Early Morning Drive

The other day, I got to do something I haven't been able to do in quite awhile. An early morning, what I call, a "drive-by photo-shoot." I drive around, on the lookout for something unique, and take a quick picture. Sometimes I don't even get out of the car!

I had a full tank of gas, my Canon, a Starbucks Venti Chai Latte, my Byrna (just in case) and my Khaleesi along for the ride (and extra protection; she definitely doesn't like strangers approaching the car!)

I feel like I've photographed most everything interesting in this area, so I headed south to a small town that I haven't tried yet. I really had to scrape and scrounge, but I think I got some neat shots.

At first, it didn't look promising, but I've learned that if you look hard enough, you're bound to see something old and interesting. And if it's just old and run-down, I can make it look interesting with the right angles and some creative editing.

"Liminal Spaces" photography is popular right now. Not sure if the next five qualify, but I gave it a go.

I did a couple angles of the above building. Check out the graffiti in the close-up!

Yay! Rusty pickup trucks are always a fun model for me.

The next building is my favorite because I stumbled on it quite by accident. I made a left off Main St. intending to circle the block and head out of town. Another left, and I saw a wonderful stone building, pretty much intact. When I drove past the front, I saw what it was - a National Guard Armory from 1936. This building has been standing for 90 years!

I can't help but wonder why an armory was built in this tiny town in the boondocks of Oklahoma.

Well, just a quick internet search and I found the answer.

Construction of the Haskell Armory was the first major WPA project within the community. It provided wages from some 71,000 man-hours of labor that were infused into the local economy in an attempt to buffer it from the ill effects of the depression and enabled unemployed, destitute workers to provide for their families. It also provided the city with the opportunity to engage young men in military training and preparedness during World War II. Architecturally, the building is unique within the Haskell region in terms of type, style, scale, materials, and workmanship.

This rectangular shaped (141′ x 120′) structure is made of cut, coursed, and rusticated native stone of buff colors laid randomly. The roof is flat over the garage section, while over the central drill floor unit it is arched. Parapets capped with oversized cut stones are associated with both. The front entry is framed by side walls as well as pilasters and a cornice that extend above the roof line. There are also pilasters at each corner. Elongated windows with cut stone sills are metal encased, above which on the front is decorative red brick work. Four vehicle entries are on the south side. Source: The History Exchange / New Dead Admin

Not sure what happened to the police station, but, like I said, if you look with an artsy, curious eye, you'll always find something worth noticing.

The date on this church building is 1907.

Below - what is this the "Great Seal..." of? A patriotic raccoon? Help me out, somebody.

Love these murals! A fitting way to wrap up tonight's blog.

Peace out, y'all. 

Bricktown - OKC

Oklahoma City doesn't sound like an interesting destination place. Surprisingly, it does have a lot to offer! This blog will be the first in a short series.

Now, don't judge that comment by my first photo. This was just an unexpected building we walked past on a walk around Bricktown. We didn't go in. While I do enjoy good banjo playing, I wasn't interested in seeing a whole collection.

The reason for our visit was just a desire to have a getaway weekend without traveling too far. We stayed in the Bricktown section of OKC. Parked the car at the hotel and didn't need it again until it was time to return home. Everything we needed was right there, including the free tram to get around the rest of the city.

We had dinner al fresco along the canal. Perfect evening weather! I had a moment of awareness of being surrounded by simple community joy. People were dining, spending time together and enjoying the weather. Nearby the Comets (minor league baseball ) were playing and we could hear the announcer. We had seen the fans lining up, excited and all ready to take in a ball game. 

It all struck me as this is how life was meant to be - people at peace, happy, being together, sharing good experiences. You think, "why can't it be this way everywhere?"

Yet, even in this heartland city, the unimaginable happened. We'll talk about that next post.

We rode the canal water taxi and enjoyed our "captain's" insights into the history and cultural development of Bricktown. Starting with the Land Run (another post coming up) the area became a thriving commerce district. As often happens, eventually the area fell into terrible decline, resulting in high crime.

You can read more about Bricktown's history here.

How blessed a community is when people of vision invest in it. They get the ball rolling, but when the community itself gets behind the vision, amazing things can happen. That's how Bricktown was reinvented.

OKC / Bricktown isn't done developing either. We saw where the new arena for the Thunder basketball team has started building. Continental Coliseum is going to be a huge, state-of-the-art beauty. If you're a basketball fan (and I am absolutely not!) you'll want to check out the renderings here. It's scheduled to open by late summer 2028.

Scroll down - I'm doing three more posts from our visit, just because I like taking pictures and showing them off somewhere :) And maybe it will encourage local friends to see what our neighboring city has to offer.

Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum

This is the second post about our recent weekend in OKC.

One cannot visit Oklahoma City without at least stopping at the outdoor part of the OKC National Memorial. This is the site of the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995.

Most everyone knows the story of what happened that day. A Ryder truck rigged with homemade explosives was parked on the street in front of the federal building. A reflecting pool now stands where the street was. It's bookended by these two structures called The Gates of Time. The 9:01 gate references the last minute of innocence. The 9:03 gate symbolizes the first moment of recovery. Between the gates, represented by the reflecting pool is a long, terrifying minute during which lives were changed forever.

The reflecting pool is where the street in front of the Murrah Building used to be. In the photo below, to the left, is the only part of the building still standing. The chairs are placed where the 9-story building once stood.

168 people, including children, were killed, and 600+ were injured. Another 347 buildings were damaged in what is still viewed as the worst case of domestic terrorism in the USA.

These chairs represent a soul killed by this despicable act of misplaced "patriotism." They are arranged in 9 rows, representing the floors where the victims were present at the time of the blast. After dark, they are illuminated by a photocell sensor.

Each one represents a life and each one is heartbreaking. But the 19 tiny chairs symbolizing the children will bring tears to your eyes.

Two weeks after the incident, I happened to have a meeting nearby. I purposed to drive past the blast site. What I saw took my breath away.  The photos you've probably seen in the news are close to what I saw.  It was shocking to see in person. "Savage" is the only word that came to mind that day.

We've visited the memorial a couple of times over the years, but this was the first time we toured the museum. I strongly recommend it. It's exceptionally well done. It's very informative and so moving, you cannot help but feel emotional. My eyes teared up and I saw other people obviously feeling the same. The more you see and read, memories flood back and you're almost reliving that day. I remember being at home that morning when the news broke. I cannot imagine what it was like to be there.

After going through one exhibit, we noticed a closed door with instructions to wait until the door opens. That seemed unusual. When it opened we walked into this empty room with only a tape recorder positioned on a conference table. We sat down, waited a bit and then the lights dimmed. We heard a woman talking and it became clear we were hearing a meeting. I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes, wondering why we were listening to this boring meeting of the Water Resources Board. All at once there was the sound of an explosion and people screaming, running, hysterical. I about jumped off the bench! Hearing this reality was absolutely jarring.

There were exhibits of actual rubble and the items found in it - shoes, phones, office items, eyeglasses, - the everyday, ordinary objects of office life. There was one glassed-in area of an actual interior section of the destroyed building.

I almost didn't take a picture of this car and I hesitate to even post it.

This is THE car that T.McV. was driving when he was pulled over for not having a license plate on it. I felt like I was looking at the devil's own vehicle. 

There was a video of the State Trooper's account of his encounter with the driver. What a story of a Divine Appointment. It happened on I-35 about 90 minutes after the explosion. All the careful planning that evil man did, and he was caught because of a missing license plate.

The museum is extensive. Stories of sacrifice and heroism abound. 

This is a closeup of The Survivor Tree with a church steeple in the distance. The tree is an American Elm, over 100 years old. Be sure to search the internet for more interesting details about the significance of the tree.

A deck was built around it where people can rest in its shade and reflect on the scene below. It is inscribed, 

"The spirit of this city and this nation will not be defeated; our deeply rooted faith sustains us."

I find it interesting, almost metaphorical, that a church steeple is visible behind each of the Gates.

This is a must-see stop on any visit to OKC.

Scroll down for the next set of photos from the weekend.