Lake Texoma

If we thought Lake Tawakoni was big (which, by the way, was named for the Tawakoni Native American peoples, who were a larger part of the Caddo Nation. The Caddos inhabited a large part of north and east Texas, including where the lake is located. The name is interpreted to mean "river bend among red sand hills", referring to where a village was located.), Lake Texoma is even larger. At 93,000 surface acres, Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States. It is the 12th largest US Army Corp of Engineers lake with 80% of the lake in Oklahoma and only 20% in Texas. I can't be absolutely sure, but maybe that's how it got its name - Tex (Texas) oma (Oklahoma). I suppose they couldn't make a combination name of the 2 states the other way around!

Lake Texoma's two main sources are the Washita River from the north and the Red River from the west. and drains back into the Red River at the Denison Dam. The Red River is a saltwater river due to salt deposits left over from a 250 million year old former sea that was in the current Texas-Oklahoma border region. As time passed that sea evaporated, leaving salt deposits, mostly sodium chloride. Rock and silt eventually buried the deposits, but the salt continues to leach through natural seeps in tributaries above the lake, sending as much as 3,450 tons of salt per day flowing down the Red River. Saltwater striped bass thrive in Lake Texoma and often reach weights of 12 to 20 lbs, with the record being 35.12 lbs, caught in April 1984. Other species include largemouth, spotted, and white bass, white crappie, channel, blue, and flathead catfish, and others. Catfish typically weigh between 5 and 70 lbs, but in 2004 a 121.5 lb blue catfish was pulled from the lake, temporarily setting a world record for rod and reel caught catfish.

In 1944 when the lake began filling up it changed the area considerably. Railroads, highways, utilities and cemeteries had to be relocated, and 4 towns lost their identities forever. Preston, Hagerman, Cedar Mills, Texas, and Woodville, OK are now under Lake Texoma.

Lake Texoma

Cedar Mills Marina on Lake Texoma

We were able to visit the Frank Buck Zoo in Gainesville, TX. It's fairly small as zoos go, being only about 30 acres. It started as Gainesville Community Circus in 1930. In 1954 it was renamed after Frank Buck, a film actor and director who was also a Gainesville native. and had also worked as a ring master at the circus. The zoo is home to over 130 animals that one would usually find, including giraffes, camels, leopards, wallabies, various reptiles and birds.

We witnessed an incredible event, at least to us. An ostrich was ruffling its feathers, then stretched and plopped down. Then it stretched its neck and body upward. After a few seconds it got up and walked away, leaving a huge egg on the ground. That's something you don't see everyday.

Ostrich ruffling its feathers and fluttering its wings

Huge Ostrich egg!

The darker bird is a Caribbean Flamingo and the lighter one is a Chilean Flamingo

It's amazing the people you meet in the most interesting places. I was at the laundromat and happened to get into a conversation with a lady who was also there doing her laundry. During our conversation she happened to mention about her food storage back at home. That's a term which you find frequently used by members of my church. Then when I was folding my laundry she asked me if I'm LDS. (If you're a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints you'll understand what tipped her off. If not, it's a story I'll tell you about someday if you ask me.) Anyway, she's a member traveling from Montana with her husband and son. We visited with them several times over the next week or so, making life long friends.

Our new friends, Donna and Steve Seler from Montana

Donna and Steve have the cutest dog who tips her head way over, trying to understand human-speak. Just look at those huge ears! Donna is modeling a sweater I crocheted for her.

One curious thing was the number and frequency of Amber Alerts. The previous times we've been in TX we didn't get any. This year it seems they were every few days. I wonder if it's because of the border crisis, or is the world just going crazy? Or maybe a combination? Native Texans I met did say that with the influx of Californians relocating, that Texas cities are no longer what they choose to live there for. Many of the locals are moving out of the congestion and crowding of the cities and choosing a more rural life. I can relate to that because the southern part my own state of NH has attracted an influx of people from MA who move in and bring MA with them, changing the NH culture.

As our time at Lake Texoma came to an end, we were grateful to have good weather for our trip to Hohenwald, TN. We did have another ice storm while there but thankfully it was only a day that we didn't dare to travel on the roads. Most of the time the temperatures were quite pleasant. On to TN, which is at least heading eastward and closer to home.

Juniper berries

If you remember the view from my door a few weeks ago that was all snow, this is the view from my door at Lake Texoma.