Nights in Lake O' the Pines

My favorite outdoor place is a lake house in Lake O' the Pines, Texas. Lake O' the Pines is a small town home to a little less than 6,000 residents. It's owned by an old friend's family. They would always invite my family and I with them in the summer, fall and winter. We fished, made bonfires, rode in boats and swam in the lake.

Lake O' the Pines, Tx.

(photos.invasiveswatch.org)

When fishing, we would go down the long hill to the lake and sit on the pier connected to the boat dock. We fished with live bait and we were told that we had to rub sticks together in order for the worms to come out of the ground to pick. It sounds ridiculous looking back at it now but of course we believed anything because we were four to seven years in age. My brother still brings up the time I casted my fishing pole and caught his shirt on the hook and almost dragged him into the water.

I've always loved fishing and I still do to this day.

(farm7.staticflickr.com)

On the boat dock, there were two boats, a pedal boat and a motorboat. The pedal boat was a bright cherry red that I can distinctly remember. It was a four-seater but we were so little that my friend, her sister, brother and I could all pile into the back. One day, my dad took my brother, my mom and I in the motorboat around the lake for a long time to just explore and enjoy the view. Later that day, my friend's dad had the same idea but about five minutes in on the other side of the lake, we heard the engine cut out from the pier where we were waiting for them.

The boat dock looked similar to this one.

(wahoodocks.files.wordpress.com)

One of my favorite memories there with my friend was making leaf piles and jumping into them. The orange leaves were my absolute favorite they really caught my eye. There was a combination of pine needles and actual leaves because there was a variety of trees all around us. There was a distinct smell of pine from the pine trees. You could smell it inside; it's like you could never get away from it.

I love orange leaves because fall is my favorite season.

(colourbox.com)

The actual house sat on a long hill right next to the lake. I don't really remember the inside of the lake house because I was always outside enjoying nature and my surroundings. There was never a dull moment and that's what I love most about being there.

Though my memory is hazy, this is a close replica to the wooden house.

(builddirect.com)

In the summer, the weather was a bit warm but not extremely hot like the Houston area. It was perfect weather for swimming in the lake. If I were to go back today, I wouldn't swim because of my fear of the unknown but I'm glad I was fearless and naïve as a small child. The fall and winter were nice and cool. We made bonfires roasting marshmallows almost every night.

Swimming was one of my favorite memories there.

(lakechamplainregion.com)were

Towards night fall, my friend's mom would turn on stringed bulb lights on poles down the hill. They were there to provide light to get to and from the house and the lake. It was pitch black at night because the only light that was out was the moon hidden by the trees. I loved being out at night because you could actually see the stars out by the lake since there wasn't pollution over there.

They lights remind me of a Pinterest outdoor wedding.

(likeasaturday.com)

On nights leading up to our departure, my friend's dad and my dad would light up big fireworks along the grass next to the lake. The rest of us sat on the side of the hill and watched in awe. I imagine that's a very dangerous thing to do considering the amount of massive trees surrounding us but I would do just about anything to see it again.

I used to really love fireworks as a young kid.

(northscapephotography.com)

I haven't been to the lake house since Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita hit back in 2005 when I was seven years old. I'm sure a lot has changed since then but that will never change the way I felt being there.

Fall and winter nights were the best in my opinion.

(highlandscurrent.com)