Lovely Sunday Afternoon

We had a perfect-weather afternoon to stroll through a local botanical garden. The sun was shining and the temperature was just right. 

I've been wanting to visit here for awhile now, but it's just too hot in the summer and our schedule often clashed with mild spring or fall days. This past Sunday was the day to do it!

I think tulips are my favorite flower. They come and go too quickly, though, and I almost missed them.

The garden has several themed areas and one section was geared towards the five senses. I was amused by this sign because I really can't smell (but that's another story).

 This was my favorite feature.

It's the centerpiece of the water garden, which also includes small waterfalls, fountains, water pools and sculptures.

Here's the cool surprise about it...

You can walk around the back and go inside. Image above is looking out the mouth.

A window at the top creates rainbows on the floor.

The park really is a peaceful feast for the senses.

Be creative with sound.

Close your eyes, rest, and listen to sounds around you.

There are neat metal sculptures ... 

and a special exhibit of Lego sculptures!

We really enjoyed our visit and plan to go back later in the year to see the colors of autumn show off.

Tulsa Botanical Garden. What a gem hidden in the beauty of the rolling Osage Hills. 

Foggy Woods

On a drive around the area where we grew up, I noticed the fog rising out of the woods. It was a gloomy winter day but this scene was so interesting. Of course I had my husband stop the car so I could grab a snapshot. He's so used to this. I shout "STOP" and quickly, but carefully, he pulls off the road. Or he'll say, "I can't stop, there's cars behind us!"

Fortunately, this is not a heavily traveled road. Anyway, I got my shot and in looking at it later, it was kinda blah. But it had potential! I just didn't know how to bring it out. I wasn't even sure what I "saw" but I know what I "felt" -  there was more to this scene and I needed to find it.

So, here I am over 10 years later and have learned a lot about Photoshop, Lightroom, and now some AI generative toys. I think I've jazzed up this photo to convey what I saw in my mind's eye, thankyouverymuch, Mr. Adobe.

By the way, when I began my entry into the world of image editing software, I was inspired by an artist I stumbled upon online who created gorgeous digital graphics. Her bio said she was a self-taught, 63 year old. At the time, I thought that was ancient! I was so impressed that an "old lady" could do such a thing. Now, (after an appropriate apology), I wish I could tell her what an important example she was to me. You are never, never too old to learn new things, to be creative, to stay engaged with life.

"Stay engaged with life." Kind of an ironic statement, considering that my latest tinkerings have dealt with ghostly apparitions, spooky fog, and gravestones. I don't think there's any subliminal reason for that. They just seem to lend themselves to these ethereal effects I like. Did you notice the spectral ladies in the pictures above? I couldn't decide on having one or two. I may have to go back and lighten them a bit if they're too hard to see.

Anyway, that's the story. Just a quick post for today.

Practicing Digital Art

I love editing photos and working with Photoshop brushes and effects. Been learning some new techniques lately. The first two images were shot at a cemetery in St. Clairsville, Ohio. (Check out the name on the second picture)

The next two images are from an old church in Reno, NV.

Just wanted to get these on the blog. Don't have any musings this evening.

Photoshop Experimenting

I'm sooooo far behind processing pictures and updating the blog! I have a ton of neat photos but I'd have to work every day for weeks to catch up. 

Well, ya gotta start somewhere. 

While on a drive around Gatlinburg, TN, we came up on a plane wreckage. Don't know the story behind it. Maybe it crashed there years ago, or maybe they just dragged this old thing here and left it.

Whatever the story, I thought it had potential for an interesting image. Seemed like something I might want to try out Photoshop's new Generative AI on!

So here's my first outing with creative AI, before and after. It has a way to go, but it was fun trying out!

Saddle Up

After a little health setback which was causing me to not want to do anything, I'm trying to get back in the saddle. Not literally a horse's saddle, although I'd love that. The figurative kind. Creating, to be exact.

It's a terrible thing to lose your mojo. You think, "well, that's it. Guess that's all I had." But you know better! You know that's not all you have! As a believer in THE Creator, you know art is yours to make as long as you have breath in your body. It's just amazing how that body can drain your desire to create anything when it's not working properly.

 But, got that little issue fixed and now I'm doing things to get the juices flowing again.

I needed a local iconic photo for a work project. This neat sculpture was installed to celebrate this year's Route 66 anniversary. Problem is, they located it in a roundabout surrounded by light poles, wires, trailers, and all kinds of unattractive structures. It's really unfortunate. But, it gave me good practice in editing and spiffing up images! 

I made myself get up early one Saturday morning, determined to get back to doing one of my favorite things - drive-by photo shoots. Just grab the camera, put my dog in the car and take a drive, looking for something interesting to photograph. Discovered this abandoned boat near a country intersection, only a couple miles away.

I was inspired by a book on mixed media to make a photo collage about one day in your life. As I was going through the house this morning, putting things away & straightening up, I realized something. Everywhere I land in my house, I have something to read. There's always a stack on the kitchen island. The bathroom window ledge. Top of the sewing machine. A basket of art magazines next to the desk and galvanized bins-full on top. Bibles and spiritual books on the dresser, next to the bedroom chair. Stacked on the nightstand. And a Kindle charging on the recliner. (The center image is a sculpture in front of the library).

I've always been a reader. My grandmother was a reader and so was my dad (Westerns were their favorite genre). And thank the Lord, so is my son. I started reading to him as soon as I got him home from the hospital. He started recognizing the alphabet as soon as he could talk. All grown up now, it's a delight to discuss books we're both reading.

And speaking of saddles, I do have another set of photos coming from that aforementioned Saturday drive-by. It's a pasture full of miniature horses. I can picture (pun intended) how I want it to look, but haven't quite put my finger on it yet. I'll be working on that next! 

Showmen's Rest: final

"I used to tell them before I retired that if I drop dead in the ring, make it funny and get me out of there."  Thomas Sink, aka Popcorn the Clown, lived & breathed circus life for over 30 years. He didn't expect this to be his lifelong career, but said he just had a knack for it. Popcorn also participated in an oral history interview, which you can read here:  https://www.loc.gov/podcasts/america-works/transcripts/AmericaWorks-Podcast_Season3Episode6_transcription.pdf

Zefta Loyal said to her daughter one day, “Dolly, I will retire center ring. I will never stay long enough to where I’m going to be in the side ring.” And that's just what she did. She retired in 1954 after nearly 30 years a center ring star. "I was center ring from the day I went in until the day I retired.”

Known as "Queen of the Bareback Riders" she was a member of the original Loyal-Repensky Troup, a family who performed amazing bareback horse riding stunts. For another interesting oral history, click here:   https://www.loc.gov/item/2017655385/

Circus folks aren't the only celebrities buried at Mt. Olivet. There's another section called Bull Rider's Reprieve. Several champion rodeo & bull riders are buried here. We were particularly interested in finding Todd Whatley's grave because an elderly friend of ours used to be a rodeo clown and knew Mr. Whatley.

Here are a few snapshots of some other headstones and interesting inscriptions, epitaphs to their life's work.

And finally, as a fitting close to my collection here, the inscription reads:

We have had the good life but the season ended.

Showmen's Rest: part 3

Welcome to the third installment of Showmen's Rest. This is a collection of photos from Mt. Olivet Cemetery's section of memorials to people who lived the circus life.

Dudley Warner Hamilton, born in 1929, was once a state highway patrolman, a bread truck driver, and he bred and showed champion Collies. He didn't actually get into the circus life until he was in his 50s! He began as a booking agent, then press agent. In his golden years, he became the groundskeeper of the winter quarters for the Kelly-Miller Circus in Hugo. He gave a very interesting oral history that you can read here:  https://www.loc.gov/item/2017655374/  His epitaph reads: May all your days be circus days.

"Big John Strong" has one of the biggest and most intriguing monuments in the cemetery. He got into the circus life the same way most others did back in the day - with a small animal act. John wanted to be an actor. Maybe that didn't work out or maybe his long desire to have his own circus took precedence. As newlyweds, the 6-foot-5-inch John and his young bride, Ruth, trained a dog and a pony and took their little show on the road from Hollywood in 1948. Within 15 years, they had one of the biggest 3-ring tented shows around. On the reverse side of the monument is etched: "Big John" The man with more friends than Santa Claus.

"Buckles" Woodcock was born in a circus family. His father was a legendary elephant trainer. The Anna May you see written on the center of the monument was not his wife or daughter. Anna Mae was one of the country's most famous elephants, acquired by William and trained by Buckles. She was even in the 1955 film, The Big Circus. His wife, Barbara, was an aerialist and leopard trainer. You can read more about this family of elephant experts and circus historians at this page: 

https://www.circusesandsideshows.com/performers/buckleswoodcock.html

John Carroll was an elephant trainer for many years. It seems he didn't have any family. When he died in an accident, his friends put his money into a trust fund. It was established to pay for funerals and burial plots for circus people.

Not all the headstones are elaborate. James O'Donnell's simply reads Acrobat and Clown.

Bonnie Warner's is just a flat stone in the ground. Underneath her photo it reads Chimp Trainer.

There are just a few more photos to show. Check back for the final post.