The oil and gas companies are just toying with us.

Last week we started the week out with gas at $2.59 a gallon, then it came down slightly to $2.57.

Then mid-week it dropped overnight to $2.54.

Please note these are prices for stations on the north end of town from Lowe's to the loop and on up Main Street to Rio Grande.

If the price is lower in the other sections of town I don't know because that is not on my beaten path to and from work. I don't want to have to make a new route to work in search of the ever elusive cheap gas because that would start a ripple effect - it would take longer to get to work, I would have to leave earlier to still get here on time (or at leas close to it)  then I would have to get up earlier, - you get the idea.

On the day that I needed to fill up - it jumped back up to $2.59.

Now this morning when I came to work it had fallen again to $2.54 at some stations.

When I saw the  lower price, I immediately looked at my gas gage to see if I needed to take advantage of the lower prices, but my tank was still full of the $2.59 gas.

The way things are going, the price will continue to drop UNTIL the day I need gas and then it will shoot up to the highest level in a month. 

But on second thought, if that happens, please tell me where I can find "cheap gas" and I'll  sacrifice my sleep to take almost any route out of my way to get to the ever elusive cheap gas .

Know where gas is cheaper? Let us know.

Becky

Friday I had to go to Hallettsville on business before  coming to the office.

Instead of taking the traditional trip up US Highway 77-A I took the back roads to Sweet Home, then FM 318 through Mont and on to  US 77, which took me into Hallettsville.

It was a pleasant drive. I think I met two vehicles- a woman driving a Suburban and a man on a tractor -after I got onto 318.

For a rural area, I noticed free enterprise was alive and well along the route.

Sweet Home has its leather businesses, a small store and a post office. Not to mention the church, school and volunteer fire department. Sweet Home is a great example of  small communities working together, but that is a blog for another day.

On the edge of town,  past the cemetery, are the Ag interests with cattle grazing and bales of hay scattered in the fields. There were some goats and chickens in town as well.

Also scattered along the way is oil and gas production.

At least two fence building businesses and a veterinarian's office are also along the farm road.

A small store at Mont is home away from home for local domino players. They hadn't made it there yet Friday when I went by. The door to the store was closed and no cars were around. I'm sure by noon or early afternoon the games were getting started and will continue late into the night.

Closer to Hallettsville is the large Morgan Building and Spa plant where they manufacture buildings of all sizes, shapes and colors.

And even closer to Hallettsville was the place my husband likes to call Harmon's Hilton - or more officially known as the county jail and law enforcement center. (Harmon  is the Sheriff Micah Harmon.)

I probably missed some businesses along the way, but the ones I did see got me to thinking - if this many small businesses are in operation along those few miles of a country road, how many other businesses are out there on country roads in rural Texas supporting their hometown and neighboring communities?

While large business and mega corporations like to throw their weight around, small businesses and the face-to-face service they offer their customers are the lifeline that keeps us going and growing.

 Large businesses serve their purpose, but  without the small locally owned businesses many community needs likely would not be served in small towns.

Becky

I've always said driving is an adventure.

To help you understand that, I feel compelled to tell you something about my early driving days - yes I'm going ALL the way back to driver's ed. Back then we took driver's ed our sophomore year in high school. Our car included my teacher Mrs. Fortenberry, my long-time friend Lisa, classmate and friend Robert ( we three were in most of the same classes all four years of high school) and a guy who I only knew in driver's ed -his name was Darryl and he had been driving for years - he worked on his parents'  farm and learned to drive as a youngster.

 Of the four of us I was the most inexperienced driver and gave the rest of my car mates a lot of things to talk and laugh about - when they recovered. For the record I never had a wreck.

One day we were driving the country roads of Angleton - where I grew up. Lisa was driving and doing a great job. My turn was next. Mrs. Fortenberry instructed Lisa to pull into a narrow drive leading to a pasture.On both sides of the drive was a BIG ditch - deeper than a bar ditch.

Lisa pulled into to the drive without a problem. I opened the back door and stepped out and went STRAIGHT into the ditch. I remember landing on my feet - platform shoes and all - and looking up only to see tall grass in front of me. I looked down and there is a frog staring back up at me. Thank God it wasn't a snake!.

 Then I hear "where's Becky?" Then silence.

"I'm down here," I yelled up at them. More silence.

"Oh, she's in the ditch," Lisa said in a concerned but almost giggling voice.

I grabbed onto a clump of the grass and pulled myself up. They all stayed in the car.

 As Lisa went to get out of the car, Mrs. Fortenberry stopped her just shy of Lisa going into the ditch as well.

Mrs. Fortenberry  was the only one in the car to figure out that Lisa had pulled in along the edge of the drive leaving no room for anyone to walk. She made Lisa back onto the road so we could change drivers.

We changed drivers and then sat there for a while laughing about it. I turned, told the frog bye, and we took off.

We all had great telling the story back at school.

Now more than 30 years later when I have to pull into a narrow drive I think of the frog and just hope the ditch below has no water and is free of snakes.

 Becky

Mondays are always rough when heading out for work, but today was different because I was looking forward to posting my very first blog.

It was during this drive - I have it down to 45 minutes,  no matter how fast or slow I go, it always takes 45 minutes - that I decided on the title for the blog. I had several  ideas, but they didn't seem to fit.

You see every day I commute. Every day I see some of the same things - like today I was behind three large gravel trucks heading out to the construction on U.S.Highway 77. This was a short line today - usually I'm behind as many as five. I met two others going back to reload.

Everyday I also come upon someone who wants to travel 55 in a 70 mph and those who want to 90 in the construction zone. I just pray that they make it to their designated place on time.

I learned a long time ago, if I'm late when I leave home, I'm going to be late when I get to work. I just accept it - why risk my life and the life of everyone else to get to work just a little less late.

 So if you see me on the road or you are one of the many motorists on the highway behind the gravel trucks or just trying to get to work or back home,  tell me your stories.

 Remember, life is highway.