Ever heard of lawn mower races? Well, the sanctioned races are coming to town this Saturday!

Mower racing is a country-wide sport and Texas has a sanctioned association. After doing a little research I’m pretty sure winning a lawn mower race is better than taking your girl riding on a John Deere tractor. Remember that song? But I digress.

Our little town has the honor of hosting the mower association’s kick-off races for 2021. I’m pretty sure watching this is going to be fun folks, so get out your lawn chairs and dust them off. Entertainment is on its way!

The races start at 2:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon in the arena behind Crossroads Cowboy Church. That’s right; what is usually home to horses will be home to serious competitors racing their bladeless lawnmowers. Bryan, our neighboring city, has a racing affiliate and several past racing champs reign from there, so these could be some tough races! I tried to find a list of those who had entered the Saturday event to see if Kris Kelso, pastor of Crossroads Cowboy Church, had signed up, but couldn’t find it. We will have to wait and see. Did I mention entertaining?

Admission is free and refreshments will be available. The weather should be nice so why not get out of the house, get some fresh air, hopefully some sunshine, and have a good time Saturday afternoon!

Thank goodness for February with its 13 days of freezing weather is over. We didn’t expect that, did we? March is known for its blustery reputation and, sure enough, It roared in early Monday morning, windy and rainy.

For all of the unpleasantness of the day, we have some good things to look forward to in March, like International Women’s Day March 8 and Ash Wednesday March 15, which is the beginning of Lent. Remember the First United Methodist Church noonday Lent lunches? Unfortunately, Co-Vid has again canceled those. Maybe next year!

Then March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day, which is synonymous with drinking beer and wearing green (or you will get pinched). Did you know you can choose from ten Irish beers to celebrate the Irish spirit and some are green? For your information, I researched it and could not find where a green beer in your hand is the same as wearing green.

Of course one of the best things about March is our own Madison County Fair and the Rodeo. That’s March 19 and 20 this year while the Passover Season starts March 27. If we’re lucky, the month will leave like a lamb as tradition says.

By the way, March is also known as Nutrition month, Brain Injury Awareness month and Kidney Health Awareness month. Now you know. Okay, on to bigger and better things.

Congratulations to Riley Hope Farris! Riley and her awesome gelding TJ smoked ‘em in the Jr youth cutting classes at the Houston Livestock Show and took home the Champion Jr Youth Cutter. Riley is the daughter of Lindy Farris and Mike Farris. One of her biggest supporters is big sister Reygan Richardson.

Hats off to Sallie Reid, owner of Bluebird Haven Estates, who received Weddingwire.com’s Couples Choice Award 2021. Several years ago, Sallie, an exceptional artist, began the journey to create a beautiful wedding venue from her southern colonial-style home. To really understand what’s sitting in the middle of Madisonville, literally in the middle, you should call Sallie and take a tour. It’s 30 acres of oaks and creeks decorated with a Prayer Garden, The Amazing Grace Chapel, three outdoor cathedral windows and the list goes on and on and on. Give her a call at 936-245-0057.

Parents, grandparents, check this out! Madisonville Elementary School’s Scholastic online Book Fair is March 1–14, so think about doing some online shopping for your kiddos. Go to https://www.scholastic.com/bf/madisonvilleelemenschool1

How about some birthdays? First, belated birthday wishes to Don Sisk, who celebrated his birthday last Saturday. It really is a small world. I met Don, of all places, in Denver Co., probably 30 years ago at the Denver Wholesale Market, where each year we set up a Nettles Stirrups booth. One day, here came this

One day, here came this guy with an ear-to-ear grin and introduced himself as also being from Madisonville. At that time Don was attending the show as a rep for one of the western businesses. No more market visits these days with Don, though, since he retired a few years later.

Happy belated also to Carolyn Farris, who celebrated her birthday last Monday, March 1. Carolyn, by the way, better known as CaCa in the family, is the grandmother of Riley, the Houston Jr Youth Cutting Champ.

Right behind her, David Lafoy celebrated his birthday Tuesday. His claim to fame are his two great kids, seven-year-old Charles and nine-year-old Maddi. The threesome moved the Madisonville last summer.

On to this week’s list. Happy birthday to Tim Burr, Lena Lou Landry and Tonya Phillips, who celebrate their birthday this Thursday, March 4. Right behind them, Krystal Carroll does the same Friday. Rebecca Henson Moutray’s birthday is Monday March 8 while JoLee Mifkiff winds out this week’s list with her celebration next Wednesday. If you’ve got family birthdays, anniversaries, etc. coming up, send them to gala@ nettlescountry.com or call 936-348-6541.

A personal note before closing. I sincerely appreciate each of you who called, emailed, texted or even visited the newspaper office last week and shared that you liked reading ‘Round Town again. It meant so much to me. What is especially heartwarming is to know ‘Round Town has some readers!

And finally, back to the good things about March. In less than two weeks from now, March 14, Daylight Saving Time begins and that is the best thing about March in my books. At 2 a.m. that Sunday morning we will “spring forward”. Several years ago we forgot to change the clocks and arrived at church as just as the preacher was saying the closing prayer.

I know some of you don’t care for Daylight Saving Time, but those of us who enjoy more daylight in the late afternoons than in the early morning are really smiling.

You who are frowning please remember they do make those room-darkening drapes and eye covers to lock out the daylight. The good news for you is that Daylight Saving Time will end Nov. 7, 2021.

See you, ‘round town!