I remember going on excursions up and down Red River in search of dogwood suitable for net hoops. We passed so many sandbars with acres of willow that I thought would be perfect for net hoops. "That durn willer won't last but one season submerged in Ole Red." Dad would say. Dad always held out for dogwood because he could put it in Red River, fishing season after fishing season. He would hide his nets up on the bank along the river in winter months. Through all that abuse the dogwood net hoops lasted for years; until the net itself was finally beyond repair and a new one tied for the old hoops. However, we always put new hoops in the nets we made to sell, which kept us busy searching for dogwood that was suitable for net hoops. Dad's nets and hoops were in great demand. When making dogwood net hoops Dad would partially bend the dogwood branches and then tell me: "Now let them get used to the shape they're in ... we'll bend them some more tomorrow." The shaping process Dad put the dogwood through intrigued me.