Short & Sweet

  Occasionally, we have the opportunity to travel with my hubby when he's on the job.  Last week we were able to do just that.  Interestingly, he has been working near the town of Wagoner, OK where my ggg-uncle George Morgan Clem once lived.  His nephew, my gg-grandpa, Elias Clem was supposed to have run in the land rush down there, and I have often wondered if that was the area he was in.  He didn't get the land that he wanted, so he ended back up here in NE Kansas.
  We dropped Hubby off at the work area which is right on Lake Fort Gibson and went in search of an adventure to kill some time.  We found Sequoyah State Park close at hand and went into the visitor's center.  Boy, am I glad we did!  They pointed us just up the road to a nature center.  All of the nature centers we have been to so far have been free, hands-on, and great little places of learning for kiddos.  This was what we found with this one as well. 

They had a wide variety of native critters ranging from live fish, snakes, & turtles to stuffed ones as well.  Shorty loved the hands on table...

but when Bubby mentioned the great outdoors, our time inside was done!  The ranger (who had been homeschooled herself) took us to see a coyote and some grey foxes - which Bubby really enjoyed.  She then introduced us to a very old bald eagle who was 34 (they can live in captivity on average for 30 years).  He shared a cage with a barred owl who hooted at us from her box.

We still needed to kill a little time, so we headed down to the water's edge.  I am amazed no one dipped a toe in, or got soaked;) 

Hubby's work was over a short time later, so we began the second leg of our trip down to see my family in Texas.  My grandma's sister lives just north of Dallas.  She thought the world of her two sisters.  There is only one living and when we get the chance we try to go visit.  The kids were super excited about going too! 
  We ended up being able to go and watch a cousin's baseball game and get some visiting in in the evening. We stayed at a bed & breakfast which we had all to ourselves.  It was called Durning House (Van Alstyne, Tx) and Mookie dubbed it her dream house.  Mookie has always loved all things small, cute, and fancy and this fit the bill.  The kids had the upstairs bedroom to themselves & they were so thrilled!  Shorty thoroughly enjoyed climbing up and down the steep stairs to "his room".

Durning House

In the morning, we enjoyed a leisurely breakfast time and then some more time with my family before we headed out on our way home.  A short trip, but packed full of memories!