Apologies for being so remiss in writing the past couple of weeks, but as I used to say when I started penning “Highlights” some 18 or 20 odd years back, still commuting from Kerrville at the time; “I’ve been fairly busy & sometimes it takes a couple of weeks for enough to happen in San Saba that is “news-worthy”! Actually, the “news-worthy” portion doesn’t hold true, now-days, but the “busy” can still happen. It surely has been rather enjoyable around our “Fair Valley of the Pecan” the past couple of weeks, what with the recent rains, followed with the cooler temperatures. Seems like most folks reporting from various points of San Saba County measured anywhere from about 2.5”, with some of the more fortunate bragging of up to near four inches. I seem to remember that Daddy’s gauge over on Brown tallied right at 3.70” and the one on the fence between Lady Z’s and Tony’s “Onliwon” measured about 3.75”. T.Noel said his gauge at N. Algerita caught somewhere around 3.70”, while the Howard’s on the ol’ Duncan fence at the Algerita Cemetery showed a smidgen over 3”. Our HCEC gauge at the ol’ Towerton Place on the River at the Colony held 3.40”, but the one by the gate going into the DPH got nearly 4” over the 3 day period. It finally got Happy Holler running for a couple of weeks, filled up the holes on Richland Creek, flushed the San Saba and the Colorado is still showing some red down at the Bend. I still like to recall Joe Ellis’ comment on various amounts of rain reported from folks around the County, “If it will rain on the unjust, I can take a teacup and pour it on the Just!” I happened across a feature article in the “Texas Co-Op Power” publication recently, in the “Hit the Road” section featuring San Saba and outlining the Hill Country Town’s contributions to cuisine and cinema, as well as San Saba’s bygone bridges and shady marriages. At first glance, I could figure out the cuisine, bridges, & shady marriages, but didn’t quite fathom the “cinema” note, as we haven’t had a movie theater for quite some time, unless he was referring to the Picture Show in the Park. Anyhow, Charles Boisseau, a frequent contributor to the publication listed five of our Pecan retail outlets that included Millican’s, Oliver’s, Alamo, Great San Saba River, and San Saba Pecan. I was somewhat amazed at his failing to list our oldest purveyor of Pecans, Bagley Pecan Co., but you know how these out-of-town Authors can be. He did refer to the history of Pecan development in San Saba with reference to the works of E.E. Risien and his contribution to the Pecan industry. Here again Boisseau talked of the Mother San Saba tree and it’s offspring varieties, saying that the Western was the most populated pecans there is. My information has always listed about 7 varieties that came from controlled crosses with the Mother Tree nuts such as the Onliwon, Texas Prolific, Squirrel’s Delight, San Saba Improved, # 60, Jersy, and Risien # 1. While the Western was earlier thought to be a sibling of these offspring of the great Mother tree, Dr. L.J. Grauke did a DNA test on the Western and determined, in fact, that it was not a descendent of the Mother tree, although it was a variety that Risien did develop. Minor points in those minute mistakes as he really did a good job of listing & describing all the attributes of the County. Boisseau also went on to describe other points of interest our area has to offer listing The River Nature Park, Wedding Oak Winery, the Catkins Ball at Risien Park, Colorado Bend State Park, Gorman Falls, and the Regency & Beveridge bridges. Oh yeah; the “Cinema” connotation was in reference to Mr. Jones residing here in the County. I think you can pull up the article by going to TexasCoopPower.-com and ours is the Hamilton Electric Cooperative Edition. The recent rains have really put a good grin on our pastures & small grain patches, got some of the creeks running, as well as helping all our feelings. The hunters are beginning to come in for the early seasons, while doing some repair on blinds, feeders, and dwellings and the Pecan pickers are starting to get their equipment in line for some of the early varieties that are splitting shuck. With all that in mind, I’ll offer that the Mayor & yrs. truly will try to maintain our part out around———Harkeyville!!!!