With this camping experience, Matthew and I had the opportunity to engage in two enjoyable activities:  fossil hunting and canoeing.

Here’s a picture of Matthew in the front of our canoe.  This was his first time in a canoe.

Checking out some of large boats docked.  Some were actually yacht size.

Much of our time was spent fossil hunting.  While we came back with quite a few samples, many fossils that we found were too large to extract from the surrounding rock, so we took some pictures of them instead.

As you can see, large deposits of rock (limestone and sandstone among other types) abound, especially near the lake.

Matthew checks out a find.

This is a rock full of shells.

I’m not sure what this is.

Probably an ammonite.

A piece of petrified wood in the middle of a rock. 

Another ammonite.

And another.

One particular fossil I did not take a picture of (but we were able to retrieve and take home) is of some creature with a fossilized backbone and ribs.  Check Matthew’s blog for a future post and picture.

A shellfish of some sort.

Fossils make a fascinating study.  Unlike what much of the world believes, we know that the fossil record is evidence of the judgment of God on a wicked world, and ought to help remind us not to repeat those sins.

Outdoor cooking is a major part of the camping experience.  I prefer to cook over an open fire as opposed to camp stoves and such.

Matthew prepares to light a fire.

Success!

Preparing the meal.

The cooking begins. 

Inspecting for doneness.

Contemplation on the preparation experience.  Perhaps we should have cooked burgers?

Nah, this will do.

And of course, no camp dinner is complete without the s’more.

The ingredients are assembled (graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate).

Roasting the perfect marshmallow.

Enjoying the fruit of much labor.

The rest of the evening was spent enjoying the warm fire in the cool, night air.

Every camping trip needs to have a hike (at least I think so).  This one was no exception.

The trail begins here.  It looks rather domesticated, but that changes quickly.

A little more brush and trees.

The forest was beautiful.

We spotted a large rock with an ammonite fossil.

The trail wound around a peninsula overlooking the lake.  Matthew poses for a picture.

This particular spot was about 100 feet above the lake on a rocky bluff.  We spotted some fishermen while exploring.

On the other side of the peninsula we saw what looked like some small, cave-like openings in the rock.  Of course they required investigation.

Matthew spelunked his way in.

Above the “caves” you can see the layering of the rocks.  It’s a great place for fossil hunting.

And that concluded our hike on this camping trip.  I love these reminders of the creative hand of the Lord.

Lake Texoma is the largest lake in Texas, shared by both Texas and Oklahoma.  The section we were at is noted for rocky bluffs, lots of limestone deposits, and deep, blue water.  Here are a few pictures.

While in the midst of exploring one morning, I happened upon some curious looking creatures.

This one is not as big as she looks in the picture.

There were several pockets of these clustered together.

Recently Matthew and I took off for Eisenhower State Park for a camping trip.  This park is located on Lake Texoma, which is part of the Red River, the northern border of the state of Texas.

One thing in particular that I like about these kinds of overnight trips is that once away from the city lights, the stars are bright and beautiful. 

Here’s what I saw early one morning.  Normally it is easy to spot the two constellations, Orion and Sirius, but with so many stars visible, they are a little harder to pick out.

Recently Matthew and I went on a camping trip to East Texas.  Here are some pictures.

East Texas is full of beauty: here is a lake in the middle of a forest.

So much to explore, so little time.

Deer tracks!

The prey has been found!

A magnificent burr oak tree.

Matthew is looking for frogs and minnows, and anything else that moves.

Cooking over an open fire.

Some critters we found while hiking.

Trees were meant to be climbed by boys.

The adventure has just begun.

For more see this ENN Report by Matthew. 

If you have high speed access you may be able to view a slideshow of the trip (it may take a minute or two to load).

 Quicktime slideshow    Windows Media slideshow