A Walk in the Flats

Husband was gone last week although he was home for the weekend to celebrate my birthday and Easter before having to head back to DC for a couple of days. While he was gone, they held the funeral service for my friend, Doug. It was a sellout crowd full of shocked and saddened adults with an abundance of teenagers who’d turned out to support the daughters. One person after another eulogized Doug in glowing terms: “greatest legal mind I’ve ever met,” “completely unflappable,” “I never heard him say an unkind word about anyone,” “brilliant,” “kind,” “devoted husband, father, son and friend” and as an Aussie of friend of mone would say, not a word of a lie from any lips.   I found myself muttering in response, "That's right, that's exactly right," like an elderly African American lady in a Baptist church, not doubt irritating the teens who would turn and look at me like I was some sort of oddball.  They are damned lucky I didn't raise my arms to heaven and cry out, "Can I get an Amen?" when someone suggested that Doug would probably ask God if he'd mind letting Doug rewrite the Old Testament to make it more concise (Doug was famous for rewriting everyone's work and making it ten times better - and even the original author would have to admit it.).

Husband came home last night and it is good to have him back.

His birthday is 8 days after mine in the same year. I was a week early and he was a day late, which means we were due on the same day. I always enjoy that. He got his birthday present a few days early. It is a Traditional Les Paul Sunburst.

He already has a Les Paul Clown Burst (which he says is lame) but is happy to have another for his stash. He says he lacks the talent or dedication to be a good guitar player but that doesn’t mean he can’t be a collector.  As a fabric collector, I understand. 

I took a nice walk this morning along the Oklahoma River. Not too many years ago, the Oklahoma River used to be called the North Canadian River and was not much more than a ditch. It regularly flooded after rains and dried to a trickle the rest of the time.  They damned it up, renamed it and it looks tidy, if canal-ish.

I can’t say as I find it pretty. It used to be dirty, shallow and filled with scrubby trees but it was interesting if you liked looking for tracks, critters or vagrants. I am not moved by the uniform sides but do enjoy the long views.

Oklahoma City is roughly divided by the river into two halves.  Traditionally, the southern half of the city was blue collar, and the northern half had the more affluent citizens and the downtown area.   The area around the river, prone to flooding, was known as the flats.  Vagrants, the poor and other people lacking the resources to leave tended to live there in shanties in overgrown and unkept neighborhoods, stray animals in abundance with streets and yards filled with garbage.  Crime rates were high and you didn't want to be in the area near dark.  Or light for that matter.  Many cities have places like that. 

Much of the area I walked in, today, used to be part of the flats.  In the past 10 - 15 years they've cleared out the slums, cleaned up the river, put in hiking trails and patrol it regularly to keep it safe. 

I am certain that to someone raised in the Eastern forests or hills it looks stark and boring. To some raised on the southern plains, it looks like home. The gorgeous trees back east made me ooh and aahh but within minutes, the hair on the back of my neck would raise as if a cougar was about to jump on my back. That kept me on high alert, like I imagine an antelope would feel. The long view and big sky help me relax and feel safe.

Big relieved sigh...

So here I am out where there are few, if any, natural trees left standing along the river and look what I come across.

Those are some serious teeth marks.

It rained, last night, so these claw marks are fresh.

When I see this, I wonder how many beavers lost their habitat when they came in and cleaned up the river. This one, from the looks of the teethmarks, is still pretty robust.  He may be the scariest thing in the flats, these days. 

This is not the best view of the Oklahoma City skyline but it is a nice one.

I crossed under a bridge leading to the Oklahoma City Stockyards.  Here is the arch leading into the Oklahoma City Stockyards taken from the trail by the river.

They've turned it into somewhat of a tourist attraction but the Stockyards still has a lot of authentic western stores, places to get ranchers' supplies and a very nice farmers market. 

Under the bridges crossing the river, you can see swallows’ nests.

The Redbud is the Oklahoma state tree and they are in full bloom.

I’m not a huge fan of the Redbud but the blossoms are pretty for a short time in the spring.

The Scissor-tail Flycatcher is the Oklahoma state bird.

Look at that long tail. When they fly, you wonder how they manage to stay in the air.  They look goofy. 

So after spending a bit of time enjoying a slice of Oklahoma, including the state bird and state tree, and humming a song from the musical whose name is the state song ("Oh what a Beautiful Morning," from OKLAHOMA!), I indulged myself in another state staple – a cheeseburger from Sonic.

Happy Quilting,

Penny, Evelyn and Pearl

Promises Never Made

Happy Easter to my Christian friends and welcome back, Persephone for all you pagans.   I took the first picture (above), this morning. 

I like the way Easter is scheduled - the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox.  Here is a picture of the recent full moon:

I think you would have had  to be  there to really appreciate how pretty it was.

It has been a few days since I posted.  Husband was out of town all week and that meant extra chores just to keep up. I had a birthday which, at my advanced years, is always cause for celebration and wonder (thanks to husband and children for the gorgeous flowers!).  And a very dear friend unexpectedly passed away at the young age of 42.   With all that going on, I haven’t been much in the mood to write.

My friend left behind a wife he loved and their four children. Visiting him and his family was on my short list of things I wanted to do when I got back home. I thought I had plenty of time. I thought wrong, which is a common mistake in such circumstances. He was a very good man and the world is a little less sane for his passing.

I thought about writing something to express how I felt about my friend but after going to the visitation and seeing what a marvelous job his wife and the other adults were doing to hold it together for the kids, I think I will just not say much. I was ready to weep into a puddle and they, who lost so much and had pain pouring from their pores, were staying strong.  I felt insignificant and very weak.   I hate that.  I am not the one to eulogize that good man, even on a silly blog.  RIP, Doug.

The fear of death tends to rest lightly on young things, as it should.   And sunrise on an Easter morning even lifts the spirits of this old lady.  It encourages me to have faith in the sometimes idle promises of a long life.   

I was pleased with how Jezebel's Quilt went on the bed:

The girls both like it:

That Pearl!

I had high hopes of my making progress while my husband was out of town on my latest project, a dragon quilt.  I didn’t get as much done as I had hoped and am fully aware that I may be biting off more than I can chew.  I bought a book of Dragon patterns (yes, there really are such things – who knew???) and thought these three looked doable for a first attempt at something that complex:

I was very nervous about doing the curves. I settled on the last one, simplified it and worked up a pattern.

Because of my fear of curves, I cut the pattern into smaller sections that it turned out I needed to. The curves turned out to not be as much of a problem as I expected. I haven’t done the head or tail, yet, and am a little intimidated to start.

I think I can make the tail work but the head may be more than I am up to. I am going to attempt to paper piece it but sorta have my doubts about it. If it were bigger, it would be easier.

Husband is not enthusiastic about my choice.  It isn't symetrical.  And what is it good for?

Here is part of the wing.

When I get the edges on the ends of the wings, it will LOOK more like wings but for now, it looks mainly like a blob.

While Husband was out of town, a fairly fierce storm blew up with hail, lightening and high winds. Pearl freaks out fairly easily at loud noises and even Evelyn pressed close and showed some alarm. A friend used to wrap her dog in a snug shirt during thunderstorms and that seemed to help him. With husband out of town (and, accordingly, not on hand to freak out over dressing up the dogs), I put a spandex shirt on Pearl.

I was surprised at how much that seemed to soothe her. She still wanted to hang out under my desk but the mere fact that she allowed me to stand back to take the picture was a vast improvement from just seconds, before.

Here are a few sunrise pictures.

I absolutely love this tree.

I have been spending some time considering whether I want to go back to guardian ad litem work.   I've just about reached the final conclusion that I will not.  I think the thing that makes the difference is that I enjoy not living in the shadows, not having to have an unlisted number, not having to hide my address, not having to watch my back.  All of us have to exercise common prudence because there are bad people, everywhere.  And life holds no guarantees, as starkly illustrated by the sudden death of my young friend.  But the cases most likely to result in violence tend to be those that deal with family matters.   I've known lawyers whose work has brought them into contact with violence, even death, and they are never the same, thereafter.   Like the young, who always believe they will live forever, many of us wade in where angels fear to tread.  But once that innocence is gone, for whatever reason, it is hard to get past.   I enjoy not overly worrying that something I specifically say or do on a given day will draw the wrath of angry, frightened people who feel powerless and are likely to lash out in rage and frustration at a convenient target (me, my dogs or my husband).  At this point, I need to walk away.  And I am glad I am doing it before my fears turn to reality.

Have I mentioned that I have a sweet husband?  He is making a dish to take to family for Easter dinner.  Part of the recipe includes mixed nuts and he just brought me in a bowl full of my favorites that he'd handpicked from the can (brazil nuts, cashews and pecans).    

Happy Easter,

Penny, Evelyn and Pearl