Tag Archives: Oklahoma

Our World Tuesday – Pond

Turkey Mountain Pond

Late afternoon last Wednesday on Tulsa’s Turkey Mountain at a small pond. I just love running the trails there. Once I get more than a quarter mile from the parking lot I have the whole park to myself. One thing about the area is that there is not a whole lot of money budgeted for maintenance. We depend on volunteers to show up and do everything from clear downed limbs from trails and pick up trash. But if a tree falls over into a pond. So be it! It is part of the wildness that we love about it.

Linking with Our World Tuesday

Yogi Takez an Art Clazz

Friday night Heather and I met with our friends Jim and Leanna for dinner and drinks. Afterward we headed over to Pinot’z Palette on the Jenkz Riverwalk for an “Art and Wine” clazz.

My art needz a little polishing up. To the best of my recollection my last art clazz was in 6th grade at Harding Elementary School in Price, Utah which was not too long ago. I mean 1966 is just like yesterday, right. I think one should take a refresher course every 50 yearz to keep their Art Skillz sharp. UntitledAnywayz (I’m liking the z’s instead of s’s at the end of wordz right now. That’z allowable in Oklahoma if you are good at football. I’m not good football but I wish I waz.) This waz almost easier than paint by numberz. The instructor got up on a pedestal and basically told uz what to do every step of the way and they had already pencil sketched the owl shape we were working on that night.

It waz fun! We got to wear apronz so we didn’t have to be too neat. We mixed colorz and used three different brushez and even used the butt end of jthe brushez a little bit. They had wine available and we indulged and everybody had a great time and the resultz were good.

IMAG0096

So here are Heather and I (yez, I am smiling so shut up). I tried my best to make my owl not so feminine. And I wanted pluz sized eyez and a big beak. You know, not az big az mine but bigger than most.

IMAG0097

And here iz Jim and Leanna with their work. You can tell they both have true artistic tempermentz.

Anywayz, I think I’ll be having another session before another fifty yearz come. And I’m done with z thing at the end of wordz. I am not sure what why started but it iz irritiating the bejeeberz out  of me, and I’m sure you but once I the idea popped into my head halfway through writing thiz, I just had to do it.

Skywatch Friday – Countryside Skies

Porter Skies Adjust Restyle

Last Saturday we went drove out to country to fetch peaches. We parked across the street from the fruit stand and I just had to take a photo of the view with the blue sky and big ole fluffy clouds. Everybody in the city needs to get out in the country every now and then just to see what things look like without powerlines.

When was the last time you were out in the country?

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday

Weekend Update

We had a lot going on this weekend.

_DSC0332

Logan had his first riding lesson in a long time. He sprained his ankle back really badly back in May and had been in a boot and then on restriction since then. He was glad to get back in the saddle on a hot Saturday.

DSCN4199

After the riding lesson we loaded up in the car and headed off to Livesay Orchards out in the boonies about 45 minutes southeast of Tulsa. We hadn’t been there since Logan was a baby and man is it popular. We ended up in a group of nine cars headed out there and when we got there we found out there was a line to get in. The line moved fast though. I mean they are selling mainly peaches so it doesn’t take long for people to pick out what they want and move on.

DSCN4200

 

And man where their peaches, bushels, pecks, half pecks anything you wanted as long as it was peach related.

 

DSCN4202

After that we headed cross country to the ‘burb of Bixby to Dotson’s Produce and picked out some Amish Tomatoes. I never did figure out if that was a type of tomato or the religion of the farmer that grew them.

DSCN4204

Dotson’s had all sorts of other produce. We tend to go crazy in a place like that.

DSCN4207

We decided to counterbalance all healthful vibe of the produce with some Hawaiian Ice which is Okie for ice cream cone at a place nearby. Part of the fun is waiting in the heat. Is it against the law for those places to provide shade for their customers?

DSCN4213

Sunday was church, seeing the movie “Ant-Man” with one of Logan’s friends and then an historic occasion. Logan left with his friend, with his friend driving. First time that happened!

Then Heather and I had dinner and drinks with some friends and then out to pick up Logan out in the country.  IMAG0078

So we ended the weekend with a nice crescent moon.

So our weekend was great, how was yours?

Linking with Our World Tuesday

Skywatch Friday – Western Oklahoma Skies

Custer County Clouds - glow

Using Topaz Glow

Western Oklahoma is defined by its wide open spaces and big skies. It is like you can see the weather coming two days in advance. It seems flat until you actually spend time there. It is rolling with deep gullys for the creeks and rivers. The land makes you feel free and ready for anything.

Linking with Skywatch Friday

Related articles

Our World Tuesday – Crashing a Pool Party

This past weekend we ventured out to the big skies of western Oklahoma.  We had lots of fun but let me tell you about one thing that happened. And I swear that it all happened just like I say below, more or less.

DSCN4168

We drove a long ways down a dirt road. A red dirt road. We have lots of red dirt in Oklahoma, and it doesn’t wash off.

_DSC0196

And then we turned off the dirt road and made our own road. You know why….??

_DSC0208

To crash a pool party!!!

_DSC0211

Hmmm, have you ever felt not really totally welcome at a party?

_DSC0223

So rather than jump in, we started taking pictures. Here is Sue Carol and Glenn.

_DSC0225

And here is Logan, Nana, and Heather.

_DSC0254

Well here is….well here is trouble is what this is: Sue Carol, Heather, Nana, and Cheri Lou (aka the ring leader.)

_DSC0207

And here is the ring leader with her husband Joe. Everything was going along great and then…

_DSC0206

This happened!! Whoa, slow down guys. I know I told you guys to act like you like each other. But hey, slow down I said. Easy!

_DSC0198

Things happened fast after that. This one stomped off first.

_DSC0243

And then the rest of herd stampeded off. Who knew that cows could be such prudes.

_DSC0279

And here is Juliette leading off Roscoe, “…in front of a child..” Juliette was heard muttering. You know, when the donkeys shun you, it must be bad.

_DSC0234

But we kept on clicking. With all the rain at least they didn’t leave a cloud of dust.

And I swear this all happened just like I said, more or less.

Linking with Our World Tuesday

Hot Weather Run on the River

DSCN3959

Hot weather means less people running and cycling on the Trails.

While we were in Hawaii the weather here in Tulsa got hot. We are now approaching full blown summer weather. Last Wednesday I went for a run after work in the 96F heat. I know how to run in the heat. Run slow, which comes naturally to me, carry water, take lots of breaks and listen to your body is what I do.

DSCN3965

With the construction of a gathering place going on, running is limited on the east side so I cross over to the west side of the river. With all the rain we have had the river is up and there are lots more fishermen that what I normally see. I don’t know what they are fishing for but they are hard at it.

DSCN3969

I found a little cross stuck in the ground. A memorial to somebody obviously. I don’t know who and there were no names. I say a little prayer for peace to whoever put it there and move on.

DSCN3972

The main function of Tulsa Power Station is to bolster the rate base. I think it is the last unit on and the first one off during the summertime heat loads. It sure seems to fire up during smog alerts in the summer.

I only went about a mile and a half down the river to the PSO Tulsa Power Station and went down to the long forgotten kayak run (now visited only by geocachers I think) to where you can right down on the river.

DSCN3974

180 degree panorma

The river is up several feet and was pretty wild. It would be easy to drown in this water if you were not careful.

A 12 second video of the water. Loud and fast. Thank goodness and the Corps of Engineers for Keystone Dam upstream of Tulsa or things could really be interesting. Tulsa used to have bad flooding way back when before the dam was put in.

DSCN3976

Running back I got this subtle reflection of the river of a condo across the way. You can tell why we call northeast Oklahoma “Green Country.” Everything is greening up this year with all the rain we have had.

DSCN3977

The shadows are longer. Time to go home, shower, eat dinner and down a cold one ( or two.)

Have you gone any adventures yet?

Simon Property Group Pulls Plug on Turkey Mountain Outlet Mall

Have you heard the news!! Simon Property Group is abandoning their Turkey Mountain outlet mall project. They are going to put it in a much more appropriate site in the Tulsa suburb of Jenks. Read about it here. A site that people repeatedly brought up during the discussions on the project. The site should work better for Simon. You can also read more info here to learn how to enhance the view of property with the help of experts.

Turkey Mountain Topaz Glow Dizzy Late Afternoon Sunlight

Of course the city of Jenks will get the sales tax revenue, or at least the promise of it given the huge subsidies that Simon was looking for in terms of paying for infrastructure and other types of corporate welfare they were looking for to help with the economics of the their project.

Sunset Turkey Mountain

I couldn’t be happier for all involved. Now comes the real work. Money needs to be raised to buy the remaining land on Turkey Mountain at market value in order to preserve it. Tulsa is growing and it is just a matter of time before somebody else tries to develop it. It is not fair to the landowners to expect them to provide people like me free land to enjoy.

In the meantime, I’m happy that Simon came to their senses. I don’t think they expected the buzzsaw of opposition that they riled up with their proposal. I’m also proud of my fellow Tulsans. Despite Oklahoma’s populist roots, large corporations do pretty much what they want to do in Oklahoma these days. It is nice to see a little push back in a case like this where something bad was fixing to happen (as we say in Oklahoma.)

Skywatch Friday – at the Hanson Brother’s Hopjam

Hopjam Skywatch before

Tulsa had a Craft Beer and Music Festival last Sunday sponsored by the Tulsa’s own Hanson Brothers. It was quite the shindig. The music part was free and featured some great bands including the Hanson Brothers. We couldn’t stay for them but we sure had a good time listening to the music, sampling the beer, and just hanging out. It was all happening on under a big ole Oklahoma Sky.

Isaac Hanson

Here is Isaac Hanson at the family beer tent. He was very gracious talking to fans and getting selfies taken with them.

Linking with Skywatch Friday

Shadow Shot Sunday – Villa Philbrook

Philbrook - Villa Philbrook 2

Topaz Impressions

The Philbrook Museum of Art is one of my favorite picture taking places. From the galleries to the gardens to the building itself it is a great place to take your camera. It is an “Italian Renaissance Villa” built in the late 1920’s by  Tulsa oilman Waite Phillips for his home. He later donated it to the City of Tulsa for use as a museum. It has grown since then and is a treasure.  We have a membership, courtesy of my sweet MIL, so I go there ever month or so just to walk around with my camera. I have been there dozens of times over the years and always find something new.

Linking with Shadow Shot Sunday

Related articles