Random shots from different rides. (Click to see a larger view of the photos.)
Central Oklahoma isn’t merely a matter of some arbitrary boundaries, but is actually a transition point between different types of terrain. In this first image, looking WSW from the slope of NE 63rd just below Peebly Road, it’s a view of the North Canadian River Valley showing that the natural terrain is given to more open prairie. Travel farther north and/or west in the state and it gradually becomes little else. The hills flatten out a bit as the land rises in elevation, until the Panhandle, where mountains and mesas dominate the landscape.
The tiny town of Jones has a decent little park with a lagoon of sorts. From what I can tell, this is the overflow from pre-processed water, so it has virtually no smell. The city recently removed the sludge sediment and spruced things up at the same time. This lagoon lies between the still active railroad line and Britton Road, on the east edge of town.
As you approach Draper Lake on Post Road headed south, you’ll pass this wall of Black-eyed Susans hiding some county property where various loads of dirt and gravel are rotated in and out between different projects. This is the SW corner of Post and SE 74th. Those suckers are easily 7-10 feet (2-3 m) tall. There are other flowers that come into full bloom late in the summer like this. One in particular has tiny white blossoms with a strong sweet smell that reminds me of wild rose, honeysuckle and something else I can’t identify.
This is what you can see from below the dam at Draper Lake. The dam itself is far in the background. Off to the left is a heavily forested East Elm Creek, which the reservoir captures, and it’s impossible to get any useful image. West Elm Creek, by the way, is sourced in a water treatment lagoon just a half mile from where I took this shot. It’s part of the massive complex of buildings hidden in a valley out of public view next to the dam. I was trying to capture some construction adding to this facility, but I went the wrong way and had to hustle out of there to avoid massive waves of swirling dust from the trucks. This shot was taken from Stella Road near Post Road, looking NNW.
It’s almost a hidden treasure. Anderson Road on the west is a high ridge and so is Hiwasee Road on the east, but between them on SE 134th is this gorgeous valley. Some of the homes are old money but the whole mile of broad flat expanse is just a treat to see. While somewhat closer to Draper on the west, it’s not that far to Thunderbird on the SE.
