The Stone Turtle and Bees

      I have been playing with the idea of having a beehive or two for many years now. I love bees. I love to watch them flitting from flower to flower. Their industriousness is always so inspirational to me when I am procrastinating in my lawn chair and feeling a little guilty because they are so busy and I am just sunbathing. They always seem to tell me, "Get up and get busy." In actuality, I am doing a lot of mental work when the bees see me in the lawn chair. Somebody has to do the thinking.
      A few years ago, I decided to get a little bit more serious about introducing a hive on our farm. I ordered some beekeeping books for beginners and started to read them in my lawn chair while all those worker bees that came along to pollinate my herbs and tomatoes were busy, busy, busy.
      I watched a swarming hive or two move past my house and was not only totally impressed by the sight but also really intimidated by so many bees that could possibly sting me. It really brought home the concept of building or buying a bee box and then trying to install a hive of a few thousand bees, plus the queen in a cage, in that box. How in the world would I get those bees in the box without them all swarming around me, enveloping me in a dark bee fog. And, how in the world do you get that queen out of the cage??? So, the books went to the book shelf and I stopped thinking about bees for a while......until I saw a post on Craig's List about a beginner's beekeeping class in Tipton, Oklahoma, a few weeks ago.
      I attended Tipton Valley Honey Company's class last Saturday. All I can say is that it changed my procrastinating attitude about getting a beehive. Gary Gorse is a master beekeeper and the day was packed with information and stories from the life of a professional beekeeper. Did you know that there is a huge difference between a beekeeper and a bee-haver? As a beekeeper, you need to know as much as you possibly can about your environment - from soil type to fauna and flora around you to the effects of adverse weather.  It brought home the fact that a little insect like the bee shows us how everything in our environment is intertwined and connected and how important it is that we are keepers and not havers, so that the magical web of nature can go on doing all the magical things it does everywhere around us.

Photo by Dani Blaylock

      Our modern life style, that does not allow a single weed to grow in our manicured lawns, does not make it easy for the bee to survive and go about her daily business of ensuring our food supply. Therefore, I will do as much as I can in my small world to help the little bee out a bit. I will plant lots of bee-friendly herbs and flowers, seed out some red clover, hope for many dandelions to beautify my lawn and hope for some much needed rain. And I will get my first bee box this spring.
      I am ready for my next farm girl adventure - beeware, here I come. I have dreams of honey and all things wax can make and lots of happy little bees visiting my herb garden. What a beautiful dream, what a beautiful life!

Lots of Bee-Happy Greetings,

Ingrid
The Stone Turtle - Lodging
www.stoneturtlelodging.com

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

 

Support Local Businesses

Being a small business owner, this issue lies close to my heart. I know how much work goes into owning your own business and how hard it is to stay ahead of the game. It's challenging and rewarding. I try to support local businesses when the opportunity arises especially in a town like Lawton where chain-businesses thrive. Therefore, I hope to include many blog posts covering independent businesses in the area!

It was the national day of love (Valentine's Day), and who wouldn't love checking out a local shop on such a lovely day? The Red Door Gallery & Emporium in Medicine Park, OK had it's reopening open house and I found myself browsing through the treasures found in the quaint little shop.

What can one find at The Red Door? Art work by 24 local artists! Everything from pottery to photographs (and much more) can be found here. For more information check them out on Facebook.

In other news...

Spring is in the air. Well, kind of. And, we're planning our gardens here at The Stone Turtle! So many herbs and flowers to choose from! Basil and echinacea made the cut, of course. Who doesn't love fresh basil? We also picked up a butterfly bush (...or two) and wisteria!
We're expanding our recipe vault and baking skills for a monthly German kaffeeklatsch hosted at the Stone Turtle. Flour everywhere. Quite literally. 

Project (Color) Madness is still an ongoing project. There's always a splash of new color at The Stone Turtle - Lodging! This week's color combination is pink and green.

Have a wonderful week!

Greetings from Oklahoma,

Dani (Wanderings of a Girl Ryder)

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

Hiking in the Wichita Mountains: The Post Oak Waterfall

Ready for another hiking adventure? Today we'll check out a waterfall. Oklahoma style (small). Nevertheless, cool.

Post Oak Lake and the side of Elk Mountain (to the left)

View: Not too shabby.
Hiking level: Easy. Easier than The Narrows
Round-trip walking time: 40-60 minutes maximum at a nice leisurely pace, and not at my leisurely pace (fast).

Hiking tips: Wear good shoes! And make sure you take water. Keep your eyes peeled because there's always something cool to see (from flowers, to frog rocks, you never know!)

How to get there from the Wichita Mountains Visitor Center: Turn right from the Visitor Center's parking lot onto hwy 49, at the stop sign turn right and continue on this road passing Camp Doris, Burford Lake, and Prairie Dog Town. Turn left onto the next road to your left after Prairie Dog Town. There will be a sign stating Headquaters. You'll be on this road for a while. After it takes a sharp 90 degree right, and driving through the fun curves, the first road to the right is your turn-off. There should be a sign saying Treasure Lake. If you go past Job Corps, you've gone too far. Follow this little road all the way back to the parking lot. 
 

There's a little cave on the west side of Post Oak...

A little bit of orientation. If you have a map with you, the lakes are labeled wrong. Post Oak Lake = Treasure Lake and Treasure Lake = Post Oak Lake. If you're facing north (directly opposite from the road you drove in on), Post Oak will be to your right and Treasure Lake will be  to your left. You'll have the south wall of Elk Mountain facing you slightly to the right. Various legends claim that there's treasure to be found amongst that wall. Well, according to the legends, that treasure could be on any mountain north of Post Oak Lake, but I like to think it's on the side of Elk Mountain. Cortes, Belle Star, and Jesse James all are said to have left a little something in our midst. Rumor has it that on a summer's afternoon, a glistening can be seen on the side of Elk Mountain. This glistening is alleged to be a door leading to the Spaniards gold which is guarded by the spirits of the Native Americans they left with the treasure. Not sure I'd break that lock knowing the wrath of some angry spirits be waiting on the other side. In fact, I think I'll pass. I like my karma just the way it is.

The top paragraph boiled down: the Wichita Mountains are full of history, legends, and awe-inspiring nature. Back to the waterfall and my Ellenbrook-like instructions.

There's a trail going towards Elk Mountain by the "You are here station" for lack of better words which houses a map. You'll want to take this trail. You'll walk through an open area plateau. In the spring this open area is covered in pink and yellow blooming cacti. The pink barrel cacti, Baileyis Lace in local vernacular, are only found in the Wichita Mountain area! You'll also pass a sun-dial looking rock on the right of the trail. This stretch of trail will lead you to the beginning of a brushy area (post oak trees- amazing red leaves in the fall, by the way) where the trail descends. At the bottom, the trail will run parallel to the creek on your right. You won't be able to see the waterfall, but if the water level is decent, with a good ear you should be able to hear it. 

Taken from the Waterfall facing the trail (on the other side of the tree).

 Cross the creek and look for a game trail, it's not as visible as the previous trail. It's probably a 75 yardish walk back to the waterfall. A nice spot for a picnic!

As you leave the waterfall, heading back to the trail, you'll see this guy:

Rock Frog

Heading back, the trail picks up again once you've crossed the creek, turn left heading south. You'll notice the trail branches. Stick to the right if you want to head back the same way you came. Or, take the path on the left which will curve around Post Oak Lake back to the parking lot (recommended!).

Happy exploring!


Greetings from Oklahoma,

Dani (Wanderings of a Girl Ryder)

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

 

Hiking in the Wichita Mountains: The Narrows.

Hello and welcome!

The Wichita Mountains offer adventurers (that's you) so many hiking opportunities that it's hard to choose. Who doesn't love such an abundance in opportunities.Whether you want to explore off the trail or on the trail, it's all just pretty awesome. We thought it would be fun to do some blog posts on these abundant possibilities, and not just because we're looking for another excuse to go hiking. If you care to stick to the trails, the options range from short and easy to longer and more challenging. We hope to cover them all!

We understand that time isn't always on your side, so we'd like to share some of the trails that give you the most bang for your buck. If you were paying for it, that is. For your time-buck, then. 

The Narrows!

View: Breath-taking
Hiking level: Easy. There's only one steep switchback you need to worry about (not like worry worry, though).
Round-trip walking time: About 30 minutes.
Extra info: If you're a climber, pack your ropes! There are a couple of tie-in points in the narrows. 
Hiking tips: Wear good shoes! And make sure you take water. Keep your eyes peeled because there's always something cool to see (from flowers, to porcupines, you never know!)

How to get there from the Wichita Mountains Visitor Center: Turn right from the Visitor Center's parking lot onto hwy 49, at the stop sign turn right and continue on this road passing Camp Doris and Burford Lake. Turn left onto the next road after Burford Lake. There should be a sign stating Boulder Picnic Area or something of the sort. After a little while, you'll pass the Lost Lake parking lot on your right, and then you'll find two parking areas on your left. The first one has a big gate which is usually locked.
 

Boulder Cabin

Walk around this gate and stay to the right of the boulder cabin where a trail will pick up. When the trail forks, stick to the left. The trail will eventually lead you into a creek bed, cross over to the other side. The trail picks up again to the left. Follow the trail up the hill and behold the wonders of the Narrows. The trail will continue from the top of the hill and lead you down into the Narrows via a switchback (where the water flows when it rains). The trail branches off to the right which would lead you up the side of Eagle Mountain if you want a view from the top. Following the switchback into the Narrows will deposit you in the creek. Sticking to the right leads to another trail and to the climbing walls if you have more time.We love to climb up to the climbing wall to enjoy the views and some coffee before heading back when we're short on time. There are no official trail markers. At least we've never seen 'em.

This is the view to the left in the creekbed you'll be crossing.

Definitely one of our favorite locations...if we absolutely had to choose.

The view from the top...if you decide to go off the trail

 Happy exploring!

Greetings from Oklahoma,

Dani (Wanderings of a Girl Ryder)

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!

 

New Year. New Book. New Stone Turtle Lodging.

Welcome, welcome, welcome!


We are so excited to be here another year! Who we are, you ask. Well, we are The Stone Turtle- Lodging! We are a small family-run lodging business just outside of Lawton, Oklahoma. Our cabins are also located close to the treasures of Oklahoma. Okay, that's a biased opinion, but the Wichita Mountains are just too amazing, and we count our blessings every day that we are located so close to such an Oklahoma wonder. Medicine Park (a quaint little cobblestone community), Meers (home of the world famous Meers' burger), and Fort Sill (home of field artillery) are all just short drives away.

We love to do things differently. You won't find cable or internet in our cabins. However, you'll find books, movies, coffee and tea, and star-gazing opportunities to your heart's delight. We also have a 2-mile nature trail where the wild things grow (gorgeous wildflowers) and the rabbits zip around. Not to mention the million-dollar views of Oklahoma's spectacular sunsets over the Wichita Mountains. So we're a tad bit in love with our small piece of Oklahoma paradise...

Whether you're in town for a hiking or bicycling adventure or coming for a military graduation at Fort Sill, stay with us because we'd love to make your time in our area special! Check out our website and our Facebook page for more information about us.

So what is this blog all about? It's a place where we hope to showcase the awesomeness of our area of Oklahoma. We hope to share our adventures on Stone Turtle and in the area with you. Most people don't think the terms vacation and Oklahoma go hand-in-hand, but we're willing to bet (if we were bettin' women, that is) that Oklahoma will surprise you.

From belly dance to yoga, from gardening to exploring, we love to do a little bit of it all, so stay tuned!

Greetings from Oklahoma,

Dani (Wanderings of a Girl Ryder) & Ingrid

This blog is brought to you by the lovely (biased opinion, we know) Stone Turtle – Lodging, a small family owned and operated hotel / lodging business near Lawton, Oklahoma, Fort Sill,  the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge, Meers and Medicine Park. Yeah, that’s right we’re a small lodging business close to all the awesomeness Oklahoma has to offer!!