High points from El Camino Real

by Chris Davis

Folks along El Camino Real are ready to let the cold dreary days of winter go and start getting ready for spring. I saw a few people breaking their gardens up and putting line on their fishing rods in anticipation of another change in the seasons. I personally think we have some more cold days ahead, but it is something to look forward to, kind of like my eight bits worth of news.
The search for Danny Wayne Carter on the Neches River didn’t turn out like we wanted it to. His body was recovered from the river on Thursday. He was 49 years old. Danny passed away while hunting along the river.
Lots of folks are going to miss Danny, but I guess there is some solace in knowing he left us doing something he enjoyed. Please keep his children R. D. and Briley Carter, his parents Donald Wayne and Peaches Carter, and Shirley and Donald Ferguson and all the rest of the family in your prayers during this time of sadness and loss.
Rusk lost a beautiful soul last week with the passing of Peggy Abernathy. Peggy was 88. She was a friend of my mother-in-law Juanita Holcomb, where they worked together at Marie Mehner’s Dress Shop in Rusk. She was a very sweet lady and one that I always enjoyed seeing. Please keep her family in your prayers.
Eloise Williams turned 90 on Sunday, January 26. We drove over to Nacogdoches on Sunday afternoon to celebrate and she kept us entertained with tales of her childhood. She said that the first indoor toilet she ever saw was in Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Musick’s house in Rusk. They were her aunt and uncle. She said they didn’t have one of their own until they moved to Crane, Texas when she was 11. Eloise was a great seamstress and worked at the cleaners in Alto and Rusk for many years until she retired several years ago. Jay Anna put our picture on Facebook after we got home and in a little bit the phone rang and it was a familiar voice from the past.
The voice said, “Chris, is that Eloise from the cleaners with you in that picture?”
It was Dorothy Graham of Rusk who moved to McKinney a few years ago. Dorothy is 95 years old. She wanted Eloise’s phone number. Both of them are Facebooking in their nineties. Who’d have even thought of such a thing. Came into the world without indoor plumbing and now she has a toilet and Facebook. What a life! Happy Birthday, Eloise, We Love you!
Marc Eckel is continuing to bless our town with his beautiful artwork. On Sunday night he gave an unbelievable testimony with his artistry in finger paint at the Hilltop Baptist Church. I’ve never seen such a moving message done in finger paint. Powerful artist for Christ. The more I watch this guy and see his work the more anxious I am to see the wall at the red light finished. Keep up the good work and we will keep praying for sunny days ahead.
Everybody is getting geared up for the Super Bowl this weekend and having Patrick Mahomes from East Texas as quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs at least gives us something to cheer for. I can’t even remember the last time we’ve had a Texas team to cheer for in the Super Bowl.
If it wasn’t for chips and charcuterie boards the games wouldn’t even be worth watching. I don’t think charcuterie boards had even been invented the last time the Cowboys went to the Super bowl. I think that was the same year they invented cheese dip with Rotel tomatoes and Velvetta cheese. I’ve put folding legs on my charcuterie board and I’m going to call it a TV Tray.
My turnip green patch is going to seed, so its about time to plow them under. I’ve still got plenty of kale but I haven’t figured out what to do with it yet, so it may have to go too. Fortunately the cabbage is making nice heads, so I’ll have plenty for cabbage roll soup if we get another cold spell.
Its hard to believe that its already time to start breaking up ground and planting onions and potatoes. It won’t be too much trouble this year because the gophers and moles have broken up about everything I’ve got.
I guess I’m going to have to start reading my newspaper. They had a big Open House at the Cherokeean on Friday complete with refreshments, but I didn’t find out about it until Sunday when I slowed down enough to look at the paper.

Being Texas’ Oldest Weekly Newspaper is something to brag about. In March I will have been writing this column for 22 years. Its amazing how much stuff can happen in that length of time.
I’ve told about all that you can absorb for now, so I better save some for the next issue. If you have some news that needs telling please let me know about it.
I’ll see ya next week!
And remember, A mistake that makes you humble is better than an achievement that makes you arrogant.