By Pauline Tom

It’ll be easy to find the 4 p.m. – 9 p.m. Fire & Ice Festival this Saturday. It takes place smack dab between the “Old City Hall” (the tiny building at the front of the City) and the City Hall (the two-story residential-looking house at the City’s entrance). Set your lawn chairs in the open space.

A brainstorm sparked “Fire & Ice” during the charter planning session for “Loving Mountain City” several years ago. Amy Hilton sparkles, “I am so excited about this year’s fire and ice festival it is sure to be the BEST one yet! If you didn’t get your pre-orders in (hamburgers, hot dogs, game bracelets), don’t worry, there will be extras for sale at the door.”

4- 5 p.m. 

Fire (salsa, etc.) and Ice (ice cream, etc.) Taste Off.  Each adult and child resident has one vote in each competition.

4-6 p.m.

Silent Auction

4–7 p.m. 

“Shop Local” booths

4–7 p.m.

Activities for Kids ($10 bracelet gives access to bounce houses, crafts, face painting, and more)

5–6:30 p.m.

Hamburgers and Hot Dogs

6-9 p.m.

Live music by Island Texas

••• 

Oct. 22 marks the end of the peak of Monarch butterfly migration for our latitude.  Should you find a dead tagged Monarch, please provide a report to either the phone number or email address on the tag. Researchers analyze the recovery data to test hypotheses concerning Monarch orientation and navigation.

Be part of the “Bring Back the Monarch” movement. Plant native milkweed. Plant nectar plants that bloom during fall migration. Avoid use of pesticides. This year, record observations through JourneyNorth.org.  Next year, purchase tags from MonarchWatch.org before fall migration begins.

This past week in my backyard, a Monarch lingered on a bright red Turk’s cap bloom.

•••

Are you aware of the “Save the Frog” movement? According to the organization, “Frog populations have been declining worldwide at unprecedented rates, and nearly 1/3 of the world’s amphibian species are threatened with extinction. Up to 200 species have completely disappeared since 1980, and this is NOT normal: amphibians naturally go extinct at a rate of only about one species every 500 years!!!”

RonTom and I are inadvertently helping frogs. Frogs found the gigantic boulder bird baths we added a few months back. Hidden among the rocks, the frogs found a shallow reservoir that’s part of the recirculating feature, moisture, and insects.

•••

Are you aware that our beloved Amy “Loving Mountain City” Hilton had a close call with death a couple weeks ago? Blood clots threatened her life. She was let out of the hospital with strict orders to take it easy. Amy is electronically overseeing “Fire & Ice” details, with members of the “Loving Mountain City” Planning Team taking on legwork. Make sure she’s sitting down on the job Saturday. And, keep her in your prayers as she faces a long road to recovery.

Verlenne Monroe, one of Amy’s right arms, broke her right elbow when she tripped on a broken driveway. Still, Verlenne is getting stuff together for face painting. And, she’ll be corralling kids for face painting.

•••

I’m corralling tidbits. Please send to ptom5678@gmail.com (subject: Tidbit) or phone 512-268-5678. 

Thanks!  Love, Pauline