The other night it was hot. Hot during the day, hot at night. Heat seems to define this time of year for us, in many ways. But in spite of that, after a day in the outdoors, we built a fire. A small f...

With temperatures sizzling across our state, it’s hard to imagine the fall hunting season is just around the corner. More than a gaggle of geese at your pond? If your favorite body of water is experie...

In previous Just Thinkin’s, I have referenced my “love-hate” relationship with television commercials. Recently the “windows and bladders” folks have launched a barrage of commercials that might be to...

“Hot? You boys think this here weather is hot? You jest don’t know, do you?” “What do you mean, Windy?” said Doc. “Wellsir, back in the old days, you know, when we was younger, there came upon us here...

Doc isn’t even sure why he did it. For days afterwards, people would talk about it, then smile and shake their heads and just say “Oh, that Doc…” The whole thing came up on the spur of the moment. Doc...

Looking for things of interest to give your family an indoor option during this oppressive heat of July? Here’s a story of a gentleman whose interest as a boy grew into one of the most impressive priv...

We are all collectors. What we collect is meaningful to us, things that rekindle memories. It is the nature of life that most of us, at some time, are going be required to sort the collections of anot...

Steve, the tall cowboy of us philosophy types, was riding a young horse through town the other day to get him used to boogers. To gentle a horse, he explained, you give them something to booger at, an...

The hottest ticket in Muskogee this summer is the Beast Feast, which is an occasion jointly sponsored by New Community Church and BOOM. Instrumental in the formation of the Beast Feast was a local pas...

I would venture to say that in 1974 most of us non-coastal types did not have a fear of sharks on our psyche radar. Then, came the summer of 1975. Steven Spielberg directed the screen adaptation of Pe...

It was Windy Wilson’s turn, unofficially, of course, to pick a coffee counter topic of learned truth and everlasting beauty. We sorta took turns without keeping score. “Ya know,” said the old camp coo...

As globetrotting professional photographer Robert Kincaid looked through the viewfinder of his Nikon F3 camera, focusing on the barn-red Roseman Bridge which would become the cover photo for his 1965 ...

Doc smiled and felt really good inside when he heard the familiar bird song. “Hey there, Wheezer,” he said, “happy nesting!” For some reason, this mourning dove with the speech impediment comes around...

“Just about a week now, boys, and Happy Birthday America!” “Got that right, Herb. You finished with that hot sauce?” “Here you go,” said Steve. There’ll be the annual parade, of course, and each bonaf...

We had eight ladies this past Monday. We had a loss of 8.2 pounds, a gain of 6.1 with a net loss of 2.1. Mary had the best weight loss for the week with 3.6 pounds lost. We are all excited about the L...

Before Will Rogers became a world-famous performer, actor and social commentator, he was a young Cherokee growing up on a ranch near Oologah Lake. Now, Cherokee Nation has purchased the historic Will ...

Our day is filled with heat at this time of year. It commands our attention and makes our work harder. As we toil, we daydream not about love or success, but things as mundane as shade and a cool drin...

With the results certified and finalized after recent Cherokee Nation elections, I want to thank every Cherokee Nation citizen across the country who exercised their right to vote. Friends, your voice...

“Wonder what the count is today,” Herb said. “Sure is hot.” We sipped simultaneously, as is our wont, and stared at our friend. “What count would that be?” asked Steve. “The btu count, of course,” sai...

During years of daily conversations, Cousin Boots shared a lot of stories. One was unique in that a tinge of remorse could be heard in the conclusion. Perhaps not as much guilt as a nagging curiosity ...