Plays well with others...

As you can imagine, wherever we go, our critters are attention-getters and ice-breakers for meeting people.  Esp. kids.  And esp. the cats.  

 We had great fun with these two cute little girls!

 Exploring the playground together.

 Scratty shows that she's a swingin' kinda gal.

 Happiness is...a cat in an "underwear" swing!

 I never thought of Scratty as being a big cat, but she sure looks like more than an armful here!

 Tractor's does The Electric Slide.

And all these good times are not limited to female fun!  We also met these two young guys.

Tractor has competition for the slide. 

The boys helped walk the dogs as well, but funny thing, somehow when it came time for the poop bag to come out, they decided they heard their mom calling or something...!   ;)

Playing around in Keystone

 Ranger Raccoon welcomes us to Keystone, a state park just west of Tulsa, OK.

 Early evenings are nice here, when temps come down,...

 and the animals come out to play and explore!

 And Tractor and Scratty help with BBQing.

 Tractor, the flying squirrel!

 We really didn't look around Tulsa much (not sure why...), but here's the view from the post office parking lot.

 Tracky gets the once-over from an interested neighbor.

 And time once again, to hang out at the park...

 Lazy time.

 Time to look handsome.

 Time to tangle...

 and tussle!

 Scratty practices her upside-down roundhouse.

 Martial arts, meow-style!  Think Miss Piggy and her "HI-YAH!!!!!!!!!!"

 Back to solitude and serenity (after he got his butt kicked...?!).  Lion in the grass, on Bird Watch.

 Snack time (Bill experimenting with anchovy-stuffed olives, fried...sort of weird, sort of fun,...) has everyone gathered 'round!  Must be the anchovies...!  

 Keystone Lake - a bit brown and muddy-looking, but surrounded by green!

On another leash-locking sunset jaunt.

Museum of...Osteology!

One more cool (and very unusual) OKC thing::  this museum - of bones and skeletons!  This really great exhibit started with a young kid (Jay Villemarette) who would find and keep skulls, his collections eventually being honored in science and state fairs.  He then began selling skulls, and ended up with a very unusual and growing business.  This nicely-done museum is both interesting and educational, attracting tourists and school groups.  For more info. see here:  http://museumofosteology.org/index.php

 Ever wonder what a turtle looks like on the inside?  They are vertebrates, but their spine is sort of incorporated into their shell.

 And here are some weird ones - two-headed calves.

 And what kind of monster do you think this is?  With those long fangs?!!

 It's a baboon!  Lesson:  don't mess with baboons!!!!

 And what are these oddities?  Are they more deformed specimens?  They look like it, don't they?  But they are your dogs!!!  Boxers, bulldogs, pugs, and pomeranians!  Yikes!!

 Check out these teeth!  Ever seen anything like these before?  Very weird!!  They belong to creatures like the leopard, and crabeater, seals!  Apparently the strangely shaped molars help to filter krill (and for the killer leopard seal, catching and holding prey).

 And here's my favorite!  These folks sure know their critters!!!!

 Bill standing next to what must be a small elephant.

 Hippo.  Did you know that this guy is considered to be one of the most aggressive critters on the planet and one of the most dangerous in Africa?   Hippos, most closely related to whale-types, kill hundreds of people each year.

 Humpback Whale (right) and Pygmy Sperm Whale.

 Man vs. Giraffe.

 And speaking of giraffes and weird things...

 And one of my favorites - bats!

 Snakes have awesome skeletons!!!

PC disclaimer..

Amazing autograph!

Happy Birthday America!!!

For all its failures, mistakes, and misguided moves, it's still got to be one of the best countries to live in, and I think we're darned lucky to be here!!  Thank you America!  And THANK YOU to all those who have put so much effort in, and sacrificed so much, over the centuries to make her the great nation she has been.  Let's hope we can get her back on track so she can once again be a place we can feel safe in and be proud of!

Prettiest neighborhoods

In OKC, I found some of the prettiest neighborhoods I've ever seen in any city.  I'd share with you what they were called, but I promised a homeowner there I wouldn't give it away!

  

 Historic and varied in architectural style - definitely not a tract house development!

 The Overholser Mansion (1903).

 The Hales House (1916).

I came across this "Symphony House" - this year, the Jazz Age Manor was apparently the site for this musical fund-raising gala.

So...would you mind living here (if you wanted to live in a big city, could take the summer heat, and could afford it!)?!