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Red Dirt Rambler

Red Dirt Ramblers Trip #1 Final Stop: Wagon Creek Creamery, Helena, OK

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When I was younger, all I could think about was traveling and perhaps living somewhere other than my home state of Oklahoma.

When I reached college age, all I could think about was traveling and perhaps living somewhere within the region of Oklahoma, but certainly outside of the state.  Arkansas? Colorado? I needed mountains.  Or at least really tall hills.

When I reached thirty I took our children on short trips around the state and shared information with them about what sites were, the history behind them, and meanings attached to certain landmarks.  I was glad our state had cool little places like Horsethief Canyon.  For a mere $3.00 suggested donation, you can hike all day around the place and read about the “hanging tree,” imagine horsethiefs camping out by the river, and hang out with your family – which is probably the coolest part of all.

Now that I’m 47, I can’ t get enough of Oklahoma and the people living in our state.  And stops like “Wagon Creek Creamery” in Helena, Oklahoma continue to proof this thesis for me over and over again.  Can I tell you just how cool this local dairy establishment is?  Julie and I were only there 30 minutes and I think I learned more about paddocking and the milk cow rotation processes than I’ve known all together my entire life.  Our teacher?  One of the co-owners.  The classroom?  His combination office and what looked to be a dining room of sorts.  The students?  Julie and I.  And, man did we learn stuff!

Let me back up just a bit.  We had left the Vintage Inn B&B early that morning in order to make one final stop before we headed back to the greater metropolitan life of Oklahoma City.  We were nearing the farm and pulled into a small convenience store in Helena to double check our directions.  If you ever want to find anything in any small town, just find a convenience store with booths and coffee in the morning, and you’ll find a group of locals who will get you where you’re going.  That was certainly the case this time.  I pulled up, ran in to the little place, spied a group of about 8 men crammed into two booths and a couple of them sitting on stools, ran over and said:  “Hello there, local group of citizens.  I need your help!”

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Oklahoma culture, Red Dirt Rambler

Red Dirt Ramblers – Stop #2: Meet Up With Jim Fields at Dan McGuinness in Moore OR Edmond

Dan McGuinness - Opening Night, Edmond, OK. Photo from their FB site, taken about 3 months ago.

(Julie’s view) If there’s one thing I’ve learned about being a part of the Red Dirt Chronicles for this short time, it’s that there is no topic or interviewee off limits.  So when Kelly mentioned wanting to investigate some of the local music talent, I knew I had the perfect person to interview: Jim Fields.  Jim is part owner of the Dan McGuinness Pub franchise in the Moore and Edmond areas and my ex-husband.  Don’t freak out.

Jim is originally from Bethany but connected with Lee Adams, owner of Adams Restaurants, while he was living in Memphis, TN.  Jim worked for T.J. Mulligan’s at an entry-level position and gradually worked his way into management. All the while he was missing his home state of Oklahoma.  It took some convincing, but Jim talked Lee into bypassing Arkansas all together, and they opened the Moore location in November 2006 and the Edmond location in September 2010.

We met up with Jim at the at the Edmond store.  He was in a meeting so we took a seat at one of the tall pub tables near the bar.  The sweetest waitress took good care of us while I tried to give Kelly a little bit of background information on the restaurants.  Jim joined us and he and Kelly talked for a while about some of the local music talent.

But here’s the best part:  Jim told me he had something that used to belong to me and he wanted to know if I recognized it.  We walked to another section of the restaurant and I spotted what he was talking about immediately.

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