“Though the calendar says autumn is here, the faint scent of summer roses still lingers in the air. It is so with life: One gift appears but another fades.” The publishers of my “Birds of North America” calendar had no source for the Sept. 24 quote. The page drew my attention because the bird of the...

D id you open your recent envelope from realtor Penny Moulder? If not, you missed the Loving Mountain City flier which Penny, LMC Coordinator, mailed as a courtesy. This column recaps the details. Fire & Ice, our biggest social event of the year, is Oct. 8, 4-9 p.m. Friends and family are invited. T...

M ountain City shut the prized recycling trailer behind a gate, signaling the end of the city’s recycling service. Before the city added the trailer (thanks, Kevin Johnson, for making it happen), green folks went to The Green Guy in San Marcos. Now, the city could not find anyone to empty the traile...

By Pauline Tom P raise God for the rain. Looking back in past Augusts, “Montage” mentioned crunchy grass; and, we prayed for rain. How beautiful the rain sounds and green grass! A soft rattle near sundown on Sunday turned my head back to the spot on the soft grass where I had just scooped dillo dirt...

W ho turned out the lights?” Mayor Tifanny Curnutt sent a message with this caption to those on the city’s email distribution list last week. (Not on the distribution list?  With the city’s website features not functioning well, you may send an e-mail to mountaincitytx@gmail.com and let the city kno...

C atch more flies with honey than vinegar?  An infestation of fruit flies in my kitchen sent me surfing for a solution on Father’s Day Eve. With everything on hand for a YouTube recipe, I had nothing to lose.  What a gift I would have for RonTom if it worked.  I poured an inch-and-a-half or so of ap...

A  constant parade of birds visits our limestone boulder water feature these hot days. The shallow water and soft flow of recirculating water beckons birds. Hummingbirds, Eastern Bluebird, Bewick’s Wren, roadrunner, Black-crested Titmouse, Golden-fronted Woodpecker, Summer Tanager, cardinal, Painted...

By Pauline Tom V rooom. Vrooom. “Ladies and gentlemen, start. your. chainsaws.” This word came (via email) from Mayor Tiffany Curnutt on the evening of June 30. Why June 30? That’s the last day for “no pruning or wounding live oaks” period (with a few exceptions), according to TexasOakWilt.org’s pro...

By Pauline Tom C an you imagine an organization selecting Mountain City’s (tiny) Old City Hall as a venue? (Who knows of a smaller City Hall in Texas? Not I.) Hays/Caldwell Amateur Radio Club invites residents (and outsiders) to drop in during their participation on the National Field Day, between 1...

By Pauline Tom G LORY!!! If last week’s headline had you asking, “WHAT?!”,know that I am in that same boat with you. Some wondered why I gave the column such a headline. The headline is an element that’s in with my name and photo.  But, inserting a headline is not within my boundaries. Normally, the...