|
|
|
||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||
|
ADVENTURES IN SOUTHEAST TEXAS AND GETTING TO KNOW MY NEW GRAND-PA
"Mr.Oscar" is what I called him, for he was not my real grandpa; but, he grew to be the "REAL THANG". He met my grandmother, Jinnie Keefer Pence, in 1953. He was good for her and she for him.
"Did ya' ever hear of a grandchild going on a honeymoon?" Well, people, Here's one grandchild that went:"DOVIE JO" For two weeks we traveled, from the banks of the Brazos to the banks of the Trinity------- And Oh, what fun we three had!--Camping, boating, fishing, and hiking. I did not know at the time; but, Mawmaw and Mr. Oscar were looking for a place to call home.... and that home would eventually be GOOD OL' ROMAYOR, TEXAS: Located on the banks of the Trinity river near, once governor, Bill Daniels' Plantation Ranch.
Back to our fun, we spent nights under the stars. Mawmaw made a place for me to sleep on the ground. She laid an old tarp on the grass, placed a mattress upon the tarp, drove three ft. long wooden stakes into the ground at all four corners and placed mosquito netting over this framework of stakes. I felt as if I were on safari in darkest Africa, that is until the firefly lanterns were lit. On clear nights, one could see every twinkly little star in the sky and the crickets playing their violins were dedicating their symphonic lullaby to you......ALONE.
We camped near Menard Creek, located near Rye, Texas, one day to have our noon meal. After lunch, I meandered down to the water's edge and took a peek. Oh, how clear the water there, one could see the sand and gravel on the bottom... and oh, the shimmering rainbow scales upon that little sun perch, it was beautiful. I baited my hook and tried my luck. You know, I am kinda glad, for I never caught that sparkling little treasure!
On we traveled to Romayor, where I met Mr. Bosie Beasley for the first time. Mr. Bosie was leasing a little two room house from Mr. and Mrs. Dan Hudgins, who owned the only store in Romayor at the time.
Hudgins'Grocery served as a general store and I mean....GENERAL, for one could generally take care of all their BUSINESS there. It served as Post Office, gas station, hardware, lumber, feed, dry goods, pharmacy, grocery, .... etc. store.
Mr. Bosie was vacating his humble abode. Mr. Oscar and Mawmaw were thinking of renting this house for it had a huge concrete fish vat which was covered. The house was supplied with water which was free, for it came from an underground artesian spring. That water was the best I have tasted.
Mr. Oscar, being a commercial fisherman, liked the location, for everyone who visited "THE GENERAL STORE" would see his "FISH FOR SALE" sign; however, Mawmaw did not like the inside of the house, for it was crawling alive with rats and roaches. Mr. Bosie was not intended to be a HOUSEKEEPER in this life. I guess he was meant to be a CARRIER OF FISH TALES, for he surely could tell some WHOPPERS. I would venture to guess that he received his name from "BOAST-IN' " so dad blamed much!
"MY HONEYMOONING GRANDPARENTS" decided to rent that little house that very day, especially after finding the rent was only five dollars a month and the water free. Mawmaw did fumigate the house; she boiled water and threw it on the walls and bought poison for the rats and roaches "LAST MEAL".
Back to the honeymoon, for the house cleaning came later. Mr. Oscar borrowed one of Mr. Bosie's John boats and we three fished from the boat in the middle of Mr. Trinity's muddy waters. I seated myself atop a wooden plank seat and proceeded to place my bare feet into Mr. Trinity's muddy mouth. Mr. Oscar scolded me, saying: "KEEP YOUR FEET IN THE BOAT! IF YOU DON'T 'N' OL' ALLIGATOR GAR'LL COME BY AND SNAP THEM OFF FOR YOU!"... I submissively asked: "What's an ol' alligator gar, Mr. Oscar?" He answered my question.... Quickly saying: "It's a HUGE fish with a L - O - N - G snout and Razor sharp teeth...., I'd say they grow to the size of this here boat.... little girl!" With that explanation, I speedily retrieved my bare feet from Mister Trinity's watery lips.
I caught my first really big fish that day, it must have weighed all of two pounds; but, was it ever exciting catching it. It was a gasper goo, some folk call 'em rock fish or drum. They are called drum because they make a noise like a drumbeat when they are mating. You may hear them from the banks of the river at night, if you are very quiet. This sounds as if someone is beating a bass drum underneath a tin washtub.
I was sitting on the middle seat of the boat... ever so quiet... no one had caught a thing... not even a nibble... ALL AT ONCE!... KERPLUNK!*** .. Under went my ever faithful, red and white magic cork... The fish carried my line around the boat, Mawmaw and Mr. Oscar had to duck, for ol' drummer boy was putting up a F-I-G-H-T! Round 'n' Round the boat he went, Mawmaw kept yellin' : "WEAR HIM DOWN, DOVIE JO!" I thought he would never wear down; but, eventually ...... he did.
SWIM TO PAGE TWO BY HOOKING THE FISH AT BOTTOM OF PAGE ON YOUR RIGHT
and I might add you will find a good catch!
|
|||||||||||||||
 |
 |
||||||||||||||
|
FLY ON BACK HOME
UPON THE WINGS
OF THE DOVE
|
SWIM ON OVER TO PAGE TWO JUST HOOK THE FISH TO YOUR RIGHT
|
||||||||||||||
| page created with Easy Designer |