If one happens to enjoy the warmer climes, then you have been a happy camper as of late. When the ol’ thermometer gets up close to the 80 degree mark, that seems a lot more like summer than the 1st part of spring. Most folks we’ve heard from the past couple of weeks agree that we can surely use the next rain. I know we’ve been sort of spoiled this past Fall and winter with regular rainfall, but we’d kind of like to keep it that way. Shaw & yrs. truly agree that when the County roads get dusty, it’s time for another rainy spell. It is fairlyamusing to us that some of the folks that were complaining of the cold, wet weather back about a month ago happen to be among those that complain of it being too warm & dry, already. Hmmmm!

When we have as good of a Fall season as we experienced this year, it really makes a difference as to how the spring foliage emerges upon the scene. Most of the different species of tree & shrubs have all broken bud, with most of them fairly well leafed out. The Pecan and Mesquite are generally the last to break bud and they are greening up now. We’ve also heard some of the ol’ timers say over the years that when the Mesquite bud out, that the danger of frost is past. I recall several years back when the tardy Mesquite was frost bitten two years in succession. According to most reports, I think we can venture to say that, hopefully, we are frost free now. One good sign is that even the most cautious gardeners are putting out their Tomato plants, now. Jarvis and Skinny have both been tilling their plots and putting out some transplants. Glynnis has even gotten the gardening bug this spring. Tennessee has some green onions that are near ready for thinning , but Glenn Fitzgerald is keeping his frost protection boxes close at hand for a few more days. Skeeter Grumbles is being a bit more cautious this season and is still tilling his plot, as he had to replant the entire Tomato rows last year. Jr. & I have yet to tune up the ol’ tiller so as to "fine till" the plot over at Daddy’s as the chiseling with the farm tractor leaves it a little rough. Whatever you do in the garden this season ought to turn out pretty good. If you have happened to drive around the County or ventured farther down Hwy. 16 to Babyhead, or on down to Willow City, you’ve certainly noticed the bountiful bloom of the Bluebonnets this season. I’ve made a couple of trips all the way down to Kerrville the past month and would venture to say that the latter part of this week and weekend should find our State flower and a few other wildflower species a full floret. Some of the others that are beginning to bloom include Indian Paintbrush, Verbena, Texas Prickly poppy. Buttercup or Evening Primrose, and those lil’ ol’ yellow flowers. I have to fairly well agree with Bebe Bagley as to the aspect of Bluebonnets not caring to grow where those lil’ yellow flowers are located. If you plan on getting down the road to view some of the Bluebonnet trails, you might want to consider going during the middle of the week, as the roadsides are fairly well congested with wildflower watchers during the weekends.

Some of the Pecan producers are trying to finish their pruning season, a few are still planting replacement trees, and the bark should be slipping enough by this weekend to think about grafting or budding. This humble scribe won’t be able to get into the orchard until next week as we’ll be over in the Park on the Llano River with Bubba Barber, Tony Navarra, Fuzzy & Mary Reagor, Tammy Rains, Cary Otto, Kirk Winfrey and Thomas Murray boiling Cooper’s Sausage, Crawfish, smoking BBQ and some other dishes for the Crawfish Open, Fri. and Sat. Come by and see us and we’ll guarantee that you won’t go away hungry anywhere out around ————Harkeyville!!!!!!!!!!!