Wildlife Conservation with No Life! Posted by ~~Debbi Robertson~~ , Saturday, February 6 at 12:08 AM, in Labels: Photo Frenzies

I want to start this post in regards to today's Photo Frenzy with a statement of fact - I was very glad to get out in the sunshine and blue skies after days (seems like weeks) of cloudy, cold, rainy weather – and for that, I am thankful! As soon as the sun slipped its first ray out this morning, I was grabbing my camera and in my car. I had wanted to go out today with my Frenzy Friends, but that didn't work out so I headed north alone.

I drove up the interstate for about an hour and crossed over the Red River into Oklahoma. I really didn't have a destination in mind, I just wanted to get out and shoot! So once I realized just how far I had driven, I decided to get off the interstate and start looking for those magnificent photo-ops that I just knew were going to jump out at me. With my trusty iPhone in my possession and Maps opened up, I headed in a direction that I just knew would get me to the river. The river would make for some great (and different) photos. I've grown quite bored with my countryside over the last few winter months. Everything is brown. Brown grass, brown trees, brown this, brown, that. Brown, brown, brown. At least the Red River is...well...red! And after all, I'm not in Texas anymore, Toto! Surely I will find some lush green hill tops to photograph, right?

So I head towards the river. I realize very quickly that it appears I've gone to the Country of Junk. Beat up and uncared for homes, trailers, junk everywhere. The kind of place that you can just see being raded for drugs...and then...dead end. (My Maps program isn't showing me these details!). I turn around, go back the way I came and take another turn. This one leads me to a narrow road with more gravel and pot holes than pavement. but at least it is in the right direction. I make a sharp right and see a pond in the distance. I think to myself, "At least if nothing else I can snap a shot of that when I return." Then a hard left and there are a few cows and bales of hay. "Hey," (no pun intended) "those will make nice shots if I don't find anything else. I can get them on my way back if needed."

I continue on and notice a very gravel road to my right and a large green sign on my left. I pass it slowly but then stop and back up. It reads, Oklahoma Wildlife Conservation with an arrow pointing down the gravel road.  Oh why not! There's nothing else and there is not a soul around so I can freely stop in the middle of the road if I need to and feel quite comfortable that I will not block traffic. And so I did!

After driving just a little ways, I realize that there is absolutely no life in this wildlife conservation. I also noticed the further I traveled, the very tall, large trees that were lining the road had the look of being blown over by very gusty winds or very high, rushing water. High, rushing water? Duh! I was near the river! Could it be these acres and acres can be covered in rushing water so high that 30 or 40ft trees can be mulled and broken like small twigs? What am I doing here? Did I turn around and hightail it to higher ground? Of course not! I'm headed to the river! After all, I must get some interesting and different shots.

I continued down the road as it got narrower and narrower and became a little sluggish from the recent rains. I could tell I was getting closer as I sensed I was heading down and the road was appearing to hold more water. But I couldn't stop. I have come this far, I must keep going. I pulled over a few times to shoot the trees that appeared to have been stepped on by giants. The saddest part of this adventure was...everything was the same color! Can can you guess what color? You got it...brown! Every now and then I'd come across a cedar tree and that beautiful evergreen was such a sight for sore eyes that I just had to take it's picture. And so I did!

After driving a bit further, the gravel ended. And as I looked ahead I saw nothing but wet, red, rutty dirt. Was it the river? Nope, but I knew it wasn't far. Was I going to continue in my little Honda Civic on a wet, red, rutty dirt path just a day after heavy rains in an area that showed no signs of life and no one, not a single living person knew where I was? And so...

I headed back past the brown grass, brown weeds, brown and broken trees, back to that green sign and back to snap a shot or two of a bale of hay and a pond in the distance. After all, I knew I had these to fall back on if I couldn't find anything else. And so I did!