HIGH POINTS FROM EL CAMINO REAL
CHRIS DAVIS elcaminoreal@consolidated.net
Last week was some kind of busy for folks along El Camino Real, especially if you had kids competing in the Cherokee County Youth Livestock Show. Long days and even longer nights were spent helping the kids get their animals and shop projects ready for the big show and then hauling everything to Jacksonville for the competition. Jerry Knott was roaming around the Jacksonville show barn looking at all the projects on Friday afternoon and we visited for a few minutes. On Saturday afternoon when I got back to the show barn,

Randy Low told me that Jerry had been taken to the hospital after a spell with his heart. D. J. Middleton and Aaron Low had seen Jerry's truck on the side of the road in front of Sue Jones' house and turned around to make sure everything was alright. This is one of the advantages of living in a small town where everyone knows you and what you drive. Jerry was having some pretty severe pains in his chest and had pulled over. The young men called the ambulance and he was transported to the hospital in Lufkin. They are keeping him for testing of course, but I think he is going to be alright. It's a good thing we look out for each other around here or it could have been a lot worse. When I saw Jerry on Friday afternoon, he didn't tell me a single fish or deer story, so I should have figured that something was wrong then. If he comes out of the hospital telling us that a big buck hit him in the chest while he was stopped on the side of the road or that a giant catfish jumped out of the water and finned him in the chest in the river, then we'll know he's alright. Get well soon, Jerry - you are in our prayers and we're pulling for you.

Janah Dominy and Abbey Scott built a hammock that can handle a lot of weight. Several of their friends piled on for a silly photo just before the auction at the Cherokee County Junior Livestock Show.

I've written something about every stitch that has been sewn into one of Mindy and Kim Scott's five boys and one girl since I started writing this column. The rate of injuries slowed down a good bit as the kids aged, until this weekend.

Their 18-year-old son

Trevor,( this is the one that the bush hog fell on a few years back), was hog hunting and with some other boys shot a big boar hog. The hog made a run at Trevor and when he turned to run in the dark woods he tripped and fell down. The hog ran over him and cut him above the eye with a tusk. Trevor's friends carried him to the hospital and it only took nine stitches to close up the wound. I don't know which eye he got the cut over, but I'm hoping it will match the one caused by the bush hog that is under his left eye. I do wish Mindy and Kim would have kept up with how many stitches their family has had over the past 10 years. The boys got the hog, so the hunting trip wasn't a total loss.

Verline Reed always gives me a call when the bluebonnets that grow in front of her house in the Cold Springs Community start blooming. She called last week to give me her report and I missed her. She called me back again this week so I could let you folks know they are ready to look at. She said the ones in the front of the house have a good many wild flowers mixed in with them, but if you go down her driveway and look back towards the road you can see some nice ones. When the patch was in its glory a few years back, it was a favorite spot for Easter pictures. Thanks for the information, Ms. Reed.

The Stella Hill Memorial Library is hosting its annual friends of the library sponsor drive the entire month of April. If you want to help support our great little library then get out your check books and send in a $25 donation or more if you can afford it. You can drop your checks by the library or wait until next week and I'll get you some addresses on where to mail them.

The Cherokee County Junior Livestock Show was a huge success again this year. If you like to be around some great young people, you would have been in hog heaven this past weekend. All the hard work leading up to the Cherokee County Youth Livestock Show is quickly forgotten when you arrive and see the pride on the young men and women's faces as they show off their animals and projects that they have worked so hard on for the show. This year's show was a great success and the work the kids put into their projects was a testament of how much it means to them. We have great ag teachers, 4-H leaders and community volunteers who put many hours into making this show a great success. Be sure to thank them for all they do.

A big thanks to everyone who donated money or bought projects and livestock. The Cherokee County Youth Livestock Show depends on the support of the community and the people in our county never let them down. If you are looking for something to fill an empty spot in your life, find out what you can do to get involved with the youth in our county through the 4-H or FFA organizations. You won't be disappointed.

I'm warning you folks a little late about Easter this year, but this Sunday is the big day. For all you folks who just go to church on Easter, it's time to get your Sunday duds out of the mothballs and let them air a few days before Sunday. The smell of mothballs on crowded pews just doesn't mix well with the scent from the Easter lillies. In spite of what you hear on the news, we have a lot to be thankful for here in America and we'd best be remembering who to thank. I hope you all have a happy Easter.

I'm going to wind this thing up before I start rambling in a different direction. Keep the news coming. I'll see ya next week! And remember, Some minds are like concrete - thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.