Whirlwind Trip in Pictures: Part Two

Monday, July 26

The Day of The Interview

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After the interview,
the girls and I ate at the hospital cafeteria ...

The Grill at 1705.

This is not your ordinary hospital cafeteria ...

local people actually want to eat there.

The atmosphere is opulent and trendy ...

and everything is fresh made per order ...  no processed foods.

The only typical menu item was a hamburger and fries, and

a Psychedelic Chicken Sandwich ... which was a chicken breast

marinated in balsamic vinaigrette

with grilled portabella mushrooms and provolone cheese
on a toasted croissant.

Their main offerings consisted of simple meals like: 

Beef Burgundy, Beef Wellington, Chicken Cordon Bleu, 

Fajita Caesar, Rack of Lamb, Shrimp Dijonnaise Pasta, etc ...

I kid you not! 

After we ate our hospital cafeteria lunch

we spent the afternoon driving around Elk City

and looking at apartments.

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Then We Went

Back to the Land

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The Following Pictures Were Taken

From Within the Oval Part 

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And this snapshot was taken from the road

looking toward the "oval."

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Laura's Frog ... aka Prince

 

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The Land's Sunset
As We Were Leaving
To Head Home

 

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Whirlwind Trip in Pictures

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Sunday, July 25 

Crossing the Red River 

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Driving into Elk City

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Elk City Park

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All Day Swimming ... $2.00

Old Town Miniature Golf ... $1.50

Covered Centennial Carousel ... $1.00

Twice Around the Park on a Choo-Choo ... 50¢

Playing on the Playground ... Free

Watching the Family of Ducks Stroll By

As You Get Back Into Your Car ... PRICELESS

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Getting Close to Our Land

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The North Side of the Property

The northeast corner of the property on the east/west road ...

looking down onto the natural gas platform.

The northeast corner of the property looking

south ... you can see the north/south road on the left.

Driving down the hill ... from the corner ... heading west. 

 

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The Middle of the Property 

Heading south (downhill) from the northeast corner ...

but Laura is looking somewhat back to the northwest. 

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South Side of the Property

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Sunset on the South Side

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What is Left of the Original Crow Homestead

Would like to use this aged wood as paneling,

or something, when we build.

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Heading Back to Elk City

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How About a late Night Swim?

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Knocking on Heaven's Doors

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I've had a dream for several years now.

A dream to live a homesteading, self-sufficent lifestyle ...

a dream to live hard, yes, but simply.

My motivations for wanting to do so

are varied, and another topic entirely ...

a topic that I may (or may not)

get into someday.

I've been planning and researching and studying

this lifestyle for a long while.

I've been blessed with meeting WONDERFUL friends

in the fascinating process.

I've been looking at locations.

I've been knocking on doors.

And, I have been praying ...

God knows my needs, and my family's needs,

much better than I do.

Everytime I try to do something by myself,

it usually ends in disaster ... or in stagnant nothingness.

So I have placed it in His hands.

I have asked Him to show me what to do,

and where to go ... and, I have asked Him

 to help me get my Self out of the way.

The first place I knocked was Big Bend.

The extreme desert in isolated heaven.

This extraordinary place was my personal,

favorite pick for a location

to live and work on my dream.

The doors I knocked upon down there

all opened a crack, some pretty wide,

and I became excited.

But then, one by one, the doors slammed in my face.

Could it possibly be that God

had answered my prayers for help

in getting my Self out of the way?

I may be bold and persistent ...

and I may knock, knock, knock

where others may not ...

but when a door remains closed

I am not one to try to kick it down.

 

Especially when I have asked for

God's guidance.

 

So, back to square one, I began looking

at our original location again ...

a location that I had once loved, but

had turned my back upon.

(Yet another potential topic someday?)

And so, a few days ago, 

with trusting eyes and heart,

I began knocking again.

This time up north.

The response was immediate.

I have an interview Monday morning

with Great Plains Regional Medical Center.

I am leaving tomorrow ...

with humble prayers of thankfulness 

for having this swift opportunity, and

with humble prayers of acknowledgement

that if it is His will

it WILL be. 

I would appreciate your prayers

for my family's future, and

for a safe trip.

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