Category Archives: Tulsa

Black and White Wednesday – Tulsa Petroleum Club

Tulsa’s Petroleum Club building. I used the Hipstamatic App with my Ipod Touch to take these pics. So I guess I could say that these are “SOC.” More and more people are using their phones and ipods to take photographs and post them.

The Petroleum Club is just a regular office building now. The Petroleum Club itself that occupied the top several floors went bankrupt several years ago. The energy industry is still going strong but people don’t head to the club after work to drink and socialize. They go to their kids soccer practices and other things like that.

This is my first post on Black and White Wednesday. It probably won’t be my last!

Black and White Wednesday

Signs, Signs, – Tulsa’s New Librarium

(Pic taken with my Sardina 35mm film camera. Nothing beats film, sorry, no offense)

The Tulsa City County Library just shut down their Central Library for a two year renovation at a cost near $50 million. Now, they don’t have that money in hand but they are hoping that they get it. Personally, the hope method of raising money has never worked out very well for me. But what do I know!

(The grocery store closed in the early 90’s. I was witnessed a tug of war in the parking lot between a store employee and a customer pushing and pulling on a roast. Finally the customer gave up and jumped into a getaway care took off. Stuff like that is why they used to call the store the “UnSafeway.”)

To provide downtown users a library, they renovated an old Safeway Grocery store and loaded it full of books, computers, and lots of places to sit. They call it the Librarium.

(I took this pic before I went in the Librarium for the very first time. That is when I found out that there is a long bar along with window with stools for work stations. Everybody was looking at me.)

I think it works very well. It is a large open, well lit, space with a great feel to it. It is a little bit of a walk to it but not bad especially since the weather is turning cooler.

(Don’t ask me how I know but it is impossible to disengage those dang ipads from the mounts. Take my word for it.)

It even has an “Ipod Lounge!” Reader Bill aka “The Tulsa Gentleman” tells me that Leon Russell used to work at this Safeway way back when. (I don’t hear any questions about who Leon Russsell is.)

Anyway I’ll be spending a lot of time at the Librarium for the next two years.

Signs, Signs

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

Introducing YogiCam at Tulsa’s River Parks

Sunday, Sweetie and I went on our Anniversary Bike Ride at Tulsa’s River Parks.. It was also the inauguaral ride for the “Amazing YogiCam.” The YogiCam made us able to fully document our ride via about 81 pics but I’m only going to share a few of them with you. You irritate me I’m going to make you look at all of them.

There were many other bike riders on the trails Sunday.

One section had just opened and there was still a lot of construction equipment. I love construction equipment. (Just in case you were wondering to get me for Christmas.)

Lots of Walkers.

And Disk Golf Players.

And works of art.

And lots of bike riders passing us. Lots of them.

Near the ampitheater on the west bank it looked like a concert was going on. I think it was a worship service. Sweeetie and I were total pagans that day. Sorry if that offends you. Maybe the River Parks Authority should post copies of the Ten Commandments on both sides of the river every mile or so. That’ll chase us into church! Right!

Back across the river on the Pedestrian Bridge. Talk about an obstacle course, trying to maneuver between the fishermen, the waddlers, the baby strollers going side by side, and the stop and talkers in the middle people I was too busy steering to by YogiCaming. Sorry.

Lots of dog walkers out and about.

And kids at the Quik Trip Plaza playground and splash pads. I think splash pads are the world’s greatest invention. I wish I had them when I was a kid.

We did pass one other biker on our trek Sunday. She acted a little irritated when I used the bell. The trouble with saying “On your left!” is that about half the people then turn left! They never do that with a bell. Some of them give me the one finger salute though.

So that was YogiCam. It’s not a fancy GoPro, its just a small point shoot Nikon on a lanyard.

I love Tulsa’s River Parks. Lots and lots of stuff going on and I didn’t get pics of the people fishing and the kayakers, and the mountain bikers on Turkey Mountain.

Fun stuff folks.

Skywatch Friday – Running the River

I love this time of year for a number of reasons but a big reason is that the sun is still up during my Wednesday evening “kitchen pass” run so I can run for a while and take photographs for a little while. I’m trying to get ready for my 20th consecutive Tulsa Run 15 kilometer race in late October, plus I am going to see if I have one more half marathon in me for in November, so I’m starting to build up mileage and there is no prettier place to do that than along the Arkansas River in Tulsa.

Soon enough I’ll be running in the dark. That happens when you are as old, fat, and slow as me, but hey I’m still in race.

Skywatch Friday

Brady District Art Crawl

Friday night the Yogi’s decided to get out and do something besides watch the old boob tube.

We went to Brady District just north of downtown Tulsa for the First Friday Art Crawl.

We saw all sorts of art in museums and galleries.

A lot of it was fun. We met a few acquaintances and chatted. It was fun.

I found some reflective stuff and I captured Sweetie and SuperPizzaBoy. I cut off my own son’s head. That is awfull!! That’s okay though, he’s at that age where he’ll grow a new one overnight. You can see me in the pic above if you can figure out where to look.

At the Philbrook Museum’s new Brady District facility I saw my new avatar. It is a work of art and I am sure that I’m violating several laws but this is already my new facebook profile pic. Speaking of facebook, why are we not friends yet? I’m running out of people to unfriend me.

We finished up listening to a Jazz Band play some “slow burners” as they called him. The music was as happy as the musicians were.

Great times!!

Ribbit

From the Tulsa Zoo outing son and I had last week. Zoos these days spend a lot of time, energy, and money on things such as art work and landscaping making them a total visual and sensory experience.

Signs, – Woody Guthrie Museum

The Guthrie Green area of Tulsa just north of downtown is bursting with new activity this year. The Woodie Guthrie Center recently opened. It is dedicated to the life and legacy of Woodie Guthrie. I’ll tell you someething, Oklahoma needs to be reminded of Woodie Guthrie.

Signs, Signs

My World – Tulsa Children’s Museum – Discovery Lab

It was hot Saturday, so SuperPizzaBoy and I went to the new Tulsa Children’s Museum at Owen Park just north of downtown Tulsa.

It is located in the old Owen Park Community Center but the buildng has been totally revamped and repurposed.

We did it all, SPB really liked the bed of nails.

No children were punctured for this blog. He said he could feel slight pricks fromt the nails but that was it.

We went through the Tulsa Tape Tunnel. A long winding tunnel through the air that seemed like it was made of packing tape. It was lots of fun.

It is very safe and stable. The little kids shot past both of us.

It ends with a long slide to the floor. I didn’t know that they made slick packing tape?

We did it all. They have displays on aerodynamics, mechanics, optics, waves, electric circuits, lots of stuff, and they have things to build and play with.

They have lots of people to help with the displays if needed.

They have an activity center to make stuff.

It was a great way to spend the afternoon. I also tell you that it is not just for kids. I was definitely not the oldest person enjoying themselves. They also have stuff for the real little kids. Nowhere did I see any “Do Not Touch” Signs. This place is definitely a “Please Touch” museum.

I know that we liked it.

Our World Tuesday

Skywatch Friday – A Sunny Art Deco Day

A sunny day in Tulsa captured on my four lensed film camera. I like how it makes the building look all curvey. (Curvey is a word in Oklahoma in case you didn’t know.) Sunny days have been kind of rare lately. If all the rain that we have is not getting us out out of our drought I don’t know what will.

Skywatch Friday