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.

Sendero in town, Kelly Spinks next weekend

- Sendero vehicle -

Sendero Oil Company has been noticeably present down around Camp Springs this week. They've been clearing brush and making a path with a big tree eating machine, something that looks kinda like a loader with a big maw attached to the front. Could they be cutting back in anticipation of doodle-bugging? If it's for surveying, they sure have cut some swirly roads. There's always a man sitting in one of the pick-ups outside the area that's being worked. It would be so easy to stop and ask one of them what's going on, but I'm never one to let real knowledge impede upon the thoughts in my head.

I'm hearing the old-timers saying it's going to be a hard winter because the mesquite trees made two crops of beans this year. I didn't notice if my trees made one or two batches, but the termites that ate my yard are now eating the beans laying around out there.

Kelly Spinks & Miles of Texas will be playing music for all the fine folks next Saturday night at the Hobbs Gym, around 8 p.m. The weather should be nice and the dancing even nicer.

A couple of sites that are good to keep up with is The Roscoe Hard Times and The Colorado City Record. Bookmark those and put them on your favorites list!

No time for opportunity

Last week I was making deliveries in Mitchell county when I was flagged down by a man in a pickup. I drew up next to him and noticed right away that he's wearing a button-down shirt with DEVON embroidered on it. He was asking me if I knew who owned some piece of local property and I explained I wasn't from around there, gave him a phone number of someone who could tell him more, and noted to him that he was most likely a landman. Then I let him drive away. Didn't tell him I had property in Fisher County, didn't ask him ANYTHING. I'm kicking myself now, but at the time I was running late and had to get going. Now I have cards printed up with all my information, including my property survey name and number.

In the past couple of days I've been hearing the name Gunn Oil Company repeated. It seems they're leasing and surveying and are soon to be here, or a little east of Hobbs.

Kelly Spinks & Miles of Texas is going to be playing at the gym on November 16, 8 p.m. - midnight. The doors open at 7 p.m., $15 cover, $5 cooler. Come out a little earlier and have a bite at the cafe, they're open until 8 p.m. We were in there yesterday and it was full, half civilians, half hunters. Judy hardly had time to say hello, she was pretty busy.

I've got special memories of maize, today's featured photo. I remember going to harvest with my dad, uncle and grandma. Daisy and I would sit in the truck or pickup while the men worked. They used to tell me the combine belonged to me and it made me the proudest three-year-old in the world. I stood in the back of the grain truck filled with collected maize, thigh deep, with the smell in my nose and fancy little shield-shaped bugs crawling here and there. Yes, later there was itching and scratching, but not enough to ruin my recollections of those times.

This week I've been reading The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver. It's one of my standbys when I can't, or won't, find anything else read, but I've only read it about three times, even now. At first it seems like it's going to be boring, then it gets very good. Kingsolver is one of my favorite authors.

The movie I found palatable was Girl Most Likely with Kristen Wiig, Annette Benning and Matt Dillon. Oh, and I reconnected to the weekly drama The Good Wife, which comes on Sunday evenings. Last week was a good time to get in if you haven't been watching all along, because you could catch on to the storyline without having to know any back history. I think you can watch past episodes online.

Keep an eye out for Hobbs locals in the Dallas vs. Vikings crowd today. They're somewhere behind one of the end zones. I know some Snyder people who are also going.

Go VIKES! Hahahahhaa!

Trenches, explosions, movies & books

- FM 611 -

Pipes on yellow stands along US 180 and FM 611 are ready for transfer into an awaiting trench. I keep trying to pinpoint which pipeline this is, but no luck for me, yet.

Yesterday, as I was beginning a walk, I heard a loud explosion, like when they're blasting for gypsum. Then about twenty minutes later I heard another. The sound seemed to be coming from west-northwest of here. I took a ride west of Camp Springs, all the way up to the Wild Wings and Taylor leases, then north as far as one can go past Camp Springs, then east back down to Nash Miers old place. I never saw any activity, smoke or dust that indicated where the blast came from, but I did notice some land for sale because of the Williamson & Branson sign pegged on it. It looks like it will be the listing for about 51 acres north of Hobbs. You know I want it!

Just west of that property is a natural ridge and for a long time a radio tower was on that ridge. It was more or less north of my house, so when I would come in from Sweetwater, perhaps on a stormy day, I could see "my" tower as I drove past Buster Wright's house (which is across from another tower) and judge which way the clouds were going. I only realized last month that "my" tower had been taken down, and it made me wonder what I've been using as a reference point. Someone else's tower? Do I even know where I live?

Friday night, I tried very hard to watch "The Heat" with Sandra Bullock and Melissa McCarthy. Gratuitous cursing aside, it was just so boring I had to turn it off. It reminded me of a game we would play as kids that we called "Petty Girl". One girl would be the super-snooty, uptight fancy lady and the other girl would pretend to be down-to-earth and practical (normal) and would give The Petty Girl an upcomance. Anyway, I wish I could call Block Buster and get my money back.

I was watching another show today, oh, who cares what it's called. The waitstaff was about to do something vile to a rude customer's food, and I was out. Sometimes I wish I hadn't watched the movies I like so many times, so I would have something good to watch. I wouldn't mind seeing "Murphy's Romance" or "Honeysuckle Rose" right now.

I hear Helen Fielding is about to come out with another book about Bridget Jones. I like that series, but I think her book "Cause Celeb" has a lot more substance to it. Such a realistic viewpoint on the famines that plague Africa. Quite different from the stories about Miss Jones.

Back to local stuff. I believe the buzzards have gone. Crows were trying their hardest to take care of a road-kill mess up the road, but they just don't have the efficiency and talent of the bigger birds. I always miss those hard-working creatures during the winter.

Pipelines, oil rigs and dancing

- Dozer at RPQRR -

There was a lot of activity going on at the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch this week. A new pipeline is going in along US 180, across FM 611 and onto the quail ranch, and they also have another rig operating there. It looks like a vertical operated by Ringo. It's directly between the horizontal rig I took a photo of last week and the fence I was taking it from. The RPQRR Newsletter has verified that the damages from the pipeline are being used to build a new fence on the east side of the ranch. There's a real good photo in the newsletter of three coyote pups drinking out of a stock tank. There are also many other incredible and interesting photos as well as a lot of information about the ranch, community and critters that inhabit therein.

There's going to be a dance at the Hobbs Gym next weekend, just in time to welcome fall. Dusty Creek is playing Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. Cover charge is $15, cooler charge is $5. They'll be entertaining until midnight.

I just signed up for Big Country Electric's new phone app, Smarthub. It only took about five minutes and I'll be able to pay my bill from my phone. Now the water bill is the only one I'll be paying the "old-timey" way, by writing a check and mailing it in.

I noticed that the overpass from US 84 onto I 20 at Roscoe is open, again. I just try to stay out of everyone's way, coming or going around that area, which is referred to as Destruction Junction. There have been fatalities above and below that bridge, and numerous, numerous crashes. Caution to all who drive under or over.

Oil business creeping in, not quite to crescendo

- Martin Ranch -

The photo was taken in front of brown-painted tanks on FM 611 that have a sign posted out front that reads "Gunn Oil Co., Martin QR Lease, Bridjourner Field, RRC No 31148, 3,840 acres". I could hear a pump-jack hydraulic sound across the road behind me, on the Sojourner Cave Lease, which butts up to the south side of the Sojourner Womack Lease, which is just down the road from the Sojourner J.P. & Travis Martin Lease. All of this is south of the US 180 blinking light. I believe my photograph matches up with one of the permits pointed out by Clint Liles on the Fisher County Mineral Rights Forum. It is situated on the Rolling Plains Quail Research Ranch.

The fence all along the west side of the RPQRR has been taken down, with stakes running just a few yards to the inside of where the fence used to be. I don't know if it's for oil and gas reasons, or a part of ranch maintenance. You can keep up with other aspects of the ranch at their website.

There is an interesting and informational article about the Cline Shale on the Lucid Energy site. Boy, that Cline Shale just gets a little bit bigger every week.

You can check out more oil field and Hobbs photos on my Facebook page.