Show some respect! - Part Two!

Trees! Real, honest to goodness, TREES! Gods I love East Texas. The smell alone is absolutely amazing.... old growth pine forests, especially when damp. I can breathe there. I can be alive there. Truly glorious old forest, with the right smells, the right sounds of no traffic, but of birds, frogs, bugs, and the wind far above our heads whispering through the pine needles.

Pulling into the park somewhere around 7ish, we find that not only is the park office closed, but they've got this real sweet little sign up saying that we don't have to take the reserved spot, but can have any spot we want! Sweet! And wandering commences through the park finding the perfect spot. Boyscouts and a hispanic family dominate one area, but there's very few folks over in the other area, and its blessedly quiet. While I don't particularly mind tejano music, I mind it invading and permeating my enjoyment of the woods. Turn it down please.

Setting up camp was so very easy with two people. The tent went up very quickly, and then there was something I'd never heard of before when camping... an air bed. Well, sure. Why not? The reason why will come later in the story.

Camp set up, I wanna go canoeing. Last time we were there, they had paddleboats and canoes for rent, so I'd been looking forward to it the entire way out there... but nutbunnies! They're closed! We were too late! hrm. Lake + swimming gear (sorry kiddos, this is a state park with boyscouts everywhere) + getting rather close to sunset.... screw it. Lets go swimming!

HOOOOLY CRAP that water was cold! Many gasps and squeals and giggles at somebody else experiencing the same thing... especially when certain dangly bits hit that cold water... that still makes me laugh! Inching in, step by step, just slowly getting used to that rather frigid water. Fishies around our feet, wondering the same thing that we are "Are you my dinner?" Splashfights and diving, and the Spectacles That Can See Through Time trying to make a break for Davy Jones locker. I love swimming, but not in concrete chemical pools. I love swimming in the rivers and lakes, to enjoy the outdoors. Lying back in my love's arms, floating, completley care free.. no sound but our breathing and heartbeats, nothing touching but each other... a glorious sunset overhead, streamers of gold and pink and purple. It doesn't get much closer than this. One perfect moment was found.

Allrighty then... its getting dark and we're about 10 miles outside of an itty bitty little small town in East Texas.. we'd better get a move on or we may not get supper! So, we hurry up, get changed, and head on into town... to the Not a Dairy Queen - Hawkins family restaurant. Food was plentiful and cheap and smartass comments were made that you know you're in Texas when you look up on the overhead menu and see fried okra on the list! And they had sweet tea! Ahh, heaven. Heading out, I hadn't noticed anything on the menu mentioning breakfast, so I thought I'd ask where to get some in the morning. Well, lo and behold, they serve breakfast, and were shocked to find out we were camping over at Lake Daingerfield. Apparently the locals thought it was closed for some odd reason. I guess that explains why it was so empty!

Yup. Its official. Getting back to the campsite, I had officially hit the giddy stage of the trip.

Lying in bed, yeah, it was hot, no, there wasn't hardly any wind on the forest floor, but oh my god that bed was heaven! Listening to the crickets and the frogs and the raccoons and above all, the wind in the pines way above. Listening to it come through the forest, curl back, as it progressed and change course... almost could see it. The sky had cleared, and I was almost wishing we hadn't set up the tent, but just left our sleeping bags out in the open. Close your eyes and just listen to the wind... whispering of unknown paths, whispering of the ocean to the south, playing with the tops of the trees, kissing them as it took a piece of them to the next place farther on. Occasionally you would have a breeze come down to run through the forest, play with the needles on the ground and gently rustle the underbrush, and then you'd hear it go back up. I fell asleep listening to the sound of the wind in the trees.

Damn Jays. Don't they know daybreak is way too early to be making that much racket? And when did they get to be in tune with the amount of tea I drank last night? Well, hell. Its time to get up. On the way out of the restroom, we notice this trail running off. You remember what I said before about animal trails being a worse temptation than country roads? What's better to get you ready for breakfast than an early morning hike around the lake? I was raised being taught native foods, and have furthered my own education out of simple curiosity, so I couldn't help myself but spot everything medicinal and edible on the way. Mmmmmm chicken-of-the-wood mushrooms. Mmmmm wild grapes, and blackberries, and there's some lambs' quarters, and cattails and pond lilies and fish and raccoon tracks and I do believe I'm hungry!

We eventually make it back to camp, showered (sorta) and headed out. We got back to the main road and had a decision to make. West = home. We'd be back fairly early and could get some stuff done. Get breakfast at the Not a Dairy Queen. ... or we could go East. We weren't that far from Jacob's grandmother's farm in Gray.... or from Caddo Lake. ... Neither one of us was really ready to head back, so we headed East again.

A handpainted sign on the side of the road promised breakfast ahead, and we've both learned that the best food comes from the handpainted signs, so a glorious breakfast was found (eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, homemade buttermilk biscuits, gravy, taters, fresh homemade butter) and a lovely view of some nicely chatty bouncy jiggly bits. I do believe its very true when I quote someone saying "They do grow 'em nice down here"

..... to be continued in part 3.