It's A Wide Open Road

Leaving Wichita Falls and we headed north on Highway 44, less cars, less people, less towns,  but more enormous, endless  blue sky. How I had dreamed of such places. I knew we were in God's country, the Bible Belt. We were frequently reminded. It did not  bother me  in the slightest. I  even enjoyed  the Christian radio stations we sometimes tuned into. It was all  so  different and part of that world.

 I just love the vastness and nothingness of the following  places I photographed from the car. Looking at them still moves me. I cannot explain it.

 360 degrees around of this blue sky and golden pasture. A sight to behold from every direction.

Some small oil Derricks

RED RIVER! the Texas / Oklahoma border!!

RED RIVER! the Texas / Oklahoma border!!

 The movie "Red River" is probably my favourite John Wayne film. I am not a  huge fan of his, but when you are there in the place of  that great story which you have watched for so many years  of your life,   it really is fantastic.

And  of course, the classic movie OKLAHOMA is one that I have seen on the big  and small screen  countless times, and also on the stage when I was a wee girl in the early 60s I think,  and again in the  80s. I can practically sing that whole soundtrack. So  naturally, I pressed play on the CD player and we listened to OKLAHOMA! ( I have never had trouble spelling that !!! )

We were  there!!! Where  the wind goes sweeping  on the plains!! 

Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain
And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet
When the wind comes right behind the rain.
Oklahoma, Ev'ry night my honey lamb and I
Sit alone and talk and watch a hawk
Makin' lazy circles in the sky.

We know we belong to the land
And the land we belong to is grand!
And when we say
Yeeow! Ayipioeeay!
We're only sayin'
You're doin' fine, Oklahoma!
Oklahoma O.K.
L - A - H - O - M - A
OKLAHOMA!
Yeeow! 

( throw hat in air)

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher - the Oklahoma State Bird, swooping and flitting over  the plains.We saw these gorgeous birds flying across in the grasses in the fields.

 

It was so long for now Texas..we'll be back  real soon ya' hear, twice more in fact

OKIES Ain't All HOKIES!

Buffalo Statue, Best Western Hotel, Lawton.

 We found our next stop for the night in Lawton, Oklahoma at the Best Western Hotel. It is worth mentioning that since we had arrived  in the USA, some folks would ask us why we were there in that particular of  the country, and usually I answered "because it is there"! This was very much the case in Lawton, especially with some of  the staff at our hotel. I guess  they think Aussies would go  to California, or New York. I have had a fascination for prairies for most of my life, and we were headed to some famous memorials in that area.

So we got a lot of attention here, mainly from young Josh , and Lorie. So  when we went to have our dinner in the hotel, they  couldn't get enough of us  and wanted to talk and talk ( and listen to our accents I am sure ). Josh is 17. He  comes from Nebraska and works at the hotel to support his sick mother and family back home. He will join the military then go to University and make a good life for himself  and family. And I really hope he does. He was  one of the coolest and most with-it 17 year olds I have ever met. Not a square at all, Josh spoke in much more worldy  and  intelligent ways than your average teenager. He was NOT a Gung-Ho conservative American and had interesting political views for someone  in  a military town, which Lawton is. Josh just wants to survive and do well in life and has  his plan for this already laid  out. We  were really impressed by him, and  he just wanted to  sit and chat with us all night.  Several Americans we met opened up to us, especially about the political and economical situation.  It was if they felt safe telling us things that could usually only be  discussed in very hushed tones.

Josh

Lorie - with pens  in her hair

 This was a good experience, staying in this hotel. Tomorrow we would get up and see something  that we were surprised and quite excited  to find happening in town.