AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approved $3.75 million in grants at its Aug. 25 meeting to provide recreational opportunities and park facilities, and create greenbelts for communities throughout the state.

This is the real story of what a little support from home means to the troops. I came to Iraq about 15 months ago and things were pretty hot, mortars and rockets were pretty much a nightly thing and you didn’t get much of a break from the war. The Camp I’m working out of is right on the edge of Baghdad and surrounded by man made lakes on one of Saddam Hussein's many Palace complexes. Here in Middle East, water is precious commodity and controlling it a sign of wealth and power. That’s the reason all of his palaces were surrounded with lakes, especially right in this area. When dignitaries or others would fly into Baghdad International Airport he wanted the lakes and Palaces to be the first thing they saw from the air, and being a fish lover (so I have been told) he stocked them with Carp, all kinds of Carp. We have gold carp, Silver carp, Black and Brown Carp. We have big Carp and little Carp. The only variety of Carp we can specifically name is a Grass Carp. Trying to look up fish on the internet isn’t as easy as you might think. All we can find are scientific names with pencil sketches.