Chilocco

A significant place and story of Oklahoma history that too many people know nothing of.

Okalahoma Historical Society link
CHILOCCO INDIAN AGRICULTURAL SCHOOL

National Park Service link
Chilocco Indian Agricultural School

Chilocco National Alumni Association
Chilocco Indian School History

Chilocco School of Beauty  -- school song during the last years it was open.
On the broad and sweeping prairie, 'neath the skies of blue
stands our lovely alma mater, alma mater true

Indian braves and Indian maidens, walking hand in hand
great our past we face the future in this glorius land.

Oh Chilocco school of beauty, may she ever be
filled with courage, pride and honor, love and loyalty!

Windy Morning

Holding It Together

Wheelock Academy

Lake Quanah Parker Dam

The image(s) – I am going to talk about it as if were a single image – – which it now is – is a good example of keeping your mind/perception open. Over the years I have been to the Lake Quanah Parker dam countless times. It is one of my favorite places on the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge. I have always been captivated by and have photographed the gear mechanism many times. That day was the first time I became aware of how it fit together in the visual design of the dam itself. In the moment, I was drawn to the shadows and curves of the concrete stairs and walkway. I included the gear more as a counterpoint. I did not realize the degree of convergence until looking at the downloaded images on the computer. Then the harmony in the shape of the entire dam was striking. This was more than just textbook engineering. Someone had created a functional piece of art in cement and stone. I was lucky enough to notice … eventually.


That the triptych is the best representation to the beauty and scale of the dam’s harmony was also an evolution of perception. I worked with several images but these three as one best reflect the scale and congruency of the whole structure. It seems to be more of an encompassing, if serendipitous, representation than any single image or combination. Some images are like that – even if they are a surprise.



"... the photograph is a function instead of a thing..."


Minor White

Wichita Diptych

Self

Simple Beauty

the long view

Looking toward the west - Mt Scott - Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge, Oklahoma

Old Friends

After 34 years you’d think the fascination would have faded. It hasn’t. Every time, there is the same wonder about its life story. I actually do not know for certain how old the cedar is but it has changed very little in the time I have been around. I can’t say the same for me.

Probably started by a bird-carried seed, the decades of long summers, tough winters and ceaseless wind have imbued the lone cedar with a personality far richer than most of its species. Standing solitary near the crest of a prairie hill in a nest of granite boulders it is easily overlooked in the search for bison, elk and longhorn that most people come to the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge to see. It was its character and setting that originally attracted me to stop. In those 34 years I have photographed the lone cedar in all sorts of light and weather. In each image I have attempted to capture the real meaning of the tree and its surroundings. I get close at times but have yet to make an image that for me reflects the fundamental nature of its being – that feels the way the tree makes me feel. And to be honest, I am looking forward to the next 30+ years visiting this old friend in an attempt to create an image that shows its simple beauty and profound nature.

The Rut

planning ahead

young love

an eye to the future

a good wallow

The bison are in rut at the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge. It should last 4-5 more weeks. There is always bellowing, wallowing and tree horning as well as the full out head to head fights. One of the more fascinating behaviors is ‘herding’ or ‘tending’ where a bull tries to restrict access to a small group of cows until mating occurs. The younger bulls will also try to herd a cow away from the main group with varying results and reactions from the herd bull. It is a great time to sit and watch the interactions that go on in a bison herd. Remember! All the animals are agitated and focused on the rut and it is a good idea to use extra caution around them.

Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial

The Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial is a part of my everyday life. I see it when gazing out the window at work. Walking to lunch, heading home at the end of the day, it is a quiet constant.

As with any symbolic place the Memorial has been instilled with a character formed from a collective expectation and the events that happened early that April morning are no less horrific or more understandable today. But, the Memorial today is much more than a somber reminder, it can be a place for contemplation, assessment and hope. And, it is a place of subtle beauty that’s quality is as varied as the skies and seasons.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/beyondscenery/sets/72157614556341811/ More Memorial Images

A Journey of Mystery

The shoe seemed to have a whole story behind it. The question was where did it begin and where did it end.

May Haiga

Published at World Haiku Association

Spring

HDR of Mountain Boomer in the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge
In Oklahoma you know Spring is here when you see Scissor-Tailed Flycatchers, Meadow Larks, Dogwoods in bloom and Mountain Boomers.

Oh, and your favorite TV show being interrupted for severe weather updates.

Extremes

66⁰ temperature swings and 60 mph straight line winds are a few of the excitements of Spring in Oklahoma. And Spring it finally seems to be with a vengeance. I always tell beginning landscape photographers that the second most important piece of photo equipment to own is a good tripod. I need one made of depleted uranium to keep the camera stable in the wind gusts we have had here lately. So… I shoot when I can and try to find subjects that are telling of the conditions.
Wildfires can be dramatic and dangerous. Kind of like photographing a wild animal – Be wary, Be smart and always have a safe way out.

I stayed in the car to get this beast -- and so was safe ...... from the wind

Taken In

"Of all my photographs, the ones that have the most meaning for me are those I was moved to make from a certain vantage point, at a certain moment and no other, and for which I did not draw on my abilities to fabricate a picture, composition-wise or other-wise. You might say I was taken in." ........ Paul Caponigro

Old wood & bolt

wandering one of the many ghost towns of Oklahoma