BIG BEND
U
p in the North Country a three dog
night is so cold you'll need a dog at
your feet and one on each side to keep
you warm. We had a few of those here in Big
Bend this winter and it seems we can expect
more. So in honor of our wonderful canine
buddies, here is a recipe for doggie treats.
These are easy to make and a great project for
the kids.
Doggie Treats
1 cup oatmeal
1/3 cup shortening
1 cup boiling water
¾ cup cornmeal
1 Tablespoon steak sauce
½ cup milk or broth
1 cup grated cheddar
1 egg
3 cups whole wheat flour
Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine oat-
meal, shortening and boiling water. Stir to melt
shortening. Add cornmeal, steak sauce, milk,
cheese and egg. Mix well. Stir in flour to make a
stiff dough. Roll out dough on a floured board
to ½ inch thick. Cut into rectangles (like cutting
brownies). Place on cookie sheet 1 inch apart.
Bake 30 minutes. Turn off oven, do not open
door, let sit and harden for several hours or
overnight. These will store for 2-3 months in an
airtight tin. You 'best friend' will come running
every time you shake the tin.
O LD M AN W INTER
B RINGS the Storm of the
Century
T
he mountain area of West Texas expe-
rienced a severe icing event, beginning
between six and seven a.m. November
22, and continuing through the following
Monday morning, November 25.
This event caused widespread
power failures, beginning in most
areas early Sunday morning. There
were reports on Sunday of five to
six thousand “meters” out of serv-
ice, which could easily mean 10 to
15 thousand people without power.
Most or all of the towns of Ft Davis,
Marfa, and Marathon were with-
out power, including wide rural
and ranch areas surrounding those towns.
Parts of Alpine were also without power.
Saturday we saw that the rime icing line had
descended down the mountain during the
night. The rime ice, also known as hoar frost,
was already on the trees and every available
surface.
Cenizo
We were in a state of shock after power went
off at five a.m. on Sunday morning. Our atten-
tion was focused on more essential things than
taking pictures. My access road is steep, and
was ice covered, so we did not feel
we could leave. Freezing drizzle
had pretty much stopped, but I was
afraid our truck would start to slide
down the hill and make a new gate
in my fence! We did not feel safe to
leave until about noon Monday.
We went in to the McDonald
Observatory for a hot meal! The
ground was covered with a mix of
ice, sleet, and snow pellets. Power
would not be restored until around 8:30 a.m.
Thursday, Thanksgiving day.
The cool season, from November through
April, is also the “dry” season for West Texas
so icing events, especially severe ones, are rare.
There was still just a bit of ice left a week later,
Saturday November 30.
First Quarter 2014
25