Favorite book, movie, or TV show and why:
My favorite movie has to be Braveheart with Mel Gibson. It’s an awesome story about William Wallace leading 13th century Scotland in their fight for independence from the English.
Tell us about your pets:
We don’t currently have any pets, but we had a beloved Weimaraner named Millie that passed away in the spring of 2023 at the ripe old age of 15 - best dog ever! My wife and I are just starting the process of looking for another Weimaraner.
If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
This is going to sound really nerdy, but one of my favorite things to do in my spare time is cut trees (out-of-control cedars) at our ranch in Central Texas. I’m about a year into a five- or six-year project of improving the native habitat for wildlife, and cedar/brush removal is the primary component of the plan. If I could have a superpower, it would be Cedar Deleter where I could touch a cedar tree and make it disappear. That would be a lot less labor-intensive than running a chainsaw. But I have to say, running the chainsaw is a blast!
What’s a fun fact about you that might surprise others?
I love to smoke barbeque brisket on my big, stick-burner offset smoker and invite a bunch of friends over to enjoy it. I also make a mean margarita.
What do you enjoy doing when you’re not at work?
When I’m not at work, I love hanging out with my wife Laurie, our three grown children, and our three grandchildren. I also love doing anything at the ranch - cutting excess brush, improving wildlife habitat, building something or watching our honeybees do their thing. I have three healthy honeybee colonies thriving in hives I built and one wild colony that lives in an old, gnarly live oak hollow a short distance from the hives. And when I’m not able to be at the ranch, I love thinking and planning what I’m going to do the next time I go.
What’s your favorite travel destination and why?
Laurie and I enjoy spending time on the Mexican Riviera and we had a great trip to Italy to celebrate our 25th anniversary many years ago. That Italy trip was awesome, and I would definitely go back - especially to Tuscany.
What’s your go-to comfort food?
As of this writing, I’m 6 weeks into a carnivore diet, so the current answer would be a delicious, thick, medium-rare ribeye steak with melted grass fed butter. Generally, though, I could live on a rotation of barbeque, mexican food and steak.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your path.” Proverbs 3:5-6
What’s your favorite quote?
It’s very difficult to choose one. Here are a few of my favorites:
“Your rewards in life are in direct proportion to your service.” Earl Nightingale
“Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” Jim Rohn
“The unconscious will allow us to have only what we think we deserve.” David Hawkins
“The average man doesn't want to be free. He simply wants to be safe.” H. N. Mencken