Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

April 19, 1995: The Oklahoma City bomber parked a van loaded with explosives next to the Murrah Federal Building, and committed mass murder. The explosion killed 168 people, including 19 children. The Murrah Building, now replaced by this memorial, looked like what we see today in Ukraine, where over 20,000 civilians have been killed by Russian forces. [2007]

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

In 1830, 40 million bison lived under the stars of freedom, just like the country's human co-occupants. But, Americans couldn't leave their hands (or guns!) off them. They declined to 325 by 1885. Bison numbers have since increased to 500,000 but virtually all live in the prisons we call "reserves," so maybe prison-stripes on the rump are appropriate. [2007]

Strong City, Oklahoma, USA

Strong City is a city in name (see it?) only. It offers strong proof that a city can be rural. Why rural? Because it does not meet the 2,500 population minimum set by the U.S. Census Bureau. In fact, its population never reached even half of that, not even in 1900 when it peaked. Today, only a few more than 400 souls keep the "city" alive. [2018]

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

What lies beneath the Oklahoma state capitol? The cultural landscape offers a hint: oil. That used to be a working oil derrick. Now, it symbolizes one of the state's chief revenue sources. As for the capitol: it gained a dome in 2002. (Note to self: must return to see it.) Happy 102nd birthday, Oklahoma. [1988]

Hammon, Oklahoma, USA

Should we call the season "fall" if there are no leaves to fall? That is almost the case here. Most environments, however, do have trees, even if they are confined to watercourses where they can find something to drink. Happy first day of astronomical fall! [2018]

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

"Paean" is the word of the day because it fits this piece of public art so perfectly. What does paean mean? It's a fervent expression of praise and thanksgiving. In this case, a bit of folk art gives thanks for family traditions. Now, compare this family to yours. [2018]

Erick, Oklahoma, USA

Residents of the Great Plains just can't let all their windmills pass into oblivion. In their heyday, these wind widgets commanded the horizon of an otherwise horizontal environment. Today, they are collected, displayed roadside, and thanked for not only the water they pumped to the surface, but for the memories they made over so many years. [2018]

Erick, Oklahoma, USA

Not all cars become vintage objects of human affection. Some get dismembered for their parts, with their carcasses lined up in cemetery-like rows in junkyards, complete with cemetery-like flowers honoring their years of service on the nation's roads. [2018]

Wynnewood, Oklahoma, USA

Happy Halloween, the eve of All Hallows day! But, there is something wrong here in midtown. Halloween is supposed to be the time when ghouls and goblins emerge from the shadows. No ghouls or goblins here, though. These two seem entirely too happy, and the day seems entirely too sunny for us to be entering the low-sun season. [2007]

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

"And Jesus Wept" after the Oklahoma City bombing in 1996, and after the shootings in Littleton, Col., Blacksburg, Va., Fort Hood, Tex., Aurora, Col., Newtown, Conn., Washington Naval Yard, San Bernardino, Cal., Charleston, S.C., Orlando, Fla., and now Las Vegas, Nev. Jesus doesn't want to weep any more. [2007]

Goodwell, Oklahoma, USA

Once established in 1903,
The townfolk of Goodwell
Sighed: There must be
More color here for us to enjoy.
So, some trees, we must deploy.
We remember the redbud
From back in the East,
The first tree of spring
On which we could feast
Our eyes and our hearts
At winter's retreat.
We'll water it weekly
And give it some shade
And try to forget the
Man who betrayed
Jesus the Savior
At His final hour.
Yes, Judas did cower
in valley Hinnom
And hung from a tree:
The Red Bud! Shalom.
[2017]

Goodwell, Oklahoma, USA

That's a ton of hay. Actually, at almost 2000 pounds a bale, that's about ten tons of hay. It's exactly what the agricultural economy needs here in Oklahoma's panhandle: large bales for large ranches. [2017]

Edmund, Oklahoma, USA

Burma-Shave held strong until after World War II, but the company's sales began to sag in the late 1940s. However, up to the end in 1963, they wanted to keep their customers alive, so they continued to offer advice on driving decorum. From 1963:

     Don't Lose

     Your Head
     To Gain a Minute
     You Need Your Head
     Your Brain is In It
     Burma-Shave
[2007]

Sulphur, Oklahoma, USA

Halloween and May Day have parallel histories. They are six months apart. The former marks the transition from summer to winter. The second from winter to summer. Conceptions of spring and fall came later. [2007]