Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: There’s a vineyard? Where?

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One thing about my job I enjoy is bringing stories to people about places in Oklahoma that most don’t realize are there. Many don’t know that Oklahoma used to have a growing vineyard and wine industry back before statehood and prohibition. But prohibition changed that and the industry died on the vine.

Even with the repeal of prohibition, it still took nearly 40 years for the industry to reemerge into the burgeoning wine industry it is today. Unfortunately, many people are unaware that we even have vineyards in our state. But the Oklahoma Agritourism Department is changing that for the better.

In this week’s blog, we look at how Oklahoma Agritourism is putting Oklahoma’s wine industry on the map. Hopefully it will help interest you into touring an Oklahoma vineyard near you.
Alisa Hines

Oklahoma Wine Trails from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: Mounds, OK

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_DSC0298“Bull?  How’d you get that name?”

We were loading our equipment into the car while Bull and Bobby were sitting outside a convenience store in Mounds. Bobby needed a smoke.

“Aw…here we go…”  Bull acted put out while at the same time positioning himself to tell the short version of a story he clearly treasured.  “I used to be in the service, and while I was stationed in Germany we’d sometimes leave the base and ride in the European rodeos.  Well, I always did pretty good but one time I won the whole thing.”

“What do you mean, ‘The WHOLE thing?'”

“I earned the title of European Rodeo Champion…the WHOLE thing.  And that’s when the boys started calling me Bull.”

I glanced at Bobby who was almost halfway through this first cigarette.  We made eye contact and he slightly nodded his head as if to say, “Yup.  It’s the truth.”  I looked back at Bull.  He looked down at the ground, for a minute, then re-engaged Bobby in their lighthearted joke-talk.

“So,” I thought to myself, “Inside they’re camera shy and do everything they can to stay out out of the conversation.  But out here, the bench is their turf, and I’m looking at a bona fide rodeo champ.” Continue reading EPOTM: Mounds, OK →

27 Hats

Would you like a warm up?

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photo (2)Would you like a warm up? It’s one of the greatest questions posed by the dining service industry in this fine land of ours. If you look broadly across the blessing of the English language landscape, you may find it to be that, and so much more.

One of my fondest early memories in life is going to breakfast with my dad on Saturday mornings to a small diner in an even smaller town. Quinlan, Texas, won’t make the list of Every Point on the Map given it’s proximity south of the Red River, and its a shame in some ways, for Quinlan in the early 70’s was vintage “good people” country.

I have an old friend who likes to say “denial is more than a river in Egypt”. Amen to that, but I would add that the Red River, likewise, is more than just a boundary between Oklahoma and that neighbor to its south.
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Which brings us to today’s topic. Where does any of this fit within the genre of “27 hats”, you might ask? Well, topper 12 of 27, save one, is from Red River, the resort town in New Mexico, not the tributary to our south. It has been the selected hat for this post for almost a month now, but as I told our friend RDK in an email after writing the similarly themed post on 11 of 27, I’ve been finding myself at a loss for words. And, likewise, this morning, I concur that it’s OK.

Red River, New Mexico, at least for me, for many years was a place of mythical legend. I had never been there. Continue reading Would you like a warm up? →

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: Boley, OK

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The bar stools in Pookie’s restaurant have born much more than the weight of those who have sat and eaten “burgers made with love” years on end.

They have born the weight of conversations about Boley exchanged by their occupants.

About the school closing three years ago.

About how to help people feel safe even when there is an occasional prison escapee in the area.

About whether Willie Williams’ bucking bull will be of such quality to draw a premium price at sale, and how they need good counselors at the substance abuse treatment center down the road.

About how the history of their community is best told by some of the oldest, and how they wish those elders were present to talk about Boley instead.

About how good last year’s rodeo was, or about planning the next one.

Willie and Tyrone

About their town’s dwindling population, and “what kind of ideas can we come up with” to encourage the “young folks to move back and raise their families.”

Those bar stools have stood as silent witnesses Continue reading EPOTM: Boley, OK →

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: Criner, OK

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_DSC0096(click photo at left for full view) -CRINER, OK.

When we were driving into Criner the only thing my mom had been able to find out about the town from a quick LexisNexis search was that they had a Superfund site, and that there was a lady who got in an argument with her neighbors because her goats were…ahem, fornicating in her front yard and the neighbors didn’t much care to see this particular act of nature.  So heading into town we were sort of hoping to talk to goat lady because we thought that story was hilarious, but as it happens we found someone else in town to tell us her story.

Usually (I say usually, but we’ve only done ten towns. I don’t really know how often you have to do something to justify using the word “usually.”) when we enter a town we scope it out before trying to track down someone who is willing to talk to us while we’re lugging around equipment, asking a billion questions, and also being complete strangers.  We like to drive down whatever the main street seems to be, look for interesting architecture, count the churches along the main street, and then look for a place that might have someone interesting and willing to talk.

So as we drove into Criner we passed a house with a gate and some sort of signage that said something about goats so we got excited and said “Hey! We maybe found goat lady! Let’s come back to her if something else doesn’t come up.” Then we went and found the Superfund site, met a few friendly dogs that wanted to come along for the ride, and then drove by a cute fence that had an “Eggs for Sale” sign.

We then had a debate about if we wanted to go find out about egg lady or goat lady, mams (mams is what I call my mom who you probably know as Red Dirt Kelly, Kelly Marie, or Dr. Kelly M Roberts with some extra letters that I haven’t committed to memory) finally asked who I wanted to talk to since she had chosen in Dibble. Well I wanted to see the chickens and love farms eggs, so I chose “Egg Lady.” Continue reading EPOTM: Criner, OK →

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: Meeker, OK

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_DSC0126“You could probably just talk with anyone here.  We’re all like family…that guy just had a horse kick the valve stem off the tire on his trailer, so I helped him fix his flat.”

Rachel and I had stepped outside the car to find out what the assembly of hundreds of trailers, horses, and people was all about.  The man explaining the flat tire scenario had been looking at us with anticipation as soon as we told him about our project.

I’m not sure what it is about a split-second decision and all that goes into that moment.  For some reason, I wasn’t in the mood to talk with a guy who wanted to be the one we talked to.

I thanked him, glanced at Rachel, and understood she was in agreement to move on as well. If we were at a National Barrel Horse Association event, we wanted to find some racers.

It was a windy day. Hot, dry air swept through the camp, chapping lips and making those who had circled the wagons seek out their stores of cool water.  We pulled our small VW Jetta through the rows of trucks and trailers, looking for a better spot.  Soon, we had found our own makeshift “campsite” and parked the car.  Walking along the  fence line, we watched several riders warm up their horses for the next competition.

As we returned to our car, Rachel spotted a family who seemed approachable.  They appeared to be a mother and two daughters, and their relaxed, easy-going demeanors helped us know they might say yes to our standard question: “We’re traveling to every town in Oklahoma, and we’d like to have at least one conversation with someone in each of those towns.  Would you be willing to talk with us for a while?”

They said yes. Our equipment partially worked.  And, our video tells the rest of the story.

If you’re short on time…click here for a 30 second intro video.  Otherwise, this five minute video will give you a peek into the world of Melissa, Lauren and Brooklyn.  Precious people – living life and learning as they go.

Meeker, Oklahoma Wiki     Meeker Facebook Page   History of Meeker

27 Hats

I’m finding myself?

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UntitledThere’s a song that goes “I’m finding myself at a loss for words, and the funny thing is, its OK”*.

Such is life. The same can be said for experiencing the Grand Canyon. Hat number 11 of 27, save one, was acquired for just such a moment.

The year was 2010, and my eldest had recently graduated from high school and was preparing to go “off to college”. While tooling around the local Academy store a couple of weeks before the trip, I was tempted by what one might call a “sun hat”. You can type cast it: Khaki color, big round brim; you get the picture. Using our upcoming vacation and some time in the Grand Canyon as an excuse, I bought it: a bonafide “older man” hat.
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There is a great line from Jack Sparrow, Captain Jack Sparrow, at the end of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: …we’ve reached a very special place here: spiritually, ecumenically, grammatically. Then he looks at his friend, who is wearing something appropriate for the event, but a little out of character, and he tells him “nice hat”. Continue reading I’m finding myself? →

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: IXL, OK

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_DSC0215Mother’s Day Eve, 2014, was full of more emotion than I would have liked.

Rachel and I had just finished our conversation in Boley and were cruising north on Highway 48.  We were running out of daylight, and had thought we might get to Bristow in enough time to find a good dinner.  We needed to debrief; our heads were full of pieces of life that needing sorting.

Mine was full of the past 48 hours.  I had been to two hospitals evaluating a human being who had not yet finished high school but wanted so badly to end his/her life they nearly succeeded.  Rachel had finished an event for a non-profit the night before; they had been working on it for quite some time. Fundraisers tap a person’s energy reserves.  And, after having spent time in Boley I was extremely aware of how towns in Oklahoma are just hanging by a thread, and entire communities can turn on a dime…or the closing of a school.

I tell you this because the thoughts in my head were fading my peripheral vision as I drove north.  I barely noticed the “CASTLE” sign, and when I read the “IXL” sign I wasn’t even sure it was a town name.  For just a moment, though, I had been scanning the east and west wondering about IXL, Oklahoma when I noticed a man on the side of the road as we passed.

His white beard shone in the dusky light.  Seated in a recliner in the middle of a make-shift front yard, his presence intrigued me.  I mentioned him to Rachel.

“You know, our conversation with someone in IXL was right there.  We should have stopped.”

“Well, do you want to go back?”

“I don’t know.  I’m a little tuckered out.  Not sure…”

“Mom, if you WANT to talk to him, then this is your chance.  Don’t pass up something that’s right here…you might wish you had later.”

This was the difference between youth and age.  I was allowing my body to prioritize my thoughts, the first being: “I’m tired.”

“You’re right,” I answered.  “Let’s go back.”

Continue reading EPOTM: IXL, OK →

Every Point on the Map

EPOTM: Payne, OK

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_DSC0150I could tell by his face that he wasn’t inclined to speak with Rachel and I.

Our first official “no” was discussed as we exited the driveway.  Glancing back at the two-story white house, I knew the owner had a story to share.  But there were hints of physical frailties, and wrinkles on his brow that, coupled with his own perspective, kept those stories from strangers.

Pensively, we turned down another driveway about a mile away.  It extended through a wheat field and wound around farm equipment, eventually stopping at a small farm house.  This one was occupied, but the occupants were on their way to run errands.

“But you might enjoy talking with my parents…”  My ears perked up as they pointed across their property toward the northwest.

“Just past that grove of trees.  You’ll find them. It might be their nap time, but it’s okay to knock.  Tell them their daughter sent you.”

So we did.

We met Max and Barbara in their back yard, planting tomatoes.  He stood quietly by her side while she chatted with him out of earshot as we approached.  Her bright pink outfit shone like a beacon as we explained our project.  As soon as we mentioned “her daughter sent us,” we were invited into the house.

We’ll let you see the rest for yourself.

If you only have 30 seconds, click here to get a glimpse of Max and Barbara.  If you have a few minutes, and we hope you do, then be prepared to open your hearts to this couple who have lived in Payne, OK all of their married lives.

For more Every Point on the Map posts, click here.

27 Hats

Waypoints

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Every night I say a prayer
in the hope that there’s a heaven
And every day I’m more confused
as the saints turn into sinners
All the heroes and legends I knew as a child
have fallen to idols of clay
And I feel this empty place inside

so afraid that I’ve lost my faith

Show me the way, show me the way…*

Right about this time, you are wondering why is he wandering around in the Styx. Please allow me to explain.

I’ve done a little traveling in my time. Not as much as some folks do (I have not been to Every Point On The Map) but enough to have garnered a story or two to go with my hats. I’ve found, along the way, that you can’t always get from point A to point B, at least, not without detouring through points once unknown.

Such was a business trip to Europe a few years ago. Continue reading Waypoints →