Texans will decorate almost anything with their state flag, and E. Joe Deering has the pictures to prove it. In Lovin’ That Lone Star Flag, photographer Deering has collected more than a hundred of his favorite images, showing state-flag-adorned pickup trucks, belt buckles, hang gliders, rooftops, and more. Starting when he was a staff photographer for the Houston Chronicle, Deering began noticing, as he toured the state on various assignments, how often he saw the image of the Texas flag painted on buildings, vehicles, barn doors, and other places. His curiosity led to an idea for a photographic essay, published by the Chronicle, and this in turn resulted in an exhibit at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum in College Station of his “flagotography.” Paired with Deering’s lively captions recording the circumstances and locations of these uniquely Texan creations as well as former Chronicle colleague Ruth Rendon’s introduction of Deering and his work, these striking photographs capture Texans’ infectious enjoyment of their state symbol on land, on water, and in the air. Lovin’ That Lone Star Flag will bring a smile to your face. It might even get you in the mood for a little Texas Two-Step. . . .

While stuck in a small town waiting out a storm, magazine editor Laura Draper finds her way to the Lone Star Cafe, where a laid-back local musician makes her think twice about rushing home to her high-pressure city life.