In 1980, my friend Mike Buzzo had a party at his Treasure Island home in Lake McQueeney, Texas where the infamous Guadalupe River winds down from New Braunfels. It also forms a lake near Seguin, home of the giant pecan monument. The area is full of pecan and hardwood trees, rolling hills, and is one of the most picturesque regions of Texas. Treasure Island is occupied by many affluent people who own million dollar estates including senators, lawyers, and legislators. The island is beautiful and the lake water is blue green.
Mike Buzzo's parents bought the land many moons ago before it was all grown up with oppulent homes. His father, Papa Dan, was a highly decorated WWII Prisoner of War and jungle river guide in Ecuador (Dan Buzzo's Obituary). Mike's grandma, who lived with them, was one of the original Daughters of the Republic of Texas (www.drtinfo.org). Misfortune happened on the property in the sixties when Mike lost his mother, Peggy, to a snake bite.
The house was huge and was situated near the entrance of the Treasure Island bridge. It had many rooms and a fishing pier. As you can imagine, the house was decorated with many artifacts, souvenirs, and historical findings from around the world. It was a museum and I loved talking to Mike's grandma “MeMa” to hear her stories of early Texas. She even knew about my own Balli family tree and the history of Padre Island (which was founded by my family - www.balli.org). She was such a nice lady and tolerated the noise of Mike's many lake side parties.
One day I asked Michael if I could bring some friends down there for a party and he said sure! So I gathered up my Houston musician friends and we traveled to Lake McQueeney to jam. At the party, some of us went with Mike on a ski boat to watch him do some barefooting. (Years earlier when the Buzzo's lived in Iran, Mike got to entertain the Shah by showing off his barefooting skills.) At the time, Mike was one of Texas' best barefooters and was known throughout the Seguin area. Treasure Island had many champion skiers and Mike was one of the best.
As the party was going on and many of us were swimming and having a good time, a Cessna airplane flew low over our heads and disappeared over the tree tops. Mike hollered to all of us that his friend Barry made it and would land at the Seguin airport so a couple friends went to the airport to pick him up. Meanwhile, me and my musician buddies entertained the crowd with our loud music and had a blast!
About an hour later we took a break and had some good barbeque to take care of our hungry bellies. By then, Barry had arrived and asked if anyone wanted a ride in his airplane. I couldn't believe that no one wanted a ride, so after eating I told him that I would. So I drove him to the airport in my 1977 Toyota Celica. We arrived and prepped the Cessna 150 for take off.
Barry is an airplane mechanic and had borrowed this plane from a friend at Hooks Airport in Tomball, Texas (north of Houston) for the party. We boarded then with a roar of the single engine, we made it into the air. We followed the Guadalupe River toward New Braunfels and zig-zagged our way over the river to the delight of those on their inner tubes and water rafts. From the air you could see the beautiful contours of the Texas Hill Country. It was breathtaking!!!
We flew over New Braunfels then turned around to Treasure Island buzzing only a few feet above the river's treetops. When we flew higher, Barry gave me the controls. It was so much fun turning left and then right looking at the river below. Finally, we arrived at the party and roared real low past the party whose outstretched hands pointed to us with delight. We turned the plane around to repeat the action as we lifted into the horizon...only this time, the propeller sputters out. I was still waving to my friends below then turned toward Barry and his eyes are as big as tennis balls! I was thinking that he was pulling a fast one but he yelled to me to look for an opening in the trees, all the while pulling the throttle to restart the engine. I spied a dirt road ahead and motioned to him, “Over there!”
During our silence, we were dropping fast and barely made it over the trees. In the distance, we could see a car moving fast towards us kicking up a cloud of dust behind it. The driver saw our predicament, slowed to a stop, then backed up very fast to get out of our way. As we landed on a narrow dirt road, the left wing hit a sign and we spun around to land near a gully with a ten foot drop. I immediately jumped out and kissed the ground giving my thanks to God. I was in a state of shock! I got up and Barry was almost in tears looking at damage to the wing.
By that time, the car pulled up in a heap of dust then out stepped a big rich older cowboy and his trophy wife. They were driving a huge white 1959 Cadillac with a big Texas longhorn on the grill. He asked if we were OK in his big Lyndon B. Johnson voice and said he saw our crazy landing and knew we were in trouble. As we all inspected the plane, we noticed that about a foot of the left wing was sheared right off and the fuel bladder was exposed!!! The cowboy offered Barry some duct tape and helped to mend the wing. Meanwhile, Barry gleefully hollered as his head was dug in the cowling, “It's a foul plug Cal! Let's take off so I can fly this baby home!” I yelled back to him, “I'm not getting in that plane!” “Awww...c'mon Cal, she'll be OK!” Ol' Tex's trophy wife then told me to hop into the car so they could drive me back to the airport to get my Celica. I accepted, of course!!!
The group of us maneuvered the plane around for a take off and Barry got the motor running then headed up, barely over the treetops. The kind couple then took me to the airport.
Boy did I have a story to tell my worried friends who were very scared and thought they would see a fire and smoke over the horizon. I told them my unbelievable story and to this day, I never heard from Barry again. I like to think he made it back to Hooks Airport and kept his job. But I guess I will never know.
Thanks for reading my true stories and come back soon for my next one.
Calvin Luna Balli
NOTE: I have an all points bulletin out for my old friend, Michael Buzzo. I haven't seen him in over six years and I just want to see my friend again. If anyone hears from or about him, please contact me! I pray that he is alive out there somewhere and he should know how to reach me. I dedicate this story to him since he is one of the most interesting people I have ever met.