High points from El Camino Real

If you were doing anything on El Camino Real on Saturday, you were sweating. Summer in East Texas has arrived.

It’s dry and it’s hot, but that is the way its supposed to be this time of year.
Every field you pass by is full of hay bales, so that ought to be putting a smile on the faces of our cattlemen.
Everybody is racing to beat the army worms and dry weather and it looks like they are doing a good job of it.

We are better off than we were last year anyway. I’m not any better off in the news department, but I’m trying my best to gather up six bits of news and get it in before the paper goes to print.
A big crowd turned out for Tommy “Diller” Selman’s visitation and funeral. Diller was a longtime friend to many us and he will be missed.
He got the name Diller when he was playing high school football. Alto didn’t have much of a team when we were in school, but Diller did his best.

He would hit low and often times ended up with his nose in the dirt like an Armadillo. I remember seeing one film where they hiked the ball and Diller just stood up and went to swinging with his fists.
I don’t think Alto won a game for two years but everybody had a good time. We will miss our friend but he left us with lots of great memories and smiles that can be shared over and over again.

I know we all think that there are no bigger football fans anywhere than here in Texas, but I can assure you there are.
As I was driving down El Camino Real on Sunday I noticed something painted on the butt of the end of a tree that reminded me of this fact and that you can smell the approach of football season in the air.

I know the Alabama guys that have been picking up the storm debris are beginning to get homesick, because painted on the butt of that tree were two words, “Roll Tide.”

The boys from Alabama have been doing a terrific job cleaning up our tornado mess and we appreciate all their heard work.

Heck, I’ll even cheer for their team as long as they aren’t going up against one of our Texas teams.
One thing for sure we shouldn’t have any trouble finding a tree butt to paint Gig’em or Hook’em on.

For now its “Roll Tide” along El Camino Real as the boys from Alabama are working hard to get our little stretch of the King’s Highway looking good again.
Randy and Carol Dowling celebrated 50 years of marriage on July 20 at the Cold Springs Methodist Church.

Randy and Carol were married on the same day the astronauts walked on the moon. That makes an anniversary pretty easy to remember.

Of course with six kids, I don’t think you need a moon walk to remind you.
They were surprised with a renewal of their wedding vows at their celebration at the Cold Springs Methodist Church.
They married at the Methodist Church in town in 1969, but they live in Cold Springs.

Happy golden wedding anniversary to Carol and Randy Dowling.

The week Carol and Randy got married, I was a 9 year old little boy standing on the side of Interstate 95 in Florida watching with my mother, daddy, sister, and brother as Apollo 11 took off for the moon.
We were just heading to another concrete job like we did every summer when school let out, but we were in the right place at the right time.
I never thought much about being an astronaut, but I sure did like to stare up at the night sky at a big full moon and think about those guys being up there on it. I was always trying to figure out which little spot they were on.
Years later I was pouring concrete at Cape Canaveral building a warehouse for the space shuttle.

We saw two take off and one land while we were working there. When the shuttles would come over Alto to make a landing I would always think back on those days.

When the tragedy of the Columbia shuttle happened, I had only been County Judge a few weeks and then it seemed like the hopes and dreams of our space program were just scattered through the pine trees.
The other night I sat on the tailgate of my pick up in the pasture and watched the space station pass over.

I thought about the astronauts inside and all the sacrifices that have been made and the knowledge that has been developed getting them in space.

I guess I’ve been pretty lucky for a little towheaded kid from Alto to get to see so much of the stuff that our grandparents would have never even imagined.

As I sat on the tailgate of my truck the other night watching the space station go over, I realized that I haven’t been doing enough staring at the night sky and imagining. It’s harder to get up in the back of the pick up than it use to be, but it’s worth it.

Just think, there is a planet up there in space where all the people have pointed ears, just like Mr. Spock. I wonder which one it is.

Laura and Marion Lindsey have decided to start closing Lazy L Barbecue on Saturdays and Sundays so they can spend more time with their family and friends.
I guess the biggest question I have is, who is Marion’s friend and which of his family members want to spend anymore time with him?

Take a break, Laura, working five days is enough, and Marion has done his part too.
He put the “lazy” in Lazy L Barbecue.
Things are about to start getting busy around here as we grow ever closer to the end of summer. I’ll do my best to keep up with everything, but I’m going to need your help.

Please let me know if you have anything that needs to be spread around. I’ll see ya next week!
And remember, You don’t always get what you wish for, you get what you work for.