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.