High points from El Camino Real

Folks along El Camino Real are bracing for another hot Texas August, but at least this one has come with a little rain. We either get hot and dry or hot with lots of humidity, either way it has us praying for cooler weather to come soon. We’ve got several more weeks of hot weather ahead, so if you are working outside, drink plenty of water or sports drinks to stay hydrated. I don’t sweat too much gathering up your six bits worth of news, so I ought to be able to make it through this issue with one glass of tea.

Our friend Moonie Green passed away on August 1. She was 82 years old. As long as I’ve known Moonie she was helping somebody. She was a much loved member of the Weeping Mary Baptist Church and the Alto Community. Please keep her family in your prayers this week as they mourn her passing, and there is a bunch of them to pray for. Moonie leaves behind six children, 19 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren, and 21 great-great grandchildren.
Wayne Castle passed away on August 2. He was 54 years old. His services will be on Saturday at 2 at the New Hope Baptist Church. Please keep his family in your prayers this week.

Dwain Grogan suffered a heart attack on Sunday morning and was in critical condition in a Lufkin Hospital. My dad ate lunch with him at Mollies Diner on Saturday and then they went and played dominoes down at Billy Ray Johnson’s. Daddy had just got through telling me that Dwayne didn’t look good before we got the call that he was in the hospital. Please keep Dwayne and the Grogan Family in your prayers.

Some good News! David Chan is home and doing well after his heart surgery in Tyler. Hopefully he will be back to work clogging our arteries at the Doughnut Shop in a few weeks. He has sure had lots of folks worrying and praying for his return. Get Well Soon, David! We need you back!
Miranda Stevenson and Joshua Baker tied the knot in Nacogdoches at Millards Crossing on Saturday afternoon. The little white church was bursting with all the family and friends that came to see the couple wed. Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs Joshua Baker!

Wade Grogan is graduating from Texas A & M University this week. He is the son of Brian and Jeana Grogan. Wade is the same age as our son Creager and they are roommates in College Station. When I watch kids grow up like I have Wade I get a big smile on my face when they accomplish good things. I’m sure my smile won’t be as big as Brian and Jeana’s, but we are proud of Wade. Congratulations, Wade!

Meet the Teacher at Alto ISD will be on August 15 from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. There are still blue tarps flapping from the roofs, but it is going to be full steam ahead on the inside as teachers work to get all the little darlings learning reading, writing, and arithmetic just like they always have. When I graduated from the old high school in 1978 we had to light those old big gas heaters to stay warm in the winter. In the summer we just took the windows out and leaned them up against the wall because the hinges were so worn they would fall out if you tried to open them normally. Kids are tough. It’s the parents and teachers that we have to worry about keeping sane until things are back to normal. Go meet the teachers and get ready to help your child prepare for another school year.

The Alto Yellowjackets started football practice this week and excitement is building for the upcoming season. Football tickets are going on sale to season ticket holders that bought seats last year on August 5 through August 16. Some of the seats may be twisted a little or have some dents from the hail storm, but if you are on your feet cheering the Yellowjackets on like you should be, you won’t even notice. Season tickets will go on sale to the general public on August 19. Parking is going to be different this year because the portable buildings are in the parking lot in front of the stadium and the construction crews are in the high school parking lot. This is going to be confusing to some, so pay attention. The reserved parking for season ticket holders will be in the elementary parking lot. General admission parking will be behind the softball field and elementary playground where the homecoming bonfire usually is. You may have to walk a little further to see the Yellowjackets play this year, but hopefully it will be worth it. Its always been funny to me how the ones that complain about walking are the ones that need to walk the worst.
Fortunately I didn’t get a charley horse or anything writing this column, but they have been raging this week with people working out in the heat. There are lots of people that don’t even know what a charley horse is, but when they get one they won’t ever forget it. I imagine we are going to have some football players that will get to meet Mr. Charley Horse before the end of the week. When I was a kid I would laugh and laugh when my dad would jump up out of his chair and go marching around the living room holding his leg and groaning. Now I get them and I don’t laugh anymore. I’ll see ya next week! And remember, Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.