HIGH POINTS FROM EL CAMINO REAL
CHRIS DAVIS
Folks along El Camino Real are seeing the world through itchy, watery eyes as the annual cloud of yellow pollen envelops our area. The pollen is easier to bear when we have a wet spring and a rain comes every few days to wash it away. According to the weatherman, we won't have much chance of that with a dry spring being forecast by most of them. I guess we'll just have to take what we can get. Drug companies ought to be happy with all the extra business they get this time of year with eye drops, allergy medicines and nose sprays. Hopefully your eyes will be clear enough to take in four bits' worth of news without much irritation. I was noticing the date of this column and got to doing some figuring. I started writing this column 10 years ago last week. My first issue came out on March 6, 1997. Time does fly when you are having fun.

CHRIS DAVIS elcaminoreal@consolidated.net

The State Champion Alto Yellowjacket football team received their state championship rings last Monday. The players spent most of the week showing off their rings to anyone who would look. I don't know of any engagement ring that has gotten as much attention as these state championship rings. I'm afraid that some of our boys are going to have one arm longer than the other just from carrying the weight of one of those rings all day. They look really great and the entire town is proud of the boys' accomplishments and their rings.

A big crowd of parents and students attended the open house held at the Alto School last Tuesday night. The Alto Buyers Group sold barbecue sandwiches with all the trimmings in the cafeteria to raise money for the upcoming Cherokee County Junior Livestock Show. The barbecue was great and the sandwiches were going fast. The library held its annual Book Fair and stayed packed most of the evening as children shopped for books and other items that were on sale. Some kids left the open house with smiles on their faces after their teachers bragged to their parents about their behavior and progress. Other kids left with worried looks on their faces after their parents found out the truth about how they were doing in their classes. Parents need to take part in their children's education; the turnout at open house was a good indication that Alto parents care.

Ronnie and Dottie Norton came home Saturday from their stay in the hospital. Dottie was sick and in the hospital in Tyler, and her husband Ronnie went up there to see her. Ronnie was in front of the hospital when some fellow got in a fuss with his wife who worked at the hospital. The man pulled out a pistol and started shooting his wife. A stray bullet hit Ronnie in the leg as he went in the door of the hospital. Ronnie had to undergo some surgery and he wasn't doing very well afterwards. Tony Ray Johnson went up to the hospital and stayed with Ronnie all night. Tony was going back to stay again, but Ronnie called and told him that he was much better. Getting shot is a terrible thing to happen to a fellow, but having Tony Ray spend the night with you and the thought of him staying another night must have been more than poor Ronnie could bear. I guess we owe Ronnie's miraculous recovery to Tony Ray. We are thankful that Dottie and Ronnie are both home and doing better. We need to keep them in our prayers for a speedy recovery.

The hog hunting team of Billy Ray Johnson and my dad, Larry Davis, have gone their separate ways for a few days in the pursuit of catfish out of the Neches River. I don't think either one of them has caught enough fish to flavor the grease as of yet, but we are still hopeful. The hog hunting venture produced enough meat to fill two potted meat cans nearly to the top, so I've saved two sardine cans for the fish I'm expecting them to catch. Daddy's motor wouldn't run and he and my uncle wound up doing some paddling on their first trip. I don't know what Billy Ray's problem with catching fish was. It looks like they would pick a sport that requires a little less effort, like dominoes.

The talk of a dry spring has done its part to dampen my spirits over the upcoming gardening season. I can water the tomato crop and in fact they probably do a little better when you can control the amount of water they get. With the price of city water, I hope I don't get anything but Methodist tomato plants - they can make it on just a sprinkle. I'll have to take out a loan if J. C. Dover sticks me with three flats of Baptist tomatoes from Dover's Plant Farm. I'll be sure and ask him their denomination before I buy them. The purple hulls will need about three good showers to make a good mess of peas. If we don't get at least that, its gonna be a long dry spell.

The time change has rattled our sleeping habits this week, but fortunately for the kids and teachers it was Spring Break. Getting up an hour earlier wasn't one of the things I was hankering to do this week, but I guess I'll learn to deal with it. I always do. I never did figure out why the time changed so early this year, but I guess it is to save money on fuel or something. We certainly need help on our electric bill, so maybe this will save us a dollar or two. I'm not going to get my hopes up for that.

I guess I've filled you with about all the knowledge you can stand for now and will save the rest for later. Keep the news coming if something happens around your place. I'll see ya next week!

And remember, It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them.