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May 24, 2003

Start:   Tulsa KOA, Catoosa OK
End:     COE New Mannford Ramp, Lake Keystone, OK
Miles:   38
Hi Temp: 82
Lo Temp: 51

We'd agreed to meet Russ Chalk and his group in mid-morning, but a squall line was moving through the Tulsa area at mid-morning.  We watched the TV weather updates until it had passed and started moving about 10:30.

we passed through Tulsa on US-421, then across the Lake Keystone dam and into the campground.  They were expecting us, so we greeted them and set up the trailer.  Then we settled in for some serious talking.

We met Russ's wife Sandy, and then his daughter Raneesa (whom I last saw as a baby) and her husband. Then others, both friends and family, started piling in and going out again. Some of these were the serious fishermen, who were trying to catch catfish.  All these folks were super fun and interesting to speak with.  It was really interesting being plunked down in the middle of a whole different family.

Russ & I reminded each other of old times intermittently, but more often it was a group chat on whatever subject came up.  We learned a few things about catfish and cooking them.

There were two groups of guys interested in fishing - the thirties/forties group and the teens/twenties group who alternated between fish and girls.

The young men came back with more catfish then went out again. Russ and I hoisted a glass or two while chatting. Russ's first wife (whom I had met in 1966) came by and we chatted with the group she brought along.

The young guys came back again, this time with a rattlesnake they'd killed on the road.  It was about four feet long. We all looked at it and went back to chatting. Then they came over with the snake skin - they'd cut out the meat and were wondering who was to get the skin.

The older guys came back with more catfish.  There was a whole pile of catfish.  Sandy and Raneesa cut up about 20 pounds of potatoes for hashbrowns. The guy in the next site (a friend) volunteered that he is the world's best catfish cooker, so he got that job.  Sandy went back to town for her fish fryer.  He used peanut oil, and some Cajun fish seasoning, and tabasco.  He covered the fish pieces in the seasoning and dropped them in the fryer.  With every other batch, he'd put a couple large shakes of tabasco into the fryer, where it would sizzle like mad until absorbed.

The fish and hashbrowns were served buffet style (spear them quick before someone else did).  Some were drinking beer, others Black Velvet and ginger, and some god-knows-what.  Dolores got most of the way through a bottle of Virginia white wine while I helped Russ with the Black Velvet from here on.  We each had two+ helpings and were completely filled.

Then the campfire wood was moved from the pickup to a good place, and a fire ring built. The fire was started with a little starter fluid, something less than a quart, and burned fine.  Then the stories and jokes and chatting continued around the fire.  We were having so much fun and laughing so hard with these folks that the time just flew by. 

Finally, we went off to bed about 12:30am.