Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world.

We will run a series of stories by Loren Moore and other writers as our final farewell to a wonderful man.?  There will also be a tribute by Kathy Baker to be included in this series as well.? 

Special Treat ??“ Loren Moore and Norma Liles ??“ Conclusion

March 12, 2006

MY TRIP TO CADDO LAKE ??“ Conclusion

? 

? 

LOREN WRITES:

? 

WHEN NORMALEE CALLED LOREN, HE TOLD HER THAT THEY HAD JUST GOT WORD THAT THEIR HOUSE IN ARLINGTON HAD BURNED DOWN.?  HE SAID THAT HE AND JOHNNIE WERE JUST LEAVING FOR ARLINGTON BUT WOULD BE BACK SOON.

? 

LOREN ASKED NORMALEE WHERE SHE WAS AND WHEN SHE TOLD HIM, HE TOLD HER SHE WAS ONLY 50 MILES FROM THEIR CABIN.?  ???NORMALEE, COME ON WEST ON I-20 AND WHEN YOU CROSS THE STATE LINE THE FIRST TOWN YOU COME TO WILL BE WASKOM.?  GET OFF I-20 THERE AND GO NORTH ON THE LITTLE FARM TO MARKET ROAD.?  THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO TUCKER??™S FISHING CAMP.?  OUR CABIN IS JUST ACROSS THE DRIVE FROM MRS. TUCKER??™S HOUSE.?  I??™LL LEAVE THE KEY WITH MRS. TUCKER AND YOU JUST MAKE YOURSELF AT HOME.???

? 

WELL, NORMALEE HIT THE ROAD AGAIN AND SHE WAS IN WASKOM BEFORE SHE KNEW IT.?  SHE HAD TURNED ON THE RADIO AND WILLIE NELSON WAS SINGING ON THE ROAD AGAIN.?  ???ON THE ROAD AGAIN JUST CAN??™T WAIT TO GET ON THE ROAD AGAIN THE LIFE I LOVE IS MAKIN??™ MUSIC WITH MY FRIENDS AND I CAN??™T WAIT TO GET ON THE ROAD AGAIN.???

? 

? 

? 

NORMALEE TURNED OFF THE RADIO AND DROVE NORTH THROUGH THE LITTLE TOWN.?  IN A FEW MILES SHE CAME TO A FORK IN THE ROAD.?  THERE WERE NO SIGNS AND SHE DIDN??™T KNOW WHICH FORK TO TAKE.?  SHE DECIDED SHE WOULD TRY THE RIGHT HAND FORK FOR A FEW MILES AND IF SHE DIDN??™T COME TO THE LIKE BY THEN SHE WOULD TURN AROUND AND COME BACK AND TRY THE OTHER FORK.

? 

SHE WAS JUST ABOUT TO TURN AROUND WHEN NORMALEE SAW A LITTLE COMMUNITY WITH A SIGN THAT SAID ???KARNACK.????  SO SHE DROVE ON INTO THE COMMUNITY AND WAS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO ASK ABOUT TUCKER??™S FISHING CAMP.?  NORMALEE SAW ANOTHER SIGN THAT SAID ???CADDO LAKE STATE PARK??? WITH AN ARROW ON IT POINTING THE WAY.

? 

WELL AT LEAST I??™VE FOUND THE LAKE SHE SAYS TO HER SELF AND DRIVES ON.?  SHORTLY NORMALEE SEES A ROCK ARCH ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND A SIGN SAYING ???STATE PARK???.?  SHE KNOWS THAT A FISHING CAMP IS NOT GOING TO BE IN A STATE PARK SO SHE DRIVES ON.

? 

NEXT SHE FINDS A SIGN THAT HAS ???UNCERTAIN CITY LIMITS??? PAINTED ON IT.?  AS NORMALEE ENTERS UNCERTAIN SHE GET HER FIRST LOOK AT CADDO LAKE.?  AS SHE DRIVES DOWN THE MAIN STREET, SHE SEES CRIP??™S CAMP, SHADY GROVE CAMP AND THE DALLAS CADDO CLUB, BUT NO TUCKER??™S CAMP.

? 

NORMALEE DOES SEE A SIGN THAT SAYS CURLEY??™S CAF?‰.?  SHE HASN??™T EATEN ANYTHING SINCE SHE LEFT BOSSIER CITY, SO SHE DECIDES TO STOP AND EAT SOMETHING.?  SHE CAN ALSO ASK ABOUT TUCKER??™S CAMP WHILE SHE??™S THERE.?  WHEN SHE WENT IN SHE SAT DOWN AT A TABLE IN FRONT OF A BIG ROUND GLASS WINDOW.?  SHE COULD LOOK OUT THE WINDOW AND SEE THE LAKE.

? 

THIS YOUNG GIRL BROUGHT A MENU AND STOOD THERE CHOMPING ON A PIECE OF GUM WHILE NORMALEE DECIDE WHAT TO ORDER.?  SHE TOLD THE GIRL SHE WOULD HAVE THE SMALL CATFISH LUNCH.?  THE GIRL WANTED TO KNOW IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME OF THEIR SPECIAL PINK LEMONADE TO DRINK.?  ???IT??™S FREE.??? THE GIRL SAID.

? 

NORMALEE TOLD THE GIRL SHE WOULD TRY SOME OF THE LEMONADE.?  ???OK SWEETIE, YOUR FISH WILL BE READY IN A MINUTE.????  BEFORE THE GIRL COULD WALK OFF NORMALLEE ASKED HER IF SHE KNEW WHERE TUCKER??™S CAMP WAS.?  ???SWEETIE, I JUST WORK HERE.?  I LIVE IN MARSHALL.?  I DON??™T KNOW ANY THING ABOUT THE LAKE.

? 

WHILE NORMALEE WAS EATING HER LUNCH, SHE WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE NAME OF THIS TOWN.?  SHE BET THERE WAS A STORY BEHIND THAT NAME AND LOREN KNEW IT.?  SHE WOULD HAVE TO REMEMBER TO ASK HIM.

? 

AFTER SHE FINISHED EATING SHE DROVE AROUND TOWN SOME MORE WITHOUT FINDING TUCKER??™S CAMP BUT SHE DID FIND THE FLYING FISH INN.?  IT WAS A TWO STORY INN ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET FROM THE LAKE.?  NORMALEE DECIDED SHE WOULD GET A ROOM AT THE INN AND GET A FRESH START IN THE MORNING.

? 

NORMA WRITES;

? 

GEE, THIS IS REALLY A QUAINT LITTLE INN....LOOK AT ALL THE NEAT THINGS THEY HAVE SITTING AROUND.?  I? NEED TO GRAB MY CAMERA FROM MY CAR AND GET A FEW PICTURES TO SHARE WITH MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHEN I RETURN TO OHIO.?  I REALLY LIKE THE ATMOSPHERE AROUND HERE BUT I WISH I WOULD JUST SEE ONE FAMILIAR FACE!

HERE, LET ME TAKE A LOOK AT THIS LITTLE AREA PHONE BOOK.

? 

THERE JUST MIGHT BE AN OUTSIDE CHANCE THAT I WOULD KNOW SOMEONE, SURE??  OK! HERE WE GO ... OH MY LANDS, I DON??™T BELIEVE THIS.?  I WONDER IF THIS IS THE SAME FRIEND THAT I KNEW FROM MISSOURI, HARRY HAMMOND??  WELL, IT IS STILL EARLY SO I THINK I WILL TAKE A CHANCE AND GIVE HIM A CALL.?  I BET HE WILL BE SURPRISED TO FIND THAT I AM IN HIS NECK OF THE WOODS? ???HELLO HARRY.?  ARE YOU THE HARRY HAMMOND FROM UPSTATE MISSOURI??  OH GREAT! THIS IS WONDERFUL! I JUST HAD THIS NOTION THAT I? MIGHT FIND SOMEONE THAT? I KNEW FROM WAY BACK WHEN.?  BY THE WAY, HARRY, I WONDER IF YOU COULD DO THIS OLE OHIO GAL A FAVOR. OH THAT WILL BE GREAT!?  I AM STAYING AT THE INN HERE IN UNCERTAIN AND I AM LOOKING FOR TUCKER??™S CAMP.?  YOU KNOW ME, ALWAYS GETTING LOST JUST GOING AROUND THE CORNER? YES, THAT WOULD BE FINE WITH ME. WHAT SAY WE MEET AT THE RESTAURANT NEXT DOOR AND WE WILL BRING EACH OTHER UP-TO-DATE ON WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON IN OUR LIVES? SURE THING!?  TEN O??™CLOCK IN THE MORNING WILL JUST WORK OUT FINE.?  OH AND BY THE WAY, I DIDN??™T TELL YOU WHY I AM IN THIS AREA ... YES; I THOUGHT YOU WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.?  I HAVE THESE FRIENDS; LOREN AND JOHNNIE MOORE WHO HAVE A CABIN HERE AT CADDO BUT I MADE THE WRONG TURN AND HAVE LOST MY DIRECTIONS TO THEIR PLACE.?  OH YOU DO??  YOU KNOW THEM, DO YOU??  WELL THAT IS GREAT.?  WHAT SAY YOU MEET ME FOR BREAKFAST? AND WE WILL TAKE IT FROM THERE??  THIS IS GREAT! WONDERS NEVER CEASE??  YES, YOU REST WELL, TOO, AND SAY HELLO TO YOUR HONEY, MY BESTEST FRIEND, DIXIE. LOVE YOU, TOO!?  BYE, BYE FOR NOW!???

? 

WELL WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THAT??  LOREN IS REALLY GOING TO BE SURPRISED?

? 

LOREN WRITES:

? 

THE NEXT MORNING AT TEN, NORMALEE WAS SITTING IN THE RESTAURANT WAITING FOR HARRY AND DIXIE.?  WHEN THEY GOT THERE ALL OF THEM TRIED TO TALK AT ONCE.?  FINALLY AFTER THINGS SLOWED DOWN A LITTLE, NORMALEE TOLD THEM ABOUT LOREN AND JOHNNIE INVITING HER TO COME VISIT THEM AT THEIR LAKE CABIN.

? 

THEN WHEN SHE HAD CALLED LOREN FOR DIRECTIONS, HE TOLD HER THAT HE HAD TO LEAVE FOR A FEW DAYS AND SHE COULD STAY IN HIS CABIN UNTIL HE RETURNS.?  ???NONE SINCE??? SAID DIXIE, ???YOU??™RE STAYING WITH US.???

? 

SO NORMALEE CHECKED OUT OF THE INN AND WENT HOME WITH HARRY AND DIXIE.?  AFTER THEY GOT THERE DIXIE JUST COULD SHUT UP LONG ENOUGH FOR HARRY TO GET A WORD IN EDGE WISE.?  SOON SHE JUMPED UP AND SAID SHE WOULD FIX THEM SOME LUNCH.

? 

THIS LEFT NORMALEE AND HARRY TO VISIT FOR A WHILE.?  NORMALEE ASKED HARRY HOW IN THE WORLD DID THEIR TOWN GET ITS NAME.?  ???UNCERTAIN IS CERTAINLY AN ODD NAME FOR A TOWN.???

? 

NORMA WRITES;

? 

???HARRY, IT SURE IS NICE FOR YOU TO PUT ME UP INSTEAD OF ME HAVING TO STAY BY MYSELF AT THE MOORE??™S WHEN THEY ARE GONE.?  ISN??™T IT A SHAME, ABOUT THEIR FIRE??  I AM GLAD THAT NO ONE WAS HURT!

? 

I HATE TO SEE DIXIE GOING TO THE TROUBLE OF FIXING SOME LUNCH RIGHT ON THE HEELS OF YOU TWO RETURNING FROM ST. LOUIS FROM VISITING YOUR SONS BUT I KNOW THIS IS HER WAY.

? 

SINCE YOU HAVE SETTLED HERE IN UNCERTAIN, HAVE YOU EVER HEARD THE TRUE REASON FOR SUCH A STRANGE NAME FOR THIS PLACE????

? 

HARRY RESPONDED WITH THIS INFORMATION THAT HE HAD BEEN ABLE TO GET FROM AN OLD TIMER WHO HAD BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE A SPELL. ???WELL, NORMALEE, IT??™S LIKE THIS! JEREMY, THIS OLD WIDOWER THAT LIVES DOWN CLOSE TO THE LAKE TOLD ME THAT FROM WHAT HE HAS HEARD AND HE FEELS PRETTY SURE ABOUT HIS FACTS, THAT THIS TOWN WAS NAMED AFTER A DISTANT INDIAN COUSIN OF HIS.

? 

THIS COUSIN WAS NAMED ???UNCERTAIN??™ BECAUSE HIS FAMILY HAD SO MANY KIDS THAT THEY JUST COULDN??™T COME UP WITH A NEW NAME FOR HIM BUT THEY KNEW THEY HAD TO CALL HIM SOMETHING SO AFTER MUCH DISCUSSION, THEY SETTLED ON ???UNCERTAIN.???

? 

STRANGE AS THIS MAY SOUND, UNCERTAIN HAD GROWN TO BE VERY CIVIC MINDED AND WAS ALWAYS THERE TO ASSIST ANYONE WHO WAS IN NEED OF HIS HELP BECAUSE HE WAS THE COUNTY DOCTOR SO IN MEMORY OF HIM, THE TOWN COUNCIL HAD NAMED THIS LITTLE BURG, ???UNCERTAIN.???

? 

AFTER SPENDING SOME TIME WITH HIM, I FEEL PRETTY SURE THAT HE IS TELLING THE TRUTH; EITHER THAT OR HE WANTS SOME RECOGNITION BECAUSE HE IS RELATED TO ???UNCERTAIN????

? 

LOREN WRITES:

? 

ONE NIGHT AFTER NORMALEE, HARRY AND DIXIE HAD FINISHED DINNER THEY WERE SITTING OUT ON THE BACK DECK OF HARRY??™S HOUSE DRINKING COFFEE AND REMINISCING ABOUT OLD TIMES.?  SUDDENLY A SHOOTING STAR FLASHED ACROSS THE SKY.?  DIXIE EXCLAIMED, ???OH NORMALEE DID YOU SEE THAT SHOOTING STAR????

? 

NORMALEE ANSWERED, ???SURE DID. WASN??™T IT A BRIGHT ONE????

? 

???DID YOU MAKE A WISH???? DIXIE WANTED TO KNOW.

???OH DIXIE, YOU KNOW THAT I DON??™T HOLD WITH THOSE SUPERSTITIONS.???

? 

JUST THEN NORMALEE HEARD HER CELL PHONE START RINGING.?  SHE RUSHED INSIDE TO ANSWER IT.?  ???HELLO. OH HI LOREN.?  NO, I DIDN??™T STAY IN YOUR CABIN. ??¦ AT UNCERTAIN, STAYING WITH SOME OLD FRIENDS FROM LONG AGO.?  I FOUND THEIR NAMES IN THE PHONE BOOK AND CALLED THEM. ??¦ HARRY AND DIXIE HAMMOND. ??¦ YES I KNOW.?  HARRY SAID YOU KNEW EACH OTHER. ??¦ LOREN, IT??™S A LONG STORY AS TO WHY I WAS IN UNCERTAIN TO START WITH.?  I??™LL TELL YOU THE WHOLE THING WHEN I SEE YOU AND JOHNNIE. ??¦ FIRST THING IN THE MORNING. ??¦ BYE.???

? 

NORMALEE WENT BACK OUT ON THE DECK AND TOLD HARRY AND DIXIE ABOUT HER CONVERSATION WITH LOREN.?  ???I TOLD HIM THAT THE THREE OF US WOULD SEE HIM AND JOHNNIE IN THE MORNING.???

? 

THAT SUITED HARRY AND DIXIE FINE.?  THEY WERE ANXIOUS TO SEE LOREN AND JOHNNIE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR HOME IN ARLINGTON BURNING DOWN.?  AS THEY SAT THERE ON THE DECK, CONVERSATION STOPPED AND EACH WAS LOST IN THEIR OWN THOUGHTS.

? 

THEY COULD HEAR THE CRICKETS CHIRPING, THE TREE FROGS CROCKING AND AN OWL SOMEWHERE DOWN BY THE LAKE CALLING TO ITS MATE.?  THEN THEY SAW THEIR NIGHTLY VISITOR, A COON, COME WONDERING ALONG THE BACK FENCE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO EAT.

? 

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? THE END

? 

?© COPYRIGHT