The Least of These - A Memoir by Bob Carnes

Me and Mike: Growing Up in 1950s New Mexico, Brothers, and Memory

Bob Carnes recalls growing up with his brother Mike in late-1940s/early-1950s Carlsbad, New Mexico, including sneaking to wrestling matches on the Mexican side of town, small-town life, movies, fights, and family dynamics shaped by their FBI-agent father.

He describes their move to dusty Hobbs, illnesses with hepatitis, and how Mike flourished socially while Bob retreated into books, alongside years of sibling animosity that later softened after Bob’s Navy service.

Mike went on to become a highly successful federal prosecutor and U.S. attorney, later focusing on farms and cattle; in retirement, the brothers grew close working a Wilson County farm with David Chavez.

The episode ends with Bob discussing Sylvia’s Alzheimer’s, Mike’s rapid cognitive decline, the healing role of writing, and memories of their grandparents and father’s interrogator-like instincts.

• 00:00 Wrestling Nights
• 00:53 Carlsbad Childhood
• 02:54 Ringside Lessons
• 06:08 Halcyon Summers
• 08:04 Brotherly Rivalry
• 13:31 Move to Hobbs
• 16:13 Fights and Turning Point
• 18:20 Farm Bond Rebuilt
• 20:30 Alzheimer’s Goodbye
• 21:46 Writing and Resilience
• 26:30 Family Values and Brothers
• 31:54 Grandparents and Mischief
• 34:46 FBI Dad Wrap Up

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Bob Carnes discusses his memoir The Least of These, sharing stories centered on dogs that entered his life despite his insistence he’s “not a dog person.” After buying a family farm in Northwest Wilson County and helping his brother Mike as Alzheimer’s set in, Bob begins feeding a shy pregnant stray, Blackie, rescues her six puppies using a hog trap, and later regrets not paying for Blackie’s heartworm treatment. He recounts Blondie’s arrival and how the pack’s dynamic shifts when the well-bred, independent Wolf appears, ranges widely, and is ultimately shot after killing two small dogs. Bob compares Wolf to ShakaZulu, a roaming boxer-Doberman from South Africa, and adds lighter anecdotes about a golf-course fetcher, his daughter’s clever blue heeler Freckles, and a border collie that rode an Austin bus to campus, before closing with memories of his grandmother’s biscuits and two career eagles at Lions Golf Club.

• 00:00 Memoir Setup
• 00:23 Wolf Arrives
• 01:47 Feeding Blackie
• 03:31 Puppies and Hog Trap
• 05:10 Heartworm Regret
• 06:17 Blondie Joins In
• 07:45 Wolf Leads Pack
• 09:18 Shaka Zulu Flashback
• 14:07 Wolf's Fate
• 15:03 Other Memorable Dogs
• 17:21 Bus Riding Collie
• 19:57 Not a Dog Person
• 22:00 Grandma's Cooking
• 23:15 Feral Hogs in Texas
• 24:09 Shaka Name Explained
• 25:50 Cats and Independence
• 28:33 Golf Shot of Life
• 30:08 Closing Banter

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Snubbing Hands Offshore: Brutal Work, High Pressure, and the Legend of Lynn Boyd

The script recounts the dangerous, high-paying world of offshore snubbing hands—tougher and riskier than wireline work—through Bob Carnes experiences on a Louisiana well job removing a stuck 10,000-foot kill string, breaking joints by synchronized sledgehammer blows while being drenched in burning calcium chloride. After days of labor, the well comes up to 4,000 PSI, and the narrator describes the terrifying force of venting pressure and the chemical and sun damage that caused circular skin lesions and a severe rash. He then profiles Lynn Boyd, a massive but surprisingly agile snubbing hand who becomes an empathetic mentor figure, including stories of bar culture, a notorious nightclub fight, and other rough-edged offshore camaraderie, ending with a reflective conversation about teamwork, unintended impacts, and storytelling.

• 00:00 Meet the Snubbing Hands
• 01:14 First Offshore Job Setup
• 02:08 Sledgehammering the Kill String
• 03:28 Pressure Shock and Chemical Burns
• 05:08 Lynn Boyd the Force of Nature
• 06:53 Hard Times and Getting Hired
• 08:01 Cheryl and Lynn’s Home Life
• 09:39 The Nightclub Brawl Legend
• 11:06 Watching Life in the Bars
• 12:34 Blowing a Fortune Fast
• 14:32 Jaw Wired Shut at the Fire
• 15:39 Why Lynn Made It Work
• 17:41 Interview Reflections on Teamwork
• 21:03 Bar Fighting and Navy Chaos
• 24:29 Food and Cajun Tall Tales
• 25:20 Gorilla in the Parking Lot

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From College to the USS Walker: Bob Carnes on Growing Up in the Navy (1961–1965)

Bob Carnes recounts leaving college after poor grades and, after being told he was “too smart” for the Marines, enlisting in the Navy in 1961.

Though initially signed for electronics and nuclear training, he chose deck force work instead and found he loved the sun, physical labor, seamanship, and life at sea aboard the USS Walker out of Pearl Harbor, including typhoons and West Pacific ports like Japan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

He reflects on Honolulu’s sailor districts, friendships and racial dynamics aboard ship, memorable incidents involving shipmates, and respect for a few standout leaders. He explains why he didn’t make the Navy a career, notes near-miss involvement in early Vietnam-era operations, and says the Navy helped him mature, value teamwork, and appreciate hard work.

• 00:00 College Detour
• 01:09 Accidental Navy Enlistment
• 02:33 ET School Ultimatum
• 04:15 Pearl Harbor Arrival
• 04:56 Deck Force Life
• 06:34 Sea Wonders and Storms
• 08:18 Liberty in Honolulu
• 09:54 Cars Dating and Growing Up
• 11:04 Rank Tests and War Rumors
• 12:32 Officers Worth Respect
• 14:49 Tough Chiefs and Odd Bosses
• 18:02 Carl Cobb and Race
• 20:07 Purvis Stories and Close Call
• 24:27 Why Not a Navy Career
• 26:14 NYEP Offer Turned Down
• 27:11 Interview Reflections
• 32:31 Vietnam Near Misses
• 35:02 Service Thanks and Closing

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Jubilee: Bob Carnes Dark Dream of Aging, Regret, and a Final Reckoning

 “Jubilee,” follows a 75-year-old engineer plagued by hyper-real nightmares of helplessness in a hospital-like setting, an obsessive need to urinate, and memories of childhood bullying, as he confronts aging, loneliness, guilt over his Alzheimer’s-stricken mother, and a life he deems meaningless despite wealth and technological success.

• 00:00 Nightmare Underwater
• 00:48 Waking in Surgery
• 02:28 Hospital Panic Button
• 03:39 Dreams vs Reality
• 04:20 Childhood Helplessness
• 06:46 Aging in the Mirror
• 08:11 The Empty Workroom
• 12:59 Scrooge and Regrets
• 16:12 Planning a Bear Death
• 18:25 Stranded on the Mountain
• 23:34 Collapse and Return Dream
• 25:44 Raven and Revelation
• 30:42 Prayer and Hatch Escape
• 32:46 Author Interview Begins
• 33:06 Meaning of Jubilee
• 35:48 Love Commitment and Family
• 39:55 Closing Reflections

Producer:  Baron Wiley / Bofars Media Group

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Tough Times for Texans: Alice, Texas and the 1980s Oil Bust 

This episode centers on Bob Carnes’ Wall Street Journal piece dated April 9, 1986, “Tough Times for Texans,” about Alice, a South Texas town of about 30,000 whose economy depends on oil and gas drilling and service companies. Carnes describes arriving in 1981 as a drilling company area manager overseeing 21 rigs and more than 500 people, then watching rig activity collapse through 1982–83, briefly improve in early 1984, and deteriorate again through 1985 as uncertainty about oil prices, a gas bubble, and political signals rattled investors.

• 00:00 Meet Alice Texas
• 01:10 Oil Town Boom
• 02:15 Alice Personified03:13 Bust Hits Hard
• 04:32 Brief 1984 Rebound05:39 False Hope 1985
• 07:07 Oil Price Crash 198608:06 Will Alice Survive
• 08:59 Interview Looking Back
• 10:08 Losing Everything
• 11:22 How WSJ Published It
• 12:09 Austin Aftermath
• 12:58 Next Story Tease

Post Interview with Boerne Radio's Baron Wiley

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Unprepossessing: A Summer on the Campbell Ranch (1959) | Bob Carnes Remembers Uncle Brian & Aunt Alice

Bob Carnes recounts arriving at age 16 in early June 1959 to spend the summer with his great-uncle William “Brian” Campbell (1897–1971) and Aunt Alice on the Campbell Ranch, about 10,000 acres between Falls City and Campbellton in South Texas. He describes their American Gothic-like appearance, Brian’s stooped, scarred, weathered cowboy presence, Alice’s plain dress and eventual nonstop talk, and the bleak heat and drought conditions during the ninth year of a ten-year drought. Bob details ranch life—his room and routines in the large but bare house, the outdoor privy, the ranch hands Margarito and the Castillo brothers, being assigned two horses (dangerous Big Stud and gentle Maria), learning to rope, treat screwworm wounds, and ride long days through the Borrego, northeast, southeast, and home pastures. He shares specific incidents, including advice to urinate on his unhealed foot, a roping mistake that led to a calf’s death, the purchase of a top-of-the-line TV that soon drew Brian and Alice in despite their claims of disinterest, and the brutal realities of feral range bulls. The summer ends abruptly when a cow with a wormy, blind eye gores Maria through the shoulder, devastating Bob and effectively ending his riding. He reflects on Brian and Alice’s frugality, their importance in holding the ranch operation together for the wider family, their discomfort and fear during social visits, and his later understanding of their unfulfilled lives and missed opportunities to enrich them.

In a closing conversation, Bob (now 82) discusses his vivid memory and storytelling, South Texas language and cultural details, childhood stories involving strike-anywhere matches and family pranks, the TV shows he watched in the 1950s, and a digression about radio vs. TV voices, Peter Graves and Joan Crawford, and his family connection to John Connally.

• 00:00 Meet Uncle Brian: The Unprepossessing Ranch Boss
• 01:45 Sizing Each Other Up: A 16-Year-Old Arrives Banged Up
• 02:54 Aunt Alice Enters the Frame (American Gothic Vibes)
• 03:38 First Look at the Ranch: Dogs, Outbuildings, and Bleak Heat
• 05:49 Life on the Home Place: Bedrooms, Breakfast, and Ranch Hands
• 07:27 Horses, Chaps, and Screwworm Medicine: Learning the Ropes
• 09:28 Mondays in the Borrego Pasture: Dawn Rides and Cowboy Rhythm
• 11:35 Noon Breaks, Foot Remedies, and Uncle Brian’s First Advice
• 12:43 Drought Country: Brush, Dust, and Praying for Clouds
• 14:45 Fresh Bread & Ranch Gossip: The Human Side of Hard Living
• 16:11 Inside the House: Rooms, Rituals, and a Museum-Like Stillness
• 20:21 Family Backstory: The Parents, the Ranch Origins, and Old Wounds
• 23:39 Tuesdays in the Northeast Pastures: Maria, Trust, and Confidence
• 25:20 A Hard Lesson: The Calf, the Dogs, and Uncle Brian’s Silence
• 26:45 Wednesdays Off-Ranch: Errands, Hay, and Buying Their First TV
• 29:06 Thursdays Southeast: Oaks, Tanks, and Chasing a Range Bull
• 32:38 Fridays Home Pasture: Big Stud’s Runaway and a Bad Spill
• 34:40 Weekend Routine: Supplies in Falls City and Sunday Church in Campbellton
• 35:24 Boots, Hats, and Ranch Rituals: Uncle Brian’s Only Indulgences
• 36:36 Pickup Talks & Family Traits: Who I Thought I’d Become
• 38:48 Aunt Alice on the Road: Visits, Silence, and Social Fear
• 40:23 The Campbell Siblings & Ranch Economics: Who Stayed, Who Benefited
• 42:43 Uncle Leo, Aunt Helen, and Hard Truths: Illness, Power, and Growing Up
• 45:21 The Summer Turns: Maria’s Goring and the End of the Ranch Days
• 47:11 Leaving the Ranch: Regret, Perspective, and a Thank-You to Brian & Alice
• 48:54 Back in the Present: Memory, Language, and the Stories That Stay
• 53:48 Old-Time Words & Family Fire Stories: Matches, Mischief, and First Whippings
• 57:25 TV, Radio, and a Surprise Connection: John Connelly Walks In (Finale)

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A Teenager's Encounter with Alluring Vera Hammett in 1950s New Mexico

In this poignant memoir, Bob Card recalls his teenage years in Hobbs, New Mexico, where he meets the enigmatic and alluring Vera Hammett. Through his father's connection, Bob becomes Vera's babysitter, leading to a unique and intense relationship. As he navigates his feelings for this captivating woman, Bob shares the profound impact Vera had on his youth, her struggles in a lonely desert town, and the events that led to her departure.

This reflective story delves into themes of unspoken love, adolescence, and the indelible marks left by formative experiences.

• 00:00 Introduction to Vera Hammett
• 02:05 Meeting Vera: A Life-Changing Encounter
• 06:43 Weekly Visits and Growing Affection
• 09:16 The Husband's Suspicion and the End of Visits
• 12:10 A Tragic Turn of Events
• 13:29 Reflections on Beauty and Youth

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Claudine Hurst

Reflections of Adolescent Longing: A High School Crush

In this nostalgic episode, we delve into the poignant memories of Bob Carnes as he reflects on his high school crush, Claudine Hurst. Bob recounts his formative years marked by insecurity and youthful fascination with Claudine, a mature and confident girl out of his league. Their interactions in Mr. Scott's English class and social settings are vividly described, alongside Bob's own physical and emotional growth through high school and beyond. The narrative is intertwined with social commentary on gender roles and adolescence, ultimately revealing Bob's enduring admiration for Claudine and a poignant coming-of-age journey.

• 00:00 Introduction to Claudine Hurst
• 01:09 High School English Class Memories
• 03:42 Claudine's Background and Family
• 05:38 A Memorable Picnic at Carlsbad Lake
• 07:43 Summer Growth and New Realizations
• 09:46 Graduation and Claudine's Departure
• 10:21 Reflections on Youth and Maturity
• 11:57 Sex Education in the 1950s
• 14:19 Family Dynamics and Responsibilities
• 16:09 Writing and Publishing Aspirations

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In this poignant episode, Bob Carnes shares a deeply personal and emotional story in the form of a fable that he considers a gift from God. During a particularly difficult time in his life, while dealing with depression, Bob experienced a vivid and powerful revelation in church. The narrative he recounts involves a symbolic journey of a boy who grows into a man and is given a monumental task by a mysterious figure—reflecting Bob's own path of struggles and realizations. Bob discusses the profound lessons he learned and his belief that understanding life's purpose comes through doing what’s set before you to the best of your ability. 

This heartfelt story explores themes of faith, perseverance, and the pursuit of fulfilling one's spiritual calling.

• 00:00 Introduction:  A Gift from God: The Carpenter's Story Begins
• 03:07 The Boy's Journey: Choices and Regrets
• 05:20 The Struggle: Building the Foundation
• 09:53 Despair and Revelation: The Final Visit
• 13:19 Reflection: Understanding and Faith

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