Bas's Guide to American Sports

Hey there sports fans, Bas here....I figured it was about time I explained American sports to all of Mom's Netherlands friends. So as they say in baseball...PLAY BALL!!!

Speaking of baseball, Mom is all gung-ho right now over those Texas Rangers fellas. It seems they've never won the World Series and actually only made it there for the first time last year and there's a good chance they may win. So Mom has been glued to the tv and by glued I mean stuck to the edge of her seat on the couch. Which, by the way, has created a bit of a problem. You see normally at night, once Mom and Dad have gone to bed I set up my guard post on 'their ' couch (they actually think that they have a couch...haha..they're both mine) , but since Mom's baseball is only on at 2am she's taken over...she has no idea how this has messed up my sleeping patterns. To make matters worse it's football season as well. Anyway, as I said she has been stuck to the couch, but it has given me the opportunity to learn and start to understand sports a bit better.

For example, I believe I finally have the language of sports down. Below I will give you a few phrases and such along with their meaning.

1. GO,GO, GO, GOOOO! Now this was very confusing at first , I assumed it meant get off the couch...now why she would say this to me is beyond me, but I finally figured out that it was her way of communicating with the TV. Apparently, if you yell this enough the little people inside the Tv do what you want them to ....sometimes. Now this is only a theory and I have not attempted it myself.

2. Nooooooo! This was confusing as well, I actually I thought I was in trouble at first..imagine that...me? in trouble? Puhhlleeassse!! No, it actually means something bad happened on the TV. Either the other team scored a homerun (baseball) or a touchdown (football) or something else bad has happened. This was yelled quite frequently during the Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners game.

3. YESSSSSSSSSSS! Now I know most would assume that this means I did something really good, but alas, no, it only means something really good happened with the little people on the TV again.

4. Kiss it GOODBYE! This refers to when one of the little Texas Rangers hits a homerun. Unfortunately, I haven't come to a full understanding of baseball. I just don't get why anyone would intentionally hit a ball only to run after it. Seems silly to me, but then I've never cared much for the game of fetch anyway.

5. AW, C'MON! Generally means that Mom is mad at either the little men in the striped shirts or the black outfits. Clothing depends on whether it's football or baseball.

Now it's not only the speaking language of the games you need to understand, but also the body language.

For example,

1. When Mom jumps up it's usually a good thing.

2. Claps her hands...great thing.

3. Pulls on her hair...bad thing.

4. Grabs Dad, possibly a good thing. She did this frequently during something called extra innings.

5. Hands over face in almost a prayer fashion...very intense..actually sometimes I think she is praying..oh, and it's best not to stand in front of the TV during one of these prayers...I learned that the hard way.

Now for those of you just learning about sports, there is one other area you must have an understanding of before you can truly appreciate them. And that is simply how to watch the games. Postioning of oneself on the couch is detrimental to the enjoyment of the game. I have complied a few photo examples below. My personal favorite is on my back, belly exposed, and head on Mom's lap. This position provides for ultimate petting coverage.

Well, that's it for tonight. I'm sure after the World Series and as football progresses I will be able to include more tips for you. Until then Let's Go Rangers!!! I did that just for you, Mom.

9/11 Where evil clouds the sky, good still shines through like a ray of sunshine

There have been a variety of specials on this week regarding the events of 9/11.  Most recounting the event itself, a few tales of  "where were you" , and  many over how it happened.  I personally can recount every detail of that day and have in this very blog (see Sept. 2010), but it's not just about one day it's more about the feelings that arise when you talk about it.  The tragedy, fear, sadness, confusion, and anger that arose from that will never be forgotten.  My one biggest fear, however, is that we'll forget what "good" came from that day.

There were so many emotions that have been associated with that day.  Sadness at the loss, fear of what would happen next, confusion simply because we had no idea what was happening, and of course, just plain anger.  Amazingly though in the middle of this mixture of clouded emotions, a ray of light peeked through filled with compassion, courage, kindness, unity, and pride.  Courage came through almost immediately as you watched the first responders (Firefighters, police) rush into the buildings.  There is one photo in particular that has become somewhat famous of a firefighter climbing the stairs heading for the belly of the beast.  As so many New Yorkers were fleeing the area, the rescue teams kept heading in.  There's the story of the co-workers of a wheelchair bound man, they carried him down the stairs to safety from high atop the WTC.   At the Pentagon, a Lt. Colonel that ran inside repeatedly to save victims.  A Staff Sergeant and cook who also ran back inside.  The days and weeks that followed were just as courageous.   Let's not forget all the rescue workers who braved the smoke and debris to hopefully find survivors or at the very least retrieve bodies.  Over 100 dogs were used in search and rescue between the Pentagon and WTC .  Everytime a dog came out for a break, it wasn't long before these heroic canines were up and ready to head back in almost like they really understood and knew what had happened. Of course, who will ever forget the courage of the passengers of flight 93.  The stories are as endless as the courage.

Compassion and kindness are all too often forgotten except in time of crisis.  Those fateful events on that Tuesday morning created an air of compassion and kindness that haven't really evaporated even as of today.   You could see compassion and kindness from the very beginning.   Not only see it , but hear it.  The voices of the news reporters while obviously shaken by what they were seeing unfold, their voices remained a calming factor.  The President (regardless of how anyone felt about him) showed the greatest compassion early on.  He was visiting a school, during a storytelling he recieved the news.  Anyone watching could see the anger being held back, he waited 10 minutes till the children were finished before excusing himself to be briefed on the situation.  Some have criticized this decision, but truth was he was afraid that if the President jumped up quickly and reacted rashly he would scare the children. Remaining calm is one the best forms of compassion one can give.  Shortly after the  1st Tower fell, Father Mychal Judge, a chaplain of the NYFD, was carried alerady dead from the rubble in a desk chair by firefighters and civilians.  He was casualty number 0001.  Did they have to retrieve the body at that moment...compassion and kindness told them YES.  Compassion and kindness came in so many forms that day and the days and even months that followed.  It was volunteers passing out water, food, socks, and shoes out to the rescue workers who were combing through debris for months.  The multitude of firefighters, police, medical staffs,search and  rescue crews, construction workers, or just plain volunteers who came from not just all over the US, but from all over the world.  And perhaps the strangest thing I remember was a Super Bowl beer commercial 4 months later that aired only once that had the famous Clydesdale horses of Budweiser trotting up to the edge of New York and bowing in remembrance...even a commercial can show compassion.  Just walking around for several months afterwards, people were kinder to each other, more willing to help someone out even if they didn't know them.

Unfortunately, nothing unites people like tragedy, that being said, the unity that was brought about following the attacks is almost hard to describe.  It wasn't just flag-waving or patriotic singing it was so much more and not just across one country, but the world really.   Honestly, it's still noticeable today.  There are a few things that stick out more than anything from those first few days.  One thing was watching our congress standing united...not seperated by republican or democrat...singing "God Bless America" unplanned and heartfelt.  They were off key and none would have made it through American Idol, but it was beautiful nonetheless and exactly what we as Americans needed to see...our leaders united.  On the morning of September 12th, I remember noticing more flags on houses, flags on cars, and flag pins..flags were everywhere.  Of course, the ones on buildings were at half mast for mourning, but still the flags started popping up everywhere for months.  Everyone, no matter race, ethnicity, etc, was standing untied.  United We Stand became our motto through this crisis, but truth be told for at least a short time it wasn't just our motto...the world seemed to be with us.  I remember tearing up a bit as I watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace perform the Star Spangled Banner.  The world, for the most part, seemed to unite with us in our mourning and grief and not solely because of the 372 international victims lost in the attacks.  Unity is a strong and powerful thing.

Pride is considered to be both a virtue and a vice, but in the case of 9/11 it's strictly a virtue and one of the reasons that good has triumphed over evil.   The attacks of 9/11 undoubtedly changed the world.  They changed the way we travel and changed our sense of security.  In that sense, the terrorists may have won a small victory, but we've already won the war.  No, the war on terror is not over in fact far from it. , but victory can sometimes hide in  something as seemingly small as the spirit.  Yes, they killed our people, tore down our buildings and changed many of our habits.  Our spirit, however, they did not destroy, in fact they only made it stronger.  While we may complain as that one power hungry airport security guy makes us take off our shoes for the 3rd time, in the back of our minds we have to remember he's taking some pride in his job...pride that may actually keep us safe.  Pride can save lives, pride can give you courage...the passengers of flight 93 propelled them to stop the terrorists from killing even more. Almost immediately the little things made us pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and hold our heads up high and the big things such as the courage of first responders and the flight 93 passengers told us we would defeat whatever they threw at us .   They tried to take away our pride, but they only helped our pride reinforce our spirit.  We didn't roll over.  We didn't cower in a corner.  We reached out and helped each other.  We smiled when we saw the flag and our hearts filled when we heard the national anthem or other patriotic songs.  They didn't change who we are.  Nothing filled me with more pride than seeing our flag at full staff the morning of October 12th, when the 30 days of mourning ended. They may have forced us to change the rules a bit, but they didn't change the fact that we can be kind, compassionate, courageous, and united...and that's something to take pride in and not just the US, but the world as well.

The vet, the 4th of July, &.....THE BATH!!!!

YO! Bas here....man oh man, what a month I have had. First, I had to go to the vet...not once , but twice. Then came one of Mom's favorite holidays, the 4th of July, America's independence day and we had to celebrate that. To top everything else off.......I HAD A BATH!!

Ok, first let me tell you I used to think going to the vet was fun. Last time I was there I got to play with my buds and got lots of treats. But something happened this time, something I can't quite explain. For months now Mom and Dad have been whispering about me....from what little I could pick up it had something to do with my prowess with the ladies. Apparently they think I'm in some kind of misery everytime a pretty little girl doggy walks by. They don't understand that I'm just a ladies' man. Well, anyway, one fateful morning they took me to the vet. I was so happy thinking I was going to see my old buddies again then I don't know what happened. Everything went dark and I can't remember a thing. I think someone gave me a little knock out juice or something. I woke up a few hours later and was still a bit too groggy to notice anything had happened. Mom and Dad came and picked me up and I was still a bit out of it, but I had this sinking feeling that I left something back at the vet's office. It was a few days after the pain relievers had wore off that I realized what had happened.....I left my balls back at the vet. Well, I had to get them back and thank goodness Mom realized it. She took me back about a week and half later. But you know what, all they did was poke me with a few needles give me a few treats and sent me home. What the heck??!! Apparently, this was Mom's plan all along...to deprive me off my manliness. She thought I was just too much man for most of the ladies around here. Oh well, I'm still just as sexy as ever and hey at least now we don't have to worry about any little Bas's running around.

Mom did make it up to me a little. She included me in our 4th of July celebration . We invited a few friends over for a little old-fashioned Independence Day BBQ. Mom had gotten a 'care package' from the good ol' US of A and we decided to share. Of course, they shared with me, too. And let me tell you, Mom makes a mean hamburger. It was a really nice night and the garden was nicely decorated with the American flag waving proudly. Mom and Dad seemed to have enjoyed themselves and I was, of course, the perfect host...I greeted everyone who came in . Good food, good friends...almost like the real Independence Day.

Remember I said she made up for it a little....well she almost erased that by giving me ...a BATH! Torture, absolute torture. That horrible, hissing snakelike waterhose spraying it's evil, venomous water all over. Then that stuff that bubbles up and takes away my natural smell. Disgusting, I tell you. But I got my revenge...what happens when you try to wash a 50 kilo dog that doesn't want a bath...you get wet. Mom and Dad were soaked from head to toe. If I'm going down, everybody's going down.

Well, that was my month..catch ya later....and watch out for vets and evil garden hoses. Time for a little snooze back on my beach...notice I used some of the 4th balloons to redecorate..pretty clever, eh?!

Who is America?

As the 4th of July approaches I can't help but get a bit sentimental and homesick. I'm often asked many things regarding the US. The two questions I get asked most often"don't you miss it" and "why does America do this or that" .

I can answer the first question easily, of course, I miss it. I think it would be hard for anyone leaving something they have known for 41 years behind, but that being said I don't have even one single regret about doing it. Why...because I will always be an American no matter where I am and truth be told people are people no matter what country they are from. Deep down we are the same despite differing viewpoints, cultures, etc. Home is where the heart is and mine is here. Sure I miss some things, sadly mostly revolving around food, but in my heart the US will always be there along with my new family.

Now, the second question is a bit of loaded question as we would say back in the US. I think the only way to answer it is to get to the heart of what America is. America is exactly what the world made it to be. Some will say we are aggressive, arrogant, proud and in our own little world...and that may be true, but you have to seriously look at how we got to be that way. I was having a conversation with a Dutch friend last week about a similar subject and it really got me thinking.

The United States of America was created by people who were looking for new lives. They needed freedom. Ever since those eventful days surrounding July 4th, 1776, people have come from other countries looking for freedom or at least new lives. Today, virtually every corner of the world is represented in the USA. Those orginal people, the founding fathers, had to fight for the freedom and lives they wanted and the US has been fighting that battle, one way or another, ever since. Those men fought to be able to live their lives they way saw fit. They wanted to create new lives for themselves, but not have to completely forget their backgrounds. Those founding fathers and the subsequent people that have followed brought their cultures and ideals with them and they fought to have the freedom to maintain those ideals and cultures as well as the right to change them.

Immigrants built this country. Brick by brick, railroad to railroad, literally they built the US. Irish, Chinese, Dutch, French, Russian...you name it they built the US and when they did it they created Americans as well. I often smile to myself when I'm told that something from the US has a Dutch background. Truth is, America is completely influenced by the world, but also by ourselves. Just look at some of our most popular cultural attributes, most have a tie to something somewhere else. The American musicals such as, Singin' in the Rain, Hairspray, Chicago, West Side Story, etc...have ties to opera. The hamburger has origins in Germany. The thing is, it's not where the ties came from, but what we did with them. We made them our own. Just like John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson wanted to do with the country itself. They, in essence, took the recipes that created other countries and created their own recipe to make the kind of country they wanted and we, as Americans, have been refining that recipe ever since. Many of the immigrants who came here were looking for a change, but while you may be able to change your circumstance, you can never really change who you are inside. Every immigrant is still Dutch, French, Chinese, etc...at heart, and that's what created America.

One thing that I have noticed that is different is the distinction between immigrants and natural citizens of Europe and the rest of the world. In the US, if you are Irish, once becoming a citizen you are referred to as Irish -American, but you don't hear that anywhere else. Throughout America's history there are clashes between the varying cultures that formed the country. Many of those clashes have come from the need to change old ways of thinking...to expand. In most other countries, it is more accepted to adapt to that country's culture as opposed to creating a new culture. It's the creation of a new culture that often caused these clashes in the US, but it's also what made the US who it is...a combination of everyone...a melting pot created by the world. It's apparent in the very writings of the Declaration of Independence.

So why do we do what we do...because it's part of who we are. We are what the world made us...diverse, complicated, always trying to help the little guy, but looking out for ourselves at the same time. We are the immigrant who wanted a better life, the immigrant looking to get away from a tyrannical state, the immigrant wanting freedom to change. We are what the world made us. We are at times arrogant and aggressive, at others, kind and considerate. We are a combination of what the world has had to offer over the last 235 years...the good and the bad. As for me, I'm 100% American along with my Irish, native American, and whatever else is thrown in there, background....and damn proud of it.

It's About DOGGONE Time!!!

YO, Bas here!! It has finally happened, I now officially have my own beach and it only took about a year to get it. Well, actually about 2 1/2 months since Mom didn't really start on it till March. But I am getting ahead of myself, I need to start at the beginning.

Summer 2010




March 2011

Last year, mom wanted to re-do the backyard. It was so high with weeds I couldn't even see over. Luckily, Dad got one of his buds to come out and he used this freaky machine to remove those weeds and give Mom a clean slate to work with or would that be a dirty slate since it was all dirt. Anyway, Mom didn't get to far last year, it was late in Summer and she really didn't know what she wanted to do with it. Two things she did know was that she wanted me to have my own beach to lay out on and a veggie garden..why veggies I have no idea...yuck. Well, she never got around to the beach and she only managed to get a few veggies going. Needless to say, but the yard was full of holes, leaves, and weeds before she got to it.

April 2011

Spring came around and Mom decided it was time to get busy, only problem was there was a very limited budget. You know what Mom is pretty resourceful. She came up with a plan and then started finding materials, most of which for free. Mom decided she wanted a yard with an old country farm feel to it...maybe just a little reminder of Texas. First thing she did was outline everything..she designated my beach, her veggie garden, and even a few spaces for flowers. Now I know all this sounds like it might be expensive, but if you know where to look it doesn't have to be. Mom already had tiles and she used those to mark off her garden. Next came a fence, apparently she didn't want me to help her in the veggie garden and is under the impression that a fence would stop him..yeah right. But she went ahead with getting the fence. Remember I said she was pretty resourceful, well while we were out walking one day Mom noticed a construction site. They had these wood pallets for moving bricks...Mom thought they were perfect for a fence. With a little help from my master negoiating skills, she got them for free. Then Dad built the fence for her. After that Mom got some grass seed and also utilized some old rocks our neighbor didn't want anymore. She also bought veggie seeds (again yuck) and a few flowers. Altogether, she managed to re-do it for next to nothing excluding alot of hard work, of course.

Now

Next came my big day, I got the sand for my beach. Now you may be asking yourself..where's the water? Plleaasseeeee...who wants water, water is yucky and it tries to keep me clean. I have a water-free beach and I like it just fine, thank you. I even have my own sign and no bunnies allowed. Now if I can just keep the neighborhood cats and that evil snake like thing that spits out water like poison (waterhose, Mom calls it) away from it, I'll be sitting pretty for the summer holidays. Mom decided I needed my own spot since according to her I was trying to duplicate the Grand Canyon in the yard. She didn't know that was part of my grand plan, make her think I needed my own space when really I just wanted some nice cool sand to lie in.

Veggies

Well, that's our new backyard. Not fancy, but I find it pretty doggone relaxing. For the life of me though, I can't figure out why Mom wants fresh tomatoes, zucchini, squash, brussel sprouts, red bell peppers, watermelon, and 3 different kinds of hot peppers...sounds disgusting to me.

Time for me to hit the beach...I'm such a beach bum!!

Indiana Bas and the Kingdom of the Turquoise Collar

Geez! Where's John Williams when you need him, I could really use some music here. Let's see how does Mom do that Youtube thing...oh, never mind just hum the theme music to "Raiders of the Lost Ark" as you read this. Bas here and boy have I had some adventures lately. I've got to be careful because a few of those adventures Mom and Dad weren't too happy about, but ya gotta take the good with bad right?!

My adventures began one evening when the wind blew open the back gate to my yard. I went to investigate and discovered a few amazing scents. Well, I had to find out what these were so I just walked myself right out the gate . Unfortunately, I did this without telling Mom and Dad first, but hey, Mom's always asking me to walk myself anyway. Hmpfh..like 3 walks for a total of 2 1/2 hours a day is a big deal. Anyway, I started my adventure in the back alley, now where it went from here I must keep secret for reasons of Homeland Security...if I tell you then Mom will know and I won't get a cookie for a week. I will tell you though as I was out on my journey, I came across a nice lady who really liked my collar...so as she was looking at it I kindly slipped out of it and let her keep it. I enjoyed Overdinkel for about an hour and a half then Mom came riding up on her bicycle. Well, I had to show Mom all the new things I discovered so I ran straight to her..then right past her..till she called me back. Can you believe it?! She didn't want to go exploring with me. Apparently, neither Mom nor Dad liked the idea of me out by myself too much. They weren't too mad though, in fact, they were so glad to see me they just showered me with hugs and cookies. They didn't even ask where my collar was.

Ahhhh..Spring...and love is in the air. You can't fight it no matter how hard you try. That's what happened on my next little adventure...the search for romance. You see, a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do....and no fence can hold him back. Hey, I'm human...I mean a dog and I have feelings and urges, too. So when this pretty little Chow Chow down the street kept walking past my window well, I had to go for it. I had to find out who she was and where she lived. No obstacle was going to stop me including the gate on the other side that's a bit too short...but just right to jump over. Hey, when you're in love you can leap tall buildings right?! My quest began as I vaulted the gate, but was abruptly ended when Dad found me 10 minutes later. Alas, I didn't find my dream girl, but it was still a fun little adventure.

Now I bet you are wondering where the whole turquoise collar comes into play. Well, since I so kindly gave the nice lady my old one, Dad got me a new one. Nice buffalo leather with little turquoise and pewter studs. Yep, I'm the stylin' stud now.

Since my two little adventures were not approved in advance my further adventures have been confined to the backyard under strict supervision and trust me they are watching me like a hawk. I have, however, made up for my little indescretions and have lent a paw in re-doing the back yard. That's me helping in the pic...I'm flattening the dirt for Mom.

I did get to go to Duivelhof, I led Dad and Mom all over. I gave them the grand tour letting my nose lead the way. You humans don't know what you're missing having your noses up so high. You gotta get down and smell the earth, it tells it's own story. We enjoyed the nice walk, met some frogs although I hurried my peeps away...the frogs needed a little privacy...it's Springtime for frogs, too ya know. Mom tried to get me to go in a little creek....if I was meant to swim I'd have fins and I don't. Met up with a young fella, cute little beagle and we chatted for a sec then we all headed back home.

Well, just telling about all my adventures is wearing me out. So it's time for my nap. Catch a later. Oh, and you can stop humming now.

It's A Texas Thing!

Bas here, I have decided to concede the blog to Mom this week. I know I promised to tell you all about my adventures as Indiana Bas, but I think it would be in my best interest to wait till the next blog. You see it's a bit of a sore subject around this household. Apparently, Mom and Dad didn't like the idea of me going on adventures without them. So in order to let the heat on me cool down a bit I've asked Mom to write this week all about Texas...seems there's an important anniversary happening.

Thanks Bas. It is indeed a Texas thing! It is Texas's 175th anniversary this year. On March 2, 1836 Texas declared it's independence from Mexico. Texas did not become part of the United States until 1845. This little fact has always set Texas, and in particular Texans, apart from the rest of the US. Oh, don't get me wrong we are proud Americans, but truthfully we are even prouder Texans. Texans kind of have a different little swagger to their step or maybe a bit of a chip on their shoulder. With the exception of perhaps New Yorkers (from NYC) we are a bit more boastful about our state. You can't drive down a street, go to a sporting event, or do virtually anything without seeing a Texas flag in Texas. I remember watching the World Series and Super Bowl. As the Rangers went through the playoffs and the WS, you could see several Texas flags waving in the stands. Even though no Texas team was in the Super Bowl, it was held in Dallas and once again you saw the flags waving. Not once did I see a New York, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, or California flag in the stands (not including the mandatory one flying over the stadiums), but you did see the Texas state flag in other state's stadiums...they were all over the Rose Bowl in California when TCU had it's game. Our Texas pride is so high that often times you will hear a Texan say, "I'm a Texan first, American second." Yes, I've said it, too. In fact you may have noticed the cover photo for the blog features the Texas flag not the US flag. The big question is why are we so proud of ourselves. The answer really lies in our history and how we've embraced it.

Most of the history we look to falls back to the years of the Texas Revolution between 1835-1836. Texas has flown the flags of France, Spain, Confederacy, Texas, the US, and Mexico all of which have considered Texas part of their land. Mexico, in particular, was a large controlling faction. In 1824, Mexico declared it's independence from Spain and set up different states within it's holdings, one of which was Texas. After it's war with Spain, Mexico was essentially bankrupt and had very little money for military purposes. This caused a problem because with all the new land they aquired they had also aquired a great many indian tribes. Tribes who were quite hostile and known for raiding whether for self preservation or simply personal gain. Without money for the military to help combat these hostile raids, the Mexican government turned to it's own people to forge militias. In order to form militias in the new lands however they needed settlers. Where do you get new settlers, where else the US. To lure these settlers, Mexico promised levies on taxes, land, and new lives. This worked out great as Mexico gained a large contingent of citizens. Until Mexico realized they were being outnumbered. In 1830, Mexico shut off all immigration from the US and also decided to take away all of their promised tax levies and even land. Well, US citizens who had immigrated were quite accustomed to their old freedoms in the US and weren't exactly happy with the new arrangements. Mexico took a further stance and removed many other rights and promises as well. Texans grew increasingly angry. Texans lost their political, judicial, and religious freedoms. They lost their voice in government when in 1833 as Generalisimo Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna took over as president. He abolished state legislatures, militias, and the constitution of 1824 which granted Texans their freedoms. Enraged the Texans began forming and by the time Mexico had switched from federalism to centralism in 1835, the Texans were in full revolt.

On October 2nd, 1835, Santa Anna sent soldiers to try and squash the building rebellion...in particular to retrieve a cannon that had been left to control indians. The Battle of Gonzales began the revolution as Texans raised a flag over the cannon saying "Come and Take It". Texans won their first battle and more combatants began to join the revolution. Armed with this first small victory and with the Mexican army unaware of their numbers and intentions the Texans managed to take a presidio and an old mission....Goliad and the Alamo..with little resistance. By the end of October, however, Santa Anna had decided it was time to take care of this little rebellion and started readying troops and by December he had amassed 6,000 troops. By the end of December they were marching towards Texas, however, due to supply problems and weather they were continually delayed. Eventually they reached Texas and many settlers evacuated as Santa Anna burned homes and land as he marched through. As Santa Anna marched, the Texians (as they were known then) began to establish their own government and by March 2nd, 1836 that government was in place and Texas had declared it's independence.

Santa Anna began to slowly split his forces, sending a small group to Agua Dulce. After a small victory there, that same group marched towards GOLIAD. A Texas army had formed at Goliad led by Colonel James Fannin. Upon getting information that the Mexican Army was on the way Fannin was ordered to retreat. His retreat was delayed, however, and the Mexican Army captured all 340 of his men upon Fannin's surrender. Santa Anna made his first significant military mistake. He ordered the execution of Fannin and his troops ...all were put to death and burned. This obscene act drew the fury of not only Texians, but the world and things would start to take a turn for the worse as Santa Anna himself marched towards San Antonio de Bexar...THE ALAMO.

I'm sure during football season you may have heard me say that there are three things that matter in Texas...God, The Alamo, and football...and you don't mess with any of them. The Alamo will always be close to Texans hearts.

The Alamo was an old, crumbling mission originally made to bring religion to the indians, but it had eventually become something of a fortress. The Texians had originally taken control of the Alamo in December 1835, but now a force of almost 4,000 Mexican troops was heading towards the small group of 130 Texians. Colonels William Barret Travis and Jim Bowie commanded the Alamo. The General of the Texian Army, Sam Houston had ordered Travis and Bowie to burn it down so the Mexicans would not be able to use it. Travis and Bowie, however, had other ideas. As Mexico marched on Bexar, Houston's troops were being recruited and trained much farther away. Travis decided to remain at the Alamo and attempt to delay Santa Anna giving Houston more time. Volunteers began to arrive up-ing the number inside the garrison to roughly 182 (actual number unknown). Among these volunteers was a group from Tennessee led by the legendary frontiersman and congressman, David Crockett. On February 23rd, Santa Anna's army began to arrive, catching the Texians off guard and forcing them to rush supplies and men into the garrison. By that afternoon, 1500 Mexican troops were inside Bexar just outside the Alamo. Santa Anna ordered the blood-red flag signaling "no quarter" . Over the next 13 days the Mexican Army fired cannon after cannon into the Alamo as Alamo defenders won small skirmishes along the outer areas. On March 6th, the Mexican Army went on full siege of the Alamo. Bombarded with cannon fire and Mexican troops climbing over the walls the Texians fell in the early morning hours and all were killed, but took 400-600 Mexicans with them. Santa Anna ordered all the bodies as well as the Alamo to be burned. This became the Siege of the Alamo and the rallying cry for the Texians..."REMEMBER THE ALAMO". After the Alamo, Santa Anna split his army in two to chase after the main Texas Army.

General Houston realizing his army was small and untrained, retreated to the US border forcing Santa Anna to chase him and allowing him more time to train and come up with a plan. After a while though, the Texians tired of running and vowing for revenge of the Alamo and Goliad stopped running and headed for Santa Anna. Santa Anna had divided his army and only left himself 1200 troops. On the morning of April 21, 1836, on the San Jacinto river Houston caught Santa Anna off guard and attacked. With "Remember the Alamo" and "Goliad" firing up the Texians they charged ahead. Santa Anna convinced, by his own ego, that the Texians would not attack had ordered his men to stand down that morning. The Texas Army won the Battle of San Jacinto in 18 minutes. Santa Anna retreated and disguised himself as a corporal. He was caught by the Texians who suddenly realized who they had as Santa Anna's captured troops came to attention. Santa Anna was taken before a wounded Sam Houston and forced to sign a treaty giving Texas it's independence.

From 1836 to 1845, Texas was it's own country and even it's own culture..still is today. When it joined the union in 1845 certain privileges were allotted including the right to have the Texas flag raised at the same level as the US flag...all other states must have their flag slightly lower. Texas stands out a bit beyond cowboys, indians, and oil wells..it has a certain mystic. It has benefitted from the influences of various cultures. Then there's just the size...it takes 11 hours to drive from El Paso to the Panhandle, you can have the sea, lakes, canyons, desert, skyscrapers, and sometimes even snow...all in one place. So now the answer to why Texans sometimes set themselves a bit apart...I guess the meer fact that we were once on our own and what we had to do to get it just makes us puff out our chests a bit more. Or maybe it's just a Texas thing.