The Ridge Runner

We received a call this morning from a concerned neighbor who heard a knock on her door and when she went to open the door she said a lady had stuck a notice on her door and was running back to her car and then drove off.  The notice was regarding an ‘urgent’ second notice delivery attempt from “Compass”.  When our concerned neighbor called the number she was on hold a very long time and then discovered the notice was a scare tactic to get folks to call in and listen to a sales pitch.

Our neighbor wanted you all to know this is nothing but a scam and asked us to send out an email to let you all know.

That’s what we call being a good neighbor!

Thanks, April!!

February
 
Now we have left Valencia and are working our way through central Spain in the region of La Mancha. We all know that Cervantes wrote Don Quixote and had his character going to war with the windmills on these plains. Does “the rain in Spain, really fall mainly on the plain”? Heaven only knows, but we do know that more fusion takes place here with garlic, saffron, paprika, and olives and that foods have a Moorish touch.  Let’s not forget the vineyards.  This region’s vineyards have always been known for their precious local white grape. Today there is expansion into the reds, the Merlots, Cabernets and Syrah are taking over. Well, not “taking over” but pushing their way into the mix.
 
The Spanish meals are very much like the Italian meals, in that they are a time for conversation, laughter, serious talk, and simply for the pleasure of eating. I have never been able to understand how or why people in this country rush through a meal. We do lead busy lives, but there is no reason why the whole family should not sit down together and eat. This is what being part of a family means.
 
There is usually one daily meal in Spain that includes soup. I always looked forward to this meal and would often eat a Castilian soup known as  “Sopa De Ajo Con Huevos”. It is a garlic soup with egg. So I will share this recipe with you and let you be the judge as to how you like it.   I picked this up in a small café in Central Spain.  This recipe yields about four servings. double it for eight.
 
Sopa De Ajo Con Huevos ~ Garlic and Egg Soup
2 garlic cloves                4 tomatoes
4 slices of white bread    2 tablespoons of olive oil
sea salt & pepper            4 eggs
 
 I suspect you will find this recipe in most households in Spain.  Remove the crusts from the bread (use a rustic bread).  Pound the garlic cloves in your mortar and fry them in oil.  When the garlic is golden, add the bread and fry it slightly.  Add the tomatoes and fry, then add  two pints of cold water water. Bring this to a boil and just before serving, beat the yolks of four eggs and add this to the soup. Sometimes poached eggs are used in this dish with added paprika, prosciutto, and parsley.  Hearty country  bread can be used as I said, “rustic”. 
This is a simple dish but tasty one!  What the Spaniards had in mind when they dreamed this recipe up, I believe was it is a “stick to your ribs”, filling soup, and very inexpensive to make.
 
One does not normally sit down to a meal considered lunchtime until 2:00 p.m.  Dinnertime is about 9:00 to 10:00 p.m.
 
A typical menu Dinner Menu would be Trucha en aceite (trout in oil)
                                                               Sopa de Ajo Con Huevos   (Garlic & Egg soup)
                                                                Pastel (a flan)
                                                              Arroz con Pollo (rice with chicken)
 
Preparing these dishes as we travel along, the fun for me is shopping the markets  for the ingredients. Each Wednesday vendors set up their wares across Ranch Road 12 across from Ozona Bank. Shoppers stroll through looking for what they need.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have more vendors and a larger market?   I hope if this happens there will be the addition of more food items.We also have a great kitchenware shop on the square. They can help you choose any  items you need.  I believe in patronizing the local shops.
 
I covered this before but would like to repeat that the three things necessary when preparing Spanish foods are a mortar and pestle, a casuela, and a paella pan. The mortar should be of marble, ceramic or stoneware. I use stoneware. I recommend that the casuela 12 to 13 inches in diameter. It is brown   earthenware that has been used in Spanish kitchen for centuries.  The paella pan  I prefer is 16 inches in diameter and is carbon-steel. Remember that paella is NOT paella unless a paella pan is used. It is considered a “deadly sin” otherwise.
As we leave La Mancha, I leave you with this thought, relax and unwind when having your meals, no matter whether you eat alone or with others.  Savor the food before you!
Hasta la vista
Anita Savino Fournier

The dust created by the just concluded election for three members of the WPOA Board of Directors is settling a bit as the results are announced.  Sally Caldwell, Mike Regan, and Liz Sumter were elected to serve the community by property owners who participated in the election either by mailing in, by electronically returning their ballots or by voting in person on January 21.

It would be nice to believe that now that the votes have been counted and certified,  the communities of Eagle Rock and Woodcreek North could get on with business without the constant buzz of complaint, accusation and personal attack that characterized the run up to this election. Sadly, it will not be so. For whatever reason and to whatever end, those intent on attacks and specious complaint will not let up merely because this election has been decided. 

There is much at stake for Wimberley area people during coming years. We will have to grapple with difficult questions about how much development can a water deficient area such as this sustain. It will be necessary to work together to find solutions that will promote the preservation of our beautiful valley while being fair to all. It is the Ridgerunner’s belief that this will not be accomplished should the future fall into the combative and unreasonable hands of those unwilling to compromise. We therefore applaud the decision of the property owners who chose to vote with the future in mind rather than to ratify the petty grievances of a few.

Immediately after the meeting on Saturday, the Board met and chose the following officers: President, Merry Merian, Vice President, Liz Sumter, Secretary, DuAnne Redus, Treasurer, Keith Haney. All these officers will serve on the Association’s various committees in addition to their work as officers. Names of chairmen and members of committees will be published and available on the WPOA website.

The Ridgerunner would like to take this opportunity to thank our long-time Treasurer Linda Germaine for her service and dedication. Linda is moving on to work with other organizations. We wish her the best.

This bit of arrogance was noted in the comments section of the Hays County Roundup. “We will take the WPOA out one section at a time.” The effort has begun and several sections of Woodcreek North have been taken over by  Wimberley Springs Partners, hereinafter referred to as the Midland Boys. As individual property owners represented by our peers on the WPOA board, we are here to tell the Midland Boys not to count on it.

Property owners in the affected sections have been promised there will be no increase in their yearly maintenance fee. That this is no longer the case if an owner wants to sell his property or refinance a loan. The deed restrictions that govern each section under WPOA are replaced by those of the Midland Boys when a section is taken. Has anyone been able to plow through the loose leaf note book full of deed restriction information provided by them to find out exactly what the restrictions are?

The upshot of this is that it is the Midland Boys’ attempt to mitigate the results of a  poor investment by contriving to have the individual property owners’ maintenance fees become a source of income for them rather than an asset to our community as is the case with our existing Association. 

 We can and must do everything in our power to fight each attempt to take over our community. It “ain’t broke” and there is nothing for the Midland Boys to “fix.” Individual owners can mount petitions in each section that refuse a take over. Petition drives in sections already taken can possibly undo those take overs as well. With determination, we can keep our community’s future in our own hands and not under the control of the Midland Boys.
            ~~Mickey Trent, Editor

Interesting information about the metal water tanks at Jacobs Well Elementary.  The larger tank is about 330,000 gallons and was required to meet the demands of the fire sprinkler system for the school.  This tank was completed before the school was finished and was filled very slowly by Aqua Texas using well water from their system.  It was filled very slowly so that the demand did not compromise the water supply to the surrounding customers.  This tank stays on permanent standby for fire protection.
  
The second tank is about 170,000 gallons and is a rainwater collection tank that was installed after the school was complete and operational.  The water in this tank (when available) is not potable water and will be used for irrigation on the school’s landscape areas and playing fields. This smaller tank was added after discussions with the WISD Board and a donation (or good deal) on the tank by a local contractor. 
 
The principal at Jacob’s Well Elementary must deal constantly with an erratic and unreliable Aqua Texas water system.  Many days when children are in school the Aqua Texas system simply stops delivering water.  The principal has developed an emergency plan of storing water inside the school for toilet flushing.  When the water to the school stops flowing, the staff and teachers cover the drinking fountains and carry buckets of stored water to the restrooms.  They, of course, call Aqua Texas who says “we must have a problem” and eventually repair and restore water to the school.  The Aqua Texas system is so unreliable that the school has had to follow this procedure in self defense.  This is a sad commentary on the Aqua Texas system, as well as on the lack of consideration given to the potential problems regarding the availability of water for the school.
 
 
 
 

Son of a gun we’ll have big fun on the Blanco!
February 18th at Pioneer Town.
Proceeds to benefit Wimberley’s Disaster Relief Fund (MyNK),
More information at dlicf@yahoo.com or 512.913.2900

Customers have until May 22nd to protest the rate increase request by Aqua Texas. Protests must be sent to the TCEQ at: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Utilities and Districts Section, MC, P.O.Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087.