Thought I'd share the lovely Oklahoma sunset with my lovely blog viewers:

On a side note, I'm painting the farm blue. Bringing a touch of Santa Fe to Stone Turtle Ranch.

 This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Back to Fast Charlie and the Moonbeam Rider

You won't find any pictures of Blueberry on today's post since I'm feeling a tad bit guilty; I dreamt of another bike. A sexy chopper to be exact.

Okay, I really need to watch that movie before I mention it again.Yes, I went back to where the beginning of the movie was filmed, Faxon. I don't always drive to Faxon....But, when I do... Okay enough play on those Most Interesting Man of the World memes. A couple of uncertain left and right turns got me out to the old school. Uncertain, only because I didn't know where I wanted to go. My navigation instinct is still in fine form. Woman's intuition, right? The school was up and running in 1902 and just recently closed. Okay, 1995 may not be as recent as I keep thinking it is. The old school bell can be found in front of the post office in Faxon (so I've heard). I have yet to find the post office. Next time.

On the way back to the highway, we pass this old couple sitting out in their yard enjoying the sunshine of an 80-degree December day. They waved kindly to two unknown bikers passing through their tiny little town on gravely road. Must say it was friendlier than when I cruised through Cooperton.

Growing up out in the country, cars you didn't know just didn't happen to drive by. It was either one of the very few neighbors or someone utterly lost. So, I usually expect a Cooperton welcome when I ride to small towns since I grew up suspicious of unknown vehicles drifting down the road (unless they waved, of course). But all that is changing now that suburbia is taking over my lovely idealistic country picture where you know your neighbors. May not like 'em  an' they may not like you, but toleration is do-able and expected. And, when your house is on fire, they still feel obligated to stop and help.

People want to move to the "country" but still have their neighborhoods (safety in numbers, I guess), yet they don't want to have neighbors. They don't want to wave, they don't want to look you in the eyes, they don't want to acknowledge you. No siree, Bob!  They just want to drive past you (ignoring you while you're waving nicely) and move your mailbox. But, enough about mailboxes. Thank God! You say. Where and what is your point? You wonder. Well, it got lost trying to find my mailbox!

So thank you, Faxon couple, for the nice wave and no dirty look.

From movie-famous Faxon, we rode to Chatty.Not as famous, but just as nice. The town looks to be ready for Christmas. Love small-towns which take pride in their town. Strolled  through the little park before getting back on the bikes to ride to Cache.

So riding back to Cache, I noticed this truck sitting in a field with the driver-side door open and the driver just chilling in his seat. What in the world? I thought. As I zoomed by a little more, I noticed he had his shotgun set up on a table. Does he seriously call that hunting? Sitting in his truck waiting for a deer to come eat corn while playing on his phone? Yes, it's amazing what one sees when one's not paying attention to the road.

Ended a lovely day in Medicine Park. The food and service at the Old Plantation were awful! However, the "river-walk" was lit up really nice, worth the evening drive to stroll along the creek.

Medicine Park, OK

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Another amazing day!

I just want to wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Life is not one size fits all. So let’s not judge. For we each have our own obstacles to overcome and our own blessings to be thankful for.

It’s a shame that the spirit of giving and gratefulness has to be a holiday to remind some of us of these qualities. I hope that thankfulness and the joy of life remain with you all for quite sometime!

UHO

So someone, yes this now brunette rider, is trying to learn how to operate her new camera. Of course, Oklahoma sunsets provide ample practice material. The other day, as I was admiring the sunset while arguing with my touchscreen on the camera, I noticed something slightly odd high up in the colorful sky. It was a black solid object with some kind of black trailing of smoke or fuel. Now, I'd like to think that I'd be able to identify a helicopter. It certainly wasn't a plane because it didn't move. Therefore, I cannot justly name it a UFO. I observed it (how very James Bond of me, I know) for at least 30 minutes and it didn't budge. The binoculars didn't help either since I'm as blind as a bat without glasses (this shouldn't affect my credibility, should it?) and the binos and glasses just didn't want to get along. 

It didn't really look like a helicopter, even though that is what I'm hoping it was. I watched it until darkness surrounded the hovering object. No lights were seen. As I went to bed that night, I almost expected to have a horror movie-like experience with invading aliens...I watch way too many movies. But then again, my neighbor does swear that he was abducted by aliens many years ago. Now, I'd like to think that with all of our technology out in space, that aliens would have the sense that us Okies probably aren't the best folks to abduct if they want a proper sample of human life. I guess every specimen has their Barney Fifes.

When I woke up in the morning, with no unusual craving to have a Bud Light Lime, the UHO (unidentifiable hovering object- nice, eh?) was gone.

What is this? New Mexico?

Baby,it's [starting to feel] cold outside!

Of all the people who should be a seasonal rider, it should be me. To paint a better picture of how miraculous it is that I don't "winterize" Blueberry, let me explain. 

I'm the type of person who when it's below 60 degrees Fahrenheit is running around the farm in a parka which looks like it's been imported from Antarctica. Anything below 55 degrees Fahrenheit and within one minute my fingers are frozen popsicles. With the aid of gloves, I'm usually good for 10-15 minutes, depending on the wind, before the joy of living is sucked right out of me and carried south by the chilling north wind.

All indicators point to the conclusion that when I move it'll have to be to somewhere warmer than Oklahoma. How I managed to survive without winter riding gloves for so many years is beyond me. Now, you'd think that since I'm the biggest baby when it comes to cold weather and since I refuse to not ride that I would have at least written my layering system down, right? Wrong. 


Plus a layer or three. What do you wear? Let me know on Facebook!

Explore OK trial run

It was a busy day. Especially since someone could not stay away from the car show in Medicine Park. Guilty! But, it was worth the rush because I got to see some sweet rides (go back a post or two). Anyhow, yours truly came up with the idea of doing history tours in Southwest, OK. Yes, sure we may not have as much history (time-wise) as wherever Plymouth Rock is, BUT we have a rich history nonetheless. State history may only be a century, but the Native American history goes back many centuries. And, of course, let's not forget the not so up-and-up history provided by the outlaws, gamblers, and fortune hunters back in the day. Southwest Oklahoma also has a loud military presence which I'm reminded of on a weekly basis when my windows and pictures rattle like in Mary Poppins. Yes, that's  one of two things I remember about the movie. One, Mary Poppins had the coolest bag ever. I mean, who wouldn't want a bag which could carry a motorcycle and apparently not weigh a ton? Two, the family always had to hold the valuables down when artillery was expected. However, they had it down to a science. Fort Sill hasn't given me its schedule. I wonder if they even have one. Maybe they ought to watch Mary Poppins...

 The Loop:

• Huckleberry Barn
• Victory School #43
• Saddle Mountain
• Cooperton
• Babbs Switch School Memorial
• Hobart
• Quart Mountains

Victory School #43

Over the years, I've ridden to many interesting places; Sometimes only to make a mental note to come back to check it out, sometimes with the opportunity to explore and be questioned by the local police. I've received a lot of comments and interest in the wheres (location) and whats (history) so together with Stone Turtle Ranch I decided to try my luck as tour guide. It was the first, of what I hope to be many, what I'm calling Explore Oklahoma tours. 

Our second stop was the old Victory School #43 building. It's interesting that a stretch of road barely 20 miles long had three schools in the early 1900s (Meers School, Victory School, and Saddle Mountain School). Victory School, according to the Oklahoma Historical Society, is believed to have had a teacherage (a house for teachers) when teachers usually lived with families who lived in the area. The one-room school house offered knowledge to the kiddies from 1902 to 1946. Teacherages were usually found in school districts prior to 1915 and at schools with two or more rooms which makes the fact that Victory School #43 had one kind of unique.

Stop four was in Cooperton. I now know, thanks to Hobart's website, that the sign advertising Saturday Nite Dance is a current thing. So if you find yourself in Cooperton on a Saturday night, have no fear! It's kind of sad when a town with a population of 5 (okay, maybe 15) has more to offer folks than Lawton. Funny how the world works. Drove down Main Street...not much to see there but the bank. And we found this gem (see picture below). It looks to be an old church. Love to have additional information should someone possess it! If I stumble across it in my research, I'll post it.

Additional pictures can be found on my Facebook page.

Tucked away in Cooperton, OK

I seriously just have too much fun

Destiny. That's right, Blueberry and I were just meant to be.

 Enjoyed my Sunday afternoon riding through the refuge and having coffee with the family!

Medicine Park Car Show 2012!

Before I get started, this blogger, who is not in the possession of technological savvy, is having issues with uploading pictures. Now I'm not sure if it has something to do with my new camera (megapixels and all that junk), if it's Blogspot, or user error. I am, however, going to allocate all the blame to Blogspot since Facebook has no issues accepting my works of art (pictures). So for more pictures of the car show clear here to be directed to the MP car show album.

I was super excited to go check out Medicine Park's annual car show. Blueberry and I rode over shortly after 10. Of course, I had trouble finding parking. There were plenty of places to park, but none that I liked. After circling the town, I ended up going back to where I'd started and parking on the grassy parking area by the creek. I always end up somewhere where the parking ground reminds me of quicksand. It wouldn't be the first time I parked to come back to find my bike sitting lower than when I had left it. If I had one of those kickstands found on cruisers it wouldn't be so bad. The makers of those long cruiser kickstands obviously had more faith that cruiser riders would venture to places without paved parking. What a vote of confidence in sportbike riders...then again most of the sportbike riders I know wouldn't need such a kickstand.

So my little parking situation seriously cut into the time I had allotted for the car show. I had an appointment to play tour guide at 11 (read about that in the next post). I power-walked through the car show. Since it was still early, a lot of cars were still in the process of getting their spots and registering. There were some awesome classic cars there. Some of the regulars were there (GTOs, GTXs, Challengers,Thunderbirds, Buicks, and Fords), but I also spotted a lot of street rods I hadn't seen before.

Previous town events had *CAUTION* tape barricading everything. The traffic cones looked a LOT better. I didn't feel as though I were entering a crime scene. Medicine Park is putting forth great effort in their events for the community. If you haven't managed to check out any of the events, I recommend you do so!

...

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Hello front brakes! So nice to have you back.

The stars, moons, and planets must have been aligned because my parts arrived just as I had some extra time in my schedule and was closing the deal on a bribe I offered someone to play free public transportation for me. Yes! I had a bombproof, or so I thought, plan.

My plan was to call a locally owned shop and have them do the work since their website advertised that they install parts and change tires. Since it's just a couple of miles from home, I figured I had a better chance of actually finding someone to drop off my tires AND give me a ride back home should my bribe fall through. I'm all for exercise, but I think I'd be too tempted to give my poor feet a rest and hitch a ride home. Someone once told me hitchhiking was bad. It was probably my mother. See? I do remember things occasionally. 

Of course, I was already happy dancing seeing my grand plan unfold so smoothly in my mind that when I called the shop I was utterly disappointed to have my bubble be bombed. I was told that they don't put on provided parts...Man, I wish I could turn away paying customers. I guess $65/hr just isn't as enticing as it  used to be.

The key to having a bombproof plan is having a back-up plan when Plan A gets annihilated  and sent to the bottom of a dark sea along with all the other bombed ideas. I ended up taking Blueberry to a dealership and the work was done in a couple of hours.

But, seriously, I would much rather have given my business to a locally-owned shop. Oh well.

Since the work was done a lot faster than I expected, I've been able to enjoy the amazing weather we're witnessing here in Oklahoma. I decided the conditions were perfect to start breaking in my tires and front brakes. Woah baby! Stopping power never felt so good. I cruised through the refuge and saw some buffaloes chillaxin' in the prairie. Beautiful day!

Of course some more pictures can be found on my new Facebook page. I'll probably be posting most pictures there so it won't take forever for the blog to load.

WGR Social Networking

Hello, my awesome readers!
Wanderings of a Girl Ryder now has a Facebook page. Please "like" my page (and recommend it to your friends if you enjoy my wanderings and wondering thoughts)! I plan on using it to post more pictures from my various rides as well as posting links to new posts. Since blogger seems to have issues uploading my pictures, I thought this would be the best solution. After some massive house keeping (1/25/2013...ish), all of my pictures from this blog (and then some) can be found there. I will be posting updates on when a new post (or edited post) is available since I'm not really sure how the email follow works. Also, feel free to say hi! I won't knock your hat off...scout's honor.

Happy Riding!

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Sprocket All Grown Up

As those of you who have been with me from the start may remember (or, those who've managed the task of perusing through all of my ramblings; a tedious task, I know; And, those who haven't the foggiest notion, click here (= ), I once stuffed a cat in my backpack on one of my rides and took her home. No worries, the cat's out of the bag now. Sprocket is still with me; albeit, I've probably used up 4 to 5 of her 9 lives.

Sprocket is one of the coolest felines. EVER. She's also one of the most vocal cats. She comes when she's called and paws at the door when she wants to go out. She always talks to me. Now, I'm not a cat whisperer, but I'm pretty sure it's all positive since when she's mad at me it usually involves cat teeth in my flesh.

Medicine Park

Packed my coffee and went over to Medicine Park for a quick errand. Always charming.

Mural on the side of the post office

Meers

Of all the times I've written about HWY 115, I don't think I've ever included a picture or short history of Meers. Considering that I ride by (or is it through?...I think it's both) not once a month, not twice a month, but more like twice a week- it's pretty sad that I never stop to take a picture.

Meers sits in the foothills of the Wichita Mountains in southwestern Oklahoma. It's a hotspot to visit for anyone visiting the area *hint hint*. It sits close to a fault line (think earthquakes) and once had a working seismograph. All through my childhood, I always enjoyed going to Meers just to see the seismograph squiggle some lines. It wasn't on display last time I went, so that was a bummer. 

Anywho, they make their own ice cream and beer and have a ton of felines chilling on the porch; Not that any of those items are related. They're closed on Tuesdays, don't accepts credit cards, and won't split a table's ticket.So be warned.


Drinks are served in giant mason jars just like home (at least my home) and the burgers are served in "dishes" which make you feel you're in the old mining camp. And, their burgers are huge. 

Meers History: 

Not even Oklahoma was safe from the Gold Rush. There were quite a few mines in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge area. Many of which can still be seen. In 1901 a group of miners created a mining district at the base of Mount Sheridan which they named after Colonel Andrew Jackson Meers. At its peak, Meers consisted of grocery stores, drug stores, a café, a newspaper (Mt. Sheridan Miner), a smelter, post office, and then some. It even reached a population of 500 (or in that ball park). 

For more information on the store itself check out Meers Store Website.

Receiving a motorcycle care package...priceless.

Chinese was the food of the day. My fortune cookie's fortune was a bit odd.

I never receive anything in the mail. Well, other than bills, but those don't count. Maybe it's because my neighbor moved my mailbox without my permission that awesome letters and postcards get lost in the mail...

Anyhow, it wasn't too long ago that the annual Women's Sportbike Rally took place at the Gap. Last year I was really hoping to be able to make the one in 2012; Unfortunately, I had to sit this year out, too.

To my delight, there was a small package in the mailbox with my name on it from a blonde from afar (Funny or spooky? I haven't quite decided). Inside I found all the goodies shared with the riders who were able to attend the rally. Another thank-you to my good friend in Georgia (Thanks, girl!).

This gesture certainly reminded me of the biker's code which can be read at this post.

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Just another lovely evening at STR

It was the end of another amazing day at Stone Turtle Ranch Lodging, and the sunset the other day was absolutely amazing; I just had to share.

 Oklahoma has some amazing sunsets, but I haven't seen one this colorful in a while. It was nice to just sit back and enjoy something so simple.

You can kind of see the moon in the background. I saw the coolest shooting star while out riding.

Blueberry's odometer reads 40,157.

Wow! Where have all the miles gone?

We've certainly had some great times. Here's to many more miles!

My current unconventional  guardian "bell."

Engine Rebuild video

Someone shared this Youtube video with me on Facebook. All I can say is this: LOVE IT! Brought back all of the glory of the engine rebuilds I've done with none of the work.

Sometimes city folk just make me sick

So I've lived out in "the sticks" for most of my life. Out where I live, it isn't uncommon to see coyotes, bobcats, tarantulas, and snakes cross over the road. It's just a part of life.

Well, these last couple of years a lot of suburbanites have been moving out. Besides not waving, they have a lot of weird habits.

Today after riding through the refuge, I was behind an old neighbor and one of these new suburbanites. I saw old neighbor drive around something, and the new neighbor slowed down. She then swerved to the right, hit her brakes,put her car in reverse, and then continued on.

As I drove by, cow pastures on both sides, the rattlesnake, which had been cruelly run over, was rattling its rattle with the last breath of life.

My relaxing ride was ruined.

Honey To-Do List

Minus the Honey. Guess that just makes it my to-do list.

Seems like this time of year always finds me with a long to-do list. So Blueberry maintenance:
1. New tires.
2. Cut and adjust chain.
3. New shocks.
4. New front brake disc.
5. New from brakes.

 And, last, but certainly not least:
6. Get a decent job so 1-5 can be afforded.

There's a reason I haven't been riding or blogging much; I've been finishing up my master's degree and have been somewhat busy. Now I find myself searching for a career. It's exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. So if you know of any motorcycle- or hotel related jobs, be so kind as to let a rider know!

Just another ride

As I'm riding down my road in the sweltering late-afternoon Oklahoma  sun jamming out to "I fought the law," I pass this older, hefty woman on a Harley. As I continued to the house I noticed that she had turned around and was following me. I'm always up for meeting someone as spontaneous as me so I was planning on stopping. To my surprise, it wasn't a large woman, but rather an older, hefty guy who then proceeded to ask me out for a drink (convenient living on a street with a bar, eh?). I politely declined since I had people to see and things to do.

Hello, Hobart! Almost as in Vice President.

So of all the years I've been riding out to Lake Altus and driving by Hobart, I've never actually taken the time to take a look at this small little town in Kiowa County, Oklahoma. Serendipity was my friend today; I never thought one could learn so much in such a small town. Before I get ahead of myself, let me start by mentioning to all the motorcyclists that HWY 115 north of Meers turns into a mess of gravel shortly before Saddle Mtn and Hwy 19.

On one of the curves these ruins can be found. Well, not directly on the curve, but you get the drift. I've never stopped because I didn't want to give up one of the few fun 90 degree turns. Anyhow, I finally pulled over to check it out. This is the Victory School which was built in 1929. Apparently the little building ruins to the right and left of the school were outhouses.

Welcome to Hobart. Which was named after Vice President Garret Hobart (VP 1897-1899). Turning off onto Main Street will bring you into the heart of the charming Oklahoma town.

If you find yourself in Hobart, I highly recommend stopping by this museum. Going in, I really didn't think one could spend a couple of hours in that small old train depot. You'll find a ton of information on the Southwestern Oklahoma area. Admission is free, but they do accept donations. During the summer, it's open Monday through Saturday. Winter, Monday through Friday. I'd like to thank the wonderful lady in the museum who offered her informative services.

This is a retouched picture from 1916 on the set of one of the first motion picture made on location. The film was called "Buffalo Hunter" and filmed in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. I think they ran out of money and weren't able to complete the movie.

.

 The old pictures found here are all located at the museum. Plus many, many more. If you go, you'll most certainly learn about the Babbs Switch tragedy of 1924 where Santa accidentally started a fire which claimed the lives of 36 people at the Christmas service at the Babbs Switch School. Bad Santa. The memorial can be found between Roosevelt and Hobart.

Places to eat in Hobart!

Sure, there's a Sonic, but why eat at a chain when you can support a local business??? Since I wasn't able to stay and eat in Hobart (next time, I promise!), here are some places to check out:

Bedlam Sports Bar & Grill-110 W 11th St

Big-A-Burger- 418 S. Jefferson

Jay's Bakery-117 W. 5th St

Kozy Diner-214 Main Street

Main Street Grill- 219 S. Main St

Chinese and Mexican food can also be found.

I'd heard of a place called Friendship so I had to check it out since it was on the way home...well, basically. Welcome to Friendship. It seems to be Altus' version of Porter Hill. Maybe with so few neighbors, you have no choice but to be friendly. Not much to be seen here. 3-4 houses, a fire department, and a church.

More pictures on WGR's Facebook album!
This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Belated 3 Year Anniversary Ride

So the idea that women never forget anniversaries is not applicable to me. I'm sorry, Blueberry! I couldn't imagine owning another bike. At least not at this point in time. Still a little curious about cruisers, but not curious enough to where I'd want to trade in Blue. To another year of awesome rides!

Lesson Learned

It's taken 5 years, but I've finally learned my lesson. I will never again try to organize another ride or meet and greet. EVER.

A couple of years ago, I started a group on Facebook called Riders in Oklahoma. The logic behind it was that I know riders who know riders who know riders and it would be nice to have a group where everyone is welcome. A group where we can share events, stories, or just ask if anyone wants to go ride. The group has grown a lot over the years, but it hasn't spread like wildfire. And, that's okay. We started doing small meet and greets every once in a while. The first one was hosted by a rider at his home in Blanchard on a cold January day. I remember that ride. I even believe it has its own post. Anywho, I decided to offer my premium farm location for a summer meet and greet. 

Everyone thought it was a great idea to get together again. Some people said in advance they wouldn't make it. That's cool. I get it. BUT a lot of people said they WERE coming. So I planned a whole BBQ for about 20 people for this day. Burgers, sides, and drinks were bought (on my tiny budget, that was a small fortune). The grill and picnic tables were scrubbed. The lawn was mowed. All set.

Show time rolls around and no motorcycle engines can be heard in a 5-mile radius. Two hours later, I pack everything back up and leave myself. I felt as though I should have been wearing a prom dress. Figures that I'd be stood up by 20-25 people.Of course, Facebook makes it nice and easy to see what people who said they were coming are actually doing. I was especially mad when I found out one of the riders was partying down at the Lake not three miles from my house. 

Promises, promises, broken promises. The point of this rant (finally) is that if you're waiting on greener grass or you don't want to go then don't say you're coming. It's that simple. Why do people not say no? Is it because they want to leave as many doors open or because they don't want to hurt someone's feelings? Saying no won't hurt somebody. Saying yes and not showing up will, however, hurt someone. I hate when people say things and don't keep their word. Isn't there a saying about only being as good as your word?

I still managed to get a nice short (70-80 mile) ride in. Found some purple clover. I had to google it to make sure they were clovers since I didn't believe it. Random fact of the day: the leaves and roots make a great general immune-boosting tea.

In the end it all worked out, I was able to throw an awesome party for people I actually like a week later.

Oklahoma Summer Evenings

Smell wonderful! There's nothing like a cool breeze and the smell of fresh cut and bailed hay. Love being at Stone Turtle Ranch since it's so close to the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge; makes a quick, scenic ride more than possible!

Can you find my guardian "bell?" After losing my 6th or 7th bell, I had to find a substitute. Much better!

Aftermath of the rainy ride

Okay, so my phone did not survive the ride in the rain yesterday as well as I had hoped. Lesson learned: insert zip-lock bags in all jacket pockets no matter how water resistant said jackets claim to be. Good thing I had a prepaid phone and plan which expires in the next day or so. Is that luck or what? Maybe that penny really was lucky? I mean why else would a penny made in my birth year be lying under a tree branch in the middle of the road in the middle of nowhere? Destiny, no?

A short ride in the rain

So yesterday after it rained in the morning (which, by the way, was not predicted), it looked pretty clear for a ride. I get on Blueberry, and I'm a mile into a hopefully 120 mile and it starts to sprinkle. Okay, no big deal. Major showers were not predicted until later in the afternoon.The roads were still kind of wet from the morning rain so I just took my time.

Nothing but rain on my 25 mile ride into town to the meet-up location. By the time I got there I was soaked through. Thankfully, my camera and cell phone are still functioning even after getting wet in my jacket (water resistant my foot). Also learned that my tires probably aren't in the best condition to be riding in rain. The roads got really slick in Lawton. And, people were still driving and tail-gating as if the streets were dry.

Almost no dry spots on my jeans.

Was happy to see a couple other people crazy enough to ride on my way in the rain. All cruisers, though. No other sportbikes seen. Not surprised. The other rider that was supposed to ride with is a new rider, so I didn't think conditions were good for a newbie to be getting comfortable on his bike. Maybe I'm too cautious, but better safe than sorry. I'm starting to think that a lot of motorcycle accidents could be avoided if riders knew their limits and realized that  riding skills come from a lot of factors, but mainly from experience and logging miles. Just my two cents from 5 years of observing riders of all types.

By the time I got home, the rain was back to a sprinkle, and the sun was starting to peak out. Figures. But, it was still a little chilly and it did look a little rainy off to the west. Oklahoma weather. Gotta love it. After that little whatever it was moved off to the east, there was no more rain to be had. So much for that rain in the afternoon prediction. I think somewhere in the forecasting process, the weather people got confused.

To my lovely blog visitors:

To all those who take the time to read my ramblings and browse through my pictures, I'd just like to say: Thank you!

Another hike and ride

2 rattlesnakes, one buffalo, a couple bad-ass rock "cavern" systems, millions of daddy long-legs, and a nest of bats. Yup, I'd say it was a pretty good walk in the refuge. Not to mention the awesome ride. Blueberry is nice and clean (or was) because I finally got around to cleaning it. Love my life.

Found the bat cave... First hike on the refuge where I've run into bats. They were adorable.

Excuse my dirty helmet. Had a passenger on the ride home! Luck be a lady...

More pictures can be found on WGR's Facebook page!

More of Beautiful Oklahoma!

Just some pictures I took this morning on the way to a "waterfall" near Elk Mountain. No climbing today since the mom came with me. We saw a bunch of awesome flowers and I even stepped right over a slumbering rattlesnake. I scared the poor thing to death. That's how scary I can be; Rattlesnakes flee. Be warned.

To the far left is Mt. Scott. To the far right is the "mountain" that can be climbed from the Parallel Forest. From the forest to Mt. Scott and back is about 8 miles. An easy afternoon hike =)

Prairie dogs in the prairie dog town. Watch out for these little rascals, they like to cross the street at all times. Also, if you visit the prairie dogs, it's best not to feed them since their water resources are limited.

Rock frog.

Oklahoma: where the buffalo roam.

More pictures on Facebook album!

What I love about Oklahoma

 

Is that Oklahoma offers amazing riding weather almost 365 days a year!

Yet another close call

I don't know what it is about the coffee group, but it just seems that I always have a close encounter with death when leaving. Today's brush with almost kissing pavement had even me somewhat rattled after all was said and done. I honestly wasn't expecting to get out of that scrape. If riding has taught me anything at all about myself, it's that I have an almost unnatural ability to remain calm, relax,  continue functioning, and keep those rusty gears grinding. My face may be doing all sorts of funny stuff, but my body remains relaxed. Figure it's probably better to face pavement relaxed as opposed to stiff as a board.
So anyways, on to the close call. I turn left out of the parking lot and decide to grab gas at a station at the other end of town and close to the interstate since the turning lane onto Sheridan was beyond full. I'm standing at the light in the left lane and there are a couple of cars in front of me and a few to my right. The light turns green and we all proceed forward. It's lunch hour and the streets are packed. Sure it's not Dallas rush-hour, but still where the hell do all these people come from? Someone decided that he has to turn left into Arby's or that oil-change place right next to it. Not happening, so everyone in front of me is slowing down and stopping while the right lane has moved on and become clear.
I check the right lane, a few cars are moving through the light, but nothing up close and personal. I signal, look again, and switch lanes along with the driver behind me. All is good. I'm moving by the stopped cars in the left lane, when this white car swings out from whatever strip mall is after Taco Bell without so much as a glance in my direction. I look to the left, line's still there. The car seems to be in a major hurry since there were still cars coming through the light. I get as close to the cars in the line on the left while down shifting and applying throttle. The white car was millimeters from my right foot peg when I glanced over and getting awfully close to my rear tire. I relaxed my body and inched a little closer to that line, thanked some higher being that I had decided to wear my leather jacket, and braced for impact. The combination seemed to do it because when I looked back in my mirror the car barely swept past my rear, swung wide, and turned into the parking lot four feet away from where it came out of. A parking lot he could have entered without cutting into traffic. I honestly have no idea how I didn't wind up on the pavement, but very thankful I made it to the gas station in one piece.

I have been observing a lot of drivers lately as I chill out while I ride. I have come to the conclusion that most drivers are complete idiots and don't have the decency to respect the safety of other drivers while they are doing stupid things. Maybe an emotional intelligence test ought to be given when applying for a driver's license?

Oh- Diagram coming soon thanks to an awesome chart a reader made for me ;)

Cookietown, once again.

I think it's safe to say that I am obsessed with this town.  What better way to enjoy a lovely Sunday morning than ride down to Cookietown and have a cookie?

 

I found myself in good riding company. I didn't even get a voiced concern when I pulled out the cookies. Probably thought it was safest not to say anything...

Wandered on over to Chatty and Faxon. Had to stop in front of the old general store/gas station to get a pic. Dig those windows! If my memory serves me right, I don't think I've ever mentioned anything about Faxon, so here goes:
Faxon's population hit its peak of 215 in 1910. The Chicago, Rock Island, Pacific Railway came to "town" in 1903. The town was named after U.S. Senator Chester Long's secretary Ralph Faxon. Senator Long was from Kansas, Senate-wise that is. What is it with Kansas??? Truly, that is the million dollar question. Anywho, the town had two cotton gins, a newspaper (until 1918), an ice yard, a telephone company, a lumber yard, and several grocery stores.

You probably won't believe this, but Faxon is famous. The gas station was featured in..what was that movie? Oh yeah, Fast Charlie the Moonbeam Rider back in 1979 featuring David Carradine. This building had a skating rink upstairs. Not bad for a town so small. Makes me wonder why can't Lawton manage to have anything cool. Not much left of Lawton's old downtown since it was torn down (where was the historic preservation society when ya need it?) to build the mall and whatever else is over there.

More pictures on WGR's Facebook page!
This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!