Monday, November 18, 2013

Willy Longhorn Visits The Alamo

There is no bigger Texas icon than the Alamo. It is the heart of everything that is Texas, and the place were Texas dreams were born. Willy Longhorn visited there with his friends Andrew and Ashley. The story of the Alamo reminds Willy why "you can't tell a Texan they can't 'cause they believe they can." 




“Once upon a Christmas Eve, down in the Lone Star State, 
Something special happened then, on that partic’lar date….

Willy the Texas Longhorn, his horns a glowing blue, 
Led Santa through the Texas fog, and all the kids there knew, 
They’d wake up in the morning, with happy Christmas smiles, 
’Cause Willy helped ol’ Santa fly across those Texas miles.


Mooeee . . . Christmas."


See Willy Longhorn travel across Texas on his way to Christmas.
www.willylonghorn.com

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Gail Borden was a key figure in the Texas Revolution. He even printed the original Declaration of Independence for the Republic of Texas. Later he went on create the modern diary industry. That's what interested Willy Longhorn. In the list of cow heroes, Borden ranks right up there near the top. That's a real Texas. The monument is where Borden's house was located in Galveston (he also laid out he original streets for both Galveston and Houston.) That was one busy Texas.


Willy The Texas Longhorn
Now available at bookstores everywhere!

See how Willy saves Christmas in Texas by painting his horns florescent blue and flying Santa’s sleigh across Texas:

“Once upon a Christmas Eve, down in the Lone Star State, 
Something special happened then, on that partic’lar date….

Willy the Texas Longhorn, his horns a glowing blue, 
Led Santa through the Texas fog, and all the kids there knew, 
They’d wake up in the morning, with happy Christmas smiles, 
’Cause Willy helped ol’ Santa fly across those Texas miles.


Mooeee . . . Christmas."

See Willy Longhorn travel across Texas on his way to Christmas.


Thursday, October 17, 2013

Willy Longhorn Visits Austin Dance Torupe

Can a Longhorn Fly?

Most people don't think longhorns can fly, much less dance. Willy Longhorn visited the friendly dance troupe for Midsummer Night's Dream in Austin where he had a great time at the yoga session. See more of him at willylonghorn.com Special thanks to Gloria and Angela Irving, Jason Cohen & Cameron Contour. See the video at http://ow.ly/pK97P



Now available at bookstores everywhere!

See how Willy saves Christmas in Texas by painting his horns florescent blue and flying Santa’s sleigh across Texas:

“Once upon a Christmas Eve, down in the Lone Star State, 
Something special happened then, on that partic’lar date….

Willy the Texas Longhorn, his horns a glowing blue, 
Led Santa through the Texas fog, and all the kids there knew, 
They’d wake up in the morning, with happy Christmas smiles, 
’Cause Willy helped ol’ Santa fly across those Texas miles.


Mooeee Christmas."

See Willy Longhorn travel across Texas on his way to Christmas.

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Willy The Texas Longhorn at the SCBWI

Willy Longhorn has a blast hobnobbing with a bunch of children's book authors at a meeting of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). They are jealous of his horns and want blue horns just like him #childrensbooks #christmas #texasFollow Willy Longhorn at willylonghorn.com


Now available at bookstores everywhere!

See how Willy saves Christmas in Texas by painting his horns florescent blue and flying Santa’s sleigh across Texas:

“Once upon a Christmas Eve, down in the Lone Star State, 
Something special happened then, on that partic’lar date….

Willy the Texas Longhorn, his horns a glowing blue, 
Led Santa through the Texas fog, and all the kids there knew, 
They’d wake up in the morning, with happy Christmas smiles, 
’Cause Willy helped ol’ Santa fly across those Texas miles.


Mooeee Christmas."

See Willy Longhorn travel across Texas on his way to Christmas.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Charlie Chan Supercop Part IV (Locations)

Charlie Chan, SuperCop Part IV


For those interested in studying the background for the Charlie Chan Mysteries by Earl Derr Biggers, here are several locations in Honolulu where you can visit “Chan” sites.

1. The House Without a Key Restaurant is at the Halekulani Hotel at 2199 Kalia Road, Honolulu. Halekulani (Hawaiian for "House Befitting Heaven") was originally the site of a royal retreat. It became a tourist resort in 1907 and is where author Earl Derr Biggers stayed on his original trip to the islands. The current alfresco restaurant provides a beautiful view of Diamond Head much the way Biggers would have seen it in 1919 from his cozy cottage as he envisioned the plot of the novel for which the restaurant is named.

2. The old Honolulu Police Department building at 842 Bethel Street (corner of Bethel and Merchant) was built in 1930 (on the site of a previous police building.) In several novels, Chan has meetings here. This location borders Chinatown, which is where much of Chang Apana’s work as a detective took place.

3. Also of interest are nearby buildings in this area that were around when Biggers was writing the Chan series: Cattycorner from the police building is the Kamehameha V Post Office built in 1870. The Melchers Building at 51 Merchant Street is the oldest business building in Honolulu. The Old Royal Saloon Building at 2 Merchant Street at Nu’uanu Avenue is the oldest Honolulu restaurant location (built in 1890), originally to serve hungry seamen, it is now Murphy’s Bar and Grill. The Bishop Estate Building was built in 1898 at 71 Merchant Street by the Bernice Pauahi Bishop estate.

4. Chang Apana/Charlie Chan’s grave is located at the Manoa Chinese Cemetery (3200 block of Pakanu St. at Old E. Manoa Rd.) A pagoda-like sign marks the entrance. To find the grave, enter the left entrance to the cemetery. Go up the hill about a football field-length. On the left side of the road you will see a white sign indicating “8. Detective Charlie Chan (Chan (sp) Apana.)” From that sign, go up several more rows on the street and locate two prominent white markers (with the names Ho Lun and Chang Ho Shee.) Follow that row away from the street. Apana’s grave is about half-way down the row. Look for a grave that has plants growing within a rectangular concrete border. Chang Apana’s name appears at the top of the concrete marker, with other inscriptions in Chinese. Sometimes there are other flowers or “gifts” marking the grave.

5. See Chang Apana’s bullwhip (and other interesting artifacts from Honolulu history) at the Honolulu Police Museum located at 801 South Beretania Street, first floor. It is open Monday through Thursday from 7:45 am to 4:30pm. Call 529-3351 for more information. Admission is free.

6. Of related interest is the Wo Fat building at 103 North Hotel (built in 1938 during the hey-day of the Charlie Chan movies.) The antagonist character Wo Fat in the (original and current) TV series Hawaii Five-O was named after this Chinatown restaurant building.

7. To take a formal tour of Chan locations, check out the “Charlie Chan Tour” at the stevestoursandfilms.vpweb.com website.