On the Horizon: Bracing for another waterless storm

It’s still hard for me to get over the fact that water is being rationed. I come from a state where water is everywhere and we never have to worry about how to water livestock, the grass or ourselves. This concept of only being allowed to use so much water per day reminds me of the stories about war time and having to ration food and supplies for the troops.

I have covered the drought from a journalistic standpoint since its beginning in 2011. I’ve witnessed the heartbreak, the struggles, the concerns, and the farmers’ realization that their livelihood may not be a reality any longer. I have sympathized with them and, on occasion, have had to put down the camera and share in their tears.

In this week’s video blog, we take a look at the year 2013 and how all signs point to a continued drought with record setting heat. We talk with a cattle producer whose goal in life is to raise cattle and be the best producer he can be.

In the words of Paul Harvey on the 2013 Dodge Ram Super Bowl commercial, we need someone who will be dedicated to feeding and clothing the world “so God made a farmer.”
Andy Barth

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Oklahoma is Artsy & Writsy – Read This to Hear Why!

Screen Shot 2013-02-05 at 8.46.22 PM We’ve been working on an event, and here’s the low-down, the info, the 4-1-1…capeesh?

2nd Friday Art Walk Offers Unique Imaginary Family Project and live music from John Calvin.

START AT STASH on Friday, February 8th for Downtown Norman’s 2nd Friday Art Walk from 6-10 p.m. Among the features this month will be the book release of “The Imaginary Family Project (IFP),” a compendium of 52 short stories by 51 different authors written weekly over the period of one year. As a bonus, every one who attends will be given a free vintage photograph as a souvenir. Also not to miss will be the dreamy croonings from folk singer/songwriter John Calvin. This free show is sponsored by the Norman Arts Council and STASH.
More about the IFP:

Inspired by a happenstance trip to a random flea market in Tulsa, and a subsequent brainstorming session with his facebook friends, The 2011 Imaginary Family Project (IFP) was coordinated by occasional amateur artist Quentin Bomgardner and co-sponsored by The Red Dirt Chronicles.

The project was based upon “lost” vintage photographs, which had been acquired at flea markets, garage sales, estate sales, and eBay – heirloom collections, with no heir.

Over half of the authors are residents of Oklahoma and include the likes of Sterlin Harjo, Melissa Scaramucci, Charles Martin, Dorothy Alexander, and Wampus Reynolds. Other authors include academics from major university creative writing departments, people who have never written prior to this project, and other unique individuals with their own stories as to why they chose to join this project. Ultimately, stories were written from all over the United States and across 3 different continents.

Every week a different author “found” one photograph by creating an imagined history around one of its subjects. Kicked off in the first week of January, 2011 and completed during the last week of that year, the work has now been compiled into book form.

This publication is the group presentation of that collective work, and represents exactly what “The Imaginary Family Project” was intended to be: 52 stories for forgotten photographs selected by their authors, and written from a wide variety of diverse, creative and unique perspectives.

The creators and authors hope you enjoy reading the works as much as they enjoyed seeing each story come to life.

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The authors dedicate this project to anyone who will ever find themselves the subject of a lost photo.

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On the Horizon: Oklahoma Wind Industry

When you’re known as the state where the wind comes sweeping down the plains, it only makes sense that Oklahoma would have a large industry for wind. Many of you have probably noticed some of the large turbines that can be seen along some roads so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to find out that wind has become an important energy source across the nation, especially in Oklahoma.

In this video blog, we take a look at why wind developers were nervous at the end of 2012 and what’s happening in the wind industry today.
Kela Kelln

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Drinking from the Cup of Friendship: My Tidal School Winery Road Trip

IMG_0037It’s been a while since I’ve been on a good old-fashioned road trip. Evidence of this fact was demonstrated when I stopped at the turnpike entrance on I-44 east, pulled over on the shoulder and called Mick.

“Um, I think I missed that Park-and-Ride lot, babe. Are you SURE it’s there?”

“There” meant “on the north side of N.E. 122nd, across from the Shell truck stop, but not yet over the I-35 bridge.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s still there…” I could tell he was using his patient voice, and I deeply appreciated that as I did a U-turn, drove along the shoulder facing oncoming traffic, waved at most of the cars as I passed, and headed back to the mystery place.

“Oh, THERE it is!” I said as I suddenly spied a brand new thing I had never witnessed before.

I pulled into the parking lot while telling Mick goodbye. “Hey, there are my friends. Thanks sweetie, gotta go!”

There they were: Katie, Rose, and a Full Day waiting on us to get started. In no time flat, we were packed up and headed back to I-44, this time driving the proper direction down the on-ramp to the turnpike.

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We were headed to Drumright, Oklahoma to check out the Tidal School Winery. Armed with our “Living Social” Deals printed on clean white paper, we chatted about stuff (and by “stuff” I mean girl talk…and by “girl talk” I mean, well, stuff) until we hit the Stroud exit.

I thought our trip would be 1:45 to get to Drumright. We got there in an hour flat. And we were hungry. Continue reading Drinking from the Cup of Friendship: My Tidal School Winery Road Trip

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My Little Victory Garden: A Gal Can Only Wait So Long…

For two weeks I’ve been dropping hints to Mick:

I was wondering if you might be in the mood to till my garden? It’s almost time, ya know.

Hey, so what exactly would need to be done in order for you to till my garden? Do you need oil or spark plugs or anything?

I was thinking…if I got the rototiller out of the shed and pulled it up to the patio, would that help you with tilling my garden?

A gal can only wait so long.

So what if it’s still two weeks before I should really be planting my early spring veggies? And so what if I have to go out to the garden every few evenings in February because my seeds have germinated, my tiny sprouts have started, and a cold snap is in the forecast? And so what IF every brain cell in my head knows that I really should wait just a bit more before feeling the soft earth in my hands and obsessively spacing my tiny seeds just so? Like Rafiki said to Simba in “The Lion King,” – It is TIME.

Therefore today was the day that I got down on my knees and worked every nook and cranny of My Little Victory Garden. No weed had a chance; they were all pulled up, every single root.

I paid homage to the grasshopper skeletons I found. I apologized to the cricket family for disrupting their home while thanking them for the reworked soil. I pulled as many oak leaves from the ground as I could find so as not to induce my seedlings with too much tannic acid. I carefully dug up the last three carrots and the four green onions, moved my purple sage, and transplanted my Gilly flowers. And then I smiled…and went to find my husband.

And this is what he did:

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So I could do this:

Continue reading My Little Victory Garden: A Gal Can Only Wait So Long…

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Showcasing Red Dirt culture ~ authored and managed by contributors with connections to the great state of Oklahoma.