FOCUS ON TEXAS

Roughin’ It
By Ashley Clary

It can be very rewarding, inspiring and sometimes difficult to pack up some staples and say sayonara to the modern world. It’s just you and your provisions and how you make it all work. For some it is everything, and others just call room service. No electricity, no running water, no civilization, no problem, right? Maybe …

Tri-County Electric Cooperative member Brenda Murphy sent us this charming photo of her daughter Michele taking a break in their ranch’s country-style swimming pool.

Justin, left, and Marshall Roebuck “thought outside the box” when Dad forgot the camping chairs on a trip to McKinney Falls State Park. Or rather, they thought “in” it. These two are sons of Pedernales Electric Cooperative members Jeanette and David Roebuck.

Russell J. Wittrup, a Pedernales Electric Cooperative member, says he really enjoys his escapes to his property in one of the most remote locations in Texas, the Big Bend area.

As charming as an expedition to the Sam Houston National Forest may seem, it was a little too steamy for Hamilton County Electric Cooperative members Paul and Charlene Tiner (but not for dog Suzy, pictured). “It was too hot to sleep in the tent. We lost our appetites and gave the dogs all our food,” says Charlene.

Deep East Texas Electric Cooperative member Jan Amen snapped this shot of a firefighter on the Pecos River near Mentone last January. “He pulled out a little camp heater and a can of soup for a much-deserved meal. Pretty clever!” she says.

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FIRSTS is the topic for our FEBRUARY 2010 issue. Send your photo—along with your name, address, daytime phone, co-op affiliation and a brief description—Firsts, Focus on Texas, 1122 Colorado St., 24th Floor, Austin, TX 78701, before DECEMBER 10. A stamped, self-addressed envelope must be included if you want your entry returned (approximately six weeks). Please do not submit irreplaceable photographs—send a copy or duplicate. We regret that Texas Co-op Power cannot be responsible for photos that are lost in the mail or not received by the deadline. Please note that we cannot provide individual critiques of submitted photos. If you use a digital camera, e-mail your highest-resolution images to focus@texas-ec.org or submit on our website at www.texascooppower.com. (If you have questions about your camera’s capabilities and settings, please refer to the operating manual.)

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