Howdy!

So now that I've been adjusting to life back in the heat and humidity of Austin, I've been thinking about how much I just LOVE this city! How fortunate I am to live here! While I've mainly been lying low (including working at the Paper Place again - don't kill me!), I have visited the bats, South Congress, and the Parlor. My dad was in town for a long weekend (he leaves tomorrow morning) and we've been squeezing in all kinds of fun including a visit with...Kinky Friedman! Now, any Texas-lover or animal-lover should take a road trip out to the Utopia Rescue Ranch anyway. Kinky lives on 500 acres of gorgeous hill country, with stunning views, trickling streams, deer, cedars, the whole nine yards. But he also started, with the help of friends Cousin Nancy and Tony, a dog rescue ranch that is really a dream. They rescue all kinds of different dogs with different stories and MAN have they got it good here at the ranch! Huge pens with trees and swimming pools, daily walks down to the creek to bathe, lots of food and shade and love. It's really inspiring. And I want to take home about 10 of the 50-odd dogs that they keep there! Nancy and Tony are two of the most loving, sweet, caring people who really have hearts for this rescue work despite the financial stress and emotional stress. Apparently the ranch started in Utopia, Texas but with some complaints from the neighbors, Kinky welcomed them to his huge ranch. All in all, it's a terrific, peaceful, beautiful place. Dad and I had visited last year and we were just dropping in to say hi and to see how things were going and it just so happened that my dad's hero since 1971 just got back from grocery shopping. So we hauled on over the half mile to Kinky's trailer and sure enough, there was the man himself.
Basically, my dad's dream came true. And there he was...in the flesh.


















And so it was that Roger Metz got to play with dogs and meet Kinky Friedman all in one fell swoop.