Monday, December 3, 2018

Yesterday, as we traveled across Texas, we saw cows, cotton, and oil wells. Today, we traveled almost across all of northern Oklahoma – from Woodward on the west side to Pawhuska on (almost) the east. Today, it was (dead) skunks (on the side of the road), deer (both dead & alive) and hawks – hawks everywhere. It was cloudy and 34 when we got up – we thought for sure it would snow. Don Henley has seen this sky – “the sky won’t snow and the sun won’t shine” all day long. All the way across Oklahoma the temperature stayed on 32. Pawhuska is a little bit of a side trip – we made it to a beautiful little campground on an oak hill, about 2 miles out of the town limits. We had to cross a cattle guard and drive through a pasture (with the cows eating at their trough) and then across another cattle guard into the campground. First time ever going through a cow pasture to camp! After we hooked up the camper and turned on the heat, we went to The Mercantile – the Pioneer Woman’s restaurant, bakery, and store. Oh my! We ate first – we split a country fried steak, with mashed potatoes, gravy, and biscuits and a salad. The steak hung off the plate and it was delicious. I ordered a side of bourbon glazed carrots – I could have eaten just those. I would have picked up the bowl and drank the glaze if I had been at home! Then we went and shopped and upstairs to the bakery. It was a good thing we ate first! We did get 2 (well, 3) pastries – a scone, a small package of sticky buns, and an almond/apricot twist. Yum. Made it back to the camper about 6:30 – we are both tired but it was a fun afternoon. We came through here last summer and didn’t stop because the line to get in was all the way around the block and it was hot. Today, we parked at the door and walked right in. The Christmas decorations were so pretty. It has been a treat riding through all the small towns and seeing Christmas decorations. We are snug in our little home on wheels in an oak grove, wondering if we will wake up to snow tomorrow. Plans are to head towards Fort Smith, Arkansas. A few pictures from The Mercantile.