April is one of the worst months. The weather is terrible. It is usually cold and miserable. Not much to do in April around these parts. What is this you say? Oh, you forgot about Saturday, 1 April 2023. April Fool’s Day. Well, I have to slip it in there somewhere. Why not get it right up front???

Actually, April is one of those months that is just about perfect around here. This is one of the very best months for weather, temperature, and just getting out of the house and doing things and going places on the weekends. Don’t sit at home. There are wonderful events all over Central Texas to see and visit. Start planning and then get going.

Thursday, 6 April is Army Day. And then on the 7th it is Good Friday. You know that Sunday, 9 April is Easter. Take your family to a local church of your choice. Then Remember some special people, for it is also National Former POW Recognition Day.

I know that you have been spending lots of time getting your tax papers in order. That is good because Tax Day is coming up fast. But, because the 15th falls on a weekend, the day that we all dread will fall on Tuesday, 18 April this year. They gave you a few more days to worry!!

If you are into it then celebrate Earth Day on Saturday, 22 April. It’s the only place that we have so I guess this is a pretty important day. Plant a tree or bush or do something good for the planet. It is just about the best place around for now. Use it wisely. Take care of it.

I hope that your April is good. It usually is a very good time of the year… maybe the best month we will have until October!

Well, here comes February 2023, the shortest month of the year. Just a little tidbit of knowledge for you. This month is a once in a lifetime month. There are exactly four Sundays, four Mondays, four Tuesdays, four Wednesdays, four Thursdays, four Fridays, and four Saturdays. This only happens once every 823 years. Enjoy it.

Just 28 days of chilly weather with a few pretty good days of warm weather. On Thursday, 2 February we have an American Legion meeting at the new Vet Hall. But this day is also Groundhog Day, or what we call “Bee Cave Bob Day” around here. Look it up. Bee Cave Bob is an Armadillo who comes out and looks for his shadow. No stinkin’ groundhogs around these parts anyway. You may not believe me, but this is true!

Four Chaplain’s Day is on 3 February. Read about these brave US Navy guys from the WWII era. An amazing story of bravery and valor. They were true heroes.

In the year 1910, the Boy Scouts of America was founded on 8 February. 113 years of teaching and bringing up young men correctly.

Former President Lincoln was born on 12 February. He was, and will always be known, as one of our greatest Presidents. You know the story. Teach it to your kids and grandkids.

Do not. I repeat, DO NOT forget 14 February. Hearts and Candy. Cards and Love. Flowers, lots of pretty Spring flowers… If you don’t remember, you will be reminded. Order some beautiful flowers for the one that you love. You will be a hero in your house. Cook her a breakfast or take her out to a nice place to eat. Make the bed. Clean up around the house. Just a few tips for the wise!!

Don’t forget to make the VFW meeting on Thursday, 16 February at the new Vet Hall too!

President’s Day is observed on Monday, 20 February. George Washington’s Birthday is actually on 22 February. Remember the General and our First President. He was a good man and a Patriot. He did not lie. We could use a little of this type of conduct right now. Ash Wednesday also falls on the 22nd.

Thus, closes out the month of February 2023. I will be back soon!

We hope that everyone had a very nice Christmas this past month and we hope that your New Year’s Eve was fun and safe.

Well, we have ended another year and we are starting a new one. I was hoping for the very best and I was hoping that the 2022-23 Tigers Football Team would be the 6A State Champions. This would have been so good for our school and our community. But it was not to be. The boys did an excellent job though. The coaches did an excellent job too. The Band, the Cheerleaders, and the High Steppers all did great. 2022 will be a year to remember. Go Tigers!!!

The Army Mules beat the Navy Goats, but just by the “skin of their teeth”, in double overtime on a last play field goal. But a win is a win. The Air Force Falcons won 10 games this year and beat Baylor 30-15 in the Armed Forces Bowl up in Ft. Worth. The Falcons also won the Commander’s Trophy this year by beating both Army and Navy. Scott R. is “on a high,” as he should be… very proud of his Falcons.

What does the first month of the year 2023 bring us? Sunday is New Year’s Day. If you had a hard Saturday night, then rest up and enjoy a few football games. Regular deer season ends on Sunday, 1 January. There is an extended Special Doe Season for about 15 more days. Close up camp. It’s all over for another year. Hope that you got a big one. Start thinking about going fishing.

The Persian Gulf War began on 17 January 1991. We are so proud of our Gulf War Veterans. What a great job you did in a very short time. Go over, do your job, and come home proudly. Thank you very much for your service. Perfect example of how to perform.

On the 27th of January 1973, the Vietnam Peace Accords were signed. You all know how the story ended. Thank each of our Vietnam Veterans for all that they did, for their dedication to duty, for coming home with their heads held high. You did what was asked of you. Thank you. We are proud of you and your service.

We are into the winter months, and it will be chilly for several more months. I hope that we do not have a bad cold spell as we did a while back. Just remember that Spring will be coming soon.

Hope that your January 2023 is a very nice month. See you soon in February.

As of this writing, we have a couple of DSHS Sports updates:

1. The DSHS Girls Volleyball team recently won the 6A State Volleyball Championship! What a great HONOR for our girls and our local school. Congratulations.
2. The DSHS Football team just won their game in the quarterfinals against the Harlingen HS Cardinals. Our Tigers will be playing a semifinal game in Texas Memorial Stadium in early December.

December is a pretty busy month for us, so let’s get started. A very important date to remember is Wednesday, 7 December. This is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. I think that everyone knows what happened on this day. The important thing is that we continue to teach our children and grandchildren about this day so we “Never Forget” what happened. In 4 years, we lost over 400,000 of our brave warriors while we were winning a war that had to be won. Over 16 million of our people served with honor and distinction. There are only a few WWII veterans left. God Bless them all.

Two important birthdays to remember: Tuesday, 13 December is the 386th Birthday of the National Guard, or what was originally called the Militia. These guys are important because without them there may not have been a United States of America. The second date is Wednesday, 20 December, the 3rd Birthday of The United States Space Force. You will be hearing a lot more about these guys in the near future.

Guess what happens on Wednesday, 21 December? It might be 80 degrees, but this is the beginning of Winter. I hope that we have a fairly mild winter this year! But be ready for some cooler weather. Get prepared now. Don’t wait for the first freeze!

We have a couple of very important days on Saturday and Sunday, 24-25 December. You know everything about these days called Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Enjoy your family and enjoy the reason for Christmas. We sometimes forget what it is really all about. Give thanks for our blessings and for our God and his special gift to us. Say a special prayer for all of our service members who are overseas and far from family and home.

Then be very careful on the last day of the year, Saturday, 31 December. It is New Year’s Eve. We want you to still be with us on New Year’s Day! Enjoy your evening, but Be Safe. 2022 is almost Over and Done. We will see you next year.

The Tiger’s football season is well underway. When I started this article, I was not sure how they were going to do in 6A Football. The Tigers are now 8-1, only losing to Westlake HS in a hard-fought game. We should be in the playoffs in a couple of weeks.

Deer season starts on Saturday, 5 November. You should have already been to your lease and you should have fixed up the cabin and put out your feeders. I hope that you get a big one.

A couple of important things happen early in November. On Sunday, 6 November Daylight Savings Time ends. Remember to “Fall Back” on Saturday night. Then on Tuesday, 8 November we have Election Day. Please remember to get out and vote. A very important civic duty!

Thursday, 10 November is The U S Marine Corp Birthday. A very Happy 247th Birthday to all our Marines. They are some of the finest warriors that you will find on any battlefield. Thank God for warriors such as these

.
Friday, 11 November is VETERAN’S DAY. A day that was originally called Armistice Day, it ended WWI in 1918. It honored the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. Armistice Day was changed to Veterans Day in 1954 to honor veterans of all wars. This is a very important day to remember all veterans.

Thursday, 24 November is Thanksgiving Day. This is a day to give thanks for the many blessing that we have as Americans. Enjoy this day with your family and friends.

November is a busy month with lots of important events. Give thanks for where you were born and where you live. We are very lucky people who have much to be thankful for. Be sure and go VOTE early or on 8 Nov. Your country depends on it.

The good news is that October is just about the best month of the year if you live in Central Texas. Usually the weather is the best. The heat is mostly gone and a few small cool fronts start moving in. Normally the temperature is great for any kind of outdoor activity.

When you have good weather then you have lots of outside things to do. Every little town and city seems to have a festival or some event in October. In fact, there are so many events that you can’t go to all of them. Within an hour or so drive of Dripping Springs there are plenty of great places to go. Look a few up and go visit them.

Monday, 10 October is Columbus Day. It is also Thanksgiving day if you live in Canada. If you want to celebrate a little early, go ahead and do so.

For all of our Veterans: Thursday, 13 October is the 247th Birthday of the US Navy. A big Happy Birthday to all our current sailors and to all of our Navy veterans. The US Navy has about 337,000 active duty personnel, and about 102,000 in the Ready Reserve. It has almost 300 deployable combat vessels and over 2600 operational aircraft. The estimated tonnage of its active fleet exceeds the next 13 navies in the world. You should be proud. Go drink some grog. Go take a boat ride on Lake Austin or Lake Travis. Stay out of the barrel!!

At the very end of the month on Monday, 31 October we have Halloween. Watch out for all the little witches and goblins. Stock up on candy to pass out that night. Put on a costume and act like a fool when you answer the doorbell. Just remember: It is Trick or Treat.

We hope that your October will be a wonderful one.

COLONEL’S CORNER – SEPTEMBER 2022
Summer is almost over… The heat will slowly start to fade a little bit as we move toward Oct even though September can still be warm and humid.

You should already have your Fall garden planted by now. Fall tomatoes do really well if you plant them in August and keep them well watered until we get a little cooler weather. They will produce until the first cold weather and then they are pretty much gone.

Go and buy your Texas Hunting/Fishing License. Get the Combo as it is the best deal. Dove season is upon us. If you can find the right place, dove hunting can be one of the most enjoyable times of your life. Start going to your hunting lease if you have one. Now is the time to fix up your stand and get the cabin ready. Clean up, fix up, mow the grass, fill your feeders, get your stands ready. November will be here soon. Pray for some Fall rain.

School started in late August and Football season is here! Go out and support the Tigers. We have a beautiful stadium and have also moved up and into a different district. Could be rough for a while, but we will see. (By the way we just won our first game in the new 6A division. We beat Vandergrift HS 30-23).

Traffic has picked back up. You know this without me telling you. Every year it just gets worse. Leave early. Plan your trips. Lots of cars and trucks on the main roads of US290 and RR12. Be careful and drive safe.

Monday, 5 September, is Labor Day. It is a day to honor and remember the social and economic achievements of the American Workers.

Sunday, 11 September, is Patriot Day, a very important day for all of us to remember. Never forget this day. Teach your children and grandchildren about what happened on this day. It changed our lives forever. See you at the Triangle on 11 September!

Friday, 16 September, is POW/MIA Remembrance Day. Please take just a little time to think about and remember those Americans who are missing in action or that are held in captivity. They suffer greatly and deserve to be remembered. Bow your head and say a silent prayer for them. May they never be forgotten.

Finally, one more important date–18 September 1947. This is the 75th Birthday of the finest Air Force that the world has ever seen. It was given birth by the U.S. Army Air Corps and the U.S. Army Air Force. In 1947, it became a separate Service of its own. The Air Force has about 316,000 Active-Duty personnel, 70,000 Reserves, and 108,000 Air National Guard Personnel. They have about 1355 Fighter Aircraft, 233 Tankers, and 118 Bombers along with many other miscellaneous aircraft. Congratulations to all the men and women who now serve and who have served in the USAF. We are very proud of you.

And thus ends the busy month of September 2022. Have a wonderful month!

The 4th of August is the Birthday of the United States Coast Guard. Happy Birthday! The Coast Guard will be 232 years old. They were established a long time ago in 1790! What in the world did they do to keep busy? They only had ten ships then but they were given the mission to enforce Federal tariffs and help prevent smuggling. Coast Guard members have served in 17 wars or conflicts throughout U S History.

Who was the oldest serving member of the Coast Guard? Anthony Christy. Who is he you ask? He was the Lighthouse Keeper of the Christiana Lighthouse in Delaware. He died while on duly in September 1862. By the way he was 105 years old! Now that was one old crusty Coastie.

Is the Coast Guard a Military Service? No and Yes. Since 2003 they have been operating as part of the Department of Homeland Security. In wartime they revert back to the Department of Defense.

The first Coast Guard Cutter, the “Valiant,” was launched in 1791. Today this refers to ships that are over 65 feet long. The first permanent Coast Guard Air Station was established at Camp May, NJ in 1926. The oldest Coast Guard Boat Station is Sandy Hook, NJ. In 1967 the Coast Guard started painting “Racing Stripes” on its vessels. These Red Slash Design or Stripes are now well known on their ships.

The motto of the Coast Guard is “Semper Paratus,” meaning “Always Prepared.” They were surely prepared in WWII. Did you know that almost a quarter of a million Guardsmen served in the USCG during WWII?

President George Washington commissioned the first Coast Guard Officer, Captain Hopley Yeaton on March 21, 1791. Many years later the first two uniformed women joined the Coast Guard in 1918. Two sisters, Genevieve and Lucille Baker, were the first females in the USCG.

Now you know more about the USCG than 99% of the people in the USA and the world! Good knowledge. Enjoy the August Heat. Go down to Port A for a vacation. There is a Coast Guard Station at Port A. This Coast Guard Station is real near a great old beer joint called “Shorty’s.” I think that this place has been there since 1946. Drop by and tell the “Coasties” thank you for their service.

It is starting to get hot and humid. It must be July. This month and next month are usually a couple of pretty warm months around here. The Lazy Hazy Days of Summer. Everything starts to slow down a little. Thank the good Lord that we have working A/C units in our houses and vehicles.

Can you imagine the days, back in the 40’s and 50’s in Dripping Springs, before A/C? Think about the houses, the places of business, the churches. What about sleeping at night with the windows open wide to let in just a slight breeze. The summers had to be brutal in those days. We are actually pretty lucky to be living in these days.

So what is going on in July in Dripping Springs? Everyone knows about the 4th of July, INDEPENDENCE DAY. 246 years ago, the original 13 colonies declared independence from Britain. As would be expected this started a war. You might even call it an “insurrection.” That’s what happens when the people start getting a little upset with the way things seem to be going. Oh well, you know how the story ends. Just be happy that we have the freedoms that we do have now. We are very lucky to live in a wonderful country, a wonderful state, and a wonderful community. Fly your flags. Teach your children and grandchildren about the story of our Independence. Go shoot some fireworks or go watch a fireworks display. Count your blessings, for they are many.

We have very few Korean War veterans left among us but if you know any please give them thanks for their service during the Korean War in 1951-53. It was a messy and miserable war that ended, not in a victory, but with an Armistice. Now, 69 years later, we still have a divided country and we still have almost 30,000 U.S. Troops stationed in South Korea. Anyway, on the 27th of July 1953 we signed an Armistice to end the fighting in the Korean Conflict. It is a day that we remember and a day that we honor our Korean War Veterans. We thank them for their sacrifices.

Have a great and enjoyable summer!