Black & White Weekend - Expo Center

Expo Center in the Tulsa Fairgrounds is an enormous open space of 448,000 square feet of which 354,000 square feet is column free space. This typically is the venue for large trade shows: the Boat show, the Home and Garden show, and others. Several corporations have paid for naming rights over the year,. It has been the Quik Trip Center, and currently is officially the River Spirit Center, but everyone still calls it the Expo Center. It's big.

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Skywatch Friday - Sky over Prairie

The Tallgrass prairie covered 170 thousand acres at one time over the central plains.  Now the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve is a partnership between the National Park Service and The Nature Conservancy and covers 11 thousand acres in Kansas and Oklahoma.

The first time I was up in the Tallgrass Prairie was in the early 1990's when Freewheel, the week long across the state bicycle ride went through Pawhuska and then north to Kansas.  I stopped on top of a rise and looked out across the prairie and watched the wind move the grass in long waves like green water.  If you have the time drive through there.  It's beautiful.

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Thursday Challenge - Fire

Twelve days after Christmas is the festival of the Epiphany which celebrates the coming of the Magi, the "wise men" who followed the star that led to the baby Jesus. It is the custom of many Episcopal churches to mark this occasion with a bonfire made from all the trees and greenery left over from the Christmas season.

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Wednesday Doors - Price Tower

The Price Tower in Bartlesville, Oklahoma is Frank Lloyd Wright's tallest structure at 19 floors and 221 feet.  For details look here.  It is one of three Wright buildings in Oklahoma along with two residences, one in Bartlesville and another in Tulsa.

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Ruby Tuesday - Dodge Ram Crew Cab

Here in Oklahoma we like our Pick-em-up Trucks.  This 4 door Dodge Ram Crew Cab will haul the material for a job and 4 folks to do the work.  Or on Saturday it can carry the family to a ball game.

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Macro Monday - Bull Thistle

Sue and I drove up to the Tallgrass Preserve on Saturday to admire the view.  By this time of year the prairie is usually dry and brown but this year is lush and green.  The buffalo were grazing up to their bellies and looked fat and happy.  Bull Thistle is often found growing next to the road.  It blooms purple then dries to a brownish gray.  This year the seed pods themselves are purple.  I don't recall seeing this much color before.  I read that the stalks and root of the plant are edible and provide food for rabbits and deer.  Those critters have tougher mouth parts than I do.

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Black & White Reflections - Spirit Center

The front entrance of the Spirit Event Center seen from the inside.  We were there a few weeks ago for an all-tribe Powwow.

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Skywatch Friday - Full to the Brim

The Arkansas River is full from bank to bank - for a change.

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Thursday - Animals

Buffalo Cow, Tallgrass Prairie, north of Pawhuska, Oklahoma.

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Wordless Wednesday - All-Tribe Powwow

Oklahoma was Indian Territory before it was a state.  There are still a lot of us around.

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Ruby Tuesday - Double Delight

Double Delight is a great hybrid tea rose.   It's both beautiful  and has a rich fragrance.  This one has been thriving in a large stone pot on my deck behind the house for the past 6 years.

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Macro Monday - Swallowtails

The Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly feeding on nectar from wildflowers along the Arkansas River.  See Wikipedia.

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Black & White Reflections - Corner Cafe

The Corner Cafe, 53rd and South Peoria.

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Skywatch Friday - CityPlex Towers

The former ORU City of Faith from across the Arkansas River in Jenks.  Tulsa has had an abundance of rain this summer.  As a result the river is filled bank to bank for the length of it.  After the terrible drought of the past 2 summers we are due some rain.  Everything is lush and green.  Wait, that might be Yogi.  (Just kidding)

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Thursday Challenge - Blue

The great blue whale of Catoosa. For more see HERE.

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Wordless Wednesday - Mini Sopapillas

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Ruby Tuesday - Red Hibiscus

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Macro Monday - Blue-fronted Dancer

Blue-fronted Dancer damselfly, Arkansas River, Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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Black & White Reflections - Cloud Gate, Chicago

Cloud Gate, a public sculpture by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor, is the centerpiece of the AT&T Plaza in Millennium Park within the Loop community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The sculpture and AT&T Plaza are located on top of Park Grill, between the Chase Promenade and McCormick Tribune Plaza & Ice Rink. Constructed between 2004 and 2006, the sculpture is nicknamed "The Bean" because of its bean-like shape. Made up of 168 stainless steel plates welded together, its highly polished exterior has no visible seams. It is 33 by 66 by 42 feet (10 by 20 by 13 m), and weighs 110 short tons (100 t; 98 long tons). For more, see Wikipedia.

By the way, the girl whose reflection is looking at us in the first photo is our granddaughter Moira, age 7.  To me, her reflection appears to be flying to us out of the bean.  The photo was taken by our 13 year old grandson Will.  The bottom photo was taken by his 15 year old sister Molly.  Photography seems to run in the family.

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Macro Monday - Wren and Horsey

My granddaughter Wren on her very own horsey.  A little girl on a miniature horse should qualify for a macro monday photo.


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Black & White Reflection - Fox River

Fox River, Saint Charles, Illinois.  Nice photo Sue.

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Skywatch Friday - Pottawatomie Park

Pottawatomie Park Pavillion, St Charles, Illinois.  Susan had a family gathering up in Chicago last week and came  back with some terrific photos.

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