There is a Major War going on in the Davy Crockett National Forest and I have to say that the National Forest is the loosing combatant. Please let me explain!

I am a long time resident of southeast Texas spending most of my childhood driving up from the suburbs of Houston to go with my fellow Boy Scouts to camp in the east Texas national forests. Thus, I have many boyhood memories of the deep thickets of the times camping in these east Texas forests. Too, I remember a time when the forests were the King of the land and covered vast amounts of acreage. We would drive for hours through these enormous stands of massive trees. At that time, these marvels of creation appeared to be unconquerable.

Now, I am just another old-timer asking myself, Where have these huge forest trees gone to? Yes, as I now come close to being alive for nearly three-quarters of a century, I see how the men here on earth have brought death and destruction to these wondrous creations which I had know about in my childhood.

Of most all of the photo of David Crockett National Forest that I take today during my travel along State Highway 94, not far south of Apple Springs, Texas but deep within the heart of this National Forest, I was saddened immensely by the carnage I was to see from this great War. In fact, if you look closely at these photos, you will notice that most of the Forest along this highway is less than about one hundred feet deep, which is about the depth of the highway right-a-way. Beyond the right-a-way the larger trees in the forest has been harvested and cleared to yield way to what the "Enemy Combatants" say is progress.

Yes, Man, the enemy combatant in this War has been for many centuries, destroying not only the forests, but also the entire earth.

This though gives me pause and cause me to remember a verse from God's Word, the Bible. You too might take the time to look at the Bible to see what the future of this Earth really is.

Revelation 11:18 "And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth."

Caddoan Mounds State Historic Site

Mission Tejas State Park Campground (31.5483824, -95.2384545)

Neches Bluff Overlook Dispersed Camping (31.5679319, -95.1643295)

Ratcliff Lake Campground (31.3880619, -95.1556867)

Piney Creek Horse Camp (31.3188605, -95.1827123)

White Rock Horse Camp (31.2680915, -95.2267539)

Big Slough Wilderness

Neches Bluff Overlook (31.5682455, -95.1638185)

Neches River

Piney Creek

Ratcliff Lake (31.3880619, -95.1556867)

Kickapoo Picnic Area (31.0472379, -95.1051581)

Mission Tejas State Park (31.5477452, -95.2398004)

Piney Creek Horse Trail (53 miles of forest trails)

El Camino Real de los Tejas

When the meeting is over, I pack out of the cafe and begin my drive to the southwest to make the transverse around Houston towards my south Texas destination. I begin by driving SH Loop 287 around the west side of Lufkin and then take the exit for SH 94 to drive southwest. Immediately, methinks, I have never driven this highway route before. Soon, I cross the Neches River and enter the Davy Crockett National Forest.

Throughout this drive across this national forest, I notice that this forest is totally losing the battle against the chain saw as in most locations along this highway, the forest is only as deep as the highway right-a-way. This saddens me quite a lot because it was here in these wooded forest lands where I grew up camping with the Boy Scouts.

Nevertheless, the autumnal display of the hardwoods in this forest reminds me of the hope that I maintain that the paradise will be restored right here in the Piney Woods of east Texas.

Continuing southwest, I drive through Trinity, Texas, connect to SH 19 and continue southwest on this highway. Soon after, I cross a major wetlands, more commonly known as the Trinity River. Just before arriving in Huntsville, Texas I connect to SH 30, cross the very crowded IH 45 and continue southwest on another highway. To keep from drive due west along SH 30, I turn off onto SH 90 and continue my southwest trek around the megalopolis directly to the south. Upon arriving in Navasota, SH 90 ends but continues in the southwest direction as SH 105. This is a very familiar state highway to me but one that I have one driven upon much further east in the Cleveland, Texas area.