Tag Archives: drought

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: What happens next?

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Hot, dry. Hot, dry. Hot, dry. It’s the same day after day and has been all Summer. Now they’re saying the La Nina that we thought was gone is coming back. Which means warmer than normal temperatures and dry weather will continue. Now normally headed into Winter, I’d be really happy with that but not this year. We are desperate for rain in much of the state so a wet Winter would have been a blessing. Now that blessing will take a miracle. And what climatologist are saying it will take to break the drought is something like a really bad hurricane.

You know, it’s really a shame when you have to pray for one natural disaster to help break another natural disaster but that’s what I’m doing. And the sooner the better because the results of this drought are adding up. See how in this week’s video blog.

Alisa Hines

 

On the Horizon: What Happens Next? from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.

Oklahoma culture, Red Dirt Rambler

Red Dirt Rambler: Smokey the Bear, The Three Amigos, Okie Bambies and Ferdinand -The Hotter Than Hades Bull

Can we talk here? Don't you love the uber-retro look of older state park signs? Coming upon this particular specimen, I suddenly felt like I was driving in a 1964 Oldsmobile F-85 Station Wagon, rubber necking at the "Don't Feed the Bears" signs.
Honk, honk! "Don't feed the bears, dear!" "Okay, darling." "Thank you, dear!" "You're welcome, darling!"

 During my “Western Oklahoma, Ho!” tour, I had one ‘burning” question I really needed to investigate.  How are Oklahoma wildlife affected by the drought?

Finding the answer was a three step process.

I didn’t know it would be a three step process; I thought it would take one. One step. (I just imagined Count Dracula saying, “Von…Von Step! Ahhh-HA HA HA HA HA!”)  But I was wrong. Continue reading Red Dirt Rambler: Smokey the Bear, The Three Amigos, Okie Bambies and Ferdinand -The Hotter Than Hades Bull →

Oklahoma culture, Red Dirt Rambler

Red Dirt Rambler: Western Oklahoma, Ho!

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On Tuesday afternoon, August the 2nd, I had reached my physical limit of everything: all the days I could work in a row, all the advising sessions I was able to think through with students, all the assignments I could possibly grade and all the hours I could sit in my office chair moving through task after task of summer responsibilities.  And while I’m sure I could have mustered the energy to grade one more paper if someone were holding Pistol Pete hostage on the university lawn screaming over a bull-horn, “We will NOT let Pete go until you grade one paper past your perceived limit!” I’m truly glad I didn’t have to.

I was done and just needed to get away.  This happens to me every Spring or Summer and is becoming a tradition.  Mick knows the power of my “I’m leaving for a couple of days, I’ll call you and let you know where I am, I’ll be safe, goodbye” message.  In fact, he now tells this to people on the phone.  I’ve heard him.

“Oh, she just has to get away for a few days.  A full school year has passed and she just needs to roam.  She’ll be back in a day or two.”

In Australia they call it “going walkabout.”  In Oklahoma, I call it “time to explore.” Or maybe, Relief. Release. Defragging. Breathing. Running Away.  One or perhaps all those descriptions work.

The problem this year, however, was that I knew wherever I chose to go I would be met with the same thing: insufferable heat, evidence of drought and swimming pools crammed with too many people trying to cool off.  So my exploration decision had nothing to do with getting away from the heat.  This time, it had everything to do with going toward the heat.  I wanted to see how bad things really were.

For weeks I had been monitoring the “OK Fires” Twitter feeds, watching as new fires were daily being reported in southwestern and western Oklahoma.  I had also monitored “#agchat” which is a weekly conversation among farmers about current issues.  They were suffering.  I don’t know why I so desperately needed to see the suffering up close and personally, but I did.  Although I haven’t lived on a farm since I left my childhood home, I still feel like an Oklahoma farmer in many ways.  I feel comfortable around farm life and people, I like to learn about agricultural issues, and I empathize when “my people” are hurting.  I made two phone calls, found a Bed and Breakfast in Elk City, booked my room and headed west early Wednesday morning.  My colleague had warned me to “Pack a water jug, Kelly.  If you break down, it could be the difference between surviving and dying.”  She’s a smart woman.  I packed a large water jug, two changes of casual clothes, sunscreen, my sunglasses and headed out the door. Continue reading Red Dirt Rambler: Western Oklahoma, Ho! →

Oklahoma Horizon TV

On the Horizon: Devastating Drought

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Few times in my life have I experienced something where I was moved to tears. When I traveled to Southwestern Oklahoma and saw the devastation brought on by the severe drought, my tears were some of the only water around. The temperature was so brutal; my equipment was too hot to touch at times. My hands were blistered from grabbing my tripod and camera.

This area has not seen any rain since October of 2010. Their grass is dried up, if it has not been burned by fire, and most of their ponds are history. Livestock and equine producers are forced to sell out because they simply cannot feed or water them. We stopped by the sale yard in Apache, OK, and the sight there was almost unbearable. The average number of cattle that runs through there is about 3,000 head of bulls and steers on Thursdays. Because of circumstances beyond control, there were over 6,000 head already there and trailers kept rolling in. When it was all said and done, auctioneers sold until 4:00 the next morning.

Growing up in Washington State, I never knew drought. I did grow up on the “dry side” of the state but we have a wonderful irrigation system that has made Eastern Washington a prime agricultural area. I never dreamed I would see the day where Americans are restricted in their water use. It was a wakeup call for me as I drove through Cement, OK, and saw very few people watering their lawns. Even when the time came to where people could water, many forfeited their chance to save water for the firemen.

A lot of times, stories like these create awareness and people take a stand to change things. Unfortunately, in this case, the change that needs to be made is RAIN. So say an extra prayer, do a rain dance, or whatever it is you may do. Because the people, the livestock and the land in Southwestern Oklahoma are drying up and are running out of options.

~Andy Barth

On the Horizon: Devastating Drought from Alisa Hines on Vimeo.