A New Winery

Today my sweet husband and I took a wonderful ride to the western Oklahoma town of Bessie. It was an absolutely glorious day - though it did get a bit windy. We took the drive to visit another winery - not new but new to us. Panther Hills winery is just north of Bessie - a beautiful place, truly home sweet home for the owner, Ron. Like so many of the wineries we've visited, this is a labor of love as well as a lucrative business. They have 5 varieties - Riesling (his first white - quite tasty), Pinot Noir - slightly tart, Shiraz - mmm black chery, Merlot - deep and quiet, as well as a very nice Cabernet Sauvignon. Though they were all delicious, we chose the Riesling and the Cab. I plan to hold the Cabernet until next year.
As he poured our tastes, Ron told us about the wines, the grapes, and his plans for the future. Next to the bottles, he had a dish with pieces of bread made with wheat he had grown. When I asked how his wheat was looking for this year (I've read that the drought has really hurt our state's wheat crop) he responded with the optimism all farmers must have. "Mine looks pretty good. I should be just fine."
These photos are of his home, designed on-the-fly. He explained the design was original and practical. The tasting room is built over the original storm cellar - circa 1928. Before we left, my husband asked the owner about the name - Panther Hills. There's a story behind it, he said. His father owned some land north of here. When the government created the Foss Lake Dam, the land was submerged. Before the dam, there was a creek that ran though this land, Panther Creek. So, Ron thought he would name his winery Panther Creek as a hat-tip to his father. Unfortunately, Ron wasn't the first person to think of that name; there is a Panther Creek Winery in Oregon. He kept the Panther and added Hills which is really more appropriate to the land around the winery.
So, if you'd like to take a nice drive on a Sunday afternoon, take the nice drive out west. Between Cordell on the south and Clinton on the north, this was a great excursion.

I'm Singing in the Rain...

Yes, we are finally getting some springtime rain! We even had some tornado excitement this last week. No injuries but there was some damage to a few buildings in a city west of our home.

A colleague of mine and I have been discussing the current political state of affairs and he had an interesting proposal. He is frustrated with the lack of responsiveness of our politicians and thought we could throw them a curve by re-registering as many people as possible as independents. This way Republicans would have to go to California and Democrats would have to come to Oklahoma, etc... no longer would there be a 'sure thing" for elections. I did bring up the no voting in primaries thing but I was curious. Would this be a good action with positive results or would it be another "no one buy gas on Sunday" type thing?

BTW - the immigration discussion continues under "Here's yer controversy." Jump in - the water's fine!

To grill or not to grill, that is the question

Today, I found out I was chosen to take the new position for which I just interviewed. It is with the same company but now I will be training - teaching for the next 6 months. Those who know me well understand how wonderful that is for me. On my ride home, (55 mpg on my Burgman is pretty sweet!), I took a drive around Lake Overholser. It was a beautiful day. I wanted to congratulate myself on my promotion and, of course, my thoughts turned to food. But, rather than go out, I wanted to prepare a great meal at home.

Steaks! It was a perfect solution.
However, (here is where the title fits in) I wondered how the burn ban would affect my culinary choices. At Albertsons, the meat guy (the butcher sounds too Fiddler on the Roofish), some fellow customers, and I discussed what was allowed and what was not. I did buy the steaks, but before I began preparing them, I hopped on the internet to check out the ban guidelines.

Interesting conversations today... illegal immigrants, $75 per barrel for oil, and whether or not I could legally charcoal grill steaks for dinner. I love Oklahoma!

***drat, nothing controversial with which to ellicit comments... uh, must make some observation... since I mentioned my Suzuki (SuziQ) I do want to make a statement. What's up with Harley riders? I really don't see why they are so overpriced. And, why do they have to be so frickin' loud?

Here's yer controversy

In her comment on why I've not had many other comments lately, msblackandwhite said I should be more controversial so, here's something that has been on my mind for quite a while. The border - specifically the southern border. I will take a stand and see how the responses pour in... what is the big deal about having migrant workers, or any kind of workers? They are here to work - let's make it work for us, as well.

I think a guest worker program is a great idea. The immigration laws are not working so they need to be changed to reflect today's labor environment. I am concerned, though, about the lack of assimilation of the legal Mexican immigrants and the Chicano movement needs to be watched. Any organization which promotes the overthrow of the US government must be monitored.

A Pink Floyd Song

To quote the great band, Pink Floyd...Is there anybody out there?

I see from my map that people from all over have accessed my blog but not much in the way of comments. If you stop by, please leave a comment or suggestion.

By the way, the most recent wine I've purchased is some strawberry and some blackberry wine from a winery in southern Oklahoma called Cimarron Cellars . Though not highbrow wines, they do have a certain flavor which reminds me of my childhood - picking berries and enjoying the summer. In fact, one of my brothers has begun a berry business - updates later. At any rate, wine, to me, is to be enjoyed and is something that enhances life. Sometimes I want a complicated flavor, sometimes I want something simple and unassuming.

Post-Katrina Update

An interesting thing happened on the way to rebuilding...

FEMA released their rebuilding requirements for New Orleans, yesterday. I do not know the full details but I do know many of the homes there must be raised by at least 3 feet. They have looked at the possibility of flooding (maybe probability would be more accurate) and determined that these particular homes would need this type of retrofitting to be eligible for future federal assistance. The cost to raise a typical home 1 foot is approximately $40,000, $8k to $12k for each subsequent foot.

I am happy that some semblence of common sense has crept into the rebuilding plans. This is a little like the sign that lets people know when a lifeguard is not on duty, they swim at their own risk. As you can tell from my past posts, I am a supporter of personal accountability. But...

I am watching to see how this all shakes out. Will the government require the insurance companies to foot the bills? Will it raise taxes to subsidize the lifting of the homes? Will people sue because the requirement "aggrieves" them?

I just finished watching the film, "Gandhi" and I will give it 5 stars. Ben Kingsley did a fabulous job. The story is so compelling; it makes me want to know more. At the same time, I had a wonderful conversation with my daughter who is studying about the role of religion in international violence. She enlightened me to many things and, again, has stoked the fire in me to learn more.

I tie these two things ( New Orleans & India) together because one aspect of the struggle for independence was clear - not everyone was willing to continue down the right path because it was too hard and required too much of them. The right path was the way of peace and tolerance. Muslin, Hindu, Sihk, Christian, and Jew living side by side - that was the dream and hope of Gandhi - Dr. King was on the same page years later - both fell to an assasin's bullet.

Katrina pulled the translucent curtain away to expose the poverty and desperation of those living in some sections of New Orleans. She also exposed the greed and corruption that fed the monster of poverty. And, is now highlighting on of the reasons the situation flourished- so many people have embraced victimhood and bought into the "forever poor" garbage. The right path is one of personal responsibility. If one cannot rebuild one's home according to code then it is time to move to a place less hazardous. If the landlords cannot afford to rebuild their rental units to code and still have a reasonable lease amount, they need to invest elsewhere. I realize New Orleans may have been the home for families for many years but everyone's ancestors moved to the city from somewhere, sometime. Maybe it is time to find a better path for their progeny. I do realize there may be some whose ancestors were brought to Louisana against their will - if so, why stay in the vicinity of your ancestors' slavery? Only stay if your future is better; only you can decide. But, Gulf Coast residents, please do not ask the rest of the country to subsidize your choice to remain the the water without a lifeguard nor to require us to fund your desire to live in a flood zone - hurricanes or no hurricanes.

Family...

My sister-in-law died last week. It was tragic on so many levels. She was just diagnosed in February with stage 4 stomach cancer. Rather than spend the last few weeks of her life sick from chemo that would not help, she decided to make peace with it all. She left behind a husband of almost 20 years, 4 adult children, at least 8 grand children and 2 great-grand children as well as family and friends who will miss her.

Though she should have been diagnosed much earlier, they decided not to pursue any legal action against her treating physicians - no use following this tragedy with a drawn-out legal battle - that wasn't Syble's style.

Going down to Southeastern Oklahoma is like stepping though a door into another world. Just three hours southeast and the culture is completely different - not better or worse, just different. And, going there stirs up so many memories and emotions.

The cemetary is so different from those in cities. A little country graveyard in a meadow by a pond. Before the county cut a gravel road to it, we had to go through a farmer's yard to get to it. It is beautiful and tragic at the same time. And there, in the ground, lie the bones of so much of my family - each with their own sad story. My dad, my aunt Mary, my grandpa (Papa), my grandmother, my uncle Dood, and two of my brother's children. Yes, this is the same brother who just buried his wife.

There is a Waltons' episode called "The Pony Cart". The woman who played the guest lead won an Emmy for her performance. In it, she plays an elderly Walton family member who is being forced from her home. In one scene, she visits the graveyard where many of her family members are buried. As she pulls away the weeds and brushes away the leaves, she says (paraphrased) an unattended, unkept grave is a family disgrace. In the city cemetaries, people are paid to mow and sweep - perpetual care is one phrase used. But, in the country graveyards, it is the responsibility of those still alive.

My sister told me the week before Memorial Day used to be a big deal in these small towns. The communities would band together and go the the country cemetaries to clean them up in preparation for the familes coming on Memorial Day but, that tradition has fallen by the wayside. As I stood there, in the company of my brothers, my sister, my son, nieces, nephews, and other family members, as well as my brother's first wife (the mother of his children), I remembered how important family is and how important heritage is.

Take time to reconnect with those members of your family from whom you've drifted away. Family reunions should not only take place at funerals.

We're Not Farmers...

So, the weathermen said Saturday that Sunday would be a stormy, windy day. But, Sunday morning it all changed and we were given a gift - a beautiful day. Of course, any self-respecting rider will tell you that all plans must go in the tank when a good day has presented itself.

My sweet husband and I tag-teamed a few things that could not wait then headed out on a ride to the Wichita Wildlife Refuge. It was a glorius day! A little windy at first but, oddly, the winds settled down as the day progressed. Since we have ridden this way many times, I endeavored to look for something new, something I haven't seen before. I noticed there were several houses between home and Anadarko that are half-buried. Then, I was noticing all the homes with acreage around them and all the people out working in their yards. Now, some people may have felt a sense of guilt - that they should be home working, too. But not me. I finally realized that I don't like yardwork. That I don't want a house with acreage, that I'm not sure I even want a house!

The American Dream is not a single path but many, divergent roads. For some, their hard work will allow them to purchase a homestead, a place where they can spread out, a place of their own. For these, making a mark on their land is a wonderful thing. But, there are others who want to be free to see and experience all sorts of things. To travel and to see places where others have made marks, to record, to report, to share what they have seen. I really think that is who we are.

The knowledge has given me a sense of peace, really. I don't believe you can have it both ways. Either you can travel and explore or you can build at home. Both are great options. Now, I realize very wealthy people seem to do both, but they really don't. They pay others to build, they don't build themselves.

At any rate, we greatly enjoyed our day. One bit of adventure - I found out my Suzuki can go about 200 miles between fill-ups. And traveling around Commanche County in Oklahoma one finds gas stations are few and far between. Didn't run out, but came way too close for comfort!

We even stopped at a new winery in Medicine Park - I linked to it on my last post. Here are a few pics. It is a really nice place though their landscaping is a work in progress. There are a few new vines in the front. You cannot see it from the pics but they have a wonderful deck on the back of the building overlooking the town. We talked with the owner, about their new venture. I asked if they will be growning their own fruit. No, was the reply, they will be buying their fruit - plenty of people are growing. Besides, "we aren't farmers."

Succient, perfectly spoken. They wanted to make wine, they wanted to have a place, a winery where they could share their wine with others. They live a little house behind the main building. And, they are so happy about it.

Matt and I are not farmers, nor are we landscapers. We've done some things to our home but we would be just as happy with a small backyard where we could light a chiminea, grill some shrimp and share a bottle of a local vintage. There is a certain amount of peace that comes from realizing not only who you are but who you are not.

Oh, the giraffe? A great piece of yard art from the front of the winery.