There are pictures after the text.

20070622
to Altus OK
215 miles

It stayed cloudy again, good news for travelers. 

We went west to Gainesville TX, north to OK-7, west to I-35, north to US-62, west to Altus. Not many people, lots of oil well pumps nodding in the fields. Gently rolling country.

The streams are full and over-full. They've been getting lots of rain here.

We got set up in the FAMCAMP on Altus AFB with the usual amount of confusion. They run the reservations here out of a 3-ring binder that has no controls. Lots of people have access to it. It's chaos. But they had an empty space (not the one we were assigned), and we took it. Then we went back to the manager and told him the place was full and what we'd done. He swears he's going to fix it this time.

As we were setting up, Annamarie called to say she'd see us after her shift. She called later on saying she'd got involved in trying to find daughter Sam's (Samantha) music for her rehearsal tonight at the church. We all finally decided that we'd stay in the little house and chill while they went north to Quartz Mountain to watch various acting and dancing performances by the teens in the Oklahoma ..... program. We'll join them tomorrow for lunch, then go with them to Quartz Mountain to watch the singing (Sam) performances & others, then have dinner there, and return.

Somethings wrong with the truck. Fuel mileage fell off from the normal 11.5 to 12 down to 10. It started yesterday and continued today. I can't see any signs of leakage onto the ground and no sign of a leak under the hood. The truck is running normally. I'll look more tomorrow.

While looking at the truck, I found the power steering fluid low - filled it.

Had a nice quiet night reading and doing computer work (defrag, etc.).

 

20070623
at Altus OK
local travel

Today was certainly one of a kind. We went to Annamarie & Randy's house for a sandwich lunch. Then we rode with them to Quartz Mountain Arts Institute on Quarz Mountain Lake, some 20+ miles north.

Here is held the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, a two-week intense course in the students discipline and a working acquaintance with other forms of art. Annamarie and Randy's daughter Samantha (Sam) is in the choral field (lead alto) in her third year of work here.

We first went through the exhibit room off the lodge where the photography and painting results were on display. Some were iffy, but many showed real sensitivity (or so I think).

Then we went to the Performing Center and attended the performance of the Choral work (including Sam). The did, in order, a 15th century Ave Maria, a 16th century Jesus, My Joy and My Treasure (Bach), Son de la Loma (Matamoras) from the 19th century, and Schubert's Mass in G from the 17th century. It was absolutely beautiful. The kids really showed their talents and the work they'd put into rehearsals.

We were shuffled outside while the interior was reset. Then we returned to our seats and paid attention to the poetry readings and the film the film students had put together. There were some poems I could understand and a couple I really liked. The kids were poised and showed no stage fright. The film was funny, as intended, being a farcicial thing about two boys brought up as wolves who then stumbled upon the Summer Arts Institute. It was funny and remarkable for being a cooperative effort of 14 people.

We had dinner at the Lodge (this place actually runs as a Lodge & suites on the lake when this session is not running). Afterward we took a walk around the facility, then returned to the Performing Center for the evening performance - the Orchestra. I don't have the program in front of me at the moment, but it was a challenging series of music that took 1.5 hours all told. Very enjoyable. Lots of applause.

We said goodnight to Sam and friend Eric, went back to Annamarie & Randy's, and took the truck back to the little house. There, we had a glass and settled in for the night.