Category: Commentary

Spring, or maybe not quite yet

According to the calendar, spring officially begins March 20th! At the time I am writing this, it really looks like a spring day. Friday afternoon when I came home from town, I came what is considered the back way because you don’t have to go through town to get back to my home. At the crossroad, about two miles or so from my home, the bluebonnets and Indian paintbrush were blooming profusely. These were the first that I had seen so far this year in anywhere near what could be considered profusion. Maybe I’m just not going to the right places! The Arizona Ash trees and elm trees around my home are beginning to leaf out, and the Anaqua trees are totally white with blossoms, however, the mesquites and huisaches aren’t showing even a little bit of green. This past week we saw some bad weather, with your area getting a lot worse than mine did. I have a few small limbs down, mostly off the old Arizona Ash trees in my front yard, and lots of small sticks from the same two trees. From what my daughter has told me, the wind in your area was over 60 MPH or more. It was not that bad here, just enough to keep me awake and going from window to window to check on things, not that it did any good! And there wasn’t enough rain to measure.
As far as I know, no one to my knowledge, has seen Purple Martins flying around and I haven’t had any “mud birds” or bridge swallow trying to build their nest on top of the light on my patio nor on my front porch. I guess we can consider that spring is here…unless the weather changes and we get a late freeze, which can happen, after all, we live in Texas; and Easter, even in April can be cold, wet and messy. (My birthday is in April, and I have seen it pretty cold around that time.
Now, how about a little weather lore and some old adages?
If you find no dew on the grass early in the morning, it will rain within 24 hours. Over a period of time, this has been proven true more times than not. My uncle told me about it many years ago, but, of course, sometimes you have to be outside before sunrise to check it! And many times, I just slide my hand over the gate, just to see!
An old saying states; “Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning, red sky at night, sailors delight,” which is another prediction for stormy weather.
Lots of pink or white blooming thistles in the fields are an indication of an impending drought, and since I didn’t come to Devine in February, I didn’t get to check the acres of them that grow each year between Floresville and Pleasanton. “Turkey track” clouds in the sky forecast rain within three days.
Purple sage blooming predicts rain. And last but not least, according to folklore, sighting a “Scissortail” swallow, is said to be a truly sure sign that spring has arrived. The mesquite trees and other trees can freeze back, but when you see one of these birds, spring is truly here. Weird as it sounds, this old adage does seem to be true. I watched it several years, especially since moving to this area and the temperature has never gotten down to freezing.
Here are a couple more meatless dishes for you to try, for the ones of you who are on “meatless” Fridays!
Chiles Rellenos
1 large can whole California green chiles*
2 eggs, beaten well
Monterey Jack cheese, cut into pieces ½ inch square, and 1-inch shorter than the peppers you are going to stuff.
Drain canned chilies and pat dry. If they have any seeds and pith, remove them. Stuff each chili with a piece of the cheese. Lap one side of the pepper over the other to close. Roll very generously in flour, dip into the beaten egg and then back into the flour, repeating twice. (You want to coat them just as if you were frying chicken). Deep fry in heavy skillet until brown on one side turn over gently and brown the other side. Serve either plain or topped with enchilada sauce, or a ranchero sauce and sprinkled with cheese. (The sauce for the Cheese enchiladas, that was in last weeks’ paper works well with this! *If you are interested in using fresh chiles, you will need the large green Ancho chiles, and will have to check on-line, as to how to prepare them for this dish. This is the “I’m in a hurry for dinner” version.
The following dish is really delicious and works well with the easy-peel shrimp that you can purchase at most HEB stores. Over time, I have found their seafood to be really fresh and good in most recipes. The good thing about this dish is that you can use the small to medium shrimp that are not as pricey as the large or jumbo shrimp are.
Shrimp Pasta Primavera
½ cup chopped green onion
½ cup green or red bell pepper cut into strips
½ cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
½ cup margarine
1 package (8-oz) cream cheese, cut into cubes, and at room temperature
¾ cup milk
2 cups, small to medium, peeled, de-veined shrimp (tails also removed)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 package spiral macaroni (7-oz or 8-oz), cooked according to package directions and drained well
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
Sauté onions and bell pepper in ½ cup margarine, add cream cheese cubes to pan, along with milk; cook and stir until cream cheese is melted. Stir in shrimp and Parmesan cheese and cook until shrimp are pink and done. Cook and drain macaroni, toss with 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, add to cream cheese/shrimp mixture and stir together. Serve hot, along with salad and hot rolls or bread.
Now, to get ahead of the game, here are some desserts, if you would like to try something you haven’t made in a while for your Easter dinner, or make it now, if you didn’t give desserts up for Lent
Lemon Meringue Pie
(1 baked 9-inch pie shell)
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 cups water
3 eggs separated
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
¼ cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest (optional)
1 teaspoon lemon extract
6 tablespoons sugar
Combine sugar, salt, flour and cornstarch in a saucepan. Stir in water with a wire whisk and cook over moderate heat until mixture becomes thick and clear, stirring frequently. Beat the egg yolks in a small bowl; add a little of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks. Stir yolks into the hot mixture, and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly. (If you want this filling to be a prettier yellow color, add a few drops of yellow food coloring). Remove from heat and blend in butter, lemon juice, zest (if used), and extract. Pour into baked pastry shell. Cool slightly, and top with meringue made by beating egg whites with 6 tablespoons sugar until stiff enough to hold in peaks. Begin beating the egg whites and add sugar one tablespoon at a time until you have your stiff peaks. Brown in hot oven 425ºF about 5 minutes, cool thoroughly before serving. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Making Memories

Recently I had written a Tale about bringing “The Hiffers”, as our 3 year old Grand Son calls them, to the Home Place. We arranged a Sunday afternoon visit out there with our Daughter, Son In Law, and their kids, ages 8, 6, and 3.
Our first step of the adventure included a little corn throwing at some of our game feeding locations while “searching” for our new bovine guests. We “found” them out in the middle of an overgrown pasture mixed with tall grass, pear and mesquite.
The ladies were a bit nervous at first, given their very limited exposure to 3 little “jumping jacks” all talking loudly at the same time in the excitement of the moment. But the cattle cubes finally encouraged them to come around. Those kids sure were practicing their baseball throws in trying to see how close they could come to getting the cubes in just the right spots. All the young ladies were numbered with ear tags, and there were considerable debates on the “best one” among the three young evaluators.
After feeding about half a bag, we motored over to the pasture where our new guests call Home. Each of the 3 got to sit in Poppi’s lap and drive the truck out on our place and on the 2 mile journey to the next destination on the isolated country roads. We did not have to search for the group of last year’s heifers, now spending time with the Herd Bull. A big grey Brahma with the black hump, our daughter calls him Big Daddy. His hooves are each about the size of a small dinner plate. Gentle as a puppy, but I still made them all stay in the truck bed as we had about 15 or more hungry mouths all around us. Our girl has never been afraid of animals and surprisingly to me, even the meanest cow dogs never harmed her a bit over the years of being around ranch animals all her life. Consequently, her kids don’t much think of the potential of danger. But Poppi does and his truck and feed mean his rules. They all petted on Big Daddy and he stood around with his ladies until the cubes ran out.
After heading back towards Devine where we left their passenger car, 2 of the 3 fell fast asleep in the first 5 miles of travel. Mimi just told me they are coming over today (President’s Day) since there is no school. It will be interesting to listen to their recounting of the day.
While I have no clue as to how they will recall the little trip, as long as they had fun, were safe, and made some memories to solidify their connection to our family acres, I am totally convinced it was a successful investment in a fine early Spring afternoon.

Is it spring?

Wow! Didn’t the month of February fly by? Of course, it being three days shorter than most months, could have something to do with it, couldn’t? The weather can’t seem to make up its mind as to what season it is. Our mornings are cool enough for a sweater or light jacket and by noon, you’re shedding layers. The morning fog is sometimes stupendous, when you get up in the morning and can’t see your car, that is parked less than fifty feet from the house, you have a fog! It is not an unusual occurrence for me to be unable to see my brother’s house (across a hay field) in a fog, but usually I can at least see an outline, but not some recent mornings. With another three weeks (officially) of winter to go, we still have the chance of colder, damp, messy weather. The first day of spring is not until the 21st of March, and I have seen it freeze well into March. It doesn’t matter that trees are leafing out. It has been in the 60s each morning for several days and my elm and Arizona ash trees are beginning to sprout leaves already and I noticed, on the way home from church this morning that the blue bonnets were thick in several places. It amazed me that San Antonio made it completely through Stock Show time without rain or freezing weather, this is very unusual. I’ll believe spring is here when I see the first Scissortail Fly Catcher. That is what Mr. Alfred Brieden told me was the real harbinger of spring, not pecan trees or mesquite trees leafing out!
When is the last time, or have you ever baked a cake from ‘scratch’? When I was growing up, cake mixes didn’t exist. All cakes were baked from ‘scratch’, meaning that you got out a mixing bowl, a big spoon to mix the cake batter with and your ingredients. Until after the years following WWII, many homes did not yet have a mixer, and everything that needed mixing was done with a spoon! Times have changed, haven’t they, and aren’t we glad they have? The first cake mixes came out in 1947, after the war years, and bearing the Betty Crocker label.
A cake from scratch is not hard to make. It just takes a little longer than a box mix. My two favorite recipes for yellow cake (which means you used whole eggs to make it, rather than just the whites of the eggs), were from my mid-1950s Betty Crocker Cookbook. These were two cakes that Mother had also used frequently. This cookbook gave two methods of mixing, the older, “cream together…” type and the newer, “mix together…” type. Both made wonderful cakes. Each page also has several variations of each cake, using the main, or “key” recipe and then adding nuts or fruit to the batter. Both of the following recipes are from this Betty Crocker Cookbook. I have used this one many, many times for birthday cakes and they never last long, it is truly my go-to recipe if I am baking a cake from scratch!
Light Golden Cake
2¼ cups, sifted Softasilk® cake flour
1½ cups granulated sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1½ teaspoons flavoring
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour two 9-inch round or square cake pans or a 9X13 pan; set aside. Sift the dry ingredients together, stir the flavoring (usually vanilla extract) into the milk, add the shortening to the dry ingredients, along with a little over half of the milk/vanilla mixture; beat 2 minutes. Add remaining milk mixture and the 2 eggs. Beat 2 minutes longer. Pour into prepared pans; bake until cake tests done. Frost as desired.
Here is my favorite recipe for enchiladas during the Lenten season. They are cheese enchiladas from a recipe my Mother used to make for a main dish at supper time for a meatless Lenten meal.
Cheese Enchiladas
SAUCE:
2 tablespoons butter, margarine or cooking oil
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 small green bell pepper, chopped
1 or 2 finely minced cloves of garlic
2 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons Gebhart chili powder
1 can (16-oz size) tomato sauce
½ cup water
1 small can diced green chilies
Cook onion, green pepper and garlic in butter until soft. Add flour, salt and chili powder; stir until smooth. Add tomato sauce or tomatoes, breaking tomatoes up with spoon or fork (can use the ‘recipe ready’ type if desired), green chilies and water. Cook until thick and smooth.
1 pound shredded cheese (can use American, cheddar, or the pre-shredded type that is seasoned for tacos)
1 medium onion, chopped
10 to 12 corn tortillas
TO MAKE ENCHILADAS:
Dip tortillas into sauce to soften or soften by heating ¼ cup oil in heavy skillet and dipping them briefly into the hot oil, or soften by heating a short time in the microwave.
Spray a rectangular pan with non-stick spray and spread a small amount of the sauce in the pan, just to coat the bottom. Spoon a small amount of sauce onto a tortilla, add some cheese and onion and roll up. Place each enchilada, seam side down onto sauce in baking pan, as you finish rolling it. Repeat until all tortillas are used. Top with remaining sauce and additional cheese. Bake at 350ºF about 20 to 25 minutes or until heated through.

APACHE

In a recent Tale I talked about taking my Grandkids and Daughter out to see a new batch of heifers on our Home Place. That story caused me to think back a VERY LONG time ago to my first recollections of cattle ownership.
My Mom, Verna Dell Walker Rosenauer, contracted Polio as did many others in south Texas in 1952, when I had just turned one year old. Through that terrible experience, she ended up paralyzed from the neck down and spent some time in rehabilitation. I stayed much of the next two years out on the Home Place, and it has always been a very special part of what makes me who I am. As a kid whenever the opportunity allowed, I would try to stay out there. And to this day it is still a place of contentment and peace for me on most of the days I spend at that place.
Of course, “helping” my Grannie and Grand Dad probably had a different look to them than it did to me. I took a real liking to feeding the cattle and not so much to the garden tending that was a seasonal part of daily chores. I remember Charlie Rosenauer telling me something on the order of “you best learn to do something else in life, cause you ain’t cut out to be a Farmer”!
Of course, he was right, but I did like messing with the cattle and later with horses. At some point in time, probably about age 4 or 5, I asked Grand Dad if I could have a cow. We discussed the different ones in the herd, and I selected a Black Baldy and named her Apache.
Objectively there was nothing much special about that middle age cross bred grade bovine, but she sure was special to me. That year she brought a still born calf and I think me and Apache suffered about the same feelings of loss. But, like most bad periods in Life, we both kinda/sorta got over it. She had several more babies over the next few years and there was always some extra time spent pondering on what to name them.
Honestly, I cannot recall if Apache died on the place or Grand Dad sold her off. But I tell you something about that time in my life. It started a trend where the naming of colts and calves have become a BIG Deal for at least the 2 generations after me. Our Daughter especially liked to spend time as a youngster making lists with me discussing and documenting name possibility based on gender and color.
Now we spend time on what to call the “Hiffers” on our place with the Grand Kids. A couple of years ago, the names were all about the movie Frozen. I am sure glad that song “Let It Go” has moved on from their focus. Last year the names centered on ice cream colors. Stawberry, Vanilla, Fudge, and Chocolate and other names I cannot recall are likely first time Mommas this Spring.
Who can tell what names will be given this time around. But one thing for sure, it will be fun listening to the bargaining and discussion among the kids. And to think, that practice started a real long time ago on the same red sandy loam property. I sure do hope it can continue for a few more generations.

Weekly report time….

for the week ending February 19, 2023: Lytle PD officers managed 44 calls for service, that’s on the low side. They also conducted 97 traffic stops, those stops resulted in 87 citations and 10 warnings.
Property Crimes: We had three (3) property crimes reported last week. #1 – Management at the Pecan Grove Apartments (14900 Blk. of Main St.) reported that a door to a vacant apartment had been kicked in. #2 – Three juvenile males were cited and released for criminal mischief for an incident that occurred at H.E.B. Plus. It resulted from a TikTok milk jug prank where one falls with a gallon of milk (creating a slippery mess), a second then walks into the scene and does the same, followed by the third. Of course, another person is recording it so everybody can check it out online. The juveniles were ages 14, 15, and 16. Looks to me to be just a waste of good milk and a big mess to clean up. #3 – A recently separated employee of the Lytle Super Stop (Exxon on Main St.) entered the store and walked behind the counter. He grabbed $350 out of the cash register, flashed it to the camera, and then left. Maybe, he was just getting his severance pay and he selected the “quick pay” option.
Recover Stolen Vehicle: Officers Luis Diaz and John Cortez pursued a stolen 2022 Ford F250 on FM 3175, the vehicle ran through three fences at the end of Naegelin Rd. The driver fled on foot and the vehicle was recovered.
Arrests: Officers made two adult arrests last week. #1 – A traffic stop on Main St. for speeding resulted in the arrest of a 47-year-old male for D.W.I. (2nd Offense). He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail. #2 – A 50-year-old male was arrested for public intoxication on Bruce St. He was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail.
More news on another TxDOT project: The plan is to install a right turn lane in front of city hall, so traffic headed to the H.E.B. area will flow a little better. For now, they are just working on the first phase. The TxDOT contractor will be installing traffic light poles in front of the city hall. No lane closures are planned but be patient around that intersection as they do their work. I think it will be awesome when this project gets completed.
In other news …. My wife is pregnant with our 5th child. He is due in July. So now I have an 18-year-old, 15-year-old, 13-year-old, 18-month- old and one on the way. I’m 53 now, so that will cause me to adjust my retirement age. It looks like I will now be aiming for retiring around age 75. My wife and I could be “empty nesters” by the time I hit 80 so I need to start planning for that (if I make it that long). I want also to mention that Sgt. David Lopez and his wife are expecting their 3rd child, due in August. Your prayers would be appreciated for the expecting moms and little ones. We have been asked if we had some kind of pregnancy pact between us, but that is not the case.

The Jumping Sailor

My 4-year-old son is jumping on his indoor trampoline while watching TV, wearing a white sailor’s cap and a dinosaur back pack, and two un-matching shoes. Yes, these are the good days, and I hope I can always remember what his cute little face looks like right now at this second, even though he won’t let me take a picture. He couldn’t look cuter.
And yes, that’s right, I have an indoor trampoline. I am glad I do, because it certainly gives him an outlet for the massive amount of energy he has. I only wish I had energy to jump on the trampoline with him. I’d be in good shape if I did!
We had a wedding shower for the beautiful bride of one of my little cousins, Richie, whom I will always remember as a 3 year old, blonde headed sweet toddler. I babysat him all the time, and every time I see the 6 ft tall guy he is, it freaks me out. I think that’s a sign that I’m getting old. Before the shower, I interviewed the bride and wrote their love story. Then at the shower, each guest illustrated one of the scenes from their love story. The happy couple, Richie and Sabrina, met and fell in love at the Quihi Dance Hall. It was a lot of fun reading their love story, and I think my aunts and cousins all had a surprisingly good time sitting down and using crayons again as they drew the pictures! It is pretty fun after all.
Turns out that coloring pictures is a good alternative to feel young again, and it’s a lot easier than dressing up in sailor hats and dinosaur backpacks and jumping endlessly on a trampoline!

Lent is here

The past weekend has been a truly memorable one, as my sister and I flew to Huntsville, Alabama on Friday, to attend the wedding of our great-niece that was Saturday afternoon. The rehersal dinner that evening was fun, with lots of visiting and meeting new people. The wedding itself was totally awesome and almost everything went according to plan. However, like most weddings, there were a few glitches, which were handled without most of us knowing about them. Since all of us family members were staying at the same hotel, we met in the lobby after the rehersal and visited and caught up with everything that had happened since the last time were together, which was in June of this past year! We all had a wonderful time, but it was great to get home again Sunday afternoon.
Everything was beautiful and fun, the weather, while a little cooler than we have locally was great the whole time. No rain, no sleet and no snow that stayed on the ground. One of the wedding party commented that snow had been falling earlier in the day at his home.
The date on this paper is February 22, and that was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of lent and the end of Madri Gras. Many of you will be wanting meals that are meatless, for this lenten season, so, here are a couple for you to try.
Parts of the following information appeared in one of my previous columns.
Each and every year, Americans eat more seafood. The country’s leading experts, for example, now recommend eating fish twice a week. However, most times when we decide to have seafood, our first thought is to go to a seafood restaurant rather than cook it at home. Why do we do this? Are we just unsure of how to cook seafood because we didn’t grow up cooking it, or do we simply think it’s too much trouble and don’t want to have the odor that sometimes remains? With the easy transportation and modern conveniences, fresh seafood is more available than it was when I moved from the Victoria area to the Devine area many years ago. Both the HEB and Wal-Mart in Victoria have large fresh seafood departments as well as a wide variety of frozen types. The shrimp I keep on hand in my freezer are the packages of e-z peel, headless shrimp, available at HEB, that are in the freezer section and are usually $5 (this past year, they have gone up a little, but mostly, they are on sale at $5!). The other packages I keep are the peeled and already cooked shrimp. I use these by thawing them and using them to make Shrimp Alfredo. To do this, I empty a jar of Alfredo sauce into a sauce pan or skillet and heat until the shrimp are heated through. While this is heating, I bring a pot of water to a boil and add either spaghetti, linguine, or other type of pasta. When the pasta is finished cooking, I drain it well and combine it with the Alfredo sauce and the shrimp. Quick and easy!
There are two simple suggestions for the home cook: Select a quality product and cook simply.
Quality tips for fresh fish: Color – color varies in fish, but it should be bright and uniform, never yellow at edges. Flesh – Moist, cleanly cut, firm. Aroma – Fresh sea breeze, never fishy (or like bait that is too old), or like ammonia. Store in original package in coldest part of refrigerator. Keep refrigerator at 34º-40º F. Cook in one or two days.
Quality Tips. Frozen fish: Color – Package should be undamaged. Fish should never be chalky looking or freezer burnt. Flesh – Never partially thawed or covered with ice. You can store frozen fish 2-4 months. Keep freezer set at 0ºF or colder. Thaw fish in refrigerator for a day or in a container of cold water.
Quality fish never tastes ‘fishy’.
Today, Grocers are required to label seafood according to country of origin. It’s always best to choose American, as the U.S. easily has the most rigorous quality standards. Be especially careful of fish labeled ‘packed in China’ or any other country. According to emails I’ve been getting, the conditions the fish are raised in are less than sanitary to say the least.
Cook Simply: You can actually cook quite a variety of meals, while using one simple method: baking. The standard rule is cook fish 10 minutes for each inch of thickness. Turn fish halfway through cooking, unless it’s ½ inch or less. To ensure that fillets cook evenly, tuck thin ends under.
Still, cooking times vary depending on density of the fish, so, here are backup tests: Fish is done when meat flakes easily with fork at thickest section; when it’s opaque all the way through; or when it’s 145ºF internally.
You can bake just about any type of fish. Allow 6 ounces per person. You’ll need butter or oil; a cooking liquid like white wine, water broth, or milk; herbs of your choice; salt and pepper to taste.
In a baking pan, drizzle lean fish with butter or brush with oil Add ¼ inch cooking liquid, herbs, salt and paper. Bake in preheated 400ºF oven until ready.
Lemon Broiled Fish
½ cup margarine or butter, melted
¼ cup REALEMON® Lemon Juice from Concentrate
2 cups fresh bread crumbs (4 slices)
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
½ teaspoon paprika
1 pound fish fillets, fresh or frozen, thawed
In small bowl, combine margarine and ReaLemon® brand. In medium bowl, combine crumbs, parsley and ¼ cup margarine mixture; dip fish into mixture. Broil until fish flakes with fork; top with crumb mixture. Return to broiler; heat through. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 4 servings.
The following recipe for shrimp not only sounds delicious it is!
Good and Spicy Shrimp
3 to 4 pounds in shell (without heads)
2 lemons, thinly sliced
½ pound (2 sticks) butter
¾ teaspoon dried rosemary
¾ teaspoon dried basil
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Tabasco® hot sauce
3 to 4 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly crushed
Place shrimp in a single layer, in large, shallow, glass baking dish. Cover with lemon slices. Mix remaining ingredients in saucepan, and heat to boiling. Pour over shrimp and lemons, cover and marinate overnight in refrigerator. Bring shrimp to room temperature before cooking. Bake in preheated 450ºF oven for 20 minutes.

My total rent is about $45.76 per day to live in Medina County America! What’s yours?

Did you pay your property taxes too?
First, someone took off the Briscoe house, then the Catholic Church was razed, Rihns closed down and now, Morales Feed lot is no more…Saw Ernie Morales today and he said that delivering flowers is easier than punching cows.  Probly smells better too.  Heard that Rihns has reopened but, aint patronized them yet.
By now, everybody has paid their bills for being allowed to live in Medina 
County cause the interest and penalties started February 1st.  I went ahead and fixed up my Income Tax and it aint pretty.  Pretty darn (used the nice word) ridiculous for those who work for a living and don’t rely on government handouts to live.  With my County rent ($9.17 per day) and my cost of living in the United States ($36.59 per day) my total rent is about $45.76 per day to live in Medina County America.  Thank you, Mr President.
Wouldn’t mind it so much if my taxes were going to Disabled Veterans or Social Security recipients but, seems like its going to drug addicts, those who don’t wanna work and illegal aliens.  
Looks like there is gonna be an election in the City of Devine this year.  Hope lots of folks show up and give us a good idea of what the populus thinks.  I would hope that the days of elections being decided by a vote of 20-15 are over.  Get out and make a decision.
Aint had no rain lately and it shows.  We’re gonna take a ride up to Medina Lake and see if it has any water in it.  Probly gonna be real dissapointed.  Keep praying for rain… 
Laid Bubba Hanson to rest last week.  The icon is no more.  Saw millionaires, hundredaires, doctors, lawyers, farmers, cowboys, some from out of state and old friends I aint seen in a long time…all in all, it was the biggest collection of raggedys (I left the second word out) I’ve seen in a long time.  He woulda been proud.
Retirement is great. Seems like every day is Saturday except on Sunday. 

MAKE IT COUNT BOY

As I get to celebrate the privilege of being “Poppi” to our 3 Grand Kids, I sometimes find myself using some of the phrases I heard long ago from my own Grand Parents.
One of those came to mind recently when discussing the upcoming T Ball Baseball Season with our 6-year-old Grand Daughter, Oakley. Quite a bit different from our Princess 8 year old, and our Rough House Little Man 3 year old, I predict she has a 50/50 chance, at the moment, of being another Florence Nightengale or going on the Professional Wrestler Circuit! It kind of depends on the day.
The issue at stake is the move into another age class level from her past 2 years, meaning different teammates and playing at new locations. At 6 that appears to be a big deal, and we take the concerns with the appropriate seriousness. We do so because Ms. O definitely has a serious side to her.
Mimi and I use different approaches in our discussions on such a topic. I am focusing in on the aspect of “do your best” and that is all we can ask of you. In my days, my own Grand Dad would use the term: Go Out And Make It Count, Boy when discussing my own athletic endeavors, shooting at wildlife, or even the occasional brawl/disagreement between friends and foes alike. Grannie used more of a Walk Away and Don’t Do Something You Will Regret Later approach.
Which worked better with me is long ago forgotten, but suffice it to say, the ideas have stuck in my brain for many years.
In retrospect, there likely no perfect words of wisdom we can bestow that are always right, much less heeded when we try to encourage and mentor others. I guess the best we can hope for is to just do our best to make it count when it comes to lending support and encouragement. And along with some prayers on behalf of those we care for, that will have to be enough.

“Shots fired” call near park under investigation

Hello Lytle, here is your latest weekly report: Lytle P.D. officers handled 55 calls for service last week and conducted 64 traffic stops. Those 64 stops resulted in 48 citations and 16 warnings. 
     Property Crimes, we had 6 reports: #1 – The owner of a building in the 15300 Blk. of Main St. reported a window was broken out. #2 – A Norvell St. resident reported that a license plate was stolen. #3 – H.E.B. reported that an unidentified female shoplifted approx. $70 worth of items. #4 – A vehicle parked at the U.S. Post Office was the victim of an attempted catalytic converter theft. #5 – A burglary of a vehicle was reported at Best Western, and a window was broken out. A laptop, cell phone, and misc. items were taken. (Please don’t leave valuables in your vehicle if you can keep from it). #6 – Officers responded to H.E.B for the theft of approx. $67.00 worth of merchandise (the suspect was cited and released, see info. under my arrest report).  
     Arrests, we had 3 – #1 – A traffic stop on Main St. resulted in a DWI arrest. The suspect was booked into the Medina Co. Jail. #2 – A male suspect was cited and released after fleeing the H.E.B. Plus with items valued at $67. He fled on foot and was apprehended on Main St. He took a hair dryer and a charging cube. I’ll never figure out how people come up with the oddest stuff to steal. #3 – Officers on patrol observed a suspect at H.E.B. Plus who had been issued a criminal trespass notice. When confronted, the suspect gave a fictitious name and date of birth. Officers confirmed his identity, and he was booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail for criminal trespass and providing false identifying information. Here is my little tip: If you have lived in town your whole life, and all the officers know you …. don’t try the “It is not me” game.  
     The firearm discharge near John Lott Park: On Monday, February 6, officers responded to the 15100 Blk. of Adams St. for a report of “shots fired”. This location is near / adjacent to John Lott Park. Officers determined that a resident fired several shots at a suspect who was committing a burglary of a building. The suspect fled (well, I guess so since somebody was shooting at him). Contrary to the many rumors that began to circulate …. there were no injuries or property damage. The case is under investigation.
     Here is another special event planned for this week: A Community Outreach Fair will be held on Thursday, February 16th at the Lytle Community Center (19031 Priest Blvd). The time will be from 10 AM – 2 PM. Join us and sign up for some amazing assistance programs. Who is eligible to receive assistance? The elderly, veterans, mothers, families, children, and small businesses. Here is just a partial list of programs: Utility assistance, WIC, Life Skills, Counseling, SNAP (food stamps), and Children’s Medicare. Even if you don’t need these services, I am sure you know somebody that does. This is a great opportunity since multiple representatives will be onsite.  
     As always …. feel free to reach out if you have any questions about “policing” in the big city of Lytle. For other information check out the city’s website. For an even quicker glance, the electronic sign in front of the city hall is a good option.