NQ99HQ

The ancient Lost Pines area of Bastrop County experienced a huge fire that was out of control for nearly two weeks in 2011.  This area of the state was in an extended drought and during this time high winds broke high voltage power lines at two points, resulting in the live wires dropping to the ground where sparks then ignited the underbrush.  The fire of the underbrush got out of control and the flames reached the tops of the trees and ignited the foliage.  For weeks after the blaze was finally extinguished, the fire was thought to be caused by careless acts, but an in-depth study showed that the fire was caused by the broken and downed powerlines sparking to ground. The Lost Pines area is unique to central Texas because pines don't normally grow in this environment.  East Texas yes, but central Texas no, except for this area of Loblolly Pines that thrive because of the soil.  The soil is a red colored sandy soil mixed with red sandstone, all left over from when this area was

It is quiet here in the country and we can, as one says, hear a pin drop.  In fact, it is so quiet here that when we have a mouse or two in the attic, we can hear them running along the sheetrock of the ceiling.  The mice can run on the sheetrock because the insulation is on the underside of the roof, so the sheetrock is bare A few years ago, we had a big mouse problem in the attic---they seemed to have a whole extended family up there and making more each day, way beyond my rate of trapping them.  But then they were gone, just as abruptly as they arrived. Now, we have some back again. We were sitting here one evening about a month ago when we heard a sound like "plop" and then nothing more. A little later we were looking for THE CAT and found her sitting and watching the area under the convertible sofa in he library.  So intent was she that she would not take her eye off the space under the sofa for a second. Since we did not understand what was going on, we were surpri