JESUS FERNANDEZ HADLEY HARPER & JAKE KREHBIEL LAUREN WOODRUM LEADS THE PACK PHOTOS BY MATHERS HALE.

Sarah Rader introduced Kelly Bashaw, wildlife biologist with the Gene Howe Wildlife Preserve. Bashaw grew up in Dallas in an urban setting, but her family spent a lot of time in national parks—camping, fishing, and hiking. These trips are what opened her heart to a love for nature and wildlife. She chose this path for college and graduated from Stephen F Austin University in Nacogdoches.

“YOU GOTTA KEEP poking and clicking,” a friend tells me. “That’s what my daughter does.” By this, she means that learning new technology is not a straight path.

Feeling grumpy? Need a drink? That’s what a new business in town is counting on. For the first time in the 150-year history of this West Texas village, we are getting a liquor store called Grumpy’s. We’ve had our share of moonshiners and residents who sold alcohol to minors, but we’ve never had a liquor store until now. We’ve had a pool hall, a domino hall, and at least two dance halls, but never a package store. A county ordinance passed 25 years ago permits the local convenience store to sell wine and beer. Last year, a bar opened on Main Street, and a barbeque restaurant on the highway has a BYOB policy when it hosts outdoor concerts.