Thoughts of Nevada and Oklahoma

The following graphic was just messaged to me from a lady from my home town, Dill City, Oklahoma.

(Click photo to enlarge.)

I have just gotten back from a short walk with thoughts about what I should be doing next. But, it doesn't really take much thought. If I have a dollar to travel on I will go somewhere. But, other than that there are two places that are most important to me, Nevada and Oklahoma. I will never in my life be able to see all I want to see of these two places.

The bright lights of Las Vegas and Reno beckon gamblers from around the world. To me the best light show comes from ½ hour before sundown to ½ hour after sundown, and from pre-dawn to about ½ an hour after sunrise. But, it’s the desert that beckons me, and the mountains, and the trails I love to walk. I’ve seen wild horses grazing at the edge of a lake. I’ve set in a city park at sunrise and watched coyote puppies following their mom across an open field at the edge of a busy airport. But, the road trips are what I love. As a 35-year trucker it was the drives through sparsely populated country that was my favorite drives of all, like Hwy #95 that runs north out of Las Vegas on a 450-mile trip that finals out in Reno. That drive soothes the soul. Or, take a trip up or down Hwy #93. And drive across State Route #375 (the UFO Highway) and maybe you will spot a UFO. But, when you take a hike on any of the trails keep an eye out for rattlesnakes. And always, always, always keep plenty of water with you.

The one thing I can positively say about Oklahoma is that it is in my blood. I could not wait to get away from Oklahoma seven months ago. Today, I miss family and friends from Oklahoma, and I miss the farms, the creeks, and the lakes. But, what I really find that I miss right now is the solitude of living by myself, and knowing that all I have to do is walk out of my house to end the solitude. The only thing I can say about the people of Oklahoma is that they are what everybody should be like. They are the best.

I am an Okie, but I am also a nomad. So, I will travel, and maybe make a side trip to Oklahoma.