As someone who enjoys things like, well, civilization, the thought of spending three weeks in rural Oklahoma wasn't the most thrilling proposition. Then again, I go where the work is, so off to the Will Rogers' homeland I went. While not working, I got a chance to explore the sites and smells of this fine state. Ponca City Now, to be fair, when I say "rural Oklahoma" I mean by the standards of any of us who don't live in a town whose tallest building is a grain elevator. By Oklahoma standards, however, Ponca City (pop. 25k) is downright cosmopolitan. They've got a daily newspaper, a Wal Mart and two Sonic drive-ins. There's not much more to be said about the town except that apparently, it used to be kind of a big deal. That, of course, was after they literally stole the railroad from a rival town. Ponca, as they call it here (because saying those extra two syllables is just too too much,) was a major player in the early days of the oil industry in Oklahoma, and corporate headquarters to Conoco for many years. Because of that, this town is rife with huge homes, many of which are rightfully called mansions. ...