The rains have been all around the Bend area, but all that happens here is thunder and lightening. A good opportunity for rain was missed Sunday night, but there was lots of lightening and thunder and little else just five one-hundreds inch of rain.School has started and kids will be riding the bus or walking to school so just be careful and watch out for them and be prepared to stop for school buses stopping to either pick up or let kids off.Warren Spivey has written an autobiography and memoirs about the Colony and Bend. It is titled “New Beginnings.” It has been in the making for about four years and he is selling the book for $15.00. You can obtain the book from Warren or find it on Amazon.com. He reported that several people in the Bend have already acquired a copy of his book. He has a web sight WWW. Spiveyherefords.com and the book are available on Amazon.com and it is on facebook. Lesa Preece and son Clay met Malissa Mims and son Harbor in San Saba for lunch Saturday at Pepperbelly’s. Afterward Malissa and Harbor came to the Bend and spent the rest of the day visiting Lesa and Clay.Raymond, Lewvon and Laura Beth Hicks visited in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina with Belinda Hicks Wierschem from August 16 to the 21st. During their visit there, it rained every day. It is the first time that they have ever visited South Carolina without going to the beach. They were able to visit with friends and neighbors and spent much more time in the shops. A big event that Belinda was involved in became a very special time for Laura Beth as well. Each year for the last twelve years, Darius Rucker of the band “Hootie and the Blowfish” and now a superstar in the country music field has returned to Charleston, South Carolina to present his “home-grown Roundup.” Hootie and the Blowfish, along with the merchants and businesses of the area provided school supplies, clothing, haircuts and health services for the children of Downtown Charleston Area. Kids Teeth of Mt. Pleasant, where Belinda is the business manager, provided the children with dental services. Laura Beth entertained the children and directed them to the dentist for their inspections. The all day Saturday Event was followed by a concert at the Daniel Island Tennis Center. The event photographer took a picture of Laura Beth and Darius and posted it on Facebook. It was also used on the big screen between bands to let the fans know when Darius would appear. Laura Beth has told everybody that would listen that they showed it four times!More news concerning the Hicks’ families, Orabeth and Lewvon Hicks celebrated birthdays of their family members who had birth dates, in July, August and September. They gathered in the Bend United Methodist church activities room. The celebrants from Orabeth’s family were: Jimmy, Mary and Catherine Ann Hicks, Rodney Hooten and John Brooks. The celebrants in Lewvon’s family were: Robert and Debbie Hicks. Twenty four people attended.Happy birthday greetings go out to Nancy Hicks and Charlie Graham who will be celebrating a birthday August 31, Penny Pierce and River Harris will celebrate a birthday September 1, Carl Adams will celebrate a birthday Sept. 2, Myra Skinner will celebrate a birthday September 4 and Audy Jo Henniger will celebrate her birthday September 5.Congratulations go out to George and Mary Jane Dennis who will celebrate an anniversary September 1, to Trenton and Patsy Hamrick who will celebrate an anniversary September 2.