Why I live here.

Evidently, Sarge had a difficult time returning to work last Monday after reading my stirring report on plans for an EPIC road trip to visit the top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas.  Put him off his feed, so to speak.  

He said, and I quote, that the week "...lasted nearly an eternity."  Well, dreaming of fine Barbecue can do that to a man.  

That having been said, evidently the Barbarians he works for made him work FIVE days after he idled his engines for two weeks what with one of the drive motors malfunctioning.  I mean the poor guy had a choice of stomping around in a circle or sitting around with a couple of his loved ones waiting on him hand and foot.  (OK, maybe not the latter.)

While my Employer has quite a few barbaric practices in place, they do have an interesting schedule with a nice little perk built into it this year.  That perk is a nice touch, but the reason they include it is one of the reasons I love living in a small town.

You see, aside from the large MSA's in the state, Houston, DFW, San Antonio etc, most of the state is distinctly rural.  Ranches and Farms are prominent and the towns and small cities around them are built with them in mind.

Raising and selling Farm Animals is the primary way of making money.  Quite literally, the cash cow.

So, the ability to raise quality livestock is essential to this way of life.  Consequently, educating children in this skill receives a lot of attention from parents and school board.  

Friday was both the conclusion of one phase of this education and start of the next.  

Friday was the start of the local Stock Show.  

Source

Hence it was a Day Off for all Faculty, Students and employees.  Which is unusual.  It puts the Stock Show at the same level of import as Christmas, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day etc, at least as far as employee pay is concerned.  Doesn't cost us leave and we still get paid.

So, the stock show is a big deal.  I haven't been in a while, and didn't go this year.  However, after seeing all the hoopla about it and having a colleague, whose kids were showing chickens (yes, really!), I went.  

There's a whole, heckuvalot of planning and performance art in the showing of an animal.  Not only that, but the show has an awful lot of people around in it.  Stuff I knew nothing about.  My Friend told me that the proper way to show a chicken was to turn it upside down, so the judge could see the breast.  

When informed of that technique, the wife wasn't all that interested in trying that, muttering something about "wringing my neck".

So, it was a spectacle then and from what my DIL (who is a teacher and thus, not required to attend, but "expected" to, if you get my meaning) reports, still is.

But, that day off greatly eased the demands of the first week back from the Christmas Holidays.  

And the small town hoopla about their stock show is one of the reasons I love it here.

There is another reason though.

And it was exhibited in spades Friday.

I'm running errands in Town and, since it was about lunchtime, called Mrs Juvat and asked her if she wanted to take a break and get some lunch.  She declined as there were people on the streets and she wanted to entice as many of them as possible to leave some money in her store.  

But, if I wanted to bring something by, she would sit and eat it with me.

Good enough.

So, I pick up some burgers and fries (Sonic if you must know) and brought them by.  Sonic is on the east side of town, her store is on the west.  Usually, I avoid Main Street like the plague, preferring to cross it at 90 degrees and as high a speed as possible. That target area is infested with 18 wheelers dragging 200' wind generator blades, interspersed with jay walkers thinking it quaint that a major US highway transits Mayberry RFD.  Better to avoid if at all possible. However, as it had been awhile, I throw caution to the wind and drive the length.

I had heard that there were changes afoot and quite a few buildings had change hands and some businesses had closed.  (Property Taxes are spiking due to an influx of people who have sold outrageously overpriced properties elsewhere and moved here.  To avoid paying capital gains tax, they must invest that money here.  Sounds good, except Property Tax is calculated for everyone based on current comparable sales in the area.  "How much do you want for your property?  $300K.  Well, I can't pay you less than $1.5M will you take that?" (No, I'm not kidding.).  Building owners have two choices, sell the building or raise rents.  Guess which one they take?  Rents are going way up and the town is changing.)

Where was I?

Oh yeah, driving down Main Street.

I noticed something peculiar.  It seemed every building, shop or even lamp post had a bundle of balloons tied to it.  

I tried to figure out what it signified, but couldn't.  Stock show didn't seem to warrant that.  Couldn't see a connection to MLK's Birthday, hadn't a clue.

So, I asked the wife.

Well...One of the young couples in our church had a two year old son who laid down for a nap and never woke up.

The family had requested that nobody send flowers for the funeral, but that Noah had liked balloons and they would prefer that.

Word got out.

That's why I love this town.