The Skies of Tulsa – Summer Edition

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The family just got back from a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Pagosa Springs, Colorado. We had a good time but it was one of those active trips where we were on the go every day as opposed to sitting on the beach a bunch. We had a great time, saw a lot of stuff, and ate lots of good New Mexican style Mexican Food. I’ll have photos from the trip in the coming weeks. Right now, I am still working my way through photos from June.

Drone shot looking north from south Tulsa

Here’s a drone photos from 50 meters over my back yard in Tulsa, Oklahoma looking north.

Neighborhood Sky in Tulsa

And a shot from my across the street neighbor’s driveway looking east.

IMG_3916

I love infrastructure of all kinds. This is Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s Tulsa Power Station. It’s an ancient facility on the Arkansas River right in the middle of town. I used to work for the sister natural gas pipeline company, Transok Inc., that supplied the natural gas to the plant.

Skywatch - Gathering Place

This is the Arkansas RiverParks trails right across the river from the power plant looking north. You can see that bicycles are to the right and pedestrians to the left.

Route 66 Vintage Motel Signs - Tulsa

And at the north end of the Trails, and across the river is where Route 66 crosses the Arkansas River. The city has installed a collection of replicas of vintage motel signs in a little park. Pretty interesting to me. This year is the 100 year anniversary of Route 66. I’ve lived a bunch of my life on Route 66. I love all the attractions on Route 66 but don’t care much for the road itself. Luckily in Oklahoma to the west coast most of the route is paralled (by the powers vested in me, I am declaring “paralled” to be word) by Interstate 40. I’m good with traveling on I40 and getting off to see the attractions as I feel led. Route 66 is too slow!!

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday.

Shadow Shot Sunday – Shadowy Trails to You

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Shadowy Trail

Hiking in Tulsa’s Turkey Mountain this time of year. Lots of shadows on the trail with all the trees.

Bicycle Crossover - Turkey Mountain

A bicycle crossover over the trail. Hikers are not allowed on the crossovers. After one crosses over the slope is very steep. I like to ride my bicycle but I am strictly a pavement kind of guy. You have to be a very good rider to this structure. If you are by yourself and get injured I don’t know what you will do. This is in one of the most remote areas of the park. Weekends are not so bad but during the week I rarely see anyone here.

Bicycle Jumpover

And a short ways later we have this bicycle jumpover across the trail. You better know what you are doing here. The crossover at least you can “roll over” the structure. Here there is no roll over.

I am linking with ShadowShot Sunday

Beavers Bend Safari Park – Part II

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Beavers Bend Safari Park

Last week I posted photos of various animals at the Beavers Bend Safari Park that were on the walk through part of the facility. This week I am showing you some of the animals that we saw in the drive through part.

Whitetail Deer - Beavers Bend Safari Park

Whitetail Deer

Sable Antelope Calf - Beavers Bend Animal Safari

Sable Antelope – Native of Southern Africa

Fallow Deer - Beavers Bend Safari Park

Fallow Deer – From Europe

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Banteng

Banteng – Southeast Asia

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Red Stag

Red Stag – – originated in Europe

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Female Blackbuck

Female Blackbuck – Indian and Nepal

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Wildebeest (aka Gnu) and female Blackbuk

Female Blackbuck and a Wildebeest (aka Gnu) – The Wildebeest is originally from Eastern and Southern Africa

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Blackbuck

More Blackbucks

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Blackbuck

And yet another Blackbuck

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Pere Davids Deer

Pere David’s Deer – Originally from China. Now extinct in the wild.

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Pere Davids Deer

Another Pere David’s Deer

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Llama

A Llama chewing its cud on a hill.

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Elk

An Elk resting in a grove of trees.

It took us quite a while to do the drive through part of the Safari Park. A good time was had by all. I am linking with Eileen’s Saturday’s Critters

Skywatch Friday – High and Low, Home and Away

Here’s a sky over my house and my neighbor’s garage.

And another sky looking west over my neighbor’s trees.

And a sunset from out in front of the house looking west. I like how the golden light reflects in the trickle of water on the street.

And this is 40 meters over my back yard looking west toward a rainstorm late in the day.

And here is a selfie of the drone pilot, yours truly.

And away from home at a local shopping center that puts on free concerts on Thursday nights in the summer.

And a view of the decks of a restaurant on the Arkansas River here in Tulsa.

And that is about it!! I am linking with Skywatch Friday

Through My Lens – A Trip to the Plant Nursery

Back in May the weather turned warm, the sun came out, and off Heather and I went to the nursery. We went to a gigantic place way out in the boonies.

Sanders Nursery - Heather

There’s my bride Heather going full speed in the nursery. She is a certified Oklahoma State University Master Gardener and she is reinvigorated this spring to get some plants. I went along to pull the cart and take photos. I don’t necessarily take photos of what she is buying.

Sanders Nursery

Pink Impatiens

Sanders Nursery - Coleus

Colea

Sanders Nursery - French Marigolds

French Marigolds

Sanders Nursery - French Marigolds

More French Marigolds

Sanders Nursery - Plum Cockatoo Petunia

Plum Cockatoo Petunias

Sanders Nursery

Even more French Marigolds

Sanders Nursery - Dayglo Yellow Dahlia

Dayglo Yellow Dahlia

Sanders Nursery - flowers
Sanders Nursery - Black Mamba Petunia

Black Mamba Petunias – my favorite plant name for the day

Sanders Nursery - Orange Marigolds

Orange Marigolds

Sanders Nursery - Callie Pink with Eye Syngenta Flowers

Callie Pink with Eye Syngenta Flowers

Sanders Nursery

And a large Garden Ornament on the way out.

A good time was had by all. Heather got lots of plants, I got lots of photos.

I am linking with Through My Lens

Shadow Shot Sunday – Shadowy Trails to You

I saw some shadows while hiking earlier this week on Tulsa’s Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area.

Deer in the Shadows

This deer was hanging out in the shadows.

Shadowy Rocky Trail

In places where trails get muddy frequently, one sees pieces of flat rock that are fitted together like a jig saw puzzle. When it rains the water flows over the rocks without eroding the trail and making a big mess. It is called “rock armoring” a trail. It’s a bit much for volunteers to do. One needs to have some machinery to move the rocks around. (Finding the rocks to use in armoring is called “rock farming.”) It’s hard work.

Trail Leaf Shadows

And I saw some leaves forming shadows on the trail.

In the summer, I look for the shadowy trails to hike, especially at midday.

I am linking with Shadow Shot Sunday.

And Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there.

Beavers Bend Safari Park – Part I

As part of our trip to southeast Oklahoma’s Hochatown we visited the Beavers Bend Safari Park. They have quite a collection of animals. Many in enclosures and others out in the woods confined by fences but otherwise roaming around. I’ll post about the roaming animals next week.

Beavers Bend Safari Park
Common Emu

Common Emu

Beavers Bend Safari Park

A vervet monkey. Sorry about the camera focusing on the cage instead of the animal.

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Baboon

A Baboon

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Baboon

Another Baboon

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Red Kangaroo

Red Kangaroo

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Llama

A Llama

Beavers Bend Safari Park - Sulcata Tortoise

A Sulcata Tortoise

That’s it for this week. I am linking with Eileen’s Saturday’s Critters

Skywatch Friday – From the Air and the Ground

Dronephotography posted 6/18/2026

A sunset drone shot looking a little south of northwest from Tulsa.

Dronephotography to be posted 6/1/26

Another shot on another day from the same location looking more north of northwest.

Hochatown Country Road

A country road skywatch shot in southeastern Oklahoma.

Tulsa Neighborhood Skywatch

A neighborhood shot looking west from our home in Tulsa.

Tulsa, looking north to downtown

A late afternoon shot from a drone 40 meters over our backyard looking towards the north. One can see rain falling up in the area.

That’s about it. I am linking with Skywatch Friday.

Through My Lens – Exploring the Tulsa Botanic Garden

We love Tulsa Botanic Garden in Tulsa. We have a membership so we go when we can. We went there in early May this year and this is some of what we saw.

Tulsa Botanic Garden

Bachelor Buttons

Tulsa Botanic Garden

Louisiana Iris in a pond

Tulsa Botanic Garden

A closeup of the Louisiana Iris bloom.

Tulsa Botanic Garden - Pink Evening Primrose

Pink Evening Primrose

Tulsa Botanic Garden - Salvia

Salvia

Tulsa Botanic Garden - Mexican Honeysuckle

Mexican Honeysuckle

Tulsa Botanic Garden - Blue Sea Holly

Blue Sea Holly

I am linking with Through My Lens

Shadow Shot Sunday!

Done with the backyard

Suburbia’s Heaven – Finished with the mowing. I dumped my ancient gas mower a couple of years ago and got an electric mower. No more buying gasoline, or changing oil nor air filter. Just roll it out and mow.

Walmart's pollinator garden fail

Went to our local Neighborhood Walmart. They had a deluxe pollinator garden for a few years but I guess they are off on new tangents. This nice fence and irrigation system is going to waste. I’m surprised copper thieves hadn’t made their mark.

Shadowy Deer Sculptures

At a rest stop on Tulsa’s Riverparks Trails during a recent bike ride. What are those deer looking at anyway?

I’m linking with Shadow Shot Sunday