My grandparents used to live on the Guadalupe River a couple of miles below Canyon Lake Dam at a place called Horseshoe Falls. They bought property there in the 70's. Several months after buying there place a major flood came through there were places along the river that saw a wall of water 25-34' high. We all jumped in the car a couple of weeks after the flood and went to see what we could see. There were clothes in the tops of the cypress trees which stood like guardians over the river. They were massive trees. Fifty to sixty feet high. Their knobby roots protruded from the base of the trees, some in the water some on the shore. The flood didn't uproot the trees they were stable in there footing. They became the filters that grabbed anything that found its way in their branches during the flood.
The water was about 45 degrees F. It was a great temperature for trout. there were also perch and catfish in abundance in the river. We would fish for trout using corn, salmon eggs (a synthetic made to have the appearance of the real thing), cheese, light tackle spinner baits and anything else we thought a trout might like to try. The trick was getting your bait in the middle of the falls and letting the frothing whitewater carry it under the falls then wash it out downstream. A nice rainboe or a german brown would see a tasty morsal sliding by and decide he had to get it before someone else did. We caught a lot of trout out that part of the river. on a hot day we would stand in the river and fish worms along the bank to catch small perch. After gathering a bucket full of perch we'd get the canoe in the river and paddle upstream towards the dam. We had several places where the river got deep and calm with willow trees lining the banks. My grandpa taught me how to tie up a limb line about ten feet from the bank on a low haning will branch. we'd put a big hook on the end and use a large spark plug for a weight. After rigging the line we'd hook a perch on the hook just in front of his tail so he could swim and move around. Since we were baiting the lines in the evening we'd make a first light run up the river in the morning either right before or right after breakfast. Wheaties with bananas sliced thin and covered with milk were some really great breakfasts. Grandma would fix eggs and such if we got a late start but grandpa always had things ready early. So we'd paddle upstream before the sun broke over the tops of the river guardians. Grandpa would ease the canoe up into the willows as I would pull on the limb lines from the front of the canoe. If it tugged hard I'd tell him I think we've got one! He'd smile real big and tell me get him in the boat. Most of the time we caught catfish on our limb lines almost every night. For each line that caught a catfish, the turtles would have gotten our bait off two of the other lines. Still it was a grand time on the Guadalupe.
Across the road from the entrance of the neighborhood was a typical Texas country store by the name of Goofy's. Grandpa would always say lets go for a ride boys. It wouldn't take 10 seconds for me and Pat to pile up in the car or truck ready to go knowing there was a Nehi at Goofy's with our names on it. We spent summers at our grandparents for quite a few years. My grandfather would spend the time we weren't there exploring and discovering secret places he wanted to share with us when school was out and we got to return. One of the places he discovered was up a little dirt road behind the laundromat just west of Goofy's. I imagine when he found this place he just couldn't wait for us to get back so we could enjoy it together. Turns out his secret place was a swimming hole. It was in the middle of a pasture surrounded by mesquite trees. It was hill country. The spring fed a small creek that flowed through this pasture. On the top side the spring came out of a cliff of what appeared to be limestone about 20 feet or so in height. the low side was disguised by the scrub and mesquite. It was so hidden it was not possible to see it unless you found it from the top side. The pool was about 40-50 feet in diameter and as clear as glass. The deep part was about 8 or more feet deep but you could see a dime on the bottom if the sun was high enough in the afternoon sky. It was cool water 50-60 degrees. It was... the perfect swimming hole. The first time he took us to his secret place I think grandpa was more excited than Pat and I. He was like that about a lot of things.We spent several summers visiting this place, it was one of those places that never got old.
My grandfather was and will always be the perfect grandfather. He always made our visits the highlight of his day. If he had things to do he would do them after we went to bed. If we were awake he was there. Always giving all of his attention to his grandsons. He never waivered. As he got older he had to retire to a nap every once in a while but he made sure we had plenty to do and he wouldn't miss anything. The years he lived in the same town or same area as us he would just show up and ask if we wanted to go get a banana split. We ride around in his 60's ford pickups standing in the seat next to him singing songs we had learned in sunday school. We had other songs he taught us but he always enjoyed the sunday school songs. We felt like the center of his world. He would take us fishing after he got off work or he'd show up with a pig and let it loose in the front yard. We would chase that pig for hours. I cannot remember how he ever caught the pig after we tuckered out but I know he did. He was absolutely the best.
In the seventh or eighth year of my life my grandfather fell through a porch in north Tulsa while delivering mail. The fall cracked several vertebre in his neck. I can remember the neck braces and the traction machine he used quite often. I remember the headaches he used to get. Excrutiating migranes. I remember all the medicine the doctors would prescribe trying to relieve his pain. But what I remember most is he never stopped smiling. He never was mean or rude or hateful. He couldn't turn his his head more than about 60 degrees total or the headaches would start. He had a hard time casting a fishing pole or working with his arms over his head. Most of us normal folks would have buckled from the pain. Not Charles Houston. My grandfather. My hero.
All of the things I told you about earlier in this post he did after he had been hurt. I had the pleasure of spending time with my granfather through my 47th year of life. He passed about four years ago I think it was the 17th of March. My brother and I were holding his feet when he left this earth. My uncle held his hand and my grandmother held his other hand and his head. We said our goodbyes and watched him leave his pain behind. He lived a huge life. He was 87 or 88, I'm not sure we ever really got the year of his birth figured out. He lived so large. Family meant everything to him. He would hop freight trains with his brother Joe and go to the movies. He would camp on the creek with his brother and cousins. They were pranksters always having a laugh. He married my grandmother when she was sixteen. They didn't tell her parents and grandma actually lived at home for a while after they were married until her parents found out. My mom was born in 1940. Two years later he joined the Navy and went to the Pacific Theatre. He was in the seebees. He didn't talk much about his time in WWII but he sure was proud and patriotic. The story is he drove the landing craft that carried the marines to the beaches of numerous islands in the Pacific. Forgive my spelling but the landings at Guam, Pelilu, Anguar and a couple of others were witnesses of his presence. The stories were of landing marines on the beaches and as soon as the last man cleared the ramp he went right behind them and would drag wounded marines back into his boat two at a time and get them back to the ships to receive any help they could get. Acts like that earned him a Bronze Star with the V for Valor. I never knew he had received any award or commendation from the Navy until he passed away couple of years ago. He had a Japanese sniper rifle in his closet but it was rarely ever brought out. He did tell the story behind his having that rifle but that story will remain in the family.
My grandparents and uncle lived in California at the time of my birth. My mom always told me a story about grandpa driving from LaJolla Beach California straight to Tulsa so he could see his first grandson. For some reason my grandmother and uncle stayed in California for a while but they weren't too far behind him.
I write all of this because I loved him. I still love him. His earthly body resides in a cemetary in Tulsa but his spirit, the life in him, his character and all that was him resides in Heaven. I know he loved me but I also know he loved Jesus Christ even more. Christ in him made him who he was. I cannot remember very many times I ever saw him angry at anyone. If he got angry it was over quickly and he always repented before he closed his eyes at night. He would kneel at our bedside when we were small and say his prayers. As we got older he would kneel beside his bed and pray. He would read his Bible every morning with a cup of coffee in one hand. He would read his Bible in the afternoon and at night. He always would tell people especially family members about Christ. He loved listening to the albums of the old gospel music. He would sit with grandma in their recliners and watch Billy Graham on TV. He always said grace when a meal was served. He would ask us to say grace when we sat to a meal. He was a living testament to the goodness of God. His blessing will be passed down to his generations for many years.
I really miss him. I wouldn't want him to return to this earth though. He's in a much better place. I'm sure he'll be just as excited to see me again as I am looking forward to hugging him once again. It's just a matter of time and it's not my time... yet.
If I could write the story for the finish of my life it would mimic the life of my grandfather. Love people. Cherish life. Serve God. Live my story.
I hope my future grandchildren have a grandfather like I had.
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