Roscoe Hard Times: The Rains Just Keep Coming

Cottonwood Creek overflows its banks at Kenny Landfried's farm. (Photo by Kenny Landfried)

In Seattle, where it’s always raining and the joke is that the natives have webs between their toes, it’s dry—so dry they’re having their worst drought in years. And along with the drought, temperatures are soaring with the hottest June on record extending into July. The ninety-degree days are pretty hot for a city where air conditioners are scarce and anything above 80° is considered a heat wave. Meanwhile, here in west Texas, the land of horned toads, dust storms, and prickly pears, we’ve had one of the mildest springs and early summers in years, and the rains just keep falling.

Yesterday we got our biggest rain of the year so far with reports of anywhere from three and a half inches on the lower end up to over seven inches on the high side. Cottonwood Creek went over its banks, and all the dry lakes around Roscoe are now full of water.

The official total here in town, recorded at Kenny Landfried’s residence in east Roscoe, was 3.75”, but others in west and south Roscoe reported amounts of about 4.5”, going all the way up to over five inches. In short, it’s wet, really wet, and with the rains we’ve had previous to this one, it will be a while before things dry out. I’ve heard more frogs croaking in the last two months than any time I can remember, and with the mosquitoes already Texas-sized before this rain, there’s no telling how big they’ll get and how many there will be in the next couple of weeks.

The past week didn’t start out this way. After the rain of last Tuesday, the sun came out and temperatures returned to the high eighties and low nineties in the afternoons. The celebration on July 4th was hot, but not too hot, with a high of 89° that afternoon. The high for the week came on Monday when the mercury rose to 93°, which, if I’m not wrong, is the hottest temperature we’ve had so far this year. Yesterday’s high was only 76°. Lows during the week were in the high sixties and low seventies.

The meteorologists say there’s still a 50% chance of rain today, after which the weather will return to normal tomorrow and through the weekend with sunshine, partly cloudy skies, southerly winds, and no rain in the forecast. Afternoon temperatures will be in the upper eighties or lower nineties and lows will be around 70°.

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HOMECOMING 2015 DATE SET FOR SEPTEMBER 19

No other details are available yet, but Roscoe High School’s Homecoming for this year has been set for the weekend of September 17, 18, and 19. So if you’re a RHS (or RCHS) ex, start making plans now to attend.

We'll be looking for you there!

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LARGE CROWD ENJOYS ROSCOE-STYLE JULY 4TH

An emotional moment, slinging mud, and red dirt - all in a day for the City of Roscoe's Fourth of July Celebration.
Posted by Dustin Tatro, Videographer on Saturday, July 4, 2015

This video clip by Dustin Tatro ran on the KTAB-TV five o'clock news on July 4.

Roscoe has done it again! Starting with the ten o’clock parade down Broadway and continuing through the day and evening all the way to the fireworks show, a large crowd of both locals and visitors enjoyed themselves—and our nation’s independence—in a variety of ways.

The morning parade, which started the annual celebration, was as impressive as always with its assortment of firetrucks, antique cars, mud vehicles, floats, and bicycle, motorcycle, and horseback riders—along with other odd and assorted entries. None of the kids watching went away without plenty of the candy thrown by parade participants. During the day, visitors bought food and shopped for merchandise from street vendors along Broadway and Cypress Streets, examined historical artifacts and photographs in the Roscoe Historical Museum, visited the garage sale at the Community Center, or enjoyed another great Plowboy Mudbog at the baseball field. And in the evening, Old Town Park and Cypress Street were full of people with their coolers and lawn chairs, who enjoyed the music of Nine Mile Mountain and Cody Canada & the Departed, followed by perhaps the best fireworks show ever. In short, it was another great day not only for the city but also for everyone who attended.

PARADE

There was no Grand Marshal for this year’s parade. Instead, the parade was dedicated to two young men, Toby Nash and Devon Freeman, whose lives were tragically cut short before their time. In a brief ceremony at the intersection of Broadway and Cypress, a marine in dress uniform presented each of the men’s mothers with a yellow rose.

Here are the Parade winners:

Best Semi – Jason Freeman
Best in Show – Patty McBride
Best Western – Max Tomlin
Most Patriotic – Glass and Ledbetter families
Best Overall Float – American Legion Ladies’ Auxiliary
Best Antique Car – J. H. Tollison
Best Motorcycle – Johnny Rose, American Legion Riders
Best Little Rider / Bicycle – Kyle Martin

The Roscoe Parade Committee would like to thank everyone for coming out and starting the 4th of July celebration with our parade. Special thanks to Cody Thompson and the City Boards for sponsoring it. Thanks also to all the participants and to our local businesses for their donations: Vicki's Gifts, The Wildflower, McVey's Nursery, Integra Care Home Health and Hospice, Trinity Pumping Units of Midland, 1st Financial Bank of Sweetwater, Sonic, Doug Sitter of State Farm Insurance, TSTC, Rocking S Cantina, Morgan Real Estate, and Cindy Smith of Texas Farm Bureau. Thank you to our volunteers who helped make the parade a success: Zela and Staci Armstrong, Dustin Tatro, Jessica Stein and her girls, Roscoe Police Department, Roscoe VFD, Keegan as Simon the Fire Dog, Sgt. Castillo of the Marine Corps, and Janice Boil for judging the parade entries. Thank you to Skinny Kenny for providing and driving our Parade Marshal car.

PLOWBOY MUDBOG

The Plowboy Mudbog was everything it was billed to be with a strong field of 48 competitors from all over west Texas and the Panhandle as well as Oklahoma and New Mexico. A large crowd estimated at 800-1000 enjoyed the show, and all proceeds from admissions and the concession stand went to benefit the Roscoe Little League.

Plowboy Mudbog Results:

Street Class
1. Nick Joyner Floydada     Black 2008 Chevy Pickup 304’ 9”
2. Marie Hall Abilene    White 2010 Chevy Pickup 294’ 5”
3. Chuck Harvey Sweetwater    Green 1995 Jeep 289’ 2”

Super Street Class
1. Michael Hatfield Noble, OK Blue 1995 Chevy S10 366’ 2”
2. Ronald Walker Yukon, OK Red 1994 Chevy S10    363”
3. Jennifer Davis    Seminole Orange 1984 Toyota 343’ 5”

Modified Street Class
1. Shannon Mollette Rotan    Yellow Suzuki 388’ 2”
2. Nick Pantoja    Roscoe    Red 1986 Ford Bronco 315’ 9”
3. George Guerra Colorado City Blue 1984 Dodge 314’

Super Modified Class
1. Donny Scott     Hobbs, NM    Gray Ford Ranger    Cleared Pit
2. Justin Davis Seminole Blue Toyota Pickup    Cleared Pit
3. Brian Robbins Hobbs, NM Orange 1971 Ford 365’ 2”

Open Class
1. Arden Alvarez    Colorado City Blue 2000 Chevy S10   Cleared Pit
2. Jim Martinez Ballinger Black/Green Custom    Cleared Pit
3. Abel Alvarez Colorado City Orange/White Jeep CJ7 398’

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COUNTRY LEGEND EARL THOMAS CONLEY TO PLAY AT LUMBERYARD FRIDAY

Earl Thomas Conley

Another country great is coming to the Lumberyard on Friday. This time it’s Earl Thomas Conley, the country singer with more number one hits in the 1980s than anyone else, more than Wayland Jennings, Willie Nelson, Charley Pride, Randy Travis, or George Strait. Eighteen No. 1’s: “Fire and Smoke,” “Somewhere Between Right and Wrong,” “Your Love’s On The Line,” “Holding Her and Loving You,” “Don’t Make It Easy For Me,” “Angel In Disguise,” “Chance Of Lovin’ You,” “Honor Bound,” “Love Don’t Care Who’s Heart It Breaks,” “Nobody Falls Like A Fool,” “Once In A Blue Moon,” “I Can’t Win For Losin’ You,” “That Was A Close One,” “Right From The Start,” “What She Is,” “We Believe In Happy Endings” (with Emmylou Harris), “What I’d Say,” and “Love Out Loud.”

Originally from Ohio, Conley began singing while in the Army, and after his discharge moved to Nashville, singing classic country sounds influenced by such artists as Merle Haggard and George Jones. While launching his own career, he saw Conway Twitty and Mel Street have success with songs that he wrote. His first number one hit was in 1981 and the others continued through the ‘80s. In 1991 he got out of the recording business due to burnout and Nashville’s turn to a more progressive sound.

He returned to music in 1997 and has been going strong since. And although he hasn’t had any top hits in recent years, everyone who’s seen him says he still puts on a great show.

For reservations and more information, contact the Lumberyard at 325-766-2457.

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NO ROSCOE HARD TIMES FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS

There will be no posting of the Roscoe Hard Times for the next two weeks as I will be driving to California to meet my eldest daughter and granddaughter in San Francisco for a couple of days before going to Napa Valley for my youngest daughter’s wedding. After all the festivities there, my eldest daughter, granddaughter, and I will visit Yosemite Park and other points of interest on our drive back to Texas. The next posting should be on Wednesday, July 29.

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FREE MOVIES AT COMMUNITY CENTER SELECTED FOR TUESDAY, JULY 14

Next Tuesday, July 14, two free movies will be shown at the Roscoe Community Center and everyone is invited. Guests are welcome to bring their own bean bags or chairs or sit in the ones provided at the Community Center.

The movies are free, but don’t forget to bring some money for snacks as the concession stand will be open.