Maggie One and Maggie Two

When the Margaret Hunt Hill bridge was announced several years ago, one thinks what's in the name? In this case it was a Hunt as in Hunt Oil or the patriarch of the Hunt family and beautiful Mt. Vernon ( an exact duplicate of the original) home at White Rock Lake.  But admittedly, even with searching for some help, when the second bridge was announced and the name was Margaret McDermott, it was a bit more work to burn an image on my mind. Philanthropist. Now it rings a bell.

True, the movers and the shakers of Dallas are all involved with the bridge project as it is part of the Trinity River Corridor Project, a non-profit to development along the Trinity River. And some of those movers and shakers can be found on the board of the Trinity River Corridor Project.

While the Margaret McDermott bridge has been downsized ( it's now, just the Margaret McDermott  bike and pedestrian portion ) and was almost axed when the economy went farther down river, it was saved after TxDOT said that the bridge over I-30 would be built, even if they had to do the engineering. That jolted a few and it wasn't long until a deal was reached to scale back but never-the-less still have Santiago Calatrava design the walkways and bikeways across the second bridge.

 Actually, the feeling is that Margaret McDermott got the better part of the deal in that the bridge is over the Trinity on a major interstate highway. It will have a pedestrian

The unofficial start to work on Maggie Two

The completed Maggie One

Note the angle of the boring on Maggie Two

and bike crossing that Maggie One doesn't have and it will be more in the center of activity when the project is complete. Sometimes, second in number isn't really that bad of a deal.

So, yesterday, while looking at the work that had been done since August when the equipment first appeared on scene, pilings are never a pretty part of the job, but they are the "bedrock" of the project (pardon the pun) the call of the Nikon hit me. When Maggie One was being built, over 100 weekends were spent photographing the construction process. That weighed heavy when the thought of another long-term project registered on the brain. The purpose of the trip yesterday was to stand on the west levee where Maggie One could be seen in its completed state and then look at downtown from where this project was digging into the ground (another non-intended pun) and get a feel if it would be worth the effort.

 There is a whole lot of satisfaction in one of these projects but not a whole lot of money, if any when you factor in gas, time and added dust and dirt to be cleaned from a camera professionally. It does cost money to do one of these things. As my maternal grandmother once told me: "Nothing in life is ever, ever free." She was very right on target and that phrase still rings out in me even today. To document changes in an urban setting can be rewarding. It also can be a drain on emotions, resources of time and money not to mention aches and pains, cuts and scratches. heat stroke and many more.

But, as I stood on the levee looking at the workers going about the daily task of such a project and looking back at Maggie One, then the future Maggie Two, it was realized that I had to give it a shot, or two, since another pun worked its way in the text. While this is kind  of written tongue and cheek, it is urban history that can make a difference, even if that difference is ever so small. Much like the history that answered a question just two years ago about where Air Force One had been parked at Love Field when Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as President. It was a photo that gave the answer. An urban photo. Lots was learned in doing the Maggie One Project. Certainly, more can be learned from the Maggie Two. Provided health and money issues remain status quo.

So, Maggie One :  Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge (complete and open)
       Maggie Two: Margaret McDermott Bridge ( unofficially under way, August,2013 )


Link: http://dallascityhall.com/committee_briefings/trinity_river.html

Link: http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philanthropy

12/29/13: correction of omitted text.

Three Stops For A Vulture, A Bridge and A Missouri Football Team

Stop One: Sometimes, being in the right place at the right time is because of the camera. It is amazing how a camera does train you eye to pick up on things long before others. Having my camera in the car, enables me to get a shot that would otherwise be missed altogether.

 

Such was the case this afternoon. After going to the bank, it wasn't two miles before I see this huge bird in my traffic lane. The bird flies from the traffic lane onto the roof of a building being used as a charter school. At the light, I turned, pulled into the side street and parked. The bird wasn't moving. In short, there were two dead squirrels in the traffic lane. Not one, but two! That within itself was unusual but what surprised me most was that it was what I grew up knowing to be a turkey vulture. While they are related to eagles and hawks and falcons, they are not  seen on the ground in the city as much as a hawk or even an eagle or two.
 

Watching the vulture for a while, the bird became very interested in a camera mounted on the side of the building, just below the coping that  the vulture seemed to like. One, he could keep his eye on the carrion and could see me. So when I did start to shoot, he just posed for the camera. I do talk to animals while I shoot them. They understand more than most people think.

 

Stop Two:  After spending nearly two full years and over 100 weekends of following the construction of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, when it was finished, my thoughts were that I would not devote that much time to the second bridge whenever construction started. Today, I went down to see what I could see and try to determine if I had any interest in photographing another long-term construction project. It took about 5-minutes and I was hooked. When these large projects get into your blood, they just seem to call out wherever you are until you can't resist any longer.

 

Stop Three: On the way home, I was just coming up on the Anatole as these 5 white buses with a 6-man motor cycle escort was pulling into the hotel. Making the block and coming back down the service road on the west side of 35E at Market Center, I pulled into the parking lot. The team had unloaded and was inside the hotel. But, I was able to get a shot of the last two buses in the 5-bus lineup. Shortly, the motor cycle guys waited until I passed then pulled in behind me. At the second light, they took off like crazy and headed toward I-30 on Inwood. Hampton Road a mile farther south.   

 

Generally, for all three events, I was in the right spot at the right time again. It was about the same thing a couple of years ago when checking on the trains at Fair Park and the Penn State Athletic Semi pulled into the Cotton Bowl.
 

Since the teams arrival at the Anatole today, I submitted the picture of the buses on a live news feed and the image is running on the 48-hour cycle. Because it is one of the top NCAA football events of the season, I could not withhold the image. It was sports news after all!

Turkey Vulture interested in camera just below on wall

The Hotel Anatole and the Missouri Team

Work on the second Santiago Calatrava Bridge is under way on I-30. When Finished, the bridge will be known as the Margaret McDermott Bridge.

 

 

 

 

The Big Man is Enroute!

As I listen to a live broadcast of  the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from the chapel of King's College, Cambridge, England, on the live stream from WXXI-FM  Classical 91.5, Rochester, New York,  Michael Barone, the host of  Pipe Dreams, has just reported that in England, the congregation of hundreds from all around the world are departing the historic chapel into," a dark and chilly evening". Christmas, in England, has officially begun.

It is a misnomer to call the structure a chapel, for it is a magnificent Gothic Cathedral in every sense of the word. The Harris & Harris pipe organ produces sounds only heard by great organs in great cathedrals. It is the reason that I love English choral music in general and at this time of year. Especially, to the songs of English composer, John Rudder.

This is my 28th year of listening to the annual live broadcast program that began in 1928. Although, the service began in 1918 and was only suspended for one year, 1930. It was broadcast all during WW II though the beautiful stain glass, and heat was removed from the chapel. It is my Christmas gift to myself. I do not have a Christmas tree, nor do I celebrate with presents and the trappings of  a society  that we have become. Some traditions are exceedingly strong and radiate from the heart. Christmas is that to me and in true English tradition, this program in slightly less than 90-minutes, captures that joy; that wholeness;that happiness and that fulfillment of completeness, from year-to-year.

The Bidding Prayer as printed in the Program, Order of Service, Christmas Eve, 2013, King's College Cambridge, England that is linked below.

   Be it this Christmas Eve our care and delight to prepare ourselves to hear again the message of the angels; in heart and mind to go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which is come to pass, and the Babe lying in a manger.
Let us read and mark in Holy Scripture the tale of the loving purposes of God from the first days of our disobedience unto the glorious Redemption brought us by this Holy Child; and let us make this Chapel, dedicated to Mary, his most blessèd Mother, glad with our carols of praise:
But first let us pray for the needs of his whole world; for peace and goodwill over all the earth; for unity and brotherhood within the Church he came to build, and especially in the dominions of our sovereign lady Queen Elizabeth, within this University and City of Cambridge, and in the two royal and religious Foundations of King Henry VI here and at Eton:
And because this of all things would rejoice his heart, let us at this time remember in his name the poor and the helpless, the cold, the hungry and the oppressed; the sick in body and in mind and them that mourn; the lonely and the unloved; the aged and the little children; all who know not the Lord Jesus, or who love him not, or who by sin have grieved his heart of love.
Lastly let us remember before God all those who rejoice with us, but upon another shore and in a greater light, that mul- titude which no man can number, whose hope was in the Word made flesh, and with whom, in this Lord Jesus, we for evermore are one.
These prayers and praises let us humbly offer up to the throne of heaven, in the words which Christ himself hath taught us:

Our Father …
 OUR FATHER, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we for- give them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen.
 Almighty God bless us with his grace: Christ give us the joys of everlasting life: and unto the fellowship of the citizens above may the King of Angels bring us all.
All Amen.


Here is the link for the program this Christmas Eve,2013.

http://www.kings.cam.ac.uk/events/chapel-services/nine-lessons.html













 

The Sadness of the Holiday Season

We all get excited about the holiday season. Everyone is out getting those cherished presents and goodies for that special holiday feast. Except, for those that see the other side of the joy. 

This is my favorite. The expression on the face says so much.



I watched this fireman go up and down the ladder a few time in full gear. It's not a short way up or down.

The crews on the front side would win, then they would loose the battle. It went back and forth for nearly four hours. Team work payed off in the end. The displaced residents were aided by the American Red Cross.

 

The Mysterious Aircraft Parked at Love Field.

There is a Boeing 747 parked at one of the Fixed Base Operators at Love Field. There are all kinds of reasons why such a plane would be there. Every thing from air worthiness certification to new avionics. But, there is a very big reason why it caught my eye. On the tail (and you can't miss that on a 747) there was a logo and the words,  "STATE OF (redacted)". Someone doesn't want that plane to be identified. And, of course, the FBO isn't going to  tell anyone anything. Well, at least those outside their own circle.

This could be a plane from a foreign government. It could be a plane of many colors, in fact. But, the fact that Love Field is owned by the City of Dallas and does receive federal money in the form of grants, etc., etc., adds a great bit more of intrigue to the fact that it is sitting there at a FBO at Love Field  at all.

There is also another not so mysterious jet parked just down the block. It's a Boeing 767. According to the FAA's registration, it's airworthy certificate is expired, but it flew last week, too! There is something more unusual about this plane that smells something like a Maverick Basketball teams ride. In fact, this is Pace 5 Heavy. It once flew as Australia's Ansett Airlines and was used by a world tour on Rolling Stones on a leased charter. Mark Cuban carried the trophy home to Dallas on this plane, complete with cigar.

One final note on the mysteries of mysterious planes. There is an out of country (tail registrations give that away) business jet parked up against a fence.  I guess it's time too call up a few brokers and see who's in the market for new planes. Speaking of that. Has one seen the golden falcon that Walmart is now flying? It's got that WOW factor! Of course, the last count of registrations showed that they had about 14 executive jets total in their fleet. This one, I would think carries some very top brass. Walmart has been blocking live tracing of their planes for some time now. Most of the big companies now do anyway. Yes, including Jerry Jones and the N1DC. These guys are so gun shy today. They are afraid someone is going to be able to tie them to something if they or their planes are spotted. My dad always said that," if you think someone is going to see you do something you shouldn't be doing, then don't do it at all." My dad would love the world we live in today, don't you see?

Oh, and to my critics. I didn't want to say, " I told you so", but now that Doug Parker is in control, there is  a lot of discussion going on about the change of logos on the American Fleet. Just as expected, the ugly tail on a few hundred of American's fleet was a transitional move between the old logo, the new logo and the NEW AIRLINE logo. Dang, I also hate to say it, but," Sometimes I hate it when I'm right"

Beware of desert runways that are very, very long. There might be another logo hatching soon in or near Victorville. It's the stuff that movies are made of eventually.

A very big Maverick

Rolling Stones used this plane for a World Tour once.

 

Henry, Gas Up the Jet, It's Out Behind the Barn

Some things just all fit together regardless of how they are related as a whole. Today, was just one of those days when every thing fit like a glove. It was a great day weather wise and that just made it even better.

December has been a hot and cold kind of month anyway and I don't mean weather.  It's just one of those Murphy Law things that is good one minute and bad the next. It's usually hits during December, too! So when the stroke of luck is good, especially during December, it's always kind of like that magical gift.

Today it was just a good day and for that, I'm thankful.

A genuine word



The two men are just hanging out!

Henry, Gas up the Jet. It's Out Behind the Barn.

 

What a Warm Holiday Surprise

The Stop sign and the Handicap parking signs were also decorated.

All the signs and poles that are part of the Post Office Building were decorated.

The outside drop boxes were also decorated.

If there are unusual things that I am not fond of, jurisdictional boundaries just might be one of them. I can recall a time when a friend of mine lived in Michigan, yet, had an Ohio address on his drivers license, which was Michigan. Apparently, at that time, the U.S. Post Office did not respect state lines when it came to the delivery of the mail.

 At one time, (it happened to be the weekend of the Ohio State vs. Michigan game), Greg got stopped by the Ohio State Patrol ("targeted because I had Michigan plates", he said. The cop detained him for a fairly long time because his address on his Michigan license was not 1234 Any street, Ottawa Lake, Michigan, but 1234 Any Street, Toledo, Ohio.

Greg finally got someone to listen who knew that the Post Office did that along the lower counties along the Michigan state line between US 75 and US 23. Eventually, it was changed and the serving post office was designated Monroe, Michigan rather than Toledo, Ohio and the addresses were changed on drivers licenses. The Michigan State Police seemed to be happy afterwards, but I'm not so sure about the Ohio State Patrol, especially on game day.

My post office is a large facility with multi-offices for postal inspectors etc., on the second floor. It is the designated post office for my zip code. I don't like it. So going a Google search one day, I discovered that the Lake Highland Post office, while not my official post office for picking up packages etc.,etc., is in mileage, closer to me. It's a small complex in an industrial office and warehouse area and is much easier to get into and out of while running errands.

It was the official day of errands and mailing Christmas Cards. Out side of mailing one bill that requires postage, I only get postage this time of year. So, off I headed to my little post office that is unofficially not mine, but I like the employees there, especially the one counter lady that I kid all the time about  finding my senior citizen discount. She says she is still looking for it. When I got up to the counter, I ask her for a half-book of stamps. She looked at the one envelope blotched with stains from the melting slush. Before she could say anything, I said to her," I dropped this getting into the car. I was going to go back inside and re-address the envelope but decided that the person it was addressed to (my youngest brother) was in the 76% that would blame it on the Post Office any way." She broke out into a laugh and said," we already get enough of those!"

After dropping the envelopes into the inside drop box, I headed to the car. As I was about to pull out onto the side street, I could not believe my eyes. Making a circle and pulling back into the lot, I parked and got out with the camera. It was a simple gift to the customers, but somehow, it just struck me as being one of the nicest gifts that I have received from a place where I do business. So to the employees of the post office at the Lake Highland Branch, Thank You!! Thank You So Very Much!!.


 

Update on Some Previous Post

This has been an unusual winter storm. One, it fell below freezing for 72 hours. Two, when it did start to thaw, the nights were in the 20s so what melted re coated the roadways and sidewalks. It's been a roller-coaster of a storm from start to finish. At least, the sun was out today and it was above freezing again. Still, it is nothing like a winter storm in the Great Lakes. And, of course, their out breaks of tornadoes in the spring isn't anything like ours. When it comes to weather, I like it all! Hot, cold, stormy, icy, snowy, high winds. I'll stop there because I don't like the dust storms that hit the desert southwest. That's a bit much.

Today, I had a couple of errands to run so while I was out, I ate lunch and then took a walk before heading back to the comfort of a warm house. When I came in, I couldn't find the cat. When I can't find her, I always get a bit anxious. I always check her favorite hide outs. And, she is a creative cat, still, she surprises me with a new one now and then. Today, I saw the comforter at the foot of the bed move, All I could see was her rear end. She had gone head in into the folds of the comforter. When she heard me, she did a turn around and came out kinda surprised but then went into the mode of " What's up with you?" as she does a big stretch on bed followed with a bigger yawn. Cats keep you humble.

The bee hive that I found a couple of months ago along a trail must have been frozen out, or the parks and recreation guys moved it because of the danger of it so close to the trail. There was no sign of the hive today.

Garland had to cancel their Christmas on the Square. The Children's Hospital Christmas Parade in downtown Dallas, that is syndicated to many markets during the month of December, was also cancelled and will not be re-scheduled this season. Balloon handlers are booked else where as are many other parts of the parade units.

Ice on a Foot Bridge

December this year has just not been it's normal self. Things do change and we all must adapt to that, but I must admit that sometimes, it is more difficult to adapt than at other times. That's Life as old blue eyes would sing. Music seems to help with adapting, though.

Ice on wild berries

The Grocery Shelves Were A Funny Sight

When it drops below 25 degrees F for longer than 24-hours, my dad taught me to go out and start my car to get the oil warmed and flowing in the engine. Yesterday, I took old Betsy for a little ride after getting the ice chipped of the windows and the doors unstuck. Today, it was easy to get into the car, quicker starting and I got the wipers unstuck. It appears that headway has been made.

The strange thing, which isn't all that strange, is that today, the roads were actually more hazardous than they were yesterday. Everything than melted yesterday froze with the temps in the teens over night and the high not making it more than 23 or 24 degrees.

I don't complain. The coldest that I have survived was in the early 60s. It got to minus 17 below. And, I've lived in temps below freezing for more than a month so a 72-hour period isn't that bad for me, although, some have never experienced that for any length of time and its a bit of a shock come the second day.

A Patio Pot encrusted in ice

Inside the grocery store, the bread isle was bare bones. The meat counters were bare bones and then some. The dairy isle was just as sad. The staples, basically, were the hardest hit; bread, meat, dairy. I had to chuckle. It was funny. One would expect this before the storm, not two days afterwards. But, there again, I don't have a house full of kids anymore that can make a loaf of bread disappear in one meal. Life does bring laughter as you get older.

No small branch by any means

The three-tiered  drinking fountain was iced over at all levels.

A New Sign's First Ice Storm

The sign was being tested this afternoon. While out getting the gas tank filled before the ice storm, it was working but the ramps were marked closed. It's due to open almost any day now. While getting a shot of the sign, getting a shot of the electronic gear that will be focused on cars as they enter and exit was a give me.

It was 50 degrees colder today than yesterday and the wind was a major factor with the chill index. While making my return home from the gas station, Jim Cantore, of The Weather Channel was setting up for a live shot. I should have pulled in and got a shot of him but the wind would have been in my face and the decision to keep on going was made. Sorry bout that for you fans of Cantore. He's less than two miles from me at the present. I'm pretty sure he didn't mind that I didn't stop, though.

Right now as I write this, I have my toes and fingers crossed that there will be no power loss during this ice storm. If Dallas makes it through the night without any major power outages, hopefully, tomorrow morning, although cold, some shots of the ice, maybe!

Check out the new sign. It's going to be something new to get used to in the very near future that is different than the old HOV lanes that were free. These lanes will change price depending on the traffic flow, I'm told.

The prices are displayed as they change.

Look at all the cameras ! But look closely, they aren't all cameras. There are scanners and readers mixed in there. Next, look at the  pully system of cables  attached to the bank of cameras, scanners and readers. This is actually, pretty scary when it comes to privacy concerns.

This is the back side of the previous image. This one has got you as you drive with your back to it.  Spooky!! You can see a good example of the cable system, however.

The Moving Gingerbread Houses

 The moving gingerbread houses (c.1890s) didn't move far, but it can be confirmed that they moved from where they were originally. Another piece of the puzzle was also revealed. As in any state, but Texas especially, land is like Fort Knox and it's prized dearly. It wasn't hard to figure out that the reason for the move of two old houses and a railroad depot and rail car was for the land they occupied. Call it progress. Some still do.  I'm not so sure that progress wasn't more about trying to preserve face for  the miscues of  others over the years.

There is no doubt that the new office buildings going up on the land will complete the look for  civic services for the city. The real question is why the city built the original building on the same block as the old railroad station and the two historic houses built when Garland had not yet  seen its first fifty years. However, what ever the real reason, the moves have been made and the excavating equipment was puffing smoke with every blade of dirt pushed out of the way to put in a foundation for a three story building today.

The houses looked sad as they faced where they once lived.     

c.1890s

Gingerbread Architecture

Garland's Moving The Furniture Around

At the new location when placed on foundation

It's still a very historic building regardless where it now sits.

A recent trip to Garland to an antique dealer found the unexpected. The old railroad station and train Pullman car that had been a historic landmark and the two turn-of-the-century gingerbread houses were gone from their original location.  The land had been cleared and leveled. Obviously, the buildings had been moved and I set out to find the new locations. It didn't take long to find the rail station and Pullman car. They had been moved a few blocks north and west next to the Dart station where the old DGNO (the local short line) had its engineers and crews office on Walnut Street.

The Dart station was the northern end of blue line but now is extended into downtown Rowlett. So the exposure of the old rail station will be a good asset in their new location. Finding the old houses was a bit of a letdown because I never did find where the houses had been moved. That will have to wait until a later time. Perhaps, a good warm winter day or early spring shoot.

It appears that Garland is doing the same as downtown Plano did after the red line came to Collin Country. That downtown Plano project was such a success that a second wave of growth is underway. Downtown Garland is moving these  properties at the right time and it will only add to the overall growth of the Metroplex. I'm always glad to see well planned furniture moves cities make to improve the overall scheme of things. At the same time, I am a historian-at-heart and do not like to see historic buildings demolished or relocated for the most part. On rare situations, it becomes history within itself if done right. Garland seems to be on the right track (pardon the pun).

When you stop to think about it, Dart from downtown Dallas now goes to downtown Garland and Rowlett, downtown Plano, downtown Carrollton on the green line, and with the addition of the "A" train, downtown Denton in Denton County. With the orange lines, and connections to the TRE, downtown Irving  and downtown Ft. Worth, or staying on the orange line and DFW terminal A is just a year away. While Las Colinas is available now.

The amount of distance that can be covered with Dart from downtown Dallas is astonishing when you think about it. Sometimes, moving the furniture around makes for an expanded living area. And like a furniture move in the house, sometimes, you trip on the relocated furniture, but eventually get used to the rearrangement. Anyone visiting Dallas and can't find anything to do, isn't looking very hard.



 

The Story Tellers of White Rock Lake

If trees could talk, there are a few trees at White Rock that have probably seen it all from  their growth  stand. It occurred to me not long ago that another severe ice storm like we just dodged, or straight-line winds could bring these old story tellers down to the ground and reduce their massive, scared trunks to firewood.

There is a story about the old Pecan tree that stands on the Cole farm in Highland Park that is decorated every year. KERA has run the story as fillers many times over the course of its creation. But  people that live around the lake; regular visitors to the lake or even a one-time visitor visiting family here in Dallas looking for some place neat to sight see, also notice some of these old haunting trees with their rabbit-holed trunks. Their twisted, sometimes sawed off, even bent, and mangled branches have their own character that are just as old as the Cole pecan tree, if not older in some cases.

The project sprang up when I was looking for something of significance to shoot at White Rock Lake. First, one thinks of buildings. Some good, some bad, but they have been shot over and over and over .Eventually, the list came to be titled, "old trees"  The odd thing is that during the summer, when leafed out, it's easy to miss some of the character of the tree itself. But, in late fall and early winter when the leaves start to fall and branches are bare, one can see the real beauty of the tree from an age stand-point. The character just blossoms.
Here are just a few of what I found today.

The trunk is split from the base up the trunk for nearly 15-feet.I would guess that a lightening strike hit the tree more than just once.



The trunk is straight but it has been mutilated by weather, disease or lightening.

Another tree that has overcome lightening strikes, wind damage, and who knows what else.

These old trees have a ghostly character that only age can bestow on this old story-teller. The wood would be interesting to inspect. Old wood like this is filled with so much character, no wonder people search the planet for old trees like these for a variety of reasons. Many, just walk by the old tree and never notice its character at all.
 

Unusual Road History

It began as a note to myself while the construction on the White Rock Lake Dam and Spillway was underway about two years ago. That note said that I should remember to do a post on the dam and spillway after the construction was complete.  My attention had been drawn to an unusual  piece of granite that was inscribed some time in the past. It was just sitting there along  a sidewalk partially leaned up against a wrought iron railing. It looked a bit odd compared to the typical historical marker that the State of Texas uses to mark historical points of interest. One of those was about 15 feet farther up the sidewalk that gave the history of White Rock Lake Dam and Spillway but the white granite marker was even more interesting to me. It also had a half-mooned bowl that could be a water fountain or  who knows what else. It was just plain cool. The inscription was indeed historical and it was clear that the marker was going up at the dam and beloved spillway that has drawn people to view the dam after a major rain storm for years. It is an impressive site.


"Central National Road of the Republic of Texas was created by the Texas Congress on Feb.5,1844 to establish a five-man commission to select a right of way, see that it was cleared, and supervise the building of necessary bridges." 1

1."CENTRAL NATIONAL ROAD," handbook of Texas Online (http://www.Tsha.online.org/handbook/online/article01),accessed November 24,2013.Published by the Texas State Historical Association.

Placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution

The history of White Rock Lake

The new renovation to the dam and spillway

When Things Go Awry

The  Oxford Dictionary declared the word of the year to be  Selfie.  That just says it all.  It shows how self-centered we have become as a society. Otherwise, the word would not have made it into the Oxford under the rules of usage.

Yesterday, another small airport fooled a pilot and he landed his very big plane. Recall a day in July in 2012, when two Florida runways on the same heading fooled another pilot and he too, sat his very big military aircraft down on a very small and short runway. Or many years ago when a commercial pilot landed on a short and narrow taxiway at the old Denver Stapleton . So if I can remember three  such situations in 40 years, there must be more, maybe ( don't always believe everything you read). But here's a run down on this latest one.

Once upon a time, a giant cargo plane named Atlas Air 4241, also known in aviation parlance as GTI4241.Giant, departed an airfield (LIBG) in the heel of Italy known as Grottaglie/Taranto headed to JFK in New York. It is a modified Boeing 747-400 Quad. It's a little more than a 10 hour flight. Upon leaving New York, at 07:26 PM EST,  it was heading west to McConnell AFB, Kansas.

 McConnell, (KIAB) is a very large facility. To the north end of the airfield is also Cessna Aircraft facility. To the west side of McConnell is attached the Boeing Aircraft Company facility (Spirit) where the Boeing 787 is assembled. Atlas Air is also known as Boeing's Dream lifter that hauls huge sections of fuselage pieces from Italy to the Kansas facility. These  three facilities are snuggled in the curve of the Kansas Turnpike which is also Interstate Highway 35 from the first exit in Kansas

Atlas Air 4241 Giant landed in Kansas at 09:26 PM CST last night and quickly found out it wasn't Kansas anymore. A nightmare was what it was. The craft had landed at Colonel James Jabara  airport(KAAO) in error. It is 9 miles north of McConnell and it gets worse. The runway is in the 6100 feet length range while the Giant needs 9100 feet to become airborne with a full load of cargo and fuel.  The plane sat on the runway overnight. 

Finally, after watching two guys, one  in bright yellow top and the other in a full suit bright yellow, wait under the nose wheel while the engineers give the go-ahead. The men finally clear the runway and get out of jet blast range, the Giant heads down the runway at Col. Jabara's Airport. And finally, without eating up the 6100 foot runway and who knows how much grass.......while still on the runway, she lifted skyward to the relief of many people. Earlier a few cargo containers were trailered to be land delivered to McConnell.  It was 13:16 PM CST , the craft made a longer than scheduled journey south and then brought her inward to an approach at McConnell. It could have been a bad day but people tend to pull together when times get tough.

There was another Giant in Charleston, S.C. at Charleston  AFB scheduled to McConnell around 3:10 this afternoon, but the flight plans disappeared and the departure board showed no sign of the flight.
While the fleet did have a couple of flights over the Atlantic from Belgium and from Brazil, nothing else was showing.

With Selfie being the world of the year, wonder how many Selfies  are made in the cockpits? 






 

Dallas Prepares for the 50th Anniversary of the Assination of President John F. Kennedy

Originally, I had wanted to attend the 50th Anniversary ceremonies to be held on Friday, November 22. Of course, the city limited who can attend. Never-the-less, in this day and age, I understand the city's concerns I just don't understand why they stop people from remembering someone that changed this country. Especially on such a historical day. Jackie's dress won't be released to the public for viewing until 2116 or some date I won't live to see. I could have seen this one, however.

So yesterday, I tried to stay away from downtown but my car just kept steering me to go take a look at Dealey Plaza, although I have seen it hundreds of times before. I was surprised to see empty parking meters within a block on Houston Street. When I started to drop quarters, I was even more surprised. Twenty-five cents gets you 12-minutes of time on the meter. Now I know why the meter spaces were empty. One hour of time was a big $1.20 for up to two hours (if I dropped another $1.20 behind the first). It's not bad overall. Some of the garages get more as do some of the lots for all day parking. The Sixth Floor Museum was charging $5.00 at their lot.

It was a good thing. There was a group of Asian businessmen touring with their American host. People were thick. Some guy coming down Elm Street near where the "X" is marked on the street was blowing his horn at the tourist. My mother would say, "there is always one in the crowd to put a bad image on all the good." People did look up from their conversations and I did see a few shake their heads.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, the fences and barriers start to go up. The extended weather forecast for Friday doesn't look good, either. Cold, windy with gust to 25 Mph, rainy. If you believe in Karma, then Mayor Mike Rawlings has got some bad Karma for limiting who can come to the ceremony! I have only met him once. Tom Lepert , was a more likable  figure. As a former CEO of Turner Construction, the man knew how to plan, budget, build and lead. While Mayor Rawlings  is okay as a person, the best way to describe him is that the former CEO of Pizza Hut left off the peperoni on his pizzas.

Yes, I said earlier that I understood why the ceremony had to be limited to some degree. But to me, it's like putting the cart before the horse.

Looking at The Texas Book Depository from Commerce Street

50 years ago, the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge wasn't there.

 

Competition Begins for Slots at Love Field

The settlement of the Justice Department's law suit in the American and U.S. Airways merger is hardly 48-hours old and already Delta Airlines says that they want the two slots that Southwest Airlines will give up at Love Field.

Delta Connection arriving Love Field

If You Love Numbers, Today is 11-12-13

Before the Arctic cold front roars through North Texas, a trip to the grocery store was a chance to put down the book and run by the lake on another beautiful fall day. And since one grocery store is on one side and the other on the opposite side it was not a chore.

I've always been a good shopper. Saving money at the grocery store is not a task for me. It's a competitive  experience. But, it also helps to know pricing and marketing techniques. For example: a simple can of black pepper. On a normal day, I will pay $2.29 for 1.75 ounces. It's not a good price for pepper but it's a good price compared to what else is available. Since I was going by a particular store where I shop maybe once or twice a year, yesterday, I was hungery  for sizzle steaks and onions. Sizzle steaks are not a popular product here in Texas. It's basically a northern thing and stores up north slice, bag (two pounds at a time) an quick-freeze.

So, I stopped at the store where I seldom shop. No only did they have the aforementioned, they also had the biggest can of black pepper you could believe for $1.99. Four ounces! A bit more than double from what I had been getting at 1.75 ounces.

I bought a bag of sizzle steaks in bulk. They are not true sizzle steaks but they come as close to what I cook that I have found in Texas. They need to be sliced about half again as thin to be true sizzlers. Also, the shoulder blade cut roast were packed two in a package for half the price that I had been paying from my regular store.  There were several items that were what I would consider way out of line. But, I found enough that I'll be back again with a list in hand. I get a kick out of the Walmart commercial where the guy takes the woman with her Kroger receipt in hand on a comparison shop on how much she could save.  Of course you never hear about the items where Kroger was much cheaper (and they can be on many things) than Walmart! And you never will. I've found things at Kroger where they were a bit higher than some stores, but shopping is an art and you must watch deals, know prices and follow the rules of avoiding  certain areas of the store.  

What makes me irritated the most is when a store advertises turkeys! Oie Vey!

 One store listed a price per pound, but only if you purchase $50.00. Another had their little twist to get you in the door. I found my turkey for $0.59 per pound but I had to dig for it in the freezers. But my irritation  comes from a sign that says 10-15 pounds here and 16-22 pounds here. I found mine at the very bottom of the 16-22 pounds.  It was a 10 pounder! Don't you just love that part of holiday shopping?  But, with a hard freeze tonight before our first frost, I can slow cook the roast today. That puts steam in the kitchen and warms up the house with warmth in temperature and in smells! Oh! I'm also making yeast rolls  today, too. That will really add to the smells of fall and pre-holiday days.

At the lake, what appears to be the wedding alter from a Kelt wedding over the weekend stood out against a deep blue sky.

A Pagan Wedding Alter with sprig of  Hemlock

 

The straw wreath

The Overview.
Yes, it was hand made and made with modern screws and power drivers!

Free Enterprise Evidence

Wednesday afternoon, I drove over to Love Field to see the President's plane and motorcade. This would be my fourth for President Obama's arrival. The difference between this visit and the three previous was actually three-fold in differences.

For one, the previous trips the President has made were in early afternoons. This trip was late afternoon with the President's plane touching down almost on the dot of 5P.M. Sunset was a bit shy of 5:30, so the late afternoon sun was already casting long deep shadows.

Second, a strong cold front had passed during the early part of mid morning and the winds were coming out of the northwest. What that means to regional airports is that the airports are "flipped". When an airport is flipped by ATC (Air Traffic Control) it changes the approach and departure patterns. So normal landings at Love Field on 13L and 13R become 31R and 31L. The previous times, the President's plane has made that long graceful approach from the approach dogleg out over 635 into the runway that runs behind the Frontier of Flight Museum and the fork of Lemmon Avenue known as 13L. But, because of the wind direction on Wednesday, Air Force One made its approach over downtown in between Cedar Springs and Denton/Maple Avenue or 31L.

Finally, the one thing that really stood out on this trip more than any other trips in the past that I have attended was an enterprising young man selling a full pole of cotton candy! Now, who says that the President hasn't created free enterprise and job creation?

A gentleman buys one for his lovely wife.

A little self indulgence is needed after a busy day

Landing on Runway 31L at Love Field.

A Special Thank You to All Ruibal's Employees at Love Field

The absolute best group of people. They are the best!

With  location at Love Field , Lakewood and Farmer's market.

Go visit them soon!  I spent some time talking to a Dallas landscaper while waiting for the President to arrive at Love Field. He and his wife said that they will not shop  anyplace else for their landscape needs. The staff at the Love Field location are the best!

600 Months After JFK

Downtown Dallas was abuzz with people from all over the globe yesterday. While the larger crowds seemed to be at Dealey Plaza,naturally, the crowds are only going to increase over the next several weeks. City Hall drew people from LA taking pictures of the flags on the plaza. Five different  Quinceaneras  and their Court of Honor filled the area of Pioneer Plaza where the cattle drive bronzes cross the stream. It was a mix of tourist and locals all intermingled in the way it is supposed to be.

The tour business was active, too. Three stretch limos were unloading and reloading. An entertainment bus did the same. Then came the escorted tour of segways  followed by the little red trolley that advertised "see Dallas in 75 minutes". The heart beat of Dallas on Saturday was, without doubt, in downtown.

The  couple from LA said that they had been on a tour of AT&T Stadium (Cowboys) in Arlington earlier. They ask about restaurants. While I usually don't recommend , I mentioned a couple from high end down to just good cooking. Others had also recommended the good cooking and they reached their decision right there on City Hall plaza under the flag poles and headed out to have their dinner at Sonny Bryant's. The traveling were also traveling while visiting Dallas but they were eating, as well. That translates into tourist dollars and I don't know a Chamber of Commerce anywhere that doesn't like that concept.

Traffic on North Central Expressway ( NCX, 75, Central Expressway) was at a crawl from the High 5 south to North Park. 635 LBJ was a mess because of the final paving occurring on the new re-do from Coit to Preston Road. It will be the first stretch of the 11 mile project to be complete. Is it going to help? Most likely not. I don't think traffic in Dallas will ever catch-up with the growth. And imagine if the DART Rail wasn't at the stage it is currently. The only think keeping pace with the traffic is DART Rail and TRE to Ft. Worth and A-Train connects to Denton. In the perfect world, DART would already be running out of DFW (although this time next year they will be about to turn the key) and neither the TRE or DART would have a line running in Arlington where both cities could ride to a Rangers, Cowboys, Six Flags day and leave the parking where the car is--at home!  But, I suspect that the parking vendors and others don't want that. It is a capitalistic society that we live in today. The political arms still pull the strings and pulls them when  they want them pulled.

From an observation point, Dallas is ready for the 50th Anniversary of JFK's death here in Dallas. I would have liked to have attended the ceremony, but I didn't have the luck in the drawing for tickets. There have been only three events that I can recall where I was at the exact moment the event occurred. JFK's shooting, Neil Armstrong's landing on the moon and the attack on the World Trade Center buildings.  JFK: I was in my high school history class 1200 miles away when the CBS report came across the intercom; the moon landing: I was crossing the Ohio River at Cincinnati and the attack on the World Trade Center: I was at the mail box on my way to work when one of my neighbors ask if I had been watching the reports on television. But, it is the JFK weekend that found me glued to the television and actually seeing Lee Harvey Oswald being shot on television by Jack Ruby. Today, when I pass any of those buildings, Parkland, the old police station on  Harwood, or Dealey Plaza, it still brings back that entire time frame of mourning and disbelief and the stunning and shocking fact that our President had been killed.

I ask this question two years to late!

All this leads to one simple question of though. We all have seen the spot where Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in on board the president's plane and I wondered if that spot was ever actually reported on  a map or some historic sign that LBJ became President on this spot? Realizing, of course, that it is inside the secure area of Love Field, I've never heard a report of where that plane was parked while the president was in his motorcade. I know where Air Force One parks at Love Field in modern time, but where did they hanger the plane at Love Field on that fateful day in November 50 years ago this month? It appears now that someone did ask that very question but not until two years ago for the first time since that deadly day.

 I'm just two years late on this one, but that is still enough to keep me in the running for asking "historical" questions! I'll settle for that. Staff Writer David Flick of the Dallas News did an article on 21 November 2011. According  to that, I was just under two years, then. Some 48-years passed without anyone asking the question. Ironically, it was a photograph that led to the actual spot at Love Field being located in gps coordinates for history sake.

One of many limos arriving and departing Pioneer Plaza for quinceaneras and their court of honor

Tourist were arriving and departing the area in large numbers

A Rose from the Rose Garden of Perkins Chapel  at the Joe & Lois Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University in memory of JFK

Two Magazine Covers

 At one time, on my office wall, hung two Time Magazine Covers that had been well framed. They were on the wall facing my desk and the one to my left faced inward as did the one on the right. They provided inspiration and  helped fuel that "go get  'em " drive that you have when in your younger years.  The two men. On the left was Lee Iacocca after bringing Chrysler out of bankruptcy. On the right was T. Boone Pickens. Oil man.

To this day, I hold both in high esteem. I liked what they stood for and what they accomplished in their business careers. At times, I would drive by Ford's World Headquarters in Southfield, Michigan, and think about the mustang and Lee Iacocca. It was years later that I also realized that he had also created the Pinto that had a faulty gas tank. Today, here in Dallas, I drive by the many places that have T. Boone Pickens'   name on the outside of the buildings.

Yesterday, while getting in my cardiac walk, I walked around an area that is hard to photograph because of parking. What to my surprise did I discover but yet, another building about to go up that will carry the name of T. Boone Pickens. I'd have to declare T. Boone the Ever Ready  Bunny of those two magazine covers forty years hence.


It is a Hospice  Care Center