Thank You For Visiting

Texas Bob's World

 

Listen with Windows Media Player Plug-in

 

 

 

"BIRD ISLAND"

 

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. TUCKER’S 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. TUCKER’S 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 DIDN’T 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 DIDN’T 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 DIDN’T 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 MORNING’S 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 WOULDN’T 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 IT’S HERE BECAUSE SOME DAY TODAY WILL BE ALONG TIME GONE." BUT THAT’S A WHOLE NOTHER STORY FOR A DIFFERENT TIME.

 

WELL THOSE DAYS ARE ALONG TIME GONE NOW BUT THEY WELL NEVER BE FORGOTTEN!

  BY LOREN MOORE

COPYRIGHT 1999

 SEE YA

 

LIKE TO JOIN OUR FREE MAILING LIST?, CLICK ON THE HEART BELOW

 

.

I would love to hear your comments on the pages we prepare  and recommend, we enjoy doing it for your pleasure, our pleasure is receiving your comments.

Page design By: Texas Bob

Visitors to the site since 7-12-03

free web counter