Monday, January 31, 2011

Macro Monday - Sarah's 16th Birthday




Sarah is the oldest daughter of my oldest son Adam and today (Sunday) was her 16th birthday. She had a great party with lunch and ice cream cake, family and friends. She opened presents with her boy friend Daniel at her side. Her maternal grandmother gave her a special little 16th birthday ring. Sarah is a lucky girl. She is pretty, smart, and very sweet.  She has a loving family and nice friends. She is a lucky girl and I love her very much.


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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Sunday Bridges - Old US 62 Bridge

This is the old US Highway 62 bridge over the Illinois River.  It is just south of the current bridge which crosses the Illinois 2 miles east of Tahlequah at Highway 10.  This old bridge was built in 1920 and abandoned in 1964 when the US 62 was re-routed  and the current bridge was built.  It is now too decrepit even for foot traffic but people fish from it.



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Saturday, January 29, 2011

Weekend Reflections - Sanctuary Skylight in Boston Avenue Methodist



The sanctuary ceiling of the Boston Avenue Methodist Church is a marvel. The large center eye is a complex design of blue, white and pale gold glass that makes sixteen swirling spokes of a great wheel. Around the stained glass center is a curved concave metal dome of narrow pieces fitted together like the rays of the sun. The entirety of the piece is so large as to make the glass skylight seem rather small by comparison. The overall effect is quite beautiful.

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Thursday, January 27, 2011

Sepia Scenes - Tabla Player

This is Josh Massad playing Tabla, a pair of amazing drums that create an amazing variety of sound and rhythm. He is a master of all sorts of drums and teaches at the Barthelmes Conservatory in Tulsa. Starting about 10 years ago this young man patiently began teaching me to play the Djembe to my everlasting enjoyment. He is one of the kindest most gentle human beings it has ever been my pleasure to meet.




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Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Snow on the Roof

Sliding off but hanging on.  Back door to parish hall of St Peters Tulsa.

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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Ruby Tuesday - Borden Dairy of Oklahoma

Borden Dairy of Oklahoma is located at 215 N. Denver in Tulsa, Oklahoma.  It was originally known as the Oklahoma Dairy founded by Mr. Early Russell Cass. On April 1, 1926 the dairy was bought by Beatrice Creamery Company. Mr. Cass was named General Manager and held that position until his retirement on February 28, 1963.  It is now part of Southern Foods and still supplies fresh milk to a wide area around Tulsa.  The decorative trim on top the all white walls and the use of glass blocks show an art deco style that still looks good 85 years later.  The nifty red coupe in front qualifies it for Ruby Tuesday.


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Monday, January 24, 2011

Macro Monday - Deal the Cards


Every night before my wife Susan and I turn in for the night we play a game of Gin Rummy.  We started this practice a long time ago and have worn out many decks of cards.  The last deck of red bicycles have gotten faded and limp so tonight we will start breaking in a new blue deck. 

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Sunday, January 23, 2011

SOOC Sunday - Sycamore Tree

SOOC is Straight Out Of the Camera.  Here is favorite Sycamore tree in the little park at 41st and Riverside.  It is either one tree or 3 joined near the base.  It is probably 5 feet across near the ground.  I like it.

Straight Out Of the Camera

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Weekend Reflections - Williams Center as Downtown Mirror

The Williams Center is a pair of irregularly shaped black glass high rise office buildings in downtown Tulsa.  They rise straight sided but their footprint is irregular.  The faces of these buildings serve as mirrors in all directions to reflect the other tall buildings which stand around them.  Seen from any angle they reflect an ever changing view of the downtown Tulsa landscape.  Google Earth helps us understand what we are seeing.

In the satellite view the Williams Center buildings are outlined in red, the Midcontinent building in orange, and the Williams Headquarters Building in yellow.   The Midcontinent Building is seen through and reflected by the two parallel sides of the Williams center.  The left face of the north building carries the shimmering reflection of the Williams Headquarters building.  The melting snow results in even more reflections from the wet streets.
 
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Friday, January 21, 2011

Skywatch Friday - Corner of Main and Brady

Tulsa got the first snowfall of the season last night.  Those shoveling out of the terrible snow storms in New England might say that this is nothing, but it was enough for school and a number of events to be canceled.   The thing is that we don't get enough snow here to be practiced at dealing with it.  Last year we had a real 6 inch snow at Christmas and we thought it was a sure enough blizzard.  When snow is forecast things get canceled "just in case".  Oh well, it is kind of pretty and it will be gone in a day or two.

I met my friend Yogi! for lunch today and we talked about the sort of things that bloggers talk about; blogs mostly.  When I started home the sky was blue and the snow begged to have its picture taken.  I pulled out my trusty iPhone and drove around for 30 minutes taking photos which you will get to see for a few days until they are used up.  That's the way we bloggers are.  Yogi! got  a simple little film camera for Christmas and he posted 2 weeks worth of photos from his first roll of film.  Nice pictures too.


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Thursday, January 20, 2011

Sepia Scenes - 320 South Boston, Central Atrium

Partial view of the central atrium of the 320 South Boston Building.  First built as a 10 story Exchange Bank in 1917, then expanded to 22 floors in 1929 to house the National Bank of Tulsa.  Now the Bank of Oklahoma it remains one of Tulsa's premier commercial locations.


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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Doors to National Bank of Tulsa


Looking up the face of the center tower from street level.  Built as the National Bank of Tulsa and now called the 320 South Boston Building. 


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Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Ruby Tuesday - Pow-wow Dancer

Tulsa Pow-wow Dancer


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Monday, January 17, 2011

Macro Monday - High as a Ostrich's Eye



While not strictly a macro, this is about as close as I want to come to an ostrich.  

It is an interesting fact that the ostrich's brain is the same size as its eyeball.


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Saturday, January 15, 2011

Weekend Reflections - Philcade Elevators

Elevators, Philcade Building, Tulsa, Oklahoma


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Friday, January 14, 2011

Skywatch Friday - Gulf Shores

Gulf Shores, Alabama.  The sand here is as fine and white as sugar.

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Thursday, January 13, 2011

Sepia Scenes - Run Smokey Run

Buffalo National River, Arkansas

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Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - In a Shop Window


Shop in Shinjang area, Seoul, ROK

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Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Ruby Tuesday - Christmas Poinsettias

Our church was decorated with some beautiful poinsettias over Christmas.


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Monday, January 10, 2011

Mount Rose Baptist Church, Tulsa, Oklahoma

While not legitimately a macro, this does take something not generally noticed and lets us see it clearly.  Sue and I attended worship services this morning at Mount Rose Baptist church where our dear friend Brother Leron West began his tenure as their interim pastor.  The church is built around a circular sanctuary with a skylight in the center. 

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Saturday, January 8, 2011

Metropolitan Seoul, 23 Million People

I was last in South Korea 45 years ago, from November 1964 to December 1965 while serving as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army.  Since that time the population of the capital city of Seoul has grown very rapidly.  This post will conclude my recent visit with some gee-whiz numbers.

In 1960 the population of Seoul was about 2.4 million.  The population of Seoul grew to 8.5 million people in 1980, and to a mega-city of 10.8 million in 1989, accounting for about 22.3 percent of the country’s total population.   The infrastructure of the city was given a great boost by preparations for the Asian Games in 1986 and the Summer Olympics of 1988. The present city  of Seoul bears very little resemblance to the bombed out rubble from the Korean conflict that was halted in 1954.  When I was here in 1965 there were still areas of devastation to be seen.

The population density of Seoul peaked at about 17,300 people per square kilometer in 1999.  As of November, 2010, the population of the city of Seoul was 11 million, and of  the greater metropolitan region around Seoul was 23.17 million people.  This accounts for 49 percent of the total population of 48.22 million for South Korea.  Only India and Bangladesh have cities of greater population density.  By comparison, the estimated population of North Korea was 28.5 million in 2010. 

As the population of Seoul grew very rapidly the demand for living space far outstripped the availability of housing.  After a period of shanty town construction, the government assisted in the building of 8.67 million apartments, accounting for 58.3 percent of all 14.88 million homes nationwide.  As a result row after row of high rise apartments are seen throughout the metropolitan area.

It is interesting to make comparisons between North and South Korea.  Rather than reveal my lack of knowledge in this area I will offer one rather interesting night time satellite photograph of the entire Korean peninsula.  

The coastline and national boundaries are drawn in.  Everything else is the illumination of electric lights.  The very large area in the northeast corner of South Korea is the greater metropolitan area of Seoul.  The other large urban areas are seen scattered over the southern half of the peninsula.  The only lights visible in North Korea are in the immediate area around the capital of Pyongyang.

Friday, January 7, 2011

Pedestrian Bridge, Seoul, ROK

After snow and cloudy skies we got some sun and blue skies in Seoul last week.  I wish I could tell you what the glass panels are but I don't have a clue.  Decoration?  Solar panels?  Can't tell you.


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Thursday, January 6, 2011

Sepia Scenes -Tree Bumper

Another photo from our day in the Shinjang shopping area in Seoul, ROK.  I don't think I have ever seen a tree bumper quite like this.  It's both effective and attractive.

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Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Wordless Wednesday - Doors from Dragon Hill

Doors from food court to outdoor patio at Dragon Hill Hotel, Seoul. ROK.



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Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Ruby Tuesday - King Kebab, Seoul Korea

Here in the little Shinjang outdoor shopping mall is a restaurant loudly proclaiming itself to be the King Kebab.  We did not go in to sample its cuisine but it clearly serves as this weeks Ruby Tuesday. 

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Monday, January 3, 2011

Macro Monday - Mother of Pearl Crane


When we were in Korea we bought some pretty lacquered jewel boxes for our granddaughters Gaby and Katy.  The boxes are inlaid with mother of pearl Cranes.  The crane is the symbol for good luck in Korea.  These are made by hand and the workmanship is excellent.  Even up close the cut work is very clean and smooth.  The girls seemed very pleased that we brought them back something nice from our trip.  They are very sweet girls and are fond of their step dad David.  He is a lucky fellow.  We were invited to stay for dinner.  Wow, Renee is a wonderful cook.  Dave is a VERY lucky fellow, and so are we.



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Sunday, January 2, 2011

Banpo Bridge, Seoul, Korea

The Banpo Bridge is a major bridge in downtown Seoul over the Han River. Banpo Bridge was built in 1982 and is on top of the Jamsu bridge which was built in 1976, forming a "double deck" bridge. The lower deck incorporates pedestrian and bicycle paths that provide easy access to the Banpo Hangang Park from the north side of the river. When the water level rises too high, the Jamsu Bridge becomes covered with water and gets closed off. 

In 2009 a fountain composed of a series of 10,000 LED nozzles was added on each side of the upper bridge. The streams of water wave up and down and are lit with colored lights.  This photo was taken from the lower bridge.  You can just make out some of the pipe for the fountain along the edges of the upper deck above us.  See a short video clip here.


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Saturday, January 1, 2011

Blue Opera Coffee House, Seoul. ROC



The Blue Opera is a restaurant and coffee house in the Shinjang outdoor shopping mall located just outside Osan Air Base.  I have a number of photos from our Christmas trip to Korea that I will share in the weeks ahead.  We had a great trip but were glad to get back home.


To all the nice people who stop by and visit my blog I wish you a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!

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