Dear Editor,

The morning of January 14 started out with a winter blue sky, a blazing bright sun, cold winds and a breakfast at the Blanco Bowling Club. Masons from the Blanco Lodge #216 were there along with Boy Scouts from Troop #497 and Lady Panthers representing the student body and Honor Society from Blanco High School.

The event was the “Adopt a Highway” trash clean-up, which takes place at least two times a year. The tools for the job at hand were trash bags, gloves and mechanical claws to pick up trash. It was a real eye opener as to the different types of trash along Highway 281 and how these different items do or don’t break down. Fast food containers still tend to dominate the landscape but everything from beer bottles, cigarettes, diapers, feedbags to tire treads are strewn all throughout our streets and highways.

I find it my honor and duty to help my Blanco community in maintaining, preserving and improving this great way of life. Other places may be exotic getaways or have lighted Broadway streets and skyscrapers to boot but Blanco County has a treasure all of its own.

There is nothing like the rich blue hue of a Hill Country sky or the rolling hills, bluffs and vistas that can be seen for miles and miles. Every year, I see more and more folks drive though our community to see what the Almighty created. It makes me proud that there is still a place where the Texas culture of cowboys, ranchers and farmers, horses, cattle, white limestone rock, cactus and oak trees still prevail. This is a testament to the friendly and yet tough and resilient people who hold the responsibility of stewardship for this majestic place we call home.

Some folks might think it nice to have some of the amenities of the big cities but everyone who visits the Blanco Hill Country wishes they had clean rivers and roadways, panoramic views and a place to rest and relax. Let not what passers-by might leave behind stain and tarnish our image but through keeping vigilant, might we leave them with an image of what good clean Hill Country living is suppose to be. I call on all of my fellow Blanco and Hill Country citizens to be mindful and help keep this land as clean as possible each and every day.

Bob Flores

Blanco County resident and

Mason of Lodge #216