Monday was supposed to be the last day that one would be able to get a guarantee of delivery for Christmas packages if you wanted them to get there in time for the anointed day. We might suppose that it could dependwith whom one might ship the packages. We also hear rumblings from the head shed in Washington, or wherever the headquarter of the Post Office islocated, that USPS is broke again & they are trying to streamline expenses by closing some remote locations. Our US Postal Service has always seemed pretty efficient for us folks in San Saba, but seems like they might havesome trouble in the big cities. Maybe they ought to consider sending their big city folks to places like San Saba, Lometa, or Cherokee and get some country training. Then again, we hear that they are saying the internet communications has cut down on a lot of their normal revenue. UPS and Fed-ex seem to be getting along OK with it. However you do it, our stuff always seems to get where it’s supposed to go. We usually don’t worry too much around our place as to letters or packages getting to their destination early or on time, because no one has ever sent them back, regardless of when they get them. I think a lot of that might have something to do with our sending San Saba Pecans to some of the less fortunate that are not able to get to our fair Valley of the Pecan. You know, Pecans might actually be one of the best gifts one can give. They are heart-healthy, desirable and delicious. A Pecan pie might be one of the best end uses, but the cakes, candy, & all sorts of snack nuts go pretty well with the table, as well as improving the taste & texture of many dip recipes. Plain ol’ fresh Pecans are mighty nice & if you are from San Saba,we know how to peel them with a pocket knife. The Plains Indians carried the delectable nuts in their pouches, while the “gathering” tribes camped on our Rivers & creek bottoms during the Fall & Winter for the bountiful harvest.A whole host of wildlife and livestock graze on the nutritious nuts to include squirrels, raccoons, crows, ravens, deer,& feral hogs. Wild turkeys can gather an entire tree’s worth, Whitewing Doves congregate under the trees and I even shot a Bobwhite up in the Gaddy at Algerita years back that had a small native in its’ crop. There are also some interesting names listed among the thousand or so cultivars that are named for places and people. In Texas we have Callahan, Sandy, Wilbarger, Brownwood, Lockhart, Leon, Ranger, Gonzalez, Llano, Manchaca, Sloan, Menard,Chandler, San Grabriel, Owl Hollow, Goldthwaite, Corsicana, Comanche, Cherokee, Odom, San Saba, Temple, Bend, and Texas. Some of the more notable nuts that originated from San SabaCounty are All Gold, Banquet, Colorado, Clark,Family Use, Gage, Harkey, Hollis, John Garner, Kincaid, Kuykendall, Longfellow, Matsler, Kelly,Millican, # 60, and Western. Several of the Risien varieties that E.E. either found or propagated include the San Saba, San Saba Improved, Onliwon, Texas Prolific,Risien #1 & #2, Sloan Improved and Ideal. You can even give some Mahans to Max. I never met a Pecan I didn’t like; some are just better than others.Here’s hoping that you & yours have a very Merry Christmas, whether you be visiting, giving, getting, eating or worshiping. I think Will & I are going to honor a couple of San Saba products this weekend with grilling a Pecan crusted Prime Rib Roast, and Lady Z said she would take care of the Horseradish. Maybe we’ll even take time to visit some with the Mayor out around———Harkeyville!!!!!!!!!