#2: [27-Nov-24]

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.