Tom Costner
In early November three members of the SaddleBrooke Photography Club, Bob Shea, Rodger Bivens, and Bruce Hale, along with former member Jeff Eighmy, traveled to Caddo Lake, Texas, for a photography and kayaking adventure. What? You’ve never heard of Caddo Lake? Well, you’re not the only one! Caddo Lake straddles the Texas/Louisiana border and is one of the largest flooded cypress forests in the United States, covering 25,000 acres (40 square miles).
We flew from Tucson to Dallas and then traveled by car three hours east to Uncertain, Texas (population 85), the “gateway” to Caddo Lake. They spent five nights at a large, rustic Airbnb with the unusual name of “The Gallery at Spadderdock.” Every morning they rose very early to catch the dawn light at various locations. Caddo Lake State Park was nearby and provided numerous different views of the vibrant cypress trees in full autumn colors.
They also took three small boat tours to various points on the lake to photograph different scenes. The final afternoon/evening was spent kayaking around a small, secluded lake to photograph some of the many bird species that inhabit the swamp.
The dining experiences in the East Texas area were “unique” and not something that you’d find in Tucson. They’re now back in SaddleBrooke reviewing their images in an attempt to cull them down to a few good ones that capture the “Mood of the Swamp.”