Meers Store, Meers, OK
Just outside the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge in Lawton, OK lies the town of Meers and "The Best Burger in Oklahoma." The population of Meers has dwindled from the gold rush peak of 500 down to the present residents: one family of six. They are famous for their Meersburger, a seven-inch-diameter burger made exclusively from prize-winning Texas Longhorn beef raised on the family ranch. If you don’t believe me, you can read about it in the New York Times. On a rainy Sunday evening, the restaurant was full and the burgers were inspiring. We also shared a single order of homemade vanilla ice cream for dessert. It overflowed a dinner-sized soup bowl.
Places That I Love
For the vast majority of my career, my own photography was an afterthought. Very soon after I started working professionally as a photojournalist, I became a full-time academic and for more than 40 years, my students came first. We traveled the world together, but my role was that of an editor and mentor, not a photographer. Rarely would I have time for my own work. Of course, that was of my choosing and it was a gift, not a burden.
Toward the end of my career, my teaching and advising focus shifted from undergraduate to graduate students, who were allowed to travel without a faculty escort. This allowed me time for some personal projects and assignments, and time to travel with family and friends, something I still do today.
This gallery has no thematic or geographic parameters, it’s just a grouping of photographs from places that I love, places that evoke special memories or moments that I enjoyed experiencing.
