Jail Time!

It started off as a normal armed stroll to the local Pick 'n Steal, the famous Shamrock filling station that's founded by Irishmen and run by Nepalese. I like to walk the dog and get a coffee, it's like a ritual.

All went well, at first. I tethered the dog, got a coffee and paused to check my emails. Nothing unusual about that. Then BOOM. A Fedex guy strolled past the dog, close, and Blue Protector darted out and nipped his ankles, then darted back to heel.

Fedex man started howling and carrying on like he was about to sue the Svhamrock for a million bucks and never have to work again. He even had his trouser leg up, exposing a shin and a cowboy boot. The shin was slightly grazed.

"He bit me!" moaned Fedex while attempting to cry. I resisted the urge to ask how Blue Fang could have grazed his shin while nipping at his cowboy booted heels and asked if I could help. He didn't think I could.

Then the police arrived, two Tahoes worth, thank you very much, and an animal services pickup. I guess the desperately wounded Fedex dialed them in. Blue ended up getting busted and sent to gaol for 10 days, while they work out if he has rabies.

I wasn't expecting that outcome when I set off for the Shamrock. You can watch a recap of this remarkable adventure on video, here.

Mind how you go,

LSP

There's a Peacock by the Woodpile

This small farming community managed, somehow, to survive last night's storm, and so did the neighbor's peacocks.

Last Night's Sheet Lightning

One of them was over by the woodpile when I got back from some church work this morning. It's one of two and perhaps before too long there'll be a serious peacock operation here. Lord knows, the town could use a growth industry.

Hope 'n Change didn't seem to make that happen and the Government's wondering why people aren't too happy about that. 

I mean to say, what's wrong with you? You may not have any money and there's no real jobs to speak of, but you can get a gay marriage and a sex-change while shopping at Target. 

C'mon, everybody, lighten up,

LSP

Replant The Trees Or Die.

Trees, cool shade. Correct.

On those rare interludes between worshiping God, shooting some kind of gun, riding a horse or admiring drudge for its headlines, I like to take a stroll down to the Town Square. Take the back streets and gaze at the odd mansion, left behind from the days when cotton was king. 

Failed attempt at a "B&B".

Have a look at the various shacks along the route, some are occupied, Detroit style. Then end up at the old Gaol and Courthouse, sensibly fortified with steel shutters and bars. A relic of the days when Hill County was wilder than it is now.

Detroit Flava

After a pleasing breakfast of Ouevos Rancheros and Mexican House at Montes, stroll down one of the "main streets" off the Square and ask yourself, "Why, why, have they done this?"

Gaol

"Done what?" you ask. Chopped down all the trees of course, the ones that used to provide shade from the searing, oven-blast, relentless heat. 

Rip Out The Trees!!

They're gone now, thanks to the sheer genius of our town planners combined with the entrepeneurial brilliance of the few shops still left in Hillsboro. Apparently the trees were "bad for business" so they ripped them out when they replaced the sidewalks (pavements) earlier this year.

No Trees. Thriving Bidness.

But why replace the sidewalks? Anyone foolhardy enough to take the risk of actually walking down one while the sun is up will probably die, under the merciless glare of a pitiless sun.

I took the risk and survived, but only just. Hydrate -- beat the heat and...

Replant the trees, for goodness sake, while there's still a few of us left in this town to take advantage of the shade.

LSP

The Cotton's Gone

William

I walked the few minutes into town this morning to go to the Post Office and met William; he's 71 and does a bit of "scrapping" though he used to work on the cotton back when that was the industry of the county. He told me how the sound of the cotton press filled the air, but that was some time ago.

County Seat

Now the cotton's gone and the town's declined from a population of 20,000 to less than 8,000. That trend looks set to continue as there aren't any jobs; a concerted attempt to turn the place into an antiques and gift shop emporium failed miserably. Fine by me.

Once a bank, now a failed gift shop

At the turn of the last century things were different, with the Square being notorious for cockfighting, drunkenness and lewd behavior of all kinds.

Bad behavior gone

I understand that things were cleaned up by the '30s. Now there doesn't seem to be much behavior of any kind, which is a shame. I'd like to see a pub, butcher, tack shop, gun shop, and a place to drink coffee and buy books.

Why cut down the trees?

Surely that's not asking for too much? As it is, Hillsboro's starting to get that deserted "turning into a ghost town" feel. Surely it doesn't have to be that way.

On a different theme, there was big commotion in my neighbor's chicken coop. I thought it was a cat until a great hawk glided up and over the fence. Wish I'd taken a picture.

It seems to me as though the place is reverting to nature and maybe that's no bad thing. Neither should it be an obstacle to getting a pub...

Cheers,

LSP