Weekend Reflections - Prague on the Vltava River

I must confess that I did not take this photograph.  My handsome son David took this photo when he was in Germany with his Air Guard unit a few weeks ago.  It is a beautiful photo and deserves to be published.
The second reason I am using it (here it comes, there is always a second reason) is that Susan and I are Leaving early Saturday for a road trip of about 10 days.  We will go east through the States of Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia.  We know the direction we want to travel and several things we want to see and we will stop when we find something worthy of a little time and some photographs.  Our Garmin GPS lady will tell us how to get there.  When we are ready to stop for the night my iPhone will show me the hotels in the area and we will call around to find one that fits our needs (close, clean, and cheap), then we stop and plan the next day and off again in the morning. We find restaurants the same way.
I will try to post some photos at the end of each day to share our trip with you.  Does it sound like a good plan?  OK, Come back and visit us tomorrow.

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Skywatch Friday - Touring Tulsa

If you would like a tour of downtown Tulsa you can drive by the sights or park your car and walk.  Or you can rent a Pedicab and enjoy a custom tour of our fair city.  Apparently the service even includes a photo taken with your very own camera.


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Thursday Challenge: Wood - Oldest House in Tulsa

This small wooden was typical of early farm houses built in the 1880s. It was the modest home of Reverend Morris, a Methodist minister. Reverend Morris was reportedly shot and killed by lawmen who had mistaken him for a whiskey peddler. His horses continued on home, bearing his body in the carriage. The house was vacant for some time after the death of Reverend Morris and was thought to be the oldest house of its kind. It was moved to the present location in Owen Park in 1976 after intruders set fire to it. Although 1880 may not seem that old to some, it pre-dates the first Land Rush of 1889 when the first of the Unassigned Lands were available for settlement. The land run started at high noon on April 22, 1889, with an estimated 50,000 people lined up for their piece of the available two million acres (8,000 km²). Initially known as Indian Territory, Oklahoma became a state in 1907.

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Wordless Wednesday - Midtown Doors

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Ruby Tuesday - A Late Father's Day

Father's Day was last Sunday June 17 but my middle son David was with his Air Guard unit in Germany and only returned last Tuesday.  So we proclaimed this past Sunday June 24 as Miller Family Father's Day.  I am happy to report that all were present.  My 3 sons are lined up behind the sofa and are in descending age: Adam, David, and Luke.  To Luke's right is Cara holding their daughter Wren.  Sitting on the left of the sofa is David's wife Renee and their daughters Katy and Gabby.  On the far right is Adam's wife Judi and their daughter Sarah is next to me, and Hannah kneeling in front of Sarah.  Sitting in front is Cara's son Joshua.  We are proud to have him as he is the only boy.  And of course no family gathering is complete without Smokey our famously mellow Pit Bull.

Sue fixed a fine dinner of baked ham, a corn casserole, tabbouleh, and a mixed fruit salad.  Desert was Carrot cake with cream cheese icing, or strawberry rhubarb pie - or both. Yum.  Three generations of family are hard to get in one place for a picture but we managed, all 12 of us.  Thank you Sue for fixing the dinner and taking the picture.  You are a Saint.

Oh yes, I almost forgot.  What qualifies this as a Ruby Tuesday post?  The nice little red hot rod parked on the floor at bottom left.  I couldn't wait to share this great Father's Day.


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Macro Monday - Skipper on a White Rose

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SOOC Sunday - Double Delight

Just outside the back door to the long deck behind the house is this rose.  It is a double delight and is both beautiful and exceptionally fragrant.  When 4 or 5 blooms are open at the same time you are sort of waylaid by the scent as you walk out onto the deck.  This is one of my favorite roses.

Straight Out Of the Camera (SOOC) is a Sunday meme for photos that have not been tweaked or altered. In other words, straight out of the camera.

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Weekend Black & White - Double Row

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Skywatch Friday - It Might Rain

But it didn't.

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Thursday Challenge: Style - Prom Girls

A group of lovely young ladies in their stylish prom dresses.  My granddaughter Sarah is on the left.

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Wordless Wednesday - Willy's New Shoes

He says they fit like a glove.

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Ruby Tuesday - Scarlet Mandevilla

We want some flowering vines to climb up the corners of the Pergola.  On the South East corner I have a Scarlet Red Sun Parasol Mandevilla.

It is flanked by by two climbing New Dawn roses.  These bloom with a profusion of pale pink roses in the early spring then repeat bloom until fall when they put on a second wave of blooms.  The New Dawn climbers were grown from cuttings started late last summer.  The one on the right is already at seven feet.  These guys are vigorous.

As they are all in pots it will be a simple matter to finesse their location. This also makes it much easier to keep up with pruning, feeding and watering. They are getting lots of TLC.

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Macro Monday - Betty Boop

Betty Boop is one of my favorite roses.  It is a semi-double floribunda named for the 1930's era cartoon character.

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SOOC Sunday - 1954 Packard Convertable

OK, one more classic car and then I'll quit.  But this was my favorite from the whole Auto Show.  It is a Sea Foam green 1954 Packard Convertible.  Absolutely flawless.  When I was a young and impressionable boy we visited my uncle down in Jena Louisiana.  He lived in a dry country and every afternoon.we had to drive over to the next county to buy beer.  He drove a 1954 Packard and flew, did not drive that car at what seemed to me was 200 miles per hour.  Oh, I wanted that car so bad!  Not that I could have bid on it but it finally sold for $85,000.  I hope whoever bought it takes good care of it.  I was so  much in love with that car.

Straight Out Of the Camera (SOOC) is a meme for photos that have not been tweaked or altered. In other words, straight out of the camera.

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Weekend Reflections - 1950 Mercury

This beautiful 1950 Mercury has crome wheels that reflect a lot of light as does the glassy surface of the dark blue finish.  If you were a teenager in 1955 and remember seeing young James Dean in "Rebel Without a Cause" you will remember the black 4 door 1949 Mercury that he drove in the movie.  His sultry bad boy image and the Mercury's sinister low slung good looks caused a run on used Mercuries.  I think of that movie every time I see an old Merc.  Pardon the unintended self portrait in the center of the wheel.  All these cars featured this past week were from the Leake Auto Auction last weekend at the Quik Trip Exposition Center at the Tulsa Fairgrounds.  Man, you should have been there.


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Skywatch Friday - Tulsa at Dusk

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Thursday Challenge: Big - Golden Driller

Tulsa's Golden Driller is big.  How Big?  Did you notice our grandchildren Molly and Willy standing next to his right foot (your left)?

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Wordless Wednesday - Kaiser Darrin Doors

Wednesday is the day when I usually post interesting doors to a home, church, or commercial building.  But today I want to share the unique doors of a classic automobile.  The 1954 Kaiser Darrin was like nothing else.  The Kaiser-Frazer Company was created in 1945 to sell passenger cars to an American public that had gone through 4 years of wartime when civilian automobiles were unavailable.  Various models of Kaiser and Frazer automobiles were manufactured and sold beginning in 1947 until 1955.  The Darrin had a fiberglass body and patented doors that slid back into the body.  Only 435 were made of which 392 are still in existence.  Here are some links to satisfy your curiosity.  Enjoy!  (Oops, shhhh! we are supposed to be wordless.)

A good over view of Kaiser-Frazer is HERE.
A good history of the Kaiser Darrin is HERE.

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Ruby Tuesday - 1938 Ford Convertible

Here for Ruby Tuesday is a beautiful 1938 Ford convertible.  This has not been restored strictly to original condition as seen in the lack of door handles and bumpers, and the beefed up power train.  This a sweet ride.

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Macro Monday - Goddess of Speed

Packard used several designs for their distinctive hood ornaments over the years.  This beautiful 1934 Packard Phaeton  carries the "Goddess of Speed".


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SOOC Sunday - - 1933 Pierce Arrow

Saturday I met my friend Yogi and his faithful companion SuperPizzaBoy at the Expo Center for the Leake Auto Auction.   I love cars old and new and here were hundreds of beautiful automobiles, antiques, hotrods, and customs.  It is fair to say that some of these will be popping up in our respective blogs over the next few weeks.

I would wager that very few cars have the style and panache of a 1933 Pierce Arrow. Pierce-Arrows were stately vehicles that commanded admiration and respect and had a price tag to match. The individuals who bought the most elite Pierce-Arrows were individuals that were high on the social ladder and for whom cost was not an issue. The Pierce-Arrow catered to every demand and request, even keeping special colors on hand for important families and only using those colors for those vehicles and non-others. Most of the vehicle was custom, including the carpets, luggage, trunks, and seats. The Pierce-Arrows were more than just a custom and exclusive automobile, they were also known for their quality, reliability, performance, and sophistication. The going price for a Pierce Arrow was from $2500 and $3500.

Straight Out Of the Camera (SOOC) is a meme for photos that have not been tweaked or altered. In other words, straight out of the camera.


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Black and White Weekend - Tradition

Oklahoma became a state in 1907.  Before that it was Oklahoma Indian Territory.  People of many tribes were relocated here during the 19th century and a significant number of Oklahomans are of American Indian descent.  I am part Cherokee.  Powwows are held in many places and feature colorful dancing competitions.  The big powwows in Tulsa and Oklahoma City are open to all tribes.  These events are an important way in which customs are honored and passed down from generation to generation.  Here we see a father helping his son with a very fine costume for the junior dancing contest.  They are each wearing a porcupine roach.  The roach is typically constructed of porcupine guard hair (not quills) and hair from the tail of the white-tail deer.

For more information see Oklahoma American Indian Nations.  Also Powwows.
For a terrific video of Oklahoma Fancy Dancing at a Tulsa Powwow, click HERE.


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Skywatch Friday - Cumulus Clouds

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Wordless Wednesday - Rainy Day Lilies

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Ruby Tuesday - Smokey is Twelve

Every Monday evening a small group of gentlemen meet at my house for a "Prayer and Share" group.  We have been doing this for over 15 years.  For the past 12 years my dog Smokey has been a faithful member of the group.  We generally celebrate his birthday with a cake and this year he is 12.  Smokey gets his own slice.  He likes this a lot.  Notice that he is wearing his red collar.

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Macro Monday - Water Lily

Water Lily in Philbrook Garden.

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SOOC Sunday - Regular Customer

Straight Out Of the Camera (SOOC) is a meme for photos that have not been tweaked or altered. In other words, straight out of the camera. 

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Weekend Reflections - Rain on the River

Pedestrian Bridge over the Arkansas River.

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CDPB for June 2012 - Tranquility

Some of you have met my American Bulldog Smokey before.  Smokey brings tranquility to a new level.  He is perfectly content to let Willy use him for a pillow while Will plays Nintendo.  Smokey honestly loves everybody especially children.  Smokey doesn't act tranquil, Smokey IS tranquil.

A City Daily Photo Blog (CDPB) is a blog that publishes a photo each day taken in and around a particular city. Currently there are 2,432 such blogs world wide. Tulsa Gentleman is a City Daily Photo Blog for Tulsa, Oklahoma. The first day of each month there is a theme for all City Daily Photo Blogs. This month's theme is TRANQUILITY..

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