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🪶 Letter from the Editor

It's supposed to hit 81 degrees today. In February.

I know. I checked twice, too. The mesquite is confused, the bees are optimistic, and I walked outside in short sleeves thinking, This can't be right. But here we are — a Hill Country February that feels more like early April, with rain coming behind it like a promise nobody's sure they can keep.

There's something about a warm week in the middle of winter that makes you want to do everything at once. Fix the fence. Start the garden. Reorganize the books. Call the insurance company. Make a plan. But this week, I want to offer a different kind of invitation: sit with it.

That's what this edition is about, really. Money without drama. Not the kind of money conversation that involves spreadsheets and panic and somebody on YouTube telling you to cut out lattes. The kind where you sit down with a cup of coffee and your actual numbers and just... look at them. Without flinching. Without judgment. Just looking.

Our featured story this week, "Quiet Money Decisions That Matter," is about the financial choices that nobody posts about on Instagram but that keep the lights on in small towns everywhere. The ones that happen at kitchen tables after the kids go to bed. The ones that compound — not dramatically, but steadily, like a stone wall going up one rock at a time.

Speaking of steady — have you met Zeke? Our Pet of the Week is a four-year-old Husky with ice-blue eyes and more patience than most of us deserve. He's been at Second Chance for months, and he'd very much like to come home with somebody. I dare you to look at that face and not fall in love.

Out on the porch this week, the calendar is stacked. Sheepdog trials in Junction start today. Willis Alan Ramsey is playing the Odeon on Valentine's Day — in Mason, of all places, which feels like the kind of thing you tell people about for years. And down in Castell, La Cuna Center just announced a spring lineup that every landowner and rancher in this region should hear about — including a regenerative grazing conference in May with the Executive Director of King Ranch Institute as keynote. That's a big deal, and we've got all the details inside.

Hazel Mae and Fern are talking garden planning this week — specifically, how to stop planning a garden that requires three of you to maintain. And the horoscopes are all about stability and trust, which feels exactly right for a week that's asking us to stand still and pay attention.

February is the thin month. But thin doesn't mean empty. It means clear. And clarity, uncomfortable as it might be, is how the good decisions get made.

Stay steady out there. The ground is holding.

— 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: Buffer-Building in Thin Months

There's a temptation, when things get tight, to grip harder. To cut faster. To treat every slow week like an emergency that demands a dramatic response.

But most of the time, February isn't an emergency. It's a season.

The businesses that come through thin months steadiest aren't the ones that panic-slash their way to March. They're the ones that built a little margin when the margin was there to build. A reserve — not a fortune, just a cushion — set aside during the months when the register was ringing more often. The kind of buffer that doesn't make you rich but does let you sleep.

And if the buffer isn't there yet? That's not a failure. That's information. It's telling you something about the rhythm of your cash flow that's worth listening to — not with guilt, but with the kind of clear-eyed attention that turns next October's good month into next February's breathing room.

The goal isn't to be flush. It's to not be surprised. There's a difference between a lean month and a month that catches you off guard, and the distance between them is usually about three small decisions made six months earlier.

Insight #2: Debt, Savings, and Realism

Here's the thing nobody wants to say out loud: most small businesses in rural communities carry some debt. Equipment loans. A line of credit that got used harder than planned. The building mortgage. A vendor balance that stretched a little longer than it should have.

That's not a moral failing. That's the cost of building something real in a place where the margins have always been honest.

The question isn't whether you carry debt — it's whether you're carrying it with your eyes open. There's a version of debt that's strategic: the equipment loan that lets you take on work you couldn't otherwise do, the renovation that keeps customers coming through the door. And there's a version that's just accumulated avoidance — the balance you stopped looking at because looking at it felt worse than ignoring it.

The same goes for savings. The internet will tell you to have six months of operating expenses stashed away. That's a fine goal for someone running a software company in Austin. Out here, even one month of reserves changes everything. Even two weeks changes the way you make decisions — from desperate to deliberate.

Realism isn't pessimism. It's the quiet act of knowing your numbers well enough to stop being afraid of them. The rancher who knows exactly what it costs to run a cow through winter isn't being negative. They're being ready.

A Small Townie Takeaway

Most of us weren't taught to talk about money without drama attached to it. But the steadiest people in any small town aren't the ones who never struggle — they're the ones who stopped pretending they don't. There's a kind of freedom in looking at the numbers honestly, nodding, and saying, "Alright. Here's what we do next." That's not just financial planning. That's how you keep a life carryable.

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Fresh off the Porch

🎤 What's Happening at Spring St. Collective

117 N. Spring St., Mason, TX

If you haven't been to Spring St. Collective yet, February is making a strong case for why you should fix that. This little corner of Mason's square has been quietly stacking up a lineup that punches way above its weight class — live music, comedy, steak nights, and yes, karaoke. Here's what's coming:

🎶 Thursday, Feb 12 — Karaoke Night | 6:30–9:00 PM Grab the mic, grab your courage, and grab a seat. No judgment. Okay, maybe a little judgment. But the supportive kind.

😂 Saturday, Feb 14 — Valentine's Steak & Comedy Night | 5:00–9:00 PM This one's a double feature. The Twisted Fork is handling steak and seafood (make reservations through them), and Fly Gap Winery is hosting a stand-up comedy show starting at 7:00 PM featuring Will Loden, Jamal Rahal, and Blake Jones. Fair warning: it's almost sold out. Comedy show reservations through Fly Gap Winery. A Valentine's date night in Mason that doesn't involve a drive to Fredericksburg? Yes, please.

🎵 Thursday, Feb 19 — Britney Doyal & Collie Miller | 6:00–9:00 PM Live music on the square. Come for the sound, stay for the company.

🎵 Saturday, Feb 21 — Charlie Kelly | 6:00–8:00 PM Another live music night to round out the month. Mason keeps showing up.

Spring St. Collective is proof that good things happen when you give a small town a gathering place and let the neighbors do the rest.

Events

Junction — Texas Sheepdog Trials on the Pecos Trail (February 12–15, daylight to dark, HCFA Grounds, FM 2169) — Texas Sheepdog Association. Handlers and dogs from across the U.S. and Canada compete right here in the Hill Country. Free admission. Bleachers available, but bring your own lawn chair if you like your comfort. Contact: 972-841-5638.

Mason — "Solo Mio" at the Odeon Theater (February 13–16, 7:00 PM nightly, 122 S. Moody St.) — Odeon Preservation Association. Romantic comedy starring Kevin James, rated PG, 1 hr 40 min. No showing Saturday due to the Valentine's concert. Admission $4. That's right — four dollars. Date night doesn't get more affordable than that.

Mason — Valentine's Weekend Carriage Rides (February 13–14, 3:00–10:00 PM, Mason Town Square) — Mason County Chamber of Commerce. Carriage rides around the square for $20 per person. If you've been looking for a reason to hold someone's hand in public, here it is.

Mason — Willis Alan Ramsey Valentine's Concert (Saturday, February 14, doors 6:15 PM, Odeon Theater) — Odeon Preservation Association. The Americana and Texas country legend, live in Mason on Valentine's Day. Tickets $30 advance / $35 at door (cash only at door). Students 18 & under $10. Open seating. Advance tickets via PayPal at The Odeon Theater.

Mason — Valentines at Dotson Cervantes Winery (Saturday, February 14, 11:00 AM–6:00 PM) — Dotson Cervantes Winery. Valentine's Day celebration — first 20 guests receive a complimentary bouquet. Show up early if you want those flowers.

Fredericksburg — My Fair Lady at Fredericksburg Theater Company (February 13–March 1, Fri/Sat/Sun performances, Steve W. Shepherd Theatre, 1668 S. US Hwy 87) — Fredericksburg Theater Company. The Lerner & Loewe classic on the mainstage. Saturday matinees at 2:00 PM.

Fredericksburg — Fredericksburg Trade Days (February 20–22, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, 355 Sunday Farms Ln) — Fredericksburg Trade Days. Monthly flea market with antiques, crafts, and food vendors. One of the largest in the Hill Country — worth the drive and a cooler in the truck.

Fredericksburg — Texas Trail Roundup International Walking Festival (February 20–22, Marktplatz, 101 W. Main St. + various trailheads) — America's Walking Club. Three-day walking festival with participants from around the world. All levels welcome. Contact: [email protected].

Castell — Castell General Store Annual Chili Cookoff (Saturday, February 21, approximately 10:00 AM–6:00 PM, 19522 Ranch Rd 152 W) — Castell General Store. Annual chili cookoff with live music and cash prizes. A beloved Hill Country tradition. Confirm with the store: 325-247-4100.

Llano — Llano Hospital Foundation Fundraiser: "Don't Miss a Beat" (Tuesday, February 24, 5:00–8:00 PM, The Falls) — Llano Hospital Foundation. Fundraiser to purchase a new CT scanner capable of CT Calcium Scoring for Llano Regional Hospital. A game-changer for local heart health.

Fredericksburg — Gillespie County AgriLife Gardening Seminar (Friday, February 27, 8:30 AM–3:30 PM, Extension Office, 38 Business Court) — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension. Sessions on locally adapted vegetables, green manure, edible landscaping, salsa gardening, and more. $35 without lunch / $45 with. Pre-registration due Feb 24.

Fredericksburg — Luckenbach Texas Independence Celebration (Saturday, February 28, Noon, 412 Luckenbach Town Loop) — Luckenbach Texas. FREE admission. Texas Ranger Living Camp, flag retirement ceremony, military & first responders appreciation. Live music by Doug Moreland and the Georgia Parker Swing Band. Family-friendly.

Castell — La Cuna "After the Rain" Artist Reception (Saturday, March 7, 2:00 PM, Castell Hill Country Gallery — across from the Castell General Store) — La Cuna Center. Five artists-in-residence unveil new work exploring land stewardship for drought and flood resilience. Exhibition runs through May 9. Contemporary art with a Hill Country soul. More at www.la-cuna.org.

Junction — Junction Annual Predator Calling Contest (March 14–15, Junction area) — Local organizers. Annual tradition — contact Kimble County Chamber at 325-446-3190 for details.

Fredericksburg — Hill Country Highland Games, 7th Annual (Saturday, March 14, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM, Texas Wine Collective, 10354 US-290) — Texas Wine Collective. FREE admission. Scottish athletic competitions, Highland dancers, Alamo City Pipes & Drums, food trucks. Family-friendly.

Brady — 37th Heart of Texas Country Music Festival (March 19–28, multiple venues) — Heart of Texas Country Music Association / KNEL 95.3 FM. Ten days of traditional country music across Brady — 24+ shows and dances, the Darrell McCall & Friends Golf Tournament, Steel Guitar Show, cowboy church, open jam sessions. Tickets $0–$35 per event, BYOB. One of the largest traditional country gatherings in Texas. Details at heartoftexascountry.com.

Fredericksburg — Fredericksburg Trade Days — March (March 20–22, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, 355 Sunday Farms Ln).

Llano — Llano Earth Art Fest / LEAF (March 27–29, Grenwelge Park, Ford St. & E. Haynie St.) — Llano Earth Art Fest. Interactive festival featuring the World Rockstacking Championship, internationally renowned land artists creating sculpture from natural materials, live music, vendors, workshops. Family-friendly. This one's special, y'all.

Mason — Mason Chamber Music Festival: Artisan String Quartet — "Italian Season Favorites" (Saturday, March 28, 7:00 PM, Odeon Theater) — Mason Chamber Music Festival / Odeon Preservation Association. Solo violinist Patrice Calixte & the Artisan Chamber Players. Tickets $30 (cash only at door). Open seating.

Llano — @LAST Llano Art Studio Tour (Saturday, March 28, all day, various artist studios — maps at Llano Visitor Center and Llano Fine Arts Guild, 503 Bessemer Ave) — Llano artists / Llano Fine Arts Guild. Visit approximately 20 artists in their workspaces. Demonstrations throughout the day. After-party at the Art Guild in the evening.

Mason — Spring Arts & Wine Fest (Saturday, April 4, Mason Town Square) — Mason Arts Fest / Mason County Chamber of Commerce. Bi-annual arts and wine festival. Artists line the sidewalks with paintings, ceramics, woodwork, textiles. Hill Country wine, live music. Phone: (325) 347-0230.

Castell — Castell Grind 100K Off-Road Bike Race (Saturday, April 4, morning start, Castell General Store area) — Castell General Store. Annual 100K off-road bicycle race. Confirm with store: 325-247-4100.

Fredericksburg — Easter Fires Pageant (Saturday, April 4, at dusk ~8:00 PM, Gillespie County Fair Grounds, 530 Fair Dr.) — Gillespie County Fair & Festivals Association. Iconic tradition since 1946. Bonfire pageant with up to 150 costumed participants, hilltop fires. $10 adults, $1 children 6–12, free under 6. Box seats $15.

Junction — Junction Easter Pageant, 75th Anniversary (Saturday, April 4, at sunset, Cedar Creek Rd & FM 2169 South near Lover's Leap) — Men's Bible Class of Junction. 75th anniversary performance. Free admission. Arrive early. Show goes on regardless of weather — hasn't been cancelled in 80+ years.

Harper — Harper Chamber Non-Profit Expo (Tuesday, April 15, 6:00 PM, AA Gitter Hall, 164 N 4th St.) — Harper Chamber of Commerce. Learn about local non-profit organizations and what they offer the community.

Llano — Llano Crawfish Open, 36th Annual (April 17–18, 9:00 AM–midnight, Robinson Park, 303 Hwy 71 East) — Llano Crawfish Open, Inc. 25,000 pounds of crawfish. Music all day, golf tournament, calf roping, 5K Fun Run, cornhole, vendors, motorcycle run. 12,000+ attendees. Admission varies. Rain or shine. 325-247-2270.

Fredericksburg — Fredericksburg Trade Days — April (April 17–19, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, 355 Sunday Farms Ln).

Castell — La Cuna "After the Rain" Land, Fire, Water Conference (Saturday, April 18, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM, Castell General Store) — La Cuna Center & Llano River Watershed Alliance. Speakers: Steve Nelle on land ethic, Michelle Bertelsen on water quality, Carol Flueckiger on prairie plants art, Brian Wright on prescribed fire. $25 includes lunch. Register at www.la-cuna.org.

Junction — Outdoor Women Gone Wild (Saturday, April 18, 402 Main St.) — Junction Texas Tourism. Women's outdoor skills event: archery, bird watching, fly fishing, shooting, photography, self-defense, mosaic cross making, team wagon driving. A day that lives up to its name.

Junction — Texas Adventure Motorcycle Rally (April 30–May 3, Tree Cabins at Rivers Bend, 701 Agarita) — Texas ADV Rally. Multi-day adventure motorcycle rally. Registration $115. Big bike and beginner friendly. Saturday dinner included. 140+ registered.

Llano — Llano Fiddle Fest, 48th Annual (April 3–5, John L. Kuykendall Event Center, 2200 Ranch Rd 152) — Llano Chamber of Commerce. Open fiddle contest since 1976. $1,000 Grand Prize. Free to attend. Saturday evening concert (ticketed). Confirm dates with Llano Chamber: 325-247-5354.

Castell — La Cuna Regenerative Grazing Conference (Saturday, May 9, 11:00 AM–2:00 PM, Castell General Store) — La Cuna Center. Keynote by Dr. Rick Machen, Executive Director of King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management. Plus Taylor Collins of Roam Ranch and Marc Duderstadt of Halter Virtual Fencing. $40 includes lunch. Register at www.la-cuna.org.

Recurring Events Worth Knowing

Llano — Llano Farmers & Crafters Market — 1st and 3rd Saturdays year-round at Courthouse Square. Upcoming: Feb 15, Mar 1, Mar 15, Apr 5, Apr 19, May 3. Locally grown produce, honey, baked goods, handcrafted art.

Llano — Junk In The Trunk — 4th Saturday, March–October, Courthouse Square. Upcoming: March 28, April 25. Community garage sale/flea market. Contact Tony: 325-372-1088.

Junction — Junction Area Farmers Market — Every Saturday, March–December, Kimble County Courthouse Lawn, 9:00 AM–12:00 PM. Local produce, goods, crafts. 325-305-0773.

London — London Dance Hall Live Music — Every Saturday, 9:00 PM–1:00 AM (doors 5:00 PM), 17430 Hwy 377. One of the oldest dance halls in Texas. Live bands, $5 BBQ plates on Saturdays. $10+ admission, kids 12 & under free. Band announcements weekly on Facebook. 325-475-2300.

Mason — Odeon Theater Weekly Movies — Fri/Sat/Sun/Mon at 7:00 PM. First-run movies, $4 admission. Free classic movie on 3rd Wednesday of each month.

Castell — Castell General Store Live Music & BBQ — Every Fri & Sat. BBQ 11 AM–3 PM (Sat); Burgers 6–9 PM (Fri & Sat); First Friday Seafood Night; Sunday Steak Day 11 AM–3 PM. Kayak rentals available.

Coming Soon! (Heads Up)

The Castell Testicle Festival (3rd Saturday in May), Fredericksburg Crawfish Festival (Memorial Day Weekend), Kerrville Folk Festival (May 21–June 7), and the Eckert James River Bat Cave Preserve season (~mid-May, bat hotline: 325-347-5970) are all just around the corner.

Community Features

Mason — Mason Cowgirls Basketball: #2 in Texas. The Mason High School Cowgirls have assembled a 32-1 record and are undefeated in District 29-2A play. Their only loss came back in November against Ozona, and they've rattled off a 23+ game winning streak since — including an 82-12 win over Junction. Head Coach Alicia Cummings credited "really good team chemistry" and an experienced roster. After falling one game short of state last year, this squad looks ready for a deep playoff run. Go Cowgirls.

Llano — Named Texas's "Most Underrated Small Town." World Atlas just named Llano the most underrated small town in all of Texas. The article highlighted a town of just over 3,000 people as "chock full of things to do and see" — authentic Hill Country vibes, excellent events and festivals, and standout dining including Cooper's Old Time Pit Bar-B-Que. We could have told them that.

Llano — 2,000 Rainbow Trout Splash Into the Llano River. The City of Llano hosted its annual Rainbow Trout Release Party on February 7 at Grenwelge Park. 2,000 trout went into the Llano River as part of TPWD's winter stocking program, with free fly fishing demonstrations and hot dogs. Nearly 6,000 trout total were stocked across the Llano River system, including Mason County and downstream of Castell.

Fredericksburg — City Council Awards $458,000 in HOT Funds. The Fredericksburg City Council distributed Hotel Occupancy Tax funding across 25 local organizations, with the Admiral Nimitz Foundation receiving $150,000 (the museum welcomed over 120,000 guests in 2025) and the Gillespie County Historical Society receiving $80,000 for preservation of the historic Fassel Roeder Home.

Business/School Highlights

Harper — Harper Ladyhorns Ranked #16 in Texas. The TGCA-ranked Harper Ladyhorns basketball team trounced Junction 58-26. This small Gillespie County school has been a force all season, earning statewide recognition.

Llano — Main Street Program Earns National Accreditation. The Llano Main Street Program has been designated as an Accredited Main Street America program for meeting rigorous national standards. The downtown is on the National Register of Historic Places, and four final building facades are being completed thanks to a $25,000 LCRA grant plus $167,000 in matching funds from the Buttery Company.

Brady/Mason — KNEL Radio Keeps the Heart of Texas Connected. KNEL 95.3 FM/1490 AM continues its weekly basketball coverage of Brady Bulldogs and Mason Punchers. Master Gardeners Training Classes begin Feb 17, and Heart of Texas Country Music Festival tickets are on sale.

Hill Country — UIL Realignment Keeps Rivals Together for 2026–28. District 7-2A Division I includes Brady, Mason, San Saba, Coleman, Bangs, and Johnson City — preserving longtime rivalries. Menard lands in District 8-1A Division I. Harper, Center Point, and Junction are grouped together.

Junction — Junction ISD Honors New National Junior Honor Society Members. An induction ceremony on February 4 honored middle school students for scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship.

Fredericksburg — Rotary Club Seeks Hans Hannemann Award Nominations. Nominations accepted through February 27 for outstanding community service. Contact the Rotary Club of Fredericksburg.

Gillespie County — Farmers and Ranchers Weather Winter Storm Successfully. Under the headline "Winter weather welcomed by producers," area farmers and ranchers mostly survived Winter Storm Fern without major damage — and they welcomed the moisture.

🌾 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 👇👇👇

Hill Country Weather

An unusually warm stretch dominates the Hill Country this week. Thursday temperatures may reach the low 80s across Mason, Brady, and Junction — well above February averages. Rain chances of 30–60% develop Thursday night through Saturday, with potential for a quarter to one inch of rainfall. Welcome news given worsening drought. Fire conditions remain a concern during dry spells.

Rural Policy & Funding Watch

Texas BEAD broadband plan approved — $1.3 billion is headed to rural areas. The Texas Broadband Development Office now has six months to execute agreements with subgrantees, targeting more than 243,000 unserved or underserved locations statewide. Grant awards and project schedules are expected to be finalized in early 2026. Directly relevant to Hill Country communities where broadband remains spotty.

USDA Rural Economic Development grants — Q3 deadline is March 31, 2026. Maximum grant: $300,000 for revolving loan funds. Maximum loan: $1 million at zero interest. Eligible projects include business incubators, community development, and facilities/equipment for education. Texas RD State Office: (254) 742-9700.

TDA Rural Hospital Broadband Program awarded $22.9 million to build digital capacity at rural hospitals across Texas.

Economic & Small Business Intel

National brands are flooding the Hill Country. Waldorf Astoria Fredericksburg — Hilton's first Texas Waldorf — will feature 60 hotel rooms, 37 resort villas, an 11,000 sq-ft spa, and 5+ restaurants on 106 acres. Kimpton Fredericksburg is building a 210-room luxury hotel for 2027. Salt Lick BBQ filed $2.4 million in plans for a restaurant at The Sycamore development off US-290. And Southern Living chose Fredericksburg for its 2026 Idea House, bringing major national media exposure to the region.

Agriculture & Livestock Notes

Cattle market surging post-storm. At the Producers Livestock Auction in San Angelo on February 5, better-quality calves brought $10–$15 higher prices amid extremely strong demand. Feeder steers and heifers were $4–$12 higher statewide compared to two weeks prior.

Sheep and goat markets sharply higher. At the February 3 San Angelo sale, slaughter lambs jumped $40–$60 higher and kid goats surged $70–$90 higher. Strong ethnic market demand continues to outpace domestic supply.

Drought conditions: significant and worsening. Approximately 68% of Texas is under drought conditions. Winter Storm Fern provided only modest improvement. The February outlook shows no strong signal for above-normal precipitation.

Wool and mohair loan rates increased for 2026. Graded wool at $1.60/lb, mohair at $5.00/lb — all increases under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Texas remains the top U.S. producer of mohair.

Market Snapshot

Texas cattle prices start 2026 strong. Statewide 300–400 lb steers at $550–$675/cwt; 500–600 lbs at $403–$520. Quality grade hit a record 88.6% Choice + Prime. Beef demand remains solid, but fed supplies are expected to dwindle in coming months. Kid goats topped at $5.30–$5.60/lb; slaughter lambs at $2.70–$4.45/lb — both sharply higher post-storm. Wool and mohair 2026 loan rates: graded wool $1.60/lb, mohair $5.00/lb.

Grant Watch

AARP Community Challenge Grant — Deadline March 4, 2026. Quick-action projects improving public spaces, transportation, housing, and digital connections. Specifically supports rural communities and those 50+. Texas has received 57 grants totaling nearly $705,000 since 2017. Apply at AARP.org/CommunityChallenge.

Texas Rural Communities Inc. Grants — Up to $10,000. Awards of $3,000 average for 501(c)(3) nonprofits in rural communities. Funds community development in environmental, economic, and educational areas. Apply at texasrural.org. Finalists notified by approximately March 31.

Humanities Texas Rural Grants — Up to $2,500 (rolling deadline). For humanities programs in counties with population under 60,000 — all Hill Country towns qualify. Supported programs include history, literature, heritage, and community education.

TWU Texas Rural Woman Grant — Opens May 5, 2026. $10,000 grants (10 total) for woman-owned businesses in rural Texas counties under 50,000 population. All Townie coverage area communities qualify. Businesses must have been woman-owned in Texas for at least 3 years. Closes June 5.

Tourism Pulse

A record 62 million out-of-state and international travelers visited Texas in 2024, with visitor spending reaching a record $97.5 billion. The Hill Country region welcomed more than 2.1 million visitors across 16 state parks in 2025, including 306,302 at Enchanted Rock. Fredericksburg has at least 8 hotel projects in development, including Texas's first Waldorf Astoria. The Southern Living 2026 Idea House announcement is expected to amplify national attention on the region.

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Quiet Money Decisions That Matter

There's a particular kind of morning in February that tells you something about yourself. The kind where the coffee's still hot, the light's just barely coming through the kitchen window, and the checkbook — or the banking app, or that stack of bills on the counter — is sitting there waiting.

Not screaming. Just waiting.

That's the thing about money in a small town. It doesn't usually announce itself with sirens. It's quieter than that. It's the price of feed going up three dollars a bag over the last six months. It's the moment you realize your insurance renewed at a higher rate and nobody called to mention it. It's the slow math of wondering whether you can afford to fix the fence line now or whether it'll hold through spring.

None of it makes the news. None of it shows up in a headline. But all of it adds up in the life of a person trying to build something that lasts out here.

The Decisions Nobody Sees

Most of the financial advice floating around the internet was written for people who live in places with a Whole Foods and a financial planner on every corner. It assumes a world of investment portfolios, side hustles, and passive income streams. It talks about "scaling" and "optimizing" like everyone's running a tech startup from their living room.

Out here, the money decisions that actually matter look different.

They look like a rancher in Mason deciding to sell ten head now instead of waiting until spring prices — because the hay costs are eating the margin alive. They look like a shop owner on the square choosing not to extend hours this month because the electric bill from January was a gut punch. They look like a young family sitting down after the kids are asleep and deciding, quietly, that maybe this is the year they stop pretending the credit card balance doesn't exist.

These are not glamorous decisions. Nobody posts about them on Instagram. But they're the ones that keep the lights on, keep the doors open, keep the whole thing from tipping sideways.

The Myth of the Big Move

We've been sold a story that financial health comes from one dramatic gesture — a big investment, a windfall, a bold risk that pays off. And sure, sometimes lightning strikes. But for most of us, especially out here, financial stability is built the same way a stone wall is built: one rock at a time, fitted carefully, with patience.

The quiet money decisions are the ones that compound.

Calling your insurance agent and actually comparing rates instead of auto-renewing for the fourth year in a row. Setting up that savings transfer — even if it's only $25 a week — so the money moves before you have a chance to spend it. Saying "not right now" to a purchase that feels urgent but isn't. Having the honest conversation with a spouse or a business partner about where the money's actually going, not where you wish it were going.

None of this is exciting. All of it is powerful.

What February Teaches Us

February is the thin month. Ask any rancher, any Main Street owner, any family managing on a fixed income. The holiday spending is done, tax season is breathing down your neck, and spring — with all its promise of longer days and looser wallets — is still just far enough away to feel like a rumor.

But there's something February offers that the busier months don't: clarity.

When there's less coming in, you see more clearly what's going out. When the pace slows down, you can actually sit with the numbers instead of running from them. February strips away the noise and shows you the real picture — not the one you perform for the world, but the one that lives in your bank account and your gut.

And that clarity, uncomfortable as it might be, is worth more than any financial hack or budgeting app.

The Conversation We Don't Have Enough

Here's something that doesn't get said enough in small towns: money is hard to talk about.

Not because people don't think about it — Lord knows, everyone thinks about it — but because the culture of self-reliance runs deep. Asking for help feels like admitting failure. Talking about tight months feels like airing dirty laundry. And so we carry it quietly, assuming everyone else has it figured out while we're the only ones staring at the ceiling at 2 a.m.

But the truth is, most of us are staring at the same ceiling.

The farmer down the road is doing the same math you are. The couple who owns the restaurant on the square is having the same conversation you had last Tuesday. The retired teacher on a pension is making the same careful choices about which bills to pay first.

Money without drama doesn't mean money without struggle. It means taking the struggle out of the shadows. It means making the quiet decisions without shame. It means understanding that financial health in a place like this isn't about getting rich — it's about staying steady.

One Rock at a Time

So here's what I'd offer this February, sitting here with my own coffee and my own stack of things-to-figure-out:

Start with one thing. Not a budget overhaul. Not a Dave Ramsey marathon. Just one quiet decision.

Maybe it's the phone call to the insurance company. Maybe it's setting up that $25 transfer. Maybe it's finally opening the envelope you've been avoiding. Maybe it's sitting down with someone you trust and saying, "Here's where we actually are."

That's not failure. That's the bravest kind of building there is.

The stone wall doesn't go up in a day. But every rock you place is one that holds.

And out here, where the land is patient and the people are stubborn in the best way, that's how things get built — quietly, steadily, one good decision at a time.

The money doesn't have to be dramatic. It just has to be honest.

Dear Hazel Mae & Fern,

Every February I get the seed catalogs in the mail and I lose my mind a little. I start circling things, making lists, drawing garden bed layouts on the back of envelopes. By the time I'm done I've planned a garden that would take three of me to maintain. Then summer hits, the weeds win, I feel like a failure, and by August I can't even look at the tomato cages. How do I stop doing this to myself every single year?

— Overplanned in Pontotoc

Hazel Mae says:

Well now, sugar — welcome to the club. I believe the clinical term for what you've got is "February Seed Catalog Fever," and honey, it's an epidemic. Every single one of us has sat at that kitchen table with a highlighter and a dream and planned a garden that would make the Aggies weep with pride. And then July shows up with 107 degrees and a grudge.

Here's what I've learned the hard way:

The best garden you'll ever grow is the one you can actually tend.

Not the one that looks impressive in your head. Not the one your neighbor grew last year. The one that fits your actual life — your actual Tuesday afternoon, your actual energy level after work, your actual willingness to go outside when it's hotter than Satan's front porch.

So here's my prescription:

• Cut your plan in half. Whatever you drew on that envelope? Divide it by two. That's your real garden.

• Pick your non-negotiables. Three to five things you absolutely love to eat and will actually harvest. For me, that's tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and green beans. Everything else is negotiable.

• Leave empty space on purpose. Bare soil is not a failure. It's breathing room. It's where you put the thing you didn't know you wanted until April.

• Plan for the version of you that's tired. Because that version of you is the one who's going to be doing the watering in July.

The garden doesn't need to be everything. It just needs to be yours.

Fern says:

There's something the seed catalogs know about us that we don't always know about ourselves — they know we're dreamers. And dreaming is beautiful. It's the part of you that still believes the soil has something to offer, that the seasons will turn in your favor, that this year might be the year everything comes together.

Don't lose that part. Just give it a container.

Restraint in the garden isn't about doing less because you're not capable of more. It's about honoring what you can actually be present for. A garden you tend with attention is always more alive than one you tend with obligation. Three raised beds you visit every morning with your coffee will feed you more — in every sense — than twelve beds you dread walking past.

The land doesn't keep score. It doesn't care how much you planted. It cares that you showed up. And there's a kind of peace in planning a garden that leaves room for surprise — for the volunteer sunflower, the herb that self-seeds, the thing you didn't plan that turns out to be the best part.

Plan with restraint. Grow with wonder. They're not opposites.

Hazel Mae (one last word):

Alright, before you touch that seed catalog again, here's your homework:

• 🌿 Grab one sheet of paper. Not an envelope, not a napkin — one clean sheet.

• 🌿 Write down five things you actually ate from your garden last year. If you can't name five, that's your starting list.

• 🌿 Draw beds that fit inside a space you can water in ten minutes. If it takes longer than ten minutes to water, it's too big.

• 🌿 Put the catalog down after 15 minutes. Set a timer. I'm serious.

• 🌿 Tape your plan to the fridge. Not in a drawer. On the fridge. Where tired-you can see it in July and remember that this was the plan all along.

A small garden you love beats a big garden you resent. Every single time.

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) You've been running on instinct for weeks now, and honestly? Your instincts have been pretty good. But this week isn't asking you to charge forward — it's asking you to plant your feet. There's a decision sitting in front of you that wants steadiness, not speed. The answer isn't going to come from pushing harder. It's going to come from standing still long enough to hear what you already know. Trust the ground you're on. It's holding.

Taurus (Apr 20 – May 20) This is your kind of week, and you know it. The kind where the coffee tastes right, the routine feels like a warm coat, and the work in front of you is the honest, hand-over-hand kind you were built for. Something you've been tending quietly is starting to show roots — not flowers yet, just roots. That's better. Roots are the part that holds when the wind comes. Keep tending. Don't rush the bloom.

Gemini (May 21 – Jun 20) Your mind has been a two-lane highway with traffic going both directions, and this week the universe is putting up a gentle roadblock on one of those lanes. Not to shut you down — just to simplify the route. You don't have to figure out everything at once. Pick the conversation that matters most. Follow the thread that feels truest. The other ideas aren't going anywhere. They'll wait for you, and they'll be better for the waiting.

Cancer (Jun 21 – Jul 22) There's a quiet ache this week that has something to do with home — not the building, but the feeling. Something is settling into place that you've been hoping for but didn't dare expect. Let it land. You don't have to protect yourself from the good things. If someone offers you steady ground this week — a conversation, a kindness, a simple "I'm here" — receive it without building a wall around it first. You're allowed to trust this.

Leo (Jul 23 – Aug 22) You've been giving a lot lately. More than people realize, probably, because you make it look effortless even when it costs you something. This week is asking you to redirect some of that generous energy inward. Not in a selfish way — in a sustainable way. The bonfire doesn't serve anyone if it burns through all the wood by Wednesday. Bank some warmth for yourself. The people who love you would rather you lasted than dazzled.

Virgo (Aug 23 – Sep 22) You've been sorting through something — a plan, a worry, a pile of details that won't stop rearranging themselves — and this week brings an unexpected gift: clarity. Not the dramatic, lightning-bolt kind. The kind that arrives while you're folding laundry or driving the back road home. A quiet "oh." A thing you've been overcomplicating that turns out to be simpler than you thought. Trust the simple answer. Sometimes the math really does just work out.

Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 22) Balance has been your goal, but this week is gently suggesting that balance doesn't mean equal weight on both sides. It means knowing which side needs more right now. There's a relationship — personal or professional — that's asking for honesty you've been smoothing over. You don't have to be harsh. You just have to be real. The people worth trusting are the ones who can handle you being real. And you already know who those people are.

Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21) Something under the surface has been shifting for weeks, and this week it breaks through — not dramatically, just undeniably. A feeling you've been holding at arm's length is asking to be let closer. Here's what you need to hear: not every vulnerability is a risk. Sometimes it's just the door opening to something steadier than what you've been white-knuckling. You don't have to let go of all your armor. Just loosen one strap. See what happens.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 – Dec 21) You've had one foot out the door for a while now — not because you want to leave, but because standing still makes you itchy. This week, try something radical: stay. Not forever, not dramatically, just for seven days of being fully where you are. There's something in your current landscape that you've been looking past on your way to the horizon. A conversation. An opportunity. A person who's been waiting for you to notice them. Look around before you look ahead.

Capricorn (Dec 22 – Jan 19) You've been building quietly and this week the foundation proves itself. Not with applause — that's never been your currency anyway — but with the quiet satisfaction of a thing that holds weight when tested. Someone may question your pace this week. Let them. You don't build for speed; you build for decades. The thing you're worried about? It's more solid than you think. Take a breath. Walk around what you've built. Let yourself be proud of it for five minutes.

Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18) Your birthday season is asking you a question that's less about what you want to do and more about who you want to trust with the doing. You've been carrying some of this alone — by choice, mostly, because you're good at alone. But this week, pay attention to who shows up without being asked. Who checks in. Who remembers the small thing you mentioned three weeks ago. That's data, and it's the most important kind. Let the right people closer.

Pisces (Feb 19 – Mar 20) The world feels a little thin this week — like the veil between what is and what could be is letting light through from both sides. You're feeling things that don't have names yet, and that's okay. Not everything needs a label to be real. There's a steady, quiet trust building inside you — not in circumstances, which shift like water, but in yourself. In your ability to navigate whatever comes. That's the kind of stability nobody can take from you. Rest in it.

💫 Until next week — trust the ground beneath you, even when you can't see what's growing under the surface. The steadiest things always start in the dark.

Zeke has been waiting, y'all. This four-year-old Husky has been holding down a kennel at Second Chance for months now, and he'd very much like to trade it in for a couch, a backyard, and a human who appreciates a good long stare from the most ridiculous pair of baby blues in Mason County. He's got that perfect Husky blend — enough energy to keep up with your morning walks, enough chill to curl up at your feet while you watch the weather report. He's been soaking up the cool February air on volunteer walks and charming every single person who stops to say hello, but what Zeke really wants is someone who doesn't leave at the end of a shift. If you've got room in your home and your heart for a handsome, loyal, slightly dramatic blue-eyed gentleman, give Second Chance a call. He's been patient long enough.

He'd be the quiet guy at the end of the bar at Sandstone Cellars — the one in the broken-in Carhartt jacket with a paperback in his pocket. Doesn't say much at first, but when he looks at you with those pale blue eyes, you forget what you were talking about. He's been single for a while. Not because anything's wrong — he just hasn't found the person who gets that he needs a long walk before breakfast and doesn't want to talk about it until after coffee. His dating profile would say: "Looking for someone who likes comfortable silence, cold mornings, and doesn't mind a little fur on the couch. I'm loyal, I'm steady, and I've been told I'm handsome. Just looking for my person."

Generated from his real shelter bio.

Did we nail it? 🐺 Does Zeke's "human version" match the vibe? Drop us a line at [email protected] and tell us what you think.

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