We just spent a few days down in Elk City, Oklahoma on the family farm. OK, no one lives on the farm right now. We stayed in town with Brandon's grandma. She is almost 94 y/o. She stills cooks up a storm and gets around pretty well. Most impressive. Her memory is amazing. This photo below is the farm. Almost 400 acres of rolling land. This old farm house is empty right now, but Brandon's dad has been fixing it up. Brandon spent every summer here as a kid. He loved roaming the farm with his .22 rifle shooting anything that moved.
( except humans, he tries not to shoot at people)
One of the cotton fields below. Grandma's father, B's great grandfather worked in the cotton gins.
The famous Route 66 runs right through this town.
They have a whole museum dedicated to Route 66.
This river below is on the farm. It really is beautiful here.
The famous Route 66 runs right through this town. They have a whole museum dedicated to Route 66.
This river below is on the farm. It really is beautiful here. Red dirt with trees, and a river runs through it.
Brandon, Kassidy and Mitchell down at the river.
Below are Bodark apples, also known as hedge apples or horse apples. No, not those horse apples, Wildbound. These trees only grow in a small part of the country. Grandma says you should never cut one down.
We really do enjoy visiting Grandma on the farm. She has had an amazing life. One thing we took note of this time was her story of leaving Oklahoma in the 1930's because of the depression. She and her husband and 2 kids went to California, lived in a tent and worked in the bean fields. Totally John Steinbeck for a time. Except she didn't read about it, she lived it and told us about it. We feel very lucky to have time with her and that she can remember so many wonderful things. We came home wanting to write down all names, dates and stories so we could remember everything.Favorite quotes from our trip:
When I found Brandon sleeping in the chair with his hat pulled over his eyes for the second time in one day and I said he was just like my dad, Cowboy Bob, he replied, "It's a cowboy thing, that's the way they did it, that's the way I do it."
Mitchell when he realized we were taking all these photos for Grandma, "We have a wondrous family."
Yes, Mitchell, and all these memories and old land is part of your family heritage, my son. Listen and look well.
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10 comments:
The generations from whom we come were an amazing people. Hope someday to drive you around and show you the farms my mom and dad grew up on. Your story, and theirs, touches me deeply.
Wow, quite epic. Is this the farm with the natural gas "well" thing?
I don't know if anyone knows for sure if there is natural gas or oil on the land. I don't want to be "crude" by asking. hee hee
The oil industry is booming down there right now. And someone told me a long time ago that if you put your ear to the ground you could hear the gas.
It's beautiful land either way. Wild hogs and wild turkeys everywhere as well.
I know how that feels: the land soaked in memories all somehow tied to you and your children. It's a wonderful experience, and I'm so glad you shared it with us.
Great experience and memory, now you've got another place that can be special and "holy". Stand ye in holy places. I like "place" and the meaning that can come from a "place", whatever that place might be. History isn't necessarily as big of interest for me as other things, but I love places that have history tied to them.
Sink those roots deep. Brandon is so lucky to have his Grandma still around and in such good health! Thanks for the awesome pictures and for sharing:)
How cool! It looks awesome! And of course, we're very glad Brandon tries not to shoot humans! ;)
Looks idyllic. So, how d'ya like them apples? Palatable at all?
What a great place. My boys would love to live on a farm like that! They could actually get some of that "boy" energy out!
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