Nymph to Dragonfly

The son and I eased out on to the highway, shortly after the sun had set. Our adventure was just beginning as we headed for the mysterious swamp filled Caddo Lake.

Though this journey isn't for the faint of heart, it is something we both enjoy. The thought of ideling through the darkened waters looking past the spotlight beam for glowing frog eyes keeps all but the hardiest of thrill seekers at bay. Unless you enjoy thousands of bugs hitting you in the face just at twilight....maybe you should stay home and pull the covers over your head too!


Weaving around fallen tree limbs and over unimaginable creatures (logs) that bump the bottom of the small craft as we travel farther into the swamp. The spanish moss swaying in the gentle breeze as the (almost) full moon peaks over the tree tops. It's gonna be a great night out!

The son has a new toy just for such a excursion. A MudBuddy motor and Weldbuilt boat that isn't afraid of the moss and lilypad choked skinny waters of Caddo Lake. I'm amazed and impressed at the ease of our travel after having fought a outboard motor thru this same jungle of vegetation for years. (sometimes one doesn't know what they've been missing until they find it)

After a few short minutes of travel he spots one of our targets. There just above the floating duckweed a pair of shinning yellow eyes. He motors us in closer and closer. Just as I'm ready to reach out and grab the frog, the son overcorrects the stearing....I hastily lash my hand out into the water only to come back empty handed. Atleast I touched the beast....shrugs and off to the next potential catch we go hoping not to miss the next one.

He kills the mudmotor.

We sit in silence except for the loud chorus of chirping tree frogs (almost deafing to those first trip frog seekers) Waiting patiently for the deep RRrrrrip RRrrrrip sound the big bull frogs make. Wes has always had fun making that sound while we wait in the dark. I get excited and say"did you hear that frog?" he will always laugh and say "yea it was me." Kids!!!!

We finally hear a loud RRrrrip (single note) Wes cranks the motor and we head in the direction of the croak. After a few seconds of seaching the muck, we see him up against the trunk of a giant cypress. We ease in and I GOT HIM THIS TIME....still grinning at my redemption. I ease him into the tow sack and we're off again.

Several frogs later and late into the night we spot the orange glowing eyes of a huge log. Yep your right....that aint no log!......... H U G E GATOR
We see gators from time to time, but usually they just slip back beneath the moss covered surface to await our passing. This gator swam around for a bit before departing. I'm not swimming here!

It's getting late now(3:30am) as we sit once again awaiting the call of yet another bull. I glance over at a nearby waterlily, admiring the white lotus bloom in the shadow of the full moon. I see a creature stirring on the waterlily stem. A dragonfly that is emerging from his crysalis, unable to fly until it's wings dried a bit.

Truely amazing....just to be a witness to God's Creations.

Seeing waterlilys that grow out of these muddy water that rise up to a beautiful white lotus bloom and emerging dragonflys.

This place is just awesome.

This beauty of the darkened swamp is what keeps us coming back for more.