There is not a whole lot that has changed since my meager offering of last week’s edition, but we’re still getting our share of summer. Although it’s been a little less than a month back since our last rain, some of the folks are starting to sound like some of the people back during the drought of the Fifties. I’m pretty sure that we’ve had that much wind this season as we experienced back then, but 1 dry month doesn’t put us into the straights like 6 to 7 years of dry weather. Actually, we’re fairly fortunate around these parts, while many of our regional neighbors are not as well off as we are. The creeks & rivers are still running, most of the tanks are full, and several of the farmers are baling hay, with the Wheat harvest just about finished. Many reports from the Wheat fields & the shipping-storage locations are averaging 40-50 bushel yields, with 59-61 lb. bu. Wt. That’s about as much of a record for San Saba Co. as my poor ol’ memory might record. Some of the producers that have any kind of storage facilities are putting up all they can hold as our post-harvest market might rise.

While speaking of running Rivers, it’s about time for some of the orchards to start the irrigation pumps for Pecans. I was hauling a load of sand across the Goldthwaite bridge to Jim Galindo at the High part of Big Valley last week and noticed the sand-bar sticking out a good bit up-river from the bridge. The Pecan orchards around Big Valley and on the San Saba side take up quite a bit of watering. The San Saba is still flowing full up around the crossings above & below Sloan, the Maxwell-King, as well as the Ellis right above Double Ford. We always look to the ol’ timers for info on such said places, but they are rapidly diminishing. Some of the most valuable sources on names of people & places were Poly Millican, Forest Dickison, Elmo Whisenant, and Joe , Ward & Bryant Ellis. Ward McKee is still pretty good around China Creek, while Tweet Byrd helps me around other parts of the County. James B. Harkey & I know where Allen Pond is, but I’ve yet to locate the exact spot of Duncan Crossing on the San Saba. Guess we could get the Mayor to allocate some municipal funding for Geographic Historical research of the Harkeyville area.

Son, Will was in this past weekend for the Ellis Family Reunion held down at the Home-Place bottom there at Ward’s. He said Wade Louis had the Bottom all nice & neat and they presented Aunt Emma a commemorative plaque for making it to 100 come this July. I heard that Tommy Ketchum catered the Dinner this year as Betty Ann was about to Bon Voyage out of Town.

Several of the Family and friends went down to San Saba Municipal to help Duke Lindsey with the annual Heath-Moreno scholarship benefit golf tournament and cooking. Looked like they had great participation from a lot of folks from all around the State as well as some San Saba faithful. The Fajita dinner was very well accepted following the tourney with the McDowell boys, Duke & Michelle, and yrs. Truly all tending to various parts. Audrey Beth came down to give them a hand & also stopped by to visit with Daddy. Tony Cantu even enjoyed the meal as he remarked that “It’s really nice to get to eat someone else’s cooking down here.” There was also a bunch of boys from Fredericksburg that meet here each year for a mini-reunion and golfing. They were a good natured bunch that visit & cook in the midst of golfing rounds and even got Mayor Adams to come by & eat with them one evening. They also left a good bit of expanded metal they donated for some renovation of the big ol’ BBQ pit there by the out-door pavilion. Maybe the Association can take advantage of their generous gift.

I happened to spy Una May Hyatt sitting beside the bridge below the Falls at Mill Pond last week, with some fellow that looked even a bit older than me. Douglas was down visiting with his Mom with what appeared to be some of the Grandkids in tow. Anyhow they were taking pictures and enjoying the pretty spot. The Park Maintenance Dept. of the City as well as the direction of the Garden Club deserve a couple of admirable “Atta-Boys” for their efforts down there. Mill Pond Park and our S.S. Golf Course are a couple of the best kept secrets around our great State of Texas. Some folks seem to be finding out about them though, even out around————————————Harkeyville!!!!!!!