Falcon Has Landed

Kaw lake turned out to be one of our favorite campgrounds. It may have been the weather, which finally turned off cool and sunny. Or, perhaps it was the lovely big campsites and view of the lake.

Certainly a contributing factor was our camp-ground neighbors. Kaw lake is apparently noteworthy in that part of the country as a world-class catfish lake, and a number of our fellow RVers were there for just that reason. They were in pursuit of "blue cats." At least 1/3 of the sites were occupied by fishermen. You could spot them because morning and evening they hung their catches on lines strung between trees, or elaborate A-frame racks. The photo below is typical (though not pretty!).

Most fish are caught on trot lines or "jug lines" fashioned from gallon milk cartons, each with several hooks attached. The fish we saw were mostly in the 15-30 pound range, with some of 35 pounds or more. That's a lot of catfish filets! I wish we could have stayed another weekend for the annual "catfish tournament." Who knows what we might have seen!

We again headed south, through Central and Southern Oklahoma. The secenery was at times spectacular, like the red clay hills below. We crossed the Red River, and immediately felt at home.

On the advice of RV friends Rocky and Sheri Rhoades, we stayed at Hickory Creek COE campground on Lake Lewisville just outside of Denton. Hickory Creek is lovely, with several miles of hiking or biking trails and some sites overlooking the lake.

The dogs had a grand time watching squirrels and taking walks. However, Nickie had another "close encounter" with a skunk the evening before we left. John had released her and Feathers for a short "potty stop" before bedtime when he smelled the unmistakable odor of skunk. He called in the dogs, but not before Nickie found where the skunk had sprayed and rolled in its "perfume." Fortunately, a bath took away most of the smell, but there is still a faint aroma of eau de polecat if you get close to her.

With a cold front predicted and rain forecast, we hooked up and headed home on October 21, twelve weeks and four days after leaving Austin. We found everything here in good order, but are now trying to reacquaint ourselves with the location of the essentials of everyday life. It's amazing how fast one can forget on which side of the sink the silverwear is located, or how the TV tuner works.

Oh, and we're already beginning to plan our next adventure, so stay tuned!