Tag Archives: Tulsa

Skywatch Friday – All Over the Place Edition

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Somebody published a geocache within walking distance of the house. Well, i’ve walked over there twice and can’t find it. It’s in a tree just to left of this scene. I didn’t find the cache but I’ve got two walks over to look for it and a not bad photo.

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A full moon in October. Not the greatest I’ve done but here it is.

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And a better rendition of a half moon, also in August.

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I got a new action camera recently. It’s a GoPro clone at literally one tenth the cost. About seventy percent as good as a GoPro, so I’m ahead the way I figure it. I attach it to my bike’s handlebars and set it to take a photo every ten seconds. Most of the photos are of nothing memorable so I delete them. I love vintage power plants and this is Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s Tulsa Power Station. It hardly ever runs but it still on the rate base making money for PSO whether it runs or not. I used to work for a sister company to PSO that supplied the gas to all the power plants. We had a systems that would show us graphically all the gas the power company was burning to make electricity. It was cool watching the load go up during extremely hot or cold weather. Lots of people worked hard to make sure the lights stayed on.

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Here is another action camera shot of this person riding an escooter on the RiverParks trails.

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And somebody else walking their dog and a guy in an electric wheelchair crossing the river on the new pedestrian bridge. A big variety of people use Tulsa’s RiverParks. I’m always amazed.

Tulsa Sunset

A sunset drone shot from 50 meters above my back yard.

And a stormy weather drone shot about 30 meters above my back yard. Stormy means windy and my little microdrone doesn’t like wind.

That’s sall this week folks. Sorry I don’t have a theme besides skies.

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday

2024 Tulsa Veterans Day Parade

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Monday was Veterans Day so I went to downtown Tulsa to see their annual Veterans Day Parade.

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The Tulsa Police Department opened it up with their motorcycles and right behind them was a Junior ROTC Marine Color Guard looking sharp in their uniforms.

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And then dignitaries in vintage military vehicles.

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And then the floats. This one was done by my former employer. ONEOK (pronounced One Oak) always shows up big for the Veterans Day Parade.

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And then a bunch of ONEOK employees followed the float. Other companies had floats as well.

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And then another JROTC color guard.

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The Booker T Washington High School Marching band shows up for the parade looking snappy in the uniforms.

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And the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Department shows up with one of their armored vehicles.

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And if you know tornado belt culture you know that Storm Trackers are celebrities. When they are not working they go to events and will sign autographs for you. Here is Van Castor’s pickup truck. These guys follow the storms and tornadoes as they develop. Here in Oklahoma we don’t run for shelter when the tornadoes come, we run outside to take a look at them.

One veteran didn’t make the parade. Here is my brother Bob.

Twenty years in the Navy and more afterwards as a civilian employee. This is his door wreath put together by our sister Ellen.

He is in assisted living here and living life. Left to right, Irv (Career Army Vet), his wife (and sister to Bob and I) Ellen, son to Heather and I, Logan, and kneeling my wife Heather.

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A photo I took of Bob several years ago when he turned 66.

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Here he is in Tulsa several years ago. He used to visit and run in our local half marathon. He’s run over a hundred half marathons and over fifty full marathons. He doesn’t run any longer but he gives life everything he has.

I’m linking with My Corner of the World

360 Degree Skywatch over my Backyard in Tulsa

Recently I posted some sunset photos from my drone. I had forgotten that I made a 360 video of the same thing. A video from my drone at 150 meters over my backyard.

It’s only 35 seconds long.

I start out looking straight west and then go to the right. Not often you get color everywhere one looks at sunset.

I am linking with Skywatch Friday.

A Midmorning Paddle on Zink Lake

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Last Monday, I finished my morning reading tutoring at an elementary school here in Tulsa and decided by gum I was going to go kayaking.

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So I ventured to the Arkansas River, upstream of Zink Lake Dam and rented a kayak for a couple of hours from the vendor there. I helped her carry it down to the new kayak launch that the city of Tulsa had installed. It was pretty cool. You put your kayak in slot where it is partly in the water and then you push against the handrails and you are launched!! No wading in the murk to get going.

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I’ve been kind of in a funk lately. One knee is giving me problems and I got a steroid injection a month ago. It worked great for a week or so and then it started aching again. So think I do too much but then I don’t do anything which is not good. Well Kayaking is very knee friendly!!

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I cruised past some redone murals on the river shore.

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21st street bridge.

I thought the kayaking was cool. I’ve been running, walking, and bicycling both banks of the Arkansas River and Zink Lake for over 30 years. Now I was in the water and seeing things I’ve never seen before. A completely different perspective.

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I love this view. It is cathedral like. A cathedral with graffiti.

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There was hardly a breeze, the temperature was slightly on the cool side and the sky is beautiful.

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The new Williams Crossing pedestrian bridge.

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Headed back north with a view of downtown Tulsa where I worked for 30 years. I was waving at my former coworkers.

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The very beginning of the vegetation changing color.

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One of the two boat ramps on the west side of the lake (or river.)

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Headed back under the 21st street bridge.

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Checking out the RiverWest Festival Park. RiverParks is having their annual Oktoberfest soon.

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And now back to the Kayak dock. I had a great time!!

I’m linking with My Corner of the World

Tulsa’s Williams Crossing Bridge at Night

Last night I ventured out to the Arkansas River to check out the new Williams Crossing Bridge’s lights.

I was impressed. They are LED’s and have lots of colors possible.

The bridge has only been open a month. It is 1440 feet long. It is high enough over the water to keep it clear of a 500 year flood event.

It connects Tulsa’s Gathering Place on the east side of the Arkansas River to the RiverParks Trails on the West side of the river. It is 18 feet wide and has separate lanes for pedestrians and cyclists. It is the first “Steel Plate Arch Bridge” built in the United States. (See below what a steel plate arch bridge is)

I think it is gorgeous. I am planning to be there at sunset in the near future to get some Skywatch Photos.

I am linking with My Corner of the World

References

Black Wall Street Times

City of Tulsa

The Architects Newspaper

Architectual Record

I asked CoPilot AI what a Steel Plate Arch Bridge is and the following was the answer.

A steel plate arch bridge is a type of bridge that uses steel plates to form an arch structure. Here are some key features:

  1. Structural Design: The arch is created using steel plates that are often bolted together. This design allows the bridge to handle significant loads by distributing weight efficiently through the arch shape1.
  2. Compression Forces: The arch primarily works in compression, meaning the forces push inward along the curve of the arch, which helps in maintaining the structural integrity1.
  3. Versatility: These bridges can be tailored to various site requirements and are often used for overpasses, pedestrian walkways, and small to medium-span crossings2.
  4. Durability: Steel plate arch bridges are known for their strength and longevity. The use of galvanized steel plates helps in resisting corrosion, making them suitable for various environmental conditions3.
  5. Ease of Installation: The modular nature of steel plates allows for easier transportation and assembly on-site, often using local crews and equipment2.

Skywatch Friday – Sunset with Half Moon

I got sidelined for a few days with a sore knee. I finally went to the bone doctor and he gave me a range of treatment options from continue using OTC Ibuprofen to getting a steroid injected in the knee to a “surgical solution.” I opted the steroid in the knee. And it helped but I’m not 100% yet. We’ll just have to see how it goes.

I’ve been out and about. My wife and I had our 35th anniversary the other day and so we went to the zoo and 16,000 steps later my knee was calling my name!!! It felt great at first.

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday

“Saturday’s Dam Critters”

Last Tuesday I loaded up my bike and went for a ride on the RiverParks trails here in Tulsa mainly to check on the brand spanking new pedestrian bridge and dam across the Arkansas River. I purposely missed the “Big Dam Party” that RiverParks put on for the opening over the Labor Day weekend.

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So here is the new bridge, 1000 feet long from bank to bank. The dam is just on the other side of the bridge.

After big crowds during the party, I had the bridge to myself.

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Down below the dam I saw this Great Blue Heron.

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And a great egret.

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And at one spot there were a bunch of egrets and blue herons together.

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And three cats resting on the riverbank. Actually one cat and two Komatsu’s.

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And a human critter jogging.

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And two other human critters walking their dog.

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And some oil and oil product storage tanks for the nearby refinery. A human critter on the bridge asked another human critter what they were for and the person said that President Biden outlawed oil storage in city limits and they were pretty sure that the City of Tulsa took them over to store water in case of a drought. Okay then. (Not true by the way).

I’m linking with Saturday’s Critters

Skywatch Friday – Dronephotography and my own Dam Party

This is from Tuesday evening.

From a week or so ago. Part of a series of photographs showing that it was raining all around us except where we live.

And a cheerful morning sunrise

And an optimistic Labor Day. I fly my flag right side up!!

And a long last, the new Dam and Bridge across the Arkansas is done. They had a whole multi day party to celebrate over the Labor Day weekend called the “Big Dam Party.” I missed it all. I got out there Tuesday morning and checked it out myself. I had my own dam party.

I’m linking with Skywatch Friday