Music plays as I lean back against an ancient cottonwood tree. But it’s not the music made by man. This is much sweeter – this is the sound of the Oklahoma Panhandle in the spring.
A gentle breeze whispers through the bodark and cottonwood trees, rustling the grass and nearby wheat fields in waves of shimmering color. Songbirds vie for mates above my head, while a flock of starlings flit by, moving as one through the sparse leaves. Cottonball clouds float gently overhead, painting the sky in a never-ending kaleidoscope of shapes.
My seat is a weathered railroad tie. The rough cottonwood bark on my back feels better than any leather couch. I am setting at an old abandoned farmhouse east of Beaver along an old county dirt road. Lunch consists of fresh vegetable stew Kay made the night before. This place is my lunch stop on my return trip from a photo assignment.
Daybreak saw my riding through Kingfisher along Oklahoma State Highway 3, bound for Beaver in the Oklahoma panhandle, 230 miles northwest. My plan was to complete the assignment to photograph the Beaver County Emergency Planner early in the day, then spend the afternoon and evening riding dirt and black top county roads back towards home. Shade is hard to find in the panhandle, so when I came across this old farmhouse, I pulled in for a quick lunch break.
I love traveling off the beaten path and discovering the hidden treasures of Oklahoma you won’t find along the Interstate or the busily traveled state highways. Like this oasis of sound at an abandoned farm in the Oklahoma panhandle. My little slice of heaven.
Your writing makes me realize that I move through life too fast and fail to slow down long enough to appreciate the natural world around me and to enjoy it’s beauty and serenity. I thank you for the reminder.