May 21st - Happy Birthday Again, Nicholas, our grandson
May 22nd - Happy Anniversary, Tom & Renee
Okay, so let's get to the pictures & the "real" story.
This was the last of the Texas Longhorns we saw on May 21st as we headed to Oklahoma. They kept watching us as we sat & ate our picnic lunch at a roadside picnic area. With those horns I wasn't about to go over & ask them if they wanted to share some of what I was eating. No way! One swing & those horns would have had me sitting on my behind! Pretty neat from a distance though!
This is our friends Jerry & Judy formerly from Nebraska & now Texas. We waited for them for 5 days in Texas! We got to relax & enjoy camping again though. Jerry had a procedure done in Nebraska on Wed. so they couldn't travel until Thursday, same as us. So since they were traveling south & we were traveling north, we kept in contact via phone & met at our campground here in Duncan, Oklahoma. Since it was about a 14 hr. trip for them, we told them since they were going to take the time to stop & see us, spend the night with us & then finish their trip to Texas on Friday. So that is what they did. We went out for supper, a quick stop to Walmart & then back to the trailer. Wish we had more time to visit, but Jerry was tired & Friday we were to meet up with my friend from N. Warren, Judy M. to tour around the Lawton, OK area. So this was when Judy & Jerry were ready to leave. Hope we get to visit with them again soon.
Friday Bill & I got to Judy M's. mom's home around noon. We visited a little bit with her mom, her sister & her great niece. We took off for parts unknown to us, but very familiar to Judy. We started out at the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. Here the wildlife all roams free as a bird. The speed limit is no more than 45 & at places I only crawled. You never knew what you would see in the woods or crossing the road. Here another car had stopped & we did too. They were watching this tom turkey & hen in the woods. He was strutting his stuff, but she didn't care! Sound familiar???? Darn trees keep moving when you want to snap a picture!
Our next sight was a herd of buffalo. Big ones, old ones & several babies.
The one in the front looks like the "grandpa" with the lighter brown being the calf.
Just lazying around.
Next to the buffalo, was a prairie dog farm. (Really it was just another field, but that is what they called it.) They were just running all over the place. There were tons of new little babies. This little guy knew how to sit up & get his picture taken.
Now I'm the MOM, can't you tell????? Hurry up & take that picture, I need to rest after chasing those little kids around all day!
My Bill & Judy M.
The big one decided to stand up awhile. We didn't see any come out to the road. Most stayed back away. Must not have paid their roaming charges this month!
Now, these guys & gals were a different story!!! We had to stop several times for them & their friends to cross the road. I made sure there was plenty of room between them & me. Look at the size of those horns!!!!!
After touring around the refuge we went to the Visitor Center. They had all kinds of stuffed animals inside there. Judy said usually the buffalo would be wandering around outside there too. We saw "evidence" of those wanderings, but nothing while we were there.
I don't know what kind of wildflowers these are, but they sure were colorful. I'm sure someone out there knows & could tell me.
After we left the visitors center, we traveled to a place called The Holy City. This is a place where Judy had fond memories of going as a youngster with her parents, sisters & grandmother. Here they presented an Easter Pageant every year. You would take a blanket & your food & camp out under the stars waiting for Easter morning to watch. This has been presented for 82 years, dating back to 1927. This was when you camped without tents & coolers. You took the bare necessities. Judy, her mom, & her sister Janet told of when her Grandmother was peeling an onion or potato to make fried onions & potatoes, a buffalo was wandering up & her Grandmother had a knife in her hand & she just kept waving it & saying "shoo, shoo". Memories - aren't they wonderful.This is something that would be wonderful to see. They say there are thousands of people who come to see it. The following are only a few of the buildings that I took pictures of. This was part of the walkway leading to the chapel.
This was the memorial to all those killed in the Oklahoma City Bombing on April 19, 1995.
The Chapel. When you looked at all the stonework, you could barely see any mortar. It almost looked like all of the stones were piled on top of each other.
Inside of chapel.
The Upper Room
Gateway into Jerusalem
Herod's Court - The Mockery
The Temple
The Crucifixion
The Tomb of the Resurrection
Next Judy took us to eat some lunch. Lunch --- well, I'll tell you, we didn't eat any supper!!!! This was a place called The Meers Store, est. 1901 in Meers, Oklahoma (as the table says!). Everyone in the area knows where this is! It certainly has a name for itself!
Now, if you came upon this place, would you stop to eat here???? Oh, notice it only has one parking meter. The money collected from the one meter goes to the local fire department (wherever that was).
Now the AAA Approved sign kind of gives it away that it's an okay place. But I didn't see that until we came out!
Now that wasn't all! Judy says they have the best cobblers with homemade ice cream! I watched the waitress bring some out to another table! Oh my gosh!!! It wasn't a dessert dish, it was a soup/cereal bowl & overflowing! Look at the bowls on the table! Bill had Cherry Cobbler & Judy & I had Peach. Yup, the bowl is empty!!!! The only thing I had to go was my ice tea & a FULL belly!
After leaving Meers with our bellies full, we drove up & I mean up Mt. Scott. Now it was not quite 3000 ft., but I didn't see much of a guard rail anywhere. A few stones along the edge, but I don't think they would have held a dually truck! Fortunately it was only 25mph & I certainly took advantage of it! But it sure was worth it! The sights from the top were awesome!
Now many of you might not know, but Ft. Sill, Oklahoma is the largest artillery base in the US. Ft. Sill is just across the lake from Mt. Scott & you could see it in the pictures. Much of the military land borders on the wildlife refuge. Judy's husband, Bill, was stationed here back in the 60's. That is how she & her husband met. An this picture below is their special spot, on the rocks at Mt. Scott! Beautiful sight!
Off in the distance you could see the wind turbines working away. I think they are such a neat sight.
Isn't this beautiful?
Bright spots of yellow flowers everywhere.
After leaving Mt. Scott we headed to Ft. Sill for a tour. We wanted to visit the museums, but being Memorial Day Weekend, everything was shut down. In fact, we didn't see very many men or women in uniform anywhere.
This was the memorial to all those killed in the Oklahoma City Bombing on April 19, 1995.
The Chapel. When you looked at all the stonework, you could barely see any mortar. It almost looked like all of the stones were piled on top of each other.
Inside of chapel.
The Upper Room
Gateway into Jerusalem
Herod's Court - The Mockery
The Temple
The Crucifixion
The Tomb of the Resurrection
There was buildings of Bethlehem's Inn, the Stable, Mary Martha's & Lazarus' house, the boat used to depict Jesus talking with his disciples, Lazarus' tomb, & other buildings. The land with all the rock & the hills behind the buildings make it a perfect place to hold something like this & to think that it is still in production for all to see today.
See, I told you I gave myself plenty of room for that big longhorn to cross the road. Thanks Judy, for your eagle eyes. They come out of no where!
Next Judy took us to eat some lunch. Lunch --- well, I'll tell you, we didn't eat any supper!!!! This was a place called The Meers Store, est. 1901 in Meers, Oklahoma (as the table says!). Everyone in the area knows where this is! It certainly has a name for itself!
Now, if you came upon this place, would you stop to eat here???? Oh, notice it only has one parking meter. The money collected from the one meter goes to the local fire department (wherever that was).Now the AAA Approved sign kind of gives it away that it's an okay place. But I didn't see that until we came out!Inside entrance
Meers Burgers are the specialty. Of course, since you probably will only pass this way but once, you have to have one. Do you know how big a tin pie plate is? Well that's what it's served in. It is 97% lean longhorn beef. It was pretty tasty with all the works on it. Now it only comes with lettuce, tomato, pickle & mustard. The menu says if you want mayo, that's for sissies & if you want ketchup, that's Yankee. It's closed on Tuesdays so Mr. Meer can spend more time with his cows.
Meers Burgers are the specialty. Of course, since you probably will only pass this way but once, you have to have one. Do you know how big a tin pie plate is? Well that's what it's served in. It is 97% lean longhorn beef. It was pretty tasty with all the works on it. Now it only comes with lettuce, tomato, pickle & mustard. The menu says if you want mayo, that's for sissies & if you want ketchup, that's Yankee. It's closed on Tuesdays so Mr. Meer can spend more time with his cows. 
Now that wasn't all! Judy says they have the best cobblers with homemade ice cream! I watched the waitress bring some out to another table! Oh my gosh!!! It wasn't a dessert dish, it was a soup/cereal bowl & overflowing! Look at the bowls on the table! Bill had Cherry Cobbler & Judy & I had Peach. Yup, the bowl is empty!!!! The only thing I had to go was my ice tea & a FULL belly!
After leaving Meers with our bellies full, we drove up & I mean up Mt. Scott. Now it was not quite 3000 ft., but I didn't see much of a guard rail anywhere. A few stones along the edge, but I don't think they would have held a dually truck! Fortunately it was only 25mph & I certainly took advantage of it! But it sure was worth it! The sights from the top were awesome!
Now many of you might not know, but Ft. Sill, Oklahoma is the largest artillery base in the US. Ft. Sill is just across the lake from Mt. Scott & you could see it in the pictures. Much of the military land borders on the wildlife refuge. Judy's husband, Bill, was stationed here back in the 60's. That is how she & her husband met. An this picture below is their special spot, on the rocks at Mt. Scott! Beautiful sight!
Off in the distance you could see the wind turbines working away. I think they are such a neat sight.
Isn't this beautiful?
Bright spots of yellow flowers everywhere.
After leaving Mt. Scott we headed to Ft. Sill for a tour. We wanted to visit the museums, but being Memorial Day Weekend, everything was shut down. In fact, we didn't see very many men or women in uniform anywhere.These horses had just been riden & were being brought back to the stables. These are part of the cavalry. Beautiful horses, all the same color & all approximately the same size.
This was the museum that was closed.
This is Judy standing by Atomic Annie. Atomic Annie fired the first Atomic Artillery round, May 25, 1953, in Desert Rock, Nevada.
This was the museum that was closed.
This is Judy standing by Atomic Annie. Atomic Annie fired the first Atomic Artillery round, May 25, 1953, in Desert Rock, Nevada. This is the guard house that legend says Geronimo was imprisoned in at Ft. Sill.
Another Big Gun Artillery
Anyone remember any of these?
Ft. Sill water tank & Army tanks
Looks like the tread on this one needs replaced. Must have gotten a little "hot".
Vietnam Era Tanks
I'm tired, how about you? We really did a lot of touring in an afternoon. We had a lot of fun, but it was much too short. I hope Judy enjoys her stay with her mom & visiting with her sisters. She never knows how many times she can make these visits & they are always special to her. Enjoy Judy! You are surrounded by family, friends & love! This is Judy, sister Janet & Mom (Meme).
And yes, Brad, you have the Allen look!
That wraps up our Friday and THANK YOU JUDY!
Saturday we went to a lumber yard to get some boards for leveling our trailer. We've split everything we had, including the plastic levelers. Lets hope these work for awhile. Then we spent time at Walmart while I got a manicure & some other things done.
Last night we spent reading. No TV & I didn't dare stay on the computer with the storm.
Thursday & Friday we got the following updates on all our friends & family:
Ray, our friend from Michigan, is doing much better after his emergency appendectomy (ruptured) on Sat., May 16th. He had a very miserable week.
He turned the corner, Thurs. and hopefully will come home from the hospital Sun. or Monday, 24th or 25th (if all the plumbing is working properly).
Good news is that Tom, our friend from Iowa, got to come home Friday!! His kidney function is getting better (not quite back to normal...but that might take some time), his swelling is decreasing every day, his heart is ticking good with the new stent, blood sugars are adjusting, and blood pressure is pretty good. Tom is on a very, very strict diet and is limited to 60 oz. of liquid a day....this includes soup, jello, ice cream, water, ice, pop, tea...anything that melts). He is also on a low carb, low potassium, low sodium diet. A doctor convinced him that he needs to take the sleep apnea test and at the present moment, Tom said he'd do it. Building up his strength will be a challenge as he can only be on the exercise bike 5 min. at a time and should do it about three times a day. He called me & talked for a bit last evening & he sounds really good! Was good to hear from him.
My niece, Donna, said that Larry was up & walking with the walker because his legs are still weak. The walker helps him to get around & work his legs at getting them stronger. She is going to Pittsburgh & stay with Larry. They are going to put a cot in his room. So she was staying the weekend with him. His counts are up & that is good. They said that maybe he could come home Wednesday but that is not for sure & they have to wait & see how he does. Keep up your prayers for Larry!
This afternoon, Sunday, we went to the Chisolm Trail Heritage Center Museum her in Duncan. I'll write about that tomorrow. I haven't found anything anywhere that says they have a Memorial Day Service, so I guess we will remember our veterans in our own special way. Here is a of site that I hope you take the time to visit. It is very meaningful. That being said, have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend with family & friends. And remember, thank a vet for the freedoms that we enjoy!
Until next time............The Traveling Cardinals
Another Big Gun Artillery
Anyone remember any of these?
Ft. Sill water tank & Army tanks
Looks like the tread on this one needs replaced. Must have gotten a little "hot".
Vietnam Era Tanks
I'm tired, how about you? We really did a lot of touring in an afternoon. We had a lot of fun, but it was much too short. I hope Judy enjoys her stay with her mom & visiting with her sisters. She never knows how many times she can make these visits & they are always special to her. Enjoy Judy! You are surrounded by family, friends & love! This is Judy, sister Janet & Mom (Meme).
And yes, Brad, you have the Allen look!
That wraps up our Friday and THANK YOU JUDY!
Saturday we went to a lumber yard to get some boards for leveling our trailer. We've split everything we had, including the plastic levelers. Lets hope these work for awhile. Then we spent time at Walmart while I got a manicure & some other things done.
Last night we spent reading. No TV & I didn't dare stay on the computer with the storm.
Thursday & Friday we got the following updates on all our friends & family:
Ray, our friend from Michigan, is doing much better after his emergency appendectomy (ruptured) on Sat., May 16th. He had a very miserable week.
He turned the corner, Thurs. and hopefully will come home from the hospital Sun. or Monday, 24th or 25th (if all the plumbing is working properly).
Good news is that Tom, our friend from Iowa, got to come home Friday!! His kidney function is getting better (not quite back to normal...but that might take some time), his swelling is decreasing every day, his heart is ticking good with the new stent, blood sugars are adjusting, and blood pressure is pretty good. Tom is on a very, very strict diet and is limited to 60 oz. of liquid a day....this includes soup, jello, ice cream, water, ice, pop, tea...anything that melts). He is also on a low carb, low potassium, low sodium diet. A doctor convinced him that he needs to take the sleep apnea test and at the present moment, Tom said he'd do it. Building up his strength will be a challenge as he can only be on the exercise bike 5 min. at a time and should do it about three times a day. He called me & talked for a bit last evening & he sounds really good! Was good to hear from him.
My niece, Donna, said that Larry was up & walking with the walker because his legs are still weak. The walker helps him to get around & work his legs at getting them stronger. She is going to Pittsburgh & stay with Larry. They are going to put a cot in his room. So she was staying the weekend with him. His counts are up & that is good. They said that maybe he could come home Wednesday but that is not for sure & they have to wait & see how he does. Keep up your prayers for Larry!
This afternoon, Sunday, we went to the Chisolm Trail Heritage Center Museum her in Duncan. I'll write about that tomorrow. I haven't found anything anywhere that says they have a Memorial Day Service, so I guess we will remember our veterans in our own special way. Here is a of site that I hope you take the time to visit. It is very meaningful. That being said, have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend with family & friends. And remember, thank a vet for the freedoms that we enjoy!
Until next time............The Traveling Cardinals
1 comment:
There are a few places in OK that Don and I are going to have to see!! Thanks, Peggy! What? You don't like these Okey storms??? You get used to them.... NOT!!
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