Just Peachy

Last week-end, Parker County, TX put on a hoe-down, hootin’-nanny, wing-ding with all the trimmings.


More than 35,000 peach lovers descended upon downtown Weatherford for the 30th Peach Festival. Popular attractions featured over 200 food booths, arts and crafts, children’s activities such as boat rides, and live music. The Peach Pedal Bike Ride had 2,227 riders and raised big bucks for various charities.


All entrances into the downtown courthouse square were blocked off with local policeman on hand to help direct walking visitors. The entry fee for adults was $5.00. Businesses and churches offered shuttle service. The church I attend served as one of the rest stops, supplying air-conditioned comfort and ice-cold bottles of water. Twelve dozen bottles were dispensed.

This year, patrons could expect an especially sweet time. Our mild spring, with adequate rainfall, but no late freezes or hail storms, helped Parker County produce a bumper crop. The area’s signature fruit was in abundant supply, ripe for the picking amid the numerous peach vendors.


Our community enjoyed a bumper crop of funds as well as fruit. The admittance fees added up nicely. One church sold individual servings of home-made peach ice cream totaling 40 gallons. One long street of peach vendors sold their wares in baskets of 1 peck, 1 quart, 1⁄2 bushel or 1 bushel. Several reported being sold out by noon.


Local eateries got in the spirit of the event by offering special concoctions. The Wild Mushroom served Parker County Peach Cheesecake. Generously stuffed and glazed with fresh peaches and a hefty splash of peach schnapps, this chilled delicacy was a big hit.


The Fire Oak Grill developed a recipe for seared scallops with butter-poached local onions and pickled Parker County peaches. The chef used local honey, vinegar and sea salt to quick-pickle the peaches.


The Back Home Bakery offered Mama’s Peach Cobbler using a Depression-era recipe. The ingredient list was short and sweet – and rich with real butter and condensed milk – but the taste and satisfaction was long-lasting.


The local Chamber of Commerce president reported all systems functioned smoothly, due in large part to scores of sponsors and volunteers working long hours in almost-100-degree heat.

The festival provided wholesome family-friendly entertainment – and folks got their quota of vitamins C and D. 


P.S. Recipes are available on request.

People You Should Meet in Parker County, Texas

Seven years ago, when downsizing became necessary, we chose Parker County because of its proximity to our children and grandchildren, its excellent medical facilities and its progressive expansion of schools, churches, businesses and residential communities. We didn’t know about its extra benefit of being filled with interesting, extraordinary people. Of the 100 interviewed, nine are listed below.


There’s Dr. Joseph Daniels, orthopedic surgeon, whose life is based on the simple mission of improving patients’ access to health care.


Tucker McGee is a painter inspired by Norman Rockwell. He paints life and everything in it. He loves to be in his studio with a brush in his hand.


Catherine O. Oseni recently opened Alpha Care Pharmacy and River of Life Health Food Store. She was drawn to anti-aging by her love of people and passion to help them.


Then there’s Shelly Burmeister Mowery whose portfolio includes, Mare Care, Inc., Mowery Stallion Station, Mowery Cutting Horses and Westernlifestyles TV. Her life is centered around horses from raising, selling, breeding, promoting to competing. She spent 30-plus years in equine sports broadcasting from rodeo to cuttings and nationally televised events.


Local attorney, Mac Smith, became a trial lawyer/litigator 40 years ago because the work is challenging, unpredictable and enjoyable. He was born, raised, lives and works (and plans to be buried), in Parker County.


Educator Patti Young’s degree in special education enables her to teach children with disabilities. Her life’s ambition is to be the voice and promoter of the student and their families who often are voiceless.


Coach Mike Osina has spent 23 years coaching and teaching at Weatherford College. He believes that being a good teacher and athletic coach is truly a calling of the heart.


We often see Kyle Williams, a teller at the bank where we do business. When he’s not at work he can be found singing his heart out or mentoring young men in fatherless households.


Van N. Houser, a local pastor, knew from age 14 that he wanted to make a difference in the lives of others regardless of their social position, race or life situation. He works to help people understand “that Christianity is not a religion, but a relationship with a loving God that wants them to live free, loving and full of joy.”


The diversity, dedication and uniqueness of the Parker County residents are the most valuable assets of the county.

Destination Diner

All-American diners serve comfort food with a heaping side of nostalgia.


Call it a coffee shop, greasy spoon, or lunch counter, but if the eats are cheap and no-frills, as well as hot and hearty, then chances are good you’re being served a burger, hash-browns and eggs or a fresh-from-the-dessert-case piece of pie in an all-American eatery known as a diner.


There is one a couple of miles from our home, and we eat there every week on beef-pot-roast day. The beef is velvety tender, the carrots, potatoes and onions are cooked to perfection and the brown gravy is to die for. The iced tea and a serving of cake come with the meal. We sometimes have a burger and onion rings, and they’re great, too.


Today’s diners are usually chrome-trimmed, railroad-car-shaped structures outfitted with a counter, stools and a bustling open kitchen. They trace their beginnings to the late 1800s when there was a large increase of factory workers. The diner met the demand for quick, affordable meals – and lots of them. Around l858, a smart gentleman in Providence, RI began serving sandwiches and coffee to night workers from a horse-drawn food cart. By the early 20th century, manufacturers were building moveable structures big enough to accommodate both tables and customers and the diner was born. By the early 1940s, most diners and the cheap comfort food they offered became fixtures in American life. The 1950s were the golden age of diners when nearly 6,000 diners opened across the country.



Remember Arnold’s in Happy Days, where Richie, Potsie and the Fonz congregated? And Mel’s Diner where Mel, Alice, Vera and Flo served up laughs from a fictional truck stop in Phoenix in TV’s Alice?


For over 60 years, white-apron-wearing waiters and waitresses have served blue-plate specials, saying, “Thank you for coming.” I say, “Thank you for existing. This is what America is all about.”

Scratching Forever

My husband always claimed, “I could walk through a field of poison ivy and not get it.” Famous last words!


Once while clearing fence rows, he learned people can develop an allergic reaction to poison ivy after many uneventful exposures to the plant’s oily sap, urushiol. Once sensitized, your skin is likely to react to every subsequent exposure. You don’t have to touch the plant to react. Gardening tools, sporting equipment, even a pet that has been in a patch of poison ivy, can cause a reaction.

Urshiol shows up elsewhere, including in the skin of mangos and the bark and leaves of the tree. Cashew shells also harbor the toxin. That’s why cashews are sold shelled and processed at a temperature high enough to destroy urushiol.


Poison ivy has two equally evil relatives, poison oak and poison sumac. And we must learn to recognize all three.

• Poison ivy grows as a small ground plant or a shrub or vine. The vines, green in summer, turn bright red in winter. The leaves, stems, roots, flowers and berries all contain urushiol.
• Poison oak, with compound leaves of three or five leaflets, usually grows as a shrub. In my area of Texas, it’s a vine.
• Poison sumac grows as a tall shrub or small tree. It produces leaves with rows of paired leaflets and a single leaflet at the end. It is found in wet habitats in the Northeast, Midwest and swamps in the Southeast.

Urshiol can penetrate clothes. Long sleeves, pants and gloves cannot guarantee protection. Even rubber gloves can be breached. If you are likely to contact poison ivy when gardening, wear vinyl gloves. Never try to burn a poison plant. Burning releases the toxin, which may land on skin or, worse, be inhaled. Should you contact a urushiol-containing plant the American Academy of Dermatology recommends washing your skin immediately. Luke-warm, soapy water is best but even plain water can limit the exposure to the sap. Take care removing contaminated clothing, and wash them item separately and soon. The sap is so hardy, it can cause a rash in the dead of winter, or even a year after contaminating clothing or shoes.


Beware this evil monster – just ask my husband!

The Shell Game

It’s peak beach season and as beachcombers know, shells – washed up on the seashore and dotting the sand – are ripe for the picking.


I never saw a seashell until I was 13 years old. They’re scarce in land-locked, dry West Texas. But I visited a relative who had lived along the Texas coast for many years. She tried to teach me the fine art of shelling. She gave me a bucket and sent me out in the shallows. When I returned, she examined each shell in my bucket and discarded all but two. In my enthusiasm, I had collected ALL the shells – the chipped, the cracked and the broken. But I learned.


Serious shellers hit the beach at least five times per week. Being first on the beach at early morning and later in the evening may reward you with Angel Wings, Shark’s Eyes, Hairy Tritons, and Wentletraps.


I learned the Florida Gulf Coast is the best place for Cockle, Whelk, Coquina, Olive and Scallop. Kitten Paw can be found in the Southeastern U.S., Conch in Southern Florida, Oyster in Chesapeake Bay and Limpet in the Pacific Northwest and Southern Florida. Whelk are also plentiful along the Texas Gulf Coast.


For shelling success, you need to find a place to stay that is close to the beach. The richest days for hunting are one to two days after a storm when thousands of shells are dumped on beaches. Peak times to hunt are one hour before and one hour after low tide. Full and new moons, having the most extreme tides, provide excellent conditions for shelling. If seas are reasonably calm, step out into the shallows which may extend out 100 yards in places. Lucky shellers may scoop up a treasure before it is exposed to air. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty – search clumps of seaweed or grass where many fine shells hide out.


Remember these items of major importance:
1. Always check each shell for an inhabitant. Only empties should leave the beach.
2. States have shelling regulations. Learn them in advance, especially when visiting state parks, national parks and wildlife refuges. Some areas post limits or prohibit collecting certain types of shells.



There’s no finer souvenir from the lazy, hazy days of summer than the perfect shell or two (or more.)

Book Review: Written In My Own Heart's Blood by Diana Gabaldon

It’s hard to believe that the author of this book also wrote Outlander.

Outlander poured out in a seamless, riveting flow, whereas Own Heart’s Blood seems forced, contrived and disjointed. We are left to drown in descriptive detail of every leaf and twig between Philadelphia and Valley Forge. It is a good story, however. And I read every word. We again meet Claire Randall, who stepped through the standing stones on a hill in Scotland in 1945 and arrived in the same spot in the year 1743. Soon she meets and marries a young Scots warrior, James Fraser. Own Heart’s Blood focuses on Claire and Jamie in 1778 in Philadelphia, USA as the War for Independence rages. Their lives continue in this eighth book of the series. The dear characters from previous books, such as Fergus, Brianna, Roger, Jem and Mandy, Ian and Jenny plus a minimum of 100 new ones keeps one entertained and engaged. I was happy to see Clarence the mule and Rollo the dog still alive and functioning.

We are exposed to the plots and intrigues of both the Loyalists army and the Continental forces. Of course, Jamie and his nephew, Ian, fight for the cause of freedom, while Jamie’s illegitimate son, William, is an officer for the British.

In addition to the horrors of war, there are weddings, births, preparation of food, descriptions of clothing and uniforms, and extreme situations of healing performed by Claire. Overcoming impossible odds, the entire flock of Frasers and friends return to their homestead in North Carolina in a most satisfying ending to the book.

I do wholeheartedly recommend this book. However, DO NOT read it as the first in the series. Your senses would be totally overwhelmed, crushed and blown away. The sheer volume of 850 pages of words boggles the mind. Ideally these books should be read in chronological order beginning with Outlander.

Book Review: In The Blood by Steve Robinson

Robinson’s writing reflects two of my own passions – genealogy and crime stories.

This is a tale of murder – several murders, both old and new. In 1803 Mawgan Hendry is slain on board his fishing boat off the Cornish coast of England. It’s up to American, Jefferson Tayte, a professional genealogist, to solve this ancient crime as well as modern ones. And Tayte is hardly a two-fisted, gun- toting hero. He’s rather bookish, quite and studious and is deathly afraid of airplanes.

Wealthy Walter Sloan of Chicago has hired Tayte to trace his ancestor, James Fairborne. Although James and his family left America in 1783 and returned to England, all of them apparently vanished into thin air. Tayte’s research uncovers the tragic life of a young Cornish girl and the discovery of a dark secret that he believes will lead him to the family he seeks. But a calculated killer is out to stop him.

Along the way Tayte encounters people, both good and evil, who are tied to the Fairbornes’ mysterious disappearance. People are killed because of his interference, and he almost loses his own life. But he prevails in a spectacular ending.

In The Blood is the first book in the Jefferson Tayte mystery series. I plan to read them all.

* * *

Quote for the day:

A writer is someone who tortures the alphabet for fun and profit. ~ Sarah Bird

Book Review: The Witness by Nora Roberts

I hereby apologize to Nora Roberts, aka J. D. Robb, and any other of her pseudonyms or co-authors. I was wrong!

Since many of her books are classified as “Romance”, I never read them. Years ago I tried the “Romance” genre, but when I read “her luminous, alabaster thighs,” and “his eyes were twin pools of shimmering sapphire,” I closed the book and switched to “Mystery/Suspense.” I preferred the blood and violence.

The Witness is Elizabeth Fitch, age 16. The product of a coldly calculating chief of surgery and a carefully chosen sperm donor, Elizabeth speaks five languages, plays both piano and violin and has traveled the world. She has also been accepted to Harvard. But she has never made a single choice or decision. She obeys her mother’s every dictate.

At last she rebels. Naïve and unworldly, Elizabeth becomes involved with the Mafia and witnesses events that can get her killed, and quickly. But she is smart and resourceful and twelve years later, we find her as Abigail Lowery living in a small town in the Ozarks. Enter Brooks Gleason, the local police chief - of course.

The book is fast-paced and engrossing. I only left this outstanding story to do laundry and meals and finished it at 3:00 am.

Will I read more Nora Roberts? Absolutely – after I check for thighs and sapphires.

Book Review: Color of Blood by Les Coalson

Color of Blood

Author: Les Coalson, a Texan writer
Background reading: Sever the Darkness
Setting: Texas Hill Country
Underlying focus: Environmental concerns such as water, unrestricted population growth, zoning, access to recreational sites, private property rights and citizen rights.

Color of Blood is peopled with flesh and blood characters like Clay and Mary Frances who meet and fall in love. We watch Sharkbait Guy and Bert Taylor as they scheme to steal Mary Frances’ Guadalupe Adventures Campgrounds in a land fraud deal. There’s Ranger Ramirez and his search for a murderer on the Guadalupe River. The believable characters arouse our interest and sympathy while the events, characters and their actions flow smoothly – never herky-jerky.

An interesting sidebar is the discovery and excavation of La Salle’s ship, LaBelle, which sank in the Matagorda Bay system in 1686.

Coalson used prodigious research material to substantiate facts and descriptions. Over 30 publications are listed as references.

As a native of West Texas, I found the Hill Country to be the polar opposite of my familiar landscape. The world of bays, rivers, estuaries, ports, lush greenness and the denizens who occupy this world were foreign to me. I was excited to be introduced to cypress trees, colorful buoys and a variety of boats. I cheered the good guys, booed the villains and thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I’ve read Coalson’s first two books; now I look forward to Ransomed Earth. 

Get Color of Blood on Amazon!