Hello Again,

Welcome to our Spring Issue! We saw signs in February that the wildflowers are blooming early this year We were preparing a great article with the help of AgriLife about planting fruit trees but we soon realized trees were already budding, which means it's too late to plant fruit trees with best results We pulled the story last minute That's OK; this is our eleventh issue and with your continued encouragement, we will be around next year to finish that article about planting fruit trees in Bastrop County.

If you're chomping at the bit to get out on the open road to see wildflowers, maybe you'll be up for a short trip to Big Bend We submit to you in this issue an itinerary for a very satisfying four-day trip

We also needed to satisfy our curiosity about several local topics including, how 'bout dem toads? So, we brought back our "Community Update" feature which is a catchall for anything we think you might want to know about or have, like us, been wondering about. I've said it before, "I don't want to miss a thing. Do you?"

This issue has the theme of Renewal running through it, but we don't mean a sleepy wake-up and stretch kind of Renewal We're exploring ideas to renew your fervor, reawaken your zeal and stoke your passion for living your best life. Just like those wildflowers and tree buds who can hardly wait to burst forth, we've got lots of local inspiration to guide us to an exciting springtime, starting right now!

Sincerely yours,

Karen Derr and Jon Ryan Publishers and Editors

owner and instructor