After our long hike the day before, our bodies needed a day of rest. We were granted a day of rest the next day, because it rained for almost 24 hours straight. That will keep these lovely wildflowers blooming clear to the end of their stem.
The rain forced us to rest inside the motor home. After some great views of Cedar Lake on earlier days, this was our view today.
We had lots of time to read, play the piano, and catch up on laundry. We don't leave the piano out all the time, but its full-length keyboard fits nicely at the foot of our bed on these rainy days.
Rainy days are also great times to cook. We thawed some of the Gulf shrimp we had bought in Padre, and made a nice pineapple shrimp dish with quinoa and broccoli.
Since we were stuck inside, it was a bad time to be without cell and internet service. So we drove ten miles in the rain to get a signal to send some texts and check the weather. Even though it is April, we found that we have a freeze warning, with snow in the forecast for parts of Oklahoma. After a cold night, we headed further north to our next stop near Wagoner, Oklahoma. We'll be camping among the cows and the pecan trees, on land that Mark's brother and sister-in-law own.
We were delighted to find that our nephew and his family were also visiting "the barn." That's the name for the log cabin built here, adjacent to the 50-amp full-hook-up site where our motor home is resting.
It's always fun to play with these three great nieces, and they were coaching Denisa on the best way to jump between the round hay bales. We thought it was fun that all three of them were wearing their "World's Best Sister" shirts. They really are the best!
Lucky and Liz have turned this farm into a fun park for their grandchildren, with a playground and zip-line and go-cart and trails and frisbee golf and kittens and a play house and . . . Six-year-old Sarah was showing Denisa how easy it is to walk the balance beam.
Then she was coaching Denisa, who could only walk the beam with a little help from her friend. Maybe we should take Sarah with us when we have those creek crossings where Denisa is always getting her feet wet.
We enjoyed our day of rest, and it's great to be around family once again! We went to church with them, honoring the official day of rest, before we headed out for our next adventures.
{We've taken some time away from the blog, while we were spending time in the Oklahoma panhandle with Mark's family. Now we have some catch-up stories that are out of chronological order. Sorry for the confusion!}
At our camp site at Cedar Lake, we have no cell phone or internet connection. That will affect how long we are content to stay in one location. Fellow campers told us about hiking trails in the area, and the Horse Thief Springs Trail was at the top of their list. We usually check on trail reviews for length and difficulty of hikes, but that wasn't a possibility this morning with no internet. So we started out on a long loop hike through the woods with no information.
Because we didn't know better, we took a turn onto "the scenic route." We found some good scenery and big boulders. We didn't know it at the time, but we also added some mileage to our hike with that turn.
Mark loves to scramble on those big rocks, and he could see for miles in all directions.
The yellow sign in the picture below lets us know that from here we can see the view of the Talimena Drive. The highway on the ridge in front of us is famous for glorious views of fall foliage. Many leaf peepers will take the Talimena Drive, named because it connects Talihina, Oklahoma to Mena, Arkansas through the Ouachita National Forest.
If we had internet access, we would have known about the high chances of rain today. As it started to rain, our trail got more and more muddy. We found out that this section of the Winding Staircase National Recreation Area is threaded with equestrian trails. We didn't see any horses today, but we certainly saw evidence of them with the deep hoof prints holding the rain.
The pictures of wildflowers along our trail were kissed with rain drops. So were the two unprepared hikers.
This forest environment is wet enough to support the thirsty ferns that are just now unfurling their spring fronds.
After many miles, our loop intersected with the Ouachita Trail. This 223-mile hiking trail runs through the mountains of Oklahoma and ends close to Little Rock, Arkansas. We didn't see any hikers on it today, but it is a popular hike--especially in the fall.
Our view from the ridge looked more like the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, rather than anything we are used to seeing in Oklahoma.
It was 3:00 by the time we got to Horse Thief Springs, which the hike is named after. The CCC did some stonework in the 1930's that helped us find the spring on the ridge. For those not wanting to make this long hike, we found out that cars can simply pull off from their drive along the Talimena Parkway at the parking lot.
However, we had some sense of satisfaction from hiking to the top. Denisa is a sucker for adding a rock to a big cairn started by other hikers on the ridge.
The good news is the hike is mostly downhill from this point. The bad news is it is very rocky. The bottoms of our feet are getting mighty tired of all these rocks.
Because we are looking down to keep from tripping over big rocks and tree roots, we might have missed some good wildlife close to the trail. Looking down, all we saw was this interesting millipede making his way across the fall leaves on the trail.
By now, we have hiked around ten miles, and we haven't encountered any other hikers. We tried not to venture off the trail because we didn't want to add any more mileage on our tired legs. But we did chase after this cute yellow bird to get his picture on the forest floor.
We also ventured off the trail to take a picture of this tree covered with fungi. We've seen them in all different colors, and we call them "forest potato chips."
We are now thirteen miles into this hike, realizing that we are really out of shape for hiking this distance with elevation changes. So Denisa wasn't thrilled when she saw a creek crossing in our future. Mark danced his way across the creek, barely touching the tips of the rocks sticking above the water. Denisa opted for the slow and careful crossing, aided by a stick for stability.
But when that stick snapped in two, she ended up with both feet in the cold water. She hadn't planned on hiking the last mile or so with wet shoes and socks. Of course, she hadn't planned on hiking this far when we started out this morning.
Denisa's Garmin exaggerates some times, but it logged over 15 miles by the time we made it back to the campground. We had a hard time climbing up the steps into the motor home, and we were more tired than we've been in a while. The hike was longer than we had anticipated, and we're looking forward to a day of rest tomorrow as we let our legs recuperate from the Horse Thief Springs Trail.
Blog posts have been few and far between lately, because we have been spending more time in the panhandle of Oklahoma with Mark's parents. Mark's Mother has done an amazing job of taking care of his Father, who has been in constant pain for years. Just recently Clarence has no longer been able to walk or keep down any food, so he had to go to the Beaver hospital. His family kept a 24-hour vigil at his bed side. This was the same hospital that both Mark and Denisa were born. We were at the hospital on Mark's birthday, so we took a picture of mother and son at the delivery room where they first met 57 years before.
Later that evening, we were at the hospital when Clarence died. Mark and Denisa have another very unusual thing in common. Both of our fathers died on our birthdays.
Beaver County is in a severe drought with no rain since last fall. Minutes after he died, we heard the thunder, and the county got its first rain this year. We teased that Clarence got to heaven and sent the rain.
The days following are a blur of kind friends bringing food by the house, and visits to the funeral home. Every one of the grandchildren and great-grandchildren arrived for the funeral, except for our sweet daughter-in-law. Jordan is just a week away from her first baby's due date, and her doctor wouldn't allow her to travel the six hours from home. Even against his parents' advice, our son Luke (the expectant Father) did make that trip for the funeral. So we had both sons, and our daughter-in-law-to-be in the panhandle to celebrate Clarence's life.
It was a great celebration of a fine man. The choir of grandchildren sang and played the guitar to one of his favorite hymns, "Nearer My God to Thee." As some of them practiced the night before the funeral, the sun was setting at Cap-o-Ranch.
Then the great grandchildren joined them for the song we always use as a prayer before family gathering meals. Clarence would have been so proud to see so many of the people he loved at the front of the church singing, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow . . ."
So even though it has been a sad time, it's also been a time full of blessings. Clarence and Reta's nieces and nephews from all over the United States made quick travel plans to get to Beaver for the funeral. Friends from all over packed the church to pay their last respects. At the end of the service, over thirty family members rose to sing a beautiful four-part acapella version of "Go Ye Now in Peace."
So we are at peace, even though we are sad. It's been a tough couple weeks, but we include Mark's father's obituary to give just a glimpse of this special man's life:
Clarence Lee Engelman was born on August 7, 1926, in Cotton County, Oklahoma—the fourth of six children born to A.A. and Lorna Engelman. The heavens opened up for him on April 20, 2018, as the first rain of the year began to fall on Beaver County.
He spent his childhood in the small communities of Clara and Farnsworth, Texas, graduating from high school in 1944 in Perryton, Texas. He played the baritone in the high school band, something that all of his children and many of his grandchildren did as well. He was a proud veteran, drafted into the army right after high school. He served in Okinawa during World War II.
After his honorary discharge, he attended college at Northwestern Oklahoma State University on the GI Bill. That’s where he dropped his lunch tray in the cafeteria, and that cute coed named Reta Bouton helped him clean up the mess. Clarence always said she tripped him. That began their life-long love story.
Their 68-year marriage began August 14, 1949.
They ran a dairy farm outside of Guymon for six very long months. Then they moved to Beaver to begin a career of ranching with his Father and brothers. He absolutely loved riding horses and working cattle.
His sons will testify that his driving skill through the pasture was hard on more than one ranch pickup. He was the master at working cattle, and he continued until he was well into his 80’s—even when he had to sit on a tripod stool in the middle of the corral to do it.
He loved ranching, even though he knew he couldn’t make any money that way. On one lean Christmas, Clarence spent much time in the barn, making a set of blocks for his sons using a hand saw and a 2x4. It was a most memorable Christmas, and those blocks are still being used by two more generations of Engelmans.
Clarence’s biggest love was His family. He and Reta had five children together. When those children married, they claimed their spouses as their children as well. They are Bonnie and Arthur Dyer (Beaver, OK), Lucky and Lizzie Engelman (Bulverde, TX); Danny and Cindy Engelman (Beaver, OK); Charlotte Engelman (deceased); and Mark and Denisa Engelman (wherever their motor home is parked).
They were blessed with 10 grandchildren and their spouses, and 18 great grandchildren. (When this picture was taken at their 60th wedding anniversary, we thought the family was pretty big. But it has grown considerably over the last eight years, with grandchildren adding seven more babies and three more marriages.)
Clarence and Reta were great supporters of their community. He served as the cattle superintendent at the fair for 5 years, and on the ASC Farm board for several years. They were regular attenders at the Beaver Duster athletic and music performances. Their five children attended Beaver schools. During that time, Clarence served on the school board for ten years. It was during that decade that the Beaver Field House and the Music Building were built. After their children graduated, they had five more grandchildren and two great grandchildren that attended Beaver schools from kindergarten through their senior years. In fact, they had a child, grandchild, or great-grandchild attending Beaver schools continually for sixty-two years—from the time Bonnie started first grade in 1956 until Haleigh will graduate from high school this spring.
Another of Clarence’s skills was flipping his empty dinner plate into the air before the meal. He could catch it before it hit the floor—most of the time. He led his family in prayer before every meal. That included singing the Doxology before family gathering meals. That 4-part harmony gave all of us chills. He led his family to church every Sunday, and he served as secretary/treasurer of Peace Lutheran Church for much of his life. But more importantly, he led his family by example of his love of God and his relationship with Jesus Christ.
He completed confirmation at Bethlehem Evangelical Lutheran Church in Perryton. His confirmation verse from 77 years ago is Psalms 27:4. It seems a fitting way to end his obituary. “One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord, and to seek him in his temple.”
After three days at Beavers Bend State Park, we are once again on the road. We made our last trip over the dam, for a view of Broken Bow Lake. Even though we've spent all of our time on the river, there is a great big lake out there to explore on another trip.
Traveling in the state where we lived most of our lives should feel familiar, but this southeastern corner of Oklahoma is like a whole different world. There are forests and mountains, rather than pastures and plains. Instead of sharing the road with ranch pickups towing cattle trailers, we are seeing a steady stream of lumber trucks.
Mark never got to use the cruise control today, because we were either pushing to get up a mountain or braking to get down. The Garmin showed elevation changes that went from 800 feet to 2000 feet to 700 feet to 1600 feet to 800 feet to . . . This was not a good diesel mileage day. We saw lots of roads that warned about upcoming curves with serious speed restrictions.
Tilting over on our side off a mountain didn't seem like a good alternative from going too fast.
We are driving through the Ouachita National Forest, and we needed some help to get the pronunciation right. We learned that it is /Wash-i-tah/ National Forest. We also drove through the Winding Staircase National Recreation Area. The pines look healthy here, and the hardwoods are just now putting on their tiny spring leaves. This drive would be beautiful in the fall.
Denisa enjoys taking pictures of perplexing road signs. We didn't photograph the first ten signs, but after they continued for thirty miles, we finally did it. We might mention that we did in fact have a center stripe the entire thirty miles that we were warned of "no center stripe."
We read the highway signs giving direction to our next destination. The signs prompted us to turn down the New Cedar Lake Road that the GPS didn't know about. On the screen it looks like our motor home is just driving through the national forest without a road.
About an hour and a half down the road, we pulled into Cedar Lake Forest Service campground. We got one of the non-reservable sites right on the water in the middle of a pine forest. I think we're going to like it here at Sandy Beach campground!
We have electric and water hook-ups, but we are sad to see we have absolutely no AT&T phone service here. In the three years on the road, this is only the second place we can recall with no signal at all. After getting the motor home set up, we went on a hike around the lake. It's a three-mile hike with some great views of Cedar Lake.
A spring hike in the forest means wildflowers. We won't bore you with all the usuals, but we had never seen one like this before.
It was a beautiful weather day on a nice hike beside a mountain lake. We are glad to see that we have moved far enough north to be rid of the mosquitoes that plagued us in Texas.
The creek running into the lake was a mysterious blue/green color. We're not sure why, but it looks like the glacier-fed lakes we saw up north.
Even though we had no AT&T signal at the campground, we found that half-way around the lake we had enough cell phone service to send and receive text messages. We sent a few messages before we headed on down the trail. We are really in the middle of nowhere at Cedar Lake.
It seemed like a great place for wildlife, but the only wild things we spotted were some brown moths that seemed to be feeding on the equally brown soil on the trail.
After our three-mile circle around the lake, we enjoyed a lovely evening at the campground. With no wind and pleasant temperatures, we probably should have put our kayak on the mirror-like water on Cedar Lake.
With views like this, we're very happy here at Cedar Lake campground in the middle of the Winding Stairs National Recreation Area of the Ouachita National Forest. It's nice to live here in the mountains of Oklahoma for a little while.
