Happy Halloween! Do you know who your kids are hanging out with?
Heather on Video
My wife, Heather (the wife formerly known as Sweetie) is on a video produced by our son’s School: Town and Country School here in Tulsa. Check it out.
I’m just really proud of her is all I can say. I also think she needs her own television show with some major sponsorships. Let me know if you want to help.
Tulsa Run 15K – 2013 Edition
(The race started several minutes ago and I’m still walking up to the start line. The leaders are over a quarter mile down the road)
Saturday I ran the Tulsa Run 15K. It was my 20th consecutive Tulsa Run. This race was the first race I ever ran way back when and I love it. I have had to make mad dashes from the race to home to shower and catch planes a couple of times. I’ll run it for as long as I can.
(Duck Dynasty Runner, photographer?)
It is like a my meditiation. I run it, no headphones, just the clippity clop of my fellow runner’s feet, the music from the various bands. The generally cool breezy weather. I don’t know. I run it and seems like 5 minutes later, its done.
(There are always lots of bands and musical groups on the route. Used to be there were middle and high school cheerleaders.)
I’ve never been very fast, and I’ve gotten slower as I’ve gotten older and fatter. I used to have time goals and all that. Now I just want to run it. I stop and take pictures.
There were about 4400 runners in the race and it is amazing to me how fast they separate from each other. I always start at the very back. This year it took me about five minutes to get to the start line after the gun went off.
I had been battling a sinus infection all week and considered not running. But I felt better Saturday.
(Do motorcycle policemen ever smile?)
It is a down and back route which some people consider boring. Maybe so, but it gives one the opportunity to check out the leaders and friends in the race. The leaders are amazingly fast.
When I first starte running the race I knew all sorts of people who also run the race. Over the years though almost all my friends and acquaintances quit running for one reason or another.
(The Addams Family, and part of my thumb.)
I don’t know how long I’ll be running it. I figure when I can’t I’ll show up and cheer the folks on. Maybe hold up a sign or ring some cowbells.
(I love ironic signs)
Hey you know if you can’t do what you want, then you do what you can.
Hmm, how do you like the Cave Girls? Let me see, there is Wilma Flintstone and there is Betty Rubble, I don’t know who the others are. Do you?
(Fellow geocacher Ann, aka “ExtremeMom” ringing the cowbells. If you are finding geocaches on the Riverparks chances are they are hers.)
Anyway, it seems before it even started it was over. I ran out of gas at 8K and started running three streetlights and walking one. I did that all the way except when I came within sight of the finish line. You always have to look good at the end right?
I lined up at the beer truck, grabbed my two, drank’em and went home.
(Dweeb Bling)
I’ll be back next year! If I can.
Do you have something you like to do year after year?
Connected Again
I’ve been off the air lately. A few nights ago our internet crashed. I am not sure what caused it but it may be the Obamacare website thrashing around in its death throes did our access in. Stuff like this never happened with Bush is what I say. Of course most Republicans these days don’t even know who Bush is. They seem to think that we didn’t really have a President in the eight years before Obama. And you know they may be right! But I’m digressing The point is that I lost my internet but that’s okay cuz I was out gathering material.
My sister and her youngest daughter came to town for a horse show. (A little bit about that later.) We got to visit a little bit. It would have been rude to be writing a post during a visit don’t you think? For those of you who don’t think that I ever smile, this picture is proof that I do! Sister Ellen is also a fellow blogger. Go check out at News From The “Pole” Yard.
On Saturday I ran the Tulsa Run 15K. It kind of hurt. I had a sinus infection going on and had missed three days of work. Of course my boss is a runner also and asked me Saturday morning, “Oh, so you feel okay to run, huh?” To make matters worse I came in ahead of him, and his wife. Oh well, all in good fun is what I say. I’ll have more about the race in a later post.
Ellen and Jillian are both really involved with 4H and horses and horse judging. They were in town for the U.S. National Arabian and Half-Arabian Championship Horse Show. On Saturday night we met them at the show. I had never been to such a thing and it was just amazing. I have not seen anything like this horse show ever, not on television or anywhere. Those Arabian Horses are very spirited, high strung and beautiful and the owners, breeders, and fans are passionate about the breed. I’ll also be posting more about this later. The National Championship is coming back to Tulsa each year for the next five years. I’ll be there!! Getting high on that green sawdust.
Jillian (at the far right) was the coach of a high school 4H horse judging team from Colorado. Jillian competed extensively in high school and then later at Colorado State University before she graduated. She stays active in the sport. She took vacation from her job to come down with the kids and help them compete.
And then of course we went to the Pumpkin Patch. Gotta have pumpkins this time of year. Of course, Logan can carry the pumpkins now. We started bringing him out here when he was about the size of the one he is holding.
So, anyway, that’s my whirlwind post. I’ve missed everybody! But it was a nice break also. We had a lot going on.
Skywatch Friday – Autumn is Here
Ah yes, Fall, the sun is lower which makes the shadows longer, the leaves are changing, the days are still warm. My favorite time of year!!
Wordless Wednesday – Scarecrows
The Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel at Powell Gardens
The Marjorie Powell Allen Chapel overlooks a small lake at Missouri’s Powell Gardens just east of Kansas City, Missouri.
It is a beautiful building in a beautiful setting. It is basically wood and glass set on a rock foundation. It soars into the sky and is very light and spacious.
It was designed by E. Fay Jones (1921-1994) who designed similar chapels in Eureka Springs and Bella Vista, Arkansas. Mr. Jones was an apprentice of Frank Lloyd Wright. The architecture school at the University of Arkansas bears his name.
I don’t know the first thing about architecture but I do think the design is very graceful and simple in form but sumptuous in details.
What a view! You can rent the chapel for a wedding if you wish.
I found the chapel to be very inspiring. Have you been to an inspiring place lately?
The Powell Gardens of Kansas City
For the final day of our Fall Break Road Trip to Kansas City we ventured about 30 miles east of Kansas City to visit Powell Gardens. It was beautiful and I expected that but what I didn’t expect was the sense of humor. I love a sense of humor.
For example, have you ever really seen a Flower Bed? Not till now I expect.
Or how about some Fall Fun?
Or a Scarey Crow? I don’t really get along with people who don’t have a sense of humor. Or people who don’t like dogs or critters in general, or who don’t like art or flowers, or who don’t believe in something bigger than themselves! Just saying. I’m quite the bigot aren’t I. I don’t feel bad about it.
I loved their pumpkin carvings!
And this’ll keep those people out of the beds, surely? It kept me out I’ll tell you.
There is a simply beautiful little chapel on the grounds.
And all sorts of places to sit down and rest. I am at a place where I need rest. Gardens do that for me. (Not Gardening Sweetie, gardens!)
My road trip companions. I’d go with them anywhere.
You have to love gardens with mirrors. How do you like my hat?
Exhausted by Art and Earning Refreshment
Today we “did” the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art here in Kanas City during our Fall Break. Or maybe it did us?
“Hollywood” by Thomas Hart Benton
We were overwhelmed by all the works in the place. Hundreds and hundreds of pieces, or it seemed like to me, in endless rooms. And it was all magnificent, and by gum we were going to see it all. I’m not sure we saw it all but we looked at it all. We were in there for about four hours and were plum exhausted by it all.
I did get a selfie in though, and I got Heather and Logan in it as well.
We earned our refreshments I tell you!
Did you earn your refreshments today? Tell me about it.
Symbols of Sacrifice
On our second day of our Fall break trip to Kansas City we spent several hours at the National World War I Museum. Talk about a wonderful museum. It is very well done and lots of exhibits and explanatory information and even sound booths where you can listen to poems and songs from the era. It really was overwhelming. To me a great museum needs several visits to really appreciate. So at a new museum my strategy is yes take it all in but really focus on the details. Sometimes you can find something new there. Something that gives the experience a little extra meaning.
What got me today was the symbols of sacrifice. I mean I loved all the artillery pieces, machine guns, sniper rifles, and the like but it was symbols like the Blue Stars that I noticed this time. The Blue Star of course means that the family has a loved one at war.
The Gold Star means that a family has lost a loved in battle.
The Congressional Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest award for valor.
The new symbol for me was the poppy. Poppy’s were first mentioned in the poem about World War I dead by John McCrae. I thought the poppy as a symbol of sacrifice originated in Great Britain. According to Wikipedia, it originated in the United States after World War I and then spread to other countries. I haven’t seen poppy’s for sale in the US for years. It is still a potent symbol in Great Britain I’m told. The Story Behind the Remembrance Poppy is an excellent summary of history of the symbol.
One of the most moving things I’ve ever seen on YouTube (I know that is not saying a lot) is a ceremony of dropping poppies during the Festival of Remembrance held every November 11 to remember the end of the hostilities of World War I.
You know the Yanks may have come up with the symbol of the Poppy but the Brits have taken it to a new level.
In Flanders Fields
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
John McCrae
Anyway, we had a good time and learned a lot at the museum and I recommend it highly. There is not a whole lot of glory in war is the reinforced lesson, but there is much courage and sacrifice.