The following is from my book, “Used to Want to Be a Cowboy.” Kowbell Rodeo was the only year-round, indoor rodeo in the state. Whether Christmas, Easter, or Super Bowl Sunday, the rodeo went on. By the time I was a senior in high school, I headed over from Joshua to ride bulls every time I … Continue reading →

Ronald Clay was an older cowboy who lived outside of Flomot, Texas, which accounts for about 180 of the 1,000 people who live in Motley County. I came to know Mr. Clay when I worked for the USDA office in Matador, Texas, 90 miles northeast of Lubbock. I knew that the Clay boys had been … Continue reading →