Outdoors

I was listening to a song from recently departed songwriter and singer, the late Tom T. Hall. The song, “I Love …” got me to thinking about all the things, people, events, happenings that have garnered a special spot in my storehouse of memories. In his song he mentions loving things like “ little baby ducks, old pickup trucks, slow m o v i n g trains, and rain”. In another verse, h e l ov e s “ little country streams, sleep without dreams, Sunday school in May, and hay”.

I just read on Facebook that August 24 marked the anniversary of the death of Mississippi comedian, Jerry Clower. He died 24 years ago at the age of 72.

We gathered recently in Thibodaux for the annual conference of the Louisiana Outdoor Writers Association (LOWA). On Saturday night during the dinner and awards ceremony, I sat at a table with good friends Terry and Carol Jones from West Monroe. The last event that night was the popular raffle where we purchase tickets hoping to win prizes of merchandise provided by sponsors. I felt a slight tingle of excitement when one of my numbers was called. There were fishing rods and reels and all sorts of neat stuff. My enthusiasm dropped a bit when I was handed my prize. I got a cap and coffee mug.

Back in 1966, my job took me to the Claiborne Parish seat of Homer. I enjoyed getting to know the folks there and as a fisherman, something else made me smack my lips in anticipation of the new lake that was being built. My timing was spot on as construction of Lake Claiborne kicked off the same year I moved to Homer and I was able to watch the lake expand as it slowly swa l l owe d up some 6500 acres of real estate that would eventually form the lake with water finally coursing over the spillway on May 17, 1968.