Blog 3405 – 02.28.2025
Go Texan Day
2012 was a big year for me, I had three important work assignments as a contract welding inspector. The first one was in Melvindale, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. After four months there and an epic seven days of ten hour driving I arrived at my second welding inspector assignment that year, in Kenai, Alaska. Sadly, while there, my beloved daughter Emily Elaine, got sick and died quickly. The little girl who sang her song to anyone who came along got a new gig in a much bigger better venue. After Alaska, I drove to Baggs, Wyoming for a six month work assignment inspecting welds on twenty-nine miles of 26 inch natural gas pipeline.
Shortly after I started the assignment near Baggs I heard from a fellow welding inspector, actually a lady inspector, that the next weekend was the annual Fort Bridger Mountain Man Rendezvous, a festival she thought I would thoroughly enjoy. She was right. Being from Houston,Texas, cowboy hat, belt bucks, and boots was as closes to mountain man attire as I could get, but I fit right in as the pictures above testify.
Today is Go Texan Day here as the annual Houston Rodeo and Livestock Show kicks-off. A couple of days ago I was looking for a western vest to wear with my cowboy hat, belt, and boots, but I found a distressed and faded denim jacket instead. I believe that was the first time that I ever bought new clothes with holes already in them. Yesterday evening at a thrift store nearby I bought another faded light blue denim jacket. This one, though used, has no holes and actually was priced about five dollars more than the Forever 21 distressed faded light blue one that I bought new. So now I have two light blue denim jackets to pick from for my Go Texan cowboy costume. I will try to get someone to take my picture today all cowboyed up.
Row-day-oh or Row-Dee-oh (Which ever you prefer) to all you cowgirls and cowboys out there.
Your friend and fellow traveler,
David “James” White
Sweet Baby James & Long Ago and Far Away
theencouragingword 