The news from around the Bend was as plentiful as the rain has been this past week. There have been no reports of anyone being in the hospital. A few that have had whatever has been going around, but all well now. Maybe everyone around here is just too darn ornery to get sick, which may be a good thing.

The Hicks family returned home from the Ft. Worth Stock show minus any ribbons, but they did have a wonderful time while there and are already talking about next year. They watched the miniature donkey judging and now Catherine has decided that donkeys are just the thing. The poor dogs have gone from pigs to donkeys.

There was some excitement Sunday afternoon. A helicopter from Killeen set down on the Eckhoff ranch off of 580. It had some sort of engine problem. William Clark, Jamie, Andrew and A.J. Houdyshell had seen it go down and drove over to check it out. The soldiers let Andrew and A.J. get aboard and look it over. Needless to say the boys were thrilled by the experience. Jamie had her camera and took some pictures of the boys and the helicopter. That will be something for the boys to have at “show and tell” at school.

Rufus and Tommye Cobern entertained Jeffery, Tanya and Ashley Chalfant of Cedar Park and Kerry Marley of Katy over the weekend. Kerry went home Sunday and the Chalfant family stayed over until Monday.

It was reported that Chuck and Debbie Marceaux of Cherokee attended the Bend Church of Christ Sunday. Chuck is recuperating at home after his stay in the hospital at Temple.

Saturday Dorothy Morris of Round Rock and her sister Bernice Ozehein of Deer Park paid a visit to Lola Morris. They enjoyed lunch prepared by Lola and spent the afternoon catching up on news. Dorothy and Bernice took flowers to the cemetery before leaving for Round Rock.

Bonnie Millican is visiting family members in South Carolina. Maybe Bonnie will get to see some rain while she is there and just maybe can bring some home with her.

Happy birthday goes out to Margie McDowell who will celebrate a birthday February 7, to Peggy Whittenburg and Clovis Gibson who will celebrate a birthday February 10.