The Nature Trail of Stone Turtle!

Time for a post close to home. Literally. While taking a break from Project (Color) Madness, I found myself strolling along The Stone Turtle's nature trail. It's a pretty awesome feeling to be able to randomly decide to go for a walk and be able to do so without having to drive anywhere or walk on a road or sidewalk. Whether it's the 1-mile version or the full 2-mile walk, there's always something to see. The birds are chirping, the hawks are swooping, and the neighboring cows are grazing.In the summer, the cacti and sunflowers are everywhere. In the winter, the cedars still add a touch of life to the trail. Even when it's the dead of winter, the dried out weeds and wildflowers are still gorgeous!

Did I mention the awesome view from the picnic area?! Okay, enough basking. As, I strolled through the cedars, I came up with idea of a treasure hunt. How cool would it be to have a small treasure hunt set up along the nature trail! So many cool opportunities. Hm, maybe following that blue bird was a good idea after all.

"The human spirit needs places where nature has not been rearranged by the hand of man."     — Author Unknown

Check out pictures taken on the nature trail on our Facebook page.

Check back in two weeks to read about Ingrid's adventure to Coil, OK!

Greetings from Oklahoma,

~Danielle
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!!

 

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!!