20-Aug-2000 -- I am headed home to Texas and
traveling down the eastern side of Oklahoma. I turned off of Hwy. 10 at
Eagles Bluff, along the Illinois River. I am just north and east of
Tahlequah. From Eagles Bluff I worked my way west and south along the
county roads until I was at the low water crossing of Fourteen Mile
Creek (Picture #2). I am 300 meters north and a bit east of the
confluence. The confluence appears to be in the middle of a pasture.
The owner was very pleasant and didn't run me off the porch when I told
him what I was up to. He runs a dairy farm (Picture #3), Midam Dairy
Farm, and the cattle across the road are his - about 200 head. He said
that he had owned most of the land (Picture #4) for over 20 years (young
guy by the way) and that he recently had bought up the parcel just to
the west of my target. It had been a grass airstrip for parachuting
practice. The hanger used by skydivers now held 100 bales of hay. The
area has a creek (Picture #5) running through it and its course nearly
parallels the road, about 100 meters from the confluence. It sounded
like the creek, which is spring fed, was also good for fishing. He
stated that an eight-pound catfish and a couple of two-pound bass were
pulled out of it recently.
The confluence is out in the middle of a pasture. There is a ridge
about 700 meters south, and a couple of ponds in close proximity west
and south. Otherwise the confluence has a nice unobstructed view. I
walked up to the top of the ridge to the south and took a few photos
from there. Then back to the car, after a short rest with my feet in
Fourteen-Mile Creek. The water was clear and cool and I could see small
fish darting about.