Category Archives: Our World

Our World – Oklahoma Sugar Art Show

The Oklahoma Sugar Art Show was held this past Saturday and Sunday at the Tulsa State Fair. I went for the first time last year and it is now a can’t miss event for me. What the bakers do with the cakes and decorations is amazing.

Every year has a theme and this year is was “Ballet.” This cake celebrated Sleeping Beauty. Notice the sleeping beauty at the top of the cake.

It took well over a 100 photographs and I just couln’t figure out what I like the best so I’m just showing a few. There are reportedly close to 700 cakes displayed. It is impossible to study each one.

I think this one was Little Red Riding Hood. Notice the top figure, and then the cabin in the woods, and at the bottom a stage and curtain.

They have other categories and I loved this SuperHero cake with references to Spiderman, Superman, and the Hulk.

I loved this little guy also.

My favorite are the masks. They are pure sugar and very fragile. Last year somebody ran into one of the tables with a powered wheelchair and destroyed a bunch of masks. This year they had some more precautions.

Anyway, the Sugar Art Show is just two days a year.

Our World Tuesday

Our World – Chalkfest

Things are happenning in downtown Tulsa. All three of us went to see the Blue Man Group at the Performing Arts Center and then afterwords we ventured about three blocks to the south to the “Deco District” to see the goings on at Chalkfest.

Each artist is given a 10×10 section of pavement to do their thing.

We were early enough that there were not any finished works.

The artists were giving it their all and the early results looked impressive.

They had lots of chalk available for freelancers and they were going for it.

Sweetie and I loved this. A horse with a blue hand print done in memory of the artist to their Grandpa.

If they have it next year, I’ll be there.

Our World Tuesday

Our World – Contrasts inside the Museum at Woolaroc – Part Deaux

Last week I posted about SuperPizzaBoy and I driving to Woolaroc as part of a road trip and it was kind of crowded because of the Phillips Petroleum Employee picnic. That post was focused mainly on the critters of Woolaroc. Woolaroc is the former ranch, country home, and private museum of oilman Frank Phillips, founder of Phillips Petroleum Company.

This week’s emphasis is on the museum and other inside displays at Woolaroc.That is the the thing about Woolaroc, it has a great museum planted in the middle of what is essientially a working bison and longhorn cattle ranch out in the middle of nowhere. Don’t count on too many bars when you are there.

I’ve been to Woolaroc many times and I still find new stuff at the museum. It takes several trips for me before I figure out what a museum is all about. What struck me this trip was the contrasts I saw. Especially that of Native Americans.

There is the Native American as great and feared warriors.

And as a defeated people longing for the wonderful past.

There is the Native American as the friendly, spiritual guide to children.

And as savage warriors kicking some major Custer butt at Little Bighorn.

As participants in wild pagan dances.

And performing fine arts in bucolic settings.

These are all romantic views and I think the truth is lost somewhere in there. I didn’t think about it at the time but I don’t recall too many, if any, art pieces by Native Americans on display at the museum. I can tell you that Native American culture including is alive and all about the now.

The other contrast I noticed were in the Pioneer Woman statues. Back in 1927, E.W. Marland a wealthy oilman commissioned twelve sculptors to come up with representations of a Pioneer Woman. The twelve entries were displayed all around the USA. I didn’t take pictures of all of them but the winner was something like this one. A schoolmarmish tough woman. And, I’m sure those pioneer women way back when were tough. You know, no facebook, no pedicure places, or mothers day out or any of that other stuff.

Below gets my vote evvery time. Don’t ask me why.

The other thing about visiting museums often is that after a while you start seeing things you never noticed before. For example three things that will put me to sleep real fast in western museums are displays about guns, barbed wire, and spurs. I mean really who cares? Well I noticed the spurs this time. For example the following. Okay stay awake with me okay. I know it is a real snoozer.

The below was called a “Gal Leg” Spur. I didn’t get it right at first.

I had passed by that display 20 times over the years and never noticed it. So now, you and I both know about Gal Leg Spurs. There are dozens of varieties.

That’s all for now folks.

Our World Tuesday

Our World – Road Trip to See the Will Rogers Memorial Museum

SuperPizzaBoy and I took another mini road trip Saturday.

First up was his riding lessons in Ramona, in Phillips 66 and Pioneer Woman territory. After that we drove over to Claremore, Oklahoma.

Home of the Will Rogers Memorial Museum. Will Rogers (1879-1935 was born nearby to a prominent Cherokee Indian Family (the guy at the front desk said, with a twinkle in his eye, that Rogers was a “spoiled rich kid.”) Will Rogers was a big celebrity way back when, he starred in movies, vaudeville, radio and wrote a newspaper column carried nationwide.

He had a down home, good natured, style and he could poke fun at everybody, politicians of both sides, corporate bosses, union bosses, gangsters, generals and nobody would take offense.

The museum has lots of relics, statues, paintings, posters, and other artwork of his life and times but what is the most fun is that they show his various movies, shorts, and radio broadcasts. Listening and watching those make you realize just how special he was. He was down home alright but also a very smart and well versed man.

So if you go, plan on taking some time and sitting in a theater and a scene or two from his movies. Watch a news conference, listen to a radio broadcast.

He was a common sense guy with a sense of humor.

The museum has a children’s area down in the basemenet with a western town, interactive videos, and all sorts of information.

All in all we had a great time

RIP Will Rogers

Our World

Our World – Road Trip with SuperPizzaBoy to Ride Horses, see some Bison, and Save a Turtle

Saturday Sweetie was going to spend some time with a friend so me and SuperPizzaBoy had the day to ourselves.

First stop was All-Star Therapy in Ramona, north of town. SPB rides there almost ever week. Here he is with “Seven” doing some rounds outside.

SPB worked under the direction of Lisa who should slap me silly for this pic. There was a daytime moon I was trying to get in the pic and didn’t even notice what Lisa was doing until later. You can just barely see the moon about right in the middle of the pic.

After All-Star SPB and I loaded up and went further north to the Nature Conservancy’s Tallgrass Praire Preserve north of Pawhuska, Oklahoma. I just love it up there for a number of reasons. You can really see a long ways. 39,000 acres of tallgrass praire. The largest remaining tallgrass praire on earth it is claimed.

You really are out in the middle of nowhere up there. You barely have cell phone coverage. An investor group wants to put a bunch of windmills up there to generate some so called “renewable” energy. They would sure ruin the view. But it would sure make investors rich! You are not one of them are you? What are you going to do with the money? I bet you are not going to build a home near any windmills.

We didn’t see any bison on our way into the preserve. We stopped and did the short loop nature trail. They have loops from 1/2 to 3 miles.

It was about as nice a day in July as you are ever going to get. It was in the low 80’s when we got there. See how lush and green the grass is. Usually everything is sun bleached, beat down, brown this time of year.

The wildflowers were pretty also.

SPB really liked the trail. He announced it was too short so we we walked a little on the longer trails.

On the way out the bison made an appearance. Here is a momma with two calves.

And then these two guys came straggling past along with a bunch of others.

In another part of the preserve we saw some cattle. Cows are more sociable than buffalo. They always stop and look where bison just barely acknowledge your present. I love these three.

And there were some white cattle also. You can tell that I really know my cows. You see you have white ones, black ones, multi-color ones, and so on. Anything else you want to know?

Very pretty coloring.

On our way out I almost ran over this dude. He was right on the edge of the ruts taking a nap.

I moved him to the side of the road. Hopefully it was the side he was wanting to go to. He was about to be turtleburger if I had left where I found him.

And then, SPB headed to Bartlesville for some barbecue and then “Home James” to the house. We were near the Pioneer Woman’s ranch but just were not in the mood to go say hello.

I love road trips. What did you do Saturday?

Our World Tuesday

Our World – Family Trail Ride

We had a family reunion on a ranch near Island Park, Idaho last week. While there we signed up for a trail ride.

As we gathered brother Bob and nephew Shiloh honed their ~~roping~~ rope untangling skills.

Sister Ellen, (left), Dad, and Sweetie chattted.

The smirking stars of the day were trying to figure out who of the dudes they were going throw off during the ride.

The lead wrangler was showing us how to get on the horse. I didn’t catch his next move where standing where he is, he jumped and swung his right leg over the horse and into the saddle as smooth as silk. Without breaking his serious face he asked if we had any questions. I love smart alecky wranglers.

So after everybody was on their horse (using platforms) we were ready to go.

Off we went across the sagebrush and up a hill against a beautiful blue sky.

Alongside a small lake.

Across lush green meadows.

And through the woods.

We stopped and the wranger took photographs with our cameras. Left to right is brother-in-law Irv, brother Bob, sister Ellen, SuperPizzaBoy, nephew Mr. Beans, Sweetie, and Me!

Irv documented the return trek.

Here is my horsecam view of yet another small lake close to the stable.

All of our butts were a little sore but we were happpy.

Our World Tuesday

Our World – Back from Vacation

We are back from vacation. We went down to Orange Beach, Alabama for a week.

We hung out on the beach a lot. Some of us tanned, others of us got toasted.

We went kayaking one day. Nothing like kayaking through a busy bay.

We saw some dolphins playing. That was quite a thrill.

We witnessed some great sunsets.

At ate some really, really good meals. Really.

And hung out on the beach. We did a lot of that!

One of us went geocaching.

We also listened to a lot of music, visited with some other friends of Tulsa, and even made a new friend at the urgent care clinic.

Now that we are back, we just want to know when we can go on our next vacation!

Our World Tuesday

Our World – Boston Avenue Church

Boston Avenue Church is a Methodist Church in Tulsa designed in the art deco style by Bruce Goff. It is one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen and I’ve posted photographs of it several times. I took this picture from a window where I work. I cropped out the bottom a little because of some ugly rooftops that intruded in the photo.

We used to be members when we first moved to town and I can tell you that the interior of the building is as spectacular as the exterior. They used to have guided tours of the building every Sunday after the last service.

In a city known for its art deco treasures Boston Avenue Church is the masterpiece. Check it out if you ever make it to town. Tell them Yogi sent you.

Our World Tuesday

Our World – Tulsa’s Owen Park

Tulsa’s Owen Park, Tulsa’s oldest public park, is a jewel just to the northwest of downtown. As peaceful as it is now, it began with a accidental nitroglycerine explosion in 1904 in a nitroglycerine storage shed. Nitroglycerine was used for oil field purposes. The explosion’s crater became what is now Own Creek Pond pictured above. I love that story, another account said that the pond came about when the city dammed a ravine in the park. That definitely lacks in drama and thus is probably not true, at least in my thinking.

The property has been a park since 1909. It sold by Chauncy Owen to the city of Tulsa. Apparently it was the major park in Tulsa for years.

I love old obscure memorials. I loved the brass work on the one above. It is the Indian Memorial. Just several hundred feeet east is the junction of the Creek, Osage, and Cherokee tribal nations. Let me tell you something, there is not much of anything more complicated than the history of the Indian Tribes in Oklahoma.

There is another monument nearby that commemorates a barbecue held on the property in 1921. It was for families who had been in the area for 30 years or more. Not exactly the welcome wagon is it?

I noticed that Chancey Owens attended, and several branches of the Perryman family who played a huge role in early day Tulsa. I find it amazing that somebody considered a barbecue so important that they built a monument to it. Have you ever been to a event that good? Me neither.

So, is that it for Owen Park? A remnant of early day history, well I think things are happening.

A brand spanking new play park with splash pad. Splash pads are all the rage now. We just need some kids. They’ll show when school’s out.

When the weather is hot there is nothing like these dumping buckets. They’ll cool you off in no time.

Also, an old building on site is being converted to the Discovery Lab of the Tulsa Children’s Museum. Check out the link, it sounds fun. It opens later this month.

Also, the neighborhood seems to be coming back. This house above is rght across the street. I just love those first floor doors and windows and the staircase to the left.

So, I think things are looking up for Owen Park.

Our World Tuesday