A Wedding, A Camp Out, Everything is Everything Blog Post...

We made it out for another camping trip last weekend to Twin Dikes Corps of Engineers Park with the purpose of spending the weekend celebrating the wedding of cousins Kassidy and Pryde at Rayburn Country. 

It was a great wedding and I say cousins because both are my cousins from different sides of the family. Kassidy is my 3rd cousin on my mom's side and the connection to Pryde is through the Nerrens on my dad's side. My 3rd great-grandfather George Washington Nerren and his 4th great-grandfather Benjamin Franklin Nerren were brothers.  

I knew way more of the Wiley side of the family than I did of the Nerren side of the family present and I had a great time talking to younger cousins Caleb and his girl friend Angelica and cousin Justin.   

Thanks to Connie for the photo. Cousin Dixie sent it to me.      

Twin Dikes was a good enough camp. The lake views were great and another camper tipped me to a fishing spot in sight of camp but sites were much closer and less privacy than we are used to having on the beach and in state parks. Seemed like all the campers around us were part of a group or family and there was a rotating party that each of the camps took turns hosting. 

Lots of black squirrels in the campgrounds. 

We didn't fish but rode bikes all around the area. This photo taken at the nearby fish hatchery. Years ago I remember taking the old scout trip for a tour of this facility which was in a different but near location off the river and the scouts got to fish in some canals running between holding ponds. I recall one little boy whose name I don't remember having such fun fishing that we practically had to drag him away. 

The hatchery was closed today, the ponds were empty and there are tours on Tuesday and Friday that I'll have to bring the grandkids for.    

I made this photo from the Twin Dikes boat ramp and I think this must be the spillway for handling overflow. The lake is still scheduled for a draw down due to dam repairs so this won't be in use anytime soon.  

Locals probably have a name for this island but I don't know what it is. It's right there beside old Rattlesnake island and I would imagine as my dad used to say the bottom of the lake between them is "paved with beer cans." 

We checked out of the campground Sunday morning and stopped by another Nerren cousin, Della.  Della is my Grannie's sister Winnie's grand daughter. She lives in Brookland ,Tx and her home is a renovated dog trot house furnished with antiques and historical pictures from the area and the Willis family that previously owned the property. The house sits lakeside in an area once occupied by the Ayish Indians. Della gives you the full tour when you visit and as one of our hobbies has been touring old historical homes I can assure you this is one of the better history lessons you can get. 

It was a good weekend. A wedding, a camp, cousin visits and if life gets better I don't know what I'll do.