Look What I Got For Mother's Day

Most mothers get flowers, candy and cards. Some even get treated to a meal they did not have to cook. Me? I went for the big kahuna and wrangled my way onto this baby to chase whales. Then it started raining. But the folks at Stagnaro Charter Boats assured us that if it wasn't safe, they would be home in bed.

We saw these guys on our way out of the harbor. They didn't seem too worried about the weather. So neither was I. After all, I was wearing layers. Many, many layers.

Of course RD came with me. What Mother's Day would be complete without your favorite mother maker? He may have been thinking of the last time I got him on a boat to chase whales. Who knew seasick pills make you pass out when you take them on an empty stomach? Not me. I'm wiser now. No pills on this trip. Maybe he's thinking big thoughts. Ocean air, rocking horse waves and sunshine. Yep, definitely conducive to big thoughts.

I'm not having big thoughts here. This is my, "I can't believe you let me talk you into this after the last disaster on a whale watching boat. By the way. Did you know how much I love you right now?" Look! Is that a whale?

I admit to getting prematurely excited. It's not everyday I see a red buoy with a sea lion necklace. Apparently, it's not every day they see a skinny woman, wearing every thing she owns.

I really wanted to see a whale up close. My whale picture from the last trip looks like a half eaten worm on a fishing line. I wanted a better picture. I wanted to see a whale eyeball to eyeball. Then a humpback whale came up right beside the boat. What was I thinking? They're bigger than elephants! I don't weigh 150 lbs if I'm wet and in multiple layers. They swim. I don't. They're hungry. Lord, please tell me I don't look like a rubber worm right now!

And he just kept coming. I don't know why I say "he." This could just as easily be a "she." The thing is, I'd done research on humpback whales and this was just his/her back. There was a heck of a lot more whale under water. My mind flashed back to the buoy of sea lions. Was I smarter than a sea lion? Were they trying to tell me something by clinging to a buoy 8 miles back? Nah....

Then we saw this. Let me explain in my best scientific jargon. This is a humpback whale swimming towards our boat. He/she is blowing air out of his/her blowhole while propelling itself through the water with it's tail. Suddenly it smelled like 20 dogs, passing wind all at the same time. A few of us on board may have looked around to see who was dying. The Captain chuckled. Then introduced us to "whale breath."

Then the Captain said that his equipment showed the whales were under our boat. I had an odd emotional moment as I started thinking of such a big animal underneath our boat. I'd just watched them diving, tail slapping, blowing, but hadn't seen any eyes yet. Were they able to see well? Could they, for example, see a boat load of people floating over them, as they surfaced? Were they playful? What would that mean, running into a playful humpback in the wild? I looked at RD. He was scanning the water around the boat. So was everyone else. I was calculating how many miles I had to dog paddle back to shore. That's when I saw this.

Good bye you big wonderful he/she whale. Happy Mother's Day to you! And in case you didn't know this, I live here now. I'll be back for more photos later. And maybe, one day, I'll see you eyeball to eyeball and you won't think I look like a rubber worm.

I Thought This Was An Insane Asylum

I am a fiend for going somewhere I’ve never been before, especially if the place has anything to do with history. When RD decided to take a day trip in preparation for our upcoming “Iron Butt 48 States in 10 Days” ride, I thought it would be fun. We sat hunkered over the Oklahoma map and he started reading potential destinations. When he said Fort Supply, my heart did a little jump. Read the whole story here.

"Where The Red Fern Grows" in the Ozarks.

Hey, wanna take a ride?” As usual RD chose the perfect line to make my heart go pitter-patter while I dropped everything to “go see.” Within the hour I was on a road trip to Oklahoma’s Lake Tenkiller in the northeast part of our state.

A visit to the Ozarks of Oklahoma is like driving back in time. Curving tree lined roads reach out to grab your imagination. Suddenly the trees clear and you see the Lower Illinois River snaking back and forth through rolling hills. Nature spreads out, hiding small valleys and meadows. It’s quiet except for the occasional hawk or screaming Blue Jay. Forget the sounds of highway traffic or noisy neighbors. The Ozarks refuse to be tamed.

Read about the whole adventure here.

Meer, Mount Scott and Medicine Park, Oklahoma Bike Rides

Labor Day found RD and I more than ready to not labor. Our total distance traveled was slightly over 200 miles. We headed south on Hwy 81 to Minco. In Minco, we picked up HWY 152 west to Hwy 115 and followed it all the way to Meer. In one day we were able to visit Meer, Mount Scott and Medicine Park, arriving home well before sunset gifted with surviving yet another adventure. All three locations are slightly north and west of Lawton, Oklahoma. The roads are paved, winding and decorated with rolling hills, trees and wildflowers. But watch out for the wildlife. The Wichita Wildlife Reserve is 59,000 acres of elk, deer and buffalo just to name a few.

Read more about Meer Store and Restaurant here.

Read more about Mount Scott here.

Read more about Medicine Park here.

Dog Surfing in Santa Cruz

I'm starting my local travels with a trip to the beach. People ask us if we're going to surf. No. There are big things in the ocean that eat small things like me. So imagine our surprise when our little Border Collie started herding the waves! This works much better if you imagine a good guitar rift as you watch these. Next week? Whale watching on Mother's Day.

Alice's Restaurant

RD told me he was taking me to paradise. After 26 years of marriage, I wasn’t quite sure how to take that. Should I wait around and see what he was up to? Or run now and read about it in the newspaper? Read more.

Lucilles, Mulhall, Oklahoma and Ghosts

You got to love a place that has a “Bikers Welcome” sign hanging outside. Especially when the smell of food hits you in the face before you even get your helmet and gloves off. But when you go inside and get a good ghost story from the manager while you’re eating? C’mon. How can you live one more day and not visit Lucilles Restaurant and Bar in Mulhall, Oklahoma?

Head north from Oklahoma City towards Guthrie on IH35. Take exit 153 and merge onto Hwy 77N. A little less than 5 miles down the road look for US 77 and Wentz road; turn left. The 1894 Oklahoma State Bank Building and current home of Lucilles sits on the corner of Hwy 77 and Main Street.

RD and I don’t usually have company when we ride. Completely understandable. We average about 600 miles a day. But one Sunday, friends from the Oklahoma City area decided to introduce us to some good eats. The weather was great. Sunny. Cool. No snow, ice, tornadoes or gusting “knock you into the median” winds. Photos would be taken.

My favorite historical time period is during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The Frontier citizens changed from Native Americans to Frontiersmen to Pioneers to City Builders. Zach Mulhall was an agent for the Santa Fe Cattle Company. He obtained land during the 1889 Oklahoma Land Run. Started a ranch. Raised a family. His daughter, Lucille was, according to Will Rogers, the first cowgirl. She grew up on a working 70,000-acre ranch. Learned to rope everything from cows, coyotes, dogs, cats and even rabbits. Not sure why you would rope a rabbit. But who am I to question? Maybe it was time for lunch. According to the history printed in every Lucille’s menu, she was petite, beautiful and a skilled equestrian. She even wowed Teddy Roosevelt during one of his visits.

While we were munching on appetizers, Jim Mears, the General Manager, came to our table for a visit. He didn’t mind the table covered with helmets and riding jackets or need much prodding to start storytelling. Turns out the bar area is right outside the old bank vault. The iron door stands open for anyone to poke a nose into. There’s one story about the bank being robbed via the Doctor office upstairs.

The robbers cut a hole in the floor of the clinic and dropped into the vault. I can see them getting in, but I don’t see how they would get out. It was dark. There weren’t any ladders. How did the guy in the vault feel as he saw the moneybag go up through the hole to his buddy? There aren’t any windows and only one door. And the ceilings aren’t low. However, they did get away with the loot.

Another story involved people seeing a man hanging from the rafters in the back part of the restaurant. The current location of an added dining room and stage area. Today it’s decorated with a cowhide tapestry over a rustic wood stage. Couldn’t get the story behind the ghost.

But I did get a very cool leaning picture. Anyone that knows me knows my quest at the moment is to get a “leaning into the turn” picture. I thought I had it for sure when one of the riders ahead of us leaned into a curve on his new Ducati. I raised my camera. Kept him in my viewfinder. He leaned. I leaned. He leaned. I leaned more and squeezed the shutter. Then the road grabbed RD’s foot pedal and jerked. I realized I was taking us down and immediately shifted my weight. Later at Lucille’s as I was showing the guys my pictures, RD leaned over and quietly said, “I wondered what happened.” Duly warned, I behaved all the way back to the city and took normal pictures. The kind that doesn’t get you booted off the back or unplugged.

See you on the road,

Donna