My Two cents worth tour

"School days, School days, dear old golden rule days." One big change in this town has been the school grounds. The opportunity for playing of various sports has grown tremendously. The only sports available when I was in school here was football and basketball for the boys, and just basketball for the girls. The schools buildings themselves has remained recognizable for the most part, which means they are now pretty old. Mercy!

Quite a sports complex now at the school grounds. This one seems worthy of a small college. The track below leads to the oval around the football field.

I think it is great that the track and field sports are now available. I know there is also a good tennis court now. A lot more encouragement for children to do more sports, if they are so inclined.

Looks pretty neat to me.

"Beaver Dusters, Beaver Dusters, Beaver Dusters, Beaver High", the band would play, the crowd would clap in time, the cheerleaders would cheer, and the football boys would do their darnest to win. The stadium and field is named in honor of Coach Tom McVay. He was the coach during my time in high school. His son, Mike, is the coach now.

It used to be that the towns people would come out to all the home games and those who were able also went to the away games. I was suprised that the Beaver folks have become "fair weather fans" and no longer the die hard fans as before. Rah rah ree!

Strategy session. GO DUSTERS!

The sun goes down ! The lights come up! It's Friday night in the big town!

The game goes on!
Baseball and softball complex

Basketball Dome

Primary School, grades K through 2nd.

Elementary school
This is the building where I attended first through sixth grade.

Junior High
My seventh through ninth grades were spent here. The music/band room was below the stage of the auditorium shown on the right side of the picture.

High School
Before this building was built there was a two story building, that building was torn down in the 1960's. I attended my sophmore, junior, and senior years in this newer building. Of course, not so new now.

WOW ! What we would have given for this Music/band building!

So changes have been made and some things have appeared to stayed the same, but life goes on.

The citizens of Beaver have built a walking trail west of the school grounds. It is hoped that a health complex will also be built there. But maybe not??

Walking trail
I guess it is used some - but my sister says you need to carry a stick to fend off snake. It is my theory, if a snake wants it then so be it. I won't be anywhere around there.

OK later!

Green Leaves of Summer

The green grasses of summer. Around here green is a most unusual color especially in July, August, and September. The color most frequently seen is brown, yellow, and other gasping for rain colors. However, this year has been wet, especially in August, the prairie has bloomed.

The pastures are beautiful. Food is plentiful for the various wildlife. I have seen deer, quail, turkeys, and lizards. Thank god no snakes -- I hate snakes!

Picturesque view of a farm. When I was young teenager, I spent many a weekend there. This was a dairy farm of the late Bessie and John Cates, parent in-laws of my sister.

Even the sandhills are green.

John Denver sang, "Country Roads, take me home." I wonder if this was the country road he was thinking of, it is one that comes to my mind when I hear or sing this song.

Even the sage brush is blooming. Sage, milkweed, and sunflowers are seen in bloom.

Micro-Eco systems.

Wide open area-- As Woody Guthrie sang: "This land was made for you and me." I call this God's country.

I like the view of sunsets OK later!

The Times they are achangin'

My apologies to Bob Dylan for stealing one of the lyrics of his folk song.

I recently drove down state to attend my granddaughter's piano recital. On the way I saw many changes to the countryside that did not exist five years ago. Not too far from the Oklahoma panhandle, near a small town named Fort Supply is a field of huge wind turbines. This field is called the Centennial Wind Farm and was sponsored/built in part by the electric utility I recently retired from. It is a spectacular view from the roadway. There are plans to continue to build more of these wind farms farther west.

The power this field produces is being sent on new transmission lines both east and west of the wind turbine field. It is interesting to me to see the new H-structures being installed in Beaver County. Now just where they will transport their power, I can't say because I really don't know. Just a new addition to the panhandle landscape.

Ok Later

When the Buzzards come back???

Actually it is approaching time for the buzzards to leave and migrate south. Curiously these Turkey Vultures (per the bird books) do return every year around the same time the famous swallows return to the mission at San Capistrano. I am estimating that Beaver Oklahoma has over 60 of these buzzards roosting in town. I do not recall seeing flocks of these birds here before.

It is interesting to me that these birds seek out uprising thermal columns of air. Some obtain quite a height. I believe that other birds of prey do the same thing, like hawks and eagles.

More thermal columns. The birds prefer to keep their wings out and use very little flapping.

In the evenings, but not all evenings, the buzzards seem to prefer to come in to land on the tallest structure in town. Do you suppose they are looking for their next meal?? Or perhaps this may be an omen of some kinds??? Nah!!

Make room - here comes some more.

Interesting to watch.

OK later

Housing Project - Mudding of the house

It is an interesting process involved with the adding of the new exterior of the house. Because the original part of the house was stucco, I opted to have the new part of the house covered with stucco.

Definition of stucco is: Traditional stucco is a cement mixture used for siding. The cement is combined with water and inert materials such as sand and lime. Usually, wooden walls are covered with tar paper and chicken wire or galvanized metal screening. This framework is then covered with the stucco mixture.

Definition by http://architecture.about.com/od/sidingconstruction/g/stucco.htm


The machine below reminds me of a Jack Lemmons movie, "How to Murder Your Wife". In that movie a mixer machine was called the gloppada, gloppada machine.

All the equipment required to do the job. Were they expecting a two or three story house? That trailer is full.

First the wire mesh is applied and metal gaps under the windows. I assume the metal is needed for expansion and contraction as the weather heats or cools.

The whole house is covered with the mesh. That day the mesh was put on the rain was pouring, literaly. I admire the tenacity of the workers to complete the mesh even with it raining. Beaver recieved over an inch of rain.

Mudding begins. Another coat of mud is to be applied. The whole process will take three days.

I think this will be very nice when completed.

Next should be the heat and air people. The plan is to put high seer air conditioning with gas heat in the new part of the house. The vents will be in the ceiling. In the original part of the house another unit will be installed. The unit will be a heat pump and the vents will be in the floor.

OK later.

Housing Project - Update

Work has begun on the back of the house. This work has been done in June and July. The framework is going up.

After several weeks of no or slow activity, the house has progressed nicely. I did have to take the builder to task for not working on the house, but working on other projects.

Changed my mind on the bathroom. Instead of having a bathtub put in the very small space, I elected to have a shower installed. This will enable the builders to put in shelving for towels and supplies.

Picture below shows the garage and laundry area. Looking forward to all of this to be done and I can be moved in - once and for all.

Look - I've got a roof --- YEA!!!!

I am hoping for a move in date by late September or October.

OK Later