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I was lucky enough to travel to Austin recently and spend a few days at the Capitol. Having lived in Austin for seven years during and after college, I know my way around the city fairly well and always look forward to spending a few days there.

One of the things many journalists look forward to each year is election season. It always provides excitement and stories on a regular basis, making our job easy.

For those of us that love being in the outdoors, family vacation time often includes at least a day or so fishing, along with sightseeing and all the other endeavors common to that special week or two.

To borrow a line from Tom Petty - "you belong among the wildflowers." Yes, you, there is something for everybody. And though Petty has never graced a stage at the Wildflower! festival, I always think of the song each time I prepare for the festival.

Growing up, pizza night in the Conrad household was fairly simple. Myself and my mom would split a sausage pizza, while my dad and two brothers would split a pepperoni pizza.

When Hope Park opens this Saturday, the city will see the culmination of several years' worth of work by a group of dedicated Frisco mothers.

Since I became editor of The Frisco Enterprise last summer, I've driven past Pizzeria Testa countless times.

Solo at last? Well, it's not permanent. But for the time being, singer/guitarist Tom Keifer has broken away from his long-time tenure with '80s blues rockers Cinderella. And for the first time since 1983, Keifer is touring with a new band and has a solo album in stores titled, "The Way Life Goes."

For almost 14 years, I did a weekly fishing report for a major Texas newspaper.

Has anyone ever noticed that dang-nigh everything except the citizens of Texas has a lobbyist down in Austin? The good news is that situation was recently improved with the formation of the North Texas Citizens Lobby. The organization is made up of conservative citizens from Plano, Lucas, McKinney and Allen. I don't believe there's a paid-for lawyer in the whole bunch.

"Would you like to swing on a star?"

If you've been thinking about learning to shoot a bow, there's no better time than early summer to begin.

I had a yard sale a while back. I love yard sales. You can meet a lot of interesting people at yard sales. I noticed that about half the folks who showed up at my yard sale were using one arm to pick through my treasures. All of them had another arm but the hand at the end of it was useless since it was holding a cell phone next to their ear.

Frisco has a new restaurant in town, and it's a cut above the rest.

Suntan lotion - check.

Each September for many years, I've headed to Colorado's high country with my bow to enjoy hunting elk and bear with my longtime friend Larry Large, who has guided in the mountains for most of his adult life.

Anyone with the least bit of doubt about how popular hunting wild hogs and predators is in the Lone Star state need only to have been in Waco this past week end at the First Annual Predator and Wild Hog Expo, held at the Waco Convention Center.

Editor's note: While this is a column centered on Flower Mound, its message can fit every city we cover. Enjoy.

For anyone looking for a weekend getaway without spending most of your money on gas or airfare, look no further than Erwin Park in McKinney. This is the perfect time to pack up the family and head out to the middle of nowhere for a weekend of roughing it while the climate is still favorable.

Pigs. They're what's for dinner. And fun!

I wasn't in town for Record Store Day on Saturday, so I unfortunately missed out on the limited edition Old 97's/Waylon Jennings vinyl that was released.

Last week, two colleagues and I went to Estilo Gaúcho, a Brazilian steakhouse located in front of Stonebriar Centre Mall, for a media event. Not being a "foodie," I didn't know what to expect, but it's safe to say I left happy.

I am probably not what you would call a foodie. I do love trying new foods, but a newspaper reporter's salary doesn't lend itself to dining at expensive restaurants that focus on innovative cuisine.

sholcomb@starlocalnews.com

Last week I wrote a "Get Out of Town" feature about the 33rd annual Scarborough Renaissance Festival. What I didn't reveal to you, however, was that I myself had never actually been to such an event. "How could she write about something she's never experienced firsthand?" you might ask. Well, I asked myself that very same question and began to regret never going to the Georgia Renaissance Festivals of my past while growing up in Atlanta. A friend of mine was even an actor for many years there and loved sharing his experiences with the rest of us, none of whom had the Ren bug but always enjoyed the yarns he spun.

For most of my adult life, I've enjoyed camp cooking and often serve as camp cook on our high country elk and bear hunts in northern Colorado.

The Texas Rangers opened their season on Sunday with an embarrassing loss to the Houston Astros, the worst team in the MLB last year. Luckily for us, however, that bad taste can be erased.

Editor's Note: This column was written for readers of the print edition of The Frisco Enterprise. It probably won't have the same impact to anyone reading this version, as it's on The Enterprise's website.

Since our visit last week, I've been pretty busy with the construction of a little hunting cabin my buddy and I decided to build.

Wade fishing is not limited to just prowling coastal flats in quest of trout or redfish.

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