Within The Realm

18/04/2025

This Saturday marks Thirty Years of OKC's Survivor Tree. As most things that stand out and give us strength when we need it, the tree had a humble beginning.

The American Elm was the “go to” tree as the thing planted for shade in the mostly treeless Great Plains. As those Plains gave way to villages and towns and then to cities, the American…

09/04/2025

The American Elm was the "go to" shade tree on the barren Great Plains. When they gave way to towns & then to cities, the tree was the favored tree to line streets in idyllic neighborhoods. An American Elm has stood in OKC for a century. In 1995, it played a role in a story that rocked the Nation.

The American Elm was the “go to” tree as the thing planted for shade in the mostly treeless Great Plains. As those Plains gave way to villages and towns and then to cities, the American…

27/03/2025

All the kids had been raised and the youngest grandkid was starting school, it was time for a new chapter for Emma Belle. The next big step required a high school diploma and a driver’s licen…

27/03/2025

All the kids were raised & the last grandson had started school, it was time for a new chapter for Emma Belle. The next big step took a high school diploma & a driver's license, things she didn't have. What she did have was grit & determination...throw in a used Nash Rambler and the rest is history!

All the kids had been raised and the youngest grandkid was starting school, it was time for a new chapter for Emma Belle. The next big step required a high school diploma and a driver’s licen…

12/03/2025

This past weekend, I made a quick trip south,. In Siloam I had a couple of free hours and did some exploring. I found this stately Ozark Giraffe and a couple of others I had never seen before. I was made aware of this great find through a fellow lover of Ozark Giraffes, Holly Danielle Photography.

09/03/2025

Sometimes it takes time for a story to come around. Years ago I made a deal to acquire a certain guitar & though many a day has passed since the agreement was made, the guitar has made it into my home. It's a story of youth, hopes, dreams & loss, but mostly about the friends you find through music.

Sometimes it takes decades for a story to come around. Years ago I made a deal to acquire a particular guitar, the 12 string pictured here, and though many a day has passed since the agreement was …

16/02/2025

Duwali, was chief of the Western Cherokees. He saw his people through many a trying time. His favor was curried by the rulers & would-be rulers where the Cherokees lived. As a gesture of friends he was given a sword by Sam Houston. It is now in Tahlequah. How it got there is a story you need to hear

Chief Bowles or Duwali was a name familiar across the American Frontier two hundred years ago. As headman of the Cherokees west of the Mississippi River, he saw his people through many a trying tim…

22/01/2025

In the early days of the 20th century, things were changing - and fast! Electric lights, flying machines and the automobile were pushing their way into the center of attention. Folks, especioally here Within The Realm, were a scrappy sort. When the autos did make their way to the streets of Stilwell, splendid Stilwell, a local took up the challenge to make one for himself.

In the early days of the 20th century, things were changing – and fast! Electric lights, flying machines and the automobile were pushing their way into the center of attention. Folks, especio…

19/12/2024

There were some heroes from the Second World War that didn't get much further than a few miles from home to perform a service that resonated from the Heartland of America to halls of power in London. This is a story about quiet duty and humility, about the work of half of one's life and the British Plot in a part of Oklahoma that is Forever England. https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/withintherealm/For_Service.mp3

19/12/2024

Some heroes from WWII didn't get much further than a few miles from home to perform a service that resonated from America's Heartland to the UK. This story is about duty & humility, the work of half a lifetime & a part of Oklahoma that's Forever England.

There were some heroes from the Second World War that didn’t get much further than a few miles from home to perform a service that resonated from the Heartland of America to halls of power in…

15/12/2024

Finished up the script for the next edition of Within The Realm this morning. Now waiting for a little more quiet in the house to begin the recording process.

When I started, I thought this story would be a quick and short little thing, but as I got into it - that was not the case. And sometimes, that's how it goes. These stories that seem simple and to the point, turn out to have a lot more heft and gravity to them.

So, I'm looking forward to putting this one together.

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04/12/2024

A note on Noel!
Most of the cards stamped by the post office come from people who drive to the town to drop them off, Taylor said, but cards can also be bundled together and sent to Postmaster, Noel, Mo. 64854.

There is no charge for the service, but the post office asks that it only be used for personal Christmas cards and not for packages or business use. If sent by mail, first-class postage is needed on all cards before sending them.

02/12/2024

There's a little out of the way place in the Ozarks, tucked down in the corner of Missouri, not far from Arkansas, not far from Oklahoma, that has carved out a name for itself during the Christmas holiday. A few things had to fall into place, even a little change of name, to give rise to this mountain tradition, one that is still going strong today and one you can take part in! https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/withintherealm/Christmas_City.mp3