March 2024

Beautiful golden barrel and claret cup cactus, Faxon yucca, sotol, Queen Victoria agave, and many other species totaling more than 1,000 plants, have arrived at the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute (CDRI) in preparation for the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center cactus and succulent sale.

On Monday, the Alpine Fire Department responded to a brush fire in the Double Diamond subdivision on South Highway 118. According to information received from Alpine Volunteer Fire Department Chief Andrew Pierce “The AVFD was alerted to a large brush fire on South SH118 about 2:10 p.m. on Monday, March 4 near the South Double Diamond entrance. When we arrived it was a small-sized grass fire that had consumed the Northbound lane shoulder. Firefighters stopped the fire’s progress at the fence to a local ranch. It had spread to some mesquite but was kept small thanks to efforts from TxDOT maintaining the grass on the shoulders of the highways,” said Pierce. Chief Pierce also said that the fire was extinguished within about two minutes of the first unit arriving and was followed up with mopup operations to make sure no hot spots were left that could reignite the fire.

Dear Neil: My ponytail was three feet tall when I bought it. Now it’s nine feet tall and I can no longer keep it in our garage over the winter. I shudder to think of “topping” it, but I’m wondering if that would be a solution. I don’t want to kill it.

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The Alpine girls’ golf team traveled to Iraan last Monday along with the majority of the boys’ team. Evelyn Smith had the top placing at the Iraan tournament, shooting 104 and placing fifth. Analia Adama shot a 121, while Ashlee Neal participated in the JV division shooting 113, placing her in the top spot, and earning her a first-place medal.

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I am grateful the Avalanche includes devotions and am humbled to be a contributor. However, I have wondered on occasion, “Who reads these devotions?” No, I don’t mean a snarky insinuation that “nobody reads this part of the paper.” That is simply not true.

The stars at night are big and bright, but not every city on the globe can see them. However, within the guarded International Dark Sky Reserve, inhabitants, which includes all forms of life, can still enjoy the night sky and the benefits the darkness offers.

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