Back In The Saddle
I have not touched this blog since 2021. At that time, I was helping take care of my terminally ill dad, and dealing with my new diagnosis with a chronic illness called Ankylosing Spondylitis. I was in survival mode. I…
The 57th Edition of the Mangum Rattlesnake Derby
My Derby this year began on a cool November night in 2001. I was a Junior at Mangum High School. I loved football. I took an immense pride because I belonged to the rich tradition of the Mangum Tigers. I…
Dove Hunting 2022 Part 1
September 1st kicks off the annual Dove Hunting Season. Dove hunting is an important cultural tradition in rural Oklahoma. Each year, thousands of prospective hunters crowd around small ponds, field edges, or anywhere it is legal to discharge a shotgun…
Guys’ Trip: Back to School Shopping and Wildlife Refuge
The boys will soon start school. Summer is practically over. This may very well go down as the worst summer of our children’s lives. This year has been marked with so much tragedy, difficulties, and setbacks in our personal and…
Monotony. Let’s shake things up a bit.
Monotony. Simply put, it means “lack of variety and interest; tedious repetition and routine.” We all suffer from monotony. We, for the most part, have our waking (and sleeping) lives plotted out where we can zoom through life on autopilot.…
Introspection
I am the green tendrils that break through the hardened winter soil. I will take what lessons I need from this winter, and turn it into the most vibrant spring. One piece at a time, I will take back what is mine.
Fourth of July
This year’s Fourth of July was a little more low key than usual. We gave each kid $10 to spend at the fireworks stand. That got them both plenty of sparklers, smoke bombs, and snakes to keep them entertained. We…
The Long Road Trip and the many discoveries it offers
The American Road Trip. The ethereal nature of the open road, zigzagging across landscapes, brings a sense of centering and calmness that is often lost in the drowning maelstrom of the day-to-day. After all, once engaged, it is you, the…
The Mangum Rattlesnake Derby, 22 Derbies and counting…
In April of 2000, I was a Freshman in high school. For a few years prior, I mingled with the Rattlesnake ‘Ranglers of the Shortgrass Rattlesnake Association. I was there, hauling boxes, moving chairs, setting up, and tearing down, the…
2021 Mangum Rattlesnake Derby
