HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!
13 years ago
Monday, June 30, 2008
Frederick MD Library
It is early Monday afternoon and we just found more information documenting the boys' trip!!!!! Another article with lots of new information. They had a great time while they were in Maryland.... more soon
Saturday and Sunday!
It will be Monday before we get this posted, and it feels like forever since I have had a chance to post…won’t repeat what Donna said about our day in Dayton on Friday, but it was absolutely fabulous….Meeting Ernie and being on the receiving end of his generosity and love of history was just a great experience…..I wish he and Karen well as they continue being the keepers of the “Wright House”. Thanks again….Saturday morning we headed to the Dayton Library….didn’t know if it would be productive or not, and to be honest I was really pretty discouraged about not finding any documentation of the boys’ journey to Santa Fe…well, I was on my last roll of microfilm when I screeched to Donna, “There are our boys!” Well, in the excitement of the moment, I moved the film really quickly, and I had to look for them….It was beyond words what a blessing it was to find the picture and then subsequent articles…Since I had a date for their time in Dayton, I looked at the other two papers and found other articles and another picture….It told where the boys stayed in Dayton, and the Local History Librarian was so helpful….I am sorry that I don’t have her name—but forgive me because I am typing this at the laundry and it is 11:00…anyway, she was very helpful in showing us how to access the library’s online archives…there is a post card of the hotel….Well, needless to say we were pretty pumped to travel on…..Away we flew over the hills of eastern Ohio—through picturesque---stopping in a couple of beautiful old towns---Zanesville and Cambridge---didn’t get any pictures to speak of in Cambridge because it was a monsoon while we were there….we did give a copy of the book to the local police….Sgt. Hill said he would give it to the local library for us….Yes, we braved the rain to stop and give the book….Wheeling, WV was the next place---although we didn’t see a comet there, like the boys—we did see a beautiful rainbow! J After stopping for a bite to eat, we started looking for a place to stay, and ended the day in Morgantown, WV….. It was a super fabulous day…..Thank you Lord for all of the blessings!
Sunday we had a late start, but headed for Frederick, MD…we had several scenic stops along the way….our first big stop was in Cumberland, MD….we toured the canal district and where Gen. George Washington had his headquarters near there right before the French and Indian War….This was a great area…we are both in love with all of the old homes and buildings….we traveled on and saw some very interesting geology, so we stopped and crossed the interstate at a run during a small break in traffic to get a better picture….we were also able to find small pieces of shale that had broken off of the outcrop…little did we know that there was an amazing pass through the mountain just ahead…so we stopped again…..there was a great bridge over the interstate just for Donna….I don’t think she liked it anymore than the suspension bridge we crossed in Wheeling on Saturday…But the view was worth it….There were many different layers of rock that even I could see and tell where the lifts and differences were….eventually we made it to Antietam National Park…..it is such a beautiful place to have been the home of the deadliest day of fighting in the Civil War….We spent several hours there…..but one afternoon is not enough time…just when I thought we might be locked in the cemetery….we made it to our car and headed on to Frederick…..and no, I haven’t learned that the little lines mean “curvy and slow”….but it was a nice view….But I do think if I tell Donna to “look” one more time, she might scream….because I usually say this just after I have asked her to look up something on the map or a travel guide…..Oh, well….it usually is worth looking at….. Okay, I am pretty giddy…the laundry is finished and it is a quarter to midnight…hopefully we will find our way back to the hotel…. Did the guy say right right left….or left left right???? I guess if you are reading this all is well….
This is Donna. Just going to add a few comments.
Melody did get excited and zipped past her spot on the microfiche. The good part is, she didn’t try to break this one like the one in New Mexico!
The suspension bridge and, not mentioned before lookout tower at Antietam, were great…..if you’re looking at them from the ground!
We try not to eat at chain restaurants, but we did eat at Bob Evans. That was o.k. because neither of us had eaten there before. NOW it is a chain restaurant. Right?
When driving through really heavy rain, we have decided that part of our journey has been a voyage.
Sunday we had a late start, but headed for Frederick, MD…we had several scenic stops along the way….our first big stop was in Cumberland, MD….we toured the canal district and where Gen. George Washington had his headquarters near there right before the French and Indian War….This was a great area…we are both in love with all of the old homes and buildings….we traveled on and saw some very interesting geology, so we stopped and crossed the interstate at a run during a small break in traffic to get a better picture….we were also able to find small pieces of shale that had broken off of the outcrop…little did we know that there was an amazing pass through the mountain just ahead…so we stopped again…..there was a great bridge over the interstate just for Donna….I don’t think she liked it anymore than the suspension bridge we crossed in Wheeling on Saturday…But the view was worth it….There were many different layers of rock that even I could see and tell where the lifts and differences were….eventually we made it to Antietam National Park…..it is such a beautiful place to have been the home of the deadliest day of fighting in the Civil War….We spent several hours there…..but one afternoon is not enough time…just when I thought we might be locked in the cemetery….we made it to our car and headed on to Frederick…..and no, I haven’t learned that the little lines mean “curvy and slow”….but it was a nice view….But I do think if I tell Donna to “look” one more time, she might scream….because I usually say this just after I have asked her to look up something on the map or a travel guide…..Oh, well….it usually is worth looking at….. Okay, I am pretty giddy…the laundry is finished and it is a quarter to midnight…hopefully we will find our way back to the hotel…. Did the guy say right right left….or left left right???? I guess if you are reading this all is well….
This is Donna. Just going to add a few comments.
Melody did get excited and zipped past her spot on the microfiche. The good part is, she didn’t try to break this one like the one in New Mexico!
The suspension bridge and, not mentioned before lookout tower at Antietam, were great…..if you’re looking at them from the ground!
We try not to eat at chain restaurants, but we did eat at Bob Evans. That was o.k. because neither of us had eaten there before. NOW it is a chain restaurant. Right?
When driving through really heavy rain, we have decided that part of our journey has been a voyage.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Dayton Ohio
Donna again. Remember back when I made the comment that the best things seemed to come to us as a result of things not going according to plan? It's still happening!
First thing this morning we met with the Dayton Chief of Police Richard Biehl. Chief Biehl took over his position this year. We asked what his favorite part of the job was and he said it was building the relationships between the people. When comparing the difference between his job and the job of a police chief in 1910, he described how times were much more complex now. People, crimes, weapons, issues, etc. Pretty much the same things that would limit the possibility of 6 and 10 year old boys of traveling across the country alone on horseback, don't you think? We told the story of Bud and Temple. Chief Biehl was more than happy to have us fingerprinted. It was a surprise to me when no ink pad was put in front of us. It was all done on the computer. How is that for showing differences in the change of technology! Detective Hudson (great guy with super sense of humor!) took the time to explain everything as we were printed. He even showed us how quickly people could be brought up on the database. He said we were doing the prints for fun, but Melody and I have no doubt he and Sargeant Wilhite ran our prints when they got the chance!
We took the back way to the parking lot on the way out. Don't know why we didn't head straight to the coroner's office, another chance to compare technology from 100 years ago. This is one of those times where original plans were replaced by a chance event. We were behind the police station and saw a Ch. 7 news van. When we went to check it out, we found they were there to interview a sargeant about recent homicides. We got to witness the interview first-hand. It was Jill, the Ch. 7 reporter, who said she would offer our story at the station when she returned. We didn't have much luck at the Dayton newspaper as they were too busy and had no reporters to spare. That's o.k. because that makes us famous like the Wright brothers. In 1903 the Dayton newspaper declined a story about the flight, pretty much because the flight had been measured by minutes instead of hours. The woman who worked at the front desk was very friendly and helpful in guiding us to the library where we could, hopefully, find records of articles of the boys when they were in Dayton.
We found our way to the Wright Brothers Museum, as well as their bicycle shop across the street. There were a few interactive exhibits (you know how I like to push buttons and such. Much more fun than reading "Do not touch" signs!) We were told about how the houses in the area were either being fixed up, if they were from the time. If not, they were asked to make sure the style fit with the time of the Wright Brothers. The Wright brothers' home was bought by Henry Ford and moved to Greenfield, Michigan. There is a replica front porch on the lot where the original house stood. Across the street is a house that had been made to look exactly like the house the Wright brothers grew up in. We rang the doorbell and waited. When nobody appeared, we started taking pictures. That's when Ernie walked into our lives.
We told Ernie why we were there. He was very welcoming, rather than booting us off his property. Ernie is a self-appointed Wright brothers ambassador. He and his wife Karen have basically dedicated their home to the memory of the Wright brothers. You should see the incredible art they have in their home which has been done by local artists. Ernie volunteered to try and help us get into the Delphi plant, which is where the original Wright factory is. They wouldn't even hear of it, not even let us take any pictures, even from a distance! I didn't take it personal. I figured if Ernie couldn't get us in, nobody was getting in! After inviting us into their home, Ernie took us to meet the mayor of Dayton, Rhine McLin. He just popped in on her, just like she was his next-door neighbor. I've made the comment, "Where is Teddy Roosevelt when you need him?" I think Teddy would have appreciated Mayor McLin's willingness to be available to talk to people. Throughout our conversation, it became obvious that she really cares about the City of Dayton and the people that live here. There's a definite soft spot for the children. If you ever visit Dayton, there's some terrific people to meet, as well as great art. Check out the trash cans beautified by children participating in the Parks and Rec programs. Also, the statues placed about town. They remind me of Norman Rockwell's paintings. They'll make you do a doubletake.
We found one person in Dayton that deserves the "Mr. Wolf award". But, meeting Chief Biehl, Sargeant Wilhite, Detective Hudson, Ernie, Karen and Mayor McLin far outweighed the impact of "Mr. Wolf".
First thing this morning we met with the Dayton Chief of Police Richard Biehl. Chief Biehl took over his position this year. We asked what his favorite part of the job was and he said it was building the relationships between the people. When comparing the difference between his job and the job of a police chief in 1910, he described how times were much more complex now. People, crimes, weapons, issues, etc. Pretty much the same things that would limit the possibility of 6 and 10 year old boys of traveling across the country alone on horseback, don't you think? We told the story of Bud and Temple. Chief Biehl was more than happy to have us fingerprinted. It was a surprise to me when no ink pad was put in front of us. It was all done on the computer. How is that for showing differences in the change of technology! Detective Hudson (great guy with super sense of humor!) took the time to explain everything as we were printed. He even showed us how quickly people could be brought up on the database. He said we were doing the prints for fun, but Melody and I have no doubt he and Sargeant Wilhite ran our prints when they got the chance!
We took the back way to the parking lot on the way out. Don't know why we didn't head straight to the coroner's office, another chance to compare technology from 100 years ago. This is one of those times where original plans were replaced by a chance event. We were behind the police station and saw a Ch. 7 news van. When we went to check it out, we found they were there to interview a sargeant about recent homicides. We got to witness the interview first-hand. It was Jill, the Ch. 7 reporter, who said she would offer our story at the station when she returned. We didn't have much luck at the Dayton newspaper as they were too busy and had no reporters to spare. That's o.k. because that makes us famous like the Wright brothers. In 1903 the Dayton newspaper declined a story about the flight, pretty much because the flight had been measured by minutes instead of hours. The woman who worked at the front desk was very friendly and helpful in guiding us to the library where we could, hopefully, find records of articles of the boys when they were in Dayton.
We found our way to the Wright Brothers Museum, as well as their bicycle shop across the street. There were a few interactive exhibits (you know how I like to push buttons and such. Much more fun than reading "Do not touch" signs!) We were told about how the houses in the area were either being fixed up, if they were from the time. If not, they were asked to make sure the style fit with the time of the Wright Brothers. The Wright brothers' home was bought by Henry Ford and moved to Greenfield, Michigan. There is a replica front porch on the lot where the original house stood. Across the street is a house that had been made to look exactly like the house the Wright brothers grew up in. We rang the doorbell and waited. When nobody appeared, we started taking pictures. That's when Ernie walked into our lives.
We told Ernie why we were there. He was very welcoming, rather than booting us off his property. Ernie is a self-appointed Wright brothers ambassador. He and his wife Karen have basically dedicated their home to the memory of the Wright brothers. You should see the incredible art they have in their home which has been done by local artists. Ernie volunteered to try and help us get into the Delphi plant, which is where the original Wright factory is. They wouldn't even hear of it, not even let us take any pictures, even from a distance! I didn't take it personal. I figured if Ernie couldn't get us in, nobody was getting in! After inviting us into their home, Ernie took us to meet the mayor of Dayton, Rhine McLin. He just popped in on her, just like she was his next-door neighbor. I've made the comment, "Where is Teddy Roosevelt when you need him?" I think Teddy would have appreciated Mayor McLin's willingness to be available to talk to people. Throughout our conversation, it became obvious that she really cares about the City of Dayton and the people that live here. There's a definite soft spot for the children. If you ever visit Dayton, there's some terrific people to meet, as well as great art. Check out the trash cans beautified by children participating in the Parks and Rec programs. Also, the statues placed about town. They remind me of Norman Rockwell's paintings. They'll make you do a doubletake.
We found one person in Dayton that deserves the "Mr. Wolf award". But, meeting Chief Biehl, Sargeant Wilhite, Detective Hudson, Ernie, Karen and Mayor McLin far outweighed the impact of "Mr. Wolf".
Few notes to add for Wednesday and Thursday
Hi everybody! It's Donna. Melody does so super at recording events of the day! I'm just going to add a few comments, rather than repeat.
One of the things we noticed and enjoyed about driving through Kentucky are the fences. All wooden. I understand the barbed fences would be too dangerous for the horses. I can appreciate that as well as the aesthetic value. We were informed by the people we were originally eavesdropping on that the sights we see along the highways do not represent 100% of the Kentucky population. There are many "behind the scenes" farms. People making a living with their farms, but not necessarily the "millionaire farms" so obvious to travelers.
I do have to repeat what a terrific experience the Kentucky Horse Park was. My favorite part was the show of the different breeds, including the information, costumes and performances of each. We got to meet all of them, riders and horses. Rocky is big, and there were still 1 or 2 that were the same size if not bigger!
We wanted to find one of the fire departments in Cincinnati and were fortunate enough to drive straight to one. We met Willie Jones there. This station was one of two special units. Special because they deal with special cases such as hazmet, bombs, etc. Willie was very generous with his time and explained everything when questioned. It was Willie's night to cook. Close to dinner time, many of the other firemen started showing up. Go figure! I hope the people of Cincinnati know what a great group of people they have at the fire department!
One of the things we noticed and enjoyed about driving through Kentucky are the fences. All wooden. I understand the barbed fences would be too dangerous for the horses. I can appreciate that as well as the aesthetic value. We were informed by the people we were originally eavesdropping on that the sights we see along the highways do not represent 100% of the Kentucky population. There are many "behind the scenes" farms. People making a living with their farms, but not necessarily the "millionaire farms" so obvious to travelers.
I do have to repeat what a terrific experience the Kentucky Horse Park was. My favorite part was the show of the different breeds, including the information, costumes and performances of each. We got to meet all of them, riders and horses. Rocky is big, and there were still 1 or 2 that were the same size if not bigger!
We wanted to find one of the fire departments in Cincinnati and were fortunate enough to drive straight to one. We met Willie Jones there. This station was one of two special units. Special because they deal with special cases such as hazmet, bombs, etc. Willie was very generous with his time and explained everything when questioned. It was Willie's night to cook. Close to dinner time, many of the other firemen started showing up. Go figure! I hope the people of Cincinnati know what a great group of people they have at the fire department!
Days 4 and 5 --- Kentucky and Cincinnati.....
Melody here…..we have traveled over lots of ground…it is Friday morning when we post this….Wednesday we went from the Mammoth Cave area of Kentucky to Lexington….not very many miles, but we were able to see and do lots of things….We started the morning at Big Mike’s Rock shop…we bought a little piece of Kentucky Dolomite….saw many things that Mike would like…. Lots of beautiful mineral and rock specimens…..we got off the interstate and took the scenic 31E highway…were able to see some things besides a tunnel of trees… We stopped at a roadside produce stand that was situated on a local farm site….Can you tell, we weren’t making very good time, but we were having a good time….Next, we stopped at Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace…very beautiful and peaceful place….The young man, Scott, that was at the symbolic cabin was very helpful with a wifi connection…his suggestion of the Cozy Café was a big success for us….We arrived there after the dinner rush, so we had a chance to talk to the owner, Gayle. The food was delicious, and we enjoyed our conversation….we were off again…Stopping at the Lincoln boyhood home at Knob Creek…Lincoln says that his first memories are of being there… The ranger was a very helpful and friendly guy….The area there has been returned to how it was in that time….the meadow is clear with a few crops growing to represent what would have been there in the Lincoln years….2009 will be the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth…lots of preparations for the big occasion….The ranger says that the Lincoln’s lost the farm at Sinking Springs because of a legal dispute (which were common in the early Kentucky days) which may have been the reason that Abe wanted to become a lawyer. Thought that was an interesting idea…. We were off again….we went to Daniel Boone’s grave in Frankfort. From the cemetery you could look across the hill and see the state capitol….There was a little rain as we left…it would be fun to do some other exploring here……We headed toward Lexington…saw some absolutely breathtaking Kentucky horse farms…we took some amazing pictures…..we were even able to take some pictures—hopefully we will post some soon…. After we were finished eating dinner, we were eavesdropping on a conversation, and I heard ….Mt. Scott, Mt. Sheridan, Lawton, 6666 Ranch, Waggoner Ranch…..and I just had to interrupt and ask if they were from Oklahoma…..two of the men were from Oklahoma…one was from Snyder originally and knew about the boys…..what a small world…the Kentuckian suggested very strongly that we visit the Kentucky Horse Park…..And so that is how we started our Thursday….I am so thankful that we took his suggestion….The Show of Breeds was spectacular….the finale was a Friezen…..we so wished that Marla could have been with us to see all the fancy footwork that those horses do!!! We want to find some videos to share with the students… only important to me, but we saw a Welsh horse with a rider in historic Welsh costume….remember to pray for Matt as he is gone….We saw a farrier---very informative about all of the types of shoes………even a hardy plastic shoe that will last as long as a steel shoe…Thanks for all of the info…Then we went to the International Horse Museum….so much information about horses…Job 39:19 mentions horses and the quote is at the beginning of the museum….. .so glad that we decided to go through the park…wished that the Kliewer family could have been there with us to see all of them….it started storming just as we were wanting to leave…we sat and waited out the rain before heading to the car….then we were off for Ohio….and back on track to the boys adventures…We stopped at the Cincinnati Fire Station….Willie Jones was a great person to visit with…..he patiently answered our questions and let us look at the trucks and even let us go into the dining area and talk to the others as he was cooking dinner….They were absolutely wonderful…I think that we piqued their curiosity about the history of the Cincinnati Fire Department….It is the first paid fire department in the country….we drove around downtown and looked at the outside of the fire museum, which had been a fire station in earlier days… Then it was off to Dayton…we are ready for our appointment Friday AM…Thanks for reading……
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
We Are In Kentucky!
Chisholm hope you are having a HAPPY 9TH BIRTHDAY!!! Melody here…It has been a fun couple of days…we sure do miss our tech guy! Hope he is having a great time. If you would like the blog link to his summer adventure, email me at Abernathy_08@yahoo.com ---please remember to say a prayer for him. I keep thinking of Joshua 1:9…..
Donna and I finally took off on Monday morning…after several stops we finally made it out of Oklahoma in the afternoon—We are going a little out of the way because of the flooding in Missouri…we are going to go down I-40 and then up to Cincinnati and back on track…We camped at Village Creek State Park on the east side of Arkansas…it was a really beautiful place…Steve H. we found the trees that are missing in western Oklahoma…LOL one thing of note, we did see a really nice ford f-150 pickup driving down I-40—friendly people….
We woke up early and headed east on I-40….we took a little time to view the Mississippi River when we crossed at Memphis…..unless you are standing beside it, it is really hard to imagine how fast it moves or how large it is…. Donna says when you get closer you start thinking about the people of the past and their experiences on it…the coast guard was zipping around quickly, but what a different experience going down the river on a barge or raft like in times past must have been…..We drove and drove through Tennessee (more trees!) –we stopped at the Casey Jones train museum in Jackson,Tennessee..if you are interested in folklore and trains, it is a super place to stop… the curator, Ben, was a great man to talk to..he enjoyed hearing about our trip…and late Tuesday afternoon, we arrived in Kentucky!! This is a new state for me! Yeah! I have been to all the states around it, but never here. We stopped near Mammoth National Park and are staying at Jellystone Campgrounds…this is a great place to camp! We saw another friendly policeman a few miles before the campgrounds! More soon….thanks for reading….
Hope VBS is going well… and hope the assistant harbor master is having fun!
Hey, everybody! It’s Donna now. We’ve headed out for the second part of the journey. We got a little late start and decided to take an alternate route because of the floods. We will be able to hook up with our original route in Cincinnati, which is most likely going to be tomorrow night.
One of the first places, obviously unplanned, was a stop at Toad Suck Ferry, Lock and Dam. No vocabulary liberties allowed here. It’s exactly what it says! It was built in 1820. Local legend has that it was named after a saloon on the other side of the river. At the same site was a tree. Sound exciting? It really was interesting. An oak and pecan tree had grown together as one. Believe it! We’ve got pictures.
The first night we stayed at the Village Creek State Park. Yes, we started in a tent and are still pursuing that course for another night or two. As odd as it may sound, we had a horsefly that kept running along and bumping into the car while we were trying to find a site. I thought I lost him in the showers, but he eventually caught up with me again. At least it never bit. Now, the mosquitoes were another story. They were big, juicy and plentiful! I was really happy they didn’t try to share the loaded baked potatoes we had for dinner! We left our cooler of beverages on the picnic table, not thinking that it would attract guests. Wrong! Drivers of Ford F150 and police officers are not the only friendly people we’ve run into. When the cooler hit the ground, I thought somebody was shooting a gun. Of course, I’ve never heard one shot in real life, so what was I thinking? It was obvious by the glowing eyes in the dark it was a raccoon. Wasn’t it?
By the way, Melody and I can get the tent set up now at record speed.
Today, Tuesday, we stopped at the Casey Jones Museum and Home. According to the short video we watched, it seems Casey received a few citations in his time at the railroad. Isn’t this something like a speeding ticket? Ben at the museum said his wife’s great grandfather rode with Chisholm on what became known as the Chisholm Trail. We got a good surprise when we visited a visitor’s center in Tennessee. They had quite a few artifacts/memorabilia about the area. Tonight we camp out at Jellystone Park in Kentucky.
Don’t forget to let us hear from you!
Donna and I finally took off on Monday morning…after several stops we finally made it out of Oklahoma in the afternoon—We are going a little out of the way because of the flooding in Missouri…we are going to go down I-40 and then up to Cincinnati and back on track…We camped at Village Creek State Park on the east side of Arkansas…it was a really beautiful place…Steve H. we found the trees that are missing in western Oklahoma…LOL one thing of note, we did see a really nice ford f-150 pickup driving down I-40—friendly people….
We woke up early and headed east on I-40….we took a little time to view the Mississippi River when we crossed at Memphis…..unless you are standing beside it, it is really hard to imagine how fast it moves or how large it is…. Donna says when you get closer you start thinking about the people of the past and their experiences on it…the coast guard was zipping around quickly, but what a different experience going down the river on a barge or raft like in times past must have been…..We drove and drove through Tennessee (more trees!) –we stopped at the Casey Jones train museum in Jackson,Tennessee..if you are interested in folklore and trains, it is a super place to stop… the curator, Ben, was a great man to talk to..he enjoyed hearing about our trip…and late Tuesday afternoon, we arrived in Kentucky!! This is a new state for me! Yeah! I have been to all the states around it, but never here. We stopped near Mammoth National Park and are staying at Jellystone Campgrounds…this is a great place to camp! We saw another friendly policeman a few miles before the campgrounds! More soon….thanks for reading….
Hope VBS is going well… and hope the assistant harbor master is having fun!
Hey, everybody! It’s Donna now. We’ve headed out for the second part of the journey. We got a little late start and decided to take an alternate route because of the floods. We will be able to hook up with our original route in Cincinnati, which is most likely going to be tomorrow night.
One of the first places, obviously unplanned, was a stop at Toad Suck Ferry, Lock and Dam. No vocabulary liberties allowed here. It’s exactly what it says! It was built in 1820. Local legend has that it was named after a saloon on the other side of the river. At the same site was a tree. Sound exciting? It really was interesting. An oak and pecan tree had grown together as one. Believe it! We’ve got pictures.
The first night we stayed at the Village Creek State Park. Yes, we started in a tent and are still pursuing that course for another night or two. As odd as it may sound, we had a horsefly that kept running along and bumping into the car while we were trying to find a site. I thought I lost him in the showers, but he eventually caught up with me again. At least it never bit. Now, the mosquitoes were another story. They were big, juicy and plentiful! I was really happy they didn’t try to share the loaded baked potatoes we had for dinner! We left our cooler of beverages on the picnic table, not thinking that it would attract guests. Wrong! Drivers of Ford F150 and police officers are not the only friendly people we’ve run into. When the cooler hit the ground, I thought somebody was shooting a gun. Of course, I’ve never heard one shot in real life, so what was I thinking? It was obvious by the glowing eyes in the dark it was a raccoon. Wasn’t it?
By the way, Melody and I can get the tent set up now at record speed.
Today, Tuesday, we stopped at the Casey Jones Museum and Home. According to the short video we watched, it seems Casey received a few citations in his time at the railroad. Isn’t this something like a speeding ticket? Ben at the museum said his wife’s great grandfather rode with Chisholm on what became known as the Chisholm Trail. We got a good surprise when we visited a visitor’s center in Tennessee. They had quite a few artifacts/memorabilia about the area. Tonight we camp out at Jellystone Park in Kentucky.
Don’t forget to let us hear from you!
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Monday, June 16, 2008
Santa Fe to Home (Saturday)
Saturday was a long day!! We left Santa Fe in the mid-morning and headed toward Las Vegas NM…..It was an absolutely breathtaking drive…I don’t think I have ever been on this highway before, so you know that we had to stop several times….We went to Pecos National Park…you can tour the remains of a Pueblo Indian village….was a spectacular place to stop…just off of the beaten path…..Donna especially appreciated the signs that were posted around that said….Rattlesnakes in the area!!!! This little pit-stop took more than an hour, but it was worth it…We also had to stop at Glorietta Conference Center…I had never been there, and I wanted to see where Roxanne will be spending some time next month….looks like a super place to spend some quality time with God…..made me think of Falls Creek….will be sad that I won’t be going this summer, but am so thankful for the opportunity that God is allowing me to have! Finally we arrived in Las Vegas….they have a beautiful old square…We ate more green and red chile food!!! It was good! We saw some very interesting people in the park…think it was going to be a wedding…. Wished we could have stayed and watched…. The Rough Rider museum had some great artifacts…lots about Teddy Roosevelt….glad we stopped there---Here is a little piece of advice……curvy lines on the map mean SLOW DRIVING….but it also means great scenery……. One time we stopped to take a picture—donna got out and I said to Matt…” I hope she doesn’t fall down the side of the mountain….and he replied…there is a guard rail…..But, I had to point out that she was on the other side of the guard rail!!!” But I think she got a great picture….
Alas, we reached Tucumcari, NM and I-40……here we could make a little time…..We did stop at the “Cadillac ranch” on the interstate so Donna could see the buried Cadillacs….Matt begged to stop at the 72 ounce steak place, but I declined on account of the time….As it was, we rolled into Yale about 2:00….
What a great adventure we have had…and it is only just starting….
I will try to update again later this week, but we will start the trip again on Sunday…lots to do before then…
It is nice to be home and go to church……More soon…..
Alas, we reached Tucumcari, NM and I-40……here we could make a little time…..We did stop at the “Cadillac ranch” on the interstate so Donna could see the buried Cadillacs….Matt begged to stop at the 72 ounce steak place, but I declined on account of the time….As it was, we rolled into Yale about 2:00….
What a great adventure we have had…and it is only just starting….
I will try to update again later this week, but we will start the trip again on Sunday…lots to do before then…
It is nice to be home and go to church……More soon…..
Santa Fe to home
It’s the last day of this part of our journey. We head home today. We’ll fine tune some kinks and be back on the road again in about a week.
We started our day by heading to Las Vegas, New Mexico. Teddy Roosevelt was a roughrider and continued lasting friendships with other Roughriders. Las Vegas has a Roughrider museum. We saw many interesting artifacts from the times, as well as a lot of photos and information on Teddy. Obviously the museum wasn’t there when Bud and Temple rode through, but it was interesting to check out more about their friend Teddy. The curator would make a great addition to the community of 1909 Portales.
We also visited the Pueblo historic site in Pecos. Seeing things like this really makes one wonder what life was like for the people who lived there. I could have done without constant reminders of the possibility of meeting up with a rattler. Made me appreciate the hot day as I am sure they found cooler places to chill out. The outside temperature reached a max of 105 degrees at one point.
We also drove through the beautiful mesas east of Las Vegas. Driving on the edge of the high cliffs was a little disconcerting. I found myself leaning toward the other side of the car to help make sure we didn’t topple over!
We started our day by heading to Las Vegas, New Mexico. Teddy Roosevelt was a roughrider and continued lasting friendships with other Roughriders. Las Vegas has a Roughrider museum. We saw many interesting artifacts from the times, as well as a lot of photos and information on Teddy. Obviously the museum wasn’t there when Bud and Temple rode through, but it was interesting to check out more about their friend Teddy. The curator would make a great addition to the community of 1909 Portales.
We also visited the Pueblo historic site in Pecos. Seeing things like this really makes one wonder what life was like for the people who lived there. I could have done without constant reminders of the possibility of meeting up with a rattler. Made me appreciate the hot day as I am sure they found cooler places to chill out. The outside temperature reached a max of 105 degrees at one point.
We also drove through the beautiful mesas east of Las Vegas. Driving on the edge of the high cliffs was a little disconcerting. I found myself leaning toward the other side of the car to help make sure we didn’t topple over!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
We left a message with Governor Richardson's office yesterday about meeting with him, but haven't heard back. So, we decided to start the day by just popping into the capital. As luck would have it (it was Friday the 13th), the governor is in Europe. We did meet Connie Weston, who took the time to show us around his office. She has worked with several governors and told some stories about their philosophies of how their office should be set up and where they needed to be sitting when meeting with people. We left a book in her care and I have no doubt it will be read before it is passed on! The capitol building does not have a metal detector allowing entrance. Jake, you would have no problem gaining entrance here, no matter what type of boots you were wearing! We walked around and took lots of pictures. They have some great art. If ever in Santa Fe, you just have to check out the buffalo. You could look at it a hundred times and still see something new. From people we met, I do believe that is the highlight of everybody's visit to the capital. While looking for the hallway that contained portraits of all the governors who have served, we met Kate Nelson, who work's in the Lieutenant Governor's office. We were shown her office. She was out of town also. Like Connie, Kate was very friendly and hospitable, introducing us to several other members of the office. She is from Kansas, which is very close to my old stomping grounds. Thinking about the vast lands around us during our travels and wondering what it must have seemed like to Bud and Temple, it doesn't seem the saying "It's a small world" would apply. How many times did Temple ask, "Are we almost there?" This is where new technology comes into play. We met a woman from Washington who compared the climates of the two states. She eagerly awaits the time when she returns to the rainy state of Washington. We ran into a woman from Connecticut, a writer from the east coast, an artist whose father lives in Lawton, a woman whose sister lives in Perkins, OK. Bud and Temple had to have met many people along the way. I wonder how many of them were somehow connected to their hometown, or were perhaps from faraway places the boys had only heard about, but never visited. We also went to check out the archives. We still have not found any newspaper articles or, in this case, letters to or from Governor Curry which documents the boys' travels. We haven't given up though!
Roswell and Santa Fe
Thursday and Friday were super busy....we got lots accomplished and yet have so many more questions....We went to the newspaper in Roswell, the Chamber of Commerce, the public library where we left a book, the UFO museum, and the Historical Museum of SE NM! The highlight of my stay in Roswell was getting to talk to a man named Morgan Nelson....he was an elderly gentleman who happened to come into the museum--bringing his great-grandson Ben....He had an apple orchard before the "big freeze" in 1938...he told us lots of stories about the early days of Roswell. He had an interesting career---farmer, military, and legislator.....he was so informative and interesting...we were able to record lots of what he said...Thank you, Mr. Nelson....unfortunately we had to leave, but we needed to arrive in Santa Fe! So away we went...we stopped at Wal-Mart for some food before heading across the desert...they had a picture of a UFO on the side of the store...of course we took our picture there...but inside I asked the clerk if she gets tired of the UFO stuff, and she said, YES! I thought that people might.... It is 200 miles between Roswell and Santa Fe....there are two places that look like they have people...Vaughn and Clines Corner...and Clines Corner is just a truck stop!!! So not much to look at except the desert....Matt and I did see some pronghorn.... They are interesting creatures...I didn't get to take a picture because they were too far away....
We arrived in Santa Fe around 6:30 local time...there was enough daylight left to go explore around the plaza.....there is so much beauty, history, and art in Santa Fe that even if you were a local, I don't think you would ever see it all..... The plaza is the old part of Santa Fe...lots of one way streets and little tiny shops....all of the buildings are adobe...just beautiful..Matt managed go capture some pictures of one of the church buildings in the plaza just as the sun is setting...The sun casts such a beautiful golden glow on the buildings....
Friday morning we went to the state capitol....Unfortunately, Gov. Richardson is traveling around Europe. However, Connie Weston was super to us. I don't know her exact title, but she showed us around Gov. Richardson's office and talked about her career of working for different governors. You could tell she enjoyed her job very much! Thank you for taking your time to talk with us. We also met Kate Nelson in the Lt. Gov. office. Thanks so much for all the information and conversation....The people in this office gave us recommendations for food! We ended up eating at the Plaza Restaurant.........I don't think I have had this good of Mexican food since Bobo's!!! I had the flat blue corn enchiladas with green chile..........Wow! They were fantastic...The reason we settled on this restaurant is that it has been a restaurant in the same location since 1905....we don't know if the boys would have gone there, but they could have! We saw lots of exquisite pieces of art that local vendors sell just sitting around the plaza...what an interesting site....the artists are all friendly and enjoy talking about their crafts. We met one lady who creates wind chimes out of glass and horseshoes or antlers....BEAUTIFUL.... We also went to the Loretto Chapel to see the miraculous staircase that was built in the 1800s....The chapel and the staircase are absolutely breathtaking....if you ever go to Santa Fe you must see it... We also saw the world's largest turquoise nugget....191 pounds...super to see....
After lunch we went to the state archives...we didn't find anything about the boys, but we did find a few articles of interest about Teddy Roosevelt and just things about the mansion....Although we were disappointed, it was still a great day...The archivists and assistants were super friendly and helpful...I am sure we will pose more questions to them at a later time....We headed back to the hotel to do a little laundry and then we went exploring...We went out by the Museum Hill and although the museums were closed they had some enormous sculptures outside....also the flora of the area was beautiful and we took lots of pictures..... The cool evening air of the desert is absolutely wonderful...nice and crisp after a warm day.... Donna wanted to get some ice cream before we headed to the hotel....she had spied a baskin robbins earlier.... One of the workers was so friendly....she was originally from Washington State...she misses the rain...says she will go to college out there.... She is proof of what we are doing...every person has a story, if you will just listen...
We are headed to Las Vegas NM today....then Amarillo...will be home soon...Thanks everyone for reading the blog!!! We are having a great time...
We arrived in Santa Fe around 6:30 local time...there was enough daylight left to go explore around the plaza.....there is so much beauty, history, and art in Santa Fe that even if you were a local, I don't think you would ever see it all..... The plaza is the old part of Santa Fe...lots of one way streets and little tiny shops....all of the buildings are adobe...just beautiful..Matt managed go capture some pictures of one of the church buildings in the plaza just as the sun is setting...The sun casts such a beautiful golden glow on the buildings....
Friday morning we went to the state capitol....Unfortunately, Gov. Richardson is traveling around Europe. However, Connie Weston was super to us. I don't know her exact title, but she showed us around Gov. Richardson's office and talked about her career of working for different governors. You could tell she enjoyed her job very much! Thank you for taking your time to talk with us. We also met Kate Nelson in the Lt. Gov. office. Thanks so much for all the information and conversation....The people in this office gave us recommendations for food! We ended up eating at the Plaza Restaurant.........I don't think I have had this good of Mexican food since Bobo's!!! I had the flat blue corn enchiladas with green chile..........Wow! They were fantastic...The reason we settled on this restaurant is that it has been a restaurant in the same location since 1905....we don't know if the boys would have gone there, but they could have! We saw lots of exquisite pieces of art that local vendors sell just sitting around the plaza...what an interesting site....the artists are all friendly and enjoy talking about their crafts. We met one lady who creates wind chimes out of glass and horseshoes or antlers....BEAUTIFUL.... We also went to the Loretto Chapel to see the miraculous staircase that was built in the 1800s....The chapel and the staircase are absolutely breathtaking....if you ever go to Santa Fe you must see it... We also saw the world's largest turquoise nugget....191 pounds...super to see....
After lunch we went to the state archives...we didn't find anything about the boys, but we did find a few articles of interest about Teddy Roosevelt and just things about the mansion....Although we were disappointed, it was still a great day...The archivists and assistants were super friendly and helpful...I am sure we will pose more questions to them at a later time....We headed back to the hotel to do a little laundry and then we went exploring...We went out by the Museum Hill and although the museums were closed they had some enormous sculptures outside....also the flora of the area was beautiful and we took lots of pictures..... The cool evening air of the desert is absolutely wonderful...nice and crisp after a warm day.... Donna wanted to get some ice cream before we headed to the hotel....she had spied a baskin robbins earlier.... One of the workers was so friendly....she was originally from Washington State...she misses the rain...says she will go to college out there.... She is proof of what we are doing...every person has a story, if you will just listen...
We are headed to Las Vegas NM today....then Amarillo...will be home soon...Thanks everyone for reading the blog!!! We are having a great time...
Friday, June 13, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Hi everybody! Guess I'm playing catchup again. We've been to several places since I last blogged. We stopped in Estelline, the first stop the boys made so long ago. It was a quiet little town. I wonder just how much it has really changed since Bud and Temple were there. We stopped at the post office. It had more cars than any place else. That would be two cars. We really enjoyed talking with Gayle and Eleena. We left a book with them to pass on to Mack, the local historian. We hope to get in touch with him soon to see if he can help us with finding out more about Estelline and see if he has knowledge of any records or stories of the boys visiting Estelline. Our new friends gave us directions to get down to the Red River.
When I think of a river, I think of a moving body of water. Not so in this case. The river was dry here. The patterns caused by salt and previous movement of water was fascinating. I was actually walking on the bed of the river. Didn't get wet, but still managed to find mud. The only thing that kept it from being 100% enjoyable was remembering stories from people in Frederick talking about quicksand incidents. Luckily we never experienced this stuff first hand. From prints in the dirt I figure deer had no problem with quicksand either.
We then moved on to Turkey. We made our way to the Bob Wills Museum, which was in a building that also housed the library and senior citizen center. Our initial attempt was for the library, but it was closed. We entrusted our Bud and Me book to the museum where they said it would be passed on to the library for the citizens of Turkey to enjoy. While there, Bob Wills' daughter walked in the door and we got to meet her. How's that for timing? On our way out of town, we stopped to take a picture of the Bob Wills memorial. Across the street was a garage where we were greeted by Israel. He showed us around. We saw two buildings that had been made out of oil cans. One of the buildings was a house that Bob Wills had lived in at one time. Israel insisted we had to visit the hotel which has been around since 1909. Of course we headed over, wondering if Bud and Temple had been there. As it turned out, it was dated 1929. It was gorgeous and had a lot of antiques. To add to all the "coincidences" we have experienced, the owner knew a man in Quitaque whose mother was the first woman to become a member of the American Motorcyle Association. She would demo Indian Motorcycles! This is one of those times when answers lead to a lot more questions.
On we went to Quitaque. There we almost missed meeting Larry Henderson, the man who's mother I just mentioned. If she could, he thinks she'd still be riding. I am hoping he gets in touch with her about some of her pictures and hopefully those will come with stories. We then went to the Caprock Cafe. Out of curiosity I starting talking to some local gentlemen, asking if they knew what Quitaque meant. One said it means "horse manure". The other two argued and said it means "End of the Trail". The end of the trail comes from the times when people travelled in a covered wagon. When they reached Caprock, it was too difficult to take the wagons further, therefore they settled in Quitaque, the end of the trail. The horse manure comes from a story about Indians that left a false trail of horse manure to cover their escape in another direction. In Quitaque we took a book to the librarian. Her grandson was also there. They were very happy to receive the book. If my guess is right, I think he planned on digging into the book rather quickly. Several people encouraged us to go to Caprock Canyons State Park. Majestic. The lake has to be man-made because everything was so dry. It was scary on some parts of the road that seemed to go straight down. It was a good promotion for wearing a seatbelt!
By time we got to Silverton, just about everything seemed closed. We went to the Baptist church. We got there right before the 6:30 services. We left the book with Ms. Reed and her son to give to the library. Ms. Reed has a sister that lives in Perkins. We talked to a man outside a convenience store. After hearing our story, he talked about a group of men who had come through a couple years ago, riding horses to Wyoming. They stayed in Silverton for several days before the weather let them continue. We think it may have been the Longriders.
Our goal was to reach Roswell by the end of the day. It was late when we arrived. Roswell is known as the UFO capital of the world. We enjoyed a lot of laughs. From a long distance we could see a LOT of blinking lights. What were we to think?
We began our day visiting the Roswell Daily Record to look at microfiche to hopefully find articles of Bud and Temple's stay, but came up empty. We then went to the library to give them a book. At the Chamber of Commerce we were given several pamphlets on the historical society and museum. We also got into a discussion about Peruvian Paso competitions where they have the riders hold a glass of champagne and ride their horses across planks. They are scored by who has the most champagne left in their glass. We stopped in the UFO museum. The recorded radio announcement was one of my favorite parts. We wanted to visit the Archive Museum, but it wasn't open on Thursdays. We continued toward the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico. One of my favorite exhibits was theHall of Music. All things were organized by decades. It was really fascinating. The highlight of the day was meeting Mr. Morgan. He was able to tell a LOT about the history of Roswell. He was in the legislature. He was able to tell us about several of the governors who had held office. I wonder what the population was when Bud and Temple went on their journey. How many people did they meet? What kind of people did they meet? What did they learn? One of my favorite things on this journey is the people we meet. We need to listen more to the older generations. They have a lot of stories to tell!
When I think of a river, I think of a moving body of water. Not so in this case. The river was dry here. The patterns caused by salt and previous movement of water was fascinating. I was actually walking on the bed of the river. Didn't get wet, but still managed to find mud. The only thing that kept it from being 100% enjoyable was remembering stories from people in Frederick talking about quicksand incidents. Luckily we never experienced this stuff first hand. From prints in the dirt I figure deer had no problem with quicksand either.
We then moved on to Turkey. We made our way to the Bob Wills Museum, which was in a building that also housed the library and senior citizen center. Our initial attempt was for the library, but it was closed. We entrusted our Bud and Me book to the museum where they said it would be passed on to the library for the citizens of Turkey to enjoy. While there, Bob Wills' daughter walked in the door and we got to meet her. How's that for timing? On our way out of town, we stopped to take a picture of the Bob Wills memorial. Across the street was a garage where we were greeted by Israel. He showed us around. We saw two buildings that had been made out of oil cans. One of the buildings was a house that Bob Wills had lived in at one time. Israel insisted we had to visit the hotel which has been around since 1909. Of course we headed over, wondering if Bud and Temple had been there. As it turned out, it was dated 1929. It was gorgeous and had a lot of antiques. To add to all the "coincidences" we have experienced, the owner knew a man in Quitaque whose mother was the first woman to become a member of the American Motorcyle Association. She would demo Indian Motorcycles! This is one of those times when answers lead to a lot more questions.
On we went to Quitaque. There we almost missed meeting Larry Henderson, the man who's mother I just mentioned. If she could, he thinks she'd still be riding. I am hoping he gets in touch with her about some of her pictures and hopefully those will come with stories. We then went to the Caprock Cafe. Out of curiosity I starting talking to some local gentlemen, asking if they knew what Quitaque meant. One said it means "horse manure". The other two argued and said it means "End of the Trail". The end of the trail comes from the times when people travelled in a covered wagon. When they reached Caprock, it was too difficult to take the wagons further, therefore they settled in Quitaque, the end of the trail. The horse manure comes from a story about Indians that left a false trail of horse manure to cover their escape in another direction. In Quitaque we took a book to the librarian. Her grandson was also there. They were very happy to receive the book. If my guess is right, I think he planned on digging into the book rather quickly. Several people encouraged us to go to Caprock Canyons State Park. Majestic. The lake has to be man-made because everything was so dry. It was scary on some parts of the road that seemed to go straight down. It was a good promotion for wearing a seatbelt!
By time we got to Silverton, just about everything seemed closed. We went to the Baptist church. We got there right before the 6:30 services. We left the book with Ms. Reed and her son to give to the library. Ms. Reed has a sister that lives in Perkins. We talked to a man outside a convenience store. After hearing our story, he talked about a group of men who had come through a couple years ago, riding horses to Wyoming. They stayed in Silverton for several days before the weather let them continue. We think it may have been the Longriders.
Our goal was to reach Roswell by the end of the day. It was late when we arrived. Roswell is known as the UFO capital of the world. We enjoyed a lot of laughs. From a long distance we could see a LOT of blinking lights. What were we to think?
We began our day visiting the Roswell Daily Record to look at microfiche to hopefully find articles of Bud and Temple's stay, but came up empty. We then went to the library to give them a book. At the Chamber of Commerce we were given several pamphlets on the historical society and museum. We also got into a discussion about Peruvian Paso competitions where they have the riders hold a glass of champagne and ride their horses across planks. They are scored by who has the most champagne left in their glass. We stopped in the UFO museum. The recorded radio announcement was one of my favorite parts. We wanted to visit the Archive Museum, but it wasn't open on Thursdays. We continued toward the Historical Society for Southeast New Mexico. One of my favorite exhibits was theHall of Music. All things were organized by decades. It was really fascinating. The highlight of the day was meeting Mr. Morgan. He was able to tell a LOT about the history of Roswell. He was in the legislature. He was able to tell us about several of the governors who had held office. I wonder what the population was when Bud and Temple went on their journey. How many people did they meet? What kind of people did they meet? What did they learn? One of my favorite things on this journey is the people we meet. We need to listen more to the older generations. They have a lot of stories to tell!
Across the Texas Panhandle
First I have to say thank you all so much for reading our blog and keeping up with what we are doing....knowing that people are reading what we say means so much to us....Yesterday was such an eventful day! We saw so many places and talked to so many interesting people! oh yes, and it was so hot.....it was about 111 degrees in the Texas panhandle on Wednesday.....I am going to try to go in an order of what we saw, but I am going to say that the Caprock Canyons State Park is so beautiful....if you have seen it, would you leave us a message on the blog.....I thought it was breathe-takingly beautiful!! Some of the pictures we took are great and the others just don't do it justice!
Our first stop was at Esteline, Texas. There are no buildings left from the time Bud and Temple went through....but we did hear the story of the old hotel where they stayed...It was torn down in the 1940s...so it has been gone a long time....The lady that owned the place had it torn down, and then she moved an old barrack from Childress Air Base out and made it into two houses....our new friends at the Esteline Post Office were so nice....thanks Gayle and Aleen for taking a copy of the book to give to your local "historian"...and for the directions to the river....we had great fun looking around the Red River even though it was almost completely dry...we saw deer tracks across the bed and lots of different types of plants...lots of salt ceder and a cane looking plant that was absolutely beautiful....you could see the salt that was sitting on top of the sand and it made beautiful white patterns....all of the places weren't completely dry....we managed to get enough red mud on us that we took it with us the rest of the day....It was amazing to think about the boys taking all day to get from Esteline to Turkey....we say lots of the whitish looking rocks that we assumed to be gypsum....it was so hot on Wednesday that we understood why Temple wanted to drink so much water.....
Turkey, Tx was such a treat for us! It is the home of the Bob Wills Museum....it is in the same building as the city library...since the library was closed when we went by, we were in store for a great treat.....Loreen, at the museum, was willing to take the copy of Bud and Me---she was very friendly to us and even put on some great Bob Wills music for us to listen to as we strolled around... I really thought his music was great...I think I must get a CD...We were able to talk to Bob's daughter, Cindi....what a joy it was to talk to her...she is an artist -- the work she showed us was super! She even posed for a picture with us.....Thanks very much...We thought we were headed out of town, but at the west end of town, there is a monument to Bob...so we stopped to take a picture....A man named Israel came out of the place of business there and told us we should go to the Hotel Turkey....I am so glad he told us that, and I am so glad that we went....Although the building would not have been there when Bud and Temple rode through, it was a neat place with a neat story...Mark and his mom, the new owners, loved our story, and told us about a man over in Quitaque (the sign outside of town gives the pronunciation Kitty-Quay) . His mother was the first woman that was a member of the American Motorcycle Association, and she rode an Indian---which is the same motorcycle the boys rode to NYC in 1913! We were very fortunate...we were able to track him down....but our first stop was the local paper....although she was working to get the paper out and was on a strict deadline she talked to us and told us where the library is located....so we went down there and donated our book...Janice Clark...she reminds me of you! Thank you Arlene for receiving the book...the picture of us and your grandson was great...we will send it to the newspaper.....keep up the good work.... So then we were off to find Larry Henderson and hear the story of his mother and the Indian Motorcycle....we stopped at the grocery story and talked to Albert Castillo....he said that we just missed Larry...we were disappointed, but stayed and talked a minute with them in the store...we bought some ice, and just as we were putting it into the car, Albert tells us that he sees Larry across the street....I just love small towns...Albert hollers at him, and Larry comes over and entertains us with a few stories of his mom during her days of riding motorcycles! We walked across the street to see the headgear that he keeps on his bike that belonged to her...We got some great pictures...Thanks Larry
By this time, we were really pretty hungry...we ate at a little place east of the grocery...the Caprock Cafe...it was really good food....There were three local men that we were able to tell our story to....One of the men had been a teacher and administrator for many years...Donna said she wouldn't hold the administrator part against him.... LOL They assured us that we needed to take the time to go to the Caprock Canyon state park.... They were right.... The park is so beautiful...if would be great to come back to this area and spend several days prowling around the park...I do think the passengers were a little nervous when we went down some of the steep hills.... It was 111 degrees when we were out in this area though, so we did spend most of the time in the car..... It was getting late, but away we went to Silverton...I was really excited to see the old jail in Silverton, because it was built in the late 1800s...that meant that Bud and Temple would have seen it when they went through Silverton....since all of the buildings were closed, we drove by the 1st Baptist church-- it was about 6:20...I asked some people what time church started and they said 6:30, so I knew that we would have time to give a book if they were willing....it is the best story...Tracy Hill you will love this... The lady, Ruth Reed, said I know where Falls Creek is, (that was the shirt I was wearing) because my sister-in-law goes there...her sister is from Perkins!!! isn't that hilarious...I told her that we were so close to Perkins....Her son, Tyler, signed our book.... He said he would because his friend, JJ, wasn't really from Silverton....I hope they will read the book before they give it to the library.... They looked like they would enjoy reading it! Thank you for letting us give you the book! I wished we could have stayed for the service, but we went a long way before stopping for the night! In Clovis, NM Donna said that she had a craving for ice cream...we pulled into the McDonalds but they only had vanilla cones, so we decided to try our luck a different place...just then we spied a police officer pulling through the parking lot across the street...he stopped and his partner got out to go inside...but he stayed...so we cruised over there and asked for directions to somewhere else to get ice cream...he mentioned several places, but the one that stuck in our minds was Dairy Queen...it had been a long time since any of us had eaten there.....It was really great...I had a dipped cone, Donna had a Peanut Butter Parfait, and Matt had some Oreo dessert....it revived us enough to head toward Roswell.... I am thankful that we are here during the first part of the journey....Matt and Donna had me howling with stories and jokes about Aliens and UFO's....I must admit the town of Kenna does seem a little odd...we only saw the signs...but no evidence of the people..... (I am sure the town is just off the highway, but they had fun with the stories) Near Kenna there are a group of towers with blinking red lights...we watched them for many miles...we said that those were the glowing eyes of the wolves like the boys saw between Portales and Roswell......
Finally, we arrived in Roswell....Matt said...Look mom, there is a UFO...... and I said very funny...but he was right...there is a big UFO painted on the Wal-Mart---too funny----
We will look around here for a little while, and then head to Santa Fe today....
Oh yes Mike, we took some pictures of swallows for you....and yes, they are perfectly safe!
Gordon--we taught Donna how to take a "trip"---Brother Mich do you know how to do that? and Matt says that he has learned lots of new games at Base Camp...I think we will be in for a treat today....
More later.....
Our first stop was at Esteline, Texas. There are no buildings left from the time Bud and Temple went through....but we did hear the story of the old hotel where they stayed...It was torn down in the 1940s...so it has been gone a long time....The lady that owned the place had it torn down, and then she moved an old barrack from Childress Air Base out and made it into two houses....our new friends at the Esteline Post Office were so nice....thanks Gayle and Aleen for taking a copy of the book to give to your local "historian"...and for the directions to the river....we had great fun looking around the Red River even though it was almost completely dry...we saw deer tracks across the bed and lots of different types of plants...lots of salt ceder and a cane looking plant that was absolutely beautiful....you could see the salt that was sitting on top of the sand and it made beautiful white patterns....all of the places weren't completely dry....we managed to get enough red mud on us that we took it with us the rest of the day....It was amazing to think about the boys taking all day to get from Esteline to Turkey....we say lots of the whitish looking rocks that we assumed to be gypsum....it was so hot on Wednesday that we understood why Temple wanted to drink so much water.....
Turkey, Tx was such a treat for us! It is the home of the Bob Wills Museum....it is in the same building as the city library...since the library was closed when we went by, we were in store for a great treat.....Loreen, at the museum, was willing to take the copy of Bud and Me---she was very friendly to us and even put on some great Bob Wills music for us to listen to as we strolled around... I really thought his music was great...I think I must get a CD...We were able to talk to Bob's daughter, Cindi....what a joy it was to talk to her...she is an artist -- the work she showed us was super! She even posed for a picture with us.....Thanks very much...We thought we were headed out of town, but at the west end of town, there is a monument to Bob...so we stopped to take a picture....A man named Israel came out of the place of business there and told us we should go to the Hotel Turkey....I am so glad he told us that, and I am so glad that we went....Although the building would not have been there when Bud and Temple rode through, it was a neat place with a neat story...Mark and his mom, the new owners, loved our story, and told us about a man over in Quitaque (the sign outside of town gives the pronunciation Kitty-Quay) . His mother was the first woman that was a member of the American Motorcycle Association, and she rode an Indian---which is the same motorcycle the boys rode to NYC in 1913! We were very fortunate...we were able to track him down....but our first stop was the local paper....although she was working to get the paper out and was on a strict deadline she talked to us and told us where the library is located....so we went down there and donated our book...Janice Clark...she reminds me of you! Thank you Arlene for receiving the book...the picture of us and your grandson was great...we will send it to the newspaper.....keep up the good work.... So then we were off to find Larry Henderson and hear the story of his mother and the Indian Motorcycle....we stopped at the grocery story and talked to Albert Castillo....he said that we just missed Larry...we were disappointed, but stayed and talked a minute with them in the store...we bought some ice, and just as we were putting it into the car, Albert tells us that he sees Larry across the street....I just love small towns...Albert hollers at him, and Larry comes over and entertains us with a few stories of his mom during her days of riding motorcycles! We walked across the street to see the headgear that he keeps on his bike that belonged to her...We got some great pictures...Thanks Larry
By this time, we were really pretty hungry...we ate at a little place east of the grocery...the Caprock Cafe...it was really good food....There were three local men that we were able to tell our story to....One of the men had been a teacher and administrator for many years...Donna said she wouldn't hold the administrator part against him.... LOL They assured us that we needed to take the time to go to the Caprock Canyon state park.... They were right.... The park is so beautiful...if would be great to come back to this area and spend several days prowling around the park...I do think the passengers were a little nervous when we went down some of the steep hills.... It was 111 degrees when we were out in this area though, so we did spend most of the time in the car..... It was getting late, but away we went to Silverton...I was really excited to see the old jail in Silverton, because it was built in the late 1800s...that meant that Bud and Temple would have seen it when they went through Silverton....since all of the buildings were closed, we drove by the 1st Baptist church-- it was about 6:20...I asked some people what time church started and they said 6:30, so I knew that we would have time to give a book if they were willing....it is the best story...Tracy Hill you will love this... The lady, Ruth Reed, said I know where Falls Creek is, (that was the shirt I was wearing) because my sister-in-law goes there...her sister is from Perkins!!! isn't that hilarious...I told her that we were so close to Perkins....Her son, Tyler, signed our book.... He said he would because his friend, JJ, wasn't really from Silverton....I hope they will read the book before they give it to the library.... They looked like they would enjoy reading it! Thank you for letting us give you the book! I wished we could have stayed for the service, but we went a long way before stopping for the night! In Clovis, NM Donna said that she had a craving for ice cream...we pulled into the McDonalds but they only had vanilla cones, so we decided to try our luck a different place...just then we spied a police officer pulling through the parking lot across the street...he stopped and his partner got out to go inside...but he stayed...so we cruised over there and asked for directions to somewhere else to get ice cream...he mentioned several places, but the one that stuck in our minds was Dairy Queen...it had been a long time since any of us had eaten there.....It was really great...I had a dipped cone, Donna had a Peanut Butter Parfait, and Matt had some Oreo dessert....it revived us enough to head toward Roswell.... I am thankful that we are here during the first part of the journey....Matt and Donna had me howling with stories and jokes about Aliens and UFO's....I must admit the town of Kenna does seem a little odd...we only saw the signs...but no evidence of the people..... (I am sure the town is just off the highway, but they had fun with the stories) Near Kenna there are a group of towers with blinking red lights...we watched them for many miles...we said that those were the glowing eyes of the wolves like the boys saw between Portales and Roswell......
Finally, we arrived in Roswell....Matt said...Look mom, there is a UFO...... and I said very funny...but he was right...there is a big UFO painted on the Wal-Mart---too funny----
We will look around here for a little while, and then head to Santa Fe today....
Oh yes Mike, we took some pictures of swallows for you....and yes, they are perfectly safe!
Gordon--we taught Donna how to take a "trip"---Brother Mich do you know how to do that? and Matt says that he has learned lots of new games at Base Camp...I think we will be in for a treat today....
More later.....
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Every day has held some adventure and excitement in some form or another. Duplicating Bud and Temple, we didn't "ride" on Sunday. It was a laid-back day. We visited with Grandmother and Papa. Grandmother does grandmothers proud the world over. We've eaten more in a day than I usually eat! I'd forgotten people were supposed to eat three meals a day. The food has been delicious. Don't tell anybody, but the healthy food has not sent me into shock. Maybe because it was so good or it could be attributed to the good company. Grandmother has taken really good care of us. Most attempts to help out have met with some resistance, but we've tried our best to do so. Grandmother and Papa are Melody's grandparents, but maybe, if I'm really good, they'll adopt me! I think Grandmother's already forgiven me for the grounds in the coffee.
On Monday we went to the Chisholm Trail Museum in Duncan. We were greeted at the door with a poster of Bud and Temple and the book "Bud and Me". Is this a sign or what? After letting the woman in the gift shop know what we were up to, she enthusiastically called the director over and told him what we were doing. We were given a tour of the museum and allowed to wander around for a while. My favorite was the interactive movie of the trail drive. They had it set up to where you felt you were part of the drive. You could actually feel the high winds, the rain falling, and even smell the coffee from the chuckwagon, not to mention feel the vibrations from the pounding of the hooves during a stampede. While touring the museum we ran across a fun part, getting to push a lot of buttons and hearing about different aspects, from the roles on the drive (I became a veteran trail boss!), to the chuckwagon, telling ages of cattle by horns and teeth. There was a statue of a steer. Wouldn't you know, there was a sign that said not to climb on it! Not far away a saddle was set up. I asked Melody if she thought it was set up for people to try. She said probably not. I then inquired what the reason for the stepstool was and she said maybe it was set up for kids to try. By this time I was beginning to mount. She said "or maybe Donna." It didn't stop her from taking pictures. It might be funny, but they may be intended for blackmail as well. They even had a rope for ropin'. Luckily, Steve had given me an introduction into this about a week ago. So I had to try it. They had a sign saying we couldn't climb the steer. There wasn't one saying we couldn't rope it! Why would they put it so close to the saddle and rope if ropin' wasn't part of the plan? I tried and missed, but it was LOUD! I coiled the rope and hopped down. It was time to move on. After the museum, we went to find a bite to eat. We're hoping to eat at local places, not chains, in the hope of finding a story. We finally came across Jay's Drive-In. We could smell the grease before we walked in the door. I really got excited! The owner, Glen, was the only person there at that time, so we got a chance to talk with him. His family had had the place for 32 years, but he thought it had been in existence since the 1950s. No frills, but good food. Glen's main interest in history is WWII. His father fought in that war. An interesting comment he made was that the world had been having wars since the time of ancient civilizations. He figured there would always be a war somewhere at some time. It's just the way things are. About the time wer were leaving, people were starting to arrive. We had hit Jay's during odd hours. If you are ever in Duncan, make sure to stop there. There aren't any huge signs to point out where it is, so keep your eyes pealed. It gives you that nostalgic feeling, not to mention good cheeseburgers and fries. On our way home we drove through Medicine Park. Most everything was built with cobblestones. Hopefully everything will be put back to its former glory. One thing of interest was the art some people displayed. One yard had a totem pole. Animals made out of car parts was another example. A very quaint looking place. We had another bridge experience. This time I had the problem with it. Melody planned to drive across what looked to be an old wooden bridge. I wouldn't have walked across it! She reassured me it would hold 5,000 pounds. And this wasn't even the oldest bridge there!
Today, Tuesday, June 10th, we had to make another adjustment. We had our calendar days mixed up. Matt is still in Texas, so we won't be heading toward Santa Fe until tomorrow. Never fear! There's still lots to do. First thing we did was to go to the Apache Museum. Not many things to touch and couldn't take pictures. You know by know how I like to touch things. The museum had a lot of neat things in it. I wondered how young students would enjoy it. If you're ever in the situation where you find yourself thinking, "This is just a lot of old stuff", then try to place yourself at the time these items were invented. Somebody once looked at this "old stuff" and thought, "Wow! I've got the newest and the best now!" And the clothes? They were the top of the fashion industry at one time.
A little later we arrived at the library and gave them a "Bud and Me" book. They were very pleased. Speaking of old things earlier, the library actually has a card catalog! I had to open the drawers to see if it was real. Here I am, touching things again. The librarian is still in the process of getting all the cards in. She says it will come in handy if they ever lose power. Yep! You can't beat the old card catalogs!
Melody took a picture of the park which is located where the Levite's store used to be. Remember, we're thinking this is where the boys got their blanket. It's sad to see where so many buildings have been torn down or are in disrepair. It makes you wonder what stories are disappearing with them. Speaking of stories, I was thinking today that many answers lead to even more questions.
We met Mike in Chandler. He was our Superman and had the computer up and running and delivered it to us, together with Mexican food for dinner. Thank you again, Mike, for everything! On our way back to Apache, we stopped in Arcadia to see the round barn. It was built over 100 years ago. It was built round to help withstand the winds, and are there ever some strong winds in this area, even on a beautiful day. We also stopped at Pops. Fuel, Food and Fizz. Oodles of different kinds of soda pop. The pictures seem out of place with all our other pictures, because it has more of a futuristic look.
The biggest highlight of the day! We got to meet Henry Park, grandson of Quannah Parker! He had lots of stories to tell and had us laughing often. It surprised us to find out he didn't know Quannah was his grandfather until he was studying Oklahoma history in third grade. He never met his grandfather since Quannah died in 1911 and Henry was born in 1930. He asked his mother if Quannah was his grandfather, this according to his teacher, and she nonchalantly said yes and kept working on whatever she was working on. He talked about his grandfather joining the white man's world. He had seven wives and was told that since he was living in the white man's world now, he could only keep one wife and would have to tell the others to leave. He looked at them and said, "You tell them." That was the end of that story. Wise man, don't you think? Henry also talked about his father going to the white man schools and such things as being punished for speaking in his native language. It's sad to see some of the Native American heritage being lost. Henry showed us some pictures. Before we arrived at his home, I was a little nervous. But, Henry Parker is just good people. It reminds me of what the gentleman at the capital told us about meeting the governor. He puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like you. Yes, Henry Parker is good people, and I am extremely happy to have met him. We didn't want to overstay our welcome, then realized we had already been there for an hour and a half. Time had flown. I could listen to his stories all day. Oral history is something I try to teach my students about. Too many times I hear people comment about wishing they had listened more to the stories of their grandparents and asked more questions. Many times this comes when it is too late to remedy the situation.
Listen close, for there are many stories to be told!
On Monday we went to the Chisholm Trail Museum in Duncan. We were greeted at the door with a poster of Bud and Temple and the book "Bud and Me". Is this a sign or what? After letting the woman in the gift shop know what we were up to, she enthusiastically called the director over and told him what we were doing. We were given a tour of the museum and allowed to wander around for a while. My favorite was the interactive movie of the trail drive. They had it set up to where you felt you were part of the drive. You could actually feel the high winds, the rain falling, and even smell the coffee from the chuckwagon, not to mention feel the vibrations from the pounding of the hooves during a stampede. While touring the museum we ran across a fun part, getting to push a lot of buttons and hearing about different aspects, from the roles on the drive (I became a veteran trail boss!), to the chuckwagon, telling ages of cattle by horns and teeth. There was a statue of a steer. Wouldn't you know, there was a sign that said not to climb on it! Not far away a saddle was set up. I asked Melody if she thought it was set up for people to try. She said probably not. I then inquired what the reason for the stepstool was and she said maybe it was set up for kids to try. By this time I was beginning to mount. She said "or maybe Donna." It didn't stop her from taking pictures. It might be funny, but they may be intended for blackmail as well. They even had a rope for ropin'. Luckily, Steve had given me an introduction into this about a week ago. So I had to try it. They had a sign saying we couldn't climb the steer. There wasn't one saying we couldn't rope it! Why would they put it so close to the saddle and rope if ropin' wasn't part of the plan? I tried and missed, but it was LOUD! I coiled the rope and hopped down. It was time to move on. After the museum, we went to find a bite to eat. We're hoping to eat at local places, not chains, in the hope of finding a story. We finally came across Jay's Drive-In. We could smell the grease before we walked in the door. I really got excited! The owner, Glen, was the only person there at that time, so we got a chance to talk with him. His family had had the place for 32 years, but he thought it had been in existence since the 1950s. No frills, but good food. Glen's main interest in history is WWII. His father fought in that war. An interesting comment he made was that the world had been having wars since the time of ancient civilizations. He figured there would always be a war somewhere at some time. It's just the way things are. About the time wer were leaving, people were starting to arrive. We had hit Jay's during odd hours. If you are ever in Duncan, make sure to stop there. There aren't any huge signs to point out where it is, so keep your eyes pealed. It gives you that nostalgic feeling, not to mention good cheeseburgers and fries. On our way home we drove through Medicine Park. Most everything was built with cobblestones. Hopefully everything will be put back to its former glory. One thing of interest was the art some people displayed. One yard had a totem pole. Animals made out of car parts was another example. A very quaint looking place. We had another bridge experience. This time I had the problem with it. Melody planned to drive across what looked to be an old wooden bridge. I wouldn't have walked across it! She reassured me it would hold 5,000 pounds. And this wasn't even the oldest bridge there!
Today, Tuesday, June 10th, we had to make another adjustment. We had our calendar days mixed up. Matt is still in Texas, so we won't be heading toward Santa Fe until tomorrow. Never fear! There's still lots to do. First thing we did was to go to the Apache Museum. Not many things to touch and couldn't take pictures. You know by know how I like to touch things. The museum had a lot of neat things in it. I wondered how young students would enjoy it. If you're ever in the situation where you find yourself thinking, "This is just a lot of old stuff", then try to place yourself at the time these items were invented. Somebody once looked at this "old stuff" and thought, "Wow! I've got the newest and the best now!" And the clothes? They were the top of the fashion industry at one time.
A little later we arrived at the library and gave them a "Bud and Me" book. They were very pleased. Speaking of old things earlier, the library actually has a card catalog! I had to open the drawers to see if it was real. Here I am, touching things again. The librarian is still in the process of getting all the cards in. She says it will come in handy if they ever lose power. Yep! You can't beat the old card catalogs!
Melody took a picture of the park which is located where the Levite's store used to be. Remember, we're thinking this is where the boys got their blanket. It's sad to see where so many buildings have been torn down or are in disrepair. It makes you wonder what stories are disappearing with them. Speaking of stories, I was thinking today that many answers lead to even more questions.
We met Mike in Chandler. He was our Superman and had the computer up and running and delivered it to us, together with Mexican food for dinner. Thank you again, Mike, for everything! On our way back to Apache, we stopped in Arcadia to see the round barn. It was built over 100 years ago. It was built round to help withstand the winds, and are there ever some strong winds in this area, even on a beautiful day. We also stopped at Pops. Fuel, Food and Fizz. Oodles of different kinds of soda pop. The pictures seem out of place with all our other pictures, because it has more of a futuristic look.
The biggest highlight of the day! We got to meet Henry Park, grandson of Quannah Parker! He had lots of stories to tell and had us laughing often. It surprised us to find out he didn't know Quannah was his grandfather until he was studying Oklahoma history in third grade. He never met his grandfather since Quannah died in 1911 and Henry was born in 1930. He asked his mother if Quannah was his grandfather, this according to his teacher, and she nonchalantly said yes and kept working on whatever she was working on. He talked about his grandfather joining the white man's world. He had seven wives and was told that since he was living in the white man's world now, he could only keep one wife and would have to tell the others to leave. He looked at them and said, "You tell them." That was the end of that story. Wise man, don't you think? Henry also talked about his father going to the white man schools and such things as being punished for speaking in his native language. It's sad to see some of the Native American heritage being lost. Henry showed us some pictures. Before we arrived at his home, I was a little nervous. But, Henry Parker is just good people. It reminds me of what the gentleman at the capital told us about meeting the governor. He puts his pants on one leg at a time, just like you. Yes, Henry Parker is good people, and I am extremely happy to have met him. We didn't want to overstay our welcome, then realized we had already been there for an hour and a half. Time had flown. I could listen to his stories all day. Oral history is something I try to teach my students about. Too many times I hear people comment about wishing they had listened more to the stories of their grandparents and asked more questions. Many times this comes when it is too late to remedy the situation.
Listen close, for there are many stories to be told!
Mike is the Hero!
Today is Tuesday....Thank you Mike for getting the computer fixed and meeting us tonight! You are the best. Thanks for supper in Chandler It was good to see you.... ...we made a couple of pit stops on the way back to Apache...We stopped in Arcadia (because the boys went there on their way to NYC--they saw a magician there! )to look at the old Round Barn...it is really beautiful...surprised that someone could make something that wonderful in the 1890s out here on the prairie...we were in for another treat because we stopped at the Pops station...Donna said that it looks like a space age fuel station. We each got a bottle of "pop" -- me strawberry in honor of Temple who had Strawberry pop on the Santa Fe trip, and Donna had the Round Barn Root Beer...We even bought a bottle of creme soda for Matt for tomorrow.... I thought that he would be here today...but imagine that I looked at the paper wrong! We will head out for Santa Fe in the morning....We have had a great couple of days!
On Monday we went to the Chisholm Trail museum in Duncan! If you haven't been there, you should go! As soon as we walked in the door, we saw our "friends" Bud and Temple...they have a little display about them all of the time, but throughout the year, they have students come to the museum and they give an in-depth program about the boys, complete with a replica of the Brush...They have a workbook they put together that they shared with us! Thank you so much for visiting with us! They even took our picture for their website...they were so excited about our trip....It was wonderful to be guests in your museum..thanks for the coins! We were lucky enough to receive a Chisholm Trail Museum Coin...a rare find these days, as they are almost all gone...Thanks again.
The movie about the Chisholm Trail was out of this world...you could actually feel the wind and rain at times, and then smell the coffee...What a super fun experience...I know all of you reading this would enjoy your time there....
We stayed several hours there, and then we found a little spot called Jay's Drive Inn---Glenn said he had run the place for 32 years! He enjoyed hearing our story, and he told us a little bit about his life and love of history...All in all it was a fun experience!
When we got back to Grandmother's we did a little research on the computer--
Today was a jam packed day....We went to the Apache Museum first thing....Wow! Aunt Mary, you have done a great job of acquiring pieces over the years....I know that it has been a labor of love for you.....Thanks Lena for giving us the tour...After that, we prowled around Woodwards, and Donna found a Cowboy Christmas ornament....very cute...Then we had lots of really good fried food....at Kay Cee's! I know that fried green beans don't sound very good....but they are the best! Thanks for introducing us to them, Molly..... Then we went to the Apache Library to donate a book to them...Stanley Wright came over from the Apache News and took the picture...you looked beautiful Aunt Mary...Thanks for making the introduction to Kelly for us...Then we were off to Eric's Indian Store...what a fascinating place....Eric talked to us for quite a while about the bow he was making....It is a great story...stop by if you get a chance...Donna bought a beautiful Pendelton covered photo album....
then we were off to see Henry Parker!
He is Quannah Parker's grandson....Thank you so much Henry! He shared stories and artifacts about his family....we talked to him for over an hour! I could have listened to him talk all day long.... He told us that many of the things that you read about Quannah are not necessarily true...and 50 percent is made up! We shared with him what the Abernathy's had to say about his Grandpa....they thought he was their dad's friend so surely he was their friend as well...I think that was true..... He shared a story about how he learned Quannah was his grandpa....what an interesting tale...Quannah had passed away many years before Henry was born, so he did not know him personally. Thanks again Henry...what a highlight to our trip...we are so thankful you were willing to talk to us. I didn't do our visit with Henry justice...if was fascinating to listen to him talk...he has lots to say....hope those that are around him on a daily basis are listening...and Henry, hope that your fishing is successful tomorrow....
Thanks Grandmother and Papa for letting us use your car to run around......and letting us crash at your house.... we have enjoyed being here...... :)
Hopefully, we will be in New Mexico tomorrow..... I think that Matt has had a great time preparing for his Wales trip!
On Monday we went to the Chisholm Trail museum in Duncan! If you haven't been there, you should go! As soon as we walked in the door, we saw our "friends" Bud and Temple...they have a little display about them all of the time, but throughout the year, they have students come to the museum and they give an in-depth program about the boys, complete with a replica of the Brush...They have a workbook they put together that they shared with us! Thank you so much for visiting with us! They even took our picture for their website...they were so excited about our trip....It was wonderful to be guests in your museum..thanks for the coins! We were lucky enough to receive a Chisholm Trail Museum Coin...a rare find these days, as they are almost all gone...Thanks again.
The movie about the Chisholm Trail was out of this world...you could actually feel the wind and rain at times, and then smell the coffee...What a super fun experience...I know all of you reading this would enjoy your time there....
We stayed several hours there, and then we found a little spot called Jay's Drive Inn---Glenn said he had run the place for 32 years! He enjoyed hearing our story, and he told us a little bit about his life and love of history...All in all it was a fun experience!
When we got back to Grandmother's we did a little research on the computer--
Today was a jam packed day....We went to the Apache Museum first thing....Wow! Aunt Mary, you have done a great job of acquiring pieces over the years....I know that it has been a labor of love for you.....Thanks Lena for giving us the tour...After that, we prowled around Woodwards, and Donna found a Cowboy Christmas ornament....very cute...Then we had lots of really good fried food....at Kay Cee's! I know that fried green beans don't sound very good....but they are the best! Thanks for introducing us to them, Molly..... Then we went to the Apache Library to donate a book to them...Stanley Wright came over from the Apache News and took the picture...you looked beautiful Aunt Mary...Thanks for making the introduction to Kelly for us...Then we were off to Eric's Indian Store...what a fascinating place....Eric talked to us for quite a while about the bow he was making....It is a great story...stop by if you get a chance...Donna bought a beautiful Pendelton covered photo album....
then we were off to see Henry Parker!
He is Quannah Parker's grandson....Thank you so much Henry! He shared stories and artifacts about his family....we talked to him for over an hour! I could have listened to him talk all day long.... He told us that many of the things that you read about Quannah are not necessarily true...and 50 percent is made up! We shared with him what the Abernathy's had to say about his Grandpa....they thought he was their dad's friend so surely he was their friend as well...I think that was true..... He shared a story about how he learned Quannah was his grandpa....what an interesting tale...Quannah had passed away many years before Henry was born, so he did not know him personally. Thanks again Henry...what a highlight to our trip...we are so thankful you were willing to talk to us. I didn't do our visit with Henry justice...if was fascinating to listen to him talk...he has lots to say....hope those that are around him on a daily basis are listening...and Henry, hope that your fishing is successful tomorrow....
Thanks Grandmother and Papa for letting us use your car to run around......and letting us crash at your house.... we have enjoyed being here...... :)
Hopefully, we will be in New Mexico tomorrow..... I think that Matt has had a great time preparing for his Wales trip!
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Hey everybody! Hope everything is going as good for you as it is for Melody and me. I forgot to share one incident from Friday night, so thought I'd start with that now. On our way to the motel on Friday we saw what appeared to be a rodeo taking place. We checked into the motel, donned our boots, and went exploring. It turned out to be a high school rodeo. Interesting to watch. I'm glad Rocky doesn't buck like those bulls were! The rest of the story? On our way to the car we had to take the long way, which still ended us at a gate. A locked gate about six or seven feet tall. On our way to becoming regular cowgirls, we did the only logical thing. We climbed over!
Now, let's get back with the really good stuff. Wow! Can you believe June 7th finally arrived? I thought it would never get here. The Crossroads Ranch reunion. It was such an incredible day! I know I will temporarily forget to include some things in this entry. Don't worry. I'll remember as we go along. I wish I had a photographic memory so I can remember all the names, towns, who's who, etc.
First thing this morning we headed out to the Walkers. They were generous enough to board the horses for Marla and Steve. As it turned out, they also boarded the horses for the mule team and the Cosby boys. The horses were going to get a bath for the big day when we arrived. We met the mule drivers from Palo Pinto, Texas. I got to sit in the wagon. All this time hearing about them and I was envisioning wooden seats and a very uncomfortable ride. Instead, I saw they had used some newer technology also. The driver's setas were actually seats out of cars. Pretty clever if you ask me! Still, it would have been a pretty rugged journey. Rex and Jean were great to visit with. Rex looked like he belonged on the set of Bonanza. I also got to meet Wendell and Evelyn Brown. Wendell is a great nephew of Jack Abernathy. By the end of the day I was thinking a copy of the family tree would have come in handy.
Marla said I needed to start coming to the ropings and keep riding. She said I have a natural balance on a horse, or something to that effect. I asked her if it was really a natural sense of self-preservation. She said it was probably some of that, too. At lunch I was it was most likely a weird thing, but when I looked down at my dirt and horse slobber shirt and dirt up my jeans appearance, all it did was add an extra bounch to my step and put a big grin on my face. She said it was another sign I wasn't really a greenhorn anymore since it made me happy to have horse poop on my boots!
Many people have made the comment that Bud and Temple would not have been able to take the same journeys had they tried in the year 2008. The times have changed, as well s the fact they didn't have a mother to say "no". I looked around at some of the smaller kids that would have been about Temple's age. If I had a son that age who approached me with a request to ride, unsupervised, on the trail Bud and Temple took, I would have said no in no uncertain terms and pointed him in a less dangerous direction. Of course, I have to admit those little friends rode their horses much better that I do. In an article in the Lawton Constitution, Mr. Bear wrote an article that described reasons why it could not be done in this day and age. A really nice angle for an article. It was well written. Humorous and, unfortunately, so true. Also, the way it was written, I had to wonder if he had met Marilyn, Temple's granddaughter. While reading the article, I could almost hear the words coming straight from Marilyn. I got to meet Marilyn and her daughter, Lyn. More people I am so happy to have met. I asked Lyn about any adventures other Abernathys might have had. I know there must be some, because I had already met her mother. In all respect, I do have to say she is quite a character. Lyn wholeheartedly agreed. She said she had heard a lot of stories from her mother, and she is sure there are plenty her mother hasn't shared. Also, it seems Marilyn has done some writing. Unfortunately she hasn't tried to get any of it published. I hope she gets around to it some day. I'm sure the reading would be a great experience.
We tried to make both dedications. We missed both. We did make the ranch in time. I have to stop and applaud Ray and Virginia Walker and their family. They own the land where the Abernathys once had their ranch. It was very generous of them to open their home to so many people. If you ever meet them, I don't think you would be surprised. They're great people.
We met so many people. A lot more knew of us than we did them. Everybody in Frederick made us feel very welcome. Melody made the comment one time that so many people want a one word answer to the question, "What are you doing?" So it's a little difficult to answer when we have a whole story to tell. It was super today, though, because everybody got to talk to their heart's content about those adventurous Abernathy boys.
We got to ride with many others today to move some cattle. Rocky was being a little toot from the moment I prepared to mount. Steve took him aside and "gave him a little talkin' to." I wondered if he was acting like he was (Rocky...hee hee) because there were so many horses around. Then again, that didn't really make sense because he's such a little socialite. Remember, in the beginning he got the nickname "Gabby" because he talked to every horse we met. We decided perhaps he was just showing off. Melody and I agreed that, as inexperienced cattle drivers, we would lag behind. Every once in a while we could yell "Get along little dogies" in the hope that people would think we were actually helping. So now we get back to Rocky wanting to be a little toot. It was only moments before we were at the very front. This would seem okay for a while, at least until cattle appeared. Then my plan was to backpeddle the best I could. Brad, Marla and Steve's son, came running up behind us on Cherokee one time. It got Rocky to dancing around pretty good. Steve yelled out to me to just kick him. I kicked and pulled on the reins at the same time. Rocky, bless his heart, would probably become mentally deranged if he had to put up with me much longer. At this point, he just kind of stomped his feet and shook his head. Then we sort of got back on track for a while. We didn't have another "major" event until closer to the end of the drive. I actually got some of the cattle to move along. And I'm sure it had nothing to do with the zillion horses coming in behind me! Konner rode beside me most of the time. Grandma tried to stay nearby. Konner was pretty enthusiastic about rounding up the herd. He did a great job! It was close to the end when some of the cattle took a detour through some brush. It was exciting watching the real cowboys race after them. Man, were they fast! Next thing you know, the entire herd decided to go the same way. Guess who stood between the cattle and the shortcut. You guessed it. Me and Rocky. Did he appreciate this experience? Absolutely not. I tried to turn him in another direction, but he didn't want those critters behind him either. That was the second time I had to try to keep up with Rocky's fancy footwork. We did arrive in one piece. After relating the drive to Marla, she put it into perspective with a grin on her face, "You didn't want it to be boring, did you?"
Now, let's get back with the really good stuff. Wow! Can you believe June 7th finally arrived? I thought it would never get here. The Crossroads Ranch reunion. It was such an incredible day! I know I will temporarily forget to include some things in this entry. Don't worry. I'll remember as we go along. I wish I had a photographic memory so I can remember all the names, towns, who's who, etc.
First thing this morning we headed out to the Walkers. They were generous enough to board the horses for Marla and Steve. As it turned out, they also boarded the horses for the mule team and the Cosby boys. The horses were going to get a bath for the big day when we arrived. We met the mule drivers from Palo Pinto, Texas. I got to sit in the wagon. All this time hearing about them and I was envisioning wooden seats and a very uncomfortable ride. Instead, I saw they had used some newer technology also. The driver's setas were actually seats out of cars. Pretty clever if you ask me! Still, it would have been a pretty rugged journey. Rex and Jean were great to visit with. Rex looked like he belonged on the set of Bonanza. I also got to meet Wendell and Evelyn Brown. Wendell is a great nephew of Jack Abernathy. By the end of the day I was thinking a copy of the family tree would have come in handy.
Marla said I needed to start coming to the ropings and keep riding. She said I have a natural balance on a horse, or something to that effect. I asked her if it was really a natural sense of self-preservation. She said it was probably some of that, too. At lunch I was it was most likely a weird thing, but when I looked down at my dirt and horse slobber shirt and dirt up my jeans appearance, all it did was add an extra bounch to my step and put a big grin on my face. She said it was another sign I wasn't really a greenhorn anymore since it made me happy to have horse poop on my boots!
Many people have made the comment that Bud and Temple would not have been able to take the same journeys had they tried in the year 2008. The times have changed, as well s the fact they didn't have a mother to say "no". I looked around at some of the smaller kids that would have been about Temple's age. If I had a son that age who approached me with a request to ride, unsupervised, on the trail Bud and Temple took, I would have said no in no uncertain terms and pointed him in a less dangerous direction. Of course, I have to admit those little friends rode their horses much better that I do. In an article in the Lawton Constitution, Mr. Bear wrote an article that described reasons why it could not be done in this day and age. A really nice angle for an article. It was well written. Humorous and, unfortunately, so true. Also, the way it was written, I had to wonder if he had met Marilyn, Temple's granddaughter. While reading the article, I could almost hear the words coming straight from Marilyn. I got to meet Marilyn and her daughter, Lyn. More people I am so happy to have met. I asked Lyn about any adventures other Abernathys might have had. I know there must be some, because I had already met her mother. In all respect, I do have to say she is quite a character. Lyn wholeheartedly agreed. She said she had heard a lot of stories from her mother, and she is sure there are plenty her mother hasn't shared. Also, it seems Marilyn has done some writing. Unfortunately she hasn't tried to get any of it published. I hope she gets around to it some day. I'm sure the reading would be a great experience.
We tried to make both dedications. We missed both. We did make the ranch in time. I have to stop and applaud Ray and Virginia Walker and their family. They own the land where the Abernathys once had their ranch. It was very generous of them to open their home to so many people. If you ever meet them, I don't think you would be surprised. They're great people.
We met so many people. A lot more knew of us than we did them. Everybody in Frederick made us feel very welcome. Melody made the comment one time that so many people want a one word answer to the question, "What are you doing?" So it's a little difficult to answer when we have a whole story to tell. It was super today, though, because everybody got to talk to their heart's content about those adventurous Abernathy boys.
We got to ride with many others today to move some cattle. Rocky was being a little toot from the moment I prepared to mount. Steve took him aside and "gave him a little talkin' to." I wondered if he was acting like he was (Rocky...hee hee) because there were so many horses around. Then again, that didn't really make sense because he's such a little socialite. Remember, in the beginning he got the nickname "Gabby" because he talked to every horse we met. We decided perhaps he was just showing off. Melody and I agreed that, as inexperienced cattle drivers, we would lag behind. Every once in a while we could yell "Get along little dogies" in the hope that people would think we were actually helping. So now we get back to Rocky wanting to be a little toot. It was only moments before we were at the very front. This would seem okay for a while, at least until cattle appeared. Then my plan was to backpeddle the best I could. Brad, Marla and Steve's son, came running up behind us on Cherokee one time. It got Rocky to dancing around pretty good. Steve yelled out to me to just kick him. I kicked and pulled on the reins at the same time. Rocky, bless his heart, would probably become mentally deranged if he had to put up with me much longer. At this point, he just kind of stomped his feet and shook his head. Then we sort of got back on track for a while. We didn't have another "major" event until closer to the end of the drive. I actually got some of the cattle to move along. And I'm sure it had nothing to do with the zillion horses coming in behind me! Konner rode beside me most of the time. Grandma tried to stay nearby. Konner was pretty enthusiastic about rounding up the herd. He did a great job! It was close to the end when some of the cattle took a detour through some brush. It was exciting watching the real cowboys race after them. Man, were they fast! Next thing you know, the entire herd decided to go the same way. Guess who stood between the cattle and the shortcut. You guessed it. Me and Rocky. Did he appreciate this experience? Absolutely not. I tried to turn him in another direction, but he didn't want those critters behind him either. That was the second time I had to try to keep up with Rocky's fancy footwork. We did arrive in one piece. After relating the drive to Marla, she put it into perspective with a grin on her face, "You didn't want it to be boring, did you?"
Crossroads Ranch at Last!
I got up early on Saturday...you know that is quite a thing for me to do...it was almost like the feeling you have at Christmas....the big day finally arrived...Donna and I would actually go to the Crossroads Ranch, home of Bud, Temple, and Jack! And not just go there, but ride horses around the ranch and have the opportunity to talk to Marilyn, Temple's daughter..... But there was much excitement before then.... When I got up early, I logged on to the computer and started typing, and all of a sudden the computer just went black!!! and yes, this is the brand new computer...just 8 or 9 days old.....I was so upset....it seemed to ruin the whole drive from Vernon to Frederick...I did have a little fun as I pointed out the RED RIVER---reminding Donna that we had been in Texas the night before... We arrived at the Walker home in time to see the Mule Wagon heading out to the Crossroads ranch....They tried to distract me from the business of the computer, but I must confess I was very upset...finally, we were on our way into Frederick to take some pictures of the horses and us at the courthouse with the beautiful sculpture of Bud and Temple, and yes, Mike, they are just about my size! Sharon was there and a couple of people from the Frederick newspaper....very funny when they ask us to "move over just a bit" for the picture while we are on our horses, just doesn't know how inexperienced we are! We managed to look pretty good, and I think all the people there captured some pretty good pictures.... We were getting pretty hungry so we headed south and went to the Mexican Restaturant, Los Arcos,--great food by the way! As soon as we finished, the rest of the Hewitt bunch rolled into town. While Steve and Marla waited for them to eat, Donna, Matt and I headed east of Frederick to the new historical marker marking the spot Jack caught the wolf with Teddy Roosevelt looking on. Before we made it out of town, I spotted a red convertible mustang, and thought " how fun...oh that looks like my mom's car, oh, that is my mom and dad!" The went with us to the historical marker and then on to the one that marks the Crossroads Ranch. It was nice to see them and have them be a small part of our trip.... At the ranch, they stayed long enough to see that I really was on the horse! I know they aren't the only people who can't believe it. It was really good to see Mike when we pulled up to the historical marker east of Frederick...although he has Harold, the cat, at home, I think he misses us too! Thank you very much for coming and being a part of this day, Mike....I appreciate the effort it took for you to get to Frederick and glad you were there to share this experience with me! What a fun day it was! The Crossroads Ranch is 4 miles off of the highway, and the Walker's had placed fun signs welcoming the guests along the way...they were done in the style of the old Burma Shave adds...really a fun way to get the day started!
I don't even know how to begin to describe the feelings I had as we drove into the ranch.....lots of questions were rolling around my mind, like where was the house, and what was their favorite part of the ranch, did any of these trees grow along the river when the boys were alive, and does it look the same, or different now???? Just by looking around, you understood why Sam Bass was such a great horse on the Red River--he had grown up along this part of a fork of the Red River--he knew his way around the river bottom...It was very peaceful...and just a feeling of amazement about the Walker family for their generosity in welcoming family and strangers alike onto their property, so that this piece of Oklahoma and American history can be remembered and celebrated! Thank you so much Ray and Virginia! Mrs. Kent Walker was riding beside me for a little stretch of the cattle drive, and it was so heart-warming to hear her talk to her young son, age 4 or 5, about the reason they let all of the people come out to their ranch to celebrate the great adventures of Bud and Temple, and to let others know what great boys they were. What a super family! Thank you for the hospitality. I was riding CC during the cattle drive....I will say that he is a great horse, but not as smooth as Patriota and Little John...we got along great though....except for the times the mule wagon came by.....he hated the wagon and wanted to move himself far from it...I must confess that during the cattle drive, I had to concentrate on riding so much that I didn't think about Bud and Temple too much... LOL But I did think that being a cowboy in search of lost calves would be a very lonely occupation...lots of long days and nights away from others... When we were almost finished with the cattle drive, the mule wagon went around us again, and I spied Marilyn! It was very good to see her, and it gave me an instant energy boost. She was so wonderful to talk to....definitely not a reserved person....I can tell she is as adventurous as her Dad....we were able to pose for a great picture with her and Representative Don Armes!! Later in the day we were able to sit and visit and let Matt roll the video camera while she talked about her dad! An unexpected treat was to meet Temple's granddaughter Lynn---what a sweet friendly lady....she had wonderful stories about the love her grandpa (Temple) had for his wife...what a super legacy to leave for your family....She also shared that going to Uncle Bud's house meant that they spent a lot of time in the library, because he had lots and lots of books in his house. Thank you so much Marilyn and Lynn for being so open and sharing your stories with me! Another highlight was getting to sit in the BRUSH ! Thank you so much for that privilege..... All I can say about that is it was "so cool" to sit in the same model that Bud and Temple drove from NY.....you know they had so much fun..... The one in Frederick is in mint condition...a beautiful red just like the boys' car.....The entertainment and dinner were outstanding! Leaving was extremely difficult, but I am already looking forward to next year and seeing my new friends once again! We will be calling you Ray to check in and tell you what is going on......Saturday night we stayed in Apache--Matt crawled in at grandmother's but we stayed at the Countryside Inn....we ate a quick bite at Sonic for breakfast...and then went to G and P's so Matt could get started on his trip to Dallas....Reading the Lawton Constitution on Sunday was a great treat! There was so much coverage of the Crossroads Ranch Reunion and our trip! Thanks so much Zeke! We loved talking to you.... The rest of the day Donna and I took it pretty easy...I even took a little nap...we visited Aunt Barbara, Gage, Julie and Justin! It was really nice sitting outside and getting a breeze at your house.....
More storms in northern Oklahoma.....glad we aren't in a tent out in the weather! More soon....
I don't even know how to begin to describe the feelings I had as we drove into the ranch.....lots of questions were rolling around my mind, like where was the house, and what was their favorite part of the ranch, did any of these trees grow along the river when the boys were alive, and does it look the same, or different now???? Just by looking around, you understood why Sam Bass was such a great horse on the Red River--he had grown up along this part of a fork of the Red River--he knew his way around the river bottom...It was very peaceful...and just a feeling of amazement about the Walker family for their generosity in welcoming family and strangers alike onto their property, so that this piece of Oklahoma and American history can be remembered and celebrated! Thank you so much Ray and Virginia! Mrs. Kent Walker was riding beside me for a little stretch of the cattle drive, and it was so heart-warming to hear her talk to her young son, age 4 or 5, about the reason they let all of the people come out to their ranch to celebrate the great adventures of Bud and Temple, and to let others know what great boys they were. What a super family! Thank you for the hospitality. I was riding CC during the cattle drive....I will say that he is a great horse, but not as smooth as Patriota and Little John...we got along great though....except for the times the mule wagon came by.....he hated the wagon and wanted to move himself far from it...I must confess that during the cattle drive, I had to concentrate on riding so much that I didn't think about Bud and Temple too much... LOL But I did think that being a cowboy in search of lost calves would be a very lonely occupation...lots of long days and nights away from others... When we were almost finished with the cattle drive, the mule wagon went around us again, and I spied Marilyn! It was very good to see her, and it gave me an instant energy boost. She was so wonderful to talk to....definitely not a reserved person....I can tell she is as adventurous as her Dad....we were able to pose for a great picture with her and Representative Don Armes!! Later in the day we were able to sit and visit and let Matt roll the video camera while she talked about her dad! An unexpected treat was to meet Temple's granddaughter Lynn---what a sweet friendly lady....she had wonderful stories about the love her grandpa (Temple) had for his wife...what a super legacy to leave for your family....She also shared that going to Uncle Bud's house meant that they spent a lot of time in the library, because he had lots and lots of books in his house. Thank you so much Marilyn and Lynn for being so open and sharing your stories with me! Another highlight was getting to sit in the BRUSH ! Thank you so much for that privilege..... All I can say about that is it was "so cool" to sit in the same model that Bud and Temple drove from NY.....you know they had so much fun..... The one in Frederick is in mint condition...a beautiful red just like the boys' car.....The entertainment and dinner were outstanding! Leaving was extremely difficult, but I am already looking forward to next year and seeing my new friends once again! We will be calling you Ray to check in and tell you what is going on......Saturday night we stayed in Apache--Matt crawled in at grandmother's but we stayed at the Countryside Inn....we ate a quick bite at Sonic for breakfast...and then went to G and P's so Matt could get started on his trip to Dallas....Reading the Lawton Constitution on Sunday was a great treat! There was so much coverage of the Crossroads Ranch Reunion and our trip! Thanks so much Zeke! We loved talking to you.... The rest of the day Donna and I took it pretty easy...I even took a little nap...we visited Aunt Barbara, Gage, Julie and Justin! It was really nice sitting outside and getting a breeze at your house.....
More storms in northern Oklahoma.....glad we aren't in a tent out in the weather! More soon....
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Other People's Stories
Here is a poem written by a man we met while in Cache, Oklahoma. Thank You Jerry for letting us post your poem it is wonderful.
The Angels
By Jerry Harwood for Herbert Woesner
The Angels came to visit today
They carried the soul away
Of a gentle man away.
Into the Heavens so far above
He flew there with them
On the wings of God’s love
A soft-spoken man
With a heart of gold,
Who’s time had come
He had simply grown old.
He is at peace far from here and
In our memory
He will always be near.
We shouldn’t be sad and he
Wouldn’t want us to cry,
For he will be with us always
As the years go by.
The Angels
By Jerry Harwood for Herbert Woesner
The Angels came to visit today
They carried the soul away
Of a gentle man away.
Into the Heavens so far above
He flew there with them
On the wings of God’s love
A soft-spoken man
With a heart of gold,
Who’s time had come
He had simply grown old.
He is at peace far from here and
In our memory
He will always be near.
We shouldn’t be sad and he
Wouldn’t want us to cry,
For he will be with us always
As the years go by.
Just a quick note
Just a quick note about yesterday. We came to the conclusion that the horses got new shoes, Melody got new shoes, and I got new shoes. I'd like to say we're all looking snazzy, but the heat does show by the end of the day! Something new today...I tried a Mint Mocha Chip Frappucino at Starbucks. I finally ventured away from Folgers. My sense of adventure is climbing. I am always hoping to meet new, interesting people. Today we met Rose at the Bianco Italian restaurant. She and her husband, who has now passed away, opened the restaurant 56 years ago. She was born in Naples, Italy, and moved to the U.S. when just a baby. She lived in Amsterdam, up-state New York, until she and her husband moved to Lawton, OK. Developers are trying to get her to close down, but she is hanging tight. You go, girl! The food was absolutely wonderful. We returned to Melody's grandparents to spend the night. It was storming outside. I had lost my journal yesterday and finally found it after the storm. It was on the ground and survived the storm. For all of you who know me well, I have a shocker for you. I ate THREE helpings of fruit!
Today we went to the Visitors' Center at the Wichita Mountains. We took pictures of bison along the road. They didn't particularly enjoy being photographed. They aimed their backsides whenever possible. Think they were trying to make a point? We also visited Prairie Dog Town. The sign said not to feed them people food, but one of them found a cracker on the ground and started to chow down. Cute. I wasn't going to be the one to try to take it away! Again on the road we went to see the heart-shaped rock. We found it right away. We had to find a path to stand next to it. I thought I was lost, but standing right next to it, I couldn't tell it was the right rock from my viewpoint. We did see flowers that seemed to grow out of the rocks. The only thing I could think of that would explain it was we had learned that lichen is a combination of algae and fungi that eventually turns the rock to soil. I don't know how long is takes, but I'm thinking that process allowed the little flowers to grow. We were supposed to get samples of some rocks. I was game to grab whatever was nearby, but was informed that there are certain places you can't just help yourself, so we had to wait.
We finally made our way to Frederick.First thing we saw was the Brush. Boy, was it shiny! We also got to see the exhibit in the barn of the Abernathy boys. Jack, head of the historical society, gave us a tour of a house from the 1920s. One thing we want to do is to compare technology of now with the time the boys went on their adventure. This just gave us an opportunity just to compare everyday technology of the home.
We met the boys who had ridden from Blanchard. We had followed their progress in the newspapers and were really excited to meet them in person. We toured the house together and later toured the Crawford Collection. If ever in Frederick, one needs to see this. Animals from all over. We learned that some hunting is not necessarily just for sport. There is a conservation aspect to it also. Bill Crawford could explain this better. The whole collection is amazing. The really hard part was the "DO NOT TOUCH" signs. Logically, this made a lot of sense, but, really, where else will I ever get to feel the fur of a polar bear? I have to admit there was a struggle going on inside me. Parts of me regrets not copping a feel, but another part feels good for doing the right thing! I finally got to meet Sharon Bennett. She is the person we talked with over the phone for the radio interview, but I had never met her in person. One more person to add to my list of people I am happy I met along our journey. I know she has put in a lot of time on tomorrow's events and I'm sure everything will go great! We learned the Cosby boys wrote to President Bush three times about riding horses with him on his ranch. Apparently,they have received no response, Melody and I sent separate letters to George and his wife. Where is Teddy Roosevelt when you need him? Sure, the present's busy, but one would think he could at least manage a "my man will call your man" scenario...you know, at least a form letter. I figure it would be great if someone had a number to the white house to call and say, "Hey, come meet three groups of people, ordinary people doing extraordinary things."
Yeah! Marla and Steve arrived with the horses. Rocky and Patriota were two of the six brought down.Rocky is still huge and as beautiful as ever! I hope I get to ride him tomorrow! I can't wait!
I looked at the stars tonight. They aren't as bright as the nights we camped out.
Today we went to the Visitors' Center at the Wichita Mountains. We took pictures of bison along the road. They didn't particularly enjoy being photographed. They aimed their backsides whenever possible. Think they were trying to make a point? We also visited Prairie Dog Town. The sign said not to feed them people food, but one of them found a cracker on the ground and started to chow down. Cute. I wasn't going to be the one to try to take it away! Again on the road we went to see the heart-shaped rock. We found it right away. We had to find a path to stand next to it. I thought I was lost, but standing right next to it, I couldn't tell it was the right rock from my viewpoint. We did see flowers that seemed to grow out of the rocks. The only thing I could think of that would explain it was we had learned that lichen is a combination of algae and fungi that eventually turns the rock to soil. I don't know how long is takes, but I'm thinking that process allowed the little flowers to grow. We were supposed to get samples of some rocks. I was game to grab whatever was nearby, but was informed that there are certain places you can't just help yourself, so we had to wait.
We finally made our way to Frederick.First thing we saw was the Brush. Boy, was it shiny! We also got to see the exhibit in the barn of the Abernathy boys. Jack, head of the historical society, gave us a tour of a house from the 1920s. One thing we want to do is to compare technology of now with the time the boys went on their adventure. This just gave us an opportunity just to compare everyday technology of the home.
We met the boys who had ridden from Blanchard. We had followed their progress in the newspapers and were really excited to meet them in person. We toured the house together and later toured the Crawford Collection. If ever in Frederick, one needs to see this. Animals from all over. We learned that some hunting is not necessarily just for sport. There is a conservation aspect to it also. Bill Crawford could explain this better. The whole collection is amazing. The really hard part was the "DO NOT TOUCH" signs. Logically, this made a lot of sense, but, really, where else will I ever get to feel the fur of a polar bear? I have to admit there was a struggle going on inside me. Parts of me regrets not copping a feel, but another part feels good for doing the right thing! I finally got to meet Sharon Bennett. She is the person we talked with over the phone for the radio interview, but I had never met her in person. One more person to add to my list of people I am happy I met along our journey. I know she has put in a lot of time on tomorrow's events and I'm sure everything will go great! We learned the Cosby boys wrote to President Bush three times about riding horses with him on his ranch. Apparently,they have received no response, Melody and I sent separate letters to George and his wife. Where is Teddy Roosevelt when you need him? Sure, the present's busy, but one would think he could at least manage a "my man will call your man" scenario...you know, at least a form letter. I figure it would be great if someone had a number to the white house to call and say, "Hey, come meet three groups of people, ordinary people doing extraordinary things."
Yeah! Marla and Steve arrived with the horses. Rocky and Patriota were two of the six brought down.Rocky is still huge and as beautiful as ever! I hope I get to ride him tomorrow! I can't wait!
I looked at the stars tonight. They aren't as bright as the nights we camped out.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Thursday and Friday
It was so nice waking up Thursday morning at the Swandarosa and the cool breeze rustling in the trees....We slept a little later than the beginning of the trip...what a treat... We made our way to Grandmother and Papa's house. Hot bacon, eggs, and toast were a real treat to us....Donna had a new experience---orange marmalade--and she liked it! I returned the key to the Swandarosa, mailed some letters, and set up a time to give the book to the Apache Library while Matt and Donna stayed at G & P's. Of course Grandmother had a great lunch for us....ham, potato salad, cantaloupe, and watermelon...Thanks...after lunch we headed to Lawton to get some new shoes for Donna and the car....it took a while so we sat at Starbucks and used the wifi...It was probably about 5:00 before we left, and then we had to go to Atwoods. We drove out to the Visitor Center in the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge, but it closed at 6:00...so after a few minutes of looking around we decided to put it on our list for Friday....We decided to go back to Cache and try to take a picture of Quannah Parker's house.... Well, we were in for a treat...we met some nice people sitting on the porch of the Trading Post...Jerry and Mickey from Lawton....they introduced us to Wayne, who gave us a tour of the Star House, Quannah's Home. This house was once a part of an amusement park called Eagle Park in Cache. I remember going to the amusement park when I was a kid.... The best part of seeing the house to me was the fact they have an original dining table in the house. They have a list of people that were guests at the table. It includes many of the people that are connected to the Abernathy story....Charles Goodnight and Burk Burnett are two examples....Thanks for the tour Wayne! A storm seemed to be approaching, but from the radar it didn't look like it would hit just yet, and since we were starving, we decided to grab a bite to eat in Lawton. Since we are trying to get to know locals in the places we visit, I suggested we eat at Bianco's.....This restaurant has been in Lawton since 1952.....they introduced pizza to Lawton......What a wonderful meal we had.....the garlic dressing is so delicious. We were able to visit with the owner....Rose Bianco....she told us several stories about her family and how she ended up in Lawton....How lucky Lawton is to have such a great lady.....So after getting absolutely stuffed, we headed north to Apache to spend the night with Grandmother....We knew that it was storming to the north, but we thought we would make it there before the storm hit....but I was wrong....when we were about 9 miles south (porter hill) the wind and the rain hit....Matt says that it is the 3rd hardest rain that he has ever seen....the wind was blowing so hard the rain looked like it was falling in horizontal sheets instead of falling vertically......I had been talking to Mike when it hit, but I quickly hung up so I could put two hands on the wheel....finally we arrived at G & P's and made a mad dash for the door....their large pecan tree provided quite a bit of protection from the driving rain.....I was very thankful Apache did not receive the hail that many other parts of the state received---Thomas had a horrible hail storm--I am thankful the Kliewer's are okay despite losing many windows in their home.
Thanks G and P for providing a place for us to rest Thursday night......
I slept in a little of Friday morning...8:00 Am....We had a light breakfast...more fruit for Donna...she says her body is going into shock! We made a pitstop at Mom and Dads before leaving Apache....it was fun to show off the pictures and see what they are doing with their decorations--good to see the giant rock again....At last though, we headed to Frederick...We did stop at the visitor center again... learned lots of things, and picked up the DVD of the wolf hunt....
After leaving we saw buffalo and lots of prairie dogs.....I think we were able to take lots of good pictures of the buffalo, but I haven't looked at them yet..I am thankful that Matt insisted we stop at the heart shaped rock...it really is worth the small hike...hope the pics turn out.. and get uploaded soon..we stopped at Joe and Linda Chebatah's house in Indiahoma.....thanks for the hospitality....Outside of Synder we saw some foals and colts...of course we stopped and took some picks...But at last, we arrived in Frederick...We went to the courthouse to see the statue of Bud and Temple...but we were distracted by the shiny red car over at the museum! And yes, they had the Brush out polishing it and making it shine for tomorrow......The Bud and Me display is so well done....the map and pictures are definitely first class! We met Virginia Walker there. We were in for another treat--the Crawford Collection! Bill Crawford and Ray Walker gave us a personal tour! I told him that when we see the Smithsonian we can say they don't have anything better than the Crawford Collection. It is a tremendous collection of big game from around the world....thank you so much for sharing it with us....We were able to go with the Cosby boys...these boys rode from Blanchard to Frederick with their dad...Way to go guys....We took Ray Walker up on his offer to house the horses at his place...thank you so much...it will make tomorrow easier logistically.... Sharon Bennett loading us up with all the things we need for the rest of our trip...Thanks Frederick Chamber and Tillman Historical Society..you have helped us so much with our trip, and we appreciate all you have done.....We met many other people today..we are double checking names and will give more of a report tomorrow after the big day...am really looking forward to meeting all of the people at the dinner....glad that the Hewitts arrived safely with the horses...was fantastic to see Rocky and Patriota again....will go see Little John when I get home...
Thanks G and P for providing a place for us to rest Thursday night......
I slept in a little of Friday morning...8:00 Am....We had a light breakfast...more fruit for Donna...she says her body is going into shock! We made a pitstop at Mom and Dads before leaving Apache....it was fun to show off the pictures and see what they are doing with their decorations--good to see the giant rock again....At last though, we headed to Frederick...We did stop at the visitor center again... learned lots of things, and picked up the DVD of the wolf hunt....
After leaving we saw buffalo and lots of prairie dogs.....I think we were able to take lots of good pictures of the buffalo, but I haven't looked at them yet..I am thankful that Matt insisted we stop at the heart shaped rock...it really is worth the small hike...hope the pics turn out.. and get uploaded soon..we stopped at Joe and Linda Chebatah's house in Indiahoma.....thanks for the hospitality....Outside of Synder we saw some foals and colts...of course we stopped and took some picks...But at last, we arrived in Frederick...We went to the courthouse to see the statue of Bud and Temple...but we were distracted by the shiny red car over at the museum! And yes, they had the Brush out polishing it and making it shine for tomorrow......The Bud and Me display is so well done....the map and pictures are definitely first class! We met Virginia Walker there. We were in for another treat--the Crawford Collection! Bill Crawford and Ray Walker gave us a personal tour! I told him that when we see the Smithsonian we can say they don't have anything better than the Crawford Collection. It is a tremendous collection of big game from around the world....thank you so much for sharing it with us....We were able to go with the Cosby boys...these boys rode from Blanchard to Frederick with their dad...Way to go guys....We took Ray Walker up on his offer to house the horses at his place...thank you so much...it will make tomorrow easier logistically.... Sharon Bennett loading us up with all the things we need for the rest of our trip...Thanks Frederick Chamber and Tillman Historical Society..you have helped us so much with our trip, and we appreciate all you have done.....We met many other people today..we are double checking names and will give more of a report tomorrow after the big day...am really looking forward to meeting all of the people at the dinner....glad that the Hewitts arrived safely with the horses...was fantastic to see Rocky and Patriota again....will go see Little John when I get home...
Eating at Bianco's
When we ate at Bianco's with Rose Bianco thank you so much for yourkindness
and willingness to talk to us.
and willingness to talk to us.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
My attempt to catch up!
Here I am again, trying to catch up on my blogging! If this was a classroom assignment, I'd be losing at least 10%! We've had quite a few hits on the blog. We would love to hear from people, so don't be afraid to leave your comments.
I guess I need to back up to Tuesday. The horses were going home. How sad. They definitely needed to go home, rest and get back to par again. We can't begrudge them that, but I really do miss them. I still get sad thinking about seeing them go. Matt hasn't shown the goodbye pictures he took of me and Rocky. They think I'll start crying! Paul is so lucky to have Rocky and I am so appreciative he let me ride him on this journey! It's my understanding Rocky will be one of the horses Marla and Steve bring back with them. I can't wait! I have a lot of respect and admiration for the Hewitts and am glad I've gotten to know them. I hope to someday have more knowledge of horses than I do now. Of course, that wouldn't take much at this point. Perhaps also I might be able to ride as well as Marla does. I haven't seen Steve ride yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Maybe I'll understand some of his advice when I see it with my own eyes.
We decided to camp out for the night. We stayed at Crowder Lake. Matt and Chisholm were planning on fishing. When we stopped at a produce stand I informed Chisholm I was not planning on a vegetarian meal that night. Just a little hint! Unfortunately, when they were returning from fishing, he informed Aunt Melody that it would definitely be a vegetarian night. We cheated. When Melody and Matt returned from Chisholm's game, they brought back hotdogs to cook over the fire. I hung around the campground while they went to the game. It gave me time to write in my journal, check in with family and friends, and attempt to walk the interpretive trail. The journal and check in were successful. Unfortunately, the trail lacked any excitement. They didn't have any more maps, so I'm sure I would have understood better what I was supposed to be looking for had I had one.
Melody and I attempted to put up the tent by ourselves. We did a good job, but the winds were way strong! One of the pins for the poles was broken, so it was even easier for the wind to take charge. There were several times I had to go tackle it and secure it to the ground again. By night time, the three bodies sleeping in it helped out. It was a very clear night and the stars were so bright. They never look so bright in the city. What a vision to fall asleep to!
On Wednesday I awoke to another beautiful day. Before we left on our adventure, I had made about a dozen bags of trail mix. I was informed on how delicious these were. When I woke up it was evident a critter had gotten into a bag of our food. I know..we should have known better. The trail mix was gone! They didn't like the spicey stuff or the fruit. We had bacon and toast sandwiches made over the campfire.
One thing on our list was to drive to Roosevelt to visit the senior citizen center in the hopes of finding out more about the history of Roosevelt. The center was closed due to harvesting time. We did finally come upon Larry Phillips, interrupting him in the middle of welding. He informed us the best person to talk to was a former teacher, whom we would most likely find at the convenience store. That was how we met Wanda Jackson. What an AWESOME lady! She enthusiastically welcomed us. She had heard about us from someone in Frederick and had already written a story about us on her email newspaper, as well as doing an article in the Kiowa Democrat. She shared a lot of information about when she taught, the library (which she runs), her email newspaper, and many other things. She introduced us to just about every person who walked in the door. It kind of reminded me of the old general stores where people would hang out in the rocking chairs outside the door and visit with their neighbors. I wish we would have had more time to visit with her. She's exactly the kind of person I was hoping we would meet on this journey.
We then drove to Mount Scott. From the top you could see a long ways away. Melody asked if the height bothered me. No. It was more the looking and pointing at places of interest instead of unblinkingly watching the winding road ahead of her! It was nice to reach the top! We spent some time climbing over and around the rocks. What fun!
Just as we got into the car, the AC at the perfect temp, Melody gets her phone message that Sharon Bennett from Frederick wants her to call about doing an interview for the Frederick radio station. Sounds fun, hunh? The rest of the story....Melody decides the AC will be too loud for an interview over the phone. Oh, yes, and the windows cannot be rolled down because the wind would be too loud. It was a new experience to be on the radio. We didn't get to hear it, but I'm sure it went well. Back to the car...I think by time the interview was over, anyone of us could have won a wet t-shirt contest! There was a moment there when I wondered if anybody nearby was capable of CPR!
We got to visit Fort Sill. The main thing we did was check out the artillery. It didn't matter that I don't know much about that kind of stuff. Each one had a descriptionof what it was and where it came from. At one point, I started thinking about the fact I was standing just a few feet away from weapons that had actually been used in war. It was a really creepy feeling. Alas, I did not meet any soldiers.
We stayed the night at a cabin on the Swandarosa. It's owned by Melody's cousins. It's a one-room cabin that comes with all the necessities...cots, woodburning stove, lantern, and doors and windows that opened to let in a wonderful breeze. I loved it! Outside was beautiful with lots of trees and the creek nearby. It felt like a place a person could escape to and hopefully not be found until they wanted to be. Thanks again, Kent, for sharing it with us!
I guess I need to back up to Tuesday. The horses were going home. How sad. They definitely needed to go home, rest and get back to par again. We can't begrudge them that, but I really do miss them. I still get sad thinking about seeing them go. Matt hasn't shown the goodbye pictures he took of me and Rocky. They think I'll start crying! Paul is so lucky to have Rocky and I am so appreciative he let me ride him on this journey! It's my understanding Rocky will be one of the horses Marla and Steve bring back with them. I can't wait! I have a lot of respect and admiration for the Hewitts and am glad I've gotten to know them. I hope to someday have more knowledge of horses than I do now. Of course, that wouldn't take much at this point. Perhaps also I might be able to ride as well as Marla does. I haven't seen Steve ride yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Maybe I'll understand some of his advice when I see it with my own eyes.
We decided to camp out for the night. We stayed at Crowder Lake. Matt and Chisholm were planning on fishing. When we stopped at a produce stand I informed Chisholm I was not planning on a vegetarian meal that night. Just a little hint! Unfortunately, when they were returning from fishing, he informed Aunt Melody that it would definitely be a vegetarian night. We cheated. When Melody and Matt returned from Chisholm's game, they brought back hotdogs to cook over the fire. I hung around the campground while they went to the game. It gave me time to write in my journal, check in with family and friends, and attempt to walk the interpretive trail. The journal and check in were successful. Unfortunately, the trail lacked any excitement. They didn't have any more maps, so I'm sure I would have understood better what I was supposed to be looking for had I had one.
Melody and I attempted to put up the tent by ourselves. We did a good job, but the winds were way strong! One of the pins for the poles was broken, so it was even easier for the wind to take charge. There were several times I had to go tackle it and secure it to the ground again. By night time, the three bodies sleeping in it helped out. It was a very clear night and the stars were so bright. They never look so bright in the city. What a vision to fall asleep to!
On Wednesday I awoke to another beautiful day. Before we left on our adventure, I had made about a dozen bags of trail mix. I was informed on how delicious these were. When I woke up it was evident a critter had gotten into a bag of our food. I know..we should have known better. The trail mix was gone! They didn't like the spicey stuff or the fruit. We had bacon and toast sandwiches made over the campfire.
One thing on our list was to drive to Roosevelt to visit the senior citizen center in the hopes of finding out more about the history of Roosevelt. The center was closed due to harvesting time. We did finally come upon Larry Phillips, interrupting him in the middle of welding. He informed us the best person to talk to was a former teacher, whom we would most likely find at the convenience store. That was how we met Wanda Jackson. What an AWESOME lady! She enthusiastically welcomed us. She had heard about us from someone in Frederick and had already written a story about us on her email newspaper, as well as doing an article in the Kiowa Democrat. She shared a lot of information about when she taught, the library (which she runs), her email newspaper, and many other things. She introduced us to just about every person who walked in the door. It kind of reminded me of the old general stores where people would hang out in the rocking chairs outside the door and visit with their neighbors. I wish we would have had more time to visit with her. She's exactly the kind of person I was hoping we would meet on this journey.
We then drove to Mount Scott. From the top you could see a long ways away. Melody asked if the height bothered me. No. It was more the looking and pointing at places of interest instead of unblinkingly watching the winding road ahead of her! It was nice to reach the top! We spent some time climbing over and around the rocks. What fun!
Just as we got into the car, the AC at the perfect temp, Melody gets her phone message that Sharon Bennett from Frederick wants her to call about doing an interview for the Frederick radio station. Sounds fun, hunh? The rest of the story....Melody decides the AC will be too loud for an interview over the phone. Oh, yes, and the windows cannot be rolled down because the wind would be too loud. It was a new experience to be on the radio. We didn't get to hear it, but I'm sure it went well. Back to the car...I think by time the interview was over, anyone of us could have won a wet t-shirt contest! There was a moment there when I wondered if anybody nearby was capable of CPR!
We got to visit Fort Sill. The main thing we did was check out the artillery. It didn't matter that I don't know much about that kind of stuff. Each one had a descriptionof what it was and where it came from. At one point, I started thinking about the fact I was standing just a few feet away from weapons that had actually been used in war. It was a really creepy feeling. Alas, I did not meet any soldiers.
We stayed the night at a cabin on the Swandarosa. It's owned by Melody's cousins. It's a one-room cabin that comes with all the necessities...cots, woodburning stove, lantern, and doors and windows that opened to let in a wonderful breeze. I loved it! Outside was beautiful with lots of trees and the creek nearby. It felt like a place a person could escape to and hopefully not be found until they wanted to be. Thanks again, Kent, for sharing it with us!
Semper Gumby
Today is Thursday, June 5, 2008....it has been a little bit since I have had a chance to catch up on the blog. Tuesday when the horses went home it seemed to take the wind out of our sails a little, but we have so much to look forward to that we just continued on the adventure. So after having the "best chicken strips in the world" at the Terrier Express in Thomas, Chisholm, Matthew, Donna, and I headed toward Crowder Lake...we made a couple of stops in Weatherford. One was at the produce stand, where I had a hard time parking....I missed being on the horse, where you could just go where you wanted to go...they said that I couldn't just make a U turn in the middle of the street and park anywhere I wanted....I think the horse would have been better....and when I went to the ballgame later that night I DID jump the curb so I could find a parking spot.... LOL... After arriving at Crowder Lake Matt and Chisholm went down to fish and Donna and I set up the tent...it is a good thing that Donna knows what she is doing! I know the wind always blows in Western Oklahoma, but it has been blowing fiercely the last few days. In the mid afternoon after having no luck, the fishermen decided to stop. We had a peanut butter and Doritos sandwich....all the other people seemed to think this was a normal combination except me....but they assured me that it was great....Finally, we headed back to Thomas so Chisholm could get ready for his game. I assured Donna we would come back to get her!!! And it was only $6 dollars a night to camp! What a bargain.....
The game was great even though Thomas got beat....Chisholm is the 3rd baseman and he stretched way out to catch a ball that was hit toward 3rd base making the 3rd out....man on man you should have seen the grin....Matt was able to get a super picture.... As we were sitting there in the stands, I kept looking around for someone to give a copy of the book to. I asked Matt if he saw anyone who looked like a teacher in the stands....he looked and looked and finally he said I think that lady sitting on the top row in pink is a teacher....well, I agreed...so away I went.....She had been a teacher in her younger years, and she wondered if it was a compliment that she looked like a teacher....I assured her it was! She told me the lady (Gina Kardokus) in front of her was currently a Kindergarten teacher in Weatherford....So I explained our story and Gina whole heartedly agreed with me that it would be hard to find a kindergartner alive today that would have been capable of what Temple did.
After the game Matt and I picked up stuff for hot dogs and we had a nice little snack before hitting the tent for a good nights sleep.
What a great surprise that Crowder Lake had showers!!! Whoohoo....
Wednesday morning we had a nice breakfast of bacon and toast roasted over the fire... We went through Cordell, Hobart (to pick up video discs--long story) and then we finally arrived in Roosevelt...We were hoping to talk to someone at the senior citizen center, but in was closed for harvest season we were to soon learn. At the welding shop in town we saw a little activity, and so we stopped, hoping someone could point us in the right direction. Well, we definitely stopped at the right place! Larry Phillips pointed us toward Roosevelt's "official" historian....retired teacher Wanda Jackson..she was hanging out at her "research" place....the convenience store. When we walked in, she waved and said come on in....I know who you are.....Well, we were a little surprised and donna even thought that maybe Larry had called ahead to warn her....BUT SHE KNEW ALL ABOUT US.... she had visited our blog already and had even written an article for the Kiowas Democrat and the Roosevelt: A to Z....WOW unsolicited press! She was a wonderful source of information...I think if she were a couple of "weeks" younger, she would want to go with us. Matt says that if we would have asked she would have jumped in the car..... I think our spirits were lifted so much after meeting with Wanda. I could have talked to her for a very long time. I feel we have a new friend. I look forward to reading her internet newspaper in the weeks to come!
Then, we headed to one of my favorite spots in the whole world....The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge! It was new to Donna and I was able to show her all of my favorite spots....Thanks dad for meeting us at Meers and treating us to dinner. It was nice to see Billy Iams again....Donna and Matt each had a Meersburger... The rest of us were "dainty" eaters and just had regular burgers.....
I think the highlight of the day was when we were sitting on top of Mt. Scott and after we had climbed around and Matt took some awesome pictures, we checked and we had cell service! All three of us were busy checking voice mail when Sharon Bennett for the Frederick Chamber called to see if we could do an interview for the radio....So we put the phone on speaker and had a great interview while we had this spectacular view of Lawton and Ft. Sill from atop Mt. Scott....But the funniest part was since the phone was on speaker I thought the air-conditioner made to much noise so I turned the car off..............I think we sweated off 5 pounds. We spent the night at the "Swandarosa" which is east of Apache....We didn't have to drag the tent out since they have a picturesque little cabin that had beds! We pulled in when it was almost dark, but Matt was able to find the dominoes--so we had a little gave before bed.... All in all, it was a very good day.....
Thanks Brother Mich for the reminder to always be flexible!
Hey Gordon and Mike....Love you and see you soon.
Melody
The game was great even though Thomas got beat....Chisholm is the 3rd baseman and he stretched way out to catch a ball that was hit toward 3rd base making the 3rd out....man on man you should have seen the grin....Matt was able to get a super picture.... As we were sitting there in the stands, I kept looking around for someone to give a copy of the book to. I asked Matt if he saw anyone who looked like a teacher in the stands....he looked and looked and finally he said I think that lady sitting on the top row in pink is a teacher....well, I agreed...so away I went.....She had been a teacher in her younger years, and she wondered if it was a compliment that she looked like a teacher....I assured her it was! She told me the lady (Gina Kardokus) in front of her was currently a Kindergarten teacher in Weatherford....So I explained our story and Gina whole heartedly agreed with me that it would be hard to find a kindergartner alive today that would have been capable of what Temple did.
After the game Matt and I picked up stuff for hot dogs and we had a nice little snack before hitting the tent for a good nights sleep.
What a great surprise that Crowder Lake had showers!!! Whoohoo....
Wednesday morning we had a nice breakfast of bacon and toast roasted over the fire... We went through Cordell, Hobart (to pick up video discs--long story) and then we finally arrived in Roosevelt...We were hoping to talk to someone at the senior citizen center, but in was closed for harvest season we were to soon learn. At the welding shop in town we saw a little activity, and so we stopped, hoping someone could point us in the right direction. Well, we definitely stopped at the right place! Larry Phillips pointed us toward Roosevelt's "official" historian....retired teacher Wanda Jackson..she was hanging out at her "research" place....the convenience store. When we walked in, she waved and said come on in....I know who you are.....Well, we were a little surprised and donna even thought that maybe Larry had called ahead to warn her....BUT SHE KNEW ALL ABOUT US.... she had visited our blog already and had even written an article for the Kiowas Democrat and the Roosevelt: A to Z....WOW unsolicited press! She was a wonderful source of information...I think if she were a couple of "weeks" younger, she would want to go with us. Matt says that if we would have asked she would have jumped in the car..... I think our spirits were lifted so much after meeting with Wanda. I could have talked to her for a very long time. I feel we have a new friend. I look forward to reading her internet newspaper in the weeks to come!
Then, we headed to one of my favorite spots in the whole world....The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge! It was new to Donna and I was able to show her all of my favorite spots....Thanks dad for meeting us at Meers and treating us to dinner. It was nice to see Billy Iams again....Donna and Matt each had a Meersburger... The rest of us were "dainty" eaters and just had regular burgers.....
I think the highlight of the day was when we were sitting on top of Mt. Scott and after we had climbed around and Matt took some awesome pictures, we checked and we had cell service! All three of us were busy checking voice mail when Sharon Bennett for the Frederick Chamber called to see if we could do an interview for the radio....So we put the phone on speaker and had a great interview while we had this spectacular view of Lawton and Ft. Sill from atop Mt. Scott....But the funniest part was since the phone was on speaker I thought the air-conditioner made to much noise so I turned the car off..............I think we sweated off 5 pounds. We spent the night at the "Swandarosa" which is east of Apache....We didn't have to drag the tent out since they have a picturesque little cabin that had beds! We pulled in when it was almost dark, but Matt was able to find the dominoes--so we had a little gave before bed.... All in all, it was a very good day.....
Thanks Brother Mich for the reminder to always be flexible!
Hey Gordon and Mike....Love you and see you soon.
Melody
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