Heather Osborn, daughter of Jerry and Cathy Osborn of Port O’Connor, won Reserve Champion with her pen of rabbits at the Calhoun County Fair. Heather is a Senior at Calhoun High School.

Intercoastal 4-H News

by Elizabeth Carey

Intercoastal 4-H did well at the Calhoun County Livestock Show and Fair this year! A lot of hard work came to an end on October 16th.  It was a lot of fun, but it’s kind of sad that its all over. Below is a list of POC 4-H members and how they placed at the show.

Turkey: Jade Alford , Grand Champion; Robin Stringo, Reserve Champion, Senior Showmanship; John Rosenboom, 4th ; Dalton Alford, 5th; Justin Munsch, 7th.

Rabbits: Shelby Rodgers, Grand Champion; Heather Osborn, Reserve Champion; Carly Rosenboom, 5th and Junior Showmanship.

Roasters: Elizabeth Carey, Grand Champion; Hannah Hernandez, Reserve Champion; Tristan Krenek, 4th ; Madison Hawes, 7th; Sam Thumann, 8th; Tarah Munsch, 12th; Jeremy Thumann, 13th; Brooklyn Redmon ,15th; Thomas Hawes, 21st; Sarah Doggett, 23rd and Junior Showmanship.

Intercoastal 4-H has a meeting the 1st Monday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at the POC Elementary in the Library. Everyone is welcome to come.

Lakeside’s Fair Results

Public Speaking Contest: Keegan Brumfield won 1st Place Junior – “PETA vs Raising Animals for Human Consumption”

Livestock Show: Mason Clark – Reserve Champion Steer; Ethan Wooldridge – Grand Champion Lamb & Junior Showmanship; Chloe White – 2nd Place Heavy Weight Lamb; Keegan Brumfield – 5th Place Heavy Weight Lamb; Shelby Koliba – 3rd Place Light Weight Goat; Casey Wooldridge – 4th Place Heavy Weight Goat; Canion Epley – 2nd Place Medium Weight Swine; Sara Guice – 4th Place Light Weight Swine; Cierra Harper – 5th Place Roaster

Food Show: Ethan Wooldridge – 1 blue ribbon; Casey Wooldridge – 1 Grand, 1 Reserve, 1 blue; Clay Brumfield (Clover Kid) – 1 red ribbon

Livestock Judging Contest: Ethan Wooldridge – 1st Place Junior Individual, 3rd place junior team; Casey Wooldridge – 5th Place Junior Individual, 2nd place junior team

Lakeside would like to thank all of the buyers for their continued support to the youth of Calhoun County. We would also like to thank everyone of the Calhoun County Fair Board and Junior Livestock Committee for their dedication to the fair and all of its activities.

-Connie Wooldridge

Nancy Pomykal (Justice of the Peace, Pct. 5) has been making Christmas Fruit Cake Cookies since 1983 when she found the recipe in an old magazine. She adjusted the recipe a bit and began making the cookies at Christmas time. Nancy only makes them at Christmas time because they are time consuming, expensive and the ingredients can only be found this time of year. She would give them to family and close friends and everyone loved them.

“Last year when I was walking through the exhibits at the Fair, I got the idea to enter the cookies just to see if I would even place in the competition,” Nancy said. “I would have been happy with 3rd place or honorable mention.”

She had never entered anything in the Fair before this year. She read all the rules and regulations and made the cookies.
“You can imagine my surprise Tuesday night when I checked to see if I had placed. WOW! I was so shocked! First place in cookies and “Grand Champion” over the category. I couldn’t believe it,” she said.

The judges are from out of town and the entries are all anonymous, so Nancy didn’t have an advantage because of her position.
“I figure one reason the cookies are so good is because I’ve had 29 years to perfect them,” Nancy said. “I am flattered and amazed to have won and for the many positive comments I’ve received. I understand all the Port O’Connor entries did quite well. I am so proud of our little community.”

Clint and Barnacle

The Start of Winter Solitude

Greetings from the island everyone; hope all of you are doing well and enjoying the cooler pre-winter weather lately. I don’t know about everyone else, but I’ve had my share of rain out here this late Summer and now into Fall. Since mid-August, about 23” of rain has fallen on the island, always a welcome sight, to a certain point, but Lord I think I’m good for a month or so. Thank you. The roads are in terrible shape, with the beach being the best way to travel from one end of the island to the other. But again, I’m happier getting too much rain than not enough.

As I sit here at the small kitchen table enjoying a hot cup of strong black Folgers Columbian coffee, the second Friday morning of November, the sun is shining through the east side window and a cool north breeze is blowing across the island. The front yard palm tree fronds are rustling in the wind, and I can actually hear the brown pelicans dive-bombing into the inlet water, in an attempt to inhale a nice mullet down their gullet for breakfast. Do you know what I DON’T hear or see around me? People. Yay!

This time of year begins a solitude and peaceful few months on the barrier island. The weather becomes such that it is difficult and sometimes dangerous to cross the open bay to get here, plus it gets cold and rainy and pretty much miserable for the fair weather part-time islanders. It’s common for me to go 10-14 days without seeing a weekender during the winter months. It is this time of year that I have to stay stocked up on supplies, including propane, gasoline, groceries, chicken feed and dog food for Barnacle. Heaven forbid that 75 pound spoiled dog miss a meal.

I don’t mind at all being alone during the winter months, or really any other time for that matter. I often explain to people that ask, it’s a world of difference being alone versus being lonely. Now that I have an iPhone, and as connected to the outside world as I care to be, I can easily stay in touch with people and off-the-island matters, when I choose. I simply enjoy the solitude and tranquility that island life affords me. I wouldn’t call myself a true hermit, not quite yet anyway, but I’m probably slowly getting there.

Well my venture into a healthier lifestyle is going quite well. Thanks to eating much healthier and LOTS of beach walking (282 miles the past 54 days), I’ve lost 33 lbs and feeling so much better. I’m addicted to that dang walking now, and feel cheated when due to weather, I cannot walk some days. Of course I have the most desirable place to walk in the mornings and evenings, a nice pristine and secluded beach. And that’s all I’m doing, eating healthier and walking, nothing else. Lots of fruit, especially various fruit smoothies, have taken the place of sweets, my enemy for sure, and I sautee, grill, bake or blacken my food instead of frying.

I personally prefer to lose weight and become healthier on my own instead of using the nutritional programs that are widely available, even though there are some beneficial ones that truly work, like Isagenix, according to several of my Facebook friends. Anyway, I’m happily on my way to becoming a healthier island guy.

Well that’s it from the island for now, everyone take care and have a great day.

Pristine secluded Beach for Clint’s morning and evening walks.

COMMUNITY THANKSGIVING SERVICE

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 24 – 6:00 P.M.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, PORT O’CONNOR