Great Salt Plains Lake, OK

Credit: Google Images

Indian Blankets are the Oklahoma State Flower, and the park

had a great display of blossoms on hand.

We got away for the weekend to take our granddaughter camping at the Great Salt Plains Lake State Park, north of Jet, OK.  The lake is formed by the joining of Medicine Lodge River, Driftwood Creek, and the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River.  In spite of supposedly being fed by three tributaries, the years have been too numerous that all of those have dried up leaving the outflow of the lake as dry as the empty riverbed below.  The outflow is just called the Salt Fork of the Arkansas, and seeing it with water flowing was a pleasant shock.

None of the canoes got to go for the ride as winds were forecast to gust to 25 mph on Saturday, and 30 on Sunday.  Down in the river valley between the surrounding hills, and below the walls of the dam, we could see the tree tops dancing, but we just had a good breeze in the campground.  Even that died down enough Saturday evening for a campfire, and for Maggie to make s’mores.

It would prove to be a wildlife weekend, and guess who forgot the camera.  Grrrr!  That’s the one thing a blogger should grab even before his pants, but I ended up with pants and no camera.

Jean sat at the picnic table Friday evening and watched a doe and two very young fawns.  Being on a major flyway, this area is always great for seeing birds, and this weekend was not going to disappoint.  We saw scarlet tanager, cardinals, orioles, gold finch, and of course egrets and Great Blue Heron, and all day we were fascinated by a pair of Bluebirds as they rushed about to feed their five young fledglings.  Then, each night we were serenaded by nighthawks and owls.  We also got to enjoy a full array of wildflowers that were in bloom in reds, oranges, yellow, white, blue, purple, and salmon.  Next time, I’ll even take the camera.