Oklahoma City is Booming!

We are not city friendly folks, but after an overnight in Oklahoma City (OKC) we were impressed. Before we even knew the stats, we could tell it was thriving. So we looked it up while we were driving back to Grove. Here's what some of the numbers say:

OKC has grown 5% since the 2010 census according to a CNN Money article about the 10 fastest growing cities in the USA. According to Forbes, the unemployment rate was 3.1% in 2015.  The OKC Chamber of Commerce lists many accolades, including Entrepreneur's #1 for starting a new business. Its growth has traditionally been based in livestock and petroleum products, but new tech development has been recognized in the current and forecasted boom.

We loaded up Honey in the car and treated ourselves to a break from the RV so we could check out OKC.  We stayed at the La Quinta Inn, which always allows dogs without an additional charge and is usually a nice place. It was Honey's first visit to a hotel, and she was excited (of course she's always pretty excited), but she handled it well. We were able to leave her in the motel while we went out for dinner and to see the Capitol building the next day. But first we all went downtown to the Myriad Botanical Gardens, which has a dog park! It also allows pets throughout the gardens. Happy Honey!

She wasn't the only happy one. The temperature was delightful, the air was clean and crisp, and the garden was full of fun things to photograph. The landscaping was in Fall mode - end of season grasses, year round shrubs, evergreens and trees with a bit of Fall color. The park is very strong architecturally, with an emphasis on geometric forms rather than flowers, at least at this time of year.   

The primary focal point from almost every location is the Devon Energy Building. Everything else seems to play off that building. 

Down the center of the park is a ravine with a pond/river running through it. Pictured below is a foot bridge, many-leveled paths along the river and an amphitheater.

The river is fed and complemented by various other water features. Here Rick is taking a video  capturing the changing beauty of this wave pool.

The wave pool/waterfall is right next to a band shell...

...that was a lot of fun to photograph. Here it is in relation to the Devon Energy Building...

...and the sun.

A major feature of the park is the Crystal Bridge Tropical Conservatory...

...which houses, yes, tropical plants. We missed going in, as it closes at 5pm.

There is a restaurant, also closed when we were there.

We finished with another visit to the dog park. It's a small park with astro turf and gravel, but it has fresh drinking water for the dogs, bags, shade, and seating for the people. Honey got a little play time with another visiting dog, so she was all set for a quiet evening. 

Next day we left Honey in the hotel room again and went to the Oklahoma State Capitol.  It has an immediately noticeable unique feature: an oil well right in front. 

Also in front was this statue by Allan Houser, well known Native American sculptor, entitled "As Long as Water Flows." I guess the oil rig says "As Long as Oil Flows."  The economy in Oklahoma is certainly dependent on that flowing too.

The Capitol has what we now recognize as the traditional Capitol architectural plan modeled after the US Capitol: two major wings, and front and back entrance foyers with staircases, all extending away from a multi-storied central rotunda. 

Each state varies the design with unique murals, artwork, architectural detail, and color schemes that reflect the character of their state.  

There seemed to be less intrinsic symbolism in this building than the last four we've seen. There were however many references to Native American culture and history. 

There is a striking collection of portraits throughout the building, including this one of Sequoyah, an illiterate (couldn't read or write any language) Cherokee man who single handedly invented and then taught the Cherokee alphabet and written language. He was also committed to the unification of the Cherokee Nation. 

One of the newest works of art in the Capitol is "Beyond the Centinnial" by Carlos Tello (2010).  The Iron Man-like figure in the center represents every Oklahoman, holding the future of the state in his hands. We thought it was a little bizarre.

Through the circle of lights below you can see one of the most beloved works of art in the building,  "Flight of Spirit" by Mike Larsen (1991). In the foreground it depicts five Native American ballerinas, with other Native dancers and artists behind them. One of the ballerinas is Maria Tallchief, whom I idolized as a little girl. 

This replica of the 22' statue called The Guardian, that tops the Capitol Dome, stands at the top of the front grand staircase.

On the first floor there are several additional galleries that hold temporary displays; at this time they are wonderful contemporary collections. We thought the quality and selection of the art throughout the Capitol was remarkable and would recommend a visit to the building for any art lover. 

I'll close with this portrait of Woody Guthrie, one of my heroes. He was a singer/songwriter of the American people, from my parents' generation. I grew up singing his songs and didn't even know it.  I can't help but think how I learned of his worldview through music, a powerful medium, and how it influenced who I am and what I'm doing today.

This Land Is Your Land
Words and Music by Woody Guthrie

This land is your land, this land is my land
From California to the New York island;
From the red wood forest to the Gulf Stream waters
This land was made for you and me.

As I was walking that ribbon of highway,
I saw above me that endless skyway:
I saw below me that golden valley:
This land was made for you and me.

I've roamed and rambled and I followed my footsteps
To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts;
And all around me a voice was sounding:
This land was made for you and me.

When the sun came shining, and I was strolling,
And the wheat fields waving and the dust clouds rolling,
As the fog was lifting a voice was chanting:
This land was made for you and me...

Nashville, TN: Our First Week in Music City

It's hard to believe we've been in Nashville for almost a month and this is my first post about it! (Click on this link for some music to accompany your reading.) Well, I was off to NYC for a bit, and then we had company, and then I was swamped with some academic type work that all came at once... excuses, excuses. But here goes a quick report from our first week here. 

We're staying at the Nashville Country RV Park north of Nashville, in Goodlettsville. (They've got  music on their website too.) We have to take the interstate to get almost anywhere, and the traffic can be heavy in and out of Nashville, but we're getting used to it and figuring out how to avoid the rush hour traffic when possible.

The weather was wet and dreary, so we were looking for things to do inside. Like eat. : ) No, not really, but one of the first things I did was get my haircut, and the stylist who took care of me, Bobby, was so helpful with suggestions about what to see in Nashville. He had the whole salon in on it, giving me the "must see" list. (He did a great job on my hair too, even with all the talking.) It was a perfect example of warm Southern hospitality. 

So one of the top picks was Monell's in Germantown, and they were sure right about that. Monell's is a traditional Southern home-cooking, family style restaurant in a quaint, old and refurbished neighborhood, Germantown.  Here's one of the cute homes there.

When you enter Monell's they welcome you in like family and seat you with others who have just arrived and then start bringing the food out. OMG! It's like your grandmother's best Thanksgiving meal.  Fried chicken, biscuits, cornbread, green beans, lemonade, macaroni and cheese, sweet tea, pork chops, meatloaf, peach preserves, mashed potatoes, corn pudding, cucumber salad, and on and on and on. Pretty soon I was literally giddy with it all. 

It was one of the best meals I have ever had. No exaggeration. And the company was great too. All around you people are having a good time talking to each other, telling stories, making jokes. We met a nice guy who gave us more recommendations about what to do and see in Nashville: the best BBQ and the best hot chicken - a Nashville specialty. (More about hot chicken another time.) 

Another day we ventured downtown in the gloomy weather to see the Country Music Hall of Fame. After parking we walked by the Music City Center (below) which is a huge new convention center right downtown on the Cumberland River.  As we walked by we spotted some folks in costume, and thought it must be Halloween related. But as we got closer it became clear that there was a preponderance of super heroes, and we discovered it was Comic Con!!

Now, for those of you who don't know what Comic Con is - it's a convention of comic book fans who traditionally dress up as their favorite comic book characters. It also draws out the sci-fi, fantasy and horror characters as well. We thought we'd just walk through the lobby and see what we could see, and we saw a lot.... among them, a couple of superman-superwoman pairs...

...a storm trooper at the WEAPON CHECK POINT!?!

...and this ghoulish guy whose name I don't know, if he even has one.

So, that was different.  

The Country Music Hall of Fame is right next door, and seemed kind of tame compared to Comic Con, though a lot more polished. It's got three floors of collectables from the whole history of country music. Sprinkled throughout are some very informative historical videos and music sound tracks playing. Below is Bill Monroe's mandolin.

And here's Web Pierce's cadillac, with tooled leather upholstery, silver dollars on the console, a shot gun mounted on the trunk and six-guns in the doors. Wild.

It took us awhile to figure out that most of the building is this historical museum of country music, ending with contemporary artists' stuff like Carrie Underwood's costumes from her last tour. All the memorabilia and exhibits are not limited to artists who are actually in the Hall of Fame. That you see at the very end when you enter this round hall with plaques on the wall for those artists who were actually inducted. Kenny Rogers is just getting inducted this year. 

The words that run around the wall are "Will the Circle Be Unbroken." Very fitting.  

On our way home we drove through The District, which is centered around 

Broadway and Printer's Row, downtown. More about that soon.

We've done so much in Nashville, and I'll do my best to get caught up in the next few days.

 Y'all come back for the Parthenon, Cheekwood Gardens, The Hermitage, more of the District, 

and The Grand Old Opry!

(By the way, we watched the Country Music Awards last night. How perfect is that?)

New England Contra Dance: Peterborough, NH

OK, here it is: a piece of real New England. The contra dance. Readers may recall that Rick and I try to find contra dances wherever we go, but contra dance originated in New England, and the tradition remains the strongest here. One of the most beautiful dance halls in the country is in the Town House of Peterborough, NH.  Town meeting houses are another NE tradition - a multi purpose building in the center of town, used mostly as church and meeting house. In some towns contra dances are held there as well.

The musicians for the evening were Jeremiah McLane and Ethan Hazzard-Watkins. We were familiar with Jeremiah MaClane from one of his earlier albums that we listen to a lot: Smile When You're Ready. One of the things that makes contra dancing so wonderful is the traditional live music, that often builds to a driving beat that keeps the dancing strong and exciting.

Even though there were only two of them, they created a hall full of good music and happy dancers. 

Peterborough has this great balcony at one end of the hall; a nice place to take a break, although it gets pretty hot in the summer.

The floor is particularly smooth and the dancers are particularly good. Many, like us, have been dancing for decades. The bouncy and bold youngsters (of which there were a few) may find us kind of a drag, but experienced and calm dancers create a cohesive flow to the dance that we have missed as we travel and visit other dances.   

Ahhh, it felt good to be back.

The biggest excitement of the evening though was a close encounter with a HUGE bull moose on the road back to The Greenfield Inn Bed and Breakfast, in Greenfield, NH.  He was just mozying along in the dark, crossing the road,  heedless of us. We missed his nose by just a few feet as he eased toward the center line and we swerved by him on the right. Lucky for all of us. 

Greenfield is a very small and quaint town, with quite a few stone walls and classic old NE homes, both large...

and small. Typically the houses are clapboard and painted white, and many have L's that house the kitchens, and barns nearby. Many older ones are cape style (below), some are saltboxes, and I don't know the architectural style of the others, like the one above.

In the center of town is a cemetery...

and a town meeting house, like in Peterborough, only not as grand. This one is the oldest original and continuously used town house in New Hampshire, built in 1795. This one is actually much more typical, as there are many very small towns with small churches/town meeting houses like this one. Peterborough's is unusually grand.

Well, I think this about does it for New Hampshire. In a couple of days we'll be heading back to Vermont to pick up sweet Kona, and to Massachusetts to pick up our home. Although it has been really nice to have a vacation (the overnight at the Greenfield Inn) from our vacation (three weeks at the Nordic Inn in Lincoln) from our vacation (RV full timing), we are looking forward to being "home"  again. Home, by the way, will be in our RV in Brattleboro, Vermont for the next month. See you there.

The Grand Woodbine Opry

Perhaps you've heard of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, TN. It was the live radio show and stage where many of the biggest bluegrass and country musicians of the 20th century got their start and played for decades. Names you might know are Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe, Earl Scruggs, Ralph Stanley and comedian Minnie Pearl.  The Woodbine Opry is not a radio show, but is an open stage for local bluegrass and old time gospel musicians to share their talent and the joy of live traditional acoustic music. They put on a high quality show every Friday and Saturday (amplified country) nights to a close to full house in a community center auditorium. They also have a home made cake raffle at the intermission.

The man below was acting as the master of ceremonies some of the time, but responsibilities seemed to be shared all around.  As you can see, the musicians and most of the audience were older folks. There were two younger musicians, a woman fiddle player and a young man banjo player. It was touching to think of this rich community carrying on its musical tradition so effectively, but with almost no generation carrying it into the future.  It reminded me a little of contra dancing in some parts of the country. 

Here you'll see, from left to right, musicians playing fiddle, guitar, dobro, mandolin, and two banjos.  There were multiple artists of almost every instrument, plus singers.  

The young man playing the banjo was a regular prodigy. I got a good video of him playing an unbelievable piece, with all kinds of hot and flashy moves.  Sometimes young banjo players get into the technique and speed of the playing, but lose their sense of rhythm and cooperation with the rest of the musicians, but not this kid.  The only thing he was lacking was a sense of presence. He didn't know what to do with himself when people clapped. If we have a faster internet connection at our next stop I'll upload it on Youtube and post a link here.

I was thrilled to be there. Back in another lifetime I was married to a bluegrass musician wannabe, and played the banjo, autoharp, dulcimer and banjo-uke myself. (I was just a rank beginner but enjoyed myself anyway.) We used to make the circuit of bluegrass festivals and parking lot pickin' parties. I loved hearing the old songs again and being with other enthusiasts.  The musicians ranged from pretty good to superb, as would be the case in any community. But the feelings were pure and the audience was loving it all.  If you're ever passing through Georgia on 95, I hope you'll stop by and see them. Oh, and admission is free!

Butchart Gardens: Part III

As the shadows lengthened we wound our way back through the gardens toward the amphitheater for the evening's free concert by the Victoria (BC) Symphony.  I still had enough energy for a few more pictures.  The light was brightening and sharpening everything.

We passed a kind of orange coneflower (echinacea) I'd never seen before:

Lilies:

Scotsman's purse (empty is what I believe the name implies):

Another great pairing of a drooping grass and begonias:

Salpiglossis (a new one for me):

Multicolored sweet peas:

Fuchsia (It grows into shrubs here):

The concert is held in an outdoor bandshell with a large, gently sloping lawn for seating. Many people come to the park in the evening just for the concert, and bring lawn chairs, blankets and picnics. 

We went back to the car and got the two foldable chairs that we always carry with us. While we waited for the concert to start we each explored the nearby grounds a little and found things we hadn't seen yet, like the fountain where they set off the fireworks on Saturday nights, a totem pole or two, more perennial beds, and a mixed menagerie carousel.

Check out the cat with the mouse in its mouth.

The theme of the concert was Paris, starting with something Mozart wrote there and ending with a selection of more contemporary works. 

After awhile Rick and I got restless and wanted to see what the gardens looked like illuminated.  There are little lamps placed throughout the gardens to allow for safe and interesting evening strolling.

We discovered that the fountain at one end of the Sunken Gardens was also lit up at night, and was dancing like a little Las Vegas Bellagio.

We ended up at Butchart Cove for one last look in the long northern twilight before heading home.

The following day we headed back to the USA. We loved Canada and had a lot of fun there. It was like visiting a parallel universe where everything is really familiar, but yet new and just a little bit different.  It was frankly, a little spendy, especially gas and groceries, our two major expenses.  Our next few weeks we will be working our way east through Washington state, toward Idaho for most of August.