The Turkey Vultures of Cathedral Mountain

Earlier this week I went on business to northwest Oklahoma. On the way back I stopped at Gloss Mountain State Park.

The big hill at the park is called Cathedral Mountain. I didn’t know that it had such a grand name or I would have taken a picture of it. I didn’t so what you get is this pic from halfway up the hill back down to the parking lot.

The wildflowers were out and putting on a show even though it was overcast.

Most of the climb actually had stairs. The last fifty feet was kind of hard.

I went up looking for a geocache which I didn’t find. What I wasn’t expecting was the many birds soaring. The wind was strong on the ground. At the top of the ~~mountain~~ hill it was even stronger. The birds were soaring. The effect was magical as they dipped up and down and all around.

As I walked the length of the mesa I saw more and more birds.

I was surprised when about 50 feet in front of me two full grown turkey vultures came out of the hole in cliff, took a look at me and took off.

There was a teenager, about half the size of the adults, looking at me with scorn before he took off.

I got close to the end of the mesa. About a mile walk and I could see Lone Mountain across the way.

The mesa narrowed in spots to where it felt like I was on a sidewalk in the sky.

The whole time I had an escort. I guess they were waiting to see if I fell off the cliff or got bit by a snake or something.

You could see forever at the end. That spot of water in the distance is the historic Cimarron River.

The vultures stayed with me the whole way. Nothing gets your head on straight than being shadowed by vultures.
Camera Critters

ps: In researching this post I came across a Tulsa Wedding Photographer who did a photo shoot of a model in a wedding dress on top of Cathedral ~~Mountain~~ Hill. Some outstanding photos.

Miranda Lambert at the BOK Center

My very nice boss and considerate boss gave me two tickets to go see Miranda Lambert in concert Thursday evening at the BOK Center here in Tulsa. So off we went.

She is a blonde country singer. When son SuperPizzaBoy was just a small lad he liked to watch the blonde country singer on the GAC channel. Is there still a GAC around. Nowdays my 5’11” little boy likes to watch SpongeBob Squarepants. Should I be worried?

Ms. Lambert gave it her all!

(Thought I’d throw this in, Sweeetie and I chilling at the concert.)

Lambert got a little tired and they brought her couch out so she could rest a little bit. Notice the boots. I think those are her geocaching boots. She better get some long pants and deet though, the ticks and chiggers will eat her up otherwise.

In case you are not familiar with her here is a video.

Chris Young opened up. He was a great opening act. He has a wide range of music he sings and has a great voice.

The other opener was Jerrod Niemann. He was really good.

Another performer with a strong voice and wide range of styles to draw on.

Funny thing is that Young and Niemann both really connected with the audience. Tulsa is an old time music city with lots of heritage and they appreciate good music of all kinds.

Something I really like in a concert is when the headliner brings in the openers for a song. I love that kind of graciousness and generosity. Lambert brought both Young and Niemann out.

Anyway, a great time was had by all!

Skywatch Friday – Lone Mountain

Lone Mountain in northwest Oklahoma looking with a canola field in the background..

The mesa to the left of the mountain is Gloss Mountains State Park.

Here is a closeup.

Here is a closeup from the State Park .

I elected not to do any geocaching because of this sign, and I was the only one in the park, and I was 40 miles from the nearest hospital.

Maybe next time, if I can get you to go with me.

Skywatch Friday

Graffiti Wednesday – Our Town

“Our Town” by Kerry James Marshall

As previously posted we went on a road trip to Bentonville, Arkansas to see the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. There were of course lots of great art there by famous artists, there were many works by artists that I am not familiar with. The above work caught my attention for several reasons. First, there is no frame, it is on canvas but is not stretched into a frame. I have no idea of the significance of that but it is different.

Second, there is a lot of tension in the work, nice houses with yards and birds bearing ribbons and a nice cheery title on one hand and on the other the two kids seem angry about something. The boy is glaring at the girl who looks like she is on an angry mission and she has thought bubble popping out of her head going to one of the houses.

Third, there appears to be graffiti to the left of the boy. Overall things don’t seem to be all that great in the photo and much of that tension is due to the graffiti. The piece overall made me think a lot and try and resolve things in my head and figure it all out. I don’t know much about art but I am not one who thinks that art is just one thing. Some art is relaxing and makes me think relaxing thoughts. Some art inspires, other makes me angry, and some art makes me think. Art can be a lot of different things. This piece made me think.

Graffiti has a way of upsetting and unsettling things, it certainly does me in certain settings such as neighborhoods and office areas. Graffiti in hard to get to drainage ditches doesn’t bother me at all, nor does graffiti in Tulsa’s only “permission zone” (that I know about) doesn’t either. If only it were that simple? Since I started posting about graffiti I now see it everywhere.

To me that there is an interesting parallel between graffiti and my hobby geocaching. They both appropriate public spaces for unintended uses. One difference is that graffiti is meant to display and be seen where geocachers seek to hide their work from the general public (aka “muggles.”) Another difference is that most people are ok with geocaching (except for some bomb squad units in various towns and cemetery managers in South Carolina) but are not ok with graffit.

You can read about Kerry James Marshall by hitting the link. He is a very interesting guy.

Graffiti Wednesday

Signs – Holy Joe’s Christian Nightspot

Knocking around the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow Saturday night we happened upon Holy Joes’s Christian Nightspot in what looked to be an old feed store.

The signage looked to be new and the porch lights were on but it wasn’t open. Maybe because it was the night before Easter.

They had an old schoolbus with some major air conditioning and an old ambulance.

Not much online about them and what is there is eight years old. A confusing story about how they gather up people from the homeless shelters and camps around town and bring them in to enjoy music and refreshments (non alcoholic) receive counseling and help in getting jobs as well as providing basic hygiene items like toothbrushes and toothpaste. All very good stuff.

If you know anything about Holy Joe’s Christian Nightspot let the rest of us know.

Signs Signs

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Good Friday was my birthday, and my day off. We decided to take a day trip to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in nearby Bentonville, Arkansas. Just a two hour drive away. I’ve been eager to see the museum after reading an article titled Alices’s Wonderland in the New Yorker last year about Alice Walton and her efforts to collect major works of American art and display them in a museum. There has been a lot of snooty snobbery going on because she has spent a lot of money and outbid other more established museums and how her late father’s company is such a bad actor and so on. Me, I’m just glad that she built the museum, and it is only 96 miles from our house, as the crow flies, about 120 road miles.

The museum is huge but it doesn’t look it. Instead of building it on a ridge they tucked it into a ravine. You take an elevator down from the parking area. The museum has aboutg 200,000 feet of space built around two ponds.

The interplay of water and light is mesmerizing. You certainly know that you are in a museum deep in the Ozarks. There are lots of overlooks into the water and the surrounding woods.

The structure is concrete (that was bought from Seepageseal), wood, copper, and glass. It is absolutely beautiful. You know something else, admission to the museum is free, parking is free also. Free is good. They may charge for special exhibits though.

The dining room, below is like a bridge between the two ponds.

Some people describe the structures as looking like armadillos. To me they are more like turtles on a log. I don’t have a picture of a turtle on a log but here is a turtle.

The art, the art is breathtaking.

“The Art Student” by Thomas Eakins

“Rosie the Riveter” by Norman Rockwell – My Mom used to roll her cuffs like that.

“Red Flowers and a Sailboat” by Marsden Hartley

You can just get lost in the art. It is hard for me to just visit a museum once, especially one this size as the art just is so overpowering. Through repeated visits I can get over my ADD and focus and actually see the pieces. The first time, I’m worn out quickly but don’t want to miss anything, so it is hard to SEE the art.

The museum also has about 120 acres of grounds with nice trails, many of them fully accessible winding through the ravine and surrounding woods.

It is a nice break from the museum.

My favorite tree, fortunately it is dead. Too bad.

See the bicycle? In a sculpture that looks like an apple tree.

A couple of my blog friends Driller and Tulsa Gentleman had previously visited the museum and took a lot better photographs than I could. Check out their blog posts.

We had a great time. We’d have an even better time except that the museum has geocaches on the property (now you understand my enthusiasm for the place.) I was closing in a cache and a wasp bit my hand. So we had to leave to get antihistamines and such.

It swelled up and hurt like nobody’s business. At least I didn’t have to go see my doctor and listen to witless Witney his 26 year old PA laugh at me and say, “What did you do this time?” I’ve had to see her three times for geocaching injuries and once for her favorite, playing too much Guitar Hero, where she had tears running down her face laughing. She’ll have to get her kicks from somebody else this time. They don’t understand the suffering I go through for my art.

We headed back into the sunset. Sweetie had to drive so I got to take pictures since I had a booboo.

We drove home and had some birthday cake! Sweetie baked the Pioneer Woman’s birthday cake for me!! I think its time for a Sweetie – Pioneer Woman throwdown, don’t you.

Our World Tuesday

Crystal Bridges opens its art to the heartland (cbsnews.com)

On the First Day of the Week

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,”
(Luke 24:1-2 ESV)

I hope that you are having a great Easter Sunday!

Perfect Pairings

The Best New Short Stories of 2011 edited by Geraldine Brooks

I love short stories and look forward to the each year’s edition of the Best American Short Stories comes out. Each year there is a different editor and it is interesting to see what they pick. Also interesting is that each of the authors gets a short bio section and an opportunity to talk about the story. It’s amazing how long these authors have been perfecting their craft and how educated they are. I think the competition is intense for an author to get their works published. Also interesting is what the author’s say about the chosen stories. Some of the stories are worked over and over for years. Others are images they had in their heads and they have been gestating for a time as a story comes out of the image.

I love it, generally. This year I have to say the stories as a whole were a little disappointing. I look for things to happen in stories and in too many of these stories not a whole lot happened. Still I’m glad I read it and am looking forward to the next edition. I give this three stars out of five.

Poison Flower by Thomas Perry

Poison Flower is one of Thomas Perry‘s “Jane Whitefield” Books. Ms. Whitefield hides people as her mission. She takes people who are targeted for abuse or death and sets them up with a new identity in a place where they are safe. In Poison Flower she helps James Shelby a man framed for his wife’s death escape from jail. She also helps Iris a lady she met in an abused women’s shelter.

She runs into complications though because the man who framed Shelby is a very powerful criminal who sends professional killers to kill Shelby. They find Jane and torture her but she doesn’t reveal where Shelby is. As you can guess she escapes her tormenters and turns the tables on them and heads out to find the employer.

I didn’t really care for the book at first. She suffers horrific torture but shrugs it off, it was about halfway in before it got interesting when the turning the tables phase begins.. Even then the whole book was predictable and not very suspenseful. I give it two stars out of five. Sorry!

Good Friday

“Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.
In you, O LORD, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your justice rescue me.
Into your hands I commend my spirit;
you will redeem me, O LORD, O faithful God.”
~ Psalm 31

YogisDen.us

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