The Pet Gazette

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INSIDE COVER Get ready for a barkin good time with the Pet Issue.

Cover and photo by Berlin Green

NEWS 5 6 7 9

COVER OK Humane shelter COVER Dog park reviews

COVER Sir Indiana Bones COVER Solo’s dog park

10 COVER Cat cafe 14

Chicken Fried News

ARTS & CULTURE Citizen Spotlight: Heather Hernandez The Toe Tag 21 Calendar 12 13

EAT & DRINK 17 18

Spring wines Gazedibles

MUSIC Norman Music Fest Trip G 26 Soundcheck: Sun Deep 26 Live music 23

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THE HIGH CULTURE 29

Strain reviews

FUN 30 31

Astrology Puzzles sudoku | crossword

VOL. XLIV NO. 7

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PUBLISHER Bryan Hallman | bhallman@okgazette.com EDITOR Matt Dinger | mdinger@okgazette.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Berlin Green | bgreen@okgazette.com PRODUCTION MANAGER Kendall Bleakley ADVERTISING advertising@okgazette.com 405-528-6000 CIRCULATION MANAGER Patrick Hanscom | phanscom@okgazette.com CONTRIBUTORS Sarah Atwood-Cotton Jerry Bennett Evan Jarvicks

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Safety in packs OKHUMANE’S NEW ANIMAL CARE CENTER HELPS SAVE PETS AND FAMILIES IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EMERGENCIES.

By Berlin Green

They have made the decision to ponent … We leave. Arrangements have been made partner with the for themselves and their children.

Palomar Family But without their pets, they’re not Justice Center going anywhere. to help. So when “Statistics say that anywhere from a client walks in 69 to 89 percent of those who are in and they need an abusive household will not leave help to get out of because of their pets, knowing that a situation the abuser will use the pets as colwhere their life lateral to get them back,” Dana is in danger, or McCrory, president and chief executheir children tive officer of the Oklahoma Humane are in danger, or Society, said. they just need to The interior of the new Purina’s Animal Care Center. Photo by Berlin Green.

So, in February, the Oklahoma leave, we offer Humane Society welcomed the additheir animal advocacy. We take the at the Palomar to provide on-demand tion of the Purina’s Animal Care animals to help them be able to leave. crisis services. In 2021 alone, the Center, an animal shelter designed to Once they have left, there are several Animal Advocacy Program served serve as a temporary home for pets different avenues they can take. They over 249 people and 518 animals. whose owners are experiencing docan come back and get the animal, Since it opened in February, Purina’s mestic violence. which we will care for up to 60 days Animal Care Center has already seen The new six-kennel structure is in foster care. They can surrender the over 27 pets walk through its doors. housed at an undisclosed location to animal if they need to leave the state “It’s often overwhelming,” she said. ensure the safety of both the animals or can’t figure out a way to live with “The stories are impactful. The lives and their owners. It serves as an emerthe animal. Or they can ask for our are changed forever. And we know gency safe space for pets until a temporary foster home can be secured. The new facility was funded by a safe housing grant from Purina, RedRover. org and the PetSmart Preserving Families grant.

Purina’s Animal Care Center is part of the Animal Advocacy Program, a collaboration between the Oklahoma Humane Society and Palomar: Oklahoma City’s Family Justice Center to care for animals caught in the middle of abusive situations. Many domestic violence victims fear their pets will be left behind with their abuser or they may have to surrender them forever, preventing them from leaving or seeking help. The Animal Advocacy Program steps in Dana McCrory visits a dog recently surrendered to OKHumane. by Berlin Green. to bridge that gap, providing temporary foster care, veterinary resources, and we help them get themthat they’ll be sad stories mixed in, care, food and other necessities until selves and their pets back into a home. but the good far outweighs the sad. the animals can be safely reunited We pay pet deposits, we get them food, We had a client come in with a small with their owners. we get all of the pets vetted, spayed or child and three dogs, and immedi“The Animal Advocacy Program neutered, and up to date on their vacately upon coming into Palomar they was started because often those in cines, so they’re good candidates to deployed our animal advocate. It took crisis cannot leave their abuser move into a new property. Ultimately three full months for her to leave, to because they don’t want to leave their it’s just a tool to help get people out of find a new home, and for us to put the pets … We wanted to be an advocate abusive situations,” McCrory said. pets into the home with her. Once we for both the human component of that The Oklahoma Humane Society got her reunited with her pets, she situation as well as the animal comemploys an on-site Animal Advocate sent us a little note saying, ‘My family

is complete. I don’t think we would have survived without this program.’

What made her really change and say I’m not going to stay, is her son growing up and protecting the animals from the abuser. She said, ‘I can’t have him protecting someone or something; I have to protect him.’

So the animals were the key to her leaving. She left everything but her child and her animals.”

According to the Oklahoma State Department of Health, more than 49 percent of women and 40 percent of men have experienced intimate partner violence at some time in their lives. The Animal Advocacy Program’s resources and help are available to anyone who needs them, but the client has to take the first step.

“The client has to come to Palomar for us to be able to help,” McCrory said. “It has to be a collaborative effort between all of the organizations in Palomar; we can’t just take an abused animal or an abused client that walks in.

They have the processes, the safety, the police, the advocates, all under the same roof in Palomar, and we’re just one of a team that’s helping these clients move to a safer space.”

To learn more about the Oklahoma Humane Society’s Animal Advocacy Program or to help, visit okhumane.org/advocacy. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, visit palomarokc. org for help and resources.

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Dog park reviews with Edgar IN URBAN LIVING, DOG PARKS PROVIDE PET OWNERS A SAFE PLACE TO LET THEIR CANINE FRIENDS ROAM FREE AND SOCIALIZE. ACCORDING TO EXPERT DOG PARK REVIEWER AND UNOFFICIAL OKLAHOMA GAZETTE MASCOT EDGAR, HERE ARE THE BEST FREE OFF-LEASH DOG PARKS IN OKLAHOMA CITY.

By Edgar

Midtown Mutts 407 W Park Pl. www.midtownmutts.org If you’re ready to socialize and take in the sights and smells of the Oklahoma City skyline, this is the place. It’s located in the heart of Midtown, making it an easy walk for everyone who lives in this district.

It’s got separate areas designed for small dogs and a much larger area for the big dogs, which is where I go ‘cause I got that big dog energy.

Humans can enjoy a shaded pavilion and ample seating. Join their Facebook group for details on Beer Nights and other events for dog owners to enjoy.

Edmond Dog Park 379 E 33rd St. Edmond www.edmondok.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/3 The wind never blows so gracefully through my fur as it does when I zoom my way through four acres of heaven while embracing my untethered ancestral roots. Located in Edmond’s Bickham-Rudkin Park, the Edmond Dog Park has all the standard amenities, with separate lots to prevent me trampling the littles, agility courses and restroom access so my human can cut the excuses to leave. Best of all, it’s got all-natural pond access, so you can not-so-politely tell your human they need to clean their car when the trip is over.

Scissortail Park Dog Park 300 SW 7th St. www.scissortailpark.org I may be small, but I play with the reckless abandon of a cracked-out hyena. This half-acre park was clearly made just for me. It has giant boulders for parkour and channeling your inner Mufasa, artificial turf to keep it fancy and fountains that keep the water fresh. With separated areas for larger and smaller breeds, it’s the perfect place for meeting new friends after an invigorating jaunt through Scissortail Park. Humans can enjoy snacks and refreshments at Perch, as well as ample seating and introductions to their own new friends as they enjoy the scenery of downtown Oklahoma City.

Fred Quinn Happy Tails Dog Park 8517 E Reno Ave. Midwest City www.midwestcityok.org/parksrec/page/fred-quinn-happy-tails-dog-park Pass through the covered entryways into this spacious three-acre park and bound with joy under shady trees and through luscious pastures. As I raced through tunnels and over grassy knolls, the uncoordinated cattle dog within me came alive, peeling out around corners and unsuccessfully herding all my new friends. I made a mental note to learn more efficient braking before heading over to the cement pool, something clearly designed to appease the human overlords — as though the dog washing station wasn’t enough.

Edgar was adopted from the Ok la hom a Hu m a ne S ociet y.

According to his DNA test he’s not 100% anything except a mix of cattle dogs and a pug. He enjoys long naps and takes great pride in his vocal abilities. Visit OKHumane. com to see adoptable pets.

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M I D T O W N

Sir Indiana Bones poses in a now viral photo at the Museum of Osteology. Photo provided.

Bonafide celebrity THE STORY OF HOW ONE HOMELESS CAT WENT FROM RAGS TO RICHES.

by Berlin Green

A miniature panther — Sir Indiana “We never thought he was gonna Bones — stalks the Museum of become kind of a local celebrity,” said Osteology or Skulls Unlimited, and if Kristin Dean, product specialist for you visit, you might just run into him.

Skulls Unlimited. “We just made his The team welcomed the now 4-year-old Facebook and Instagram pages because black cat in 2019, and he’s been prowlwe thought it was adorable. We never ing the museum grounds ever since. thought it would go anywhere. Then one After pleading for a staff pet for several picture went viral, and now we’ve actumont hs, t he ally had people call to museum staff make sure he’s here formed the “Kitty because they’re Committee” to driving in from other persuade managestates. He gets fan ment to overturn mail and pictures their previous desometimes. It’s fancision. Upon tastic and just so fun.” claiming victory, Indy, as he is affecthe team jourtionately called by neyed over to the his coworkers, is now Moore Animal an official museum Shelter to find employee. their new friend.

“He has his own job “They gave us the Sir Indiana Bones. Photo provided. now,” Glover said. afternoon off to go to the shelter, so “On Instagram, he’s verified and gets we went out and looked at all the cats,” paid for his posts, so he actually makes said Brenna Glover, supply chain his own money. It’s hilarious … We manager for Skulls Unlimited. “We researched if we could make a pet an didn’t know if we wanted a kitten or employee. Lo and behold, you can. She an adult cat. Indy fell in love with had to set him up a little account. He’s Kristin [Dean]. He kept rubbing on got his own little line item on her her and sitting on her lap. We’d go look expense report and an income. He at another cat, and then he would bring supports himself.” us back to him. We just couldn’t tell Indy enjoys the often lavish perks of him no because he was very persistent. his fame like flowing water fountains So really, Indy chose us. He knew he and endless treats, but he makes sure was getting a good place.” to pay it forward to other felines in It didn’t take long for Sir Indiana need by regularly hosting donation Bones to steal the hearts of people far drives and fundraisers to support the beyond Oklahoma. After a photo of Moore Animal Shelter. the cat went viral on Instagram, he Follow Sir Indiana Bones at @sir. quickly amassed more than 10,000 indiana.bones on Instagram. followers on the platform.

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REFRESHINGLY INTELLIGENT CONVERSATION AND INDEPENDENT MUSIC FOR WHEN YOU’RE FEELING RUFF.

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Never solo SOLO’S OFFERS OKC DOGS AND THEIR HUMANS A DIFFERENT KIND OF DINING EXPERIENCE, COMPLETE WITH DELICIOUS FOOD AND A FULLY MONITORED DOG PARK.

By Berlin Green

Oklahoma City welcomed a new kind of restaurant in 2021, serving both humans and canines. Its namesake never lived to see its opening, but his spirit is inherent in the popular northwest OKC spot.

The demanding hours of the hospitality industry meant Julianne Thomas spent enormous amounts of time away from home and from her pets during the 17 years she spent in it. Thomas had long toyed with the idea of integrating a dog park with a restaurant but the timing was never quite right.

“I’ve always been around dogs. I can’t remember life without dogs,” Thomas said. “So, working in the industry, my husband and I would be torn. We’d work these really long shifts, then our friends and family would want to go grab dinner after, but our dogs had already been home alone all day. And we’re like, ‘Why can’t there be a place where everybody can hang out together?”

When her 5-year-old dog Solo unexpectedly died while she and her husband were at work, Thomas knew she needed to bring her idea to life.

“Creating a brand new concept is kind of scary, but we had started doing our research and our work in that area,” Thomas said. “We had gotten as far as talking with real estate agents when I came home and

found that Solo had passed away during my shift. I was devastated, but it was the push I needed because he could have been with me.

He could have been here, so we named it after him.”

Solo’s is a vibrant, multi-use facility Guests both furry and not socialize at Solo’s. Photo, Berlin Green designed to be a fun and exciting offers a day pass, month-to-month, Rescue and others to offer dog experience for both dogs and their and annual membership options, adoption events on-site. They also families. A fully monitored dog park each with lots of perks. donate a portion of sales on chariis staffed with Bark Rangers, who “Our annual membership covers table nights to those organizations. train with professional dog trainers the entire day,” Thomas said. “So if Thomas said she looks forward to ensure the safety of the animals you came in for lunch and brought to expanding the Solo’s concept and know exactly how to handle any your dog, and you can leave it here into other areas, but not without situation. They play with each of the while you run errands or even go careful consideration. dogs and ensure the park is well home and let them get some more “I would definitely like to bring maintained and clean while guests energy out, you are set for that more Solo’s around,” Thomas said. enjoy the rest of Solo’s casual atmoentire day.”

“But it’s an idea we are very picky sphere. The dog park itself is large During one busy spring afterabout. We want to be as close as we and spacious, equipped with sepanoon, about can. Because rate areas for breeds both large and 25 dogs are to us, this is small, complete with toys, agility frolicking very personcourses, and even a DIY dog washing through the al. It’s our station with soap and towels. pa rk w it h second home.

Thomas spared no details outside their newI have a or in. The brightly colored restaufound friends 19-month-old rant is hip yet inviting. The calendar as their happy I’ve raised in is packed with daily events and acowners look the midst of tivities, from trivia and singo to on, sipping all of this, but poker nights and live music. Even cocktails and this is also the menu is designed with both playing tablemy baby. It’s humans and canines in mind. For top games. been importhe huma ns, “I’m an entant to us to Solo’s offers a r o l l e d have a very curated selection member; I personal of gour met joined right touch on this wraps, hamburga f ter they pl a c e , s o ers and hotdogs, opened,” we’re picky as well as craft R a c h e l about where beer, wine and Stratemeyer Jackson, a Solo’s guest. Photo, Berlin Green. we’re going to handcrafted said. “I love go, we want cocktails. On the this place. It’s really a lot of fun. to, but we want to make sure to keep Doggy Bag menu, Everyone here is so great with all that same vibe going.” pups can enjoy my dogs, and they know them so That carefully curated vibe has ser v ings of they’re just happy to come here. become as beloved by the staff as it chopped brisket, Plus, they have great food and is by the guests. sliced hot dogs, amazing drinks. I come for trivia “I love it. It’s so much fun,” Solo’s or a Pup Cup of night, singo, so many things.”

Bark Ranger Kaylee Tribal said. “I whipped cream Thomas also wanted to make get paid to play with dogs all day — topped w it h sure her company does what it can it’s truly the best job.” bacon. to cultivate community and help Solo’s is deother organizations grow. Solo’s signed to serve partners with local animal advovisitors of any cacy groups like Country Roads budget. The park Animal Rescue, Safe Haven Animal

The Solo’s California burger with fries. Photo, Berlin Green.

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Coffee with cats THIS NEW CONCEPT WILL OFFER CAT LOVERS A GREAT CUP OF COFFEE AND CAT-FILLED ENTERTAINMENT.

By Berlin Green

Oklahoma City will welcome its first cat cafe this spring. don’t stress meowt - Cat Cafe [ed. note: henceforth referred to as “Meowt”] will offer patrons a delicious cup of coffee, tasty snacks, and a chance to meet their new furry best friend.

Adam and Michaela Fitzpatrick love cats, but filling their home with them was filling their home with them wasn’t in the cards. After a silly joke was followed by the kismet of stumbling upon a cat cafe while on vacation in South Beach, Fla., the Fitzpatricks knew they wanted to bring one to Oklahoma.

“It was actually his mom that made a comment and suggested we do it,” Michaela Fitzpatrick said.

“I laughed it off. I’ve got a fulltime job and he’s got a full-time job and a side gig job like, yeah, no. Then I find out the next day he’s got a business plan.”

There are cat cafes across the world originating in Asia as far back as the ‘90s, but each is unique in its design. The Fitzpatricks traveled across the states researching and developing their passion project while visiting cat cafes and quickly learned what features they liked and what could be improved. After some struggle to find the right home, they found a space at 1900 Linwood Blvd. “ O n e thing we’ve gathered from visiting so many cat cafes around the US, some don’t smel l good .

They’ll have litter boxes spread

around and don’t have things separate. You just walk in, and they’ll have a little vestibule to keep the cats from bolting out the door, but that’s about it. Michaela and Adam Fitzpatrick. Photo, Berlin Green The cats are just running everywhere. Those are the and cute cats adopted; we’re all worst ones we have found, just about getting all the cats adopted, because it’s harder to manage and that includes the seniors, the threeit’s harder to monitor smells. They’ll legged ones, the less desirable cats, have hidden litter boxes, but it’s like so to speak.” big plants with a pot and the pot is A portion of the proceeds from the litter box. It’s not inconspicuous cafe sales will be donated to local or sanitary at all.” animal advocacy groups to help Meowt will partner with them continue their missions.

OKHumane and Safe Haven Animal “We’re Oklahoma first people,” Rescue to provide loving homes for Adam Fitzpatrick said. “We believe cats with the highest risk of being you build your own community. euthanized. The foster program will We’re trying to build our own comhouse 15 to 25 cats in a cozy cat munity to help make Oklahoma City lounge, a home-like environment a better place. Our tagline is, designed to give them a comfortable ‘Community impact togetherness.’ and enriching temporary home Because that’s the kind of vision and while they await adoption by their goal we’re trying to achieve with the forever families. The cats will be cat cafe. We’re bringing something adopted through their reawesome to the community, donatspective organizations in ing back to the community, and kind the same way as a stanof building our own little commudard adoption. nity of cat lovers and friends. It’s an “It’s like a group foster environment where you can come home setting environhang out with like-minded indiment, and that’s what viduals or hang out with not likemakes us special and minded individuals because everyu n ique ,” Adam body’s welcome; that’s kind of the Fitzpatrick said. “Cat environment, vibe, and feel we’re adoption is usually like going for.” you see photos online Those concerned about the cleanand think, ‘Hey, that’s liness of their coffee cup need not a cute cat, let me go see worry as the cats will not be permitthat one,’ but you don’t ted in the main cafe area. Instead, get to experience their visitors will be able to view the cats p er son a l it y. T h i s from the main space and pay a small concept allows the cats fee of $15 to enter the cat lounge and to be free from the interact with the animals. The fee is stressful environment designed to help cover the costs of of a traditional shelter the cat’s care, including litter and allowing us to bring out food. Adam, who designs HVAC their best colors and systems for large commercial propmarket them in a unique erties, designed the cafe with an inand special way that intricate ventilation system to prevent creases adoption rates unwanted smells and keep each room and ultimately saves lives. circulating with fresh air.

We’re not going to be all “The cats will be free-roaming about getting the kittens within the cat lounge,” Michaela

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Fitzpatrick said. “We’ll have the cafe space, the cat lounge, and the cat privacy room. Those are three different spaces completely separate from each other. The privacy room is the cat’s sanctuary away from humans if they’ve had enough visitation for the day. It’s also where their litter boxes are, so it’s completely separate from the lounge space. You won’t be getting any unwanted smells in any of the rooms.”

The Fitzpatricks are planning to open Meowt in May and are already planning community events and gatherings, and hope to bring a great deal of value to the community.

“We’re gonna have event nights like cat yoga, cat paint night, cat karaoke, cat trivia. You name it, we’re gonna have a night,” Michaela Fitzpatrick said. “You’ll be able to book it for private parties, bachelorette parties, birthday parties, corporate parties, any of those things.

And that’s just the basic stuff. We’re also planning to do benefit nights and all different kinds of things where we can be an avenue for greater community impact.”

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CITIZEN SPOTLIGHT

Heather Hernandez HEATHER HERNANDEZ MAKES IT HER MISSION TO SAVE THE UNSAVABLE.

By Berlin Green

Where one person may see something as broken and beyond repair, Heather Hernandez sees endless possibilities and a bright future. A lifelong dog lover, Heather started Mutt Misfits to help sick, injured and disfigured dogs often passed over in shelters or euthanized because of the costs associated with their rehabilitation.

“My family’s always been crazy animal people. My mom was a crazy dog lady, my dad was a crazy dog lady,” Hernandez said.

“They’re always picking up strays, and we volunteered at the Humane Society ever since I was a little kid.

When I got done with college, I knew I wanted to work with animals, so I went and worked with [The Oklahoma Humane Society] for several years. My position with them was grant-funded and when that grant ran out, I went to work for the shelter. There I started seeing more of what actually comes into the shelter on a regular basis and the need of someone to help the sick and injured animals. There was so much red tape and so many things you’re not able to do because it’s cityrun. I was like, ‘What can I do to get around this and be able to do more?’

So that’s when I decided to do something on my own.”

Heather developed a mission with a clear purpose and set out to save some lives.

“We started Mutt Misfits so we could work on the sick and injured animals that most animal groups don’t want to take.

While we might take a thousand animals a year, other groups might take 5,000 Heather Hernandez and Zippy. Photo by Berlin Green. animals a year because they can get Recently, we took on what we thought those adopted quicker and that’s was one broken leg but ended up having helping more, but it leaves behind the two broken front legs. We posted his sick and injured ones,” Hernandez said. story on Facebook asking for donaHeather’s calling is rewarding but tions; his care will probably be maybe can be difficult and is often misunder$3,000 or $4,000. Someone said, ‘Why stood. She regularly has to defend her would you spend so much money on cause to those who have misconcepone animal when there are so many tions about her purpose, frequently others?’ And I responded nicely, responding to questions that begin ‘Because that’s what we do.’ That’s with “Why?” what we were set out to do. Other “‘Why would you spend so much groups that are doing leaps and bounds money on a dog?’” Hernandez said. more adoptions than we are, they’re “Someone commented on a dog with just doing so much more. They’re two broken legs, asking why don’t we bringing in more animals, rehoming just euthanize it. What a lot of people more animals responsibly, spaying and don’t see is that, in Oklahoma, there neutering more animals; they’re doing are so many rural areas and we don’t more. It’s just different. It’s just not have mandatory spay and neuter laws, what we set out to do. We set out to help so there are thousands of animals the special needs ones, just like the being abandoned across the state, bulldog rescue. They only take bullwhich means a lot more animals dogs, and that’s their mission. Or the getting injured and getting hit by cars. chihuahua rescue because that’s their mission. In order for us to combat the problem we have in Oklahoma with the overpopulation and the lack of responsible pet ownership, we need groups of all different colors doing and working on different problems, because there’s a lot of problems.”

While this work can be difficult and grants Heather her share of heartbreaks, the animals she saves keep her going.

“People told me a million times you should euthanize Zippy,” Hernandez said. “You can’t keep that dog alive.

Now he’s like the greatest dog. I just knew there was something in him that he wanted to have a life, and now he can just walk down the stairs on his own. He gets along great. He has that small, typical Chihuahua attitude that I love so much, but he’s a dog. He acts no different besides that he can’t use his back legs. A lot of people don’t see why we do that. But those people that

Michael Angelo, a recent Mutt Misfits rescue. Photo provided.

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don’t see it, maybe they haven’t had the opportunities to see that a life can be changed. Ralphie, my big orange pitbull, was found in a dumpster. He was 20 pounds, just skin and bones with no hair. Now he’s this big giant beefy super sweet guy. It’s so incredible to see their transformations. To see the spark in their eyes that they want to fight to live and watch them pull through. Will he ever get adopted by anyone other than me? Probably not, but he’ll always have a place here.”

In May, Mutt Misfits will celebrate its fifth anniversary. Since its creation, the rescue has rehabilitated and rehomed over 3,000 dogs. The small nonprofit has no staff and has grown to operate with the help of around 100 volunteers and 75 foster homes.

“Seeing where we came from, when it was just my husband and me, when we didn’t have a board, we didn’t really know what direction we were going, and we didn’t know how we were going to get there,” she said. “We still don’t know how we’re going to get there.

That answer is never clear. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow or any day, but seeing how much we’ve grown and been able to bring people together and kind of create a niche for these animals that otherwise people wouldn’t think about or even know existed. People now know that animals like this are happening every single day and that animals like Zippy can live totally normal lives — you don’t have to euthanize them.”

“We’re really, really fortunate that we’ve been able to get so much help and be able to help these animals,” Hernandez said.

To learn more about Mutt Misfits, donate or see adoptable dogs, visit muttmisfits.com.

THE TOE TAG

An elephant snacks at the OKC Zoo. Photo by Berlin Green.

Bee aware RESEARCH CONDUCTED THROUGH UCO AND THE OKC ZOO MAY HELP AID IN HALTING ELEPHANT POACHING.

By Sarah Atwood-Cotton

K9 officers are well-known resources in law enforcement for finding bombs and drugs fleeing criminals, while cadaver dogs are indispensable partners with their capacity to help find deceased individuals, but what if I told you honey bees can be trained to serve a similar function?

Enter Megan Ladish, honey bee charmer extraordinaire.

Ladish, a second-year graduate student at the University of Central Oklahoma’s Forensic Science Institute, is focusing her research on training western honey bees to track elephant scent instead of human scent.

Why western honey bees?

According to her research, western honey bees are known for their excellent foraging capabilities and their heightened sense of smell. The western honey bee is also a low-cost efficient asset that can be trained in scent detection in as little as one session. These bees can be trained and conditioned to track a specific scent to its source.

Ladish’s Pavlovian-style method of conditioning her bees to track the desired scent is rewarded by her elephant-scented sugar cocktail that she makes for them.

Why elephants? There is a field called wildlife forensics which focuses on crimes on or against wildlife.

Elephants are an endangered and protected species covered under the Endangered Species Act, the African Elephant Conservation Act, and the Asian Elephant Conservation Act, to name a few. These laws and acts were put in place to help conserve and protect these species making crimes involving the sale and/or trade of their ivory tusks, hides, bushmeat and other contraband illegal. With her research and in a practical setting, Ladish’s bees could be able to assist in locating elephant contraband on or in environments where illegal trade is suspected on large vessels such as shipping containers, cargo car-

riers and aircrafts.

How are the bees trained?

This is where the Oklahoma City Zoological Park and Botanical Garden steps in. The OKC Zoo is home to eight Asianelephantsaspartoftheirconservation efforts to help declining population.

Since 2019, Rachel Emory has been the curator of pachyderms at the OKC Zoo. She and her staff work daily with the elephants Emory has been caring for since 2014. The elephants get voluntary training twice a day as well as baths every morning. The elephants are also assessed visually and behaviorally and undergo weekly blood draws to establish a normal baseline behavior and to alert staff of any abnormalities that could indicate the early detection of disease or medical issues. The elephant’s participation in these assessments and training is completely voluntary, meaning the elephants choose to participate and interact with zoo staff. An integral part of the elephants’ care includes the trimming of their foot pads. The bottom of the elephants’ foot, also referred to as a pad, is made of a calloused keratin-type material that requires trimming. If the pads are not trimmed, rocks and other things can become wedged or stuck in the pockets of the pads causing pain. These pad shavings provide Ladish with an integral part of the elephant that could help train her bees to recognize their scent.

With the pad shavings, she mixes a sugar solution with parts of the elephant pad shavings which proves to be a nice reward when the honeybees go to the scented solution.

Ladish’s ongoing research through the summer is made possible by grant for UCO’s Oklahoma Center for Wildlife Forensics and Conservation Studies as well as the zoo itself.

To think, the end of elephant trafficking might have its beginning at the OKC Zoo’s Sanctuary Asia habitat.

For more info, visit okczoo.org

YOUR DAILY INTEL BRIEFING

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Illustrations by Jerry Bennett The next two photos show Kevin’s Welp, if you blood boiling to a fever pitch. I mean, can really see the vein in his neck want to piss you straining as he points pointedly at Rep. Bennett (D-Bartlesville).

Kevin right off, Forrest Frankly, this might be the funniest opp backfire since Mary Fallin’s it turns out a photo “Mary Failin’ Oklahoma” posed shot Rico Smith’s T-shirt in 2014. hand gesture with “This was a public event, a split decision and Stitt’s concern is is just the way second about optics and shouting at ppl. The idea anyone might stand up to him, to do it. especially a young black woman, is more than his fragile ego can handle.

On March 22, Oklahoma Progress Now tweeted a series of pictures from a morning at the Capitol.

In the first, activist Adriana Laws is seen with a smiling Gov. Kevin Stitt, albeit with all the enthusiasm of a scarecrow, meanwhile Laws is beaming and holding up a “black power” fist with her right hand.

The caption: “Stitt, attempting to get a photo op at an advocacy day at the Capitol, gets visibly angry when a black woman takes her picture with him and raises her fist while doing it.”

When these guys tell you who they are, believe them!” Oklahoma Progress Now tweeted.

This wasn’t the worst Twitter burn Stitt received in March though. After his appearance on Fox News spinning his typical anti-McGirt bullshit, the Cherokee Nation (of whom Stitt claims membership), posted this: “As a tribe of 410,402 citizens, we’re thankful for the 410,401 Cherokee citizens who aren’t going on TV to undermine our rights and sovereignty.”

Ouch. When even the tribe to which

you claim membership is singling you out of its more than 400,000 enrolled members, everything points to a very exciting election year.

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4525 N. Cooper Ave. Oklahoma City, OK 73118 (405) 524-1111 marketsourceonline.com

You guys remember when downtown Oklahoma City was frothing at the mouth with love for the Oklahoma City Thunder?

Back before they lost 55 games so far this season, including a 10-run loss last month Remember the days before the players this city loved to rally behind and obsess about were traded away or left?

Remember the days when it seemed like Kevin Durant was slated to be the king of OKC’s first professional sports franchise dynasty before he declared independence from the Thunder on Independence Day in 2016?

Oklahoma Gazette remembers.

Rather than rubbing salt in the wound, our goal here is to remind this city about the team spirit it had right after the franchise relocated to the city. You know, when the team also sucked.

It’s easy to be a huge fan during the best of times, but while there’s a million and one new

things to do since the National Basketball Association planted its f lag on Oklahoma City soil, this is a reminder to buy some tickets and fill seats even through the rough times.

There are endless stories of always-losing underdogs whose arenas, fields and ballparks have been filled to the brim even through the worst of times, which is always. And there’s no reason that OKC should be an exception.

It wasn’t an uncommon opinion that the next few years were going to be a rebuild. After the dumpster fire that was the Thunder’s 22-50 record last year, that guess has proven correct. But there’s no reason that, if they’re going to lose, that 18,000 residents can’t be there sharing their defeat and wishing them luck for the next time they hit the court.

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405-753-4994 CHICKEN FRIED NEWS OKGA Z ET TE .COM | A PR IL 6 , 2 0 2 2 15

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A PR IL 6 , 2 0 2 2 | OKGA Z ET TE .COM E AT & DRINK

EAT & DRINK Ste Chateau Michelle Rosé

Spring sipping

This Rosé, while sweet and slightly sparkling, is best served as a companion to charcuterie boards, soft cheese and seafoods. A bit dry, this 2020 Columbia Valley wine won’t overload you with sugar if you intend to share a bottle with friends while the sun still shines. Just slightly over the Rosé average at 13 percent, this one is on par with the Pinot Noirs selected for the season even though it’s less full-bodied.

HERE ARE A PAIR OF RED WINES, A WHITE WINE AND A BLUSH FOR YOU TO ENJOY ON DECKS, BALCONIES AND LAWNS THIS EASTER SEASON (WHEN THE WEATHER COOPERATES ANYWAY).

Francis Coppola Diamond Series Claret Known for classic films, Francis Coppola also presents classic wine styles, as evidenced by this British-inspired 1910style Cabernet Sauvignon. This Cab is blended in the classic Bordeaux style which makes its flavor rich and textured.

A dramatic flair to this vintage is the gold netting, as once was the norm in European wine presentation.

Elouan Pinot Noir

Made from Pinot Noir grapes from three regions on Oregon’s Pacific Coast, this wine is made in the Copper Cane style, or wines sourced from Napa Valley vineyards. This style allowed common wine drinkers to indulge in luxury wines at a reasonable price and the 2018 blend provides a rich, full flavor without costing an arm and a leg.

Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio

From the first company to bring the pink Pinot Grigio grapes to America as a white wine comes the 2021 Valdadige vintage. A nicely balanced wine that pairs well with light spring and summer meals, this Italian Pinot Grigio isn’t too dry, which makes it perfect for a bottle shared with late sunsets and presummer temperatures.

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GAZEDIBLES

Pet-friendly patios Spring is here, which means more patio time. We all know that no one loves fun in the sun more than your pup, so grab that leash and head on out to one of these seven pet-friendly spots to enjoy great eats and tasty drinks with your canine companion.

By Berlin Green

Photos provided.

Social Deck + Dining

The Hall’s Pizza Kitchen

The Pump Bar

Take one bite of Social’s signature blueberry donuts, and you’ll be in love, but the stylish and friendly atmosphere will keep you coming back. Social offers a unique menu of locally-sourced cuisine and boasts two outdoor dining decks for you and your canine companion to enjoy. For something unique try the short rib risotto.

This food truck which became a brick and mortar concept serves some of the best wood-fired pizzas in town and they have a fantastic patio for you and your pup to frequent on these cool spring afternoons. Start your trip with the Indecisive — a trio of their best appetizers — then follow it up with the Sunday Lunch, a unique brisket pizza with lots of flavorful toppings.

The Pump Bar is already one of the city’s most popular spots to hang out, as evidenced by its recent OKG Best of OKC win, but it’s a great spot for your pets to meet up too. Their patio warmly welcomes dogs and cats and their extensive selection of craft beer and cocktails has something to keep every human happy. Try the fried flatbread tacos paired with the Kahiki Kai cocktail, a Gazette staff favorite.

405-602-8705 • 1933 NW 23rd St. www.socialdeckanddining.com

From Posh to Pop!

songs by

For Order Bes Tod t Pr ay ices !

The Go-Go’s • based on “the arcadia” by Sir Philip Sidney Jeff Whitty • adapted by James Magruder

conceived & original book by

THREE WEEKS ONLY! • APRIL 13-30 A Theatrical Homecoming Celebration

Lyric Returns Indoors to the Historic Plaza Theatre!

This unpredictable romantic comedy follows the escapades of a royal family on an outrageous journey to save their beloved kingdom and fall in love. This laugh-out-loud poetic adventure is made fantastical with the iconic pop music of 1980s all-female rock band The Go-Go’s and features hit songs like “We Got the Beat,”“Mad About You” and “Vacation.”

OKLAHOMA’S PREMIERE PROFESSIONAL THEATRE

(405) 524-9312 • LyricTheatreOKC.org • 1727 NW 16 St. Discounts Available for Groups of 8 or More! Email for Information: Groups@LyricTheatreOKC.org 18

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405-600-1991 • 1004 N Hudson Ave. Suite #106 www.thehallskitchen.com

405-702-8898 • 2425 N Walker Ave. www.pumpbar.net

The PowerHouse

Hopscotch

Stray Dog Cafe

The Other Room

Take your pup on a stroll through the historic farmers market and stop into the Power House for a handcrafted cocktail and something tasty while your dog enjoys the spacious patio. While they offer a small menu of seasonal items, their famous chile pork verde is available year-round and is by itself worth a trip. Balance out the heat with a sweet cocktail like the Beekeeper.

Embrace your inner child and enjoy a day with your dog at Hopscotch, a concept designed with fun in mind.

Their pet-friendly patio offers games and entertainment for the whole family. The menu is filled with allAmerican favorites including steaks, sandwiches, salads, and wings. Split their delicious monster-sized French dip with a friend and enjoy bottomless hand-cut fries with your sammie.

You won’t really find any stray dogs here though you’re welcome to bring your own. The Stray Dog offers authentic home cooked favorites made to order, with rotating daily specials like fried catfish, meatloaf, and shrimp and cheese grits. End your visit with a slice of blueberry pie, which is heaven in your mouth. If blueberry’s not your thing, they’ve got a variety of flavors baked fresh daily.

A Paseo staple for more than a decade, TOR is fondly known for incredible cocktails, all-day half-price appetizers, and their $6 pretzel pizzas. A favorite among dog owners for their welcoming staff, enclosed patio and pet-friendly accommodations. Snag yourself a free hotdog on Weiner Wednesday and check out the Bone Appetit menu for great options for your pup like ground beef stew, chicken risotto, and a puppicino (of course).

405-702-0699 • 1228 SW 2nd St. powerhouseokc.com

405-286-4246 • 10909 N. May Ave. Hopscotchokc.com

405-470-3747 •6722 NW 39th Expy www.facebook.com/straydogcafe

405-602-2002 • 3007 Paseo Dr. www.picassosonpaseo.com

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1 2 T H A N N UA L

1 2 T H A N N UA L

O K L A H O M A C R A F T B E E R F E S T I VA L

t f a Cr er Be a m o h okla

A V I T S E F

SATURDAY, MAY 14

TWO SESSIONS VIP: 1PM - 4PM | GA: 6PM - 9PM

OKLAHOMA STATE FAIRGROUNDS

21+

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OKLAHOMA’S OLDEST CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL OKLAHOMA’S OLDEST AND LARGEST CRAFT BEER FESTIVAL IS BACK FOR ITS 12TH YEAR! PROJECTED WITH OVER 80+ BREWERIES FROM OKLAHOMA AND BEYOND. THIS ANNUAL FESTIVAL IS A CELEBRATION OF THE BEST LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND NATIONAL BREWERIES.

O K C R A F T B E E R F E S T I VA L . C O M

20 A PR IL 6 , 2 0 2 2 | OKGA Z ET TE .COM ART S & CULTURE

O K C R A F T B E E R F E S T I VA L . C O M

are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

FILM Free Film Screening: Chan is Missing Join us for a FREE screening of Wayne Wang’s feature film ‘Chan is Missing’ (1982). Playfully taking on the genre of the San Francisco mystery story, the film follows two cabdrivers as they wander around San Francisco’s Chinatown looking for their missing friend Chan, who has disappeared with money of theirs he was supposed to invest. Jo and Steve slowly learn that their friend Chan is a different person to everyone who knows him.

Running time: 80 mins. This event is FREE and open to the public! In cooperation with OCU’s Event Policies, face masks are required for all attendees. Free!, Sun., April 10, 2-4:30 p.m. OCU Norick Art Center, 1608 NW 26th Street, (405) 208-5707, okcu.edu/film-literature/ home. SUN, APR 10 Wide Open Experimental Film Festival Wide Open Experimental Film Festival (W.O.E.F.F.) is a first-year festival organized by the students of Alternative Cinema in the Film Department at Oklahoma City University. Inspired

by Oklahoma’s wide-open landscape, the festival showcases experimental films that will open peoples’ eyes to the alternative forms, structures, and styles of film. Follow on Instagram @woefilmfest $0, April 9-10, 2:30-6:30 p.m. Rodeo Cinema on Film Row, 701 W. Sheridian Ave, 4052085958, wideopeneff.wixsite.com/ woeff. SAT-SUN, APR 9-10

HAPPENINGS Catch the GLOW Allied Arts and the Inasmuch Foundation present “Catch the GLOW,” a community thank you celebration. The event will feature the “GLOW” interactive art installations “Oscillation” by The Urban Conga and “Passage” by Serge Maheu, a hot air balloon night glow, drone light show, live performances, a DJ dance party, food trucks, glow-in-the-dark art, roller skating, disc golf, and more!, Free and open to all ages. Lawn chairs, blankets and coolers are welcome in the park. Free, Fri., April 8, 7-11 p.m. Scissortail Park, 300 SW Seventh St., 405-278-8944, facebook.com/ events/715821829592320/. FRI, APR 8 LIVE! on the Plaza Join the Plaza District every second Friday for an art walk featuring artists, live music, shopping and more, 6-10 p.m. second Friday of every month. Plaza District, 1618 N. Gatewood Ave.,

405-426-7812, plazadistrict.org. FRI, APR 9

OKG PICKS

Midtown Walkabout Midtown Walkabout returns this spring on Sat., April 16. Midtown merchants will be offering in-store promotions, discounts, activities, and giveaways during their normal operating hours, in addition to free family programming throughout the district provided by the Midtown Association and Downtown Oklahoma City Partnership. The event will feature springtime promotions and activities for those shopping, eating, and visiting the district., Sat., April 16. Midtown OKC, NW Eighth St., 405-235-3500, downtownokc.com/ midtown-walkabout. SAT, APR 16 OKC Brew Tours Join us every Friday evening and Saturday day on OKC Brew Tours! The ultimate craft beer experience. Take a ride in the bus as we visit three local breweries within the OKC metro area where we will try and explore multiple tasters at each stop as well as take a behind the scenes tour and learn how beer is made. Its a perfect way to get to know new people and drink OKC’s tastiest beer offerings! $69.50, Fridays, 6-9 p.m. and Saturdays, 2-5 p.m. through Jan. 31. Core4 Brewing, 7 N. Lee Ave, 405-822-0285, okcbrewtour.com. FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS Scrabble Showdown The OKC Metro Literacy Coalition (OKCMLC) will host the 11th Scrabble Showdown, a friendly competition to support local literacy efforts, 6-9 p.m., April 7, at Social Capital located at 517 S. Hudson Ave., Players of all skill levels may participate. Teams of two will play two games in novice or intermediate levels. Advanced players compete one-on-one according to the North America Scrabble Players Association tournament rules. Prizes will be awarded to winning teams and raffle prizes will be drawn throughout the night. $35 per player. Social Capital, 517 S. Hudson, (405) 270-7805, okcreads.org/ scrabble. THU, APR 7 Show Me Reptile & Exotics Show We are a premiere reptile expo bringing quality and variety. Our events are affordable for the entire family. Experience, learn, and maybe even bring home a new family member., Admission options:, GA: 10:00am entry, VIP: 9:00am entry, Weekend Warrior: $20 For 2 day shows only. Includes VIP both days and RAD entry., We accept all forms of payment online and at the door., Saturday’s: After 1pm only kids 12 and under are free, Sunday’s only: kids 12 & under are free all day, There are no refunds or transferable credits at all for any reason $8 to $12 Vip- 9AM entry $12, General admission 10AM entry $8, Sat., April 9, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. and Sun., April 10, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Canadian County expo & events center, 3001 Jensen Rd E, 6363581281, showmesnakes. com. SAT & SUN, APR 9 & 10 Wanderlust Pop Up Shops Wanderlust Pop Up Shops returns for OUR 6TH YEAR to the Wheeler

Farmers Market at Scissortail Park Park guests will be able to choose from close

to 60 market members each Saturday from 9am to 1pm from April through October. Customers can expect to see options for local, pasture-raised meats, fresh produce and cultivated mushrooms, plants, eggs, raw honey, breads and baked goods, assortments of specialty prepared food and beverage producers, as well as high-quality artisans. Make this market part of your weekly routine to procure your locally-sourced grocery items., Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. through Oct. 29. Scissortail Park, 300 SW Seventh St., 405-445-7080, scissortailpark.org. SATURDAYS Photo provided Ferris Wheel for Spring of 2022! Lots of great local and handmade vendors, food trucks and ferris wheel rides! #madeinoklahoma FREE, Sat., April 16, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wheeler Ferris Wheel, 1701 S. Western Ave., 405655-8455, facebook.com/events/546368706680105.

SAT, APR 16

FOOD Veggie Dinner at Picasso Cafe Join us the third Tuesday of each month for a four to five-course menu; featuring a fresh and creative take on vegetarianinspired fare. Enjoy with or without wine pairings.

Dinner begins at 6:30. April 19, TUESDAY. Seating is limited. Reservations 405.602.2002, Tue., April 19.

Picasso Cafe, 3009 Paseo St., 405-602-2002, picassosonpaseo.com. TUE

PERFORMING ARTS 3rd Act Theatre Company presents Sherlock Holmes 3rd Act Theatre Company, a 501(c)3 nonprofit theatre company in Oklahoma City presents Sherlock Holmes, written by Tim Kelly and produced by special arrangement with Pioneer Drama Service, Inc., Englewood, Colorado., Sherlock Holmes is Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famed detective story, combining mystery, romance, action, danger, and laughter.

Directed by Don Taylor it stars Peter Fischaber as Holmes and David Fletcher-Hall as Moriarty. They are joined by a dynamic cast of local talent including Kelly Baum-Sehon, Reed Bentley, Joe Burleigh, Pallas Johnson, Caprice Sorg, Lana Henson, Holly McNatt, and Kendra Johnson. $25.00/$20.00, Fri., April 8, 8-10 p.m., Sat., April 9, 8-10 p.m., Sun., April 10, 2:30-4:30 p.m., Fri., April 15, 8-10 p.m., Sat., April 16, 8-10 p.m. and Sun., April 17, 2:30-4:30 p.m. 3rd Act Theatre Company, 12040 N May Ave., 14055938093, 3rdacttheatreco.com/productions/sherlock-holmes.

VARIOUS DATES

Chocolate Decadence You are invited to enjoy a decadent night of delicious drinks, thrill-

ing auction and raffle items, live music, and savory and sweet chocolate tasting dishes from the best restaurants in Automobile Alley and beyond. All proceeds go directly to the Automobile Alley Association, which funds community projects and improvements in the district including light displays, neon sign grants, street amenities, public art and more., Thu., April 7. Leadership Square, 211 N. Robinson Ave., 405-232-0877. THURSDAY, APRIL 7 Photo provided Don’t Monkey Around with My Heart. Photo, Berlin Green

Pippin OU Weitzenhoffer School of Musical Theatre and University Theatre present PIPPIN. With an infectiously unforgettable score from four-time Grammy winner, three-time Oscar winner and musical theatre giant, Stephen Schwartz, and directed by Lyn Cramer, PIPPIN is the story of one young man’s journey to be extraordinary. Winner of four Tony Awards in 2013, including Best Musical Revival, PIPPIN continues to captivate and appeal to the young at heart throughout the world. April 1-10. Live Stream will be available for select dates. Visit theatre. ou.edu Fridays, Saturdays, 8-10 p.m. through April 9. Reynolds Performing Arts Center, 560 Parrington Oval, (405) 325-4101, ou.edu/finearts/universitytheatre. THROUGH APRIL 9 Roughtail Comedy Night We are bringing you a great home grown comedy show alongside some

great homegrown brews!! Please Come join us for a laugh and a drink! 15, third Saturday of every month, 8-10 p.m. Roughtail Brewing Company, 320 W Memorial Rd, 914-432-2662, linktree.com/1andrewrose. SAT, APR 23

WEIRDlesque by Terre Rouge Burlesque Get WEIRD with us! Wear your fave Cosplay or whatever the heck you want and join us for a uniquely OKC experience dedicated to all things Nerd and Pop Culture with a little bit of fetish sprinkled in for good measure. Featuring the best local and national talent. Terre Rouge Burlesque is OKC’s own LOCAL performance collective bringing high quality TITilating fun to you in the weirdest ways possible!, Sat., April 9, noon. Tower Theatre, 425 NW 23rd St., 405-708-6937, eventbrite.com/e/weirdlesque-by-terre-rouge-tickets269213433627?aff=ebdsoporgprofile. SAT, APR 9

ACTIVE Yoga Tuesdays an all-levels class; bring your own water and yoga mat, 5:45 p.m.-7 p.m. Tuesdays. Myriad Botanical Gardens, 301 W. Reno Ave., 405-445-7080, myriadgardens.com. TUESDAYS

VISUAL ARTS Art Moves Art Moves is an Arts Council OKC initiative that provides free arts events each workday from Noon-1:00. Art Moves artists perform and demonstrate their artistry daily from popular downtown locations or live streaming from their studio or homes! Help us support our local artist by joining us weekdays at Arts Council Oklahoma City’s facebook page for livestreaming performances and check out the weekly line up below., Art Moves is an Arts Council OKC initiative that provides free arts events each workday from Noon-1:00. Events took place in various downtown locations and may include artist demonstrations or musical performances. The daily line-up features a wide range of artistic mediums including musical and theater performances, live art demonstrations, short film selections, and more, Mondays-Fridays, noon. artscouncilokc.com/art-moves. WEEKDAYS Chakaia Booker: Shaved Portions Commissioned specifically for Campbell Art Park, Shaved Portions is among the most recent additions to Booker’s body of work marked by her distinct ability to radically transform her signature material — salvaged rubber tires — into an incredible array of biomorphic sculptures. Free, Through Aug. 31. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 11 NW 11th St., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary. org/exhibitions/upcoming/chakaia-booker-shavedportions. THROUGH AUG 31 Exhibition: John Newsom: Nature’s Course Focusing on the artist’s body of work over the last 20

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Art In Bloom On view for one weekend only, Art in Bloom will feature floral sculpture in-

terpretations of works from our permanent collection, all crafted by designers from the Oklahoma City community! These exciting new works will be displayed in-gallery and throughout the Museum. Self-guided tours and workshops will round out this can’t-miss festival of flowers!, April 8-10. Oklahoma City Museum of Art, 415 Couch Drive, 405-236-3100, okcmoa. com. FRIDAY - SUNDAY, APR 8-10 Photo provided

Free Estimates JEFF RAY

405. 820.7466

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years, John Newsom: Nature’s Course presents largescale, richly textured, oil on canvas paintings of flora and fauna. The exhibition will include the brand-new, 9 x 18 foot Nature’s Course and Homecoming, another new painting referencing Oklahoma., Newsom’s work layers and combines elements of Abstract Expressionism, minimalist geometric shapes and hyperrealistic representations of animals to create complex allegories of the natural world. The mid-career retrospective of the Oklahoma-raised and New York-based artist runs March 24 to Aug. 15., Image: John Newsom, Love Flies In, 2005. Photo courtesy of the artist. Free timed ticket required, Mondays, Wednesdays-Sundays. through Aug. 15. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 11 NW 11th St., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org/exhibitions/ upcoming/newsom. THROUGH AUG 15 Festival of the Arts The Festival of the Arts is a community celebration of the visual and performing arts, bringing a variety of talented artists together in downtown OKC’s Bicentennial Park., Traditionally, Festival has been an OKC tradition since 1967, considered a rite of spring and an Arts Council OKC signature event. Join us April 19 – 24 at Bicentennial Park as we celebrate 6 days of the arts and community! Free, April 19-23, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Bicentennial Park, 500 Couch drive, 405-270-4848, artscouncilokc.com/ festival-of-the-arts. TUE-SUN, APR 19-24 Maren Hassinger: Nature, Sweet Nature Traveling from Aspen Art Museum, the exhibition Nature, Sweet Nature, by renowned artist Maren Hassinger, has been reconfigured to respond to the grounds of Oklahoma Contemporary., Nature, Sweet Nature is comprised of two installations constructed with galvanized wire rope. Garden and Paradise Regained will each stand in rows at relative human scale; one near the entrance to the art center and the other within the Sculpture Garden. Free, Through Aug. 31. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 11 NW 11th St., 405-9510000, oklahomacontemporary.org/exhibitions/upcoming/maren-hassinger-nature-sweet-nature. THROUGH AUG 31

Off the Wall Off the Wall features three Oklahomabased artists — Sarah Ahmad, romy owens and Marium Rana — who create large-scale works that come in stunning and unexpected forms. These artists work in fiber, textiles and mixed media, using techniques that range from sewing and quilting to the intricate application of paint and the exploration of cuttingedge technology., Ahmad, owens and Rana have transformed the Mary Leflore Clements Oklahoma Gallery with immersive and interactive installations.

Rather than being confined to the walls, their artworks extend into the air and explore the physical, vertical volume of the gallery. Free timed ticket required, Mondays, Wednesdays-Sundays, 11 a.m. through June 20. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 11 NW 11th St., 405-951-0000, oklahomacontemporary.org/exhibitions/current/off-the-wall. THROUGH JUNE 20 Second Friday Art Walk 2nd Friday Norman Art

Walk is a free celebration of arts & creativity held monthly starting at 6 p.m. in the Walker Arts District of Downtown Norman. Downtown Norman, 122 E. Main St., 405-637-6225, downtownnorman.com. FRI, APR 8

Second Saturday: Force of Nature April’s Second Saturday is going to be WILD! Celebrating John Newsom: Nature’s Course, we’ll explore the many ways that make this exhibition and Oklahoma a real force of nature! Learn about Oklahoma wildlife conservation from WildCare Foundation, interact with animal ambassadors from Scales and Scutes Education and Rescue Association, listen to animal tales and make animal-inspired art. All Second Saturday activities, projects and performances are FREE and open to the public! Drop in any time between 1 and 4 p.m. — tickets are not required for this program. Free. Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, 11 NW 11th St., 4059510000, okcontemp.org/ SecondSaturday. SAT, APR 9 Spirit in Color Collection - Art Gallery Showing at Social Stop by to view the latest artist to grace The Gallery walls at Social Deck and Dining in Oklahoma City, Cara Elaine from Edmond, Oklahoma., Cara creates beautifully crafted abstract paintings exuding the life spirit she holds so dear. Stop by and be inspired by the collection open now at Social Deck and Dining through July 11th, 2022. Art curated and managed by Nicole Lowry. free, Through June 30.

Social Deck + Dining, 1933 NW 23rd St., 4054305779, socialdeckanddining.com/the-gallery/. THROUGH JUNE 30

Women of the Banjo A special exhibit at the American Banjo Museum Women of the Banjo chronicles the contributions of women to the colorful past, vibrant present, and unlimited future of the banjo. From prominent contemporary performers such as Alison Brown and Rhiannon Giddens to pop icons Taylor Swift, Dolly Parton and many others, historic insights, instruments, stage attire, and a glimpse of ever-changing fashion trends all help in the telling of this important aspect of banjo history., Through May 31. American Banjo Museum, 9 E. Sheridan Ave., 405-604-2793, americanbanjomuseum.com/currentexhibits/special-exhibits. THROUGH MAY 31

Visit okgazette.com/Events/AddEvent to submit your event.

Submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date.

Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible.

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For OKG

live music see page 26

MUSIC

Indie overground RETURNING APRIL 28 TO 30, NORMAN MUSIC FESTIVAL REMAINS AN INFLUENTIAL CORNERSTONE FOR INDEPENDENT MUSIC IN OKLAHOMA — AND IT’S STILL FREE TO ATTEND.

by Evan Jarvicks

Some of the most up-and-coming artists in indie/alternative music have headlined Norman Music Festival since its inception, but that doesn’t stop naysayers from voicing unsolicited advice every year. While there has been an overwhelming fervor in comment sections over 2022’s big gets like The Drums, DIIV, Wet, and ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, a look at Facebook’s sharing history for the festival’s announcement posts reveal yawn emojis and unimpressed commentary from the sidelines.

“It used to bother me when we’d get the inevitable ‘who?’ and ‘never heard of them’ responses to our lineup announcements, but it honestly just makes me giggle now,” Joshua Boydston said, NMF’s chairperson and graphic designer who has been booking headliners for over half a decade. “The caliber of talent we get as a free festival is frankly pretty insane, and seeing someone like Japanese Breakfast or Omar Apollo go on to play on Jimmy Fallon or headline Pitchfork Music Festival speaks to how it’s so worth coming to see these acts when they are playing at NMF to say you saw them back before they blew up.”

Held along downtown Norman’s Main Street in late April, Norman Music Festival is a unique, three-day annual production built on sponsorships, donations, and countless hours of volunteering. Though the odd scammer will try to convince unsuspecting music fans to the contrary, the event is and always has been free since launching in 2008. By working within its limitations, NMF has cultivated a thriving, grassroots alternative to the usual music festival formula.

“I think we just make the equation pretty simple,” Boydston said. “We aren’t going to worry about selling xamount of tickets, and booking what artists would sell y-amount of that. We set our budget with what the past years have told us we can spend and just try to make the best possible festival we can within those boundaries.”

Sticking to its scrappy, flexible methodology, the event has weathered major obstacles like 2017’s rainy weekend, which kept crowds at home and saw multiple outdoor performances canceled. More recently, the festival endured two years of COVID-19 re-

strictions, canceling a booked 2020 spiring meeting other local musilineup featuring Kero Kero Bonito and cians that share a love for music.”

METZ. NMF compensated with Norman Music Festival’s reputation virtual showcases featuring local for providing major opportunities to bands and an outdoor mini-festival local talent is big. Rarely does a prelast August, but it wasn’t the same. liminary lineup announcement drop “It does leave a really empty space in on social media that fledgling musithe live music scene,” Michelle Bui, cians don’t cross their fingers in board member and publicist, said. “This festival is an opportunity for a lot of people to perform when t he y c a n’t throughout the year...I can personally say that without the festival, it’s been a lot harder for me to know what bands are still performing and who the newcomers may be.”

Norman Music Festival doubles as possibly the single biggest gathering of Oklahomabased bands and Gabrielle B. performs at Norman Music Fest. Photo Sean Carr. musicians in the state, as they make comment sections, hoping to make up the majority of the event’s over 300 the final roster for the year. There annual performers. The event serves are notorious stories about bands as a barometer for who’s who in and artists who have tried to percertain Oklahoma music circles, essuade organizers to get them booked pecially for those who get to play the or onto a bigger stage. Mutterings of major outdoor stages alongside festigatekeeping are inevitable, but NMF val headliners, but it also functions has a solid track record of promoting as a giant networking opportunity. diversity in its selections.

“For local artists, it’s a chance to rub While it has always had indie roots shoulders with other Oklahoma — The Polyphonic Spree, of Montreal, bands and regional acts that can help and Dirty Projectors headlined the elevate their craft and open up new first three festivals respectively — opportunities for shows and more,” NMF has also boasted acts like Boydston said.

Grammy-nominated thrash metal One such artist playing multiple stages outfit Power Trip and legendary multhis year is Norman-raised Lennon tiple hall-of-famer Leon Russell. Of Bramlett, who creates electronic music special note, however, is its heavy under the name Bronte and is a inclusion of hip-hop and neo-soul, member of officially selected local and it is one of the very few largeprojects Community Girlfriend and scale music events in the Oklahoma Mad Honey.

City area to make the effort.

“It’s so cool to be able to see and meet “It’s great to see artists like Nia Moné, some of your favorite bands and Fire in Little Africa, and so many artists right in your backyard,” others representing hip hop and Bramlett said. “And it’s insanely inR&B,” Bramlett said, referring to the

OKC singer-songwriter and Tulsa collective respectively as examples.

Representation matters, especially since Norman Music Festival has proven to be one of the most influential events in music local to central Oklahoma. Inspired younger musicians like Bramlett have grown up

alongside the festival over the past 15 years thanks to its family-friendly offerings. While some of the smaller indoor stages are local bar venues with age requirements, the biggest and loudest stages are open to everyone. For the ultra fan, optional VIP passes that guarantee access to the front of major stages as well as a food-and-drink lounge area cost only $100. With so many barriers lowered, Norman Music Festival is a risk-averse way to explore new sounds in independent music.

“It’s just more fun this way,” Boydston said. “It leans into the discovery aspect...You can have these pleasant surprises where a Portugal.

The Man or Parquet Courts gets way bigger after the festival, and that’s cool, but we are generally just booking cool artists that we like.”

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MUSIC

Trip with kids OKC RAPPER TRIP G RALLIES LOCAL NONPROFITS, SMALL BUSINESSES AND ARTISTS FOR AN EASTSIDE EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA.

by Evan Jarvicks

Trip G is for the children.

From noon to 4 p.m. April 17, his popular monthly Oklahoma City hip-hop gathering Trip N Friends will lend its platform to the firstever Trip N Kids festivity. The free event will host an Easter egg hunt at a noteworthy multi-purpose neighborhood park in OKC’s Eastside, Riley Leroy “Pitts” Park. Sights, sounds, and tastes for all ages will accompany the hunt at no cost to ensure a well-rounded and accessible experience for the whole family.

The community-focused event is made possible by a community of local nonprofits and small businesses. OKC Parks, Men’s A ssociation Foundation of

Oklahoma City, and The Lifelines Initiative are partnering for Trip N Kids Easter Egg Hunt. For The Lifelines Initiative, this is the first in a new series of “All Hands” projects aimed at rallying the local arts community to serve urban youths, their families, and the communities in which they live. Local small businesses contributing to the event include clothiers Newxwave Inc. and Seasoned as well as production houses Imageline Studios and AllSweet.

That Trip G can assemble so many groups toward a common cause is a testament to his tireless networking.

While he stays busy in the music studio — he released four albums in

2020 alone — he avails time to share with others, and there is no better example than Trip N Friends.

“When I first started music here, I was 15, and it was like pulling teeth to get local shows,” Trip G said. “Now that I have this platform, I do my best to look out for upcoming artists and give them a place to start.”

Previously held at Queen Lounge and now a monthly staple at Hubbly Bubbly Hookah and Cafe, 2900 N Classen Blvd., Trip N Friends is a laid-back environment where creatives share their energies while putting on a show for an engaged audience. While music is always a centerpiece, he keeps the concept artistically broad and in-

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corporates games and activities to help break the ice.

“I look at Trip N Friends like a community for the culture.

Everyone is accepted and it’s also a way for me to bring the connections I have come across to network together,” Trip G said. “Whether you do music, art, model, or whatever it is, Trip N Friends would love to work with you!”

Trip G credits his networking know-how to professionalism, transparency, and integrity, but it is also his willingness to meet new people and visit new places that opens those doors for him to leave an impression. He has become a proponent of the cannabis scene,

working with various dispensaries and even getting his own strain, the Trip OG, through Emerald Farms.

He also brought a monthly competition called Rip the Mic from Houston into the OKC hip-hop scene thanks to a meeting in Dallas with the event’s founder. Every other month, Rip the Mic awards a whopping $1,000 in OKC. To help fund the upcoming Trip N Kids Easter Egg Hunt, Trip G is turning this month’s Trip N Friends showcase into a fundraiser. The music lineup is a who’s who of Oklahoma City hip-hop featuring Nayborhood Barbie, Kid Lennon, Original Flow, K.O., Thomas Who?, Nia Moné, L-Smooth, and more.

This edition of Trip N Friends takes place April 7 at Hubbly Bubbly with doors opening at 8 pm. Admission is $10.

Trip G’s ability to assemble such a lineup is a mark of the respect he has earned from his peers, but it is also a representation of hip-hop’s natural inclination to give back.

Trip N Kids is the latest in a proud tradition of local communitybuilding platforms started by OKC artists such as Jabee’s holiday Gift Raps series and Ray June’s Swat Meet organization.

“I think for us hip-hop artists, we have past struggles we’ve dealt with, and giving back to our communities

Trip G. Photo provided.

is very important to us,” said Trip G. “A lot of us express our struggles in our music, and one thing I know is common for us is we can relate to dealing with hard times coming up.”

This helps explain why his Trip N Kids Easter Egg Hunt is being held in OKC’s Eastside, a historically underserved part of the city. While Trip G resides west of Interstate

235, he graduated from Northeast Academy and still has family across the highway. He is well-acquainted with the needs of the area.

“I think we can show that there’s a lot of history and beauty on the Eastside, and events like this one bring our people together to celebrate that history,” Trip G said. “It means more than words can describe using my platform and talent to bring us all together in service of our youth and community.”

Trip G doesn’t just approach this as someone with memories of not always getting an Easter basket as a kid. He is a father too. While he is busy balancing all of the demands of the many hats he wears — that includes a new 10-track album called No Pressure which releases Monday, April 18th — he doesn’t lose sight of what ultimately matters most.

“At any given time I am juggling between writing, producing, curating shows, traveling, or endorsing.

My most important task, though, is being a father,” Trip G said.

“Sometimes it can get difficult maintaining all of these things, but at the end of the day, my relationship with my daughter keeps me going. This is who I am doing all of this for.”

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SOUNDCHECK

Sun Deep — Will Rap for Change ACCLAIMED POETS, RAPPERS, AND VOCALISTS JOIN THE UP-AND-COMING INDIA-BORN, OKLAHOMA CITY-BASED PRODUCER FOR A THOUGHT-PROVOKING CHARITY RECORD.

by Evan Jarvicks

Sun Deep has skyrocketed in Oklahoma City music over the past year and Will Rap for Change is the proof. Featuring some of the biggest spitters in the rap and spoken word scenes, his first proper producer album is 15 tracks built around a common theme of change, whatever that happens to mean for each featured artist. As epic as the concept sounds, the album is a smooth, streamlined listen that never over st ay s it s welcome thanks to a light runtime and variety of sounds.

Opening track “Spare Change” is an immediate highlight. Sun Deep pulls from his experience in film scoring to build a soundtrack around spoken word artist MAC Woods’ powerful reflection on inequity. Woods’ ability to encapsulate big-topic ideology through just a few minutes of storytelling and wordplay is impeccable, and it sets the stage for the succinct statements to come.

With the exception of Original Flow’s beautiful mid-album acapella prelude to “Power Moves,” the tracklist brims with smooth, atmospheric beats.

Sun Deep likes to pay credit to his samples, giving them a few seconds to breathe before recontextualizing them into his rhythms. From the harmonica in HusL’s “Slick EXchange” to the lounge jazz of Skai Hye’s “Seasons,” he manages to keep the character of the source material while both making the instrumental his own and allowing room for the featured performers to make it theirs, too.

While each rapper, poet, and singer works with the same writing prompt, the interpretations are vastly different. Sávion addresses the slippery slope of social drinking on “Demons.” PraVurb’s “Ode to the Government” tackles systematic oppression. There’s even room for Izzy

da Father, the rap moniker of provocative comedian Jon McMillan, who goofs on being asked to rap about change during “Echo Chambers.”

No matter the take, each artist is part of a bigger goal by virtue of joining the project. All proceeds from Bandcamp sales of Will Rap for Change through the end of April will be matched and donated to Asha for Education, a nonprofit dedicated to

These are events recommended

by Oklahoma Gazette editorial staff members. For full calendar listings, go to okgazette.com.

THURSDAY, APR. 7

Maxo Kream w/ Lul Bob, Tower Theatre. RAP The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Beer City Music Hall.

THURSDAY, APR. 14 Bob Dylan, Civic Center Music Hall.

MINISTRY, Diamond Ballroom.

Foreigner, River Spirit Casino Resort. ROCK

The Lively Concert Series: Clayton Fike, Jones Assembly.

Jazz Night, Bradford House.

FRIDAY, APR. 8

Lucero, Beer City Music Hall.

The Lively Concert Series: Stephen Salewon, Jones Assembly.

Koe Wetzel, BOK Center.

FRIDAY, APR. 15

Matt Heckler, Ponyboy.

Pabu, Ponyboy.

TECHN9NE, Tower Theatre.

Primus, The Criterion.

Turnpike Troubadours, Cain’s Ballroom. COUNTRY

SATURDAY, APR. 16

SATURDAY, APR. 9

Casey Donahew Band, The Criterion.

Rodeo Opry: Gospel Show, Stockyards Central.

Lisa Heller, Ponyboy.

Shortt Dogg, Remington Park. On the Old No. 7 Stage

The Johnny 5 Band, Thunderbird Casino. ROCK

Stephen Salewon Band, Ponyboy.

SUNDAY, APR. 17

SUNDAY, APR. 10 Beartooth, The Criterion. with special guests, Silverstein, The Devil Wears Prada, and Erra.

Hosty, The Deli. Electric QWeirdo Show, Ponyboy.

TUESDAY, APR. 12 The Lively Concert Series: Vintage Vinyl, Jones Assembly.

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Bob Dylan, The Tulsa Theater.

Jazz Night, Bradford House.

Eric Harris, Ponyboy.

providing educational opportunities to underprivileged children in India.

Listeners familiar with Sun Deep’s side project Finite Galaxy, the hip-hop duo where he raps in Hindi, will know that his Indian roots play a big part in his creative work.

Will Rap for Change is another fine example of what happens when Oklahoma artists join forces for a common work of art. Dozens of prior Oklahoma City music collections like 2020’s indie rock compilation The Oklahoma Quarantine Demos, 2018’s Worm-produced To-Go Plate, and 2016’s folk-heavy Powerhouse Sessions Vol. 1 have kept the tradition going for years, so it may seem like Sun Deep’s contribution is not exactly new. That’s how it works, though. Change itself is a constant. It is perpetual. As Original Flow says on the album, “Change is all around you. You don’t get there. You’re already in it.”

WEDNESDAY, APR. 13

Hosty, The Deli. Electric

TUESDAY, APR. 19 Carlos Ballarta, Beer City Music Hall.

TESTAMENT, Diamond Ballroom.

WEDNESDAY, APR. 20 Chris Renzema, Tower Theatre.

Hippo Campus w/ Ginger Root, The Jones Assembly.

Waxahatchee aka Katie Crutchfield is on the road this spring to play songs from her recent album Saint Cloud. The Jones Assembly, 901 W Sheridan Ave, 405-212-2378, thejonesassembly.com. TUE, APR 19 Photo Provided Live music submissions must be received by Oklahoma Gazette no later than noon on Wednesday seven days before the desired publication date. Late submissions will not be included in the listings. Submissions run as space allows, although we strive to make the listings as inclusive as possible. Visit okgazette.com to submit your lisitngs or email listings@okgazette.com. Sorry, but phone submissions cannot be accepted.

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THE HIGH CULTURE STRAIN REVIEWS

Strain name: Jokerz 13 Grown by: Papa Jesus Farms Acquired from: High Voltage Date acquired: March 11 Physical traits: dense purple and green with wiry stigmas

heart-pounding intensity that often comes from limonene- and terpinolene-dominant profiles.

The exact lineage is also unknown, but internet searches hint at a potential Compound Genetics cross. Whatever goes into it, what’s without question is that it’s worth checking out.

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Grown by: Magic City Farms Acquired from: Magic City Date acquired: March 29 Physical traits: multiple shades of green frosted with trichomes Bouquet: salty, earthy and gassy

Bouquet: pungent citrus Review: This one came prepacked, so I didn’t really know what to expect except that it came highly recommended. That wasn’t much or a leap of faith because everything else sampled from Papa Jesus Farms has been top-notch. Upon opening, a strong citrus hits your nose. Alas, its effects are much calmer than a Jack Hererstyle strain. Definitely energetic and euphoric but without the

Strain name: Dirty Taxi

Review: Magic City didn’t invent Dirty Taxi, but it’s become the centerpiece of both its farm and its dispensary. Cultivated in five-pound crops, the strain flies out the door nearly as quickly as it comes in. They’ve even shared the genetics with friendly farmers to try to increase production, but those don’t turn out quite like the Magic City run.

Definitely a strain that lifts rather than locks, best absorbed in smaller doses. For more relaxing Magic City strains, the Candy Applez and the Gelly do the trick.

FIND MORE STRAIN REVIEWS AT OKGAZETTE.COM/THEHIGHCULTURE

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CALL US TODAY! 405 839 7000 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY WEEK OF APRIL 7 Homework: What’s the biggest good change you could imagine making in your life right now?

FreeWillAstrology.com ARIES (March 21-April 19)

To provide the right horoscope, I must introduce you to three new words. The first is “orphic,” defined as “having an importance or meaning not apparent to the senses nor comprehensible to the intellect; beyond ordinary understanding.” Here’s the second word: “ludic,” which means “playful; full of fun and high spirits.” The third word is “kalon,” which refers to “profound, thorough beauty.” Now I will coordinate those terms to create a prophecy in accordance with your astrological aspects.

Ready? I predict you will generate useful inspirations and energizing transformations for yourself by adopting a ludic attitude as you seek kalon in orphic experiments and adventures.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20)

I love your steadfastness, intense effort, and stubborn insistence on doing what’s right. Your ability to stick to the plan even when chaos creeps in is admirable. But during the coming weeks, I suggest you add a nuance to your approach. Heed the advice of martial artist Bruce Lee: “Be like water making its way through cracks. Do not be assertive, but adjust to the object, and you shall find a way around or through it. If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)

Gemini-born basketball coach Pat Summitt won Olympic medals, college championships, and presidential awards.

She had a simple strategy: “Here’s how I’m going to beat you. I’m going to outwork you. That’s it. That’s all there is to it.” I recommend that you apply her approach to everything you do for the rest of 2022. According to my analysis, you’re on course for a series of satisfying victories.

All you have to do is nurture your stamina as you work with unwavering focus and resilient intelligence.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) In Britain, 70 percent of the land is owned by one percent of the population. Globally, one percent of the population owns 43 percent of the wealth. I hope there’s a much better distribution of resources within your own life. I hope that the poorer, less robust parts of your psyche aren’t being starved at the expense of the privileged and highly functioning aspects. I hope that the allies and animals you tend to take for granted are receiving as much of your love and care as the people you’re trying to impress or win over. If any adjustments are necessary, now is a favorable time to make them.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)

TV show creator Joey Soloway says, “The only way things will change is when we’re all wilder, louder, riskier, sillier, and unexpectedly overflowing with surprise.” Soloway’s Emmy Award-winning work on *Transparent*, one of the world’s first transgender-positive shows, suggests that their formula has been effective for them. I’m recommending this same approach to you in the coming weeks, Leo. It will help you summon the extra courage and imagination you will need to catalyze the necessary corrections and adjustments.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

“Find a place inside where there’s joy, and the joy will burn out the pain,” wrote mythologist Joseph Campbell.

I don’t think his cure is foolproof. The lingering effects of some old traumas aren’t so simple and easy to dissolve.

But I suspect Campbell’s strategy will work well for you in the coming weeks. You’re in a phase of your astrological cycle when extra healing powers are available. Some are obvious, and some are still partially hidden. It will be your sacred duty to track down every possible method that could help you banish at least some of your suffering and restore at least some of your joie de vivre.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)

You know who Jimi Hendrix was, right? He was a brilliant and influential rock guitarist. As for Miles Davis, he was a Hall of Fame-level trumpeter and composer. You may be less familiar with Tony Williams. A prominent rock critic once called him “the best drummer in the world.”

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In 1968, those three superstars gathered in the hope of recording an album. But they wanted to include a fourth musician, Paul McCartney, to play bass for them. They sent a telegram to the ex-Beatle, but it never reached him.

And so the supergroup never happened. I mention this in the hope that it will render you extra alert for invitations and opportunities that arrive in the coming weeks— perhaps out of nowhere. Don’t miss out! Expect the unexpected. Read between the lines. Investigate the cracks.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)

Poet Anne Carson claims that “a page with a poem on it is less attractive than a page with a poem on it and some tea stains.” I agree. If there are tea stains, it probably means that the poem has been studied and enjoyed.

Someone has lingered over it, allowing it to thoroughly permeate their consciousness. I propose we make the tea-stained poem your power metaphor for the coming weeks, Scorpio. In other words, shun the pristine, the spotless, the untouched. Commune with messy, even chaotic things that have been loved and used.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)

Sagittarian author Martha Beck articulated the precise message you need to hear right now. She wrote, “Here is the crux of the matter, the distilled essence, the only thing you need to remember: When considering whether to say yes or no, you must choose the response that feels like freedom. Period.” I hope you adopt her law in the coming weeks, Sagittarius. You should avoid responses and influences that don’t feel liberating. I realize that’s an extreme position to take, but I think it’s the right one for now. Where does your greatest freedom lie? How can you claim it? What shifts might you need to initiate?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

I’m glad you have been exploring your past and reconfiguring your remembrances of the old days and old ways. I’m happy you’ve been transforming the story of your life. I love how you’ve given yourself a healing gift by reimagining your history. It’s fine with me if you keep doing this fun stuff for a while longer. But please also make sure you don’t get so immersed in bygone events that you’re weighed down by them. The whole

point of the good work you’ve been doing is to open up your future possibilities. For inspiration, read this advice from author Milan Kundera: “We must never allow the future to collapse under the burden of memory.”

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)

Aquarian historian Mary Frances Berry offered counsel that I think all Aquarians should keep at the heart of their philosophy during the coming weeks. She wrote, “The time when you need to do something is when no one else is willing to do it, when people are saying it can’t be done.”

I hope you trust yourself enough to make that your battle cry. I hope you will keep summoning all the courage you will regularly need to implement its mandate.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)

What’s the leading cause of deforestation in Latin America? Logging for wood products? Agricultural expansion? New housing developments? Nope. It’s raising cattle so people everywhere can eat beef and cheese and milk. This industry also plays a major role in the rest of the world’s ongoing deforestation tragedy.

Soaring greenhouse gas emissions aren’t entirely caused by our craving for burgers and milk and cheese, of course, but our climate emergency would be significantly less dramatic if we cut back our consumption. That’s the kind of action I invite you to take in the coming months, Pisces. My analysis of astrological omens suggests that you now have even more power than usual to serve the collective good of humanity in whatever specific ways you can. (PS: Livestock generates 14.5 percent of our greenhouse gases, equal to the emissions from all cars, trucks, airplanes, and ships combined.)

Go to RealAstrology.com to check out Rob Brezsny’s expanded weekly audio horoscopes /daily text message horoscopes.

The audio horoscopes are also available by phone at 1-877-873-4888 or 1-900-950-7700.

PUZZLES NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE | EXES & NOS

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25 Side dish at a fish fry 26 Main component of 1 Band of supporters Saturn’s rings 5 Something absolutely 27 Lena of ‘‘Enemies, a Love necessary Story’’ 10 ‘‘____ and Janis’’ (comic 28 ‘‘So then I dated a fun strip) couch potato, but he ... ’’ 14 Oomph 17 Word from the French for 31 Nonstarters?

33 Toeing the line ‘‘high wood’’ 34 Fútbol cheer 18 Washed out 35 Italian wine region 20 Dock 21 Something a winner may 36 ‘‘30 for 30’’ airer 39 The 1 in {1,2,3}: Abbr. run into 40 Lab vessel 22 ‘‘It’s tough finding the 42 Camphor, e.g. right person. My first boyfriend was a perfectly 45 One getting depressed during exams? nice atheist, but he ...’’

47 They’re found near traps 24 Tour de France seasons

120

48 ‘‘Then my friend set me up with a recluse, but he ... ’’ 52 Comedian Mort 54 Classic Hawaiian folk song 55 Superman and others, for short 56 Book with a notable world premiere?

59 What middlemen do 60 Noisy beachgoer 62 Bun in a bamboo steamer 63 Internet encryption inits.

65 Binary 66 ‘‘I dated my rock climbing instructor for a while, but he just ... ’’ 68 ____-Pacific 69 Not sparkling

113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120

Blast-furnace supply Baloney Bad signs for a bank robber Academic journal with a Breakthrough of the Year award U.K. track-star-turnedpolitician Sebastian Mishmashes Swindled ‘‘Then I had a fling with a Pittsburgh Penguin, but I knew he ... ’’ Cuisine featuring som tam Drill command Feel another’s pain Cavalryman of old Big ____ (Olympic snowboarding event) Whimper Starters, for short Outback speedster Keep rhythm, as a conductor might Wisconsin town with a clothing namesake ‘‘I was in a serious relationship with a hippie, but he ... ’’ Org. issuing vaccine standards starting in 2021 It may be part of a solution Together, in music Fading sea name ‘‘Finally, I started seeing a charming magician, and he ... ’’ Pan, in part Fun-size Kind of thesis Weekend warrior’s woe Happening offline, to a texter Relaxation Devotee of Haile Selassie, informally Bit of kitchen waste

DOWN 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Big name in pricey cigars You can’t say it doesn’t count Lizzie is one, in the ‘‘Cars’’ movies Crossword solving option Watchmaker since 2015 It lands on the White House’s South Lawn ____ Bator, Mongolia

Stumped? Call 1-900-285-5656 to get the answers to any three clues by phone ($1.20 a minute).

SUDOKU HARD | N° 141012414 Fill in the grid so that every row, column and 3-by-3 box contains the numbers 1 through 9. www.printmysudoku.com Grid n°141012414 hard

1

5

8 6 7 2 9 4

5 1

8

6 8

8

6 9 5 1 2 2 4 9 4 8 5 2 7 1

8 9 10 11

On the ____ Fastened, in a way Making change Well past the freshness date, say ‘‘My Fair Lady’’ composer Actor/comedian who was a regular on Johnny Carson’s ‘‘Tonight Show’’ Meathead Military uniform feature Bluish-gray shades Scintilla ‘‘Shameful!’’

Alley-____ Possessive types?

Way to go: Abbr. ‘‘You’re so wrong about that!’’

Lead-in to Cat Something that all but three U.S. presidents have had while in office ‘‘Time out’’ in the N.B.A. What makes the short list?

Total jerk Boxing highlight Apply to Jokesters Some native Alaskans Tile work Leadership position Bit of a chuckle Rubberneck ‘‘A house divided against ____ cannot stand’’ Rubylike gem Richard of ‘‘Chicago’’ Native people for whom a state is named When doubled, a candy Quick with a clapback So-called ‘‘Father of Liberalism’’ Conflict taking a couple of seconds?

Soccer star Messi, to fans Capital of Fiji ‘‘How ____ Your Mother’’ Beloved site for the Irish … and French Journalist who was the first woman to guest-host ‘‘Jeopardy!’’

Hard stuff that jiggles ‘‘We’ll be in touch!’’ often Dr. of 112-Down Counterpart of full, in a way Wise guys?

One might be smoke-filled

12 13 14 15 16 19 21 23 29 30 32 37 38 41 43 44 45 46 48 49 50 51 53 56 57 58 60 61 62 64 66 67 70 73 74 76 77 78 80 81 82 83 84

85 Not surprisingly 87 Big name in hot dogs 90 Face on a penny, familiarly 92 Strong suit 94 Regulate 95 Cupid’s love 96 Mideast currency unit 99 Features of some halls 100 Mucky substances 102 Twin sister of He-Man 103 What, in multiple senses, might get tipped 105 Take place?

106 Redding who wrote ‘‘Respect’’ 111 Crispr material 112 See 81-Down

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS Puzzle No. 0320, which appeared in the March 23 issue.

A S S I S I

P H A S E R

I S O P O D

S A C H E R

S T A F F

O H L O O K

P A T H T O V I C T O R Y D E V I L E D

E T I T L A L A I R E S P T E C T R I T A T O N R E D O B E R N E M E A S F N O R N A M H E L P E O L A A O R L O W T E L E Y R E D

I S A A C

O B O E

I N S P E C T B O R E D O M

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M O U T A O M I C O N E S O P T O R Y G L O E A L O T A D O H H O W O N U S K A P I I L S L A S S I N F T H E G O W E R O D S E B O U N C O P R O W I N G

P A U S E S

T H A T S A B I G I F

A C I F T A C A P S E L A L I S O N W A R T E L W O A L E P R I L L A A L A T S C K E

I M L I K E

C A S T E S

O P E N E R

D O D D E R

M A S O N I C

H I G H L Y

O N E A L

E C R G A G O R O S G B A N E L U R E

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