Tutankhamun in Dallas

This was an amazing exhibit. It was produced by the National Geographic and was extremely well done. Although there was a huge crowd attending the exhibit, we were let in one group at a time, and shown a very short film that served to space out each group as well as being informative.

As we went through from one galley to the next, each item of interest was showcased with enough space around it to allow it to be seen from at least 3 sides, and the informative placards were repeated on all sides at both top and bottom so no matter where you were standing it was easy to read about the display. I was using my wheelchair because of the great amount of walking required and appreciated the multiple placement. In addition, we rented audio devices to carry around with us. Each exhibit had a number which when entered into the device played an explanation. Despite the crowds we had time to really see and understand everything. This was very well done.

Going through the exhibit was an information overload. Here are a few highlights from the excellent exhibit book. It is thick and full of photographs and text. It explains the history of the discovery and excavation of the tomb and is very interesting. It can be ordered from the National Geographic web site and is well worth the $22.50 it cost.


This is the cover of the exhibition book and is the headpiece of the third or inner coffin. Tutankhamun became Pharaoh of all Egypt in about 1500 BC when he was 9 years old and died suddenly and mysteriously when he was 19. The story of his brief reign is fascinating but much too involved to be told here. It appears that he accomplished quite a lot in his brief life and was much loved.


When Howard Carter who led the expedition discovered the inner chamber which contained the tomb, he found it was a series of five nested crypts each one exquisitely decorated. Within was a stone sarcophagus which contained the actual coffin. It too was a set of three nested coffins with the mummy adorned with golden masks and jewelery at the center. The illustration above shows the layers of shrines which comprise the crypt.


These are the upper portions of the 3 nested coffins, the last being made of solid gold. Pharaoh is usually seen holding a flail in one hand and a crook in the other. The flail is power as ruler, the crook is to shepherd his people.


This is the second coffin heavily decorated.



This is the stunning face of the third coffin revealing the life like features of the young king. This is another view of the same object as on the book's cover photograph above.


This is the fourth mask which was affixed to the linen wrappings of the mummified body at the innermost layer. The process of preserving the body for its journey in the afterlife was very involved. The tomb was filled with possessions of the young king that would be of use to him in the afterlife.


This is a pectoral ornament included with his belongings. It was pointed out that the scarab at the center was carved from a piece of glass which occurred naturally by some means, maybe by a meteorite. Interesting.


This is one side of a small shrine found in the tomb. It is covered by scenes of the young Pharaoh and his wife in intimate scenes of their personal life. Here she is handing him arrows as he shoots what appears to be ducks. One would have to be a good shot to hunt ducks with a bow and arrows. Buried with Tut were two embalmed fetuses, thought to be his only offspring. It is not known what happened to his wife.


Also included were these two small statues of Tutankhamun as Pharaoh. They are identical except fot the royal crowns. The elongated crown depicted him as ruler of the upper kingdom and the flat topped crown indicates he was the ruler of lower Egypt as well.


This is a rather small solid gold coffin in which were placed his viscera. When the body was embalmed, the internal organs were removed, dried and wrapped in linen, and stored in this small coffin for use in the afterlife. This beautiful gold case was displayed so the the interior was visible and was covered with engraved decoration. If I had to pick a favorite thing from the exhibit, this would be it.


This was a container for some sort of ointment or cosmetic. I really like the lion with his tongue hanging out.


This is a child sized chair that probably belonged to Tut when he was young. Maybe it was a favorite thing.


This is a double sided ivory game board so the young king could entertain himself. The game was described as something similar to parcheesi. It showed indications of some wear and was assumed to have been used by Tut. Remember, he was just a boy when he became Pharaoh and like all boys enjoyed games. Seeing things that he held in his hands 3500 years ago was almost a little spooky.

Back from Dallas

Sweet Old Bob (SOB)

We slept very well after a full day at the King Tut exhibit. It surpassed all our expectations. Although I could not take any pictures in the museum I bought some nice pictures that I will scan and share with you tomorrow. Right now I am stretched out on the bed with my faithful friend Smokey beside me. It is a 4 1/2 hour drive up from Dallas but the time passed quickly because we took turns reading a book aloud to each other. One of us reading and the other paying attention to the driving of course.

On the way back we stopped to say hello to our old friend Bob Smith. Bob lived in Tulsa for quite some time and we attended the same church. He was a very loyal friend and was of great help to me before I was married when I had my first cancer surgery. For about 15 years he was a part of the men's prayer group that meets at my house every Monday night. Several years ago he moved to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area to be near one of his daughters and grandchildren. It is the first time we had seen his new home there, which is very nice. I am happy to report that he is doing very well and enjoying his life as a transplanted Texan. Great to see you Bob.

Dallas for King Tut

Here are a few photos taken with my Canon. The quality of the photographs is better but I have to wait until I can dowload them to my computer before I can post them to Blogger. The iPhone lets me email them to blogger wherever I am.


Here is our breakfast at the Westin. I had fruit and a toasted bagel, Susan had eggs and bacon. It was very nice.


Here is the love of my life, the sweet Saint Susan.


Looking out at the large indoor atrium.


At the floor of the Atrium is a large indoor skating rink.


Now we skip to the end of the day for our nice dinner in the hotel's expensive restaurant. Ah well, this is Mother's Day weekend and it is a treat for Susan.

Dallas for King Tut

Some photographs from the iPhone camera.

After a break for lunch we did a quick tour of the remainder of the museum. The Dallas Art Museum has a wonderful permanent collection of paintings and artifacts. There is not time or space to tell you all the beautiful things we saw today. We have seen it all!

A "Tutty" bear for Autumn.

We are taking a lunch break at the snack bar. This is the window that looks out to the sculpture garden. The colorful disks are made of glass.

Photos were not allowed in the exhibit but were OK in the gift shop. I loved the camel in Pharonic headgear. The exhibit was wonderful. We spent the whole day looking at everything. I bought the exhibition book and will scan some for you later.

This is downtown Dallas. We are having breakfast then will go see Tut. Stay tuned.

After a 4 1/2 hour drive we are in Dallas in a nice but very over priced hotel. This is the midnight view from our room in the downtown Westin. We are tired, good night

King Tut

Susan and I will drive down to Dallas this evening to stay at a nice hotel and see the King Tut exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. This is the first time in 30 years that these artifacts from the tomb of the famous boy-king have been on display in the United States. Cameras are forbidden in the exhibit but I will have something to share with you. We will stay 2 nights and return Saturday morning. Smokey will stay home to guard the house and our neighbors will check on him while we are gone. This will be a great adventure. Stay tuned.

Brown Thrasher

It showered a little this morning but by late afternoon the sun came out. Jokers were calling the local radio station asking what the strange light in the sky was.


I see my Brown Thrasher sitting on my wooden fence sometimes, and occasionally on the suet feeder but usually he is on the ground. The are shy birds and prefers to feed on the ground in thickets or under shrubs. They are handsome birds and carry themselves with the same kind of dignity as their relatives the catbird and the mockingbird. They are always welcome.


The Brown Thrasher is part of a family of New World birds (Mimidae) that includes New World catbirds and mockingbirds. Like the mockingbird and the catbird, the Brown Thrasher is a mimic and imitates the songs of other birds. There are some differences however. You can listen to a recording of the Thrasher's song by clicking [HERE].

The River is Rising

 
Smokey and I decided to check the level of water in the Arkansas River which divides Tulsa east and west. The 21st Street bridge just up the road almost disappears in the rain.


I hobbled around in the rain taking pictures while Smokey wisely stayed in the car. I covered my camera with a bandanna until I snapped the photo to keep my new camera dry.


We had the place to ourselves. I guess most people had the good sense to stay out of the rain. Click to enlarge panorama of the river from South to North.



Back in February I posted an interesting photo of water flowing over the low water dam just North of the pedestrian bridge on the Arkansas River. After more than a week of heavy rain the water level is much higher. Here is a sort of before and after of the low water dam.

Tulsa Rose Garden

There was a break in the rain this afternoon and Smokey and I stopped by the Tulsa Rose Garden to see what was blooming. The roses are beginning to look nice and there will soon be more to come.


This beautiful pink climber is a Clair Matin and is framed by deep blue Clematis.


The Tulsa Municipal Rose Garden is beautiful from early May until late November. It is a great place to go at any time over the summer to see which rose varieties are holding up to our hot summer weather. Sue and I went there 3 summers ago in August and discovered the Knockout Shrub roses that are along our side fence. They were blooming when everything else looked hot and dry.


The Tulsa Municipal Rose Garden at Woodward Park

Constructed by the WPA using hand labor and teams of horses and a part of Woodward Park and the Tulsa Garden Center, the Municipal Rose Garden was inaugurated in 1934 and is a continuing project of Tulsa Parks and the Tulsa Garden Club.

It is an All-American Rose Society test garden containing 6,000 individual rose plants in 250 varieties. The classical garden is laid out on five terraces that climb the hill from Peoria Avenue and each terrace centers around a pool or fountain.

Reflecting pools with aquatic plants are featured on all Terraces; junipers are hand-sheared into formal, conical shapes within the garden; the area is flanked on the south and east by a wide variety of trees. Roses bloom from May until the first frost, usually in November.

Gray Catbird

The Gray Catbird is a handsome fellow. Easy to mistake for a blackbird at first glance. It is supposed to have a roufus (red-brown) area under the tail but I have not seen that.


The Gray Catbird, slate gray with a black crown.

The Catbird is so named for the mewing call which sounds rather like a cat meowing. Related to the Mockingbird and the Brown Thrush it also can imitate the cries of other birds, and is a fearless defender of its nest. It is a little shy and is more often heard than seen. I have seen very few but since setting out the suet feeder the Catbird has been a regular, although still a bit shy.

Night on the Town

Rain or no rain, Sue and I decided we needed to go out for some fun. First we had dinner and a great little family owned Mexican Restaurant, El Rio Verde, "The Green River". It is a modest place but has a little significance for us because this is the first place I took Susan to dinner 9 years ago when we first started seeing each other.

With a hand painted mural on the side and a new awning it looks pretty good. It is not in the part of town where you would want to go walking after midnight, but it has great food.


With some nice paintings on the wall it looks just fine. When 90% of the customers are speaking Spanish, it is a good sign that the food is authentic.


I had camarón ranchero, shrimp sauteed with peppers, onions, and tomatoes, and Sue had a Shrimp fajita burrito. She had iced tea and I had horchata, a sweet drink made from rice, sugar and cinnamon. It cools off a spicy dish just right.


Next we stopped at the Jazz Depot. This is the old Santa Fe Railroad depot in the center of downtown Tulsa. It has been converted into a performance center as well as offices for the Tulsa Symphony. It is an interesting old Art Deco style building that has been lovingly restored.


Inside is an auditorium that seats about 400. There is a jazz program almost every Sunday evening. Tonight's performance was a pair of jazz orchestras (Big Bands) from 2 of Tulsa's High School. The first was from the magnet school, Booker T. Washington High School.


Next was the "Screaming Eagles" of Edison Preparatory School. The both did a very good job. It was great music that set your toe to tapping. We had a nice evening.

Rainy Day Birds

Of course we have Starlings.  They are rude scruffy birds and a great pest.  They travel in flocks and do damage to crops and stored grain.  They lay their eggs in the nests of other birds and are bullies at the bird feeders.  

Although there are approximately 200 million starlings in North America, they are all descendants of approximately 60 birds released in 1890 in Central Park, New York, by Eugene Schieffelin, who was a member of the Acclimation Society of North America.  He was reputedly trying to introduce to North America every bird species mentioned in the works of William Shakespeare.  There likely is a special place in Hell for Mr Schieffelin.

Here is the Bluejay. This bird is a noisey clown with a distinctive cry. They are boisterous visiters but pay their dues by being colorful. Jays are some of the more intelligent birds. They will wait and watch for a person to put food down and as soon as the person walks away they will swoop down and steal it. Along with crows, jays will also watch a person planting seed crops and afterwards dig up and eat the seeds.


I love the little brown wrens. They like thistle seed and seem to like the suet too. They are dainty little birds with short tails and quick movements. They have a sweet song.

We are back from church and it is still raining. But rain or no rain the birds are still hungry. I took a few more bird pictures while Susan is enjoying a little rainy Sunday afternoon nap. I'm sorry for so many bird pictures but when it is raining, taking pictures through the window is about all there is. Besides, I like my birds. They provide a lot of entertainment for a little birdseed.  

Sunday Jigsaw Puzzle

Glacier Bay, Alaska, July, 2006

White Crowned Sparrow

The White Crowned Sparrow has distinctive stripes on his head.


A Cardinal and a White Crowned Sparrow share some sunflower seeds.

When we put out food for the birds we hope for the "pretty" birds. Usually that means colorful. But where there is food there are all kinds of hungry birds, many of them sparrows. At first glance, a sparrow is a sparrow, but actually there are many different varieties.

Since it has rained steadily for the past week, I have spent more time looking out the window at the bird feeders. Whenever there is a break in the rain birds swoop in for a quick meal. I had never noticed the White Crowned sparrow before but they love sunflower seeds. They are a little larger than the other sparrows, almost as large as the cardinal. Sparrows get hungry too.

Listen to the Mockingbird

The Mockingbird is a smooth gray bird with a band of white along the edges of the tail and across the wings which flashes as it flys. They are couragous defenders of their nests and will swoop and peck at a much larger bird, or a cat or dog and drive them away.  

But we love Mockingbirds for their ever changing song. They imitate the songs of many other birds, even insects and frogs, and rapidly string them all together.  

Mockingirds are common in North America, but not in Britain and Europe. If you have never heard a mockingbird sing you have missed something special.  To hear a recording of a Mockingbird please click [HERE].  Realize that this long string of bird song is from a single Mockingbird.  

It turns out that Mockingbirds like suet as much as Woodpeckers and have been regulars at my feeders.

Mockingbirds

I love the sleek grey mockingbird,
whose wings and tail flash bright
With no set call, he'll improvise
Charlie Parker in grey and white.

He likes to sing all through the night
when other birds are quiet.
All day long he steals their songs
and gives them back at twilight.

(TG)

Rain and More Rain

This is the fourth straight day of heavy rain.

And the forecast for the next 4 days? More rain. Warm wet air is pouring up from the Gulf of Mexico and higher cooler air from the Gulf Stream is is condensing it into rain. There is no wind, the rain is coming straight down and will be here from some time. This is classic "Cow Pissing on a Flat Rock" rain. Maybe two cows.