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Pineywoods Region Week of September 21, 2022

B.A. SteinhagenFAIR. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.16 feet below. Bass are fair with dropshots and crankbaits along grass ledges. Crappie are fair using minnows and jigs on deeper main lake structures and brush piles. Catfish are good moving shallow biting cut and cheese bait.Bob SandlinGOOD. Water clear; 82 degrees; 1.34 feet below. Fishing patterns…

Queen Elizabeth II - Remembering the spirit of England

Bite by BiteConquering My Culinary Bucket List One Dish at a TimeBy Emily Banks Wooten I was leaving Rotary Club Thursday before last when I received a notification on my phone that Queen Elizabeth II had died at the age of 96 at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. I wasn’t completely surprised, having read earlier that morning that she’d been placed…

Biologists predict moderate hunting conditions

Special to the News-Times AUSTIN — With drought affecting most of the state over the summer, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department biologists foresee a moderate season for hunters this fall. “Overall, 2022 year is expected to be good in terms of harvest numbers and opportunities, so don’t let the chance to spend time afield with family, friends and…

Grape expectations - Texas A&M AgriLife and the Texas Wine Industry

The Lone Star state is among the top five wine-producing states in the U.S., with an annual economic value of $13.1 billion. Texas A&M AgriLife phot by Tamara Garza By Blair Fannin AgriLife Extension Communication Specialist Nestled comfortably in the Texas Hill Country, Fredericksburg has become well known for its peaceful ambiance and…

Getting older means saying goodbye to friends

There are stubborn and unwelcome facts about getting older. The gray hairs that weren’t there the day before. The injuries from running or other sports that come easier and are harder to shake off than they were before. And your friends die. This summer, I’ve said farewell to two dear friends who, as dear friends do, shaped my life in their own…

There’s nothing quite like an old-fashioned scam

By Dr. James L. Snyder Scams have become the norm of our culture today. If it weren’t for Alexander Graham Bell, we wouldn’t have all of these scams today. Thanks Alex. These scams go from car warranties to Medicare benefits, and they’re probably just getting started. The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage gets very agitated when these calls come.…

Pineywoods Region Week of September 14, 2022

B.A. SteinhagenFAIR. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.32 feet below. Bass are fair with dropshots and crankbaits along grass ledges. Crappie are fair using minnows and jigs on deeper main lake structures and brush piles. Catfish are good moving shallow biting cut and cheese bait. Bob SandlinGOOD. Water clear; 82 degrees; 1.23 feet below. Fishing…

Chicken Enchilada Skillet Supper

Bite by BiteConquering My Culinary Bucket List One Dish at a TimeBy Emily Banks Wooten I was scanning the internet recently when I found an article in my feed called “A Month of Mediterranean Diet Dinners for Fall.” It looked intriguing. And no, we’re not on the Mediterranean Diet, although we probably should be. The article was from “Eating…

Are you losing sleep over slumber parties?

“Anxious parents are no longer allowing their kids to go to slumber parties,” announced a blurb in the August 16 “New York Post.” Slumber parties are not usually one of the top subjects on my mind in the morning (“Got my keys, got my snack, got my wallet, got a great ‘is your refrigerator running?’ joke to share…”), so I was surprised to learn…

SUICIDE AWARENESS AND PREVENTION

“Wearing purple and teal is more than putting two colors together. It’s about showing that even in your toughest times you’re not alone and it’s okay to not be okay,” according to Shelby Willmon, a representative of Oceans Behavioral Healthcare of Lufkin, a free-standing psychiatric hospital specializing in all mental health. According to Willmon,…

End of life challenges in modern times

By Tom Purcell A long time ago I watched a documentary about poet Emily Dickinson’s life and writings. One thing that I never forgot about that film is that she lived at a time when death was regrettably common — and therefore the subject of many of her poems. “How are you doing?” is a polite way of introducing ourselves to each other now. But as…

Where were you?

By Jan Whitejan@hccourier.com On September 11, 2001, militants associated with the Islamic extremists, al Qaeda, hijacked four airplanes and carried out suicide attacks against primary targets in the United States. Two of the planes collided with the twin towers of the Word Trade Center in New York City. A third plane attacked the Pentagon, and…

Pineywoods Region Fishing Report Week of September 7, 2022

B.A. SteinhagenFAIR. Water stained; 80 degrees; 0.41 feet below. Bass are fair with dropshots and crankbaits along grass ledges. Crappie are fair using minnows and jigs on deeper main lake structures and brush piles. Catfish are good moving shallow biting cut and cheese bait. Bob SandlinGOOD. Water clear; 82 degrees; 1.07 below. Fishing patterns are…

THE BEST ICE CREAM SANDWICH

Bite by BiteConquering My Culinary Bucket List One Dish at a TimeBy Emily Banks Wooten About four months ago we were traveling through Georgetown and stopped at a cute little place called The Baked Bear that featured homemade, custom ice cream sandwiches. We treated ourselves that day and it was so dang good that ever since, I’ve been trying to…

Teal trifecta

Blue winged teal By Matthew R. March, MNRDPolk County Extension Agent North America is home to three species of ducks we call teal. This includes blue winged teal (Spatula discors), green winged teal (Anas crecca), and cinnamon teal (Spatula cyanoptera). All three species can be found in Texas. Teal are among the smallest ducks found in North…

Conditions heating up for dove season

AUSTIN — Texans are used to scorching summers, but this year’s record highs across much of the state have left many dove hunters wondering about the upcoming season opener. “Unless conditions change drastically over the next few weeks, hunting near water will be key for opening day this year,” said Owen Fitzsimmons, TPWD Dove Program Leader.…

The harmonious melody of hummingbirds

By Dr. James L. Snyder A few months ago, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage bought a harp and began teaching herself how to play it. She can play the piano, organ, flute, and sometimes me. Now she has graduated to the harp. So I guess she’s preparing for heaven, where she’ll play a heavenly harp. She was quite quick in learning how to play,…

Garden Tips for September

By Jolene Renfro If you have been gardening for a few years, you probably have the most basic tools in your garden shed already. This collection of tools includes hand trowel, hand cultivator, shovel, spade, rake, hoe, by-pass hand pruner, pruning shears, loppers, gloves, garden hose with a wand nozzle having adjustable streams, and a wheelbarrow…

Estate sale find yields surprise

Rear view of the Clyde Gray painting on display at the Gray House Museum. CHRIS EDWARDS | TCB By Chris Edwardsnews@tylercountybooster.com WOODVILLE – The acquisition of a painting by the late and legendary visual artist and Heritage Village founder Clyde Gray revealed a surprise; an “Easter egg,” if you will. Annabeth Willis, a board member of the…

Pineywoods Region Week of August 31, 2022

B.A. SteinhagenFAIR. Water stained; 83 degrees; 0.27 feet below. Bass are fair with dropshots and crankbaits along grass ledges. Crappie are fair using minnows and jigs on deeper main lake structures and brush piles. Catfish are good moving shallow biting cut and cheese bait.Bob SandlinGOOD. Water clear; 85 degrees; at pool. Catfish are good on…

Bluegrass festival to bring foot tappin’ entertainment

By Jan White and Chris Edwardsjan@hccourier.com and news@hccourier.com GRAPELAND – Get ready for a weekend full of entertainment as Salmon Lake Park celebrates its 46th Annual Bluegrass Festival. The annual festival has been a hotly anticipated event for lovers of bluegrass music, nationwide, and is traditionally held on Labor Day weekend. The…

They would’ve wanted us to eat well

Bite by BiteConquering My Culinary Bucket List One Dish at a TimeBy Emily Banks Wooten Having been raised in the same community in which my mother was – and her parents, too – I was blessed with an abundance of relatives that I was close to as a child and on into adulthood. I had the good fortune of spending lots of quality time with my maternal…

‘Jam on the Green’ scheduled at Heritage Village

Courtney Hale Revia, who recently celebrated the release of her critically acclaimed new record “Growing Pains”, will take the stage at 7 p.m. WOODVILLE – The Heritage Village stage at Heritage Village will play host to one of the brightest young singer-songwriters in Texas on Saturday, Sept. 10 for the Village’s “Jam on the Green” concert.…

Greek Food is a Celebration of True Love

By Tim Scallon, MS RDN LDRegistered Dietitian Nutritionist In the 1960’s, a wave of Greek emigrants came to America. They brought with them their culture, religion and their unique foods. Many found work in restaurants and ultimately opened their own dining establishments. Today Greek restaurants can be found in all cities across the country.…

Pineywoods Region Week of August 24, 2022

B.A. Steinhagen FAIR. Water stained; 83 degrees; 0.14 feet below. Summertime fishing patterns continue. Bass are fair on topwaters over grass at sunrise, and with dropshot and crankbaits along grass ledges later in the day. Crappie are fair using minnows and jigs on deeper main lake structures and brush piles. Catfish are good moving shallow biting…

Cultivating cold-season cole crops

By Jolene Renfro Even though it is 100 degrees outside, it is time to start thinking about planting cold-season plants such as cabbage, kale, and kohlrabi. Most of the plants in the garden have accepted August and are hunkered down (like we are) waiting for cooler weather and rain to perk back up, but we have to think beyond what is happening now…

Light summer suppers

Bite by BiteConquering My Culinary Bucket List One Dish at a TimeBy Emily Banks Wooten Editor’s note: Due to unexpected illness, we’re re-running this “Bite by Bite” that initially ran June 20, 2021. After all of our recent trips to the local farmers markets we’ve found ourselves with a bounty of beautiful fresh produce. Additionally, as luck…

Chop Suey, An American Comfort Food

By Tim Scallon, MS RDN LDRegistered Dietitian Nutritionist I grew up on a dairy farm in East Texas in a family of six kids. Dad was from Louisiana and would buy rice in one-hundred-pound sacks which he stored in a clean milk can on the back porch. We probably ate Rice and Gravy two or three times a week which was fine with Dad. But Mom liked…

The epic road trip that changed the future

Eisenhower (right), stopping for a chicken dinner on the lawn at the Firestone Homestead Farm in Ohio, on July 13, 1919.Photo used via Creative Commons By Jan Whitejan@hccourier.com It was the summer of 1919. Future president, Dwight Eisenhower, was a twenty-eight-year-old lieutenant stationed at Maryland’s Camp Mead – 1,500 miles away from his…

Pineywoods Region Week of August 17, 2022

B.A. SteinhagenFAIR. Water stained; 83 degrees; 0.14 feet below. Summertime fishing patterns continue. Bass are fair on topwaters over grass at sunrise, and with dropshot and crankbaits along grass ledges later in the day. Crappie are fair using minnows and jigs on deeper main lake structures and brush piles. Catfish are good moving shallow biting…

Things that go bump in the night

One is a raccoon wishing he could get up to the bird feeder. But, raccoons can’t jump. Courtesy photo When the sun goes down most of us assume that the world outside stops. Unless we can see or hear it, (or in some cases smell it) it ain’t happening!! Surprise! Whether you live in the country or the city, there is a whole ‘nother world out there…