End of December and 2016

It is late December.  The year is almost gone.  The days have grown as short as they can get.  It is time for the sun to head north again.

 

September 2016

This is the day that the Lord has made.  Let us rejoice and be glad in it.  Sometimes, the sunrise behind the cross just says it all.

It is good to begin the day with affirmations such as this.

There is a 100 percent chance of weather today in Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, the weather can go from sunny to windy to cloudy to all of the above in minutes.  If you love change, then you will surely love Oklahoma weather.

For the moment, it's cloudy.

A stop over for migrating butterflies

Green grass and milkweed make for a pleasant June and for a haven for the butterflies.  Many don't like the milkweed in their pastureland, but it sure does help the butterflies as the migrate each year.

Milkweed may be the only plant where some butterflies can deposit their eggs and that makes food for the newborn.larva or caterpillars.

Only in Oklahoma--interesting site

All of you Oklahoma Facebookers may want to check out this page and this website.  I only came across them today!

Just a note, now that I'm gone...

I only had to work for a few minutes,

Then I was set for the rest of my life.

Rescued from prison and death,

I would no longer scrounge to survive.

I put my best foot forward,

And tried to look like a family pet.

But I was always wild at heart,

Finding food where others hadn’t scrounged yet.

But I was captured and imprisoned,

My fate was in your hands.

You could have walked on by and said,

This one surely won’t obey our commands.

But you took a chance on me anyway,

You even thought that I was a boy.

Your house became my bathroom,

And what wasn’t tied down, my toy.

That’s just to say there was some adjusting,

To this civilized life and all.

Not that I was complaining, mind you,

But I loved racing down the hall.

I soon learned my boundaries,

And only broke them once in a while.

And who can blame a dog for getting out on trash day,

That’s gotta make you smile.

Sometimes I wondered if you had left me,

When you were gone for days and days.

But I kept the faith and waited,

Hoping you would bring me something from far away.

You’ve never known anyone quite like me.

I jumped four feet straight up.

Then couldn’t find the scrap of meat before me,

I felt like giving up.

The other dogs called me human challenged.

I guess I deserved that tag,  somewhat.

I tried my best to sit on the sofa,

Even though you took my favorite spot.

By dog years I was pushin’ ninety,

I was no spring chicken you see.

But I was always glad to see you,

Even if you were still upset with me.

Yes, I had my share of accidents.

I’m was not a quick study so they say.

But I would still run twenty laps for you,

To start off every day.

Yes, I know that you miss me.

But the cancer had taken its toll.

You know that I was going blind and deaf,

I could barely find my bowl.

So it’s okay that I’m gone now.

I was family for a while.

And for the time I knew you.

I hope I made you smile.

From my perspective, things were good.

I had a home, good food, and no strife.

That’s not bad for an abandoned dog,

I can most surely say, that I had lived the life!

Love,

Sierra

Cierra

Sea Air Uh

All that we can see

Sometimes it is all that we can see...

and it is enough for those times.

Blue skies smiling at me...

End of January in Oklahoma.

January Sunrise

January 2016 sunrise...

Let it snow...

Let it snow...

December Sunrise

Last days of 2015.

Last days of 2015

Last days of 2015...

December Cross

Winter is coming but today the sun shines through.

God shed his grace on thee.

God shed his grace on thee.  Good morning Burns Flat, Oklahoma.

Cheaper than marrying one...

The sun is finally shining on a regular basis in western Oklahoma. The winds over the past few days have been strong enough to do some hang gliding without any need for an elevated launch point. In short, it is an Oklahoma spring, almost summer.

This time of year also brings a host of auctions across the Oklahoma landscape. The Cordell Beacon, Penny News, and other publications in Elk City, Clinton, and surrounding towns are filled with auction notices. Auctions might just be the third most popular sport in the state, behind football, basketball, baseball, and math meets.

A few years ago, I was participating in this popular Saturday activity in the town of Sentinel, Oklahoma. I had scored several good buys already. On this particular day, the auctioneer presented a nearly new, brand name dishwasher. Despite his efforts, the bidding fell short of expectations. This was a very good unit and should have brought a decent price, but on this day it looked as if it would go for under forty dollars.

It was at that point that an old-timer standing in the back of the crowd shouted out, “It’s cheaper than marrying one.”

In some states, the man would have been suppressed with a barrage of outrage. In California, he probably would have been hauled into court on some sort of civil suit. In Sentinel, Oklahoma the bidding resumed as soon as the laughter died down.

The dishwasher sold at a much higher price.

This is Oklahoman generosity and great stewardship working together!

Hold on a moment.  This blog is all about windmills and hay bails and sunsets, right?

Yes, and other things uniquely Oklahoman, such as generosity.

How can a dollar be worth more than a dollar?

It can’t, can it?

The value of the dollar seems to go down every year, except at the Western Oklahoma Family Care Center.  Over the past year, for every dollar that the Family Care Center took in, it provided $1.41 of benefit to patients and clients.

How is this possible?

Having the ability to maintain a facility that houses medical and dental equipment, to include a licensed pharmacy, a food bank, and counselors enables full time, part time, and volunteer staff to provide an array of services.

In 2014, the Western Oklahoma Family Care Center provided over $281, 244 worth of services and benefits to clients and patients in 4 counties.  Among the items and services provided were clothing, rental and temporary housing expenses, travel assistance, utility assistance, pharmaceuticals, DLO Labs, Optometry services and other general assistance.

That year is in the books.  This year has new challenges.  To do all that the Family Care Center would like to do—too include much more counseling and much more effort focused on the root causes of so many poverty related issues—it needs about a half million dollar budget.

The Center has been getting by on less than half of that.  That sounds like a lot of money, and for a single household, it would be.  Last year the WOFCC helped 3421 people in 1483 households.

There’s more that just giving out money and services.  There is commitment to helping people better themselves.  Perhaps that involves diet or budgeting or learning to serve others.  The WOFCC is not just a warehouse of food and services; it truly is a family care center.

The economy remains unpredictable but even in this uncertain state of economic affairs, there are people who want to bless others less fortunate than themselves.  Many do this through their local churches.  Some are looking to do more.

What if you could donate a dollar and it became worth $1.25 or $1.50 or more?  All unrestricted donations are tax deductable.  The Western Oklahoma Family Care Center maximizes every donation to provide the best care possible to the greatest number of people.  Sometimes, there is a sign on the door that reads, “All funds have been expended for the month.”

Follow this link to see how you can be a part of helping others in Western Oklahoma.

http://www.westokfcc.com/?page_id=19

Burns Flat Cross

Lantana and Morning Glories

Red and Green

Oklahoma Winter

So this is what happens once a decade.  Temperatures drop to single digits and we get some very dry snow.