Dusty of Dusty's Diesels thinks I can make it to my next stop without any severe engine trouble so I continue on to Fort Worth, Texas. Originally I wasn't planning on going this far south, but cold weather drove me south. Looking into Fort Worth, I was surprised at how much there was to do here.
I had a little bit of engine trouble, as in my Check Engine Maintenance light is on. I called the Chevy dealer and they can't get me in for another two weeks. Bummer. I found a company called YourMechanic who does house calls. They came out and checked the codes. Coolant Fan issue. The guy said there was a loose plug, he plugged it in and the light went out. I sort of think he might have just cleared the code, but what do I know.
In Oklahoma City, there is an artist collective who have converted a 6000 sq. ft. building into an:
“Oklahoma City based collaborative company creating immersive experiences that awaken wonder, build community, and make the world better”
Impressive. There was a series of rooms, different styles, different feels. The music was different in each room and helped you to immerse yourself even more into where you were at.
They had a special exhibit called Doorways created by Amber Rae Black and Teddi Fokas. You walk into a circular dark room. Around the circle are about six/seven doors. You open one of the doors and there is a space about the size of a closet which is filled with fantastical scenes that range from a DIY time machine to a miniscule fairy closet. You really get sucked into the scene.
I was going to call this next museum the highlight of OKC, but that was before I had been to the Cowboy Museum and Factory Obscura. This museum had it's own charm though. Of course I'm talking about the American Pigeon Museum. I had been wanting to go here for years, but it has very limited hours and it never seemed to work out. This year was it – I made it to the museum.
Most people consider pigeons to be rats with wings. This museum was out to change your mind. They talked, of course, about the contributions that pigeons made to society from dinner plates, to Armed Forces couriers to Pigeon Races. What I found most fascinating was all the different types of pigeons. Did you know that there is a breed of pigeon that has curly feathers? After you finish all the exhibits, you can go out back and see some of the different pigeon breeds.
Pretty bird
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| He seems sure of himself |
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| Check out his feet |
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| Evidently there is even a Pigeon Olympics |
I made a mad dash across Arkansas, well, that was the plan, but I ended up in Russellville where a one-night stayed turned into a three night stay. I was right on the river and it was so peaceful, I felt that I needed to just stay and soak it all up.
The time has come to leave the lovely mountains of Tennessee. The weather was cold, the bulldozers were loud ( some construction/destruction next door) and there was the brief whiff of smoke in the air from burning downed trees but eastern Tennessee really has a special place in my heart. There are some places in the world where you just feel rooted and this place is one of them for me. But when ya gotta go, ya gotta go.
