The Tinstreamer Podcast

Shaylin Romero is a young, intrepid creator that will change the world, and she is the first guest of the 2026 Tinstreamer season. I restarted my freelance writing career in 2018 with photographer and Texas Tech professor of practice, Jerod Foster. That led to my relationship with Texas Tech University where I’ve had the opportunity to work with the next generation of media professionals like Shaylin, and they never fail to inspire me.   Shaylin graduated from Texas Tech in December 2025 with a Bachelor’s degree in Creative Media Industries. I sat down with Shaylin at The Independence Creek Preserve during Texas Tech’s Maymester field-photography class. Shaylin and I chat about, drinking from water hoses, the adventures we’ve been on, Texas pride, and the rigors of documentary production.   Shaylin was featured in “Chasing The Plains,” a Texas Tech documentary made by Michael Ortiz (a future Tinstreamer guest) about the student film crew on a 15-day adventure motorcycle trip up the Great Plains.

Eat The Invader - A Nutria Hunt in West Texas   Brandon and part-time co-host Justin Rex are on assignment in the remote Trans-Pecos Region of West Texas on a quest for a large, semi-aquatic rodent thriving in the arid desert.   “Eat The Invader,” is a companion piece to a story Justin (photographer) and Brandon (writer) have in the December issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine. They are on location at The Nature Conservancy’s Independence Creek Preserve, a lush Oasis in the Chihuahuan Desert. In this episode, they sit down with West Texas Preserve Manager, Ryan Thornton, and talk about his job and life on the 20,000 acre preserve. Ryan educates the guys on the dirty habits of nutria and how they impact waterways like Independence Creek. This show is split into two parts: pre hunt and post hunt. Give it a listen to see if the fellas harvest a large swamp rat.   This was the culmination of a year long quest to harvest three invasive species in Texas for an exotic, wild dinner at Caprock Gap Ranch outside of Post, Texas. The menu is aoudad chili Colorado, smoked feral hog with green chile, and nutria nachos. Read the story here to see how the meal turned out. 

Forth Worth Magazine named Simon Flory - Best Musician - in their annual Best of Fort Worth (2025) issue. Simon is a charismatic performer and master storyteller. Watching him live and on stage is like riding a folk music roller coaster. Exhilarating! His shows are  a romping, whooping good time. Simon Flory is coming to a venue near you! Check out his tour schedule below.   The Simon Flory Trio with Sharla Franklin on fiddle and Morris Holdahl on guitar were in town to play Slow Ride, a free concert series on Sundays from 3 to 5 pm at Hico Hall, in sunny Hico, Texas. Simon sat down with me in the Tinstreamer Studio for a one on one chat about his life in rural Indiana and his journey to Texas. We talk about mules without shoes, Simon’s love of recitation, 1984, Big Bend, the Levelland Folk Music scene, and much much more. Simon plays his song, “American Ancients” from his 2019 album Radioville, and we close the show with Simon, Morris, and Sharla performing, “Flatbedders Do It Better.” Full video of this episode is coming soon. Simon Flory Socials Instagram Facebook Simon Flory October 2025 Tour Dates 10/16 - 602 Brewing Company - Bastrop, TX 10/17 - The Lonesome Rose - San Antonio, TX 10/18 - Austin String Band Festival - Austin, TX 10/19 - Trailhead Beer Garden - Kerrville, TX 10/24 - The Blue Light Live - Lubbock, TX 10/25 - Hico Hall - Hico, TX

Austin and Shannon Odom are the culinary masters behind Oma-Leen’s and BarbaCelli’s in downtown Hico, Texas. They are self taught chefs and restaurateurs that curate exceptional cuisine and hospitality. I’m a self-certified pizza expert, and Barbacelli’s pizza is among the best I’ve had. Oma-Leen’s is a fresh spin on Southern Cuisine. It’s locally sourced and made from scratch. Both restaurants, with their unique decor, beckon you to linger, laugh, and love with friends. If you don’t live in Hico, BarbaCelli’s and Oma-Leen’s are destination dining locations that should be on your list.   In this episode, Austin and Shannon recount their journey into the culinary world. It is one of grit, fortitude, and the unwavering desire to create good food with the hospitality you’d find in your grandmother’s  kitchen. They made many mistakes along the way, but they turned each mistake into an opportunity. Allison and I previewed this episode while on a road trip to Montana. “I’m really inspired by those two,” Allison said after we finished the Odom’s podcast. I know you’ll be inspired too.

Ben Tadlock makes the world’s finest hunting stool. What is a hunting stool? It is how a gentleman hunts. Silla del Rey (The Kings Chair) is a functional work of art designed for chasing game: hogs - deer - fowl - you name it. This handcrafted, foldable leather stool is so versatile, it begs to be used in your everyday life. Ben eats breakfast on his.   In this episode, we sit down in the Tinstreamer studio and learn about Ben’s journey from leatherworker to legacy curator. Crafting this leather and wood hunting accoutrement is an homage to his late grandfather, Ken Williford.   In the second half of this show, we’re joined by a special guest host. Cassidy Menger from Voyager Media sits down on the hunting stool, talks all things Hico, and her take on the Silla del Rey. Cassidy’s office is next door to the Tinstreamer studio. She gives a great description of the Pecan Street complex vibe. Because of folks like Cassidy and our other office neighbors, Tinstreamer is happy to call this our broadcast home.

Hico, Texas is a small town located in the North Texas Hill County along the Bosque River. The Hico Cast is an ongoing Tinstreamer series that highlights the synergy emanating from this special community. Casey and Robin Averitt have an amazing sense of aesthetic. Their attention to detail is evident in all their endeavors. In 2018 Casey and Robin Averitt opened the Hico Mercantile in an 1890’s opera house, situated along Hico’s bustling downtown. The Mercantile is a collection of 45 independent shops, selling home decor, clothing, art, antiques and more. The thoughtfully curated boutiques flow seamlessly in the majestic building, facilitating a magical shopping experience. In 2020 Casey opened Green Canoe Outfitters and Beer Garden, a men’s outdoor store with beer taps. Hico Candle is their latest endeavor and has grown to the point that they decided to sell Green Canoe Outfitters earlier this year to focus their energy on the Mercantile and Hico Candle. In this episode, we talk about the historic buildings the Averitt’s have ushered into the modern era. Hico Candle is housed in an old hardware store with polished concrete floors and distressed brick walls.  You’ll learn about their candle making process and how the Averitt’s ensure each piece of illuminated glass is perfect. This episode was recorded at the Tinstreamer Studio located in the Hico entertainment district. 

We are introducing a new ongoing series, the Hico Cast. Folks, The Tinstreamer Podcast has a home. We have set up shop in the North Texas Hill Country town of Hico, Texas. Our little studio overlooks Hico Hall, an 1899 Cotton Seed Oil Mill turned live events venue, so it felt appropriate to chat with its caretakers  and curators of cool, Jennifer Jones and Wes Lunsford Hico Hall hosts community events, weddings, concerts, and a casual live music series called Slow Ride Sundays where artists play in the intimate and casual Coal Room. We sat down amongst the stacked stone walls of the Coal Room and chatted about the vibe of Hico and what drew Jennifer and Wes to the quaint little town along the Bosque River.  Unique shopping, fantastic cuisine, friendly people, and a synergetic stream of energy permeates the picturesque hamlet of Hico (High-Co). We are excited to have the Tinstreamer Studios in this great little community. In this ongoing series, we'll meet the folks that call it home. 

Madison Walker Martin is an adventure filmmaker. Jerod Foster is a photographer, professor and co-owner  of Happy Hiker in Ruidoso, New Mexico. They are also good friends and elite members of the Tinstreamer Expedition Team. This episode finds us on the Brazos River in North Texas as we paddle 20 miles for an overnighter on the John Graves Riverway. Madi is making a documentary about the trip, and Jerod and I are on assignment for Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine.   We put in below the Morris Sheppard Dam (Possum Kingdom Lake) and paddled our boats eight-miles downriver to a remote camp along a sandbar. This episode was recorded on location at our little island habitat. Listen to the frogs chirp and river flow as we chat about the pristine wilds of the Brazos River, writer John Graves, and our modes of flotation. Madison and I are on Badfish Monarch Stand Up Paddleboards. Yes, Madi packed all of her video production equipment on top of her Monarch. I lugged my podcast equipment, an empty propane canister, and our camp kitchen. Jerod rocked a Diablo Paddlesports Chupacabra kayak with his camera gear and a Yeti Cooler packed with steaks and all the accoutrements for dinner and breakfast.

Christy Hughes is the founder of The Rooted Soul Yoga + Wellness in Hico, Texas. Situated in historic downtown Hico, her boutique is thoughtfully stocked with all the essential yoga accoutrements. The adjoining studio with its rustic stone wall, wood floors, and expansive windows attracts yogis and wellness seekers from near and far. Allison and I live near Hico, and I stumbled across The Rooted Soul last year. It has been our yoga home ever since and has united us with an amazing community.   April 4-6, Christy and The Rooted Soul team are hosting the first annual Root To Rise Wellness Festival + 5K in Hico, TX. There will be workshops, yoga classes, and Pilates Fusion. Allison is teaching an Animal Flow class, and I’ll be working the cold plunge tank where attendees can reap the benefits of frigid H20. “Ice, Ice, Baby too cold, too cold…” There will be a health fair and market, chair massage, and a plethora of wellness activities to energize body and mind. I promise this festival will be the bee’s knees. That’s not something I throw out lightly.   Christy and I sat down in her boutique and chatted about her sobriety memoir, Strong Roots, Wayward Soul, her rescue dog Cookie, sound therapy, Walnut Springs, and her personal journey to yoga teacher and studio owner.

At the end of 2022, I was a guest on The Relative Truth Podcast, hosted by brothers Trey and Mike McWilliams. Being on their show fired up a passion that had been been smoldering (unbeknownst to me) for years. Suddenly, it was crystal clear. I wanted… No, I needed to start a podcast. I thought we’d kick off the 2025 Tinstreamer season with an introduction to the man that was the impetus for this whole endeavor.   Mike McWilliams was my training partner in the late 90s and early aughts. We spent thousands of hours together, biking, running, and swimming as we trained for triathlons, mountain bike races, and life’s big adventures. Mike was there when I started my writing career 1.0. I’d pitch him my BIG ideas as we pedaled the backroads of West Texas. He’d patiently listen to the plot of my grand novel as we ran every street in Snyder, Texas. Mike is a big part of my origin story. Without him, I would not be pursuing the projects and adventures I do today. I’m forever grateful for his friendship, support, and inspiring me to start this podcast.   I have loved talk radio since I can remember. I learned all about cars from Click and Clack on NPR. The Phil Hendrie show taught me guests may not be who you think they are. I’ve chuckled at Russ Martin in Dallas and cringed at Opie and Anthony in NYC. In my 20s,  I was a regular listener to WBAP 820 in Dallas. Howard Garrett - The Dirt Doctor - informed me to, “Never top your crate myrtles.” I have a deep love for the spoken word and, until now, was never fond of my own voice. Stumbling into this passion has been like the plot to the 1987 teen drama, “Some Kind of Wonderful.” True love and everything I’ve ever wanted has been right here next to me the whole time. Podcasting… You are my Watts!

The Great Plains Project - Part Four - The Wrap Up Show   In this episode, I sit down with Simon Parmley and Jerod Foster as we recap our Great Plains journey. Simon led our production team from a heavily modified Jeep Wrangler while Jerod and I rode motorcycles. We talk about the origins of the project and the forthcoming docu-series about the trip. This conversation is a great side dish for your holiday travels. If you don’t come away inspired by this episode, I’ll refund your money.   Simon Parmley commutes every day on his Royal Enfield Himalayan motorcycle to his job at Texas Tech Public Media, where he is the director of content. Along with Madison Walker Martin, Simon was our director and show-runner on The Great Plains Project, a production that spanned 15 days with lots of moving parts and personnel. Simon's innovative storytelling on a public media budget gives The Great Plains Project the appearance of a multi-million dollar documentary. I’ve seen the preliminary trailers, and they are epic!   What is The Great Plains Project? Well, I’m glad you asked. Jerod Foster and I rode adventure motorcycles 3,500 miles from Presidio, Texas on the Mexico border to the North Dakota/Canada line. We lived off our Honda Africa Twins and slept in tents for 15 days. We rode gravel, dirt, and the occasional asphalt backroad up the middle of America. We were followed by a crew of Texas Tech students led by directors Simon Parmley, and Madison Walker Martin, filming a docu-series for Texas Tech PBS.     Check out thegreatplainsproject.com for daily dispatches featuring my words and Jerod’s photos. It’s like a coffee table book for your computer.

Jerod Foster and I rode adventure motorcycles 3,500 miles from Presidio, Texas on the Mexico border to the North Dakota/Canada line. We lived off our Honda Africa Twins and slept in tents for 15 days. We rode gravel, dirt, and the occasional asphalt backroad up the middle of America. We were followed by a crew of Texas Tech students led by directors Simon Parmley, and Madison Walker, filming a docu-series for Texas Tech PBS.   In this episode, I sit down with Hannah Hudgens and Eddie “Pants” McBroom, both were camera operators on The Great Plains Project. They talk about life on the road, blissful tent slumber after a full day, and their childhood antics. Hannah grew up like me, riding motorcycles and three-wheelers. Eddie bought an old yellow dog school bus from his high school in Haskell, Texas and took it to prom. Hmmm, these stories are oddly similar to my youth. I feel like Gen X and Gen Z have a lot more in common than we think.   Eddie and Hannah are just two members of our 10 person student film crew. They are all worthy of a podcast. It was an honor to travel and work with every single one of them: Angelyna Gonzales - Savanna Montgomery - Anna Walker - Shaylin Romero Jimenez - Hud Morrison, Jill Fulton - Adele Clarke - Kenneth Andrews. Gemma Folsom is a graduate student and producer on The Great Plains Project. She and Madison Walker were with us for the entire 18 days we were on the road.   I miss them all and would gladly jump back on the road tomorrow and do this whole thing over again.   Check out thegreatplainsproject.com for daily dispatches featuring my words and Jerod’s photos. It’s like a coffee table book for your computer.

Jerod Foster and I rode adventure motorcycles 3,500 miles from Presidio, Texas on the Mexico border to the North Dakota/Canada line. We lived off our Honda Africa Twins and slept in tents for 15 days. We rode gravel, dirt, and the occasional asphalt backroad up the middle of America. We were followed by a crew of Texas Tech students led by directors Simon Parmley, and Madison Walker, filming a docu-series for Texas Tech PBS.   This episode was recorded the morning of day eight at Watts Coffee in downtown Council Grove, Kansas. You can hear the fatigue in our voices. We recap our travels through Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas. The scenery has been stunning, the gravel chunky, the sand challenging, and the people, infinitely interesting. We relive a few tumbles and highlight which pieces of gear we’re loving at the moment.   Check out thegreatplainsproject.com for daily dispatches featuring my words and Jerod’s photos. It’s like a coffee table book for your computer.

The Great Plains Project - Before The Journey    Jerod Foster and I rode adventure motorcycles 3,500 miles from Presidio, Texas on the Mexico border to the North Dakota/Canada line. We lived off our Honda Africa Twins and slept in tents for 15 days. We rode gravel, dirt, and the occasional asphalt backroad up the middle of America. We were followed by a crew of Texas Tech students led by directors Simon Parmley, and Madison Walker, filming a docuseries for Texas Tech PBS.   This episode was recorded two weeks before we departed. Jerod and I talk about his motivation for this project and why we’re doing it on motorcycles. We meet some of the student filmmakers in a Q & A session, and our director Simon Parmley chimes in to ask me about my relationship to the motorcycle. My relationship to the machine is more about my time with my granddad. I get a little choked up.    The days were long and the work continued well into the night. This trip pushed the entire crew to the limit as we documented our exotic expedition across The Great Plains and had thoughtful conversations with folks that call it home. It is not flat. The land is beautiful. The people are amazing. Over the next six weeks, I’ll release Great Plains Project episodes. One was recorded from the road in Council Grove, Kansas halfway through the trip. The rest will be with crew members from the production. This is The Great Plains Project.  

Lane Willson is our final guest for - Anatomy of A Mountain Town - Salida, Colorado Lane and Monty Willson started Oveja Negra Adventure Cycling Gear and Bike Bags in 2012, and the world has never been the same. Founded in Leadville, Colorado and later moved to Salida, Oveja Negra is the most dynamic company in the outdoor industry. Nobody runs a brand like Lane Willson because there is no one in the multiverse like Lane Willson. She is a hard working rainbow, unicorn, lioness, and logistics master. We sat down in the Oveja Negra factory where all those amazing bags - I love - are made. In the YouTube video, you’ll see the team working in the background. You’ll hear the sewing machines running as Lane and I talk about, “surrendering to the flow,” working hard, playing harder, and profit in passion. Lane and I conversate about our dream vehicles, Van Halen, Phish, and the Oveja Negra rap video. Lane closes the show with a very special story about Jason Shelman at Subculture Cyclery, solid dude, amazing Salida bike shop. Don’t do your best, do Lane’s best and you’ll achieve Full Zen Ahead!

I am honored, inspired, and stoked to have Brinkley Messick on Part Five - Anatomy of A Mountain Town - the folks that make Salida, Colorado ebb and flow. Brinkley is an artist (painter), trail builder, and one of the most thoughtful humans I’ve had the opportunity to interview. When I ask Brinkley a question, I can see the brushes working in his head. He thinks, ruminates, and then answers. My brain works the same way. As a result, these two creative minds meander from subject to subject.   We instantly connect over Ronnie James Dio, the greatest voice in metal and the namesake of one of Brinkley’s dogs. We talk about cassette tapes, trails, Salida brick, mules, bathroom art, and finding your creative path.   Salida’s historic downtown has been a “Certified Creative District,” since 2012. Its designation by Colorado’s Office of Economic Development was designed to foster a climate in which creatives and creative enterprises can prosper. When I cooked up this series, I knew an artist had to be featured. I think Brinkley is the perfect representative of mountain town art life. He creates art because he has to. I love it!   Give Brinkley a follow and check out his work at https://www.brinkleymessickart.com/   Art is the Path to Full Zen Ahead!

P.T. Wood is a mountain man to his core. He moved to Salida, Colorado in the late 80s to be a raft guide on the Arkansas River. In the previous installment of, "Anatomy of A Mountain Town," pastry chef Sarah Gartzman was our guest and Tenderfoot Mountain with its prominent S was our backdrop. In this episode, P.T. Wood jokes, it's not an S but a five for the five jobs you have to live in Salida, and P.T. has worn a lot of hats: river guide, carpenter/builder, restaurant owner/ pizza maker, mayor, distillery owner/alchemist, and currently Chafee County commissioner. He is also the greatest ambassador of good vibes  for all of Chaffee County.    We talk about life in Salida during the late 1980s. P.T. shares his passion for building (framing to finish), desert rivers, the Monarch Mountain Ski Area, and the magic of multi-day float trips. P.T Wood is cooler than cool! He's, "Ice Cold!" Folks, you're gonna dig this episode.    Full Zen Down River!!!

Sarah Gartzman is a pastry chef and Salida restaurateur. Situated just below her knuckles the letters S-A-N-D-W-I-C-H  are tattooed across her fingers. Her passion for her craft demands this bold statement, because Sarah makes the best damn sandwiches on this third rock from the sun. Everything Sarah touches is delicious: confectionary treats, fresh bread, cheese, arugula, caramelized onions, salsa verde, hollandaise sauce, thinly sliced ribeye…oh my!!!! In 2012 Sarah, and her husband Rob opened Sweeties Sandwich & Baked Excellence in downtown Salida. Sweetie’s has been a town favorite ever since. I had my first Don Draper (a loaded pastrami sandwich) from Sweetie’s in 2014, and I hold every sandwich I eat across this country to that Sweeties standard. They all fail.   We sat down on the roof top bar of Sarah and Rob’s flagship eatery. The Biker and The Baker where they serve wine, deserts and brunch. With S Mountain as our back drop, and the Salida breeze as our ambient music, Sarah and I dish on food, mountain town life, wall paper, working hard, chasing dreams you didn’t know you had, and Elvis’s favorite type of greens. I tell her how Bavarian cream chocolate pie paired with microbrewed stout beer changed my life and formed my palette. Sarah shares an amazing dining experience she had in Mexico city. If you love food and mountain town life, this is the show for you.   Do you wanna bake like Sarah at home? Well, you better up your spoon microphone dance routine (check out Sarah’s Instagram) and order a “Hey Sweetie!” baking kit and Get Jiggy With IT? Or shall I say get, “Sweetie With IT!”   This is a fun one folks!   Full Delicious Zen Ahead…

Steph Perko is the nicest, most genuine person on the planet. I feel blessed to call her a friend. Steph is a co-owner at Salida, Colorado's very own Oveja Negra, the greatest bikepacking/outdoor brand in the galaxy. She is also an intrepid motorbike adventurer, ice fisher, dog mom, gardener and the most industrious mechanic/shade tree engineer I’ve ever met. Every bag she sews at Oveja Negra is packed with sunshine, rainbows, and some good old Pueblo, Colorado wisdom.   Steph and I hit the ground running in this part two of The Tinstreamer Series, “Anatomy of A Mountain Town.” We talk about our motorbike bond, and how speedboat may be the most perfect word since cellar door. We chat briefly about kangaroos, octopi and ghosts, and Steph recounts a hectic VW engine rebuild, followed by a Colorado road trip, that reminds me of a very special episode of “Happy Days.” This show has it all. We close out with Steph recounting life lessons with a John Deere master key and finishes the show with the buckle click of an Oveja Negra Portero bikepack. Music to my ears!   Zen and the Tao of Perko… Enjoy!   Next week’s guest is Salida, Colorado Pastry Chef & Restauranteur - Sarah Gartzman

These are the folks that make Salida ebb and flow. Mike Harvey is a white water kayaker, river surfer, white water park designer and the co-founder of Badfish SUP and River Surfboards in Salida. In the 90s, the Arkansas River was already known for its world class white water - up river and down river from Salida, but as the Arkansas flowed through downtown Salida it was featureless and riddled with chunks of concrete, rebar, and utility poles. Drawn by the white water in the area, Mike moved to Salida in the mid 90s, and he had a vision to clean up and shape Salida’s downtown river corridor. In 1999, he and Fred Lowry, the owner of a local excavating company, started construction on a feature in the river for kayakers to play on. That sent ripples that changed Salida forever. Fast forward to today and the Arkansas River through downtown Salida is a gathering place for locals and tourists. Kid’s yip and holler as they float feet first down river, next to rafts, kayaks and stand up paddle boards. The river has become the gathering place - for everyone - that Mike had always dreamed of.   In 2007 Mike and longtime friend Zack Hughes started designing a board specifically designed to surf standing waves in mountain rivers. Badfish SUP and River Surfboards was born and a new way to experience water in the mountains was created.   Mike’s love for all things water really shines in the episode. He wanted to live in the mountains and chase his passion, so he built a world and created a business to not only sustain his family but enrich his community.   Full Zen Ahead

Brandon and Allison sit down in a grove of aspens outside of Salida, Colorado to reveal the guests and episodes for this Tinstreamer Podcast series, "Anatomy of A Mountain Town," - six episodes with a few of the folks that have shaped Salida into the best - adventure, beach, mountian bike, bikepacking, paddle, sandwich, spirits, delectable, place-to-live and visit - mountain town in the universe. The first four guests are revealed in this short episode: Mike Harvey - Badfish Paddleboards and River Surfboards Steph Perko - Oveja Negra Bikepacking  Sarah Gartzman - Biker and The Baker & Sweetie's Sandwich Shop P.T. Wood - Former Salida Mayor and current alchemist at Wood's High Mountain Distillery   

Brad Leland is a powerhouse of an actor. His most famous role was Buddy Garrity from the television series, “Friday Night Lights.” He played the same role as John Aubrey in the movie, “Friday Night Lights.” Brad was in Snyder, Texas (my hometown) to moderate, “An Evening With Barry Corbin.” I sat down with Brad on my high school stage, and we talked about his early days performing in theater productions at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, his childhood pet monkey, and his two most recent feature movies - “LaRoy” and “Accidental Texan”. I highly recommend both flicks.   Brad has more than 300 movie/TV show appearances, and he always commands the scene. His performance as Chief Royce Abbott, opposite Elizabeth Olsen, in HBO’s “Love & Death,” showcases Leland as an immersive actor who relies on exceptional listening skills to evoke action and reaction in every scene.   One of my favorite moments on stage with Brad was when we briefly discussed my former drama teacher. Jerry Worsham was a legend in Texas UIL One-Act Play competition, with 13 victories to his credit. Worsham was one of those special teachers that saw the best in his students and encouraged them to chase their dreams.   I really enjoyed this episode with Brad. He is gregarious, engaging, and very thoughtful about his craft.    Full Zen Ahead

Barry Corbin is a legend on the big and small screen. He’s also the nicest human you’ll ever meet. If you’ve seen a movie, streamed a show, or watched a good old fashion network television series, in the last 48 years, you’ve seen Barry’s work. He is ubiquitous in the world of entertainment. Heck, he’s even been the voice of Harley Davidson. Barry’s first string of movies were Urban Cowboy, Stir Crazy and Any Which Way You Can. If you’re a movie buff, and you’re keeping score, that’s John Travolta, Richard Pryor, Gene Wilder, Sidney Poitier, and Clint Eastwood as the talent that Barry worked with at the beginning of his film career. If Barry Corbin had a pop culture game like the “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” it would be the, “Three Degrees of Barry Corbin.” It doesn’t take long to list an actor connected to Barry. Better Call Saul, Modern Family, One Tree Hill, Tulsa King, Yellowstone, No Country For Old Men, Dallas, War Games, and Hart to Hart, are just a few of the shows and movies Barry has appeared in.   Barry performed  his one man show, “An Evening With Barry Corbin,” at my hometown, Snyder, Texas on Saturday, July 13th. My good friend and fellow Tiger from Snyder High School (class of 1989)  Melissa Hodges Rico had organized the event. Once she discovered, I’d been talking about Barry on The Tinstreamer Podcast since March, she reached out and said (on the subject of having Barry on my podcast), “I think I can make it happen.” So on the eve of Barry’s show, in the place I grew up, at my high school, and in the very auditorium where I realized that writing was my destiny, I had an hour-long conversation with one of my heroes. I hope you enjoy this chat as much as I did.   This was a convergence of where I came from, and where I am now. I’m blessed by a supportive wife and friends from my youth that continue to believe in me. Justin Rex drove in from Lubbock to photograph the episode. I’m incredibly fortunate to have new friends and colleagues like Justin in my current creative universe that keep me inspired and motivated to chase down my most ambitious and fulfilling endeavors. Thank you to Barry and Jo Corbin for saying yes. I am forever grateful. Full Zen is Now!   Upcoming Barry Corbin 2024 Events: Go To BarryCorbin.com for details   Waxahachie, TX - August 10 Kanab, UT - August 22 Marble Falls, TX - August 31 Mingus, TX - September 7 Fort Worth, TX -  September 21 Livingston, TN - October 3 Fort Worth, TX - October 18-19 Eureka, KS - November 2 Branson, MO - November 8 Arlington, TX Veterans Day Parade - November 11 Marble Falls, TX - December 14

Part 2 with Madison Walker    We pick up with Producer Madi where we left off last week. In this episode, Madi and I have an impromptu staff meeting, and we discuss how to capture the show with moving images. That’s right, soon you’ll be able to watch The Tinstreamer Podcast on YouTube. It’s a deep dive into the world of cameras and editing software.   Madi talks about her transition into freelancing. We recount Madi, Justin Rex and Dylan Davidson's March 2020 bikepacking trip to Big Bend Ranch State Park after that year’s Texas Tech Adventure Media class was canceled due to covid. We talk about Emma Montgomery’s epic and inspiring PCT trek, and Madi reveals which episode of the podcast she finds most entertaining.

Madison Walker Martin is a filmmaker and a seasoned adventurer. She spent three years as a producer for the Texas Parks and Wildlife PBS Show where she showcased the grand landscapes and folks adventuring in the great state parks of Texas. She is a natural born leader and gifted storyteller. Earlier this year, Madi left the PBS show to focus on freelancing. Her vision and creative ethos will produce magic in the world of film and documentaries. I can’t wait to see what she shares with viewing audiences. She is a good friend, and I our beloved Producer Madi on The Tinstreamer Podcast.   Madi and I chatted for over two hours, so you get a two-part episode. In this first show, we take a deep dive into Rick Springfield’s song Jessie’s Girl. (I celebrate all of Rick’s catalog.) That conversation leads me to recount my history racing shifter karts on the Texas State Circuit. Madi tells us about a very special segment she did for the Texas Parks and Wildlife PBS show on the Texas Gulf Coast. We tease our next big project coming this fall with Jerod Foster, Simon Parmley, Michael Ortiz, Justin Rex, and a Texas Tech University student film crew.   I share my thoughts on Quentin Tarantino being  overrated, and Madi tells how her dad used Pulp Fiction to impart a very important life lesson. We close out this first part with a quick rundown of Tanner Fowler’s love of Disney Music on the 2019 Adventure Media trip to Big Bend Ranch State Park. We love you and that quarter Tanner.

In episode 11, I'm on assignment with photographer Justin Rex. We are near the border town of Del Rio, Texas in the Lower Pecos Canyonlands, one of the most significant archeological regions of Texas. Hidden in the desert caves and rock outcroppings are hundreds of ancient rock art panels with elaborate pictographs that tell stories experts are still trying to unravel. The site Justin and I venture to was donated to Texas Tech University in the 1980s and is one of the most important rock art sites in North America - if not the world. The canyon that protects this site is encased behind a locked gate and is only accessible by traversing a meandering and undulating hard scrabble road across private land. There is no easement, so permission must be obtained from the landowner to access Texas Tech’s property and the rock art panel.   This episode is broken into two parts. Justin and I chat in our Comstock Motel room the night before we journey to the site and talk about our expectations. We pick up the second half of the show the next evening, after our excursion into the backcountry of the Chihuahuan Desert, and talk about the canyon and the magnificent mural inside its walls. This is an experience where I my eyes were opened to a magical world in a place, I thought I knew. This is a more subdued episode, but we do find the time to talk a bit about Barry Corbin, and we review the only restaurant in Comstock, Texas - J&P Bar and Grill. It's the burger I've ever eaten. I don't make claims like that lightly.    Full Zen Ahead

Allison Workman is a health coach, yoga teacher, personal trainer, and Tinstreamer’s newly appointed Chief Fitness Officer. She is also Mrs. Tinstreamer. If you’ve adventured with me, you’ve most likely experienced some of Allison’s yoga and functional movement. I’ve led numerous haphazard yoga flows on the Texas Tech Adventure Media bikepacking trips, and come sunrise at camp, you’ll find me stretching and moving before a long day on the bike. For those of you that have experienced Allison’s energy firsthand, then you know how dynamic she is. There is nothing like an Allison yoga class. It is fun (never too serious), funky, and flows like a rainbow powered unicorn galloping over the sun. Every movement Allison orchestrates – either in a personnel training session or yoga flow – tells a story with a beginning, middle, and end. You will be challenged and rejuvenated.   Allison is on the schedule for in person classes at The Rooted Soul in Hico, Texas for the month of June and will return this fall starting in September.  This summer (2024) you can find Allison subbing various classes at Yoga Olas in Salida, Colorado - July and August.  You can also join Allison for Zoom Yoga on Wednesdays at 6:00 pm central time. Message @bd_weaver or @allisonworkman_movehappy on Instagram and we'll email you a link. You can also message us at Tin Streamer on Facebook.    We recorded this episode in Aries or beloved Airstream. (I videoed the first 30 minutes of the podcast and we’ll release that next week.) We talk about the origins of Tinstreamer, my love – hate – and then love again of Airstream, and how a compact blood hound changed our lives forever. I ask Allison what guests, she’d like to see on the podcast, and I talk about future themes for upcoming series.   We recorded episode 10 on the day of our 12-year anniversary. We recount our wedding day and talk about all the recreational vehicles we’ve inhabited: vans, motorhomes, and trailers… oh my! It’s also the 10-year anniversary of when we hit the road in the spring of 2014 and lived in our Airstream for nearly three years.  This was a fun episode, and I feel blessed that I can sit down with my partner for an engaging and entertaining podcast. I love Allison and know the rest of you will too after this episode. Thanks for listening!   Full Zen Ahead!

It is graduation season, and on episode 9 of The Tinstreamer Podcast, we sit down with Emma Montgomery. Emma just graduated from Texas Tech University, Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. Emma is a writer, photographer, bikepacker, backpacker, and a lover of green chiles. I met Emma in 2023 at the Texas Tech University Adventure Media bikepacking trip over spring break. That year’s class bikepacked (camping and traveling by bicycle) for six days and five nights along the Monumental Loop in Southern New Mexico. I’ve written about and attended this groundbreaking program since 2019. To say Adventure Media changes lives is an understatement. It changed me as a writer, and it most definitely changed Emma’s life. Over the last four years (Covid canceled the 2020 class), I’ve had the opportunity to adventure with exceptional young people like Emma. I always walk away inspired and filled with immense hope about the next generation. Give this episode a listen and let Emma inspire you to be your best and chase that impossible dream.   Emma grew up on a cattle ranch in Pinon, New Mexico. We talk about how she found her way to Lubbock, Texas, and her decision to chase journalism as a major. “I don’t know why I came to Texas Tech, but I learned exactly why I stayed.” Towards the end of the podcast, we do a little improv acting scene - inspired by a couple of characters she and her good friend Hannah Hudgens conjured up during the 2024 semester of Adventure Media.   Go over to Emma’s website emmamontgomvery.me and peruse her writings and pictures. She is a fantastic journalist. My personal favorite is the “Dollar Store Dilemma,” for Planet Forward.   Corrections: I did not sing The Chicks, “Travelin’ Soldier” in episode 8, as I wrote in the description. It was this episode with Emma, that I attempted to sing the first verse of my favorite story telling song.  

“If you’re gonna’ be a bear, be a grizzly!” Lindsay Kennedy is our featured Tinstreamer in Episode Ocho. She is a Professor of Practice at Texas Tech University in the Department of Agricultural Education and Communications. If Lindsay is your professor, count your lucky stars because success is on the horizon. All YOU have to do is chase it with the same fervor Lindsay attacks each day. If, like me, you graduated sometime long ago, before Facebook existed, you’ll wish you had a teacher like Dr. Kennedy. Lindsay is an exceptional javelina caller, bikepacker, angler, and she packs up a tent faster than you can say… Omaha! She teaches photography, writing, and a magazine class and is the director for Texas Tech’s MILE Program which focuses on leadership and professional development for students. She is also the co-director for Tech’s Bridge Adventure Program, which removes barriers to the outdoors and facilitates adventure for everyone.   We sat down in the Texas Tech Ag Comm conference room, surrounded by Lindsay’s photos and talked like old friends.  We define where West Texas begins and chat about the rugged and resourceful folks of the Llano Estacado. The conversation turns to Caitlin Clark and the exciting progression of women’s sports. Billy Strings, Powers Boothe, Barry Corbin and Codi Clark all get notable mentions in this episode. Lindsay and I take some time to gush over our bond by two great outdoor companies: Oveja Negra Bikepacking and Stio.   The show closes with me getting 90s country megastars, Tracy Byrd and Tracy Lawrence confused. I confess to Lindsay that in 1992 I rocked a mullet that put Billy Ray Cyrus to shame. (See picture in Instagram post.) This episode has something for everyone. It’s long, so you’ll probably want to split it up into two listens. It’s worth it. I promise. Lindsay will have you Carpe Diem-ing the heck out of your life.   Full Zen Ahead!   Special note: I make a few attempts to sing Time Marches On by Tracy Lawrence and Travelin’ Soldier by The Chicks in this lyrically challenged episode. My apologies.    

“Leave room for serendipity.” That’s how commercial and lifestyle photographer RJ Hinkle runs a photoshoot. His professional portfolio is vast: Walmart, Luchese Boots, The King Ranch, The Container Store (gosh I love that place), Evie Mae’s Pit BBQ (RJ is a BBQ fanatic.), Boomer Jack's -  and the list goes on. His still images are never static. The subjects are vibrant with color and emotion. They are captured in a singular moment, time has stopped, but the story always plays out in his pictures. Even BBQ on butcher paper has a narrative in a RJ Hinkle photo.    Serendipity is a thread that runs through RJ’s life. The siren song of the shutter captured RJ’s attention early. He worked on the staff of his high school yearbook (or annual as we say in West Texas), and RJ never stopped working as a photographer. He pursued his passion and sometimes his passion pursued him, giving him nudges in the right direction as his career unfolded. Put yourself in the right place with a honed skill set and serendipity becomes opportunity.   RJ and I take a deep dive into the food stylist profession and talk about my nature trail photoshoot that happened just before the podcast. We chronicle - journeyman actor and Lamesa, Texas native - Barry Corbin’s acting career. I confess to RJ why I never realized my dream to be a helicopter pilot. RJ gives us his top five BBQ joints, and we close out the podcast with a very serendipitous movie reveal. It has nothing to do with the actual movie Serendipity.

EP: 6 - “What are we passionate about?” They were on a sailboat in the Virgin Islands, and that is the question three friends pondered. Dogs, bikes and sailboats was the answer. Two were in Telecommunications and one was a heavy equipment (bull dozers and excavators) mechanic. In 2001, they opened Mad Duck Cyclery in Grapevine, Texas (just north of the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex). Located in a former Wienerschnitzel building, the funking little bike boutique is one of the pre-eminent bike shops in the country. It’s the kind of place where – “everybody knows your name,” and the kind of bike you ride. Dogs are welcome and all levels of cyclist – from beginner to Cat 1 – are treated with same respect.   I sit down with one of the owners, Clarence Muller at Mad Duck Manor on the shores of Lake Grapevine. Listen to the birds chirp as we take a deep dive into running a bike shop, and the simple joys of pedaling your bike. Mad Duck is a fierce advocate for bike and pedestrian safety in their community. They are regulars at the Grapevine city council meetings, fighting for lower speed limits and pushing to build more bike paths. They care about their community and their customers safety. Mad Duck Cyclery is so much more than a bike shop. They know that bikes build community and get folks outside. You meet the nicest people on a pedal machine.   Clarence is a committed listener to The Tinstreamer Podcast.  We talk about the Dallas Off Road Bicycle Association and the amazing trail system they've created in North Texas. We briefly chat about Airwolf and Jonny Quest, which leads me to ask Clarence which cycling movie he prefers: Breaking Away or American Flyers? We talk a lot about bikes, technology, and our hair turning gray. This is a long one folks, but Clarence and Mad Duck really embody the Tinstreamer ethos, and the conversation flowed like a brand-new XTR drivetrain. Terry, Gary and Clarence started Mad Duck with no market research or social media.  They simply wanted to follow their passion, build a community and hang with their dogs. They just happen to sell bikes too.    

Episode 5 finds us in far West Texas, driving into the late night/early morning - under the star filled sky of the expansive Chihuahuan Desert. My part time cohost Jerod Foster joins me along with producer Madison Walker Martin for this moving (literally) truck cast as the three of us ride in Madi’s Ford Ranger to pick up a re-supply vehicle we left in the desert.   The podcast opens with the hum of asphalt as we careen down the River Road (FM 170), between Lajitas and Presidio, Texas. Don’t get too comfortable with the siren song of asphalt. We turn down a gravel road en route to Big Bend Ranch State Park’s Sauceda Ranger Station, located near the center of the massive 311,000 acre state property. The washboard laden road undulates and serpentines through a spectacular desert scape. It’s 11:00 pm and all we see are what Madi’s headlights illuminate, but our senses are heightened and the conversation flows.   You can hear the stutter-bumps in the road (it shakes our voices) and the gravel crunch under the Ford Ranger’s tires as we recap the 2024 Texas Tech University Adventure Media Class taught by Jerod Foster and episode four’s Lindsay Kennedy. It is a bikepacking class that sees 16 students traversing – by mountain bike - the rugged interior of Big Bend Ranch State Park. We rode six days, 100 miles and camped five nights. The students record the trip through digital media and produce several short documentaries for their final class project. They live by bike and work by bike. The pedal powered machines are their home and production vehicles.   This is my fourth year covering the class and each time I walk away inspired, sun baked, and filled with an immense amount of joy and promise that this next generation is awesome-er than mine. They are ambitious, hard-working, smart, and fearless…   Well -  that’s not entirely true. There is fear and uncertainty, on this trip and in life. These intrepid students know that, but they face those fears head on and tackle all obstacles ahead. If Adventure Media had been around when I was in college during the 90s, I would have never had the guts to take it. These Red Raiders rock! It was an honor to ride, camp, and break bread with each and every one of them.   Movies referenced in this podcast are Tin Cup and Fandango, both starring Kevin Costner. Airwolf, the helicopter action show from my youth did not get a mention.      

In episode 4, we are live to tape (SD Card) in the Chihuahuan Desert at Rio Bravo Ranch just outside of Presidio, Texas. This is a Tinstreamer DesertCast – tailgate session. I sit down with Lindsay Kennedy a professor of practice at Texas Tech University in the school of Agriculture Education and Communications. Former guests Jerod Foster and Justin Rex are on the scene too. We spent the previous day scouting (by bike) our water sources for Texas Tech’s Adventure Media bikepacking class that will be held over spring break. We rose with the sun, had coffee, and the wind was dead still. My morning voice was deeper than normal with hints of gravel, so it seemed like the opportune time for a DesertCast.   This is a short episode and just an introduction to Dr. Lindsay Kennedy. She is a seasoned, intrepid adventurer and an expert on sorghum. Lindsay needs a full hour-long episode dedicated to her. Stay tuned for that at later date. In this show, we catch up with Justin Rex and the mistakes I made in my monologue to his podcast, and we uncover a celebrity friend that Justin failed to mention on the show. The ever-popular Jerod Foster narrates our desert surroundings and gives his thoughts on the upcoming 2024 Adventure Media class.   TV and movie references in this podcast are as follows: Urban Cowboy, Northern Exposure, Dazed and Confused, Three Amigos, and Trading Spaces. I get choked up pontificating about the movie Hope Floats and feel inclined to bring up the TV show Air Wolf. This episode has it all. You can expect more tailgate sessions like this in the future. And as always, I appreciate you listening.   Full Zen Ahead!

Episode 3 of The Tinstreamer Podcast is a companion piece to a Texas Monthy story I wrote that hits their website on Monday 2-26-24. (This podcast is not affiliated with Texas Monthly.) It’s about Broken Arrow Ranch, the Texas based company that pioneered the selling of exotic wild game (venison) to restaurants across the country. In the early 80s, Broken Arrow Ranch founder, Mike Hughes was instrumental in establishing the laws that made it possible to classify and inspect non-native, exotic game for restaurant kitchens.   In this episode, I sit down at the Broken Arrow Ranch headquarters, in Ingram, Texas with current owner Chris Hughes and we chat about, harvesting versus hunting, the definition of venison, chef culture, and Napa Valley. And just like in episode 2, the 1980s TV action drama Airwolf enters the conversation. (This episode is helicopter heavy.)  It’s a not a Tinstreamer Podcast unless the great Jan Michael Vincent comes up.   The first time I had a Broken Arrow Ranch product was 20 years ago at Abacus, a fantastic fine dining establishment in Dallas. (The restaurant closed in 2019.) Tre Wilcox (he competed in season three of Top Chef) was the executive chef at the time, and he had orchestrated  a culinary masterpiece from one of Broken Arrow Ranch’s flagship products – axis venison. That entrée from 20 years ago was the catalyst that inspired me to pursue this story, and - up until now - I counted it as the best meal I’ve ever had.    Chris had invited me to one of their nilgai (antelope) harvests in South Texas and we talk about that process (this is where the helicopter comes in) and my thoughts on the experience. We close out the show with my current best meal of all time. As a part of the Texas Monthly story, I’d arranged to have nilgai (South Texas Antelope) at Bonnell’s Fine Texas Cuisine in Fort Worth, the following Saturday night. It wouldn’t be an animal from the harvest I observed, (Broken Arrow ages those for 21 days back at their facility) but it would be nilgai from Broken Arrow. The dinner was the most amazing experience of my dining career.   Here's a description of that entrée for you foodies out there. It was nilgai tenderloin, sous vide to 127-degrees then rubbed with Dijon mustard, fresh tarragon leaves, thyme white pepper and wrapped in smoked bacon. The meat is then reverse seared to perfection. It was accompanied by a sauce Robert, a white wine and Dijon mustard demi-glace with bacon lardon and more fresh tarragon from the restaurant’s garden. The accoutrements to the entrée complimented the dish perfectly, a parsnip puree, roasted Brussels sprouts and apples that were glazed with a touch of sherry vinegar, honey and caramelized onions.

This episode finds me in South Texas on assignment for a Texas Monthly web story. Photographer and friend Justin Rex joins me, and we sit down in Kingsville, Texas at the Holliday Inn Express and chat about Broken Arrow Ranch (the story we're working on), the 80s hit TV show Airwolf, Justin's extensive career as a photojournalist, photographing Tom Brady, and doing things that scare you.  There's not much that scares Justin Rex. He and Ashley Rodgers are the official photographers of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, promoting the college through various marketing campaigns and media outlets. Justin is also a freelance photojournalist for the Associated Press and his photos have appeared in Texas Highways, Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine, the Houston Chronicle, the Texas Tribune and many more publications.  I've spent gobs of time with Justin on the bike, in the water, easting processed food behind gas stations, and standing at the intersections of remote gravel crossroads in the Texas Panhandle and parts unknown in New Mexico. He is a colleague, a close friend, and one of the most resourceful human's on the planet. Everybody should have a friend like Justin Rex.  Adventure Media 2019 - This is where I first met Justin Rex Rex and I collaborated for a kiteboard feature in Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine. Jerod Foster, Justin Rex, and me rambling around the Texas Panhandle for a BIKEPACKING.COM feature and supporting  documentaries.     

Outdoor adventure writer Brandon Weaver interviews his good friend and collaborator Jerod Foster. In this first episode of The Tinstreamer podcast, they chat about Taylor and Kelce, Wyman Meinzer (the state photographer of Texas), frozen orange juice concentrate, and the adventures they've worked on as a writer/photographer team.  Jerod Foster is a photographer, musician, and professor of practice at Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. He splits his time between Lubbock and Ruidoso, New Mexico where he owns The Happy Hiker, an outdoor store, with his wife Amanda and their three daughters - Eva, Lola, Emmy and their dog Max. Jerod is a good friend and one of the most genuine humans on the planet. Jerod and I have traveled many miles across, Texas, New Mexico, and Colorado on magazine and web assignments adventuring on stand up paddle boards, bicycles, motorcycles and pickup trucks. I feel blessed I get to work with such an exceptional photographer and inspirational storyteller. Jerod embodies the spirit of what a Tinstreamer is. He works hard, takes time for others, drives lots of miles, and wakes up early. Everybody wants to be Jerod's friend, and I count myself incredibly fortunate that he is one of mine.