Texas Ten

Do you play “first to 21,” or do you have to hit 21 exactly?

If you can author a passionate response to that question, you are a Texas Washers player. On Day 134 of our Things We Love About Texas series, we discuss washers, one of our great pastimes.

Nobody knows when or how washers got started, but a 1932 Criminal Court of Appeals case mentions the game without explanation, so it is a good bet that it had been around for some time by the start of the Depression. In fact, it was an almost perfect Depression-era game. The equipment is any plot of ground more than 20 feet long, eight washers, and cut-up pipes or cans. At a time when horseshoes were too valuable to waste, washers were a pretty good alternative.

The game is usually played in a doubles format, with two players on each team. Two sections of pipe or cans are sunk 21 feet apart. The player who starts the game throws four washers (not three), then his opponent responds. A washer entirely within the target earns five points (not three), a washer leaning over the target gets you three points (not two), and otherwise, each washer inside your foe’s closest washer earns one point. Your ringer in the target, however, can be canceled by an opponent’s ringer on top of it. The teammates repeat coming back the other way, with the high scorer from the last round leading off. Continue until a team has 21 points.

Washers is played throughout the state, particularly in Central Texas. It is a common competition at fairs, festivals, and rodeos. Even better are the informal games among friends. It is purely a hand-eye coordination test, so you can still beat the gym regular in your crowd. If you have a group, you will find the game a conversation stimulant. If you have an established group, you will find it an easy way to repeat previous conversations. Most of all, it is a great way to relax with friends, new or old.

When was the last time you played washers, or are you a high-falutin horse shoe type?

Have you ever wanted a high school do-over?

It is Saturday, so there are high school coaches all over the state with blurry eyes from watching the tape of last night’s game. Ice baths are over for the athletes, the parents are finished scouring the local paper, and the dance team choreographers are working on next week’s routine. After the game, there were break-ups and hook-ups. It is the pattern of a Texas fall, and you can live it all over (or for the first time) by streaming the five eventful seasons of NBC’s Friday Night Lights. Day 133 of our Things We Love About Texas celebrates the best live-action show ever set in Texas.

Hollywood will always take liberties, but the show’s Texas fans loved the realism of high school life. Peter Berg, who directed the movie of the same name, wanted to do the series because capturing all the drama of high school life off the field was impossible within the time constraints imposed by a movie.

The show had several taken from real-life stories. Chief among them was the paralyzing injury suffered by star player Jason Street. Berg witnessed a similar incident in a 2003 playoff game that Berg attended. The shooting took place in Texas instead of Hollywood, with Pflugerville High School providing the field of play, the mascot (Panthers), and the school colors. Other scenes happened in and around Austin.

The most realistic plot point, however, came from the importance a high school team can have to a town. It can get out of hand, but in a world of division, it is a blessing to have something everyone can root for. Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton, as Coach Eric Taylor and his wife Tami, provided the fulcrum that made it all possible. The younger cast members were outstanding as well.

The show completed its run in 2001, but 15 years later, it still seems timeless. “Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” Pretty good life lesson.

Who is your favorite Friday Night Lights character?

What is the most Texan saying?

“Remember the Alamo” is known the world over, and “Remember Goliad” was shouted just as fervently on the San Jacinto battlefield. Day 132 of our Things We Love About Texas series, however, focuses on the revolutionary motto most often repeated in today’s Texas: “Come and Take It.”

In case you are new, in 1831, settlers at Goliad within the DeWitt colony asked the Mexican political chief in San Antonio for a cannon to deter Native Americans. The Mexican chief sent a 6-pounder to Gonzales, with the stipulation that it was to be returned on request. Some time in the next five years, the Gonzales settlers laid claim to a smaller Mexican cannon, this one a one-pounder that was more of a large musket.

Over the next four years, tensions between Mexico and the Texians grew tense. In early September 1835, the Mexican colonel heading military affairs in Bexar requested the cannon back. The settlers declined, buried the six-pounder in a peach orchard, and sent a request for military assistance, correctly anticipating Mexico’s next move.

100 Mexican soldiers departed San Antonio for Gonzales, while Captain Robert Coleman arrived with 30 volunteers to aid in the opposition. The Texians recovered the six-pounder, mounted it, and paired it with the smaller gun. The last piece of the puzzle was the now-famous flag.

Legend, but not history, says the women of Gonzales fashioned the flag out of Naomi DeWitt’s wedding dress. We are sure, however, it said “Come and Take It” over a cannon. On October 2, 1835, the Mexicans tried to do just that. A few blasts from the six-pounder convinced them otherwise, and the Mexicans beat a hasty retreat.

The guns made their way to San Antonio, where they helped the Texians win the siege of Bexar, but were lost at the Alamo. The Mexicans buried them rather than taking them on the campaign, so they came back under Texan control after the Mexicans retreated.

Our A-1 suggestion is a trip to Gonzales and its museum, where the cannon is on display.

Do you own any “Come and Take It” memorabilia?

How do YOU explore Texas?

Are you:

A. The Planner — you want the route, the stops and the plan.

B. The Explorer — you’d rather hit the road and see where it takes you.

We’ll admit it… there’s a little bit of both in us. 😂

Tell us: A or B?