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Saturday, September 17, 2022

2022 Wild Game Feed

Once again we must begin preparations for next year’s Annual Wild Game Feed, because this year’s Feed is (sadly) over.  Already I am looking toward next year on the third Friday in September—September 15, 2023.  It is not too early to mark it on your calendar.

This year the Feed was exceptional as always.  The members did an outstanding job of putting together the best event in Orange County (or in the entire world as far as I am concerned) for the best group of guys anywhere.  Whether you were a member or an attendee, THANK YOU!!!  Your participation in this event provides much needed support to many organizations supporting our youth and veterans.  Again, Thank You!

See You at the Feed!

Friday, July 8, 2022

Irvine Lake 2022 Wild Game Feed

Time is getting away from us.  In just 10 weeks the 54th Annual Wild Game Feed at Irvine Lake will be getting started.  If you need to check your calendar, that works out to Friday, September 16, 2022.  I know this year it will be bigger and better than ever.  I simply cannot contain my excitement.

Well with time running so short, maybe you had better start getting things together for a day of fun.  Or if you are like me, you started getting ready the day after last year’s Feed.  Either way, it will be arriving quickly.

See You at the Feed!

Meat and Beer!

Tuesday, May 31, 2022

54th Annual Wild Game Feed

O the Joy!  Today I received my ticket order form for the 54th Annual Wild Game Feed to be held at Irvine Lake, Friday, September 16, 2022.  I cannot wait!  I know, I know, I can’t jump ahead in time to the Feed, but if I could…  Oh well.  I’ve already put together everything I plan to bring with me, except for the ice, and I will most likely re-check it a dozen times or more before the event occurs. 

Once again I must warn everyone to waste no time ordering your tickets for the Feed.  It will sell out fast.  To hesitate is dangerous.  To procrastinate is to lose out on the biggest and best game feed I’ve ever been to.  Meat, beer, prizes, games, meat, beer.  How could it get any better?  If you have been there in the past, you know.  If you have never been there, you need to know.

This remains a stag event (men only) 21 years of age and older.  Please check out my list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s) for additional info and thoughts.  Even though I put this list together a few years ago, it is still relevant today.  Even I reread it from time to time to remind myself of things.

So, guys, get those order forms in the mail, and prepare yourselves for the best party in Orange County.

See you at the Feed!

Meat and Beer!

Thursday, April 21, 2022

Texas Barbeque Trail

 I’ve said it before, and I’ve said it many times, “Barbeque is where you find it,” but in Texas all trails lead to barbeque.  In central Texas, just crossing the street can lead to barbeque.  While I haven’t been able to get back to Texas for a few years, I’m certain the number of barbeque joints in the state is greater than ever.  Needless to say, I have many fond memories of Texas barbeque.

 In the mid-‘forties, my grandfather and his friend Sam put their heads together to start a barbeque restaurant.  My grandfather built the pits and a barn-like building for the restaurant and left the rest to Sam and his family.  Sammie’s Bar-b-q is still there near the corner of N. Beach and E. Belknap in Fort Worth, although the original pits were rebuilt long ago, and I doubt if it is still family owned.  This was one of two main places providing the store-bought barbeque I grew up eating.  It was good, but my memories of barbeque really began when I was a kid on a family vacation, and we made stops in Elgin and Lockhart.  ‘OMG!’ was not a phrase used back then, but I can apply it in retrospect.

 In the late ‘sixties, Hank and I traveled to Austin to visit a friend enrolled in the University of Texas.  Bobber decided to take us to a couple of barbeque restaurants he liked to frequent, and we couldn’t say ‘No.’ 

 We spent nearly three days just traveling from joint to joint sampling barbeque (Bobber told us it was just two places, but one thing leads to another).  While some were better than others, only one place we decided shouldn’t keep its doors open.  It was a Santa Maria California-style place specializing in tri-tip.  Now that I live in California I realize that place in Texas was far better than many of the ones in California.  Anyway, we quickly reached capacity, but that didn’t stop us from buying the barbeque and taking it with us.

 Hank and I drove back to Fort Worth with more than thirty pounds of barbeque.  Well, maybe I should say we left Austin with more than thirty pounds of barbeque.  By the time we reached Fort Worth, our smoky stash was considerably smaller.  And we were considerably bigger.

 Just before I moved to California in 1975, I decided to spend a couple of weeks or so driving around Texas.  I had been to almost every corner of the state many times, but business was involved for most of those journeys, and I just wanted to take time to enjoy this world I was leaving one last time.  The one criteria I had for the journey was to have barbeque and Tex-Mex every day—several times every day.

 I packed my car, and the next morning I left the old farmhouse about 8am.  My first stop was a small restaurant about 10 miles away where I had a very small breakfast of eggs, chicken fried steak, sausages, ham, bacon, biscuits and gravy, and French fries.  I needed to save room for my next stop—Angelo’s.

 I met my great-uncle George for an early lunch at Angelo’s and we worked our way through way too much brisket and beer.  From there I drove south to Hillsboro where I met a couple of old friends for “2nd Lunch.”   The small cafĂ© near the old county courthouse was owned by a family from Harlingen, and they understood what Tex-Mex was all about.  Oh, my.  I was full.  Too full.  But I left there to visit some friends in Waco where we were going to have an early dinner.

 Waco is not known for the world’s greatest Tex-Mex or barbeque, but at it’s worst, it’s still very good.  However, early dinner was at my friend’s home where they were preparing brisket and sausage with several sides.  I couldn’t say ‘no,’ and I ended up taking a small container of food with me when I left later that evening to get to my reserved lodging in Killeen.

 Killeen is home to Fort Hood where my friend Zeke was stationed.  He had a week’s pass, and he was going to accompany me on some of my journeys through the state.  I picked Zeke up about 7am the next morning and we immediately drove east a few miles to Belton for a Tex-Mex breakfast.  This was the last Tex-Mex I would see for a week.  We were entering the heart of Barbeque Country—Central Texas.

 For a solid week we ate barbeque.  Every meal.  Snacks in between meals.  Desserts.  Because it was there.  There is no remembering just how many places we visited.  Usually we ate at the restaurant, but we often got it ‘to go’ so we could eat outside in a park or at a roadside picnic table (remember those?). 

 After returning Zeke to Fort Hood, I continued my travels through other parts of the state (El Paso, Alpine, Marfa, Marathon, Eagle Pass, McAllen, Corpus Christi, etc.), and I thoroughly enjoyed the trip, but the barbeque was the highlight.

 Today, well over forty years later, many of those barbeque joints are still there.  Yes, some are gone, and new ones have taken their places.  I started hearing some twenty years ago about the ‘Texas Barbeque Trail,’ and as I did a little research as to what it was about, I realized that there is no actual ‘trail.’  It is simply a word used in relation to all the barbeque places in central Texas.  Some places are famous, and some are not.  All are worth stopping at, just like Zeke and I once did.

 One could make a case for a ‘barbeque trail’ by mapping out a series of stops at the more well known places in a roughly fifty mile circle around Austin, but one would be missing out on some great places only the locals know about.  Sometimes the place is located behind, or in, a grocery store, or bar, or gas station.  Sometimes it’s in front of a church or junkyard.  You never know—as I’ve said many times before, ‘Barbeque is where you find it.’

 To me the best barbeque trail begins where you live (even in California).  It’s local, and that’s a good start.  To expand the trail, just take the time on your travels to stop and eat barbeque at a new place.  And if your travels ever take you to central Texas, your trail will be complete.

Friday, February 18, 2022

Biggie—Year Eleven—The Nose Bump


Right now Biggie is asleep at my feet.  There is something wonderful far beyond words having a little doggie whose trust is so great as to sleep at (or on) your feet.  The only problem is this: if I so much as wiggle a toe, it will disturb him.  That is something I simply don't want to do.

Biggie’s favorite form of getting my attention is a nose bump.  He will just touch the end of his nose to my leg, step back, and look up at me.  He always starts with this, but if I don’t respond in a timely manner, he will resort to other methods.  I may receive two or even three nose bumps before foot scraping begins.  Foot scraping will turn into agitated twirling or bouncing, and as a last resort, woofing and barking.  Usually it doesn’t get that far before I figure out what he wants, although sometimes, no matter how hard I try, I just can’t figure out what he wants.  However, overall he is a good communicator. 

Even though he has been in my life for eleven years, Biggie is almost sixteen years old, yet he still acts like a puppy much of the time.  Yes he is slowing down some, and he can no longer jump onto the sofa without some assistance, but he still likes to go for long walks, runs in the park, and trips to the beach (unless it is too hot).  He also loves to ride in the car.  It starts with a nose bump, two steps back, tail wagging, and a hopeful stare.  If I don’t respond in about two seconds, the foot scraping begins and quickly escalates into agitated twirling, bouncing, woofing, and barking.

Biggie is still my part-time dog.  His mom is moving a few blocks from their current home into a better place, so he is visiting for a few days.  Each time he come over, it seem his routine has changed a bit.  Different wake-up time, different feeding schedule, different walking schedule.  But one thing has always remained the same.  The nose bump.

Sunday, January 2, 2022

Countdown to 54

Well, it’s been just over three months since the last Feed, and preparations are well underway for the 54th Annual Wild Game Feed.  Friday, September 16, 2022.  Mark it on your calendar.  Number 53 was a bit of a learning curve as the Feed changed locations in order to allow us to spread out some.  Admittedly the Feed outgrew the old location several years ago, and the new place was a welcomed change.  However, there are still some adjustments to be made.  I won’t detail the adjustments since they are complicated to make, but there will be adjustments.  And the Feed will be bigger and better than ever.

I don’t know if 2022 will be 2020 Part III, or if it will be a new start for us, but we must all do what we can to ensure the 54th Annual Wild Game Feed actually happens.  Number 52 drew a blank because of the Pandemic, Number 53 was touch and go until the last minute.  I don’t want Number 54 to be scratched at the last minute due to another upswing of this virus.

We still have about 9 months and 3 weeks to go.  That’s over 5 1/2 dog years away!  A lot can happen between now and September 16, but I am once again being an optimist and have started making my list of things to bring.  Let’s see, 1) me, 2) cigars, 3) ticket, 4) uh, more stuff, etc.  Over the years I’ve learned to scale down my list in order to spend more time eating, drinking, and talking with everyone I meet. 

So, let’s get this big shindig completely back on track for the biggest and best Feed ever. 

See you at the Feed!

Meat and Beer!