Monday, January 02, 2006
Hot times in the country; fire in the city
Yikes! While we were in the wooded hills of eastern Oklahoma for New Year's, these dang prairies and plains out west, around Oklahoma City, like to burned plumb up.
Here's a roundup of the fires in Oklahoma and Texas.
It mentions Ringgold, Texas, a wide spot in the road just west of the North Texas town of Nocona -- namesake of the cowboy boots -- that DID, apparently, burn to the dang ground.
Thirty homes, poof. 100 people homeless, like that. I made lots of trips through Ringgold and into Nocona when I was workin' out of Wichita Falls, which is about 50 miles of Nocona.
We got home last night a little after 9 p.m., after most of the fires in the Oklahoma City area were put out. The biggest ones were north of us about 10 miles, around Guthrie, Okla., and one to the southeast, maybe 15 or so miles, in northeast Oklahoma City.
The closest one was five miles or so southwest of us, off a major retail corridor in northwest Oklahoma City. That one made CNN, I think, 'cause it got damn close to a Wal-Mart and a Lowe's.
Calm prevails, so far today.
Dr. ER and I had a fine time New Year's Eve. She hit two Indian casinos -- one Choctaw and one Cherokee; we are international that way with our gambling expenditures. I contributed $60 to the Choctaw "racino" -- horse race track and casino -- in Sallisaw before headin' across the road to Shorty Long's, just a regular ol' country beer joint.
Hoo boy. Somebody needs to remind me that, at 41, when I run around and act like I'm 21, then I'll feel like I'm 61 and all stove up the next day! That Oklahoma 3.2 beer at Shorty Long's was one thing; the multiple trips out to the parkin' lot to sneak sips of Christmas-gift George Dickel like to done me in.
New Year's Day repast, at the hand of Mama ER:
Meat loaf, hog jowl and blackeyed peas, fried taters, creamed corn, corn bread, green onions and radishes. Now, THAT's eatin' and a right fine way to start the new year and help flush out the cobwebs of the old one.
Hope y'all started out the year with an equally fine mess of vittles -- and that y'all, too, have avoided the fiery winds of fate so far.
--ER
Here's a roundup of the fires in Oklahoma and Texas.
It mentions Ringgold, Texas, a wide spot in the road just west of the North Texas town of Nocona -- namesake of the cowboy boots -- that DID, apparently, burn to the dang ground.
Thirty homes, poof. 100 people homeless, like that. I made lots of trips through Ringgold and into Nocona when I was workin' out of Wichita Falls, which is about 50 miles of Nocona.
We got home last night a little after 9 p.m., after most of the fires in the Oklahoma City area were put out. The biggest ones were north of us about 10 miles, around Guthrie, Okla., and one to the southeast, maybe 15 or so miles, in northeast Oklahoma City.
The closest one was five miles or so southwest of us, off a major retail corridor in northwest Oklahoma City. That one made CNN, I think, 'cause it got damn close to a Wal-Mart and a Lowe's.
Calm prevails, so far today.
Dr. ER and I had a fine time New Year's Eve. She hit two Indian casinos -- one Choctaw and one Cherokee; we are international that way with our gambling expenditures. I contributed $60 to the Choctaw "racino" -- horse race track and casino -- in Sallisaw before headin' across the road to Shorty Long's, just a regular ol' country beer joint.
Hoo boy. Somebody needs to remind me that, at 41, when I run around and act like I'm 21, then I'll feel like I'm 61 and all stove up the next day! That Oklahoma 3.2 beer at Shorty Long's was one thing; the multiple trips out to the parkin' lot to sneak sips of Christmas-gift George Dickel like to done me in.
New Year's Day repast, at the hand of Mama ER:
Meat loaf, hog jowl and blackeyed peas, fried taters, creamed corn, corn bread, green onions and radishes. Now, THAT's eatin' and a right fine way to start the new year and help flush out the cobwebs of the old one.
Hope y'all started out the year with an equally fine mess of vittles -- and that y'all, too, have avoided the fiery winds of fate so far.
--ER
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Let me throw this at ya, Old Man: Be the designated driver. You can still enjoy a beer or two over the course of the evening. Then when you get up the next day, your tongue doesn't feel like sand paper.
I woke up Sunday morning bright and shiney. The love of my life woke up an hour and a half later, made some "breakfast" -- I say that in quotes, because breakfast was served at 12:10 p.m. -- and was back in bed by 1 p.m.
And both of us had a danged good time Saturday night. I danced, giggled, danced and celebrated. I even got a big kiss at midnight.
I woke up Sunday morning bright and shiney. The love of my life woke up an hour and a half later, made some "breakfast" -- I say that in quotes, because breakfast was served at 12:10 p.m. -- and was back in bed by 1 p.m.
And both of us had a danged good time Saturday night. I danced, giggled, danced and celebrated. I even got a big kiss at midnight.
The fire that made CNN "live" for about an hour was the one that burned the square mile West of Sooner Road and North of 63rd. It was a spectacular night time scrub fire. Took out four houses (one was a very big expensive looking home) and a trailer home. Cedar trees candling made quite a show. Now the interesting things for you 'news types' was that CNN was using a channel 9 feed of the helecopter shots when the CNN associate in OKC is channel 5.
The national gaurd chinooks and Blackhawk fire choppers were grounded because of the wind, but Channel 9's dude was up and flying although he had to change out photographers as they got sick from the turbulance.
OKC line up a couple dozen or so fire trucks along Sooner Rd and stopped it at the pavement. East of there are about 200 home or so in the next square mile. Good TV and high drama.
Tomarrow is forcast to be high temperatures (middle 70's), high winds (15 to 25, with gust to 35mph), and low humidity (20%). In other words a fine end of March day on January 3rd.
The national gaurd chinooks and Blackhawk fire choppers were grounded because of the wind, but Channel 9's dude was up and flying although he had to change out photographers as they got sick from the turbulance.
OKC line up a couple dozen or so fire trucks along Sooner Rd and stopped it at the pavement. East of there are about 200 home or so in the next square mile. Good TV and high drama.
Tomarrow is forcast to be high temperatures (middle 70's), high winds (15 to 25, with gust to 35mph), and low humidity (20%). In other words a fine end of March day on January 3rd.
# posted by 
: 6:17 PM
: 6:17 PM
Glad to hear your place is still standing, but sorry for those who lost their homes.
Hey, if it'll help, and if you can figure a way to do it, I'll send you our rain. Did ya' see it rain on The Parade? It's still pouring!
Hey, if it'll help, and if you can figure a way to do it, I'll send you our rain. Did ya' see it rain on The Parade? It's still pouring!
# posted by : 6:19 PM
: 6:19 PM
Teditor, I much prefer my role and designated rider, thank you vurra much. :-)
Drlobojo, AND WE MISSED IT! High weather-related drama, and we missed it! Sigh.
Frenzied, please e-mail us a good old-fashioned toad-strangler! ... No. What'm I thinking? Just a good soakin' rain will do.
Drlobojo, AND WE MISSED IT! High weather-related drama, and we missed it! Sigh.
Frenzied, please e-mail us a good old-fashioned toad-strangler! ... No. What'm I thinking? Just a good soakin' rain will do.
I had a lovely New Year's Day meal of Paneer, Pakoora, Tandoori Chicken, Super Hot Chili Vegetables, Basmati Rice, Nan, Chutney, and Masala Chai. Worth the four-hour round trip!
Yer talkin' Indian food, aintcha, Miss Cellania? And you don't mean frybread. I like that kijd of stuff. The redheads don't care for it, tho.
Mmmmm Indian food! I'm about 3 blocks from one of the best Indian restaurants in this area. I feel a trip is on the schedule sometime soon.
Last night's fire on NE 63 between Coltrane and Sooner caused a huge evacuation, including a friend/former co-worker smack in the midst. It'll be a few days before I can make contact to see how things are.
In my hometown 12 city blocks burned -- homeowners got out with their own hoses to battle back the blazes and only one house got singed. The flames were moving amazingly fast in the video I saw. It scared the fool out of me, considering how close it was to a major refinery.
And the little ghost town where my dad, uncle and grandparents are buried burned too. There wasn't much left of it but a bar, post office, "museum" and volunteer fire department. I suspect they just allowed the grass fire to burn and concentrated in a two-block area where there were breathing human beings.
Last night's fire on NE 63 between Coltrane and Sooner caused a huge evacuation, including a friend/former co-worker smack in the midst. It'll be a few days before I can make contact to see how things are.
In my hometown 12 city blocks burned -- homeowners got out with their own hoses to battle back the blazes and only one house got singed. The flames were moving amazingly fast in the video I saw. It scared the fool out of me, considering how close it was to a major refinery.
And the little ghost town where my dad, uncle and grandparents are buried burned too. There wasn't much left of it but a bar, post office, "museum" and volunteer fire department. I suspect they just allowed the grass fire to burn and concentrated in a two-block area where there were breathing human beings.
Well, dang. I "heard" that it was bad in "Shamrock,OK," but what I thought I heard was "Shamriock, Texas," just west of the state line in the Texas Panhandle.
:-( for Shamrock, OK, and for Ringgold, Texas. Man.
:-( for Shamrock, OK, and for Ringgold, Texas. Man.
We sent off the rain last night. Hopefully the jet stream will bring some of it to ya'. :)
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# posted by : 11:58 AM
: 11:58 AM << Home
