Wednesday, 12 August 2020
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| today's route |
The drive to Bartlesville
Not far north of Claremore I came to Oologah Lake, a project of the Corps of Engineers. I found they have a campground there, always good to know. State highway 88 that I was on crosses a dam and it was odd to see a nice full lake on one side and a dry riverbed on the other. We stopped at the boat launch there so the dogs could get a better walk - too many dogs out at the campground for us to go far when we tried earlier.
A man who had just launched his boat told me he was out for croppie that day - better eating than other types of fish, in his opinion, he said. There was a big rack with life jackets hanging on it and a sign: "Life Jackets Worn - Nobody Mourns." That's a different way of saying life jackets save lives, and possibly more effective because of evoking a fairly powerful mental image.
I passed through Oologah, with a sign saying Birthplace of Will Rogers. And on the other side of town is another sign saying I could go to Will Rogers's birthplace if I turned right (though he used to say he wasn't "a member of an organized political party - he was a Democrat"). Oologah is also home to the Icarus Dental Clinic, which I think is an odd choice of name.
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| field of hay bales |
Speaking of bucolic, I crossed Hogshooter Creek. I don't even want to know where that name came from.
Washington County, where Bartlesville is, says it's "A StormReady County." This turns out to be a program of the National Weather Service to get communities - and states and universities, for that matter - to try to be prepared for weather emergencies. Sounds like a reasonable idea but since their map shows me this is by no means the first of these areas I've been in, I'm surprised this is the first I've heard of it.
Bartlesville
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| Price Tower - built in 1956 |
The town seems to have made it a centerpiece, because it sits at the edge of a park bounded by other public buildings (see below).
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| pavilion and church |
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| civic center |
Bartlesville (pop. about 36,000) seems like a pleasant place. At this point I was on US 60, and it zigzagged through town in a way I don't usually see. Really - turn right, go a block, turn left, go 2 blocks, turn right, go another block, turn left and leave town. These were the instructions of the highway signs - Google had different directions, but I'd rather put my faith in the highway department.
The drive west
Just after Bartlesville I crossed into Osage County. As far as I can tell from the map, the boundaries of the county are the same as the boundaries of the Osage Indian Reservation. Not only is it bigger than most OK counties, but it spreads a little like an amoeba and I crossed at one of the widest points, so I spent much of my drive in Osage country. It wasn't until later that I realized the title of the movie August: Osage County referred directly to where I was - in Osage County in August.
At a crossroads, I got to a sign telling me if I turned right I'd come to State Line and Sedan KS. I figured State Line must be the name of a town, like State College in PA. But now that I've had a chance to look at the map, I think it meant literally the line between OK and KS. Don't know why that's the only place I saw that direction since it wasn't the only road running north that I came to.
I started seeing what looked like short-tailed Scissortail Flycatchers and found, after I'd looked them up, that the juveniles do have much shorter tails and that's probably what I was seeing. Plus the females have shorter tails than the males do, so it may have been both.
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| a young 'un |
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| adult male |
I came around a curve on a road with 2 lanes and no shoulder and saw 2 deer standing at the side of the road. At the same moment I thought they might run across the road, one of them did. Fortunately I was already braking, thinking surely the other one will wait, when it didn't wait but ran right in front of me. I slammed on the brakes, causing everything in the RV to pitch forward. That deer couldn't have been more than 6' from the front grill. Also fortunately, the car behind me must have seen that 2nd deer dithering by the roadside because he didn't plow into my rear end when I stopped.
I was so shaken up I pulled into the nearest exit, which turned out to be a Dollar Store entrance. Their parking lots never have 2nd driveways so I had to turn around, and after I sat there to settle myself down, I straightened up all the displaced objects. It's lucky I usually batten down most things before I start driving, so there really wasn't much disruption, except to my nerves. I drove much more slowly for the rest of the day. It's no longer a surprise to me that I've seen so many dead deer by the road if they're suicidal.
I passed the turn to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and later regretted it. My driving plan hadn't allowed time for that side trip, but my next time through the state I'll definitely go. I learned further into the drive a little more about that area, which made me realize what I was missing.
I stopped at a rest area for a bathroom break for the dogs and found some information on the Osage Indians. I should say here that one of the first things I learned when I moved to Alaska was that the indigenous people there insisted on being called Natives, as in Native Americans, and were offended at being called Indians. In the more than 15 years I lived there, I learned that lesson well. Yet here I was, in the state with the 2nd highest population of Native Americans, finding them designated as Indians everywhere. I asked someone about it back at the 5 Civilized Tribes Museum in Muskogee and learned that "Indian" here is correct. So that's what I'm calling them. Everybody has the right to decide what they want to be called.
At the rest area:
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| these bilingual signs marked each point of interest on this Osage Nation Heritage Trail |
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| if you can ignore the reflection, this shows the reservation's boundaries |
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| these are very large, imposing figures and I'm sorry I couldn't get a better photo than this |
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| part 1 |
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| part 2 |
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| the Osage are clearly trying to preserve their language - I found several bilingual signs in this county |
At this rest area I first noticed that a lot of tree branches had come down and trash cans were turned over. That's when I remembered a substantial storm had come through the area a couple of days ago - I heard about it when I called the state park to make a reservation and they told me they thought the computers weren't working right because of all the lightning.
I drove through the town of Pawhuska, pop. 3,400, the base for the Osage tribal government. The town buildings were old and seemed well-preserved and attractive, but if there's a thriving business community, it's not visible from Route 60. But Pawhuska still eats: I saw T Bone's Pig Stand and Bad Brad's BBQ.
Along the drive I was seeing rolling hills covered with grass, huge fields recently plowed and others with crops - maybe soybeans?, more cows, a large herd of horses, several large wind farms and more oil wells - some working, some not. Because it occurred to me that I may not be using the correct terminology, I stopped at a driveway to take a look at these 2 devices that happened to be very close to the road.
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| this is what I've been calling an oil well |
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| wind turbine |
I understand now that what I was calling a windmill is actually a wind turbine. Windmills are those things with the huge sails. These have obviously very narrow sails. I read that they work on the same principle - the sails pick up the wind and turn to crank a motor which generates electricity, or something like that. What I don't understand is how on earth something as narrow as these blades can possibly get moved enough by wind to blow its heavy self around. I thought maybe seeing one up close would tell me the blade is thicker than I thought, but it isn't. I just don't get it, and nothing I found online tells me what there is for the wind to catch.
I crossed Baconrind Creek. Great name.
I passed the turn for the town of Burbank, which I will forever connect with Laugh-In, filmed in "beautiful downtown Burbank." California, that is, not Oklahoma.
A sign told me that Sam Smith raises Quarter Horses here.
I figured I was at the western edge of Osage County when I came to another rest area with this sign:
I figured if I was being welcomed, it was because I was coming in, which meant that I was leaving.
The dogs got a little walk here and I got some interesting information from these signs.
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| hanging onto mineral rights - always a sensible move - is part of what made the Alaska Native Corporations able to help their shareholders |
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| tallgrass - part 1 |
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| tallgrass - part 2 - this is when I learned I'd made a mistake by not taking a side trip to the preserve |
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| ranching - part 1 |
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| ranching - part 2 |
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| oil - part 1 |
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| oil - part 2 I always think serious intrigue when I see that J. Edgar's involved |
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| "Confident" |
Ponca City is also home to one of ConocoPhillips's 10 US refineries - and a big outfit they've got here. The facilities run close to the highway and straddle it for a second set. That's a lot of oil they're processing.
I passed a field of maize - looking just like the stuff with the hard red kernels that my Daddy showed us all those years ago. No matter what it says online, I know that's not the same as what we called sweet corn.
I saw a bunch of cows practically standing in line waiting their turn to take a drink from a lake, while 2 or 3 were standing in the water drinking. (I didn't know cows took turns.) Some of those same cows were eating from a bale of hay that'd been put in the field.
I've passed many many farms where there were cattle pens and chutes and I've started thinking about Temple Grandin. Momma and I rented a movie about her life once (Temple Grandin starring Claire Danes). She's autistic, a trait that she says helped her understand the behavior of cows. She helped pioneer methods of dealing with cows that seem more humane - and are safer to people, cows and equipment - than those traditional in the field. She agrees that cows can be raised as food, but she thinks they should be treated humanely in the process. If you haven't seen the movie and are interested in more information about this very unusual woman, you can go to this link as a start. https://en.wikipedia.org/Temple-Grandin
I saw a horse rolling around on its back just like my dogs do, and a second horse standing nearby watching him, just like my dogs do. Somehow it looks different when a horse does it, what with those extra long legs waving around in the air.
Digression on hay bales
I also started wondering about square bales vs round ones. These days I see round ones almost exclusively and wondered if they're better for some reason. The answer is yes and no, depending on what you want.
Round bales are packed more densely and their shape is more moisture resistant, so less drying time is needed before baling, making them easier to create. They usually weigh 1,000-1,500 pounds but can be moved by 1 person & tractor (I've seen them moved with a forklift attachment. They work out much better than square ones for large livestock operations because the farmer has to feed once a week, rather than twice or more/day. They cost much less to buy, making them more economical. The round baling machine is more expensive, but it can be operated by 1 person, saving on labor costs. On the minus side, these bales deteriorate to being completely unusable if rained on for several days in a row, such that cows won't eat it, even if it was fresh when the rain started. And cows tend to stand by the hay bale constantly, whether they're eating or not, so the hay becomes contaminated with waste products, becomes trampled from hooves and from being slept on. This isn't as much of a problem if many cows are eating it, consuming it faster, but it's a real drawback for a small operation.
Square bales require that the hay be dried for a long time between cutting & baling because these bales are looser and more prone to rot, so must be completely dry before baling. Square bales are best for smaller livestock operations - say, someone with just a couple of horses - because, while they cost far more to buy, they may be more economical in the long run on a small farm because they're less likely to go to waste. The bales are much easier to transport because they usually weigh 50-60 pounds and can be lifted by 1 person and carried in a car. They're easier to store because less space is required and it's easier to stick small bales in small spaces. Square bales must be picked up from the field after baling and transported to a barn for storage, not as important for round bales. The square baling machine is smaller and cheaper but requires 3 or 4 people to do the work. It's becoming harder to find someone who bales square bales, though the advantages for small-scale operations are clear.
One of the websites where I found this information was a blog by a farmer. He had several quotes at the bottom of his posts, including: "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass: it's about learning to dance in the rain." "How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours." As far as I can tell, farmers are philosophical or they don't stay in the business.
Now back to the travelogue
I've had a strong easterly wind all day, which was fine because I was heading west so it acted like a tailwind - first time in a long time.
I passed a herd of longhorns, and a nearby field full of Cattle Egrets (not with the cattle, though).
I passed someone's business: the Homestead Farms Flying Service. It hadn't occurred to me but I can see some reasons why that'd be a useful service out here.
I passed a sign saying, "Flash Flood Possible Next 1 Mile. Don't drive through standing water." The odd thing to me was that I didn't see anything different about this spot than any other place I'd been driving through. A little further on I saw a large pond that was very near the road, but I thought large ponds just overflowed, not caused flash floods.
This is about where I came upon the town of Pond Creek (pop. 826) which again has a very nice-looking downtown but appeared to have very few functioning businesses. I can report, however, that Greazy Steve's Restaurant is very popular, based on the nearly full parking lot.
I passed the only cornfield I've seen all day.
We got to the tiny town of Nash (pop. 204) and I saw a sign that said, "Nashville to Nash." I have no idea what that meant - can't find anything online that says it changed its name or that it has some sort of relationship with Nashville (TN) or anything else. What I do know is it has grain elevators for the Farmers Grain Company co-op, which seems to be a large business with facilities around the state.
Finally I came to the tiny town of Jet (pop. 213), founded in the late 1800s by 6 unmarried brothers named Jett: Joseph, Trig, Newt, Warner, John and Richard. I mention it because this sounds like an interesting family and makes me wonder if, after they claimed their land and established their town, any of them got married and raised families. At any rate, a US Post Office was established in 1894 and the town was incorporated in 1900. It's always been a small farming community, though when the Great Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge was established (1930), and later the Great Salt Plains State Lake and State Park were added to the area, tourism helped the local economy a bit.
The state park was my destination for the day.
At Jet I turned north and east and north and east (another one of these country roads like we have in Texas that are obviously laid out to accommodate property lines), continuing to pass more hills covered with more grass and occasional herds of cows with or without Cattle Egrets. Also another Roadrunner. I've never seen one fly, just running across the road in front of me, so I take it on faith that the drawing in the bird book that shows one flying is accurate. It's a pretty unmistakable bird, though.
I found myself passing an air strip labeled Kegelman Aux Field, which I've now learned means Kegelman Air Force Auxiliary Field. It's a sub-base for Vance Air Base used for practice and training. It was named in 1949 for Col. Sonny Kegelman, a native of El Reno farther south, who in 1942 led WWII's first joint Allied raid of the 8th Air Force against Nazi targets. Sounds like a good reason to get his name on an air field.
Great Salt Plains State Park
I've learned to check in at the park office even though they say to go straight to my campsite, because that way I can get a map of the park - always useful - and, in some cases, to see informational signs. As in this case.
Sorry about how dark this photo looks, but before I started it was nearly illegible, thanks to messed up plexiglass covering it. It explains how this salt plains area came to be formed.
In the park office they say that I could dig for these Selenite crystals if I want to. They say it's one of only 2 places in the world where that's possible, the other being in Russia. I decided to give it a pass. Instead, after I found my campsite and saw there were other campers nearby, possibly with dogs, I went to the nearby North Spillway to walk my critters.
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| The spillway is at the far right of this photo and is a series of cascades spilling from the Great Salt Plains Lake into this Salt Fork of the Arkansas River. My campsite backed up to this view, which I actually shot because of the varied colors of the land along the riverbed. |
At the spillway we found several families fishing (rod and reel only allowed along this stretch), and the existence of little kids upset Gracie something fierce, despite me telling her they didn't know she was alive. She's just pathetic. On the other hand, I saw 2 White Pelicans, a merganser, at least 1 Great Egret, and a slew of other egrets perched in a tree. I saw one of the pelicans be successful at fishing, though I didn't see a person who did. But the pelicans are pros.
Back at our assigned campsite, I found what seemed like a gazillion black bugs.
I remember those from visiting Uncle Tom in Florida during Love Bug season, when he urged me to get the car washed before their bodies get baked on. I inspected the RV and didn't find any bodies on them of Love Bugs - just the usual highway bugs, you know, moths and so on. Don't know why they'd be crawling all over the campground and not get smushed on the RV. It sure made hanging around outside less attractive.
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