It’s a fairly sure bet that the milder temperatures have been welcomed with warming smiles the past few days. If you have happened to have been traveling any of the gravel roads around the County or out in the pastures, we’ll agree that the damp, drizzly days have kept the countryside pretty wet, though. We did have a short, loud spring rainstorm Monday afternoon, that got all the gutters, bar-ditches, and draws running in town. I didn’t check on the amount, but I’ve noticed that quite a number of folks have given up on keeping track of rainfall records. We haven’t had a chance to check on amounts received, but I have heard of a few reports that measured anywhere from around 40 points up to an inch. Anyhow, driving out to FM 500, through Liveoak, Fairview, China Creek and back by China Knob, Shaw & I saw a good bit of water coming out of the pastures & down theCreeks.

We can tell that spring is on the way as evidenced by severalindicators. Folks are getting the gardening bug, lawn mowers are getting tuned up for the 1st greening of winter weeds & grasses, pruning is still in progress, & reports from the Rivers account for anglers filling full stringers of White bass and Channel cat. The Water cress patcheson theclear springs & creeks are also a bit more full than the past two or three seasons when it was too dry. Sambo Phillips was even asking where he could find some Watercress. There is good green patches down on Mill Creek and it’s close to Town & free access. If he had paid attention when he was a kid, he’d well know where every secluded patch is located as I’d guarantee that Luke knew the whereabouts of each patch of Watercress anywhere in theCounty. Watercress and Wild Onions also signal the season of going up in the clear waters of the San Saba in search of the Round back Suckers. I know that a lot of folks sort of turn up their nose when you mention catching or frying Suckers, but that’s because they’ve never tried Round backs. Besides their being fun to catch, whether you gig or grab, They are very tasty this time of year. It is essential that one knows the proper method of scoring the sides as well as frying them a bit more crisp than we would catfish. There were several ol’ fishermen of times past that could really catch Round backs with Joe Ellis, Melvin Hector, James Lusty and Goob being among the best. I recall Daddy & Nelson Gaddy going all the way up to Ft. McKavet togig Suckers, wading the headwaters of the San Saba with a Coleman lantern, & a gig & sack in hand. Fact is, Nelson prized the Suckers so highly that he stated, "I wouldn’t trade one Round back for 5 Channel cat." I was keeping a little Creek hole in secret close by, but Roger Verette found it.

Activity in the Pecan bottoms and orchards has been picking up as of late with the producers cleaning up some limb & leaf trash piles and pruning as well as beginning to have to shred. We’re about at the end of time for proper collecting and storing of scion wood for grafting and budding. That also means it’s about time for Olan Tisdale & yrs. truly to make our annual trek up to DeLeon to pick up this year’s supply of replacement trees and grafting supplies at Womack’s Nursery.

I happened to glance over Jessica Lambert’s column in the Business section of the San Angelo Standard Times earlier in the week and was glad to see that she quoted one of my favorite Presidents for advice during trying times of the economy. The ol’ Rough River, Theodore Roosevelt stated: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are." I can assure you that the Mayor & yrs. truly will be adhering to that axiom wherever we are outaround...Harkeyville!!!!!!!!!