High Points from Camino Real

Folks along El Camino Real have gotten Mother’s Day behind them and now they are getting ready for graduations, cemetery homecomings, and family reunions. When we are in school we dream of summer vacations, but after you get grown you realize that it’s no vacation at all. I just hope I can help you keep your summer to do list in order with my six bits worth of news.
Mike and Debra Dominy have a beautiful new granddaughter. Hattie Jan Boyd was born on May 4. Her parents are Jana and Ethan Boyd. I saw picture of her and she is precious. I use to put the parents names first when I wrote about babies, but now that I’m I grandparent I moved their position up a notch or two.
Congratulations to Jana and Ethan on their new baby. We can’t wait to see her.
On Saturday morning we attended graduation at Jacksonville College. Our sweet Marilyn Gonzalez graduated Cum Laude with an Associates Degree in Science. She will be heading to Southern Arkansas University in the fall on a track scholarship.
She is pursuing a career in nursing. She can be my nurse when I get old. Congratulations Marilyn. We love you!
While I was up there watching Marilyn I saw Eddie Breen from Chapman’s Pharmacy in Rusk come across the stage to get his diploma with honors. He is pursuing a career in the ministry. He goes to church with me, so he should ask for extra credit in missionary studies. I think he’ll be great, but I don’t think I’d make too good of a preacher. Congratulations to Eddie Breen on his graduation.
Eric Long retired from the Highway Patrol after twenty years of service this past week. He had a big retirement party on Saturday at the First Baptist Church in Rusk and lots of his coworkers, family, and friends showed up to thank him for his service to Texas, and to wish him the best on his retirement.
I was the Justice of the Peace when he started and he looked like a little kid dressed up like a highway patrolman. I can’t believe that was twenty years ago and now he is retiring.
Thank you for your service Eric, but its going to take some me some getting use to, not looking for you in that patrol car.
The Alto Yellowjackets baseball team ended a great season on Saturday in Lufkin in a game against Woden. The double header played on Friday night came up with wins for both teams, so the game on Saturday was that much more exciting. Woden had a great pitcher that could really throw the ball fast.
I know it was hard on our senior Yellowjackets, but it all ends sooner or later and a new chapter in their lives begins. Congratulations to our Alto Yellowjackets for always playing hard and making us proud.
The annual Shiloh Memorial Day service will be held on Sunday, May 20.  The homecoming celebration will be at the Shiloh Pavilion 2 miles west of Alto on Farm Road 752. 

Please make plans to bring lunch and join your friends and family as we honor loved ones. There will be a brief business meeting immediately before lunch. For those wishing to mail donations for the cemetery, the address is:  Shiloh Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 315, Alto, Texas 75925.
It’s a beautiful old historic cemetery with lots of history that dates back to early Texas. If you’ve got loved ones buried at Shiloh then you need to be there to support them.
For years I’ve been sitting behind Kim and Mindy Scott in church and for years I’ve been holding and playing with their grandchildren. On Sunday I got to hold my own grandchild in church.
Our grandson, Sawyer made his first appearance in church on Mother’s Day and we were grinning from ear to ear. People told us and told us how wonderful a grandchild was to have, and they were right.
Garrett and Jessica sure better have that baby back in church on Father’s Day.
The cold nights we had for so long really put our gardens behind and now I’m afraid that it is going to turn off hot and dry before our plants get a chance to catch up. I hate to be greedy, but we could use some rain right now. I’ve been seeing a good many folks cutting and baling rye grass and weeds.
We don’t know how much rain we are going to get his summer, so it’s better to have something to fill up the cows’ bellies than nothing. I just wish I could get my peas to come up and make a half way decent looking row. I’ve already planted them twice and haven’t gotten a good stand yet. Oh well, that’s farming and dry pinto beans taste pretty good with cornbread too.
I feel like I have forgotten something, but my memory fails me at this time. I guess its not anything that can’t wait until the next issue.
Its getting close to graduation time, so we need to say some special prayers for these young men and women as they head out to make their marks on the world and start a new phase in their lives. I’ll see ya next week!
And remember, People who give a piece of their mind can seldom spare it.