Four Snake Day!

We gave mom and dad a break today and headed out to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Understand this is my back yard...I grew up with these mountains in the horizon. Went to sleep at night counting the flares as the military played war out on the numerous ranges that border and surround the mountains. We camped out here as a family, swam in the lakes, traipsed the boulders, fields, trails (and made a few new trails) and Dennis and I spent endless hours here turning rocks when were were dating. Its where we came as teenagers to gather around campfires and talk into the night. It is were we brought company who were visiting from out of town and where I brought my children time and time again when we "came home". I can imagine my life apart from the Wichita Mountains.....Dennis and I spent quite a bit of time here last summer kayaking the small lakes that dot the Wichita's. It was way too windy to kayak today so we just bummed around, doing what we do best....walking, turning rocks, recalling times in these old hills.....

Of course no trip to the Wichitas is complete until you go to Meers....Meers Oklahoma is a cross roads.....with the best burger stop in the country. Here you get 97% lean Texas longhorn beef, with no added fat. The burgers are HUGE. Dennis and I split one...which was good! But before I knew it.....I had ordered the equally famous homemade peach cobbler with homemade (I do mean freshly churned) ice cream.....sigh...what can I say?







On to the wildlife of the Wichita's....today we spotted one dead Western Diamondback , two HUGE live ones under rocks, a dead Yellowbelly Racer ....lots of buffalo, longhorns tons of birds, armadillos and several beautiful mountain boomers....





So....it was a successful day at the Mountains, by our standards....hopefully Saturday we can add kayaking to our Wichita Mountains experience, if this wind will just quit blowing for awhile!

Lawton town.....

We headed out yesterday morning and made really good time...coming thru Wichita Falls I always think about Mrs. Miller, my good friend at work and her daughter Termekia who was stationed at Sheppard AFB. Wichita Falls was our old stomping grounds. Dennis and I lived here when we were first married. He was working on his master's degree at Midwestern State University. Then, April 10th, 1979 the big one came.....tornado, that is. We lost every thing we owned....which by today's standards wasn't much. I always loved the Wichita Falls area....Next stop....the Red River. Texas and Oklahoma couldn't agree on where the state lines should lie so, they decided to run it right down the center of the river...... For as long as I can remember this is what the Red River has looked like. Once we cross the river we are officially in Oklahoma!Home is home, that is for sure and I do love Oklahoma. I especially love the flat fields....the wheat has been cut already . I used to look in wonder at the huge combines going down the roads. When we lived in Texas on the fish hatchery outside Wichita Falls I did not love getting behind them on those narrow Farm to Market roads tho....

And the toll booth. Goodness the toll has gone up....1.5o to drive thru. Good thing we are not going any further than Lawton. Beyond Lawton to Oklahoma city there are two more and then another one or two on to Tulsa...Driving in Oklahoma is expensive!

We were absolutely tickled to find mom and dad looking so good! Tonight we have finished our second card game....it is one game every night while we are here. That is the was it always is....and of course the competition between the girls and guys is hot and heavy. We taunt and tease each other relentlessly. Girls won last night ....the guys creamed us tonight. But there is always tomorrow night.



Mom and dad.....and mom with her beloved plumeria plant. So for now we are settled in Lawton for a bit. We are going to do some errands tomorrow but then maybe Thursday go out to the Wichita Mountains and do a little rock turning and kayaking........

Heading north

Pat and Dennis had a blast shooting his walker 44 caliber pistol. "a cannon" was how dennis described it....so guess I will be getting a new skeet thrower when we get home! Paula and I ran over to Bryan/College Station (any aggie fans out there?) and ate some fantastic mexican food. Don't get me wrong here...we have some good mexican cuisine in georgia but it really just doesn't compare. I hope the availability of authentic mexican food combined with the temptation of whataburger isn't my downfall on this trip.
So here I sit in the truck, heading north on I45 with Dennis...his arm slung over the steering wheel in that true Texan fashion...and...we are back on the road again.....

Skeet

PULL! (this is for you vickie!)
We had an excellent time shooting skeet yesterday. I was a little rusty at first but then got my mojo back! 3 of 3 twice! Pat did a little demonstration with his black powder gun .....more about that soon!

Howdie...Texas style

WELCOME TO THE CABIN!

Well we made it to Pat and Paula's cabin out in East Texas yesterday around lunch. It is one of those places that can be geographically challenging.....address out of Bedias... need ice? corner store down at Roans Prairie...few essentials? run over to Anderson or Navasota...big groceries? College Station.....it is down a long dirt road and it is quiet. Love it~


And as Paula and I walked this morning I just twirled under the BIG BLUE Texas sky. Of course
the guys of course went "herping" but no snakes were to be found today.....


Cooler on the back porch....along with the squirrel shooting gun (it's just a bb gun!)
Clover growing out of a flower pot...

Gonna put some steaks on the grill tonight.....float around in the pool and just do that easy comfortable family catching up.....under the stars so bright...
deep in the heart of Texas....

And we're off

I cannot believe we are finally on the road again....or that I convinced dennis to give me a couple of days between the end of school and the start of our trip. So much has changed in one year.....we start this year's trip leaving behind two dogs instead of our three .....having
lost sweet Nipper or"nip nip" in October. We also became grand parents for the first time in October .....so we had to run and get a little ella anne sugar before we left. I was up all night packing, cleaning and btw lelia if you are reading this..... I H W S........So here we go....it will be a different kind of summer and I am glad you are along for the ride....

I am ready to go!

I am so needing a vaca....it has been a long cold wet winter. The smell of the tent, western air and starry skies are calling me. However, we did have some respite from all the winter blues...believe it or not, we were able to kayak on Thanksgiving day! One thing that will make it hard tho is leaving beautiful Ella Anne behind this summer!