On our way to go get snow cones, me, Audrey and Tucker walked out to the car. He always jumps in the front driver door and crawls over the console to his seat, while she gets in the passenger door because her car seat is by the window. Tucker is usually always racing and rushing to get where we are going, but on this particular day I stopped and smiled as I saw him jump down from the running board and open the car door for his cousin first. I was so proud to be his mother. Tucker is one of those kids who just doesn’t slow down and think about things very often. He is always in a race to the finish line, so it was a pretty big step for him to stop and think and perform this kind act. In fact, it was just so sweet, I literally started crying when I told my mom a story about it later. Later last week, my sister, my mom and the kids all went to the SA Aquarium. It is a really cool place–more like an aquarium/petting zoo/and arcade with jumping castles all-in-one. Of course, when someone asked Tucker what he saw at the aquarium, Tucker answered loud and clear–”there was a huge gift shop!” This is true. My favorite event of the day was when we all stopped to talk to a parrot who was sitting up on stage greeting crowds as they came along. He was up there on his perch saying “Hello”–”Hello”–”Pretty bird” and things like that calmly when Tucker came along. Tucker wanted to talk to the parrot too, but not in English. Tucker started making his high-pitched bird like shrieks, and that Parrot just stared at him for a minute. I’d like to know what that parrot was thinking. He stared right at Tucker for a few seconds before he surprised us and answered Tucker’s calls–loud and clear–with a shriek so loud we could hardly stand it. That parrot was mimicking Tucker in his own annoying way, with a much deeper and boastful croaking sound. Tucker was of course very amused and I’m sure their conversation could have carried on forever, but my ears could only take that shriek-fest so long! Thankfully the fish in the next exhibit couldn’t talk back to us. Parrots sure are entertaining animals. I don’t know what makes us so infatuated with hearing them repeat us, but even us adults we are indeed drawn to it and can’t resist it. But no one was as thrilled as Tucker! I’ve never seen a parrot so engaged in conversation–if you can call it that!
Yea, when I got up this morning to go to church, it was only 69ºF outside! Fall may be here anytime. My week in Devine was truly a fun and exciting week. Not only did I get to spend time with my newest great-granddaughter and her precious big brothers, I got to see their Daddy also! I got there too late to have lunch with the family, but we had a great afternoon. There had been illness and fevers in my other great-granddaughters, so I didn’t get to see them until Thursday. My son and I had lunch at our favorite BBQ restaurant in Hondo. Friday morning before I left to come home, I went to LaCoste as my other daughter was in, as well as a friend of hers, so I got to see both of them. The house in LaCoste is looking great, she is painting it in colors that were prominent at the time it was built and it’s looking good. Her sister and the little one she keeps came over also and after her friend left, we went out to lunch. Truly a fun and happy time for me. Of course, I would have cheerfully done without the traffic coming home…it was not good. I was trying to figure out why there was so much of it, when it dawned on me that it was Friday evening…of course there was traffic. However, I made it home just fine without any problems. One of the most delicious smells to have in your kitchen is the fragrance of cinnamon as it bakes into something luscious and tasty. Some of the things to bake that come to mind are such as an Apple Crisp, Apple Pie, baked apples and of course let’s not forget good, old-fashioned Gingerbread. Any type of oatmeal cookie usually has a teaspoon or so of cinnamon amongst the ingredients, snickerdoodles are rolled in a mixture of cinnamon and sugar before baking and molasses cookies are full of wonderful smelling spices. Gingerbread is something that my family has always loved. My recipe is one that came from a cookbook that Mother used when I was growing up. It smells so spicy and wonderful when it is cooking and is really not difficult to make. Many years ago, when I was hostess for the bunco group I was in at the time, one of my substitutes was a young woman who had never tasted gingerbread in her life. Of course she was teased that she must have had a deprived childhood, when in reality, she simply had a mother who didn’t really like to cook! Here are a few recipes for you to try, apples are pretty plentiful at this time, even though some varieties are pretty pricey, there are good tasting can be used in many ways. Quick Homemade Apple Crisp 5 cups peeled, sliced baking apples (Granny Smith, Rome Beauty or any tart apple) 3 tablespoons sugar TOPPING: ¾ quick cooking oatmeal (not instant) ½ cup brown sugar (packed) ¼ cup flour ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon nutmeg 6 tablespoons butter ¼ cup chopped pecans (optional) Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix apples and sugar and place in a 2-quart baking dish. For topping: in a medium bowl, combine the oatmeal, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; add pecans if used and mix to combine; sprinkle over apples in baking dish and bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until apples are tender and topping is golden. Grandma’s Gingerbread ½ cup shortening 2 eggs ½ cup granulated sugar 2½ cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger ¼ teaspoon nutmeg or cloves 1 cup boiling water 1 cup molasses Sift together: flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices; set aside. Cream together shortening, sugar and eggs until fluffy; and add sifted ingredients with the molasses. Add boiling water last and stir in gently, just until mixed. Pour into 9×13 pan and bake for 45 minutes or until done. If you like, sprinkle the top of the dough with a tablespoon or two of sugar before baking, or when cake is done, sprinkle with powdered sugar.
I heard a person recently refer to their opinion as being “ambivalent” on a certain topic related to current events. The statement reminded me of a term not heard nearly as often as it was a few decades ago. Straddling The Fence means about the same thing to many of us old timers. Just not sure which “side” to be on. I can truthfully say that term brings back a very vivid Tale from La Brasada for me. I was between 8 &10 years of age and had helped my Grand Dad build a new fence that summer along the county road boundary of a small pasture he leased that joined our Home Place. I ultimately bought those acres, and it has been included in our operations for many years. School had just started and dove season was beginning. That tract of land had and still has some big old Bull Mesquite trees and Live Oaks along a drainage that runs through it and continues to flow across the county road, ultimately joining into San Miguel Creek. Charlie Rosenauer and I went “sneaking” along that creek bottom in hopes of seeing some doves sitting in those big trees. He was never one to “waste shells” on flying doves. That aspect of dove hunting was left to his family and guests out in the fields or by the Big Stock Tank. I don’t recall if he harvested any birds or not, but we finally came to the road where that new barbed wire fence was stretched tight. I was gingerly trying to get between those wires, hoping to not get cut with those razor spikes, still shiny and sharp. With one foot on each side, I looked down to discover a BIG Rattler coiled up right there under that fence. I cannot tell you which side I ended up on, but I do recall “yelling loud and moving fast”! Grand Dad sent Mr. Rattler into the Great Beyond courtesy of a 12 gauge with # 7 ½ shot. Fired from about 15 feet away there was a pretty big and bloody mess left to confirm the story. After a quick check that there were no fang bites or other permanent injuries, we walked back along that red sandy road up to the Farm House which had been built in 1866. Grand Dad relayed the events to Granny who had 2 questions and 1 statement. Are you hurt? No Ma’am. Did you tear your clothes anywhere? No Ma’am. Good. Now take better care to watch where you are going and STOP straddling them fences! Good practical words still all these years later.
Where did that come from?
I am not too sure that all who are reading this rambling will relate to the content. But I feel pretty sure a good number of you will. And just FYI, if you don’t already comprehend the experience, hold on to your hat…it’s coming to many of the rest of you. And just maybe faster than you want it to arrive! I find myself routinely “stumbling” across things that seem significantly “out of place”. Or maybe discovering something that has no business being where it’s found. There were times in the past when I could put the blame on my children, and more recently on my 3 young grandchildren. But truth be told, I find stuff way too often in the “wrong place” when no person, save yours truly, could be the culprit. Now I guess I could blame Aliens or Ghosts, but in my rational moments, few and far between as they sometimes can be, I think it is has to do with my “Some Timers” stage of life. My reactions upon these finds run quite a gambit. From happiness to know where a certain lost item is found, to bewilderment of how it got there. And then there is those moments of frustration at having no ideas the steps that lead to the placement in that spot. But the thought just occurred to me. Why not just accept that it is part of the aging process and enjoy having the opportunity to live long enough to experience this stage. Seems like the best solution. But on second thought…I wonder where THAT idea came from????
We went shopping at both of the local thrift stores in Devine last week-my absolute favorite kind of stores-because both of the awesome thrift stores here donate all their profits to helping others. Plus why pay full price, when you can find a thrift store treasure? Indeed that is what we found. I was looking for a fancy dress, but very quickly, my little boy spied something else, a pair of really cool looking shoes. It ended up being our most treasured find. The pair of shiny white tennis shoes with cool looking black rubber cleats on the bottom. I won’t lie; they are pretty snazzy looking shoes, though I didn’t know just HOW cool they really were. Tucker, 4, tried them on, and immediately stated, these were “really fast” shoes, using his deep little man voice. He raced across the small room only about 10 feet wide to demonstrate, and I could tell, he had fallen completely in love with these thrift store tennis shoes. Tucker wouldn’t even take those shoes off to try on any other tennis shoes in there. In fact, he walked to the register IN those shoes, only handing the cashier the tag. And as of this writing, he has not worn one other pair of shoes since! Naturally, I shared the legend of the “PF flyers” with him that day. You remember the PF Flyers from the movie Sandlot-the shoes that made Benny the Jet run faster and jump higher than any others? The shoes that helped Benny “pickle the beast”? I myself have never owned a pair of the actual PF Flyer brand shoes, but I always enjoyed it when my daddy talked about how our best pair of shoes were “our PF flyers”. And I was so happy to get to share this magic moment with my little one. I, too, believe everyone has their own pair of special PF flyers in their life, brand name or not. For some, it’s that favorite pair of cowboy boots, and for some, it’s that one special pair of thrift store tennis shoes. When I was a kid, I can remember that we had a race around the goal post everyday in PE, and there was only one girl faster than me in that class…Briana Mann (I can’t remember her maiden name). Every day my dad and I would strategize about how I would eventually get fast enough to beat her. Eventually I found myself the right pair of PF flyers and I believe I did beat her, at least once or twice. In the past three years, Tucker has lost more pairs of shoes than I can count, so in all honesty, I hope this love affair lasts awhile! Here’s to my daddy for instilling the magic and power of “PF flyers” in us-the shoes that can make any kid run faster and jump higher than ever before-even if they are regular old shoes, whatever brand they may be. I am not exactly sure if my rambunctious little son needed anything to make him run faster or jump higher, but then again, I guess everybody does. If you’re feeling a little beat down by the “beast” of stressful days and wearing uncomfortable shoes, you know what to do- find yourself some PF flyers!
The Lytle P.D. numbers say we had a “slow” week. We had 45 calls for service and conducted 47 traffic stops. Those stops resulted in 43 citations and 4 warnings. There was not a lot to report this week. There were no arrests last week! That is a good thing, a lot of crooks just see a night or two in jail as a chance to regroup and refocus. We had two property crimes reported last week: #1 – A TXDOT contractor working on the IH-35 Access Rd. project had a hand-held compactor and a jackhammer taken. The loss was valued at $4,000. #2 – A person in a brown Dodge P/U lifted over $1,100 worth of trees from H.E.B. Plus. The theft occurred on Saturday morning at 3:06 AM. We usually see AC window unit thefts when it gets this hot, I guess the rising electrical cost have forced people to steal shade trees. If you haven’t heard…. the temporary ramp closure project for IH-35 (the one by Lytle State Bank) has been delayed. We will let you know when we have new dates. It’s never too early to mark your calendar for our annual Christmas Hayride! It will be held on Saturday, December 10th. This is one of our most popular events. Please join us for our National Night Out event that will be held next week on Tuesday, Oct. 4. It will be at the Lytle Community Center on Priest Blvd. The times will be from 6 PM – 8 PM. There will be numerous community groups set up as well as displays of fire and police vehicles and equipment. The Lytle VFW and their Auxiliary will cook and serve hotdogs for us. We also will have a DJ! There will be plenty of drinks and snacks too. It’s a fun time to come out and meet your public safety workers. We will have gun locks to give away as well as our new 1 oz mini bottles of hand sanitizer. If nothing else, you will be able to leave with a full stomach and hand sanitizer. Plus, the joint has air conditioning and indoor plumbing.
Been kinda dry since September 1…Sandy was all excited because the temperature is sposed to be in the 50’s this weekend. Time to pull out the coats and stock up on fire wood. Commissioners Court recognized the Medina County Historical Society for their receipt of the Distinguished Service Award for 2021. Seems that they have been getting this every year since I been in office. They do a great job of reminding folks about Medina County’s history. Did a lot of vacating and replatting of subdivisions. Seems like we appeal to folks wanting to get outta San Antonio, California and New York. Just hope they leave their socialist ways behind. The Budget for FY 2022-23 was discussed and passed by a vote of 3-1. Even with one foreign object in the punch bowl, it seems to ruin the whole batch…and there were (in my opinion) several foreign objects in this one. Next up was the Medina County Tax Rate…the figure that determines how much tax money the County will receive to fund the Budget. Seems funny that we approve the Budget BEFORE we pass the Tax Rate. This year, the Rate is $0.4743 per $100 evaluation. I could have stomached voting for the “No New Revenue” rate of $0.4551 but it would have only been a moral victory. This passed 3-1 also. We approved a bid for remodeling the old Treasurers office now housing the Extension Office and approved an increase in Sheriff and Constable fees for service. We changed the date for the next Commissioners Court meeting from October 6th to the 13th due to a couple Commissioners being at Conference. David Lynch was chosen to chair the meetings in the absence of the County Judge. I would like to thank Leonard Dossey and Darrin Frazier for showing up and speaking on behalf of the taxpaying public in regards to the Tax Rate and the ridiculous Appraisals that we all had to swallow this year. Like these two men, when the public is forced to tighten their belts due to the rising cost of everything from food to fuel, I believe that the government should follow suit…at all levels. Lead by example. I sure would like to see the Republican and the Democratic Parties get behind the effort to freeze County taxes for our 65 and older residents. Seems this is not very important to them and should take center stage in our next election…right next to voting out every incumbent Democrat that is in office now. God blessed us with Ann Peden for a short while. I think that I’ll go into the cattle business when I retire from the County. According to George Alexander and Ron Outlaw, there is a lotta money in this. All you gotta do is get a couple cows and turn em loose in a field. With all the careless weed, stickers and cockleburrs, they always have plenty to eat…then you go sell them for a bucket load of money. Only 42 days to the Election, 89 days till Christmas and 95 days till total retirement….maybe.
This past weekend was a fun weekend! Tuesday was as usual, time in the workshop making tray favors for our hospital patients, and then working in the gift shop. The only difference was that both of my window air conditioning units decided to quit working at the same time on Tuesday morning! I had the repairman come out and check the main one, on Wednesday after I got off from work at noon, and of course, it was the condenser. Since the unit was over nine years old, I was sort of expecting that to be the problem. Actually, I was surprised that it had worked as long as it has this summer. My son-in-law went on-line checked the stores in Victoria for me and couldn’t find the type of unit that was needed, (a 220, without a heater), and when the repairman came out, he started making calls and found one for me in a nearby town. My friend and I went and picked it up and he installed it on Friday for me. It works beautifully and my house is comfortable again. On Saturday, my son and daughter-in-law came down and he brought a small unit to replace the other one that was out. This one only needs to keep my sewing room/spare bedroom cool enough for visitors, so again I’m home free on a cool room. After we had lunch, and he fixed some places that needed tightening on my cyclone fence, we went to the back pasture at my brother’s house and did some target practicing, I always enjoy this. We didn’t have an actual target, but I managed to hit the box we were using. It just takes practice and as the old saying goes: “Practice makes perfect”. Every magazine I pick up these days seems to have articles and recipes about Brussels Sprouts and how good they are for you. One article I noticed today said, “Forget about the sprouts you knew as a kid, that were cooked to mush and tasted horrible”. Supposedly, they really are good for you and contain numerous vitamins and minerals, and today are cooked almost any way you can imagine other than boiling them! According to my research on Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, they belong to the Gemmifera group of cabbages, which is grown for it edible buds. Brussels sprouts are also in the same family as collard greens, kale (another vegetable that is in every magazine you pick up), broccoli and kohlrabi (a vegetable that Dad brought home for Mother to cook, frequently in the winter time). All of these vegetables belong to the Brassicaceae family and contain Vitamin A, C, folic acid and dietary fibre necessary to our health. They are believed to protect our bodies against colon cancer, because they contain sinigrin. Due to breeding research in recent years in the Netherlands that focused on compounds called “glucosinolates”, that are found in the sprouts, has resulted in reducing bitterness and added health benefits. In Continental Europe, the Netherlands produce 82K metric tons and Germany produces 10K tons. England has a production similar to the Netherlands, but do not generally export the sprouts. In the United States, production began in the 18th century, with French settlers bringing them to Louisiana. It was during the 1920s that they were first planted in California with a large production beginning in the 1940s. At this time, several thousand acres are planted in the coastal areas of Santa Cruz, San Mateo and Monterey, which seem to offer an ideal climate year round. The majority of the production in the United States is in this location with a smaller percentage of the crop being grown in Skagit Valley, Washington and also on Long Island, New York. The total production in the United States is about 32K tons, and over 80% of that is for the frozen food market. Once you have purchased your Brussels sprouts, cut off the excess stem and peel off any loose leaves, now they are ready to cook by steaming, grilling, stir frying or roasting. Most of the recipes that I’ve seen in magazines have you cutting them in half and cooking on the grill. They look appetizing, and as is stated above, they have been bred to lose some of the taste of cooked cabbage that is usually associated with them. The Wikipedia article that this information from states that: “Roasting Brussels sprouts is a common way to cook them in large quantities that seems to bring out the flavour that school children can enjoy”. The article also states: “One school district served roasted and pickled Brussels sprouts to 20,000 children who reportedly enjoyed the food during a single day”. Shredded Gingered Brussels sprouts 1 lb. fresh Brussels sprouts 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 Tbsp. minced fresh gingerroot 1 clove garlic, minced 1/8 tsp. salt 2 Tbsp water ¼ tsp. pepper Trim Brussels sprouts, cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into thin slices. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir sprouts 2-3 minutes or just until lightly browned. Toss with olive oil. Stir in onion, ginger, garlic and salt. Add water; reduce heat to medium and cook, covered 1-2 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat; stir in pepper. Per serving 56 cal., 2g fat, (0g sat. fat), 0mg chol., 214 mg sodium, 8g carb., 3g fiber, 2g pro. Brussel Sprout Salad 5 cups thinly sliced brussel sprouts 3 Tbs. olive oil 3 Tbs. lemon juice 1 cup toasted walnut pieces ½ cup dried cranberries 1/3 cup ricotta cheese Salt and pepper to taste Cut brussel sprouts in half lengthwise and then thinly slice. Add lemon juice, walnut pieces, dried cranberries and ricotta cheese, gently mix together and toss with the olive oil. Brussel Sprouts with Caraway Seeds 2 lbs. fresh Brussels sprouts 6 tsp. olive oil 1 large sweet onion 6 medium cloves garlic 2 tsp. caraway seeds 1 tsp dried thyme ½ tsp. salt ½ tsp. coarsely ground black pepper ¼ tsp. red pepper flakes ¼ cup maple syrup (real maple syrup, not pancake syrup) 3 Tbs. sherry vinegar 1 tsp. Dijon mustard Trim and halve Brussels sprouts, place steamer basket in a large skillet with 1-inch of water. Place sprouts in basket and bring water to a boil. Reduce heat and maintain a simmer; steam, covered until crisp-tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and remove from skillet and kept warm. While sprouts are cooking, slice onions and thinly slice garlic cloves. In same skillet, heat oil over medium heat, add onion and cook and stir until tender, (4 to 5 minutes), add sliced garlic, cook 1 minute longer, stir in Brussels sprouts, caraway seeds, thyme, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix together syrup, sherry vinegar and mustard until well combined, pour over sprout mixture and stir until coated. Serve warm.
Perry Peacock and Mary Etheridge Peacock, Joyce Peacock Bendele’s parents.
As many know, the contribution women made in the war effort of WWII was invaluable. While the men, for the most part at least, served overseas, there were roles that needed to be filled back home. In addition, many men who were not called up for myriad reasons also served at home in numerous ways. For the next few weeks, we will pay homage to the men and women of this nature who have connections to our community.
This extended dry spell has created widespread challenges for many parts of La Brasada and beyond. And with the frequent reminders almost daily all over the media, it is understandable for some of us “elders” to think back and recall “water management techniques” used from earlier days. I cannot tell you the year my Grand Parents drilled their water well on our Home Place, but it was already there in my childhood days of the 1950’s. I am told it was originally “sweet water”, but all I can remember is that it tasted bad and would ruin a white shirt, turning it into the color of “rusty red” if washed in it. Then and now, we use that well’s water only for livestock and wildlife purposes. Such a situation meant washing days began by drawing buckets of water from the hand dug cistern just outside the back door into the various wash tubs arranged in a systematic pattern by my Granny along the back porch. It also meant that cistern was the sole source of water for cooking, bathing, and drinking, drawn into the house by a hand pump. Those details will be used for a different tale or two down the road, Lord willing. Whenever it did manage to rain over the course of time from about the mid 1950’s to the late 1970’s, I can recall the water gathering process was always the same. We would let the water run off the tin roof for a period of time deemed sufficient by one of my Grandparents. This was to remove any of the unwanted deposits found on roofs everywhere in south Texas, so use your imagination as to the specifics that were washed off. Then, upon command, whoever was around that could help, would form a gutter brigade and move our spouts so the water run off would be directed into that old cistern. Just sitting here while writing this, I can recall either Granny or Grand Dad saying to me…MIND THAT GUTTER BOY. This meant pay attention and do my assigned task quickly and efficiently in order to salvage as much of that precious commodity as possible. That lifestyle seems rough and mostly awful to many who will read this. But such was the life of dry land, small scale farmers and ranchers during that time and before. All my Grand Parent’s kids and grandkids moved on to live in places like Pearsall and San Antonio, so we all experienced running water piped to our homes by the municipalities. But “out at the farm”, that gutter process just seemed like a normal part of country life for 3 generations of family member over the course of about 40 years. It has hard to believe that is has been almost 50 years since minding the gutters was part of my duties while out at our little piece of heaven. And I sure enough hope I don’t ever have to go back to that way of getting my water. But having done so sure does allow me to be reminded of the blessings of living like most of us now are able to do.
New Season New Rifle New Location
Not sure how many of your fine readers are counting, but as I sit and write this Tale, it is exactly 60 days until Opening Day of regular white tail deer season in La Brasada. Certainly, hunting will begin earlier on some ranches with varying permits, but the one available to all us nimrods is November 6, 2022 in our neck of the woods. Even though it has been over 60 years since I started getting excited about that day, I still look forward to it with high hopes and anticipation. That is especially true this season because of 3 new aspects. The day itself, of course, but also because I will be toting a new fire stick out in the woods and doing some of my hunting on a new piece of ground. The rifle is because of a separate firearm acquisition in the last 18 months or so. That one was a replacement for a particular rifle I had used for 30+ years and it was plum shot out. I bought a “new used one” and it has proven to be accurate and “fits me good”. It sits kind of on the smaller end of my collection, size wise. But the opportunity came along to get its “bigger brother” and I jumped at the chance. So far so good in terms of my ability to use it. Same design, feel, and fit. Certainly, there is NO logical reason for this last purchase. But kind readers please understand that we have come to a Peace Treaty of sorts at Casa Rosenauer. I do not question the number of ladies shoes in our Master Bedroom Closet and The Boss Lady pays little mind to the gun cabinets so long as her personal rifle is kept clean, sighted in, and with an adequate supply of the specific ammo that she shoots like a Sniper. The third aspect comes from what I participated in for 47 years as a ranch broker, and that is my 30 year lease place sold! I admit to being sad when the news of that upcoming event was announced to me from the Trust Officer in charge of the place. But it is an acquisition by a neighbor on two sides and they are putting back together, as much as they can, a big ranch I broke up and sold decades ago. It is going to a “good home”, and I wish them well with those acres. Given that event I needed to make another deal and with a bit of fortune a new spot has been obtained. It is smaller than the other one, but closer to my own place. And it joins some big country, all low fenced and lightly hunted. As my wise Granny used to tell me as a child, “Stop fretting over that! Things mostly work out. And if they don’t go your way, maybe next time it will”. Wise council. We are now clearing senderos, making food plots, setting up feeders, and all the “stuff” that needs doing on a new place. Lord Willing it will be a good situation for both me and the owner. And like I told my family, I don’t need to fret about “looking over” that same old terrain I have been seeing all these years. It will be something new and I AM EXCITED!
Welcome to “What Happened Last Week at Lytle PD,” not exactly the nightly world news but here you go: Officers handled 51 calls for service and conducted 42 traffic stops. Those stops resulted in 37 citations and 5 warnings. Officers made 2 arrests last week (both were booked into the Atascosa Co. Jail): #1 – Ofc. Diaz conducted a traffic stop on IH-35 Access Rd. and determined the driver had an active felony dope warrant out of Dimmit County. #2 – Ofc. Diaz received a report of an intoxicated driver. He conducted a traffic stop on FM 3175 @ the IH-35 Access Rd. and determined the suspect to be intoxicated. He was arrested for D.W.I. We took reports of 5 property crimes: #1 – Camino Real on Benton City Road reported a flatbed trailer was stolen. #2 – The construction company doing site work at Saddle Ridge Estates reported that approx. 200 gallons of diesel fuel was taken from 3 machines, a window was broken as well. That’s a lot of diesel fuel, about $900 worth! #3 – A complainant reported $1,100 in unauthorized transactions on their bank account. Here is a hint: If you use my plan and keep your account on the verge of being overdrawn you will never have that problem. #4 – A Benton St. resident reported that an unknown female entered his residence and took one Miller Lite beer. He captured the incident on his home security system. Yes, this did really happen. I am just going to call this unknown suspect the “One Beer Bandit.” #5 – We ended the week with the report of a theft of a catalytic converter from a vehicle that was parked at the Park & Ride on IH-35 (by Lytle State Bank). The vehicle was a 2014 Camaro so it must have been a skinny thief that got under that car. The Natalia Mustangs pulled off a victory over our hometown Pirates. Let me be the first to say, “Welcome to Lytle, the Gateway to Natalia.” There is always next year. Now for some important news: TXDOT will close the NB Entrance Ramp to IH-35 (this is the one by Lytle State Bank). It will be closed from Sept. 21st – Oct. 4th. There will be some construction work on the ramp. A lot of people use this route to get to San Antonio; you can always take Main St. and access NB IH-35 that way. Just tell yourself you are taking the “scenic” route and maybe it won’t be so bad. The ramp closure caused rumors to run wild. Did a few TXDOT employees have a bet over the big rivalry football game? If Lytle won, they would shut down a ramp in Natalia and if Natalia won, they would shut down a ramp in Lytle. I investigated this rumor and believe it is nonsense that popped into my head as I drafted my weekly report.
