Remembering the basics in this wonderful country

I don't do a lot of hiking anymore. Not that I was ever an avid hiker in the first place, it's just that well, I dunno, maybe the ole' body is slowing down. And, well maybe my lederhosen got too tight and started givin' me a wedgy.

Regardless, Pattye and I hiked last week while we were touring Oklahoma and visiting with Ben, Kass and the boys as well as Norm and Jana over Thanksgiving.

One of the places we visited was Turner Falls, Oklahoma, a place I hadn't seen in almost 50 years when I made my first trip south from Norman, Oklahoma down to Dallas. Back then Interstate 35 wasn't completely finished down through the Arbuckle Mountains where Turner Falls is located. As you cruised south on Highway 77, you were forced to slow down to about 10 MPH as you navigated hairpin turns through the foothills... The road hasn't changed much in those 50 years and "The Falls" are as beautiful as they were once before.

Something that has been added is a zip line that stretches across the canyon for 777 feet. Something that I might have tried ridin' back in the day, but now I just enjoy watching others ride it.

Another stop during our 4 day getaway was circumnavigating Lake Murray in Ardmore, Oklahoma, only a few miles from the grandboys house. This gorgeous lake has 67 miles of primitive shoreline nestled in the middle of Lake Murray State Park.

I have probably driven past Lake Murray more than 100 times as I have journeyed from Dallas to Oklahoma City or Norman during these last 50 years. Although the lake is only but a mile or two off the highway, it can't be seen from the highway. So for all of those years I missed a truly magnificent body of water.

This man-made lake is a tribute to one of the greatest accomplishments in bringing America out of the Depression. The lake and State Park was built by young men of the Civilian Conservation Corp and organized through the Works Progress Administration.

There's a wonderful display at the lake detailing with documents and pictures the efforts of the young men who built this State Park as well as hundreds of State Parks and National Parks around the country.

If any of you have ever set foot on a trail in any State Park or National Park, you have no doubt walked in the footsteps of these same people.

The peacefulness of the lake and seeing the results of these young men gave me cause to think how wonderful it would be if the youth of this nation, the ones who are "lost" with no direction, or "confused" as to what their next chapter might be or who may want some type of direction...if they had an opportunity to earn self respect and at the same time giving back to this wonderful country...how it might serve many purposes.

Anyway, the time to reflect did me a lot of good, plus it got the ole' bones a workin' again.

Too often, I've taken for granted many of the things that make this country great. One is simply nature.

So now I challenge myself and any others who happen to be reading this musing. Let's shut down our "devices" sometime this coming year and get outdoors and do ourselves some good.

Breathe it all in, while the air is still fresh and be thankful for what we have and what we could do if we made the effort.