James Pratt

Photographer, Writer, Storyteller, IT networking professional

You are here: Home / Blog / Early morning bicycle ride in OKC

Early morning bicycle ride in OKC

by Leave a Comment

Airstream trailers waiting for refurbishment with the downtown OKC skyline in the background.

I have been caring for my mom at home under hospice care for the past few weeks and finally had a chance to get out for a bicycle ride early on a Sunday morning in downtown Oklahoma City. I have ridden all over the bike trails and per my usual curiosity, I now like to ride in unusual places that many people probably wouldn’t necessarily ride a bicycle. This time I parked my truck at the downtown OKC Scissortail Park where it would be safe from break-ins, and then jumped on my bike and headed west. I really didn’t have a lot of plans but ended up riding over the Exchange Avenue bridge to Stockyards City.

Oklahoma River from the Exchange Avenue bridge. I used to land my airplane at Downtown OKC Airport where the Ferris Wheel is at.

Way back in high school I used to work at the National Saddlery tack store in the Stockyards. I made belts, bridles, harnesses, and apprenticed on making saddles. So I was familiar with the area and had been to the actual stockyards many times over the years, but not lately. National Saddlery is still at the same location, but now it is more of a retail store rather than a manufacturer of saddles and tack.

I liked this American Butane and Propane sign highlighted against the early morning sky.

One summer in school I worked in retail sales at a western wear store in the Stockyards. I mostly sold cowboy boots, tack, and some clothing. The building still stands but it is vacant for now.

This convenience store in the OKC Stockyards has been there since I worked in the stockyards as a teenager.
Years ago packing companies butchered cattle in the OKC Stockyards and store the meat here. I am not sure if butchering is done here anymore but they still have this cold storage facility.
Calttle are still bought and sold at the OKC Stockyards, although most of the operations have been moved to a new facility in El Reno.
The facilities at the OKC Stockyard are quite old and most of the operations have been moved to El Reno. They used to drive skid-steer loaders on these concrete berms to feed the cattle.
These cattle are most likely going to feedlots across the west to be fattened and then slaughtered for beef on our tables.
Stockyards City used to be a booming cattle market when I was a kid. I worked at a saddle-making shop nearby. in high school.
These empty spools of wire caught my eye. No significance. I just thought they looked cool.
I rode back from the Stockyards to downtown OKC along Reno Avenue. This tire shop on Reno has been around for many years. I don’t think they pay their marketing department very well.
Farmers Market in OKC has been renovated in recent years. I thought this old flatbed truck was kind of cool with the market in the background.

Subjects

4x5 film 4x5x365 agriculture Amazon Web Services bicycle Bill Dragoo BMW Brass Ball Bobbers combine Darwin Motorcycles dirt bike drag racing Edmond El Reno film Fortinet Guthrie Ilford Delta 100 Ilford Delta Pro 100 Ilford HP5 Jeep John Deere Kawasaki Kay Pratt Kodak TMAX-100 Lexington Micha Young motorcycle New Mexico Nikon Norman Conquest Oklahoma Oklahoma City Oklahoma Living Oklahoma Living Magazine Oklahoma Today Ride Oklahoma South Canadian River Thunder Valley Raceway Tombo Racing Tommy Bolton Toyo 45A Toyo VX-125 wheat harvest Wrangler

About James Pratt

I am an Oklahoma based writer, commercial photographer, editorial photographer and adventurer based in Oklahoma City. I love telling stories about people. A motorcycle is my preferred means of travel, and I have over 5,000 hours piloting small airplanes. My editorial photography has been published in hundreds of magazines and my commercial photography has been used by dozens of companies worldwide.

Leave a Reply

Location

My Workouts this Week

Subjects

4x5 film 4x5x365 agriculture Amazon Web Services bicycle Bill Dragoo BMW Brass Ball Bobbers combine Darwin Motorcycles dirt bike drag racing Edmond El Reno film Fortinet Guthrie Ilford Delta 100 Ilford Delta Pro 100 Ilford HP5 Jeep John Deere Kawasaki Kay Pratt Kodak TMAX-100 Lexington Micha Young motorcycle New Mexico Nikon Norman Conquest Oklahoma Oklahoma City Oklahoma Living Oklahoma Living Magazine Oklahoma Today Ride Oklahoma South Canadian River Thunder Valley Raceway Tombo Racing Tommy Bolton Toyo 45A Toyo VX-125 wheat harvest Wrangler
%d bloggers like this: