The road to Austin goes through Beeville, Santa Gertrudis cows, and my new revolvers

[MasterBates]

I told myself the perdiem for driving here would be used for ME. Not Lawyers, Bills, whatever. ME. So here's how I spent it.

I took a trip to look at a S&W Model 65 4" Stainless. Chambered in 357 Magnum. Nice gun. Smoothest DA trigger that has not been worked on I have seen. SA is "think and it shoots".

It was well worth the $295 the guy wanted. He also had an H&R 9 shot 22LR SAA style, but with DA mechanism. Neat little gun, so I got that. Both for $400, including lunch.

And the trip itself was nice. A tad cold at the begining and end, but all told about 435 miles on my Triumph Bonneville from Corpus to Austin and back.

I took SPID out of town, I-37 to TX-359 to US-181 south of Beeville. Took a ride out to what used to be NAS Beeville. Then continued up to Karnes City and took TX-123 up thru Seguin to San Marcos. I-35 into Austin.

The ride thru hill country was excellent, and I made better time than I would of if I had taken the Interstate.

Came back down US-183 thru Lockhart, and then TX-80 down to Kenedy.

US-181 south again, but took Business-181 thru Beeville proper. When I stopped at the light at the courthouse, I saw a sad sight..

An A-4 (single seat, no hump, and a windshield wiper), in horrible need of a paint job. Skin has corroded thru in places. Really is a disgrace how horrible it looks. You can barely read "TW-3" and USS LEXINGTON on the sides. Needs a paint job. Yesterday.

Beeville looks much nicer than K-Rock. Any reason they closed one over the other?

Anyways, nice guns, nice ride.. Anyone want to help repaint an old A-4 that is rusting away in front of the courthouse?

 

[Catmando]

Beeville looks much nicer than K-Rock. Any reason they closed one over the other?

Politics, probably . . . and proximity to the Armstrong Ranch.

(Didn't get a BUNO on that A-4, did you? And nice work on the S&W 357 and the H&R 22 . . . and lunch.)

 

[MasterBates]

Catmando,

No BUNO on the tail. I looked in the nose wheel well, but all the tags had been vandalized or so painted over that I could not read them.

Armstrong Ranch??

 

[A4sForever]

..... took Business-181 thru Beeville proper. When I stopped at the light at the courthouse, I saw a sad sight..

An A-4 (single seat, no hump, and a windshield wiper), in horrible need of a paint job. Skin has corroded thru in places. Really is a disgrace how horrible it looks. You can barely read "TW-3" and USS LEXINGTON on the sides. Needs a paint job. Yesterday.....

You must mean this ol' girl ...

Long story short .... Kingsville had more local political horsepower and "slightly" better airspace than Beeville ... again, all in the eye of the beholder.

Having flown in and out of both ... their relative airspace pluses and minuses are a wash --- so then we're back to local politics. And local money. And we know who wins that one ...

 

[MasterBates]

Thats' the one..

What variant is that?

 

[A4sForever]

Thats' the one..

What variant is that?

A-4B

... and King ranch or Armstrong ranch ... in either case .... bring $$$$$

Santa Gertrudis checking me out over the fence.... I used to feed 'em over the back fence at the apartment when going through as a STUD ... they did, and probably still do, live better than I. Except no one has eaten me as of yet ...

 

[Catmando]

Armstrong Ranch??

A massive ranch just south of Kingsville. The Armstrong's were related to the Kings of King Ranch fame.

More importantly, the Armstrong's were and are politically, extremely well connected. Anne Armstrong was a close advisor to President Nixon and was President Ford's Ambassador to Great Britain. Both Bush's, father and son have been frequent visitors to the ranch, as has Dick Cheny. In fact, it's the ranch where he shot his friend while quail hunting.

Frequent guests were not limited to the GOP, but included many foreign dignitaries including Prince Charles.

When I was at NAS Kingsville, there was a constant flow of dignitaries that flew in privately for a visit to the Armstrong ranch just south of Kingsville.

I personally flew an ACM... ah scratch that, a "FAM" flight with then SecNav John Lehman once, before he continued on to the Armstrong Ranch as most did, for some great hunting. He was a frequent visitor.

I never had the opportunity to meet them, but I understand the Armstrong's were great people. And I suspect they might have had some influence on whether NAS Beeville or Kingsville were closed.

 

[Catmando]

A-4B
... and King ranch or Armstrong ranch ... in either case .... bring $$$$$

Santa Gertrudis checking me out over the fence.... I used to feed 'em over the back fence at the apartment when going through as a STUD ... they did, and probably still do, live better than I. Except no one has eaten me as of yet ...

Well A4s, I see you know your breeds. And I'm a guess'n those aren't Santa Gertrudis heifers nor steers, but cows and calves, with no bull in the bunch.

But tell me. I must be getting old. What is the difference between an A4B and an A4C? (Seriously. As I had time in a C.)

 

[A4sForever]

.....What is the difference between an A4B and an A4C? (Seriously. As I had time in a C.)

Basically, the "C" had a longer nose to accomodate a better radar which gave it a limited night/IFR capability, a better engine @ 600# more thrust, and the LABS bombing system.

*edit* ... the "C" also incorporated the autopilot ... remember ... ??? .... the one that never worked???

Many of the "B's" were transferred to the Argentines, got converted to P's & Q's, and many got smoked in the Falklands ....

Picture purports to be a couple of Argentine A-4s making a run at the Brits .... good boys, those Argie's. Same for the Brits. Who are you gonna' back ... ???

What a tragic waste of good men ...

.... I'm gonna' have to re-route this thread to another part of the website if we keep talkin' about Santa Gertrudis, the King and Armstrong Ranches, and the A-4 ... ... all good stuff, however.

 

[Catmando]

.... I'm gonna' have to re-route this thread to another part of the website if we keep talkin' about Santa Gertrudis, the King and Armstrong Ranches, and the A-4 ... ... all good stuff, however.

Nah, I'm done for now. And thanks for the good info, re A4B and C''s.

Anyway, I'm a little speechless, both at the Argie's low-level attack with all the lead and pieces hitting the water, along with your phenomenal repertoire of never-before-seen - at least for me - incredible photos.

Nevertheless, we probably should return everyone now to MasterBates's excellent trip and acquired new weaponry… Sorry
Now Rx mode here only.

 

[Fly Navy]

That picture always mesmorized me.

 

[A4sForever]

.....Anyway, I'm a little speechless, both at the Argie's low-level attack with all the lead and pieces hitting the water....

Well, you know the old saying ... "THERE'S NO SLACK IN LIGHT ATTACK" ... or, for that matter ... medium and heavy attack, as well ...

 

[Catmando]

Well, you know the old saying ... "THERE'S NO SLACK IN LIGHT ATTACK" ... or, for that matter ... medium and heavy attack, as well ...

But for them to ever get into their "no-slack" attack profile, they musta had some surely righteous fighter escort earlier. Ya think?

 

[A4sForever]

But for them to ever get into their "no-slack" attack profile, they musta had some surely righteous fighter escort earlier. Ya think?

Ummmmmmmmm ..... surely .... maybe.

 

[A4sForever]

BUT: since we're talkin' about Beeville anyway ... .... and having lived and flown in both Beeville and Kingsville --- I would "take" Beeville over K-ville any day.

Better location, closer (considering these two places, that's always a relative term) to more things (San Antone -- San Marcos -- the Hill Country), there's more "amenities" in town ... and back-in-the-day ... Beeville had a vastly superior O'Club and pool, both in terms of facilities and activities.