Community

Local resident Jack Hoadley appeared at the Hemphill County Extension office out of the blue this week, carrying a giant Hershey’s Chocolate bar, which he presented as a treat for the 4-H Club members who will be meeting this evening (Thursday, Feb. 4) at the Exhibition Center. Jack is a veteran of the United States Marine Corp and served in the Vietnam War. “Jack is truly a patriot, and his thoughtfulness is very inspirational to the Hemphill County 4-H Club,” said AgriLife Extension Agent Andy Holloway, who is pictured here accepting the gift, and who added, “It was impromptu and very special.”

Fred Pankratz had double duty this meeting by filling in as president and hosting our program. He got the show on the road with the “Four-Way Test,” pledge, and prayer before introducing his guests, Leo Avila and Abi Black. Fred, or Mr. P, as he is known to his previous band students, invited Avila and Black to our meeting to showcase their upcoming pieces for the solo and ensemble competition.

PEO Chapter I is proud to report that Katie Hathaway and Natasha Watts McNeil have each received grants from the PEO Program for Continuing Education (PCE). Katie is pursuing a counseling degree, and Natasha is pursuing her associate degree in business.

Looked through many online brisket recipes before deciding on Recipetineats. com, making few adjustments. They listed a homemade BBQ sauce, but I took my favorite and added onions and garlic. Caramelizing the meat in the oven is a step that makes this a dish to remember.

Doug Ricketts, of rural Lipscomb County, has wanted to replace his aging and weathered mailbox for many years. And, for some reason, a winter in a pandemic seemed like a good chance to take the time. Of course, if you are an artist with visions of sculptural forms, chances are your mailbox is going to be a calling card out at the entry to your home. The result is 8 feet tall and weighs several hundred pounds. It sits on private property, so it poses no risk to wayward snowplows or semis. After a consultation with mail carrier Debby Opdyke about the practical needs—the optimum height for her Jeep, as well as some special weather-dictated features—Doug welded a heavy windproof door, a flag that would stay up regardless of high wind, and a special “ice hammer” that Debby can use when the box is encased in ice. The “mail rock” from the old mailbox serves to hold the mail in place when the door is opened, preventing letters from being blown to Mexico or Canada, depending on the wind direction and speed. That’s how it earned the name, the Prairie Wind Mailbox.

A friend of mine told me something so amazing, I had to look it up to see if it was true. In 1960, a series of experiments was done with flatworms in which a bunch of flatworms were taught where to find food.

Sheila Pankratz treated us to a look at a several frames from her butterfly collection. The collection is made up of gifts or mounts she found in various stores. The butterflies in the frames were found dead and then mounted, so no butterfly was harmed merely to become a mount. Several frames have nametags, origins, and descriptions of the butterflies within them. One of her most intriguing mounts, as seen in the photo, is of a dead leaf butterfly. A person quickly notices the butterfly with wings spread on the bottom of the twig. Higher upon the twig is a dead leaf…or is it? Look closely and you might just spot some antennae and little eyes. What a unique creator we have!

We had a nice turnout for the annual student art show of the Canadian River Art Academy. If you missed it, don’t worry. The artwork will be up until the end of February. Some of the more advanced students’ work is for sale, and make perfect gifts for cow and Willie Nelson lovers. Come by and check them out!