Not a lot new to blog, in fact will be very sparse for a few days as we are flying to Colorado for Thanksgiving. The grandkids (oh....and their parents) will be visiting so we want to take the opportunity to spend some time with them, plus catch up on things like dental, doctor appointments, visit some friends and make a trip up to the cabin for a check out. Flying out of Houston Hobby airport on Monday, then back here on Friday.
Do want to share some info about the Toledo Bend Lake that is outside of our front door. It is a rather unique lake in the way it is put together (so to speak). The lake is a monster in regards to size, it is 69 miles long, 10 miles wide crating a total surface area of 185,000 acres. Shore line of 1264 miles with average depth of 60 ft (max depth 110). It was built complete in 1969 with total state funding (between Texas and Louisina)....not a federal dollar involved. 3 objectives satisfied....electrical generation, water and recreation. The thing that I find very unique is that the entire lake (as far as what I am told, so far have not personally explored past this little corner) is populated with trees sticking out of the water. That is the first thing that you notice as you cross any of the bridges spanning the enormous land gap, the trees that are sticking out of the water in any direction that you look. Something else noticed rather quickly is the many buoys and water markers that snake as a line through the water. These have been identified to me as water lane markers. There are so many submerged tress (above and below the water line) that the lake actually contains what I refer to as a boat highway. You can safely travel the marked route, other wise you are on your own in avoiding hidden debri. This strange in what you would typically expect to see on a body of water this size.......speed boats, water skiing, jet skis.........not so much. But this is what makes the lake famous for bass fishing. Perfect bass environment. Boats do go off the path of least obstruction obviously, but what I learned forn the boat ride with Dale the other day is that once out side of the markers, slow is the key and if you feel a bump....do not distress, the bost slides off as you continue fishing. Oh.....and no one runs aluminum props......steel baby.
The explination for this is simply that at the time of construction, there was not the time taken to remove the brush prior to filling the lake. It just occurred to me that maybe this is a direct result of state funding vs federal funding????? It does seem rather strange to me that afetr all these years that the water had not cleared of wood through the natural process of decaying. Could it be that submerged items do not rot as quickly due to the lack of oxygen.......that is my theory.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Time to catch up on a few things.
Still enjoying the day to day laid back atmosphere that allows us to remain in the relax mode. Has been chilly for this area (friggen artic blast has it at or near freezing here over the past few nights. 40s through the day) so we at times wonder if we did not go far enough south, but there is not much more "south" to navigate. Thinking Florida or Arizona might ensure warmth. Need to think about that. Still.....as I write while watching weather report, those poor folks north are digging out from 6 feet of snow. They show that 50% of the US is snow covered. Hmmmmm.....we have not had to dodge a single snow flake. Maybe near freezing is not so bad after all.
High Life.....
Continuing the process of getting to know our new friends while broadening our knowledge base. Simple things being part of relaxing. Things such as setting with the guys for afternoon coffee allowing me the opportunity to listen to local stories and news while popping in with occasional questions. Along with dominoes playing, Tuesday movie night and just setting around the campfire.
The park office/meeting area is pretty much your typical fishing/ice supply store which would not be complete with out the many mounted fish exhibits and catch pictures. As I was viewing fishing history, I noted a theme in what is displayed......a fisherman named "Ralph" seemed to be mentioned in/on many of the exhibits. In asking about this individual I found him to be a bit of a local legend. It seems that Ralph took on fishing like it was a job. His daily routine was to be in the park office/store at 4:30 every morning, make the coffee and at first light be on the lake until late afternoon......like I said, this was everyday. He was the local expert on where to fish, when to fish, how to fish, what to fish........Nothing but stories of not only being an expert fisherman, but how well liked he was and how he is missed. He lived in the far corner of the park in a very nicely laid out modular home that (with Ralph's passing) is now occupied by his son Dale and his wife Kristina.
I have now found that Dale seems to be every bit his dads son. He may not take fishing as more than a hobby (not a job), but I found that my time on the lake with him and his boat, he knows the lake and fishing as you would expect for someone that has grown up in the area with a legendary dad. Gave us (myself and Uncle Jerry) a guided tour of this part of the lake (lake is 69 miles long so "this part" is enough for now) pointing out various landmarks, fish stories and stories of the drought of 2012. Once we found a good spot and started fishing, Dale was quick to point out my poor choice of bass bait. He corrected my error from his assortment of tackle (every bit of tackle in its proper place, such a well organized floating vessel) and soon I was throwing the rubber watermelon worm rig that is favored by the local bass. This just prior to the cold front coming in so conditions were not the best, clouds with eventual wind and rain. Dale was successful in a non-keeper and a hog that broke his line. Uncle Jerry pulled in a turtle and yes....even I had a bit of action. Wrestled with one on, wound up losing half of my watermelon worm to the whopper (that is my story and I am sticking to it). Was exciting for about 45 seconds.
As mentioned Sue and I have become domino experts, well not so much me, but Sue won her first game yesterday. As in everything that I do poorly in...........it all amounts to luck.....and mine of course is bad. That is all it amounts to.....luck.
So.........even though my blogging has suffered from lack of frequency, things are happening just not quickly. please be patient and hope that you enjoy my "occasional" updates.
Road Rash......
Has to be the colder than expected cold temps. But could be worse.
Still enjoying the day to day laid back atmosphere that allows us to remain in the relax mode. Has been chilly for this area (friggen artic blast has it at or near freezing here over the past few nights. 40s through the day) so we at times wonder if we did not go far enough south, but there is not much more "south" to navigate. Thinking Florida or Arizona might ensure warmth. Need to think about that. Still.....as I write while watching weather report, those poor folks north are digging out from 6 feet of snow. They show that 50% of the US is snow covered. Hmmmmm.....we have not had to dodge a single snow flake. Maybe near freezing is not so bad after all.
High Life.....
Continuing the process of getting to know our new friends while broadening our knowledge base. Simple things being part of relaxing. Things such as setting with the guys for afternoon coffee allowing me the opportunity to listen to local stories and news while popping in with occasional questions. Along with dominoes playing, Tuesday movie night and just setting around the campfire.
The park office/meeting area is pretty much your typical fishing/ice supply store which would not be complete with out the many mounted fish exhibits and catch pictures. As I was viewing fishing history, I noted a theme in what is displayed......a fisherman named "Ralph" seemed to be mentioned in/on many of the exhibits. In asking about this individual I found him to be a bit of a local legend. It seems that Ralph took on fishing like it was a job. His daily routine was to be in the park office/store at 4:30 every morning, make the coffee and at first light be on the lake until late afternoon......like I said, this was everyday. He was the local expert on where to fish, when to fish, how to fish, what to fish........Nothing but stories of not only being an expert fisherman, but how well liked he was and how he is missed. He lived in the far corner of the park in a very nicely laid out modular home that (with Ralph's passing) is now occupied by his son Dale and his wife Kristina.
I have now found that Dale seems to be every bit his dads son. He may not take fishing as more than a hobby (not a job), but I found that my time on the lake with him and his boat, he knows the lake and fishing as you would expect for someone that has grown up in the area with a legendary dad. Gave us (myself and Uncle Jerry) a guided tour of this part of the lake (lake is 69 miles long so "this part" is enough for now) pointing out various landmarks, fish stories and stories of the drought of 2012. Once we found a good spot and started fishing, Dale was quick to point out my poor choice of bass bait. He corrected my error from his assortment of tackle (every bit of tackle in its proper place, such a well organized floating vessel) and soon I was throwing the rubber watermelon worm rig that is favored by the local bass. This just prior to the cold front coming in so conditions were not the best, clouds with eventual wind and rain. Dale was successful in a non-keeper and a hog that broke his line. Uncle Jerry pulled in a turtle and yes....even I had a bit of action. Wrestled with one on, wound up losing half of my watermelon worm to the whopper (that is my story and I am sticking to it). Was exciting for about 45 seconds.
As mentioned Sue and I have become domino experts, well not so much me, but Sue won her first game yesterday. As in everything that I do poorly in...........it all amounts to luck.....and mine of course is bad. That is all it amounts to.....luck.
So.........even though my blogging has suffered from lack of frequency, things are happening just not quickly. please be patient and hope that you enjoy my "occasional" updates.
Road Rash......
Has to be the colder than expected cold temps. But could be worse.
Monday, November 10, 2014
One full week at our new home location....Lowes Creek Texas. This past week found us busy with visiting a local museum, helping Uncle Jerry build a deck around his trailer, getting in the routine of morning walks (trying to get some excercise) and working in some occasional fishing.
High Life.......
This past Thursday found us in Hemphill visiting the "Patricia Huffman Smith NASA Museum". In February 2003, Hemphill and its vicinity were one of the key search areas for wreckage from the Space Shuttle Columbia after it broke up over Texas. Search teams recovered some of the remains of the shuttle and crew members and the Orbiter Experiment Support System recorder (OEX) was found nearby.
A memorial has been erected in Hemphill commemorating the deceased Columbia astronauts. The memorial is located at the intersection of Hwy 87 North and Hwy 83 East.
The Museum opened February 1, 2011 commemorating the 8 year anniverssary of the disaster. The museum features the permanent "NASA Remembering Columbia" exhibit.
Patricia Huffman Smith was key in the location and construction of the facility. The museum shows a video that is post incident interviews with various community members. It captures the emotional effects of the tragedy to each individual. Even after these several years the video makes one realize how the community came together and supported each other and more importantly the strangers that were also now a part of their day to day activities and for a short time, members of the community.
The evening after the museum visit, we were setting around a camp fire with Larry and Sheila. These 2 folks are to be thanked for their many efforts in keeping the park neat and tidy. They have been in the area for 30+ years. We were talking about our visit and asking about their experiences. The morning of the incident (shortly after 8am) there was a loud sound that went on forever. It is hard to describe but Larry was very clear with the verbal reproduction of what he heard and the only thing that he could figure had happened was that the local natural gas high pressure pipe line had ruptured and had a continuous leak. He got very emotional and had to take a couple of minutes as he recalled his feelings about the fact that those astronauts lost their lives at that moment of break up. Sheila shared the bread making story which is a good example of how the locals came together to house and feed the thousands that were in the area carrying on the wreckage search that went on for several days. She was consistently mixing bread dough in her fifth wheel, after raising, the hundersds of loafs were spread through out the park to various campers ovens to be baked. The flour from the process had spread through out their home and took forever to cleanup. Very moving.
Previous blog entry mentioned the Saturday night jamboree. Would like to share some pictures of this past Saturdays get together.
Will leave with one last photo for this posting.........
Road Rash..........
Might freeze one night this next week at 31 Deg. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
High Life.......
This past Thursday found us in Hemphill visiting the "Patricia Huffman Smith NASA Museum". In February 2003, Hemphill and its vicinity were one of the key search areas for wreckage from the Space Shuttle Columbia after it broke up over Texas. Search teams recovered some of the remains of the shuttle and crew members and the Orbiter Experiment Support System recorder (OEX) was found nearby.
A memorial has been erected in Hemphill commemorating the deceased Columbia astronauts. The memorial is located at the intersection of Hwy 87 North and Hwy 83 East.
The Museum opened February 1, 2011 commemorating the 8 year anniverssary of the disaster. The museum features the permanent "NASA Remembering Columbia" exhibit.
Patricia Huffman Smith was key in the location and construction of the facility. The museum shows a video that is post incident interviews with various community members. It captures the emotional effects of the tragedy to each individual. Even after these several years the video makes one realize how the community came together and supported each other and more importantly the strangers that were also now a part of their day to day activities and for a short time, members of the community.
The evening after the museum visit, we were setting around a camp fire with Larry and Sheila. These 2 folks are to be thanked for their many efforts in keeping the park neat and tidy. They have been in the area for 30+ years. We were talking about our visit and asking about their experiences. The morning of the incident (shortly after 8am) there was a loud sound that went on forever. It is hard to describe but Larry was very clear with the verbal reproduction of what he heard and the only thing that he could figure had happened was that the local natural gas high pressure pipe line had ruptured and had a continuous leak. He got very emotional and had to take a couple of minutes as he recalled his feelings about the fact that those astronauts lost their lives at that moment of break up. Sheila shared the bread making story which is a good example of how the locals came together to house and feed the thousands that were in the area carrying on the wreckage search that went on for several days. She was consistently mixing bread dough in her fifth wheel, after raising, the hundersds of loafs were spread through out the park to various campers ovens to be baked. The flour from the process had spread through out their home and took forever to cleanup. Very moving.
Aunt Sandi
Posted in Front of Museum
Crew
Previous blog entry mentioned the Saturday night jamboree. Would like to share some pictures of this past Saturdays get together.
The Ladies Table
Left to right......Brandon, Ron and Sheila
Joe
Cham (You Might also Recognize the Lady in Purple.....photo bomb)
Uncle Gerry
Morning Fog Near the Boat Dock....Still Working on the Fish
Road Rash..........
Might freeze one night this next week at 31 Deg. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
Endeavor has landed......
Well, here it is Tuesday Nov 4 (election day) and we are setting comfortably in our coach which is located in Lowes Creek RV Park, 7 miles from Hemphill Texas. We actually arrived here on Nov 1, but due to setup, getting to know the area and the challenge of internet connection (not to mention cell phone service) have not been able to post in a very timely manner. Am now using a neighbors wifi connection, seems to work OK with only occasional outages. Strange in the fact that the system tells me that our AT&T signal is "excellent" while the borrowed connection is "poor" but our connection does not stay up long enough to get anything done. Oh well.......we are up for the moment, but if my updates are few and far between you will know why.
High Life......
Park is nothing fancy but very comfortable (and affordable). The couple that own the park (Roger and Terri) have made us feel very welcome and they are very laid back. The trust amongst the natives is very refreshing after city life. Everything has a lock but we have been entrusted with knowing where the keys are if we should need anything and they are not around. From the store to even borrowing the Corvette if we want to go for a ride (yes seriously).
The first night we were here, we were invited to the Saturday Jamboree which was a sandwich meal including entertainment......locals strumming the guitars and vocalizing to the best of their abilities. The only down side was that it seems most everyone smokes, getting a dose of second hand smoke was not a problem.
The next day we continued setting up, then later in the day we were invited to a football party that was also very homie....inclusive of Broncos decorations and Broncos fans. Seems there are many relocated Coloradans and if they are not Coloradans......everyone is a Broncos fan now days, or at least a Payton fan.
Made our first trip into Hemphill for supplies. Small town of appr 1200 but they seem to have all that we require. Have a hardware store, grocery, ALCO, lumber yard and not just 1 but 2 Dollar stores.
Got my fishing license so that I can get after those fish.
Temps for the first couple of nights were cooler than we expected, got to 39 one night, but 70s during the day. Low of 58 last night so hope that is more typical.
Road Rash....
A bit of sadness in that Roger is a cancer victim and in poor health. His life has been determined to be short termed (maybe a year) but that does not keep him from smoking like a chimney. I guess a person can always second guess life style choices, if I was looking at a short term existence, I might simply say "the hell with it" and do what makes me the happiest also.
Well, here it is Tuesday Nov 4 (election day) and we are setting comfortably in our coach which is located in Lowes Creek RV Park, 7 miles from Hemphill Texas. We actually arrived here on Nov 1, but due to setup, getting to know the area and the challenge of internet connection (not to mention cell phone service) have not been able to post in a very timely manner. Am now using a neighbors wifi connection, seems to work OK with only occasional outages. Strange in the fact that the system tells me that our AT&T signal is "excellent" while the borrowed connection is "poor" but our connection does not stay up long enough to get anything done. Oh well.......we are up for the moment, but if my updates are few and far between you will know why.
High Life......
Park is nothing fancy but very comfortable (and affordable). The couple that own the park (Roger and Terri) have made us feel very welcome and they are very laid back. The trust amongst the natives is very refreshing after city life. Everything has a lock but we have been entrusted with knowing where the keys are if we should need anything and they are not around. From the store to even borrowing the Corvette if we want to go for a ride (yes seriously).
The first night we were here, we were invited to the Saturday Jamboree which was a sandwich meal including entertainment......locals strumming the guitars and vocalizing to the best of their abilities. The only down side was that it seems most everyone smokes, getting a dose of second hand smoke was not a problem.
The next day we continued setting up, then later in the day we were invited to a football party that was also very homie....inclusive of Broncos decorations and Broncos fans. Seems there are many relocated Coloradans and if they are not Coloradans......everyone is a Broncos fan now days, or at least a Payton fan.
Made our first trip into Hemphill for supplies. Small town of appr 1200 but they seem to have all that we require. Have a hardware store, grocery, ALCO, lumber yard and not just 1 but 2 Dollar stores.
Got my fishing license so that I can get after those fish.
Temps for the first couple of nights were cooler than we expected, got to 39 one night, but 70s during the day. Low of 58 last night so hope that is more typical.
Couple of camp setup shots. Notice the nice deck and picnic table.
Newly built and I think readied for us.
View from or location, lake in the back ground
Checking out a possible (probable) fishing spot
Road Rash....
A bit of sadness in that Roger is a cancer victim and in poor health. His life has been determined to be short termed (maybe a year) but that does not keep him from smoking like a chimney. I guess a person can always second guess life style choices, if I was looking at a short term existence, I might simply say "the hell with it" and do what makes me the happiest also.
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