The good news is that 2/10 inch of rain was received this past week. Folks that got their seed in the fields at the right time are happy because everything came up and doing well. We can always use some more rain.Hopefully the spooks who will be out roaming Monday won’t scare away a chance of rain, but don’t think we have anything to fear as no rain was in the forecast. It was reported that San Saba had a frost this week, no such thing out and around the Bend, but these cool crisp mornings are really nice.The electricty was off in the wee early hours Monday for a couple of hours, but was back on by the time people awoke to get ready for work or go to school. It was sure not like all the people up in the North East who are buried under a blanket of snow and no electric. Will take this weather here any day!Some good news-have you noticed that the cedar trees are dying? There are large amounts of them in clusters already dead. Bill Luedecke reported that it is a fungi and/or spider mites that have done them in, not from the drought. Bill Luedecke is a resident of Bertram and a Texas certified naturalist and a Texas certified master gardner.Last Monday Bill and Jo Price celebrated their 56th anniversary by eating at the Red Lobster after attending a continuing education session earlier in the day at Belton. Their anniversary was on the 22nd, but had to help with the Bend Fund raiser so postponed celebrating until Monday. They also have a new grandson who was born Friday, October 28. The parents are Robert and Spring Price and a proud little sister Haley. His name is William Gary Price, weighed in at 7 lb. &14 oz. 19 inches tall.Charlene Brister called and reported that the Methodist Church at Bend will be having a Count Your Blessing fund raiser November 13, from 4:00 p.m to 6:30 p.m. at the church. The word has leaked that it will be a spaghetti dinner. Sounds good so make your plans to attend.Malissa Lemons and daughter Lesa Preece left October 18 on their way to Oregon and returned October 26. The trip was to pay a visit to longtime girlfriend Billie Jean Scott. Lesa reported that they stayed on the beach at Seaside, Oregon for a couple of days taking in some of the sights in the rain. Visited the Cheese Factory in Tillamook, spent two nights in Newport seeing the lighthouses and the Devil’s Punch Bowl and Black Rock Beach. Drove up the Columbia River Gorge to see the water falls and the trees that were changing color. Had supper with Billie Jean’s daughter and son-in-law Mandi and Stu Chestler in Portland. A cousin from the Gage side of family Jeannene Hardy and her husband Jim came down from Seattle Washington and visited. Billie Jean’s sister Darlene who came up from Washington to visit. They ate lots of good seafood and had a good visit with everyone.Mebbie Eckhoff reported that she and Leon took some sheep to Santa Fe, Texas last Monday for the grand sons Ethan and Ory to show. They visited with the family until Wednesday. She reported that Donnie Eckhoff was in recently and helped to unload some of the feed for the sheep and visited his grandmother Jolene Lively.Jane Clark is busy getting ready for the family’s early Christmas celebration. She was busy getting the tree up and decorated. She reported that Doug, Kristi Messer along with Jamie Houdyshell and cousin Kenneth and Vanessa Shirley of Belton and friends from Burnet had a Halloween style party at the Messer home Saturday night. A.J. Houdyshell, Jordan and Jaylee Messer stayed with William and Jane as it was an adult only party. Andrew Houdyshell was attending a birthday party of one of his friends in Lampasas.Happy birthday goes out to Becky Grant who will celebrate a birthday Saturday, November 5, to Jack Daniels who will celebrate a birthday November 6, to Bernice Porter who will celebrate a birthday November 7, to Patsy Henniger who will celebrate a birthday November 8, to Tammy Fullerton who will celebrate a birthday November 9, to Mason Harris who will celebrate a birthday November 10.Congratulations goes out to Doug and Kristi Messer who will celebrate an anniversary November 6, 2011.The good news is that 2/10 inch of rain was received this past week. Folks that got their seed in the fields at the right time are happy because everything came up and doing well. We can always use some more rain.Hopefully the spooks who will be out roaming Monday won’t scare away a chance of rain, but don’t think we have anything to fear as no rain was in the forecast. It was reported that San Saba had a frost this week, no such thing out and around the Bend, but these cool crisp mornings are really nice.The electricty was off in the wee early hours Monday for a couple of hours, but was back on by the time people awoke to get ready for work or go to school. It was sure not like all the people up in the North East who are buried under a blanket of snow and no electric. Will take this weather here any day!Some good news-have you noticed that the cedar trees are dying? There are large amounts of them in clusters already dead. Bill Luedecke reported that it is a fungi and/or spider mites that have done them in, not from the drought. Bill Luedecke is a resident of Bertram and a Texas certified naturalist and a Texas certified master gardner.Last Monday Bill and Jo Price celebrated their 56th anniversary by eating at the Red Lobster after attending a continuing education session earlier in the day at Belton. Their anniversary was on the 22nd, but had to help with the Bend Fund raiser so postponed celebrating until Monday. They also have a new grandson who was born Friday, October 28. The parents are Robert and Spring Price and a proud little sister Haley. His name is William Gary Price, weighed in at 7 lb. &14 oz. 19 inches tall.Charlene Brister called and reported that the Methodist Church at Bend will be having a Count Your Blessing fund raiser November 13, from 4:00 p.m to 6:30 p.m. at the church. The word has leaked that it will be a spaghetti dinner. Sounds good so make your plans to attend.Malissa Lemons and daughter Lesa Preece left October 18 on their way to Oregon and returned October 26. The trip was to pay a visit to longtime girlfriend Billie Jean Scott. Lesa reported that they stayed on the beach at Seaside, Oregon for a couple of days taking in some of the sights in the rain. Visited the Cheese Factory in Tillamook, spent two nights in Newport seeing the lighthouses and the Devil’s Punch Bowl and Black Rock Beach. Drove up the Columbia River Gorge to see the water falls and the trees that were changing color. Had supper with Billie Jean’s daughter and son-in-law Mandi and Stu Chestler in Portland. A cousin from the Gage side of family Jeannene Hardy and her husband Jim came down from Seattle Washington and visited. Billie Jean’s sister Darlene who came up from Washington to visit. They ate lots of good seafood and had a good visit with everyone.Mebbie Eckhoff reported that she and Leon took some sheep to Santa Fe, Texas last Monday for the grand sons Ethan and Ory to show. They visited with the family until Wednesday. She reported that Donnie Eckhoff was in recently and helped to unload some of the feed for the sheep and visited his grandmother Jolene Lively.Jane Clark is busy getting ready for the family’s early Christmas celebration. She was busy getting the tree up and decorated. She reported that Doug, Kristi Messer along with Jamie Houdyshell and cousin Kenneth and Vanessa Shirley of Belton and friends from Burnet had a Halloween style party at the Messer home Saturday night. A.J. Houdyshell, Jordan and Jaylee Messer stayed with William and Jane as it was an adult only party. Andrew Houdyshell was attending a birthday party of one of his friends in Lampasas.Happy birthday goes out to Becky Grant who will celebrate a birthday Saturday, November 5, to Jack Daniels who will celebrate a birthday November 6, to Bernice Porter who will celebrate a birthday November 7, to Patsy Henniger who will celebrate a birthday November 8, to Tammy Fullerton who will celebrate a birthday November 9, to Mason Harris who will celebrate a birthday November 10.Congratulations goes out to Doug and Kristi Messer who will celebrate an anniversary November 6, 2011.