Bamboo Satori - A Must See in Oklahoma!

Satori is a Japanese Buddist term for awakening, comprehension or understanding.  It is commonly translated as enlightenment.  This is not something I would have know without doing a little research!  After visiting the Bamboo Satori in Guthrie, I can definitely say that this Oklahoma Bamboo garden definitely provided me with a new understanding as well as an appreciation for this amazing plant.  Over 35 varieties of Bamboo are present in the garden each very different in color, foliage and growth patterns.  The owner of the garden said that during the growing season this plant grows very rapidly.  Bamboo can grow up to 50 feet in one season and sometimes, if it is really quiet at night, you can actually hear it grow - it makes a moaning sound.  Awesome!  The Bamboo Satori, appropriately named, is a "must see"!   

Greasy Cheeseburgers

Not sure if they even have a restaurant, but if I were looking for a good cheeseburger I think this is the Oklahoma town I would start in! 

Minnows and Goldfish

I've always had a secret dream to one day own a bait and tackle shop.  Maybe it was because when I was a kid my Grandma lived on a Lake here in Oklahoma and I always loved it when my Dad would take us to buy bait.  I was always fascinated to see the oddities of tanks that the bait was housed in, the hoses strung out to keep fresh water coming, the old refrigerators and all the unusual things that was sold as bait.  You know things like gizzards, crawdads, worms, crickets, stink bait and of coarse crappie jigs.  One day, one of the old gas stations where we bought bait lost part of it's deli sign out front and all that was left was the word, "HOT".  Right underneath it was a smaller sign that said, "Crappie Jigs".  While we were standing there a lady came in and asked the attendant how much their "Hot Crappie Jigs" were.  I thought my Dad and I were gonna crack up!  Yep, if I owned a bait shop I think I would paint old signs just like this one and laugh at seeing what type of fisherman used minnows and what type used goldfish! 

Small, Available Things

I love Hummingbirds!  I just can't get enough of watching them.  We are very fortunate in Oklahoma that we are in their migratory flight pattern so we have the opportunity to see a lot of them during the summer months.  When I look at them I am reminded of how delicate and yet resilient their lives are - our lives are.  I am also amazed at how many places they can find a little sip of nectar to keep them going.  It reminds me of one of the verses in Mary Oliver's poem entitled Summer Story, “When the Hummingbird sinks its face into the trumpet vine, into the funnels of the blossoms and the tongue leaps out and throbs, I am scorched to realize once again how many small, available things are in this world that aren’t pieces of gold or power that nobody owns. . .”

Pondering the Pumps

Pondering the Pumps . . . When these pumps were set outside of the, now abandoned, W.S. Kelly gas station and general store in Cogar, no one would have ever thought that in 1988, they would be featured in a scene in the the movie, "Rain Man" and words like unleaded, ethanol and high octane gasoline were not common place. Gas was only distinguished by its color. Red gasoline was used in automobiles and green gasoline (on which you didn't have to pay taxes) was used for agricultural and industrial use. In Oklahoma, in about 1958, gas prices had reached the unheard of price of .35 cents per gallon. Today, the Oklahoma average is $3.48 per gallon. Since 2008, the big red APCO Petroleum Products sign has come down from in front of this station but the pumps are still standing and they still reflect the prices from an earlier and less complicated day. Sometimes, I stop for a second just to look at them and ponder as I drive away.

Best Just Sitting Out in a Pasture

I just can't get enough of these old trucks!  Whenever I see one I just have to stop and take it's picture.  They always have so much to say.  They talk about the good old days when families acted like families and when the cost of gas didn't take you to the poor house.  They represent hard work and the hope and possibilities that come with progress and innovation. They are sturdy, lasting and yet colorful.  They are always neat to look at when you go to a car show but I like them best just sitting out in a pasture.

Peace Eagles

The Turkey Vulture is one of the most amazing and beneficial birds in the world. We are very fortunate that they are so abundant throughout Oklahoma. These birds can be seen perched on old buildings or barns but spend much of their day soaring in the sky looking for food. Unlike most birds they rarely flap their wings.  They are such skilled gliders that they can stay in the air for more than six hours. They are an extremely important part of our ecosystem because they clean up the flesh of decaying animals.  The Cherokee Nation calls these birds "Peace Eagles" because unlike other birds of prey they do not kill.  They are actually quite magnificent when you get to see them this close up - Oh and a little ugly!!