I'm exhausted after a long day on the road that spontaneously traversed the Texas panhandle and ended up in Tucumcari, New Mexico. So much empty, forgotten space.
Visited: Lahoma, Meno, Ringwood, Cleo Springs, Fairview, Gloss Mountain State Park, Mooreland, Woodward, Fargo, Gage, and Shattuck, Oklahoma. Higgins, Glazier, Canadian, Miami, Pampa, White Deer, Panhandle, Vega, and Adrian, Texas. Glenrio, San Jon, and Tucumcari, New Mexico.
Day two brings me to the middle of Oklahoma via US Highway 60 through the Osage Reservation. It was another near-perfect day and I had nothing but friendly interactions with people I met along the way. I even commiserated with an old man in Lamont over the loss of the Nebraska - Oklahoma football series. It's hard to believe it's already been 20 years since the two teams played every year.
Thoughts..
Northeast Oklahoma really is a lot like Nebraska. Not as many fields dedicated to crops, but it does all feel very familiar.
Picher, Oklahoma is one of the strangest places I have ever been. Once a city of a few thousand, the U.S. government moved everyone out of town after mining companies polluted the town beyond repair. All that remains are a handful of building shells and an abandoned grid of streets. The area is being slowly being reclaimed by nature.
Not near as many Trump signs today. And a few Clinton signs. Not what I expected considered how the polls show Oklahoma as one of the most Republican leaning states this election.
I'm excited for tomorrow. The wide open great plains are calling my name.
Visited: Joplin, Missouri. Galena and Baxter Springs, Kansas. Picher, Commerce, Miami, Narcissa, Bluejacket, Vinita, Nowata, Bartlesville, Pawhuska, Burbank, McCord, Ponca City, Lamont, Pond Creek, Nash, Jet, Helena, Goltry, and Carrier, Oklahoma.
Post title: Leonard Cohen - Bird on the Wire
It's time for my last trek of the year, a few days on the road to visit places I've yet to see. At the moment, all I know is that I'm working my way south, likely to Oklahoma and wherever else I may end up over the course of this trip. Today was spent mainly on interstates, working my way south of Kansas City and down to spend a night in Joplin, Missouri.
Some random thoughts..
It's hard to believe that it's almost November. The temperature was above 80 degrees for most of the day. Just about perfect.
If you've been wondering where all of the Trump yard signs are this election season.. They are all in Missouri. The biggest Trump / Pence sign I saw was in Liberal, Missouri of all places.
A boy on a little motorcycle in Hume, Missouri asked me what I was doing, then proceeded to stare at me while I walked around the downtown buildings. As I left, he sped up behind me and appeared to be taking pictures of my car with a smartphone. Never can be too vigilant, I suppose.
Commerce, Oklahoma tomorrow. A place forever burned into my consciousness after reading Mickey Mantle's biography in 5th grade.
Visited: Adrian, Merwin, Amsterdam, Amoret, Butler, Rich Hill, Hume, Amos, Stotesbury, Richards, Deerfield, Bronaugh, Nashville, and Jasper, Missouri.
I find myself with time to take off work between now and the end of the year, and would like to hit the road for a few (or more) days on a photographic exploration. You can help!
Exhibition prints from my Fontenelle series are available for only $100. Each is a one-of-a-kind black and white print on wonderful Hahnemühle Photo Rag Baryta paper. The prints are presented in white museum-quality mats and are ready to be framed in the 16x20" frame of your choosing. All materials are of archival quality.
If you'd like to support my travels but are not interested in a print, contributions of $25 and up are also accepted.
All print purchasers and donors will receive access to a special blog entry with pictures from the trip(s), many of which will not be shown publicly for many months following my return. This is a great way to see what I'm up to without waiting for my photo-a-day Flickr page updates. There is also a chance that a larger project will develop out of these travels and that the images would not be shared with the public until the project is exhibited.
To purchase a print or make a contribution, please email me at josephvavak@gmail.com. I will verify that your print choice is still available and send a paypal invoice for payment.
Please remember.. All Fontenelle prints in this sale are available on a first come first serve basis. This page will be updated as each image is sold.
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