...after having moved so many times in the recent past, we ended up in of all places, Oklahoma!~struggling through the hottest and driest summer on record. Before moving here this is what I imagined:
1) Our horses grazing in an open green pasture, no longer boarded at places on the boundaries of a large city that cost a fortune for a tiny overhang and turnout. That I would step out my back door and there they would be. Reality - they are boarded, not at our house. They have bigger turnouts but it's dirt and the apple tree that is in the middle of the space that was to provide shade has been stripped of all its leaves by the hoards of grasshoppers that showed up a couple of months ago. There is nothing green left to nibble on. We are paying more to feed them hay that has to be imported than we ever have in our lives. I sometimes think they would really love to be back in San Francisco!
Yes, those are grasshoppers (I won't enlarge the photo!)
2) I would have a huge garden. Reality - the soil is red clay. I did not have the soil amendments (compost etc.) to ready everything for a real garden. Many people use raised beds here because the soil is poor. I planted a tiny corner next to the front porch with a butterfly bush, some pretty purple plant that I bought tiny starts of at the Farmer's Market and one watermellon plant that I grew from a seed. I water like crazy and have one watermellon. We estimate that mellon will cost well over $100 for water. Our water bill is out of site and that is hard to imagine when our lawn is barren and brown (except for the watermellon corner!)
The watermellon has spread out over the grass so I can't mow (good excuse!)
3) I would sit on the front porch in the evenings and talk with friends (you know the images of folks in swings and rocking chairs out on the front porch?). I DO have a nice covered front porch. I have sat on my porch and talked with friends but not much - way too hot for that the past three months!!
4) I would have chickens - I DO have chickens! Although they are on the small side and may not be laying eggs by September as anticipated. Again, just too hot and they don't eat as much as normal.
But what I have found that I never imagined was the infinite sky, birds of all shapes and sizes singing, smiles and often a quick chat from strangers at the grocery store and a desire to tell folks about it here.
When I first arrived I went to the laundromat to wash and dry clothes (not a fun task in my opinion). One early morning there was a man there before me with all his clothes spread out on the table. He was wet, the clothes were wet - he was obviously traveling sans vehicle. I asked him where he was going and he said he was just passing through. I asked him how he liked Oklahoma and he said he always enjoyed traveling through Oklahoma. He said, "This is a sweet place." So from that time forward, it has been "Sweet Oklahoma" for me.
