Screendoors

- Screen Doors outdoors -

Lately, it seems my eye has been drawn, especially, to screen doors on dilapidated houses. It may be because I want some screen doors on my own house, but I think that the screen doors produced today are thinly made and the screen is plastic instead of metal mesh, so I yearn for the screen doors of yesteryear.

Now, is it really screen doors I yearn for, or is it being three years old and slamming out one of those doors, knowing no responsibility and looking forward to the adventure of each new minute?

Truth be told, I haven't looked at a new screen door in a decade or more. They're probably perfectly fine. I feel I may have taken an object from my past and idolized it sentimentally.

I could probably get an old screen door and revitalize it, but I think I might be disappointed, because I won't be able to recapture youth, and the feeling of running out the door barefoot, carrying a dripping ice cream cone, and enjoying that satisfying slap of  the screen hitting the door frame.

There's nobody left to even yell at me about it, anymore.

Commissioners Court report

The Fisher County Commissioners Court convened for a Special Meeting 9 a.m., Thursday, February 25.

A Burn Ban was not put in place, but will be discussed at the next meeting.

Gary Smith, representative of Grant Works, was present to discuss the TXDOT TIF program. Four vendors were approved for hauling, twelve pits were approved for material. Smith said program money can be used for leasing of equipment to perform road improvements.

Two commissioners who own pits abstained from approving on their pits. The pits were approved unanimously by the other commissioners.

Work can begin now on approved roads.

The next Commissioners Court will be held Tuesday March 1 at 9 a.m. This will be a Special Meeting. Items on the agenda are the Burn Ban, the Bond for Carla Thornton, and the Law Enforcement Center Final Decisions Workshop.

Candidate Forum attendance fair

- Preston Martin at the podium -

The Fisher County Candidate Forum was presented Thursday night, 6 p.m., in the Roby High School auditorium. Pat Thomson, Johnnie Howell and Jerry Marshall managed the proceedings.

Representatives stood up and campaigned for Michael Bob Starr, Jodey Arrington, and Greg Garrett, all republican candidates for U. S. congress.

Ricky Thompson and John Young, both republicans running for 32nd Judicial District attorney, spoke about their qualifications and goals for the office. There were a few swipes made against each other and a pretty intense, uncomfortable moment when Young lashed out at the crowd for hiding behind the computer screen to make anonymous remarks against his family.

County attorney candidates Michael Hall, democrat, and Jim Hargrove, republican went on stage next. Some light swipes were made, but no one got too dirty.

Sheriff candidates took the stage next. In order of who spoke first was H. T. Fillingim; incumbent J. A. Robinson; and Billy Spears, all running on the democratic ticket. The sheriff was well-spoken, and all three candidates were in agreement over the issues.

Candidates for Precinct 1 and Precinct 3 commissioners filed onto the stage next. This included democrats Hal Ely and Gordon Pippin, incumbent, for the Precinct 1 race: incumbent Preston Martin, democrat; candidate Bobby Hunt, democrat; and candidate Santos Flores, republican, for the Precint 3 seat. Josh Helms, republican candidate for Precinct 3, was not present. There was camaraderie among the men, and Gordon Pippin stole the show with his loquaciousness. He and Ely threw some goodhearted jabs. Martin was the most prepared for the questions that the candidates had been given beforehand to answer.

Overall it was an entertaining and enlightening evening.

Local landmark to stand

- Clear Fork of the Brazos -

The Rough Creek Bridge on County Road 349 north of Hobbs is currently undergoing an upgrade by the Texas Department of Transportation.

The south approach and the deck are being rebuilt, and the rails refurbished and brought up to current engineering standards, according to TXDOT Public Information Officer Mary Belle Turner.

The structure is described by TXDOT as a Warren pony truss with a polygonal top chord. It was originally built in 1930 on FM 1657, just south of Cross Roads Baptist Church, crossing over the Clear Fork of the Brazos River.

Rotan resident Billie McCombs, who worked on relocating the bridge, said it was moved to Rough Creek in 1956 after the roadway was paved and the bridge was not considered adequate for the heavier loads that would cross the creek.

The project is slated to finish in April.

The contractors for this job are Hodges & Sons Construction out of Omaha,Tx.

Local elections, chicken foibles and gas plants

-FM 1614-

Well, it's looking like the Precinct Three Commissioner's Race is going to be interesting with four candidates running. According to the Fisher County Election Page, the Democratic ticket will include incumbent Preston Martin and candidate Santos Flores, with candidates Josh Helms and Bobby Hunt on the Republican docket. If you've read me before, you know that I think the commissioners election is the most important political race in all of politics. I wonder if there'll be any mudslinging?

Winter keeps poking its hoary little head out here and there as it always does this time of year, but I'm already thinking about the garden, which makes me think about the chickens, because they ate all my tomatoes last year, and that reminds me of the trouble I've had with my faucet covers, because the chickens ate those, too. I think I've found a solution, though. I wrapped the styrofoam covers in duct tape and that seems to have puzzled the fowl. I have a love-hate relationship with the chickens and I have to keep coming up with solutions to keep us from fighting.

I don't take in much news, so I'm wondering what they're building out by the gas plant at Clatytonville. It's quite an endeavor, on a very large scale, and my guess would be a new gas plant. It would seem to be about time, the current plant is a bit ancient looking. Google and I will look into that and get back with our results next time (maybe).

UPDATE
A little Google goes a long way! The new structure will be electric, the Wetsel Substation on FM 611 and CR 448. I thought I usually read my Big Country Newsletter, but I guess I skimmed over this article.

Bootlegging, quail and Wikipedia

- Sunset at Hobbs School -

I would think that most of you, like me, have grown up hearing stories about Pinkie Roden, namesake of Pinkie's Liquor Stores. It's said back in the 50's a young man could make a quick $100 hauling a trunkload of beer to a dry county. There's also a family story about one of the relatives having a clandestine meeting with Pinkie on a backroad.  Elva Jo Edwards has a different story about how bootlegging affected her life. What will always come to mind for me will be riding in the pickup, standing between my uncle and grandma, all the way to Tuxedo (where an isolated Pinkie's Liquor was located, everyone in these parts knows what I'm talking about), and upon my uncle's departure from the store, I would be handed an Orange Crush and a Slim Jim that was bought for me inside. Pure happiness, folks. If only I could fly back to that time for a moment.

 The report coming from the quail ranch is that they have 11 wells and counting in one of their pastures. Read more about this and other Rolling Plains Quail Ranch news on their facebook page, website and twitter. Very interesting and informational with a lot of photos, also informational, as well as beautiful and surprising.

One of my readers wrote me to let me know that Hobbs is now listed on Wikipedia. Y'all check it for accuracy, maybe add a little bit of your knowledge. Thanks, John!

A head full of fluff and no stuff

- Meeps -

Fire-gazing is a good sport for this time of year, as the terror of my household demonstrates in the photo. This was the tiny kitten I found at the Roscoe Fourth of July fireworks show. Ya want him? Not really. But, do you?

A past-time of mine is poring over the want ads, seeing what kinds of jobs are available. It's therapeutic, sort of like reading a good book, because I try to put myself in the role of the position I'm reading about. This morning I explored the possibilities of being a background investigator, an airport clerk, a pole-holder for seismographing, a locksmith, and a tv station recording room operator. I am gainfully employed, and happy with my job, but I don't want to miss any opportunities. You never know when they'll post a vacancy for a writer that only writes when she wants to, about what she wants to, and gets paid graciously for such.

I thought about posting another photo of a seismo tractor that I took on 1614 the other day, but to tell the truth, it's all becoming commonplace, and it seems all the activity pertains to the pipelines that are being installed every half-inch around here. Arteries! Everywhere! Even if they went across my property, it would probably only net me a buck seventy in damages. I don't own much real ground. Just enough for a pumpjack (Come on, come on!).

I am feeling inspired about spring, and the seed catalogs are putting me in my usual state of delusion, the one where I imagine a beautiful blooming garden full of luscious vegetables. The turnout is usually completely opposite, a lot of that to do with forgetting to water and complete disinterest once the temperatures reach the 100's. For now, though, I'm going to slip into a nap while imagining eight-foot tall okra and an orchard full of fruit trees.

Snow, or something like it, over ice, yum!

- Snowy sleety roads -

It sleeted on an off from about noon yesterday until midnight or thereabouts. People were being a little too brave today driving, I think. It seems like the snow gives traction, but ice is the base. I thought 20 mph was appropriate, but many seem to think 50 is slow enough.

Heavy sleet in a short amount of time with below-freezing temps caused for some slick roadways yesterday. I was coming off FM644 onto US84 and the back end tried to come around. I was really counting on the previous days' high temps to keep the ground warm enough to keep it from getting slippery, but I guess there were too many negative variables.

The sun has been shining for about thirty minutes, and my cats have taken respite, laying in cubby corners where the wind is blocked so they can soak up some rays.

I'm wondering about the re-freeze situation tonight, because the road in front of the house is still white. It's probably going to get pretty interesting, drive-wise. Maybe it will freeze rough. At least the tires would have something to hold onto that way.

No clothes on the line today

- Pins -

It's been a cold weekend, and just when I thought it was over, The Weather Channel informs me that another round is coming in the morning. I've got my truck all thawed out and the road here in front of the house looks clear, so if I can just get to work before it hits tomorrow, I'll be good.

The road actually seemed better this morning, after all the freezing rain last night, than it did Saturday morning, after just a bit of drizzle that froze on the pavement. Ice is such an unpredictable element.

Keep up to date with the weather on the NOAA website, and, in particular, scroll down and read the Forecast Discussion. That seems to be the best bet.

Cotton stripping in high gear, seismographers arrive

- Busy Deeres -

The constant grinding of cotton strippers can be heard day and night, with dots of lights moving back and forth over fields in the dark. This is the prelude to winter, and ginning will go on well into the coldest part of the season.

Coming down Camp Springs road last night, I thought there was a wreck because I saw some orange and red blinking lights in the distance, but when I came upon them, they were signaling three seismograph vehicles lined up in a row, with a crew working all around them. I took photos, but as you can see in my Twitter feed to the right, they did not turn out well.

I'm trying some new technology, well, old mixed with new. I just purchased a dial-up modem that has a usb port attached to it, which I'm going to plug into a wireless router. I've found a place online where I can sign up for ten free hours of dial-up internet. It may not be a solution, but I want to have as many alternatives as possible.

According to the Texas Public Notices page on the Texas Press Association site, Circle C in Rotan has submitted an application for a wine and beer permit, so it looks like Fisher County will soon be collecting proceeds from the first legal sales of alcohol since local option was enforced after the repeal of prohibition.

I don't actually know if that is true. I can't figure out if Fisher County was ever wet. An article I found on the Texas State Historical Association site is interesting and explains a few things, but doesn't pinpoint the events in this county.

Read more about Texas History here. The word solon used in the article means statesman.