Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Ruby Tuesday - Painting the Town Red

Friday night Sue and I enjoyed a grand dinner at Georgia Brown's restaurant in Washington DC before going to a play at the old Ford Theater.  It was our wedding anniversary.

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Monday, December 30, 2013

Macro Monday - Pullman Train


The mail car was staffed by postal workers.  They sorted the mail enroute.

All the meals were prepared fresh in a special traveling kitchen car.

Meals were served in the dining car with white tablecloths and elegant serving.

First class passengers rode in a car with tables between the seats.  At night the porter converted the seating area into two bunk beds.

Economy folks rode in regular seats.

We enjoyed the Transportation section of the Smithsonian Museum of American History.  They had some beautiful old trains on display.  I liked this model of a 1940's Pullman train.  there were cutaways of the mail car, kitchen, dining car and others.

more Macro Monday

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Black and White Reflections - DC Streets


We drove into Washington DC this evening to see a play at the old Ford theater and caught this scene.

More Weekend Reflections 
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Friday, December 27, 2013

Skywatch Friday - Capital Sky

We spent Thursday visiting the Smithsonion Museum of American History and enjoyed a great view of the Capital Dome on our way back.

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Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas Baptism

Our grandson Grant Jay Lashmet was baptized on Christmas Eve at Epiphany Episcopal Church in Odenton, Maryland by the priest Phebe McPherson.

Grant's parents, grandparents, and godparents gathered for his baptism into the Episcopal church.

Being the center of all this attention can be intimidating for a five year old.

Grant gets a good Episcopal sprinkling.

There is a birthday cake for the baby Jesus.  Grant blows out the candle and we all sing Happy Birthday.

After the service all the kids decorate gingerbread houses.  It was a real celebration.

Grant was the star of tonight's show.
Here is his lovely sister Autumn.
Sue and I drove from Tulsa to Eastern Maryland to visit with her son and his family, but the highlight was to attend Grant's baptism.

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Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Ruby Tuesday - Rudolf the Automobile

Sue and I are in Eastern Maryland visiting family.  We ran a few errands in a nearby shopping center and spotted a Rudolf car.  Notice the furry red nose and the little antlers above each front door.  It must have been full of toys.

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Saturday, December 21, 2013

Black & White Weekend - Wooden Airplanes

Detail of Installation at Hirshhorn museum of modern art, part of the Smithsonion Institute.

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Friday, December 20, 2013

Skywatch Friday - Early Morning Fog

Cabin on the Lake, Greenleaf State Park.

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Thursday, December 12, 2013

Camping at Lake Greenleaf


Sue and I are staying in a cabin on Lake Greenleaf this week.  My son Luke and his wife Cara and little Wren joined us on Monday and Tuesday and my favorite cousin Catharine is coming this evening.   There is no phone service down on the lake and of course no wifi.  We have come up on the hill so I can post from my phone.  This is a beautiful place and I will catch up on posts after we return.  Peace! 

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Blue Monday - Post Thanksgiving Nap

Sue and I invited my sons and their wives and kids for a Post-Thanksgiving dinner on the Friday after Thanksgiving.  They mostly had Thanksgiving with their assorted in-laws and outlaws.  After two big dinners in a row exhaustion set in for my granddaughter Sarah and boyfriend Daniel.

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Shadow Shot Sunday - Blue Shadows

Woodward Park, Tulsa, OK

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Saturday, December 7, 2013

Black & White Weekend - Feed the Birds


Snow fell through the night and the temperature dropped sharply. The birds which frequent our feeders have begun to swarm around with a certain desperation.  The high today (Friday) will be 23 degrees F with a forecasted low Friday night of 4 degrees F and more snow.  It is difficult to keep water in the bird bath because it freezes so quickly.  I will try to rig a heat tape to keep it liquid for longer.

The contrast of objects against the white snow makes the photo nearly black and white so the conversion from color is not much of a stretch.

More Black and White Weekend

Friday, December 6, 2013

Skywatch Friday - It's Cold Out!

Winter has come and today was cold and gray with sleet and snow.  The birdies were grateful for some seed.  The low in the morning is forecast to be 6 degrees F with 6 more inches of snow.  Sue laid in some provisions and we plan to stay in tomorrow.

More SkyWatch Friday

Thursday, December 5, 2013

Thursday Challenge - Peaceful

Smokey really knows how to do peaceful.

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Saturday, November 30, 2013

Black and White Weekend - Sycamore Trinity

Three Sycamores so close to each other that they have grown together to be one tree.

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Friday, November 29, 2013

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Thursday Challenge - Signs

Mural with Native American motif  on west side of Rose Company at 316 East 2nd Street, Tulsa.




Happy Thanksgiving to all my friends and readers.

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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Ruby Tuesday - Red 3-Wheeler

Sue and I took a drive over to the Illinois River east of Tahlequah and met a man with a beautiful custom 3-wheel cycle and a trailer to match.  I was impressed.

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Monday, November 25, 2013

Sunday, November 24, 2013

The Beach at Santa Cruz

Son Paul and wife Beth at the Santa Cruz beach from our visit in 2003 when they lived in Monterrey, California.  Paul is career Navy and has managed to be stationed in places that are fun to visit.  Very thoughtful of him.

More Black and White Weekend
More Shadow Shot Sunday 

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Weekend Reflections - The Houston Center

Just west of downtown at West 7th and South Houston is a glass walled commercial building called (logically enough) The Houston Center.

More Weekend Reflections 

Friday, November 22, 2013

Skywatch Friday - Giraffe

Southwood Nursery has everything - - shrubs, trees, flowers, even a pair of outdoor giraffes.

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Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Wordless Wednesday - East Meets West

This larger than life bronze sculpture resides in Cyrus Avery Plaza next to the Route 66 arch I posted last weekend.  Along the back of the plaza are the flags of the eight states through which Route 66 passes.  They are, from west to east, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois.

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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Ruby Tuesday - My Autumn Maple

This is the maple tree in front of my house.  A sharp freeze last week has brought color to trees all over Tulsa.  We are having a beautiful autumn.  When the wind blows the leaves fall in a technicolor rain.

     CYCLE

When summer's burning heat at last is over,
and autumn rains again refresh the earth.
There is a burst of life which like a nova
hurls out the light that precedes icy death.

The wind boils leaves in heaven's flashing cauldron
an endless stream of color swirls and falls,
and reveals Seurat's dappled vision,
a patchwork quilt that flows and covers all.

That which spring began and summer nurtured,
at autumn's end must safe be stored inside.
With winter's cold the cycle's finally ended.
Tender life digs deep, flies south, or dies.

At last comes winter's quiet time which brings
all life's return in resurrection spring.

          G.W. Bill Miller
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Monday, November 18, 2013

Macro Monday - Little Wren

This may not strictly be a macro but it is a closeup.  Any excuse to post a picture of my granddaughter Wren is sufficient.  She is the daughter of my youngest son Luke and she is a sweetheart.

more Macro Monday

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Black & White Weekend - Route 66 in Tulsa


Route 66 runs right through downtown Tulsa.  The city has celebrated that with a memorial arch at the place where the highway begins to pass over the Arkansas River.




Friday, November 15, 2013

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Thursday Challenge - Patterns

Bamboo Forest, Japan, 2003

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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Wordless Wednesday - Smokey

He's watching me eat a piece of chicken.

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Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Ruby Tuesday - The Hills are Ablaze


The hillside across the Arkansas River is bright with color.

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Monday, November 11, 2013

Macro Monday - Sculpture


I found this sculpture by local artist Steven Greunau at Southwood Nursery.

more Macro Monday