Okies in Ecuador: “It’s a Wrap.”

October 5, 2010 Red Dirt Kelly

You might have noticed that when visiting the RDC Travel page, there is a photo at the bottom referencing a series called “Okies in Ecuador.” This blog created for the NewsOK Travel section was written and produced by my brother, Quentin Bomgardner, and illustrated with photos by he and my two daughters, Rachel and Rylee Roberts.

The format of the NewsOK site isn’t conducive to easy navigation. Therefore, “Q” created a web page where you can now begin on Day 1, travel with them through the end of their journey on Day 14, plus review a few extra photograph collections and sound file entries covering their experiences.

As a mother of the girls who traveled, I enjoyed reviewing all this work because I’ll never get that kind of detail in the living room at night…and the girls are pretty decent about sharing stories. As a sister, I was excited for the girls to take their first big excursion away from home with their uncle. And as a reader, I felt like I got a very good view of a place I’ve never visited. An excellent view. Now I might want to go myself!

Thanks Quentin, Rachel and Rylee…loved the journey, and love that I can revisit through this series any time I wish.

Red Dirt Kelly

Click the banana photo to visit an indexed page where you can start their journey from the beginning.

Bananas grow UP - Ecuador, 2010. Photo by Rylee Roberts.

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Reading Room

Hello, handsome. Thanks for protecting my peepers.

October 5, 2010 Red Dirt Kelly

Before I met you I would keep a bottle of TheraTears on my desk and nightstand. Dry, bloodshot eyes were a daily reminder that too much of my work was done while staring at a less-than-optimal screen.

Before I met you, I could usually read only one 20-35 page .pdf formatted research article online. The remainder of my homework or files for my own research I would have to print off, killing forests. And yes, I meant to type the plural form of that word. Today I read 92 pages in a row…not one eye drop.

Before I met you, I would have to review information online using my whopping 6.7 pound Dell Latitude laptop. I still love you dear laptop, but only for working, processing thousands of words or hundreds of thousands of variables. I have another love for surfing and e-reading now.

And before I met you, I was still just a wee bit Apple shy. I was still walking on the proverbial format fence wondering which product was my favorite for writing down my daily thoughts in Red Dirt Chronicles blog.

Not any more. You, my dear iPad, have changed all that. And for having you in my life now – I am very, very grateful.

iKisses and iHugs,

Red Dirt Kelly

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Homestead and Garden, Oklahoma culture

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch: LMIRL — Let’s Meet In Real Life

October 4, 2010 Guests and Former Contributors

Jet is a rescued Mustang. She got her name because she was a "frequent flyer" in the Mustang adoption circuit.

When did it happen? When did I become so dependent on technology? Even in the country, we are not without “city luxuries” like Internet, satellite radio and a DVR. However, the other day I had to turn in my work computer for an upgraded version. I was without the machine in my classroom for only a couple of hours, but I noticed a shift in the awareness of my surroundings. I should have taken that as a sign of how my evening at home would go.

No computer. Phone turned off.

It was a beautiful evening in the country. As soon as I entered their pasture, the animal migration began: the goats head to the shed, but the horses came to me. After all, I have the carrots and they know that. After feeding everyone, I took advantage of Jet’s lingering. She let me groom her from mane to tail while Roxy stood by and simply watched. I was able to brush her thick black mane; it’s so healthy now that she is living with us and away from the horses that used to tear out chunks with their teeth. As I ran my hands down her leg to remove the fly bots that had accumulated in just one week, I noticed crimson highlights right above her hoof. Wow. My horse is not just brown. She is brown, crimson, auburn, and black. She is gorgeous. Her Mustang brand reminds me that she was captured and taken from her home, but I take her head dropped near my chest to mean that it’s okay. She let me run my hands over her eyes and scratch under her halter, and for good measure I kiss the soft flesh of her muzzle. This is it. This is what life is all about.

I’m sure none of this would have happened with a phone in one hand.

Roxy is a beautiful gaited saddle horse. She was purchased so my husband would have a horse to ride. She also holds the title of "Alpha Mare" in our small goat/ horse herd.

I wanted to write about it. No computer. I scrounged up a legal pad and took some notes. This is hard without my computer; the task can wait. I checked my email from my phone and remembered I had a DVR’d television show to watch. Technology habits sure die hard, don’t they?

Somebody, please, don’t let me forget what it’s like to live life with my hands on something other than a keyboard.