We hear a lot of folks beginning to be a bit more vocal in complaining about our weather. That can be fairly normal, especially if you are “country” folks, as are most of us around these parts. It is fairly normal to howl & rail at the wind, but damning the drought has been a major subject of most folks complaints the past several months. There are a number of folks still around that remember, all too well, the major drought of the Fifties, as well as a younger set that have heard all the stories. It was such a catastrophic event, affecting all areas of west Texas that folks still recall a lot of stories of such hard times. Daddy began ranching in ’49 or ’50 on a place right across from the Skeeterville Store up on the Wilbarger. It was so dry so long that many wells went dry, creeks & the Rivers quit flowing, and tanks dried up, as well. A lot of those same things are happening around us this time as well and it’s been very dry only 8 months instead of 4 years. A lot of us kids learned about burning Prickly Pear back in those days, too. Anyhow, we do remember the big flood of ’57, so maybe that’s what we can expect sometime this summer.

Most of the farmers & ranchers are carrying on with their regular activities, similar to normal times. Many of the ones that still have some cattle are feeding a lot more than is normal and we are seeing a big increase in water buggies being hauled around. Several of the hay producers have already broken their fields, but will probably be waiting on a good rain around the 1st part of April to sew the sorghum. Some of the wheat fields look a lot better than one would imagine, but would surely welcome more moisture.

A number of the Pecan harvesters have been servicing their equipment and putting it in the shed as scrapping has about come to a close in the orchards and bottoms. Pruning, planting skips, and irrigation are the make up major activities in the orchards at present. J. Brister is still cleaning some Pecans. True to San Saba theme, several producers around the County are planting new orchards, renovating dilapidated ones, and trying to keep it all watered. I think son, Will, even planted a Pecan tree in Nana’s yard last weekend. Guess I might go ahead & plant a new one in Daddy’s orchard so they both will have a new tree to tend. Besides all that, the Mayor & yrs. Truly have surely been enjoying Aggie basketball this past week anywhere out around———————Harkeyville!!!!!!!!!