CHRISTMAS TRADITION: BECKY BURCH AND BARKLEY THE OKLAHOMA PHOTOGRAPH HOLIDAY LIGHTS; christmas poem by mike tupa
By Becky Burch
Dec. 30, 2025
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
On a warm December evening, my constant sidekick, Barkley the Oklahoma Chihuahua, and I cruised from Nowata to Bartlesville, chasing Christmas lights, making memories, and, of course, collecting a fresh coat of dog fur on my clothes and vehicle – a beloved and expected souvenir of our adventure.
Our annual tradition, now in its third year, took on a magical quality as we rolled through the gates of Fantasyland of Lights in Johnstone Park, Mustang convertible top down, with Barkley's tan and white fur flowing in the wind. As we wound through the dazzling display, tens of thousands of twinkling lights illuminated the night. Barkley stood tall - as high as a three-foot Chihuahua can get - on my arm, her eyes sparkling with reflected light, tiny brown nose twitching as she soaked up the scents of the season along with the park's squirrel nests, probably cataloging them for future barking.
At the drive's end, a kind volunteer treated her to a head pat and a doggy treat, both of which she accepted with her tiny-tooth Chihuahua grin. Barkley managed to sneak in her signature dart-like lick with her one-half-inch wide tongue, a gesture the volunteer didn’t seem to mind – proof she'd successfully added another victim to her lick list.
Next, we trotted - if a Mustang can trot - down Cherokee Avenue, where Barkley posed, if a bit begrudgingly, in front of the Frank Phillips Home. Though she refused to face the camera with the promise of a treat she'd already devoured at the park, her profile made the photograph her own.
Memories chased and caught with my best friend, Barkley.
(Please see Mike Tupa’s Christmas poem following the photographs.)
Fantasyland of Lights in Johnstone Park in Bartlesville.
PHOTO BY BECKY BURCH//Bartlesville Area Sports
Fantasyland of Lights in Johnstone Park in Bartlesville.
PHOTO BY BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
St.John’s Catholic Church in Bartlesville.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Barkley the Oklahoma Chihuahua, canine of BASR owner and photojournalist Becky Burch, in front of the Frank Phillips Home in Bartlesville. Barkley is obviously refusing to look at the camera, regardless of her human’s begging or promise of a liver treat. “I know your words of liver treats are hollow,” thinks Barkley, “as none were present in the car.”
BECKY BURCH (Barkley’s human)/Bartlesville Area Sports
Christmas lights near the Bartlesville Chamber of Commerce in downtown Bartlesville.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
A yard full of inflatable decorations on the east side of Bartlesville.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Barkley the Oklahoma Chihuahua, canine of BASR owner and photojournalist Becky Burch, in front of a Christmas tree. Barkley is obviously being bribed with a real liver treat to look at the camera.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
A home on Pecan St. and U.S. Highway 60 in Nowata is lit up for Christmas.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Barkley the Oklahoma Chihuahua - facing away from the camera once again because there are no treats in sight - sits underneath a friend’s Christmas reindeer at the end of our holiday journey.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church nativity scene.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
_____
Don’t Forget
The green pine drips with tinsel —
a silvery waterfall
glimmering from the lights
that twist around each limb.
Ornaments — round, rectangle, square,
oblong, made of ceramic, cloth or wood —
brighten the branches, igniting an opulence
of hope in Him whose birth we celebrate.
But don’t forget the star.
When the bulbs are blazing bright —
oh, there’s few more beautiful sights!
There’s something magic in the glow,
and each blessing that from it flows.
Oh, don’t forget the star.
Childhood anticipation bursts with hope,
as the presents procured by Santa’s helpers,
pile around the rim of the evergreen,
like a twisting wave of colorful paper —
hidden secrets bursting with joy.
But the meaning won’t be complete
for those that forget the star.
Unlike the wonderful North Star,
that navigates us home
from all points terrestrial points
even from the globe’s furthest corner,
The Holy Star guides our footsteps to Him,
to innocence, to love, to peace,
to joy, to the edge of cradle
of rebirth and spiritual renewal.
Without the star, the tree, the lights,
Santa, the songs and the cookies
are just tokens without connotation,
unable to dissolve endless nights.
Please, don’t forget the star.
Tread in the steps of the wisemen.
Stumble through the broken ground
that the humble shepherds followed
while heaven opened their eyes.
Never forget the star on the Christmas tree.
Never forget to listen for the angels’ voices,
Never forget to keep the star in your heart,
Never forget to keep your ears open
to the Spirit’s utterance.
And never forget to have
A MERRY CHRISTMAS!
—By Michael Jerry Tupa