<Cue Allan Sherman, singing "Hello Muddah, Hello Faddah">
I decided to stay here in order to sit out, rather than drive through, expected rainy weather. Now that it's actually here, I'm wondering if I could have stayed ahead of it! But this is a nice place, and the die is cast, so I'll just plan on rainy-day activities. I'm glad I did my running around before the rain hit.
I've never seen the campground this full, but my darling and I never were here -- or any other developed campground -- on a holiday weekend. Yesterday and the day before, it was lush, green and mostly sunny. The green spaces have been filled with people playing: disk golf, baseball or other forms of catch, volleyball (one man holding a toddler in one arm and making excellent hits with the other!) and other activities. Kids learning to bicycle or ride on scooters. Folks out on the lake, fishing or simply paddling and enjoying the sunshine. Folks fishing from the shore.
Some sites have elaborate cooking setups. Some spaces have 3 trailers set up, with long picnic tables and multiple gas griddles. The cooking smells have been wonderful. I, having planned to only be here a couple of days, didn't bother pulling out the camp stove. I planned to use the campfire setup instead.
And on 2 nights I've gotten a fire going, with one of my darling's superburgers thawed, only to have my kind neighbor come across the way with surplus food from their dinner! The first night it was breaded and fried catfish and hush puppies, with a nonsweet tartar sauce. Delicious. He showed me a picture of the catfish he catches and keeps. I think he said it's yellow catfish, as opposed to the channel catfish. He showed me a picture. Those things are huge! 30 pounds is a small one. He likes to go out and fish in the local streams after the rains, because the rain washes nutrients into the streams and the "cats" swim upstream to feed, then are stopped by the dams.
I learned a bit about catfish from my neighbor, and why they may or may not be good eating. @Shelby often showcases fried catfish and makes it look good. The first time I ate catfish it was at a restaurant, and it was the last time I tried it for years. Nasty, muddy flavor. Tasted like a muddy bottom feeder and I couldn't see the attraction. Eventually I tried it again and found it wasn't necessarily bad. According to my neighbor, one has to clean the catfish carefully and remove not only the interrnal organs but also the dark meat surrounding the body cavity; that dark meat contains fats that will cause an off-flavor to the cooking oil. He says he still gets about 20 pounds of meat from a 40-pound catfish.
Yesterday I built a fire again, had it going, and my neighbor came over with more food! He'd cooked an entire rack of ribs, and beans, and a potato dish, and it was just him and his wife. (Their kids had already gone home.)
Again, delicious. He came over after I'd finished eating, while his wife was off at the shower, and we shared some wine and conversation. Maybe I'll get to that burger tonight, but it will have to be inside cooking I'm sure.
Only one party was disappointed by yesterday's dinner.
