The Pioneer Woman, Continued

On Saturday, we were a party of five for a while: 

Clockwise from left: 

Deb, Felicia (Flea), Yours Truly (Mary Ann), Jennifer, and Jennifer's mom, Doreen

Doreen is Deb's sister, and Jennifer, of course, her niece.  We teased her about a weekend trip with the old fogies! 

As you see, breakfasts were substantial, and satisfying. 

A lovely young waitress asked if she could take pictures for us! 

Felicia came in just for breakfast, and a little flea-marketing afterwards. 

I ate lightly, having a lovely cup of hot chocolate 

and a cinnamon roll straight out of the Pioneer Woman cookbook. 

It was good! 

It was STILL RAINING. 

Not just rain, thunderstorms! 

Deb and Flea were able to have a good reunion.  Flea lives in Tulsa and drove 

over for breakfast with us.  She told us that the wait time can be up 

to three hours for the restaurant! 

On the wall behind them are pictures of the Drummond family working cattle 

on their ranch. 

The Mercantile is in an old National Biscuit Co. building... Nabisco... 

and was enhanced with this beautiful woodwork.  Flea does 

woodburning artwork, and liked this. 

The Drummond brand is featured in the kitchen wall. 

I have to say that I am sure the employees get crabby on 

busy weekends, but even the cooks in the kitchen seemed to be smiling a lot, and though some of the employees looked tired at the end of Friday ALL were so very nice to us. 

Here is the brand again in tile in a side doorway.  

Beautiful tile that matched the building, well done, Drummonds! 

The door where the tile appeared.  Notice they are open at 7 AM! 

This is a side door, the main door is on the corner. 

I have an aside about the restrooms... they are huge, old-fashioned looking, and VERY CLEAN. 

Almost every store front, though, on Kihekah, has a prominent sign on it
NO PUBLIC RESTROOMS. 

Be prepared! 

The ghost doorway of a JC Penney store on Kihekah.  My guess 

is by this time next year, this town will be BOOMING again. 

Within two years, it will be a huge attraction for this area. 

So, since it was still raining, we did a little flea-marketing, 

and then went back to the Whiting for a little rest. 

I actually drove over to the Immaculate Conception church, called 

The Cathedral of the Osage. 

I was unable to get in, tours are Wednesday through Friday, but I could

tell from the outside that it was a beautiful church with 

huge stained glass windows.  I had just my phone to take 

pictures, so did not take it out in the rain.  

Many Osage converted to Catholicism, and they have kind of a sad story, one which I would like to know more about.  (a future post).  

About five, we decided to go to the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in a rainstorm (with thunder and lightening)! 

My gosh, the prairies.  It makes you realize how 

insignificant we truly are on this earth. 

Again, I had just my phone... I hated to take the camera out in the weather. 

But the expanse!  It made your heart sing! 

There are about 3000 of these on the preserve.  I did not get ONE good picture. 

We saw many little calves, and on our way out, 

lightening began striking the ground, and the buffalo began to run. 

There are signs frequently that say "Bison are loose.  Do NOT get out of your cars". 

We believed them, because close up, they are HUGE. 

This beautiful sculpture was at the Preserve 

headquarters which were CLOSED ON SATURDAY. 

Mystifies me how tourist places are closed on Saturday. 

I lightened this up so you could see the buffalo in the distance.  It truly is a wonderful place. 

We stopped at the Blacksmith's house as we left to go to Bad Brad's Barbecue for dinner. 

Bad Brad's is about 12 blocks from downtown, but the food was good. 

The blacksmith was a Swiss who was brought in to take care of the 

hooves of the horses of the Osage.  His house houses the chamber of commerce. 

There is a lovely sculpture there, too. 

After we got back, Deb, Doreen and Jennifer settled in for a real 

family visit. 

I took my camera and went out onto Kihekah to take a few pictures 

between the rain drops. 

As I said before, I believe in one year, life will come back to 

this town and people will be walking the streets late into the night. 

This was from the balcony of the Whiting. 

Each room is provided with a bistro table and chairs to take 

out at night to visit on the balcony.  Unfortunately, 

it rained so much we did not get to sit outside. 

What a lovely idea, though. 

Lights lit up the 200 steps up to the courthouse at night. 

Deb, Doreen and Jennifer said goodbye in the parking lot of the
McDonalds located fairly close out of the town proper. 

And Deb took one last picture of me before we said goodbye to the Whiting, 

and started for home. 

It was a lovely weekend trip, but my, I was glad to get home to my babies 

and my own bed 

Deb, likewise. 

We recommend a trip to the Pioneer Woman Mercantile. 

We are telling you to wear comfy shoes and be prepared for a wait when you get there. 

If you are going primarily for the Mercantile, stay one night at the 

Whiting if you can do stairs, and you will be close enough to walk back and forth. 

For history buffs, there are museums and the Tallgrass Prairie.  

A Trip to See the Pioneer Woman

Well, it was a trip here: 

Yes, that's the famous "Mercantile", the "Merc".  

The Drummonds, (Ree and Ladd, or "Marlboro Man") opened the 

Mercantile in downtown Pawhuska, OK on October 31, 2016. 

I went with Stella Rose Long's Mommy, Deb, with whom I traveled last 

summer to the BAR, and her sister and niece.  Flea, Deb's friend (and 

now mine) came to visit us on Saturday. 

Even though it was Friday afternoon by the time we walked in, there were no lines, and 

we were told fifty times in two days that it was a miracle, because they are usually "yayyy" long, as we say here. 

Friday afternoon, the second floor of the Merc was almost deserted, as you see here.  There is a place for weary people to sit and behind me was a large room with tables, and the bakery. 

Flea told us she had never seen it empty. 

There are, in fact, porta potties staged along the main street, because 

of the crowds. 

Our friend Flea lives in Tulsa, and had been over to 

Pawhuska four times, and told us that the last time 

she went, a few weeks ago... there was a 3 1/2 hour wait to eat. 

We were living right, because we walked back over on Friday evening, and 

walked in and were seated immediately!  

I need to warn you that the portions are huge. 

The front of the menu. 

I foolishly ordered chips and queso dip, and could not take it, it 

was huge and I had to send it back. 

When they say "hearty", they mean it!  

We had a good dinner, and had eaten earlier at Grill 125, I tell you this 

because there are few places to eat in the downtown area. 

Here let me make a statement.  

Downtown Pawhuska is depressed, just like every other downtown of 

every rural town in the heartland.  

In about a year or two, it is going to be ROARING. 

The triangle-shaped building across from the Merc is gutted and 

being worked on, and several nice boutiques were open 

along Kihekah. 

There are many, many closed storefronts, but... there are also a number being 

refurbished right now.  

There are some flea markets open, and yes, we flea'd. 

We stayed here: 

I took that about 8 PM, between the raindrops, because it stormed ALL WEEKEND. 

The Whiting Bed and Bath Hotel was actually about 26 units that were rented to oil field workers as efficiency apartments.   They had a bed-sit, small kitchen, bathroom, and storage room. 

When the Merc was going to open, the Easley's, the owners, were asked to provide some hotel rooms for prospective visitors.  

The two end units are overnight rentals now, with six units in each. 

The rooms have themes, and ours was "The American Room". 

The cupboard was stocked with coffee. 

There was a small refrigerator, and a small stove. 

(apartment size) 

You MUST request a room with a shower if you want one, because some do not have them. 

Also... you must go up 23 steps from the street level to get to your rooms. 

The steps are narrow, and hard to go up and down.  People who have trouble walking 

and people with handicaps should probably not stay there.  Access is from the rear, up an unpaved driveway into narrow parking.  

You must cross this little bridge to get to your rooms. 

However... this is the only place to stay within walking distance. 

There are several bed and breakfasts... they are farther up the bluff from here, and you would have to drive back and forth.  Because the bluff, she is high. 

That's the county courthouse way up there. 

Closest nice hotel rooms (and I am NOT knocking the Whiting, because we loved being able to walk back and forth) are in Tulsa and Bartlesville.  

There are boutiques along Kihekah. 

This was one of the nicer ones. 

Many are still in the process of being constructed. 

Grill 125, where we ate lunch around the corner from the Merc entrance. The food was good. 

Huge order of chip and dip!  

More tomorrow, I realize I have a lot more pictures! 

We Took a Trip!

We took a little trip on Friday and Saturday, hence the lack of posts. 

Guess where?

We went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to see this young man and his teammates play ball. 

This is P.J. Higgins, Keith's sister's son, who signed with the Chicago Cubs 

system last year. 

P.J. plays for the "low-A" South Bend Cubs, and they 

made a once-a-season trip to Cedar Rapids this week. 

Keith and I intended to see two games, on Friday and Saturday, and 

then start back.  It was our first trip since Keith went on dialysis, and

we learned a LOT.  

We got there Friday after the game had started, as it took a little longer than 

we expected.  Keith was wiped out from the travel (lesson one).  

The temperature was 40, and it was windy.  I had taken a sweatshirt and a jacket... BRRRRR. Keith had his Carhartt.  His parents met us there, we had wonderful seats Keith bought online. 

However, the cold got the best of us, and we left at the top of the 7th to go check into the hotel, leaving his hardy Iowa parents to watch the last two innings! 

When we woke up Saturday morning, it was pouring rain.  Keith and I conferred, and 

we decided to start back, despite the fact two of his cousins were driving over to join us for the afternoon game.   We gave the front row seats to his parents, so they and his cousins could sit together. 

We did not leave before we enjoyed a good visit with Patrick. 

I hate to sound like a groupie, but we got to ask so many questions we wanted to know about spring training, about life on the baseball road, and how his life has changed.  P.J. was patient with us, and his grandmother was just delighted to spend time with him. 

P.J. grew up in Connecticut, a long way from the rest of the family.   Grandma and Grandpa Yoder do not get to see him and his sister Kacey as often as the others.  His mom, Kim, and Dad, Duke, still live there. 

Since it was still raining after brunch, Keith and I forfeited another night at the hotel and started home. 

I had my baptism of fire driving his van up and back, (for the first time!) and 

now I am confident I can drive to the BAR (Blogville Awesome Retreat) in June. 

The elder Yoders went to yesterday's game (the rain lifted) and were staying for today's game so they could see the team one last time.  They breed them hardy in Iowa, I tell you. 

We got home an hour too late to get the dogs from the kennel.  This was their first time being 

boarded... and when I picked them up after church today, it was to the news that they 

did "okay" but neither ate hardly anything for the almost-three days.  I fixed their 

food when we got here, and Jester inhaled his, and promptly went to sleep on his favorite pillow on the loveseat.  He has eye creme for his eyes daily because of a corneal abrasion... the tube 

hardly looked used, and oddly, he has rings of dried matter around both eyes, top and bottom. 

I am not sure if we will be returning to this kennel. 

(I know I am an overly-concerned pet parent)

We know now we can travel, with appropriate planning.  Keith and I will come up with a checklist of things he needs for dialysis... because he did run short of several things.  (Lesson two). 

We also know we can't do fast trips, they will need planning and slower travel.  Trying to hurry and get there in one day, and then go out to an event, is probably out of the question, as Keith needs some time to unwind and rest.  Lessons learned. 

We did see this: 

This gorgeous coop was at the Iowa Welcome Center at Lamoni. 

The nest boxes you see are painted black... except... 

for one. 

Oddly enough, there were all roosters and two hens in there, and one of the hens had been used terribly by the roosters.  If I had had more time, I would have gone in and complained.  

I actually missed the exit on our way home yesterday, so it was probably a good thing. 

There were also two smaller coops, which were for sale. 

Guess what the price was?  I would estimate these would maybe hold six birds. 

$2099.00. 

They were "Amish made".  (This is called the Amish Welcome Center, it is in a heavily Amish area). 

I saw this one on Thursday at Feldman's Farm Supply: 

It was VERY heavy... 

And looked like it would hold 4 birds comfortably... I would not use that "roost" on the left... but... 

it was adequate.  

$500.00. 

The trim was stapled on. 

I didn't mean to work this into a post on Chicken houses... but... 

you know me. 

We were glad to be home, and our babies are glad to be here, too!