Rain, rain, rain. We finally got some. Thanks to that killer tornado. Thankfully it didn’t touch down here. Rain is part of Nature’s reign. Reign, reign, reign. As in Reigning Cats & Dogs. Grooming, boarding, training, and retail shop on the west side of the square. And on the east edge of town is Sunny Star Kennels. Boarding, grooming, and training too.

According to my calculations, which I came up with by reading a story someone sent me, the recent NRA Annual Meeting, held at the Something R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, drew a record 86,228 attendees. But I went in and came out and went back in, so that figure might be off. The convention, as you can imagine, featured a lot of guns, but my friend, Mike Nischalke, of Hunter Outdoor Communications, made an interesting observance.

The Mason Lions club met Tuesday, May 14th, for its regular weekly luncheon meeting. There were 33 members and two visitors in attendance. Lion Ted Smith was responsible for the program and introduced Carrie Pickering with the law firm of Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP, who spoke about delinquent tax collection. They work with the Appraisal District in Mason and other towns helping collect the taxes that are delinquent.

Shopping used to be my middle name. Yes, I loved to shop. However, now most times I find it unpleasant. Getting in and out of a car just about does me in. I use the electric buggies as much as I can. Those buggies can’t hold two eighteen pounds of dog food, 2 jugs of laundry detergent and all the other items that might be on my list.

Summer has come to town in the last few days with hot weather and clear skies, and even with a small chance of rain it seems that most of the moisture is in the form of humidity. In another couple of weeks the schools will all be out and the kids will be free to explore the different ways that they can enjoy the summer, and one of the best recreational opportunities is the City swimming pool.

SAMe is a biological compound that is found in every cell in the human body. It is important because it plays a key role in methylation which is a process that activates more than a hundred different processes in the body – from preserving joint health, protecting against heart disease, and producing neurotransmitters such as serotonin.

Please note that I made a mistake on the summer reading times for Read with a Dog. It will be only on Mondays from 1:00-2:00 P.M. Read-to-Swim is on Mondays through Thursdays from 1:00-2:00 P.M. Summer reading programs start on Monday, June 3. NEW ARRIVALS: (All quotes are from publishers’ summaries) DVDs: The Guilt Trip Abel’s Field Women in Love Broken City As I Stand Unconditional Ring the Bell X-Men Origins Wolverine X-Men the Last Stand Lukewarm Silver Linings October Sky ...

USDA’S MyPlate symbolizes a simple, personalized approach to remind consumers to make healthy food choices and be active every day. Think of MyPlate as a “calorie salary” guide that helps you get the most health and enjoyment from what you eat. Plan calories the same as major expenses — such as a car, house, or vacation. This is a good visual for me- when I’m doing diabetes education, the easiest way for me to teach people is to think of it like a small carb “allowance” that you ...

On opening day of the season, Thursday, May 16th, I got to the cave a little early to do some last minute touch ups. I was moving a few rocks out of the parking area when a van drove up. I walked over to greet the visitors and watched as little person after little person emerged from the vehicle, each with a smile as wide as Texas and a sweet hello to me.

Shallowest minds are quickest to tackle deepest subjects, including one comment heard numerous times in many communities: “What this town needs is a few good funerals.” A stronger cry should be for more “good births” of folks disposed to spend their lives serving others. Classic examples are the late Emmett Whitehead and his widow, Marie.

Esmeralda who? Obviously Spanish is my second language. Esmeralda is Spanish for emerald. Got that right. But it’s not the right name for the plant with yellow flowers. That would be Esperanza. Well, they both start with an E. And then an s. Esmeralda Esperanza. What a pretty name. Muy bonita. Except the similarities stop there. Esmeralda is emerald. Esperanza means “hope” or “expectation.” So maybe there’s hope for my Spanish. Best not have any expectation. The plan ...

There are certain places that, for one reason or another, I try to avoid at all costs. Houston, Texas is about six of those places. Not only is Houston huge and confusing and full of people who evidently learned to drive by playing the go-cart Wii game, it’s also surrounded by a dense, interwoven net of toll roads.

I knew there was another reason for Winter that I liked. Snakes are not out roaming around!!!!! My little Rojo dog got snake bitten last Thursday. It was a small one, but never the less it was potent. You see, the dogs are our door bell. So when I heard them barking I went to the back door to see who was there.

The Mason Lions club met Tuesday, May 7th, for its monthly business meeting. There were 36 members and one visitor in attendance. "Boss" Lion Pat Reardon was responsible for the program and Secretary/Treasurer Gene Gammill read the minutes and gave the financial report. It was reported that we made about $1,100 on the last hamburger lunch and we would schedule another the 7th of June. The club donated $25 for a pair of eyeglasses for a Mason County citizen.

The last article I wrote was about early photography and the many changes that were made to the processes before the advent of electronic imaging. Today most “photos” are kept on memory cards or downloaded to computers, and often are not ever printed to be handed around at family gatherings.