It's day 322...it's also March 23 2020.....and we are in Kiowa Oklahoma

It's day 322...it's also March 23 2020.....and we are in Kiowa Oklahoma

And Here we are…parked on a hillside just above the high school that Reba went to....In Kiowa Oklahoma. Dougie and I had already been out for a walk....Billie ran around with us a bit too. As we walked....I looked off to the southeast there.....Knowing Chockie....that little ranching community was out there.....and the and the 8000 acre cattle ranch that Reba grew up on. I had hoped to drive out past it....but....dang pandemic thing is shutting everything down.....I doubt seriously any of the few businesses in the area are even open....pretty quiet here in Kiowa.

And I kept rememberin that time back in 2001....that contest I won that put me on a plane....and on the set of the Reba show....for three days....pretty cool being up close and watchin the cast and crew of a sitcom work. And getting to meet Reba...in person....so fun.....(insert clip from show).... I hadn't thought about that in forever.....so fun....maybe I'll put the full thing up in it's own episode.....

Dougie and I were out for another walk.....when an an elderly gentleman pulled up in his shiny white Lincoln and climbed out for his for his afternoon walk. .....a few laps around the baseball field down there.....

Tipping his cap in our direction he greeted us...…”good day for it aint it”

I agreed, and could not resist the urge to ask an obvious local…”is this where Reba went to school.”

“Yup”…he replied.

And he was happy to go on....as he pointed at the school yard below us and explained that the original high school had been torn down and replaced with what we see today.

”Clark and Jackie’s place is just 8 miles or so south of town there…he pointed....he could obviously tell that I knew..... Clark and Jackie were Reba's parents.

ya know…he went on....Susie and Reba used to sing back up for Pake” ....again....knowing I new who Reba's brother, and sisters were.

He shifted his glance towards to school below us continuing…”I can remember them kids used ta pack em in here at the high school…folks sure did like ’em”....

And we just lost Jackie too....few days back....he shook his head..... Think the family is working on a memorial here in town....hard to say with this virus thing I spose.

Wishing me well he headed off down the hill for his walk and I thought to myself how cool is it was (or maybe just plain small town America) that this gentleman was on a first name basis with the entire McEntire family… a simple thing…but business as usual it seems, in Kiowa. It was not until several minutes later when I was struck by the embarrassment of realizing I had not introduced myself....or asked the gentleman his name....but then I thought....these folks in Kiowa....probably put up with us nosey sorts all the time......and he just wanted his afternoon walk....nice of him to take the time.....

As I began writing this down.....I started thinking about other Oklahoman’s.

Exiting highway 40 west to head south into McAlester we passed through Checotah, marked with the sign reminding any passer by that Carrie Underwood once called Checotah home. I then checked a map to verify that Ada Oklahoma was just about 110 miles to the north…the town that gave us Blake Shelton.

And then there is the number one selling solo artist of all time…Garth Brooks…born just 91 miles north of here near Tulsa Oklahoma.

A fun observation that 4 of the most prominent names in country music, spanning two generations, all came to us from a 100 mile radius in the heart of Oklahoma.

Lookin back over the pictures I'd taken today.....and remembering that two hour detour....The exit sign actually read...Vian and Tenkiller State Park and reservoir”

With a name like Tenkiller…you gotta go look…right?

Driving through Vian and around the lake…admiring the views and lakefront homes stopping here and there for photos…we ran into a Park Ranger named Jesse

He was out checking on campers to ensure they were aware of the pandemic and taking the appropriate safety precautions. He was gracious enough to take the time to explain that the area was named for the Tenkiller family…a prominent Cherokee family in the area.....they owned the land and provided ferry services along the Illinios River until 1947...when they sold the land... to the state...for the installation of the dam, that would be named in their honor.

The dam, and reservior it created....enabled the state to provide flood control to the area....along with hydroelectric power generation for the surrounding communities. Pretty cool that included in the deal....a pretty awesome...and popular recreation area....tucked away here in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains.

Jesse also explained....that

Local legend has it....that the Tenkiller family of fierce Cherokee warriors were named by US troops upon observing the ten notches in the Chief’s bow.

Like so many places we have seen…Oklahoma contributes some pretty stellar examples of small town America.

Dougie and I took our last walk of the evening gazing off into mountains around Kiowa, wondering what it must be like to grow up here…on a working cattle ranch…in a town where everyone knows your name…famous or not.

A town founded in 1881....in the indian territory.....originally ... part of the Choctaw Nation....and named after that Kiowa Hill over there.

And it really is all about ranching....and farming here. Always has been.

And rural....around here....might be a bit of an understatement. A map says folks in Kiowa....if they need more than 600 or so folks can provide....well they gotta drive a little.....

15 miles or so...that'll get ya to a place called Pittsburg....population 7000 or so. 25 miles....McAlester.....and the 18000 folks there.

Even a 60 or 80 mile drive.....places like Ada....and Durant....still nothin bigger than 18,000 in population. But I guess...if your life is ranchin....or farmin....ya probably do just fine that way. ....how often...really....would ya need to....or want to .... drive over a hundred miles....and land yourself in places like Tulsa....or Oklahoma City....and the hundreds of thousands that live there.....when ya have all this....right here.

And then....there was that one more click thing.....and randomly.....I'd learn of an archeological find.....The Heavener Runestone...HEE-vuh-ner" RUNE-stone....some 110 miles from where we are here in Kiowa.

A large sandstone slab.....found in a deep ravine near Heavener Oklahoma.......it bears runic inscriptions that some believe were carved by Norse explorers.....Vikings. And it's presence could tell us that Vikings were kicking about these parts....centuries before any European explorers made their way here. And the vikings didn't stop here.....other archeological finds have them as far north as North Dakota....and Conneticut.

I wondered why I had not read of Viking presence until now....especially given that they had been here....rubbin elbow's with Native Americans.....the Caddo....Witchita....Osage people.....long before ....way before...Spanish....French....or British folks showed up.

From what I can tell....mainly....because the Vikings were more passing through....with little interest in permanent settlement...making evidence of their presence....pretty random. Not to mention that their presence in the area could have been as far back as 1000 CE.......over 500 years before documentation of Spanish or French arrival....meaning any artifacts or traces left....Hard to come by....given record keeping of the time. European had that record keeping stuff pretty dialed in by the time they stumbled onto the continent.....so records of their presence...easier to find.

And.....the whole possibility.......is still very much in debate throughout scientific and archeological communities.....some argue that it is indeed....authentic and provides documentation of their presence...others...believe the artifacts could be the work of Scandinavian explorers...and settlers.....which was much later.....after.....the European guys.

Naturally.....conjuring up images in my head of Vikings wandering through Kiowa over a thousand years ago....what would that have looked like. Throughout history.....Vikings have been portrayed as Brutal Warriors....capable of Horrific violence.....but read a little further and .... they were also a lot of other things.....They were peaceful settlers....farmers...a culture with strong societal beliefs...and rules.....capable of engaging in trade with different cultures....made me wonder......what happened here.....if....and when Vikings trekked through and ran into those native american people.....

What little evidence there is indicates it could have been a bit of both....likely....peaceful trade practices with the occassional skirmish here and there. Who knows.....I guess the vision of peaceful trade vs....brutal raids....Hollywoods gotta make a buck....and war....that always sells.

But......puttin all that away....and gettin ready to hit the sack....I did not need the internet to tell me.....that today... Kiowa is known for its friendly residents....and their sense of community.....or that it's Pretty awesome....a place ya kinda feel like hanging around a bit.

But....better get outta here in the morning....keep trekkin west.....

Not sure where we'll sleep tomorrow....

But I wonder what we'll learn there...