HIGH POINTS FROM EL CAMINO REAL
CHRIS DAVIS elcaminoreal@consolidated.net
Life along El Camino Real is getting a little boring as we wind up January and start waiting patiently for spring. I usually dread this time of year because of the difficulty it causes me when I sit down to hammer out your four bits' worth of news. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if there isn't anything happening then there isn't much to write about. I managed to squeeze four bits' worth of news out of this weeks meager happenings without too much effort.

Last week I told you about our city workers spending their Sunday evening trying to fix a water leak at the red light. At that time I thought they were going to have everything fixed and the water flowing in no time. Boy, was I wrong. The water was off most of the day on Monday and it went off again Monday evening just about supper time. They told everybody that they were going to have to boil water after it came back on. I instantly became concerned about all the poor guys who are always saying that their wives don't know how to boil water. I realize that this boiling water issue caused some concern among many of our citizens, but I wasn't too worried. I thought about how much water I've swallowed swimming in the Neches River or in stock ponds around here and I never remember getting sick. I can recall when the Alto water had so much sulphur in it that you had to hold your nose to drink it. I don't like having to clean those little strainers out in the faucets every time they work on the pipes, but I guess I can live with that little bit of trouble. The wife didn't want to cook because of the water troubles, but that isn't anything new.

Barbara Grogan took a fall out her back door on Saturday evening and broke her shoulder. She will have to have some surgery to repair it. I'm worried about her, but I'm worried about her husband Dwain too. Who in the world is going to wait hand and foot on Dwain while she is out of commission? We need to keep Barbara and Dwain, in our prayers until she recovers.

It was sure good news to hear that Joe Pierce got to come home after his truck accident. He still has a ways to go before he is back to full steam, but I'll bet he feels better being at home and out of the hospital. Joe probably won't be out and about much for a while, but he is doing lots better. The main thing he is worried about now is whether he is going to have enough firewood to last him through the rest of the winter while he is laid up. He has had a pretty rough time of it and is still in need of our prayers. You better throw in a few for Doris too, since she is going to have to tend to Joe and maybe cut wood too. Welcome home, Joe!

Josh and Jessica Lindsey are the proud parents of a new baby boy. James Braden Lindsey was born on Jan. 23. I don't know how they spelled his middle name, so don't buy him anything monogrammed on my spelling. The little fellow had some problems, so he had to make the trip over to Shreveport and is now in Children's Hospital. He was doing really well Sunday evening, so hopefully he will be coming home to Alto in the next few weeks. Pictures of the new baby were circulating through Hilltop Baptist Church on Sunday and I'm sure his grandpa Jim Bob Lindsey was doing most of the circulating. The swelling in Jim Bob's head should go down in a few weeks. The doctors say it is normal in new grandpas. Congratulations to Josh and Jessica on their new addition. Keep the new baby in your prayers and lets hope he gets home quickly.

Members of the Alto Yellowjacket football team were presented their UIL medals on Thursday night in a ceremony at the Alto High School Cafetorium. After the awards were handed out the players and coaches signed autographs for many of the Yellowjacket fans. The state championship rings should be delivered sometime in early spring. Several seniors on the team are looking at college and planning their future in college football. I hope they don't scatter out too far or we'll have problems getting to see them all play next season.

Verline Reed told me that she looked out back of her place the other day and saw a group of wild hogs rooting around in her pasture. I told her that they would be in her yard before too long. The hogs are sure becoming a problem around here, even with so many people hunting and trapping them. I guess years ago when the early settlers let their hogs roam free in the bottoms, they weren't thinking about what would happen when folks stopped rounding them up for a few years. I just hope they don't' root up Ms. Reed's bluebonnet patch in front of her house. Lots of our area folks like to take pictures of their kids in that nice patch of flowers. When the hogs get through turning that field over, there won't be much left to take pictures in. Nobody should go hungry around here with all the pork running in the woods. Most folks just skin the hogs they kill. With all the griping I heard about having to boil water in Alto last week it's no wonder they don't scald them and scrape the hair off anymore. I thought it was because of the smell, but I guess people just don't like boiling water.

If you read this week's news at night you ought to be able to go to bed with nothing on your mind. I've told you all I know and will be hoping for more news for your next issue. I'll see ya next week! And remember, Politeness is making company feel at home, when you wish they were.