If you are unable to attend the Annual Meeting and would like to cast an absentee vote, please consult your latest paper issue of Texas Soil Profiles (Volume 21, Number 2, December 2003). Then mail back the ballot in a sealed envelope marked "Ballot" to the proper person, prior to the Annual Meeting. The ballot cannot be posted to the Web Page, due to obvious reasons. 

In reviewing old issues of "Texas Soil Profiles", one occasionally comes across a composition so memorable that it merits re-publication.  The following poem was composed by James Greenwade in 1996 and appeared in the January 1997 newsletter.  It speaks to a Soil Scientist's spirit-

Alan called and said friend so dear,
You've been chosen to receive a trip to Freer
You'll see the Mu Grande deer,
Makes me wish I could drink beer.

Soils men from far and near,
Came to the Brush Country around here.
Ol' Fred, Jerry, Dave, Ramiro, Dennis & me
There is brush as far as you can see.

Soils with cemented petrocalcic horizons,
Something that was really surprising,
Siliceous gravel covers many a hill,
Digging there is quite a thrill.

Paul Holland was the leader of this humble crew,
Took us out one day and ran us through
A few of the soils we might find,
Really confused the feeble mind.

It had been dry here for many a day,
No grass left you might say.
And most soils are classified as Aridic,
And just being there was terrific.

We traversed the cinderos for many a day,
After two weeks we went our way.
As we left we heard Ramiro say,
Come back next spring for another stay.

Perhaps we should start a poem contest at the Annual Meeting, with each "poet" reciting his/her composition, followed by a voice vote.  Or we could publish submitted poems in the newsletter. 

Unleash the poet in yourself-