Over two million people went to this year's Houston Livestock show and rodeo. Once again breaking the all time attendance records. Next year, rodeo goers will be able to see a new monument that will serve as a permanent tribute to our Troops. This monument is a donation made possible by several special people who forever have given our service men and women a fitting salute.

The story begins with a Veteran named Bill Callahan. Callahan served in Vietnam where he lost both his legs and broke his back while serving for our Country. But his story is not one of despair, it is one of survival and commitment. Callahan, through surgery and prosthesis was able to walk again. He became know in the mid 80's as the Walking Man. Callahan's mission was to bring attention to Veterans' issues and their treatment. It was on one of those walks that Callahan was struck by a car. His injuries left him bound to a wheelchair but alive to continue his passion to bring attention to our Troops.

It was during the first week of the rodeo at Reliant park that Callahan and his service dog Tailor spotted a new vendor. A Utah based company, The Rock Place, displayed their pieces of rock art that serve as flag poles, monuments and fire pits. Each rock is cut from a rich colored quarry in Utah and then hand sand-blasted to display some type of artistic image. Callahan was interested in a fairly large flag pole piece that had all the Military branches insignias displayed on it. The rock caught Callahan's eye enough to try to buy it. Lack of funds and price did not discourage Callahan.

The Rock Place is a business that works with many charities. It is said every piece of rock art they make has some kind of story. On this day, they became part of the story. The fine people who make up the The Rock Place decided to donate the Military monument to Callahan. Callahan, accepted the donation with misty eyes and sincerity. But this veteran, whose mission is to bring attention to our Troops, did a very selfless act and donated the rock art to HLSR rodeo officials. Callahan's donation will be a permanent monument on Reliant Park grounds where all attendees will be able to see and appreciate our Armed Forces.

The rock art flag pole is expected to be place at the north end entrance of Reliant Stadium. This is the spot that Callahan and rodeo official Leroy Shafer have agreed would be a perfect location for all to see. It will be viewed by many, but only took one man's mission to see it happen. We salute our troops, we salute Bill Callahan!

Web Sites:

Walking Man Promotions - Bill Callahan
The Rock Place

Legends of Leather

In the small Texas town of Yoakum, there is a true hidden treasure that combines tradition with high fashion. Double J Saddlery is a family owned third generation business that prides themselves on their custom leather products. Their legendary craftsmanship has catapulted the family's products to be in high demand and top of the line. The company has been in business for 20 years, however the family has been in the saddle making business for nearly 50 years. In recent years, the Double J have expanded their product line to include handbags, belts, wallets, organizers and other leather goods.

Double J's fashion forward sense of what is in style keeps their handbags and belts a popular choice. Their purses and belts have a wide range of appeal. Leathers in different jeweled and standard colors with a variety of textures are a trademark image of their line. Some handbags have a western motif that are accented with crosses, conchos & turquoise stones. Others have Swarovski crystals, copper nail heads and other eye catching embellishments. The latest fashion trends can be found in recent creations such as jeweled skulls, colored paisley designs, and of course animal prints. Belts are created with the same type of artistic impressions. The inspiration for these designs is a family effort driven by a constant check on the latest fashion trends.

Double J has mainstreamed their leather products into a world of fashion wise consumers. Their quality of work, unique designs and ability to customize their products make them a leader in the industry. While many of the creations are sought after by the western minded clientele, they are now being pursued by a fresh assortment of leather good aficionados. Their products can be purchased in high end western stores, upscale boutiques and of course online at www.doublejsaddlery.com. For the next two weeks the exclusive line can be found at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in various booths.

While their outfit still sets the standards in saddle making, their slogan says it best..."More than just great saddles". Their horse tack line allows you and your horse to look good while you are competing is a value that the Double J line brands itself on. However their slogan's message now goes beyond the arena. It is a winning run when you carry, wear or ride Double J Saddlery!!

TV-itter

"And the Oscar goes to...." is a phase that many of us will be hearing tonight as we sit and watch the Academy Awards. We will be glued to our HD plasma screens to see the latest fashions being worn by the starlets of Hollywood and rejoice in the winners' acceptance speeches. However some of us will be watching and sharing on twitter. Twitter, the fascinating on line tool that allows you to communicate with others. It is a fun way to watch and socialize with "friends" on big televised event.

Already, twitter has brought together strangers online to share in common interest such as sporting events, news events and social events. Recently, the Winter Olympics in Canada brought together a worldwide audience to enjoy and share different views, spur on rivalries and give your comments. Watching the Olympics allowed for people to give their own commentary on figure skating, share thoughts on amazing video or cheer on their favorite athlete all while utilizing twitter. Amazingly most users were kind and demonstrated good regard for each other. During the USA vs Canada gold medal Hockey match, the dishearten and the overjoyed shared their thoughts.

Social media has made it easy for us to communicate with a world wide audience. Twitter has made it simple. Through a few easy steps you can sign up for this free service. To share your insight while watching tv takes some typing skill and a twitter account. The use of a hashtag (#) will allow you to search for the topics you are interested. For example tonight "oscars" is already the top trending topic. It is fun and interesting to see a tweet that shares you same thought or maybe not from someone else. You may share a laugh, get mad or learn something new
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The Academy Awards are just hours away...but already on twitter there are many already talking about them. Will you be?

Barbecue, What's Cooking?

Every year I look forward to the time when the Rodeo rolls into town. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo runs for several weeks starting the last weekend of February. The fun starts with the world's largest barbecue cook-off. Several hundred bbq teems come together and throw one big party. Trust me it is one big party.

This party is like no other. It is held on the grounds of the Reliant Park. More specifically the parking lot is turned into a tent city. What goes on under those tents is a Texas size party with all the trimmings. Most of the teams our sponsored by corporations, companies and businesses. Thus most of the tents are private booths. However there is public serving of bbq plates, live music provided and beer sales for the price of one ticket.

Attendance to the cook-off for this year was a record setting 218,000 people. All these bbq goers fought to find a place to park, battled high winds, braved cold temperatures and the constant search for the elusive wristband. The cheap little paper wristbands are the key to getting access to some of the booths. The waiting in line to get into a booth, to get a plate to eat or drink, and of course for the port-o-potty is all a part the BBQ cook-off experience.

Now this may not sound like fun for some but for others it is a must do. There is no other place where you can enjoy live music or dj, dancing or talking and of course the people watching. I am already looking forward to 2011. Are you?