Evening Ride

We've finally had a break in the weather. With a rainy weekend being forecast, we took an evening ride last night. Never let it be said I'm a slow learner....this time I brought the camera - just in case!

 

 

OK, so no spectacular sunset was happening. But still, cool looking sky.

 

 

I just snapped pix of things as we passed by or just random shots. Sort of a drive-by documentation of an August evening ride. Pictures will obviously get a little darker as we go on.

 

This is a view of downtown Tulsa from the I-44 bridge. As you can see, we really need the coming rain.

Heading south on Riverside now. There's a small airport nearby.

Can't stop here. Wouldn't look good, you know.

 

Everyday things make interesting pictures, I think.

 

Guess where we stopped for a little treat? :)

 

 

And just for fun, I did some photoshopping on the skyline picture. Love that software for taking a not-so-great picture and making it artsy!

More Van Buren

As promised, here are some more pictures from that one ittybitty town.

The building architecture was so satisfying; a bit of the old midwest. I'm glad they preserved it.

I'm curious what these initials stand for. (Notice the freemasonry symbols.)

 Train depot where you can catch a ride on an excursion train.

I just love urban grunge walls. Funny how what used to be a run-down eyesore is now considered art. Like I always say, "it's all perception."

And here is where I had to manipulate the photos in the current trend of high-contrast, darkly vibrant, textured look. Why 'had to'? Because they're perfect for that style. I wonder how much longer this trend will be trendy?

This door would make a fantastic portrait backdrop!

I can get a lot of photo-op-mileage out of one street, haha!

Day Trippin' in the Ozarks

So last night, hubby said, "let's get out of town for a day...just drive over to Arkansas!" And so, we got up early, got a Starbucks for the road and enjoyed a cool morning drive, ending up in...

Van Buren, AK is an old little town that's reinvented itself as quaint. It has a colorful street of turn-of-the-century buildings that have been cleaned up, (for the most part) painted and repurposed into artsy little shops and cafes.

I wasn't in the mood to shop but happy for the opportunity to take pictures.

 Don't you think of the Old West when you see this bank?

I can't imagine what this bank (below) was thinking when they designed their building. Seems like it would have been a tad outrageous for it's time.

Nope, not a real owl.

Probably his job is to scare away the pigeons. Clearly, the birds are on to him.

The weather was so nice today after weeks & weeks of desert-like heat. A pleasant time of day-trippin'. I have a couple more pictures for next post. Check back!

August 7 Sunset

Still Haven't Found What I'm Lookin' For

And what I'm lookin' for is a great sunset picture close to home. I think this spot will work. I just need to move to the west side of the street & wait for the right moment!

Sun-Chasing

Last evening, I saw a gorgeous sunset...and didn't have the camera with me. My son always says "a photographer should always have her camera with her!!" And he is right. Hubby & I went out tonight to find a spot where we might catch an incredible sunset amidst the smoky skies.

We crossed the river heading west and I got a lucky shot of a rain curtain behind ORU. I say "lucky" because there's no place to stop and hubby does not drive slow. This was definately "point & shoot." Do you wonder what those puddles are? It's the Arkansas River. So sad.  {just now as I type this, it's raining!}

It's so hard to find a hilltop with an uncluttered view of the sunset. Grrr! I need to stake out a place in advance and be ready next time.

Don't let this bit of greenery fool you. When you walk on the lawn around here, the grass crunches.

August 1

When I got in my car at 3:45 today, this is what I saw...

If my understanding of the Bible is correct, the earth isn't supposed to burn up until after Jesus returns for a 1000 year reign. Maybe God is getting a head start?