The full moon lit up the boat lane on Caddo Lake like a silver highway that Spring night. My husband Roy and I had been paddling and discovering the wonders of the lake on our annual Easter weekend paddling trip with the Houston Canoe Club. Caddo is the only natural lake in the state of Texas formed during the New Madrid earthquake and it is filled with a cypress forest. There are many natural wonders on that lake that call the adventurer like a siren’s call – and we answered the call.
Roy had seen a beaver dam close to our campground and with the cool night air and the full moon shining down changing the lake boat lane into a golden road, the temptation to make a moonlight discovery trip became irresistible. So, Roy and I and a couple more boats put in the lake, excited to see beaver at work. Only one rule – the flashlights we all carried were for use only to ward off a power boat or in the case of emergency. We took the lead position (Roy in the stern and me in the bow) since he knew where the beaver lodge was being built.
Roy instructed us to paddle easy and quietly so we wouldn’t disturb the beaver construction crew. I had no idea where we were going but I trusted Roy’s instincts. After the first few strokes though, I became mesmerized by the boat lane we were paddling. The light of the full moon had changed a mundane boat lane into a shimmering golden pathway appearing to lead to the moon. It was going to be a great paddle – even if we didn’t see the beaver – and it was SOOO romantic! Roy had a knack for changing the wilderness into delicious romantic moments. As he paddled the silent Indian stroke, I contemplated the rest of the evening. The beauty of the wilderness and the love for this man filled me with a serenity most never experience. Just sharing this moment with Roy was worth the trip to get here.
I was so mesmerized by the moon’s golden boat lane. I lost track of time and did not notice the approaching beaver dam off to our left. I didn’t notice or hear something live approaching from that direction. Just then, as I absentmindedly dipped my paddle into the water to take a stroke, a loud slap hit the side of our canoe about where I was sitting. It was quickly followed by a loud slap of something slapping the water – hard. I was so scared I jumped straight up and come right back down in place as a sweep of crystal water from the startled beaver tail arced over my body. Did I scream? Nah. Ok, just a little. Scared the beaver worse than he scared me.
“Found the beaver, huh?” Roy affirmed, smiling like the Cheshire Cat.
“Guess so,” I babbled. “I didn’t see him, did you?” I was drenched to the bone from the beaver’s line of defense.
“Yeah, but I didn’t say anything because I thought you saw him, and I didn’t want to scare him. You still up for getting closer to the den?”
“No,” I flatly replied. “I’m freezing.”
So much for romance. n
