The Blanconia Steamdriller

"But anyway..." an interview with World War II veteran John Borglund

Local history (Refugio County); Spanish Flu; John Welder assassinated; cattle driving neighbor; storm of '42; bums on the train, no tires for the school bus; stirring up a bull; the devil parrot run out of town; Indian marker tree; sawfish in 1910; a suitcase full of booze; finding his brother in the Pacific; 70 kamikazes and seconds to live; torpedo attack after the atomic bomb; burning oil and water in Okinawa My apologies if this episode seems choppy or for any abrupt changes in volume.  The original audio file was well over 4 hours long. I was so fascinated by Mr. Borglund's memory that I recorded a second podcast 2 weeks after this one.

“Somebody said ‘dance’ and here we went!”

Winning on bulls, gigging, wade fishing before it was cool, dancing three nights a week, parenting, rattlesnakes, changing tires, and advice on being a better person. This episode illustrates some of the things that have changed over the past 92 years, but also shows how some of the best parts of life stay the same.

The Blanconia Steamdriller

Raised-up outside Refugio. Modern transport to Sarco, rich-folk buggies, roughnecking at 13, drop-augers by hand, blow’d up in the bottom, horses don’t run on oil, marrying up in ‘49, digging a basement with a worn out shovel, the damn Williamses, the train causes kids, prairie chickens, and some big hurricanes.

“Ice Cream On A Comb”

Taking a lunch break during labor, growing up in two different worlds, bootlegging and questionable characters, Guh-nay-duh, Menetries disease, feeding tube removal, Aunt Paul and the rutabagas, Dr. Red Duke, Vince surprising everyone but Kelly, and the spectacle of Nana with a pile of blue crabs. Hang on to your hats folks!