Will Rogers, an American Icon

By great good luck, we stayed in Claremore, Oklahoma one night.  Claremore was the boyhood home of the fabled American, Will Rogers.  Cowboy, vaudeville performer, movie actor, adventurer, humanitarian, and columnist, Rogers' life touched millions of Americans.  Know for his homely philosophy, candor, and unbounding wit, Rogers talents were cut short in a plane crash in Alaska when he was only 55.  

We found the Will Rogers Memorial on a hilltop in Claremore, overlooking the city.  At first, we thought we were in the wrong place; the memorial looked like a church.  And, perhaps at some level, it was just that.   The reverence of Americans for Will Rogers is profound; even our 92-year-old aunt excitedly told us what a great man he was, when she learned we had visited the memorial.

The writer in me was taken by the re-creation of Will's study from his home in California.  The homely ambiance, practical desk and comfy daybed epitomized a writer's den.  Keepsakes and photos on the walls showed the personal side of Will's life.  Southwestern-style rugs paid tribute to his Cherokee heritage.

The museum showcased Will's collection of saddles from around the world.  He collected not only standard-sized saddles, but also miniature saddles. 

Different eras of Will's career were showcased in the halls. My favorite showed his early life as "the Cherokee kid".  He was know for his trick roping skills, and even made a movie, "The Ropin' Fool" to demo his technique.  Recently, the museum hosted a roping contest, and no one was able to match Will's roping skills or duplicate all of his roping tricks.  Truly amazing!

Most poignant of all was the exhibit of telegrams sent from all over America with condolences for the family when Will died.  His clothing and personal items had been preserved from the plane crash that took his life.  His manual typewriter, twisted beyond use, was retrieved from the wreck and is preserved as part of the museum collection.

Barns: Chasing the Heart of America

It's arguable whether any structure could be said to represent the heart of America, but in my mind, barns symbolize so much of America's drive west, American's architectural ingenuity, and America's early frugality, that they truly seem to me to be the heart of our land.

So when I read that there was an historic round barn in Arcadia, OK, I really wanted to see it. Round barns are a bit unusual as barns go -- at least in California.  This seemed like a great chance to see something unusual.

After a wild ride through the wrong back roads of Oklahoma, we found the barn, visible in the distance by virtue of the domed roof.  Two stories tall, it was built in 1898 and restored in 1992, after nearly being destroyed by the collapse of the famous domed roof.

 Posters in the lower floor of the barn provided background on the barn's history.  Why was it round?  The story goes that farmers of the time thought round barns might provide better strength in withstanding tornadoes.  This barn, at any rate, stood against everything except time.  By 1992, when restoration began, the old building had no roof, and due to structural changes over the years, had developed a lean.

 To return the barn to an upright state, telephone poles were placed around the building, and a cable attached to turn buckles circled around the poles.  By gradually tightening the tension the building was return to plumb.  Ingenious!

While the downstairs and the process descriptions were interesting, I wasn't prepared for the spectacular beauty awaiting me in the upper floor off the barn.  The ceiling was an amazing work -- so amazing I lay on the floor to shoot upright at the ceiling for this incredible image:

The curve of the ceiling above the high walls was similarly amazing: 

 

Add to this, the building had terrific acoustics.  I could just imagine special events with music in this space.  The sounds resonated amazingly.  The docent told us that if two people stood on one side and whispered, a person across thee building would hear their conversation perfectly! 

Finally, here's an image of the lower floor to show the heavy beams and general space.  Now mostly a curio shop, proceeds help to support further work on the barn.

More on the Arcadia round barn....

Tribute to Trains

First, let me note that this post is dedicated to my brother Jim, a true train enthusiast, known internationally for his skill as a model railroader, and an avid train photographer.  Jim, I'll never match your train photos, but these were taken with you in mind.

Unlike life on the San Francisco Peninsula, elsewhere cargo trains are a big deal.  As we drove across the southwest, we saw a new train every 15 minutes, or less.  Multiple engines hauling double-stack freight containers.  Multiple engines hauling coal gondolas.  Engines in the front of the train, and more engines in the back of the train.  We came to really appreciate the amount of cargo being moved by trains -- a massive quantity of material bound for somewhere.... some project... some need.

With the backdrop of the southwest, train photos become a lovely thing.  Here's a selection of those we shot on this trip.

New Mexico

New Mexico mesa.

Lava beds in the foreground; New Mexico.  This photo was pure serendipity; I was actually trying for photos of the lava beds and the train showed up at the right moment!

As light was dying, the storm clouds were gathering in eastern Arizona. The darker blur on the right of the photo is an out-of-focus blur of of the car door frame.

Winslow, AZ train depot had two nice older cars. This one was quite spiffy and won a spot in our collection over the more utilitarian silver car.

 

Winslow, AZ -- I'm on the road again!

Wheels just lying around -- Bryan posing. Puddles in the background from the unseasonal rain the night before.

Of Grits and Polenta (New Foods -- Sort of)

This post really should be in my "New Foods" category - or would be if I'd written it last night or the night before.  Happily, I now have more grist for my post.  (Get it?  Grist?)

Corn is one of the most amazing foods I know.  Everybody loves sweet corn, I guess - how can you help loving sweet corn, fresh off the stalk in summer?  It's one of my favorite fresh vegies.

But  for real variety, you need to get into what dried corn can do for you.  On this trip, it was a true pleasure to enjoy dried corn in two ways -- the humble southern breakfast dish, grits, and an elegantly expressed polenta for dinner.

I should probably send apologies to my son-in-law, Charlie, for my previously dubious thoughts about grits.  Charlie is a fan of them - and I was too lame to try them last time I visited. Well, the jokes on me. I tried them and found they are delicious.  Unlike similar grain-based hot breakfast foods (e.g., oatmeal, cream of wheat), they DON'T NEED SWEETENING.  Now, tell me that's not a benefit, eh?  Delicious as they were served, tasty with butter.  I tried some syrup and realized it didn't really add to the flavor.  Go grits -- they may be the healthiest hot cereal I've tried.

Contrast this delightfully breakfast with its bolder cousin, polenta.  Tonight's dinner feature a thick polenta, lightly fried and delicately topped with a simple, thick, herbed tomato sauce.  Absolutely terrific. Sorry I didn't take a picture as the presentation was as nice as the flavor.

Those who know me well know I'm also a fan of southern-style corn bread.  We grind our own corn for it from our "Painted Mountain Corn" (more on this at http://www.seedweneed.com/index-1.html).   With that success under our belt, I need to see if Painted Mountain can be ground finally enough for grits or polenta with our Champion grain mill -- stay tuned for news!

Easily Amused #2

I've seen different versions of this sign before, and heard of a version that offers coffee, candy and a kitten (get it? alliteration?) but had to snap this one at Rourke's Hardware in Vega, Texas. A great place with a terrific collection of old implements and some nicely practical hardware as well.

And now, something completely different

Sometimes, you've got to break the mold.  When you've seen some history, enjoyed some science, tried some new foods... well, you've just got to do something different.

So we went to Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, Missouri.  Let me tell you this:  if fishing or hunting were a religious experience, going to the Bass Pro Shop would be like visiting the cathedral.  Stupendous, impressive, fun, educational, and decorated with an attention to detail that interior decorators should study.

From the front -- well, it looks like any Big Box type of story (but bigger).

Now, go in the front door... reverently.  Literally, our jaws dropped.

We jokingly asked the front desk staff for a tour map, and no kidding - they handed us one.  We weakly asked if we could take pictures, and they smiled. Understandingly.  The place is stunning.  I only wish our pictures could do it justice.

 

With huge aquariums, waterfalls, and dioramas of wild animals, it is a wonder that anyone can tear their eyes away to do any serious shopping.  But after gawking for awhile, we were able to get serious and shop.  The selection was amazing.  Even in the knife area, the various types and styles of knives was amazing.  The knife sharpener drew a crowd of observers. 

I have to say, Bass Pro Shop was a great place to stop.  There is only one in northern California, where we live, but I plan to visit and see if it is at all like "the granddaddy" shop in Missouri.

And for a final bit of fun... here I am posing with one of the carved bears, part of the terrifically fun decorations.

Trying new foods - Snacks

I'm pretty fond of pickles... all kinds of pickles!  Dill, bread-and-butter, balsamic tomato pickles, green bean pickles... you name it, I'll give it a try.

But I was pretty surprised to learn of a new treat from the folks at Boomerang Cafe in Chandler, OK.  "Pickle-O's" are deep-fried dill pickle chips:

The breading is pretty similar to that on onion rings -- and the flavor is phenomenal. I found this highly addictive.  Add a bit of ranch dressing and you won't need anything else to eat.  Need I say this is pretty satisfying stuff?

Apparently this is a popular item in Oklahoma -- another reason this state is OK by me!