AUTUMN ADVENTURES....Part II

After eating a quick breakfast, loading a small ice chest, and filling the tank with gasoline, we pointed the SUV in a northerly direction and hit the Interstate headed to Oklahoma!

Once out of Texas we began to see the Choctaw Nation Casinos. Prior to this, the only casinos into which I'd ventured were the Las Vegas, Nevada variety. Considering I needed to make a rest stop, the casino was as likely a place as any. I used the rest facilities and then wandered around the casino floor for a bit. My traveling companion decided he might as well use the facilities too, which afforded me the opportunity to sit at a 1 cent (yes, you read that correctly) slot machine. I figured, what the hell!!

I had two single dollar bills in my possession and decided to play until these two bills were depleted. Knowing my ability to gamble, I figured it wouldn't take long! So I got busy pushing buttons for credits and lines. My cohort returned and I tried to hurry the inevitable loss. First I won 6 free games. Then I won 75 credits. I asked my companion to please bring me a soft drink (I was working HARD trying to lose and needed some of the free beverages). He returned with a root beer and I was only shy of ending my game by 20 credits. We needed to hit the road. We had a destination. The next thing you know, I won something and the machine now showed I had $3.12 winnings. I cashed out, laughing all the while that my first trip to the Choctaw Casino netted me $1.12. I figured they had basically paid me to use the restroom and have a root beer. It made my day!!


After the casino ordeal, H took over the driving and I started shooting pictures of every and any thing. I think I rode most of the 550+ miles with the viewfinder pressed to my face.

I could see this glorious bridge approaching rapidly. Camera in place, settings locked in, I started releasing the shutter with a burst of continuous shots ......

And this is what I saw!!!! Sometimes it is REALLY a disadvantage being short. My vantage point was not exactly were it needed to be.

During a drive through the Beaver Bend State Park in Broken Bow, Oklahoma we saw these pretty brown ladies. I also saw a gray squirrel which made me very happy. We only have the red squirrels in Dallas and I loathe them! (Glorified Rats with Bushy Tails)

Then we got to the good stuff! This stream was glorious. The rules for trout fishing were posted nearby. Made me wish our adventure had included some fly fishing. Maybe next time we should make this park our destination and include fishing and camping on the agenda.

Those of you in the north and northeast no doubt see far more autumn color than we do here in the south. Our conditions are usually less than prime for spectacular fall showings. What is shown in these pictures is not far from as good as it gets. There tends to be more evergreen trees than hardwoods.

Now we are in the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas, near the town of Mena.

Once inside the forest I began experimenting with tripods, monopods, filters, and all my various lenses. I was in my element!!

At one of the vistas there was a swarm of walking sticks (the insect). There were literally hundreds who suffered death-by-tires and a few live creatures suffered the wrath of curious children and weird amateur photographers. (My family would likely tell you there was nothing weird about me being enthralled by this creature because I used to keep collected and preserved insect specimens in my bedroom closet as I was growing up!)

All too soon this is what we saw in the west. We were more than 200 miles from Dallas and needed to call it a day.

Thanks to my navigator for getting us there without incident. You know who you are!!

Until further adventures...