Winter Weekending in the Ouachitas

I went to school for two years in Latimer County. Believe me when I say that the Ouachitas have a very, very special place in my heart shared only by my hometown and my honeymoon destination. Three days in Southeast Oklahoma cannot possibly be enough... but it was time well spent.

If you're heading from OKC to SE Oklahoma, do yourself a favor and take State Highway 270. I-40 is monotonous and Indian Nation Turnpike... you could probably sleep for miles and not miss anything. But 270 becomes a beautiful winding country highway through hills and forests and a variety of small towns with character. This is the way we go.

This was a birthday trip for me, so my husband baked a chocolate cake and packed it away in the car. (He's the best!) On the way down, we stopped at the darling Bus Station Cafe in Seminole for a delicious burger and a perfectly cooked plate of catfish. Back in the car, we traveled on until we reached McAlester, where we visited Whispering Meadows winery. The people there were incredibly nice - not only gave us a series of free tastings but also taught us some about wine and gave us a tour of their winery and it's quirky, gorgeous Victorian architecture. We left with a bottle of Deja Vu and In the Mood. To top it off, we learned that they have a sister winery close to our house!  If we want one of their wines, they'll deliver it to Urban Wineworks for us. Neat, yes? Onward through Wilburton, my old college town. And my, oh my, did it change in the last... well, a lady shouldn't say how long ago she graduated from 2-year college! I'm still shocked by the number myself. Only one of my favorite diners were still there - and it had moved down the street a ways. We grabbed the flyer for it so we'd have the hours... good to know for later trips.  And on to our destination, Lake Wister State Park.

The folks in the park office were accomodating and we were in our cabin in no time. And, my friends, it was jaw-dropping amazing. The cabin itself was pretty nice, but the VIEW was incredible. 

The cabin was on a peninsula in the middle of the lake, backing up to a little cliff, with a huge picture window from which we could see a little island and both the sunrise and sunset.

If all we did was sit and stare out the window all weekend, it would have been worth the money. We went to town for some groceries and found a little supermarket full of interesting taxidermy which included - if I remember correctly - a fox with sunglasses and a coyote with elongated fangs. We got some eggs and biscuits and hot links, then went back home for grilled dogs washed down with chocolate cake and Whispering Meadows' In the Mood. Healthy, no. But spoiled, yes we were!

The next day we drove down to the Ouachita National Forest Recreation Area to hike the Old Military Road Trail. It's 13 miles long, and travels 800 feet up Winding Stair Mountain to Talimena Drive Trail Head. From there it's all downhill. It was a nice hike - it went across little streams and creeks, through pine forest the entire way (and it was nice to see so much green in the winter). There were occassional glimpses through the woods of looming mountainsides and far-off views, and as we neared Talimena Drive we reached the old 1830s military road for which the hiking trail was named.

THE Military Road. See it?

In a clearing with the mountains far in the background.

 We picnicked on Talimena Drive and then bustled back just in time to make it to the car before sundown. And - my friends - I am not too man to admit that the hike kicked my booty a little more than I anticipated. But finish it we did. And to celebrate we did a little driving along Talimena, enjoying the overlooks, and made it back to the cabin by sunset to enjoy our view and have s'mores. 

From Talimena Drive

From Talimena Drive

Sunday was less eventful, as we were both kinda tired and sore from our grand hiking adventure on the Old Military Road Trail. We made eggs and biscuits, packed up and drove around Lake Wister, getting in and out to explore as needs required. :)

We thought Lake Wister Dam looked a little like Gotham Jail...

Last view of Wister!

Back on Highway 270, heading for home, we stopped in Krebs for lunch... dare we Pete's Place (also the makers of Choc Beer)? Oh yes, we dared. I'd only been there once or twice before... if you've been, I'm sure you know why! But we were hoping for a lunch menu? There was none. It's the same as the dinner menu. They broke their rules by letting us split an order. Perhaps it isn't nice for me to tell you that, but it was nice of them to do it. We had the lasagna. Of course it was delicious. And between the two of us, we could not finish eating it. The one meal. (Which came with side orders of bread, salad, spaghetti, ravioli, and meatballs.) We took a box of spaghetti home. And thus ended our winter weekending in the Ouachitas.

Winter Hike at Greenleaf State Park

Last weekend I visited Greenleaf State Park, just east of Muskogee. I’d never been. I was pleasantly surprised. The cabins were some of the nicest state park cabins I’ve cozied up in, and the hiking trail was everything I could want a hiking trail to be. (Oh, except for that landowner across the highway who marked his land with blue flagging that matched the blue hiking trail markers. Shame on you! But thanks for letting me accidentally detour onto your lovely property).

 

The trail is clear enough to see, but primitive enough that you really feel like you are hiking and have to keep an eye on the trail markers. The terrain is interesting and beautiful and changes throughout; goes across bridges and roads and up and down hills and rocky slopes and skirts the lake. It's perfect.

Day one was cold and drizzly. Despite that I got a nice glimpse of a hawk, an Eastern Bluebird (one of my favorites!), and a group of five deer that were bold enough to hang out right in the middle of the camp ground. My dog and I enjoyed the warm cabin while a night-time thunderstorm passed, and Sunday was the most beautiful day that I could ask for.  We set off to knock out as much of the 18-mile hiking trail as possible before I had to drive back home. Admittedly, that was only a few miles in and then a u-turn to head back out.

I kept stopping to bend down and admire all the different species of moss and lichen and tiny ferns that were growing everywhere, and to peer at the water looking for critters.

   

Oh. And there was that whole detour onto private property that I mentioned earlier. That took some time, too. But that’s the beauty of hiking – not being in a race with anyone. Having a chance to stop and smell the… moss.

  

And I got a tick! In FEBRUARY! Curses to you, freaky warm tick-breeding winter!

This is Important (and Off Topic) - SB32

American Pit Bull Terriers and I... we were puppies together!

Please be aware of Senate Bill 32 which is currently in committee. This bill will overturn current state law which prohibits what is called "Breed Specific Legislation" - the ability to ban specific breeds of dog within the state of Oklahoma. If this bill passes, a municipality will have the right to outlaw ANY breed of dog - this is not just about "pit bulls."  Dogs that have been targeted by breed specific legislation across the country in the past have included not just "pit bulls" (which is not a breed, but a dog type, like "hunting dog") but also German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Chow Chows, Dobermans, and more.

I can understand if people feel the need to improve dog safety, but breed specific legislation does NOT do anything to make the public safer. This type of legislation outlaws dogs solely based on appearance, not on the dog's behavior or history, not on the way the dog was treated, not on how responsible or irresponsible their owners are.  This type of legislation does not treat the cause of dog aggression; it does not increase liability or responsibility of the owner; it does not require people to be more conscientious with their animals; it does not require any sort of humane treatment or training, supervision, confinement, or leash laws. All it does is outlaw a breed - flat out.

In other cities with breed specific legislation, owners with that particular breed are not always grandfathered in. In other cities, the doggie gestapo has come knocking on people's doors, taking by force their harmless family pets, and killing them. Not that I am calling names (Denver).

Breed specific legislation is expensive to maintain and enforce, and it is ineffective in increasing public safety. Police have to be trained in dog breed identification, people have to be paid to inspect, confiscate, and transport dogs, animal facilities have to be maintained. Of course we have animal control now, but this would greatly increase the numbers of animals to be processed and require more resources. In the worst case scenario, can you imagine how expensive it would be to kill and dispose of hundreds or thousands of dogs?

There are plenty of ways to increase public safety from dogs without resorting to this type of legislation.

If you are against breed specific legislation in Oklahoma, please consider signing the petition and writing your state representatives.


The petition at Change.org (this is a preview link, so you can view the webpage it directs to before you click):
http://preview.tinyurl.com/bgopypd 

Bill Text and Status:
http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb32&Session=1300

Wine Tasting and Swap Party

Once upon a time (and by this I mean a month or two ago), in a place not so far away (at work), I noticed a trend.  My coworkers were cleaning out their closets while trying to save money for Christmas. I also not had my turn at inviting the colleagues over to my place for fun hang-out time... My work buddies are pretty good about getting together outside of work for nonprofessional friending time.


But I digress. Observing these trends, I thought we should have a swap party! One of my coworkers suggested we add wine tasting to the event, and the inspiration was born. Due to the theme, it was a girls' night in. Due to the timing, it was extra fun to swap items with one another when we were not spending money on ourselves. A bit of a treat in the midst of frugality. (And of course, reusing is one of the green R's.)



The rules:

• If you have any clothes, shoes, jewelry, or handbags you don't want anymore, bring them!
• Optional: bring a snack
• Optional: bring a bottle of wine for the tasting
• You don't have to bring swap items in order to take swap items home
• You don't have to bring food or beverage in order to taste food and beverage
• First come, first swap! 
• Take as much home as you like.
• You may try on clothes in the bedroom or bathroom before you take them home. 
• Leftover items either go back home with the person who brought them, or left behind for me to donate to Goodwill.

I provided cheese, crackers, water and tea, then added my own bottle of wine and castaway items.  I placed my table in the middle of the room and arranged chairs in a circle around it; the kitchen was set up buffet style. I had considered stipulating that everyone bring an Oklahoma wine, but decided (wisely, I think) not to be overly controlling.

The ladies began to arrive at 2:00. Slowly, a pile started to grow. Like magic, an array of snacks and wine bottles appeared. Much to my pleasure, most of the wines present turned out to be local Oklahoma stock, after all! AND there were no duplicate flavors. By the time everyone arrived there was the perfect amount of food and drink for all and a very large pile of swap items in many different styles and sizes. Because so many women were able to show up (I think we had about 12), nearly everyone had at least some clothes in their size to select from.

In the end, everyone found something they wanted to take home (except for one friend who was purposefully downsizing her stuff).  I personally scored, among other things, my new favorite bracelet and a nice leather jacket.

When everyone had left I had only one not-quite full trashbag of donation items, and just half a bottle of wine. Everyone agreed it was a fun event, something a little different and laid back. We might have to make it an annual gig!

News for the New Year

Happy New Year, everyone!

Thinking about new things has got me thinking about news. (Get it? NEWS for the NEW year? Haha? Ok, so not so funny.) It occurred to me that I should create a page to list all my posts that have been featured in the news and various other media, complete with linky goodness. And there it is, up there at the top. See? Tab on the right. 

Also, if you are on my blogpage instead of using a feeder you will see that I have made some minor tweaks to the blog appearance.

Still not sure about this whole random font changing when I make posts and new pages, though. Sorry. Maybe I'll learn to fix that eventually... ?

Have fun and stay safe tonight!

Snow and Ice? Power Outtages? No problem!

Predictions of another potential Christmas-time snow storm brings forth recollections of other storms *ahemBlizzard09ahem*. I remember, in particular, one lovely ice storm that led to a 3-day power outage in a rather drafty townhouse apartment. Not only were we out of power… we were also out of water, because our apartments sat below street level and needed an electric pump to move water up to the city pipes.

Despite this, we (and our friend who had gotten iced in with us) stayed toasty warm and happy using what I call “Grandma’s Energy Efficiency”… which is really just common sense from the olden days. Stuff like...

Pick a room and stay there!

Pick one location and focus on making it as comfortable as possible, then don’t leave. Focusing your efforts on conserving heat in one room is easier than trying to do it across the entire house. Then you want to stay put because going in and out lets the warmth you’ve saved out and lets the cold in. Also, if everyone is staying together in one space, that’s more body heat to warm up the room.

Control the Drafts

the buddies playing rummy during an ice-pocalypse

Stuff draft dodgers, towels, sheets, blankets, or whatever you have along the bottoms and sides of doors and around windows. If you aren’t going to open them for a while, you can even tape across the seams – this is survival! Hang blankets over the doors and windows using nails or a staple gun (we used a staple gun). We also hung blankets from the ceiling to create extra doors to restrict airflow leading into our warm room – for example, one blocked off the hallway and another was hung to block off the stairs.
 

Burn, baby, burn!

 Use the fireplace and burn candles in your “warm room” to build up heat.  

Have a Lock-In 

Unless you absolutely must, DON’T open the door! Do whatever you have to do that will allow you to leave it closed! Or else – there goes your heat. And it may not be easy to get back.

Sit Tight

And then… after this is all done… sit back and relax. The hubby and I actually enjoy being snowed in, even without electricity, because it can be the epitome of downtime. Play some cards with your roommates, take a snuggly nap, or read a book by candlelight. Preferably while wearing a knit hat and thick socks!

That being said... I hope you are safe and warm, home off the roads, with all the electricity you need this Christmas!

(PS - If anyone can break the magic secret of why Blogger's posting software is so mysterious with formatting and fonts and weird disconnect between editing screen and preview screen, Santa will bring you extra presents.)

Why Every Day is the End of the World… and the Beginning

Are you are surprised that you are breathing and checking email today?

Yesterday was the end of the Baktun, the Mayan long count calendar. For some reason modern people think this means it was going to be the end of the world? It was just the end of a unit of time. As in, December 31^st is the end of our Gregorian Calendar, not the end of the world, and the calendar starts over on January 1. Same exact thing with the Mayan long count calendar. So basically… 12/21/2012 is one of the biggest New Year’s Eve parties ever… for the Mayans.



Photo from my backyard telescope: lunar eclipse, 2010 winter solstice

 December 21^st is nothing to sniff at, because it does happen to be the winter solstice (for the Northern hemisphere), the shortest day of the year.  If you feel connected to earth cycles this would be important to you on any year. Aside from that any significance (for me) quickly fades.

Why? Because:

Every day is a present to be unwrapped. It’s a clean slate. This isn’t hokey New Agey feel good mumbo jumbo. This is true. If you haven’t lived it yet, the new day can be anything. You can make it the end of something – the end of anything you want. The last day you smoked a cigarette. The last day you went with or without a cold beer. The last day of your old job. The last day of living in your hometown. The last day you could see the world as a cold, mean place. It can be the beginning of whatever you like. The first day of the rest of your life – the first day of finding a new job. The first day of learning to like Brussels sprouts. The first day you were happy and comfortable in the company of strangers. The first day you stood up for what you believed in. The first day you recognized your body as precious and complete. The first day of whatever you wanted. Your first day down the path to be the next President of the United States.



Tray of bubbly from our 2010 winter solstice celebration

 Every day is equally likely to have some horrible tragedy – equally likely that you’ll be murdered for no good reason, equally likely you’ll be hit by an asteroid from space, equally likely you’ll contract cancer. But it is also equally likely you’ll buy your first jackpot-winning lottery ticket, be gifted with a random act of kindness, come up with the next great invention, taste or see or do something incredible, or learn something about yourself that will make you stronger for the rest of your life.  It doesn’t matter where this day falls on the calendar. It doesn’t matter what the statistics are. It doesn’t matter what your track record is. Any day – any day – could be anything.

I think one of the reasons that people feel New Year’s Day is so great is that they feel it is a clean slate, that they can start over, that anything can happen. Well, I will let you in on this – there is nothing magical about New Year’s Day, or New Year’s Resolutions, or the year ticking up to another number.

Every day is a New Day.

Every day is time for a New Resolution.

Every day you make or break your future.

Every day your fate is up for grabs against the forces of nature.

Every day.

Even on a so-called apocalypse day.