I had friends tell me they thought Oklahoma was a dust bowel full of fundamentalist Christians. I haven't found any fundamentalist of any kind including atheist. I found lots of polite people who keep their opinions to themselves. I guess that is the famous Southern manners I've heard about. No one speaks of religion or politics in mixed company unless you drink some whisky with friends, then opinions fly thicker than bees around honey. The only thing I don't like about Oklahoma is the ticks and humidity.

I think the Pipevine Swallowtail is prettier than the Black Swallowtail butterfly. I will be painting this butterfly as well!

I didn't know what this strange thistle was, it felt alien and I was right, this thistle was accidentally introduced during the 1940s. This species grows on over grazed grassland and nothing will eat it, but I thought the flower bud was strangely beautiful!

I think this is the Red River, I could be wrong, I didn't pay attention to what my daughter was telling me, edit, my daughter just got home, it was the Illinois river.