Not a cat

- Texas Opossum -

I heard loud crunching coming from the porch the other night, and looked out to see an opossum eating the food I put out for stray cats. I called out "Hey, Pickles!" and it momentarily looked up, then resumed eating. Eventually, it licked its paws clean and clambered down the steps. The creature's back feet looked like little hands wearing fingerless gloves.

In the photo, up to the right, there are two bits of metal I've found around. They're shaped like a J and a D, my children's initials.

The porch was poured by my Uncle Haskel (Hack), Dad's brother, back in 1964. My Grandma Daisy bought the house in Snyder and had it moved to the Hobbs farm for my mom and dad to live in. This was after my Grandpa Les died that same year. He ran off the Spring Creek Bridge in his pick-up, just north of Hobbs, and was killed in the crash.

The plumbing in the house was done by my uncle, Buster Taggart, who was married to my Aunt Imogene, my father's sister.

The house has passed through many hands since that time, and has had many hands take part in the maintenance and enhancement of it.

I look around inside the house and note that a table came from a neighbor, a desk from my mother, a couch from a friend. Everything this land and house and contents represents is an amalgamation of people and their efforts and what they left behind.

I realize that is also what I am, and what we all are. Imagine, each being that walks this earth is a put together puzzle that is unique in its rendering.

Anyway, I just wanted to tell you I saw a possum on the porch.

Discontinuation of posting of county records

I'm taking down the page for county records because it is a long and tedious process for me to reformat the files. It's easy and free for individuals to access the the information. Using a laptop or PC (mobile won’t let you go page to page), go to TexasFile > Register (no credit card needed) > County Records > Search Now> Fisher, and on the County Clerk page, put an asterisk (*) in Full Name 1 and Full Name 2, then hit Search. Records will come up with the most recent date first. They're usually about a month behind. For more current records, the Fisher County Clerk's Office is very accommodating, helpful and knowledgeable in researching.

I've got a proposition for you

I voted early. In our county, a person could vote in two locations February 18 through February 28, 8 AM to 5 PM. I simply don't understand all the caterwauling about long lines at the polls. There was plenty of time to get in there. Then, again, I don't think anyone around here was crying about it, I just saw it on the news.

As I was going about my serious business of voting for my candidate, I got to the end of the ballot, where the propositions were, and it seemed I had suddenly fell into a facebook rabbit hole. I would have said "What the hell?" out loud if I hadn't been the only person voting at that time, but I certainly thought it.

"Do I want them to stop doing WHAT to children? Is this even happening?" and "Well, people still pray wherever they want to, despite the law" were a couple of thoughts I had upon reading the propositions (here's the list). By the way, this was on the Republican ballot. I'm not true to any one party, I vote on whatever ballot has the people on it that I'm interested in having in office.

Usually, I research and look at sample ballots, but I was so single-minded in voting for one office only that I went in unprepared. The propositions seemed preposterous, and they diminished the gravitas of the voting process, for me.

Who comes up with these? I want to see the names of the people who are responsible for such nonsense. I want to know the process of how a proposition gets on a ballot, along with the research and reasoning for placing them before the public. I have a few of my own that would pertain to real life.

I propose, say, that it should be mandatory for all students to take a class on handling bank accounts and credit cards. Learn how to reconcile payments against the balance, and remember those auto-drafts! And, hey, that credit card money isn't free.

Also, let's do something about litter. It's not okay to throw your trash out the car window, or to dump a couch on the side of the road. Aesthetics matter, people!

Now I'm off to break my mind trying to figure out the proposition process and what motivates the people who have figured it out for themselves. There's always a new trick for an old dog to learn.

Drilling permits for February 2020

Seven permits were approved in February, one being an overlap from January. A couple of Peregrine permits are still in mapping status from last month. Click on the tab above to look at a list of permits, and follow up at the Railroad Commission website to see details and map locations.

Abilene Hemp Master Class overview

- Hemp class, Abilene -

Zachary Maxwell, president of Texas Hemp Growers and founder of digital newspaper Arlington Voice, presented Hemp Master Class at the SoDA building in Abilene yesterday, Saturday, February 29.

The room was packed; I would say over 200 people were there. I went to dispel the confusion I had in differentiating between hemp and pot. I've found a lot of people have hard opinions on the subject, but none seem to be the same. My takeaway was that hemp and marijuana (marihuana, in legislative literature) look the same, but have different THC (tetrahydrocannabinol, the ingredient that makes you high) levels, although growers must constantly work to maintain the lower level in hemp.

I liked the information about licensing, fertilizing, plant sexing and what to expect all around in the crop. There was no mollycoddling about this being a fairytale industry, and I appreciated that knowledge.

I had some concerns about the legitimacy of one of the panel guests, who was presented as a geneticist, and the shortening of the title assistant commissioner for water and rural affairs to assistant commissioner of agriculture.

The various hemp groups and their affiliations are somewhat confusing. There's Texas Hemp Growers, Texas Hemp Growers Association and Texas Hemp Industries Association, all three with different websites. There are many groups that are very willing to unravel the mysteries of hemp for us! Closely watching the agencies that regulate hemp, such as the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture), the TDA (Texas Department of Agriculture), the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and the DSHS (Department of State Health Services), might help separate the hemp from the chaff.

Anyway, the meeting was clarifying and well rendered. It didn't hurt at all that it took place in the SoDA building on Third Street, an aesthetically pleasing venue.

Dan Hunter, the aforementioned Texas Department of Agriculture Assistant Commissioner for Water and Rural Affairs, fielded a question from the audience regarding the legalization of marijuana in Texas. He said he thought it would be a long way down the road, and taking a clue from the way Texas legislation has worked in the past, didn't see it happening unless it was legalized federally.

Jan 2020 records updated

January county records are up to date. When looking for a specific name, go to the toolbar at the top of the page, click on edit, then find in this page.

Drilling permits pick up in January

There were nearly three times as many permits for January as there were for December.

Checking the permit map on the Railroad Commission site is recommended for wells of interest, as the direction given is not always correct. One permit from last year gave directions as "x miles from the courthouse in Rotan". Unless something has drastically changed, the Fisher County Courthouse remains in Roby.

Click the permits tab above for a list of January permits.

No rose garden, just a rose bush

- The little house -

I like to peruse Airbnb, the site where you can rent other people’s houses or apartments when you go on vacation, instead of staying in a hotel.

I've used it and I liked the places where we stayed. I was musing about putting an ad for my house on there and the special provisions I would have to include.

It might go something like this:

"Country living, smoking allowed, because you're an adult and I trust you to have common sense. If I have to tell you not to go to sleep with lit cigarettes between each finger, then there's no hope for you, anyway. I shouldn't have rented my house to you.

If you hear a loud, rattling, tea-pot type whistle from the water heater, that just means there's been a jump in water pressure, and you need to either take a shower (the whistling will stop while the hot water is on), or turn the water valve and water heater off (add in detailed list of how that works, lighting and re-lighting). You'll most likely need to turn it off, anyway, even after a shower. Just relight it an hour before you need it again.

The refrigerator and washing machine also make various sounds, lots of whirring, creaking and moaning. They are in proper working order, they just have a lot to say.

There's a nice wood-stove, but only use it if there's rain or snow. We're in a burn ban most of the time because we are almost a desert.

The propane heater and a few space heaters will be your heat source. In fact, check the tank out back when you get there to make sure you have enough fuel. When you leave the house, turn off all, I mean all, heaters. This old farm house is like a tinder box, just waiting to go up in flames. On the other hand, during warmer months, the air conditioner should be left on continuously.

There are many sounds in the country with which you might not be familiar. It's very quaint to hear a hoot owl or a lonely howl of a coyote, but there a few animal vocalizations that may be altogether foreign to your ear.

If you hear something like an angry bear (or bears), that is just a bellowing bull or two or three. It's alarming, but not dangerous, as long as they are in the fence, which is why they're hollering in the first place (I see and smell the ladies, but I can't get to them because of this durn fence, say the bulls).

A screaming woman type sound can either be a bobcat or coyote. The coyote sounds more like a ghost being strangled. Neither should worry you.

Oh, and if there's a tornado, you can go to the cellar, if you like, but there's no door, just a big piece of plywood to cover the hole from within, holding it in place with a big, heavy, barrel chair. If it rains, even a little, the top leaks and soon you'll be standing in inches of water. You'll quickly figure out where the only (momentarily) dry square foot is located. It's probably best just to ignore the weather. There's usually just a lot of wind and sound, but not much happens. Usually."

Well, maybe my ad needs work. Maybe another country person would see it for what it really is: a great, wonderful place to live. If you don't mind rattlesnakes (oh, I forgot to mention those!).

December 2019 slow month for permits

Only six oil drilling permits were issued for December. One of those, Cedar Breaks 104 1H, was an overlap from November.

Browning Oil Company and Peregrine Petroleum both had two applications, with Cholla Petroleum and Mercury Operating each having one.

Five were approved and one, Mercury's Hamlin Unit 22, is listed at engineering status.

The county records have been updated. Click the tab up top to see oil, gas, wind and solar records for December.

Sheriff’s sale January 7

On Tuesday, Jan.7, 2020, there will be a sheriff’s sale at 10 a.m. at the north door of the Fisher County Courthouse.

There are many parcels of land up for bid. One parcel is in Roby, at 306 SW 1st; the others are out in the county, in the Eskota, Royston, McCaulley, Longworth and Sylvester areas.

For more information on the parcels, look in the Double Mountain Chronicle or go to Public Notices. Use the parcel numbers (leave off the letter in front) to do a search on the Fisher County Appraisal District website.

To find out the location of a piece of property, use the Fisher CAD interactive map. In the search box on the map, use the city name (ex: Eskota) instead of the property id number. Once the right vicinity is found, peck around on the map to find the relevant parcel.