Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

Today, Hubby and I had to go into Lawton to have a tire replaced. The town we live in is repaving the roads and he wound up with a nail in the tire. It was in the sidewall so, new tire was needed and it could not safely be repaired. Since we were already out that way, I asked him to go through the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge on the way home. We have been experiencing EXTREMELY high temperatures and a record high was broken this week. It was 113° at one point while we were exploring the refuge.

We spent a few hours driving around. All of the hiking trails and picnic areas were closed due to the extreme temperatures. However, we were still able to explore a bit and see some of the local wildlife.

The refuge is home to a number of animals, but the two most popular species are the American Bison and the Texas Longhorn. These are roaming freely around the refuge and the only things keeping them inside the refuge are miles upon miles of fencing and cattle grates across the roadways. If you have never seen a cattle grate, it’s a metal grate that stretches across a roadway and the animals do not cross it because their hooves will get stuck in the grate.

The bison were all hanging out under trees or anywhere they could find shade. This particular bison was hanging out next to one of the education center facilities. He/She was outside of the fencing for the facility, but others were inside the fencing, for one reason or another, and unable to roam around the refuge. I was maybe 5 feet away from this bison. I was inside of the truck and I did not exit the truck. These are very large, very dangerous animals. There are signs all around the refuge stating the danger and the possibility of them ramming your vehicle if you agitate them in any way. I was only able to get this close because of the temperatures. Hubby stopped the truck, turned off the radio, and I rolled down the window to take this picture before we quickly left the area. The last thing we wanted, was to have the truck rammed by a bison.

These bison were inside of the fencing. They were segregated from the herd. They could have been segregated/quarantined for a number of reasons. Possibilities include injury, illness, some type of medical treatment, or simply for research. They are beautiful creatures and I am very glad that they are protected from harm on the refuge.

The Texas Longhorns are another of those dangerous creatures roaming around the refuge. I realize that there are probably hundreds of ranches in Texas, which have huge herds of this particular type of cattle. However, these are not domesticated cattle. These Longhorns are wild and free roaming. They will also ram a vehicle if agitated. These guys were hanging out a short distance from Quanah Parker Lake and Dam. They were approximately ten feet away from the truck. Again, we stopped, turned off the radio and did not exit the vehicle. They did not seem to mind having their picture taken. One was rubbing his horns against the tree bark before we were able to stop. We watched them for a few moments before heading to Quanah Parker Lake.

I apologize in advance for the quality of this photo. We were standing by the lake and heard mooing. There was a longhorn in the lake, eating the lilypads. He was neck deep at one point, just happily mooing and munching away on lilypads. He is in the center of the photo and cream colored.

We were pretty far away and I only had the camera on my phone to take photos as the trip through the refuge was entirely unplanned. My zoom feature on my phone causes blurry photos sometimes. The photo above has 2 times zoom enabled.

This one shows the longhorn from the other side of the lake, we drove around to the other side to get a better view. I was using the maximum level of zoom available and all that is visible is a small blob of an almost tan color.

My favorite part of the refuge is Prarie Dog Town. This is the best place to watch the prarie dogs. They can be spotted all over the refuge, but they have a tunnel structure, which is massive, in this particular area of the refuge. I love watching them run around and pop in and out of their burrows.

It is actually called Prarie Dog Town. There is a wooden fence separating the small parking area from the prairie dog habitat. Hubby had to be careful when he pulled in because there were prarie dogs running around in the parking area.

There is a fine for harassing the prarie dogs. I am thrilled that this is considered an illegal act. Prarie dogs are adorable little critters and I cannot fathom why anyone would throw rocks at them or bring their dogs out of their vehicle in order to terrify these tiny creatures. It is sad that this sign has to be posted, but I am thankful that it is and that there is a quite costly fine, which is enforced, for tormenting these creatures. They really are adorable.

This little guy walked right up to me when I walked over to the fence. He kept creeping closer as I stood there taking pictures of him and the other prarie dogs. He was chattering at me and chattering at a smaller prarie dog nearby.

They are so small. They have these round little bellies, which make them look kind of ridiculous when they stand up on their hind legs. They look so skinny when they are on all four legs.

This one was eating and looks like a ball of fur in the grass.

They almost resemble a chipmunk or a squirrel. They don’t have fluffy tails like a squirrel or stripes like a chipmunk.

They stand up when they hear something that makes them go on alert.

They are rather small compared to the entrance holes to their burrows. To the left is the prarie dog and to the right is a burrow entrance. When something scares them, they all run straight towards the burrow entrance. They also have members of their little groups who are stationed at specific spots as lookouts. These lookouts watch for predators, food sources, and any form of danger. They are very social creatures.

We spent a bit watching the prarie dogs running around, entering and exiting the burrows, and munching on goodies found in the short grasses. They are one of the smaller mammals found in the refuge, but I thoroughly enjoyed watching them. I had to get back into the truck because the sun and the heat started to affect me and I was overheating. (Yes, I wore oodles of sunblock and no sunburn this time. I also drank plenty of water.)

As you can see, there are multiple smaller creatures than Bison and Longhorn. While this sign only shows a handful of examples, there are quite a few species of animal calling the refuge home.

It occurred to me that the map boards may provide a sense of the refuge in relation to the photos. I zoomed a bit for the second picture so, it may be legible if you zoom in on your end. I hope it is.

We then, headed towards the Jed Johnson Lake and Dam, which is one of the larger lakes located within the refuge.

The dam was not overflowing as it normally is due to the extreme drought Southwest Oklahoma has been experiencing. It was disheartening to see the lake levels so low. Many of the small creeks were completely dry. These lakes and creeks are water sources for the wildlife living in the refuge. So, seeing dry creekbeds, which are normally flowing with water is distressing because it causes problems for the wildlife, forcing them to leave their usual areas in search of a new water source.

Another issue caused by the drought and extreme temperatures is the algae that is covering large areas of the lakes and creeks. This area is just below the dam. Water from the lake normally causes this to be a flowing creek. As the lake levels are so low, this creek has become stagnant, causing large amounts of algae to grow freely.

The lake itself had areas of algae, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as the creek below the dam.

An area close to where we live, within the area referred to as Texoma, is referred to as Red Rock. This area is home to the Red Rock River. This is an example of those red rocks. I was very careful to check for rattlesnakes prior to taking this picture near the shoreline of Jed Johnson Lake. I definitely didn’t want to deal with a snakebite from a highly venomous rattlesnake today or any day for that matter.

I took a few more pictures of the lake before heading on towards the next location.

I will never understand how some plants in Oklahoma even exist. This was growing in an indentation on a boulder, which was filled with bits of rock. There is no soil in this indentation. So, this plant is growing in rock, on top of a rock. That should not be possible, but here is a plant, doing just that, the impossible.

This is the bane of my existence. I cannot even count the number of these prickly pear cacti I have dug out of my property, only to have them return. I almost stepped on this bad boy. The thorns on this sucker would have gone straight through my tennis shoes. Another thing seen in this picture is the disgusting habit of many Oklahomans, littering. I took this piece of garbage with me and deposited it into the provided trash receptacle, which was seriously three feet away.

Alcoholic beverages are prohibited inside of the refuge, but that doesn’t seem to deter Oklahomans. I picked up about fifty beer cans and beer bottles throughout the day. I cannot stand a litterbug. Littering is a disgusting habit and a disgraceful example of Oklahoma. It seems to be deemed acceptable all over Oklahoma. This is especially true regarding beer cans and beer bottles. Not only did we see these items littering the wildlife refuge, but they are seen everywhere across Oklahoma. People throw them out of the window of their vehicles. This of course means that drinking and driving is a widespread issue in Oklahoma. I pick up approximately twenty beer cans and bottles from the ditch in front of my house each week. I was saddened to see so much litter in the refuge, but it honestly did not surprise me. I will always pick up litter as I am exploring because this garbage, which has been carelessly tossed, threatens the wildlife. I pick up other people’s garbage because the wildlife cannot remove it from their habitats themselves. If you are one of the people who is part of the problem, please, stop throwing your garbage on the ground and out the window of your vehicle. It takes two seconds to toss a piece of garbage into a trash receptacle. If you see litter, pick it up. Otherwise, you are still part of the problem, even if you aren’t one of the people littering. By ignoring litter, you are accepting living in a garbage filled world. By picking it up and not littering in the first place, you are a step towards a cleaner world. Please, don’t litter and if you are a smoker, throwing your butts out the window of your vehicle is littering. It is also one of the major causes of wildfires. Get a smokeless ashtray that contains your butts.

The trail to the Jed Johnson tower was closed because of the extreme temperatures so, unfortunately I was unable to take a photo of this tower, which resembles a castle tower. It looks completely out of place in the middle of the refuge. I plan of returning in the fall so, I will be taking pictures when I return. (In the fall, wildlife is visible everywhere. It’s my favorite time of year, especially for visiting the refuge.)

Heading towards the next area, hubby pulled over so, I could take a few pictures of the bison hanging out under a tree. They were approximately 150 feet from the road. We were near French Lake when we spotted these guys. The bison and longhorn were all doing their best to stay in the shade and stay cool.

French Lake was gorgeous today. As you can see, theres algae (this type was a reddish brown) covering the water around the perimeter of the lake. The water levels for this lake were also far lower than normal.

This was such a quiet spot. I stood under a tree while taking this picture. It amazes me how being in shade drastically changes the colors in a photo. This picture is far more true to the natural color than the one just above of the same exact spot. The only difference between the two is where I was standing when I took the photo. Its almost like the difference between polarized sunglasses and regular sunglasses.

These are the trees I was standing under.

One had a big bubble of hardened sap, which glinted in the sunlight when the wind blew, catching my eye.

This little guy was flitting between blades of grass and sticks, joined by hundreds of dragonflies (a few species) and butterflies at the edge of the lake. I kept having them land on my head, arms, and phone as I was trying to get a clear shot of this one. As his wings were moving, this was the best shot I was able to get with my phone.

My last shot for the day was of the minnows swimming in the shallows of the lake. I always enjoy a visit to the refuge. I don’t get to visit it often even though it is not terribly far away from our home. It is just out of the way when we head into Lawton and we are usually in a hurry to get back home. Today, I was thrilled when Hubby agreed to take me through the refuge. He had asked if there was anything that I wanted to do since we were already out and about.

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Bad Things Come In Threes, But The Air Conditioning is Fixed

The air conditioning is fixed!!! I cannot even begin to explain how happy I was to see the AC repairman pull into the driveway today. One air conditioning unit was low on freon and the other needed a tiny little part that he called a fan start capacitor. Both are blowing super cold again. Neither of them has shut off or begun blowing hot air so, they are officially fixed. (He left his personal cell number just in case something else happened with them after he left.) As of 10:13 pm, the house is basically a polar cave, just the way we like it.

I am still waiting on the lawnmower deck. I keep looking outside and hoping it doesn’t rain a whole lot before the deck arrives. I am trying to find someone with a tractor and a brush hog who is willing to cut it for us for about $100.00 or so. (I would even pay 200 if they would do it just before the new deck arrives.) The deck is apparently back ordered until late August even though the website said, “In Stock”. I seriously cannot catch a break. With the Air conditioning, the lawnmower deck, and the dishwasher, that’s 3. They say bad things come in threes and that’s 3 things. (I am not counting the chicken coop because it just needs the cover secured again. It’s not broken, just slightly damaged.)

The dishwasher needs a new heating element. That can be repaired and does not mean I need a new dishwasher thankfully. I am just fed up with things breaking. I realize this is part of owning a home, but it still sucks. It raises my stress levels, which in turn raises my pain levels and by that point, I just want to flop on the couch and no longer more for the entire day. I simply cannot flop on the couch doing nothing. My household would fall apart rather quickly if I did that.

I am making the best of the stressful situation. I have no issues doing dishes by hand. I drive hubby crazy because I have a dishpan with sanitizer in it and I dip the dishes after washing and rinsing. I didn’t use my dishwasher to wash the dishes, I used it to sanitize the dishes. Therefore, sanitizer is necessary. (Yes, I realize that most people do not sanitize their dishes.)

I sanitize my dishes because I have a compromised immune system. I clean my house with bleach and a disinfectant called Cavi-cide. I love bleach. Bleach kills almost everything that floats around the typical home. Cavi-cide is normally reserved for the bathrooms. It’s a hospital grade disinfectant, which needs to be rinsed off of surfaces after letting it sit for 3 minutes. It kills stomach bugs, flu germs, the common cold, MRSA, TB, HIV, etc. It keeps me from getting sick and ending up with a week long hospital stay. (I hate hospitals.) Hubby will be replacing the dishwasher element when it arrives. Apparently it is an inexpensive and simple thing to change out. Until this happens, I will continue to sanitize my dishes with sanitizer tablets.

Aside from the onslaught of breakages, everything seems to be going fairly smoothly. I will be spending tomorrow cleaning up the side of the basement we plan to turn into two bedrooms. It is currently cluttered with holiday decorations, Army fungus (uniforms, gear, etc.), and boxes I never unpacked when we moved. I will have to wear a mask while I am down there cleaning. There is a section between the two large areas of the basement, which has a dirt floor. This is the location of the old coal chute for the coal furnace, which was removed long ago. The dirt is an extremely find dust and I don’t want to be breathing it in while sweeping it back to the dirt floor area. Once everything is organized and swept up, we can figure out exactly how we want to remodel the basement. I will take some pictures while I am down there. The wall has names and birthdays for the boys who were members of a Boy Scouts Troop/Den back in the late 1950s or early 1960s (I don’t remember the exact dates.) The original builder’s wallpaper is also in patches on the walls. The builder’s wallpaper was calendar pages from 1918. We plan on preserving these bits of history even though we will be remodeling. Hubby plans on filling in the dirt floor section with concrete once he has it checked out to see if it’s still dirt for a reason. I will be taking the metal detector down there before he fills it in. The area is approximately 12 ft. X 7 ft. and I am bringing the metal detector down there because there was a Boy Scouts Troop/Den meeting in the one side of the basement. The entire square footage of the basement is about 1000 square feet. The attic is another 1000 square feet, which we would love to turn into usable space. Right now, the attic is about 120° Farenheit (It was 165° Fahrenheit earlier today when the AC guy was up there checking the upstairs air handler. Both units are heat pumps, and I have no idea what the difference is between a heat pump and anything else.)

Looks like an AC unit in my opinion. I apologize for the dark picture. It was 3 am and I was taking pictures because it froze up. I will show you what that looks like.

The first picture is the piping for the freon. And the second picture is through the top where the fan is and the entire compressor was frozen in a block of ice. In order to keep the AC going somewhat, I would have to turn it off, allow it to thaw out, then turn it back on, I repeated this process every few hours. This was the upstairs unit and all of the bedrooms are upstairs so, this one was pretty important at night.

This is the downstairs unit and it needed a capacitor replaced. For this one, the fan in the top wouldn’t turn on. To keep this one going, I had to reset the breakers until the fan kicked on every few hours. The air handlers are located in the basement and in the attic. They kept blowing air. It was hot air, but both kept blowing air. I really am glad they are fixed.

I am sunburned from being outside while both units were being fixed. I stayed outside and watched because I wanted to know how he was fixing them. He was so awesome, he explained everything, showed me the readings when he tested freon levels, told me what normal levels were, and showed me when he tested the old capacitor with a multimeter. It was showing zero for a reading and the new one was showing a much higher reading. He also flushed the drain lines in the basement for the air handler. He explained how to do it in case the water started to show on the small section of concrete again in the future. (Basically, he blew air through the lines with a handheld air compressor. I really want one of those, but they are stupid expensive.)

Fizzgig was being especially cute and snuggly this morning while I was drinking my coffee. I hated to get up and disturb him, but I absolutely had to get dressed today.

He has been really snuggly lately and I am not sure why, because he rarely wants to snuggle with me.

He has even been snuggly with Gizmo. (Pardon my couch. I am married to a mechanic and he doesn’t always change out of his work clothes before flopping on the couch. Motor oil and other mechanical fluids have destroyed my tan couch.) I vow to get a black leather/pleather sectional when I replace the couches. They are 9 years old so, they are actually in pretty decent shape for surviving oodles of kids a grandbaby, other people’s babies, cats, Miss Mia and hubby and I sleeping on them for several months when he had his knee surgeries. (He has a titanium knee now.) Miss Mia is not allowed on the couch, but that has never stopped a dog before when no one is home. They have also survived a move across the country and another across the state. I still want to replace them. They are a two piece sectional and I want a “U” shaped sectional with recliners.

Miss Mia also got brushed this week.

The birds had a field day collecting the fur that blew away before it could be bagged. They will have super comfortable nests when winter comes. The small family of Finches, who live in the tiny birdhouse on the Hackberry tree in the backyard have been stuffing the birdhouse with her fur since they moved in the same time we did. The first decorations I hung was my birdhouse and then, my windchime. The windchime has seen better days. Hubby finally rebuilt it using lacing wire to hang the chimes and a large metal washer on a nut and bolt to hang against the chimes because the Oklahoma wind ripped the chimes off and the part that bangs against the chimes. It will definitely survive any wind that blows on it now.

This sunburn has made me feverish. I used my favorite sunburn remedies because I didn’t want to be in excruciating pain. Yes, I was wearing sunblock and I was covered, but I was outside for far too long and burned anyway because of the photosensitivity caused by one of my medications. Those remedies have been working EXTREMELY well for me for as long as I can remember and I added a few over the years. First, is the vinegar bath. I mix about a quart of white vinegar in about two inches of water in the tub, the water is lukewarm. I cover my whole body with this mixture several times and let it dry. Then, I keep aloe gel in the fridge so it is cold. Aloe is a wonderful thing for burns. I make my own gel now, but I have bought many bottles in the past. A few hours later, I take another bath. This time I grew a gallon of very strong black tea, (about 8 quart size teabags for a gallon of water.) I let it cool and with the tub plugged, but empty, I cover myself in the tea several times and let it dry. I add more aloe and sleep in super soft pajamas. (A tank top and shorts with flat seams and EXTREMELY soft fabric) by morning I have no sunburn symptoms aside from some light redness or pinkness. I am extremely pale so, I burn easily. I ALWAYS wear sunblock, but sometimes I still burn. It’s nice to be able to stop the heat and pain rather quickly. I am sure these old home remedies are probably NOT recommended, but they work for me. Please don’t take any of this as medical advice. I am NOT a doctor. I am just telling you what I do for myself and my kiddos. See a doctor if you have a severe sunburn as it could be sun poisoning or even a 2nd or 3rd degree burn. Blistering of any sort should be treated with medical attention.

With that being said, aloe gel is super easy to make. Just cut open an aloe leaf, scrap the gooey inside out, add a bit of witch hazel (just enough to thin to your desired consistency) and mix in a food processor, blender, or mash together with a fork. Pour it into a bottle and keep it in the fridge. Keep in mind fresh aloe will mold because it doesn’t contain preservatives. I have also made a spray by adding a bit of distilled water along with the witch hazel. For this, you definitely need to use a food processor or a blender and then, strain it so, your spray nozzle doesn’t clog. I firmly believe all aloe marketed for sunburns should come in spray form because rubbing it on can be painful when your skin is tight and hot. You can easily water down store bought aloe with a mix of witch hazel and distilled water to make a spray form as well. No matter what, the best treatment for sunburn is to avoid getting one in the first place. Sunblock is a wonderful thing. Reapply every 2 hours and after sweating or swimming. You should be using a shot glass full of sunblock for a child and 2 shotglasses (a shot glass is an ounce) for an adult. Use more if you feel that isnt enough. The lotion provides better coverage than the sprays simply because you can see exactly where it has been applied. I am a huge believer in sunblock. Skin cancer is deadly and terrifying. Also, sun damage to your skin causes your skin to age faster. You will see more wrinkles and more discoloration when you don’t protect your skin from the sun. Even the bottom of your feet can get sunburned. Apply sunblock EVERYWHERE. Remember, even waterproof/water resistant sunblock needs to be reapplied every 2 hours and after swimming or sweating. 😁 you can also buy clothing with built in sunblock, which is especially awesome for kids who hate sunblock or anyone with a sensitivity. This is the brand, Athleta, which I have personally been using. It is not terribly expensive considering that it will help protect you from UVA/UVB rays. It’s also cute and comfy. (I have ZERO affiliation with this company. I am simply sharing the brand that I have been personally using.) Their clothing is soft and pretty durable. I was expected something itchy or heavy feeling because its sunblock clothing. I am very happy with my purchases. I can’t wait to get more.

Now, that I have lectured everyone on the importance of sunblock, I sincerely hope, if you take only one thing away from my blog, this is that thing. It truly is important to take care of your skin. Until next time…

It’s So Unbearably Hot…

The temperature has stayed in triple digits here and I swear the thermometer outside is lying and it is 300° F instead of 102° during the day. I have no choice, but to go outside into this hellish weather during the day. I feel like I am internally combusting each time I step out of the shade and into the direct sunlight. It is simply too hot for humans and animals. I always feel sorry for black cattle because black attracts heat so they must be miserable.

The field across from my house was cut down and baled this week.

I am of course allergic to hay so, that just makes going outdoors even more miserable on top of the high temperatures. The only things growing on our property are weeds, which I am sort of happy about because we are waiting for the new deck to be delivered by UPS.

This weekend, I get to go to one of my favorite places, Harbor Freight. (it’s mostly a tool store, but they also have things like yard tools, food dehydrators, ceramic knives, etc.) We are going for hose clamps for the chicken coop. The PVC held up rather well considering, but we don’t want a repeat of the damage from the last storm.

Yes, everything looks super green and lush, but its mostly weeds shading the dead grass. There is some grass still growing. This particular section is green grass, with tons of lamb’s quarters all in the run. (I am not mowing them because they will die off just before winter and seed the ground. The chickens will have a field day with them and they grow super fast.)

This is an overgrown lamb’s quarter. I am told they are edible and taste like spinach. I was told the same about Poke weed. (Aka Polk salat. Poke salad, and just Poke) However, Poke weed is poisonous unless you cook it a specific way and I am just not risking it when I can grow or buy spinach. Lamb’s quarters are not poisonous. I researched it, but I have no urge to eat them. I will forage for sand plums, morrels, and a few other native species, but they are worth it in my opinion. Something that tastes like spinach simply isn’t worth it. They are one of those plants that thrive in these miserable temperatures. It is very strange how weeds can survive almost anything, but plants that produce food are EXTREMELY finicky.

Fizzgig and Gizmo are enjoying the cooler temperature indoors. (The air conditioning still is not fixed, but I manage to keep it going just enough to keep it cool indoors. The parts came in so the company should be out this week to fix it finally.)

Gizmo has taken up residence at the foot of my bed. She is thoroughly enjoying the fan next to the bed blowing on her nonstop.

Fizzgig prefers the window in the mudroom. There is a vent that blows a small amount of air behind the curtain so, he has a nice cool breeze and a gigantic sunbeam to enjoy while looking out across the backyard. The backyard has a perfectly clear view of the sunset each evening while the front yard gets the sunrise.

The reason I was outside in these miserable temperatures was to fill in holes in the backyard.

We have a dog sized armadillo digging holes all over the yard. I am quite certain that this is also the culprit behind the gigantic holes that are randomly found across the back of the property. These are very deep holes. I saw the armadillo the other day, but I didn’t want to wake hubby to deal with it because he had to get up at 5:00 am and it was 2:30 am. He told me he didn’t care what time it was, if I saw it again, wake him up. It is destroying our yard and he says it is a chicken predator. (I honestly don’t know if that’s true, but I don’t want it digging under the coop or run and leaving holes for chicks to fall into.)

There is rain in the forecast for the rest of the week and I honestly hope it rains so it will cool down, but I don’t want the humidity that comes with the rain. It’s a lose-lose situation. Until next time…