mountainborn

The cast last night was a bit short, 22 jugs, short bait catch again. We had a fair catch this morning. Four on line and lost two in the jug recovery. We will be cleaning a ten pound blue and a four pound opelousas.

David & Rachel F, are getting ready to depart this morning, they will be heading out to the South West, adventuring their way around, headed for Bandera and the bluebonnet rally. Their Casita is a well kept 1999 that they bought new. Their mods are cool things that make life so much easier.

Jeff & Glenda arrived last evening just in time for the fish fry in honor of Scubarx ( surgery & recovery going well ). Jeff & Glenda have a Casita that is new enough that it is still on warranty.

The Tumbleweeds left out for the Indian Nations this morning, on their way to their work kamper site. We enjoyed your company and look forward to our next Nomadic Convergence !

Heard from Steve this afternoon. He called on the cell phone. He sounded good. Said he had been up and walking. Said he had a double bypass and that the surgery went well and he was feeling good.

Here is the video tour: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qygoHgX9sWM

Alan & Chris Young of the ORCC, Off Road Camping Club, arrived just before dark yesterday evening. They have the coolest Tent Trax camping trailer. Here is a look: > > It is pulled by a Jeep Wrangler 2 door. Note the matching tires and wheels: We'll see if Alan will give us a guided video tour to post here for a good look at how compact and well organized everything is.

Steve and tali left Lake Greeson early to meet his appointment for surgery in Tupelo. Though we kept on fishing, they were on our minds. Campfire conversations frequently turned to "I wonder how Steve is doing". Then Tali called with a good news report. The surgery went well and mostly as was expected. Steve is in Post Op intensive care and doing ok. Tali was to get to see him again last evening about six PM. She thought he might be awake by then. Heart surgery is a serious thing. Hang in there you guys, we are thinking about you.

As you see in the above photo of Tumbleweed emptying the bait trap into a bucket, we were getting to go cast the jugs for the evening. The next morning, this morning, we had two nice fish on the jug lines, a twenty four and a twelve. The bait catch and the fishing are both a bit slow yet. But we still have had three fish frys so far and are talking about another today or tomorrow. He, he, maybe it ain't goin' too bad so far wut' with every body getting to eat all of the fish they want several times a week ! On a more serious note, Chuck & Gehri had to take one of their Dogs to the vet this morning. They aren't back yet, so we don't know the outcome of that. Here is a short video of the camp scene and the fish in the live well:

Though we had a short cast last evening at sunset, this morning we had a fair catch. Two twelve pounders and a fourteen pound catfish.

Slow baitcast again today. Short cast out on the flats just before dark. Great visiting around the campfire again tonight ! Tumbleweed and CajunBirdMan casting the jugs & Bait, Meanderthal supervising and mountainborn operating the Sonar and at the controls of the boat.

WooHoo ! Da' Cajun Birdman is in da' house ! Aubrey arrived about two and a half hours after Scuba rx pulled out. He seemed to know where to go, he pulled into the same site that Steve & Tali had just vacated. The sun is mostly out and it is 70*, at beautiful Lake greeson, ya' Mon' we be a' havin' fun !

I just located the words that Thomas had written for the song. He never did tell me the name of the song that he wrote about me, but the chorus is: He's a retired man No more working Man Blues So, it may well be that the song's name is RETIRED MAN. Here are the four verses to the song: He's up in the mornin' Tho' his work days are done He fires up his boat a fishin' he has gone Chorus Now he's cruisin' across the lake leavin' life's worries in his wake You better watch out don't get in HARM'S WEIGH Chorus Now he's pulling into the dock Betty cuts up what he caught HOLEY COW, MAN ! Is that a BUTCHERKNIFE in her hand ! Chorus The campfire is a blazin' a' sizzlin' an' a poppin' Betty wheres my phone I'm too busy nappin' Chorus Thanks to Thomas for his kind words and wonderful song !

This morning, just before lunch, The ScubaRx's headed for home. Steve's heart surgery is scheduled for mid week and Tali has to work. We miss them already.

The morning after . . . . .

After we got back to camp the rain continued so we decided to go into Glenwood Arkansas for a meal at EL DIAMANTE Mexican Restaurant. They quickly pushed tables togather for us. The food was excelent. Here is a quick look at the crowd of rowdies at EL DIAMANTE: Now for a nap, then we'll pick up the rest of the jugs from this morning when the lightning and rain ran us off of the Lake.

Al & Fran went home yesterday evening to get ready for Easter but much of the County seat had been destroyed by a tornado and they worked in a food kitchen at their Church feeding hundreds that had no way to prepare meals. They will be back when their shift is over. Which reminds me, I better call him on his cell phone and tell him that we have had to leave one of his jugs out because of the weather.

Mark Long and Family brought their new Ski Nautique, wake board rigged with tower, board racks and all, up yesterday. It was good to see them coming thumping down the inlet towards camp for a visit !

During a lull in the rain, our good Casita friends, Thomas & Katy, who have to be at work on Monday, hooked up and eased out towards home in a renewed rain storm. Thanks ever so much you guys for the great dutch oven cooking, great picking and singing, the song composition was exemplary, and all the fine visits around the campfire. If our schedule permits, we will see you guys at the RVER III.

Though not a tale of epic porportions, it was none the less, exciting. As it became light enough to consider going out to pick up the jugs, we were out by the fire ring talking about the weather. I had just watched the live radar image of the aproaching rain storm. It was moving fast, but there was almost no violent activity indicated. In retrospect, I wonder, now, just why didn't I check the lightning strike data ? The plan was to dash out ahead of the front that was coming in and gather the jugs up. We knew that if we got caught in the rain we could put up our rain screen in front of the bimini top. So, off we went. Meanderthal, Tumbleweed, Butcherknife & Mountainborn. Naturally it didn't even come close to going as planned. We had cast twenty nine jugs in an area between some Islands that I thought might hold them from scattering so bad in the front that was forcast to pass through. Wrong again ! We cruized down to the cast area in the lee of the mainland and picked up all of the jugs that were in sight. We had a large salamander, a goggle eye ( panfish ) and a channel catfish on the jugs that were there. We carefully released the Salamander and goggle eye, keeping the channel cat. That's when the first peal of thunder came loud and clear. You could feel the deep rumble through the boat, right up through our feet. Betty and Chuck were up on the bow of Harm's weigh when a jagged bolt of lightning flashed across the Lake. They both turned around and looked at Tom and I with wide eyes. It was time to make a run for the campground. Well, we didn't pull that off either ! The storm was moving so fast that we couldn't out run it down the lake. As the large stinging rain drops began to burn our faces, we stopped to put up the rain shield on the front edge of the Bimini top. Well, by now you have guessed it ! That didn't work either. The clear vinyl shield had drawn up during the two years it had been stored in the seat locker and the snaps just wouldn't match up. But, we could get a few to snap and were able to cruise back to camp in the rain at about twenty Miles Per Hour. So, the bottom line for the morning's fisaco was; One fish in the live well, fifteen jugs still out and being blown who knows where in the weather, and four jug fishermen huddling behind a sheet of plastic, creeping back to camp like whupped dawgz, with our tails tucked tightly down under our bellies. After tying up and making sure that the live well pump was running, it was into the Ollie for breakfast and to check email. Nature is so cool and interacting with it and the wildlife at such a close and personal manner is the greatest ! Thanks to Betty, Tom and Chuck for sharing the adventure with me !

Thanks Cherie, we have all been following your adventures as I read the latest twit to everybody ! You guys continue to have fun and maybe we'll see you guys some time soon. The whole gang says HI !

Thomas & Katy Did Dutch oven Cookin' Saturday afternoon, that was absolutely sooo fine ! Then, after dark around the camp fire Saturday night, Katy held a small LED Flashlight while Thomas played the Guitar and sang. Thomas composed a song about one of our Oliver Forums Members. Give a listen and see if you can figure out who he is a' talkin' bout'. The video is in natural light and pretty dark, but the audio can de heard ok. Click the photo to start the video:

Dillon is a' nappin ! We wish you guys were here also !

Tom and Karen, the Meanderthal's stopped by the famious Interstate Barbeque in Memphis Tennessee and picked up a complete barbeque meal of pulled Pork, cole slaw, baked beans and all the trimmins'. They brought it to Lake Greeson. We really chowed down on that ! Here is a video shot just after the meal. every one is full and has a nap on their mind:

Welcome to the Oliver Forums 12string !!