Happy Holidays

I say "happy holidays" because we are celebrating not only Christmas, but also the end of a year and the beginning of a new year. And because not everyone celebrates Christmas, yet we all celebrate something special this time of year.

This will serve as my annual Christmas letter. Not much has changed since last Christmas. Blake has been living in North Carolina with her boyfriend Dan since last Thanksgiving and is doing well there. They came for a visit last April and will be here for Christmas. Drew is still in school in Austin TX and will also be here for Christmas. He gave us some of his art to display during the Watonga Cheese Festival in October, and we now have a couple of his pieces in our house and in a coffee shop on Main Street. Both kids are really excited about being here for the holidays, getting to spend time with each other and with us.

At the beginning of the year, I quit my job at the bank and did something completely different: I trained and worked at Roman Nose State Park as director of programs. I learned so much about Oklahoma history, geology, culture. I gave interpretive tours at the Park to groups of kids and adults and really enjoyed being in the outdoors. Then I got a real job with the City of Watonga.

We had a good year at the Retreat, other than the extremely hot summer temperatures. I watered the gardens like a fiend just to keep things alive. We had several reunions with old friends here during the year. Took rides in the DeSoto. Entertained old friends and made new friends. Supported our local winery. Had a lawn concert featuring a local musician (Katie Ballew). As President of the Chamber of Commerce I started a Farmer's Market and a monthly coffee on Main Street. I stay busy.

And Andy stays busy taking care of the "estate". He's also doing volunteer work refurbishing the front of the local historic theatre building.

We will make tamales on Christmas eve, as is our tradition, and anyone is invited to come by for some Christmas cheer anytime during the day. We hope for a white Christmas, but would be happy if it were 50 degrees too!

Keep in touch with us on facebook (Chaparral Retreat OR Andrew Barrett). Email address is barrettbb@yahoo.com. We'd love to hear from all who read this!

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!

After Thanksgiving

The weather has turned cold, but at least it's sunny.
We had a great holiday at the Retreat. Drew drove up on Wednesday night and stayed until Saturday afternoon -- a good long visit for him. He brought Petey; tried to get Skeeter and Petey to bond but it didn't happen. Killer Kat really resented the scent of Petey on Drew, and hissed at Drew anytime they got near each other. KK can tolerate the dog, but not another male cat!
We also had guests stay with us on Wed. and Thurs. evening. A very nice couple from southeast OK who were in town to spend the holiday with family members who live in Watonga. We had several interesting conversations, and we hope they come back to visit.
We spent some time at Whirlwind Winery, tasting, listening to music and talking with Brad, the owner; and we sent some wine home with Drew. We did some hiking at Roman Nose state park. We played Yatzee and Drew taught me some things about Facebook. Drew and I made smudge sticks out of lavender and sage I harvested earlier this year. The fall colors have been beautiful, but now all of the leaves have fallen from the trees thanks to the windy days we've had this weekend. We had a little rain too. All in all it's been a really great long weekend. We hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving with family and friends.

A VISIT FROM COPPELL FRIENDS

Last week we were glad to hear from Ann and Keith from Coppell. They drove up for a visit. We drove around town and the Park in the DeSoto, took them to the "hot spots" in town, and enjoyed a good long visit. The temperatures were a bit chilly -- cooler than they were used to down in Dallas. We walked around the property and talked about future plans for an art studio and possibly an art gallery in town. The alien-looking castor bean plants are still in bloom, but a few seed pods were dry enough for Ann to take back home for her garden. The trees were in peak fall color.

This week is cold - in the 30's - and windy. Winter is definitely here. We've had one bonfire and hope to have another sometime this weekend. Drew is driving up from Austin for the holiday. The sunsets visible from the front yard are fabulous this time of year, as the trees are losing their leaves.

Tellabration at Liberty Theatre

Last night we went to the Liberty Theatre for Watonga's first Tellabration. Six professional storytellers came from various places in Oklahoma. The stories ranged from a little comedy to a song about a train wreck and Rhode Island locomotive that is still in the Cimmaron River, to a Choctaw story about Rabbit and Lady Wolf; to a recipe on how to cook squirrel. We also had two local storytellers:Larry Masoner and Hod Tolbert. All of the stories were fun and entertaining. I hope we are able to bring another event like this to Watonga and maybe even get some young people involved. Two of the storytellers stayed at the B&B and we got to visit over breakfast.

Outside the leaves are turning colors quickly. The weather this week should be very pleasant -- overnight temperatures in the high 40's and daytime temperatures from 50 to 60's. A good day today to hike at Roman Nose State Park.

I spent some time at the Whirlwind Winery yesterday (Saturday) afternoon, visiting with Nancy and Brad. Brad is busy bottling the last of his Honey Apple wine from last year's grape harvest. When in watonga, everyone should stop by his storefront on Friday and Saturday afternoons for wine-tasting, music, and conversation.

OH HAPPY DAY

The weather today is gorgeous. I heard from an old friend that brought a smile to my face. I also saw Brad Pitt in "Money Ball" on Saturday while the guys were at the OU/TX A&M game in Norman. So today I'm going to take Skeeter to the park to hike. If I have any energy left after that, I need to rake leaves before the next layer falls. Maintaining the gardens is an on-going effort, but I really enjoy being out there. We never know when we'll get another cold spell and not be able to do outside work. I HATE THE COLD OF WINTER, but not the beauty of the sunsets, the changing tree colors, and the new snow.

PS -- just for the record, early this a.m. I felt a shock wave from an earthquake--on the morning news I heard that the epicenter was about 90 miles away from here. No walls moving or falling objects in the house, but for a minute I felt like the bed was a waterbed. It was really weird. Did anyone else around here feel it?!?

Halloween in Watonga OK

What a weekend!
We had guests at the B&B this weekend, friends of Dr. Spencer. They were from Bedford, Texas. We got out the Desoto and drove through Roman Nose Park and then Andy took them on a guided tour of the Three Springs area. The weather was perfect, the air clean and fresh smelling. In the afternoon we went to town and stopped by the Whirlwind Winery and to see the Liberty Theatre and the work Andy has done on it. Saturday night we all went to a Halloween costume party at the Spencers' home. It was MOST FUN -- lots of good food, fun people, interesting costumes, and KAREOKE! There were scary, funny, sexy, and original costumes -- my favorite was Popeye and Olive Oyl. When Andy gets done working on the theatre today, I'll put him to work loading pix onto the Chaparral Retreat Facebook page. I didn't get too many pics -- I hit a button on the camera somehow and it went to video, then I couldn't see well enough to find the button to get it back to photos. Oh well, I'm sure lots of others took pictures. I hope the incriminating ones aren't posted publicly!

Unfortunately, we missed the Rolling Stones Halloween party in Dallas !! SEND PICTURES! We're going to have to figure something out in future years to be able to attend both parties! Or maybe alternate. Who knows. We hate to miss either but we can't be in two places at once! I'd also like to do a haunted forest (for adults) in our back woods some Halloween, but don't want to compete with Dr.'s party. We'll just have to see how the holiday falls next year and make a two-day event out of it if need be!

Just in time for Halloween!

The weather has turned cool and it feels like Fall. We had a little bit of rain last night and hope for more this evening.

We had a busy weekend last weekend, with visitors in town to ride the mountain bike trails at Roman Nose State Park. Also, a young couple from Oklahoma City, celebrating their anniversary. I concocted a new drink for breakfast -- I call it an "appaloosa" instead of a mimosa. It is pineapple/orange juice topped off with Whirlwind Winery's Honey Apple wine. I didn't have any champagne and wanted to serve something special with breakfast, so there it is. We served french toast with an apple/cream cheese/brown sugar & Cinnamon sauce.

This weekend is Halloween party weekend. The house is decorated. We have guests for the weekend, so we have to miss the Rolling Stones party in Dallas. Bummer!

WOW!

It has been beautiful this past week! We even got some rain. We've struggled all summer to keep the yard and gardens alive. The trees have really taken a beating and we'll probably have a colorless fall, but we just hope the trees survive to regain their strength and beauty next year. We did lose a couple of saplings, and a few branches off of healthy trees but not so much that it is noticeable. The sunsets are still gorgeous as the color filters through the trees.

This past weekend we had friends from Watonga and friends from Tulsa visit, and had a very relaxing weekend. On Friday night, Katey Ballew brought her guitar to the retreat for "happy hour". Other friends stopped by and we sat on the lawn, set out citronella candles as "Stage lights", and listened to her beautiful voice as she entertained us with her musical talents. Magic Jon entertained us too (I won't go into his talent here - this is an all ages blog!). Really, though, I enjoyed the fun and hope everyone else did to. We'd love to have gatherings like this at the Retreat on a somewhat regular basis, so watch for announcements.

We went to the Whirlwind Winery on Saturday afternoon and listened to the Gypsy Kings on CD while sampling some sake wine we recently unpacked. It had to be consumed or thrown away, so we chose to drink it! At least I did. The atmosphere wasn't quite right for sake, and we all decided we'd have to try it again under the right circumstances -- with sushi and edamame and the right serving glasses, and warmed up. I guess I'll have to find the box that my sushi roller and sake cups are in, and pick up some seaweed the next time we are in Oklahoma City!

Andy and John went to the OU/Missouri game on Saturday night and seemed to enjoy it--they had to stay until the last minutes, it was such a good game! Teri and I stayed home, sat on the front porch in rockers and visited, and made a zucchini souffle from a recipe Teri brought. It was really easy, and really delicious. We even ate some of it with our breakfast the next morning (since the guys didn't get any of it the night before) and it went well with that meal.

On Sunday, Roy and Rose Gonzales came for a visit and brought us some copies of Roy's recent CD -- "Mi Soledad"--which is very nice to put on and listen to while rocking on the front porch (and other times too!) We have some for sale at the B&B. We had a nice visit and planned another get-together in November.

Andy and the saxophone quartet practiced in the house while I transplanted some seedlings in the garden. It is so nice to be able to go out and "play in the dirt" again.

I'm looking forward to a busy and fun Fall, with nice weather, the Cheese Festival coming up, and then Halloween! Plan a visit to the Retreat and make your reservations soon, as we are filling up quickly for the fall season!

We traveled to Wichita Kansas this past weekend for a get-together with OSU friends. The girls saw a movie, "The Help", and the guys went to a car show. Then we went to the Cotillion to see Susan Tedeski Truck,, a band made up of Susan Tedeski and her husband Garrett Truck. A great night, great music, great venue for a show. We'll certainly go back to Wichita!

A BREAK IN THE WEATHER

Finally, the temperatures are again below 100 degrees! Last week we had some low/overnight temperatures in the mid- to high 70's, and daily high temperatures between 98 and 100. This week should be the same; it may get up to 102 one day, but we are hoping it doesn't get that hot. The gardens have just survived. We even had some rain twice last week, and that made everything green up. I spent a few hours trimming some of the dead branches and limbs from the perennials and bushes in the hopes that they will perk up again. The only things blooming through the heat are the summer phlox, red turk's cap, and Rose of sharon.

We;ve had visits from two couples from Dallas. Peach and Jack Portman came two weeks ago. They took a hike around the property and enjoyed sitting on the porch. We took them to Roman Nose State Park and to the town of Watonga. This past weekend, Howard Stansell and his friend Sharie came to see us and the "sights" of Watonga. We had good visits with both couples and got somewhat caught up on goings on in Dallas and our old church home, Chapel Hill Methodist. We are still eager for others from CHUMC to come visit, as we still miss our church family there in Farmers branch even though we have a great church family here. We hope the Portmans and Stansell give good reports of our place and the area.

Thanks for Peach for the vine seeds -- I've planted a few even this late in the season (I know they are annuals), but have saved some to plant early next year.

BUSY, BUSY, BuSY ...

Wed July 13 finds the temperature right at 100 (instead of 103+ as it has been). We heard thunder last night but didn't get any rain -- it all fell southeast of us in OK City. It is hard keeping the yard alive in spite of watering every day.

We've had guests since July 1 and it's been lots of fun, but exhausting with all the partying! Some friends of Andy's from high school were here so he got to catch up with them and I got to meet some of his school friends. This was the 40th anniversary of the class of 71, and next year is Andy's 40th reunion (class of 72) so we hope to see more of his old friends next spring. THEN Drew and 'Tana and Sandi and Guy came and stayed for several days. Too much fun, too much food, but it was great getting to spend so much time with good friends. We hiked. Drew painted a piece of art on some old masonite. Andy and Guy unpacked boxes and found treasures that have been in the garage for years.

WE ARE READY FOR THE NEXT GROUP OF VISITORS !! Call to make a reservation, as our rooms are filling up fast, even in this heat. One of the best things about the Retreat is that it under a canopy of trees, so there is plenty of shade and breeze. Mornings on the patio are fabulous!

RAIN !!

Rain actually fell on Watonga last night. Northwest OK saw a lot of storms and lightening that passed over all the way to OKC, and we were on the edge of the front so we got a little bit of rain. It has been so dry and windy that even this little bit is really great. And the front also brought the temperatures down to 100 degrees or just below, instead of the 104+ temperatures we've had for over a week.

We had a busy week and weekend at the B&B. We enjoyed a visit from some repeat guests and met some new friends from Kansas. We grilled steaks and had fresh pesto and grilled zucchini from the garden. We drank wine and visited and were able to sit out on the back patio for a short time after dinner. It's really been too hot for much hiking either on our property or out at the Park. It is a struggle right now just keeping our yard and gardens watered and alive. Skeeter wants to stay inside most of the time (in our bedroom), but Killer Kat enjoys time outside, lying in the grass under the shade, hunting and stalking whatever he happens to see.

The Farm & Garden Market has been going well and has grown in the one month it's been in operation. Our vendors seem to be happy with the business and the crowds that come out to get their produce and other products, including cheese from Christian Cheese in Kingfisher. This coming weekend is July 4th weekend and we are expecting a good crowd of visitors. I've arranged for a teenager to be on site to do face-painting on the kids (and any adults who want it!)

The Chamber of Commerce is getting ready to start a monthly coffee day at local businesses. Be sure to check out the website at www.watongachamber.com for information about that and other activities/events coming up in Watonga, including the Cheese Festival in October. We just hope the weather is nice for that event!

ITS ONLY JUNE

Temperatures are in the high 90's. We have had some rain, though, so everything is green and the wildflowers are in full bloom on the sides of the road.

The Farm & Garden Market in Watonga is going well, though we are still looking for additional vendors. The produce in the area is just starting to ripen. We have one vendor with tomatoes and zucchini and broccali and cauliflower and beets. He also cans some great salsa, jellies, and chow chow. We are eating more and more vegetables. I am hoping to sell some seedlings and transplants this coming week, and Andy is making some walking sticks to sell, from cedar cut from trees on our property. I plan on decorating T-shirts for 4th of July.

Last weekend Andy transplanted bermuda sod into our yard from a vacant lot in town. He and a helper worked hard for two days, so we should have a real lawn in a month or so. I made an impromptu old fashioned breakfast of bacon, migas, and toast for the guys and they seemed to enjoy it. Our basil is producing well now, but grasshoppers have destroyed some of our other crops. I may have to put aside the "organic" treatments and drop the A-bomb on the little pests. I'm trying to convince myself that is the way to go, and will probably be ready to do it the next time I walk outside and see all of my beautiful plants eaten down to the nub.

We are eager to host a lawn concert this month -- trying to line up a singer/guitarist for that. I've set up a Facebook page also but haven't been able to get it linked in completely -- right now it's just a shell. I need a computer guru to help me with that!

We've been fortunate lately to have guests at the B&B who have become friends. And to have old friends come visit.

SUMMER IS HERE!

It is now hot and humid -- temperatures in the high 80's and even 90's. I know -- I am always commenting on the weather, but weather is a major topic in Oklahoma. It is dry again, even though we had a couple of rainstorms in the past few weeks. We had a major hail storm a couple of weeks ago. The house was spared, but our car took a beating. The farmers are harvesting wheat but the trucks aren't very full. Just one of the hazards of wheat farming -- sometimes it's a good year and sometimes the harvest is sparse.

Andy continues to putter around the house and make improvements -- and mowing the property takes up a lot of time. The lawn is greening up. Lots of things are blooming in the gardens. Irises have played out and the daylillies are popping. The rose of sharon trees are putting on buds. I rescued a couple of hibiscus from town and they love their new home -- bright red blooms are abundant. A friend gave me some amaryllis and they are blooming beautifully -- hopefully they will naturalize and spread off the New Mexico room. We have regular visits from hummingbirds on both the front and back feeders. We are really blessed to be able to enjoy this paradise.

We hope to have some live entertainment on the front porch later this month. Check out our website or this blog for dates. We are getting reservations for various weekends through the summer, but still have dates open, especially during the week, so give us a call for reservations as soon as you know when you can come visit the Retreat!

HAPPY HOUR ON FRIDAY
I am not working this coming Friday, 4/12/11, and so we will be enjoying libations and snacks on the porch. Anyone who wants to come by is welcome, starting around 5:30 pm. to 7:00 pm. Bring a bottle of wine, wine coolers, or lemonade and join us. We'll have a few things on hand if you can't get by the store to pick up something. We just want to enjoy some fresh air and fellowship with friends!

WARM & WINDY

Temperatures have been nice enough to work out in the yard, and it is a daily job raking leaves off of the flower beds. We are desperately in need of rain. Plants are popping up; irises are about ready to pop open. There are rain storms in eastern Oklahoma, from Tulsa down to the Texas border, but no precipitation on the western side of OKC. Today the wind is scary -- around 50 mph with gusts up to 60 mph, but no rain. I watched a tree in the front yard fall from the strong wind this evening. Fortunately, it wasn't near the house. After several days of temperatures in the 80's, today was only in the 50's. But tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and 70 degrees, and not windy.

A couple I met while working at the Lodge brought me some plants from their garden. They were quite generous with several clematis and other perennials. Carole and David took a couple of sedum from me, and I promised to keep track of the colors of irises that come up in my garden to see if Carol would like some from my garden next year. I was excited to meet someone as interested in gardening as I am. And of course I love to find people to trade plants with. I have been so fortunate to have received several different plants from friends here in Watonga and from my friend Mary back in Dallas. Our grounds are starting to have more color. Now that the quince are finished blooming, I am ready to transplant some of that to other places in the front of the yard.

We had a nice visit from our daughter Blake and her boyfriend Dan. They drove in from North Carolina and spent a few days at the retreat before heading down to Dallas to visit friends there. Skeeter and Killer Kat were not very happy about having another dog, LD, around, but they were good natured about it and tolerated the intruder for the short time she was wish us. KK is getting around much better, though he walks with a crooked back leg, but today he did actually eat regular cat food from his bowl. I never thought I would be one to spoon-feed a cat, but KK is special (even though not too smart -- he likes to lay on the driveway without evening pretending to be aware of the vehicle that ran over him).

We are looking forward to having concerts in the front yard this summer. We already have several weekends booked up, so anyone who wants to come visit should call and reserve a room as soon as you know you can come!

FICKLE WEATHER

Sunday 3/27/11... It is cold again. Overnight temps in the 30's, probably freezing tonight, but then it will warm up during the day and be pretty nice all next week. I'm glad I didn't put all of my aloe and sansavarius and spider plants out yet.

We are moving ahead on the Watonga Farmers Market and hope to kick it off on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend.

Our mouser, Killer Kat, had a run-in with a truck last weekend. The tires rolled over his back legs, but the vet checked him over and said nothing was broken. So we've been nursing him back to health: giving him tender loving care, ibuprophen, yogurt, and sardines, and exercising his little kitty legs carefully. At first he was dragging himself across the garage floor to get to his litter box, and then we found that he had somehow gotten on top of a box in the garage, and today I saw him actually walking a few steps. It will probably be a while before he is back to his old/young self, but he seems to have survived...probably used up one of his nine lives for sure. I just hope he isn't too spoiled after his "rehab" to stay in the garage ... more on his progress later.

IS IT SPRING . . . YET?

By the temperatures we're having this week, one might think it was early summer. It was 80 degrees yesterday. But we are still in for cold nights and the last "average freeze" date is April 1. I've begun raking leaves and discovering life under the brown crackling layer. The quince is in full bloom, as are daffodils and jonquils (I still don't know which is which) and tulips are about to pop. Irises and daylillies are shooting up but won't bloom for another month I think. I'm busy taking cuttings from everything from varigated vinca to mint sprigs and daylillies to get ready to sell at the Farmers Market. I've planted broccali, brussel sprouts, onion, and cilantro. I hope to get some other cold weather vegetables in the ground this coming weekend. Andy has put out seeds in the hot box for tomatoes, peppers, and basil. The garden up by the barn needs preparation for summer plants . . . we'll get to that sometime soon!

Spring break just got over and the Park and Lodge were busy all last week. I walked with a group through the Lodge and told a little bit of history of the park and the CCC and the Cheyenne culture here. One young couple asked me about the Medicine Tree and I related a story from recent history about an Indian who moved away when members of his family passed away at the local hospital instead of at the Medicine Tree. I am looking forward to hearing more stories from Larry Roman Nose. I referred a gentleman to the Ferguson Museam and he told me he enjoyed a tour there and his visit with Mary Dean, the curator of the Ferguson home. I took a family on a hike down the Lodge trail one day. The little girls were fascinated by the "false spring" and the mollusk shells they found on the shore of the lake. A visitor to the park saw a really big porcupine in a tree and she brought in a picture of it to show me. It was a busy week! The weather was very pleasant except for one day that was a little cool and overcast and windy.

This week I've seen deer in our yard and a coyote crossing the road, and turkey. Someone close by has recently acquired a donkey -- I can hear it braying loudly when I am out in the yard.

IS IT SPRING YET?

We keep getting hints that spring is here, and then it gets cold again. This week the days have been mostly sunny, with temperatures in the 50's and 60's. We had one night of rain, maybe got an inch. But we are way below the average and the county is under a burn ban. That wasn't good for Trout Derby because fisherman couldn't cook their catch, so most of them took their fish home. It was a good Derby, overall. We had over 200 registrants, and the biggest fish caught was over 3 lbs. One fisherman gave us two trout and Andy cooked them on the grill, on foil, and they really were delicious. The new manager of the General Store at the lake cooked hotdogs and sold them, which was really appreciated by all, even the chamber and Friends of Roman Nose volunteers.
Now that Trout Derby is over, we at the Chamber are getting ready for the Mountain Bike race that will be held at Roman Nose State Park. It looks like it will be a big event this year. I continue to research and learn a lot about Oklahoma, the Indian culture, the history of this area and even some geology (which I am totally NOT interested in, but need to know for my presentations). I continue to get familiar with the park itself.

LOTS OF EXCITING EVENTS COMING UP!

First, a recap in the event anyone is reading this...
Andy and I went to Tulsa to visit his dad and friends in Broken Arrow. John is an awesome cook. We met some new people we hope to call "friends", and played Farkle (hope I spelled it correctly). We went to estate sales; ate at an Irish pub downtown; and generally had a nice relaxing weekend.

Yesterday I went to downtown OKC to pick up my official "Naturalist" uniform for my job at Roman Nose State Park. The Lodge has been busy and I am sure the park will be busy this entire season. I've been working on putting together interpretive programs to present at the Park, and have learned so much fascinating history about this area, from the Indian culture to the possibility of Dalton Gang hidden treasure in the local canyons! Speaking of a busy season -- it will kick off with the upcoming TROUT DERBY at Watonga Lake, sponsored by the Watonga Chamber of Commerce, March 4-6. $20.00 to register to fish, and that also enters your name in a drawing for a Brat Boat. Andy says he is going to try trout fishing this year.

THIS COMING WEEKEND is the reenactment of the courtroom scene from TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, to be held at the Blaine County Courthouse in Watonga. It is being put on as a joint effort by the Watonga Library and the Watonga Theatre Company. I will be a "townsperson" and get to dress in authentic vintage costume from the 30's -- I hope to get photos to post on our webpage. I won't name names here, but everyone involved in this production is AWESOME... I noticed the abundance of talent in this town when we first moved here -- from musicians to stage production and acting to a local magician -- but it just keeps getting better and better each year. I have to say that I am a fan of the book, one of the greatest novels ever written. READ IT if you get a chance -- REREAD it if you read it as a child!

THE LIBRARY is also hosting a "Dr. Seuss" day for grade school children, with a reading of "OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO" by (tentatively) a Cat in the Hat.

I went to a seminar on Oklahoma Tourism last week, in ALVA, OKLAHOMA. It was very informative, and I can't wait to use some of the information and tips we got there, to get people to come to WATONGA.

In our front yard, crocus are blooming and other bulbs are showing their "green" -- I am hopeful for an early Spring.

SUNNY DAYS AHEAD

This past weekend was EXCELLENT -- beautiful weather. The snow is melting so the ground is a little muddy, but since we have such sandy soil, the moisture seeps down pretty quickly. And most of the ground is covered with leaves.

Our son Drew turned 22 this past week, and celebrated in Austin, Texas with friends. I can't wait for him to come visit us again, probably during Spring Break.

We had guests stay at the Retreat on Friday night and we had a nice visit with them on Saturday morning. It's such a blessing to get to know people and make new friends.
The Roman Nose State Park Lodge had a special Valentine's dinner on Saturday night and it was a success. There was a string quartet (members of the OKC Symphony) playing during dinner, which was unadvertised and a wonderful surprise for everyone.

We are booking up for the upcoming TROUT DERBY but still have one room available. The DERBY is Fri, Sat, and Sun., and ends with awards on Sunday afternoon.

We met a young man who will be working at the country store at Roman Nose Park this season, and he is excited about the opportunities in this area. We are excited to have him here and involved in bringing people to Watonga and RNSP. It is going to be a fun, busy summer season!

STILL COLD!

OKAY, NOTHING MUCH HAS CHANGED IN THE PAST WEEK: WE HAVE 6 INCHES OF SNOW ON THE GROUND (WHEN THE SUN SHINES, IT IS BEAUTIFUL!) AND THE OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES ARE IN THE SINGLE DIGITS. BUT IT IS SUPPOSED TO GET AS WARM AS 30 DEGREES TOMORROW! THEN WARMER BY THE WEEKEND, AND MAYBE EVEN HIT HIGH 60'S NEXT WEEK. I HEARD THAT THE GROUNDHOG DIDN'T SEE HIS SHADOW LAST WEEK, SO SPRING SHOULD BE JUST AROUND THE CORNER. I AM ON THE LOOKOUT FOR BLOOMS ON THE FLOWERING QUINCE -- THE FIRST SIGN OF IMPENDING SPRING. ONCE THIS SNOW MELTS, I MAY SEE SIGNS OF TULIPS, BUT I'M NOT HOLDING MY BREATH JUST YET. SPRING IN THIS PART OF OKLAHOMA DOESN'T REALLY START UNTIL APRIL, THOUGH I CAN BE HOPEFUL OF SEEING GREEN SIGNS EARLIER, MAYBE IN MARCH.

THE WATONGA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE BANQUET THIS PAST MONDAY NIGHT WENT WELL. WE HAD A FULL HOUSE OF OVER 200 GUESTS. I MADE IT THROUGH MY "PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS" AND HOPE I LEFT THE ROOM WITH A FEELING OF OPTIMISM FOR GOOD THINGS TO BE DONE IN THE COMING YEAR, INCLUDING A FARMERS MARKET.

WE ARE GETTING READY FOR THE ANNUAL TROUT DERBY AT ROMAN NOSE STATE PARK, AND ANDY AND I HAVE SOME GUESTS REGISTERED FOR THAT WEEKEND (FIRST WEEKEND IN MARCH). WE ARE DONATING ANOTHER GIFT CERTIFICATE TO THE TROUT DERBY THIS YEAR -- LAST YEAR'S WINNER OF THE GIFT CERTIFICATE CAME TO STAY EARLIER THIS YEAR AND IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO BOOKED A ROOM WITH US FOR THIS YEAR!

MY JOB AT THE PARK IS GOING WELL. I AM WORKING ON PUTTING TOGETHER SOME PROGRAMS TO HAVE READY BY SPRING BREAK. THE POSSIBILITIES ARE OVERWHELMING, BUT I'VE CHOSEN THREE TO START OUT WITH: (1) AN INFORMATIONAL TOUR COVERING THE HISTORY OF THE PARK, CANYON, AND LODGE; (2) AN INTERPRETIVE TOUR TO HIGHLIGHT THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS' WORK IN THE PARK; AND (3) A "DARK SKIES" PROGRAM, TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF AREAS (LIKE THE PARK HERE) THAT AREN'T AFFECTED BY 'LIGHT POLLUTION'--HOPEFULLY WITH SOME "PROFESSIONAL" INPUT FROM THE OKLAHOMA CITY ASTRONOMY SOCIETY. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS AN OBSERVATORY NEAR WATONGA CALLED "CHEDDAR RANCH"....

I WELCOME FEEDBACK!

RECORD COLD TEMPERATURES!

We are in the middle of a week of record cold temperatures - 2 degrees overnight and a negative chill factor. OKC got 12 inches of snow last week.

I've started a new job at the Roman Nose State Park. It is exciting. I am working on setting up "interpretation" programs for the park. More on that later.

The Watonga Chamber of Commerce is getting ready for its annual banquet, to be held this coming Monday, Feb. 7. Then we'll be getting ready for the Trout Derby, to be held March 4,5,6.

VACATION AFTERGLOW

We've returned from a long-awaited vacation and found everything at home as we left it. Our neighbor Coot was a great house-sitter and pet-sitter. The animals missed us but after our being back one day, they know things are back to normal. Andy and I and the animals took a walk around the property in spite of the cold temperatures (40's).



We got used to warm temperatures from the minute we arrived in Ft Lauderdale. I could have been happy just sitting by the swimming pool at the hotel there for the entire week. But the cruise we took was even better than I expected. Once on the ship, we immediately got settled into our stateroom and sat on the balcony and enjoyed the sun, knowing that the temperatures were below freezing back in Watonga. I now understand why people go to Florida in the winter.



We spent the week eating, reading, sunning, and enjoying the entertainment on the ship. The first day was pretty much spent getting checked in and settled in. The ship departed at 5:00 pm on Saturday, and we spent the next day and evening at sea heading to Haiti.

On Wednesday, the ship docked at a private port on the north side of Haiti. They called it an island, but it was really a pennisula. The port was owned and operated by the cruise line, and they offered several activities -- a zipline, a road tour in a tram, shopping, a beautiful beach, and of course, food. Andy and I stayed on the ship most of the day, sunning and reading, but we did disembark for a walk on the "island" and to get a souvenir -- a couple of pieces of coral rock (I am a cheap date). Back on the boat we had sushi and . . . .

On Thurday, we docked at Montego Bay, Jamaica. It was very different than if we had gone to Jamaica on our own, not on a cruise, because the area we were limited to was pretty much a small shopping area. To get away from the controlled area was expensive -- cab fees and fees to get on the beach. We did buy some Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee but returned to the boat pretty quickly. Everything we needed was on the boat.