October 13, 2021 Issue

Due to recent damage by natural forces, a local cemetery association will be raising money to pay for repairs at the historic Gooch Cemetery in Mason County. “In the next few weeks, we’re going to have a board meeting and we’ll be deciding on what to do about these old monuments,” said George Brannies, chairman of Mason Bank.

Mason County Commissioners revisited the issue of subdivision regulations, welcomed a medical intern working here through the Rural Health Initiative, and hired a new county agent, in addition to making plans for upcoming Trick or Treat events for local children at their meeting Tuesday. Judge Jerry Bearden emphasized the need to get new subdivision regulations made to replace those in place since 1997.

As Mason moves into Fall and awaits much needed rain; the community is gearing up for what unmistakably will be a very event-filled season. Cooler weather brings with it the promise of a busy holiday season. According to Heather Harrell of the Mason Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber calendar is filled with new and recurring festivals with something for everyone. Now through the end of October, the 2nd Annual McMillan Ranch Pumpkin Patch is open.

The Mason High School varsity football team dominated from start to finish on Friday, Oct. 8, as the Punchers took care of business at home with a 54-0 thrashing of Center Point High School. After the Punchers deferred the opening kickoff and forced a quick three-and-out on defense, it was sophomore Ryne Todd who returned a punt 43 yards for a touchdown to get the Mason scoring started early with a 7-0 lead.

The Mason High School girls and boys varsity cross-country teams competed on Wednesday, Oct. 6 in the seventh meet of the 2021 season at the Mason Invitational, held at Comanche Creek Golf Course. The Cowgirls varsity squad again did superbly in their two-mile race as Mason placed a very close first out of five teams with 42 points in front of second-place Wimberley High School with 44, third-place Harper High School with 62, fourth-place Llano High School with 68, and fifth-place Menard Hi ...

As Mason moves into Fall and awaits much needed rain; the community is gearing up for what unmistakably will be a very event-filled season. Cooler weather brings with it the promise of a busy holiday season. According to Heather Harrell of the Mason Chamber of Commerce, the Chamber calendar is filled with new and recurring festivals with something for everyone. Now through the end of October, the 2nd Annual McMillan Ranch Pumpkin Patch is open.

The Mason County Chamber of Commerce is excited to host a Halloween window-decorating contest this year! Simply email the Chamber your business name and contact for entry. Trick-or-Treat on the Square will be from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 30th. Jessica and I are already planning our costumes to hand out candy in over at the Chamber.

Adults of a certain age likely remember a childhood filled with fireflies. Called lightning bugs by some, especially in the eastern United States, fireflies are neither flies nor true bugs, but rather a family of beetles. In any case, on warm summer nights, many of us filled jars with fireflies collected from around our houses, and marveled at their flashing lights.

The Friends of the Library Book and Bake Sale is set for October 28, 29, and 30 from 9:00 to 4:00. We had so many books donated over the last two years that we do not have room for all of them at the library. Instead, the sale will be held at the Mason Community Building by the Puncherdome.

I nearly always limit my columns to discussions specifically about the Hill Country, but I thought a few observations about the larger area would be of interest. Those of us who think mainly about the history of our area tend to think about what the Hill Country was like before and after people of European ancestry moved here.

Sheila came across this recipe while cruising the internet, and she thought it sounded perfect for The Practical Baker. Simple, straight-forward, and fast. I tried it, and the resulting rolls were an absolute delight that will become a regular guest at our dinner table. I think you'll like them, too. Ingredients: 1 cup water 2 tablespoons melted butter ½ cup milk 2 tablespoons honey 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 1 teaspoon salt 3 ½ to 4 cups all-purpose flour Extra melted ...

I am a long time journal keeper. These pages have been a place to record intimate introspective reflections. Here are a couple of those entries. March 30, 1977 Two sounds have very special meaning to me. One is the cooing of a mourning dove. The other is the droning engines of a large propellor-driven plane high in the sky.

Happy Fall! We are seeing a flush of growth from held-over cherry tomatoes, flowering of Arugula, new starts coming up, and the glorious greens breaking ground. The pecan is beginning to drop and the fruiting trees are almost ready to change leaf color. I especially enjoy the exceptionally bright color of persimmon leaves.

Homeowners’ associations are intended to help protect property values and maintain a pleasant living environment. To accomplish those goals, they impose certain rules on residents. Here are four questions to ask before buying property in an HOA. Can you afford it? HOAs are funded by member dues paid monthly, quarterly, or annually.

Our fall weather turned into summer again. The weatherman said rain Sunday. It doesn’t look much like rain. The radar shows light showers that don’t look like they will reach Mason County. Our household had a good football weekend. We watched the Punchers on our tablet and they won. We watched the Aggies and they won.

A common misconception is that this column exists primarily as an irritant to vegans, leftists, and people who wear polyester pants. Actually, those are just fortunate side benefits. The main reason for this column is to answer some of the really important questions in life, such as why vegans, leftists, and polyester pants exist.

On October 5, the Mason Lions Club met at Nacho’s for their weekly meeting. The Board of Directors held their monthly meeting prior to the quarterly business meeting of the Club. I shall take mercy upon you and not bore you with the detailed facts and figures. Instead I'll take advantage of this opportunity to share the mission, the vision, and some interesting stories about Lions. Our Mission: Empowering volunteers to serve their communities, meet humanitarian needs, encourage peace, a ...