Columns/Opinions

I have written several columns over the years about the unpredictable nature of our rainfall. I guess it is because it is a topic everyone talks about, complains about, and worries about. And, last year was just an example of another weird rainfall year.

At our house last year, the first five months were about as "normal" a possible, with a total of about nine inches, which gave us reasonable spring flowers and a good start for most grasses. Then, just as all the vegetation was at its peak growing/water utilization rate and hottest temperatures, we had two of the driest months in June and July with no significant rainfall for almost 90 days.

Last night was the Super Blood Wolf Moon, but no one in my house stayed up late enough to see it fully eclipsed. I did go out to see it after it first rose, again about a half hour later when it was almost dark, and once more when it was partially eclipsed. The great thing about celestial events this time of the year is that not only can you see them through the bare branches of the trees, those same bare branches make very picturesque frames for full moons, sunrises, and sunsets. Yes, I am going to once more extol the glories of winter.

The Legume family has many interesting properties and is represented by many species of Hill Country plants.

The scientific or Latin name for this family is Fabaceae, and is also known as the Pea family. In Texas, Legumes are the third largest plant family after the Aster or Sunflower family and the Grass family. Flowering plants are classified and placed in families by scientists according to the, sometimes minute, structures of the flowers so the general appearance of the plants as a whole may have little in common with other members of the family.

The most easily recognized characteristic of the Pea family is that its seeds are enclosed in a "pod" composed of two halves which split apart when dry. Think sweet peas, black-eyed peas, or green beans.

Missed the deadline for the news last week, so will try to catch up on all the happenings around the Bend.

The weather has been up and down. First, there were really cold days of early part of last week and then nice warm days for the last few days.

Still, very cold at night, but when the sun comes out it is very nice. There was even some light rain last week and more rain is forecast this next week.

Lee Matthews was admitted to the hospital suffering pneumonia. He thought he had a case of bad allergies. Keep him on your prayer list.

It seems like everyone is having medical problems around the Bend.

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By Dr. Don Newbury

I don’t know much about the Mormon Church, but I’ve always viewed most adherents as being generous with both their gifts and their time.

They number some 15 million worldwide, and in Utah--where about two million of three million citizens are Mormons--there’s considerable “co-mingling” of issues at both the state house and the church house. (Since Utah attained statehood in 1896, all of its governors--save two--have been Mormons.)

Most “church news” is spawned during semi-annual meetings, but a surprising new law from the state house kicked in on January 1. Permissible blood alcohol content for drivers is now 0.05 percent, the lowest of any state. This law goes against the grain of many drivers, so it might be well-noted that Utahans in the legislature who pushed this bill may add “courageous” to their names….

By Dr. Don Newbury

My Uncle Mort’s Sad Scene…

He stood there, gazing at the Salvation Army kettle on the town square. It was Christmas Eve, and my Uncle Mort--106 and counting--solemnly offered a “mental salute” to the woman as she joyfully rang her bell. Frail of body and warmed only by a tattered coat given to the Army last year, she seemed resolved to help the less fortunate.

Perhaps minding the kettle for last-minute shoppers as they joined the fray for final purchases was the noblest thing she could do.

Mort choked up as he described the scene. The kettleminder’s ringing set him to thinking about moments in 2018 when he blew his stack, usually because he didn’t have all the facts. And when he did, they were somewhat dyslexic--backwards at best in his “fire/aim/ready” life.…

My Use Of Being Adorable

Well hello there dear San Saba friends, so very happy to see you! Now if you say to yourself, Herman, you are a bit loco in your dachshund head because you are writing to us and not able to see us at all…you would be wrong about that as I imagine you as I write. Yep, mom told me when I began writing, it is always important to imagine your audience and so I do. Oh, I see ranchers, shopkeepers, school teachers, students, caregivers, doctors, lawyers, housewives and everyone! You are so real to me that one time I got too close to a rancher’s spurs and could actually smell the cows! Ha ha ha! Now you know I am teasing but isn’t that just fun to imagine? Anywho, I do write as if I am right there with you.

When most people think of the winter landscape, they tend to think of brown, dead-looking foliage. While a lot of our trees, shrubs and perennials do in fact lose their leaves in the winter, we in the Hill Country have greener winters than folks in many other parts of the country.

Most of the greenery we see in the winter is due to our two most common woody plants, juniper and live oaks, and since these two species make up so much of our landscape, our winters are not as dreary as some other places. Mexican white oak, which is not locally native but grows in Val Verde county and into Mexico, and is commonly planted in this area, has leaves that persist into the spring like live oaks.

But, those are not the only evergreens we have, so sprinkled among the junipers and live oaks are many other green shrubs. Here are some of them.