September 26, 2016

 

Diboll Day 2016 will soon be another memory. Please express your appreciation to any and all you know that have worked so hard to make this another successful event. It was good to see Milford Ruby taking care of his Diboll Day responsibilities which includes special parking passes. Milford said he has not missed a single Diboll Day since its inception in 1953. Milford was in the US Army in 1953 and was successful at getting a leave to come home for Diboll Day. He traveled by train and was met by his parents. Milford recalls seeing his dad from his seat on the train and did not recognize him because of his ugly bushy mustache which he was wearing for the Diboll Day Beard Growing contest. The rules said, “wear a beard or mustache or for the ladies, makeup, or pay a fine”. Luckily, Milford was able to wear his Army uniform and not be penalized for not having a beard. If I’m not mistaken, Milford has won the ugly beard contest in past years. Anyway, the hard work will be over with this Saturday. If you haven’t heard, the parade with begin at 9AM and not 10 as usual.

Billie and Leonard Robison took a trip to Branson a few days ago in their beautiful motorhome. The highlight of their trip was seeing the extravagant production of Moses. They were happy to finally have good weather to see the Shepherd of the Hills and also enjoyed The Irish Tenors & Celtic Ladies, Country Jamboree Comedy Variety Show and Max Bacon Gospel show. During the visit they also visited the Titanic Museum, the Veteran’s Museum and the popular Dick’s Five and Dime. They ate at the well-known Falls River Steak House known for their T-Bone and Ribeye steaks.

This past Saturday was an interesting day for the Robison’s.  They both grew up on Galveston Island and went there to visit their old historical home that was sold to a lady who completely renovated and opened it as a bed and breakfast.  The owner had invited Leonard and Billie to spend the first night in the bed and breakfast several years ago.  Now she is selling it and invited them to come see what else she had done to the house.  So early Saturday morning they were off to Galveston.   They went to see Coastal Dreams Bed and Breakfast and visited with some of the guests there.  In fact, one couple was from Alaska and were waiting for a cab to take them to the Shrimp Festival on the Strand.  The cab was slow coming so Leonard and Billie took them to the Strand.  One of the stops they always make while in Galveston is at Ohana Surf Shop.  The young man who is now the owner, William Cram, worked for Leonard and Billie when they owned the Sunrise Surf Shop there.  Billie said, “Well, there was a surf contest going on so these two elderly people walked across the Galveston seawall to the beach where we met up with many of our old workers and customers.  What a reunion.  These ‘young people’ really think a lot of Robby, as he was called at the shop.  They were having dinner at the Four Seasons conference room later in the day and invited us.  We went to lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant, The Original Mexico Café, then rode around to all our old haunts.  We went back to the Four Seasons for the meet and greet with our surf crowd friends and look at old pictures but because the weather turned rainy and windy we decided not to stay for dinner and left Galveston about 4PM for home. What a day.”

Don and Tyane Deitz traveled with Dr. David Balliett, a veterinarian in Longview, and his wife Claire to Portland Maine. They stayed at The Yachtman in Kennebunkport Bay several days while sightseeing the area. Almost every day they hiked 1-1/2 miles to the guard shack at Walker’s Point which is the summer home of 41st President of the United States George H. W. Bush. One afternoon while hiking, a sudden thunderstorm caught the group and they tried to take shelter in the beautiful 1890 St. Ann’s Episcopal stone church but the gardener would not allow them to sit under its portico. Needless to say walking in wet clothes and shoes did not make them happy. Another day they were wearing Texas A&M shirts and were surprised when secret service guys told them they had been watching them every day come to the guard shack and turn around. Another day the group enjoyed shopping in Freeport, a town full of outlets, including LL Bean and Orvis. The week was filled with beautiful seascapes and eating lobster and clam chowder. It was a good trip except for delayed flights and getting to Houston with no luggage.

Traveling to Louisville, Kentucky to attend the Kentucky Grand Chapter of the Eastern Star was Sue Johnson, Carolyn Black, Marceline Crenshaw and her cousin, Maddelin. Marceline was the Grand Representative of Kentucky in Texas Order of the Eastern Star. They attended a banquet and luncheon and bragged on the food. While in Louisville they toured the Evans Williams Bourbon Distillery and drove into Indiana just to say they had been in another state. In LaGrange, Kentucky they toured the original home of Dr. Rob Morris who formed the Order of the Eastern Star in 1893. In his home, they were impressed with the wood burning stove in the kitchen and chamber pots under the beds. The ladies spent a night in Jackson, Tennessee with cousins of Marceline and Maddelin.

I think Dr. Walt Grote was surprised that Andrea recognized him after being gone 27 years from this area. He lives in Ozone, Arkansas and was in East Texas visiting family. He lives in a remote area where his nearest neighbor is a black bear and refuses to leave home during October because the leaves are so beautiful. He showed pictures from last year of the breath-taking foliage on his property. Dr. Grote continues to work as an anesthesiologist, has chickens and enjoys raising horses.

The tour of the new science wing at Diboll High school was very interesting and should make us all very proud to have such a nice facility. I was also impressed with the refreshments that were available. Tina Jowell made homemade cookies cut and decorated into the shape of flasks and small square cookies with the chemistry symbols of the periodic table. She is married to the only Chemist in Diboll, Phil Jowell, who also teaches in the new lab and proofed the symbols. Other teachers in the new science lab are: Mike Waters, Christina Dunkin and Clinton Walker. Tina bakes cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, pies and more for the public if you ever need something tasty and decorative, give her a call at 512-963-2600.

Don’t forget the parade will begin at 9AM. I would be so pleased if readers would share Diboll Day stories and names of people they saw during the day. My number is 635-1300 or better yet, email me at sandra@poulands.com.

Come see us…’round the table