Lake Lawtonka Outing

Beautiful Day to be at the Lawtonka Lake

Today I felt the lure of the outdoors, so we accepted an invitation to spend lunch at Lake Lawtonka with our family Elizabeth and Charles. Also joining us was Alisha — the daughter of Luther and Elizabeth — making the afternoon feel like one big family gathering by the water.

Sitting outside near the shoreline, the setting was peaceful and quiet. The lake water glowed a beautiful blue, and the weather cooperated beautifully: a perfect ~70-degree day, gentle breeze, sunshine just about right. As we relaxed, we watched butterflies flit by — especially the magnificent orange and black of the Monarch butterfly. Their wings stood out boldly: bright orange with a black border and black veins, and the border rimmed with a double row of white spots. It felt a little magical to see them up close as they migrate through Oklahoma on their way to Mexico. (Nature doesn’t often pause for lunch, but today it did.)

Lunch was simple, comforting, and satisfying: cheeseburgers and hot dogs, paired with sides of macaroni & cheddar cheese, potato salad, macaroni salad, baked beans and grilled peppers and onions. For dessert we were offered lemon cake and no-bake cookies — both favorites of mine — and I ended up going with the lemon cake. A sweet finish under the wide open sky.

While we talked and enjoyed the view, Alisha and Elizabeth played a little cornhole. Elizabeth ended up winning the game, which added a fun little competitive spark to the afternoon. Meanwhile, we continued to soak in the scene: sailboats, pontoons and a few fishing boats out on the lake, all basking in the sunshine. Mr. C told Charles we should have been out on their pontoon too, since the day was “perfect for it” — and I almost hated to leave for that reason. But the workweek looms, and we finally headed home around 2:30 p.m.

Once home, we tackled a little chore: filling up the gas tank. One less item on today’s list. Later this evening I’ll prepare clothes for the next five days, then settle into my “everything shower” routine (which is always a little longer than my ordinary shower). And of course we’ll figure out what I’m taking for lunch tomorrow — keeping the momentum of this pleasant weekend into the week ahead.

A few fun facts about Lake Lawtonka

• The lake covers approximately 2,398 surface acres and has about 21 miles of shoreline.  
• It has a maximum depth of around 58 feet.  
• Lake Lawtonka was constructed as a reservoir on Medicine Creek and today serves both recreational needs and water supply for the local communities.  
• The surrounding landscape features the nearby Wichita Mountains — making the view from the lake particularly scenic.  

A few additional details about Monarch butterflies

• Monarchs on the east side of the Rockies make a migration of up to 3,000 miles from Canada and the northern U.S. down to central Mexico.  
• They may fly as far as 50-100 miles in a single day during migration, and the entire journey may take up to two months.  
• During the fall migration, many monarchs enter a state called diapause (a kind of suspended reproduction) and live much longer than summer generations — sometimes up to nine months as adults.  
• They rely on milkweed plants for their early caterpillar stage (the only plant monarchs will lay eggs on), and they cluster in special overwintering habitats (for example, the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in Mexico) where millions huddle together on fir trees.  

In short: a beautiful afternoon by the water, good food, good friends, and even some unexpected wildlife magic thanks to those bold orange wings fluttering nearby. Sometimes the perfect day is one where nothing dramatic happens — just nature, good company and simple pleasures.

The water is beautiful with Mt Scott in the background is breathtaking.  

When I am near water I feel calmer and relaxed. Connecting with nature makes me feel at ease. While there I did walk the shoreline by myself and do some self reflection. Am so greatful to have this time to spend with family and nature. Just remember that family doesn’t always have to be blood. Although Elizabeth is Luther’s ex wife she treats me as a family member. It hasn’t always been this way but am happy were we are in this season of our life.