Tag Archives: Reflections

The Colors, Reflections and Refractions of Autumn at Philbrook Gardens

Last week I posted about an special art exhibition at Philbrook Museum of Art here in Tulsa. My last line was that I was going to the gardens. The gardens at Philbrook are every bit as special as the art inside the building.

The signature feature of the gardens is the tempietto overlooking the reflecting pond. Philbrook started out life as a mansion for a rich oilman back in the day. The reflecting pool was the swimming pool and the change rooms were underneath the tempietto.

I love all the views and reflections that are possible in the pond.

_DSC0537_DAP_Aquarelle_Noveau Philbrook Gardens

This is a highly edited (can you tell?) photo of the main building at Philbrook (Villa Philbrook) from the steps of the tempietto. Sorry I couldn’t resist.

There is always something blooming in the gardens.

I revived my glass sphere and brought along a point and shoot camera that has a macro setting. I got this thing years ago and used it a lot and it ended up in the back end of my Subaru. I saved it. I still love the photos that one can get out of it. It took me a while to figure out how to do that. I also learned how to hold it. If you hold it in your hand in bright sunlight it’ll burn a hole in your hand. It acts like a magnifying glass. So I hold it off to the side or from the top. Technically I think this is refraction and not reflection.

This is a shot of some of the pumpkins on display. The sphere gives you an upside down view of the scene so I feel free to cheat and turn the whole photo upside down if I have to.

Blooms in the water.

I always feel chill after just a little time in the gardens.

I am linking with My Corner of the World.

Shadowy Reflections

Early one chilly morning recently at a YMCA. Reflections of Shadows.

Shadow Shot Sunday

Skywatch Friday

We had a break the other day with unrelenting heat and cloudless skies so I launched my drone from the back yard. These were rainless clouds but hey they shaded us a little bit. This is looking northeast from about 50 meters high.

And looking straight west. Not a drop of rain in them.

I went downtown for some reason and ended up going by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church across the freeway from downtown. I love the domes that are on the Orthodox churches.

And just down the street is Tulsa Fire Station 4 which is located right on Route 66 as it goes through town. They had a spiffy new (to me) Route 66 sign that I thought was cool. I posted it on Instagram and on a facebook Route 66 sign. Somebody from out of state asked if that was the only Tulsa fire station on Route 66. So I checked and no, there is one other Tulsa Station Fire Station.

Tulsa Fire Station 66, way out in city limits but in the country on Route 66. They call themselves “The Keepers of the Mother Road.” I thought I knew all the Tulsa US 66 attractions and no I didn’t. Check out their facebook page. They like people to come by and visit if they are not doing anything and host all sorts of school and other groups.

One of the things I do is water the monarch waystation on Tulsa’s Turkey Mountain. I went up there Wednesday morning and it had rained!! Not much of a rain but it soaked the parking lot. I didn’t feel much like watering after it rained plus the park had a contractor there laying down sod and I felt that they would probably be wanting to use the water tap and hose that I would be using so I just plugged and abandoned the project (oilfield lingo for giving up) and decided to go hiking. I’ll be back in a few days.

I went by one of the small lakes on Turkey Mountain on my hike. Something about skies and woods reflected on water really attracts me.

Earlier this week I went on another bike ride on the RiverParks trails. I stopped and inspected the progress on the new pedestrian bridge and dam. Going pretty darn slow is what I think but I got a shot of the crane.

NASA’s Webb Sheds Light on Galaxy Evolution, Black Holes

And this is a photo from NASA from the new James Webb telescope that is taking some spectacular images of space. Click on the photo and you’ll get a description of what you are looking at. I’m still in the stage of just looking at the imagery, the text dulls the mind. (Sorry). They are letting everybody use the pics under a liberal creative commons license. Awesomeness is what I think.

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday

Calling the Hogs

Friday, my wife and I were in a parking lot and came across this bright spot. I was like, What!!

Somebody had an Arkansas Razorbacks plate and it reflected perfectly on the ground. I love it.

I’m helping take care of a monarch way station on Turkey mountain. The stake fence makes for some nice shadows.

I get bored while watering so I made a time lapse video of it.

And the other day while hiking on Turkey Mountain I came across a family of deer grazing including this one coming out of the shadows. I am glad the deer are returning. The mountain has become really popular but the hub bub has died down a little bit and the deer are coming back.

I’m linking with Magical Mystery Teacher’s Shadow Shot Sunday 2. Come join in.

Skywatch Friday – Loving the Cloudy Skies and Rain

We’ve had lots of rain and cloudy skies lately. Kind of hard on the hiking but great for growing stuff and taking skywatch photos. I launched the drone from the backyard for the above photo. The controller was squawking at me about the high winds and dark skies but I sent it straight up over the back patio and straight back down. This is the view to the northwest of our backyard.

Wednesday I went back to Philbrook Museum for the first time since they shutdown last year. I really missed hanging out in their gardens. I took this photo with my cell phone. Everything looks scrunched up.

For contrast I took a similar photo with my Nikon. It’s more realistic looking with more depth in the photo. Cell phone cameras in my experience do a lot of flattening the perspective.

Crow Creek winds through the gardens of Philbrook on its way to the Arkansas River. I loved this tree reflection in the creek.

Out behind the Timpietto they had a poetry rock garden so I gathered up a few and made me some rock poetry. The Philbrook gardens is my happy place. I’ve spent hours there over the years and taken hundreds of photos and always find something new to see.

Meanwhile, back at the house. I think rainy overcast days are my favorite for breaking out the macro lens and taking photos of flowers. These are some of Heather’s zinnias that she planted last week.

Our World – Legends of the Sky!!

I went on a walk around Tulsa’s Lafortune Park today this cool, windy, overcast day. And found some graffiti. I don’t anybody minds this kind of graffiti.

It looks like somebody’s little brother or sister did some of their own.

Found some reflections in a pond.

Somebody is missing a shoe? Is it one of the Legends?

I love all the apps that link to my running watch. Sorry.

And just before my walk I was at a shopping center admiring the blooms and finding a geocache.

Earlier I was checking out the daffodils at Woodward Park. They are up and very pretty. They need sun to bring out the full brilliance though.

Even earlier than that, Lizzie the kitten was making friends with the Easter Bunny.

Yesterday I hauled Logan back to his college. We’ll see him in a couple weeks.

I hope everybody is doing well this week!! I’m linking with Our World Tuesday.

Weekend Reflections – Downtown Tulsa

Downtown Tulsa as I was headed to my car after getting released from Jury Duty. We had lots of breaks and so I got to wander around downtown. I worked there for twenty eight years and walked almost every working day at lunch. I was always looking for something I never saw before and almost succeeded. I knew people that worked there there whole careers and didn’t know where the post office was and had the impression that downtown was dangerous.

How can people be so uncurious?

I’m linking with Weekend Reflections. Those people are curious!! Almost all photobloggers are I think.

Weekend Reflections – Renaissance Brewery

My wife and I had a bunch of errands to do yesterday that took us all over Tulsa. We rewarded ourselves with a trip to Renaissance Brewing. A brewery we haven’t been to in a couple years.

A photo of the brewing equipment through glass. Kind of hard to tell what is what.

First up for me was the Gamma Ray IPA. A full 16 ounce pour of a solid, very drinkable beer.

And then second was the Dragonsbreath ale. A smaller pour (that’s okay!) brewed with fiery serrano peppers. It was very spicy and very sippable.

So we had a good time in the brewery off by ourselves in the corner, socially distancing. We are loving the brewing scene in Tulsa. There are lots of good places with great beer.

Check out Weekend Reflections

Weekend Reflections – A Glass after Class

Heather and I went to the gym the other day. Being the empty nesters that we are we went to a local tavern for a burger and a beer that had an outside area because we wanted to be safe.

It was a beautiful late afternoon and we had some great late from the setting sun.

I am linking with Weekend Reflections and Ruby Tuesday come join the fun!!

Weekend Reflections – Arkansas River Sunset

Heather and I went to eat at a restaurant on Tulsa’s Arkansas River front. We left right after sundown so we walked to the bank to check out the sights.

The above is just to the southwest. It is a turnpike bridge over the river. The water is very low right now.

Turning a little bit to the northwest we have a slightly different scene.

I’m linking with Weekend Reflections. Come check it out.

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