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🪶 Letter from the Editor

It was nearly 91 degrees in Mason on Tuesday. In February. The mesquite is confused, the fire danger is real, and somewhere between the unseasonable heat and the promise of bluebonnets just below the surface, I keep thinking about something simpler: conversation.

This week's edition is about what happens when we sit down and talk things through — not in a formal, agenda-driven way, but in the way small towns have always done it. Over coffee. At the post office. On the porch after supper. That kind of talking is easy to take for granted. It's also what holds everything together.

Inside this edition: a featured story about conversation as community infrastructure, two business insights for the operators and dreamers among us, and Hazel Mae & Fern tackling the annual spring garden anxiety (Patricia from Burnet, you're not alone). Fresh off the Porch is loaded — the Heart of Texas Country Music Festival in Brady, the Mason Spring Arts & Wine Festival, LEAF in Llano, and a 75th anniversary Easter Pageant in Junction, among many others. Our intel sections cover a fire weather alert, drought conditions, $1.4 billion in rural hospital funding, and cattle prices at historic highs.

Oh — and the Mason Cowgirls are headed to the Regional Championship tonight. 38-1. Georgetown High School. 6:30 PM. If you can be there, be there.

Also, meet Mandy — our Pet of the Week. She's an 8-month-old Black Mouth Cur mix who is great with kids and ready for a forever home.

Pull up a chair. There's a lot of good in here.

— Katie Milton Jordan
Editor, The Townie
📬 [email protected] // 📞 325-475-4991

The Two Insights Your Business Needs Right Now

Running a business in this region has never been simple — but right now, it’s especially easy to misread the signals.

Some things are working better than they look. Other things feel “fine” right up until they aren’t. Based on what we’re seeing across shops, services, ranch-adjacent businesses, and Main Street operations, here are two insights worth sitting with this week.

Insight #1: Shared thinking beats solo hustle

There's a particular kind of pride in running a tight operation — knowing every detail, making every call, keeping costs lean by doing more yourself. It works, especially in the beginning. You build something real that way.

But somewhere along the line, the weight of that knowledge becomes its own constraint. You're the bottleneck. Not because you're incapable, but because you've absorbed so much of the operation into your own judgment that there's no way to think beyond it. You become excellent at optimizing what you already do.

What gets overlooked isn't your capability — it's the blind spots that only become visible when someone else is thinking alongside you. A peer who runs a different kind of operation, who's bumped into problems you haven't faced yet, who asks the question you've been too close to the work to ask. That's not replacing your judgment. That's expanding the ground it stands on.

The question worth sitting with: What would you see differently if you had to explain your decisions to someone you actually trusted?

Insight #2: Learning in community

There's a practical reason you don't seek out business advice much — most of it arrives as someone else's framework, designed for someone else's situation. You've learned to trust what you've tested yourself, what your own experience has proven. That's wisdom.

And it can also be isolating. You end up learning the hard way because the alternative feels like borrowing someone else's answers. But there's a middle path that doesn't require either: learning what others have learned without adopting their formulas. Watching how someone in a different sector solved a staffing problem. Understanding why a neighbor made a particular investment choice. Noticing the patterns in how capable people think, not copying the patterns in what they do.

This kind of learning happens in conversation, over time, with people who know their own ground as well as you know yours. It's slower than a seminar. It's also stickier, because it builds on recognition rather than prescription.

What if learning together — not from experts, but from peers — changed what felt possible to consider?

A Small Townie Takeaway

The steadiest operators we know don't move fast. They move thoughtfully, and often, they move in conversation with people they trust. There's no shortcut to that kind of judgment, and there doesn't need to be. What matters is staying curious about how others think, staying open to what you might be missing, and building enough space in your day to actually notice when something worth reconsidering has appeared. That's not a business strategy. It's just clear thinking, sustained over time.

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Events

MASON, TEXAS

• Mason — Odeon Theater: "I Was a Stranger" Film Screening (Fri–Sat, Feb 27–28, 7:00 PM, Odeon Theater, 122 S. Moody St.) — Odeon Preservation Association. First-run screening of a drama about a Syrian family in Aleppo and five families in four countries. PG-13, 1 hr 37 min. Admission $4.00.

• Mason — Mason Chamber Music Festival: "Italian Season Favorites" (Sat, Mar 28, 7:00 PM, doors 6:15 PM, Odeon Theater) — The Artisan String Quartet with solo violinist Patrice Calixte & the Artisan Chamber Players. Tickets $30 advance or at door (cash only at door). Students 18 and under $10.

• Mason — Mason Spring Arts & Wine Festival (Sat, Apr 4, Downtown Mason Square) — Mason County Chamber of Commerce. Family-friendly festival with handcrafted items from local artists and vendors, Texas wineries and breweries, herb specialists, food trucks, live music, informational seminars, and a 5K run. Free admission.

• Mason — Ruthie Foster Concert (Sat, Apr 11, 7:00 PM, doors 6:15 PM, Odeon Theater) — Grammy-winning contemporary blues artist Ruthie Foster performs live. Winner of 2025 Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Tickets $25 advance, $30 at door (cash only). Students 18 and under $10.

BRADY, TEXAS

• Brady — 37th Heart of Texas Country Music Festival (Mar 19–28, multiple venues) — Heart of Texas Country Music Association / Tracy Pitcox. One of the largest traditional country music gatherings in Texas. 24 shows and dances with 30+ entertainers, headlined by T. Graham Brown (Mar 20) and The Malpass Brothers (Mar 21). Also features Dottsy, Tony Booth, Darrell McCall, Jeannie C. Riley, Amber Digby, and more. Includes ribbon-cutting for the expanded 6,300-sq-ft Heart of Texas Country Music Museum addition (Mar 21). BYOB; concessions available.

• Brady — Texas Muzzle Loading Rifle Association: "Frost on the Cactus" Shoot (Mar 12–15, Brady Lake Gun Range) — Annual muzzle loading rifle shooting event.

• Brady — NMLRA Texas Territorial Match (Apr 30–May 3, Brady Lake Gun Range) — Multi-day National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association competitive shooting event.

JUNCTION, TEXAS

• Junction — 8th Annual Junction Predator Calling Contest (Mar 14–15, Coke Stevenson Center, 440 US Hwy 83 N) — Kimble County Chamber of Commerce. Hunters use calls to attract and harvest coyotes, foxes, and bobcats. Cash prizes and drawings. Weigh-in Sunday. Entry: $200/team (max 4 members) with side pots.

• Junction — Junction Easter Pageant — 75th Anniversary (Sat, Apr 4, sunset, Easter Pageant Grounds, Cedar Creek Rd & FM 2169 South) — Men's Bible Class of Junction. Landmark 75th anniversary of the annual sunset Easter Pageant — a live outdoor reenactment performed by local actors beneath Lover's Leap. Arrive early for parking. Free admission.

• Junction — Outdoor Women Gone Wild (Sat, Apr 18, all day, South Llano River State Park area / Rains Ranch) — Kimble County Chamber of Commerce. Women-only outdoor adventure day with hands-on instruction in archery, fly fishing, shooting, kayaking, tomahawk throwing, and more. Contact Chamber to register: 325-446-3190.

• Junction — 2026 Texas Adventure Rally — Spring (Apr 30–May 3, Tree Cabins at Rivers Bend, 701 Agarita) — 4-day dual sport and ADV motorcycle rally with guided rides through Hill Country dirt roads. Multiple route options. Group dinner Saturday. Registration $115/person.

LLANO, TEXAS

• Llano — Llano Earth Art Fest / LEAF (Mar 27–29, Grenwelge Park, 100 E. Haynie St.) — Interactive festival featuring internationally renowned artists creating land art, rock balances, mandalas, and driftwood sculptures along the Llano River. Includes the World Rock Stacking Championship, live music, vendors, and family activities. LEAF's comeback year.

• Llano — Llano River Chuck Wagon Cook-Off (Apr 2–4, Badu Park, 300 Legion Dr.) — Chuck wagon enthusiasts using traditional cooking methods compete on the Llano River banks. Named "Best Chuck Wagon Event" by the American Chuck Wagon Association. Public meal served Sat at high noon. Live music 10 AM–3 PM. Meal tickets available through Llano Chamber (325-247-5354) — they sell out fast.

• Llano — Llano Fiddle Fest (Sat, Apr 4, 9:00 AM–10:30 PM, John L. Kuykendall Events Center, 2200 W. RR 152) — Open fiddle contest since 1976. Evening concert by Kelly Spinks & Miles of Texas (doors 6:30 PM). VIP $30; General Admission $20. Same day as the Chuck Wagon Cook-Off — a perfect double-feature day in Llano.

• Llano — 36th Annual Llano Crawfish Open (Apr 17–18, Robinson City Park, 303 Hwy 71 E.) — THE Texas Hill Country spring event. Over 22,500 lbs of crawfish, live music, charity golf tournament, 5K Crawfish Crawler, Cornhole Tournament, team roping, vendors. Attendance 12,000+. Weekend Pass $50. No ice chests or pets. Rain or shine.

FREDERICKSBURG / LUCKENBACH, TEXAS

• Luckenbach — Texas Independence Celebration (Sat, Feb 28, noon, Luckenbach Texas, 412 Luckenbach Town Loop) — Texas Ranger Living Camp, flag retirement ceremony, live music by Doug Moreland and the Georgia Parker Swing Band. Military and first responder appreciation day. Free admission.

• Fredericksburg — Fredericksburg Trade Days (Mar 20–22 / Apr 17–19 / May 15–17, Trade Days Fairgrounds, US-290) — 350+ vendors selling antiques, collectibles, home décor, crafts, and food. One of the largest outdoor flea markets in Texas Hill Country. Fri 12–5, Sat 9–5, Sun 9–4.

• Luckenbach — Mud Dauber Festival & Chili Cook-Off (Sat, Mar 21, gates 11:00 AM, Luckenbach Texas) — Annual festival celebrating the return of the mud dauber wasp. Chili cook-off with cash prizes ($500 for 1st), live music, food, vendors. $5 chili tasting kits benefit local charity.

• Luckenbach — Luckenbach Bluegrass Festival (Sat, Apr 18, all day, Luckenbach Texas) — Annual spring bluegrass music festival at the iconic dance hall and outdoor stage.

• Fredericksburg — Wine & Wildflowers Estate Dinner at Meierstone Vineyards (Sat, Apr 18, 6:30 PM) — Intimate 5-course paired wine dinner celebrating spring wildflower season with locally crafted cuisine and estate wines.

• Fredericksburg — Fredericksburg Jaycees Crawfish Festival (May 22–24, Downtown Marktplatz, 100 block W. Main St.) — Memorial Day weekend tradition with Cajun food, live music on multiple stages, crawfish races, vendors, and kid-friendly activities.

KERRVILLE, TEXAS

• Kerrville — EasterFest (Sat, Apr 4, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM, Flat Rock Park, 3840 Riverside Dr.) — 40+ year tradition along the Guadalupe River. Easter egg hunt with 25,000+ eggs, car and bike show, BBQ cook-off, food vendors, petting zoo, Easter Bunny, bounce houses. Benefits Hill Country CASA. Free admission.

• Kerrville — Kerrville Folk Festival (May 21–Jun 7, Quiet Valley Ranch) — Iconic 18-day music festival in its 55th year. Folk, Americana, singer-songwriter performances, workshops, camping, family-friendly activities.

SAN ANGELO, TEXAS

• San Angelo — Downtown Brews, Ewes & BBQ Festival (Sat, Mar 7, 11:00 AM, 325 S. Oakes St. along the Concho River) — BBQ cook-off featuring brisket, pork ribs, chicken, and the World Championship Lamb Cook-off. Kids-Que Cooking Competition ages 6–18. Free admission.

• San Angelo — San Angelo Stock Show & Rodeo (Apr 3–19, Spur Arena) — One of the largest events in West Texas, attracting 150,000+ spectators. PRCA rodeo, carnival, live music, shopping, food. Tickets from $11.

Community Features

• Mason — Mason Cowgirls on Historic Playoff Run — Regional Championship Bound. The Mason Punchers girls basketball team has put together a stunning 38-1 season and is headed to the UIL Class 2A Division I Regional Championship game tonight (Feb. 26) at Georgetown High School at 6:30 PM — with a trip to the state tournament on the line. In bi-district play, Mason demolished Brackettville 88-16, followed with a 50-33 win over Skidmore-Tynan, and a dominant 61-31 Regional Semifinal victory over Iola. They face Flatonia (35-3). Go Cowgirls.

• Llano — Llano Girls Basketball Captures Back-to-Back District Championship. The Llano High School girls basketball team captured the District 5-3A championship for the second consecutive year — the first repeat district title for the program in two decades.

• Llano — 11th Annual Boots & BBQ Raises Over $200,000. The event brought together community members, supporters, and partners for fellowship, fun, and philanthropy. The generosity of the Llano area on full display.

• Llano — Hospital Foundation Rallies for Life-Saving CT Scanner. The Llano Hospital Foundation held a fundraising event on Feb. 24 at The Falls venue to purchase a new CT Scanner capable of CT Calcium Scoring for Llano Regional Hospital — non-invasive testing to measure plaque buildup and predict heart attack risk.

• Mason — Mason 4-H Shines at Hill District Grandstand Livestock Show. Nearly fifty Mason 4-H and FFA members participated in the 5th Annual Hill District Grandstand Livestock Show. Parker Tinney showed the Reserve Division Champion market goat. A strong showing for Mason County youth agriculture.

• Fredericksburg — Primary School Celebrates 50th Anniversary. Fredericksburg Primary School first opened in 1975 — when there were no walls to divide classrooms, and teachers created makeshift rooms using rolling shelves and dividers.

• Fredericksburg — Methodist Hospital Hill Country Celebrates Radiology Renovation. Recently celebrated the completion of renovations to its Radiology and Fluoroscopy room with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Enhanced diagnostic imaging for the region.

• Fredericksburg — Billies Girls Basketball Deep Into Playoffs. The Fredericksburg Billies girls basketball team (28-8) is making a strong playoff push, advancing to the Class 4A Division II Regional Semifinal.

• Fredericksburg — Rotary Club Donates $5,000 to Frontera Healthcare. From proceeds of the 2025 Craft Beer Festival. Also accepting nominations for the Hans Hannemann Community Service Award through Feb. 27.

• Fredericksburg — International Volkssport Walking Festival. A three-day walking festival celebrating the 50th anniversary of America's walking club tradition, hosted by the Vokssportverein Friedrichsburg club.

🌤️ HILL COUNTRY WEATHER — Weekly Outlook (Feb 26 – Mar 4)

An unusually hot and dry week ahead for the Hill Country. Wednesday approached 91°F in Mason — well above normal for late February. A weak front cools things slightly Thursday into Friday (low-to-mid 80s), then southerly flow pushes highs back to the mid-80s over the weekend. No precipitation in the forecast through at least Tuesday, March 3.

🔥 FIRE WEATHER ALERT: Fire danger is HIGH to VERY HIGH across the Hill Country. Relative humidity may drop as low as 15–24% with gusty winds. Freeze-cured grasses from January's hard freeze provide abundant fine fuel. Texas A&M Forest Service warns fire danger is expanding eastward into the Hill Country and Central Texas. Obey all burn bans.

📋 RURAL POLICY & FUNDING WATCH

Texas Wins $1.4B for Rural Hospital Stabilization — the nation's largest state allocation under the federal Rural Health Transformation Program (~$281M/year through 2030). Texas' "Rural Texas Strong" plan includes infrastructure investments, virtual care expansion, and financial stabilization for rural facilities. Hill Country hospitals in Mason, Menard, Kimble, McCulloch, and Llano counties could be eligible.

Broadband Expansion Approved at $1.3B — less than half the original $3.3B pledge. The state expects to connect ~123,000 locations to fiber and ~65,000 via satellite. Nearly 3 million Texas households lack broadband, with rural areas hit hardest.

Water Infrastructure Gets Major Boost — SB 7 allows Texas Water Fund money for small rural utilities. HB 500 appropriated $1.038 billion for water supply grants — a one-time opportunity that must be obligated by Aug. 31, 2027. All seven Hill Country counties qualify.

💼 ECONOMIC & SMALL BUSINESS INTEL

Texas Wine Industry Hits $24.39 Billion Impact — up ~20% from three years ago. The industry supports 136,744 jobs and generates 2.64 million tourist visits. The Hill Country is home to 50+ wineries. Texas ranks #4 in wineries but #2 in economic impact.

Southern Living Picks Fredericksburg for 2026 Idea House — a 4,000-sq-ft modern farmhouse in the Friedën community. Public tours run Sept. 18–Dec. 20, 2026. This is a massive tourism and branding win for the broader Hill Country.

Fredericksburg's Tourism Economy: 1M+ Visitors, But Growing Pains — 23 hotels, 1,500+ vacation rentals, 100+ restaurants. A Waldorf Astoria resort expected 2027. However, affordable housing shortages are mounting — service workers commute 30+ miles.

🌾 AGRICULTURE & LIVESTOCK NOTES

Drought: Severe and Worsening — ~73% of Texas under drought conditions. The Edwards Plateau has been in long-term drought since late 2021. The Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer Conservation District is nearing a first-ever Stage 4 Emergency Drought declaration.

Grazing & Forage: Poor to Fair — 58% of Texas rangeland rated very poor to poor. Hay supplies below pre-drought averages. AgriLife notes recent moisture helped cool-season forages, but more rain is needed for the growing season.

Fire Danger: Elevated to Critical — Governor Abbott issued a disaster declaration. Panhandle fires reached containment, but danger is shifting south toward the Hill Country. Freeze-cured grasses, near-90°F temps, very low humidity, and gusty winds. Obey all burn bans.

Water: Highland Lakes Near Full but Inflows Dropping — Lake Buchanan near full from July 2025 floods, but January inflows were just 27% of average. LCRA water supply condition remains "Extraordinary Drought." Next evaluation: March 1.

📈 MARKET SNAPSHOT

Beef Cattle — Historic Highs. San Angelo auction (Feb 12): Calves and yearlings $4–8 higher with extremely strong demand. Steers 400-600 lbs: $370-590/cwt. National fed cattle live cash: $247–249/cwt. Replacement cattle prices 40–50% above year-ago levels.

Sheep & Goat — San Angelo (Feb 17): 6,203 head. Kid goats $3.50-5.70/lb. Slaughter lambs mostly steady; ewes $5–10 higher.

Hay — Steady, Tight Supply. Bermuda grass (Central TX): $50-55/large round bale. Grass hay round bales running $100–140/bale.

Wool & Mohair — 2026 USDA loan rates increased: Graded wool $1.60/lb, Mohair $5.00/lb. Significant support for Hill Country producers heading into spring shearing.

Pecans — Between seasons. In-shell $2–3/lb. Drought impacted non-irrigated orchards but reduced pest pressure.

Grain — Mar corn futures: $4.27½/bu. Retail deer corn ~$8–10/50-lb bag.

🔎 GRANT WATCH

USDA Value-Added Producer Grants — Deadline April 15, 2026. Grants for planning or working capital for agricultural producers. Requires 1:1 match. Highly relevant for Hill Country ranchers, vineyard operators, and specialty food producers.

TWDB Agricultural Water Conservation Grants — Deadline March 18, 2026. Up to $1.5 million statewide for irrigation efficiency, precision agriculture, and water loss reduction.

USDA Rural Economic Development Loan & Grant — Q3 Deadline March 31, 2026. Zero-interest loans up to $1M and grants up to $300K for revolving loan funds. Flows through Rural Utilities Service borrowers.

TWDB Drinking Water Fund — Small Rural Communities. Up to 100% principal forgiveness ($1M max) for disadvantaged communities serving ≤10,000 population. Contact TWDB.

🏕️ TOURISM PULSE

Bluebonnet Season Could Arrive Early. Texas A&M AgriLife: recent rainfall and warm temps mean bluebonnets are "just below the surface, ready to spring up at any moment." Expected bloom: early-to-mid March. Key Hill Country routes include the Willow City Loop between Fredericksburg and Llano. However, limited rainfall during fall germination months may mean blooms aren't as widespread.

Fredericksburg Named Among America's Most-Visited "Hidden Gems" — alongside Tucson and Midland. Wine tourism alone generates 2.64 million visits statewide. New luxury properties signal continued investor confidence, but overtourism concerns are growing.

🌾 Neighbor Spotlight: La Cuna Center, Castell

Sometimes the most important things happening in a community show up quietly — in a stone building on a ranch road, in a conversation between an artist and a rancher, in a conference room that smells like mesquite smoke and possibility.

La Cuna Center in Castell is one of those places.

This spring, La Cuna is launching "After the Rain" — a campaign that does something you don't see very often: it puts contemporary art and practical land science in the same room and lets them talk to each other. Five artists-in-residence are creating new work that explores drought and flood resilience in the Hill Country. And alongside the art, La Cuna is hosting two conferences that every landowner and rancher in this region should know about.

What's coming:

🎨 March 7, 2:00 PM — Artist Reception at Castell Hill Country Gallery (across from the General Store). The "After the Rain" exhibition opens with work from five artists exploring land, water, and resilience. The show runs through May 9.

🔥 April 18, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM — "After the Rain" Land, Fire, Water Conference at Castell General Store. Steve Nelle on an ethic of land care. Michelle Bertelsen on managing land for water quality. Brian Wright on prescribed fire. Carol Flueckiger on prairie plants art. $25, lunch included. Presented with the Llano River Watershed Alliance.

🐄 May 9, 11:00 AM–2:00 PM — Regenerative Grazing Conference at Castell General Store. This is the big one. Dr. Rick Machen, Executive Director of King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management, is the keynote speaker. Taylor Collins of Roam Ranch (Force of Nature Meats) and Marc Duderstadt of Halter Virtual Fencing round out the lineup. $40, lunch included.

Why this matters for our ranchers: There's funding headed to Texas for regenerative ranching practices, and many Hill Country ranchers are probably already using a lot of these principles in how they manage their land. This conference is a chance to get the language, the connections, and the roadmap to investigate that funding. When the Executive Director of King Ranch Institute comes to Castell, you pay attention.

Rachel Farrington, La Cuna's Executive Director, put it simply: she wants to get the word out to area ranchers, and she believes this could be a big deal for the region.

We agree.

Register for all events at www.la-cuna.org | Follow on Instagram: @lacunacenter

Read their full Feb newsletter below 👇👇👇

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📖 FEATURED STORY

What Happens When We Sit Down and Talk Things Through

There's a particular quality to the light in late February, here in Mason County. It's still pale, still thin, but you can feel something shifting in it — a warmth that wasn't there a month ago, a promise that the mesquite and live oak are taking seriously. They're beginning to think about leafing out again. The world is waking up, and with it comes that restless energy that always seems to arrive when winter finally loses its grip.

It's during these in-between weeks that I notice something worth paying attention to: how much of our community's real work happens in the spaces where we're not rushing. In the post office, when someone's mailing a package and ends up talking for twenty minutes about the new county road project. In the coffee shop on a Tuesday morning, where the same four or five people sit in the same chairs and somehow, over months and years of coffee and conversation, decisions get made. On porches, in feed stores, in the parking lot after church. These conversations — the ones that have no agenda, that meander the way conversation naturally does — they're not incidental to community. They're the infrastructure itself.

I think about this a lot, actually, the way ideas move through a small town. Not top-down, not through official channels, though those matter too. But through the kind of talking we do when we're not being formal about it. Someone mentions they're worried about something — the tax assessments, the shape of the county roads, whether the schools have what they need. Someone else says, "Yeah, I've been thinking about that too," and suddenly you're not alone with the worry. You're thinking about it together. And that's when things start to shift.

A few years back, I watched this happen with something small but real. A neighbor mentioned, just casually, that it seemed like the library's hours weren't working for families anymore — nobody could get there on the evenings when kids might actually want to go. Another neighbor listened, and then brought it up at a county meeting, not as a crusade but just as an observation. And then someone else had the same conversation with someone else. No organizing committee was formed. No petition was circulated. But within a few months, the library's hours had expanded. The infrastructure for that change was built, invisibly, through dozens of small conversations.

This is the work that sustains us. Not the formal meetings — though those matter — but the informal ones. The real conversations. The kind where someone can say what they actually think, and someone else can listen without immediately disagreeing or defending a position. Where you can change your mind because you heard something you hadn't considered. Where you can admit confusion or worry without it becoming a thing. Where you can ask for help, or offer it, without fanfare.

I think rural communities like ours have always understood this, even if we don't always have the language for it. In a place where everyone's visible to everyone, where the person who teaches your kid's math class is also the one who sells you produce at the farmer’s market, where the county commissioner's truck is parked in the same diner parking lot as yours — in a place like that, conversation isn't a luxury. It's survival. It's how we know what's real. It's how we know each other.

There's a kind of listening that happens here, too, that I don't think is accidental. It comes from understanding that we're stuck with each other in the best possible way — that my wellbeing is entangled with yours. That if your kid's school struggles, my community struggles. If your farm's having a hard time, the whole network of support and supply that holds us all up feels the strain. That knowledge, even unspoken, makes people listen differently. It makes them take seriously what neighbors say.

And here's what strikes me as the light keeps shifting toward spring, as the days get longer and the cold loses its authority: there's an urgency to this kind of talking that people sometimes miss. It's not urgent in the frenetic way of modern life. But it is urgent in a deep way. Because this — the habit of sitting down and talking things through, the trust that builds when you do that regularly, the informal infrastructure of conversation — is what holds everything else together. When that erodes, everything erodes.

I've thought a lot lately about how easy it would be for that to slip away. How a community could lose the rhythm of front-porch conversation, of chance meetings that turn into real exchanges. How we could all become more separate, more alone, more insulated in our private certainties. How we could stop knowing each other. In a world that's increasingly pulling toward those kind of separations, toward the solitary scroll and the broadcast instead of the dialogue, I think what we have here — this habit of actually talking, actually listening — is rarer than we might realize.

So when I see people lingering at the post office, or sitting in the coffee shop on a weekday morning when they maybe should be somewhere else, or gathering on a porch on a February evening when the light's still holding but getting tender — I see something essential. I see people doing the work of community. Not because they have to, not because it's on any to-do list, but because they understand, maybe without putting it into words, that this is where the real decisions get made. This is where we know what matters. This is where we become a place instead of just a collection of people.

The mesquite will leaf out. The spring will arrive in full. And all of that will still be here: the conversations, the listening, the slow circulation of ideas and care through the veins of our small town. It won't look like much. It won't be in the newspaper or the official minutes. But it will be holding us together, the way it always has.

Dear Hazel Mae & Fern,

I've been watching all the garden blogs and Instagram accounts, and everyone's already got their spring beds prepped, seeds started indoors, and I feel like I'm behind before we've even begun. My mother-in-law mentioned last week that she'd already ordered her tomato seedlings. I want to do this right this year — really commit to growing our own vegetables — but I'm terrified of messing it up or wasting money on seeds that won't take. How do I start without feeling like I have to have it all figured out by March?

— Patricia from Burnet

Hazel Mae says:

Well now, sugar, let me tell you something: those Instagram people were already behind last month, and they'll be behind next month too. That's not gardening — that's performance anxiety in a plant pot. You've got time, and that's the best tool you own right now.

Here's the truth: early spring in the Hill Country is tricky. Our last frost can sneak up on us clear into April, so anybody telling you to have everything in the ground by now is selling you something (or stress). You're actually thinking about this at exactly the right moment.

What you do need right now is observation and gentle preparation:

• Walk your garden space at different times of day. Where's the sun? Where's the shade? This matters more than any fancy plan.

• Clean out beds, pull winter weeds, turn the soil. This is meditative work and it teaches you your land.

• Order seeds now for April planting, not March planting. Read the packet dates.

• Start one small thing — maybe basil or lettuce indoors. One thing. Not fifteen things.

Your mother-in-law can keep her competitive seedlings. You're building something real. That takes patience, and patience is what makes it stick.

Fern says:

There's wisdom in not rushing, Patricia. Spring itself doesn't hurry — it unfolds in its own time, each day a small permission to begin again. The plants you see thriving in April weren't forced into being in February; they were simply ready when their moment came.

Notice how nature teaches us this: seeds don't germinate because we're anxious about them. They germinate because conditions are right. Your job is to create conditions — good soil, proper light, attention — not to force the timeline. This pace you're instinctively sensing? That's not laziness. That's attunement.

The Hill Country has its own rhythm. Our gardens have learned to wait. By gardening with that patience rather than against it, you're not just growing vegetables; you're learning the land's language. That knowledge compounds year after year.

Hazel Mae (one last word):

Alright, Patricia, here's your no-nonsense starting lineup for right now:

• Pick your sunniest bed and claim it (mentally and physically)

• Amend soil with compost — get your hands in it

• Order seeds for April from a Texas-friendly supplier

• Start five basil seeds indoors this week, nothing more

• Mark your last frost date on the calendar (April 15th, roughly — ask your neighbors to confirm)

Stop watching Instagram and start watching your own backyard. That's where the real growing happens.

Got a question for Hazel Mae & Fern? Send it in. We'll put the kettle on, pull on our boots, and walk it out with you. [email protected]

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Aries (Mar 21 – Apr 19) The air's shifting in your favor, and you're feeling it — that electric pull toward honest words. This week, don't hold back what's been sitting on your tongue. A conversation you've been rehearsing is ready to happen, maybe over coffee on the porch with someone who matters. Your clarity isn't gentle, and that's the whole point. Speak with the directness of mesquite smoke curling into a clear sky. Someone needs to hear what only you can say.

Taurus (Apr 20 – May 20) Slow down and listen. Not to others — to the ground beneath you, to what your body already knows. A practical solution is closer than you think, hidden in the details you'd usually brush past. This week invites you to trust your senses: the weight of a coffee mug in your hands, the texture of truth in someone's voice. Don't rush clarity. Let it settle like dust on a backroad at dusk. What becomes clear this week will hold.

Gemini (May 21 – Jun 20) Your mind is sparkling, full of clever connections and half-formed thoughts begging to be spoken aloud. Find your people this week — the ones who actually listen — and watch how conversation blooms. You're drawn toward playful banter and real talk in equal measure. There's magic in how you see the world differently than everyone else. Share that vision. The right ears are waiting. You've got something people need to hear.

Cancer (Jun 21 – Jul 22) Clarity is coming home this week, and it might look like a difficult conversation with someone close to you. You're ready for it, even if it feels tender. This is about protecting what matters by speaking your truth gently but firmly. Light a candle, make tea, sit on your own porch first. Ground yourself in what's yours. Then reach out. The people who love you are ready to understand.

Leo (Jul 23 – Aug 22) You're glowing with ideas this week, and everyone can feel it. Your words carry weight right now — use that power generously. Whether it's a creative pitch, a difficult truth, or a burst of laughter shared with friends, you're meant to shine here. Don't dim yourself down. Your clarity is magnetic, your honesty refreshing. Speak like you own the room, because you do. Just remember to let others speak too.

Virgo (Aug 23 – Sep 22) The practical magic is in the details this week. You're seeing patterns others miss, connections that suddenly make sense. A conversation about resources, time, or what you truly need could shift everything. Don't apologize for wanting clarity — it's not criticism, it's care. You're building something solid, and solid things require honest ground. Say what needs saying. Your precision is a gift, not a burden.

Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 22) Conversation is your native language, and this week you're fluent in something deeper than usual. You're meant to bring people together, to bridge the space between different ways of seeing. There's a creative collaboration or difficult discussion waiting in the wings. Trust your instinct to find balance without sacrificing truth. You don't have to choose between kindness and clarity. You can offer both, and the world needs it.

Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21) What needs to be said in the privacy of your own life? This week, clarity blooms at home — in conversations with family, in decisions about your inner circle, in what you're building on your own terms. You don't need an audience; you need honesty. Peel back the layers. Ask the hard questions. The answers coming are worth the vulnerability. Trust the process. Your home becomes clearer when you dare to be real.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 – Dec 21) Your words are arrows this week, sharp and true. You've got something to say, and the universe is giving you the stage. Maybe it's a conversation you've been meaning to have, or a creative project begging to be spoken aloud. Don't second-guess your instinct. You're naturally forthright, and people respect you for it. Share your vision, your story, your unfiltered thoughts. Clarity through your lens is always worth hearing.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19) Clarity about resources, value, and what you're building is surfacing this week. Take a hard look at what's working and what isn't. A conversation about money, time, or priorities could set you straight. You're practical enough to see the truth without flinching. Use that gift. What you decide this week builds the foundation for months ahead. Listen to your own wisdom. You already know what you need to do.

Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18) You're becoming clearer about who you are and what you want. This week, that clarity gets personal. A conversation with yourself matters as much as any you have with others. You might surprise someone by being more vulnerable than usual, and that's exactly right. Your quirks, your dreams, your way of seeing the world — these deserve to be seen. Step into the light. The people meant for you are waiting to know the real you.

Pisces (Feb 19 – Mar 20) Sometimes clarity comes in silence, in dreams, in the space between words. This week, listen to what's being communicated beneath conversation. You're tuned into something others might miss — a feeling, an intuition, a quiet knowing. Trust it. You might be drawn inward, and that's sacred work. Journal, reflect, sit with the mystery. The clarity you need isn't rushed. It unfolds like evening settling over the Hill Country, slow and true.

💫 In a small town, we know: the clearest conversations happen between people willing to sit still long enough to truly listen.

Mandy is living proof that a good walk can change everything. This 8-to-9-month-old Black Mouth Cur mix has been winning over every single walking volunteer at Second Chance Mason — and they've been winning her over right back. She's great with kids, loves to move, and has that kind of joyful, tail-wagging energy that makes even a Tuesday feel like an adventure. Spayed, vaccinated, and ready to go — all Mandy needs now is an active family who'll give her plenty of room to run and maybe a four-legged friend to keep up with her.

AI Translation: If Mandy were human, she'd be the new girl at Mason High who signed up for cross country, volleyball, and student council in the first week — the one who waves at everyone in the hallway and somehow already knows your name.

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