Rick Verstynen was a friend of mine, he was a friend to many. A few years back I cooked at the American Legion down on Main Street. Rick was a fixture at the end of the bar, drinking tea or coffee and swapping tall tales with a fellow son of San Antonio. We became close, I knew his wife Patty and enjoyed their company. We lived in McDade and spent time under the pecan tree in my yard, across from the post office, picking guitars and savoring simple country living. To me, he was "Viking Rick," a nod to his roots in Norway.