Find The Hidden Treasures All Around You

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge

In late 2016 when I first found out I was moving from Arizona to Lawton Oklahoma (to be closer to my kids who still lived in Texas), I thought my hiking days were over.

40 Foot Hole

Then I found out that I only lived 20 minutes from the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.

Don’t get me wrong, I wasn’t terribly upset about going to Oklahoma. I knew they had casinos …

I don’t understand how people can just sit at slot machines for hours

And I’ve been a poker player (pretty good one if I do say so myself) for decades.

So it wasn’t unreasonable that I thought that’s where I would be spending most of my free time.

But after my first visit to the refuge, I was hooked, and ended up going back at least twice a week for the rest of the time I lived there (which I didn’t know at the time would only be about 6 more months).

I spent a lot of time outside!

I got to see Bison!

American Bison

And I finally got a few good pictures of Painted Bunting

Painted Bunting

I’m not sure how happy I would be if I still live in Oklahoma. But man, those 8 1/2 months I was there were awesome!

Mammatus clouds at sunset

Funny thing is, I can say the same about pretty much anywhere I’ve ever lived

It’s all about your attitude.

There really are hidden (and sometimes not so hidden) adventures to be had pretty much any place we might find ourselves.

Seriously, I got to see the Ziggurat of Ur when I was deployed to Iraq

On the flip side, I knew people who did nothing but lament about how bored they were the entire time they lived in Hawaii.

lol, heck (not judging too harshly), since I even complained about having to go to the beach every weekend when I lived there as a kid.

My point is, we have a choice.

You can either sit at home and wish you were somewhere “better”.

Or …

You can get out and start exploring your own backyard.

I almost guarantee you’ll find some hidden treasures.

Have you already found any?

Tell us about it …

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Til next time,

~ Todd

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