A report of over a half of an inch was reported from different areas around the Bend and a promise of warmer weather and a new cold front which will be here by the time you read this. Old Man Winter has come to stay around for a while. If you can believe in the Farmer’s Almanac there will be cold off and on for some time and some good news more rain sometime in February.

The home of John and Wilma Jo Byrd was a busy place this past weekend. Patricia Hooten, Carolyn Mahoney from Junction, her son Cody Reavis who is in the service, Paula Sanchez and Paula Kay "PK" from Menard, Jon, Christina and their son Steve Byrd, Tim Hart from Lampasas, grandson Mike Allen, JoPete Smith and son Daylon from San Saba came and spent the day visiting. Each one brought a covered dish so Wilma Jo didn’t have to prepare lunch for

everyone. They all just enjoyed getting together and visiting. It had been a long time since all of them had been together.

OraBeth Hicks reported that her granddaughter Elizabeth Bryant won the Reserve Grand champion with her Yorkshire Barrow and placed a second, third

and fourth with her other pigs. Congratulations to Elizabeth. It seems all the Hicks family in San Saba and Lampasas did very well with their entrees.

It seems there maybe a budding artist in the Bend community. Dillon Brister won in two different art categories in the San Saba Live Stock Show. He won a first and second in the pen category. and a first and second in the multimedia category where he drew a picture of his dad Michael on a boom shaker gathering pecans. He called it "My Daddy-Pecan Season." His little

brother Dean had a good weekend also as he just his first horse and will be in his first year riding competitively.

Kenneth Shirley and his fiancee Vanessa McChesney were in over the weekend visiting in the home of William and Jane Clark. They were in to check out

places to live in Temple after their upcoming marriage. Vanessa will be working at Scott and White and Kenneth will be working in McGregor. They plan on getting married February 12.

Happy birthday greetings go out to Brodie Lemons whose birthday is January 22, to Mickey Henniger whose birthday is January 23 to Stacey Hendrick whose birthday is January 27.

Congratulations go out to Jerome and Shirley Meischen who will celebrate their anniversary January 26.