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*****Johnson City’s own Eric Pianka was featured on KRLU-HD this past Tuesday evening. Eric was in Australia hunting and doing experiments with Sand Lizards. He caught and attached cameras to lizards to study what lizards see from their point of view. Kind of exciting to turn on the television and see someone you know isn’t it? It was for us.

*****An Alzheimer’s Caregiver Support Group meets every month at 2 pm at First United Methodist Church of Johnson City. Contact JoAnn Routh at 830.868.7414 for more info.

*****On Wednesday the 18th, while son-in-law, Bill Martin, was out of town on business, Delores & Bobby Fenton’s daughter, Becky and grandson, Tripp came for an overnight visit. Tripp enjoyed playing with his cousins, McKenzie, MaKayla and Slayton and swimming in Nana’s pool with his mom. They will be back on Saturday, along with dad, Bill, so Tripp can see his first parade. Tripp will turn "one" on the 7th of September.

*****It’s back to school for the kids of JCISD. The halls were full of students and parents on Monday morning. The PTO hosted a parent breakfast on Monday for parents to relax after dropping their kids off at school.

*****Jade and Rex Winters were in Johnson City for a few days to visit her parents Mary and Jim Phillips and friends. They stopped by Pat and Cynthia Smiths for a visit as well. Jade is recovering from bunion surgery and is on crutches but gets around well and will be back at her job at Dell Children’s hospital next week. Jade’s brother Sam Phillips is living with the Winters in Austin this year during his senior year at LASA. Sam is on the swim team there. We hear he is doing very well in school there with a 4 point+ average.

*****Did you see former Johnson City resident Curtis Smithson at the parade? He came in for the weekend and was the mystery man in the bathtub on the Rampaige float!!!

*****Congratulations to Morgan Moreland (Queen), Shelby Conlon (1st Runner Up), Kelly Wright (2nd Runner Up), and Jessie Rios (3rd Runner Up). They are your 2010 Blanco County Fair and Rodeo Queen’s Court. Start practicing that wave!

*****Congratulations to new grandparents Clay & Patsy Simpson! You will have to ask them about their brand new granddaughter born last Friday.

*****Condolences to Carol Waugh Koch and family on the passing of her husband Dan. Her Children Jennifer Stokes Villanueva of Powhatan Virginia & Kenny Stokes & wife Tanya of San Diego California were in town for the Saturday services.

*****Also in Johnson City last weekend was the Todd Brodbeck family of Lubbock. They enjoyed the Blanco County Fair & Parade at the Adams Insurance building on Main Street.

*****The LBJ High School graduating class of 1979 held their 31st HS reunion in Johnson City this past weekend. 10 of 32 graduates attended. They were Lavonda, Tony, Shelton, Leo, Laurie, David, Marci, Tanis Rodney & Jan. You have to supply the last names! They were joined by one of their teachers Louise Gravenor.

*****Also the LBJ High School graduating class of 1980 held their 30th HS reunion this past weekend. Some of those attending were Denise Watson Mick, Julie Ribera, Stacy & Diane Dyer Reiner, David & Martha Mills Danz, Tony Glidden, Susan Rowe, Jimmy Hobbs, Michael Light & Bear Roeder.

*****Gramma Diane and Pop Jim Peachey of Lake Jackson and Trinity, 2. and Michael, 6, Moss of Kirkland, WA came to visit PaPa Jerry Cade and Aunt Rhonda Stell the weekend of August 15. It was the first visit for Trinity to visit the Hill Country and to experience dirt and rocks. As they say, Trinity was as happy as a pig in slop, playing in the dirt and water. It rains so much in Kirkland they stay inside most days. They had lots of fun at Aunt Rhonda’s pool and in PaPa’s yard. They returned this past weekend with their Mom to enjoy the Fair and Rodeo. They are on their way back to Washington to start school. Dad Michael is excited they are coming home after a six week visit to Texas. Tracy is stationed in Georgia with the Army Reserve and will be returning until November.

*****American Red Cross Shelter Operations training will be Saturday, 8/28, from 9-4 in the Activity Building of the First United Methodist Church in Johnson City. If you’ve never taken the shelter course, this is a chance to do so. There is a shortage of trained shelter workers statewide, and this course qualifies you to work in an emergency shelter in Blanco County, in other communities nearby, or anywhere else you’re interested in helping.

*****You might be a Johnson City native if you can remember when there was no Show Barn at the Blanco County Fair Grounds.

*****Happy Birthday wishes to: August 27th – Cameron Hawkins, Casey Hawkins, Larry Haley, Gail Rushing, George Barnett, Stacee Woods, Peggy Feist, Denisa Odiorne, & Jared Spears; August 28th – Taylor Bible, Gary Skrove, Paul Jenkins, Lacey Butler, & Jan Garrett; August 30th – Nicki Guthrie, Mary Garrett, Savannah Roeder, Bayleigh DeSpain & Caspar Schultz; August 31st – Dylan Ahrens, James Newmann, & Russ Whitlock; September 1st – Nick Beagle, Robbie Penick, Marcie Henderson, Lori Abel & Mike Preston; and on September 2nd – Frankie Hohenberger, Cody Cox, Rubie Weeks, & Keagan Soloman.

*****Anniversary congratulations to Carl & Corinne Bohls on August 30th.

*****A light hearted Tip for the week: Make a list of jobs you want to do around the house. List them as 15-minute, 30-minute or 1-hour jobs. Of course, some jobs take a block of hours, but schedule those, too! When you have limited time on your hands, you can quickly scan the list and choose an item you can accomplish in the time available.

*****I’ll see you again when there’s more news! Email imasnoop01@gmail.com.