Let's Talk with Mark & Michelle

A tragic accident in Zion National Park. Authorities say a hiker fell to his death April 17th from the popular Angels Landing trail.  Angels Landing is considered one of the most dangerous hikes in America. To get there, hikers need to navigate Hogsback, a narrow, knife-edge ridge with chains for a handhold. Since 2000, there have been at least 18 confirmed fatalities on the trail.  Michelle and I...

When we moved from Las Vegas to Tulsa almost 30 years ago, Michelle told friends and family we were headed for full-on ranch life. Chickens, cows, pigs, maybe a prairie dog or two. We’d raise our own beef and pork, and Bessie would handle the fresh milk. Because that’s what everyone in Oklahoma does… right? Turns out, not so much. We never “bought the farm,” so to speak. But the idea of living off...

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

I can't express enough how important sound is to a podcast. You say, but don't all podcasts have sound? I'm talking about good sound. Sound you can hear. How many times have your tried to listen to a video or podcast and can't understand what they're saying? That detracts from the experience. Michelle and I use mics whenever we're out fishing, hiking, etc. And because...

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

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

We’re constantly amazed by how things are made. In this episode we’re blown away by something that we had no idea was even made by someone. The Gathering Place is a world-class park in Tulsa with so much to see and do. The 1000 foot whitewater flume on the Arkansas River is next to the park. The flume is made up of hundreds of rocks that look like they’ve been there forever. But in fact many of th...

Did you know there are no fewer than 25 national holidays for cats? March has Rescue Cat Day, Respect your Cat Day and Cuddly Kitten Day. In this podcast we ask "What is your cat's favorite place to hang out in your house?" Also, “What does your cat do to punish you?" The first day of spring is this week, and after a cold and snowy winter, we're ready for it. We recently w...

Want to know the value of your home? Right away? In this podcast we talk about a free online home valuation tool. It's not the end all of what you could get for your home, but it's quick and easy. Sometimes it's spot on, but not always, and because of that we tell you what to do if you're serious about getting an estimate of your home's worth. For fun, Mark shows you what...

Our daughter-in-law Ines, who's from Spain, officially became a U.S. citizen in February. The naturalization ceremony took place at the immigration office in Oklahoma City. 38 people from 18 countries took the oath in the patriotic ceremony. Ines told us what it means to her to become a U.S. citizen and what she plans to do first, including her first meal as an American. Michelle also talks r...

We have so much to unpack in this podcast ... or pack if you're getting your house ready to sell in the spring. Even though it's winter, there are some things you can do now to get ready to sell in a few months. We also talk about three mistakes Mark made in Valentine's Day past to help you avoid a similar embarrassment.  One faux pas includes the thigh master. Also find out how a s...

If you're in the market for a new home, chances are you're touring a lot of properties before you make your final decision. In this podcast, we talk about what to look for when walking through a home, specifically the potential red flags that might help you make your decision. Michelle also has her featured home of the week, a beautiful home in the master-planned community of Forest Ridg...

Michelle and I talk about the home down payment and the pros and cons of how much you should put down when buying a home. Michelle also has her featured home of the week. And we talk to our daughter-in-law Ines after she passed her naturalization test to become a U.S. citizen.

Are you selling your home, or thinking about it? Here are some improvements that add value to your home, and a few that don't. We also show our feature home of the week. Plus, where do we go when it's cold and snowy at home? To the beach? Nope. We share a few of our favorite winter activities.

In our latest podcast, Michelle and I go over three home buying myths, our #1 most hated household chore and the featured home of the week.

Our latest adventure took us to Colorado this Fall. We timed the autumn colors perfectly in Aspen, the bull elk rutting season in Estes Park was in its prime and the fly fishing everywhere was superb!

Michelle and I once again traveled to Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks. We love to see the wildlife and gorgeous scenery. And we saw it all again, including a too close for comfort encounter with a mother grizzly and her two cubs while fishing in the Yellowstone's Lamar Valley. Michelle calls it the most terrifying thing in her life. This podcast is about our bear scare and what we...

Whether you buy or sell a home, the home inspection is part of the process. It's definitely a must. Here's what goes into a home inspection.

It may be winter but the weather feels like spring. It's a great time to start preparing your house to sell.  Michelle is a realtor with nearly 25 years experience. In this podcast, she has some things to think about if you're planning on putting your home on the market soon. 

What's the "in" paint color this year? How do you keep celery fresh in the refrigerator for a month? Just a couple ideas you'll learn in this episode. Michelle and I talk with interior designer Julia Kirkendall and restaurant owner and chef Nancy Bruce. We're on location at Studio by K/D in Tulsa. Kirkendall's new venue offers "a broad range of interactive worksh...

What's best? Crispy or chewy chocolate chip cookies? Michelle and I have a debate. She likes cookies that are gooey and chewy and I like them crispy. I baked some crispy cookies recently and Michelle challenged me to make ones she likes. So I did. But we needed an impartial judge. We found one. Our 8 month old grandson Jack was hanging out with us for a few days while his parents were on vaca...

What are two favorite gifts on Valentine's Day? Diamonds and chocolates. We talk to a jeweler about the hottest gift this year and tour a chocolate factory.

Michelle and I usually hike in our national parks in the summer and fall. As we ended 2023 and began the new year we visited Estes Park, Colorado and nearby Rocky Mountain National Park. Hiking in the winter brings on a different set of challenges, namely the weather. It's cold and icy and snowy. But if you love to hike and explore, you make it work. We hiked up to Dream Lake, and later to Em...

Michelle has loved to fish practically her entire life. Only recently has she picked up fly fishing. And she's hooked! Every time we go to either Glacier or Grand Teton National Parks she packs her fishing gear with her, an Orvis rod and Simms waders and boots. Once again this summer we booked a guided trip down the Snake River in Jackson Hole, with the help of our friend Tom O'Brien. He...

The entire world is watching what's going on with Israel and Hamas right now. But do we really understand what led up to this war? And what's it like to be Israeli and to be constantly defending yourself from hate and rockets? In this episode I talk with Avner Boskey who lives in the Beersheba region of Israel and oversees Final Frontier Ministries. It's a fascinating, informative a...