A few thoughts about my home state…
Welcome back. With Oklahoma’s football team ranked #1in the country and making national headlines, the spotlight is shining big time once again on the Sooner State. Attendance at attractions like museums is going up along with revenue at restaurants and hotels. While I was in Norman this past weekend for Barry Switzer’s Coach’s Cabana show on Campus Corner I saw thousands of people taking part in the tradition of tailgating and when I visited with fans from West Virginia they all gave the people in Oklahoma a 5-star rating for hospitality. Everywhere I travel I find that people have the same opinion of our state.
When I was in California promoting my book whenever I mentioned I was from Oklahoma Will Roger’s name frequently came up in conversation. It was the same in New York. I am bringing this up because even nowadays folks still remember Will’s values, his honest and straightforward attitude along with his homespun mannerisms and the fact that he was from Oklahoma which I think has a lot to do with people’s impression of us. Friends it’s hard to believe but it’s true that 82 years after his death, Will’s memory continues to cast a rosy glow on all of us Oklahomans and I’m always happy to say that I am from his home state.
With Christmas and the New Year fast approaching, I’ll have a lot of opportunities to brag about Oklahoma because my calendar for December and January is filling up with engagements to promote the new audio book version of Footprints in the Dew. This Friday I’ll be at the Lorec Ranch western store in Oklahoma City. I don’t know a lot about this place except the building is huge and it is full of everything western. It also turns out that the owner, Kari Lopez, is a close friend of the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. How do I know that you may ask? Well the next day I’ll be at the grand opening of Lorec Ranch’s new store in Pawhuska which sits right between Ree’s Mercantile and her new hotel. It’s all adding up to an exciting weekend and somehow, I’m hoping to squeeze in an appearance at the Coach’s Cabana show which will be broadcasting the Big Twelve Championship game live from the River Spirit Casino in Tulsa.
My schedule for December also includes interviews with Hal Smith and Bob Funk both of whom were recently inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame as well as Charles Day who is the husband of Anita Bryant.
I do hope you have enjoyed reading about my traveling over the past year and as the New Year comes in I will once again be visiting the high country of New Mexico where I’ll be working on a new project that I’ll soon be telling you about. At that time of year where I’m going there are few other human travelers, maybe a bear or a mountain lion, deer, turkey and elk for sure and as you can imagine winter time along the continental divide ain’t for sissies.
However, if you’re a skier this is an area you might enjoy as there are three family oriented ski resorts close to where I’ll be. The Taos Ski Basin opened on November 23rd with man-made snow on a limited number of trails. In Red River the ski area has been family owned for 55 years and they also have two trails currently open with man-made snow.
Angel Fire Resort will open for skiing on December 8th and they have announced that the ski season will be extended through March 25th. Angel Fire has also added night skinning and a new black diamond trail so there is something for everyone, even me.
I’ll end this week with a significant piece of local history that will be meaningful for anyone who has read my book Footprints in the Dew. Lonnie Brown has died.
Till next time, I’ll see ya down the road……
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