Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Ruby Tuesday - Osage Mural

Pawhuska, Oklahoma is the capital of the Osage tribe.  On May 16, 2011 a group of Osage youth worked together to paint a mural on the side of the Osage Language Center.  The mural was designed by Osage artist Ryan Red Corn and depicts an Osage straight dancer.  Behind the dancer is Osage orthography that spells Wah.Zha.Zhi, that is, “Osage language.”

Like many native american languages, Osage had no written alphabet and was a spoken language only.  More recently an orthography of phonetic symbols have been developed to facilitate preserving the language.  At the present time there are only about 20 living fluent Osage speakers, all elderly and in Oklahoma, and about 300 students of the language.  See a newspaper article from the Osage News.


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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Tulsa Gentleman is Three Years Old

My first post to this blog was on May 29, 2008.  Since then I have made 1,531 posts to it.  To celebrate this occasion I will share 4 photos which are significant to me.


First is our wedding photograph.  We were married December 26, 2002.  We choose that date because it was the day after Christmas and the first day I had free.  I completed my 6th season as the Santa at Tulsa's largest mall.  Susan as widowed and I was divorced.  My kids live near by and hers are spread all over.  As a practical matter this was also the only time that all of our kids and grandkids were together.  Here we are, for the first and last time.  We have been together since, but not all at once. The three little girls in white dresses are our granddaughters - flower girls.

This is our little house.  It is small but very comfortable.  This photo shows  off our roses - Blaze on the porch, and New Dawn on the corner of the garage.  The New Dawn was started from a cutting about 18 years ago.



Here is my "family".  The smiling lady is my dear wife Susan,  and with her is our dog Smokey.  He is a Pit Bull Terrier and is the sweetest gentlest dog I have ever had.  Like children, it is all in how you raise them.  We make a happy family.


This photo is here because I like it.  It might be my favorite of all the pictures I have posted althought it didn't get much comment at the time.  I like it because of the simplicity of the composition and the clarity of the colors.

These are the memes I frequently post to.  I hope you enjoy them.
 
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Saturday, May 28, 2011

Weekend Reflections - OneOK Building

OneOK is a natural gas distribution company in downtown Tulsa serving more than two million customers in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.  Yogi! works here.

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Friday, May 27, 2011

Skywatch Friday - Blue Skies Today.

One day we have tornado warnings, the next we have blue skies.  Welcome to Oklahoma.

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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Ruby Tuesday - Betty Boop Rose


Betty Boop is a Florabunda rose that blooms quickly and continuously.  It is named for a 1930s cartoon character.

The bush has dark, glossy, and healthy leaves and the grows in a rounded natural shape.

It flowers with profusion and sets new blooms so quickly that  'Betty Boop' is never without blooms.

We enjoyed this specimen when we visited Sue's brother Alan in Virginia earlier this month. 
Betty Boop was an animated cartoon character 
introduced by Max Fleischer from 1930 to 1939. 
She sang, "Boop-oop-A-Doop ".



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Monday, May 23, 2011

Wren Alston Miller is Baptized

Wren Alston Miller, daughter of Luke and Cara Miller, was baptized Sunday, May 22, 2011 at  St. James Episcopal Church in Wagoner,Oklahoma.  She was born on February 1, 2011.  She wore the same baptismal dress and lace cap as her aunt Catharine Alston Miller who was baptized in 1972.

Luke, Cara, and Wren
Officiating was the Reverend Joann Wright.





When a baby cries during baptism, the old joke is that it is the devil coming out.  Wren remained serene throughout the whole service.  Does that mean there is no devil in her?  Time will tell.  She seems pretty mellow.


Sunday, May 22, 2011

Black and White Bridges - Jefferson Barracks Bridge

The Jefferson Barracks Bridge over the Mississippi River in south St. Louis, Missouri.


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Saturday, May 21, 2011

Weekend Reflections - Ready to Sail

Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia


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Friday, May 20, 2011

Skywatch Friday - Appalachia Sky

On the Blue Ridge Parkway in Southern Virginia.

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Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Road Trip Day 11, Wednesday - Memphis to Tulsa

We spent the night just east of downtown Memphis.  When we cross the Mississippi River we are in Arkansas.
On both sides of the river water is over the banks.
Flooding is occurring all the way down to New Orleans

It has been a great trip, but we are ready to come back home and sleep in our own bed.  "There's no place like home!"



Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Road Trip Day 10, Tuesday - Drive to Memphis

We stayed near Knoxville, Tennessee last night and today was a long straight shot east on I-40.
We stopped for lunch at Susan's favorite, Cracker Barrel.
We were seated by the charming Miss Nika.
As we approached Memphis this strange light appeared in the sky - yes, I remember - the SUN!  Where have you been?

Monday, May 16, 2011

Road Trip Day 9, Monday - Great Smokey Mountains

We continued down the Blue Ridge Parkway in fog and rain.  The road runs down the ridge line and the overlooks go from one side to the other.  A good bit of the time we were in a cloud.
The  fog/cloud gave everything a soft haze.
The view from the top.

There was a sign that explained the geology.
We did get a pretty good view of Looking Glass Rock.

In Cherokee, North Carolina we visited the Cherokee National Museum. Between 1836 and 1838 most Cherokees were forced to abandon their property in the south-eastern states to settle in what is now Oklahoma.  See HERE.  

Cherokee history is told with Dioramas.
And with historical artifacts.


From the Cherokee Museum we drove west on highway 441 through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park
We enjoyed the scenery as best we could -
as we drifted in and out of the clouds.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Road Trip Day 8, Sunday - Blowing Rock

Today we drove about 200 miles down the Blue Ridge Parkway.  These are old mountains covered with lush forests.

We visited Blowing Rock.  Sitting on top can be scary.
Sue demonstrated her courage in a more sensible way.


We drove through a number of tunnels.
Some are short, some are long and curving.


Down at lower elevations are swift flowing waters.
Grassy meadows lie under the tall trees.
The tallest mountains here are about 6000 feet stretching as far as the eye can see covered in undulating green velvet.


Saturday, May 14, 2011

Road Trip Day 7, Saturday - Maybry's Mill

We are up in the Appalachian Mountains now and making our way southwest on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Our ears begin to pop  as we climb from just above sea level to around 3000 feet.  We stopped at Mabry's Mill, a very old but still working grist mill and historical center.

Off in the woods is a home made still.  White Lightening!
Water to run the mill is carried by a system of sluices.

This is a press that squeezes the juice out of sorghum.

The juice from the sorghum is boiled until thick.

We bailed Smokey out of the kennel..

Smokey liked the spring water.


We climbing but the view has been obscured by rain that comes and goes,  We figure that the best is yet to come.  We are spending the night in Boone, North Carolina.