Mount Scott

Mount Scott is a marvel of rock formations, and is the source

of all the red rocks used in the building of Medicine Park.

Mount Scott forms most of the west shore of Lake Lawtonka.  It rises 2,464 feet and is part of the Wichita Mountains.  The published height of the mountain is deceptive.  Like the top of an iceberg, it is only the tip of the mountain range that was thrust by volcanic uplift above the earth’s crust, and has since partially sunk, or subsided, as well as eroded.  The Wichita Mountains are part of a range that runs from Lawton, OK, to Amarillo, Texas, 215 miles to the west.  They were created during four distinct geologic periods dating back 595-million years, making them the oldest mountains in North America.  The Appalachians are often said to be among the oldest mountains, but the Wichitas have them beat by a mere 100-million years, give or take a year or two. 

View of the countryside from the top of Mount Scott

with Lake Lawtonka in the center.

Winter Blunderland

Sunset at Bahia Honda, Florida Keys, a few years ago.

Everything is covered with ice.  The blizzard stayed west of us.  What snow we did get was so weighed down by sleet and freezing rain, it is hard to identify what layer is snow.  After giving the sun and wind hours to work a bit, (it actually hit 32.5 degrees in the sun) I was able to use a steel scrapper to break enough ice loose from the concrete patio so we can get to the garage door.  Then the door was frozen to the jam so we had to beat on the door until we could break the ice enough to open the door, and then it wouldn’t close.  Bahia Honda does have a sound and feel to it, doesn’t it?

It is Time for Home

Arcadia Lake was rimmed with ice, but now everything is

covered by hard, white water.

Edith Sitwell spoke well about the atmosphere today.  “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire; it is the time for home.”  It was 70 degrees about 48-hours ago.  It is now in the mid-20’s, the wind is blowing 40-50 mph, causing blizzard conditions where it has already started to snow.  We were awakened by the noise of sleet being driven against the windows, and it is sleet that has covered the yard in white.  As I type, it is finally switching over to horizontal snow.  The normal time for rising had come and gone, and I thought the only justification for getting up would be when I was driven from under the covers by hunger.  But, hunger was also what was on Jean’s mind as she crawled out, slipped into her shoes, and went out the door to spread feed for the wild birds.  The garage door was frozen to the jam, and she had to shoulder the door a few times before it cracked the ice bond and finally opened.  We now have a hundred or so small birds hopping about the patio to pick up the seed scattered there for them.

My GPS odometer for the month sits at 81.34 miles.  Until now, I had no doubt about making the 100 miles for the month, but now that sits in some doubt.  Half that distance was accomplished while picking up aluminum cans for Canton Lake.  While they were able to get the funding to rebuild the campground’s infrastructure damaged by a tornado, there was no money for replacing the trees.  Collecting and recycling aluminum helps with reforestation, shrubs, and flowers.  Besides falling on the ice and breaking an old bone or two, all the cans are now covered in white, so walking will be on hold until the dead grass reappears, so yes, “it is the time for home.”

Wishing you a Great Holiday Season

Credit: conversationsforabetterworld.com

Merry Christmas, y’all.  Let images of paddling scenes dance in your heads.

Evening at Lake Lawtonka

Meet the Next President

Credit: google images and formyfem.com

This one looks Presidential.

If you haven’t seen this story yet, it’s too good to let pass.  This could well be the solution to our cast of Republican presidential candidates.  Indeed, it could answer for 99.9% of all positions in Congress.  I don’t say 100%, because I hold the constant hope that hiding somewhere in the shadows of those hallowed halls in Washington (or Tulsa) is at least a solitary statesman, rather than politician.

From the Associated Press comes a story out of Siberia.  In the next week, the council for the city of Barnaul, Russia, will need to choose a new mayor from a field of seven candidates.   Barnaul is a town 1,800 miles east of Moscow.  Their 650,000 residents were asked to vote in an online poll to express their preferences among the six human candidates and one Siamese cat named Barsik.  The voters are so tired of political corruption and incompetence that Barsik nabbed ninety percent of the vote.  In our local paper, this appeared in section ‘B’, page 10.  There’s a message here that’s strong enough to require that it be on page one.

Medicine Park - 4

We walked through town, walked the length of the Bath Lake Park, and then had lunch at the Old Plantation and dined in the dance hall.  The Plantation is still famous for their steak and fish dinners where the meat may hang off both edges of the plate.   In 1960, Rex and Ruby Leath purchased the Old Plantation from the Texas Land Company.  Rex was usually found in the kitchen, and Ruby, known to everyone as Grandma, would either be found at a table talking with guests, or sitting in her rocking chair by the fireplace.  Her rocking chair still sits where she left it.  This refers to the picture of the fireplace and rockers in Medicine Park – 3.  The Old Plantation was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

This caught my eye right away.  It is not only a beautiful home, but

what a nice way to have the canoe ready to quickly drop in the creek.

I do hope they spray it with 303 Aerospace UV Protectant.  This

Oklahoma sun can be murder.  

Our standards for proper language have been under such constant attack,

I didn't think anyone maintained any propriety any more, making me happy

to see this sign.

There were several nice pieces of metal sculpture in town, like this

peace pipe.  Notice the nice mural in the background.

A sunfish swimming among some cattails.

Jean particularly likes this one---a copper mountain lion on a copper

boulder.  It is also called a puma, cougar, panther, or catamount

depending on locale and the indigenous language its name comes from.

Be Realistic!

Credit:  Aaron Gray

Being realistic is the most commonly traveled road to mediocrity.

Rehab Owl

I haven't processed the last of the Medicine Park photos, so here's a diversion.  Jean received a call from a farm manager right after a two-day ice storm.  He had seen a great horned owl that had flown into a fence near Okeene and gotten its wing entangled.  The bird was smart enough to know that its weight couldn't be held by its wing alone without damaging the wing further or even severing it, so it had reached up with one foot to grasp the fence and take most of its weight.  The man felt confident the owl would get itself free, so he went on.

While making his rounds the following day, the manager realized that the owl was still hanging from the fence wire.  The ice storm had completely frozen birds over in half to 3/4-inches of ice, and most of the local population of big birds has disappeared, so it's amazing that the owl had survived the cold, the ice, two days with no nourishment or water, and hanging upside down from a wire.  It was after dark when Jean and the farm manager got back to the field to retrieve the bird and bring it home.

The bird was in bad shape.  It took a lot of water infused with Pedialyte immediately, and Jean went to the store to get chicken livers and steak to cut up and feed the owl.  The foot and leg were so sore and cramped up from being locked on a wire for two days that it couldn't stand or roost even the next day, and just crouched in a bed of straw in the bottom of the cage.  Jean fed it with long kitchen tongs.  It would hiss and snap at her, but after the first bite, settled down to be fed.

When it healed enough that its wild, aggressive personality and strength had returned, it made it clear that it wanted out of the cage.  Since owls are very territorial, we returned it to the same spot where it had been picked up.  When the cage was opened, it just sat there.  Jean finally had to roll the cage over slowly to force it out through the open door.  It just sat for the longest time, but finally hobbled over and got under a piece of farm machinery.  It had been moving its wing, but in the confines of the cage couldn't stretch it fully or exercise it.  We watched it for awhile, but it made no move to leave.  It was obvious that it was sore and stiff, so we left it to give it time to stretch and limber up.  

It was a restless night, wondering how the bird was doing.  The next day, we headed 22 miles back out to the farm as we wondered if we'd find just a pile of feathers where something had been able to catch it.  As we approached the farm, a huge great horned owl took off from a utility pole diagonally across the road from where Jean had found it.  It flew strongly, circled, and glided until it disappeared over a line of trees.  It had to be the same bird.  Another owl's territory would be at least a mile to six miles away. To be sure, we checked all around the farm equipment and looked through the grass and cedar trees. There was no sign of an owl.  Jean's rescued bird was back on the hunt for rodents, but I can't help but think it was wondering, "Hey, when is that woman supposed to show up again with the steak."

An ironic twist to the ways of nature revealed itself on our return home.  After saving and treating the owl, we got back home to find another owl in the tree in our yard trying to catch one of Jean's rescued and hand-raised squirrels.  

Visitors in the Dark

This is Piper.  She looks demonic with her red eyes glowing in the camera, but she is one of the sweetest cats ever owned by a dog person.  I was off on the ship when Jean decided to adopt Piper and her sister.  She was supposed to be a surprise.  Mission accomplished.  They had been raised in a goat barn, and like the goats, could go straight up any wall and perch on any supposedly unattainable perch.  Until we accomplished some behavior modification, we had some vexing times as we accumulated claw marks on walls near the ceilings.  The farm had had a large population of cats until they were discovered by a pack of coyotes.  The canines had cleaned house.  These two kittens were the last survivors.  True, she's worthless as a paddling partner or camp watch cat, but she's a good companion when she curls up of an evening in the crook of my arm and purrs a thank you for us saving her from certain death.  Unlike with a dog, there's no knowing that she will be at the window or door waiting for my footsteps, but I know that as soon as I head for my recliner, Piper will race me to the chair and wait for me to pick her up and put her in my lap.  The softer the sweatshirt or flannel, the faster she will nestle in and begin to sing.  We don't always get to choose our friends and companions, but love is pricelss regardless of whose heart it comes from. 

Medicine Park - 3

The Old Plantation Restaurant.  We had lunch here after walking the length

of the Medicine Creek Park.  History here is sometimes hard to comprehend, 

like having lunch only a matter of yards above the creek where Geronimo

was baptized.

This is the Old Plantation's dining area, the same famed restaurant

and dance hall.  While awaiting our lunch order, we walked around

the room looking at old black and white photographs from just after

the turn of the last century.  We ate lunch in the same room as my childhood

heroes, Roy Rogers and Dale Evans, as well as all the other famous people.

At the end of the hall is a large fireplace with Grandma's rocking

chair (on the left) still sitting where she left it.  Grandma would have

been happy with my reaction when I saw our order coming out of the

kitchen.  One look at that plate, and I couldn't help chuckle and whisper

"Holy crap."  The fish protruded from all sides of the sandwich's bun, and

the bun was 5-inches square.  With the fries, tomato, lettuce, and condiments,

the plate all but disappeared.  It was not only filling, but delicious.

Cabins have traditionally also been available for lodging.  A hotel

has been added as many of the cabins have been taken over by

businesses.  I wonder how tall Mount Scott would be if all the rocks

where still up there where they started.

Medicine Park - 2

Some more pictures from Medicine Park.  This is another dam

across Medicine Creek.  A winding sidewalk follows the creek.

This is more modern construction, but it is the same red cobblestones

that were the building materials from day one.

This is a terraced wall that is of very early construction.  There

were pictures in town of Model-T's and horse-drawn carriages

parked and standing here.

We now have Lowe's and Home Depot for building materials, but the 

River of Rock flowing down from Mount Scott is much closer, 

and the prices are much better.

Medicine Park

Below the large dam that creates Lake Lawtonka, Medicine Creek

spills over a few other dams forming beautiful pools, this one for

fishing, others for swimming.

Medicine Park was opened officially as Oklahoma’s first planned resort on the 4^th of July, 1908, by future senator, Elmer Thomas.  As a young lawyer in 1906, he decided that while the new lake provided a reliable source of water for the new town of Lawton, the surrounding thousands of square miles of prairie needed a recreational area.  The new resort started with a swimming hole in the creek below the dam, a few campsites, and a large surplus army tent with a wood floor where meals could be served.  In four years, it grew to include two inns for meals, lodging and dancing, a health sanitarium, tennis courts, spa, bath house, petting zoo, general store, a school, bait shop, electric plant, and the Dam Café.  The army tent was replaced by the Outside Inn, a three-story red cobblestone building erected in 1910.  It would be the focal point of the town, had a couple other names during its history, and would later be renamed the Old Plantation.  Medicine Park was billed as the “Jewel of the Southwest.” The area along the creek became the Bath Lake Park with landscaped walkways, gardens, swimming and sunbathing area, and bridges across the creek.  Crowds flocked to the community from throughout Oklahoma and North Texas.

A cluster of wild aster defy logic to find a home among large

red boulders.

After his surrender in 1886, Geronimo and his band of Apache braves were shipped by boxcar to Florida, where they were imprisoned for eight years.  Geronimo was held at Fort Pickens, Pensacola, and his followers and their families were sent on to Fort Marion at St. Augustine.  Geronimo later joined the others at Fort Marion as well.  In 1894, Geronimo was relocated to Fort Sill, and was baptized in the Methodist faith in Medicine Creek on July 1^st, 1903.  He died of pneumonia on Feb., 17, 1909, and is buried in the Apache cemetery at Fort Sill.   

The red cobblestones from Mount Scott provide a seemingly

endless supply of building materials.  A beautiful, new home

across Medicine Creek uses just a sampling of the rocks.

While Elmer Thomas operated his resources in Medicine Park with strict guidelines, he decided to sell the lodge to finance his campaign for senator.  The main floor of the Outside Inn remained a restaurant and dance hall, but the upstairs became where the ‘pretty girls’ conducted business, and a whiskey still and gambling room found their way to the basement.  It was even rumored that tunnels were built for the escape of those that didn’t want to be found.  Everyone came to Medicine Park throughout the Roaring 20’s and into the 1930’s.  It became the playground for the elite, the rich, famous, the notorious, and for outlaws, horse thieves, and politicians alike.  Some of the names of those known to visit were Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips Petroleum; Will Rogers; Wiley Post; Bob Wills, the King of Western Swing and the Texas Playboys; Al Capone; Bonnie and Clyde; Pretty Boy Floyd; Lil Hardin, the 2^nd wife of Louis Armstrong, and Her Swing Orchestra; Jack Abernathy, the nation’s youngest U.S. Marshal; Les Brown; and Roy Rogers and Dale Evans.

Many different ducks and geese find a home in the 

beautiful surroundings.

Lawton Campground on Lake Lawtonka

The full moon rises over Lawton Campground in SW Oklahoma.

I wanted to get to Lake Lawtonka for some paddling, while Jean wanted to visit Medicine Park.  With the help of Mother Nature’s vagaries, we ended up doing both.

Lake Lawtonka was created in 1905 with the damming of Medicine Creek.    It has a 19-mile shoreline, and a map can be found on P.109 of the Oklahoma Water Resources Board’s book of maps titled “Lakes of Oklahoma.”  It can also be found in the DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer for Oklahoma, P.50, grid F-4.  It is on the east end of the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, one of the first refuges created by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1901, and the second-most visited wildlife refuge in the country with over 1.5-million visitors annually.  It also is located on the north edge of Fort Sill, the only one of the original forts created during the Indian Wars that is still operated as a military fort.  It is now the home of the Army Field Artillery School.

As the sun sets, a lone sailboat drifts south along the foot

of Mount Scott.

The forecast was for three days of winds below 10mph, which in Oklahoma is as rare as finding the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.  We loaded up the RV and headed south.  It was a great trip but for the blown tire on the trailer trying to be a spoiler.  I wrote about that on the 5 November post, “Highway Angels.”  Between the trip and dealing with the tire, it was 4 p.m. by the time we settled in the campground operated by the City of Lawton, so we just enjoyed the quiet and the sunset.

Oops!

Credit: Allan Welsh

I need to make a correction.  The initial text in the post has been changed for those that may not have read it yet, but for those who have, I need to make a revision.  I indicated (believed) that Keen shoes are American Made.  Keen is indeed a US company, located in Portland, OR.  However, when my shoes arrived today, I checked the tongue to confirm the shoe size, and there before my eyes was "Made in China."  With the outstanding reputation the shoes have, I have to believe (hope) that quality control in fact controls the quality.

November 3-P-100 and Keen's Help

Credit: Scott Hite

November was a disappointing month for getting outdoors for exercise.  I managed 59 miles for the month, but did have a higher than normal percentage of paddling within those miles.  Like most of you, the multi-day ice event put a kink in outdoor activity, and the holiday didn’t help either.  Anticipating that getting out on the ice could end with me laid up for weeks, I opted for spending time with a book by Cliff Jacobson.

I’ve resolved to correct this backsliding, so started December off with an 8.7 mile walk while collecting aluminum cans for Canton Lake.  The Corps of Engineers got funding to rebuild the campground that had been destroyed by a tornado, but had no funds remaining for replanting trees.  They have asked the public to help them collect recyclable aluminum to fund tree purchases.

I have UPS bringing me two pair of mid-height hiking shoes to also help with my 3-P-100.  I’ve wanted Keen shoes for a long time.   Keen Shoes is located in Portland, Oregon, and have a good reputation.  The Keen Durand was recommended by Kevin Callan, but when I started reading reviews, I discovered two things.  One, the Keen Siskiyou is rated higher by consumers, and two, since that model is being discontinued, they are on sale by Cabelas’.  They are now 50% off, but my Cabela points helped by covering that remaining cost.  You can’t beat two free pairs of shoes.  One reviewer said that due to them being discontinued, he has purchased three pairs.  I settled for two.

I turned to Keen to get an answer as to why Siskiyou was discontinued.  They said that any time retailers fail to step up and make purchases of any style, and they thus fail to meet manufacturing minimums, that style is chopped.  There was nothing wrong with the shoe, as witnessed by them being rated very high by consumers.  Cabelas’, however, had ordered a large dedicated run of the Siskiyou, and that explains why they still have some in stock.  If you want a good hiking shoe at a sale price, get to Cabelas’ before they are gone.