Bosque River Run Spring 2023

SPRING

Joyful Noise

Music has always been a part of Blake Dagley’s life.

Moore

Freedom To Flower

Do y’all remember when we picked wildflowers as a middle school assignment?

I remember my mom driving me up and down the backroads between Arlington and Hurst looking for different types of wildflowers to collect.

At the time it was a big deal, pressing the wildflowers between books to dry them out, identifying them from scholarly works (before the Internet, by the way), and then placing them in plastic sheets – all for a grade.

Do kids still do this assignment in public schools in Texas anymore?

Well, I can’t say it was necessarily a fun experience for me, but I do know my Castilleja spp. from my Gaillardia pulchella.

It’s also helpful to know state and local law enforcement still can’t arrest you for picking bluebonnets; however, trespassing on private property can put you in legal hot water, so ask the property owner’s permission before you tread on his Lupinus texensis.

(If you don’t believe me, ask a teacher. Or google it. Or both because the more sources, the better you’re covered!)

If you think school kids should be required to do such an assignment, then you must love our freedom to flower, and hats off to you!

If you don’t, you’re probably not going to like this spring issue of the Bosque River Run magazine because it carries stories of folks across different age groups, education levels, and creative interests who blossomed in interesting ways they probably never expected for themselves.

Samantha and Jeff Hampton, Sissy and Jackie Evans, Scott Wostal, Blake Dagley, Ingrid Martine and Joe Ahlers, and Teresa and Ben Porter were all free to figure out their own lifepaths for themselves, and they still are.

Of course, you and I are free to figure it all out, too, and it’s more fun when we chat about it over a beer, ice tea, or ice cream together, right?

In the meantime, here is the second of my editorial adventures in the print magazine realm. Once again, I wish I made more time to include the stories of folks I had previously reached out to for this issue. I assure you we’ll get back in touch shortly.

Should anyone else have any criticisms, story ideas, or random scientific names of wildflowers, drop me a line at editor@cliftonrecord.com.

I look forward to hearing from you. I’ll chat with you later!

HERE’S WHAT’S HAPPENING

Friday and Saturday

June 9 & 10

Public Welcome

Historical Spur Collection

April 3 – April 30

Modern Spur Collection

May 1 – May 31

Featuring a Presentation by Wilson Capron, Spur maker and Speaker

Thursday, May 4 - 6:30 PM

Atrium Gallery Featuring the W.K Gordon Museum

Tarleton University, Stephenville, TX

9 AM TO 4 PM Entry Form Deadline - Friday May 12 Entry Fee - $10.00 per quilt • Limit 5 quilts Entry fee for Display only - $5.00 non-refundable fee Quilts need to be delivered to the Bosque Arts Center May 22 - May 26, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. OVER $2,000 IN CASH PRIZES FOR WINNERS!

Imagination Factory

June 19 – 22• 9 AM to 4 PM

1st – 5th Grade

Sewing Camp

June 27 – 29 • 9 AM to Noon

Boys & Girls ages 10 and up

Cursive Camp

July 10 - 13 • 9 AM to 1 PM

1st - 6th Grade

Music Camp

July 17 - 20 • 9 AM to 2 PM

1st - 6th Grade

215 S College Hill Dr. Clifton, Texas 254-675-3724

Bosqueartscenter.org

Young Chef’s Baking Camp

July 31 - August 4 • 9 - 5 PM

3rd - 5th Grade

Scholarships are available for each camp. Please contact the office for further information. Some camps have limited class attendance, so be sure and sign up at your earliest convenience. Camp registrations are available online. Grades listed for each camp must be completed to participate.

Community Calendar

Entertainment

Cliftex Theatre – thecliftex.com

Horny Toad Bar & Grill – hornytoadbar.com

Laguna Park Library – Facebook @lagunaparklibrary

Meridian Public Library – meridian.biblionix.com/catalog

Olaf’s Restaurant – olafs-olafstoo.com

Nellie Pederson Civic Library – cliftonlib.com

Rattlesnake Roadhouse – rattlesnakeroadhouse.com

Valley Mills Public Library – valleymillslibrary.org

Community Meetings

Bosque County Genealogical Society -- bosque-heritage.org

Bosque County Commissioners Court – Mondays weekly. bosquecounty.us

Bosque County Rotary Club – Thursday weekly. Facebook @BosqueRotary

City of Clifton Main Street Board – 4th Monday monthly. Facebook @cliftonmainstreet

City of Clifton Parks Board – 4th Thursday monthly. cityofclifton.org

City of Clifton Planning and Zoning Commission – 2nd Tuesday monthly. cityofclifton.org

Clifton Chamber of Commerce Board – 1st Tuesday monthly. cliftontexas.org

Clifton City Council – 2nd Tuesday monthly. cityofclifton.org

Clifton Civic Improvement Society – 1st Wednesday monthly.

Clifton Economic Development Corporation – 3rd Monday monthly. cliftonedc.org

Clifton Lions Club – 2nd Thursday monthly. Facebook @cliftonlionsclub

Cranfills Gap Chamber of Commerce – 2nd Wednesday monthly. gapchamber.org

Cranfills Gap City Council – 2nd Monday monthly. cranfillsgaptexas.com

Iredell City Council – 254-364-2436

Meridian City Council – 2nd Monday monthly. meridiantexas.us

Meridian Chamber of Commerce – 2nd Thursday monthly. meridiantexas.us

Meridian EDC – 3rd Thursday monthly. meridiantexas.us

Meridian Lions Club – 1st and 2nd Tuesdays monthly. meridiantexas.us

Meridian Parks & Recreation – meridiantexas.us

Meridian Planning & Zoning – meridiantexas.us

Valley Mills Chamber of Commerce – Facebook @valleymillschamber

Valley Mills City Council – 2nd Tuesday monthly. vmtx.us

Walnut Springs City Council – 3rd Thursday monthly. cityofwalnutsprings.org

BROUGHT TO YOU BY The

Clifton Record

&

How Does Your Garden Grow?

A new, multi-generational family business blooms in Clifton

Gardens are not made by singing ‘Oh, how beautiful’ and sitting in the shade.

Rooted on a busy stretch of the aptly named farm-to-market 219, the boutique and conservatory was purchased sight-unseen. “We knew it had been gutted,” Jeff says,“but we didn’t fully appreciate what that would mean!”

His early research uncovered that the building was used as a CPA office from the 1970s through the aughts, but during the renovation the entrepreneurs discovered the structure’s front part was, in fact, a petite, pier-and-beam farmhouse from the early 1900s. Freshened up, this charming cottage now houses indoor plants and sundries, including gardening tools, knitting supplies, floral-inspired jewelry, Sam’s Stem & Tallow handmade candle line, and an old-fashioned pick-and-choose candy wall from Jeff’s childhood dreams. Nearby, the screened-in porch and hothouse are jam-packed with beginner-friendly house plants and hearty, Texas-ready species for yards and potagers alike.

Here, you’ll usually find Jackie, Sissy, and Scott tending to the greenery and offering friendly selection and mainte nance tips. And if they don’t have the exact answer, “we’re all oriented to saying ‘I don’t know, but let’s find out,’”Jeff says. “Some of our regulars have deep expertise, and we’re humbled to be a hub for sharing that knowledge and growing a community-centered enterprise.”

“Bosque County is large in land and in heart,” Sam adds. “Our neighbors and fellow small business owners have been helping us since day one, from Hico to Hillsboro, Waco to Whitney.”

Sam is often stationed in the gift shop, while Jeff pingpongs between code and country air. He works Monday-Friday as an engineering manager for the online gaming platform Roblox (your kids or grandkids are most likely fans) and then spends weekends here.

Come Saturdays, you also might run into a third-generation family member working the register; Sam and Jeff’s daughter Madison is a senior at China Spring High School and a working artist with an eye toward running her own business, too, Jeff says.

Six staffers.

Three age groups.

Skills sets that run from retail to technology, farming to construction.

How do they make it work?

“Being family means we can have hard conversations and commit,” Jeff attests. With Sam adding, “We know each other’s strengths, and we know what we’re here to do.”

The 5th Street Market & Nursery is open seven days a week at 1203 West 5th Street, Clifton; 254.759.9925; the5thstreetmarket.com.

BOSQUE COUNTRY GARDENING GUIDE

Advice for three breeds of planter from the minds of the 5th Street Market & Nursery

For growers who want to feast on their bounty, get the dirt on … companion gardening

DIG IN

This botanical approach can bring a durable, delicious harvest to life. It prevents pests but brings beneficial bugs, all while infusing flavor in fruits and vegetables.

PLANT PUNCH LIST

Tomatoes + Basil: This combo enhances the flavor of tomatoes due to a shared chemistry: linalool. This alcohol makes basil peppery and flowers smell sweet, so the tomato gets both! Plus basil’s pungent odor keeps mosquitoes and flies away.

Strawberries + Herbs: Catnip repels pests including those wily mosquitoes, as do most common cooking herbs (sage, dill, chives, coriander, thyme, caraway) Bonus: if you have a feline friend, they may spend time close by keeping the birds at bay.

Squash + Marigolds, Nasturtiums, Dill, and Bee Balm: Ensure good gourds by nestling them between dill (prevents squash beetles) and nasturtium (improves soil quality); nearby marigolds and bee balm attract helpful bugs and pollinators, too. Added perk: the edible nasturtium flowers enliven salads and elevate pastas and charcuterie boards as garnish.

ESSENTIAL TOOL

You probably have everything you need to be an “organic gardener” already. Use food-grade diatomaceous earth to eliminate soft-bodied pests, diluted hydrogen peroxide to reduce fungal rot and gnat infestations, and a garlic or neem mixture to kill and ward-off pests.

HOT TIP

A curious mindset is a must! Talk to those neighbors with the good yards, research online and in your local library, and listen to your elders. Gardening wisdom abounds.

For gardeners who want to create a personal nature preserve, get the dirt on … indigenous gardening

DIG IN

Indigenous gardening has so many advantages. It promotes biodiversity by giving a habitat for local wildlife and pollinators and reduces the risk of invasive species taking over the ecosystem. In addition, it improves soil quality, prevents erosion, reduces the need for fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides, and saves cash by reducing water consumption.

PLANT PUNCH LIST

Texas Ash: This native deciduous can reach heights of up to 50 feet, even in the hot, dry Central Texas climate. Its rounded shape makes it an ideal shade and windbreak provider, even in alkaline or poorer soils. Bonus: its boughs and trunk are larval hosts for several species of butterflies.

Texas Sage: This drought-tolerant shrub produces fragrant purple or pink flowers in the summer and fall, attracting those valuable pollinators. It thrives in our hot, dry temps, plus It’s deer-resistant and can tolerate a variety of soil types, as long as they are well-drained.

Switchgrass: This upright grass can reach heights of up to 6 feet and has green foliage that turns yellow in the fall. It provides cover and nesting areas for wildlife and soft, natural privacy blocks for you.

Muhly Grass: This native ornamental is popular for its showy flowers that are larval hosts for butterflies. Used as a border, accent, or mass planting, it also offers a habitat for birds and small mammals.

Prickly Pear: This paddle-shaped cactus produces yellow, red, or orange flowers in the spring and summer and can weather a variety of terrains, including rocky slopes and grasslands.

Texas Betony: A local herbaceous perennial also known as scarlet hedgenettle, its bright red tubular flowers bloom in the summer, attracting hummingbirds and butterflies.

ESSENTIAL TOOL

These plants flourish in the sun and the heat, but you, dear gardener, may not. This pursuit requires sunscreen, a widebrimmed bucket or cowboy hat, knee pads, and gloves to withstand sharp-edged leaves and rocks.

HOT TIP

Going native doesn’t mean monochromatic, hard-edged xeriscaping. Create depth by layering low-lying shrubs and flowers alongside taller grasses that look sublime in a breeze. Add more color and texture with trees that transform through the seasons.

For gardeners who don’t want to sweat, get the dirt on … indoor gardening

DIG IN

With the unpredictability of Central Texas weather — withering summers and brutal cold spells — indoor gardening allows you to control the environment, including lighting, temperature, and humidity levels to perfectly suit your plants’ needs. Studies have also shown that indoor plants can improve air quality by filtering out pollutants and releasing oxygen.

PLANT PUNCH LIST

For the den: The Snake Plant, also known as the Mother-in-Law’s Tongue, is a hardy, sculptural wonder that can tolerate low light levels and grow up to four feet.

For the bedroom: The elegant Peace Lily helps purify the air, thriving in low to medium light levels.

For the kitchen: The Aloe Vera plant is a popular succulent for its spiky, fleshy leaves and healing properties. It prefers the bright, indirect light of a window sill.

For the home office: The trendy Fiddle Leaf Fig will jazz up any Zoom background. It requires bright, indirect light and can grow up to six feet tall, making it a great statement piece.

For the bathroom: The Spider Plant loves the humidity and bright, indirect light bathroom. Try in a hanging basket near the shower.

ESSENTIAL TOOL

Since most indoor plants die from over/under watering or not receiving the right amount of light, invest in a moisture and light meter. For less than $30 (and no batteries needed!), get a quick reading of the soil’s water content and leaves’ light access. If your thumb is not quite as green as you’d like, this gadget is a sound investment.

HOT TIP

Don’t be afraid to experiment. Just like us, every plant and environment has its nuances. Don’t be discouraged if a plant doesn’t thrive at first, instead adjust the light, water, or soil and see how it responds. Finally, have fun! Caring for and living among indoor plants is therapeutic, reducing stress levels and improving mood.

The botanical braintrust at 5th Street Market includes (from left) Jeff and Samantha Hampton and Sam’s parents Sissy and Jackie Evans, and stepbrother Scott Wostal.

Blake Dagley makes a joyful noise

By Rita Hamilton

Having just released his newest single “A Part of Me,” I had the pleasure to sit down with this Meridian musician to talk about his life and his journey thus far in the world of making music.

Blake grew up in Cleburne. His dad was a teacher and a coach. He started his teaching career in Meridian but spent the early 1970s through the early 1990s at Cleburne High School but also held positions in Crowley and Rio Vista.

Given all that, the Dagley family never moved from their Cleburne family home as the location was always within commuting distance. But for 24 years this was the family home and the only house that Blake remembers. “I can still drive by that house and every memory floods back,” he said.

The Dagley family has also owned land in Meridian for over 100 years. Before her passing, Blake’s grandmother told him she wanted him to someday build a house on that property, which is what he and his wife Jessica are in the process of doing. His parents are also building on the property with only a dirt road separating the two properties. Blake’s daughter Kerrington is currently in the 8th grade at Meridian ISD. Blake glows when he shares that she is thriving there. Without question, the move to Meridian from Midlothian has been a great move for the entire Dagley family.

Looking back at his own musical journey, Blake shared that he started playing guitar when he was a sophomore in high school. He went to a church camp one summer and saw a couple of guys playing the guitar. He noticed that the ladies took a liking to these guitar players, and he thought learning to play would attract some female attention. At the time, Blake was neither talkative nor outgoing but believed if he could just learn to play he too would be really cool. He fell in love with the instrument and discovered that he wasn’t really trying to impress anyone but himself with his newly found craft. He’s come a long way from that Montana guitar to his Gibson L00 Studio Acoustic and Fender Marauder Electric.

Music is a part of Blake’s history as his father and uncle played in a band when they were in high school. His dad played guitar, and his uncle played drums. After a tragic accident that killed his uncle, his father stopped playing. However, that guitar remained in a closet, and Blake started noodling with it.

Blake attributes his musical ability to his great grandfather. He had a pipe organ in his home, and he owned several guitars. Blake’s grandmother gave him one of them, which was a little-known Montana model. Blake’s dad had held on to some old chord books with music from the likes of Jim Croce, The Beatles, and The Monkees, all of which seem to speak to the old soul in Blake. He shared that he started an obsession with cigars after seeing Jim Croce who seemed to always appear with one.

“I don’t think Jim ever puffed on them, but he always seemed to have one in his mouth,” Blake said.

One Christmas season, while attending Rio Vista High School, the theater group was doing three plays where the choir would sing between them. So, someone suggested that since he played the guitar, he should do something between acts. He insisted that he didn’t have anything to play, and it was suggested that he just do a Christmas song. Funny enough, he chose Adam Sandler’s Hannukah song.

“It was funny, and it was great. The one Jewish student in the school at the time thought it was hilarious,” Blake said. “It was my first experience on stage. The lights were blinding, and I couldn’t see anyone’s face. I didn’t know if they were judging me. I just did my thing and found it fun hiding behind the lights.”

Right after high school Blake formed a band with his brother, and they figured they could play gigs from Cleburne to Lubbock.

“We played southern rock with some Christian stuff thrown in. We did that for about five years and played all over the place. We really weren’t that good, but we had fun,” he said.

Blake had gone to high school with his future wife Jessica, but they didn’t start dating until she was in her sophomore year of college in Lubbock. Blake took some courses here and there but never really took college seriously at that point in time. Jessica, on the other hand, earned her doctorate and is an audiologist. In the early stages of his relationship with Jessica, both he and his brother were ready to go in different directions, and the band of five disbursed. Shortly thereafter, his brother got married, and Blake continued to play music. He just couldn’t quit.

“I never stopped playing. I was asked to play in churches and soon became a worship leader,” he said.

In early April Blake made a trip to Nashville to see Caedmon’s Call, a contemporary Christian band celebrating their 25th anniversary together at the Ryman Theater. Blake’s brother, who is three years older than him, brought home a Caedmon’s Call CD when he was college. Blake dissected that album delving into their three-part harmonies. The whole experience blew his mind. They had purchased tickets and were sitting at the very back underneath the balcony.

“I hadn’t seen these guys perform in 15 years, and I was perched over the pew in front of me taking it all in when a lady tapped me on the shoulder. She said that she had tickets in the balcony, and did we want to come and sit there?” he said. “It turned out to be the band’s manager and of course, we accepted her gracious offer. We ended up four rows back in the balcony. It was an amazing night and the band played for three hours in the mother church of country music.”

Blake explained that faith was a big part of his upbringing. Growing up in the Church of Christ there were no instruments, just acapella singing. But it provided him with an appreciation of four-part harmonies. Blake shared that he was the black sheep of the family given that he was a mu-

sician. However, he found the music of these modern Christian bands to be amazing. In that genre of music, Andrew Peterson of Caedmon’s Call is probably one of his favorite songwriters.

“Peterson followed in the tradition of Rich Mullins with great storytelling that digs at your heart,” he said.

After leading live worship for a few years, Blake went on to playing in a blues band called the Ninth Street Band. Most of the guys he played with also played at church. The band was blessed with a really soulful female vocalist who sang in the tradition of Etta James. It just became the norm for she and Blake to just switch out leads.

The band played everything from Stevie Ray Vaughn to Tedeschi Trucks Band and everything in between. If the band found something they really liked, they would just try and play it as they were all competent musicians. Everyone appeared to like the challenge of something really difficult. The band was together about eight years until the pandemic hit. Blake was the youngest at the time at 36 with the oldest member being 64. But when everything shut down, practicing and playing together became increasingly difficult. Nonetheless, Blake began getting requests to play at outdoor venues and house shows where people would just sit in someone’s backyard and listen. It just worked.

Blake played at a brewery in Broken Bow, OK, when his brother-in-law filmed him singing one of his original songs. Blake posted that video on Instagram and Facebook. A couple days after that he received an email from somebody that had seen the Instagram video and told Blake that he liked his voice. The writer then went on that he was fixing to start a new endeavor and that he would love Blake to come to Nashville so that he could record him. Blake just thought it was another scam. He

kindly responded that he appreciated the guy reaching out and that he would love to come to Nashville someday to record, but he didn’t think it was the right time. Blake was trying to be courteous, but he also didn’t want to burn a bridge should this turn into something real.

The writer wrote back, “If you knew who I was, you probably wouldn’t pass up this opportunity.”

Now this peaked Blake’s interest. In researching the individual, Blake discovered that the person who had reached out to him was Dean Miller, son of the famous Roger Miller of “King of the Road.” Blake then began having numerous conversations with Dean and realized this was the real deal.

“He wants me to come up to Nashville and record,” Blake said.

Miller was at a point where he was switching up his own career from trying to follow in his dad’s footsteps to solely producing music. Miller offered to pay for the studio time if Blake would pay the musicians. Blake was essentially getting the studio time and Miller’s services for free. Miller went on to tell Blake, “I’m not going to put just anybody up here. I’m not going to tell you who the musicians are until you are here. I don’t want you to start freaking out when you realize who might surround you.”

For the next three or four months, Blake and Dean worked out the details for him to travel to Nashville and together they worked on various songs to be produced. Miller knew what he wanted to do with the songs before Blake even walked into the recording space.

To his surprise, Miller had gathered some great musicians including the drummer for Tim McGraw, the bass player who played for Garth Brooks, the electric guitar player who worked for Keith Urban, and the keyboard player was from the 90s band The Wallflowers. Blake wanted the grittiness of a Hammond B organ sound and the keyboard player was willing to oblige.

For Blake, this all was a surreal experience. They recorded at the famous Sound Emporium, which is known for recording the likes of Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers, Taylor Swift, as well as Allison Krauss and Robert Plant.

“During my recording time Allison Krauss and Robert Plant were recording next door,” Blake added. “Every bit of time I spent up there was worth it just for the story detail. Whether I recorded anything or not, the experience was something I will never forget.”

Working with all of these musicians was overwhelming, but as Blake put it, “They were all so nice and down to earth, and we worked well together, and everything just clicked.”

These guys seemed to enjoy not playing the country pop that seems so popular now.

“My stuff had a little more of a rocky vibe to it, and it was just a little different from what they had become accustomed to playing during recording sessions. They seemed happy with the three songs that we cut up there,” he said. “Together we listened to the scratch tracks a couple of times, talked through things and did a few takes, and we were done recording. They were the professionals.”

For Blake, this was an expensive endeavor. However, he found that the support of people was almost overwhelming. Someone covered his mileage; someone else got his plane tickets. People just came out of the woodwork to make this happen. Just regular people donating and telling Blake to just go and make it happen.

“I’m so grateful for the many people who made this happen and allowed me to have this experience,” he said.

On Blake’s recent trip to Nashville to see Caedmon’s Call, Dean texted him and said that when he made his way to Nashville again that they needed to talk. When Blake told him that he was on his way they made time to meet, talk, and formulate another plan to return and cut some more music.

“Dean and I decided that the next time I go to Nashville I want to spend more time there, have more material and better material,” he said. This is pushing Blake to become a better songwriter and making what he does even more polished than what it is.

Audio/Video Technology is what Blake learned in college, so he went on to learn the recording process. Blake has all the equipment to produce but not the musicians. Despite that, he laid down the tracks for his latest release entitled “A Part of Me.” This was all self-produced. Blake not only plays guitar but also mandolin, banjo, bass, piano and has dabbled with the Hammond B organ. He played all the various instruments that are heard on the single.

“This latest single is all me,” Blake said. He is really excited about his new release just because of the imagery. “I think I painted a good enough picture in that one that you recognize it,” he added.

It’s hard to put Blake’s music within the confines of a specific genre.

It’s definitely not “country pop” but more of a singer-songwriter style yet more than that. The sound is bigger, and there is more of a rock influence. As Blake put it, “I’m still stuck in the ‘90s with bands like Matchbox 20.” He aspires to follow in the footsteps of Rob Thomas, lead singer for the band. “I love what he does lyrically. He’s kind of the Bob Dylan of his generation,” he said.

Blake’s music leans more to a cross between southern rock and country, but it’s an easy listening rock more in line with the ‘70s bands like Marshall Tucker with a singer-songwriter influence.

“I’m not waiting for the tour bus to show up,” Blake said. “I’m a homebody, and I love to play close. I don’t know if I’d like to be on the road all the time. Staying true to who I really am is what I want to do.”

Blake’s wife Jessica says he sounds better live than when he records. She says that he sings with more passion, which probably has something to do with the connection of the audience. In recording, perfection is the goal.

Getting back to his new release of “A Part of Me,” Blake indicated that all of it was autobiographical. One line in the song that still makes his mother cry is the part that talks about sitting on an old church pew with his mom, his grandmother, and his great grandmother.

“You don’t really hear those stories of having that much generation,” he shared.

Both his grandmother and great grandmother have since passed on, but it definitely left him with precious memories.

“This song is just about all those little towns, including Meridian, that raised me. My grandmother lived in Meridian, and I live there now. I have so many memories of my grandparents, my great grandparents… just family and friends and being loved,” he said.

When asked what advice Blake would give to young musicians, he stated, “If this is truly what they want to do with their lives, don’t let anybody tell you to get a real job to make your dream happen. If you really want to do it, keep it at the forefront. Don’t dream dreams and flourish in those dreams. Live and live in reality. Success is different for different people. It’s subjective to that person’s view of what they believe success is. Don’t be scared to chase your dreams.”

Blake considers “Milly” from the “Nashville Sessions” as his best song as far as one that tells a story.

“Everyone always wants to know who Milly is,” he said, continuing, “It’s not about any one in particular. It’s not my wife’s name. It’s a strictly a made-up story. Most of my writing stems from my experience but not this one.”

Music has always been a part of Blake’s life.

“I feel like my musical journey is just getting started. I’m completely open to what it looks like. I feel I’ve grown as a songwriter and as a musician. I think my life experiences over the last 10 years or so have created an angst in me in certain ways to just enjoy the music… be the music… and don’t worry about what’s next. Plan for it, but don’t worry about it and enjoy it,” he said. “I’m completely open to whatever comes next. I love playing music and I’m just enjoying the journey.”

Blake will be appearing with his full band at the Red Caboose Winery and Vineyard in Meridian on April 29 from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. He will be doing a solo show at The Vine@119 in Corsicana on May 6th from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. and another full band show at the Green Canoe in Hico on May 13th from 7 p.m. - 10 p.m.

‘Gearhead’ evangelizes for electric vehicles

Nathan Diebenow

We all have one hobby, interest, or pastime we obsess over. For some of us it’s movies. For others it’s music. Teresa Porter’s cup of tea is motor vehicles.

Growing up her playgrounds consisted of garages and racetracks. She still remembers the first time she took a whiff of Chem-Dip and heard the click-click-click of a rachet at work. For her it’s normal to tell time by miles, not hours.

In fact, Teresa is the type that anthropomorphizes automobiles, referring to her wheels as a living, breathing person, so she’s prone to talk about her babies with human pronouns like “he” and “she,” not the inhuman “it.” For folks whose only childhood experience working on cars was watching Transformers cartoons, it’s easy to jive with her.

Yet to merely describe her as a “gearhead” dismisses the true depth of her knowledge. Teresa is to car culture what Hermione Granger is to the wizard world. Whereas both ladies are sassy and smart, Teresa is more savvy and self-confident than the fictional heroine in the Harry Potter entertainment franchise.

So when Teresa says that she’s probably the last person you’d expect to be passionate about electric vehicles, you should listen to her. That said, she would have warmed up to EVs eventually out of her pure inquisitiveness. She admitted, “From antiques to low riders, I love them all.”

While Teresa never came across an electric vehicle around her usual stomping grounds (i.e. car shows and dealerships), one sparked her interest as she cruised the Internet.

“Suddenly there she was. Third car on the page of unfiltered results. I’d never seen anything like her before. After 15 minutes of research, I clicked on the buy button,” she said.

Admittingly, she sort of bought her first EV on impulse; however, she knew the rules of the road.

“I chose it because the local dealership is EV-certified, and the cars have a reputation for reliability –and the seven day test drive! If it turned out that EVs were everything the haters said they were, I could send it back,” she said.

What made her change her mind about EVs? It wasn’t reading the owners’ manual, although she did read it. No, it began with a test drive.

“My right foot hit the ‘wow’ pedal, and suddenly my sense of wonder was wide awake,” she said. “I slid around a corner expecting the cute little crossover to handle like the average crossover and discovered the lower center of gravity. Nice. Faster! Ooh, instant torque. Send it! Wow!”

For the next 90 days, she experienced life with an EV. It was tough, but as she learned to overcome each obstacle, her love for her precious EV grew.

“I didn’t know how screwed up my home’s electrical wiring was until I tried the 110 volt (Level 1) charging cord and tripped half the breakers in my house. I didn’t know my home’s breaker box needed upgrading,” she said.

Teresa continued, “I didn’t know that the EPA estimated range was calculated by a grandma driving in town with a featherweight foot. I didn’t know the grid mix. I didn’t know how important public EV charging stations are, especially for those of us that can’t afford a new EV and need to refuel in the middle of the day.”

She also didn’t know the public –both online and off– was filled with so much misinformation about EVs, but she tunneled through the

“With every public interaction, I took note of every hateful comment and snarky question and did my homework,” she said.

Since her first test drive, she’s 30,000-miles wiser, and with that same love for internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, Teresa now spreads the good word about electric vehicles based on her personal experience.

Teresa noted how by working together across our differences as native and new Texans, we can protect our freedom to cruise while ensuring our families, friends, and neighbors make ends meet with high-paying jobs and breathe cleaner air well into the future.

“For me, it started with curiosity. I wanted to learn something new. My car was made in America by Americans. My fuel is made in Texas by Texans,” she said. “There are currently seven EV manufacturers located in Texas. Add that to the wind, solar, and electrical jobs, and that’s hundreds of thousands of good-paying jobs in sectors that will continue to grow for many years.”

She added, “Wind and solar farms are peacefully co-existing with crops and livestock, creating grid stability and resiliency while delivering home-grown megawatts to Texans, and we continue to proudly be an energy state ranking #1 in wind and #2 in solar energy production nationwide.”

Teresa has gently encouraged city councils and county commissioners’ courts to install new public EV charging stations in their respective locales.

“EV owners pay sales taxes on the electricity they purchase from public charging stations, which benefits the local government’s budget,” she said.

High potential EV owners should take inventory of their driving habits, so they don’t miss out on the peace-of-mind electric vehicles can afford them. For starters, EV owners can lock-in their fuel rate for up to five years, Teresa said.

“My fully-electric not-Tesla doesn’t require oil changes, spark plugs, or a thousand other parts that require regular replacement on gasoline or diesel vehicles,” she said. “Every year I’m saving hundreds of dollars –real dollars that I can save for an emergency or spend at a local small business.”

During car show season this spring and summer across Central Texas, Teresa and her husband Ben will be in attendance available to answer questions about their own electric vehicles

On Saturday, April 29, the Porters will host the “Drive Electric Earth Day” event at the United Cooperative Services office outside Meridian from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. On behalf of their new e-car club –the Heart of Texas Electric Vehicle Association (HOTEVA), the couple will have at least one EV available for demo rides.

To date, the non-profit club has over 100 members spread out across seven counties: Bell, Bosque, Coryell, Falls, Hill, Limestone, and McLennan.

“At last check, there are 31 EVs in Bosque County and 66 in Hill County. I’d love to find out if all 97 of y’all would fit in the co-op’s parking lot,” she said, pointing to statistics provided by Electric Vehicles North Texas’s website www.dfwcleancities.org/evnt. For more information, email Teresa at hot.electautoassn@gmail.com or visit the HOTEVA Facebook group at www.facebook.com/ groups/2534644416856280

Nicknamed “The Potato” by its owners Teresa and Ben Porter, the 2012 Mitsubishi i-MiEV waits for drivers curious enough to drive it outside the Church of the Open Door in Waco in 2022.

Ben Porter, co-founder of the Heart of Texas Electric Vehicle Association, prepares to greet folks curious about electric vehicles outside the offices of the United Electric Cooperative location in Meridian in April 2022.

Teresa Porter, co-founder of the Heart of Texas Electric Vehicle Association, chats with a curious person about electric vehicles outside the offices of the United Electric Cooperative location in Meridian in April 2022.

5 Reasons Rural Texans Are Ready For Electric Vehicles

By Teresa Porter

Every day an average of 244 Texans buy an electric vehicle (EV). This is a red state, y’all! They can’t all be liberals! Yes, vegan-eating tree-huggers drive EVs, but so does the beer-drinkin’ BBQ-eatin’ burnout-lovin’ crowd. EV drivers live in rural communities too! You may think you’ll never drive electric, but I can give you five reasons you will:

You’re Americans and Texans.

Well, duh, right? I don’t need to remind you of your can-do spirit. You already have locally-made vehicles and power your houses with locally-made electricity. As Americans, we led the way in space, cell phones, and the Internet, so we can’t let other countries get ahead of us on EVs. As Texans, we’re already doing our part with seven EV manufacturers and over 185,000 EVs registered here. We’re fierce competitors when we set our minds to it. Together we can beat China and Europe in any race. Join us!

You’re long-distance drivers.

Studies show you drive longer distances than city folks. While it’s true EVs have more range in city traffic, most manufacturers offer at least 200 miles. For example, the Ford F-150 Lightning: All models have an EPA range estimate of 240-320 miles. The weight of your foot on the “go” pedal, towing, climate controls, and even ambient temperature can affect the actual range of your EV. “Half on the Highway” is a good rule of thumb to avoid range anxiety. If the range estimate is 240 miles, plan on taking a coffee break at the fast charger at 120 miles. The longer the distance, the bigger the savings with your EV, too.

You’re home-owners with garages.

You have a big advantage over city folks that don’t have safe, comfortable garages to protect your vehicles from the elements. You can set your charging timers to control when the car refuels and set climate control timers to have a comfortable car ready to go when you are. You’ll save time and money –no more wondering how high the price will be when shopping for gas.

Charging at home also gives you financial peace-of-mind because you can lock-in your electricity rate for up to five years. Bonus: In an emergency, you can “idle” the vehicle in your garage with the door closed to recharge phones or use the climate controls to stay cozy for a few days. Some new EVs can be plugged into the charging station to provide limited power to the home in an emergency.

You’re supporters of local high-wage work.

You see wind and solar farms, I see home-grown high-wage work. More highwage work is coming –not just for electricians, construction, and manufacturing, but also the next generation of repair shops (Austin EV Only) and convenience stores (GridServe UK).

Consumer demand and technological advancement are driving the automotive industry’s transition from internal combustion engines (ICE) to EVs. As more kids get inspired, and more auto technicians become more comfortable with EV repairs and conversions, more EV repair shops will pop up around the state.

If you choose to purchase an older EV that has a degraded traction pack, it can be rebuilt or possibly swapped for a larger pack. There are EV repair shops right here in Texas that can tear into the pack and swap out the bad stuff for the good stuff for a very reasonable price.

Do you love classic cars like I do? ICE-to-EV conversions are sexy! It’s not cheap, but it can be done. I know some car guys think it’s blasphemy, but I think Walter Chrysler would be proud to see a ‘70 Roadrunner souped up with a couple of HyPer 9’s. Companies such as EV West, Electrified Garage, and Moment Motors are a few of the current experts in America. While you poke around the interwebz checking out those names, look up “Holley High Voltage” and prepare to be wowed!

1 2 3 4 5

You’re savvy for savings.

Do the math. The longer you run the numbers, the better they look. Fixed fuel price for up to five years. 80% savings on preventative maintenance. Reduction in respiratory health costs thanks to cleaner air. You can put your savings toward your kid’s future, your retirement, or your church.

Every manufacturer –from Audi to Zeus– offers an 8 year/100,000 mile warranty on the traction or powertrain battery. It’s mandated by the federal government! If the EV battery goes bad during the warranty period, they replace it for free. If they have a recall (like they did with the Chevy Bolts), they fix or replace it for free. New EV battery prices are already dropping and have dropped a lot in the last few years too! Some EVs, like first generation Nissan Leafs, can be upgraded from 24 to 62kw packs for less than half the price of a new car. EV battery recycling is gaining traction with companies remanufacturing old batteries for everything from hearing aids to home energy storage systems.

Bonus – You’re motor sports fans!

Me too! It should please you to learn that ABB FIA Formula E racing is now in its 9th season with its third-generation racecar. Extreme E is now in its third season, and the new E1 boat racing series will debut later this year. Big Daddy Don Garlits electrified the Swamp Rat a few years ago; Steve Huff is making and breaking records; and the NHRA rule book has an EV section.

Teresa Porter is a lifelong gearhead with a go-fast fetish, and is co-founder and Vice President of the Heart of Texas Electric Vehicle Association. Questions? Comments? Email at hot.electautoassn@gmail.com

meme breaks down electric vehicles for curious persons outside the United Electric Cooperative office during the “Drive Electric Earth Day” organized by the Heart of Texas Electric Vehicle Association.

Raffle quilt pictured in logo, “Forest Floor” Pieced by Cheryll Lundberg, quilted by Joyous Stitches.

The next “Drive Electric Earth Day” is on Saturday, April 29.

A

Bluebonnets wait for possible rain outside the United Electric Cooperative office during the “Drive Electric Earth Day” organized by the Heart of Texas Electric Vehicle Association.

Short Snippets on Life

Legacy

By Rita Hamilton

This month, it will be 24 years since my parents died. Given that I am very close to the age they were when they passed, I started thinking about my legacy. Do I even have a legacy to leave? What things have I done over the course of the past 66 years that people will remember when they think of me?

George Washington’s legacy was that he was our first president and a key player in the birth of our country. Abraham Lincoln will forever be known as the Great Emancipator; Clara Barton was the founder of the American Red Cross; Susan B. Anthony is remembered for the pivotal role she played in the Abolitionist movement and Women’s Suffrage; Martin Luther King is known as the Father of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Great people who have done amazing things. The history books are laden with men and women who throughout time have left an incredible legacy for which they will always be remembered.

But what will my legacy be? Surprisingly, I’ve given this way too much thought. Wife, mother, grandmother, Harley enthusiast, newspaper executive are just some of the roles I’ve had over the course of my life. Pretty normal I’d say. Some more exciting than others (like riding my Harley through the three Twisted Sisters in the Hill Country). As much as I am proud of each of these roles, they don’t really fall into the category of a legacy.

But there is one thing that stands out that I do hope people will remember me by. That would be the 50+ prayer blankets that I’ve made for people that mean something to me. Each of my three sisters has at least one. All of their children have one except one who will get hers in due time. Most of my great nieces and nephews, my own children and all of my grandchildren, and the many friends that have had an impact on my life got one. I try to spend my “knitting” time (I really crochet but prefer the word knitting) praying for the individual for whom I am making the blanket. In the faith of my youth, we called that a “special intention.”

Back in 2014 I finally made myself a blanket for my living room. When my sister Mickey visited me while I was living in Louisiana she fell in love with it. I told her that if she could fit it in her small suitcase that she could have it. I really didn’t think she could manage it. But with a lot of determination, my sole blanket, made specifically for me, was now in my sister’s possession and headed back to Pennsylvania.

I like to let the recipient pick the colors, and there are some I have found much easier to work on than others given the beautiful colors they chose. There are some blankets where I struggled because I found the colors not quite to my liking. Others I thought

I’d hate turned out to be some of my favorites. But these projects have never been about me. They are focused purely on the person I am praying for. I’ve probably made more baby blankets than anything else, so I’ve really concentrated my prayer efforts on the mother and their unborn baby. It’s only April, and I’ve made five baby blankets since January. That’s a lot of knitting and a lot of praying.

My many prayer blankets will far outlast me. My hope is that when my recipients look at these labors of love that they think of me and the love I held for them. It may not be the legacy of legends, but it’s one that I’m content to own as my personal contribution to the lives of my loved ones.

Home, Straw Home

Couple celebrates 20 years in straw bale house

Nathan Diebenow

It’s said that your home is your castle, but what if your castle is made of straw?

For going on 20 years now, Ingrid Martine and Joe Ahlers have been living in bliss inside their neo-traditional straw bale house minutes outside Valley Mills.

“I’m happier in this house by the day,” Ingrid said, looking through her front porch’s window at the blanket of sweet-smelling bluebonnets across her field this spring.

The house’s overall design blends the couple’s values of freedom and security, a pair of qualities that do in fact complement each other.

“Everybody –whether it’s our chickens or dogs or horses and us – we’re all dedicated to freedom,” Ingrid said. “So our dogs (Kinsley and John Boy) come and go as they please. They want to go out, so they go out. They want to stay in. They stay, and they’re never on a leash unless they go to the vet. They’re free to run which means they won’t have any hip problems.”

As a result, the feeling you get as you settle into the house is… well, in Ingrid’s mother tongue of German, the word is “gemütlich,” which is similar to the Norwegian “hygge.” The English “cozy” comes closest to both concepts.

“When somebody comes in, and they say, ‘Oh, this is really cozy,’ or ‘This is really peaceful.’ Well, I feel as if I’ve really succeeded,” she said.

The bedroom of Ingrid Martine and her husband Joe Ahlers features a half wall that shows the width of the straw bales used in the creation of the couple’s entire house.

Building homes with straw bales dates back centuries, and to Ingrid, nothing is cozier than straw bale walls. On the inside of the house, the 15-inch thick walls are covered with a layer of earthen plaster; on the outside, with old-fashioned stucco.

“[The walls] are breathable. They retain cool in the summer and warm in the winter,” she said. “We have a soapstone wood-burning stove that heats every room in the house, except the bedroom, which is as we like it, so we are always cozy.”

In the couple’s study room, they have a “truth window” that reveals the straw on the inside of the wall.

Over two decades, the couple’s straw bale house has weathered extreme elements: the drought of 2011, the arctic freeze of 2021, and the high winds as of late.

That’s because they wanted a robust, solid house from the get-go. A super-skeleton with commercial-grade steel and construction frames the house. The straw bales were filled in between the metal posts.

Joe admitted that they might have over-engineered the concrete slab and the metal structure, “but we aren’t sorry.”

“A tornado could tear the roof off our house, but it would unlikely push the walls down,” Ingrid said.

For heating and cooling the indoor air, the couple used more old school architectural design. Like our forebears living before electricity, they oriented their house to the sun, so that certain walls can hold the warmth in winter and resist the heat in summer.

A long front porch with wide windows faces north to capture the cool wind (and the scent of bluebonnets) off the prairie; another long front porch faces south into a cluster of trees that protects the wall from heat.

Ingrid Martine has been living happily in her straw bale house with her husband Joe Ahlers for over 20 years outside Valley Mills.

The roof of this straw bale house catches rainwater that’s filtered for drinking.

The house’s east and west sides are narrower with fewer windows, which reduces the interior’s temperature. Plus, trees block the windows on the west side to diminish the heat in the long summer evenings.

In addition, the house utilizes a geothermal system that heats and cools its interior. Pipes move water underground to a depth of 270 feet, as Joe explained.

“That water cools as it goes down in the summertime and warms in the winter. It’s always around 65 degrees Fahrenheit. So in the winter, it’s warm; in the summer, it’s cool,” Joe said.

Also, by design, the couple equipped the property with a 10,000 gallon aboveground tank that collects rainwater from the roofs of their garage and main house.

Filtered onsite using three processes, including ultraviolet light, this water is for the couple to drink. The water for their three horses and chickens comes from Childress Creek.

“Even in the drought of 2011, we’ve never run out of rainwater. We are conservative water users,” Ingrid said. “Becoming conscious water stewards has been a pleasure and a privilege.”

Ingrid noted that one inch of rain from the main house produces 600 gallons of water for them.

That’s not to say the couple hasn’t adapted their house’s systems to the changing climate.

“In 2021 we did have some freeze damage –flow from the water tank to the house. But because we have access to the Childress Creek water, we were able to turn a switch, and voilà! Water for the house,” Ingrid said.

Joe noted a number of obstacles the couple overcame to make their dream house come true – from finding a contractor experienced in straw bale buildings to deciding to use salvaged materials for their finishing touches.

The straw bale house building itself took around two years to complete. Joe and Ingrid performed most of the plaster and stucco work on the straw bales themselves. Their education on straw bale building came by way of an association of straw bale construction enthusiasts based in Austin.

Their staircase is also a story unto itself: the steps are reclaimed mahogany flooring from boxcars, the railing from juniper ash wood off the property, and the balusters from rods off oil rigs.

For the couple, the juice was well worth the squeeze.

“What we like best is the appearance of the house as we find it beautiful,” Joe said. “The energy savings is welcome, but we know conventional building could match that. We feel the pride of doing something very difficult and seeing that evidence every day.”

The staircase of Ingrid Martine and her husband Joe Ahlers’ straw bale house was constructed from recycled and reclaimed construction materials over 20 years ago.

business directory

ADVERTISING

The Clifton Record & The Meridian Tribune

310 W 5th St • Clifton, TX

254-675-3336 • bosquecountytoday.com

ANTIQUES

Bosque County Emporium

121 N Ave D • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-8133

bosquecountyemporium@gmail.com

ARTISTS/ART GALLERIES

Bosque Arts Center

215 S College Hill Dr • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-3724 • Bosqueartscenter.org

Bosque Museum

301 S. Avenue Q • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-3845

George Boutwell 3083 Hwy 6 • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-6676 • Gboutwell.com

L.A. Thompson Gallery of Fine Arts

An Thompson 114 N Ave D • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-2787 • FB@lathomsonart

AUTOMOTIVE

Briley Auto Supply

Greg & Marie Garland 121 Main St • Meridian, TX 76665

254-435-2212

Douglass Ford

1206 N Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-8315

douglassford.shop

Ken’s Auto Supply 920 N Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-8100

Myatt Fuels

202 N Ave B • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-8107 • Myattfuels.net

BANKING & FINANCE

Rawl’s Financial 603 S. Avenue G • Clifton, TX 76634

254-206-3100

Citizens State Bank 505 W 5th St • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-2211 • citizensstatebanktx.com

business directory

First National Bank of Bosque County

1203 N Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-6570 • fnbbosque.com

First Security State Bank

1115 W 5th St • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-2265 • fssbtexas.com

J Phillips Mortgage Inc.

Kevin King • 214-549-8839 • www.myjpmortgage.com

Mattson Financial Services

5400 Bosque Blvd 4th Floor • Waco, TX 76710

254-772-6383 • Mattsonfinancialservices.com

CONSTRUCTION & HOME REPAIR

B&C Exteriors

101 Scurlock St • Grandview, TX 76050

817-866-4897 • Bandcexteriors.com

JBS Heating & Air Conditioning

911 W.5th Street • Clifton, TX 76634

254-978-2510

Keith’s Ace Hardware 927 N. Avenue G • Clifton, TX

254-675-6513

Loftin Dirt Works

307 N Ave C • Clifton, TX 76634

254-640-1104 • jldirtworks18@gmail.com

Country Creations

314 W. 5th Street ~ Clifton , TX 76634 254-749-5170 • HillCountryClocks.com

Leon’s Floor Covering 302 W 5th St • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-8686 • Leonsfloorsclifton.com

R&M Fencing

1885 Co Rd 182 • Purmela, TX 76566

254-248-2205 • Randmfencing.com

Tri County Guttering Co Inc 286 Lady Bird Rd • Waco, TX 76712

254-848-7246 Tricountyguttering.com

Williams Construction Co 9149 Hwy 6 • Meridian, TX 76665

254-435-9011 • williamsconstruction.com

Wright Construction 601 W Wall St • Grapevine, TX 76051 817-481-2594 • Wrightconst.com

EDUCATION

Clifton ISD 1102 Key Ave • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-2827 • cliftonisd.org

Cranfills Gap ISD 505 S 2nd St • Cranfills Gap, TX 76637 254-263-3388 • cranfillsgapisd.net

business directory

Meridian ISD

310 D St • Meridian, TX 76665

254-435-2326

Meridianisd.org

FARM & RANCH

Coryell County Commission Company

400 Cattle Drive, N. Loop Highway 36

Gatesville, TX 76528

254-865-9121 • coryellcommission.com

Central Texas Tractor & Implement

10110 Highway 6 • Meridian, TX 76665

254-826-8381 • centraltexastractor.com

Lawson Implement Co.

1130 S.Hwy 281 • Hamilton, TX 76531

800-658-6807 • Lawson-implement.com

Waco Livestock Auction

2316 Marlin Hwy • Waco, TX 76704

254-753-3191 • wacolivestock.com

GOVERNMENT

Bosque County Central Appraisal District

9293 Hwy 6 • Meridian, TX 76665

254-435-2304 • Bosquecad.com

Bosque County Judge’s Office

110 S Main, Room 100 • P.O. Box 647 Meridian, TX 76665 • 254-435-2382 ext 6

City of Iredell

225 Eastland St • Iredell, TX • 254-364-2436

City of Meridian 111 Main St • Meridian TX 76665 254-435-2381 • meridiantexas.us

Clifton Chamber of Commerce

Paige Key 115 N Ave D • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-3720 • cliftontexas.org

Clifton Main Street

403 W 3rd St • P.O. Box 231 • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-8337

FB@CliftonMainStreet

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Albrecht’s Pharmacy 506 W 5th St • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-8398

Albrechtspharmacy.com

Brookhaven Youth Ranch 5467 Rogers Hill Rd • West, TX 76691

brookhavenyouthranch.org

business directory

Careflite

4458 FM Rd 933 • Whitney, TX 76692 • 800-442-6260

Dynamic Family Dentistry

302 S Ave Q • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-3518 • bosquecountydentist.com

Goodall-Witcher Healthcare/ Bosque County Health District 101 Posey Ave • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-8322

Hamilton Healthcare System

400 N Brown St • Hamilton, TX 76531

254-386-1600 • hamiltonhospital.org

Lutheran Sunset Ministries 413 Sunset Ave • P.O. Box 71 • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-8637 • Lutheransunset.org

Waco Cardiology Associates

7125 New Sanger Rd A • Waco, TX 76712

254-399-5400 • Wacocardiology.com

LODGING

Velkommen Inn

1215 N. Avenue G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-8999

Texas Safari Ranch

careflite.org

gwhealthcare.org

Screen Door Inn

110 N Ave D • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-7829 • Screendoorinn.com

PET SERVICES

BARK

Bosque Animal Rescue Kennels 4340 Highway 6 • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-1954

Bosque Spay Neuter

254-253-6124 • bosquespayneuter.org

The River’s Bend Doggie Drop Inn

P.O. Box 228 • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-4936 • Doggiedropinn.com

PRAISE & WORSHIP

Bosque County Cowboy Church

7023 Hwy 6 • Meridian, TX 76665

254-396-1032 • bosquecountycowboychurch.com

Clifton Bible Church 414 W 5th St • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-707-1076 cliftonbiblechurch.org

First Baptist Church Meridian 207 N Hill St • Meridian, TX 76665 • 254-435-6007 fbcmeridiantx.org

192 Private Road 4293 • Clifton, TX 76634 • 214-384-3000

First Presbyterian Church 211 S Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-8105 • Fpcclifton.com

First United Methodist Church 303 S Ave E • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-3984 • Fumcclifton.com

PRAISE & WORSHIP, CONTINUED

Peace Lutheran Church 330 W 5th St• P.O. Box 112 • Clifton, TX 76634 214-213-3838• Peacelutheranclifton.org

Zion United Church of Womack

1411 FM 219 • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-3599 • zionunitedchurchwomack.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Lhoist 2861 FM 2602 • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-8668 • Lhoist.com

REAL ESTATE SERVICES

Bosque Real Estate, Inc. 100 N Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 800-344-8092 • bosquerealestate.com

Carlisle Real Estate 305 E Morgan St • Meridian, TX 76665 254-435-3001 • carlisletexas.com

Clayton Waggoner Properties 325 North St. Paul Street • Dallas, TX 75201 972-897-9000 • claytonwaggoner.com

Cobb Properties 300 3rd St • Cranfills Gap, TX 76637 254-253-0157 • Cobbranchproperties.com

Sauer & Associates Real Estate 600 S Bosque St • Whitney, TX 76692 254-694-0123 • Sauerrealestate.com

RESTAURANTS & DINING

Burger King/Clifton Fast Stop 102 S Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-6111

Corner Drug Cafe 102 N Ave D • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-265-7737 • cornerdrugcafe.com

Dairy Queen 311 N Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 254-675-3003 • dairyqueen.com

Horny Toad Bar & Grill 319 3rd St • Cranfills Gap, TX 76637• 254-597-1100 • Hornytoadbar.com

Johnny’s Place 502 S. Avenue G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-2001

Sauer | Robert Hook | Kelli Lawson Jones | Hunter Brooks

business directory

Olaf’s Restaurant and Bar

121 N Ave D • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-268-8880 • olafs-olafstoo.com

Rattlesnake Ballroom

4173 3rd Street • Walnut Springs, TX 76690 • 817-269-0554

Robbins Nest Cafe

301 Morgan Street • Meridian, TX 76665

254-301-4117 • robbinsnestcafe.com

Royal Pizza 602 S Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 254-675-4500 • Royalpizzatx.com

RETAIL & GROCERY

C-Town Liquor 810 N. Avenue G • Clifton, TX 76634 • 469-328-0201

Brookshire’s Food & Pharmacy

900 FM 3220 • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-3111 • brookshires.com

Buckshot Rustic Furniture & Gifts

1432 E State Hwy 22 • Whitney, TX 76692 • 254-694-4100

Cheerful Heart Gifts & Boutique

9311 Hwy 6 • Meridian, TX 76665

254-314-8999 • cheerfulheartgifts.com

David’s/Brookshire Brothers 614 S Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634

254-675-6345 • Brookshirebrothers.com

Double B Foods, Inc. 113 Morgan St • Meridian, TX 76665

254-435-6187 • doubleb.com

Hamilton Farmers Market 822 E Main St • Hamilton, TX 76531

254-386-5004 • FB@farmersmarkethamilton

Meridian Frozen Food & Locker LLC 106 Morgan St • Meridian, TX 76665 • 254-435-2803

UTILITIES

Heart of Texas Electric Cooperative 1111 Johnson Dr • P.O. Box 357

McGregor, TX 76657

800-840-2957 • Hotec.coop

Hilco United Services

4581 FM Rd 933 • Whitney, TX 76692

254-694-5237 • Hilcounitedservices.com

Texas New Mexico Power 1304 N Ave G • Clifton, TX 76634

888-866-7456 • Tnmp.com

203 East 5th Street Clifton, Texas 76634

203 East 5th Street Clifton, Texas 76634

(254) 675-3416

(254) 675-3416

CUSTOMER Service Is Always #1! cliftonfeed@gmail.com www.CliftonFeed.com

CUSTOMER Service Is Always #1! cliftonfeed@gmail.com www.CliftonFeed.com

We have everything you need for your home, farm or ranch!

We have everything you need for your home, farm or ranch!

We have everything you need for your home, farm or ranch!

Animal Feed

We invite you to visit our store on weekdays from 8:00 - 5:00 and on Saturdays from 8:00 - 3:00.

We invite you to visit our store on weekdays from 8:00 - 5:00 and on Saturdays from 8:00 - 3:00.

Deer Corn

Deer Protein

Show Feed

Dog Houses

Animal Feed

Deer Corn

Animal Feed

Lawn Fertilizer

Cattle Tubs

We invite you to visit our store

Mulch

Collars & Leads

Buckets

Dog Houses

Lawn Fertilizer

Deer Protein

Deer Corn

Weekdays from 8 AM - 5 PM

Show Feed

Bedding Plants

Mulch

Potting Soil

Deer Protein

Cattle Tubs

Saturdays 8 AM - 3 PM

Mineral

Show Feed

Gates

Cattle Tubs

Feeders

Compost

Bedding Plants

Fly Sprays

Garden Seed

Potting Soil Compost

Hanging Baskets

Fly Sprays

Panels

Mineral Gates Feeders Panels

Dog & Cat Food

Garden Seed

Hanging Baskets

Dog & Cat Food

Mineral Gates

Collars & Leads

Herbicides

Sprayers Hardware

Buckets

Feeders

Panels

Herbicides

Fence Energizers

Lawn Fertilizer

Hunting Supplies

Sprayers Hardware

Horse Tack

Mulch

Fence Energizers

Bedding Plants

Potting Soil

Hunting Supplies Horse Tack

Compost

Fly Sprays

Garden Seed

Hanging Baskets

Dog & Cat Food

Dog Houses

Collars & Leads

Buckets

Herbicides

Sprayers Hardware

Fence Energizers

Hunting Supplies

Horse Tack

At Goodall-Witcher, we provide a full range of prenatal, labor and delivery, and newborn care for expectant moms and their babies. Our clinic obstetricians work with you over the course of your pregnancy to monitor your baby’s development and do routine testing to help find and prevent possible problems.

254.675.8322

101 Posey Avenue Clifton, TX 76634 gwhealthcare org

SCAN ME

TO VISIT OUR WEBSITE