We realize that it has been some time since our last visit here in the "News," but not a whole lot has changed, on the Home front, since our last attempt at communication. We are still looking for that proverbial "next rain," as well as seeing the first cool front skip through without wetting the Plain. There was a whole bunch of activity around our fair County over the Holiday weekend. Bird hunters were present in abundance,

there was a load of activity around the Square and all the teams we rooted for were victorious over the stretched out Labor Day weekend. The Armadillos are looking forward to a good season, as they are 2 & O, as well as not having to take any guff off Goldthwaite for at least a year. The Baylor Bears were relieved to outlast the Horn Frogs, and son, Will watched the ‘Horns serve up Rice. I was sort of pulling for Gene Hinyard’s Rice birds, but at least they put up a good show for the first half.

Shaw & I enjoyed a fairly active bit of bird shooting the first

couple of days of Dove season, coming close to getting our limits. Fact is, we might fudge a bit on the count, as we usually count the White wings in the bag as two birds being they’re nearly twice as big as the Mourning birds. The Doves were coming over at fairly regular intervals and sometimes

we are pretty good shots. However, some days we might as well leave our scatter guns in the scabbard. Will got into town Sunday afternoon as he had been in Austin tail-gating at the Texas game, and we got a few birds in the

bag that evening. Margaret mentioned that they had pretty good luck in the morning hunt, so Shaw and Will made it out to the bird patch early Labor Day morning. There were big bunches of birds coming out from Town to the feeding grounds, but if you happened to notice, the wind was blowing about 30 MPH, and you had to lead the fleeting birds by a ridiculous margin. The three of us wound up with nearly two limits, total bag, and Will’s Pointer pup, Major, got a lot of experience retrieving. Sort of funny that he would pick up the Doves that Shaw & I downed, but took them all to Will.

We had some dressed birds in the ice box from the 1st day hunt and Will grilled up a good mess of bacon-wrapped Doves, stuffed with Jalapeno & Onion slices seasoned with our own Harkeyville seasoning. The 1st supper of

grilled birds this season went very well with watching the Aggies rein in the Ponies of SMU. I thought I’d just throw in that lil’ tidbit in case you might have happened to have missed the game.

We happned to get to visit with Linda Blair and her hubby down at the donut shop this weekend as they were in from Longview visiting with her Dad, Travis. Mabel made it by, as well, so they had sort of a small family reunion. I was toodling up China Creek lane Labor Day afternoon and visited with Cowboy Tolar as he was training his steed to lead. He was just a short distance past Ol’ Henry #9 location, where Momma, Daddy, & Brantley all went to school, so Sr. George still had a ways to walk to get back to the house. The roads are still dry & dusty but the Co. Commissioners are doing all they can manage until the Mayor & yrs. truly can order up a good rain anywhere out around–Harkeyville!!!!!