PICAYUNE PEOPLE: Blogger Eric Siegmund preserves Hill Country vibe on The Fire Ant Gazette
Eric Siegmund and wife Debbie, who is often featured in his blog articles. Courtesy photo
Long before Twitter taught us to truncate our thoughts and Instagram filtered our reality, blogs were how people carved out their own corners of the internet. Some fizzled out as quickly as they launched, but one local blog, The Fire Ant Gazette, has endured.
“Blogs were the forerunners of social media,” said Highland Lakes resident and blog founder Eric Siegmund.
The Fire Ant Gazette is part diary, part nature log, part community resource, and entirely a vibe of its own. Since 2002, Siegmund has written with a kind of intentionality that feels increasingly rare online, never chasing clicks or trends, just writing what interests him and hoping it might help or amuse someone else.
“Every post I publish is written with at least one specific person in mind,” Siegmund said. “I never post something that I think no one but me will be interested in reading, but if I can figure out how to make even an esoteric subject entertaining or humorous, I think it’s worth a try.”
Raised in Far West Texas, Siegmund spent more than three decades working in everything from IT support to oilfield sales, eventually freelancing as a web designer and developer, skills that proved handy when blogging was still in its technical infancy. Now retired in Horseshoe Bay with his wife of 52 years, Debbie—his “dancing partner,” as he often calls her—Siegmund devotes his time to what brings him joy.
“I’ve enjoyed writing for as long as I can remember, dating back to my elementary school days,” he said. “I’m fascinated by the written word.”
The Fire Ant Gazette was born in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He concocted the name from a desire to sound vaguely “Texan-ish” (fire ants) and retro (Gazette).
“I think it’s a pretty good title,” he said, “but also disappointing to the folks who land on the website looking for information about eradicating those pesky ants.”
In its early days, the blog often explored politics and religion. Over time, Siegmund’s tone shifted.
“I eventually realized I wasn’t nearly as wise or insightful as I thought,” he said. “Plus, I wasn’t that interested in politics anyway.”
These days, you’re more likely to find reflections on snapping turtles, photography, music trivia, or the uncanny resemblance between worms and twigs. But if Siegmund avoids controversy, it’s not for lack of depth.
He’s written candidly about his cancer diagnosis and treatment, not for sympathy but to demystify the experience and maybe offer someone else a laugh or a little reassurance.
“I’ve sometimes been accused of oversharing, but I share things that I hope will either help someone else or make someone feel better about themselves,” he said. “If you can find ways to laugh about certain things, those things will lose some of their fear factor.”
His blend of humor and honesty is what keeps readers coming back. Since its inception, The Fire Ant Gazette has amassed more than 1,500 published articles and over 5,000 reader comments.
“I don’t take my readers for granted,” Siegmund said, “especially not those who take the time to leave a comment. I realize there are a million things competing for folks’ attention, and if my little corner of the internet slips in, I’m humbled by that.”
In fact, it’s the readers and their feedback that have helped keep the Gazette alive. In 2010, Siegmund even joked about ending the blog, posting a mock gravestone that read:
The Fire Ant Gazette
November 7, 2002—
Just another blog killed by Facebook
“Part of the reason I’ve kept this up is sheer stubbornness, a refusal to admit that TwitFaceGram has won,” he said. “It’s also that I realized that I’d miss the creative outlet as well as the occasional email or comment from readers that kept my motivation alive.”
Siegmund may not post as often as he once did—at the beginning, multiple updates a day were common—but each post is as thoughtful as the next. Some are long-form essays; others are Fire Ant Flickers, short vignettes that capture a single moment, a passing thought, or a glint of humor.
“I still enjoy the process,” he said. “And I still know there’s at least one person for whom each post will resonate.”
Read Eric Seigmund’s blog at ericsiegmund.com/fireant. To subscribe, click on a headline and scroll to the bottom of the article to enter your email.