Living a hardscrabble childhood prepared Clayton Brooks well for the future and even led to a couple of books about his life. In fact, his dad’s own life was the stuff of movies. He escaped from a prison chain gang in Georgia and made his way to Texas, where he started a second family. Clayton was the youngest of five children. “We lived in shacks in the middle of cotton … [Read more...]
Howdy Media: Building Brands with Strategy, Story & Soul
In downtown Abilene, an unassuming yet sophisticated media studio is quietly reshaping the digital landscape of West Texas. Howdy Media, founded in 2023 by Daron Pacheco, is more than a video-production firm—it’s a content strategy hub infused with a small-town feel while delivering big-city results. A 2022 graduate of Hardin-Simmons University, the seeds for Daron’s … [Read more...]
Grills, Games & Good Company: A Guide to Tailgating
Football season is here! The game, the band, the excitement, the team spirit, the halftime show, the friends - but once the game has started, one might be torn between catching up with said friends and actually watching the game. A great way to circumvent this is to have a tailgate party before the game. Hang out, catch up and build community so that when the big game starts, … [Read more...]
Extra Nice Pumpkin Spice Cookies
If you know anything about fall, you know pumpkin spice is THE flavor of the season. These pumpkin spice cookies are the perfect way to make it feel like fall in your house even if it's still hot outside in Abilene. They're full of pumpkin flavor and they have spices like cloves and nutmeg, all topped off with a delicious cinnamon glaze. These are soft and fluffy, and they are … [Read more...]
Fall Cocktails & Mocktail
Salt… it isn’t just for rims. Every great cocktail walks the line between too much and not enough. Too sweet, and it’s cloying. Too tart, and it becomes abrasive. The magic lies in balance—where ingredients don’t compete but complement. While sugar and citrus are the most common tools bartenders reach for to achieve this equilibrium, they are far from the only … [Read more...]