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".

Perry Thomson recovering

Perry's wife Linda has passed on the news that he is starting to recover after two harrowing weeks of deteriorating health since undergoing bypass surgery. She reports that he has a way to go, but that they are seeing reassuring positive signs. She thanks everyone for the support they've received and hopes that all will continue to pray for Perry and his doctors.

Willie, Waylon and me

Well, really, it was Willie, Leon and Darrin.

Darrin is husband to my friend Penny, a Roby hometown girl. He plays with a band called Whiskey Hill and they've been playing out at Carl's Corner on the weekends. They figured they'd probably get the chance, and they did, on Friday, to open for Willie Nelson. Leon Russell was also there.

Sorry I had to leave that guy's head in the photo, but I wanted everyone to see Willie jamming on that cool guitar. By the way, the photo is courtesy of Penny.

I went to the Roby Cafe and got a breakfast burrito this week. I would have paid the same money I paid for the burrito just for the handmade tortilla. Man, it was good. We plan on checking out their Monday night Mexican food special. I'll let you know how it goes.

Camp Springs Wild Wings Ranch has qualified as a Quail Stewardship finalist in the Texas Wildlife Association Foundation Northern Region. Awards will be presented April 16 in Houston at the TWAF Quail Conservation Awards and Fundraising Gala. The Wild Wings Ranch is known by locals as the Charles Harrell place.

The Roby Star Record / Rotan Advance headlines are coming right up. Here is the rundown for March 26, 2009:

• Fisher County youths attend Abstinence on the Hill in D.C. (photos)
• Commissioners reinstate burn ban
• CheerStar Athletics mini level one to compete in Las Vegas(photo)
• Fourth Annual Child Abuse Awareness Banquet April 2, Sweetwater
• Buy-in Waiver Extension approved for Disaster Assistance programs
• You gotta get your own issue and read the Editor's Column this week
• Joy Walker's Fisher County Roundup: Vera Ellen McCombs recovers from surgery
• Roby City Council election to be held May 9, early voting begins April 27
• Obituaries for John G. Perales (photo) and Royce M. "Wop" Smith (photo)
• FCH Trauma: ATVs fun but dangerous
• Engagement announcement for Drew Shirley and Amanda Joseph (photo)
  
• Sheriff's report: total of six in jail
• Recipe Corner: Black-eyed Pea Salad
• Tumbleweed Smith: Some Banks are More Independent Than Others
• Hospital Board regular meeting: election cancelled, unopposed candidates approved; next meeting May 18
  
• Wheat Newsletter, TAMU
• Delta Kappa Gamma: Steve Estes presents rainwater harvesting program (photo)
  
• Subscription rates are changing (check newspaper link to right)
• Spring Sports (photos)
• Fisher County firefighters train for hazardous materials response (photo)
• Randy Neugebauer's weekly newsletter: Treasury Dept.'s plan; Small businesses are backbone of economy; American Diabetes Alert Day
  
• 50th Wedding Anniversary announcement for George & Beth Turner (photo)
• Dakota Whitefield wins Ninth place at Houston Livestock Show (photo)

I guess I'll go and shut the front door, since the wind keeps blowing it open. It sure makes you appreciate the few still moments we have, all five minutes worth. Have a good week and hope that April will bring us her showers, since March has done so well with it's wind.

One more and we're done

We've seen all the signs of spring to include lots of new calves (see photo!), ground squirrels, bluebonnets, mesquites budding and the big one, the return of the buzzards. Sighting a scissor-tail is the only sign left and it seems like they're really more of a symbol of summer. We haven't seen much rain, either, yet. Maybe it's on the way.

I've got a few websites I want to tell you about, the first being the one for the Big Country Audubon Society. This is a direct link listing sightings in northeast Fisher county on August 30, 2008. You can look at photos of Birds of the Big Country and figure out which ones are in your back yard. It's amazing there are so many. I think I can only name about five.

Here's a link to the Garmin Blog that has an article about the Astro GPS being used to track dogs on the Quail Ranch that's located on the corner of US 180 and FM 611. The results of the information collected by the Astro during the study can be downloaded and examined from this link. For more info on products by Garmin, check out the company website.

For agricultural information, you can go to the Western Farm Press site or check out Ag News from Texas A & M AgriLife.

Okay, here's the news you really want, the headlines from the latest issue of the Roby Star Record / Rotan Advance, March 19, 2009:

• City of Rotan Clean Up (photo)
• Rotan ISD renews all personnel contracts, accepts two resignations
• Rotan City Council meets with animal control officer, fields report from City Supervisor
• Rotan, the birthplace of six-man football (photo of Melvin Clements)
• The American Cancer Society Relay for Life, May 1
• Lower Rolling Plains ag conference
• Obituaries for Ava (Head) Leach, Rodolfo Gonzalez
• Birth announcement for Maximus Lee Day (photo)
• CleDon Coffman & Chick Carter file for re-election to hospital board
• Roby City Council election May 5
• Sheriff's report
• Fisher County RV news, next rally March 31
• News Briefs: Third Marine Division Association, Inc. Aug 24
• Fisher County Roundup by Joy Walker: family visits & Crossroads revival last week
• City of Rotan applied to renew waste water disposal permit
• Grain marketing workshop March 26 in Abilene
• The Newspaper Office is closed on Fridays; hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m Mon-Thurs
• What happened in Houston, extension agent report
• If you have pre-1969 Rotan & Roby newspapers, please contact the Newspaper Office about adding them to the archive
• Spring sports (photos)

The last word I received on Perry Thomson is that by Friday night the seizures had lessened and his temperature was lower, still high, though, at 102. He is in the Lubbock Cardiology Hospital.

Perry Thomson ailing

Pat Porter forwarded an email to me reporting Perry Thomson to be seriously ill.

Perry had multiple by-pass surgery Thursday. He did well through the surgery, but later in the day there were complications and he was returned to the operating room. He had to have blood and platelet transfusions.

By Friday morning he was having seizures, found to be caused by a brain tumor.

Please keep the Thomson family in your thoughts.