We are now in full swing with football, bands and fans going to games on Thursday and Friday nights. Sweat through the games now with all the heat and before you know it will be bundling up trying to stay warm, or at least that is what everyone is looking forward to. If we are lucky there may be a need for rain gear, we can always hope.

Jackie and Charlene Brister returned home from a trip to New Mexico where they had gone to check out a place to camp on their next hunting trip for elk in October. The weather was so nice they hated to come back home. The temp was forty-two in the mornings and everything was so pretty and green. On their way back home they stopped by the Paladora Canyon State Park to check in on the Evans family. They were just fine and still getting unpacked from their move.

Bill and Jo Price made a whirlwind trip to Midland last week to attend the ARCO retiree lunch. They visited with old friends and afterward spent some time with Larry Hensley and his family before returning home. They too got to see some very green grass from Brady until on the other side of San Angelo, but after leaving Sterling City it was the same old burnt grass as around here. Midland is in as bad or worse need of rain as the rest of the state.

The Bend State Park doesn’t have a replacement for Cory Evans as of yet.

There are other problems that are more pressing than finding a new park ranger. A fire is going on at the Bastrop State Park, which has already burned half of the park including the home of the Regional Park Officer at Bastrop and 300 homes in a subdivision. Two of the Bend park employees were

sent to Bastrop to help fight the fire there. The water is low at the Bend

park, but a few campers came out over the Labor Day weekend. With the cooler weather Monday the park had some hikers in the park.

The home of William and Jane Clark was a hub of activity this past week. Boyd and his two boys Eli and Silas were in over the weekend returning home Monday. Bobby, Kit Clark and granddaughters Misty, Aubrie and Autumn Rose

Wallace of Round Rock, Zack Wallace and eight years old Dustin, along with Clinton Wallace and his two kids Lane and Colton of Hutto, came in to hunt Dove and to stay and help celebrate Jane and Andrew’s birthday Sunday. Doug, Kristi Messer their two Jordan and Jaylee of Lampasas and Jamie Houdyshell

and her two boys Andrew the birthday boy and A.J. were in for the birthday celebration. It was reported that some doves were taken on the hunt.

Jane reported that Darnell Boyd of Lampasas will be preaching each Sunday at the Bend Church of Christ. Mary Boyd is still have medical problems and needs to be on your prayer list.

The home of Tommie and Jane Tinney was a busy place this past week. It started on Wednesday when son Gary and daughter Shelby Freeland of Canyon Lake arrived. Thursday Kenny Good of Houston came in. Friday grand kids Nicholas and Brady Freeland of Grand Prairie came. Saturday Melinda and son

Jacob Freeland of Canyon Lake along with Brian Thompson of Grand Prairie and Alli Shcrodeder of Round Rock arrived. On Saturday all of the above attended a Bar-B-Q held at the home of Jean Freeland. Jack and Barb Freeland of Austin also attended.

Everyone enjoyed the dove hunting and did fairly well. Sunday a fish fry was held at the Tinney home with the afore mentioned plus Jerry and Ann Reyes, Tommy Hollon of Richland Springs, Alton and Trevor Tinney, Jean Freeland and Kathy Lackey from San Saba and Jack and Barb Freeland. Most people take the Labor Day off, but not so with the Tinney family, but then they wouldn’t have it any other way. Everyone had lots of good food and best of all had a great time.

Kerry Marley and Tanya Chalfant and daughter Ashley of Cedar Park was visitors in the home of their mother Tommie Cobern this weekend.

The Millican homestead was a busy place this past weekend. Jean (Millican) Strouhal of Friendswood and her family were here. Her son Paul and his wife Sharon along with Sam and Emily came from Amarillo. Jean’s daughter Jennifer and her husband Douglas drove up from Friendswood. Their daughter Mae brought her best friend McKinley with her. Bonnie and Pat’s son Geoff along with wife Lindsay and son Henry were here from San Antonio. Gail Callahan drove out from Lampasas to be with the family for several days. The guys tried to hunt dove; but despite all their efforts, they only bagged one. Too hot and dry and nothing for them to eat!

Hot, windy weather did not deter the 41 descendants of Burley Baxter who met for the annual Baxter Reunion on Sunday, Sept. 4. A noon meal and some wonderful visiting were enjoyed as everyone gathered at the Holiday Inn Express in Lampasas. As well as family from Bend, San Saba, and Lampasas, relatives came from Amarillo, San Antonio, Houston, and Waco to be part of the festivities. Plans call for the Baxter Reunion to be held at Bend UMC fellowship hall next year, right here at Bend. Many thanks to all who had a hand in planning, cooking, setting up, and serving our meal! The Baxter women are really great cooks!

Happy birthday greetings go out to Ashley Chalfant who will celebrate a birthday September 12, to Allison Hendrick and Lloyd Henniger who will be celebrating a birthday September 13, Rebecca Dowdy and Robbie Eckhoff who

will be celebrating a birthday September 14, to Megan Stewart who will celebrate a birthday September 15.

Congratulation goes out to Bernice and LaFayne Porter who will be celebrating an anniversary on September 11, to Vernon and Loretta Lindsey who will celebrate an anniversary September 13 and to Leon and Mebbie Eckhoff who will celebrate an anniversary September 14.