Category Archives: Tulsa

The Daffodils are Blooming at Woodward Park

The Daffodils are blooming at Woodward Park

So everybody is out taking pictures of flowers and themselves and their loved ones. When I first got there there was a couple who set up a tripod with a video camera to make videos of themselves making out in amongst the daffodils. I was too flabbergasted to fulfill my journalistic duty to document such goings on in the buckle of the Bible belt. I’m sure they were from New York or California or some other godless place. Anybody out there done a video of themselves making out? We want to hear about it.

I brought along my pinhole camera to take pics of the daffodils.

This is a double exposure using the pinhole camera. A Holga PC 135.

I can’t wait for the tulips to come up!

A City in Four Photographs

Downtown Tulsa from the south. It is a different view than most. It actually has a little bit of a big city feel to it.

Thursday was a whirlwind day. Heather and I had some personal business to attend to first thing in the morning so we drove Logan up to his school in east Tulsa and then drove to south of south Tulsa to the ‘burb of Bixby. Bixby is growng really fast and they have done a piss poor job of planning (“‘excuse my French”) because they have only one major north south street and so things get pretty tied up. We got there a little late but then we had to wait. So guess we were early not late.

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This is a double exposure. I used an Ipod Touch App called “Diana.” It takes two random photographs and mashes them together. You just keep shaking the device until you get something you like. I would say that only about one out of twenty combinations is halfway interesting. Still kind of fun to play with.

Then we drove back home and I drove downtown to work. And then to north Tulsa to Tulsa Country Club for the Natural Gas and Energy Association of Oklahoma Meeting and some networking. There I met our just retired CEO in the parking lot. I think he was going golfing, it was strange seeing him all casually dressed. Nice guy, very intense but a very nice guy.

I don’t know what it is but I love the fire escapes in the old buildings downtown. I just wonder what they would be like to actually use. I don’t think women in heels would do very well on these.

Back to the office and then back to south Tulsa for a meeting to clear up some confusion with a customer. Confused customers are not happy customers in my opinion. My coworker that drove was just winging it on the location of the customer’s office so we went round and round for a bit. We drove by Logan’s friend Doc’s house at one point. We got there, and unconfused the customer I think.

Downtown Tulsa from the "Spider" on Turkey Mountain

Downtown Tulsa from the south end of Turkey Mountain Park. I love Turkey Mountain and how it is a wilderness in the middle of the city. We need wilderness in the middle of our cities.

And then back downtown and a bunch of people stopping by saying “Did you read my email?” No, I didn’t read your fricking email dude. I get about 150 emails a day at work a day. I don’t really read them.anymore. I’ve checked, there is actually no company policy that says you have to read your email. Our policies and procedures cover everything under the sun so if they wanted me to read email they would have a policy in place telling me to do so. Do you feel less of me for not reading my work email? Information Overload is what I call it. The youngin’s don’t bother with email either. They “Instant Message” all their stuff. But only with cool, hip, people. So I don’t get IM’d

Do you read all your email at work?

InSPIREed Sunday – Tulsa Bible Baptist Temple

I’ve been meaning to stop and take a few pics of the Bible Baptist Temple on Apache Street close to Tulsa’s Airport for a while. I waited until it was raining to do so.

What has always attracted me to it is the unique A Frame structure. You might see A Frames in Brighton, Utah or Aspen, Colorao but not too many of them are in Tulsa. There is also no windows, at least that one can see from the street. They have a web site and a facebook site with a little bit of information (I love how they incorporated “aframe” into their web address). So I really don’t have much information about what they are about.

The grounds and parking lot are kept in pretty good shape at least.

Do you have any “A Frame” style churches near where you live?

InSPIRed Sunday

Somebody Needs to Explain to Me Why….

I like to go walking around downtown at lunch and check stuff out. I see lots of stuff that I don’t get. For example the First Church of Christ Science on Boulder Avenue. I love the building, it is beautiful and they have not crapped it up with additions or a “Family Life Center” or other trendy additions and checking out their web site they seem to be pretty active. Tulsa’s downtown churches, unlike lots of downtown churches in other cities, actually thrive.

The front of the building is nice. So what I don’t get and maybe one of you can explain to me is…

Why don’t they spend a little more on their signs?

Do you know why?

Wednesday Windows

I like to get outside at least a little bit every day even if it is real cold or hot. I hate days where for one reason or another I don’t leave the office. Getting outside is a chance to reboot and back off during the middle of the day.Of course I take my camera be it my cell phone, Ipod Touch, or a “real” camera with me.

This is a condo conversion going on in a former Men’s clothing store on the south edge of downtown. I just love the new windows from Sun Tint and the old brick. I’m thinking this could end up being a great place to be.

This is the Hyatt Regency towards the north end. It is your typical 70’s version beige corporate hotel. A nice place but forgettable. I stayed here several times traveling on business before I lived in Tulsa.

These are my favorite windows downtown especially the big arched first floor. Can you imagine the light? I have posted pics of these windows several times. I’m getting kind of old and you have to cut me some slack. You have to cut me some slack cuz I’m getting kind of old.

Do you have a favorite window?

IPhone Phriday – Gillette-Tyrell Building Lobby

The lobby of the Gillette-Tyrell Building (sometimes called the Pythian Building) in downtown Tulsa, built in 1930. It was originally supposed to be 13 floors tall but they stopped off at three because of the economic crash. This was one of the first art deco buildings in Tulsa and one of the oldest left standing. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Check the Tulsa Preservation Commission for more information.

Previous Post

This is my first Iphone Phriday post. I may have cheated a little bit. I don’t have an Iphone. I’m too cheap to get one. So I used a Pantech generic android phone. Then, I confess, I pimped the pic on PicMonkey. I am not ashamed although I freely admit I should be.

IPhone Phriday

InSPIREd Sunday – The Church of Saint Mary

(I love that big massive cross. Didn’t use to but it has grown on me. My various lomography cameras throw the guys at Walgreens off sometimes. I don’t know why these images are reversed.)

The Church of Saint Mary is a Catholic Church located just off Peoria in the Brookside area of Tulsa. It is close to the rec center where son has done his improv comedy workshops the last couple years or so. So I have scoured the park, the church grounds, and the surrounding neighborhood with my camera while he is in his class.

(I can’t wait for Spring when everything will be lush and green.)

The grounds of the church and associated school are quite extensive and well landscaped and has a lot of interesting things to see and photograph.

Of course my favorites are the statue of Saint Mary and the bas relief carved into the bricks of one of the the walls. I also like the massive concrete cross at the front of the church.

(Double exposure, fisheye. I’ve posted this before.)

Plus the school has a very colorful playground.

(I’ve posted this before. Note the shadow selfie.)

I’ve never got tired photographing it. I’ll probably be doing it for a couple more years.

Do you have an area that you return to many times to photograph?

InSPIREd Sunday

Philbrook Museum of Art’s 2013 Festival of the Trees

(I have decided that I like trees with bosoms. What about you? The tree at lower right was made out of recycled materials. I don’t know about you but we recycle our tree ever year. Yep, we pull it out of the attic and put it back ever year.)

Saturday afternoon Heather, Logan, and friend Patty took the world’s greatest Mother in Law, Nana to Tulsa’s Philbrook Museum of Art for some lunch and to see the Philbrook’s Festival of the Trees.

(These are nice but I don’t thing the kid is buying these kind of trees. Plus where would I hang my Dallas Cowboys ornament. I have a hard enough time sneaking it on the tree every year. Heather has no problem making sure that it goes on the interior side of the tree facing the wall.)

The Festival of the Trees is something I look forward to every year. The trees are all very creative.

(These are unbreakable trees. You could use them for Christmas trees during the season and for traffic barricades off season.)

I don’t think that I would really want one of these in the living room but they are fun to look at.

(You may have figured out that I’m a new subscriber to picmonkey dot com and by gum I’m going to get my money’s worth. Yep, so expect a torrent of collages and treatments. I’m not a huge fan of so called SOC. so leave me alone.)

One tree was a cowboy tree. It didn’t photograph to well as a whole but I loved the wire and rope ornaments.

(I just wish I could eat some of this stuff. I’m a big fan of gingerbread. I’m afraid that they might be a little stale and taste like Elmers.)

The gingerbread houses are also a favorite of mine.

(Ah, some favorites here. The top left was done by some kids in a class at Logan’s school. Top right is of Holy Family Cathedral where I was forbidden by a member to take photographs of the church. And that is why I’m going to hell when I die. I’m going to have lots of company though. Bottom right, Girl Scout Cookies!!!!!, bottom right is actually the gardens at Philbrook museum. Cool.)

It doesn’t take too long to go through both the trees and gingerbread houses.

One of the gingerbread exhibits getting lots of oohs and ahs with this scene of Tulsa. You get a whole tour of the city with this. From upper left clockwise to lower right you have the Golden Driller, the Blue Dome, the Mayo Hotel, and the BOK center. The Christmas tree and ice rink are the Winter Festival. This was nice but…

This was my favorite. Santa needs to go on a diet and so does Yogi.

Nana however is looking great!! Happy Birthday Nana!!

Our World Tuesday

Running the Route 66 Half Marathon

(There they go!)

I ran the Half Marathon segment of the Route 66 Half Marathon here in Tulsa on Sunday. Sorry I don’t have too many pics. The temp was about 20 at the start of the race and didn’t get above 30. So at the first of the race while waiting in the “Corral” and at the end my fingers and hands felt like stone so no pics. As I got going my I warmed up and my hands thawed and I pulled the camera out a few times.

(Here comes another wave!)

The course started out downtown and wound down and around what is called Midtown in Tulsa just south of downtown and then further south to a funky little area of small houses and cool restaurants and stores called Brookside. From there we got on Riverside drive and ran north parallel to the Arkansas River back to downtown and then finished in and old warehouse area called the Brady District

(I am fascinated by water station squalor. Runners are such pigs. Oink, oink, snort.)

At the end of a race I generally circulate around and talk to who I know and see what is going on. Take a few pics, take in the scene. Sunday, nope, too danged cold. I did cash in my two beer tickets at once. The lady at the beer table was impressed as I walked away carrying my two beers and my gear bag wearing mittens. Child’s play is what she doesn’t realize.

There are lots of signs on the route. Most by family members of runners. “Go Janet!” or “WTG Dad!” Those are okay. I love the Lululemon Girls. Lululemon is a store that sells high end “cute” workout gear. I don’t think that I have any unless Kohl’s sells their label. I do love the Lululemon girls signs. They have a new store on Peoria in the Brookside area. That ‘s the kind of stuff that they sell in Brookside. I’m not putting it down, just saying. I have bought a few meals on Brookside, but never any merchandise. I’m kind of proud of that actually.

You notice that she is pointing the sign at me right?

The guy is obviously not a Lululemon girl. I bet his girlfriend is though. He gave me a fistbump. I accepted it reluctantly, just so you know. You see the girl is looking right at me. With that look. You know, the look don’t you? She didn’t offer a fist bump or much of anything else.

Anyways, I finished the race, grabbed my gear bag with extra clothes, grabbed and downed my beers and made my way to the shuttle bus. It was heated. I didn’t want to get off but I did. Made it home cleaned up before my selfie with the shirt and medal.

Hey when is the next race!!!

InSPIRed Sunday – The Forbidden Photographs of Tulsa’s Holy Family Cathedral

Tulsa’s Holy Family Cathedral is a block away from the office. I walk by it two or three times a week during my noon time walks. I love taking pictures of it. The above is an archway at the side of the Cathedral on a walkway from the street to a parking lot at the back of the Cathedral. I love arches. I don’t know why, I just do.

I take lots of photos of the building and have posted many of them on Yogi’s Den. I photograph them for two reasons, first it is a beautiful building and second because I have been forbidden to photograph the building. Yep, you read that right.

You see one day about two or three years ago at noon I was on the sidewalk in front of the church leaning back taking pictures of the spires of the church and I heard a sharp voice, “May I ask what you are doing?” I looked around and there was a grumpy looking woman looking at me. I said “Well Ma’am I’m taking pictures of this church.” She said, “You know it is illegal to take pictures of a church without permission.” I was like, “Is that right?” “Yes, unless you have permission.” I said, “From who?” She said “From a member of the church.” I said, “Well then I’m good.” She said, “so you have permission?” I said, “Sure do.” “From who?” She asked. I said “He didn’t give his name but I asked him and he said go ahead.” She said when was that? I said last year some time.

So after some more back and forth she said that she was going to report me. I said okay. I have never seen her again but I always take lots of pictures whenever I get anywhere close to the Cathedral.

True confession: I lied to her I never got permission from anybody to take photographs of the Cathedral.

These are forbidden photographs. I’m not even sure that it is legal for you to view them. Do you think less of me? I have a feeling that the church doesn’t care if I take pictures of it or not. I probably shouldn’t aggravate certain members though.

The church was completed in 1914 so 2014 will be the 100th Anniversary of its completion. That is old for Oklahoma.

InSPIRed Sunday