Day 20
6-19-10
Groom to Shamrock 52 miles
The morning came about once again too quickly. I walked over to the convenience store for a cup of coffee, and on my return I caught a glimpse of the clouds to the south changing in color from white to orange as a result of the sunrise with blue clear skies. After the unpredicted storm of heavy rain and hail yesterday, out here blue skies do not mean very much. I finally departed from the motel at 7:15 am heading for The Grill to indulge in my breakfast thrill. While waiting for my meal, Justin, one of the young adults from Dairy Queen yesterday afternoon, walked in. He saw me sitting and paid his morning respects. He walked over and with a handshake asked if the bike out front was mine. Answering ‘Yes’ we continued in conversation with him sharing that he would be attending Oregon State University to acquire his degree in Horticulture and Business Management in the same field. The ‘Yes sir’, ‘No sir’, ‘Yes, thank you’, ‘and No, thank you’ responses delivered with a smile were a great pleasure to hear in our exchange of conversation. I could not help but let Justin know how wonderful it was to see him and his friends sitting around just having fun in conversation. Karen was sitting nearby while we talked, and she made several remarks that, “The kids are good young’uns with responsible and positive attitudes.” As I was departing Karen and her husband Mr. Brown spoke of the beauty of Angel Fire, New Mexico. They attended the yearly Red River Motorcycle Run during the Memorial Day Weekend, and said they were there the same time I was. It is amazing that our paths could have intercepted there, but it was not to happen. Instead, the setting of their community and workplace was the selected moment. They said that before the storm arrived yesterday afternoon they were going to come for me and let me experience the operation of one of their large combines they use to harvest wheat. I was surprised and said, “I would have really enjoyed that! Thank you!” Their consideration was very much appreciated. Maybe another time. I took a couple of pictures of them out in front of their restaurant. They requested to be recipients of the journal and along with their invite to return, a firm handshake and hugs, we said our farewells. Again, as riding has done throughout this journey, I thought about this wonderful experience with people I knew nothing about until yesterday. The people of Groom. They have the ability to utilize the good of technology for their daily work activities, and yet escape it while preserving a simple life of unity in their community. It is a small sacrifice when you consider the overall quality of life they live. That is a good thing and I am honored to have lived among them, even for a brief passing of time. Friends to come back to.
The frontage road runs parallel on both sides of I-40. Again, a good day to ride. The sun is bright and for a short moment the wind has decreased. It is still blowing from the south and is an asset to my ridding. I feel good and very happy to feel all that I do. The land begins to change with trees and creeks becoming part of the terrain. The crops are disappearing along the roadside being by more homes, and the fields have cows and horses. The residential pet dogs set their alarm well before I get within striking distance, allowing me time to evaluate both their demeanor and their ability to maneuver from their place of comfort. Fortunately, all were just ‘bark’, running to the property line to let me know not to disturb the occupants, including them. With a human gesture I signaled to them with a ‘Good Morning’ never taking my eyes off of them until I was at a good distance. Being safe from the unpredictable. Maybe I should not be so wary, but along the route I observed many remnants of road kill: Carcasses of deer, bobcat, turtles, rabbits, armadillos, possums, skunks, porkqupines, squirls, and bullfrogs -- all victims while trying to get across Highway 40. Birds of various beautiful colors were flying freely in all this open space. They too were losing the battle in some cases while darting in front of the passing cars. This is all so different than Arizona and New Mexico. The road sides are not littered with bottles, cans and trash debris. Instead, there are wide open grass areas which are mowed to look very much a part of the land beyond.
As the day continued to heat up all wildlife seemed to disappear, and the only things out were people in air conditioned cars and me -- absorbing everything the sun could dish out. I finally arrived into Shamrock where I was able to cool off in the pool leaving enough energy to eat and crawl into bed after catching up on the journal. Now, your short daily history lesson.
SHAMROCK
Shamrock was first established in 1910, and when it was a booming oil town had as many as 10,000 people. It started out as a farming community, and the town was named for the first postmaster J.M. Thomas, whose hometown was Shamrock, Illinois. By 1913 the town had two general stores, a restaurant and a population of 35. This changed dramatically when the Cushing Oil Field began to develop two years later, and Shamrock became a boom town almost overnight. The town took on a definitively Irish character with its main street named Tipperary Road, and other streets by the name of Cork, Dublin, Ireland, St. Patrick and Kilarney. The townsfolk painted the buildings green and the town had its own Blarney Stone. The newspaper was even called the Shamrock Brogue.
It turned out that the Cushing Oil Field became one of the biggest discoveries in the early 1900s by producing over 30,000 barrels of oil per day by 1915. During Shamrock’s boom the town was very rowdy with several gambling halls, saloons, brothels and individuals on the tough side. Unfortunately, Shamrock began to decline in the mid-1920s as the oil field workers started to move on to new boomtowns, and in a short while the businesses began to close. By 1930 the population had decreased to about 700. Even though the Cushing Oil Field produced a significant amount of oil, its production had become mostly automated and the number of men to work the field was no longer needed. Shamrock today still has a population of about 100, and its buildings are in decay for the most part. Nevertheless, the town still holds its annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in keeping with its Irish tradition.
Good night.
Tomorrow Elk City
Take care
Luv ya all
Old Young Man Revived But Tired
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