Horns

So, a week ago Friday, Cody was able to get his buck’s horns back.  He had a local taxidermist do a European Skull Mount. 

He realized, sometime after he had dropped off the horns and before he picked it up, that he really hadn’t had a chance to check out the horns.  He’d been in a rush to get out of the woods before it got dark.  Then, he made quick work of getting it the meat into the cooler.  Then, of course, we made a mad dash to the house since we needed the cooler space.  We dropped off the horns fairly early that next morning.

As he looked at the pics I’d taken, he was finally able to study the horns on his buck. . . but it wasn’t the same as being able to see them in person.  So, Friday, he spent some quality time with his horns- and the horns of deers past.

It was often hard to have a conversation with him- I’d find him staring off into the dining room looking at his horns.  I think the fact that he shot a buck was such a shock and then to see just how wide and tall the buck was became yet another shock.

Truth be told, the horns were so wide that it was hard to get a good shot of them from our dining room.

Cody has spent the last week proudly showing off his horns to all of his friends.  I suppose his joy has gotten to me. . . I’ve told him to hang them on my fireplace. . .  and if you’d have told me even a year ago that I would be saying that now, I’d say no-way.  But, I just feel like that’s where they should be

This Week at the Lease

We ran into town and I thought I’d share a short blog post by cell. I’ve loved having our own little humble abode. Each time I make the beds I start singing Daryl Lee Rush’s “White Trash Paradise.”

Cody is in “paradise” with his buck that he got last night. For those who want to see pics, click here:

http://www.jenkinsprojects.com/Deer/Deer11-12-09/index.html

Things are looking good ’round here.. .

In the Back

I was looking through some writing/blog  prompts today and one of them was “what’s in your car trunk?”.  Of course, we don’t have a trunk. . . we have trucks.

And we now have two trucks which really seems to mirky the waters.  It’s difficult to remember which truck we’re in and what is in which truck.  We also need duplicates of things that we don’t have.

In the back of the Ford?  The back seat is pretty clean.  There’s paperwork we’ll overnight at lunch, jackets, trash, kleenex, wipes, and I don’t honestly know what else.  But, I do know that when I turn around I can see floor and I can see the seat.  In the truck bed, well, that’s another story.  There’s antifreeze which we’ve tried to keep in the truck since our “fun” in Elk City, Oklahoma. . . and the “fun” we had in September.  There’s also a couple of folding chairs from going to soccer games. . . they actually need to go in the back of the other truck and out to the deer lease.  There’s the mat we stole from Bennie that we have really loved having.  What else?  hmm. . . I’m sure there’s some other junk but it was cleaned out last month when we took the mattresses out to the deer lease.  In the toolbox. . . well no tools and from what I understand, no rope.  What’s the point, right?  The tools. . . the ones we used to have in there are in the other truck but that reminds me that the tools we bought with our September fun are in the backseat of the Ford.  I’m going to have to investigate the toolbox further. . . There’s a first aid kit and jumper cables. I think there’s a charger for the ryobi tool set which has taken up residence in the other truck.  Since it seems Cody is robbing this toolbox for the other truck and who knows where else, I need to take an inventory. . . there should be some fix a flat, straps, and baggies but I don’t know.

That kinda brings me to the other truck, the Chevy- which has really become Cody’s truck.  I can’t begin to tell you what’s in there.  Supposedly, Cody began cleaning it out this week as part of the transition from pre-hunting deer lease work to actual hunting season.  I just know that it’s been his own personal space to clutter up and that every time I try to find something in there, it drives me batty. 

One thing that is not in that truck though is a cell phone charger.  We’ve got one on order.   It’s been clear that there are a number of things we need to buy in order to have things we need in both trucks.  A cell phone charger is just one of those things.  In our confusion on which truck had our vehicle charger, we were without one recently when we really needed one.   Confusion- that’s the other thing that having two trucks has brought. 

The little differences in the trucks make a huge difference.  Cody unlocks the doors to the Chevy with the key fob, but I just stand there until he gets in because I’m waiting for him to unlock the doors like he would in the Ford.  And that Chevy, it doesn’t let you out of the blasted thing when you pull on the door handle.  The Ford on the other hand unlocks so you can get out. 

It really became a problem a few Saturday’s ago when we bought something that came in a huge box. . . I didn’t think anything of it until we got in the parking lot and realized we weren’t in the Ford. . . And it wasn’t going to fit underneath the bed cover.  Thankfully, it did fit in the back seat- so long as I sat indian style in the front seat with my knees touching the dash.

I think I liked it better when we only had one truck.  Well, except with the Ford makes life “fun”. . . then I enjoy knowing that I don’t have to make those repairs can wait.

The 3-Day and the 3rd Door

Last January, my best friend and I decided to do the Three Day Walk.  We whole heartedly went into the year raising funds and training for our 60 mile adventure.  Then, when I realized that the timing of our boys would affect our walk, the opportunity fell by the wayside.  Then, of course, we didn’t get “our” boys. 

I’ve been beating myself up about our decision not to complete the Three Day for quite some time now.  It wasn’t until last weekend when I was talking to Lisa about it that I really began to realize I had no way of knowing and needed to quit kicking myself.

You see, by the time the new year rolled around, I thought there were two paths my life would take in 2009- have kids or give up.  I was working to accept that.  Then came the boys- or at least they came back around- the chance to be chosen for them, our selection for them, some serious talking, and then saying good-bye and turning a corner.

What I realized this weekend was that in my short-sided thinking there were two doors for my life- with kids and without kids.  But, in reality, there was a third door- one that mingled the two paths together for just a short while.  Never in a million years did I think that I would be so far down one path and then plucked from it and onto another path.  I could have never prepared myself for that one.

This all seems like a real bummer post on a rainy Tuesday morning.  But, it isn’t meant to be.  I’m learning to accept what was behind the third door.  And in accepting what was behind that third door, I realize I have to give myself some slack this year.  This weekend I realized that I’ve also got to give myself that slack when it comes to our decision not to complete the 3-day.  It simply got caught in the strife of this year- the turmoil that I never expected when the year began and we started out to make our walk. 

The cool thing that remains is that we got to raise funds for breast cancer research- and I am proud of that- and all of you who helped us raise those funds.  I wanted to say thanks to those of you who did support our efforts and let you know that those funds have already gone towards breast cancer research.

A Day of Rest: Sunday Scribbles

Today, well at least this afternoon, has been a day of rest in the Jenkins household.  I declared later last week that we would rest. . .no matter what the weather did.  Sunday we would get some rest.  Sundays should be filled with faith, family, and rest.  We haven’t observed that rest part in quite some time.

I thought scribble down some goings on just to keep you all in the loop.

- I said the day was a day of rest- THIS afternoon because:

1) I woke up at 1 something this morning.  Our old bed left me so achy that I got up and went to the living room to sleep.  I never do that.

2) We got to church and there was no power.  So, after arranging chairs/hymnals/etc into the Narthex, we had our monring services by windo light and piano.

3) Since the church service was a bit warm, we needed something to drink.  We stopped at the convenience store for a fountain coke and donuts (Shame, Shame, I know but the donut shop was right next door.)  We wound up having a leak on the truck. . . Cody said it was a major antifreeze leak.  I start thinking the worse. . . we’ve spent so much getting the trailer ready at the deer lease that the thought of a repair bill stopped me in my tracks.  It turned out to be a hose that came loose.  We walked over to Lowe’s for hose clamps, screwdrivers, and pliers (Cody’s tools were in the other truck from our trip to the deer lease yesterday.)  Cody fixed the problem in the convienence store parking lot.

So, the day did not start of normal at all.

- Watched the Royals win again today!  They’ve one 5 out of 6.  That’s been fun.  Now, it’s football games and hunting shows on TV.

- I start my new photography class tomorrow (Karen Russell’s) and I’m super excited about that. 

- Cody and I are being sure to get some rest today because it’ll be a busy week.  My class starts and Cody has an Elder’s meeting tomorrow.  Then, next weekend, Cody has big hunting plans with some old college roommates.  (I’m still finger crossed that it all works out ok for him.)  I’m trying to figure out what I want to do next weekend. 

- I mentioned my jelly roll purchases last weekend.  I can’t wait to start sewing them into a quilt.  But, first I need to finish a few other sewing projects including curtains for the deer lease trailer.

- We’ve got the trailer all painted- Olympic Morning Fog (my favorite color).  We’ve started moving stuff in and it’s nearing it’s final stages for this deer season’s preperations.  Can’t wait to have it done!  Here’s a few fuzzy pics of the trailer just to prove it’s nothing fancy.  Though we’ve poured our work into the inside and it looks much better than the outside at this point.  (We’ll clean up the outside- when the water gets figured out- and someday paint it too!)

(You can see all the mess we have outside of it too!  Can’t wait until we can burn and quit looking like white trash in the yard.)

Flashback Friday: Balloon Races- July 2008

Last year, Cody and I went to our second balloon races in Longview.  This time we let my little brother tag along.  We’d only been there the Sunday morning races a few year back but knew we wanted to see what the balloon glow is about. It was a long weekend and I’ve got a million pictures, but I’ll try to keep it somewhat condensed.

We were there super early.  Parking fills up fast and when you’re not from around there, you want to be prepared.  We headed out just after work.  It was hot, of course- it’s July.  Dryer’s was giving out Dips- and we instantly fell in love with them as we ate them in the shade we found beside an eighteen wheeler trailer.  Who wouldn’t fall in love with ice cream on a hot July day- especially when it’s free.  There were planes to look at and I took a few shots.  We hung out in the grass for quite sometime.  . . my brother and I playing dueling cameras and sharing pictures.  Our DSLR’s were still really new at the time.  Eventually, the festivities really kicked off.  The planes flew over.

Then some of the balloons aired up and took a little flight.  Cody and I remembered how cool it was to watch them fly and my brother found out what we’d been telling him.

As the festivities turned to the actual Balloon Glow, they sang the anthem. . . and then BOOOM!  OK, that’s not quite the sound but it came with a thunderous boom.  What was it you ask. . . the sound of hot air balloons lighting up the sky. 

I can just about guarantee that Cody, Jack, and I were standing there with our mouth’s wide open in awe.  We hadn’t expected that at all.  It was a total shock.  The awe didn’t stop.  You really can’t imagine just what a balloon glow is like until your there. . . walking around all the balloons.

We got home really late. . . and got up just a few hours later. . . turned around and drove all the way back.  It’s not but a little over an hour but with very little sleep it felt like forever.  Then we waited, and waited.  The sun started to come up and we pitched our spot on the grass. . . Then we waited, and waited.  It was too windy to fly.  We were bummed but so were the balloon racers.

We were faced with another long wait. . . We wanted to see the balloon glow that evening.  Gas prices were super high and we didn’t want to drive all the way home.  We went to the “unphotographed” park I mentioned yesterday and slept in the truck.  After a while, we walked around and I did take pictures, really I promise.  Then we went to the Oil Museum.  I’d always wanted to do that but I honestly expected something a bit different.  I got some of the most awesome pictures of the old town they have set up, really I promise.  We went to Circuit City where I got a good camera bag.  We went to see Wall-E and really didn’t enjoy it.  (I think we were too tired to enjoy it. . . it seemed really slow for a kids movie.)  Then we went to Whatatburger.  We checked out the great shots that I’d taken, really I promise.  My brother had some great ones too and we enjoyed looking at them. . . But then, somehow in my exhaustion, I deleted all my pics from the day.  I was sooooooo bummmmmmed. 

But, it wasn’t long after that and I was happily snapping away again.

Now, the entire day, we were in contact with my parents trying to get them to come to the Balloon glow.  They finally did.  And, this time knowing what would happen after they played the anthem, my brother and I set up in tandem with our cameras pointed directly at my parents. 

Oh, dad had the same delayed reaction we’d all had the night before. . . the “I should be taking pictures” finally came around to him though.  (I love how these images capture the awe of the moment which we’d felt the night before and were reliving again.  But, I bet mom’s ready to ”bop me” for posting them.)

 We were as enthralled Saturday night as we’d been Sunday night.  But, boy were we tired (and hot).  Neither of which really bothered us until the lights went out.

A few months later, I booked an air conditioned screen shelter at the state park near where the Balloon races were for the traditional balloon race weekend. . . I did not want to have to make the drive back and forth and wanted to have a place to crash during the day.  I wound up having to cancel that reservation as it’s the weekend we went to Corpus Christi following my mother-in-law’s surgery. 

That reminds me. . . I need to make a to do to reserve it for next year.

Mitch Hit is Thingy!!!! Zack Gets a New Record!

Mitch did it!  He hit his first thingy!  Finally!  Ok, I know I can say it now. . . Mitch Maier his his first home run tonight!

After Cody and I both jumped out of our seat and jumped up and down, we texted Jack in tandem that Mitch hit his first thingy.  Because he needed to be in the know.  He was the one we thought about in that moment.

Jack actually texted me back.  His response to me, “woooo”

His response to Cody came after mine. . . “I know”

The three of us so wished we could see him hit his Thingy while we were watching them play live whether in KC or Houston. . . we, of course, had to have a nickname so we didn’t jinx it.  But it wasn’t to be.  And it’s taken this long to finally get to see it.  Too bad Jack missed out on watching it. 

It’s been a great game.  Zack Grienke has pitched like he was in the beginning of the year.  Better than we saw him pitch in Houston.  And as I write this, he’s at 15 strike outs for the night (Along with getting his 700th career K’s and a new season high tonight).  Those 15 break the Royals single game strike out record.

Hunting on the Horizon

Hunting season is on the horizon for the Jenkins household.  Really it’s all ready here.  It’s time to plant, time to get all the last minute preperations done, start the feeders and cameras, etc.  The season officially starts the first of October- for archery season.  This is that time of year though when you can feel like you are speeding closer and closer to that horizon.

This year is bringing extra preperations.  We now have a small old trailer in deer camp to fix up.  Each week we get closer and closer to having in prepared.  I’m “fixing it up” to be a little retreat.  Cody has pretty much given me free reign as far as decor goes.  He knows I won’t spend much and trusts me not to make it too girly- it is deer camp afterall.   And, this trailer isn’t going anywhere. 

I’m planning on painting it my favorite color- the same color that’s in my bedroom: Morning Fog, Olympic Paint D61-1.  I pretty much knew instantly that I would use that color.  I can’t wait to finish priming so I can add that small amount of color.  It’ll will really brighten the little space up and I love the way the color will change as the light does.  The little trailer has different wood tones and this will help to unify it- and make it more washable.  (There is a practical side to painting.)

I’ll have hard wood floors too!  It’s going to be my little haven.  Seriously though, we knew we had to pull the carpet (who puts carpet in a deer lease trailer?).  What does that mean- you put down linoleum.  We went to Lowe’s and priced it.  . . and there was a remnant of the hard-wood look.  Of course, in a dream world it’s what I would have wanted- but this is the deer lease.  Well, it turned out to be about a half to a third of the price of the plain jane stuff.  So, we picked it up.

Two weekends ago, we got power to the place thanks to a friend from church.  Friday evening it was the new AC unit thanks to Billy’s help.  Next steps- we need to figure out the refrigerator and a shelf for the microwave we bought.  Then I can finish priming and painting.

That’s just a small glimpse at all the stuff we get to do out there in camp.  But, then, all this is taking away from the time that Cody can spend on the lease doing work.  It will all get done in due time. . . and wasn’t doesn’t get done, won’t get done.

A Caddo Guy and a Crockett Girl

I first heard Adam Carroll many years ago on XM Radio- years before Siruis messed it up and I canceled.  He was on a show hosted by Robert Earl Keen.  I remember that it was a typical Saturday morning.  I had turned on the XM and then moved over the computer to do something.  I wasn’t necessarily listening the radio but it was on.  All of a sudden I realized this guy was just singing about a Caddo and Crockett. . . AKA East Texas.  My ears and interests perked and I listened. . . that song was crazy but it got my attention.

I’ve wanted to see Adam Carroll play for a while now.  Cody and I have grown to love his infectious sense of humor and his softer songs.   Just Monday, it was on my mind as I scrapbooked this layout.  I had no idea I would get to cross another artist off that list the following Saturday night.  I don’t listen to the radio and it wasn’t until Thursday that I heard about a new concert series and venue in town.  Cody and I were coming back from lunch when we heard the commercial. . . I heard ”Adam Carroll” and my ears and interest perked.  15 minutes later, I’d purchased tickets for this Pickin in Nac concert.

We really enjoyed it and are making plans to see Gary P Nunn next month at this new venue which is smaller, with tables.  It’s the imtimate concerts we’ve grown to love.   

Keith Whitton opened for Adam and Michael O’Conner.  (Harmonica’s seemed to be a trend for the night)

Michael O’Conner sang with Adam.  They are collaborating on a joint album that I’ll be sure to check out when it’s released.

Adam’s charm really came through during the concert and it was fun to watch others experience songs like Rice Birds and Sno-Cone Man- two very opposite songs.

And yes, he sang that song about a Caddo Guy and a Crockett Girl.

Flashback Friday: Robber’s Cave and Broken Bow

While going through my old pictures, I decided to implement Flash Back Friday’s here on my blog- a chance to tell the unblogged stories our snapshots tell.

Today’s Flashback: September 2007.  We took a week off and headed north to Oklahoma.   We got a room at the lodge at Robber’s Cave.  That was super cool in and of itself.  It’s 20 rooms that look like hotel rooms.  We were only one of two rooms filled that night and it was like we had the place to ourselves. . . Your room- like a hotel, step outside, like you’re camping.  What a view we had!

(Here’s the problem with blogging this far after the fact. . . I have no idea.  I don’t know if he just didn’t want to cooperate or there was, at that time, some type of story behind this one.)

Robber’s Cave in and of itself was quite a feat for me.  I’ve become so scared of heights as I’ve grown older.  (This didn’t use to be the case as I loved the Astroworld ride that dropped you 8 flights in a matter of seconds.)  Robber’s Cave also meant lots of climbing.  The views were spectacular from up high as well. 

I was a tree hugger.

 They were my friends.

Cody had no fear.

Even after this.

He was no worse for the wear.

And, I had a great time despite my nerves being shot.

We took a windy scenic drive before we headed back down south to Broken Bow.  We aren’t likely to take that drive again any time soon.

But we were anxious to get to Broken Bow.  We knew they were stocking with trout.  We knew the trick to geting them.  And we knew it would be perfect fishing the next morning.

Or so we thought. . . Turned out the lake must have turned over.  There was too much sulfur in the water (and it stunk too) and no one was catching fish.

But we still enjoyed the beautiful water while we tent camped there at Beaver’s Bend.

And, we enjoyed getting on and in the water- but thankfully that was two activities instead of one.

Oh, and then there was the No Tell Motel Cody took me to. . . .

I created a little post card to myself to commemorate this great moment in our marriage.  It reads:

“Just a Note

We’re having a great time here in Oklahoma.  I really enjoyed climbing around at Robbers Cave.  You should be proud of yourself for not letting your fear of heights keep you from climbing.
But, stopping at this no-tell motel was not one of your finest moments.  This sign which seems to be from a by-gone era had been captured in my memory from our last trip here.  Cody obliged your request to stop and take pictures.  But as I took pictures I slowly realized that this was not the kind of establishment I should be parked in front of and began wondering what those on the highway were thinking of you.
Me, Myself, and I”

Driving and Walking Around the Deer Lease

Last month, I went out to the deer lease with Cody to start preparing the trailer to be moved over to our campsite. That’s a long story. . . as the trip really wasn’t very productive. And of course, Cody isn’t going to pass up an opportunity to drive around the deer lease. I had my camera ready.

Have you ever wished you could fly? Like a bird? What about when you see a vulture? I knew, it a grotesque bird but when it’s gliding around, sometimes I wish I could at least glide through the air like that. (But don’t ask me to eat what they eat!)

Cody hunts on a 10,000 acre deer lease- it’s owned by a timber company.  It used to be filled with trees.  But lately, they’ve cleared so much of the lease that I really think half of it’s been cut and cleared.  And what do you do when you hunt on a deer lease where they’re clearing?  You check it out.  One of the places is around the little lake.

Here’s part of an area near where Cody had a stand two years ago.  The year that they were to clear both of his stand sites.

He got rid of that stand site to get his main stand site now.  Which in the end, is where we headed.  I’m not even sure why we walked down there other than to just take a look at it.  I can’t remember that we did anything but walk around. 

Of course, when we got down to his food plot we found this lone flower.

I mean out in teh middle of nowhere- in the middle of his plot.

There’s always something about walking through the woods- and I love to watch Cody while he things and plots what he wants to do at his stand sites.

I’ve talked about how Cody will stop and let me take pictures of the flowers like the one above.  On this trip, Cody did the stopping to take a few pictures between his food plot and feeder.  (Of course, he had to borrow my camera because he hadn’t gotten his out.)

I managed to get a little picture of him too.

Hunting and Enjoying the Great Outdoors

I did not grow up around hunting. For my husband, it’s the opposite. It runs in his family on both sides.
It’s a family tradition that deeply rooted in his make-up- in what makes him who he is. To take hunting away from him would be to watch him slowly die. We all know things that are so intertwined into who a person is that you can’t take away from them- that’s hunting for my husband.

Cody’s Grandfather in Marfa

You can see just how much he enjoys it in his definition of a successful hunt. It’s not about whether or not you bring home meat but really about whether you enjoy the time spent outdoors. You might not see a deer but you can enjoy the trees or birds, or squirrels. Last season, Cody enjoyed seeing babies playing and turkeys while deer hunting. We had a great time the day I took the picture above just talking to a turkey that we never saw.

It’s that enjoyment that’s been passed down from generation to generation down to him that he’s shared with me. As any hunter’s wife knows, you either go with them or you’re a hunting widow for at least half the year. I choose to hunt with him. . . but I don’t hunt with a gun. My firestick is my camera and I take it with me. Cody recognizes that shooting a gun and hunting with one isn’t somethign I’m interested in. (Until the hogs make me mad putting us in dangerious situations or tearing things up, then I think about it for a short while.) And, as we’ve tried to figure out turkey hunting the past few springs, I’ve been the one with the turkey calls.

Marshmallow Woman- I really don’t enjoy the cold that much though

He’s also passing it down to our nephew. Who he’s bred for hunting from an early age. For the longest time, Jack thought all you had to do was throw out the corn. He’s been taught the same gun safety that my husband has taught me. I’m looking foward to seeing just how the true pleasure of hunting is passed down this year as Jack takes a gun into the field for the first time. The odds are that he won’t get anything though we really hope he gets something.

Because of the way that hunting and it’s true values have been passed down, we are not trophy hunters. As Cody will tell you, you can’t eat horns. We love it when we can fill a freezer. But, as we did last year, we still enjoy it even when the freezer stays empty.

A large part of hunting is giving back to the environment- improving animal habitation and managing populations. For us, hunting also means a lot of work. There’s fields to plant, blinds to build, feeders to maintain, and so much more. We know though that it’s part of what makes hunting so satisfying.

Baseball: Around the Bases

Summer Vacation: Houston Way

Ok, before I tell you about our last ball game, a funny bit about our way home.  So, we didn’t want Jack to know we were just 2-3 hours from home when we stopped at Corsicana in the middle of the night.  I told Jack that he could wake me up at 6:00 if he was awake.  6:00 on the dot I was gently being shaken awake along with a quiet, “Amy, Aunt Amy”.  He would later tell me he was up at 4:00, 4:30, 5:00, 5:30 and that finally it was 6:00.  He wanted to get home and he thought we had about five hours to go.

So, we get less than 30-45 minutes from his house, he calls his Pa-Pa and tells him where we are. . . then tells him we have 2-3 hours to go.  LOL!  I know his Pa-Pa thought he must have been crazy.  15 minutes later we were passing the place he had his birthday part several years ago.  He didn’t believe me when I told him we were getting close and said we still had a few hours to go.  I told him that the Incredible Pizza where we’d gone to his birthday party was coming up on the right and he still didn’t believe me.  It wasn’t until after he actually saw it that he began to recognize where we were. 

That evening, Tuesday, the Royals were playing in Houston after a day off.  Wouldn’t have been nice to catch the team plane to Houston, right? 

It was a chance for us to watch one more game but share it with him mom- who being from Houston found herself suddenly conflicted with whether to root for the Astors or the Royals- since she was now face to face with the three of us rooting against the local team. 

We had some great seats and it was lots of fun to be close- just seven rows up from the third base line.  Zack was pitching and we were hoping to see our losing streak come to a close.

It was really close and we got to see Soria come for Zack in the 9th. . . The Astros got some baserunners and I knew Jack was going to be crushed if the Royals didn’t win after they’d been in the lead for most of the game. 

In the end, the ROYALS WON!  We were happy campers and held our heads high as we walked out of Minute Maid in our Royals gear.

June 23, 2009

1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   R   H   E  Kansas City 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0   2 6 0 Houston 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   1 10 0

Billy Butler got a home run that we had a great view of.  And, we got to see Zack bat.

Wednesday, we said our goodbye’s and headed home.  It turned out we needed the days to catch up on the mounds of laundry and the rest we needed.

The Royals would go on to win the series after winning when we got home.

Summer Vacation: Oklahoma Again- Southbound to Texas

When we came home from Kansas City, we decided to drive south through Missouri and then take the Will Rogers Turnpike back to OKC and then take the same route the rest of the way home.

This was strategic.  Because Jack had enjoyed the Round Barn so much we wanted to stop by the Blue Whale- another iconic stop on Route 66.  We knew from experience that we didn’t have the time to enjoy Route 66 from Joplin to OKC but that we could get off the interstate for a short trip to the Blue Whale.

It also meant that I could stay in Missouri a little longer- a drive that Cody and I both enjoy.  But, after we got to Joplin, the drive, honestly, got much harder on me.  I could watch the interstate mile markers clicking down to the end of my time in Missouri- I hated crossing that state line.

We ate at the McDonald’s over the Will Rogers Turnpike. . . I didn’t take any pics then but I still have some from our last trip:

(Jack reminded me while we were eating that he’d seen the pictures.)

The AC was out inside the McD’s and so after we’d eaten most of our meal, we headed out.  Jack had what was left of his meal. 

Next, of course, we stopped at the Blue Whale.

We left another disposable camera on one of the benches just as Cody and I did in January.  We still haven’t had this one returned but it took a while before we got the other one back- so we’ll see what happens. 

The boys hurried out onto the blue whale while I took pictures and took my time. . .  What are they looking at you might ask?  I wondered the same thing.  The next thing I knew they were going back out to the truck. . . To get leftover french fries to feed the fish. . .

After the boys gave the fish heart disease (as they put it)- who knew the fish would love cold french fries like they did?- we loaded back up, got gas and ice, and drove down to Turner Falls.

We stopped at Turner Falls.  I tried to take the guys into putting their swimsuits on but they weren’t having it.  It was warm and the water was so pretty.  I wanted to at least get my feet wet, so I left the camera in the truck and just took in one of my favorite places in Oklahoma.  We skipped rocks.  I spent some time just sitting out on a rock with my feet in the water.  The boys split a stick, threw them in the water, and “raced” them down the creek.  The sticks got stuck- Cody’s stayed stuck and Jack’s finally wiggled loose.  It made it way down teh creek.  I could tell Jack was having fun and really watching that stick.  I decided that he needed to go home with that stick.  I watched where it was going.. . of course it was on the other side of the water.  I walked across the creek with my skirt up just as high as it could go- the bottom got a bit wet but if the water had gotten any deeper, I would have just had to get wet- literlly couldn’t lift the skirt any higher without giving a show I’m not getting.  I had my crocs on so and there was a perfect bed to walk in without getting in the slippery stuff.  But, I got his stick.  When I got back he said I didn’t have to do that.  I told him I knew but that I wanted him to have it.  (It was one of the first things he took out of the truck when we got back to his house too!)

We stopped and ate in Ardmore and then set our sights on the Texas Border.  Jack reminded me so much of myself as a child.  I’d forgotten just what that border meant to me as a child.  Even as an adult there’s something about getting back within the Texas state line, but as a kid it feels like you’re leaving a foreign country and getting back to your native land.  Before we knew it, we heard Jack saying, “Hello, Texas Driver. Hello Texas Grass. Hello Texas Road.” 

We knew we couldn’t make it all the way to back to Jack’s house just north of Houston despite how much Jack wanted to be there.  We agreed that we would try to get to Dallas area.  Cody actually made it all the way to Corsicana.  We might could have made it the whole way but we didn’t want to push it. . . we had precious cargo with us.