Oklahoma - where the sky is half the world

The sky is half the world - this is more a reference to the tall grass prairie (see next post) but given that today was a flying day this seems an appropriate title.

Day 1 of my Oklahoma adventure started at 4:45am when I woke up in the (slightly seedy) airport hotel that I stayed in. By 6:30am I was on a plane which couldn't start it's engines (independently) so had to have some help from the ground crew. I wasn't thinking about what would happen if the engines stalled in midair and couldn't restart... This was my first experiance with SouthWest airlines that have open seating but an assigned boarding number, so you queue in the order you checked in but sit where you like. I sat by the window in the plane and I saw... (thinking this could be a new traveling game)...

...the wing of the plane...

Mount St. Helens

the hazy sunrise

Mt. Hood, Mt. Jefferson, and South Sister

...undetermined... 

...mountain ranges...

...the grand canyon... (like you do)....

Lake Pleasant

Phoenix Airport where I got to sit on the plane while they boarded the new passengers

 After 7hrs sat on the plane I finally got off... we had a little reception at the hotel then went to the Gilcrease museum (more on that in later blogs) to have a keynote speech about the American West and listen to a swing band whilst we munched 'heavy' hors d'œuvres...