In the early 90's (the 1990's...), Mike and LaDona Blue were our pastors at Junction Hill Pentecostal Church. They traveled quite a bit and they loved to stop at Cracker Barrel. Back then, Cracker Barrel had a deal where you could "rent" audio books at one Cracker Barrel and return them at another one on down the road. They started renting "Hank the Cowdog" on cassette tape and came back home telling us the capers of the "Head of Ranch Security"! Well...we skedaddled on down to the library and rented some for Tabitha...and the rest (as they say) is history. Tabitha (and Mom & Dad) fell in love with the escapades of ole Hank and Drover!
John Erickson, who hails from Perryton, in the Texas Panhandle, wrote these series of books about a ranch dog named Hank and his trusty sidekick, a stub-tailed mutt named Drover. Mr. Erickson proceeded to read his books for audio books and do all of the characters' voices. Hank is the "Yogi Berra" of dogdom. He can mess up the simplest phrases and idioms! Drover is a scaredy cat and is perpetually excusing himself from any work or task by blaming his gimpy leg...hence the phrase "I would do thus and so but....OH MY LAIG!!" Other characters are introduced in the books such as "Pete the Barn Cat", the ranch hand "Slim", the owners of the ranch "High Loper" and "Sally May", the buzzards "Wallace" (Pa) and Junior (Son) and of course the coyotes "Rip" and "Snort"! Mr. Erickson is still writing "Hank" books so if you want to get "edgeakated" in the world of "Hankdom" just go to his site right HERE
The last part of January, we traveled to the Texas Panhandle, the the City of Perryton...to our Nephew's wedding. Bracy Bean and Briana Barton were married in Perryton and John Erickson even helped ole Brace propose! On the way there, I was privileged to pass through the "Mecca of Dogdom", Ochiltree County Texas! This is Hank's stomping grounds and is mentioned many times in his books.
But the "Holy Ground" of "Dogdom" is a town called "Twitchell". This is where Hank invariably gets into trouble when he rides into town with Slim or High Loper. In the book, it is a full sized town with all kinds of businesses, but as you can see in the pictures below, it's just a wide spot in the road beside the railroad track! And it's spelled different! I know the suit is incongruous with the surroundings but you gotta get the picture when you have the chance!
