If you might have been waiting for a cold spell from a really “good” Norther, then I think you might have finally gotten your wish. At this writing, we are not quite sure as to how much moisture is included with this front, but any is certainly welcome. We dislike the fact of this type of weather being so hard on all the livestock, but maybe the precipitation will make it worthwhile in the long run. It’s a bit “iffy” on the low temperature before print deadline, but by the time you’ll be reading the “News”, one will know just how low it dipped. I think the “Angelo Std. Times” forecast a predicted low of 28 for the Concho Valley for Tues. night, so the Valley of the Pecan should settle somewhere around that. We know that a lot of that will depend upon cloudy or clear, as well as that of being windy or calm, as well.

There are a lot of ol’ sayings regarding the advent of a cold front. A couple of them that easily come to mind might be that of livestock lying down in the day-time or wildlife actively foraging to pack in some energy for body warmth during the icy spell. One of the best barometers we’ve noticed the past few years is that of Buster grinding a good stock of Chili meat for the Counter. He has made a life-long study of the wants & needs of the customer & is willing to comply. Being a fair cook, he is also ready to help you with any of his favorite recipes, complete with seasonings, for whatever dish you desire in regard to preparation for the table. Momma used to say that we should “Never trust a skinny cook”. Therefore, it should suffice to say that Mr. Lowe would prove to be extremely trustworthy regarding that qualification. This humble scribe could line up with John Long, R. Pete, & Jim Ed. In that category as well. Daddy’s grand-son, Duke, is also adding weight to our ranks.

While speaking of Chili, one would be remiss to not speak of the gathering of good folks around the Fire House up at Richland last Sat. evening. There are several surrounding rural community fund-raising functions that center with the VFD such as Cherokee and Pontotoc to name a couple, but the sandy-land folks of Richland Spgs. seem to be able to put the big pot in the little one with fine flair.

Doug Gibson visited with me a couple of weeks back as he and Dale McKinnerney had been colluding on cooking a big pot of Chili. Anyhow, with all the “expert” opinions on the subject, we got Buster to grind the meat to said specification, ordered the secret seasoning, and came up with certain peppers, garlic, and onion to simmer a seventy-five lb. pot of Chili. “Teaspoon” Tony Navarra brought a lot of his cooking utensils from Kerrpatch, along with friend, Liz, that got her initiation of chopping peppers, onion, & garlic. A seasoned Chopper is sometimes hard to find. Ms. Mode kept her company during a lot of the afternoon, though. Willy boiled a couple of buckets of beans, and J. Bates grilled bacon, Sausage, and flipped flap-jacks for a couple of hours. An endless string of ladies brought by heaping platters of cornbread, cookies, cakes, & pies. I’m not sure as to whom might have come up with the Band, but they surely played some good ol’ toe-tapping tunes, as well as not turning up their speakers, as to be heard in Algerita. Good music never has to be loud. Marshall Slayton can tell you that. Anyhow, our crew loaded up our pots & pans & left the building in time to get back to Town soon after dark. One of the highlights of the whole day for me was being able to visit with Shirley (Benton) McEwin & her hubby as they were over from Browntown for her big brother’s Gala. I hesitate to tell you how long it’s been since we’d seen each other, as it might divulge something of our age, but suffice to say, that it was quite a while prior to the Grammar School’s demise. Anyhow, the whole affair was a lot of fun for all concerned with well earned accolades to a very generous couple in Jerry & Shirley. Ruben Almaguer even gave us thumbs-up on our Chili.

I think we’ve got some extra Chili meat thawed over at Daddy’s, so I’ll see if I can back it off to a mere 5 lb. pot over there this evening. Shaw might even show up to give me some pointers, as he’s another of the portly pot-boiler society that claims to cook well. That’s something that the Mayor & yrs. Truly knows about out around——————Harkeyville!!!!!!