You Gotta Love Oklahoma!

[Cement Man]

Al..you make Oklahoma sound like Illinoise..I did like the old abbreviation for Illinoise..( Ill.) 

Here now!  Here now!  In Illinois(e) have some of the finest politicians that money can buy! 

on second thought............. they are some of the lousiest politicians that money can buy.      The bottom of the barrel! 

[FourBee]

After reading all these posts, I am flattered that some of you like the green mountaineous ranges of Southeastern Oklahoma, cause it is my home.     My folks were raised here, but went west during the depression and returned in the late 50's.   

I remember coming back here then, traveling down the old dusty lane passing neighboring houses with people out on their front porch setting in their rocking chairs waving at every passing car.    Some still drew water from the well, and farmed their small acreage with horse and mule, and held down jobs at the local furniture factories.   On hot summer nights, families would spread quilts out on their lawns, and lay out there watching the stars, and the kids scampering about chasing fire flies and finding large 'jar flies' (locust) emerging from the ground preparing to molt.   Of course the sounds of the night from those whip-or-wills filled the air too.    People don't have time for that anymore.  Maybe it's because of airconditioning, I don't know. 

[ironglow]

  I live in a small hamlet of perhaps 500..surrounded by what are called the "Enchanted mountains"..just large, wooded hills, really..
  My son lives next door (on the corner) in a big victorian with a round, corner porch. Summer evenings we have "porch sitting time", when we have the time. There is usually coffee, lemonade, iced tea and perhaps some cookies. Neighbors and folks from church often stop by to sit & chat for a couple hours..plus folks walking their dog may just relax a bit with us.
   These things are what many folks are missing out on these days..Perhaps some have a similar setup and may want to start the custom at their house...

[Heather]

  I live in a small hamlet of perhaps 500..surrounded by what are called the "Enchanted mountains"..just large, wooded hills, really..
  My son lives next door (on the corner) in a big victorian with a round, corner porch. Summer evenings we have "porch sitting time", when we have the time. There is usually coffee, lemonade, iced tea and perhaps some cookies. Neighbors and folks from church often stop by to sit & chat for a couple hours..plus folks walking their dog may just relax a bit with us.
   These things are what many folks are missing out on these days..Perhaps some have a similar setup and may want to start the custom at their house...

We do a lot of front poarch sittin around here.  My grandparents live right across the way from my Daddy and Brother.  My uncle lives right down the street and on the other side of them is a couple of my cousins.  We all gather at Nanny's just about every day. They might run out of tp every now and again but there is never a shortage of sweet tea, coffee, and lemonade.

[mechanic]

You folks are making me homesick...............and home isn't there anymore like it once was. 

[petemi]

I think one of the greatest problem causers in America today is that they don't put front porches on homes anymore.  Nobody knows their neighbors.....or cares to know them.  People don't respect others or themselves.

Pete

[scootrd]

I think one of the greatest problem causers in America today is that they don't put front porches on homes anymore.  Nobody knows their neighbors.....or cares to know them.  People don't respect others or themselves.


Pete

I agree Pete.. I spent some time in Atlanta (about 8 years). In the Burbs everything was Gated type communities with swanky names  -  magnolia Park , or stoneybrook place for example,  limited sidewalks (if any) and lots of cul de sacs , curbs and front Lawns . Big houses  , most had no front porches, Just big back yard decks. and folks in one cul de sac rarely knew folks in another.

Growing Up , We had sidewalks throughout our neighborhood streets, Houses had big Front porches. In the evenings everyone would walk on sidewalks after dinner and say hello to neighbors and get to know folks even a few streets over .. people would come up on porches and visit a while. I also think if we had more front porches we would have less hatred and more tolerance towards our fellow man. 

[SHOOTALL]

willianlayton , very true words !

[rex6666]

I have to come to the defense of Oklahoma. Like most other states, it has some very find places. Others are not so good. But the eastern Green Country is very beautiful, and the rivers are a lot of fun.

It's hard to compare states, but let's put it this way: which do you prefer, Oklahoma or Massachusetts.

My family is Cherokee. My mother is white, and loves her church and the town I was raised in here in Texas. If she would, my wife and I would move her to the Talaquah area so fast, Texas would wonder what happened to us. My wife was born in southeastern Oklahoma. I love Texas, and am Texan to the bone, but Oklahoma in the southeastern area is as good as it gets. Massachusetts? Let the yankees have it.

Maybe you or i need to look at the map, don't know where Talaquah is,
but Tahlequah is not in south east Okla.

[rex6666]

William was that SAM Crockett said that

[scootrd]

I have to come to the defense of Oklahoma. Like most other states, it has some very find places. Others are not so good. But the eastern Green Country is very beautiful, and the rivers are a lot of fun.

It's hard to compare states, but let's put it this way: which do you prefer, Oklahoma or Massachusetts.

My family is Cherokee. My mother is white, and loves her church and the town I was raised in here in Texas. If she would, my wife and I would move her to the Talaquah area so fast, Texas would wonder what happened to us. My wife was born in southeastern Oklahoma. I love Texas, and am Texan to the bone, but Oklahoma in the southeastern area is as good as it gets. Massachusetts? Let the yankees have it. 

Maybe you or i need to look at the map, don't know where Talaquah is,
but Tahlequah is not in south east Okla.

Trust me ..even us yankees (sorry as my father in law says Damn Yankees..cause I married his daughter from Quitman Texas)  don't want taxachussettes.. maybe they can be annexed to Great Britian. 

[okielectrician]

Tahlequah is in Northeast (Greencountry) Ok about an hour east of Tulsa
If you ever saw the movie'' Where the red fern grows.'' That was Tahlequah.

[scootrd]

Tahlequah is in Northeast (Greencountry) Ok about an hour east of Tulsa
If you ever saw the movie'' Where the red fern grows.'' That was Tahlequah.

Only Disney movie that ever Brought a tear to my eyes

[FourBee]

That movie came to mind a few nights ago down here is South Eastern Oklahoma.   It was about 2 o'clock in the morning, stormy weather, wind blowing a misty rain.   I kept hearing the strangest sounds that finally drove me out of bed and through the house to the front door.   Stepping outside I listened as the wind gushed and then died, then gushed again and died.   Then I heard that noise, it was a big ole coon hound up on the ridges working out a scent.   He 'd work awhile, then let out a long wavery bawl ending in a high pitch screech.    I stood there for a moment reminising when I was a young coon hunter with them Bluetick hounds and their beautiful extra long velvet blue ears.  

Then that ole boy hit  ~~~  TREE'd ~~~  and that bawl turned into a fast continuous chop; chop; chop.    I waited for lights to start flashing up there, but the weather forced me back inside.   He was still on tree as I fell off to sleeep.  Aaahhh; the good ole days.

[Dee]

You ain't around Idabell are ya Fourbee? My wife was born there, and we're a little south west of there in Texas.

[okielectrician]

I remember coon hunting one night in Mayes county with my wifes uncle,we were following his dogs hollowing through the woods when we came to an open field.My wifes uncle shined the flashlight across it when we saw a figure moving across it about 75 yards ahead,what ever it was it was hairy with a high arched back.I asked if he thought it might be a bear,He said not that big around here so we left the way we came in a pretty good pace.since all we had between us was a 22. Never did know what is was but he was afraid the dogs would pick up the scent and chase,He said if they did the can find there own ride home.

[FourBee]

You ain't around Idabell are ya Fourbee? My wife was born there, and we're a little south west of there in Texas.

Little farther northeasterly against the Arkansas Line.   At night we can see the reflection of lights coming from Fort Smith, AR.

[FourBee]

  okielectrician;  My brother and I had a experience sorta like that late one nite.   I kept turning my lite out to save the batteries, an he kinda got cranky with me and said turn that lite on so I can see where I'm goin.  When I did we saw this black hairy hump back thing right in front of us.   It was a SKUNK and boy did we scatter.

[JPShelton]

I have to come to the defense of Oklahoma. Like most other states, it has some very find places. Others are not so good. But the eastern Green Country is very beautiful, and the rivers are a lot of fun.

It's hard to compare states, but let's put it this way: which do you prefer, Oklahoma or Massachusetts.

My family is Cherokee. My mother is white, and loves her church and the town I was raised in here in Texas. If she would, my wife and I would move her to the Talaquah area so fast, Texas would wonder what happened to us. My wife was born in southeastern Oklahoma. I love Texas, and am Texan to the bone, but Oklahoma in the southeastern area is as good as it gets. Massachusetts? Let the yankees have it.

Osiyo ("Hello" in Tsalagi)

I'm an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation, getting my blood from my maternal granparents, with my grandfather being listed on the "Final Rolls of the Dawes Commission" in 1902, when he was four years old.  I moved from San Juan Capistrano, CA to Tahlequah in August of 2007 and there isn't enough "adela" (money) in the world to get me to move back.

I live on the fringe of town on the south side, but still in town.  Even so, in less than fifteen minutes from my door, I can be out on the Illinois River or Barren Fork with a smallmouth bass putting a serious bend in my fly rod.  Likewise, it takes me about 15 minutes to get from my door to the shooting range on the Cherokee WMA near the community of Zeb.   My public land deer hunting spot is just as close.

The only thing I miss about California is the excellent quail and chukar hunting, but the only regret I have about moving here is that I wish I would have done it sooner.

-JP

-JP

[williamlayton]

Now, Sam and Davy were both from tennessee and you know they didn't keep good records back in that day, but one was Houston and the other Crockett.
Now the only connection I know of is that both have towns in TEXAS, by GOD, named after them.
S/E OKLAHOMA is beautiful.
Blessings

[okielectrician]

JPShelton I have fished the Illinois and the barren fork many many times,all you need is a light weight rod and reel with a few small rebel crawdads and a whole lot of fun catching those brownies all day,I love to float the Illinois but just during the week,I let the wild people have it on the weekends.

[FourBee]

 

JPShelton ~ The only thing I miss about California is the excellent quail and chukar hunting, but the only regret I have about moving here is that I wish I would have done it sooner.

  
                                    Yep; You Gotta Love Oklahoma!

[rex6666]

JPShelton I have fished the Illinois and the barren fork many many times,all you need is a light weight rod and reel with a few small rebel crawdads and a whole lot of fun catching those brownies all day,I love to float the Illinois but just during the week,I let the wild people have it on the weekends.

I have floated the Illinois lots of times, when the floating was over, i would walk down from camp and find some shift water at the head of a pool and the smallies would hit just about anything you threw at them. Great fun, my
kids 36 and 40 yrs old want to go back up this summer.

[rex6666]

Now, Sam and Davy were both from tennessee and you know they didn't keep good records back in that day, but one was Houston and the other Crockett.
Now the only connection I know of is that both have towns in TEXAS, by GOD, named after them.
S/E OKLAHOMA is beautiful.
Blessings

what i was refering to was i think it was Crocket said you can go to hell and i'll
go to Texas, when he didn't get relected.

[rockbilly]

I spent a lot of time in OK back in the late 50s while stationed at Ft. Chaffey AR.  To get away from the post we went to Tulsa almost every weekend.  I met my first true love there, she was a student at Monte Cansio. at that time an all girls school.

I will never forget the first time I met Hank Thompson, it was on a deer lease South of Brownwood,Tx.  I related a story to him about an incident I was involved in as a youngster.  

I walked into a bar on New Years eve in Port Lavaca, Tx.  The band hadn't started yet so I dropped a quarter in the jukebox and played a couple of tunes, one was Hank's song "Oklahoma Hills."  Some big guy at the bar told me that if I played it again he would reject it, being young and full of gusto I played it again, he rejected and while doing so I kicked him in the butt as hard as I could, needless to say we "danced" around for awhile until cooler heads prevailed.  Shortly afterwards an older couple I knew came in and invited me to join them at their table.  I had no sooner sat down that here comes the guy I had just been fighting with, My friend introducted me to him, it was his son.  His father told him that I was a very good friend and helped him a lot.  We talked a few minutes and he told us he had to go to work, it was time for the band to start, he got up on stage and said he was going to play a tune for a new friend and kicked off with "Oklahoma Hills."  Hank gathered up several tapes from his bus, signed them and gave them to me, I still enjoy hearing him sing and crank up one of his tapes every now and them. ( Hank Thompson was a Texas boy but spent much of his singing carreer in Oklahoma City.)

I never had any real tight ties to OK, but have spent some time there and enjoyed every minute of it.

[petemi]

So what is going on in the State Legislatures today.  There is absolutely nothing I can find on the news about any of this.  It's Obam supressed?

Pete

[okielectrician]

On Monday, May 18, House Bill 1025 was sent to Governor Brad Henry (D) for his consideration.  HB 1025 would prohibit private employers, public employers, and public officials from inquiring about a job applicant’s firearm ownership

This bill, sponsored by State Representative Rex Duncan (R-35) and State Senator Anthony Sykes (R-24), was introduced in direct response to a lengthy employment questionnaire created by the newly-elected Obama Administration.  The questionnaire asked applicants interested in working for the Obama team a number of detailed questions regarding firearm ownership. Gun owners in Oklahoma and across the country expressed outrage at the President of the United States for including questions about personal firearm ownership on an employment application. HB 1025 was met with overwhelming, bi-partisan support in both chambers of the Oklahoma Legislature.

We will be watching this one

[Mohawk]

On Monday, May 18, House Bill 1025 was sent to Governor Brad Henry (D) for his consideration.  HB 1025 would prohibit private employers, public employers, and public officials from inquiring about a job applicant’s firearm ownership

This bill, sponsored by State Representative Rex Duncan (R-35) and State Senator Anthony Sykes (R-24), was introduced in direct response to a lengthy employment questionnaire created by the newly-elected Obama Administration.  The questionnaire asked applicants interested in working for the Obama team a number of detailed questions regarding firearm ownership. Gun owners in Oklahoma and across the country expressed outrage at the President of the United States for including questions about personal firearm ownership on an employment application. HB 1025 was met with overwhelming, bi-partisan support in both chambers of the Oklahoma Legislature.

We will be watching this one

  Thumbs up on that one. If I was asked that question during a job interview I would be the most unemployable person around with his middle fingers in the upright position.