They've Been Texas Ranchers For Generations. Now They're Being Wiped Out.

Uh, I was fortunate. I had something to come home to. Uh, my father had a had a business in town and I came back from

from&m and went to work with him.

[Music] All right, we're going to go to the donut palace. Huh? The Donut Palace.

donut palace. Huh? The Donut Palace.

We're going to get us a taco right quick. All right, let's do it.

quick. All right, let's do it.

And then what else? The Donut Palace. I

don't need anything else. No, sir.

Okay. So, what else can they get for you? That's it.

you? That's it.

That's it. I didn't give you anything else.

Everyone's got camo on. Saturday

morning. Camo time.

All right. So, what are we doing? We're

on Main Street, Charles. Main Street

headed north. Main Street, Junction, Texas. Population 2500, I think. Yeah,

Texas. Population 2500, I think. Yeah,

more or less. This Main

Street in the 1950s and early 60s was the was actually the thoroughare of US Highway 377, US

Highway 83, US Highway 290. All of those routes came right down through town.

Highway Oh, this is all you? Yeah. Oh, I

did not realize. So, this is I'm sorry.

You're all right. No. So, this is your ranch on both sides of the road here, Charles. My great-grandfather came out

Charles. My great-grandfather came out here in the late 1890s and purchased this ranch. I have cousins to the east

this ranch. I have cousins to the east of us and cousins to the west. And we

we're still ranching the same country that he purchased about 127 years ago.

How many acres do you have? Is that how you measure uh stuff out here? Miles? I

don't know. This is 3,300 acres.

3,300 2 and a2 miles of Highway 83 that go through it. All right. And I'd like to I don't want to stir up my goats too

much. I want to go feed those goats that

much. I want to go feed those goats that are in the pin. No. Yeah. Whatever you

want. And then that's all we have to do and we'll go back to town. Yeah. We're

going to run some errands. Yeah. We have

cows in this pasture. We run cows and goats. meat goats. Yeah.

goats. meat goats. Yeah.

So, you wouldn't have it any other way, would you? This lifestyle? Absolutely

would you? This lifestyle? Absolutely

not. Absolutely

not. We're blessed and and I I view it that way. It's a blessing to be out

that way. It's a blessing to be out here. It's not anything that we

here. It's not anything that we deserved. It's something that we were

deserved. It's something that we were left and and we take that very seriously. Yeah. They don't make them

seriously. Yeah. They don't make them like this anymore. America. Charles Hey,

good. A true patriot, hardworking rancher out here in West Texas. Hard work, good values, belief in

Texas. Hard work, good values, belief in Jesus. He's a good-look man. Sharp

Jesus. He's a good-look man. Sharp

dressed. They're probably gonna they're gonna find you out here one day, huh, Charles? I'm gonna work your work your

Charles? I'm gonna work your work your fingers off until you I hope that's what happens and I'm not wasted away in in a nursing home bed. No.

There's West Texas right there, folks.

Up and close. All

close. All right, this house until we didn't lease our ranch for hunting until the early 60s, but in the

50s, uh, this was our where where the folks who worked out here live. This

house was a kind of a hired hands house.

And over the years, we've fixed it up and our hunters have have fixed it up to the point this is our hunting lodge.

Mhm. And

uh we've got some hunters here this weekend. They're going to put some feed

weekend. They're going to put some feed out. Remind me again when did you get

out. Remind me again when did you get the your great greatgrandfather? What

year? I great-grandfather. 1898. 1898.

Let me at least touch base with these guys.

see if they need anything or let them know what we're doing.

Hi, Gary. How are you, man? Hi, Sherry.

Good morning, Gary. Sherry, this is Nick. We're doing a little feature on

Nick. We're doing a little feature on West Texas for YouTube. So, he's our star today. Yeah, get these folks.

star today. Yeah, get these folks.

They're our stars. Gary and Sherry Magnus. What are y'all up to? Well, we

Magnus. What are y'all up to? Well, we

fixed to head into town, get a little breakfast and and uh go by the feed store. Then we got to put this cotton

store. Then we got to put this cotton seed feeder out, fill it full of cotton seed alpha. It's alpha alpha.

seed alpha. It's alpha alpha.

Um I'll talk to y'all before long. We're

going to move those goats. We're going

to work those goats this next weekend. I'm not sure. We might take

weekend. I'm not sure. We might take them into the into the South 2C for a little while and then we'll probably move these cows over here.

We'll sell those calves in another 2 3 weeks.

I'll talk to you'all about where we're going with them. Okay. So, we don't I noticed

them. Okay. So, we don't I noticed there's a good bit of hay up there by the white tank. So, I don't want to Right. Yeah. And that's fine. We've got

Right. Yeah. And that's fine. We've got

our goats in this pasture. We'll be

lucky if they don't get after us. But

and when I say get after us, they just get around your pickup wanting feed and and then you can't get out. And you

can't get out hardly without running over.

If you'll let me just feed these goats right quick and we'll Whatever you need to do.

Uh sometime if you're back out our way, I'd like to take you around the ranch and show you. Yes, sir. There's some

real pretty parts to it. Yes, I know it's awfully rough. I had an old partner. He used to say we're about an

partner. He used to say we're about an inch and a half from starvation. And

that's it's pretty shallow soil everywhere. That's a rock out cropping

everywhere. That's a rock out cropping right there in those pin. Yeah. And

that's the way it is over the whole place. Hey

place. Hey guys. Hi,

guys. Hi, Grover. All right. We're going to come

Grover. All right. We're going to come out and we're feeding the goats real quick. This Billy has no

quick. This Billy has no horns. He was a show Billy. He they were

horns. He was a show Billy. He they were going to show him as a show kid. And the

first thing you do with the show kids dehorn him. Well, they dehorned him and

dehorn him. Well, they dehorned him and they never did cut him, castrate him.

And so he grew up as a Billy and And then they didn't show him. And

so they were going to sell him at the ring. This was my great nephew and his

ring. This was my great nephew and his wife. And we said, "Well, bring him to

wife. And we said, "Well, bring him to the ranch. We'll use him." Yeah. And

the ranch. We'll use him." Yeah. And

he's a good big Billy. You're a good Billy. You're a good Billy, aren't you?

Billy. You're a good Billy, aren't you?

Yeah. I can tell. Where'd he go?

Well, we're out here on the ranch on Saturday morning about 8:30. A little bit of a dreary day out

8:30. A little bit of a dreary day out here in West Texas. The sun's supposed to come up though. Come on. Charles is

doing his morning chores here. Come on.

Where'd he go? E

go? E goats. This is life in West Texas.

goats. This is life in West Texas.

Get out of the way. Come here. Get out of the way. Get

way. Come here. Get out of the way. Get

out of the way. How many uh goats you have,

way. How many uh goats you have, Charles?

Uh 200 grown nannies. Uh, and then we've got about 250 kids. Jeez, we got Rip Van Winkle over

kids. Jeez, we got Rip Van Winkle over here. Get out of

here. Get out of [Music] there. There you go.

there. There you go.

Well, it's beautiful country out here.

Thank you.

This is what they call they call it divide country. It's the higher country

divide country. It's the higher country between the wheds. South of us, the wersheds all go to the Guadalupi River, which goes through Kerville. North of us is the Lano watershed. And we're kind of

on the divide.

A lot of live oak, shin oak, good ranch country, good deer country. And what did you do on Saturday

country. And what did you do on Saturday morning at 8? You probably laid in bed and farted and watched

TV and drank your coffee. You probably didn't even get out

coffee. You probably didn't even get out of bed until noon on Saturday. And not Charles.

Saturday. And not Charles.

It keeps you young out here, huh? Yes,

sir.

They say when you retire, you wither away.

That's my thought. I've seen it happen.

Yeah, me too.

And you know, rather than getting on some exercise regime, I can come out here every day and either cut cedar or there's something to do all the time. Yes, sir.

Not that I'm overworking myself, but I can do whatever. The best thing is I can do what I want to and that's a gift.

He said the best thing about it is he can do do what he wants to and that's a gift. And that is true

gift. And that is true folks. That's true.

folks. That's true.

If there's nothing else that we get out of this conversation today, I'd like to think that in

smalltown West Texas, maybe not so much more than other places, but certainly at least as much and and in some cases

more. I think we still realize that it's

more. I think we still realize that it's all a gift. Life's a gift and you better be thankful for it every day. And

sometime I fall short of that, but all it takes is just coming out here and and it we didn't deserve any of this really as a country or any anything else. We we

need to be grateful for what we were left collectively. my family certainly

left collectively. my family certainly for what we were left individually but but as a society we need to remember somebody gave something for that and

they worked hard for it. We ought to we ought to view it as a gift be grateful. There you go.

grateful. There you go.

Chores are done. You hear my other goats up there? I hear some kids crying. I do.

up there? I hear some kids crying. I do.

We're going to get out of here before they come down or we'll never get out here without running over all of them.

Okay. We're going to run before the kids come down here and get under foot. Yeah.

And that's a blessing. It's a family thing. It's a family thing and it's

thing. It's a family thing and it's something that we've there are seven generations of our family that have worked in those pins over there or at least on this ranch and currently still

nieces nephews grandsons everybody right? And it's

right? And it's important. That's why when I said a

important. That's why when I said a while ago about the the work ethic, it's not that any of us are overworked at it, but they're not lazy. They're not

they're not looking for a way out. They

they pull their share.

And uh it's the hardest thing for us in this area is the the taking of land out of production by by developing it for

housing. Yeah. It's happened all over

housing. Yeah. It's happened all over Texas. It's just moved west just like

Texas. It's just moved west just like Texas population moved west. All of this country in the 1870s was pretty much it was frontier.

the 1860s the civilization line was really over about Fredericksburg down to San Antonio up to the border up to the the

Indian territory and everything west was it was Native American territory it was Indian country and there were a lot of depradations in this part of the in this

part of the country it was we forget that that this this area was was pretty much the the frontier and it it settled

west and that's what's happening.

Houston, San Antonio to Austin, Fort Worth, Dallas, Fort Worth, that that line of of population has just moved steadily west over the decades and it's

going to continue to do that. And I

understand people not wanting to fight traffic. In my entire life, I worked at

traffic. In my entire life, I worked at the bank for 40 years. I never had to drive any farther

years. I never had to drive any farther than what we drove down to that doughnut shop today from my house. That that was my commute. Mhm. Three

my commute. Mhm. Three

minutes. What kind of a price can you put on that compared to getting on Mopac in Austin or 1604 in San Antonio or 610

in Houston or I20 in Dallas Fort Worth and and fight that traffic an hour or two both ways each each time. I just

couldn't do it. When you ask about did I ever consider leaving never really crossed my mind. This

mind. This is this is a gift. So why would I probably could have made more money maybe. I don't I don't I don't know

maybe. I don't I don't I don't know that. But I I wouldn't have been nearly

that. But I I wouldn't have been nearly as happy. I do know that. So

as happy. I do know that. So

uh that worries me more than anything is that population growth comes further out here. This

here. This ranch that was worth this per acre 100 years ago is worth that per

acre now. And those great grandkids that

acre now. And those great grandkids that we have who probably might not live here anymore. There'll be so much pressure on

anymore. There'll be so much pressure on them to sell it rather than to try to ranch it. How would they come out here

ranch it. How would they come out here and ranch it for the return? they'll

sell it and then it's taken out of production and then the US suffers because food, fiber, those things that we need to live on, they're gone. Corporate farms is one thing. At

gone. Corporate farms is one thing. At

least they're still those big farms are still producing. Those big ranches are

still producing. Those big ranches are still producing. But when you take

still producing. But when you take individual ranches all over Texas and all over the United States, just completely out of production, so they won't ever be ranched again, there'll be

a problem as the population grows. I

think. Mhm. Could be wrong. I don't

know.

I don't think you're wrong about anything Charles.

I don't think he is wrong about a damn thing, Mister Charles. Hey, good.

Mister Charles. Hey, good.

Probably the wisest man in West Texas.

[Music] Don't you share that with my wife then?

Yes sir.

He's never wrong.

I want to show you something. All right.

That's Lover's Leap. Lover's Leap. It's

a pretty famous landmark in West Texas, folk, everybody that that knows about Jump knows about Lover's Leap. Yes, that

bluff. The legend is that Indian lovers jump off that bluff. They're uh it's it's been a landmark for all of us who've grown up here all of our

lives. The Hill Country Fair Association

lives. The Hill Country Fair Association property is right up here, our our local golf course. We ran horses and horse

golf course. We ran horses and horse races annually for over 50 years. And

when param mutual passed um it it made it impossible for small brush tracks to to operate uh feasibly.

So we shut down. There's a dog tri.

Those are those are sheep dogs who are being worked and people from all over Texas who have sheep dogs are that bring them out here for a contest. Oh, what is that? Is that a contest going on right

that? Is that a contest going on right now? Yes. You see it's a sheep dog

now? Yes. You see it's a sheep dog contest. Oh, it is. You see there that

contest. Oh, it is. You see there that that sheep is that dog is is hurting those sheep.

And so this this is just their Saturday.

They come out and and have their dogs compete. Not every Saturday. This group,

compete. Not every Saturday. This group,

the the sheep dog people have trials all over Texas, all over West Texas and and Texas in general. And this is a this is

a meet that they have each year. This is

an annual affair.

Are they gonna be doing that when we come back down? Yes. They'll be doing it all day today. They're so they just bring their dogs out and and try to just compete and see which dog can Oh, yeah.

They give them verbal commands and whistles and and those dogs know exactly what to do when they when they give a certain command. The dog will sit or

certain command. The dog will sit or he'll go left or right and and go way around and herd the sheep. A dance is held annually at our rodeo here. We have

uh an open air pavilion there about 15,000 ft and and we have a dance each year. We've had Willie Nelson play here

year. We've had Willie Nelson play here and and Hank Thompson and a lot of a lot of old in the 60s a lot of the famous

stars.

So the the culture here is very ranchy aoriented agriculture cattle. All of

West Texas. All of West Texas. Yes, sir.

because that's that's what that's our claim to fame. Uh you know it's and it's still there. Agriculture is a very

still there. Agriculture is a very important part of our economy.

When I was in high school, this is where we played our high school football games. Yeah. I'm sure you probably

games. Yeah. I'm sure you probably kissed girls under these bleachers, Charles. Well, in those days, I was

Charles. Well, in those days, I was chasing guys playing football, but Yeah.

But yeah, and the horse races. We This

is where we had the horse races. The old

concession area down here.

That was a paddock originally. Out here,

the jockey room. We have rodeo now. Uh, look at this. How many They got

now. Uh, look at this. How many They got rodeos out here like all summer long?

No. Uh, in August. Second weekend in August. It's our big reunion. Okay. One

August. It's our big reunion. Okay. One

week. One weekend a year. Uh-huh.

All volunteer. Every bit of this is volunteer. Everything. this no tax

volunteer. Everything. this no tax money. You guys know I'm a sucker for

money. You guys know I'm a sucker for rodeos. Coming out of number seven,

rodeos. Coming out of number seven, shoot, Bucky Bowens. All right. So, here we go.

Bowens. All right. So, here we go.

They're doing some So, people over here, that dog, you see, he's watching those sheep. the one

out there by the pin. Yeah. Are they

currently competing? I think so. The guy

has has uh I'm I'm not familiar exactly with the with the protocol what they do. They're

trying to make the sheep run. So, the

dog herds them and then they judge the dog's ability to Yeah. herd the sheep and then the dog gets a medal or how well the dog is trained

and then the the owner gets to say Well, these owners I'm sure sell dogs too.

They raise dogs. Oh yeah. So for for that. So the better the the sheep. Here

that. So the better the the sheep. Here

comes they go. Little border collie.

Border collies are such good dogs.

And these folks personalities everything is good. Just another Saturday out here

is good. Just another Saturday out here in Junction watching sheep hurting competitions. There's some proud border

competitions. There's some proud border collie owners. Well, if I lived out here, I'd

owners. Well, if I lived out here, I'd probably come out and watch some Pretty neat. What do they What do they call it?

neat. What do they What do they call it?

Sheep herding. Dog herden. Mhm. Yeah.

Sheep dogs. Sheep dog trials. The sheep

dog trials here in Junction, Texas.

All right.

Going to put him in the pin.

All right, we got a front row view of this. Look at

this. Look at that. There you go. Dog did good.

that. There you go. Dog did good.

Good work, guys. Hey there.

Came to watch some sheep dogging, huh?

Yeah, we were just driving by and saw the And what are those crazy people doing in the pasture? Yes, ma'am. What's

this dog's name? This is Colt. Colt. He

is.

Charles, why is there so much pride in Texas? I

Texas? I don't Maybe maybe it goes back to the the days it was formed. We're the only state that was

formed. We're the only state that was used to be a country, you know. I guess

we we still act like we should have been. Maybe. I don't know. I don't know,

been. Maybe. I don't know. I don't know, Mick. I I I just guess I've assumed that

Mick. I I I just guess I've assumed that all other states are that way. But if

they're not, they ought be. I mean,

yeah, there's some pride, but Texas is just on another level of pride.

Well, you'd have to ask lots of lots of Texans, but I guess it's just kind of the way we were raised, I suppose. Yeah.

And it's not it's not just here. People

do it everywhere.

But there's a there's a basic decency and kindness that I think I hope exists here that may not exist everywhere as far as

just seeing folks and visiting and and enjoying each other and and maybe maybe that's what I like about little town living better than anything

else. you know in the city sometime

else. you know in the city sometime every everyone is anonymous and as a result you don't see them and you don't

um you don't visit with them you don't share with them doesn't mean that everybody's glad to see you but most most of the time they are and I that's something that you can't put a price on

to me those people will sit out there in that cold wind all day Oh, look at that lover sleep. Ain't that

something? Mhm.

When I was in Boy Scouts, we would raise the flag at the races, lay that big old flag pole down and attach the flag and stand that flag pole and you would get up there and do it.

Yeah, we'd walk out there from that cross.

The Easter pageant is held right out here. I just want to show you that right

here. I just want to show you that right quick. Yeah. Where Pilate tries Christ

quick. Yeah. Where Pilate tries Christ here in the where this white arch is.

And up there where the rock wall is, that's the city of Jerusalem where Jesus comes in. And so this is where you guys

comes in. And so this is where you guys have your town pre-Easter pageant. Easter pageant.

pre-Easter pageant. Easter pageant.

Easter pageant. Temple County Easter pageant. The junction Easter pageant.

pageant. The junction Easter pageant.

And it goes from the sermon on the mount is over there by those rocks. Okay. and

he comes along on a mule and we have a mule for him to ride and he he rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday when they're waving palms to him. Pilate

tries him on that stage up there. And

then Herod Herod sends him to Pilate and Pilate sends him back and uh and then Herod Pilate goes ahead and and

sentences him to death and then the the crucifixion occurs up here and the resurrection occurs and there's the tomb and up there those those pipes up on the

side of the hill, he ascends and it's a great deal the way the the light shines.

There's a he's he's on a platform that rises up and he ascends where his head's right at the top of that deal and at night where that's all you can see and

he's in white and he just goes up bring chills and this is the booth where all the mechanical where the where the reading occurs, the narration occurs. Uh

down inside that booth there are families that the grandparents, the parents, the grandchildren have all been in it over the years. That's some small town stuff.

years. That's some small town stuff.

Yeah it is. And the the very things that make it

is. And the the very things that make it good goat and sheep country make it good deer country. And hunting is a

deer country. And hunting is a tremendous part of our economy. Most

places still lease their hunting out to deer hunters from all over. Our hunters

have a season lease, an annual an annual lease that they come out.

And the deer I saw in your yard, they get much bigger than that, right? Well,

those that you saw were about the size that most of them are. Of course, a Well, hell, Charles,

are. Of course, a Well, hell, Charles, ain't much eating on them. A big buck.

Well, we're overpop populated with deer, particularly in in town in Junction.

There are far too many deer. Most of the women in Junction who try to raise gardens, they have to fence the deer out because they'll eat flowers. They'll eat

Yeah. They're a nuisance. But, but out here, uh, it's just something we've grown up with.

If you look junction, that's that's what brought people here originally. They

could get away. They they it was remote.

the the Lano River headers and creeks that came in and the plains along the river. It's beautiful. It really is

river. It's beautiful. It really is pretty country. And those of us who've been

country. And those of us who've been blessed to live here, I we love it. But

you look right here. You turn your camera around in about 10 seconds and you'll see why we feel this way. You're coming along and this cut

way. You're coming along and this cut was here when I was a little boy. They

built this road in the 30s. Cut this

out. Now when you when this opens up, this is why we came to Junction right there. Is that something or what? That

there. Is that something or what? That

is a nice view right there. Isn't that

nice? That's like a little Colorado town or you know those out in the west. And that's our little town. That's

west. And that's our little town. That's

Junction for all of its faults and all of its warts. I love it.

It's my home. There's Roundtop that I told you about a while ago.

Got a lot of pride in your town, Charlotte. Now, I want to show you

Charlotte. Now, I want to show you something that for me is very, very important and you need to see while you're here. I don't know if you're familiar

here. I don't know if you're familiar with Bear Bryant's Junction Boys.

Var Bryant before he went to the University of Alabama he came to&M from Kentucky and he

came in an attempt to instill hard work disciplined rugged hard-nosed football he brought three bus

two bus loads of boys out to what was the Texas A&M adjunct at that time and we're going to go around

by and he had a spark Martin summer camp out here that was so bad, so hard. Oh, we're back to the sheep racing thing. Yeah, we're back the

same place. There's Border Collie's

same place. There's Border Collie's going. Yeah. At any rate, Bear Bryant

going. Yeah. At any rate, Bear Bryant required one bus to take back what had taken two buses to bring the boys out here. West

Texas is is not like not unlike most small towns. It's a slower pace.

Uh we know each other. Uh we we visit with each other in stores. Uh I've lived here always and

stores. Uh I've lived here always and have known what shops and what people were here. Um I'd say politically we're

were here. Um I'd say politically we're very conservative. Um we have a strong

conservative. Um we have a strong uh church presence in town. We we

have a a very good ecumenical relationship between the churches.

There's no there are no rivalries. I 10 skirted junction to

rivalries. I 10 skirted junction to bring that traffic not down the middle of of town. It it was it's a mixed

blessing, mixed bag. It was it allowed our town not to be have terrible traffic problems, but it also took a lot of folks out of town

um and and hurt our shops and our stores that were downtown. And there are there are people

downtown. And there are there are people that I will see from time to time who will tell me there's not much to Junction except a few gas stations out there on the interstate. They don't even

get into town. Uh and this is this is actually Junction. It's named for the junction of

Junction. It's named for the junction of the North and South Lano rivers, but it could almost be u thought that it was a junction of the US highways. It was a

small town with a lot of highways running through it. And and in those early days, there was a there was a shop in every store downtown here and and now

some of them are boarded up. And it's

it's been a a source of concern for the people who live here that especially those of us who grew up in those years that we don't have those stores downtown

anymore.

And we we hope that someday uh that that will change and that those those shops it'll be economically feasible for them to reopen in some form or another with

something in them.

One of the problems that Kimble County has had historically is not a lot of light industry, light manufacturing, things like that that that offered a an alternative to kids who didn't have a

ranch to to lease or to there's just not a lot of jobs. There's not a lot of jobs. And as a result, the best and

jobs. And as a result, the best and brightest in many instances in Kimble County have had to leave as they graduated from school. So many

times the job opportunities were in Midland and Odessa or or Dallas or Fort Worth or San Antonio or Houston or Austin and and a lot of our folks

gravitated where the work was. Um but I I find the work ethic in Junction's always been great. I hear people say sometime, well, we there's nobody in Junction that wants to work right now.

We can't find any help. My situ my thought on that is um everybody that's really wanting to work has a job there. There's a work

ethic here. People work

ethic here. People work hard. It's there there's just not a lot

hard. It's there there's just not a lot of real good highpaying jobs uh for the whole populace.

So, I always like to ask people um so a lot of people are looking for somewhere affordable, safe, they can get out of the cities, they can

relocate. Um if somebody were to move

relocate. Um if somebody were to move here from California or Colorado or somewhere looking for a simple life, get some land, maybe put their feet up and not have to work so hard, somewhere they

can raise their kids. Would there be a culture shock to move out to West Texas in a town like this? Absolutely. Yeah.

One of the things that we we uh uh those of us who who've been here large the large portion of our lives, many people can't wait to get out

here to enjoy what we've kind of taken for granted or had all of our lives. But

the problem is often when they get here, they miss those things that they had where they came from and and

then moves and changes start happening to change it so that they're like they were from the places they came from. And and my thought always is, wait a minute, if you

wanted to get away from that, why did you come here? That's uh what what we what we enjoy here is exactly what you

said, a slower pace of life, security, the people. I've served on strategic

the people. I've served on strategic planning committees over the years uh with at Junction and Kimble County, and you list your assets and you list the

drawbacks and always at the top of the list is our people. and our people are are close-knit and I find that in most small towns that that's where we are and

that's who we are and we try to get along and we realize that we all fall short and we don't we don't uh struggle with that particularly that's just the

way things are. That's life. But often

someone who's never really been out in this rural setting when they get here, they want the urban things that they enjoyed. And you can't you can't

enjoyed. And you can't you can't necessarily have all of those things because they're expensive. And often

they come from the public purse strings and and our tax base is pretty low and our tax burden is relatively low. I

mean, it seems like a lot to all of us, but compared to other places, it's fairly low. And And so, it's a

fairly low. And And so, it's a trade-off. You're going to get those

trade-off. You're going to get those things that you came out here looking for, but you're going to give up some of those things that you enjoyed where you were. I guess that's the best way. Yeah,

were. I guess that's the best way. Yeah,

that's right. Answer it.

Well, hey, Nick Johnson fans. So,

YouTube's pushing this whole membership thing now, and I think it's great. So, I

set one up for this channel. If you want to be a member on this channel, you can only do it on your computer right now.

They make it hard for some reason. So,

go and hit join right there and you can support the channel and join various membership tiers. I'm excited about it

membership tiers. I'm excited about it because I'm going to post all sort of behind the scenes content, extra interviews, fun mappy stuff, bonus songs, and more. just some extra stuff

that doesn't make it on the main channel. So, think about becoming a

channel. So, think about becoming a member. Huh, everyone? You should join.

member. Huh, everyone? You should join.

I did. Are you looking to move and need advice? I do consulting. That's right.

advice? I do consulting. That's right.

I'll sit down and talk about where the next perfect place for you and your family should be. I do it all the time.

Together, let's find you a new home that's safe and checks all your boxes.

And I can also help you find your new house, too. Email me and I'll work with

house, too. Email me and I'll work with you. I'm not just helping you figure out

you. I'm not just helping you figure out where to move, but I can help you find your perfect home, too. That's right. I

know awesome, reliable agents all over the country, and I'd love to connect you to somebody who can help you search for that perfect home. And if you want to buy some Mappy gear, click the store

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