I'll take the blame...

...as I sit here listening to my Hawaiian swing music.

Blame it on Ron...

:)

The take off

The take off looks a looks a lot like the landing when taken out of context. At least they take off into the wind so the wind was at our backs and not blowing us in the face.

The landing

On our first day in Oklahoma we about decided to turn around and go back home. It was supposed to be warmer, which it sort of was, about 39 degrees however, there was a thirty mile an hour wind that was chilling us to the bone.

The high winds made the water pretty choppy and the pelicans weren't making the smooth landings. I'm surprised they were flying at all. I wouldn't want to be in the air with those high winds.

A little "Medicine" for Parker

A little waterfall in Medicine Park, Oklahoma with Mount Scott from the Wichita Mountains in the background..

Aaron had the idea of taking a night time shot of this waterfall and his photos are probably better than mine since I was guessing at what I was doing.

The Art

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End of Series

Flight of the Spirit
by Mike Larsen

Oklahoma Black Gold
by Jeff Dodd

We Belong to the Land
by Jeff Dodd

Sequoyah
by Charles Banks Wilson

Art abounds at every turn and floor of the Capitol. These pics are just a token of the many that one is at liberty to photo, admire, and stand back to contemplate. A visual history of the people, the land, and events that make this a proud place to call home.

My visit was not near long enough to capture all the photos nor absorb the stories that were told in the art work. I missed more than was seen. Another visit, at another time, is a must! 

A "ghostly" set up

Ron setting up one one of his star shots. 

Twinkle, Twinkle

Night time in the Wichita Mountains of S.W. Oklahoma. The Milky Way was just starting to show but the moon was so bright it made it hard to see.

Three photographers walk into a bar...

No, we didn't actually go to a bar however it probably wouldn't have been a bad idea!

Aaron and I met up with Q this weekend in Oklahoma with the hopes of photographing the ospreys again. Unfortunately it was a little early and they hadn't returned from their migration yet. We had to make do with some gulls and pelicans.

For not having anything too interesting to photograph we took a bunch of photos. I think I ran just over 3000 frames this weekend, most not worth seeing but I figured it would be good practice for when the ospreys are there.

View of the State Seal, and a Story

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Quite a view upon looking up from the rotunda of the Oklahoma State Capitol building.  Taken from the second floor of the five floored building this scene bedazzled my eyes. Looking past the Charles Banks Wilson murals, the very top of the interior view of the Capitol Dome could be seen. The Oklahoma State Seal crowned the view. 650 rooms and 11 acres of floor space reaches out in all directions from this center point. The pulse of Oklahoma radiates to all 77 Counties from this building that houses our state government of elected members.

There are 45 small stars in our seal, each representing a state that belonged to the Union before us. The large star represents our state, the 46th admitted in 1907. So nice to still be young!

Side Note

My Granddad Parker was born in 1886 in Grayson County, Texas. He lived till the ripe old age of 94 and was 21 years old when Oklahoma became a state. I was 35 years old when he passed and I knew him well. He told me that he came to Oklahoma in 1902, crossing the Red River at the Henderson Ferry, north of Savoy, Texas. They settled around Wapanucka and Boggy Depot which was located along the mail route from St. Joesph, Mo. to California. He soon left and went to Arkansas but came back to Oklahoma in 1907, the year of our Statehood. He married my Grandma Parker in 1910..........and the story goes on! 

Big tree!

Found this large Cedar tree while out hiking with my step-son Jake a couple of months ago. That's him at the base of the tree.

I'm pretty sure I haven't posted this picture yet... but not 100%.

Me and the Sea

These are some more photos taken while snorkeling on Maui. These were all taken at Olowalu Beach.

Photographer At Work!

These are the old pictures from my trips to Zion NP, and Antelope canyon.  

Oyster catchers and a rainbow

Into everyone's life a little rain must fall, even these Black Oyster Catchers who I found on the shore of Hardy Bay this afternoon while chasing rainbow pictures.

Needless to say our weather is back to normal over here on the West Coast, wet and overcast... All the pictures from Ron's latest trip to Maui has me thinking about Hawaii again. Thanks Ron!

A Legacy in Bronze

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6

Singing Heart

Allan Houser

The State of Oklahoma is celebrating the 100th birthday of our Native Son, Haozous. This bronze of Singing Heart and my last post of Morning Prayer were on loan to the Capitol from Allan Houser,Inc of Santa Fe. As Long as the Waters Flow, is a part of the Capitols Art Collection.

Mother and Child

Anna Marie Houser, widow of Houser, believed the child is Allan and is being held by his Mother , Blossom.

Maternal Love

Quote

Like any great artist, my father's work reflected both the experiences of his own life and the influences of other artists,past and present. Throughout history, artists have been fascinated with the images of mother and child, a love that he had experienced with his own mother, Blossom Haozous. He had witnessed the bonding between his wife, Anna Marie Houser, and their sons. In "Singing Heart," my father captured the protective love that a mother feels for her child. If there is one theme that unifies Allan's lifetime work, from beginning to end, it is the image of maternal love.

Stephen Houser

Watch out for falling coconuts

Just a little spot we ran across while driving the road to Hana.

More snow dog pictures!

Maggie, Sunny and Buster had a blast last week after a fresh bit of snow, dogs love snow!

Believe it or not this is the most snow we've seen so far this winter on the North end of Vancouver Island, a whole almost 4 inches! Guess I shouldn't say too much just yet, winter isn't quite over... Every once in a while we good a good solid dump of snow as late as the first week of April.

Facing the Rising Sun

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Morning Prayer

Allan Houser

Chiricahua Apache

Facing the east while waiting for the morning sun to rise, this Apache man sings his prayer song.

"During his lifetime, my father created more than forty pieces of art that depicted a man's personal relationship with God. His mother, Blossom, was a devoutly religious woman who had been raised a Christian in the Apache Reformed Church. In "Morning Prayer," Allan uses his narrative skills to present a man who is in deep thought as he faces the rising sun. In his hand is a drumstick, beating a slow rhythm on the drum as he sings his morning prayers. Through the art of my father, we sense this man knows his place in the universe." 

Stephen Houser

It's colder than a ...

Oh yea, it's THAT cold! We had a HIGH of just 8 degrees yesterday. We were supposed to get nine inches of snow but as usual, the weather man got it wrong and we actually only got about two inches. This time I was glad they got the weather wrong.

As much as I am enjoying learning about taking photos of snowflakes I'm hoping this is my last chance to photograph snowflakes for several months.

These flakes were captured on a black t-shirt and the threads in the shirt is the design you are seeing in the background.

Statue by Allan Houser

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4

As Long as the Waters Flow

This 13 foot 6 inch bronze statue occupies a prominent place on the plaza in front of the Oklahoma State Capitol. A tribute to the Native Americans of our state and contributions they have made. Houser portrayed his subject dressed in her native attire while holding an eagle feather fan, a sacred symbol among Native American cultures.

Dedicated on June 4, 1989

Allan Houser (Haozous) was born on the family farm near Apache , Oklahoma on June 30th, 1914. A member of the Apache Nation, our state is proud to call him one of our own. One of the 20th centuries most important artists. Haozous passed from this earth on August 22nd, 1994.

Dedication Plaque

Contains some interesting Oklahoma names that were in attendance.

...more Haozous, next post...