Category Archives: Photography

Silent Sunday: 12/05/2010

This November 12 edition of the Heavener Ledger ("Gateway to the Mountains" - serving Heavener and LeFlore County since 1904) is but one example of the challenges Oklahoma faces re: poor bridges and roads. For more information on what looks to be possible improvement in our state's situation, click this photo to visit a NewsOK article recently published.

Continue reading Silent Sunday: 12/05/2010

Silent Sunday: 11/21/10

Photographer's one week old colt, taken April, 2010 - Fittstown, OK (south of Ada). To visit "Brown Photography" blog, click the photo.

Looks like this little girl's parents will be up for more face painting this year as the OSU Cowboy football team continues their winning streak. Click photo to visit the OSUPics site.

Continue reading Silent Sunday: 11/21/10

Silent Sunday: 11/14/10

Matt Duckworth, drummer for Star Death and White Dwarfs, backstage perspective. Star Death is setting off for another tour this week. Photo printed with permission from Matt.
Oh, it's just deer season in Oklahoma. Red Dirt Kelly grabbed her camera, rolled down her window, drove with her left hand and took the shot with her right hand. Shouldn't these trucks come with some kind of warning sign for passers by? "Warning, dead deer in truck. Those with queasy stomachs, please keep your eyes averted. Thank you."
And, speaking of shooting...100 years ago today, The Daily Oklahoman published a front page article about a county election Chairman declaring that he will NOT resign from his position. Further, he would shoot anyone who crosses the threshold of their office and threatens the sovereignty of the "sacred ballots." He proclaimed, "I have the keys to the boxes in which they are deposited and by the eternal gods I will protect them with my life." Red Dirt Kelly says, "Go, Judge Beall!"
And speaking of "Beale" (not Beall), little "Jesse" (Katie Beth) Beal makes a great Toy Story character for Halloween. Red Dirt Kelly saw no less than six "Jesses" this year, and all of them were great. Lookin' good, Katie Beth!
The Goddard School in Edmond gets creative with a bale of hay. When I walked around to the other side, there was a Jack-o-Lantern face painted on it. One bale of hay, TWO seasonal displays 🙂 Photo by Kelly.
Antique oil cans (jars) from a long-ago service station. Just one of the many sites to see at "The Stables Cafe" in Guthrie, Oklahoma. - Photo by Kelly

 

Poteau Ballon Festival, held Oct 22-23, 2010. Click photo to visit their website.

 

We hear the food at Poteau Balloon Fest is amazing. Mmmm, I can smell the fire, can you? - Click photo to visit the Balloon Fest website.

 

 

I Love Logan County and Here Are The Reasons Why

My drive from the Oklahoma State (OSU) v. Baylor game this afternoon to Guthrie provided the best hour of my week.  You KNOW that’s saying a great deal since I’m such a huge OSU fan – and we beat the pants off Baylor today.  Mick and I had driven to the game separately because I had an early appointment this morning, and then I left after the third quarter because I tend to get antsy when I sit still for a very long period of time.  He stayed ’till the glorious end of that fine, fine game.

Don’t doubt my team loyalties, though…I DID listen to the game on the radio through the very last play.

I was on a mission.  Pick up a bucket of chlorine treatment tablets for our aerobic septic system. We have to buy one about every eighteen months.  No one carries the product within a 50 square mile area of our house except the Ace Hardware in Guthrie.  I would not fail; I would accomplish my goal and meet my hubby back at home.

But then I got sidetracked.  I saw another hay truck and it was broken down on the side of the interstate.  I had to go take pictures!  The driver and his daughter were from Apache and she had brought tools to the site so he could make repairs.  I just wanted to get close to the load on that truck and smell the hay!  They good-naturedly agreed.  So, stop one in Logan county…broken down hay truck.  I REALLY wish I could provide you with the scent of that beautiful cut hay aroma filling my lungs while I snapped away.

Mmmmm. Can you smell the hay?
Well, here. Stick your face in it. Maybe that will help. Breathe deep!

I thanked the driver and his daughter, turned around, and saw some cows in a pen I thought might need their family portraits taken.  So I provided that service, free of charge.

It was dusty in the pen! I told them to look at the camera and smile. But, you know how it goes...always a trouble-maker in the bunch.
I tried to work with this family, but Dad kept trying to get Junior to stand up straight. Junior didn't want to cooperate. The girls on the right had just fixed their hair and weren't about to mess it up by moving around.
I was just about to leave when this poor dear ran up to me and asked for a Kleenex. I fixed her right up, and then went on my way.

I headed down the highway, got off on Highway 33, and drove into Guthrie.  Before reaching the hardware store, I stopped to walk around a bit.  I noticed two things on my stroll.  1) There are lots of American flags hanging from the homes and businesses there; and, 2) if it weren’t for the cars, the calendar could easily have been somewhere between November, 1880 and 1950.

Five flags between the three houses.
I love their brick streets!
If we're pretending, I get the top corner bedroom with the three windows!
J.M. Williams would like for you to come to "The Willows" Gallery of Fine Fits and Home Decor and buy some teapots. I like their quilts!
Guthrie, Oklahoma - a place where the barber pole still beacons you for a haircut.
I like muscle cars. This one has a challenge to the highway patrol on his bumper.

Next stop, Ace Hardware (OHC Supply).  I appreciate this place for all the reasons you’re getting ready to see.  I love the Tractor Supply Store in Edmond, but I think I love this place almost as much.

They flew the American AND the Oklahoma flag. Bonus points!
Ace ALSO has taxidermical interior design, with gaslight accents...and they're a little less dusty than the ones at Meers. (See my post for "And THAT's the News in Red Dirt Country" for an explanation re: this caption).
Every narrow aisle is stacked from the hardwood floor to just below the ceiling with inventory. It's kind of like being in your grandparent's attic.
Bingo, mission accomplished! The chlorine tablets are in stock and I'm taking one home to my hubby!
This is Alex. Not only was he kind enough to pose for a photo, but he assured me that the chlorine tablets were going to stay at a reasonable price until I needed them next time. This shot also made me realize that it may not have been dust at the cow pen, but a fingerprint on my lens...oh no!
Do you know why I embrace the fact that Ace carries Dickies brand outer and work wear? No, it's not because the clothing is good...although it may be. (See next photo).
It's because Dickies has hunky models for their Ace Hardware ads! Sigh.

Okay, time to leave the store.  On my way out I cleaned off my lens because I thought there might be a few shots left of something I’d like to share with you from my journey through Logan County.  There was.

Rather than beavers, eagles, bears or other wildlife, artists in Guthrie carve high school football players from their dead trees. It takes skill to carve that football with a chainsaw and not cut it off!
It's pansy time, and the window boxes in Guthrie were full of them!
I drove by this hot rod and it yelled at me. I heard it. It said, "Ditch the RX300 and take me on your ride around Logan County instead...I know where I'm going!" I couldn't look it in the eye or I would have caved. Sorry, hot rod. I had to get home.

On my way home I took Waterloo Road (the county line between Oklahoma and Logan counties) on a back-road route because I really needed some farm raised eggs.  We were down to one, and if I eat one more runny store-purchased egg I’m going to throw a fit.   Unfortunately, the egg sign was down.  That’s country talk for, “None right now.  Check with me later.”  So, I drove the last few miles home.

But then I stopped again.  I saw Ferdinand sitting under his cork tree.  Okay, it wasn’t Ferdinand the Spanish Bull from the well-known children’s book, he didn’t have long horns and it wasn’t a cork tree.  But it was a black Angus and he was looking pretty majestic under his beautiful tree this afternoon.

Add horns, pretend it's a cork tree, and cue the Spanish Bull Fighter music. Ole'!
I had to tiptoe over a cattle guard to take this shot. Not to be outdone by a chainsaw artist, these ranchers created their own art by hanging cobalt, white and mauve bottles from their dead tree. Reminds me of Sante Fe, NM for some reason.

Well, you’ve seen about 25 of the 100+ shots I took…all reasons why I love Logan County.  I hope next time you’ll see a photo of me buying fresh eggs and celebrating because the chlorine tablets are no longer $56.00 per bucket.  Either way, I also hope you enjoy your own drive through this area sometime.  And if you do, please send us a photo and tell us about the treasures you found.

Take care…RDK

Silent Sunday: 10/31/10

Hm, what to do for fun on 10/24/10? "Muddin'!" Okie girls making the most of it in Sparks, OK - photo provided by Micah Owens.
When the ewes put on their bright red fall berries, it looks like Christmas came early. Photo by Red Dirt Kelly, taken at Ruth Roberts' on 10/23/10.
A mommy in central Oklahoma didn't have this on her shopping list! Children seem to be able to sleep anywhere, huh? - photo by a friend of the RDC.
"Yo," I am a Toyota. Photo by Ann White.
Fall visits Oklahoma. Photo by Ann White.
Good morning! - Photo by Ann White.
Q: What's one of the best smells in Oklahoma during the fall? A: Driving behind a hay truck with your windows open. Mmmm. - Mobile phone photo by Red Dirt kelly.

Silent Sunday: 10/17/10

 

Click photo to visit the Edmond Sun website.
Oklahoma Christian University Students experience "Out of This World" chapel service, enjoying almost a 30 minute feed from the space station. Click photo to visit the Edmond Sun website.

 

 

6-0 OSU Cowboys now "Bowl eligible." Nice photo from the Daily Oklahoman. Click photo to read post-game report.

 

 

The mystery message. Red Dirt Kelly was walking across campus on 10-12-10 and spied this lone piece of paper randomly taped to a glass door. Upon closer inspection, she noted that there was a message, and some sort of insignia. The note read: "Forever blindly ill (sic) always wait thoughts (written in "of") you keep me up late." What did it mean? Who was it from? To whom was it directed? What did the bronze/gold metallic "M" symbol mean? ... Was it YOU?"

 

 

Sometimes Red Dirt Kelly sees things that give her ideas. This image gave her the idea that the Red Dirt Chronicles needed a company truck.

 

 

 

In November, 2009, Matt Mahan, his children and his brother-in-law were out digging for flint chips in the Dewey County area when his brother-in-law called them over to a bluff area he was working on. He had found "a dead guy," that ended up being a 200+ year-old skeleton. The medical examiner told them that based upon the femur size, the man could have been 6'6" or taller, and was probably not Native American. Have you ever just been digging around in the dirt and discovered a skeleton? It's almost Halloween, so we're publishing this photo now. We need to follow-up to see if a final report was filed by that M.E., and what the conclusions were.

 

 

OU killed Iowa State. That's the whole story. Click the photo to get the perspective of an Iowa State blogger.

 

Gracie Burris, 5, gathers small pumpkins in the "Hide-a-Pumpkin" pit in Muskogee, OK. Photo by Wendy Burton of the Muskogee Phoenix.

 

 

Silent Sundays: 10/10/10

 

Seeing an opportunity to influence change, "Sassy" posted photos of delapidated properties and eyesore lots on the Sayre, OK city newspaper website. I wonder if "Sassy" will get some municipal clean-up action in his/her town now? Click photo to visit website and see a few other shots of areas needing attention.

 

 

Grief, loss...and community: In a powerful demonstration of support and faith, friends and family of Leslie Joy Evans pray outside her hospital. Leslie was a friend of local college grads and many in the Norman/OKC metro area. She and her premature twin babies died during a difficult pregnancy challenge. You can visit the memorial site and blog her family created by clicking this photo. May peace and comfort find her husband and extended family.

 

 

Rylee Roberts, a contributing photographer for the RDC, dines at Ludivine Restaurant in Mid-Town OKC on 10/9/10. The establishment opened this week after much planning and preparation, and features a rotating menu of available foods most all from local growers and producers. A "full color" review of the new restaurant coming later this week. Click photo to visit their website.

 

 

Conked out. Mid-semester is always rough and this one is no exception. A student takes a study break and naps in the Edmon Low Library on the OSU campus in Stillwater, 10/6/10.

 

 

Pink boots. The nation "thinks pink" this month, as Breast Cancer Awareness Week takes place. RDC Homestead and Garden author, Julie Allgyer, made sure those around her were thinking pink as well. Click photo for more information about Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

 

 

Sometimes Red Dirt Kelly turns into driveways with "Estate Sale" signs posted by the road. She usually doesn't buy anything, but she frequently takes photos of cool old treasures. Here's a Maytag Washer that was for sale, listed at $200. "But (they'd) take $50 for it..."

 

 

 

I wonder if Suzy Welch is reading her book today? If I were her, I'd do SOMETHING to commemorate the volume. This edition was the only random thing I could find named for today's date...a perfect "10."

 

Okies in Ecuador: “It’s a Wrap.”

You might have noticed that when visiting the RDC Travel page, there is a photo at the bottom referencing a series called “Okies in Ecuador.”  This blog created for the NewsOK Travel section was written and produced by my brother, Quentin Bomgardner, and illustrated with photos by he and my two daughters, Rachel and Rylee Roberts.

The format of the NewsOK site isn’t conducive to easy navigation.  Therefore, “Q” created a web page where you can now begin on Day 1, travel with them through the end of their journey on Day 14, plus review a few extra photograph collections and sound file entries covering their experiences.

As a mother of the girls who traveled, I enjoyed reviewing all this work because I’ll never get that kind of detail in the living room at night…and the girls are pretty decent about sharing stories.  As a sister, I was excited for the girls to take their first big excursion away from home with their uncle.  And as a reader, I felt like I got a very good view of a place I’ve never visited.  An excellent view.  Now I might want to go myself!

Thanks Quentin, Rachel and Rylee…loved the journey, and love that I can revisit through this series any time I wish. 

Red Dirt Kelly


Click the banana photo to visit an indexed page where you can start their journey from the beginning.

Bananas grow UP - Ecuador, 2010. Photo by Rylee Roberts.

Silent Sundays: 10/3/2010

"Chickasaw Renaissance" by Phillip Carroll Morgan. Introduction by Bill Anoatubby, Chickasaw Nation Governor. This book was one of three titles revealed at the Chickasaw Annual Meeting and Festival held Oct. 2nd. Click photo for more information.
Saturday morning, October 2nd: Alice Woodrome took this photo of a mother wolf spider with hundreds of new babies on her back. Alice is a gardner in NW OKC. The wolf spider resides there with her other flowers.

This OSU Cowboy fan didn't give her arm for a win, she used her leg! Caught up in the hoopla of the crazy OSU v A&M Thursday night contest, this good natured fan took her prosthetic leg off and waved it around, cheering all the while. You gotta love the football fans in Oklahoma! - Photo by Jani Hays.
The weather broke in Oklahoma, and Wednesday morning, Sept. 29th I drove by pasture land after pasture land, all with farm ponds and fog rising from the surface. Beautiful! - Photo by Red Dirt Kelly
That same night, we were treated to another Big Sky show. Hey, Fall, welcome to Oklahoma! - Photo by Red Dirt Kelly
You didn't think we were gonna finish Silent Sunday without a Red River Rivalry shot, did you? Click photo to visit CrimsonAndCream blog for OU/Texas slideshow...

OSU v Tulsa Football Game Day Slide Show

Photos of OSU fans taken during Oklahoma State University football game day have been compiled into a RDC slide show for your enjoyment.  We even have one shot of a University of Tulsa couple dressed in their game day gear.   We hope to have a University of Oklahoma football game day presentation before the end of the season as well.  This past Saturday was, indeed, a good day in Stillwater.

Our “Relationships” entry will be released around noon today.  Enjoy!

CLICK PHOTO TO BEGIN SLIDE SHOW

Silent Sundays: 9/19/10

Innocent three year-old gives those behind him in the stands a chuckle before the OSU-Tulsa game begins Saturday night -Photo by Kelly Roberts, Red Dirt Chronicles.
Young OU fan shows the world his sibling position, his favorite football team and his patriotism all on one sign. (Photo retrieved from the Daily Oklahoman website - click photo to visit entire photo gallery).
One half mile from her driveway on 9-15-10, Red Dirt Kelly noticed the sunset in her rearview mirror coming home from work. Pulling over to the side of the road, she stopped and thanked the Big Sky for the 7:30 p.m. gift. - Photo by K. Roberts, Red Dirt Chronicles
Make sure and catch the State Fair before it closes. The remainder of the Silent Sunday photos were shot by Rylee Roberts in September, 2009 at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds.
Photo by Rylee Roberts
Photo by Rylee Roberts
Photo by Rylee Roberts
9/18/10: Longhorn steers take a leisurely stroll along Independence Saturday during the annual Cherokee Strip Celebration parade in downtown Enid. (Staff Photo by BONNIE VCULEK) Click photo to visit the Enid news site.

Silent Sundays: Photos of the Week, 9/12/10

A tiny snapshot of the good done in Oklahoma for Oklahomans every day. Flatlander Car Club members, Roger Koehns and John Pugh, present a couple in need, Tia Hegwood and Alex Holguin, with a check for $500. The couple struggles with medical expenses due to Tia's diabetes. (Courtesy photo - provided to the Guymon Daily Herald.) Click photo to visit the newspaper for the article and link to the Car Club website.
Muslim men and boys pack the mosque of the Islamic Society of Tulsa during services Friday marking the end of Ramadan. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World Read more from this Tulsa World article by clicking photo.
Oklahoma photographer Carl Zoch's self-documentary compilation of a recent trip he and his friends took to the mountains. Great shots & music. Click picture for the "Carl Was Here" slideshow.

Mrs. Tulsa America, Sasha Townsend and her partner Ryan McDaniel won "A Time to Dance", a local Dancing-With-The-Stars-style competition, to benefit the Hospitality House of Tulsa. Inserts on the photo are a shot of them rehearsing, and of their trophy. Click photo to visit the Hospitality House's website. Reprinted w/permission from Mrs. Townsend. Congratulations, Sasha!
Young girl led by her father on a miniature horse in the Sept. 4, 2010 Wilson Fall Festival Parade. Click picture to visit "The Ardmoreite" festival photos.
Oliver and Ina Stonecipher will be celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary in Stratford, OK on Sept. 19th. They were married in 1940 on the Pontatoc County line by Reverend Vard Wood. Click the picture to read the news announcement and see a photo of them on the day they were married in 1940 - linking you to the Ada Evening News.

Silent Sundays: Photos of the Week, 9/5/10

Two young boys play with toy farm equipment on the livestock barn floor, State Fair Week, 2009. The Oklahoma State Fair opens this year on Thursday, Sept. 16th. Click picture to view the 2009 State Fair photo gallery.
Ft. Cobb State Park - by Manual Focus Custom Photography
Double rainbow, captured by Carl Zoch - Oklahoma City, Sept. 2, 2010

Newlyweds gazing upon an Oklahoma sunset - by Carl Zoch. Click picture to travel to his gallery.
Oklahoma State University Students at the football season opener, Sept. 4, 2010. Click picture to travel to Daily Oklahoman game slideshow.
University of Oklahoma season football game opener - Broyles' end-zone dive, Spet. 4, 2010. Click picture to visit Daily Oklahoman photo slideshow.

RDC Photo of the Week

Next week we’ll begin our “Silent Sundays (see Weekly Schedule page).”  To help begin the feel for next week, here’s the first of our RDC Photos of the Week.

If you feel you have a photo that highlights the Red Dirt culture of middle America, showcases the State of Oklahoma in some way or puts a face to who we are, please submit your entries to:  reddirtchronicles@gmail.com

If you see your submission show up the following week, then that means you win!  What do you win? The smiles of our readers when they pull up the screen on Silent Sundays.  We are convinced there is no better reward.

Shouting out to the NY Times “20 Somethings” article this past week, our back-to-school season, our penchant for travel and the geographical region of Norman, OK – here is our first Photo of the Week.  Enjoy!

20-somethings Peggy White and Rachel Roberts enjoy a moment under a 1950s "Turbinator Hair Drier" during summer 2010 vacation in New York City. Peggy is a free-lance artist and Rachel is a Photography major at the University of Oklahoma.