Everett Taylor: Taylor's Yarns

BY EVERETT TAYLOR

Summer of 2007 is dwindling down, and because of extensive rainfall in the first part of the season that limited scorching temperatures to a relatively few days there is a general impression that this year's version went by pretty fast.

It won't officially end until the first day of autumn on Sept. 23, but a return of showers as the season is winding down has people believing fall weather is at hand.

Even if those crisp temperatures don't develop right away, the early fall weeks will be awfully busy ones for those who might want to participate in several special events scheduled, starting with the East Texas State Fair.

Opening day of the Fair comes a couple of days before the official arrival of fall, but a full week of events is on tap for the first seven days of the new season.

People who have attended fairs in the past can look forward to some differences when they get to the fairgrounds this year, said Fair General Manager John Sykes.

"We have rearranged a few things," he explained. New shows and exhibits also will be featured in this year's version, and the fair's hours have changed.

Gone is the "Sneak-A-Peek" which featured a limited program on Thursdays and Fridays before opening of all fair activities on Saturday the past few years. Sept. 20 now will be opening day with "the whole fair open." That also has been designated Senior Citizens Day.

October has an even busier schedule of special events, highlighted by the 74th Annual Texas Rose Festival to be held Oct. 18-21.

On Oct. 20 and 21 there will be a Civil War re-enactment, "Raid on Camp Ford - Battle at Jones Meadow," at the Camp Ford location.

Another traditional event for the month is the Annual Muster of the East Texas Historical Fore Society, to be held Oct. 26-27. This will be the 22nd year for the Muster and many visitors from other towns and communities are expected to join Tyler area people in this activity.

Events Oct. 26, center at Brookshire Grocery Company's Lake Palestine Campgrounds and will include a swap meet, apparatus demonstrations, displays, judging and a catered lunch for registrants. Friday and Saturday night activities will be held at Central Station South.

Back to September, a somewhat different, more specialized upcoming event is a Field Day and Forestry Tour in Panola County on Sept. 29.

John and Walta Pippen Cooke, 2007 Texas Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year, will host the event in partnership with the Texas Forestry Association on their Tree Farm. The Cooke's maintain their 1,592-acre Tree Farm for pine and hardwood timber production and wildlife; food plots are planted each year. They converted a wetland area to a duck pond and nesting place, and in 2001 built a new lake on the property.

Each year, landowners, natural resource managers and conservationists gather at the year's Outstanding Tree Farm to celebrate forest stewardship, take art in education workshops and recognize individuals for promoting and practicing good forestry.

This year's event will include a woods tour where speakers will address management, ponds, food plots and aesthetics. Congressman Louie Gohmert will be keynote speaker during lunch.

The Texas Tree Farm program is a voluntary forest conservation, landowner recognition and education program. To qualify as a certified Tree Farmer, a landowner must meet a set of forest management standards and guidelines. Currently 2,300 non-industrial Tree Farmers in Texas manage over 700,000 acres of private forestland.

The Cooke Tree Farm is 7.5 miles north of Carthage on U.S. Highway 59. People interested in participating in the free event should RSVP with the Texas Forestry Association at 936-632-8733.

Everett Taylor
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