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| In July 2001, a few months after moving to Dallas, my pal at work Brett and I went on a weekend camping and fishing trip at Caddo Lake. |
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| Dallas, Texas |
| S E N E N M E L C H O R A M P I L A N T O N I O |
| Caddo Lake is about a three and a half hour drive southeast from Dallas. It is the only naturally formed lake in the state and straddles the border between Texas and Louisiana. Click here for a map of the area. It was named after the Caddo Indians who settled in the area in the early 1800's. According to Caddoan legend, a Great Spirit came to the Chief and warned him to move his village to higher ground. Instead of heeding the warning, the Chief stubbornly kept his village on the lowlands. One night, while he and his men were out hunting, a great rumble rose from beneath the ground and shook the earth. The Chief rushed back to the village but he was too late -- the village had disappeared beneath the dark waters of the newly formed lake. Today, scientists theorize that the lake may in fact have been formed by the great New Madrid (MO) earthquake of 1811. |
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| Our campsite |
| Brett and I headed to the interpretive center, where he paid for the campsite and I got my 3-day fishing license. Firewood, fingerling for bait and other supplies were bought at the convenience store by the park entrance. We soon loaded our rented canoe and paddled out into the bayou. Though it was my first time fishing, I soon learned that it comes down to a mindgame between you and the fish. Unfortunately, that weekend the fish proved to be smarter than Brett and myself, so we just pretended to fish over the next few days while chewing the fat and guzzling our stash of beers... |
| C a d d o L a k e |
| C a d d o L a k e |
| Caddo Lake averages from 8 to 10 feet in depth, though the larger bayou can go as deep as 30 feet. The lake is a popular fishing destination, with over 77 species of fish, including largemouth bass, yellow bass, crappie and catfish. The lake is also home to turtles, alligators, frogs, snakes, beavers and various water fowl. Click here for more Caddo Lake fishing and wildlife info. Over 250 plant species are found in Caddo Lake. Curtains of spanish moss hang from branches of great cypress trees, while water lilies crowd the lake surface. Caddo Lake has a great State Park with picnic sites, campsites with water and power, shelters and cabins, a launching area and pier, hiking trails, nature trails, a playground, and clean toilets and showers. |
| As the weekend came to an end, we decided to drive around the backroads of east Texas and have breakfast/sober up at a local restaurant or diner. We somehow ended up in a small Mom-and-Pop joint in Uncertain, Texas (yup, there really is such a place). The following was our colorful encounter with one of the local diner folk. This really happened. |
| Prickly 300 Year Old Geezer Waiter: Whaddayawant? Brett (playing the smartass): I guess you have the full hotel breakfast spread, huh? Geezer: .... (grumbles)... Brett: Uhh... Geezer: Lissen, y'get two eggs, two sausages, two slices o' toast anna hash brown. THAT'S IT. Brett: ... uhmm... o-kaay... Geezer (turns to Senen): How d'you want yer eggs? Senen (trying to be polite): Uhh, scrambled please? Geezer: You'll be gettin' em over easy.... You can tell me how you want'em, but yer only gettin' em one way... Ahh, Texas... |