“If I have seen further than others it is because I was standing on the shoulders of giants.” - Sir Isaac Newton

Some giants are metaphorical while others fit the physical expectations. A rare few fulfill both dimensions. Ricky Linex is the latter, a giant in every sense of the word, but a “gentle giant” in every situation. I’ve known Ricky since 1982 when we were classmates at Texas Tech. Over that span of years, I have worked with him on numerous tours, workshops, QuailMasters classes, and Bobwhite Brigades. His passion, patience, and knowledge of plant identification have opened the eyes of so many. And his magnum opus (Rangeland Plants of North-Central Texas) serves as the go-to field guide for plants in the northwestern half of Texas. Thanks, Ricky, for traveling across the state (and beyond!) with the QuailMasters classes; I don’t think you’ll ever speak to a group of students who appreciated your message any more than they did.