Destination #5 Sooner Country

Boomer Sooner! I'm afraid I'm going to run out of adjectives to describe my old college, The University of Oklahoma in Norman. President (Senator) Boren has done an unbelievable job of raising money for the University and it is awash in huge new buildings with alums' names on the doors. There is a high rise Energy School, an enormous new Engineering School, arts are big with a new Music School and Fine Arts School, fantastic Journalism School including not only print but television, and two huge buildings rising of unknown subject. All I can say is BIG. One can't help but reflect upon OU's traditional competition with the outsized Univ of Texas.

When I was in school the Navy had a WWII base south of the university and the only property used by OU was the golf course. All the land is now owned and built upon, mostly by the sports venues. Adjacent to the basketball building is a parking lot for all the cars and RVs coming to the football games. We shared the RV parking with one other visitor, which included power hookups among the 270 RV spaces, and thousands for cars. It was Sam's favorite stop with acres of running space for a lively doggie. We parked alongside the tennis building, near the rugby games going on with a Big 12 competition, the softball fields, etc. All on a large scale.

But the draw for the visit was a Gamma Phi Beta reunion for Gene Nora, celebrating Gamma Phi's 90th year on the OU campus. You'd laugh going down sorority/fraternity row immediately south of the campus. The houses match the University's grand size. There was a generous crowd of Gamma Phi's and I particularly enjoyed being with those from my class who pledged in 1955. It was especially moving visiting with Lorree White, 96 years old, who was a childhood friend of my mother (who would have been 99 now). When I introduced myself she knew exactly who I was and it was thrilling for both of us. We all toured, visited, met the very young girls and renewed our sisterhood.

The only disappointment of the stop was discovering, upon arrival, that the Oklahoma Historical Museum was closed on Sunday, contrary to their information on line prior to our leaving home. My grandfather is included in their Oklahoma oilman display which we had looked forward to for some time to see. Drat.

We extended our trip swinging on up to Tulsa to give a program at a retirement center where John Elliott, the design engineer for the Musketeer airplane, lives. Unfortunately, John made a trip to the hospital shortly prior to our arrival but he wanted very much for us to carry on for his friends, which we did. They were an appreciative audience and we visited John in the hospital where he appeared to be strong and on the mend.

We're now on the way home, at the moment in Ogallala, NE where it is gray, windy and there is talk of snow. The color display we've enjoyed cross country on this trip is finished. We're now seeing a steady show of brown and are starting to see leaves on the ground. Westward ho!