Seems as if we’ve just now gotten used to writing ’09, & here one finds himself already through the 1st tri-mester of the year. I know that the “younguns” don’t really think we more mature folks know much of anything, however, if they think time is rolling by in a hurry now, just wait a few years. Speaking of time, I’m not exactly sure how most of you spend your hours after quittin’ time, but if you happen to fix supper after dark, it’s ‘bout bedtime by the time you finish eating. I imagine that it will even be a bit later than that up until about June 22.

Richard Barker, Jarvis Shaw, & yrs. truly often remark in our meanderings as to our good fortune of being reared in such a nice place as San Saba. Barker chose to be here several years back, preferring our Town over the Bryan-College Sta. area; Shaw is glad to be back here rather than fight the hustle & bustle traffic of the State Capitol area; & though I did get to live last down in Kerrville, Lady Z & I like it here. I’ve told my Compadres several times that I’m sure glad we were not born in Sierra Blanca. Another of the positive points of our fair Valley of the Pecan is the fact that we’ve been receiving rain at a bit better rate than many of our neighbors of the Hill Country. Many of the communities of the County have gotten nearly 6”, total, over the past 3-4 weeks. The pastures are about as green as the Emerald Isle of the Irish, folks are busy putting up small grain hay, the creeks & Rivers are running some above normal, and most of the tanks and ponds have run around. Our local Realtors are even enjoying showing some city folks around our pretty country, again.

The San Saba County Pecan Grower’s assn.& the County Extension office headlined our County Pecan Field Day this past Monday down at the Civic Center, with a very good turn-out of participants and exhibitors. It looked like about 150 folks were in the audience as well as a bunch of equipment exhibitors and other area business folks involved in the various aspects dealing with Pecans. Basil Savage and Loren even brought a trailer load of Savage Pecan equipment all the way down from Madill, Okla. A whole host of qualified experts presented respective segments dealing with pesticide applications & safety, diseases, general orchard mgt., insect pests & mgt., and Wade Hibler, Burnet Co., headed up a Pecan propagation demonstration dealing with grafting & budding following the preceding presentations. Dr. Tommy Thompson, USDA, College Sta. & yrs. truly helped with the demonstration, as a couple of other folks on the program had to get on down the road. Dr. Thompson & I got treated to an orchard tour of the ol’ E. E. Risien orchard down at Pecan Grove by the Millicans after the programs. The venerable ol’ orchard was bitten pretty bad by the late frost, but seems to be leafing back out as well as can be expected. The good rains have surely helped that sad situation of many of our local bottoms & orchards. I did get a chance to visit with Roy Walston, County Agent down in Kerr Co. recently, & near as he & I could figure, our local Pecan Field Day has been going on about 25 years.

Other activity in the orchards at this time include fertilizing, shredding, grafting, and following IPM procedures for scouting for Pecan nut Casebearer moth emergence & egg laying activity. Pat Adams will be keeping the Mayor & me fully informed on such-said activity all around———————Harkeyville!!!!!!!!!