On our vacation to Orange Beach, Alabama last month we went on a Sunset Cruise on Wolf Bay. It was pretty nice, the skipper took us here there and everywhere in search of dolphins. We saw quite a few dolphin and I also enjoyed the other views on the water, other boats, the woods, docks, and such and especially the houses above in the golden hour, a little before sunset when the sun’s light is horizontal and makes everything stand out.
Wednesday night and a storm popped up headed for Turkey Mountain. Huh oh, there goes my run I thought but a check with Accuweather showed that it was going to be done quick. So I gather up my stuff and headed to the park.
As I got there the storm was trailing off. Yahoo is what I said. I wasn’t too worried about mud. Something about the mountain makes it shed off rain really quick. I noticed a couple of younger people doing some pretty good tricks with their bikes. I don’t know about you but I couldn’t pop a wheelie on regular sized bike in a hundred years. They made it look effortless.
So off I went into the cool, wet, dripping woods. I loved the textures of everything and the sound of the dripping all around me.
Everything was glistening.
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And there were colors! The fresh new growth of spring is showing the stress of our high heat plus the bugs and mildew our eating on them. It made for its own kind of beauty. The dirty little secret about Turkey Mountain is that there isn’t much color besides green. You have to hunt for other colors.
So I started tuning into the different patterns and colors the mountain was showing off.
You know, you just have to stop and sniff the weeds every now and then.
We are still at the beach having a great time walking, running, sitting in the sun and reading, going out to eat and drink and all that good stuff.
This year we have something new, Pokemon Go. The whole family is playing it including Heather. It is kind of fun. I’m getting a hoot on facebook and the news how some are deriding a game that haven’t even played and others talking about the great health benefits. Yadda yadda yadda I say. What matters is if it is fun. Of course some things need to be addressed such as removing the little pokemons from private property and other inappropriate places, but the game is fun.
Here is one of the little critters just before I captured him. Don’t knock it before you try it folks. One thing that helps is having a youngster to explain things.
Meanwhile I’m also geocaching. I can do both in my mind. Apparently there are a bunch of pokemon on Turkey Mountain. I have found almost all the full size regular caches up there and am looking forward to Pokemon Going. Make fun of me if you must. I’ll be feeling sorry for you.
Till next time folks
We started our vacation, kind of late. Tulsa and surrounding area had a huge storm come through on Thursday about noon. It was kind of scary. I was at a luncheon and the venue evacuated us to a stairwell because there was reports of a tornado on the ground close by. Good thing they lifted the alert because the stairwell had external doors with crash bars and it was so crowded the doors kept opening. Stupid design if you ask me. Anyway, our power was out and so we couldn’t run a lot of the errands we wanted to until the next morning and so instead of leaving first thing Friday morning, we left in the afternoon. Oh well.
So we drove and drove
And then we got to Mobile and we encountered the big jam before the tunnel.
And we made it eventually!!
So we have been taking it easy and hanging out on the beach.
And staying well clear of the turtle eggs.
The only excitement so far is outrunning a thunderstorm. You know it is slow moving when I outrun it.
Anyway, that is the first, and might be the only, vacation report.
Our little family and sister Ellen spent a long weekend in Idaho Falls, Idaho visiting our Dad. While there we went on a walk along the Snake River. The city has some beautiful trails along the river. Idaho is such a beautiful state even in “The Falls” where the land is kind of flat. The skies can certainly be spectacular.
Skywatch Friday
This past Friday was a big day for son Logan. First he had to get up bright and early for his college’s new student orientation. We got there and he got signed in and photographed and then directed to the room. I was told that I was welcome to the parent orientation scheduled later this summer. Yeah, okay I get it. I made sure he found the room and got settled and then I left him. When Heather and I came back he was all smiles and so I think things went well. We had told him that this was college, not high school, and if he needed to get up and take a break or whatever that he could just do so and not worry about getting sent to see the principal. The freedom is a little disconcerting to him but he is rapidly getting used to it.
And then we went to our bank so he could open up a checking account. Last time I opened up a checking account was about twenty four years ago and I will tell you that things have changed considerably since. The bank officer we talked to was great. He was very patient with us and Logan as we worked through the process and evaluated the various options available and asked a lot of questions. You know, I have gotten to enjoy the small mercies of people who are kind and the man was very kind.
And the Friday night we took Logan to his first ever major concert. We went to see James Taylor at the BOK Arena. Taylor put on a heck of a show. He sang about 25 songs in two sets over the course of two and a half hours. He sang a lot of his old tunes and few of his new tunes. He came across as genuine with a wry sense of humor and a generous manner. Much of it was over Logan’s head as he has no history but he was a good sport even though the concert went on a for a long time and it was kind of crowded.
So, he was exhausted but it was a big day for him. Driving lessons are coming up soon. That is when his Dad is going to get nervous.
And now, the not wordless part
Tulsa’s Turkey Mountain is not that big, two miles north to south and a mile, maybe, east to west. You can generally hear traffic in most areas but there are lots of trails and if the weather is a little hot, or a little cold, or a little wet or whatever the number of people on the trails plunges, especially a quarter mile down the trail (I am not exagerating..) And if one gets to the little visited areas like the northwest segment it is easy not to see anybody.
I was on such a blissful trek last Wednesday when I happened on this vista that made it look like the mountain went on forever. I love the feeling of feeling lost and depth in the photo. Even though I know I had been up and down that trail many times before.
I love Turkey Mountain, I have been there dozens of times and still find something new every time I am there. I can get up there and just cruise along and don’t worry about a thing. Except snakes, lots of people have encountered lots of snakes, especially copperheads, and I worry about them a little but I don’t let them stop me.
So what about you? Where is your favorite place to get away from it all.
Earlier this week I sneaked back up to my old work area on the 17th floor to take a late afternoon pic of the sky to the west along with the Arkansas River. Of course me being me had to try out a few filters on the photo to give a little more character than what it had originally.
It turns out okay but I wish I could get the Aloft Hotel chain that bought our old City Hall and converted it to a loft hotel (whatever that is) to take their sign down. I can’t imagine that an old office building would make a very good hotel but what do I know? I mean besides nothing.
I’m linking with Skywatch Friday
The clock continues to tick on Logan’s time in High School until he graduates. Tick, tick, tick. It is getting louder and louder for both him and his parents.
Tuesday night a few more ticks went by. His school had their Spring Choir Concert. Choir is a class and this concert is their final. How is that for getting the kids to show up. It was all good though. The kids did great.
The Senior and Middle School both participated in this concert and it featured a varied selection of music from Hymns to Musical tunes to more modern music by Billy Joel and Elvis Presley or like the opera.
Logan didn’t have any solos or anything, he just sang and that is what he loves doing. Standing on the risers for such a long time was kind of hard on him. I don’t know how people do it actually.
The teacher put everybody through their paces and there was lots of singing for everybody.
The Middle School ladies did a great job with “You’re Going to Miss Me” otherwise known as “The Cup Song.”
At the end they had the parents of the seniors go up on the stage while the Benediction was sung. (This is a Christian School so of course there was a prayer before the performance began.) I appreciated the benediction but I hate being up on stage. With the lights it is so disconcerting. Logan loves the stage. He didn’t get that DNA from me. I am perfectly happy being in the audience, in the shadows.
It was a great seeing the kids performing and showing off their talent and not plugged into their so called “devices.”
So I continue to be an infrequent blogger and a lousy blogger friend. Sorry but we are counting down until Graduation and things are not going to change very much until then.
