DAY 240: MADILL - LONE GROVE, OKLAHOMA

Up before dawn, stove will not light. Check the fridge and Yep, out of Propane !!!

Well, I said yesterday I needed to defrost the fridge so I could repair the shelf that broke.
Took a few minutes to remove the shelf, found my "Marine" glue - that works under water -, and glued the broken latch back on to the shelf. Should be "set" by this evening.

Drove to a gas station which had Propane and filled it up...fridge started right up, so I walked next door to Hobo Joe's for a pancake breakfast. Was very good with 2 scrambled eggs and 3 strips of bacon at $4.95.

Across the street was MADILL, OKLAHOMA Water Tower still in morning sunrise light.


Left SPIA parked at the Propane Service Station and began walking West on US 70.

Ended up returning at 2:00 pm, having walked for 6.5 hours and 24 miles (12 out and 12 back).
At 8:00 am local, the temperature was 85 degrees. It was 109.8 degrees on SPIA's thermometer when I returned.

I was feeling great, but after drinking some chocolate milk and some ice tea, got very weak and weary...guess I should just keep going instead of returning after only 12 miles.

Between 1:00 and 4:00 pm, it gets too hot even for me, so I took it easy in SPIA until 3:30 pm, reading a Novel given to me by Julius, who lives on Mississippi State Road 28, where I had such an enjoyable walk a few weeks ago.

US 70 in South Oklahoma is sometimes disappearing into the horizon. Looks impossible to walk that far...one step after the other and whattyano, I'm there and off to discover the next impossible long stretch with a couple doozie hills thrown in.

Betsy did not make it home for dinner. Seeing more and more such monuments. I always pause at them, read the inscription and daydream as to who these folks were and wondered at the life they gave up for a moment that ended that life.

A Pecan Orchard. The most Southerly Pecan Orchard I recall having seen.

Pecan Trees in a Nursery environment.

Ponds are getting shallower....

Some have reached the end of the line.

I have a strong feeling that within the next 24 hours this area is going to become saturated with a heavy rain downpour.

24 miles put me beyond the town of ARDMORE, OKLAHOMA. ARDMORE is surrounded by freeways and 4-lane roadways. I never saw weed nor building of ARDMORE as SPIA cruised past to the town of LONE GROVE, OKLAHOMA, the next town West on US 70.

US 70, looking East down the center of LONE GROVE. The town is one long Strip Mall. It extends quite a ways North and then South into ranch land. Most of the 6,000 residents live in a two mile stretch along US 70.

LONE GROVE does have it's Water Tower.

I was taken by this attractive stand of Bamboo, already turned a light golden color.

My feelings of yesterday and this morning may be coming to fruition. The sky around LONE GROVE has completely covered with black bellied clouds...it is 7:50 pm.

At 3:30 pm I dressed for walking and stepped out of SPIA into a 102 Degree afternoon hothouse.
I walked 4 miles back East toward ARDMORE and returned to LONE GROVE, where I was taken by a Pizza Parlor. Had not yet eaten since the hotcakes early this morning, so I stepped into the cool, a bit darkened interior and what did I find ???

Please say HELLO to Jennifer Ackman (l) and Danian Quaid, with whom I chatted for some time before ordering a small pizza and cold drink ($9.00).

We chatted for quite some time. I asked Jennifer why it was that I remember LONE GROVE. She reminded me that in 2009, some 70 residents were killed when a Tornado paralleled US 70, destroying a complete Mobile Home Park before hanging a left, crossing over US 70 - still in town -, and wrecking havoc on it's way North out of town.

That bit of news demanded a second photograph. The guy in the middle says he walks.

You see, Jennifer...I keep my promises...and I will have a good night...hope you two do also.