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04/19/04

Oklahoma City, OK

I'm posting from a hotel near the Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City. I am exhausted after driving 450 miles from Santa Rosa. I didn't expect that stretch, across Eastern New Mexico, the Panhandle and Oklahoma, to yield much for the weblog as far as pictures or stories, but I was wrong. A couple of things happened.

Our first stop was outside of Amarillo. I pulled off the 40 and went down a plain, quiet sideroad until it ended in some desolate area with dead train tracks and an old prison nearby. I took some pictures of Loona. I have to tell you, I am getting really tired of taking pictures of this fucking dog. I love her and all but jesus, already. The thing is that I usually like taking pictures of just empty scenes. SOmetimes I find a spot that looks like it should be a setting for something or someone but I like it just empty, like this...

This isn't a picture of anything in particular. There's no real subject. It's just this spot that I like, where something could happen. But every time I take pictures like this, Loona walks into it and I have to admit she usually improves the picture. Like this...

After wasting some time there, we pressed on into Oklahoma. My lower back started hurting so we pulled off the 40 again and I started following signs for a Lake called Lake something or other (can't remember). The drive took us into the countryside. I openned the giant windows on the Navigator and enjoyed the warm breeze.

There's something about Oklahoma, the ground there is always this gorgeous reddish clay color and it contrasts incredibly with the green crops and grass. We pulled over to take some pictures... of Loona...

And one of me...

We got back in the car and found the lake. The road that led to it became very rough but the view of the lake was spectacular. We got out and walked around. The first thing I saw, was a guitar, lying on the ground in a clearing by the lake, smashed in pieces. It was a strange scene. It seemed like maybe, the night before, some old cowboy was strummin' a song, when he got suddenly all depressed, smashed his guitar, walked into the lake and hung himself.

As I photographed the guitar, Loona started barking. I ran down and found her by the shore of the lake, barking at two people who were fishing. They laughed at her and her barking turned into a wagging tail and she ran up and attacked them. I apologized profusely but they loved it. They were a man and a woman, about in their fifties, who were incredibly friendly. I asked them how the fishing was and the guy immediately yanked his catch from the water to show me. He even posed proudly for a photo...

These were two of the nicest people I ever met. They told me that they have four dogs, ten kids and twelve grand children. They didn't look nearly old enough to have any of that. They were very nice to me and Loona but soon they pulled up their poles and went home to eat their catch for supper.

Loona and I decided that, rather than just hit the road, we should burn the remaining daylight here at the lake. So we walked around. Loona loved wading in the water up to her ankles. Beyond that, she gets too freaked out to go deeper.

As the sun went down, we got back in the Navigator and started driving. Rather than back out the way we came into the lake, I thought maybe this dirt road would lead around the lake and bring me back to the 40, which my sense of direction told me was on that side. So I trudged on down this dirt road which went into some woods, wound around and around, went up and down and got thinner and thinner and crazier and crazier. I had no idea where I was headed. The road got so thin and so crazy and then I started to notice old tires piled up in stacks in certain spots and I suddenly realized that somehow I'd gotten this huge Lincoln Navigator oversised SUV onto a Motocross bike trail! I kept going, figuring I'll turn around when I have to. The huge truck lurched up and down the crazy bumps and even went over a mini jump. It was hilariously crazy. I made Loona sit in the seat next to me so I could hold on to her. Otherwise she would've been thrown all over the place. Somehow, I came out the other end of the track onto a real road which got wider and wider and led back to the highway. Unfortunately, I have no photos of any of that, so as far as you know, I'm full of shit.

Tomorrow, Tennesee. Until then, here's another picture of... Loona.

That's all for now, my friends...

Thanks for reading,

LCK

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Travelog archive: 04/16/04 04/17/04 04/18/04 04/19/04 04/20/04 04/21/04 04/22/04 04/23/04 PS