HIGH POINTS from El Camino Real
CHRIS DAVIS

The Easter Bunny has made his yearly hop down El Camino Real and folks are still finding eggs that he hid too well for the little ones. The task of getting chocolate bunny and grass stains out of Easter dresses and slacks is all that remains to be done. The Easter sunrise service at the football field was a big success, but I didn't manage to make it out that early, so I've had to take folks' word on it. I hope your Easter was a blessed one and all your family was close. We've had just about four bits' worth of activity around town, and I guess that is what you bought this paper to find out about.

Dick Low is recovering from heart surgery and should be at home by the time you area reading this. Everything went well with his surgery, and he is well on his way to getting well and back to doing what he wants to do. Dick and the family want to thank everyone for their prayers and concern during his illness. Get well soon, Dick!

Billie Jean Coleman is recovering from surgery in Lufkin. She has been down there for a few weeks, so it is time she was getting better and getting home. Hopefully she will be coming home this week. Please keep her in your prayers for a full recovery.

Willard Lawson had a stint put in his heart and then came home and had a spell with it. He was back in the hospital the last time I heard anything. Willard is as tough as they come, but I don't see him as much as I used to since he doesn't run the Texaco station anymore. When the Yellowjackets take to the field at the end of the summer, you can bet Willard will be all healed up and ready to watch some football. Get well soon, Willard!

Monroe Clemens died last week at the age of 96 years. His services were held on Saturday with the Rev. Herman Martin officiating. I thought Monroe had passed years ago, but he had been living at the nursing home for a good many years. He was always a nice fellow, and I hope you'll keep his family in your prayers while they mourn his passing.

Spring break is over and it's time for everyone to get back to school and ready for the next TAKS test. Seniors are getting dangerously close to entering the real world of college and work. We've had some pretty nice weather for our spring breakers, so they can't complain too much about having to go back to the grind of school. They have added some new paving at the school, on the road by the girls softball field. This will also make for some better parking at football games. The new elementary school hasn't been started yet, but you see people surveying and getting things all planned out to start. Good luck to teachers and students as they return to finish out the school year.

The Cherokee County Junior Livestock Show starts tomorrow in Jacksonville with the poultry judging at 1 p.m. The show will continue until Saturday night and wind up with the big barbecue and auction. There will be a steady stream of cattle trailers and flat beds loaded down with goats, chickens, hogs, cows and shop projects heading for the show this week. A work day was held this past Saturday to get the show barn ready for the big event. Hours and hours of work goes into making this show a big success each year. I hope everyone will get the chance to come by and see some great kids show off their animals and projects.

I love the Junior Livestock Show and getting a chance to work with the kids on their projects when I'm hanging around the agriculture shop at the school. The one thing I've noticed about our kids is that they want to look good even if they are working. If this means welding in their best clothes or wading around in a pig pen in Polo boots. it's alright with them. The important thing is to look good no matter what you are doing - Momma and Daddy can always buy some more nice clothes. I tried to give my son Grant a nice pair of coveralls to leave at the ag shop to work in, and you would have thought I was trying to make him wear a dress. It took me a few weeks to convince him that work clothes were alright to wear if you are working. Now that the girls have moved into the ag shop and are working on projects and welding, I'm wondering what their parents will be paying for ruined clothes. I know life is a learning process, but I think some of these kids today learn slower than we did.

Everyone keeps asking me when I'm going to plant my tomatoes, and I keep telling them I'm waiting until the nights warm up a little more. If you put them in the ground now they will just sit there until it gets warm enough for them to grow. I don't believe you get a head start by getting them in the ground earlier. I've got my ground broken up, and all I have to do is lay out the rows and get to planting when the weather is right. With the price of gas and groceries, everybody better get to hoeing up a spot and planting something to help out with the bills. A little gardening might even cut down on your medicine bill.

After we get finished with the junior livestock show this weekend, I'm going to have about 18 chickens to dress and put in the freezer. I've cleaned squirrels, fish, deer and hogs, but I've never cleaned a chicken, so this ought to be an experience with that many. I'll have to be real careful or I could end up with some feathers in my dumplings.

I better move on to something else and let you folks get back to what you were doing. I can't be everywhere at once, so if you have some news that needs telling please let me know about it so I can spread it around.

I'll see ya next week! And remember, We come to love not by finding the perfect person, but learning to see an imperfect person perfectly. elcaminoreal@consolidated.net