Pearls&Grit

I love crazy weekends that ooze spontaneity.

First, I got to go see The Priefert Factory.

I won’t hold it against you if you don’t know what a Priefert is and why it gives me such levels of school-girl giggly excitement. Let me explain, so you too, can grin that goofy grin and feel like warm, fluffy towels right-out-of-the-dryer deep inside your soul.

Priefert is one of the most premier manufacturers of livestock fencing systems. Most notably, the revered Priefert Panel. What are panels, you may ask? They are those metal lengths of fence that joint together and can be moved from location to location, or stay stationary. Priefert also makes chutes, feeders for wildlife and livestock, as well as permanent all-steel fencing, with beautiful Ponderosa Pine posts. They make horse walkers, stall systems and design fairground and expo equipment, arenas, and cattle handling systems. Dog kennels. Gates. Rodeo equipment. Ooooooohhhhhh my.

It might be hard to believe, but I can go on and on about fence and its related appendages for a long time. You could say it’s one of the things Mike Honcho loves the most about me; I may not be great at communicating my feelings but I can talk for hours about fence. So, because I know myself very well, I’m going to stop typing about fence and just show you my pictures that I snapped of this wondrous place.

Now, if you have time to kill, visit the website here. They have videos! They have photos! They have sister sites, all centered around these works of art. You will even see a photo of Trevor Brazile.

The second thing I got to cross off my bucket list was to see the name of actual Frogville, Oklahoma on a road sign. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve heard from a particular family friend (you know who you are) about all the escapades that happened down in Frogville. I thought he was joking about the name, I admit. I flew past that road sign, did a double take, and turned back around to get a good shot of the sign for all of posterity.

My third fantastic experience was visiting Pawhuska, Oklahoma where The Pioneer Woman has opened up a charming store chock-full of beautiful dishes and all manner of fun things, covered in flowers.

Upon entering The Mercantile, I went into anaphylactic shock, followed by a complete blackout. When I came to, I had cookbooks and flowered plastic wrap dispensers, stuffed animals depicting beloved ranch pets and a beautiful crochet basket in my arms.

I wish I had taken more pictures while at The Mercantile. I just didn’t even think about it, really. I was so busy reveling in the dishes, that I forgot until the last minute. I didn’t take a picture of the outside. I didn’t take a picture of the cute bakery upstairs. I didn’t take a picture of the gorgeous dishes that look like china but are actually unbreakable melamine. The Pioneer Woman’s husband and son even came in and I didn’t take a picture!

I did take pictures of how the sweet Mercantile ladies wrapped up my treasures though:

We then drove out to take a tour of The Lodge, where The Pioneer Woman films her cooking show. What a fun place! Here is the view off the porch of The Lodge.

What I liked about this particular tour was that it wasn’t really a tour. We were allowed to wander through the building as we desired. It was fun, it was casual, it engrossed me so much I only took these two pictures. Which aren’t even of The Lodge. But look at those round pens, the barns and that hot walker! I appreciated that almost as much as the actual interior of The Lodge.

Putting things into my buckets is fun! Not surprisingly, a lot of that fun is derived from not knowing what is going to make it in my buckets:

• I didn’t know that I would see a sign for coffins ($500 and up) and farm fresh strawberries, just take the next exit.
• I didn’t know I would see the hot, warm and cold labeled water towers of Bartlesville, Oklahoma and finally understand how all that water stuff works (playful sarcasm, lest anyone be confused, much like the towers themselves).
• I didn’t know I would see a mansion, sitting up on a hill, that immediately made me think of Scarlett O’Hara.
• I didn’t know the Gleason Museum in Tulsa was such a captivating and interactive experience.
• I didn’t know that we love Braum’s so much that every time we saw one, we’d all holler with joy.
• I didn’t know how much I missed bombing down gravel roads with nothing on both sides of me for miles and miles.

Boy howdy, I love these spontaneous weekends.

What are some of your oddball bucket list items? Let me know in the comments!