Public sales for end of March, beginning of April

The City of Abilene has an auction opening with Rene Bates Auctioneers, today at 2 p.m., and ending on March 28. 104 vehicles are up for bid. I'm assuming it's online, as it lasts four days.

The closest Perdue Brandon sheriff sale listed is in Mitchell County, on April 1, 10 a.m. This sale is in-person. There are a few Loraine properties to be sold.

Jones County has six foreclosure sales scheduled for April 1, at varying times. The properties are in Anson and Stamford.

Scurry County  has two foreclosures up for auction at various times on April 1. One is out by the prison, between Camp Springs Road and US 180. The other is for three lots in the Deep Creek Estates addition.

Another way to purchase tax foreclosed properties is to search appraisal district websites for properties that local entities own (City of -, - ISD, etc.), then use the contact listed to inquire about them. If Texas Communities Group is the agent, email them and ask them to put the property up for auction on their website.

Coughing and tin

- Cleaned last week -

Ah! In like a lion, right? Spring is on its way, bringing dust to be newly laid on, well, everything. After the two dust storms last week, it looked like there were stenciling projects all over the house. Luckily, I had just coated everything with lemon Pledge, making certain that the dirt stuck very well.

Last night I couldn't get the grit out of my throat, because, after coughing, I had to suck in the air that was hanging with more grit. I put in the AC window unit the day before, so it was cool grit. The electric threatened to go, on and off, but it held. Dusty but comfy!

I got dinged by Texas Communites Group and the City of Rotan about a vacant building they want me to tear down. I've called someone to help, but I wish I could do it myself. I've gone to check it out, but I end up standing and staring at it for a few minutes, picking up some trash, then motoring off. I thought I could at least pull some of that flapping tin off the roof, but the labor is beyond my physical and mental capacity. Let a pro do it.

Some new signs of spring I've seen are a positive sighting of ground squirrels, buzzards, lilacs budding and a batch of chicks. I try to pick up the eggs before the hens get to sitting, but miss one day and suddenly they have 14 eggs under them and a look in their eye that tells me I might lose an arm if I try anything funny. At least 10 hatched. They are very cute, as usual, and just ready to break my heart when they get caught under a board and die, or are eaten by a fox or coyote or raccoon or skunk or bobcat, etc.

Well, I've got to go get a load of laundry out of the dryer before the wind gets too high (the dryer is outside. I'm a hillbilly!). I'll hold off dusting until mid-May.

Living on the edge

- Hobbs, TX sunset -

Sometimes it's not so easy living between counties, between states, between states of mind, heh, heh.

The  name of this community here on the west side of the county is Hobbs, but if I'm trying to find any news online, I can usually only find information about that other Hobbs. The one that's not in Texas.

And the Fisher County Hobbs isn't the only Texas one. There's another one out by Temple. I bet they can get delivery pizza there. That's the one thing I wish I could have out here. I'll pay mileage! Oh, it's probably better that I don't, I'd weigh 500 lbs. before I knew it.

Looking at weather, the forecast for Rotan (San Angelo area with the National Weather Service) talks about I-10, north and south, 350 some-odd miles south of here. Snyder forecast will peer way over the mountains to the west and north, referencing the four-corners: Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado. That's a little ways from here (650 miles or so). The local news is mostly Abilene-centered - that's about 60 miles south east of here. So, to live in this little outback, it's best to have a few radars and a few forecasts and to look out the door to keep up with the weather. 

It is pretty funny that if I want to go to that other, non-Texas Hobbs, I just take a right out of my driveway and keep driving west for 160 miles. There may be a few jigs here and there, but mostly west.

Breaking ground, things going on

- FM 611 IREN site -

IREN has earnestly started in on their new location on FM 611, by the Wetsel Substation in Fisher County. Click on the photo to see the detail of the water truck and earth moving machines. This will be a data center for mining bitcoin.

Fisher County ACE Hardware in Rotan has opened. It is now possible to buy whatever you need in Fisher County. A trip to Dollar General, Comprehensive  Land Management (chicken scratch), Ace and Thriftway will get the groceries.

There's been a lot of work going on in downtown Rotan on the median islands. They've been cleaned out and cleaned up, ready for new installments of electricity and artsy figures.

Nolan County will be having their yearly tax foreclosure sale tomorrow, March 4, at the courthouse in Sweetwater. Start time is 2 p.m.

Rattlesnake Round Up is coming up. This year it will be the weekend of March 14.

I've seen some spring time creatures moving around, either prairie dogs or lizards; they're too fast for me to identify. If they're moving, then rattlesnakes are bound to be, too.