Christmas Day update

In case anyone wondered how the snow affected us out here, my husband went to work around 7:45 a.m yesterday and I just called him, at 7 a.m., and he is still blading US 84 in Scurry County. Those TxDOT boys (and girls) are working hard!

My son and daughter-in-law were having a rough time getting back from Snyder last night. A bunch of people were stuck on the Camp Springs road and they couldn't get past, had to backtrack to the community center and get up on 180. I was worried, since I was babysitting, and it's been a long time since I've had a baby in the house all night (18 years!). Ah, I could've probably done it. I can say that because I didn't have to.

Have a good holiday with your families and friends! Stay warm or stay cool, wherever you may be.

A new bird

I've added Hobbs Holler to Twitter, as you can see if you look over to the right. I'm not sure how it will go, but it seems you have to try these things out to see if they suit you. They're all kind of the same, words on a background, but I guess arrangement counts for something.

The photo today is from the Grady Cemetery. I took it a long time ago, but I don't have a recent photo since my camera broke. I'm expecting one in the mail next week, I'm looking forward to it.

Yesterday I was going to take my kids to see the Cottonwood Cemetery over at Rough Creek. We consider that the western entrance, and Grady the eastern entrance. I swear, I've been going down in there since before I could walk, but I never end up on the same road or at the same destination twice. We never found the cemetery, but ended up at the lookout over the valley, and they thought that was cool, so it worked out. At least you're guaranteed to find something entertaining in the Rough, no matter where you end up.

No definite word about the house fire next door. There's lots of speculation and rumors going around, but I would be interested in seeing a final report from the fire marshal. Oh, yes, they've all been out here, Texas Rangers, too. I'll let you know if I hear definite word or if it comes out in the newspaper.

I was sad to see that Anson Martin's daughter, Linda Thurman, died after a long sickness with cancer. The photo in the paper is beautiful and a tender memorial is printed along with it.

I read an interesting article about Jessie Etheredge in the Snyder Daily News, today's issue, Oct. 25. She was married to W.D. Etheredge and talks about moving to Hobbs in 1933 to teach. Information on how to get a copy can be found at the SDN site.

I found another interesting site, Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter, gleaned from Old Photos & Genealogy, a site that I follow here on Blogger. The author writes about more than just genealogy, so give it a go. My mind just can't come to terms with the spelling of that word. You should hear how I try to pronounce it in my mind. It's better if I don't look at it when I'm saying it.

I'm going to go gear up for the big battle. Which one? Steelers vs. Vikings, as though there were another as important. Go Vikes, hope we win!

Reunion reminder

Remember the Hobbs class of '59 reunion will be this Saturday, 10 a.m., at Buck's Steakhouse in Sweetwater.

Hobbs house fire on KTAB

KTAB News reported the house fire at the old Templeton place on local news tonight. Here is one of my videos from the fire. We were also having storms come through, so you will see lightning in the background.




Below is another from earlier in the day when the house was engulfed in flames. You can hear some pops, which is ammunition exploding. There were times when it sounded like fireworks. The guys said it was 22 rifle and 30-30 rounds, and shotgun shells.





The house has now burned to the ground, with just a few flames licking up.

Hobbs house fire on KTAB

KTAB News reported the house fire at the old Templeton place on local news tonight. Here is one of my videos from the fire. We were also having storms come through, so you will see lightning in the background.




Below is another from earlier in the day when the house was engulfed in flames. You can hear some pops, which is ammunition exploding. There were times when it sounded like fireworks. The guys said it was 22 rifle and 30-30 rounds, and shotgun shells.





The house has now burned to the ground, with just a few flames licking up.

Templeton house burns

The former residence of Les and Daisy Templeton is burning as we speak. It looks to be a total loss. Update to come.

Symbols and a Hobbs Reunion

I was cleaning out the kitchen window this morning, thinking about how cluttered it looks with so much junk sitting up there above the sink. I've just always enjoyed having a bunch of stuff there to look at while I wash the dishes. If I analyze the pieces, each one has specific meaning to me. The duck belonged to my aunt, the rocks are from a friend who lives near the beach in northern California, the picture of the patron saint of animals is from my best friend, the jar was found in the back pasture, the feathers come from a trip to North Dakota, the colored glass bits come from a game of Pente that I used to play, the rooster belonged to a friend that died the year my son was born, and all the snuff jars remind me of my grandma, who was a dedicated Sweet Garrett woman.

I'm overwhelmed to think that every living being has their own set of symbols, reminders, markers. Things that make no sense to anyone except the owner. I don't know what it means, but it seems existential. I'm probably being crazy; lately, life events have me thinking about the importance of what we do, what it all means, and how we should live for the moment. Isn't that all we really have? You can't make special, it just happens. I know, the last sentence doesn't fit into this self-psychoanalysis diatribe. I just thought of it last week and I've been dying to use it.

Onto the reunion. A Doc Hardin hosted reunion of the Hobbs High School Class 0f 1959 will be held October 17 at Buck's steak house in Sweetwater, 10 a.m. If you have any questions, just email me and I'll try to find the answer.

I was looking around on YouTube and found a video made at the Quail Research Ranch, formerly know as the W.T. Martin land at the yellow light intersection of US 180 & FM 611 here in Fisher County. Agricultural wildlife specialist Dr. Dale Rollins stars in the show, along with some canine friends. The ranch will be having a Field Day Sept. 25. For more information on that, you can contact Rollins: 325-653-4576, d-rollins@tamu.edu.

We were watching Ted Nugent's Spirit of the Wild on the hunting channel last night, we just had to see what a "swamp donkey" was. Nugent has an over-the-top personality, and he puts that to good use as a philanthropist, with programs like Freedom Angels and Hunters for the Hungry . He also is active in the Make-a-Wish Foundation, allowing children with life-threatening illnesses to spend time on his ranch, SpiritWild, in Waco.

We're in the rain and enjoying these temps, not even out of the 70's. We heard some ducks out on the tank yesterday, so maybe fall really is coming, if the fowl are going south. I guess we all KNOW that it's coming, but you know me, always looking for signs, always collecting symbols.

The Norway Duncans

Former Roscoe citizen Joe Duncan, who is now living in Norway, recently celebrated the wedding of his daughter, Heidi. As for the reason the couple is standing on the table, there is a tradition that when the assembled guests at the wedding party tap their glasses with their forks or knives and stomp their feet, the parents of both the bride and groom must stand and kiss. When the guests demand it, the bride and groom must do the same.

Joe actually sent me a photo of the couple dancing in the church in which they were wed, a grand structure built in the 12th century, but when I went to look at the photo on Joe's facebook page, I saw this one and just had to share it with all of you. It looks like it was a fairytale wedding.

Speaking of face-dilly, Hobbs Holler is now on there, so come join as a friend. Lordy, I hope I don't have to add a myspace and twitter, too, or I'll have to quit my job just to keep up with it all! Hey, that sounds like a lot of fun.

I saw in Reader's Digest that comedian Jim Gaffigan is on twitter. He is hilarious and clean, as is Jeanne Robertson, who you might be familiar with as the woman who sent her husband to the store to buy ingredients for 7-Up cake. Videos of both can be found on YouTube.

For about a week the county was talking about the murder of Jimmy Mauldin by Greg Redden. That incident happened in Roby mid-August. This week, the concern is for safety in Rotan. People in Rotan want a constable of some sort, the city doesn't have money for it, citizens feel like their tax dollars warrant for the sheriff's dept. to take care of it, and it seems the sheriff's hands are tied because of the commissioners court. That's just my take on it all, after reading a few weeks worth of meeting minutes and letters that ran in the newspaper.

Although temperatures are still hot, we know fall is in and summer will soon be fading. We (Mr. Husband) killed a 10-button rattlesnake in the yard last week, the Fisher County Fair & Rodeo and Hogfest Bike Rally is behind us, and many hometown homecomings will be celebrated in the next few weeks. Sweetwater & Roscoe homecomings will be Sept. 11, Roby Sept. 26, and Rotan Oct. 16. The West Texas Fair & Rodeo in Abilene will also be the weekend of Sept. 11.

Yays: My house at Hobbs, my husband and kids.
Nays: Can't think of any this morning, maybe just wasps, but they have a place in the world, too.

Hope you all have a good week, we've got chances of rain for several days to come. Thanks for stopping in!

Irene Etheredge funeral set for Friday

Irene Etheredge died this morning at the Fisher County Hospital. Visitation will be Thursday night 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. at Weathersbee-Ray Funeral Home. The funeral will be Friday, 10 a.m at the First United Methodist Church in Rotan. Mrs. Etheredge was well-known as a teacher at the Hobbs School for many years.

Mayor of Camp Springs dies at age 71

Neighbor Glen Ray Williamson died yesterday at his home. Visitation is tonight 6-7:30 p.m. at Weathersbee-Ray Funeral home in Rotan. The funeral will be tomorrow at Cross Roads Baptist Church at 11:30 a.m. Please keep the family and friends in your thoughts.

Kind thoughts for our friends

Jerry Etheredge just came by and told me that Irene (Brown) Etheredge is not doing well. She's in the Fisher County Hospital in Rotan and recently had hip surgery.

Glen Williamson up towards Camp Springs way has also been quite ill. He is at home with his wife, Madeline, and daughter, Becky.

Please keep these people and their families in mind as you go through your day and give a kind word if you should have a chance to see them.

Woo-oodmen, come out to pla-ay

I went to see the damage at the Dowell Cemetery done by the groundskeeper, as was written to the Rotan Newspaper in a letter to the editor, but I got it in my head it was Sardis Cemetery, for some reason, so I went there.

There was no damage, since I was at the wrong cemetery, but I did find a Woodmen of the World Memorial marking the grave of H.W. Germany. I have been looking for one for a while, since reading on the Handbook of Texas website that at one time there was a Woodmen of the World Lodge at Hobbs.

Which I guess really has nothing to do with the marker, since the tombstone tree stump was part of the insurance award for anyone who purchased a policy. Still, the stones are rare because the company discontinued the issuance of the tree stump monuments after 1920, due to high cost. There is a tree stump marker in the Hobbs cemetery, but there's no indication that it's a Woodmen memorial. Anyway, I'm glad to have finally seen one.

I saw a great documentary on Ovation TV, Old, Weird America: Harry Smith's Anthology of Folk Music. Mr. Smith was an eccentric fellow, and basically this show is about a record collection he put together in the 1940's. When I first saw the commercial for it, I thought it would include songs such as This Land is Your Land and There's a Hole in the Bucket, but then I heard that eerie mountain music and I knew that this was something different.

To get a taste of what the album (cd) contains, you can go to amazon.com and click on the sampler. I think this is the most important music collection I've ever heard or read about. Oh, and it is equally important to have the program recorded, because it has modern interpretations by David Johansen and such, and you'll just want to skip right past that. The only current artist I enjoyed was Steve Earle, but they didn't even play the whole song he sang. He gave a lot of commentary, though, and I liked that.

I didn't have any luck on the Hobbs Senior Ring front. It must have been some other Panther. It was a ladies ring from 1973, and only guys graduated that year from our school. I appreciate the finder trying to find the owner, though. It still might make a good story for someone else.

By the way, we're looking to add a Guinea pig to the family, and if any of you out there have a lead on where to get one, let me know. I prefer to get one that is already in a home instead of a pet store. Maybe one of you have a colony of Guinea pigs that you'd like to reduce. That is the correct term for a group of GP's, incidentally.

Yays: Drivers License office in Roby; rain

Nays: A wasp in the grass when you're walking barefoot

Who's John Galt?

I can't believe in all my pop-culturey life that I've never been asked this question, nor seen it written as graffiti on a train or a bridge overpass. Those who have read Atlas Shrugged, published by Ayn Rand in 1957, know the phrase well, as it is oft repeated throughout the novel. Either this woman was amazingly insightful, or the more things change, the more they stay the same. It could have been written yesterday. The photo of Rand was gleaned from the answers.com website, where everything and more than you wanted to know about this author is available for viewing.

I was wondering how Patricia Claxton might feel about all my reporting on her condition after the motorcycle wreck, like I was airing her personal life, but then I felt a little better about it when I picked up the Snyder Daily News and saw the headline on top of the fold: Claxtons continue recovery at home; thankful for friends. I don't feel so bad now that the local news has also aired her private life. Apparently it's a trend.

The article announced that Western Texas College, where Trisha works, will be hosting a blood drive next Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and all blood donated will be used for the Claxtons as they continue to recover. This will take place in the Student Center on the Snyder campus.

Speaking of campuses, Heather Ward was named the 2008-2009 Teacher of the Year at Hobbs Alternative School. She's a math teacher, educating grades 9-12. You can read more about Ward in the Sweetwater Reporter.

Chris Kiser, former Fisher County resident, was recently named Assistant Fire Chief in Sweetwater, which can also be read about in the Reporter. Kiser has worked at the SFD for 18 years.

I want to mention that the Frank Cockrell Art Association will be meeting Aug. 10, 6 p.m. at the Williamson-Branson office in Roby. Anyone interested in art and community beautification is invited to attend.

Remember I told you we were erecting the rubber pond? Well, that only lasted one day, enough to get a serious sunburn and remind me why I hadn't put the dang thing up for the last two or three years. It's a lot of work to maintain and the cover I bought for it was too big and no one but me was interested in getting in it, and I couldn't since I was waiting for 40 layers of skin to peel off before I could be a bathing beauty, again (still peeling even as I speak).

So, we (meaning my husband) pumped the water out to barren places in the yard, then I started pulling it over to dump the rest out and to let it dry so it could be stored. The grass underneath had such a foul smell that it took my mind several turns before deciding where it was coming from. First I thought it was the dog, so she got a bath. Then I thought it was the septic tank, but as long as I can still flush the toilet and take a shower, a meteor could land in it and I would completely ignore anything to do with the waste system. That's just too icky for me to deal with.

Anyway, I finally ascertained that it was coming from beneath the pool. Mr. Husband had to take care of anything further to do with it, as I was feeling faint and had to go swoon on a chaise with an upraised hand holding a kerchief to my forehead. He sprayed it, mowed it, powdered it and perfumed it, and finally the reek has lessened. We are completely relieved of the need to fill up a big rubber pond with water, ever again.

The class ring mystery is still ongoing. I went to the school to find the name of the student whose initials are imprinted on the inside of the trinket, only to discover that there was no female graduate of that particular year. Whoops, there's another clue, that it is a ladies ring. I plan on calling one of the male graduates parents today to see if they can tell me of a girl who was in that particular class but didn't graduate that year, for some reason. I'll let you know how it turns out.

I always come across something weird that I don't really understand but has local names in it while I'm surfing the "interweb". Here's the one for this week - Supreme Court of Texas, 2006 case, City of Sweetwater v. a big list of folks. I'm sure it's old news (at least three years old), I'm always discovering something after the fact and getting overly excited about events that have already passed.

Yays: McDonald's coffee

Brays: People who won't work for a living

I had more Yays & Brays during the week, but they've faded away this morning. I can't remember anything if I don't write it down. Ya'll enjoy life and keep your eye to the sky. I saw the space shuttle the other night and it gave me chills, a little thrill in the night. You can participate in spotting the shuttle by checking out the schedule on the NASA Spaceflight page. I found it at Big Country homepage.com.

Nexia Holdings to aquire working interest in Fisher County Well

According to the new issue of Oil & Gas Investor, the Salt Lake City holdings company will acquire seven percent working interest in the Royston field lease that includes the Teagarden B well, which produces 105 to 160 barrels per month. Closing on the deal is planned to take place by July 21.

You, too, can live at the center of the Universe

The J. C. Cave place is up for sale, again. The house and 45 acres can be yours for $210,000. Stevenson Real Estate is handling the property.

They say that not even Earth is the center of the Universe, but I say that is a matter of perspective to each person. So, if you would like your life to revolve around a patch of land in western Fisher County, now is your chance.

Siriusly

I know that technically Dog Days are named for the star Sirius, but what comes to mind is a dog panting his tongue off up under the dappled shade of a stringy mesquite. It's been so hot we were inspired to set up the rubber pond and I hope to be floating in it this afternoon, lying on a blow-up raft with my eyes closed, pretending I'm in Padre Island.

I tried to specifically identify the butterfly in today's photo, but the best I can do is to tell you it's some sort of swallowtail. Butterfly lovin' doesn't seem to be a specific science, or one genus or whatever can look fifteen different ways. Anyway, I can definitely say that this is a picture of a butterfly. Or a moth.

Penny called to see how Trisha was faring yesterday. Trisha answered the phone and said "I'm just walking in the door to the house." I don't know how much better the story can get than that. Four weeks and a better ending than anyone could hope for.

Tomorrow I will definitely stop by the school and see who's ring was fished from the Frio. Looking for some very specific clues. Well, initials. I guess it's not that tough of a mystery, if I would just get on the ball.

A digital version of Texas Wildlife magazine is now available on-line. This month you can read about North Region Quail Stewards awards, of which Wild Wings Ranch at Camp Springs was a finalist. There are a lot of other good articles in there, like "Frequently Asked Questions of State Game Wardens". Once the magazine comes up, click on the page you want to see, then buttons will appear to include a plus sign to zoom in. Click on the hand button to drag the page up and down so you can view it all.

It's 7 a.m., the perfect time for lawn-mowing, so I better get on it. Oh, I wanted to do a little complaint segment, something simple so you all don't have to listen to a big rant about my unhappiness. I'll make it simple, just Yay and Bray, the latter being negative, like that obnoxious, long-winded sound the jack-ass makes.

Yay: The libraries in Sweetwater and Snyder; Robert the satellite installation guy for Sierra in Sweetwater; Dollar General in Snyder and Sweetwater.

Bray: USPS Customer Service on-line; DPS driver license office in Snyder; Family Dollar in Snyder and Sweetwater.

Make sure you keep those tea pitchers full! Gonna go through a lot of lemons and ice today.

Rings and things

It looks like Mario or the Smurfs are living in our yard since the rain. It seemed like we could look up every two seconds and the toadstools had grown larger. They're pretty, but I'm sure it's just a sign of where the dog makes commode on the grass.

I talked to Penny last Saturday, and when she called Sally to check on Trisha, Sally said "Well, you can ask her yourself, here she is." Apparently Trisha woke up a week ago last Monday and didn't remember a thing about the wreck. She seems to have her wits about her, although she was a bit groggy. It made me so happy, my heart wanted to burst.

That's things, so here's about a ring. I've been contacted by someone who has recovered a Hobbs senior ring from the Frio River near Concan, Texas, a river water resort where people tube and such. Contact me at hobbsholler@yahoo.com if you think the ring might be yours or if you know who it might belong to. I am also going to go up to the school and see who all graduated the year the ring indicates and try to contact the person that way. Even if it's not ya'll's ring, I think it's interesting to think of it lying in the river all these years, waiting to be found. I hope we can reconnect the ring with it's owner.

Raining!

Can ya'll believe it? Lots and lots of lovely rain today, temperature around 71 degrees. Just had to share it with everyone, since I'm the first to complain when it's too hot.

In case you wondered which county on the radar is Fisher, it is the block immediately to the right of the word Snyder.

Hotter than a horse's back under the saddle

Pretty dang hot! The only refreshing thing I could think of to photograph today was the water coming out of the hose. I guess I should have taken some pictures yesterday while we were at the pool. It's usually nice there, but it became very humid after a cloudburst dropped a quick rainshower and the sun came back out. I was leaking embarrassingly from every pore and had to take refuge under the air conditioner at Goodwill while the kids got their swim on. All this occurred in Sweetwater. There is no public pool or Goodwill at Hobbs.

If you'd like to look at some truly refreshing photos, Ricky Niell has some nice ones on his site, taken in Whittier, Alaska. There's snow in these photos, something to take your mind off all the sun outside your window.

Some items of note: Three years ago this month George Maule died; Rachel (Rasberry) Halstead recently opened her hairdressing studio, "The Salon", in Sweetwater; Randi Etheredge made South Plains College Dean's Honors List for the second time.

Here are some online sites where I found news relating to Fisher County this week: Topix: Articles & Obituaries; University of Texas Libraries: Francisco Xavier Jacques; agriLIFE: Wildlife Predator Awareness. Sometimes it's hard to figure out if they're writing about Hobbs in Fisher County or Hobbs in Bell County, or, of course, Hobbs, New Mexico.

I watched a documentary a couple of nights ago called Other People's Pictures and I was really taken with it. They examined a few different categories and my favorite was photos with the photographer's shadow in the foreground. It was very interesting when they showed several of these photos one right after the other. Although there were photos from different years and locations, it seemed like it was the same photographer's shadow in each print.

I'm selling some Hobbs Panthers yearbooks on ebay, so you might take a look. And to look at some other local ebayers' goods, just go to the right on this page and click under Fave Ebay Sellers. If you like Avon, check out Georgie McGough's online catalog, also linked to the right. Shoot, just go through and click on all the links to the right!

Patricia Claxton update

I talked to Penny today and she had called Sally to check on Trisha's condition. Physical therapy has her walking and sitting up by herself. While this is good news, I have the understanding that a true baseline, or prognosis, cannot be formed until six weeks after such a traumatic accident. Still, I'd rather hear that she is moving about instead of lying in bed unresponsive.

I don't have information about Gerald's status at this time.

Update on the Claxtons

Penny (Price) Arnold and I went to Lubbock to see Trisha on Saturday. She is in University Medical Center and her husband, Gerald, is just across the way at Covenant.

Sally, Trisha's mother, was there when we got to the Trauma ICU. Trisha finally opened her eyes Friday night. She is on a ventilator hooked up through her trachea. She looks very good, the only outward signs of trauma are a scrape on the side of her face and temple, and her right arm is bandaged. I believe she has had skin grafts.

It is really too soon to tell anything, yet, is what I'm understanding from the different things I've heard. Although Trisha opened her eyes a few times, it wasn't like she was waking from sleep. She was never fully conscious.

Hospital personnel did a physical therapy session while we were there, and we stepped out of the room. Afterward the therapist told us that Trisha was where she should be for someone who had suffered this type of head trauma.

An interesting thing the therapist told us was that once the person has opened their eyes, you need to communicate with them in short sentences or maybe something as simple as thumbs up, thumbs down, because the patient needs more time to process what is going on around them, or to figure out what you're trying to say to them. I kind of felt stupid after the therapist told me that, because I had been talking a mile a minute to Trisha.

Sally said that Gerald is not on a ventilator and he is responding, but when he starts becoming fully awake, he is very combative and has to be sedated.

It looks like recovery is a long way out, and they're not even to the edge of the woods yet. Please keep them in your thoughts. If an address to send cards to or more news comes my way, I'll let you all know.

Gerald and Patricia Claxton in serious motorcycle wreck

I just received news that Gerald and Patricia (Parks) Claxton were in a serious motorcycle crash near Ira, Texas on Friday. They are in separate hospitals and in very serious condition. Gerald woke this morning, but did not speak. Patricia was still unconscious.

Please keep them and their families in your thoughts.

Overbey accepts award at Pentagon

Judy Martin Overbey, daughter of Ivin and Beth Martin in Fisher County, Texas, traveled to Washington, D.C. last week to accept the Gen. Thomas D. White Environmental Award for Restoration. Awards ceremonies were held at Andrews Air Force Base and the Pentagon, followed by a reception for award recipients.

Overbey has worked in the environmental flight program at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas for eight and half years and is currently the Restoration Program Manager. She has a BS from Hardin-Simmons University in Biology/Chemistry/Science Education and a MS from Abilene Christian University in Management and Human Relations.

Overbey worked briefly as an environmental specialist for West Texas Utilities before returning to the field of human resources management after WTU’s environmental department was moved to Dallas. The opportunity to get back into the environmental field has enabled her to utilize both her science and management degrees and provides her with great job satisfaction in supporting the mission of defending the country and protecting the environment.

Overbey is a 1972 graduate of Hobbs High School in Hobbs, Texas.

D-Day 65 years ago

Today the D-Day invasion of Normandy is being remembered around the world. The photo I've posted is from Wikipedia and I found a good article in The Times-Picayune relating to the personal experience of Tom Blakey, a paratrooper with the U.S. 82nd Airborne Division during WWII. There are many images on The War Page and a WWII timeline at wwiiarchives for dates of events.

Camp Springs reunion reminder

Tomorrow (Sunday) the Camp Springs reunion will be at The Shack in Snyder from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dutch Treat. Hope you can all come!

A good year for Prickly Pear producers

I have never thought of cactus as being moody or fickle, but apparently when you see them blooming and want to take a photo, you should do it immediately while your eye is still on them, and not a few days later when you have the time. You can see that the yellows were happy to pose for me this morning, but the pinks were feeling a bit withdrawn.

A few days ago I came through the intersection of US 180 and FM 611 and was presented with a showy array of prickly pears in bloom. Beautiful pinks and yellows against a sultry background of humid green, it was gorgeous. We also found a brilliant and rather large purple blooming cholla just north of Johnny Ballard's house up at Camp Springs.

It looks like the algerita didn't make this year. I never saw any blooms or berries.

Okay, lots of graduations this week! We attended Roby so we could holler for Kim Williams, we're so proud of her! She had many kudos and honors, most noticeably the scholarship from Angelo State University in the amount of $74,000. Guess where she'll be going to school next fall.

I also want to mention some action that will be going on with one of my pet projects, STTAR, the committee restoring the Sweetwater Texas Theatre. Next Thursday, June 4, the neon Texas sign will be lowered and moved to a warehouse facility for cleaning and maintenance. Weather permitting, of course. Everyone is invited to come watch, it's bound to be a big to-do, with a big crane and lots of men running around trying to keep the sign from crashing to the ground.

Here are the headlines for the Roby Advance / Rotan Star Record issue for May 21, 2009:

• Rotan City Council: 2007 audit presented, previous recalcitrant accounting methods being overridden as bookkeeping gets back on track
• Fisher County Jr. Ag Day (photos)
• Kim Williams on her way to another state championship in the shot put (photo)
• DAR genealogy workshop held May 30
• Obituaries for Billy Wayne Jeffrey (photo) and Harman Vernon Brumfield (photo)
• Alyssa Leverton wins 2nd place in Texas National History Day
• Pastor's Column: Pastor Jerry Vincent, First Baptist Church in Roby
• Sheriff's report: six in jail
• DAR visits Fisher County museum (photo)
• Engagement announcement for Casey Moriah Jenkins and Benjamin Frank Wells (photo)
• Jeffery Stuart Posey graduates from Lubbock Christian University (photo)
• Brush Control seminar scheduled June 1 in Anson
• Nic Southern to participate in the Texas Brigades program this summer, openings still available
• USDA extends certain conservation reserve program contracts
• Disaster assistance available for agricultural-dependent small businesses
• Rotan eighth grade District Volleyball Champs (photo)
• Rotan Jr. High tennis results (photo)
• Rotan National Honor Society induction ceremony (photo)
• Property tax protest and appeal procedures
• Tumbleweed Smith: Traveling to Nearby States
• Roby Prom King & Queen: Jordan Carrion & Tresley Terry (photo)
• Birth announcement for Joey Alyssa Lujan (photo)
• Johnathan Dalzell graduates from Texas Tech University (photo)
• Random shots of Roby Pre-K & Early Childhood Fun Day (photos)
• Kidnapping prevention class (photos)

Oh, a strange thing happened to us during a storm this week. There was an explosive lightning strike, then we heard the stove igniter clicking. It's gas with electric igniting. Anyway, we rushed into the kitchen to find a flame coming out from one of the stove top knobs. We were able to blow it out and had to unplug the stove to make the igniter go off. It's fixed now, but no one ever told me, "be sure to unplug your stove during a lightning storm". You learn new stuff all the time, huh?

Hobbs graduation next week

Hobbs AEP students will finish classes June 3, and graduation will be June 4 at 10 a.m. For more information visit the Sweetwater ISD website.

Bari, Italy, December 2, 1943

I had never heard of Bari, Italy until George Maule told me about a night raid that he had been in that occurred there during World War II.

His ship, one of 21, was docked in the harbor in Bari to either load or unload.

He told the story so well that I was right there with him in that lighted harbor, standing next to him on the ship as he looked up in the night sky to see German planes flying in towards them, making a sound that would cause the hair to stand up on the back of your neck. But they had a real good gunner, he said. Perhaps that's why the next morning, his was one of only three ships that remained.

He told me that he had began to think that he had dreamed the whole thing until one of his daughters found a book that had been written about the maraud years later.

So, today I want to solemnly remember those that died in Bari that night, and to be thankful for the ones that survived.

May 14, 2009 issue of the Roby Star Record / Rotan Advance:

-County Road System voted down
-Rivas & Carrion make Roby City Council, Sepeda re-elected as Roby Mayor
-Commissioners Meeting: Red Cross to help establish safety shelter; County Agent Barnett proposes renovations to County Show Barns
-Roby Kindergarten registration
-Rotan softball girls win first prize (photo)
-Monroe Moore tours Cotton, Inc. headquarters in North Carolina (photo)
-Obituary for Gary Dale Eaton (photo)
-Roby School Board meeting: catastrophic leave approved for Kristi Adkisson; ag teacher Judson Oppeguard resigns
-Pastor's Column: Pastor Charles Glidewell, Cross Roads Baptist Church
-News Briefs: Flags for Veterans donations being accepted at Anson VFW, c/o Leon West, 600 Forrest St., Rotan TX 79546; Clear Fork Crime Stoppers launches text messaging tip service
-Recipe Corner: Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Soup
-Brittan & Brinlie Webb take titles at USA Gymnastics Region III Championship (photo)
-Engagement announcement for Lindsay Marie West & Byron Fielding Kennedy (photo)
-Marriage announcement for John Marvin Clark & Denim Rich (photo)
-Rotan School Board Meeting: Girls Softball program voted in; Baccalaureate to be held May 24 at 7 p.m.; Connie Early resigns
-Many 4-H students participate in District & State contests, nine Sr. 4-H members to represent Fisher County in state competition
-Joy Walker's Fisher County Roundup: Annie Mae McKinney celebrates 90th birthday; Linda Martin Thurman still in Arlington with sister
-Historical Commission: Roland Graham presented a report on early days in Colorado City; next meeting to be held June 2 at 7 p.m. in the Roby museum building
-Courtney Ann Patterson graduates from Angelo State (photo)
-Neugebauer's Newsletter: working to reduce wasteful Washington spending; cap and tax; National Police Week; Armed Forces Day
-Birth announcement for Tucker Glen McWilliams (photo)
-Rotan Honor Roll

May 7, 2009 issue:

-No Swine Flu in Fisher County
-Rotan represented at Texas Midwest Community Network luncheon (photo)
-Dustin Altmiller hired as new Rotan Athletic Director
- Rotan Freshman Ramya Sunku qualifies at State UIL (photo)
-Burn ban lifted
-Hospital Board: Dr. Carreon signs two-year contract; looking at new complex computer systems; closed session discussing Infection Control
-Joy Walker's Fisher County Roundup: babies, baseball and Youth fellowship
-Recipe Corner: Sweet Cornbread Cake
-Pastor's Column, Roby UMC Minister Bill Fitzgerald: Emerging Generations
-Rotan Gin Co. Annual Stockholders: audit report presented; Blackwelder and Nowlin re-elected to board; bale count of 40,478 for 2008
-Brittany Carr receives Josie Baird Grant-in-Aid (photo)
-Many 4-H members participate in District competitions (photos)
-Rotan Junior High Volleyball (photos)
-Sheriff's report, seven in jail
-Rotan Jr. High & Elementary honor rolls
-Jared Cave selected to 3-A All State Academic Basketball team (photo)
-Relay for Life (photos)
-Abilene Road Riders meet at Casa Morales in Rotan (photos)
-Tumbleweed Smith: Elementary Kids Learn to Garden
-Deadline for articles and photos to be turned in to the newspaper is Tues. at noon
-60 attend Rotan School Board special meeting to discuss Girls Softball Program
-Letter to the editor from Rotan Jr. High staffers commending parents on support during TAKS
-Letter to the editor from Nancy Sparks thanking those who attended the special Rotan School Board meeting discussing the Girls Softball Program
-Birth announcement for Cason Ray Ballard (photo)
-Neugebauer's Newsletter: Supreme Court selection; National Teachers Appreciation Week; District Wrap-Up

If you would like to read the factual account of the air raid at Bari instead of the botched one that I pulled from my faulty memory, you can order "Disaster at Bari", written by Glenn Infield, or "Nightmare in Bari", written by Gerald Reminick, from Amazon.com.

The photo is from The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association website.

Camp Springs Reunion June 7

I got a call from Charlotte Carey the other day telling me about a get together for the Camp Springs folks.

It will be June 7, 2009 at The Shack in Snyder, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dutch Treat. Charlotte said this is the usual meeting place, so I won't go on and on with details about how to get there.

I can hardly say Camp Springs, I always want to say Camp Spring, without the s. It's because when I was working for the Snyder newspaper, I made the mistake of saying Big Springs. They practically jumped me, tied me up and yelled in my face, "Big Spring, there's only one." Ruined me for life on springs.

They didn't really do that, just said it normally. They weren't even rude. I was just adding some drama. Sometimes you have to make your own.

Katzenjammer Kids

I've heard three references in the past week to the Katzenjammers, so I figured I'd give them a mention. I had no idea who they were until I looked them up on Google, then I said to myself "Oh, yeah, I know who they are!"

I found that there is a split in Katzie fans. This is due to the strip being drawn by seven different artists since it's creation by Rudolph Dirks in 1897. Some are purists and only like the original drawings, while some prefer Harold Knerr or later artists. The strip is still in creation in the present, notably the world's longest running comic.

Anyway, if you want to know more, just Google or Yahoo.

Billy Wayne Jeffrey, Joyce Leech obituaries

Billy Jeffrey, 75, of Fisher County, and Joyce Leech, 76, of Abilene died this week. Please keep their families in mind as you go through your day. RIP.

Hobknobs and drumsticks

My band friends have been rubbing shoulders with the highfalutin' here lately. Waxahachie band Whiskey Hill opened again for Willie at country music mecca Carl's Corner this past Saturday, celebrating the Highwayman's 76th birthday. Penny, whose husband Darrin plays lead guitar in the band, called me to let me know she had met Woody Harrelson, seen Billy Bob Thornton's band play and ran into one of the Van Zant boys at the back door.

Roby based band Lawless Flatz played at the Sweetwater Creek Ranch in Nolan County a couple of weeks ago and met NFL Hall-of-Famer Jim Kelly (Buffalo Bills). They're spreading their music all around Texas, from playing in Del Rio last Friday to playing in Dumas during June.

The photo of BBT is courtesy of Penny.

Here is the news that made headlines in the Roby Star Record / Rotan Advance, April 30, 2009 issue:

• Silver Medal for Cantu & Lit Crit team at Regional Academic meet (photo)
• Lucy Alls wins in Las Vegas at U.S. Finals Cheer Competition (photo)
• Lions Club District 2T-2 District Governor Elect Freda Buckner (photo)
• Lions Club District 2T-2 Sweetheart Katie Martin selected Queen (photo)
• Recipe Corner: Sour Cream Chocolate Cake
• News Briefs: McCaulley Cemetery Fish Fry, May 9
• USDA extends sign-up date for DCP & Acre programs
• Saturday election May 9: Roby City Council & Adoption of County Road System - Precinct 3 (Hobbs) votes at Roby Community Center
• Pastor's Column: Wes Eastman, Rotan Church of Christ
• Sheriff's report, seven in custody
• Bridal Registry at The Yellow Rose, inside The Newspaper Office: Casey Jenkins, Holli Griggs, Opal Tribble, Serena Gates
• Tumbleweed Smith: Country People are Stronger
• Fisher County Roundup by Joy Walker: Copelands and McCombs have visitors
• Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack appoints Doug Caruso as Administrator of the USDA FSA
• Delta Kappa Gamma meets at Hart Ranch, Kathy Dickson presents organic gardening program (photo)

I've heard people talking a lot about tolerance this week, and I gave some thought to what was least and most tolerable.

For now, I'll say the least tolerable is people who show up to work late. I could really rant on and on about this subject, how if everyone started showing up late, it would lead to the eventual downfall of the human civilization. Plus, it's just darned inconsiderate and lazy.

The most tolerable is the guy who sits on the street corner begging for a handout. I mean, he gets up and goes and does something about his situation. I never give anything to those people, but plenty of other folks do, so not only is the beggar earning income, they are allowing citizens to feel useful and kind towards their fellow man. Also, think about it, it takes some type of bravery to go sit on the street corner. I mean, would you do it?

Enjoy the 2000 degree heat we'll be having the next couple of days. Be sure to get all your smelting needs taken care of with this natural resource. Or maybe you could just hang some clothes on the line and save a little electricity.

White bonnets

There are quite a few white bluebonnets on the roadside by the county barn at the intersection of FM 611 and FM 419. There are actually a lot of wildflowers for such a dry time, but everything looks scrubby. I think the other plants in the photo with the flowers are Green Antelope Horn Milkweed. I verified it on flickr, a photo website.

I noticed that the Fisher County Chamber of Commerce Hog Fest will not be held the same weekend as the Hog Fest Bike Rally. At first I thought that it was unfortunate, but, really, it keeps folks from having to divide their time between events. It also gives local entrepreneurs more opportunities to secure revenue. Bikerfest will be Aug. 29; COC Hog Fest will occur the same weekend as Rotan Homecoming, Oct. 17.

Did you ever feel like you lost your sense of humor? Mine seems to have gone out the door. Maybe it just went for a little vacation and will be back soon. I hope so, it sure makes life easier to live.

Here go the headlines for the April 23, 2009 issue of the Roby Star Record / Rotan Advance:

• St. Joseph's Church Youth Fundraiser Luncheon today at the Rotan School Cafeteria: Enchilada Casserole Dinner, $8 per plate
  
• Conference table donated to hospital (photo: Betty Carter, Tyra Jo Carmichael, Janice Copeland)
• Rotan Lions Club Broom & Mop Sale Apr. 28
• Annual Farm Sale (photos)
• Rob Smets to speak at Calvary Baptist Church this a.m.
• Fisher County Chamber sets Hog Fest to coincide with homecoming
• Commissioners re-enact burn ban
• Big Country Electric Annual Member Meeting (photos)
• Fisher County Youth Baseball Opening Apr. 25
• Obituaries for Bessie Lee (Henderson) Hale, Evenell "Nell" McGrew Owen Johnson (photo), JoAnn Ochoa
• News Briefs: Rotan Athletic Booster Club Meeting Apr. 30
• Pastor's Column: Corky Wells, First Baptist Church, Rotan
• Early voting for Roby City Council & Adoption of County road system begins Apr. 27
• Engagement announcement for Joshua Elias Sepeda & Serena Gates (photo)
• Joy Walker's Fisher County Roundup: Thunder Chicks at Rosebud Complex
• Rotan ISD Regular Board Meeting: Athletic Director David Ritchey resigns; no action on Softball Program
• Roby Honor Roll
• 2009 Beef Cattle Standardized Performance Analysis
• Fisher County Hospital accepting bids for replacement of windows
• Sports Reports (photos)
• Public meeting regarding Oncor electric transmission line Apr. 29, Nolan County Coliseum
• Rotan City Council holds regular meeting: audit to be ready in May; pool pump needs repair
• Rotan Economic Development meeting: considering upgrade of downtown sign
• Tumbleweed Smith: Elementary School Kids Learn to Garden
• Birth announcement for Bo Bishop Burnes (photo)
• Photos of Blair & Ima Berry's family
• Roby City Council meeting: Amy Mann hired as Swimming Pool Manager; TCEQ inspects water system
• DAR visits the Scurry County Museum; Sue Mercer Thompson to present Genealogy Workshop May 30
• Sheriff's report: eight in jail
• Randy Neugebauer's Newsletter: Cutting government waste; Ten years since Columbine; District Wrap-up

Once again, those naughty newscasters are promising rain. Looks like the best chance is this afternoon and tonight, with hail and tornadoes, of course. If the rain comes through, I'll change the newscasters nickname from naughty to magnificent & wonderful.

John Paul Jones dies at age 46

John Paul Jones of Sweetwater, Texas died Wednesday. I haven't been in touch with John Paul in years, but we all used to hang out at the lake when we were younger and had some pretty good times. It's strange and sad to watch bits of your life fade away. RIP, JP.

Venus Moon

My photo of the moon and Venus is not as fancy as Johnny Horne's, but I captured the gist of what was going on.

I got a call around 6:35 a.m. to go outside and see the moon with a planet next to it. It was remarkable, and much clearer than what this picture depicts. The sky was perfectly clear and the sun was about to rise, so the horizon was dark orange, gradually fading to dark blue, then to black.

Without city lights or clouds, we have a perfect view of the night sky. The Milky Way is sometimes so thick, it seems like we're in the midst of it. For all I know, we could be, I'm no expert on astronomical information.

If you would like to find out more about astronomy, you can check out the West Texas Astronomers Club in Midland, the University of Texas Astronomy Program, and the McDonald Observatory website.

Panthers for sale

I have Hobbs school yearbooks from 1958 - 1966 that I'm selling for $35 each. Just contact me at hobbsholler@yahoo.com if you would like to buy one.

The Sweetwater City County Library held the Annual Book Sale this weekend. I bought three bags for four dollars. It was held in the Coliseum Annex.

Next weekend there will be a STTAR workday at the Sweetwater Texas Theatre. It will be Saturday, April 25, 9 a.m to noon. They'll be demo-ing in the lobby, getting inventory of items in the offices, and cleaning up trash.

Everyone is invited to attend and bring gloves, tools, whatever you think you might need. They need as many strong backs as they can get. Some man-sized work will be going on in the lobby. They're wanting to tear that paneling out and see what's behind it.

Now that you have more Sweetwater news than you can stand, here's what went on in Fisher County, according to the April 16, 2009 issue of the Roby Star Record / Rotan Advance:

• Fisher County Commissioners leave burn ban in effect (photo)
• American Cancer Society Relay for Life to be held May1-2 at Sweetwater High School track
• Early voting for Roby City Council and Adoption of County Road system begins Monday April 27
• Roby school board hires Nick Dickson as Athletic Director
• Obituary for Evelen Ann (Boen) Moore (photo)
• Clear Fork Crime Stoppers: roping horse stolen north of Hamlin 800-222-tips
• News Briefs: Rotan Athletic Booster Club meeting April 30; Rotan ISD lunch accounts online
• Pastor's Column: Father Tim Schwertner, St. Joseph's Church, Rotan
• Engagement announcements for Whitney Williamson & Shane Stuart; Beth Ann Reinisch and Robert Underwood (photos)
• Birth announcement for Ella Brooke Robertson (photo)
• Check out the bridal registry at The Yellow Rose inside the Newspaper Office - current brides-to-be: Casey Jenkins, Opal Tribble, Hollie Griggs, Serena Gates
• Darin R. Woodson graduates from TxDPS Training Academy (photo)
• John Cornyn: Tax, Borrow and Spend Not the Answer
• Health officials encourage organ donor registration
• Housing Authority of Rotan hours changing
  
• Roby & Rotan weekly school announcements
• Fisher County Historical Commission, murals are being painted on upstairs walls by FCAA
  
• Spring Sports (photos)
• Joy Walker's Fisher County Roundup, many attend Cross Roads Church Easter Day
• Frank Cockrell Art Association: Billy Joe Jay presents program, museum murals going well, next meeting to be field trip in May
• Gifted and Talented Program dissect frogs (photo)
• Fisher County Sales Tax Allocation down from last year
• Rotan UIL competitors (photos)
• Fisher County financial report
• Roby UIL competitors (photos)
• Feral Hog Seminar April 27, 9 a.m. at Longworth Community Center
• Tumbleweed Smith: Farewell, Mr. Harvey
• Rotan FFA Officers (photo)
• Texas State Soil & Water Conservation Board: Water flows despite drought
• Elected officials list
  

Have a good week!

Between seven and eight tenths

...or exactly 20 millimeters, but if someone told me that, I wouldn't have any idea what they were talking about. I just read it off the rain gauge. That's what the conversation across the county is going to be about today, because after 22 years of drought, it finally rained last night. I could be exaggerating, but it doesn't feel like it. Throw in a dash of hail and you got yourself a spring storm.

Also, a scissortail was spotted last week, so the season is now official.

The photo today is to give you an idea of my view during a storm. I have a bit of a phobia and people across the nation say, "I bet Leslie's in the cellar" whenever they see a storm is crossing west Texas way. I'm also scared of airplanes and bears, but that's neither here nor there. It's pretty easy to avoid flying to the Rockies to go camping, but in this part of the world, it takes a lot of work to stay ahead of a storm. Far enough ahead to make it to my cellar from wherever I'm at, anyway.

On the Texas Press Association website, there's a tab for Texas Newspapers, and all the newspapers in Texas that are members of the TPA are listed, as well as links to their websites, if available. You'll never have to buy a book again, there's so much to read.

American Livestock and Pet Supply in Wisconsin has some good deals and check-out is easy.

Here are the headlines for the April 9, 2009 issue of the Roby Star Record / Rotan Advance newspaper:

• Rotan ISD cheerleaders announced (photo)
• Chamber of Commerce to sponsor annual Rotan farm auction sale, Apr. 18, rodeo grounds
• Rotan ISD Headstart, pre-k & kindergarten registration Apr. 14
• 2009 Enrichment Festival to be held in Rotan June19 ( good auction items!)
• Fisher County Extension Agency: time to buy validation tags for show animals
• Rotan School Library to host Book Fair Apr. 13-17
• Obituaries for Blenda Leatece Schooley and Jesse Warnell Crow
• News Briefs: AARP Driver Safety training program; 18th Annual Spring Swing May2; Early voting for Roby City Council to begin Apr. 27; Rotan Athletic Booster Club meeting; Rotan ISD lunch accounts
• Region 14 Education Service Center Retirement seminar
• Randy Neugebauer: Borrows too much, spends too much, taxes too much; Celebrating military children in April; Service Academy forums; District events
• Pick a pleasing gift from the bridal registry at The Yellow Rose, inside the Newspaper Office in Rotan for brides-to-be: Casey Jenkins, Opal Tribble, Holli Griggs, Serena Gates
• Sheriff's report: eight in jail
• Stonewall Memorial Hospital Alternatives Program Open House celebration (photo)
• Spring Sports (photos)
• Easter Blessings merchants page
• Fisher County Roundup by Joy Walker: the Copeland's visit family

It looks like it's going to be a bright and shiny Easter morning. Nothing like a good rain to wash the sky clean. Salud!

You're not alone

The photo today is of me at the old Soto house up at Camp Springs. You'll notice the friendly black lab behind me if you look closely. We were just piddling along looking for photo opportunities and I thought we would stop at this old, abandoned house, you know, maybe poke around a little?

So, I just whip in there and we hop out and I start demanding poses and giving instructions, when suddenly there's a huge black dog snuffling all over my pants leg. Then I notice that there are about five guys across the road breaking a horse and they're calling Cujo to come back. We hurry up the photo session and hop in the car and drive off.

I swear, you might think this part of the country is isolated, but start to do anything and suddenly you're in the middle of a crowd.

I don't have much to report this week, the wind has blown all the thoughts clean out of my head. I'll just give you the latest headlines and be done with it. Here's the outline for the Roby Star Record / Rotan Advance April 2, 2009 issue:

• FBC Rotan RA's & GA's gather goods for Food Pantry (photo)
• Former Rotan coaches take positions at Clyde, Shamrock
• Benefit for Rotan Summer Basketball Program today at Rotan School Cafeteria
• Chamber to host farm sale Apr. 18, Rotan Rodeo Arena; Hogfest schedule discussed
• Cheerleaders for Rotan Jr. High, Roby Jr. High & Roby High School announced (photos)
• First Monday Missions benefit Apr. 6 11 a.m., Fellowship Hall Roby United Methodist
• Rotan ISD Headstart, Pre-K & Kindergarten registration Apr. 14, 1 p.m. at Elementary School
• Obituaries for Charles David Carter (photo) and Bob Burnes (photo)
• Recipe Corner: Clay's Spinach & Feta Quiche
• Pastor's Column: Juan Sanchez, Mision Bautista El Calvario
• Extension Office to hold Feral Hog Program Apr. 27, location TBA
• Roby City Council election May 9, early voting Apr. 27
• TxDOT calls for more Adopt-a-Highway volunteers
• Marriage announcement for Marcus Emery Gressett & Brandi Lynee Weathersbee (photo)
  
• Birth announcement for Broderick Scott Nowlin (photo)
• Big Country Electric membership meeting Apr. 18, Scurry County Coliseum
• Fisher County Roundup by Joy Walker: Vera Ellen McCombs home from the hospital
• Letter to the Editor: TxDOT DE Lauren Garduno re: Work Zone Awareness Week Apr. 6
• Western Texas College deemed fastest growing community college in the state
• Sheriff's report: seven in jail
• Tumbleweed Smith: Sam Baker and his Wild Emotions
• Spring Sports, photos
• Randy's Roundup: White House's GM & Chrysler Bailout announcement; Republican Blueprint for recovery; Service Academy forums
• Rotan One Act Play members receive awards (photo)
• List of properties for sale by Roby CISD, Apr. 9 deadline

I'm adding a new link to the Favorites listed at the right. LOL Cats is good for some belly laughs and has really cute pictures that make you go "awwww".