HIGH POINTS FROM EL CAMINO REAL
CHRIS DAVIS elcaminoreal@consolidated.net
Folks along El Camino Real have been busy picking up after the high winds that swept through here on Saturday. I don't think we got as much rain here as in the northern part of the county, but we sure got enough wind. The electricity went off for a couple of hours, but by that time of afternoon it was nice enough to sit outside, if you didn't mind a little wind. I'm just glad it came back on in time for me to get your four bits' worth of news together.

The high winds caused the big tin shed at the back of Duplichain Contractors yard to come crashing down. That was the old lumber shed from when it was a building material store, so it had been there for a longtime. Fortunately they have enough equipment to put it right back up. I'm sure there are a good many trees down too, but I didn't see too many. Mainly it was just limbs.

Two-year-old Cayden West came home from the hospital in Houston on Saturday after having a cyst removed from his brain. I know the family really appreciates all the prayers and support they received during this very scary time. When we saw Cayden on Saturday night, he was playing with his little cars and trucks and you wouldn't even know that he had brain surgery on Wednesday. The little fellow is pretty tough. The surgery and everything went great; if you didn't look closely at the back of his head you couldn't even see the scar. We better keep little Cayden on our prayer list until the stitches come out and his parents get rested up.

Jake Hicks had his appendix removed last week after a pretty bad stomach ache which turned out to be an appendicitis attack. I've been there and done that. It isn't any fun when those appendices go bad. Hopefully by now Jake is up and going with very little pain.

Jake's grandmother,

Juanita Hicks, is going to Houston for some more testing on some serious health problems. Those doctors in Houston are the best, so maybe they can get her back on track. We sure need to keep her in our prayers and pray that the doctors can fix her up and get her back on the road to recovery. I don't know who will cook for all those boys down at Hick's Post Company if she gets under the weather.

Annie Ruth Nicar is back home from the hospital. I don't' know exactly what was wrong with her, but I'm glad she is feeling better and at home. She is a sweet lady and we need to keep her in our prayers for stronger health. Get well soon, Annie Ruth!

Judy Stewart got a double blessing on Feb. 19 or I should say her daughter and son-in-law, Kelly and Mark Heslip did. The Heslips are now the proud parents of twins, a baby girl, Emmy Lee, and a baby boy, Caleb Stewart. The babies were born in Bryan and are doing fine. The parents aren't getting much sleep and Judy is trying figure out how she can afford all the gas it is going to take going back and forth to Bryan as a grandma. Congratulations to Judy Stewart on her twin grandbabies and I guess we better throw in a little for the parents, too.

I'm reminding you folks again about the Alto Youth Baseball/Softball sign-ups and try-outs that will be held March 3 at the Youth Baseball/Softball Complex beginning at 9 a.m. T-Ball Sign-ups and try-outs will be held at this time also. Sign-up forms will be passed out at the schools beginning Feb.19. The cost per child for the summer 2007 season is $45. Please bring your forms and money to the try-outs. Anyone interested in volunteering and/or coaching, contact Jay Jones at (936) 635-1919. Anyone unable to attend tryouts because of a conflict may also contact Mr. Jones to make other arrangements to get sign-up forms and money turned in before March 3. If you forget now you can't say that I didn't tell you about it twice.

Our son Grant is going to be celebrating his 15th birthday on March 1. I just hope we get to see him for a few minutes on his birthday with all the activities he is involved in at school. After football season is over with and you think things are going to slow down, the ag shows and the spring sports start. My car is going to be worn out going from the ag shop to the golf course and back home again. I can't forget about driver's education - just think in one year I get to add another young male to my auto insurance. I wouldn't have it any other way. These kids grow up too fast. Happy birthday, Grant!

Sometimes I worry about the news that I'm going to bring you each week and if it is going to be something that you are interested in.

After watching a whole week of the national news about Anna Nicole Smith and the court battle over who gets to bury her, and the on going saga about Britney Spears shaving her head, I have to wonder if it really matters.

I have racked my brain trying to think of a good film that either one of these ladies made or of a hit song they sang and I can't think of anything. Anna Nicole worked at a fried chicken place in Mexia before she became a celebrity.

I eat at Church's Chicken a few times a week and I often wonder which one of the nice ladies that help me will be heading to Hollywood, leaving me behind to get my chicken from some newcomer that doesn't even know what I want on my chicken dinner.

We've all lost loved ones and shed tears over their passing, but when the judge that was deciding where to bury Anna Nicole broke down and cried when he read the verdict, I was confused. I have heard some emotional court cases, but I didn't break down. Judge Bentley would have probably cried if he had heard Anna Nicole Smith's case. He likes fried chicken even more than I do and the thought of losing experienced fried chicken help could have brought him to tears. Britney Spears shaving her head was not something that I'd consider worthy of national news coverage. We've all had bad haircuts. My sister-inlaw cut my mother-in-law's hair one time and she looked like one of those ladies from a concentration camp. It didn't make the national news, but we sure heard plenty about it.

Every time someone does something stupid in Hollywood they head to rehab. When someone does something stupid around here their family members just head to me so I can put it in the paper.

Maybe if I knew more about the criteria it takes to become a celebrity, I could have a better outlook on these two ladies.

Until that happens I'll just have to keep writing about important stuff, like Billy Ray Johnson and Larry Davis' hog hunting exploits. They may not look as good as Anna Nicole and Britney Spears, but they are both heavy in the front and one of them is almost bald.

I guess I've covered just about everything that needs telling for now. I'll see ya next week! And remember, It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others.