Two wonderful DVD's

It is yet another wonderful morning here in Oklahoma - a glorious cold front came through yesterday bringing fall temperatures...ahhh. For your watching pleasure, I would like to suggest two DVDs Matt and I just watched (our sweet daughter watched one with us this weekend).
Off The Map and Schultze Gets The Blues.
Both are beautifully filmed and both have sweet stories - after the sadness of the past few weeks, I needed something tender and thoughtful. Rather than tell the stories, I'll let you do your own research, but, if you watch them, please come back and comment.
We are off to another adventure today - two more wineries. I will do a post on the Oklahoma Wineries we've visited soon.

Beauty at home

Good morning - it is a beautiful morning here in Oklahoma - the temperature is around 65, the sky is clear, there is no wind. I took a walk through my neighborhood this morning before the sun came for the day. The ground was damp and the car windows were blurred with consensation. I love my neighborhood. Like many of the things we love, darkness softened with a wee bit of light changes what we see, what we focus on.

First thing I noticed was the stars - bright, clear and crisp. The homes, some completely dark - some with a few lights on inside, looked comfortable, safe and inviting. A couple of neighbors have flag poles with the Stars and Stripes relaxing against the metal (no wind) - I'm sure they will be flapping soon; this is Oklahoma. The little spots of light, required by protocol for night-time flag flying or relaxing, give the fabric a soft yellow cast as though the flags were aged.

It smelled like fall, a little woodsy, with a whiff of summer flowers occasionally. The air was cool. Three or four lawns had been dutifully watered over night - the scent of freshly watered grass again recalled Summer, not yet ready to hand over the reins to Autumn.

The only sounds were a few barking dogs (they were only doing their jobs!), my cat meowing (Where are you going?), a few cars passing on their way to...job, school, adventure, life..., and the sound from my MP3 player (background music, only). It occurred to me, as I was walking in my lovely, familiar neighborhood to remind myself and others (ever the teacher) to look again at those things in your live, the lovely, the familiar, and find the things you may never have noticed.

A phrase for the day from John Mayer - "I am invincible, I am invincible, I am invincible as long as I'm alive!"

...Where The Buffalo Roam...

On Sunday, a few days before my birthday, Matt and I headed out for an adventure. Our main destination was the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve in northeastern Oklahoma but we were open to suggestions made by the landscape. We stopped by the Bivin Garden, in Shidler, but decided we would leave it for another time, perhaps late in the spring. The garden was the inspiration of a transplanted Briton who wanted to turn the prairie into an English Garden. It was beautiful but middle September isn't the best time to introduce one's self to such a garden. As we left the garden and turned north, we came across a wonderful old house. This area speaks to my imagination - maybe it is all the people who have travelled through here before. (To my kids: Now is the time you can begin the jokes... imagine if...) Though we are in an automobile, with a cell phone and OnStar, you can feel the solitude of the land and in some small way understand what it must have been like to be an Indian, riding across the prairie or a settler building a homestead. The land, the sky is big out here.
We stopped the car and walked through an old gate - no lock, but there was a chain with a clasp, rusty and hard to open - it had been here a long time... If one goes through such a gate, etiquitte requires the gate to be secured when you leave - take nothing but photos, leave nothing but soft footprints. The wind rustling through the grass made a somewhat sorrowful sound - sorrowful but comforting, too. We both took pictures - I'll post a few. We were in the 'yard' of an old, farmhouse, grey with age. I wish I could adequately describe the land. We had not yet reached the Preserve but the prairie of grass reached in all directions for miles. Sarah, from Sarah Plain and Tall, likened the grasses of the prairie to the waves of the sea - waves of green and gold. After taking several photos, we left the farmhouse as we found it - a reminder that someone once called this place home.

We continued toward the conservation area, stopping here and there as something would catch Matt's eye. Once we reached the headquarters, we found out we must have just missed a large herd of bison, perhaps as many as 800. The docent told us there are more than 2500 on the grounds of the Preserve. If you take the trip, watch for areas that have been burned, on purpose. The roots of the tall grasses extend to 25 feet below ground. Conservationists will do controlled burns to allow the grasses to continue to flourish - the flames burn off the tops and encourage new growth. The bison are drawn to the tender shoots. In fact, the Native Americans understood this and would burn areas then wait for days or weeks. The bison herds, drawn by the smoke, would come to find the lush new growth.

Past the headquarters, headed out toward Pawhuska, we came across several smaller herds grazing on the verdant grasses. Come November, they will have a round-up and cull the herd. The man there told us it is quite a sight - more than two thousand bison in one place...

We reluctantly left the grasses behind and drove into Pawhuska - an interesting destination of its own. We ate ate Hernandez's Mexican Retaurant - tasty. If there, you might also opt for the BlueStem Cafe on Main St. I read about it later in a travel book.

After lunch, we ran the car through a car wash - all the roads in the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve are gravel - some rougher than others so be prepared. I am sure there is still some of the fine white gravel dust in the crevices of my car. We drove on to Hominy to visit the Drummond Home. Matt had visited it before on a solitary motorcycle ride and wanted me to tour it. Another worthwhile place to visit, we were guided on our tour by a delightful lady named Beverly. We are, in fact, going to send her some information about our own Czech festival here in Yukon.

The Drummond Home was built in 1905 by Fred and Adeline Gentner. It is one of the best preserved home of its kind I have seen. Beverly took us room by room and lovingly shared tidbits of family history and personal insights. It is always wonderful to be taken on a tour by someone who genuinely loves and respects the property.

We drove home over the rolling hills and through the forests - we saw deer, a tarantula crossing the rode and a coyote running for cover. The weather had turned that wonderful mix of sun and rain we see so often in Oklahoma - after the heat of the day, the wildlife was out enjoying the showers.

All in all, another fine day. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

I've noticed other bloggers telling people what they are currently listening to; since this is supposed to also be about wine, I'll share what we are currently drinking. We have two bottles opened - my favorite - [yellow tail] Shiraz - a spicy, Austrailian Red and Stone Hill's Creme Sherry. I've never had sherry before so I don't know how to compare it to others but it reminds me a bit of a very smooth sipping bourbon. The Shiraz is wonderful with any highly flavorful food - Mexican, Italian... or just a glass by itself in the evening.

Survivors on ABC and MSNBC

I have many things to say about the President's speech last night but I haven't fully thought them through, yet. I do want to make a statement about ABC's coverage. After the speech, Ted Koppel tossed to Dean Reynolds who was in the partking lots of the Reliant Center, Houston, with a group of evacuees. They had all just watched the speech together and he wanted to solicit comments. I wanted to hear what the people thought. It was overwhelmingly positive - they, to a person, said they trusted the President and were hopeful they would, one day, be able to return to their homes. What was most interesting, though, was the way Mr. Reynolds asked questions. As an insurance agent and a former debate/mock trial teacher, I know why 'leading questions' are asked - they are meant to elicite a certain response. Well, Dean was leading but no one wanted to follow down his path. He asked, incredulous at the responses coming from the members of this band of citizens, aren't you angry at the President and the Federal Government for the late response? One beautiful women said No, if I'm angry at anyone, it is our local officals - all those RTD and school buses sitting there, while the water was rising. They should have gotten people out - they knew it was going to happen. Another older woman said, I had the chance to get out but I foolishly chose to stay. I didn't believe it would happen, but the main people wasn't Katrina, it was the levees. Yes, the first woman broke in; it was the levees. So, Dean propted, you ARE angry at the Corps of Engineers, right? No, not at all, our local and state government got lots of federal money for those levees, lots of it and they used it for everything else but the levees.
You get the gist... Again, I am heartened by what I hear from my fellow Americans - regular people. They will hopefully hold their government leaders up to scrutiny in an honest way but will hold themselves accountable, too. Haley Barbour, the governor of Mississippi, was interviewed by Chris Matthews (MSNBC) - I only saw the last statements the governor made but, they were powerful words (paraphrasing, of course). He was most pleased about the Gulf Enterprise Zone. The federal help is great, he said, but what we need most is to rebuild the confidence of the private sector - we need the private sector to believe in us again and to come back - to build again, better than before. This is too big for the federal government. We need private investment...
Those words are music to a capitalist's ears, the government (We the people) can't afford (nor should we) to be the savior, let the free market get busy - I saw survivors on television last night, not victims.
Here is a link to an article about my brother-in-law and another survivor
'Hurricane' survives Katrina, joins force

Thank you

To all who have commented on my blog, thank you. Chong - No, I didn't find any chronic bud in St. Louis - to tell you the truth, I didn't ask anyone... Loxely - ha!, but I suspect you know my husband pretty well... Skip - I am creating my own little travel magazine... Jordan, I visist your blog fairly regularly; I'll post a comment or two...gr8tfulg - I highly recommend the empty nest - I love my kids but am glad I've reached this part of my life!...msblackandwhite - thank you for the kind comments and the plug on your excellent blog...tiscassidy - I visit your blog regularly; I am so glad my kids have such great friends - I'm especially glad they have you as a friend!...High Tide - I already mentioned your comment - have to research that one a bit; thanks for the visit... Brian - thank you for the comment. I researched the Bureau of Justice Crime Statistics and you are so right! From 1994 - 2003 violent crime fell by 33.4% and property crime by 23%. America is a beautiful place!!!

The St. Louis story continues…

In a post by High Tide, I was told there are more participants of S&M in St. Louis than in any other city… Don’t know where the stat came from but it is an interesting note…

Matt and I were having a discussion last night about America and his concern that we are slipping into darkness – he spoke with a friend from Atlanta who is moving from that city because of the crime. But, I reminded him, look to New York City. Sure, there is still crime but the people cleaned up Union Station and Times Square (to a certain extent) so that it is once again a tourist destination. Yes, there are people shooting at rescuers in Louisiana but most people just want to be in a safe, dry place.

St. Louis is, in my opinion, a good example of the battle between the producers and the looters/moochers. The producers want the downtown area to thrive – shops, stores, businesses of all kinds, residential warehouses, etc… but the looters/moochers don’t want to lose control of the area. Across the nation, cities are reviving their downtown areas and reclaiming a vital part of our history and heritage. I hope St. Louis can do that – I would hate for LeCleede’s Landing and the area around the Arch & Courthouse to become too dangerous for ordinary citizens to walk the streets. Of course, those ordinary citizens should put their own trash in a trash container or, like we do in the mountains – bring it in? Pack it out… reminds me of the precepts in the "Broken Window Syndrome" Here is an address where you can find a brief explanation. http://www.sjvgreens.org/broken.shtml

We checked out of our hotel Tuesday morning but the staff graciously allowed us to leave our car parked in the secure garage while we visited the Arch. The morning was beautiful – a little hazy but not too humid. On the walk to the Arch, we'd catch glimpses - your eye is always drawn to it. But walking up to the Arch itself, we were amazed at the size. Each individual section is probably 6 feet tall. It would be very easy to take way too many pictures. I am certain the changing colors of the sky reflect on the Arch changing the way it looks throughout the day and with the changinging seasons. The shape and size are surprising even though I thought I knew what to expect. The man who designed it died before it was completed - such a pity. The Jefferson Westward Expansion Memorial is a wonderfully fitting tribute to the opening of the West.

To enter the Musuem, you have to go down one of two
ramps at the bases. Below are two large musuems, theatre, shops, and the tram to go to the top. I won't go into all the things to see there but it is well worth the time - and very educational. The trams that ascend to the observation deck are deep in the two bases. There is one tram going up each "leg". The cars are like pods - kind off egg shaped. As the car rises, the ratching system periodically turns the car so the passengers remain upright through the curve.

The curve you see in the pix of the deck is accurate - and the view is spectacular. In one shot, you can see the two bases of the Arch. You can see the new stadium being built along side the original one - the Cards will finish this season in the old one and then it will be torn down to complete the new stadium. So much progress and commerce... it is a good thing.

We did ride the riverboat and were able to see the city from the river - one building that looks like it is straight out of a Batman movie is the Union Power and light building. In fact, the first time we came through St. Louis, Matt asked me if that was where the Joker lived. He doctored the shot with Adobe and it looks wonderfully sinister... It was opened in 1904 specifically for the St. Louis World's Fair to provide steam-powered electricity and is still in use today providing power to downtown. The shot at the beginning of this post was taken from the riverboat - Matt took so many pixs of the Arch and didn't want them all to look the same. I must brag a bit, yes, I must, on Matt. He is so creative and has spent time just playing with Adobe. No formal training with the software but such talent. As a photographer, he 'sees' things a little differently - and is able to use the software to enhance the way scenes look to him.

After our time at the Arch, we went to the Soulard section of St. Louis. What a great neighborhood. Again that "two worlds" situation - lots of happily busy people eating lunch, taking care of their homes, enjoying the beautiful day. We ate at a restaurant called Norton's. A very eclectic menu - a good reflection of the city itself.

After lunch, we walked a few blocks to take photos of the area when a man, clearly altered, stumbles toward us. He has a brown paper bag he was rumaging through; he tossed the bag to the street in disgust, swore vehemently and stumbled toward a shelter. I thought he may be going there for food or rest but instead he went down the steps and urinated on the door. The contents of the discarded bag? Grapes. No judgement, just observation... I don't have enough information to make a judgement on his status but, as a visitor to the city, there were a few moments when we felt he could be somewhat dangerous.

Souldard isn't a touristy place - just a great neighhood reclaiming itself - people going about their lives... definately worth a stop to see the beautiful old homes and quirky bars and restaurants.

Enough for now, I hope you have enjoyed. We travelled Rt 66 from Springfield MO to Tulsa and stopped in Claremore, OK to see the Will Rogers Musuem. I'll write about that next time.

A few answers but...

Thank you for your patience. I will get back to my St. Louis story and post some more pixs but this Katrina thing has been occupying my attention. As I said in my last post, most answers to the questions I posed will have to wait (as they should) until a later time but bits of info are trickling in. A ray of hope that the nation will see this less as a political event and more as a human, American event is the most recent CNN poll - When asked to identify who was most responsible for the problems in New Orleans after the hurricane, 38% of Americans said no one was really to blame, while 13% cited Bush, 18% the federal agencies, and 25% state and local officials.
Who do you think is MOST responsible for the problems in New Orleans after the hurricane -- [ROTATED: George W. Bush, federal agencies, (or) state and local officials], or is no one really to blame?
George W.Bush - 13%, Federal agencies - 18%, State/local officials - 25%, No one to blame -38%, No opinion - 6% - 2005 Sept 5-6 (From the Gallup site)

This, to me, shows great restraint on the part of a vast majority of Americans - (if polls are to be trusted...) understanding that the scope of this disaster is unprecidented. I heard one statistic (don't remember where) that in a non-emergency situation, it would take at least 3 days to evacuate a city the size of New Orleans. So, maybe the expecations were unreasonable to begin with.

One note about travel - Matt and I decided at 5:00 pm on Labor Day to ride down to Mt. Scott to watch the sunset. I will have to include some pictures of this beautiful later - I am at work - no pixs here. We were able to get there early enough to ride thru the Refuge - grasslands, bison. longhorns, deer, mountain... beautiful and golden just before sunset. We reached the summit and parked, and stood together facing west just as the sun slipped behid some low clouds. The sky turned all the wonderful colors - as John Mayer says - of a cowboy cliche... Perfect!

I'll post again soon...

Questions

Good morning, I am writing this morning full of questions about this horrible tragedy in the South. I want to know how this could happen in an American city, why something wasn't done before hand, when it will get better and where I can go to help. I know there are some evacuees coming to OKC - Matt and I hope to help in some way tomorrow. Today, we do what we've been doing - pray for a million people who have lost everything.

My questions are not meant to accuse - it's way too early for that. And, we should be too busy helping to snipe at one another. We'll be too busy for a long time to come but the questions are still there. There are questions of the past - why weren't more troops and aid prepositioned; the present - when are the people from the Superdome and Convention Center and the rooftops and the overpasses and the Astrodome and the hundreds of thousands of dazed victims across three states going to be treated like they live in America, again; the future - how can we get a million homeless, jobless, school-less, hopeless people homes, jobs, schools, hope.

Questions of classism, racism, age-ism... How could a 21st century American city revert to a third-world warzone in 3 days... 3 days...

The answers to most of these questions have to wait until everyone affected isn't just 'dealt with' but comforted, fed, clothed, housed and supported with dignity and respect. God expects nothing less and we, as Americans, as humans, part of the greatest nation on earth should expect nothing less of ourselves. We can't hide behind "Someone should do something!" - We Are Someone. Now. Today. Tomorrow.