GREETINGS

"I took these this morning, looks like Lenna and I will have a white Christmas. Please tell everyone hello and Merry Christmas for me. I am doing well and I wish good health to all."
Sincerely,
Gene Routh

A FEW NEWS NOTES:

"Kay and I went to Houston Friday for her son's graduation from Physician Assistant's school. He received a Masters Degree and will work for an orthopedic surgeon in that area. He was a Special Forces medic and retired after 22 years in the army. I closed my medical office in Brownwood in October after 38 years of full time private practice and now work in Coleman on Tuesdays and Wednesdays ONLY with the other two physicians in Coleman. Hopefully I will start enjoying semi-retirement soon if I ever catch up."
James

"Merry Christmas to everyone. How blessed we are to have Christ in our lives!! To June and Chris-our prayers will be with you and how thankful we are you are okay. About the house-my bad! That is the house on Broadway. The one Darrell's uncle lived in was on the hill on 6th Street, I think. They are similar, but (it) was not a boarding house. Aren't we glad Marilyn does this for us? Thanks, girl, and how glad we are you are doing so well."

Love you all,
Dottie (Bishop)

On Nydah's recovery, June (Harris) Koch wrote: "Talked to her a few days ago and she is home and doing well. Sounds like she really had a rough time of it. I think she must have had a reaction to some of the pain meds..."

"I'm in Lafayette, LA. I will have Christmas with my Mom, daughter, and wife. Mom is in a retirement home. Lost my Dad January 1, 2007. I had to put my Aunt in the Nursing Home last month. So this has been a rough year."
Neil Broussard

I had a really nice visit with Jerry and Shirley Eoff, and Jerry's sister Bobbie at the Beefmaster last night. They gave me lots of information about the bridge I photographed. The one in City Park. Nancy's husband Jake also gave me information. It seems the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) was busy in this park during the Depression years, building many structures. A few are still standing, as is this bridge. I was told there was once a long shuffleboard table with benches alongside adjacent to this bridge. Apparently, the water and years of dirt washing under the bridge in the draw have covered these up. Shirley (Fry) Eoff told me that there had been a caretaker's cottage across the road from the bridge, and that her grandfather was caretaker of the park for years.

There is also a long concrete table still standing in a rather secluded part of the park that was called The Nook. This area is to the left at the bottom of the steep hill going into the park. Bobbie Eoff said she had her wedding rehearsal dinner in this nook. Nearby there still stands a spooky stone building, now filled with nothing but graffiti. Jerry said this used to be the water works building when Ballinger's water supply came from this area. (Surely not Elm Creek?)

I leave you tonight with a little snapshot of a house on the Bronte Highway. The lights are really unusually pretty in Ballinger. We may be a small town, but we're mighty big on decorations!

'Til next time....
Marilyn