Quartet with Maggie Smith, Directed by Dustin Hoffman

I had Friday off and Sweetie and went to see “Quartet.” It is a very nice movie about and English retirement home for musicians and singers. It is fun because although the residents are retired they continue to practice their arts be it playing an instrument or singing opera and stay involved with the community by inviting local kids in to learn about music.

The residents are an interesting mix all with artistic temperaments which cause considerable friction with each other but also mutual devotion and concern which causes an opposite pull.

The message of the movie is that it is never too late to change yourself. It also makes a powerful statement about community. The characters are interesting and the dialog sparkles.

I give the movie five stars.

Weekend Reflections – Post Oak Lodge

Post Oak Lodge is a hilltop retreat up in the Osage Hills near Tulsa. If you ever go, take your camera.

Weekend Reflections

Skywatch Friday – Perspective

You know I really like the city I live in and sometimes I think it is a pretty big deal (or at least a sizeable middling big deal compared to other cities.) But then I get an opportunity to go hang out in the country and get a different view of things.

(View of downtown Tulsa from Holmes Peak during a trail race last Saturday)

And you know it is an okay place to live but the big blue Oklahoma Sky is so much a bigger deal.

Skywatch Friday

Signs, Signs – Ghosty Sign

Tulsa’s downtown is slowly coming alive. The property owners are repurposing the older buildings and many are preserving the original signs from way back when.

Signs, Signs

Minolta Zoom 110 SLR – My “New” Camera

Way back in 1977 when I graduated from college I bought this camera. It is a single lens reflex camera that uses the once popular 110 cartridge film: a Minolta 110 Zoom. I used it for a few years and moved onto other cameras. I always did like its funky shape and its “feel.” I’m a sensory guy and things have to feel right or I don’t like them. The Minolta had a nice heft to it and the sounds it made when you hit the button to take the shot or pushed the lever to advance the film felt just right. I was never very happy with the photos though. They seemed a little grainy and not very sharp.

Well 110 cartridges have become available again thanks to Lomography dot com so I ordered a couple cartridges and loaded them up and over the last couple of months took a few pictures (Cuz, yall are very nice but I’m not a photographer so I don’t capture images, I’m a picture taker so I take pictures.)

I took the pictures and then waited a month or two before I sent the cartridges off to get processed. Some things never change do they. Well I got the photographs back and I am really happy with them.

The photos are sharper than what I remember and the colors much more vivid. It seems they used to be kind of washed out. So I don’t know if it is the film quality now compared to 35 years ago or maybe my dementia as kicked in the last month or so because of the Girl Scout Cookies I’m eating, or just what.

The camera doesn’t have auto much of anything. You set the f stop and it figures out the shutter speed is about all. You have to focus yourself. Above is a slightly out of focus shot. I still like it but it isn’t very sharp.

(World’s Tallest Totem Pole, Foyill, Oklahoma)

Gotta love Orpha’s. Downtown Tulsa’s last dive bar.

Overall digital beats analog hands down. It’s faster and cheaper and you can tell right then and there what your shot looks like.

Analog, you still have to buy the film and then get it processed. It is pretty expensive.

But I love the look and feel of analog. The various apps and filters available for digital images are amazing but they are not the same thing.

This is SOOC but I’m still a major cheater on this photo.

I think analog will always be a part of my picture taking.

(My son about to be swallowed whole by a blue whale!)

Do you still use your old film cameras?

Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors – Downtown

There is a lot going on at this entrance to a building downtown. I don’t know if the doors are delirious but the reflections in the windows are whimsical. I took the picture with a 1970’s era 110 cartridge film camera.

Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors

Post Oak Lodge 10K featuring the Hill from Hell!

Saturday bright and early I got up and headed to the Osage Hills northwest of Tulsa to participate in the Post Oak Lodge Challenge 10K. When I got there I fell in love.

With this fireplace and a very comfortable leather chair. It’s a real fire. We have a gas fire at home and it is all nice and everything but nothing puts out a nice glowing warm heat like a real wood fire.

So I sat there napping off and on as they prepped the 25Kers on following the green ribbon.

And then I sat there during the prep for the 10Kers. We were supposed to follow the pink ribbons. You see.

And then the moment of decision. To I get up out of MY chair and go run the race or just kind nap some more. You like my hat, you think its funny. Hey it was 30 deg at race time and I was warm. So laugh all you want you cold eared people.

So off we go!! Following the pink ribbons. The Shadow knows.

The aid stations were fantabulous, water, gatorade, pb&j sandwiches, chips, homemade cookies, salted potatoes. Wonderful. The Shadow also knows this.

We’ve had a little bit of rain so it was nice to see the creeks flowing again. We had a little bit of mud but not to bad.

We took a turn through the Oklahoma Centennial Botanical Gardens.

And we went by the Post Lodge’s Zip lines. At least that is the cover story. The real deal is that Oklahoma has erected these watch towers to keep Democrats out of the state. They are also a last line of defense to keep those pesky Canadians who are enslaved by the national healthcare system out of our state. Rumor has it that they are massed at the border trying to get in.We are ready for them.

The thing about trail runs is that the good ones are have lots of ups and downs. This was a good one.

I finally got to the top of the Hill from Hell. Holmes Peak is the tallest point in Tulsa County. You can see a long ways.

Way over yonder (as we say in Oklahoma) where the cars are is the start and end of the race.

Heading down the Hill from Hell. . That is downtown Tulsa off in the distance.

This race had a beer stop. They said, “Want a beer?” and I said “Do you have any other stupid questions?”

The finish line!! Yeah we are done!!

Lots of food and adult malted beverages available. This is some white chicken chili.

And then back to my spot. If you happen to be up at the lodge anytime soon. Make sure nobody is sitting there, cuz its mine. You can sit there if you want, just don’t get too comfortable.

It was a great race, well organized and everybody had lots of fun.

I had my GPS watch on. If you want to see the route click on the green balloon above and it will take you to another screen. Click on the thing that looks like your DVD “Play” button to the left and it will show you just how slow I am.

Fisheye Friday – Holy Family Cathedral and School.

I was wandering around town during lunch the other day. I noticed the reflection of the trees in the window of Holy Family Cathedral School.

Weekend Reflections

Skywatch Friday – End of the Day

We had a cold, windy, overcast, gray day all day Tuesday but toward the end the sun peeked out from underneath the clouds and reflected off the Arkansas River.

Skywatch Friday