Pictures from my Oklahoma trip

[gja1000]

This "display" in downtown Fletcher just tickled me. This is NOT a stop sign or stop light, it is sitting under a blinking red light.

1. be sure to look at the flyers
2. the flyers can be changed out - whatever is "for sale"
3. you can even find an apartment for rent or fresh eggs or a free kitten!

Classic small town wonders! This is just like the town I grew up in!

[gja1000]

These were taken in downtown Oklahoma commemorating the settling of "Indian Territory" which later became Oklahoma.

1. plaque telling about settling Indian Territory
2-4 - the statues are much larger than lifesize and it is amazing!!

[Marilyn]

Gayle, these are really nice. Looks like you had a very good time!! I love the STOP bulletin board in the middle of the street. I think it would be against the law around here to do something like that. The town of Edna, TX got in trouble with the highway department because they painted horse foot prints on the roads leading to their high school football stadium. There mascot is the Cowboys, so it was kinda cute, but the highway department didn't think so.

Thank you for sharing. It's always interesting to see another part of the country!!

[gja1000]

The day before I took this pic, my mom told me about my great grandmother and great grandfather who were both from Switzerland but had met and married in Kansas. They traveled to Oklahoma with two covered wagons. When they got to the south Canadian river which was at that time a very wide and deep river - my g-grandmother told my g-grandfather that she was NOT crossing THAT river and if he wanted to get across he would have to drive his wagon across, swim back and drive hers across. He did!

So, when I saw this statue of the horses rearing up at the water crossing, I was flabbergasted that my mom had just told me a story about a river crossing.

[gja1000]

These are some of my favorite places in Oklahoma

1&2 pics 1 and 2 are of the Cherokee Trading Post between Clinton and Weatherford on I40. I love the Indian jewelry there and I always have to stop and look.

3. I took this pic for Janet - although I don't think her Ricky looks like the little guy above the name
4. There are LOTS of wind farms in Oklahoma - this one is right along I40 between Clinton and Weatherford. HUGE windmills!!!

Also, on my first post in this thread, I forgot to explain pic #4 - Braums - my FAVORITE ice cream place in Oklahoma! There are some in north Texas now!

[gja1000]

This is my hubby's aunt and uncle's cabin on Lake Murray in southern Oklahoma, near Ardmore. That's my car!

They retired in 1996 and live here full time. All the family gathers there for Memorial Day and then various family members go down to the lake all summer long. My husband and his uncle built the cabin 30 years ago!

[gja1000]

1. That's Rowdy on the left and Rexy on the right

2. The neighbor dog, Duke, Rex and Rowdy

3. a GORGEOUS tree in Norman Oklahoma, every branch was covered with lights! OH MY! You can tell how TALL it was as you can see the roof peak behind it! It would take a cherry picker to get those lights up there!!!

[judy]

Thanks Gayle. Those are great pix! I can't believe the statues. They are really beautiful.

Love the stop sign!`

[Janet]

Gayle your pictures are great. I'll most likely never see them in person so thank you for sharing them. I showed Ricky the cafe picture and he just laughed. Then asked...how much do they know about me anyway....LOL.. I told him you all know what size shorts he wears...LOL. Then told him I was j/k.

We are starting to get those windmills here Gayle. People are using them for electricity and there is one just 2 miles from me. They are considering a windmill farm there. They have one up so they can decide if there is enough wind for more.

[gja1000]

Originally Posted by Janet

We are starting to get those windmills here Gayle. People are using them for electricity and there is one just 2 miles from me. They are considering a windmill farm there. They have one up so they can decide if there is enough wind for more.

Our farm is in line for a future wind farm. In order to put a windmill(s) on your property, they have to lease it. Oil companies do the same, in order to drill an oil or gas well on your property, they have to lease it. Oil companies typically lease your land for about $100 to $300 per acre for 3 years. We currently have all our farm leased to an oil company.

Well, the wind farm company wants to lease our farm for $1.00 (yes, one dollar) an acre for 100 years (yes, one hundred years). We said NO THANKS!!! I would love to have a few windmills on my farm, they bring in about $5,000-$8,000 per year (depending on how much elec they generate). BUT you might lease your land with them and then get a 5000 sq foot substation instead of a windmill (which pays NOTHING). You are giving up the surface rights to your property for 100 years - again, NO THANKS!!! We think they will change the lease at some point - it will be several years before the proposed wind farm is built.

Some people put up the small windmills to generate personal electricity. What you don't use, the electric complany in Oklahoma HAS to buy back from you. Several people do that and we are considering doing that on our farm.

[Janet]

That is exactly what some are doing in our county and a few counties to the west of us. They have it for personal use. Sounds like a pretty nice set up, although I haven't really done too much research. Just what the neighbors are saying.