Homecoming approaches at Jim Ned High School!

Homecoming will be next week! The tribe has PRIDE!

The fans listen as coaches talk about "the calm before the storm", and whether this group will "lead, follow, or get outtatheway"....

The plan is.... the Anson Tigers will be the ones getting out of our JN Indians' way as they storm the gates of the football field.

Lawn Elementary second graders brought their own brand of enthusiasm to the chaos as they readily "shook their booties"... in appropriately dignified Indian response!
Smiling faces and lots of cameras were posed to hear this group sing acappella, our national anthem.... applause met their efforts as the last note rang in the gym!
This is NOT sacred ground, but you better take your shoes off before entering this gym... some rules just go without saying!

Don't you love the variety of foot apparel? ONLY IN TEXAS!! ya gotta love it!

Some sounds are the same no matter from what part of our great United States you may hail... Football fans love their contenders... especially when they are the friends, boyfriends, grandsons,

or simply and foremost THE SONS of the ones watching!

Go Indians and God bless the evening of

Texas Football Fun!

New Season...New lunch boxes, Fall is coming soon!

Signs of the new seasons here in the Jim Ned Valley are all around us... From the golden sunrises over our entire community... A new schedule for our little kindergartners... and new lunchboxes are a must for the upper grades.
Classrooms welcome the children back with the walls predicting all sorts of new learning experiences.
... Here in our Jim Ned Valley community, after meet the teacher night...

after... adopt an Indian night...

after the first day of school....

then,

it's grandparents day.... and we get to accompany our little ones into the cafeteria to enjoy meeting friends and eating bar-b-que on a bun....lots of pickles of course!

and.......one of the best things about this time of year

(besides the West Texas Fair and Rodeo... with funnel cakes and smoked turkey legs!!)

is the landscape.

We have the live oaks who, along with our native and pervasive cedars retain their dark green garments though the Fall and into Winter...

But then there are the signs of Fall's approach......the "grandfather's beard"

(at least that's what we've always called it)

makes it's presence known in wonderful waves of billowy white seeds. The native morning glories are all over our roadsides, and the fields are being plowed and planted as this time of year will always bring us rain.

Today, however, we are expecting more than rain.... we are praying for the folks on our coast. Hurricane Ike is in the gulf and about to make landfall. Thanks for the rain, but protect our Texas neighbors!

Olympics 2008..................... Our Little Jim Ned Valley is internationally noticed!

Have you noticed our being NOTICED?

(click or look at the map on the right side of our blog)

Welcome friends!

As the 2008 Olympics cast a cooling shadow over the world,

Peace to all who enter...

in ANY language.

He Ping- Chinese

Paz-Spain and Portugal and some of our Bermuda friends

Salam-Saudi Arabia

Amani- Swahili

Pace- Italian

Vrede- S. African

Mir- Czech

Paix- French

Fred- Swedish

Mire- Russian

Sanaya- Sri Lanka

Anahoro- Burundi

Frieden- German

Soichain- Irish

Booto- Zaire

Wetaskiwin- Cree (native American Indian)

Su Thai Binh- Vietnamese

Irini- Greek

SHALOM- Hebrew

so many languages,

but, disregarding all that is visible to our physical eyes,

we look pretty much the same.

May we find common ground on which to stand.

Enjoy the 2008 Olympics FRIENDS of the world!!!

Tour de Gap...Annual BICYCLE RACE at Buffalo Gap.... faster than a speeding bullet!

Last Saturday was a yearly event that sets motorists to the side of the road and my little dogs into tail spins! It was the Buffalo Gap Tour de Gap.

Yes, little puppy dog... there will be more coming in just a moment!
And here they come!
What a fun annual event for cycle enthusiasts from all over the country. This year there was a quite interesting one of which I took exceptional note. Who was the guy in the red capsule thing over his bicycle? He caused quit a stir around here on Lemons Gap road I can tell you for sure!

..... and a good time was had by all!!!

;)

until next year my two wheeled friends... until next year!

Cedar Gap Farm's "secret" recipe to attract birds!! even the elusive PAINTED BUNTING!!!!

We have a VERY successful birding facility here in our Jim Ned Valley!!!

Cedar Gap Farm is on the birding trails of Texas and recognized by the Audubon Society for it's location and it's ability to meet the needs of our local finely feathered friends!

Earlene has evidence of it's success in the picture below.

Yes, they have frequent sightings of the elusive Painted Bunting and his more modestly adorned green feathered female.

Take time out of your busy schedule to enjoy a moment with the Huttos at this blessed place right here in our special part of the world....

They are a bit off the beaten trail (or off Hwy 83/84 to be more exact), but highly worth the effort made to get there.

(After some not too difficult coaxing, my friend and fellow Chamber member gave me her special "secret" recipe to attract these pretty visitors to my neck of the woods..... I thought you might be interested as well......as Earlene suggests.... ENJOY)

Suet Recipe:

Melt together 1 cup crunchy peanut butter and 1 cup lard.

Stir in 2 cups one minute oatmeal,

2 cup yellow corn meal, (corrected from 1c.. too thin!!)

1 cup flour,

1/2 cup sugar.

You can put it in a plastic contain or in whatever you want to store it. I sometimes put it in cup cake papers in cupcake pan and place in freezer, then lift out one and serve to the birds.

You can serve it in small containers, on the limb of a tree, at the edge of a feeder, etc.

The birds will get used to how you serve it and be looking for it.

Have fun!!

Thanks,Earlene

Cedar Gap Farm

Scholarship Recipients: Payden & Jacob

Congratulations Jacob Lovelady and Payden Johnson, graduating seniors of JNHS 2008.

Both These young men were almost indistinguishable in their criteria for the Chamber's selection of the scholarship recipients for 2008.
Using the same criteria employed by the Taylor Telephone Co. in it's selection process, the Chamber deliberated four hours over 7 applications, before coming to the choice of these two outstanding young men.
Both graduates are hard workers who have high goals already set for

their lives after High School.

Jacob plans to be an optometrist with Texas Tech as the college of choice.

Payden will attend St. Edwards and focus on a degree in law.

Congratulations on a job well done.

You will both represent well the area which fostered your first 18 years.

We are proud of our choice in you.

Super S Food Store Grand Opening!

WE HAVE A GROCERY STORE!!! Super S Foods has put a store right in the middle of our Jim Ned Valley Community. It is directly across from the High School and central to our entire area!

To show the service that we will be experiencing with this TEXAS bred organization, we saw the top administrative folks of the business being the servants to our people. WOW... I think I've heard of this sort of thing before.... something like "the one who wants to be most will be least"... or something similar. Anyway... I was impressed that the Super S folks were quick to say... "can I take those out for you mam?".......No where but Texas......and this is the place for that kind of thing to be!
My personal favorite.......the fresh produce.......right at the front of the store... with the manager asking me... "now if you don't see something you want, you just tell me, we will get it here!"

Everything today was set to make the folks who entered feel that this was their store... the store that will meet the specific needs of this special community!
Again.....such colors......so fresh......MY FAVORITE!!!
And JIM........moved into our area to be right here with us as he is in the head position of store manager.....today, he looked a bit more like Santa Claus with his arms full of animals for the kids, roses for the Moms and a SMILE for everyone!
Blue Bell and Bordens had representatives along with more Super S folks... WOW... one just couldn't help but feel special!
I'm thinking there were more than one time sign ups for this opening day grand prize of the 2008 utility vehicle!
Even newspaper guys donned the logo of the business of the day... letting our new hometown grocery know.....
We're glad you are here!
"and a good time was had by all!"