| Ten years ago when This Dog'll Hunt first appeared in print it turned out to be the beginning of the story and not the end. The preface to that original edition concluded with, "Till we meet again, keep the fireflies out of the buttermilk and your wagon between the ditches." Well, here we are again. To those who enjoyed the original This Dog'll Hunt, I hope your buttermilk is firefly-free and your wagon is still on the road. If this is your first experience with the book, find a soft place to sit, kick off your boots, prop your feet, open a can of your favorite beverage, and get ready to be entertained. And if you're not careful, you might just learn a thing or two. That's the plan anyway. |
| The original version was the result of a thirty-year collection of Texas words and sayings. Even though the book was published, I continued to collect anything related to the language, and I was aided in that cause by a lot of nice folks who responded to my request to share their sayings that were not in the book. Incredibly, I still get cards and letters and I appreciate all of them. When I had received enough new sayings for another book, That Cat Won't Flush appeared in print. Still the letters kept coming, and my collection kept growing. |
| A funny thing happened, however, that alarms me no end. While I got letters, I began to notice that I was picking up fewer and fewer sayings from everyday conversations. It seems clear that the language of Texas is changing at a frightening pace. Every day, it seems to me, we are losing a little more of our heritage. Every now and then I stop and ponder what Texas might be like when our heritage is completely gone. The images I conjure up are unsettling, and, frankly, I hope I'm not around when that day comes because it is going to sad indeed. |
| The good news is I am still around and still determined to do my part to preserve at least one little part of Texas heritage, namely the language. This is my latest and most ambitious effort toward that end. |
| The genesis for this book actually came from my mother. She often told me that of all the books I have written, she liked This Dog'll Hunt the best. I suspect the reason was that she grew up loving the Texas language, and when she read my words I know a lot of wonderful memories would come to mind. Although the book was her favorite, it was |
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