Nov 17, 2013

Waiting out the Weather

The title sounds ominous, but it isn’t. We’re “stuck” in Texas because the weather is so golden. Yesterday it was 75F during a beautiful fall day and 50F last night with a slight shower early in the morning to cool down the roads and freshen up the flowers and grass. Today at noon, it’s already in the mid-80s.and rising. It’s a beautiful summer day with almost no one in the campground and a few sailboats on the lake.

I took a short shopping ride on the WR earlier and put on 50 “unnecessary” miles exploring the other campgrounds and more of the lake. Don’t tell Robbye, she was stuck with the animals while I took my joy ride under the false premises of being useful. Now I’m “recovering” from my shopping chores by loafing in a wonder wooden rocker on the lakeside of the clubhouse with a room temperature Abita Turbdog beer and a couple dozen good books on the eReader.

Tough life, right?

A bunch of Texas Boy Scouts camped near the lake shore last night. In true 21st Century Boy Scout style, they spent a good bit of the evening lighting up illegal fireworks and partying like frat brats. If there had been some natural structures to knock over, I’m sure they’d have done their BSoA vandalism duty.

Along with the warm weather comes a bunch of Texas standards: fire ants, spiders, wasps, nats, mosquitoes, and rattlesnakes. If I’d have taken the camera on the shopping trip I’d have had a terrific picture of a 4’ diamondback squashed on the side of the road. I haven’t seen one of those vipers for years. Can’t say I missed them, even a little.

This lake has quite a history of binge and purge. The Dennison Dam has overflowed three times in recent history: in 1957, in 1990, and on July 7, 2007. The restaurant where we’ve eaten a few times since arriving here was completely underwater in 2007, with only the top of the flagpole showing. All three of these disasters were labeled “100 year floods.” today, it’s hard to imagine that much water in Texoma. The lake is about 6’ low and the beaches are “overgrown.” I passed a boat dock that was completely dry on the way to the store. All of the boats were resting on the sand, which can’t be a good thing.

So, we’re waiting out the good weather for a reason to move on. If it stays warm here, we might be here for a bit. Unless the snakes and spiders drive us out.

1 comment:

Trobairitz said...

The fireworks would have driven me nuts I think. I guess they don't have a "respect for the neighbors in the campground" badge.

I haven't seen a rattle snake in years and I am good with that. We used to see them flattened on the highway in BC all the time growing up. Had to swerve around them on our bicycles as they sunned themselves on the asphalt.

Glad the weather is cooperating.