Here’s hoping all yall had a nice Monday & might have taken a bit of time to at least observe that being the day to recall Texas declaring their Independence in that meager mance down in Washington on the Brazos. As best as my memory serves from my days down at “Sing-Sing on the Brazos”, the near forgotten Hamlet is in close proximity to Somerville. The Daughters of the Republic of Texas will be celebrating Texas historical events most of this week, with Friday, the 6th, being the anniversary of the fated fall of the Alamo. Another day of certain significance will be April 21st, San Jacinto Day. Texans will honor that date as the “Texicans” duly defeated the Mexican Army down on the San Jacinto, literally catching Gen. Santa Anna with his pants down. Son, Will and Chas. Schreiner III were 2 of the few that could relate the actual fable of the Yellow Rose of Texas, and her part in the story.

Looks like we are still experiencing the effect of the last days of winter, what with all the cooler temperatures in our fair Valley of the Pecan lately. Near freezing temperatures are really not all that bad, but when accompanied by 20-30 mph winds, it seems rather bitter. Jr. Hibler & yrs. Truly spent all of Saturday in the Pecan Plantation off Pecan Grove Rd. watering newly planted trees and can well testify to the blustery, dusty breezy day. One of the positive aspects of such said windy weather was that Jr. & Daddy got the storage tank filled by the recently repaired windmill on the Garvin off Johnny Brown Lane. We’re still looking for some runoff water to come down the draw to fill Jimmy Don & Kathy’s newly cleaned dirt tank, though. I never really relished fixing water gaps, but it would be a welcome chore, now-days.

We need to take a little time here to lay a garland on the steps of City Hall as the City crew has done a great job getting the Pecan trees pruned in front of St. Mary’s Catholic Church. Not knowing if they contracted with a new service or not this season, I’d still have to say that if I were to be pruning older, established trees, that is just about exactly how one would recommend pruning procedure. All too often, we see folks butcher a tree down to the nubbin, referred to as dehorning, and seriously setting back the rejuvenation of the tree. A timely chore for the Knights of Columbus might be that of watering the trees on a weekly schedule until we get a good rain. Fact is, if you have any trees in the orchard, yard, or landscape, right now is a good time to begin scheduled watering as the Pecans & landscape trees will all be breaking bud in the coming month’s time.

I happened to run on to Thumper Millican & family at the Town & Country this past Sunday a.m. They were in town getting ready for Elsie’s birthday party following Sunday Service at the Methodist Church. He also checked on direction out to the Big Uncle Cemetery west of Richland as he has relations to the Woods family. Fact is, Will & Katylee are both descended of folks resting in Big Uncle, with Will having relatives on both the Harkey and Woods’ sides. If you have any interest in the exciting history of the ancient grave yard, you might want to look up a story published in the May, ’74 issue of the true West, “Frontier Times” written by a certain “Chris” Weatherby, nom de plume, an author of San Saba, but I’ll have to let you figure out whom that might be, on your own. I did promise Johnny that I’d try to get him a copy of the article, if he didn’t have one in his files. I also have to get the original copy of that magazine back to Skeez, before he tries to put me in that Cemetery.

Guess it’s about time to wrap this one up & get it sent on down to the “Editress” at the “News” as I’m pushing deadline a bit. Other than that, the Mayor & yrs. Truly will both be planting, pruning, & watering a few more trees this week out around—————————Harkeyville!!!!!!!!