It’s a fairly sure bet that any of you within our reading audience

need not be reminded of the unusually high temperatures that we’ve been experiencing as of late. We might have to except Gordon Hall from that list as he lives somewhere in up-state Washington. Both of the time & temperature signs showed 105 degrees at 3:30 in the afternoon earlier this week & Ol’ Baldy on the weather news reported San Saba as registering a high of 100. Whatever the official temperature happened to be, it still felt pretty warm.

If you happened to have been doing anything out-doors, you know what we’re talking about. You do know this; when you walk into the house where you have

the AC set on 80 degrees & it feels nice and cool, it’s too hot outside.

There has been an increase of activity out around Harkeyville the past several sale days at the Auction Barn with trailers coming & going dropping loads of cattle off at the pens. There was a report of somewhere around 4200 head at the sale this past week. This prolonged dry spell, drought, or whatever one would call it has resulted in a severe shortage of forage & stock water. If you have happened to be down around the water spigot by the Mill Pond, you would see a pretty long line of trailers & all sorts of tanks for hauling water to the pasture. Feeding is surely not much fun during the summertime and I’d have to admit that hauling water is a step down from that.

Everyone has been praying for rain & the fact that we’re

better off than most of our neighboring counties holds little solace for such a sore subject. Although we don’t wish any harm for our neighbors down on the coast, we are hearing a lot of folks wishing for a hurricane. With the high temperatures Texas has been having, we might well be getting on fairly soon.

Most of you will be trying to find a cool, shady spot this coming weekend to celebrate the birthday of the good ol’ USA. Barbecues, boating, fish fries, and fun all around are the usual norm for the festive holiday. From all appearances, it looks like there might be shortage of fireworks for this Holiday season of the 4th of July. Just think of how much money all

those folks will save that could go to a more lasting cause.

Whatever you decide to do, be safe and have a good time. Lady Z & this humble scribe usually grill some wieners for hot dogs and watch the celebration at the harbor with their fireworks and listen to the Sousa songs from the Boston Pops. It’s also a lot cooler in the living room in front of the TV than it is out in the back yard. If Son, Will makes it in, I might convince him to simmer a side of pork ribs. Rest assured that there will be a lot of flags flying and saluting the Stars & Stripes.

I haven’t had time to check with the Mayor this week, but I’m sure that Ranza D. & yrs. truly will most likely be doing some of the same somewhere out around————Harkeyville!!!!!!!!!!!!!