Hay! Happy Father's Day!

Okay, that's corny, but I've been looking for an opportunity to use this photo of the hay-stuffed house on Scott's Corner. It makes me feel full when I look at it.

I have a bookmark folder with Story Ideas written on it, and it's just full of sites that I come across that I think are interesting, so I'm going to share some of these with you before I get to the paper review.

• At USA.gov, you can check to see if the government owes you money.


• TexAgs, is a forum about strange West Texas connections with references to Fisher County.


• USGS has information about Texas earthquakes.


• A Hog Fest Biker Rally will be held in October at the old rodeo grounds west of Rotan, and this site has the 411 on that.

I could really just go on and on, but then I would need to have another website just for my favorite links and I believe someone has already created a site for sites, so we'll move to another subject, now.

Here is the synopsis for The Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record June 12, 2008 issue:

• Storm rages through Rotan area (I didn't mention that before, did I, see you really need to subscribe to the paper to get all the info!) (photos)
• Roby CISD Board hires Amy Huseman and Nick Dickson
• Rotan resident Rachel M. Martinez, 24, killed in one car accident (photo)
• Frank Cockrell Association hangs murals (photos)
• New Directions to perform at FBC tonight
• Josh Love skateboarding at Summer Youth Program June 17 & 19
• Obituary for Mary Ella Wright Brown
• Letters to the Editor: Justin Moffet complains about grassy ditches; response from Mary Mahaffey regarding school on Memorial Day letter from last week
• USDA deadline for Livestock Disaster Program
  
• YHQ artistic students (art examples)
• Summer Youth Program report
  
• Tumbleweed Smith: Running 100 Miles Uphill
• Fisher County Sheriff's Report
• HOBBS High School "Brighter Baby Baskets" Service Learning Project (photos)
• Joy Walker's Fisher County Roundup
• FCAA meeting minutes(photo)
• Commissioners Court hires Riley Barnett as Fisher County Ag agent
• Progressive Agriculture Safety Day July 1
• Birth announcement for Cole Aiden Barr (photo)
• Fisher County Historical Commission meeting minutes
• Jared Welch graduates from China Spring High School
• Recipe Corner: Tasty Tuna Pasta
• Rotan Elementary honor rolls

I hope you all enjoy Father's Day and the chances for rain we have through Wednesday. Good thoughts to all of you!

When pigs carry sticks...

...the clouds will play tricks, according to June weather lore from The Old Farmer's Almanac. I haven't tested that one out, but I do know it is good weather for holding onto your hat and not wearing skirts. My step-dad told me yesterday that June is actually the windiest month of the year, although everyone thinks March is. What amazes me is that I am always surprised by what the weather does, even though I have lived in a 30-mile radius all my life. Silly human.

I realize that the entire month of May has gone by without a newspaper update on my behalf. I think this would be the perfect opportunity to apply for a subscription of The Rotan Advance - Roby Star Record and to also back-order all of the May issues. Just click on the newspaper link to the right-hand side of this page.

I believe the Rotan paper to be the best local newspaper around, and I mean that they beat out Abilene, Sweetwater and Snyder. I will agree that all contain useful information, but the Rotan paper only puts local news on the front page, the subjects of the photos are identified, and the news within is local and relevant to the community. Get yours today!

Okay, I'll give you a little taste of what you would be purchasing. Here is the bare bones of the June 5, 2008 Rotan Advance / Roby Star Record issue:

• Rotan Pool to open June 13
• Fisher County Senior Scholarships
• Rotan City Manager Harold Sanders retires (photo)
• Deputy Kenneth Martin retires (photo)
• Bertha Johnson and Emily Harris named Yellowhammer Band president and drum major (photo)
• John Flores recognized by the United States Achievement Academy (photo)
• Levi Posey winner in Financial Literacy Challenge test (photo)
• Obituaries for Vesta Lee Orr and Molenen Burnes Sumerlin (photo)
• Annual Yates Reunion held at Roby
• Birth Announcement for Jett Preston Taylor (photo)
• Rotan Elementary 2008 Awards
• Rotan High School Academic Excellence Awards
• Tumbleweed Smith: Calling Varmints with Burnham Brothers
• Cassidy McBrayer receives Doctoral Degree (photo)
• Rotan Jr. High honor roll 6th six weeks
• Letters to the editor: Ed Patton enjoyed the "Apples, Oranges and Hardrock Candy" article; Danny Coker feels that school should be closed to commemorate Memorial Day; Ken Taylor can't quit making "Fond Memories" lists
  
• Rotan Jr. High Second Semester Honor Roll
• Fisher County Roundup by Joy Walker
• Fisher County Hospital announces scholarship awards
• Rotan High School 2007-2008 Extra-Curricular Awards
• Jeffrey Turner named to President's List
• Ag Safety Day to be July 1 at the Taylor County Expo Center
• Rotan Jr. High Academic Excellence Awards (photo)
• Fisher County Sheriff's report
• William Gruben receives scholarship
• Rotan ISD Subject Awards
• Fisher County earns Gold Star Safety Award

There you go, I hope I have helped you with your Fisher County addiction. I don't blame you, this is a great place to be.

Graveyard Excursions

I've found a new hobby that I can see is going to be addicting and also costly. Perfect!

I've been logging into Find a Grave and contributing photos and memorials. And you (or, rather, I) thought that it would be fairly easy to find graves and take photos and bring happiness to the world, but after two hours of looking for my own grandparents graves in the Snyder Cemetery, and, mind you, I had been there before, I decided it might be a little more challenging than I anticipated.

This morning, just as the sun was coming up, I went to take a photo of the Grady Cemetery up by Rough Creek. This is an off the beaten path, farm to market road that eventually turns into dirt. Let me tell you, right at 7 a.m. it became Grand Central Station. Well, there were at least 5 cars, and around here that's busy.

I think I'm fixing to try to find Cottonwood Cemetery. There is a request for a photo there and it would be a nice excursion off into the rough. It just seems like anytime I've ever found it has been by accident, and then I accidentally find my way home from there. I also hear it is haunted. I looked closely at the map, though, and hopefully that will help. If nothing else, I can throw bread crumbs out the window on the way there. Think that will work?