This is by John Robertson. To properly appreciate it, you must understand that he currently is working on a postdoctoral position in Sweden.

Since I’ve been living abroad, people frequently ask me about the great State of Texas. Much of the time, these individuals want to know whether we all wear cowboy hats and boots, and whether we ride horses for transportation. However, the other day, I was asked what “distinguishes” Texas from other parts of the U.S. Having given some thought to the question, I replied “it’s got to be the Texas summer,” since without experiencing this season in the Lone Star State, one can never know what it means to be “Deep in the Heat of Texas.”

Chris Commented (as he frequently does):

It’s quite obvious to see why John’s punny reply was temporarily missing the requisite “R”. Its absence clearly declares the generous heart Texans have down in the “Loan R” state.

Perhaps they lent it to an itinerate pirate who was consonant-challenged, so that he could continue his “R, R, R’s” with gusto.