Wednesday Doors - Rose Covered Cottage

Here, with the roses in bloom, is my own front door.

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Ruby Tuesday - "Winner's Circle"

Spring must surely be here, my roses are blooming!  This is "Winner's Circle" and is supposed to be a climber.

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Please remember in your prayers the citizens of Moore Oklahoma, a suburb of Oklahoma City who endured a devastating F5 tornado on Monday.  At least 51 people were killed when winds of up to 200 miles per hour (320 kph) flattened entire tracts of homes, two schools and a hospital.  For more see HERE. We are fine here in Tulsa.

Macro Monday - Blue Batik Iris

This is a tall bearded iris variety "Batik".  I had never seen one before.  It was in the garden of the Big Cedar Lodge in Branson.

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Sarah's High School Graduation

Our granddaughter Sarah put on cap and gown Friday evening and graduated from Wagoner High School.  My son David took this photo with my camera and I'm sorry that I cannot name the three girls standing with her.  Sarah is the one with the medal and ribbons which indicate that she was in the top 10 percent of her graduating class, a member of the national honor society, and a senior class officer.  We are very proud of her.  Sarah is the 4th generation of Millers to graduate from Wagoner, Oklahoma.

Black & White Reflections - Branson Landing

Branson, Missouri is to Christian Evangelicals what Las Vegas is for those of us with fewer scruples.  Branson has nice hotels, good restaurants, shows presenting music, comedy, and drama of all kinds.  What is not here is organized gambling, legalized prostitution, entertainment valued for vulgarity and shock value.  

In the center of Branson is an old fashioned train station serving 2 excursions a day.  It goes out of town to just into the state of Arkansas to see a few surviving wooden trestles, then  reverses direction and returns.  In case you wondered how they do this, there is an engine on each end of the train.  It lasts an hour and one half.  

But I digress from my photograph.  Those who have visited Las Vegas probably enjoyed the elaborate fountains set to music at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino.  Along the river in the center of Branson is the Branson Landing,  At regular intervals a row of fountains sends water dancing into the sky, punctuated by bursts of fireworks.  It may not be as grand as the Bellagio but it looks pretty darn good, especially at night.  It is worth seeing and not so much as a gosh darn is heard as a discouraging word

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Skywatch Friday - Lake Taneycomo

On the left is the Table Rock Dam which backs up the White River into Table Rock Lake.  This holds back water and controls flooding while the flow of water turns turbines and generates electricity. On this side of the dam cold water is released from the bottom of the dam and creates the cold water Lake Taneycomo, essentially a very deep fast running river.  The Missouri Department of Conservation operates a fish hatchery that keeps the the lake stocked with trout, permitting trout fishing to be enjoyed year round.  Slick, eh?

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Thursday Challenge - Trees

We enjoyed a picnic under some giant Cottonwood trees one afternoon.  If they don't look all that big, look for the person in the blue shirt at bottom center.  These trees are at least 100 feet (30 meters) tall.

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Wednesday Doors - Big Cedar Lodge

We were very impressed by the Big Cedar Lodge. The accommodations are very comfortable, the food and the service is excellent, and the grounds are beautiful.  If desired there is a big pool, golf course, and horseback riding.  We are thinking that a three or four stay over during the week would be a peaceful retreat from our usual routine.  Big Cedar is definitely on our bucket list.  Check it out HERE.

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Ruby Tuesday - Paddle Boat

I just caught this paddle boat before it moved behind a fence.  Luckily I got the best part.  Later in the week we took a cruise on one.

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Macro Monday - Foxglove

The gardens at Big Cedar Resort in Branson were in full bloom and included lots of Foxglove.  We don't see foxglove very much possibly because they contain digitalis which is toxic if ingested.  The little bugs seemed to enjoy them.

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