Who Knew My State Was So Interesting...?

Here Are Some Little Known But Very Interesting Facts About Oklahoma. 1. The bread twist tie was invented in Maysville. 2. The shopping cart was invented in Ardmore in 1936. 3. The nation's first parking meter was intalled in Oklahoma City in 1935. 4. The first Girl Scout Cookie was sold in Muskogee in 1917. 5. Cimarron County, located in the Oklahoma Panhandle, is the only county in the U.S. bordered by 4 separate states...Texas, New Mexico, Colorado & Kansas. 6. The Oklahoma State Capital is the only capital in the U.S. with working oil wells on its grounds. 7. Boise City, Oklahoma was the only city in the United States to be bombed during World War II. On Monday night, July 5, 1943, at 12:30 a.m., a B-17 Bomber based at Dalhart Army Air Base, Texas, dropped six practice bombs on the sleeping town, mistaking the city lights as target lights. 8. WKY Radio in Oklahoma City was the first radio station transmitting west of the Mississippi River. 9. The nation's first 'Tornado Warning' was issued on March 25, 1948 in Oklahoma City minutes before a devastating tornado. Because of the warning, no lives were lost. 10. Oklahoma has the largest Native American population of any state in the U.S. 11. The name 'Oklahoma' comes from two Choctaw words...okla meaning 'people' andhumma meaning 'red'. So the name means, 'Red People.' The name was approved in 1890. 12. Oklahoma produced more astronauts than any other state. 13. Oklahoma has more man made lakes than any other state. 14. During the 'Land Rush', Oklahoma City went from a vast, open prairie to a city of over 10,000 in a single day. 15. The nation's first traffic 'Yield' sign was erected in Tulsa on a trial basis. 16. Pensacola Dam is the longest multi-arched dam in the world at 6,565 feet. 17. The 'Port of Catoosa' (just north of Tulsa) is the largest inland port in America. 18. The aerosol can was invented in Bartlesville. 19. Per square mile, Oklahoma has more tornadoes than any other place in the world. 20. The highest wind speed ever recorded on earth was in Moore, Oklahoma on May 3rd. 1999 during the Oklahoma City F-5 tornado. Wind speed was clocked at 318 mph. 21. The 'Will Rogers World Airport' and the 'Wiley Post Airport' are both named after two famous Okies....both killed in an airplane crash!!!

And I Thought Idaho Weather Was Bad...

A week ago Saturday, it was 75 degrees Fahrenheit, and I wore shorts...48 hours later, I awoke to this...

My escape path dug by my Erich

And a day later...my roommate and I awoke to this:

They had initially set out to answer a 911 call at the retirement center across the street for someone with right arm weakness. Fortunately for the patient, a backup ambulance was able to pick them up...

Pre-shoveling conditions

On the way to the snowdrift...In my Dorothy boots...

And my roommate and me at the snowdrift...

Since it supposedly doesn't snow in Oklahoma, I was only equipped with a flat edged garden shovel, which was no match for the many inches of powder in the drive. So I put on my Dorothy Ahlborn thinking-cap and converted my recycling bins to giant scoops!

After 1 hour...

After 2 hours...Mission accomplished!