Columns/Opinions

   The Market Days car show Saturday went well despite the mid-90s temperatures and the occasional gale-force winds from the south.
   While there were fewer vehicles this year, we did draw an impressive array of 52 rides.
      My better half, MaLinda, is the driving force for the past two car shows. Together we’ve learned different facets of putting these events on.
   Like any event, disappointment sets in when you expect someone to show. We had several commitments to fall into that category.
   Hats off to our volunteers this year. It’s not easy to get people to pitch in and, likewise, it is gratifying when folks step up to help.
   We had two car groups that showed up just to help with the show.
   On a personal note about all car shows I’ve attended, including the ones here, you see several makes represented from over the decades of motor vehicles.
   Take the 1950s, with the early 1950s Fords, or the mid-decade Fords and Chevys.

   By press time Tuesday, we were watching for updates on Tropical Storm Cindy forming in the Gulf of Mexico.
   To be quite honest, I hope it stays as a storm and we get some rain out of the deal.
   A hurricane, depending on the size, could do a lot more damage.
   Sure, excess rainwater messes with the pH of our pool and essentially ruins mom’s chances at mowing the lawn.
   But, it also means I hopefully won’t get baked by the sun.
   Take for example the car show last weekend.
   I sported sunscreen all day along with a hat and a canopy overhead while I worked for the most part.
   I’m talking 110 spf sunscreen for my face and 70 for my exposed limbs.
   Apparently that wasn’t good enough for Mother Nature!
   No, I managed to get sunburned through my T-shirt!
   Which, in reality doesn’t make much sense, but, there you have it.

The recent pullback in high tech stock values has given rise to the argument as to whether this is a time to buy or is it the first warning sign of a significant pullback in the overall markets. 
   This is just what we need from my perspective. There are logical opinions on either side of the issue. 
   It takes little to understand that current stock prices pushing index levels to record rates are going to take earnings improvements to sustain further growth. 
   This is where the rubber meets the road. Do you believe that the US economy will move forward or stall? 
   Try and keep your political persuasion out of this analysis. I see our economy improving as we move through the year. 
   The Federal Reserve signaled its belief in such with another quarter point rise in the Fed Funds Rate. 

   It’s summer again – time for many of us to take a break.
    But you never want your investments to go on “vacation.”
   So, how do you keep your portfolio working hard all year long?
   For starters, make sure you own a sufficient amount of growth-oriented investments.
   If you have too many investment vehicles that offer little risk but also little growth potential, you may have trouble making progress toward your goals.
   Next, review your progress at least once a year.
   Over time, the performance of different investments within your portfolio could cause it to “drift” in ways that are unfavorable to you or cause you to take on too much risk.
   Finally, don’t look for shortcuts.
   True investment success typically requires patience, persistence and the resilience to continue investing even during market downturns.
   You need to establish your goals and keep them constantly in mind as you invest.

   What is God’s kingdom about? Many things, and one of those things is the King.
   When David was fleeing from persecution from Saul, he went to hide in a cave. 2 Samuel 22:12-15 tells us, “ Then three of the thirty chief men went down and came to David in the harvest time to the cave of Adullam…David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!”
   When I was in Brazil on a mission trip, I can remember having a craving for sweet tea. I couldn’t wait to get home and pour a glass of my Mom’s homemade Texas sweet tea. Similarly, this is what was happening with David.
   These three mighty men notices that their King wanted water from a well in Bethlehem. Although David didn’t command them; he was simply talking out loud.

   This is an old journal entry I found from 2012. It proves to be very significant now that Brazos has his driving permit and will get his license next year.
   Brazos just turned 11. He loves George Jones, Tom T. Hall, and his Dad’s old pick-ups.
   The green Dodge is a 1990 model. Braz has big plans to drive it to high school.
   He said this week that he will never sell his Dad’s old trucks.
   He even went so far as to say that HIS kids better not sell them!
   He wants the trucks to be here forever.
   “Can I take them to heaven, Mom?” he asked me yesterday. 
I had to break it to him that he can’t take anything to heaven.
   Then I changed my anything to...there is one thing we CAN take with us to heaven I believe: the people we have told about Jesus.
   We can take them. 
When we share the love of Jesus with others and they too invite Him into their hearts, we are in a way taking them with us to hea
ven.

 So far, “Rough Night” hasn’t had a good time at the box office with only $8 million in total sales over the weekend.
   I managed to catch it early Monday afternoon without much of a hassle.
   But, I was pleasantly surprised at the film even though it is rated “R” for profanity and violence.
   For a film promoted largely on social media, I expected a bit better turnout.
   It reminded me a lot of “The Hangover” movies with a dash of “Weekend at Bernie’s” and Tom Hanks’ classic “Bachelor Party” for extra ridiculousness.
   The movie features Jess (Scarlett Johansson), Alice (Jillian Bell), Frankie (Ilana Glazer), and Blair (Zoë Kravitz) as four friends that bond during their first year of college.
   Fast forward to 10 years later and Jess is getting married to Peter, played by Paul Downs; co-writer of the script.
   Alice decides to throw a wild bachelorette weekend for Jess for their crew.

Agricultural Situation
   Rainfall is needed for our cotton, soybean and pasture lands. With rice in bloom, we certainly do not need significant amounts of rain that would affect pollination. 
   We have an excellent crop in all commodities in Matagorda County. Hopefully rainfall and harvest season will cooperate.
Cotton insects
   According to Kate Harrell, IPM Agent, This week, we’ve been finding some stink bugs and some bollworms in cotton in all three counties. 
   Currently we are mostly finding damage and newly hatched larvae. 
   As the grain continues to dry down, expect to see more moths moving around. 
   Bollworm eggs are small, round, generally singly laid and have ridges meeting at the top of the egg. These insects are highly cannibalistic and will eat each other if more than one larvae is on a leaf. 

   Saturday night, an old friend from high school text me and asked me to come over.
   Now, it was really late and just after midnight and once my pajamas are on I rarely go anywhere that isn’t a form of drive-through.
   But, I rarely see this friend around town and there seemed to be a bit of desperation to her messages.
   So, naturally, I asked her if it was alright if I could be in my pajamas and she claimed to be alright with it.
   All that was left was to drive over to her place and get a lowdown on the situation.
   My friend was having an anxiety attack that was borderline manic and was in need of a new ear and mind to pick.
   Granted, it got me a rum and Coke on the rocks that was more rum than rocks or Coke, but still!
   We settled outside on her porch and settled in for a nice, long trip down memory lane.

   We have a new week and yet more testimony before Congress. 
   This week it is the Attorney General. To think that watching Congressional hearings would capture the public’s attention more than the NHL or NBA playoffs. 
   I am a bit more concerned about the fall in tech stock values at the end of last week and the beginning of this week. Apple dropped from near $155 to $145. That is more than just an adjustment. 
   Crude prices moved back to $45 and we shall see if they can maintain that level. I know these are long hot days of summer, but the wall of worry just won’t go away. 
   Luckily you have economic reports like the Producer Price Index coming in over 2.1 percent, which is the highest in three years.