July 14, 2015 Day 2 - Pawhuska OK

Officially: it is still hot!  100 degrees today.

This morning Fred and Gay suggested a sight-seeing trip.  We drove 15 miles to the town of "Hominy".  That name makes me smile!

Between here and Hominy in pastures of many-thousands of acres of ranches are herds of wild horses.  These wild horses are brought here from New Mexico to live on ranches.  The ranchers are not allowed to "do" anything to or for the horses, except provide pasture and water.  No medicine, no vaccinations, etc.  The horses cannot be tamed, gentled, taught to work.  If a foal is a stallion, it is too be castrated immediately.  Fillies are left alone.  If a horse dies, it is to be buried where it is found.

The rancher is paid a specific amount of money per horse in the herd.  There can be no other animals in the pastures.  Many of the ranches have been cleared of cattle, and only pasture wild horses.

There are many mixed feelings about this practice.  Many feel that it is a mis-use of the grasslands, a waste of good horse flesh (can't train/ride, etc).  If you are a rancher being paid, you like it.

I don't live here so don't have any definitive feelings. But, the horses are beautiful.  They do very well on the tall grass prairies.

In the town of Hominy we stopped at an art gallery owned by the Native American artist/sculpture/metal designer, Cha' Tullis.  Cha' Tullis began in 1990 to paint large native American scenery murals on the side of buildings in town.  The gallery is filled with paintings, and jewelry.  The jewelry is designed mostly of turquoise, silver, and other stones.  Absolutely beautiful.

We enjoyed lunch at a truly unique business.

This is "Wild Country Meats".  Tables and service are inside these two cattle/stock trailers.  They are a part of a meat processing plant. This is in Hominy.

 The stock trailers are next to one another.  Here is Glen, Gay, and Fred on the upper level of the first trailer.  The outside walls are covered with wood.

Glen, Gay, and Fred. 

I wondered if the most-asked question is "were the trailers new or used?"

Each couple each split a "half-a-side" of ribs, dry or wet? We chose "dry" with sauce on the side.  The verdict:  delicious, moist, fall-off-the-bone tender.  

This evening, after resting in the cool, air-conditioned motor home, we joined Fred and Gay at their rig on the rodeo grounds.  Fred played his guitar, Gay her mandolin, and all (with Glen) sang.  

Tomorrow is the official opening of the rodeo activities.  We are looking forward to watching some barrel racing, wild cow milking, etc.