16 May 2026
We just rolled back into the house after our trip. I brought two cameras — not counting my iPhone — and somehow managed to take zero bird photos. Not one. Apparently every bird in the Ozarks and Oklahoma entered the Witness Protection Program the moment I arrived.
Plenty of pictures of my granddaughter graduating from college, though. That part I nailed.
First thing I did when we got home was take a Zyrtec. Something started attacking my sinuses while we were away, and naturally I grabbed the wrong bottle before we left, so I spent the whole trip raw‑dogging allergy season. Oklahoma City didn’t help — the air quality there was so bad it felt like the atmosphere was trying to exfoliate my lungs.
The only thing wrong with the house right now is that Charlie isn’t in it. He’s still in boarding at the vet’s office, serving hard time. I can’t post bail until Monday morning. But Monday… we party.
The drive home was more chaotic than the drives to the Ozarks and OKC, mostly because I had to actually drive the car myself for most of it. The navigation system decided we needed a scenic tour of every country road between here and the state line. At one point, “Country Roads” by John Denver came on, which would’ve been charming if I hadn’t been white‑knuckling the steering wheel like a man trying to defuse a bomb.
Speaking of navigation systems: while we were doing 75 on the interstate leaving OKC, the voice calmly instructed me to “turn right at the next stop sign onto Industrial Road.” My wife and I both said “WHAT” in perfect harmony. I’m pretty sure the Industrial Road it meant was hundreds of miles away near our home. What cha gonna do?
“If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans.” — Woody Allen
“Not all those who wander are lost.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
“Happiness is a warm puppy.” — Charles M. Schulz
#photo #photography #photographer #photographylovers #nature #travel #navigation #trip #allergies
