Back To OKC

As promised, here are some more pictures from Oklahoma City trip. These are actually of a small area near Turner Falls, just north of the border from Texas. There is a wildlife drive through with exotic animals and you can stop and feed them....if you buy their food. I couldn't figure out what their food is but it looked like guinnea pig or rabbit feed or something like that.

First we saw the Emu. Well, they saw us first. They were waiting on the side of the road, kind of like they were at a bus stop. We pulled up, rolled the window down and before I could get the cup of food outside of the car they were eating away. I was traumatized because these birds were pecking at 0r near me. Chaz, my traveling companion had the presence of mind to tell me to hold the food outside of the window....it was his car afterall that was being bathed with food remnants covered with Emu slobber. Unfortunately we neglected to get a picture of them.

My favorite were the giraffes. They are such large animals with awkward body shapes but they seem so graceful. I got lots of pictures of them. They were actually quite far away but due to their long necks, one was able to reach the car and more importantly, the food. His (or her) long black tongue unfolded from its mouth to reach the morsels inside the cup. The poor thing was struggling so hard I just let it take the cup. I wonder how much Pepsi would like to have this picture?

They had zebras, antelopes, all types of deer. There were these miniature Italian donkeys that were so cute. I fed them for a while and turned to say something to Chaz when I realized we were being watched. I could not speak, all I could do was point and say 'auurrgh' or something to that effect. When he turned to look out his window, this guy was patiently waiting for food. He let us know of his displeasement of having to wait. He put his snout mark on the window. Really, I think he was trying to get the food as the window was going down. He was very gentle and seemed sweet.

The whole drive took about an hour or a little more. There was a gift shop but it was a long hike from the parking lot to the shop. The airconditioning was not working well. But they had a snack bar, souvenirs and two large snakes inside. There was a petting zoo on site also but we were hot tired and I was ready to go home.

One of the strangest things at this place were the turtles and aquatic birds. When you stopped your car, the animals were conditioned to come to the car for food. Well, we stopped to look at a couple of turtles sunning themselves and I realized they were coming toward the car. Chaz pulled up to another pond to test my theory and certainly I was right. The turtles, cranes and ducks were making their way toward the vehicle. Crazy animals.

Sorry these pictures were so late in getting here. Life's been hectic. I took a web development class that nearly ate my lunch. It was quite difficult for me. Then, I was sick. I had strep throat over the 4th of July holiday weekend. So, again, I am sorry for the delay.

Until next time.

Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence….it declares our Country’s independence from Great Britain and other countries that may oppress our citizens.

Have you ever thought about the men who signed the Declaration? Who were they? What kind of lives did they lead? What did they face for committing high treason?

According to http://www.joyfulministry.com/, 24 were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners: men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured. The web site does state they cannot vouch for the validity of this statement but it certainly rings true.

Why did these men decided to break apart from their country, to commit such a heinous crime, what were their lives like? What condition was the country in? Following are excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, with translation into today’s American English. This is a beautifully written document, “people don’t talk like that anymore”…a quote from Nicholas Cage’s character Ben Gates in the movie National Treasure.

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

Well, that’s pretty self explanatory to me, but let’s breaks it down. When in the course of human events it becomes necessary….when a group of people believes it essential…for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another….for that group of people to break free from its oppressors….and to assume among the powers of the earth the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them….and to claim man’s God-given rights as human beings,…. a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them separation…requires validation of these God-given rights to all men, even though it means breaking the law and separating from your government.

These men and their families lived lives of severe oppression. They outline some of the atrocities created by the British government under the name of the King within the Declaration. So tired of power-hungry politicians, these men were brilliant enough to create a government system that cannot (should not) allow one branch to become more powerful than another branch. Today’s political system is not what our forefathers envisioned. They didn’t, they couldn’t have imagined that large corporations with bottomless bank accounts could pay off government officials for favors.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

The people of our country during that time lived life under a King who committed terrible crimes against his people. To read the entire Declaration of Independence, go to http://www.ushistory.org/Declaration/. The signers of the Declaration faced certain death for the crimes they committed by breaking away from the crown and forming an independent government. By doing so, today we all have freedoms we take for granted. We believe these freedoms are rights, but they aren't rights, they are privileges. They paid a large price for freedom and we should all remember that Freedom Is Never Free.

Until next time.

Oklahoma City--The Return

Last year, I went to Oklahoma City and saw an exhibit in the Oklahoma City Museum of Art. I was so impressed with this permanent exhibit and the artist that I went again this year. Dale Chihuly works with glass, different sizes, shapes, colors and textures. He blows the glass by hand into a pre-determined size, shape, color, etc.

Chihuly himself worked with the OKCMOA in setting up this permanent display. The key to the beauty of this particular exhibit is the lighting. Strategically placed lights permeate the exhibit, flooding the rooms with multi-colored lights as they streak through the glass. In one particular part of this exhibit, the glass is placed above the viewer on a plexiglass plate (or several plates) along a narrow walkway. Lights beam down through the pieces of glass giving the viewer an underwater effect. It was very nice and as I mentioned, worth seeing more than once.

Many of his pieces are visible in the most obscure places. One night, after viewing the exhibit for the first time, I was watching the TV show “Frasier”. One of my favorite shows; first because it’s set in Seattle and secondly because it’s smart comedy….not the usual mundane sitcom stuff that plagues TV. Anyway, as I watched Frasier interact with others inside his apartment, in the background on a pedestal is a familiar sight. I spotted a Chihuly vase, a green one flecked with various colors on the outside and lined with red inside. Suddenly, I began to notice Chihuly-like pieces everywhere.

This year’s trip to Oklahoma City focused a little more on the area known as Bricktown. Most towns have an industrial area that’s been abandoned. Many cities have tried some type of revitalization efforts to bring extra revenue but OKC has succeeded in this attempt. Bricktown is the run-down abandoned warehouse or industrial area turned tourist trap; and quite successful at that. I went with my friend Charles this year and we saw people from all over. There were even a lot of people from OKC in Bricktown.

Almost immediately upon arrival we ran into a group of young girls who were trying to get his attention. I kept hearing them say, “Sir,….Sir…..Sir.” Finally, I said, “I think they are talking to you.” So we stopped and acknowledged them. This group of girls was from a local church and they were on a treasure hunt. One of the items they had to get was a digital picture of at least one of them rubbing a bald man’s head and they asked Charles if he would indulge. Being a good sport, he laughed and said yes…he even knelt for them to get easier access since he’s about six and a half feet tall.

Until next time, I’ll tell you why I’m now traumatized by emu.

Photographs are copyright 2008 Lisa Jackson Duke