“Howdy, folks. I’m Gus McDusty!” Boy, howdy, is he ever! Gus is the cowboy poet creation of Abilenian Trevor Allen and certainly doesn’t disappoint as he leads downtown walking tours that are half serious, half light-hearted and wholly enjoyable. Tours take place the second Saturday of every month in March-December. After a long winter hunkered down in the … [Read more...]
Day in the Life: Child Life Specialist
Mimi Schultz’s detective name is Bubble 0-7. That’s because bubbles are her favorite work equipment. As a child life specialist, she turns kids’ toys into tools and medical procedures into child’s play. In honor of Child Life Month in March, a display at Cook Children’s Hospital in Fort Worth asked “Where in the World is Child Life?,” a play on the 90s-era Carmen Sandiego … [Read more...]
Abilene Influencers: Darrin Black
Background & Bio Born and raised in Oplin, Texas and a 1984 Clyde graduate, Darrin Black’s Big Country roots run deep. After high school, Black jumped straight into the plumbing business and joined the Abilene Fire Department a few years later. Serving the fire department three days a week, and plumbing on his days off, Black worked to gain his master plumber li- cense … [Read more...]
Day in the Life: Pre-K Teacher
As Patsy Rodriguez reads “Goldilocks and The Three Bears” to her Head Start class at Long Early Learning Center, she is doing more than simply sharing a children’s tale. “The word of the week is ‘culture,’” she reminds her young listeners before delving into the story, explaining that the fairy tale is an example of a “traditional tale” that ties generations … [Read more...]
From Farm to Turbine
Sweetwater woman reflects on leaving the family farm to become a plane mechanic during World War II A smile crosses the face of Jessie Lou McReynolds as she scans the cavernous museum full of vintage airplanes, displays, and other World War II memorabilia, reminding her of some of the happiest years of her life. McReynolds turned 98 on June 8 and still has vivid memories of … [Read more...]