The lake

At lake Eufala in Oklahoma they gather at an island way out in the lake.

You can't get there without a boat or a long swim. We get out there on our old pontoon. It doesn't know how to go fast or make a fancy show butit floats and has music and it's big enough to carry us, the dogs and the beer.

All different kinds of boats frequent the island. Ski boats, cigarette boats, crusiers, walkarounds, jets, inboard and outboard, a few sailboats and a lot of pontoons. All this surrounded by those pesky but-so-cool jet skis and wave runners.

Everybody anchors close to the island but closer to each other. So not only do you have this forested island to walk around on but you've also got the island of boats that are cranking out country music, pop, rap and hot summer sounds while swarmed by the party busy weekenders.

There's a uni-sex attraction about the very tanned Texans with cutoff jean shorts and half a swim suit under a frayed cowboy hat, walking from boat to boat with a Corona in one hand and a Mexican smoke in the other.

You who know the shore might think, "How Walmarty". You might think we ain't seen nothin because we haven't experienced the realness of the ocean. We can't possibly tell how important is the harbor or the pier or the tides. What do we know?

Well we know the lakes. We know skiing and noodling and swinging from the ropes and skinny dipping at midnight. We have the bonfires and hot dogs and burgers and beer.

On Fourth of July weekend a while back me and Ms Donna went to meet some friends at Eufala. They had the campsite already going when we got there and we moved in and set up space. We're too old for the true camping thing now and we both have bad backs so we also get a room in a nearby motel. We'll hang at the campsite but I've gotta go to a real shower with a real bed before we call it a night.

We used to be great campers. Started about high school age when we would party till way into the night and then sleep on the picnic tables. If the weather got rough we'd sleep in the car. Then as Walmart started stocking it, and as we began making more money, we were able to buy the fancy tents and cooking utensils and all those accesories that make camping not like camping. Our next step I guess, should be an expensive camper trailer but we haven't graduated that high up yet.

We played in the water and shot off fireworks and on the 4th we all got into the boats and gathered at an area where the local town and lake administration gave us a pyro technic show. It's really great to watch a fireworks display in the dark night from your boat out on the lake. Only real problem is that somebody out there is way too drunk to be driving a boat in the dark on the lake. And you have to watch closely to keep your life and limb.

We stayed up too late that night and the next day we all got in the boats again. Me and Ms Donna had the pontoon and Gary and Barbara took the ski boat. Gary's son Gary had another ski boat and we stuffed as many kids and friends as we could on them all. We travelled a few miles - I don't know how far reallybut it seemed like forever.

We came to a dock that sported a little store and gas tanks and a bar. We parked at the lake shore right next to the bar and the kids stayed with the boat. They're not really kids anymore. Drinking age and all. They spent the night going to the bar for refills and dancing on the boat with the music turned up real loud. Me and Gary and Barbara and Ms Donna then walked about a quarter mile to the outdoor concert arena where we got to stand right up next to the stage and watch two pretty good bands and then Lynard Skynard.

The ocean? You can keep it. I've been there. Nothing in the lake can bite off your legs.
No hurricanes. No jellyfish.

And you can't do better than a hot summer 4th of July with Lynard Skynard, boats and beer.