HLSR...

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. It's that time of year. It's a state of mind in Houston. Every year at about this time, the event is heralded by the arrival of trail riders from all over Texas who have actually ridden horses/driven wagons/followed in support vehicles from all corners to converge on Memorial Park on Go Texan Friday. Then they all get up at the crack of dawn to ready themselve for a parade through downtown Houston. All of that is followed by several weeks of students showing the animals they've raised, hoping to win scholarships, art contests, carnival rides, actual rodeo competitions, calf scrambles and last but not least, musical performances (mini-concerts) by recording artists representing everything from the expected country music, to hispanic, to soul.

It all works, draws huge crowds, and is all basically crafted and manned by thousands of volunteers from the community who donate the man-hours to organizing everything from BBQ cookoffs, to manning the gates, to welcoming the arrival of the trailers of animals, to banding the chicks that are handed out to FFA students to raise. All in all, an enormous project, with all of the money earned funding college scholarships for students across the state. And not just FFA-type scholarships - across-the-board opportunities for learning.

And when they arrive on Go Texan Day, many of them ride right past our administrative offices on Memorial Drive. Horses, wagons, moms, dads, children, country music blaring, traffic cops ahead and behind trying ot protect them, flags flying, news helicopters following - and everyone just taking a step back to remember.

Crazy Texans. We do love our state. Supposedly, there are many people across the country who don't have a positive feeling about the state and its people. We're so sorry, y'all. We may not be perfect, but then who is? Come visit sometime, and we'll try to change your mind!