God's Golf Course

Apologies: some of these images no longer show, and I have yet to figure out why, so rather than have them appear as blank boxes I've eliminated them, although the descriptions are still here. Ugh! Blog management...

This one is not my image, but I show it because my camera, in a most diabolical mood, told me I had used up my memory by the time I was ready to shoot big skies and landscape. And the landscape is what this day trip was all about--although, as you will see, I couldn't resist some buildings.

About noon today I headed southeast in 95 degree heat (which didn't bother me in the least) to discover the southeast and visit a place called Supher, where there are springs sprinkled throughout limestone formations. On the way south I took I-35, the main north-south corridor in Oklahoma, and I saw horse and cattle trailers that I had never seen before; I mean, these were trailers with air conditioning and lounge chairs for the animals, and classy graphics on their exteriors identifying the ranches! But the view I took in during my drive that was most impressive was the landscape. It was green everywhere, and rolling (the photo doesn't do it justice), with stands of trees liberally sprinkled about, and (like the photo) beautiful cloud formations . It was drop-dead gorgeous! It really looked like a giant golf course, hence the title of this blog (don't worry, I'm not converted to the First Baptist Church yet!).

This is a view of the "falls" at Chickasaw National Recreation Area, where there are lots of cool limestone formations and hiking trails, and on Sunday, lots of screaming kids and families with barbeques. The view below shows you an insidious vine that has beautiful oak-like leaves and rose-like thorns that gives a jungle-like feeling to this area.

This is the building that houses the Sulpher Times-Democrat, to show you that not everything in Oklahoma is Republican.



Below, the Sulpher bank, showing the tendency of Oklahoma Main Street buildings that find themselves on corners to address the center of the intersection.

Below, the bank in Tishomingo that is found on the main street that leads to the Chickasaw Nation Capitol building. Built with the same granite that came from a nearby streambed.

And the Capitol Building, with its blinding white metal roof and gables with stamped Indian motifs.

I had two more sections that I wanted to add here, but I confess, the mysteries of placing images in blogs have defeated me tonight. I'm trying to learn HTML on the fly, and it's a killer! So you'll have to wait for tomorrow to see the Cooter turtles...except as a departing view!