BIRD ISLAND IS NOT AN ISLAND AT
ALL. IT IS A THICK GROVE OF CYPRESS TREES IN CADDO LAKE. IT IS ABOUT 500 YARDS LONG AND
ABOUT 200 YARDS WIDE. IT IS IN THE SHAPE OF A SEMI-CIRCLE. THE CYPRESS TREES AROUND THE
OUT SIDE EDGE OF BIRD ISLAND HAVE GROWN THICK AND CLOSE TOGETHER. WHILE THE TREES ON THE
INSIDE ARE SPACED FURTHER APART. THERE IS ABOUT THREE FEET OF WATER ON THE INSIDE. THERE
ARE ONLY THREE PLACES AROUND BIRD ISLAND WHERE A BOAT CAN PENETRATE THE PERIMETER TREES TO
GET INSIDE.
AFTER I RETIRED, JOHNNIE AND I WOULD GO TO
MRS. TUCKERS CAMP ON CADDO AND SPEND THE MONTH OF MAY. MAY WAS THE BEST MONTH OF THE
YEAR FOR FISHING. MANY OF THE DIFFERENT SPECIES OF FISH ARE SPAWNING DURING MAY. AND THE
WATER TEMPERATURE IS WARMING UP. THIS MAKES THE FISH MORE ACTIVE AND ALSO THE WEATHER IS
STARTING TO SETTLE DOWN FROM THE SPRING STORMS. WE WOULD MOVE INTO THE LITTLE RED HOUSE
ACROSS THE DRIVE FROM MRS. TUCKERS HOUSE AND MAKE OUR SELVES AT HOME.
MRS. TUCKER HAD BOUGHT THIS HOUSE FROM AN
OLD COUPLE WHEN THEY BECAME TO OLD TO COME TO THE LAKE ANYMORE. IT HAD BEEN NEGLECTED AND
WAS RUN DOWN. EACH TIME JOHNNIE AND I WOULD STAY IN IT WE WOULD PAINT, REPAIR, REWIRE ,
AND REPLUMB SOME OF IT. WE PUT CEILING FANS IN THE LIVING ROOM, BOTH BEDROOMS, AND ON THE
SCREENED IN FRONT PORCH. WE REDID THE BATHROOM AND THE KITCHEN. I EVEN BUILT A FISH
CLEANING TABLE IN THE BACK YARD WITH A SINK, WATER AND LIGHTS. EACH YEAR WE WOULD MAKE IT
A LITTLE BETTER AND MORE COMFORTABLE TO LIVE IN.
JOHNNIE DIDNT GO OUT FISHING ALL THE
TIME. SOME TIMES I WOULD GO BY MYSELF. JOHNNIE WOULD STAY IN AND WORK IN THE YARD OR
AROUND THE HOUSE. SHE BUILT FLOWER BEDS AND PLANTED FLOWERS, RAKED LEAVES AND MOWED THE
GRASS. SHE WOULD HELP MRS. TUCKER WITH THE CAMP BY RENTING BOATS, COLLECTING THE MONEY FOR
THE BOAT RAMP, OR CLEANING THE CABINS AFTER THEY HAD BEEN RENTED. ONCE A WEEK JOHNNIE
WOULD TAKE MRS. TUCKER TO THE BANK IN MARSHALL TO MAKE A DEPOSIT. ON THOSE DAYS THEY WOULD
MAKE A WHOLE DAY OF THEIR ESCAPE FROM THE CAMP. THEY WOULD GO TO THE BEAUTY SHOP AND HAVE
THEIR HAIR DONE. THEN GO TO A RESTAURANT FOR A MEAL. THEN THEY WOULD GO SHOPPING. THE LAST
THING THEY WOULD DO BEFORE LEAVING TOWN WAS GO TO THE GROCERY STORE. AFTER ALL IT WAS 22
MILES INTO TOWN AND THEY DIDNT GET INTO TOWN ALL THAT OFTEN. SOMETIMES IT WOULD BE
DARK BEFORE THEY GOT BACK TO THE LAKE. OF COURSE ON THOSE DAYS I WOULD HAVE TO STAY IN AND
RUN THE CAMP. NO FISHING ON THOSE DAYS.
BUT I STARTED TO TELL YOU ABOUT BIRD
ISLAND. I HAD FISHED ALL AROUND BIRD ISLAND AND KNEW HOW TO GET INSIDE. I LIKED TO GO
INSIDE THE TREES AND LOOK FOR BREAM BEDS. ESPECIALLY WHEN I WOULD BE BY MYSELF. I WOULD
GET INSIDE THE TREES AND EASE ALONG SLOW AND QUITE FISHING BY ONE TREE AND THEN THE NEXT.
IT WAS SO PEACEFUL INSIDE THE TREES I DIDNT CARE IF I CAUGHT FISH OR NOT. THERE WERE
ALWAYS LOTS OF BIRDS IN THE TREES. THERE WERE BLACK BIRDS, CARDINALS, BLUE JAYS, AND
YELLOW-HAMMERS. BROWN TRUST, TREE CREEPERS, AND SEVERAL KINDS OF WOOD PECKERS WERE THERE
ALSO. THERE WERE WOOD DUCKS NESTING IN THE BIG TREES THAT HAD HOLLOWS IN THEM, AND ONCE IN
AWHILE YOU WOULD SEE A PILEATED WOOD PECKER THAT IS ON THE ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST.
BUT MY FAVORITE WAS THE LITTLE GOLDEN
FINCH. THEY WERE COMPLETELY YELLOW AND LOOKED LIKE A CANARY. THEY COULD SING AS SWEET AS
ANY CANARY. WHEN I WOULD BE SITTING IN ONE SPOT FOR AWHILE TWO OR THREE OF THESE GOLDEN
FINCHES WOULD FLY DOWN AND LIGHT ON BUSHES CLOSE TO THE BOAT AND JUST SIT THERE AND SING.
SOMETIMES THEY WOULD BE SO CLOSE I COULD HAVE REACHED OUT AND TOUCHED THEM. IT WAS AS IF
GOD HAD SENT THEM TO SING FOR ME AND ME ALONE.
LOTS OF TIMES ON A HOT AFTERNOON AFTER A
HARD MORNINGS FISHING I WOULD GO OVER TO BIRD ISLAND AND GO INSIDE THE TREES. IT WAS
SHADY AND COOL INSIDE. I WOULD LET THE BOAT DRIFT UP AGAINST A TREE AND JUST SIT THERE AND
RELAX. IT WOULDNT BE LONG BEFORE I WOULD HAVE A GOLDEN FINCH SITTING REAL CLOSE
SERENADING ME. HIS SONG WAS SO SWEET ALL MY CARES WOULD MELT AWAY AND I FELT AT PEACE WITH
THE WORLD.
SOME TIMES I WOULD TAKE SEVERAL SLICES OF
BREAD AND IMPALE THEM ON A TREE LIMB. JUST AS SOON AS I SAT BACK AND GOT STILL THE GOLDEN
FINCHES WOULD START SHOWING UP. SOMETIMES THERE WOULD BE 8 OR 10 OF THEM AROUND THE BREAD
AND THEY ALWAYS SANG FOR THEIR DINNER, IT WAS SOOTHING TO THE SOUL.
I ALWAYS THOUGHT OF THAT OLD SAYING,
"YOU SHOULD ENJOY TODAY WHILE ITS HERE BECAUSE SOME DAY TODAY WILL BE ALONG
TIME GONE." BUT THATS A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.
WELL THOSE DAYS ARE ALONG TIME GONE NOW BUT
THEY WELL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!