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Munday hosted the Knox County Junior Livestock Show this past weekend at the Brazos Valley Young Farmers Barn. Boys and girls from Knox County 4-H and FFA programs showed their chickens, goats, lambs, rabbits, hogs and steers in competition with each other for the prizes.

We heard from more than one source that the Munday facilities were ideal for the county show. The barn is now under the management of the Munday Economic Development Corporation, who has been working on the facilities to make them more user-friendly and comfortable. For instance, insulation has been sprayed on the ceiling and walls to make the building a warmer place. This year the weather was more cooperative than usual for Mid-January. We had mild temperatures Friday and Saturday.

The mild weather probably had something to do with the good turnout of youth and boosters.

Congratulations to our County Youth who participated in the Annual Show. And a big thanks to the parents and siblings who helped. We know very well how much work and patience has gone into the caring for, feeding, and preparation of these animals for showing. Good luck in the days and weeks ahead as some of the youth will participate in other Livestock Shows around the state.

More people moved to Texas than any other sate in 2007-08. Nearly 141,000 people moved to Texas from other states, while about 92,000 international migrants moved here.

One reason for this increase is Texas homeowners have a little less to worry about than folks in many other states. Texas cities dominate a list of the nation's top markets in expected home price performance. Also, our quality of life is preferable to many other areas. According to Forbes Magazine, Dallas was the most desirable city in the U.S. to live and work. Houston and Austin ranked second and fourthy. Forbes' findings were based on median income, cost of living and job growth.

Forbes evidently doesn't look at communities with less than 5,000 population. Because if they did, Munday would be at the top of the list in all catagories. We do need to work on a few things to make us as attractive as Dallas or Austin, but our lack of traffic alone should be a huge drawing card.

When Texas joined the Union in 1845, it was twice its approximate current-day size of 268,000 square miles. But five years later, chronically short of cash, Texas sold off parts of territories it claimed in what are now Colorado, New Mexico and Kansas to the United States for $10 milliion. Just imagine, we could go skiing in the Texas Rockies if we hadn't sold out to the U.S. God bless Texas!

Of all Texas oak trees, none is as well known, beloved, or venerated as the live oak. Live oak is respected for its incredibly strong wood, which played a critical yet all-but-forgotten role in maritime history. In the age of wooden ships, live oak was the strongest and most durable shipbuilding wood that grew in the country. Teak was possibly the best maritime wood worldwide, but it was not available in the U.S.

Why Do We Say It? Why do we use "A-1" to mean "the very best"?

When the Marine insurance firms of London started the association later to become known as "Lloyds," they also started a register of ships and shipping in which the condition of the ships and their cargo was noted, the ships were graded by letter; the cargoes by number. "A" meant the ship itself was perfect; "1" that the cargo was likewise perfect.

It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare. Mark Twain



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