Mandarin Orange Monday – Pumpkin Patch

I had my day off Friday so among other things we loaded up and headed off to Carmichael’s Pumpkin Patch in Bixby, a suburb of Tulsa.

SuperPizzaBoy and Sweetie, hanging with a scarecrow.

The place was crawling with pumpkins and with munchkins.

I love Fall the sun is lower, the shadows are cooler, the colors are wonderful.

SPB’s favorite is the Hay House. The kids go in one end and out the other, over and over and over. He’s a freshman in high school but he made several trips. Talk about hay fever afterward.

There is so much to see and so much to do at a good pumpkin patch. I can’t believe it is mostly free. I mean the pumpkins are not but what a picture taker’s paradise. (Note, I’m not a photographer, you say “yeah, no kidding Yogi”, I’m a picture take. I take pictures, photographers capture images.)

And critters, Carmichael’s has critters.

Don’t you just love goats.

I love taking pictures of others capturing images. Pumpkin patches are happy places. It always seems like everybody is in a good mood and the kids don’t get overexcited. Even the staff seems to have lots of patience.

SPB found his. Sweetie insists on stems for at least one. Why? Because she knows best that is why. Any other questions?

Something about pumpkins, and pictures of pumpkins, is cool!!

Here they are on the front porch. Ready for some smart aleck to smash!

Have you been to a pumpkin patch this year?

Mandarin Orange Monday

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

One more time with Ashley Sisk’s Scavenger Hunt Sunday. Every week she gives us five items to find. Supposed to be that week I think but I’m a notorious cheater. So here are the five items and my finds.

1.Orange or PINK in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month

I’m cheating big time on this one. Here in Tulsa I have three examples of this.

The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department has a pink vehicle.

And so does the Tulsa Police Department. This was parked right down the street from where I live.

The Tulsa Fire Department also has a pink firetruck. I have seen our pink ambulance several times but don’t have a photograph of it (yet).

I’m going to cheat some more. Here is me with a couple of pumpkins that I got at a silent auction, one with almost a pink hat!

2.Faceless Portrait (aim for a selfie)

This was a failed attempt for a family portrait at Mount Rainier in Washington. Does this count? It is very faceless.

3.View from the Top

Also in Seattle we rode a big huge (not just big, not just huge, but big and huge) Ferris wheel right on the waterfront. Great views!

4.Cozy

No matter how big my son gets (and he is both taller and heavier than I am, but yes I can still take him) he sleeps hard.

5.Stacked

In Seattle, they are stacking everybody up over the water now.

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

October Osage County – Camera Critters

Lets check out what is happening at the Animal Barn at Woolaroc. Frank Phillips‘ (founder of Phillips Petroleum Company) old ranch in Osage County about an hour north of Tulsa.

Woolaroc has quite a few critters. They can be as fun as the art in the museum and grounds.

Something about zebras? They are so graphic. That is actually a better quality in zebras than it is in people.Don’t you think?

I love the animal barn at Woolaroc (Are there barns that are not animal barns). I don’t trust this pair of jokers.

This little guy just wants back in with his mama. She is fine where he is. I know lots of human moms like that also. Love their kids

Something about goats is comical.

My favorite was this calf. It was major cute.

It was kind of shy and flirting with me.

Have you ever seen a cuter redhead?

Camera Critters

October, Osage County – Weekend Reflections

A sculpture on the grounds of Woolaroc the former ranch of Phillips Petroleum founder Frank Phillips. I couldn’t find any signage or other information on the artist.

Weekend Reflections

Skywatch Friday – Scenes from Noon Run

Fall is Oklahoma’s best season. It may be everywhere’s best season.

First Presbyterian Church

If I have time I love to run at noon when the weather is good from downtown through the adjoining neighborhoods and parks to the Arkansas River and back. Sure beats getting up at 5 to run in the morning or the treadmill.

Boston Avenue Church

I take along my Ipod touch. I love the Hipstamatic Camera App.

Downtown from Centennial Park

It has tons of different “films” and “lenses” to create all sorts of different effects with the photographs.

Midland Valley Trail

Four miles for lunch is a great way to start the afternoon. There is great noon weather running here generally past Thanksgiving.

What do you do like to do at lunch?

Skywatch Friday

October, Osage County – Signs

This past Saturday I traveled up to Osage County, Oklahoma to run a race on Frank Phillips old ranch, Woolaroc (“Wood Lakes Rocks”). Afterward I drove over to the old oilfield town of Barnsdall. Turned out that Barnsdall had some nice old signs.

Barnsdall is the birthplace of Anita Bryant. Everybody calm down, I know that she became controversial but she has been gone some time now. It always fascinates me where people come from. I’m always asking where people are from. Except for people from Texas. If people are from Texas that is pretty much front loaded in the conversation. They will not ask you where you are from though, they figure that if you are from Texas you’d of already told them, and they don’t want to embarrass you in case you are not from there.

Anyway, Barnsdall claims fame to the world’s only Main Street Oil Well. Here is the sign.

And here is the well.

I don’t want to burst anybody’s bubble. But I don’t think the well is operating any more. In fact it hasn’t produced in decades. I have access to databases that tell me that it is no longer an oil well. Also they say it is the only “Main Street” oil well. I worked in the San Andres field in the Permian Basin of Texas. They had wells drilled in several streets. That’s right, they just took over the whole street. None of the wells were on “Main Street” though.

Hey you know who else is from Barnsdall?

Yep, Clark Gable lived there for a few years when his father worked in the oil fields. I’m telling you Barnsdall is a good place to be from.

Barnsdall turned out to be a good place for sign photos.

The original name for Barnsdall was “Bigheart” it got changed about a hundred years ago.

The downtown area had some old buildings and interesting signs.

Barnsdall is a nice little town with a lot of history. For one thing it is where my employer, ONEOK, got started way back on October 12, 1906 with a pipeline that moved gas from the Barnsdall area to Oklahoma City. The company history is wild and wooly reflective of the booms and busts of the energy industry. I love it. Check out a slightly outdated version here.

Oh, by the way, Where are you from? I’m from Espanola, New Mexico originally. My parents lived closer to Santa Fe but Dad called around while Mom was expecting and Espanola was birthing babies cheaper. Kind of set the tone for my whole life. I’ve been looking for deals ever since.

Signs, Signs

High School Hayride

Fall is here it is time for SuperPizzaBoy’s school to have their annual hayride.

They found a place way out in the woods. No bars out here, literally, no updates, no nothing, whazzup with that?

You can update your status with one of the camp dogs. Friendliest critters you’ve ever met.

Warm up around the fire.

Go feed the goats. Hungry little buggers.

Play some volleyball maybe?

How about some high spirited boys?

Load up, everybody face in, don’t get in or out, no horseplay!! Adults have been making and kids breaking rules forever.

After a dinner of dogs and chili, try out some smores. Everybody has their own technique. Mine is the best. No, make your own!!

Time for some spooky stories!!

Time to clean up and go home. Another hayride on the books.

First Annual Woolaroc Pioneer Woman Wet T Shirt Contest

Saturday, I ventured up to Frank Phillip’s ranch in Osage County (You know old Frank, the guy who started Phillips Petroleum Right?) to run in the Woolaroc 8K road race. Woolaroc is an acronym for “Woods, Lakes, and Rocks) and is the name that Mr. Phillips gave to the ranch. He is long since passed but there are lots of animals and a museum of art on the property.

I did my typical antics. I love taking pictures of people taking pictures. I was too late here, but I caught them looking at the image on the LCD screen.

I just took one picture of the race. You lose a lot of time taking pictures during a race, and it was raining. So I took just this one with my Ipod.

When you finish the race, and eat your banana, and get your Powerade they allow you into the museum for free. Not too many runners were in the museum and that is a good thing because a shocking thing was going on. The First Annual Pioneer Woman Wet Tee Shirt Contest. Sponsored by RHOC, the “Real Housewives of Osage County”. They are a wild bunch, nothing like the RHOK (“Real Housewives of Oklahoma”) who spend their time in churchly duties such as prayer, hymn singing, Bible study, martini drinking, and sewing clothes for the poor.

The RHOC ladies organized the event and got the services of four judges.

Frank Phillips himself, of course it is his place, so you gotta ask him right?

Geronimo made the trip from Fort Sill.

(Will Rogers by Bryan Baker)

Oklahoma’s favorite son Will Rogers agreed to be a judge.Man, wouldn’t you like to hear what he thinks of Paul Ryan and Joe Biden?

(Sugar for the Trail by Joe Beeler)

And they picked a cowboy because, well because this is Oklahoma and you have to have a cowboy and Garth Brooks was busy. The problem was the cowboy was caught in a compromising position with one of the contestants (who yeah big surprise, if you know cowboys) who was obviously trying to influence his vote. So they were both disqualified! The lady reminds me of Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke. I don’t know about you but my childhood was ruined when I realized that Miss Kitty was a hooker. Well, I’m digressing. Sorry.

Well, I won’t go through all the contestants. You know Pioneer Women were not known for their beauty generally,except to their husbands and kids.

So without further adieu, here are the winners. The 3rd runner up!

(Pioneer Woman by Bryant Baker)

A quite attractive, nice young woman. Her bonnet and boots are especially fetching don’t you think. Nothing like a woman who knows how to tie leather laces nice and tight.

(Pioneer Woman by H.A. McNeil)

The Second Runner Up, very lovely, even with the bare feet. I have to tell you though that the axe she carried was a little intimidating. You can see that her son likes her, a lot!

(Pioneer Woman by Arthur Lee)

The Runner Up featured a typical pioneer woman’s dress that protects her from the hot Oklahoma sun in the summer and our snowy, windy, cold winters. Plus she was exceptionally modest as her dress covered her completely down to her ankles. It is such a shame that young women these days seem to have this need to show everything they have.

(Pioneer Woman by James E. Fraser)

You know the winner had a lot to do Saturday and saw what she needed to do to win the contest and just went ahead and did it. She had to go get groceries, pick up some dry cleaning, clean the house, and cook dinner so she went All In, or maybe I should say All Out. I think the judges rewarded her pioneering spirit and her willingness to just cut to the chase.

So, do you think the judges pick the right woman?

I’m linking up with my friend Impulsive Addict’s Talk to Us Tuesday.

Sunday Scavenger Hunt

Another Sunday, another edition of what is becoming one of my favorite memes “Scavenger Hunt Sunday.”

So lets get going for my finds for this week.

1.Water Drops or Water Flowing

We are members of Tulsa’s Philbrook Museum. I have been there lots of times and every time I go I see something new. There is lots of water features in the gardens of the museum including fountains. I became interested in the splashing drops of one of the fountains the last time I was there. There is something about water that soothes the soul.

2.Faithfulness

I also paid some attention to this Terra Cotta angel. It is Italian and is almost 500 years old. It is not known where it was originally installed but it is believed that that it and its twin flanked an altar at a church.

(Philbrook Museum, probably from Santi Buglioni, 1520)

3.Then and Now

Back in April I joined my brother, sister, and father in Payson, Arizona where we used to live back in the late 50’s and early 60’s. We lived in this house. It was owned by the US Forest Service and was an exact twin of the house we lived in previously in Coyote, New Mexico. It was a shock to see it still standing and still in use, but as an office not a house.

4.Fingertips

Hey we live in Tulsa, the Praying Hands have the most famous fingers in town. I like this shot because it looks like the hand is pressing its fingers against a mirror.

5.One Item from the Bucket List: Hay Ride!!

The Hay Ride is what I picked from the Bucket List. These guys are seniors last year at our son’s high school. At the school’s hay ride last year these guys and some compadres staged an attack on the hay ride that led to many screams and much hilarity. They were kind of enough to let me take their picture.

This year’s version was Friday night. Sorry to say this year’s seniors didn’t scare anybody. Sorry guys, it is hard to scare people who expect to be scared.

Well that’s it for this week’s version. Check out the other participants finds, they are very creative!

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

The Pedal Pub

Introducing the latest European Import

The PedalPub – where you and your dozen closest friends and a designated driver can pub hop. You rent it by the hour. Great mileage.

It’s technical innovations like this that keep America strong! It is good clean healthy exercise and fresh air and a chance to socialize and see what is going on around you.

They already have a Hate Group on Facebook so you know that this is catching on. I guess the problem is that the riders tend to get a little drunk and tend to take over the pubs they visit. Plus it ties up a lane during rush hour. Some of the former participants hate it because four of the seats don’t have pedals and so don’t contribute to the effort plus hills are a real problem. (Personally I’d zero on the freeloader seats if I were them.) These haters are obviously the same old Democrats who object to nuclear waste in their back yards and other economic development projects.

YogisDen.us

Welcome to my world

Mandarin Orange Monday – Pumpkin Patch

Scavenger Hunt Sunday

October Osage County – Camera Critters

October, Osage County – Weekend Reflections

Skywatch Friday – Scenes from Noon Run

October, Osage County – Signs

High School Hayride

First Annual Woolaroc Pioneer Woman Wet T Shirt Contest

Sunday Scavenger Hunt

The Pedal Pub