The Texas Hill County provided the inspiration and opportunity for Donna Browne to develop her avid interest in nature photography. She recently returned from a four-month photography adventure through the northwest to Alaska. Ms. Browne's exciting photographs of wildlife and flora on canvas are on display and for sale at Uptown Blanco Art Center. Please join us for Ms.

One of the twelve historic schools in Gillespie County is celebrating Christmas at school with an open house to share Christmas traditions. Save the day for Saturday, December 10, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on your calendar. Featured will be a cedar tree decorated with ornament from the past. Available will be memorabilia of the “12 Schools” and Knit Miniature Mittens and Kits.

The Buggy Barn Museum and Carriage Hills Ranch held a free Christmas concert and meal on Monday night, November 28. Jerry and Deanna Dosser of Western Sonrise Ministries (bottom left) played music, as well as The Sweethearts in Carhartts and the Dry River Gang. The Moores served up chili, cobbler, and more, cooked at the chuck wagon.

The Pedernales Electric Cooperative Board of Directors voted at its Monday, November 21, regular meeting to hold the Co-op’s 2012 annual meeting in Kyle at the Hays CISD Performing Arts Center. The meeting will be held June 23 at 10:30 a.m. “We have discussed the idea of moving the annual meeting to different areas within our service area on a regular basis,” noted PEC District 7 Director Dr.

The Texas Ramp Project works through local volunteers to build wheelchair ramps for people who can't afford them, and now the program is building in Blanco County, too. The team's first project here was a Veterans Day event, building a 50-foot ramp for a disabled vet who had been dependent on others to get him in and out of his Johnson City mobile home. Now he can come and go on his own. How important is that?

Starting November 30, the Blanco Library will start having access to e-books. Go to the Central Texas Digital Library Website (ctdl.lib.overdrive.com) to view our e-book catalog. Before you download a book, check out the Quick Start Guide on the menu on the far left side of the screen. It will tell you what software you will need to download for your e-reading device. When you go to check-out items, make sure you select our library and use your library card number.

Gentle readers: ‘Tis the season to be jolly, now that we are full to the gills with Thanksgiving food, that is, if we can move enough to be jolly. The courthouse lighting was much fun, as always. There were, I heard, over 200 people visiting around the square. I don’t know who did the estimating, but it looked like a bunch to me.

Blanco United Methodist Church hosted this year’s Community Thanksgiving dinner, which accepted donations for the Blanco Ministerial Alliance. Pastor Ken Greene provided the message and led the singing (with Darlene Kiernan on piano) after the delicious meal prepared by members of area churches. The annual event is a fun way to start off the holiday season.

A tired and wore out mom opened the front door to a man collecting donations for a new children's home. The man said, "Just give whatever you can." "Absolutely", said the woman, "I'll give you two boys or two girls, or one of each, take your pick!" Have you ever received a gift from a far away place?

1Timothy 5:1-2 says, “Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; (2) The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.” This week we will finish our series on Christian relationships. So far, we have looked at husband and wife, parent and child, and employer/employee relationships.

Deuteronomy 4:5-8 “5Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. 6Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. 7For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we ...

Reagan Wagner, 66, passed away on November 24, 2011, in San Antonio. He was born on March 16, 1945, to Lester Wagner and Lennie Frances Evans in Blanco. He was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by one daughter, Michele San Miguel and husband Keith of Belton; two sons, Mitchell Wagner and wife Sophie of Fredericksburg and Wayne Wagner of Blanco; one sister, Randa Jean Daude; and 9 grandchildren, Stefan, Seth, Shae, and Soren San Miguel, Shelbi, Micah, Mason, and Justice Wagner, a ...

I am writing my own obituary to share with you the wonderful life I have lived. I was born February 13, 1923, on the Weaver Ranch outside Rocksprings, Texas. My older brother, Dermott (Bubber) and my younger sister, Nancy, and I lived a very good life in abundance until the Great Depression came and wiped our family out.

AUSTIN — Texas’ redistricting maps that employ data from the 2010 U.S. Census are now under the scrutiny of a three-judge federal district court panel in San Antonio. Passed by the Texas Legislature in May, the maps failed to receive preclearance by the U.S. Department of Justice. The U.S. Supreme Court then gave the U.S.

Several members of the Blanco FFA and Blanco Jr. FFA participated in the annual Dripping Springs Ag Boosters Fall Classic Livestock Show held in Johnson City at the Blanco County Show Barn. Leading the way for the local FFA members was junior FFA member Hanna Garrett, who exhibited the Grand Champion Hog.

The boy’s middle school basketball teams played the Junction Eagles on Monday, November 28. The 7th grade team rallied in the 4th quarter, but couldn’t close the gap. The Eagles won 24-36. Hayden Hunt led the team with eight points, followed by Shawn Burton with four points. Jeremy Kindla, Logan Parker, Noah Wheeler, Kailen Webster, and Jonathan Campbell each scored two points, while Chase Coggins and Jacob Ruiz added one point each. The 8th grade team lost a close one with a final score ...

The girl’s varsity basketball team defeated San Saba, 48-39, on Tuesday, November 22. Lindsey Jenkins led the team with 12 points, Justine Cooley and Felicia Skillman added ten, Kayla Martinez sank eight, Meaghen Seales made four, and Micaela Klein and Payton Savarino each scored two.

While most of Blanco celebrated the arrival of the Christmas season with festivities around the square, another party took place on River Run down by the Blanco River. It must have been quite a celebration and, fortunately for the party goers, the local police were busy keeping people safe in the center of town.

Blanco is beautiful! What a sight it was when all the Christmas lights went on. You will enjoy many additional decorations all around town. Be sure and take a walk through Bindseil Park and see all the lights and scenes that have been added this year, thanks to the merchants and individuals who provided the new ones.

December 1, 1967 Major Kenneth J. McIlvain Jr., son of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth J. CkIlvain of Boone, Iowa, had received the US AF Commendation Medal at Nha Trang AB, Vietnam. Major McIlvain was decorated for meritorious service as a liaison officer, Boy Scouts of America, Minneapolis. He was cited for his outstanding professional skill, knowledge, and leadership.