About Me (Jeff Slankard)

Jeff (or Hipshot, or Buddy)

My name is Jeff Slankard. My dad called me Buddy. My coworkers in the oilfields of West Texas called me Hipshot.

But, I think Jeff works fine for me.

I wasn't actually born in Texas... but I did get here as quick as I could.

I was born in eastern Kansas, on the remnants of a Chippewa Indian reservation. My great great great grandpa was the last formal Chief of the Swan Creek band.

I moved to Texas after I graduated high school in 1972. The winters weren't as harsh here... so I just stayed.

I left family behind, so I still go back to Kansas and visit.

Judy (my wife of 45 years) has a fairly strong southern accent. Sometime during our visits, someone will usually smile and and ask her to...

"Say something in Texan.".

Jeff Slankard's Whole Story... well, maybe not quite.

To keep my life story from getting too long, I'll just hit the highlights.

During the 70s and 80s I guess you could say I was finding myself. I ended up going to college, getting married and having a couple of kids. After college, I worked as an oilfield engineer. But, later earned a Masters degree and started teaching school.

J & J on the Riverwalk

We have lived in a lot of different places. Changes in oilfield jobs and then different teaching positions really kept us moving. Judy and I finally settled down close to Lake Brownwood.

It was a big relief to allow our two children to finish school in the same location. I know starting over in a new school had to be rough on them in those earlier years.

We've been here now for about 30 years. Those two kids of ours are now grown with families of their own. Ranita lives just 20 miles away with her husband and two daughters. Brian lives in south Austin with his wife and two daughters.

So, I guess you could say we are sitting pretty. Or, as my son-in-law puts it... walkin' in tall cotton.

After working in the oilfield for about 10 years, I started teaching students with visual impairments. I think I was drawn to that field of education because Judy has been legally blind since 1988. I took her to doctor appointments, asked a lot of questions, and learned a lot about vision and the eyes. So, I guess it was a logical field for me to follow.

Before I retired, I taught math for the last 10 years of my career. I was working for the State of Texas at what used to be the Texas Youth Commission (TYC). It is now the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD). If you are not familiar with it, it is a group of secure facilities for incarcerated youth.

Travel is What You Make it

As you can tell, I am not a world traveler. The only time I have ever been out of the country is when Judy and I went on a Caribbean cruise, back in the 80s.

But we lived in Phoenix for a while. And, we have lived in quite a few places in Texas.

Over the years, we have taken trips to Florida, Virginia, Colorado, Utah, and California. And of coarse, we traveled through all the states on the way, too. When driving, we would always take our time and check out all the sites.

Sometimes, the route home would be different than our route there. That way we could see different scenery, and maybe even different states.

Jeff and Shane, relaxing in Ft Davis

Traveling has always been important for Judy and me. Going to new and different places is exciting. But, we always love coming back home, too.

When traveling out of state, we always feel like we're home when we hit the Texas line.

And when we travel within Texas to places like Terlingua, Ft Davis (as seen here with my #1 son-in-law), or South Padre Island, it feels like we're home when we make it back to the Hill Country.

I also think the climate has a lot to do with why I like it here so much. It's not as dry or hot as Phoenix.

It's not too wet or humid here either. Humidity aggravates my allergies, so drier is better. Mosquitos and chiggers also like higher humidity. The trouble is... they like me too. So, again, the drier the climate, the better.

There's no Place Like Home

The bottom line for me is this... of all the places I've been, they have all been nice places to visit... but I wouldn't want to live there.

Home is the comfort zone. And I'm glad mine is the Texas Hill Country. We love it here in TexyHills. Anytime we leave on an adventure, we are always happy to get back home.

Now that I am retired, we plan on traveling a lot more. And many of those travels will be right here in the Hill Country.

Along the way, I plan to take a few photos, make a few notes, talk to some locals, and add it all to TexyHills.com. Maybe it will inspire you to get out and see the country (Texas Hill Country that is).

Happy travels.

See What's Ahead

Towns

Fredericksburg on a sunny Saturday

Wineries

Grape Creek Winery's Backyard

Places to Explore

Tubing on the Comal River