Monthly Archives: May 2018

Skywatch Friday – A Visit to the Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch

Sorry about the decapitated horse to the left.

Continuing from my previous post where brother Bob and I visited the Will Rogers Museum in Claremore, we drove about 20 miles or so north to the Will Rogers Birthplace Ranch. The Rogers family name for the place was, the Dog Iron Ranch. We were told at the museum that the ranch was a beautiful place and I can confirm that indeed it is. It is at the end of a road and the property has waterfront on a lake. The place teems with birds and very green grass and nice big trees.

We met the ranch foreman, Fred. Fred was very bossy and loved to have his photo taken and was just generally very fussy.

We ventured briefly down a hiking trail and saw this longhorn cows. They checked us out when we first approached and then quickly became bored.

We didn’t go very far, I hadn’t thought about needing bug spray and if we had gone any farther we would need some. I am not a big fan of chiggers and ticks.

The house is beautiful. Apparently this kind of house was common in Territorial Oklahoma but is now rare. It was once known as the “The White House on the Verdigris.” The lower floor of the house is open.

I loved the light from the tall windows.

A beautiful sitting room with a piano. I love those old walls and the fireplace. The house started out as a log cabin, actually two log cabins with a cover over the “dogtrot” between them. The house was expanded gradually and a second story added with two bedrooms. The old dog trot was enclosed and is now the foyer. Somewhere along the way, the white clapboard siding was added. I just love stuff like that.

And the master bedroom. I love that big multicolored rug.

The ranch is a quiet place with just the horses, donkeys, Fred, and the birds. Besides the house there is an authentic barn and wood fences. The hiking trail is a little rough but I’d of done it if I had my bug spray. The place has RV spots and and airstrip!! You have to make arrangement in advance to stay out there as there is no staff on site.

I recommend a visit highly. It is one of the nicest place I have been to in Oklahoma.

I am linking with Skywatch Friday

A Visit to the Will Rogers Museum in Claremore, Oklahoma

My brother Bob and I drove to Tulsa suburb of Claremore to visit the Will Rogers Museum. Will Rogers may be the most popular Okie ever. Even more revered than Garth Brooks. Will Rogers was a humorist, author, actor (both film and broadway), radio personality, author, and columnist. He was known for his folksy ways and friendly demeanor. His most popular saying was that he “Never met a man he didn’t like.” He was born on November 4, 1879 on a ranch near Oolagah, Oklahoma and died in an airplane crash in Alaska on August 15, 1935.

He grew up ranching of and worked his way into wild west shows and later vaudeville doing roping tricks. Later he was in Broadway plays and movies.

The museum is chock full of Will Rogers information and art. Their are statues of him, art of him. They have film clips of him. And all sorts of information about him and many of his possessions are on display including a large collection of saddles.

I loved all the movie posters. They have mock ups of the various rooms in his house in California where he lived when his film career blossomed. The museum is very nice and you can tell that it is a labor of love for the staff and volunteers that work there. You get a very good sense of the man. Talented yet humble and a very understated manner of speaking. I left there wondering, “Who is our Will Rogers today.”

Will Rogers is buried on the grounds there on a site overlooking the beautiful hills of Oklahoma. I love this statue that they have near the grave.

Here is a carboard cutout of Will along with my brother. Sorry about the dark shot.

Soon, I will have a post about Rogers’ birthplace in nearby Oolagah. Brother Bob and I ventured up there after our visit to the museum.

If you want to visit the Will Rogers Museum click on the link. They have lots and lots of information including the basics such as where they are and when they are open.

Birthday Weekend!!

Son Logan is having a birthday this weekend. For some reason either he is growing or his mother and grandmother are both shrinking.

He is a patient kid, he puts up with all my hiking, geocaching, and other things I like to do.

He’s a scholar, presently at a community college and may be going to a four year university soon, and staying in the dorm. And his mother and I will be empty nesters, except for our five other kids (dogs and cats.)

And he is always ready for a good stretch!!

And he is patient with his dad sticking a camera in his face. I have almost 5800 photos of him in my archives.

And lucky for him, he takes after his mom. I think he is a good looking kid.

Especially when he is next time.

He loves chilling in his grandmother’s poo.

And he is a big reader. He goes everywhere with a book.

He and his mom love parasailing together.

And he loves video games.

Happy Birthday Logan!! We love you.

Skywatch Friday – Late Spring Sky

I came upon this sky during my hike on Turkey Mountain last weekend. Since spring we have actually had some clouds to make our blue skies a little more interesting plus provide a little shade.

I am linking with Skywatch Friday

A Hike on Turkey Mountain – Meditation in Motion

I found me a gnarled old tree. I love gnarly.

Saturday morning I didn’t have any obligations. Heather went off to teach her classes and the kid didn’t want to go walking or hiking or much of anything. So I went off to Turkey Mountain all on my lonesome.

A perfect trail, I love the dappled sun.

I like exploring Turkey Mountain with my family or friends but I am okay with it on my own as well. I get totally lost in the moment feeling the sun or shade on my face, the heat, humidity, what the ground feels like under my feet, other people up there and everything else. It is all just part of the whole. You can’t keep your head in the clouds though. You have to keep an eye on the trail so you don’t trip plus the copperheads are out and they are hard to spot.

An open air auditorium. The trees make a natural archway.

So I have a rough idea of what I want to do but I feel free to change it up as the mood strikes me.

Slow and steady down the this steeper than it looks and rocky trail.

Turkey Mountain is just so lush and green this early in the summer. Give it time under some hot sun and the green will lose its freshness and the ponds, creeks, and springs will dry up. It’s all part of the cycle.

Relive ‘Morning Meditation in Motion on Turkey Mountain’

I can walk an hour or two and it seems like five minutes.

Our World Tuesday – Flower and Wildflowers

This is one of Heather’s day lilies in front of our house on Sunday morning after a night’s rainfall. I just love rain drops on flowers.

Saturday I went hiking on Tulsa’s Turkey Mountain and found some color. Or some color besides green. The mountain is covered in bright green and I love it but I also love other colors also

And here is some yellow flowers. I have no idea about flowers so I call these yellow flowers.

And here is one of the trails I ran. You see what I mean about bright green?

And here is a purple wildflower.

After years using a Toshiba I finally got a new computer. The Toshiba was still working but the pentium chip just wasn’t up to the demands of Lightroom and Photoshop and other photo software I use. so I got a brand spanking new Dell with a fast processor. I also have a solid state hard drive that is about half the size of the one I had but I don’t keep much data on machine. I got it at Staples and had them move the data and programs from the old machine to the new and you know something they did a great job and the cost was very reasonable.

I am linking with Our World Tuesday.

Shadow Shot Sunday – Evening Ride to Sand Springs

I am really enjoying riding my bike. I couldn’t do it Monday or Tuesday because I had to pick the kid up from work and Wednesday Heather and I went to the Alison Krauss – Willie Nelson concert. (Heck of a show those two put on I tell you.) So Thursday was it. I have a go pro type cheap clone that I mount on the handlebars of my bike. I had it set to take a photo every 20 seconds so above is an action shot of my filling my water bottle. You can tell from the long shadow of the tree that it was already getting late in the day.

The winds were supposed to pick up from the north so I opted for an east west route to Sand Springs and back on the MK&T trail. A converted railroad line. Straight as an arrow and easy grades. It doesn’t get much use and has several road crossings but they are easily crossed.

Here is a sign shadow, with a lens flare.

And here is an action shadow selfie of me pressing the crosswalk button like a nerd. A bicyclist who knows what he is doing just goes out there in traffic. I plan on living a few more years and I am hoping that being a nerd furthers that cause.

And an extra long shadow selfie on the trail. Below is a brief video of my ride.

Relive ‘After work ride to Sand Springs’

So what have you been up to lately?

I am linking with Shadow Shot Sunday

Skywatch Friday – Sunset Across the River

I went on a bike ride Thursday night. At the end the sun was kind of low and some clouds were showing up. Not quite sunset but I love the reflections in the Arkansas River.

And then the 21st street bridge across the river and more reflections.

This is where I am almost home. I stopped the car in the middle of the road and took this photo. Pretty nice, no filters or edits, I promise.

I’m linking with other Skywatchers

Much ado about Signs

Saturday I was doing my favorite activity, hanging with my wife Heather. We were running errands having to do with Mother’s Day. One place we went @Home. A giant box store crammed full of stuff including a bunch of signs for the home. I loved the one above. I got and we will be taking to the condo we are renting on the Gulf Coast later this summer.

Hmmm, do mermaids read what you write in the sand? That’s an intriguing idea. What about sirens, do they read also, or do they just sit on the rocks singing songs luring sailors to their doom? Do you know the difference between a mermaid and a siren? Well, if you are really interested in the subject read this post of mine from almost ten years ago that explains it, and ties in Esther (you know from the Bible), and loops around Starbucks as well.

I love this sign also. I remember when I had hair.

Yep, I like this one as well.

Or rather, “Her Roost, Her Rules!” Doubt me?

Here is another sign, at a local brewery. After years of being a beer desert, Oklahoma is coming into the 20th century with more modernized liquor laws. Next step is the 21st century.

Here is a whole bunch of signs. I am a “Sign Abatement Volunteer” with the City of Tulsa. Me and about 61 other folks have been trained on what signs are legal, which or not, and the value of using good judgement, discretion, and restraint despite what the law says. So I have been gathering up signs all over south Tulsa. They are mainly for sketchy crap businesses that don’t have a physical address. So, I am doing by bit for cleaning up the city. So far I have found around 70 or so. I guess I could start a referral business for the likes of Heavenly Hands Magic Massages, Loans for Businesses, Instant Weight Loss, and guys that will buy any house.

How about you? Have you found any good signs lately?

Bristow Wildflower Run 5K – 2018

The beautiful train station at Bristow, now a museum.

This past weekend I decided to go run a race that I have wanted to be in ever since I started running eons ago but have never done. It is the Bristow Wildflower Run. I had heard that it was a nice race and so I decided to check it out even though I was not running it, I was going to walk it.

I love what I call “Working Man’s Trucks.”

I had never been to Bristow before and I was surprised. It is a really nice little town.

I loved the store fronts. Bristow’s downtown seems to be thriving.

The race is part of the Bristow Tabuleh Fest. I didn’t know it until I moved to Tulsa years ago and I still don’t quite understand it but there is a big thread of Lebanese culture all through northeast Oklahoma. There are several good Lebanese restaurants in Tulsa. Anyway the race started and ended downtown in among all the booths and activities for the Tabuleh Fest.

Bristow’s city park is spectacular.

The fun sounded and off we went. Or rather off they went as I was back walking with the grandmothers until they left me in their dust. The race route goes through some nice neighborhoods and on to a huge park with a lake with the banks covered with wildflowers. Thus the name of the race.

We looped back to downtown and finished the race, well behind the grandmothers I should add. I didn’t win anything, but I had a good time and will be back.

The race hit all the check marks.

Nice T shirt, check, and lots of tshirts for everybody, double check.
Reasonable price – only $23 check
Community participation – there were lots of people cheering us on. Even me, eating the grandmother’s dust, – triple check
Refreshments – yep, lots of water, bananas, orange quarters, check, check, check. Plus there was a huge number of food vendors at the festival.
Venue – check – Bristow is a beautiful town, and downtown Bristow has a lot of preserved historical features including a spectacular train station.
Timing – Tatur.org, nobody better, check

So the race is a keeper for me.

Do you know of any other small town races I should enter?