Last Catfishing Trip of the Year...

Rose, Warren and Coraline joined us for the last catfishing trip of the year. We caught 29, mostly in shallow water under slip corks with Rose scoring a 3.3 pound blue cat from deep water. I say last catfishing trip of the year and it will be the last till I replace my fishing license and everything else in my wallet that somehow came to be missing during this trip.  

Cathy and the grandkids try to figure out who is most responsible for this catch. I did the total for the year today and looks like we have caught 572 fish, mostly catfish but some bream and bass for good measure. I did not count fish caught at the beach or at Pop's pond since they were mostly released but I would imagine that should put us easily over 600. There were a good many canoe trips during the year, a bunch of swimming and skiing trips and it looks like there were about 21 trips where fishing was the main business that produced these fish.  

Old Pop Pop gets a hand on a fat blue cat. 

So despite all this fish we really do not have a huge stock on hand. There was a big family reunion fish fry, a lot of small get home from the lake impromptu parties and we gave quite a bit of fish away to anyone that went on a trip with us. 

The Great Christmas Day Catfish Round Up 2018...

It seems that the custom of Christmas Day has been going on forever for us. If I review these blog entries like a diary to recall the past events it really has been only a couple of years that we made it out exactly on the day. Seems there is a pretty good record of outdoor activity this week but that might just be because of time off and family togetherness causing us to do what we like to do.  

This year's great catfish round up started out lost in the fog. The lake is very high closing both ramps at Hank's Creek and I would imagine Monterrey Par. WE headed on the Cassels Boykin, an Angelina County run park with a steep ramp and launched there. 

I don't know if this has anything to do with the government shut down but since the Corps of Engineer ramps on the lake were flooded and our government permit is no good at the county ramp we had to shell out $3. Only thing was there were no pay envelops as there usually are. I found an old envelop in the truck, put license number and date on it and paid. Maybe some QANON types can tell me what kind of conspiracy this is. 

Lost in the fog. We launched across the lake and were soon lost. We tied up and fished around an island till things cleared so we could make out a land mark. 

The deep water spot we usually fish, we name them, called the Dog Walker is a log skinny stick up that is usually taller than a man standing in the boat. With the high water it stuck up three feet. No bites so we check a shallow water spot and there they were.  

Matt with a bent rod. 

You see we were slip corking in 8' of water. We call this Tim's spot as he caught a 4 pound fish here one time. 

All big fat channel cats. 

Final count was only 22 fish but then we wasted time lost in the fog. Good fish though. They were 8 pounds of fillets when cleaned. 

 

Big Slough Wilderness Area...

Saturday afternoon me and Matt took a drive to The Big Slough Wilderness Area. I've posted photos and hunting reports many times on my trips over here. It's a very nice isolated place to spend time in nature. 

Here is the bridge over the creek. It's part of the Four C Hiking Trail. It's called that because much of it follows The old Central Coal and Coke Company railroad bed. The 4 c was the largest sawmill 1904-1918 and they moved on because all the trees were gone. So I would say while there is good big timber still around it probably dates to post 1918. While hiking there is pleanty of bodies of water but the Forest Service recommends no drinking because of chemical runoff, not ever if you have a filtering system. I been looking at those systems or personal use and I guess they are not failsafe. 

The bottoms are flooded. We jumped several small bunches of wood ducks. I might make a hunting trip over there next week some time. I have not killed my yearly duck yet. 

A warm December afternoon had the snakes out. Here's a Gulf Coast Ribbon snake. A member of the garter snake family they eat cold blooded food like frogs, tadpoles, fish and so on.

Mat stands on the high ground part of the big slough with his go pro camera. So much water in the bottom it's a bit tricky walking around because with water in so many places it throws off your sense of where your land marks are. I can usually walk straight to this spot but I somehow over shot it on this hike. 

Neches River viewed

 looking downstream from the Anderson Crossing Bridge. 9.2 miles downstream is the Highway 7 bridge. There is a

 dirt launch for canoes and small boats. 

Houston, Tx Tuba Christmas...

You may have heard of Tuba Christmas. It's a world wide event begun in 1974 by Harvey Phillips in honor of his mentor, tuba player William Bell who was born on Christmas Day 1902. I participated in the Houston Tuba Christmas which was held at Hughes Landing Band Shell in the Woodlands. It was my first Tuba Christmas. 

Maybe you can pick me out in the photo. I have the only bell front concert tuba. 

That bell front concert tuba usually gets me in trouble for playing too loud. I sat close to the sousaphones so they could maybe take some of the blame. I noted in the music book we played from there were some notes on professional integrity, personal values, and dressing and behaving to represent the event well. 

My wife was quite surprised that this was a pretty subdued performance. Living with my tuba playing for 29 years now she has come to expect over the top larger than life activities to be the norm for this instrument. Maybe that's just me. It would have been that way, anyway. 

There's me in the center.  

The music was mostly Christmas hymns of a religious nature and even some Advent pieces. All were arranged in a four part harmony, 1st and 2nd euphonium and 1st and second tuba. You could play any part you wanted. There was a brief morning rehearsal and I took second tuba since it was in the lower register and with such short exposure to the music I was basically sight reading and did not want to be making failed stabs at the high notes. 

I wore my ugly Christmas suit that I wear for drum and tuba performances. I expected a bunch of guys in similar outfits but other than the guy below in a kilt, a few crazy sweaters and hats and some decorated horns it was a pretty nondescript bunch. 

I always say dress like you are with the band and play to the room.    

The guy in the center of the photo caught my eye. The director always tells you to watch him so the group stays together. This guy is a bit off kilter for keeping the leader in line of sight but maybe his peripheral vision is a strength. 

Back in high school marching band there are a lot of opportunities where the band marches right up the stands during a halftime performance playing fight songs or glorious fanfares right into the faces of the crowd. As tuba players we always loved these moments when you could hit soft flesh with maximum tone and as high school boys we often described this experience of sound pouring forth from our horns onto people in scatological terms. This guy probably knows what I'm talking about. 

Pink is good. They make all kind of plastic horns these days and while a plastic tuba does not seen to be a bargain compared to the price of an older used horn it would be lighter for an old guy to carry around.  

Ages of the participants ranged from 9 to 67 I think. Here's the 9 year old center of the photo with his dad. After the morning rehearsal concluded there was a piano in the church hall we were using to organize. I did not here this kid's euphonium playing but he sat down to the piano and sounded just like Jelly Roll Morton. I judged him a prodigy. Young girl in the upper left on euphonium sat behind me at rehearsal. I did hear her horn playing and she is a heck of a player.   

Thanks to Miguel for the photos. Thanks to my family, Cathy, Mary, Miguel, Ezra and Morgan for all coming out to see the old man play. Sorry Ali and Parker got stuck in the Santa picture line since I think Parker might be owning the most maniacal baby in the tuba photo for the time being.  

Miguel holds Ezra as he has that "There's Pop Pop" moment. 

Live music...

I guess with the end of the year approaching it's only fitting that I finish chronicling the live music I saw over the past year. Here's a band I saw for the second time, once at Hogs for the Cause BBQ Festival and then again at this year's Jazz Fest. They call themselves Hiss Golden Messenger.

I don't know the significance of the name. I downloaded the latest cd from eMusic and in doing so I discovered that this guys name is MC Taylor. I have several other cds and had always called him "old Hiss Golden Messenger." 

I really can't tell you why I like this music. It's southern band hailing out of North Carolina and various online sources describe the music as country, rhythm and bluegrass swamp pop gospel blues. The lyrics don't really stick in my mind but it has good slide guitar which always appeals to me and he's definitely flying the singer songwriter flag. I guess it might be what Cathy calls "old sweet hippie" music. 

Dig that left handed bass guitar. Some kind of hollow body instrument perfect for getting those tuba like tones that have got me kicked out of a lot of bands. 

This is band member Phil Cook who supplies the slide guitar. I have one of his cds. Great guitar sounds with what looks like cobbled together instruments with the body off one guitar and the neck off another. His music is similar, laid back southern rock. 

Like I say though the lyrics don't really stick to me I note that they have a little box set of combined works out called "Devotion, songs about rivers and spirits and children." Those are all good things.
 

Brazoria Wildlife Refuge...

On our recent visit to Lake Jackson w took a drive through the Brazoria Wildlife Refuge. Established in 1966 it provides habit for migrating and costal birds. Hunting and fishing are allowed. 

Here's a big flock of Canada geese. There were also big flocks of mallards. I usually duck hunt in the woods of the Big Slough Wilderness Area and while there are usually plenty of wood ducks it's been years since I saw a mallard in that area. With the rain we are getting I have been a little cautious thinking I might get stuck if I hunt my favorite places so this bird watching was good for the soul.  

Sandhill cranes. There is a season to hunt these and not knowing much about this bird I wondered why. It's because they are good to eat. Some call them rib eye in the sky. 

This body of water, also called Big Slough winds through the costal marsh and is fresh water. There were some places where on one side of the road was fresh water habitat and other side salt water. 

Swamp creatures overlook Bastrop Bayou. Seems from fishing reports I read you might catch most anything, bass, specs, gar, catfish, mullet and more from this bayou. Judging from State of Texas water quality reports the bacteria counts here are often higher than recommended for contact recreation.  They have a web site to keep everyone up to date with the conditions and to urge all to check septic systems, control pet waste, keep livestock out of the water by providing shade and cut down agricultural run off.   

Nice places. Let's try to keep them nice. 

Jazzy Christmas...

Got in a little Holiday Cheer last night but first we did some bartering with friends Suzy and Charlie. We traded them sushi for a couple of extra tickets they had to see Wynton Marsalis and The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra which was presented by the Angelina Arts Alliance. Nancy and Roy also joined us at dinner and the we all trooped over to the Temple Theater at Angelina College for a great show titled "Big Band Holidays."   

That's Wynton, first trumpet on the left. He's a new Orleans guy but trained in the classical as well as jazz.  Wynton's a big fan of old time jazz, swing, blues and harmony which he has said are some of what he considers the fundamentals of jazz. He and Cathy share a feeling in the fact that free, modern jazz makes them want to slap someone. This group performed all the Christmas classics with most arrangements done by the band  members. 

Once again there's great, big time live music in Lufkin. 

Lufkin Community Band Concert...

I played with the Lufkin Community Band this weekend for the fall "American History in it's Music" concert. Pieces performed were medleys of American Revolution songs, railroad songs from the early industrial era, patriotic songs, pop tunes from the WW I era, American service anthems as well as a British march, a German march and "Blessed are They by Brahms from a German Requiem. 

Thanks to Cathy for the photos. I'll put this sensitive tuba player pose in my publicity packet. 

The band is done with programs for this semester. Things will begin anew in the spring semester. Registration is through the Angelina College Community Program and is $35 a semester. Ages of the group range from college students to about 88 years old and everywhere in between. 

The music is challenging. I feel like this program had some of the most complex music I have played since college. That's good because I am slowly but surely getting my chops back. Once up on a time I was a pretty good tuba player. I might get to where I am again. 

Various services represented during "March of the Armed Forces." 

Big Blue Cats...

No I am not have a psychedelic experience where I am seeing large felines covered in blue fur. I am seeing the big blue catfish we caught at Lake Sam Rayburn yesterday. Me, along with Cathy and her brother Matt hooked some good ones and ended up with the days total being 37. 

Cathy clowns with the big cats. I had a 6, Cathy had a 5 and Matt had a four pounder. That

s about 17 pounds of catfish on the hoof in this photo. 

Matt nets for Cathy. Note the dingy water color from the run off of recent rains. Cat fish did not mind. In sheltered areas the sun was warm but on the open lake the west wind was chilly. Water is 34' deep at this spot. When you are on the lake all those stumps that have "MB" for mudbelly spray painted on them? Stay away, they are mine. 

The big white pelicans have migrated down from the north. In this photo you may notice the water turkeys perched in the tall dead trees. That little group of pelicans swam all the way across the lake directly to them. It's the lead pelicans job to know that those turkeys pooping in the water draws the shad to the surface for easy snatching and eating. He does his job well. 

Lakeside fall colors. 

The whole pile. 

Of course an impromptu fish fry broke out on our arrival home. You wonder what makes our kind? It's catching and frying fish all the time.