“If you want to, you can.”
Our Young Son Logan inherited his Dad’s athletic genes and he has Asperger’s Syndrome but he loves performing and always gives 110%.
This is from the summer before last. This move was really hard for him but he nailed it.
If you have the “Want to’s” as we say in the oilfield, then you can do it one way or another.
Six Word Fridays
The weather is certainly up and down these days. This is from last weekend when things were still balmy. That is son Logan and his Dachsund mix Ginger enjoying a walk on a greenbelt close to our house.
New Year’s Day here in Oklahoma was very nice and mild. Neither son nor I give a flip about college football (I’m an NFL fan) or watching parades on television so we went to see the Keystone Ancient Forest about a half hour away.
The Forest is a preserve owned by the City of Sand Springs and operated by an army of friendly and informative volunteers.
The preserve is over 1300 acres and conserves one of the few remaining original crosstimbers forests in Oklahoma. Many of the post oaks are over 300 years old and some of the cedars are over 500 years old. Originally the crosstimbers covered 30,000 square miles in a swath from north Texas, through Oklahoma, and into southern Kansas. Much of it is gone, cleared for farms and ranches and other development. The land of the preserve is very rough and rocky so the area was left alone.
The crosstimbers were a major barrier to settlement in the area. Washington Irving during his tour of the area in the 1832’s wrote that they were “struggling through forests of cast iron.” From what I read the Keystone Ancient Forest is the very first preserve of the crosstimbers.
The trees and landscape isn’t really spectacular, the trees are old and very tough. They have survived drought and fire and had to put down roots in hardscrabble rocky soil.
The preserve is only open two weekends a month now and their schedule expands to every weekend in March. They open at 8 and close at 2. Of course I would like to see it open more but of course that takes money and volunteer time.
They have three trails so far. One of them is an ADA compliant paved trail about 0.8 miles long. The main trail, the Frank Trail, takes off from the paved trail and is 2.8 miles out and back. It is a wide dirt track in excellent shape that takes you a great overlook of Lake Keystone below.
They have a brand new trail, I think it is the Wilson Trail. It is about a mile but is reportedly very challenging. Son and I started down it but it got a little backed up with groups of kids fooling around so we decided to save it for another day.
(I keep forgetting to stick my chin out so that I can at least count my double chins)
We had a good time. What a way to spend New Year’s Day.
What did you do for New Year’s Day?
Further Links for the Keystone Ancient Forest Preserve
City of Sand Springs including a link to the Schedule
The Nature Conservancy, information about the Preserve.
A TravelOK article about the site. (TravelOK is by the State of Oklahoma)
A Youtube Video about the Preserve by Oklahoma Gardening
At Nana’s Christmas Open House Sunday guess who came down the stairs!
Oh yes, the ladies at the open house got to share some secrets.
And some laughs.
And make some wishes. Some of them kind of took Santa aback.
Hmmmmm
I think Heather is asking for an updated husband. Santa said that would that really not be hard to do.
Nana was really being outrageous
Logan and Santa got down on video games.
Well Santa I just want the Cowboys to not blow big leads. That gave him a big Ho Ho Ho.
Anyway, Santa and the Ladies all had fun!
And the Cowboys blew a big lead. Thanks for nothing Santa
Our son Logan has been taking voice lessons at a private music school since last summer. The school had their Winter Recital Saturday so Logan got a chance to show his chops in the singing business.
The program went from youngest to oldest. The younger ones were really young but they got through their pieces be it the guitar, or piano or a song and we, who didn’t know each other at all, were happy for the kids and their nervous parents and grandparents. As you would expect as the kids got older they displayed more polish and skill and a few had that “presence” up on the stage that hints at real promise. Remarkably there were only three boys in the entire program.
Logan came on toward the end and sang “Sit Down You Are Rocking the Boat” from the Musical “Guys and Dolls.” In my humble opinion (“IMHO” as the political facebookers say) Logan sang it very well. He had a microphone but he was one of the few kids who didn’t need one. He remembered his lines and sang his way through the piece with feeling and vigor and sat down. His Grandmother, (and world’s best MIL) Nana, has taught him to “sell” it whenever he performs. Heather and I are very proud of Logan. He loves singing and performing and it makes him feel good about himself and that is enough for us right now.
Monday night, Heather, Logan, Me and a dog named Rascal loaded up and drove over to the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow to check out the Rhema Bible Church Christmas Light Display. It has been going on for 30 years and just keeps getting bigger and better all the time.
Being the wimps we generally just drive by with the seat warmers going this time though the temperature was mild so parked and walked around a little bit.
Its best seen on foot where you can get in amongst the lights. It really is magical with the bright bulbs and reflections. There are a lot of people there but it is not packed and everybody is in a good mood.
There are not too many rules and there are no minders barking at people. Mainly just stay on the walkway is the only thing they ask.
There are no fees for anything. They do have drinks and snacks for sale. They just ask that people have a good time. There was no problem with that. Lots of smiles and picture taking was going on.
The most popular decoration was a bridge of lights over a pond. The colors changed constantly to the beat of music.
All I can say is that Logan, Heather, Me, and a dog named Rascal all got our Christmas Spirit going. Kudos to Rhema Bible Church for putting this on. Public Service Company of Oklahoma probably has them on the Christmas card list. I do that for my best customers.
If you are somebody who celebrates Christmas what are doing to get your Christmas Spirit going?
Table
Try as I might I couldn’t get Heather to agree to getting table. I even offerred to get it white wall tires but noooooo, no can do. So there.
I Collect
I’m a geocacher. I have found almost 1300 of them in 23 states. I have found them ranging in size from a fraction of inch like above to a footlocker below in the elevator penthouse of a highrise in downtown New Orleans. The owner of the office building is a geocacher. One of the security guys takes you up to the penthouse. I love it.
Music
Speaking of music. I don’t think there is any city anywhere that loves music like New Orleans does.
Yes!
Logan went to a summer camp in Texas last summer. He had a great time. He won some sort of award. I’m ashamed to say that I don’t remember what it was for but he is rocking those cowboy boots. The young people flanking him are camp counselors. I think he was scared to death. He is still bashful around girls, especially pretty ones. That’s okay with his parents, for now.
Someone I Miss
I miss my Mother. She was something else I tell you. She always had that twinkle in her eye.
