The Ever Popular October Fishing Report...

We made a quick trip to the lake yesterday and caught our supper. My supper was considerably smaller than Cathy's supper but at least I managed a couple of fish and looks like the pattern is blue cats cruising the shoreline to take a bait suspended under a slip cork.  

Here is a photo taken looking north and the boat is positioned right in the middle of the old Angelina River channel. Today's monitoring shows the lake at 61.7% full or about 11 feet low. This is due to a variety of factors, a draw down due to work on the dam, summer water releases for power,  down stream drinking, and to defeat saltwater in coastal marshes and of course the drought. It's a very good reason to be concerned and involved any time there is a public discussion on water issues. A little planning now and we don't suffer a perfect storm of conditions that make our supplies run critically low or it's not sold off to the highest bidder who might not have local interests in mind.  

I guarantee there's more than a few johnny come lately bass fishermen, pleasure boaters and jet skiers who bought big rigs when gas was cheap and they thought they would look good in a stylish fishing shirt bought at a big box store that are surprised by all these stumps showing since the lake dropped. It's probably been 35 years or so since I met someone lost out here and the timber was still thick enough he couldn't see back across the lake from where he come to the boat ramp. It's all rotted off since then but I know it's there and as an old school lake guy I know not to speed through these areas. 

Heck I don't even wear a shirt fishing. The lake water was 77 degrees which might be warmer than the water aerobics pool has been lately. It was the first time at the lake in 5 months without wearing swimsuits and the afternoon sun made everyone think about taking off their shirts.  

We caught several fish in deep water but the main pattern turned out to be slip corks along the bank. Here in this photo the back of the boat sits in about 14' of water and the fish were just cruising the area taking the bait floated under slip corks 4' deep. Or at least they were taking Cathy's bait. I got a few bites but I was trying out a new 8.5' spinning rod Katie brought from Chicago. The length made me slow on the hook set and I think this pole might be better suited to long saltwater casts when you spot fish under birds way out. 

The depth break here is very close to shore. When the lake is up we have caught probably thousands of fish on the sloped bank in the background.   

In this photo we are headed down the long boat cut. That big 4' tall or so stump would be a motor wrecker with the lake at 6' under pool. At full pool it's getting harder to see the cut but the boundaries are very noticeable for now.  

Final total was 9 fish. Just enough for supper.

The two biggest were filleted and frozen for a nice grilled or blackened meal at a later date and we fried up the small ones. 

The menu was fresh caught fried catfish, friend sweet potatoes and navy beans. 

  

 

Brazoria County Fair...

 The Brazoria County Fair is a big deal. The night before we went had been some kind of discount ticket night so I can only guess how long the lines were to get a ticket then because there were plenty of folks there to pay full price. With all the Four H type shows, rides, food and entertainment the whole county cancels school the entire week. We came to the fair see our grandchildren working food booths and winning prizes for art.  

Coraline won Reserve Best of Class for an art creation called "Little Critters.  

The model was in a glass display case which is where we all wish to end up but that's makes it had to get a good photo. 

I did not tour the animal pens but the student art hall was impressive.

Tell that lady to back away from the turkey legs. Seemed that the national code of dress for the fair was cut off blue jeans and cowboy boots. I saw only women wearing this costume like a uniform of sorts and with a little advance notice I think I could have rocked a similar outfit as I have many pairs of boots and shorts in my closet but have never had the opportunity to put them together. 

Warren and Tim were busy at the fair with the local scout troop manning the baked potato booth and delivering ice to the various food booths. The scout troop has Big Bend and Philmont trips planned next year and this is a way for them to cover that costs.  

All in all a colorful fall evening. 

Always happy faces when it's fair which you should teach your kids only comes in the fall. 

  

Just a Quick Visit From Chicago to Hold the Baby...

 Our Chicago family, Katie, Peter, and the boys, Wallace and Hamish made a quick trip to East Texas just to hold the baby. With three brothers crawling all over him Nico likes to be held, expects to be held and enjoyed their visit. I think they all enjoyed it also. 

No activity was undertaken during the weekend of Earth shaking importance but we enjoyed the mild weather with a visit to the St. Patrick's pumpkin patch, watching the Zamora soccer games, cooking tacos, chasing goats and chickens and playing outside.  

The "work done on premises" photo. 

When ask what he likes about soccer he says, " kicking goals."  

The "put me in coach" photo

"Oh please Brer Rabbit, don't throw me in that pumpkin patch!"

Next up on the family agenda for components of this group is a Land Between the Lakes meet up and campout for Thanksgiving.  

Katie and Peter brought me a Big Foot Yard art or decoy or something like that. It's a fine addition and a new blog character. 

Really Good Dudes...

 When I was in college there was an old lake just out of town in a pasture and the owners of the property, whoever they were, did not seem to mind if hippies parked on the dirt road by the gate and walked down a rutted cow trail to go swimming. It was a good sized lake, several acres and I recall a small dock and decent fishing. 

A trip to the lake was a good way to start a party. I'd join a group of hairy guys in fraying cut off blue jean shorts which were the favored bathing suits of the era and tote an ice chest full of beer through the pasture to the waters edge. It's a fond memory because many places won't let you swim in cut off blue jeans and I've gotten too old to tote anything that heavy anywhere much less while covering uneven terrain. 

The lake was a good place to meet other people in cut off jeans, both men and women and hear about where the college parties might be for the weekend. On this day I don't remember who arrived first us or them but we met two very young girls, carrying their own ice chest and probably harboring the same intentions as ours's to meet people in cut off jeans and find out where the parties were.   

These girls were so young that they made us 19 and 20 year old college students feel like old world weary travelers. One was apparently old enough to have driven a car to the lake but the other one was a child certainly no older than 13 or 14. They were friendly and we sat around all drinking beer, swimming and chatting. 

As young healthy college age men in their prime we were fine specimens for drinking cheap beer in the warm afternoon sun all day long. Those young girls were not used to that. Car driver soon became very drunk and had to take a nap laying on a blanket in the grass at the water's edge. The other very young girl did not ever appear intoxicated and as I think back to that day almost 50 years ago may not have even been drinking. We continued on swimming, fishing and drinking.

Soon the sleeping girl stirred from the nap and laying on her back half conscious began drunken puking. As college students who had lived in the dorms we knew how to handle this. We rolled her to her side and held back her hair so she didn't get vomit in it or all over herself. My fine blog readers have probably never had such experiences but drunken puking while asleep is a choking hazard and if you have someone to help you, watch over you and hold your hair back you will feel better afterwards. 

Which is what this girl did. Young and strong she roused around and rose refreshed from her nap and rid of at least some of the alcohol in her system. The experienced drinkers we were pronounced her sober enough to drive. We helped them carry their stuff to the car and saw them on the way. 

They made it safely home that day and I know that because a few years later when they became legal age I would occasionally see them at the bar. We would nod and say hi but we were operating in different circles and all these years later I do not remember their names. 

I really don't remember exactly who the guys were with me that day but I could make an educated guess. Despite the frayed cut off jeans and all the beer drinking they were some really good dudes.   

  

    

It's Not Every Day You Find Your Photo in a Book You are Reading...

 I read this book, "Making Music for the Snarks" by local author and historian the late Bob Bowman. It's a great history of an early community band The Hoo-Hoo Band, from Lufkin, Tx which rose to great prominence. I was surprised to find two photos of me in the book. I've long participated (on and off) in the local community bands since my high school years and still play in the current Angelina Civic Band.

The Hoo-Hoo Band was formed in the early 1900s in Lufkin, Tx as a community or what they called "Trib" band. You would recognize many of these organizers and players as there are street and parks that carry their names today. Since these were the important movers and shakers of the time many were involved in the timber industry and the book tells how the Hoo-Hoo band became the official band of the Fraternal Order of the Hoo-Hoo which is a fraternity for those involved in this business. The band traveled nation wide and played at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. 

It must have been some fun to be in the band and the order because there were many nonsense words, mysterious ceremonies, costumes, offices such as the Grand Snark and I suspect large amounts of alcohol involved.

In fact I recall once in the 1980s when I was participating in a revival of the band that included replica uniforms provided by the TLL Temple Foundation the Grand Snark himself, who was based in Australia at the time visited Lufkin. I recall the band being invited to a dinner at the old Henderson Red Barn. I don't really remember anyone from the timber industry being present but the Grand Snark played ukulele, sang dirty limericks and the booze was free. When in Hoo-Hoo do as the Hoo Hoos do. 

Here's a photo from a gig outside the 1987 Service League Ball. We played as guests arrived. There are a couple of people in this photo I played with at Civic band rehearsals last night. 

I don't recall this quintet gig at all (maybe still hungover from the Grand Snark visit) and while I remember the euphonium players name I do not recall any of the other musicians and Denum. Piano Company has gone out of business. Photo is captioned "rehearsal for Christmas concert 1985" but we are in the replica uniforms so I suspect some kind of busking event. That's me with the sousaphone.  

I'm not the only family member mentioned as the book covers quite a bit of the town history. My 3rd great uncle Benjamin Franklin Nerren gets a brief shout out as Angelina County Sheriff and Marshal during the time of the Hoo Hoos.

This was a great little book and I bought it at the local library for $10.  

I might get this black cat with the 9 tail for a tattoo. When in Lufkin, do as the Hoo Hoos do. 

 

          

    

There's Only One Way Out, A Tour of The Allman Brother's "Big House..."

On our recent South Carolina trip we had the advantage of automobile travel verses our usual travel trailing so we were getting good gas mileage and making great highway time. We used this to good advantage by making a stop in Macon, Ga. to tour the fabled Big House where the Allman Brother Band lived and rehearsed in the years of 1970-1973. 

I've never been a fanatical Allman fan or anything like that. If you are any familiar at all with the story it's one of dizzy heights, tragedy and low points that would have buried lesser people but it's left us a legacy of good music. I own albums by the Allmans and maybe own even more by Allman adjacent artists, have played their tunes in bands and Cathy's first concert at age 15 was a 1974 show with the Allmans, The Eagles and Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen at the old Jeppensen Stadium in Houston.

I love museums like this that have all the instruments the musicians used to create the magic of their recording and performances and it was a special thrill to see them in the setting where so many creative things were born. 

Here's Cathy on the Big House porch. 

This is the room where the band rehearsed. The Bros were a big band with two drummers. Can you imagine how loud it was in here?

One of Duane Allman's Marshall Amps. 

One of Duane's amp cabs custom covered with a Wichita pinto bean sack. 

There were many instruments displayed. Some were the actual ones used by band members in the heyday but some were signature model prototypes made by the big guitar makers and modeled on the iconic instruments down to the smallest details. One thing I noticed is that all the instruments even those dating the the early famous recordings seemed it very good shape. Often in museums the instruments are worn and  reflect the life the musician lived with it and the hours it spent with in his or her hands. I know my personal instruments, which are just basic journeyman brands are showing some wear but there was quite a bit of info on the roadies who maintained these so it must have been very important to the band.  

Two Fender heads used early on by Duane Allman and Barry Oakley. They were later owned by Ron Blair of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Equipment moves around. In 1973 the band acquired some of the Grateful Dead's sound equipment and their old gear moved on to the band Grinderswitch. 

 Derek Trucks, Butch Trucks nephew who played in later versions of the Allmans and who's band we've seen several times had guitars on display. 

A Butch Trucks drum set and guitars from Gov't Mule, another Allman adjacent band. 

The Gold Top Les Paul is the guitar Duane played on the Layla album. The black is a gift from Clapton to Greg Allman. When I was a teen I sat in my room playing the Layla album over and over. That gold top is a million dollar guitar. 

They didn't just practice here, some of the band lived here. Cathy in Duane's bedroom. In the closet were the shoes he wore on the Anthology album in the fishing photo. There were a couple of children's rooms recreated from their memories of living in the house. 

This room called the Casbah, a room for music listening and relaxing. 

Heck with music on a phone. Sit right in front of the speakers. 

Right off the Casbah is the seven headed shower room. 

I forget who's guitar but for convenience someone wrote the tuning on a piece of tape and stuck it in the case. It's the same open E tuning I use.  

The kitchen where Dicky Betts wrote Rambling Man. 

Original gear case from the Live at the Fillmore album cover. 

Cathy in the backyard. 

They had a very nice gift shop. Lots of recordings and I didn't even look through the book section but I bought a couple of mushroom stickers and a hat with the famous Allman mushroom logo. I must have looked a little lost after all this wandering around in the house as I went to leave the shop cause the guy pointed at the exit door and said, "It Aint But One Way Out."

He had been waiting all day to say that. 

 

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Visiting South Carolina...

We made a visit to South Carolina to see Morgan Ali and kids. It was a good to see them and we got in a variety of activities. First there was the driving route there using our hybrid Toyoda which eats up the highway miles compared to the plodding camper tow we have been used to on many trips, there was a couple of different routes used so max sightseeing, we fished, we hiked, we grilled and ate home cooking, we watch the kid's soccer practice and sampled local restaurants.  

The grandkids are getting so big and so responsible. Nobody fell in the lake making this photo, not even Pop-Pop. 

This is an old CCC bridge built of local materials. Paris Mountain State Park is part of the Appalachian deciduous rain forest.

Me and Morgan fished Lake Hartwell which is just minutes from their house. I caught two very good sized Kentucky spotted bass and Morgan lost a couple that shook off at the boat so I count this as an almost fish dinner.  

Always a good feeling to fish with your son (or daughters) and score on an unfamiliar lake. 

One thing I see watching kids spots is that most of the time they are figuring out what to do. Sometimes watching pro sports I see guys doing the same thing. One of my specialties I have come to realize is taking a photo then cropping it up to make kid sports action look fierce. 

It was a very smooth trip and with gas prices slightly over $4 in some places along the way I was proud to be driving a Hybrid and hitting 47.9 miles per gallon. I think in the past I have achieved 51mpg but maybe I drove faster or need sparkplugs or something but the 31.2 gallon of gas used for 1831.3 miles to cross half the country and back is maybe just a little more than what the truck pulling camper uses for a beach trip. 

Traveling is great.