When we moved from Las Vegas to Tulsa almost 30 years ago, Michelle told friends and family we were headed for full-on ranch life. Chickens, cows, pigs, maybe a prairie dog or two. We’d raise our own beef and pork, and Bessie would handle the fresh milk. Because that’s what everyone in Oklahoma does… right?

Turns out, not so much. We never “bought the farm,” so to speak. But the idea of living off the land still has its pull - and watching Yellowstone over the years definitely didn’t help.

We do have a friend who’s actually living the dream. Greg Ganzkow, his wife Rachel, and their three kids run a working ranch in Osage County. A couple years back, we toured Keystone Ranch for an episode of American Dream TV. Let me tell you… it’s the real deal. And Greg? He looks a lot like Rip from Yellowstone. He even told us there is a train station nearby - thankfully he didn’t take us to it.

We also recorded a podcast with Greg in 2023. He shared some eye-opening stories about real ranch life - the highs, the lows, the life-and-death moments, and rescuing calves in sub-zero temperatures. Ranching is tough, but it’s meaningful work.

I tip my rarely worn Stetson to the ranchers and farmers who do it every day. Plenty of people romanticize the lifestyle, just like we did. But how many are truly built for it?

Watch this and ask yourself: Is this for me?

Do you need a home warranty? Michelle and I welcome Lindsay Padilla of On Call to our podcast to talk about what a home warranty is, how much it costs, what it covers and why most (but not all) homeowners should buy one. We've had one that covers the big ticket items in our homes, like major appliances and pool pumps, for decades and it's really paid off.

https://oncallhomewarranty.com/

I can't express enough how important sound is to a podcast. You say, but don't all podcasts have sound? I'm talking about good sound. Sound you can hear. How many times have your tried to listen to a video or podcast and can't understand what they're saying? That detracts from the experience. Michelle and I use mics whenever we're out fishing, hiking, etc. And because of that we capture some great moments. In this podcast from Rocky Mountain National Park, I include some of those great moments. And all because we use mics.
https://bit.ly/RodeWirelessGoii
https://bit.ly/MicMiniDJI

We love a good adventure and are always on the search for wildlife in and around our national parks. We witnessed a rare sighting in Rocky Mountain National Park this spring ... a mother moose with her twin calves that were less than 24 hours old. It was quite a sight to see them take some of their first wobbly steps in this world. Enjoy it with us. You can watch this podcast here: https://bit.ly/Dayoldtwinmoosecalves

How many of us invite suffering into our life? I mean go out of our way to bring on real hurt and pain that takes our breath away. Not many of us, right? We’d rather run from it if we can. But not Phil Lakin. Phil’s not like most of us. He actually loves to suffer … as long as it helps him reach the top.

Many Tulsans know Phil as a long-time city councilor, civic leader and CEO of the Tulsa Community Foundation. But did you know he’s also an adventurer, thrill-seeker, climber, mountaineer? Ever heard of the Matterhorn? And not the one at Disney World. The one in the Swiss Alps. He’s climbed that. How about Cotopaxi? You may have one of its colorful backpacks. But this Cotopaxi is in Ecuador. It’s almost 20 thousand feet high, and he’s climbed that too. Do you know what a 14er is? There are more than 70 of them in the continental U.S. Phil’s been to the top of ALL of them … and many more than once?

In this podcast, Michelle and I talk with Phil about his crazy adventures, his dances with danger and his motivation to reach breathtaking (in more ways than one) summits when the pain is almost unbearable. No doubt about it, Phil Lakin suffers for what he does. But don’t feel sorry for him. Not when you see his view from the top!

https://tulsacf.org
https://www.melissaarnot.com/enough
https://www.justtravelposters.com

We’re constantly amazed by how things are made. In this episode we’re blown away by something that we had no idea was even made by someone. The Gathering Place is a world-class park in Tulsa with so much to see and do. The 1000 foot whitewater flume on the Arkansas River is next to the park. The flume is made up of hundreds of rocks that look like they’ve been there forever. But in fact many of them were manufactured, carved and painted under the direction of Tulsan Carolyn Finch and her team. The rocks look like the real deal. Who would have thought someone had that job? Finch is well-known as a colorist, someone who’s an expert on using colors to decorate homes. She knows and keeps up on color trends. Recently she’s expanded her business to include rocks. Think about your outdated rock fireplace or rock facade on your home. She works wonders making the old and drab and outdated look fresh and new and trendy. And now she’s carving (quite literally) a new niche as she works in the middle of the Arkansas River. Amazing isn’t it? So here’s our conversation with Carolyn Finch, who we call Tulsa’s “rock” star!

Did you know there are no fewer than 25 national holidays for cats? March has Rescue Cat Day, Respect your Cat Day and Cuddly Kitten Day. In this podcast we ask "What is your cat's favorite place to hang out in your house?" Also, “What does your cat do to punish you?" The first day of spring is this week, and after a cold and snowy winter, we're ready for it. We recently went to the Greater Tulsa Home and Garden Show where we came away with some spring-time ideas. And our featured home of the week is a success story. It sold after just one day on the market.

Want to know the value of your home? Right away? In this podcast we talk about a free online home valuation tool. It's not the end all of what you could get for your home, but it's quick and easy. Sometimes it's spot on, but not always, and because of that we tell you what to do if you're serious about getting an estimate of your home's worth. For fun, Mark shows you what he got Michelle for Christmas because she's such a bird lover. It's a bird feeder that snaps pictures and records videos of what's eating the bird seed (and it's not always a bird)! And we show you our featured home of the week in a master planned community in Broken Arrow.

https://bit.ly/YourFreeOnlineHomeValuation

https://bit.ly/FeatherSnapBirdFeeder