Summer is here! I don’t know about where you are, but here in Texas, the weather has been less than ideal–first too much rain, then too much heat. To avoid the hundred degree temperatures I’m watching the Olympics in my air-conditioned family room. Meanwhile, the summer wanders by. Grab a fishing pole. Let’s do summer! Where did I put my swimming suit?
“Last one in is a rotten egg!”
I found a truly enjoyable summer read, Henry Bailey’s memoir, Bailey’s Fish Camp A True Story. Henry is in my local writers group, a multi-talented man, who wrote, edited, published–including hardbound cover and binding–Bailey’s Fish Camp A True Story. Raised on Sabine Lake–at the foot of the Rainbow Bridge in Bridge City, TX, Part-1 of this memoir is told by a nine-year-old, barefoot Henry. His recollections are full of local color and lore. “When Prohibition ended in 1933, the Baileys got a license to sell beer and turned the second story of their restaurant-store into a dance hall.” Henry is a fish camp survivor. And, as I told Henry, I couldn’t wait to see what he was into next. …and which relative would be up to some nefarious action. Part-2 of this delightful book is a history of the area and the Bailey family. Alas, Henry’s book is only available through Henry. But if you’re interested, send me an email and I’ll put you in touch. Margaret Toal’s 2010 Beaumont Enterprise article about Bailey’s Fish Camp can be read here. And Henry is rebuilding the fish camp. You can read about that here.
