Dr. Bob's Blog

The Ice Storm

2009-01-27T10:46:00.003-06:00

We got some ice in Bartlesville and it's still coming down. You can see the ice on this big tree near out house. It was a skating rink driving home last night!

Here's another shot of a field near our house. You can see the ice on everything.

The birds will have a tough time eating these ice berries! The ice really is pretty and just covers everything. I hope it doesn't cover the power lines too much more!!!

Snow!

2009-01-16T19:53:00.003-06:00

We got a little snow yesterday. Here's a picture of the mansion. The snow was beautiful!

Here's a picture of the chapel with a little snow on it!

Here is a picture of my house. You can see the pond freezing. It has been cold!!!

Beautiful Day On Campus

2009-01-14T19:22:00.003-06:00

The day started with a great sunrise. Cheri actually took this picture from our front porch.

Just a shot of the mansion.

Here is a shot of the side of the library that faces the chapel.

This side of the library faces the mansion. All the windows are in now. It's looking great!

Beautiful January Day

2009-01-03T15:47:00.003-06:00

It was a beautiful day today...almost 70 degrees! Joy decided to take Ruby for a ride.

Cheri is monitoring the activity from the swing.

Ruby is getting ready to take off.

Some of the local horse buddies were watching the activity.

OWU's Prelude to Christmas

2008-11-29T23:32:00.002-06:00

Each year OWU hosts the Prelude to Christmas with the Bartlesville symphony performing a wonderful concert. Afterwards the entire community enjoys hot chocolate together. Tonight was the night. Above is a picture of Josh and me heading out to prelude.

Here is a picture of Cheri and Joy heading out to prelude with the boys. We just snapped a few pictures on the way out.

Thanksgiving

2008-11-28T22:06:00.004-06:00

We had a great Thanksgiving! We spent most of the day just relaxing at home. Above is a shot of Josh taking a break from his dirt bike.

Here's Joy riding through the front yard!

Another shot of Joy and Ruby.

Just finished my Thanksgiving run.

Here's a view straight up from my hammock. If you were swinging in it this is what you would see.

Josh goofing off in the backyard.

Joy and Cheri enjoying the day!

Visit to Vennard College

2008-11-23T13:28:00.004-06:00

We had a great visit with faculty, staff, and students at Vennard College in Iowa this week. They are a wonderful group! The picture above is of two new friends we made there. We may soon be seeing them in Oklahoma!!!

Geography Fair

2008-11-07T10:53:00.005-06:00

Last night was the home school geography fair. My gang studied Norway. Cheri's parents also came into town and are in the picture wearing their Norway sweaters. Yes...Joy lost her front tooth last night!

Here are the girls with their Norway sweaters.

...Cheri and Joy getting ready to go to the fair.

The Piper's 25th Wedding Anniversary

2008-10-28T09:52:00.006-05:00

We had a wonderful time celebrating the Piper's 25th wedding anniversary. We spent the afternoon just enjoying each other's company, eating a lot of great food, shooting all sorts of guns, fishing, and riding the horse. Congratulations to Everett and Marci on 25 years together!!! In the picture above are Kathy, Marci (piper), and my wife, Cheri.

Kathy really knows how to put a party together. She was the one who spearheaded this party. Thanks, Kathy!!!

Now...how often to you see the president of a university on a horse!!!

Like father like son. Cobi ran all over the place on Ruby. He sure knows how to ride!

Everett and Marci enjoying the day. By the way...it was a surprise party.

Here is a picture of their cake as well as pictures of their wedding day.

Cheri and Joy setting the tables and getting ready for dinner.

Just enjoying the food!

A little time together as a family. Of course Cobi was out riding dirt bikes!

Pastor Joe and Dawn Marie Colaw are in the picture above. Joe is the senior pastor at First Wesleyan Church here in Bartlesville. These two are GREAT people!

Here is some of what we had. Grilled salmon, potatoes, fruit salad, grilled bread, sausage...good stuff.

On the right is our chef, Mark (he is in charge of the buildings and grounds at OWU). Talk about a guy who can cook! He made a fabulous meal. Siting at the counter are Brett (Vice President for Academic Program Development) and his wife, Tammy. In the yellow shirt is Randy (Vice President for Development) and his wife Sherry.

So...as the sun set and we all went our separate ways, we remembered a great 25 years for the Pipers and the great celebration time we all had together.

President's Advisory Council

2008-10-16T23:58:00.004-05:00

We had a great time with 16 Wesleyan pastors from the western region of the US. These are some SHARP guys who have a heart for OWU. They all came to spend some time on campus. I wish I could have spent a week with them. They were full of great ideas and just fun to be with.

On the right in the grey sweater is Dr. Everett Piper, the President of OWU.

Campfire Dinner

2008-09-20T21:57:00.002-05:00

Tonight we decided to do some Dutch oven cooking. Josh is getting ready to get the food going.

We have some who simply watch...

The coals are looking good.

Time for some smores!

OWU Library Progress

2008-09-18T21:28:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures of the new OWU library. This shot is from the first floor looking up to the second floor railing. There will be seating along the rail so that students, staff, and faculty can sit and watch the activity taking place on the first floor.

The picture above shows the second floor and the library staff offices that are being framed in on the first floor.

This is a shot of the first floor looking toward the library staff offices. The steps on the left go to the second floor and will be wooden steps with a glass background. This allows those on the first floor to see through the steps and provides an open feeling.

This is another shot of the steps. There will be tables and seating along the wall here.

This is a shot on the second floor. The building you see is the sports center. The area around the arches will have comfortable seating for reading and studying with a great view and wonderful natural light.

Tulsa Life Flight

2008-09-10T10:57:00.003-05:00

As part of my EMT training, I had the chance to get ground crew training with Tulsa Life Flight. The helicopters they use are remarkable...8.5 million each. This is a remarkable group that transports patients involved in accidents or other trauma to receive hospital care. Above is a shot of the pilot's instruments.

Here is a shot of the back of the helicopter. You can see the space for the flight nurse or EMT as well as the stretcher. The helicopter can also be configured to transport two patients if needed.

Here's a shot of the outside of the helicopter with someone from Collinsville Fire Department. We did the training with them. They are a great group!

Here is the helicopter landing. The dust you see is from the rotor wash which can generate wind at 80-90 miles per hour. Cover your eyes!

New Students Arriving At OWU

2008-08-17T20:01:00.006-05:00

Yesterday we had the new freshman class arrive at OWU. The campus was busy! Above are some current student leaders welcoming each other back to campus.

This is Jamie...one of the admissions reps. He is one of the team that has worked hard all year to get the freshman class to campus.

Above is our university photographer, Jess. She was taking pictures all over the place yesterday!

Here are a few of the new students and families checking in for the first time. It will be a great year!

A Night At The Green Country Rodeo

2008-08-09T16:42:00.007-05:00

Joy and her friend Laren had a ring side seat to this event. The Green Country Rodeo is a great event every year. The food there is great too!

Josh and his friend Tom watch the cowboys get thrown off the bucking broncos!

All ages were at the rodeo.

A couple of friends having fun before the events started.

A Horseback Riding Night

2008-07-28T20:56:00.005-05:00

It was a nice night to go out and ride. What a fun night!!!

Fun Summer Night

2008-07-25T23:35:00.004-05:00

We just decided to go outside and have some fun with sparklers left over from the 4th of July. What a fun night!

South Dakota District Wesleyan Church Conference

2008-07-02T21:40:00.006-05:00

We had a great time at the South Dakota District Wesleyan Church Conference in Rapid City. We had a chance to see Mt. Rushmore. Here's a picture of the family with the presidents behind us.

Here is a shot of Mt. Rushmore. Not bad, huh?

We also went to the Badlands National Park. Here's the gang in the Badlands.

Cher and I are taking a break after doing some walking in the Badlands. Had to watch for rattlesnakes. They like the badlands.

Baby Birds

2008-06-27T01:01:00.004-05:00

Every year mom comes to nest on our front porch. Here is this year's crop of babies. They don't even have their eyes open yet. Mom wasn't too happy with me taking pictures!

Branson, MO

2008-05-18T10:19:00.009-05:00

Branson is about 3 and 1/2 hours from Bartlesville. It's a great place to get away for a weekend or a week. There are all sorts of shows, places to eat, and outlet shops. There is always something to do!

We played some miniature golf. Here is Josh after a successful hole-in-one!

Joy took a break from our fast paced golf game...

Here the family is in front of the Kirby theater. We went to this wonderful magic show. Josh was picked to assist Kirby the magician. We all had a blast. You can learn more about the magic show by going to www.kirbyandbambi.com. My in-laws are on the right.

Oklahoma State Home School Convention

2008-05-04T21:19:00.005-05:00

This past week was the annual Oklahoma Christian Home School Conference. OWU was a part of the conference and we had a great time there. The Cox Convention Center was packed. It was a great event to attend.

Oklahoma City is really a fun place. Above is a waterway that is surrounded by great places to eat. This area is know as bricktown.

Here is Mark Molder, OWU's Assistant Director of Admissions. He is getting the OWU table ready for visitors.

What a Beautiful Day

2008-04-19T16:53:00.003-05:00

It was such a beautiful day today! Temps in the upper 70's and a wonderful day to be outside. Joy was enjoying the day in the pasture today. Think she's having a good time?

Horsing Around

2008-04-14T20:08:00.005-05:00

We had a great time fooling around with Ruby Jane today. She's a great horse that just wants attention.

Ruby Jane was looking for the horse treats!

Joy decided to do some bareback riding.

I couldn't resist either!!!

OWU Choir

2008-04-14T19:51:00.003-05:00

The OWU choir performed in chapel last week. They are wonderful to hear. Take a look at the video clip below and you'll see what I mean.

We Have A New Horse

2008-04-05T21:40:00.007-05:00

Today we bought a new horse...Ruby Jane. Ruby Jane is a beautiful buckskin and a lot of fun to ride. The picture above shows Josh deciding to ride bareback. What fun!

Above is a picture of Joy taking a test drive. Joy and Ruby Jane became quick friends. Below is a picture of our new horse with Cheri.

Looks like a couple of buddies here!

The Recital for Rachel Hammon

2008-04-05T20:49:00.006-05:00

Today I went to hear Rachel Hammon at her senior recital. Rachel is soooo talented. The picture above is Rachel playing her clarinet. The recital was part of her graduation requirements. Rachel is one of our talented music majors at OWU. In fact, she played at Carnegie Hall this summer. The recital today took place in the OWU chapel.

This picture is of Rachel and Dr. Randy Thompson playing some clarinet pieces during the recital. It was a wonderful time and Rachel did a great job!

Here are some video clips of Rachel during the recital. The video below is of Rachel finishing her last clarinet piece and enjoying the applause of the crowd. Great job, Rachel!!!

SOAR 2008

2008-03-29T12:11:00.011-05:00

We just finished several days of SOAR 2008 on campus. The band we had lead worship this year was Jezreel. Two of the three pictures above show them leading worship in one of the SOAR events. The top picture is my family with Jezreel during a practice session. The OWU community had a wonderful time with them and we're thankful they were on campus for a few days. Jezreel is wonderful!

Eleventy Seven also performed on one of the nights.

We also had Josh McDowell speaking on campus for SOAR. He is a remarkable speaker. We had a packed chapel for our SOAR events. All of the pictures here are from inside the OWU chapel. It's a beautiful building and wonderful place to worship.

During SOAR weekend we have high school students visiting campus and had special events for them all weekend. We had about 230 visitors attend SOAR this year.

The video below is of Jezreel leading worship at OWU. If you ever get a chance to hear them or can get them to your church, do it!

The Power Team at First Wesleyan Church

2008-03-26T21:14:00.009-05:00

Tonight the Power Team was at First Wesleyan Church. This is a remarkable group that tells everyone about the power of Jesus Christ while they break things! There was a large attendance and it was a lot of fun!

This is the initial stage setup. You can see all the bricks they were breaking. They also broke baseball bats, 2 x 4s, bent steel rods, horse shoes, and broke handcuffs. Pretty impressive stuff...

Here they are breaking cement blocks that were set on fire.

This is a picture of some of the people who accepted Christ as their Savior tonight after the performance. All those standing came forward to accept Christ. I couldn't even get all the people in the picture!

Here is one of the Power Team members who happened to be from Oklahoma. He said even the bricks they broke were harder in Oklahoma! This guy also tore two phone books in half, and broke a pair of handcuffs.

This is the only female member of the Power Team. She is 5'9" and weights 200 pounds with 14% body fat. Not bad! She also took a metal frying pan and rolled it up like a burrito.

Here is one of the Power Team members blowing up a hot water bottle! They all blew one up until it popped. Amazing!

Happy Easter

2008-03-23T20:54:00.006-05:00

We're on our way to church this morning. It was a beautiful morning!

The pear trees are also blooming. Spring is here but the weather people are calling for a freeze warning tonight!

Even the cows are happy today!

Almost Easter

2008-03-22T20:58:00.005-05:00

I have always loved a beautiful sunrise or sunset. Somehow it seems even more special during the Easter season. This picture is of the sunrise this morning looking out my front door. If you slept through it, you really missed something wonderful. Take some time and enjoy the sunrise on Easter.

We had a great dinner tonight at Joy's favorite place.

A Beautiful Day

2008-03-20T17:55:00.005-05:00

We're getting ready for a horse which means a lot of work. We mixed about 18 bags of cement to set the corner posts for the fencing. Josh made some extra money painting the posts.

It was a beautiful night for cowboys and Indians. Joy is getting ready to hunt her brother.

Here is a look of determination!

Boy Scout Troop 2000 Court of Honor

2008-03-10T21:02:00.004-05:00

Tonight was the Troop 2000 Court of Honor. All the scouts received patches and awards they earned all year.

Father and son enjoying the night together!!!

It's Getting Warmer!

2008-03-09T19:15:00.006-05:00

It was a beautiful today today! We took some time this afternoon to enjoy the warm weather. After all our walking and playing even our dog was tired!

We needed to check out the fishing today. Time to start getting those poles ready.

Big brother was helping get everyone ready for a dirt bike ride.

We had a great day together!!!

Horsing Around

2008-03-02T12:41:00.003-06:00

The horses have been enjoying this weather! Rooster has a new buddy now. Anne is keeping him company.

The horses just wanted some attention today. They were lined up for morning pats!!!

Could Spring Be Coming?

2008-03-02T12:33:00.003-06:00

It's been about 70 degrees these last two days and a great time to get outside. We went for a walk behind our pond just to enjoy the day. You can see our house among the trees.

It's been great for riding...whether horses or dirt bikes!!!

Valentine's Day

2008-02-15T19:15:00.004-06:00

Had to get a quick shot of the new library construction! It's really taking off!

Everybody in our family loves Valentine's Day! It's a great day for surprises!!!

Library Construction Has Started

2008-02-10T12:44:00.001-06:00

The construction started this week on the new library! The equipment is making the first "dig" in this picture.

Good-bye to the old sidewalks...

Of course the trees have to go too! This is projected to be a 14 month project. This is exciting stuff. The new library will be remarkable!!!

Let It Snow!

2008-01-31T13:15:00.001-06:00

We had a lot of snow today and it's still coming down. It looks like we will end up with 6 to 8 inches of snow! It is beautiful.

One way to thaw out is to spend time at Doc Lacy's coffee shop on the OWU campus. This is a great place to get a snack and relax.

Joy is having a wonderful time in the snow.

Josh is getting ready for a snowball battle.

The snow makes everything look great!

A Beautilful Bartlesville Morning

2008-01-27T16:05:00.003-06:00

I took these pictures on the way to church this morning. It was just one of those mornings where everything looked beautiful. We had a heavy fog that coated everything with a thin layer of ice. The plants that you see on both sides of the red canoe are all covered with ice.

Even the horses were enjoying the morning. We went back to play with them when it warmed up today. The darkest one in the middle tried to eat the finger off my glove...they are really fun.

Here is another shot going down my driveway.

Here are large bales of hay with ice around them. This picture really shows how thick the fog was. You can barely see some of the hills in the background.

Scouts For Food Day

2008-01-26T12:40:00.001-06:00

Today Troop 2000 and other Boy Scout Troops around the area collected food to be given to those who need it. Here is a picture of our troop getting ready to pick up the food.

As you can see, Boy Scout Troops in Bartlesville collected a lot of food to help others!

Here is another shot of the boys from Troop 2000 and Scoutmaster Steve!

Our Sound Guys

2008-01-17T19:11:00.001-06:00

We have students all over campus who work to make OWU the wonderful place it is. Here are some of our sound guys working from the sound room in the chapel.

These guys take care of sound, video, and all the electronic stuff that makes our events int he chapel so much fun. Thanks guys!!!

Thank You Dinner

2008-01-13T21:39:00.001-06:00

In December we had a group of students represent OWU at the Wesleyan Youth Conference called "Set Apart". There were about 6,000 young people at the conference that was held in Orlando, Florida.

Our traveling team of students did a wonderful job representing OWU and we are sure proud of them. Tonight we had a thank you dinner for them at President Piper's house. Marci (his wife) and her parents made the dinner and we just had a wonderful time together. Everyone you see in these pictures traveled to Orlando to help our admissions team.

Some of the guys loading up their plates...

Standing are President Piper and his wife, Marci.

OWU Eagles Now 12-2

2008-01-05T22:07:00.001-06:00

The OWU Eagles won again tonight beating Southwestern College. The team played a great game. Coach Donnie Bostwick is giving advice to the team in the last few minutes of the game.

Ice On The Pond

2007-12-29T21:03:00.000-06:00

These geese got a bit confused when they came in for a landing on the pond and discovered it was frozen. All they could do was stand and look at each other!

Eventually they had enough and took off!

The Goats

2007-12-27T20:29:00.001-06:00

We have been helping our neighbors with their goats recently. This one insisted on having his picture taken for the blog. They really are a lot of fun!

Christmas

2007-12-27T20:15:00.000-06:00

Celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas is a wonderful time of year. It makes it even better when you can celebrate with family. Cheri's parents had a chance to visit over Christmas. They work for Campus Crusade and live in Tennessee.

We used every last bit of snow to have snowball fights over the holidays!

As you can see, we did get some snow around Christmas. The weather forecast is for 1 or 2 more inches of snow tonight!

Snow Day

2007-12-15T15:49:00.001-06:00

The snow started rolling in this morning. It was blowing pretty hard but it was sure beautiful. A good day to stay inside!

The wind was blowing so hard our one dog just closed her eyes.

More snow coming in...

Staff Christmas Party

2007-12-15T15:35:00.000-06:00

We had a GREAT staff Christmas party this week. More food than you can imagine. This is a great event to get all the staff together and just eat and have fun.

Here is a picture of some of the gang at my table. These are three of the outstanding workers from our buildings and grounds department. Not only are they hard workers, they are a lot of fun!

Here are our undergraduate admissions counselors. They would love to talk with you about coming to OWU. Dr. Piper, our President, is in the lower left corner.

Here Comes The Ice

2007-12-09T12:53:00.001-06:00

We got some fun ice today. It was a good day to even do a little sledding behind our house!

The ice is still coming...

I remember sitting here drinking iced tea this summer. Now we're shoving ice down each others boots!

Order of the Arrow Washita Lodge

2007-12-09T12:11:00.000-06:00

Last night was the winter banquet for the Washita Lodge. There were a lot of awards given and a great dinner with arrowmen and their families! Above are the officers of the lodge.

We had a great dinner of steak, potatoes, rolls, salad, and wonderful desserts. Nobody went home hungry!

It was a great night for families to celebrate the achievements of their arrowmen!

Steve (on the right), presents an award for outstanding service to Brian!

Tom (on the right) is the lodge advisor and was the master of ceremonies for last night's event. He is presenting awards to outstanding arrowmen.

OWU December 2007 Graduation

2007-12-08T22:01:00.001-06:00

Today was the December graduation for OWU. We had about 150 students graduate. Here is a picture of the stage and diplomas before graduation started.

Students and faculty are getting ready for graduation rehearsal here in Lyon Hall on the OWU campus.

In a few minutes this chapel will be packed with graduates and their families.

Soon this platform will be full of faculty!

After four years on undergraduate work or several years of graduate work, the students are waiting for one of these!

Here is one of our graduates who has already moved on to graduate work. Congrats, Eric!

Professor Cochran (on the far right) with an excited graduate.

Bartlesville 2007 Christmas Parade

2007-12-02T16:57:00.000-06:00

Last night was the official 2007 Bartlesville Christmas Parade. Was it ever fun! The Bartlesville Police Department and their Explorer Post led the parade. There were about 66 different entries for this one. Hey, Dallas, I think that's you holding the police banner!

Here are members of Boy Scout Troop 2000. If you follow my blog, you'll know I think they are the best troop around! They marched with Cub Pack 150 last night.

Here's Cub Pack 150 getting ready to hand out candy to the crowd.

Here's one of the floats in the parade.

There were a bunch of nice floats with a lot of candy throwing last night!

Dr. Brian Turner Receives Award

2007-12-01T21:23:00.000-06:00

Dr. Brian Turner was voted the "Best University Professor" in Bartlesville by the local newspaper. Dr. Turner is the one who had his class make boats and float them on the OWU pond to learn about buoyancy. He does a lot of fun things in his classes. He tied in the voting with Dr. Bob Bonner who wasn't able to get his award that day.

I had the pleasure of giving the award to Dr. Turner who is standing on the left.

Prelude to Christmas

2007-11-25T12:26:00.000-06:00

For the past four years, OWU has presented "Prelude to Christmas" as a way of giving back to the Bartlesville community for all the community does to support OWU throughout the year.

This event has about one hour of Christmas music from the Bartlesville symphony and then everyone goes outside for hot chocolate and cookies. After everyone is enjoying the great snacks, the fireworks start.

If you look closely at the picture above, the man in the suit is our President, Dr. Everett Piper. He was welcoming everyone just before the music started.

This event is held in the OWU chapel and is well attended by the Bartlesville community.

The fireworks were great!!

It was a fun evening thinking of the things we should be thankful for as well as preparing our hearts for the Christmas season. This is a great event!!!

Putting Up the Christmas Tree

2007-11-23T18:13:00.001-06:00

Our family tradition is to put up our Christmas tree and decorations the day after Thanksgiving. The picture above is how it all started. The entire gang is into the action.

Here are the two elves who helped put everything together.

Of course, we couldn't do it without a good fire going. Here is the master of the flame who took care of the fire all day.

...and finally the finished product. This is my favorite time of the year!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-22T08:27:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving from the gang!

A Beautiful Bartlesville Sunday Afternoon

2007-11-18T20:07:00.000-06:00

Cheri had a fun afternoon riding in this beautiful November weather. It was 75 degrees today!

It was such a nice day even the horse was smiling!

Everyone got a chance to ride a little bit today!!!

Getting Ready for Thanksgiving

2007-11-16T21:33:00.000-06:00

Here are two wonderful OWU students. They have big Thanksgiving plans! Maybe see snow for the first time right Jess?

It's almost time for the Prelude to Christmas event on campus. It's a night of wonderful music and activities. Our great buildings and ground crew have placed the lanterns all along the sidewalks on campus. It is beautiful at night.

OK...I just had to put this one in. It is science experiment time for Troop 2000. Pretty cool stuff...

Another Fun Night

2007-11-11T16:34:00.001-06:00

There were a lot of different things happening around Bartlesville last night. The picture above is of the Symphony Ball. Bartlesville has a wonderful symphony!!! A few minutes after this picture was taken the room was full or people for this great event. It was a lot of fun!

On campus "The Real Deal" was taking place. This is a game show where everyone dresses up and plays games to win money and prizes. This one you really need to see. On stage is the student who won the prize for the best costume. It was called "Charlie Brown's Christmas". This is one campus event you don't want to miss.

Order of the Arrow National Service Day

2007-11-10T14:37:00.000-06:00

Today was the national service day for the Order of the Arrow. Lodges from all over the nation participated in events to help make their community a better place and to give cheerful service to others.

The local Order of the Arrow Lodge is the Washita Lodge #288. Above are the arrowmen who participated in this event today. The Washita Lodge cleaned the inside of the building and raked leaves for the Concern Center in Bartlesville. The Concern Center is located on Penn Ave. and is really a remarkable place devoted to helping others. The center provides food and services for those who find themselves in rough spots financially.

In the picture above you can see Susan, who is the director of the Concern Center. Second from the left is Daniel who also works at the center. The rest of the people in the picture are from the Washita Lodge. On the far right is Tom who is the Lodge advisor.

To learn more about Order of the Arrow (which is associated with the Boy Scouts of America) you can visit http://www.main.oa-bsa.org/. To learn more about our local Washita Lodge you can visit http://www.cherokeebsa.org/oa/index.html.

First Good Frost

2007-11-07T20:21:00.001-06:00

It was cold this morning...27 degrees. It looks like my lawn chair days may be over for awhile. Notice the frost on the grass and chairs?

Boy Scout Fall Camporee

2007-11-06T10:29:00.000-06:00

This week was the Fall Camporee for the Cherokee District of the Boy Scouts. We had a WONDERFUL weekend with the scouts. I have to admit...it was cold at night but the days were beautiful. Josh and I are getting ready to head to camp here.

Here is the camp site for Troop 2000. If your interested in scouting this is the troop to be in!!!!

Here is the gang from the Stag patrol cooking dinner. Yum....pizza and chili.

Cooking on the fire. So what's in the three Dutch ovens? Homemade peach cobbler, biscuits, and other goodies. There is nothing like eating camp food...delicious!

Here is the leadership of Troop 2000. What a great bunch of guys.

A Cold Evening

2007-11-01T20:23:00.000-05:00

On a cold night there is nothing like a cozy chair, popcorn, movie, and a warm fire. What a life!

Bartlesville Community Foundation Event

2007-10-28T21:08:00.001-05:00

Cheri and I went to the Bartlesville Community Foundation event last night. What a great time! The event honored the Kane and Johnstone families of Bartlesville. Jim Stovall, the author of "The Ultimate Gift" was the guest speaker. It was a tremendous night...

Joy and I decided to do some dirt bike riding today. It was such a nice day we just had to be outside.

The trees are starting to change color. I love this time of year.

Some Fall Visitors On Campus

2007-10-25T20:13:00.001-05:00

Fall is on its way! Take a look at the trees beginning to change color on campus.

We have a lot of students visiting campus this week. Above are a group of really fun students from California and Texas with their OWU student hosts. Thanks for coming to campus. It was fun talking with you in the caf tonight. Hey...we've got that "brain thing" going!

We also have a guest from Skyline Church in California. Thanks for hosting her, Jess!

Fall is Coming

2007-10-23T17:12:00.000-05:00

We're starting to get some wonderful fall weather. Soon it will be time to leave the tree houses and get ready for some good snowball battles! We still have plenty of time before the snow but I'm already considering my first target.

This picture has nothing to do with fall (except that Dr. Weeter is wearing a jacket). This is Dr. Mark Weeter, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, author, scholar, all around good guy.

He is holding the latest addition to his family, Brie. She weighs about 2 pounds and is now living with the Weeter family. With all the options in the family I don't know why she is hanging out with Dr. Weeter.

A Beautiful Bartlesville Day

2007-10-20T16:26:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful day in Bartlesville today. Evenings are getting cooler but during the day it's wonderful! The picture above is our Chief Enrollment Officer (Audrey) doing a little shooting with her husband. There are a lot of people in the area who enjoy target shooting. Don't worry...we're all about safety and have a wonderful place to practice.

My family was also getting into the action. Josh decided it was rifle time...

Cobi decided it was a great day for some dirt bike riding. He spent the afternoon exploring new spots on the dirt bike.

Seth decided just to hang out and watch Cobi crash...which he did not. I think Seth was a little disappointed!

Even OWU's First Lady took her turn on the dirt bike...

A Stormy Day

2007-10-17T20:33:00.000-05:00

Today has been a day of thunderstorms. It's always great to see the sun shine through!

Janice and Charles Drake Library

2007-10-13T19:28:00.000-05:00

There is a lot of excitement on campus! Yesterday was the ground breaking for our new library. It was been named the Janice and Charles Drake Library. Pictures above from left to right are Janice and Charles Drake and President Everett Piper.

Here is C.B. Colaw. C.B. is a Board of Trustee Emeritus. At last count he has been on the Board of Trustees for 51 years and never missed a meeting! If you want to talk with someone who is always smiling and has a heart for Christ, C.B. is the one. C.B. is standing with my wife, Cheri.

Fall Board of Trustee Meeting

2007-10-11T21:56:00.001-05:00

Today was day one of two days that we get to spend with the Board of Trustees. The Board is a wonderful group of people that have a heart for Christ and greatly love OWU. We had a great dinner tonight and then spent some time around the fire. It was a great day!

This is OWU's First Lady, Marci Piper, and me with our dates for the night! Marci's sure a good sport...

Getting Ready

2007-10-09T20:46:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful night overlooking campus tonight. We have homecoming weekend starting shortly and it will be a busy. What a fun time this weekend will be as alums from all over the nation come back to visit.

On Friday we will break ground for our new library. This is an exciting time at OWU!

Get A Great Breakfast!

2007-10-07T20:52:00.001-05:00

Bartlesville has some great places for breakfast. Two of my favorites are Midway Cafe and Burger Hop. Midway Cafe is located on the west side of 75 just north of 60 (about 5 minutes from OWU). They have wonderful food at a great price. When you go, try their country scrambler deluxe. They start with homemade biscuits on the bottom, then scrambled eggs, then hash browns, then bacon, then sausage. All that is then covered with white gravy! Unbelievable!!!!

Burger Hop is on Frank Phillips Blvd. on the west side of town. On weekends they have an all you can eat breakfast that is out of this world. Just tell them what you want and they'll make it for you.

Happy eating!

Alpha Chi

2007-10-06T20:30:00.001-05:00

Last night we had the annual induction of new members in the Alpha Chi honor society. This honor society is a national honor society that accepts juniors and seniors in the top ten percent of their class.

Our speaker last night was Mr. Glenn Cox, former CEO of Phillips Petroleum. We were thrilled to have Mr. Cox and his wife on campus.

The sponsors of Alpha Chi at OWU are Dr. Brian Jackson and Professor Gail Richardson. They do a wonderful job with Alpha Chi.

Pictured above are the new members who were inducted last night.

Boats, Boats, Boats

2007-10-05T16:36:00.000-05:00

Dr. Brian Turner is always coming up with fun experiments for his science classes. In this class, the students had to build boats that would actually float. They studied the various scientific properties involved in floating and did some creative boat building. Now it is time to test their skills (and their grades) and see what they really learned.

Dr. Turner is always coming up with interesting experiments for his courses. You will see his students firing water balloons in home made catapults or looking for clues in a mock crime scene investigation. Dr. Turner knows how to make science fun! Here are some pictures from the boating experiment today.

Some of the boats had some problems staying afloat...

These two boats collided in the pond and sank them both. Actually, the boat on the left was full of renegade pirates who sank the boat on the right!

There were some interesting boat designs...

A successful boat experiment is moving around the lake.

Here is the man behind the creativity, Dr. Turner.

A successful experiment...around the lake and back to shore!!!

ConocoPhillips Day At OWU

2007-10-01T19:33:00.000-05:00

Today was ConocoPhillips Day at OWU. ConocoPhillips is a major corporate entity in Bartlesille. They are a Fortune 5 compay (that's right...not Fortune 500...Fortune 5). ConocoPhillips representatives were on campus today talking with our business students about careers with their company. They conducted interviews during the afternoon.

We're thrilled to have a wonderful relationship with ConocoPhillips and thankful for their work with OWU students!

Copan Lake

2007-10-01T12:55:00.000-05:00

Last night was a beautiful night at Copan Lake. The lake is about 15 miles north of Bartlesville. It's a great place to fish, go boating, camp, or just relax.

Can you feel the stress melting away....

2007 Cow Thieves and Outlaws Reunion

2007-09-29T22:35:00.001-05:00

This annual event is held at Woolaroc. You can read all about this wonderful place on the links section of this blog. The Cow Thieves and Outlaws Reunion is an event you don't want to miss. Everyone dresses as cowboys and cowgirls and just has a wonderful time.

There was a great fireworks display as part of the evening. The picture above shows a portion of the fireworks display.

Here is a shot of a small portion of the Woolaroc property. It is beautiful!

There was some great music at the event. Here is one of the groups.

There was a group of outlaws waiting fo us when we pulled up. They tried to rope us as we passed through.

We had to stop for a herd of buffalo who decided to walk down the road. Don't get out of your car!

Time to Relax

2007-09-29T07:45:00.000-05:00

Have you ever had a rough day and need to relax? Have a seat and let the stress melt away. Bartlesville is a great place to live!

A Foggy Morning

2007-09-27T20:36:00.000-05:00

It was a foggy morning today. Here's a picture looking out my front yard on the way to work.

Goat Patrol

2007-09-23T20:57:00.001-05:00

OK...this one is a mystery. This dog that you are looking at protects the herd of goats in the backgound. I have seen this herd with this dog many, many times. The heard can often be found at Hudson Lake. They eat the grass and bushes all arond he lake and the dog is always protecting them. If anyone gets close to the herd, the dog moves them along...quickly.

This dog is really amazing. If a goat becomes stubborn and won't move along, the dog will tackle him and show the goat who is in charge. Like most good "goat dogs" he won't let you touch him and just spends his time herding the goats.

I have no idea where these goats live so if anyone knows, pass the info along. This herd is a riot to watch and is wonderful entertainment!

Another Beautiful Day

2007-09-21T18:47:00.000-05:00

How could you not want to live in Bartlesville. That pond that you can see if also full of fish. I've seen plenty of ten pound bass in that pond! I just won't tell you where the pond is located!!!

An OWU Fall Chapel

2007-09-21T10:35:00.000-05:00

The chapel is all set up for our OWU annual fall flood event and waiting for hundreds of students to start coming in. Fall flood is a three day event where we set aside special time to be together in chapel services and think about what God is doing in our lives. We finish fall flood today. It has been a great time.

Don't you really want to be at Oklahoma Wesleyan University?

2007-09-16T19:59:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken from the tower of the mansion and looks into the beautiful rose garden. The shadow is from the tower on the mansion where the picture was taken. The mansion houses many administrative offices on campus.

This picture was taken today after lunch. This is looking from the top of the mansion (Foster's former home) east toward the chapel. We will be breaking ground next month on a new library that will be to the right of the building behind the fountain. The library will be beautiful! Our current library is housed in the mansion. You're missing out if you're not a student at Oklahoma Wesleyan University!!!

The OWU Chorale

2007-09-14T20:27:00.001-05:00

The OWU chorale decided to take practice out in the hall to entertain some of us in offices throughout the chapel. If you haven't heard them yet you are really missing out. They are great! The chorale had a great tour this summer traveling through many states. This group is under the direction of Dr. Linda Jones who is at the left in the picture with the music stand.

If you want to learn ore about music and have fun in groups like this, you need to be at OWU!

Sunset in Bartlesville

2007-09-12T21:31:00.000-05:00

Another beautiful sunset tonight! A great night just to clear your mind and relax.

Hard Working Students

2007-09-11T20:43:00.001-05:00

Under the direction of one of our most popular professors, David Cochran, the year book staff was busy working tonight.

It was a beautiful day on campus today. Fall is coming and temperatures were in te 60's today. What a day!

Flat in Oklahoma?

2007-09-10T20:57:00.001-05:00

So...you always thought it was flat in Oklahoma? Think again! You need to come to northeast Oklahoma where it is full of hills and trees. A great place to hike, hunt, or just clear your mind.

A Great Day for Fishing

2007-09-08T20:49:00.000-05:00

We had a lot of rain last night which we really needed. But today was beautiful...a great day for fishing. Here are two fishing people who just completed a successful outing!

Getting the canoe ready...

Beautiful Morning

2007-09-06T21:04:00.001-05:00

It was a beautiful morning today! If you look closely, you can see the Bartlesville skyline through the field. I took this on my way to work this morning.

School Has Started

2007-09-02T22:05:00.000-05:00

Well...school has started again. One of the fun things many people do at OWU is go to church on Sunday morning and then hit the cafeteria for lunch. Here's a picture of some happy eaters!

Osage Hills State Park

2007-08-26T20:07:00.000-05:00

Osage Hills State Park is about 15 minutes west of Bartlesville on Rt. 60. This is a great place to camp, hike, swim, fish, watch wildlife, etc.

The park rents really nice cabins. This would be a god place to spend a weekend. It looks like all the cabins are air conditioned for summer and have a fireplace for fall and winter.

Standing next to the cabin are a couple of wild turkeys. We counted about 10 all together hanging around this one cabin.

This is a wonderful park and you are missing out if you don't visit this park!

There are a ton of deer everywhere. You can't get much closer than this! We were trying to see how close we could get before the deer started running. We got pretty close. There were about 10 deer together out having dinner.

This is a view from one of the lookout points in the park...

You can fish at the lake, go boating, or just enjoy the night.

Don't forget to visit and take a picnic!

Bartlesville Centennial Parade

2007-08-22T20:08:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the Oklahoma Centennial Parade in Bartlesville. I wasn't able to make this one but my family got some pictures for the blog. Everyone said it was a great parade with marching bands, floats, horses, candy, etc.

The parade was led by B-Ville's finest. We really have a great police department in Bartlesville under the leadersip of Chief Tom Holland. The police department works closely with OWU and helps us whenever we need it. They are a wonderfully talented group.

No parade is complete without the colors....

Here is the entry for First Wesleyan Chruch. Rumor has it that Pastor Joe is in the back seat waving.

A great marching band (that's the Price Tower behind them)....

Kids love a noisy marching band. They also love all the people who threw candy!

Wild Horses

2007-08-11T20:37:00.001-05:00

If you haven't guessed by now, I really like horses! The Bartlesville area has several wild horse preserves. These horses are on one of those preserves. All these are beautiful wild horses just enjoying the evening!

This is their pasture. What a place to live and run!

Hay You!

2007-08-05T21:51:00.000-05:00

This is a typical sight around Bartlesville this time of year. Everyone's cutting and baling hay. The fields really look pretty with fresh cut hay everywhere.

Here's another field full of hay.

Bartlesville 26th Annual Green Country Rodeo

2007-08-03T19:04:00.000-05:00

We had a great time at the rodeo last night. Here is a picture of all the kids doing the calf scramble. All the calves have pink ribbons on them. The kids get five dollars for every ribbon they can pull off the calves.

Here's a picture of the calf roping-tie down. These are some pretty fast cowboys.

It's a bit hard to tell from the picture but this girl is about 7 years old and is riding her pony at the start of the rodeo. All ages were there last night!

...a bucking bronco.

The rodeo started with the national anthem.

Good Bye to Lita

2007-08-01T21:03:00.001-05:00

I can't talk about OWU without talking about our great students! Lita (on the left) is one of our students who has been accepted to study for a semester at Oxford. She is one of only 70 students across the nation selected for this program. Lita has some great writing already published. Hey, Lita...if you read this post a link to some of your writing. We'll miss you Lita!

By the way, Lita is standing with my great assistant, Cindy! We had a great lunch together today. I won't tell you about the dessert Lita had....

Goooooood Pizza

2007-07-28T20:18:00.001-05:00

If you're looking for some good pizza you must try this place. It's right on Frank Phillips Blvd. in downtown B-ville. They have all sorts of pizza and it's a great place to just relax and talk. See you there...

Campus Challenge Weekend

2007-07-27T21:03:00.000-05:00

This weekend is the Campus Challenge. Wesleyan young people from our area churches are on campus competing in vocal, instrumental, drama, and other fun events. The winners get scholarship funds to attend OWU. The weekend started with a great dinner prepared by the OWU food team. All sorts of pasta, sauce, and cherry cobbler for dessert! The competition starts tomorrow!

All the competitors and families are enjoying the kick-off dinner at the OWU dining commons.

More Summer Time...

2007-07-26T20:50:00.000-05:00

It's just not the same on campus with all the students gone. The Dining Commons is an empty place. We can hardly wait to get everyone back!!!

What A Nice Night

2007-07-15T21:44:00.000-05:00

It was a beautiful night tonight. Here is a picture of Hudson Lake (taken tonight) which is about 15 minutes from OWU. It's a great place for a picnic, boating, or just a place to get away for awhile. You can often spot deer and wild turkey here too.