O-K-L-A . . .

On Tuesday we crossed into the state whose name is also the name of a popular Broadway musical featuring cowboys and songs about wind whistling down the plains and corn as high as an elephant’s eye. Just TRY to keep from bursting into song when you see the “Welcome to . . . “ sign. Oh, oh, oh . . . .

The cute little lady at the “O . . .Welcomes You” center (I won’t name that state because if I do, you’ll be humming the darn song all day), clad, since THIS IS COWBOY COUNTRY in a denim vest and swirly whirly skirt, gave us an armload of glossy brochures and almost convinced us we should spend a couple days sightseeing in Oklahoma City, she made it sound so alluring. The exit sign for EACH and every Oklohoma city trumpets the attractions to be found therein: Oil Baron’s mansions! Antique stores! I guess you need a marketing strategy like that when the name of the town is Sulphur.

We stopped instead in Stillwater, at Oklahoma State University, where I had to shift my paradigms; I saw a sign on the local quik-stop that read, “Cowboy Ball,” and thought, “Aww, how cute, a fancy-dress party for cowboys. Wonder why it’s advertised at a mini mart?”

Cowboys are the University’s football team.

Bill sez he had some good meetings with the folks at OSU. We felt right at home on the campus, which has handsome brick buildings, including the centrally located library, pictured here, which reminded us of the library at another institution of higher learning we’re both rather fond of. Compare the photos! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baker_Memorial_Library

Meanwhile, it was amusing to note that OSU’s swanky counterpart to the Nittany Lion Inn is the Atherton Hotel. Hey! In State College, home of another land grant institution, we also have an Atherton Hotel, although it’s downtown, but also Atherton Street, both, I presume named for George W. Atherton, 7th president of Penn State, from 1882 to 1906. The Penn State Department of Public Information says Atherton “is often called the University’s ‘second founder’ because he took a college that was on the brink of financial collapse and reinvigorated it.”


Well! Of course I marched right into the OSU Atherton to chat up the concierge and see if there was any connection. Did Mr. Atherton get around?

She was a little startled but cordial. Turns out the OSU Athertons are a couple in the hospitality industry who spiffed the old place up about 5 years ago. It would probably take some geneology work to figure out if they have PA relations.