A Sound That Can Only Be----STEAM!

I heard the sound that can only be made by a steam whistle long before actually seeing that familiar plume of steam  rising from the hull of a sailboat steering right at me. Could it be? A steam powered boat on White Rock Lake. When the Linda Lue docked, it was without doubt an operating steam engine. One of the clues was that its owner, Dean Smith, was wearing a pair of heavy leather gloves.The kind you wear when you  operate equipment that is hot from steam boilers.

Dean had a friend with him and said that he and his dad,Cole, had built the steam power and engine on a modified fiberglass hull of a sail boat.It was a kick to see the gauge,stack and needed wood used as fuel.But, the whistle was a genuine steam-powered whistle He also said that his son, was a student at Texas A & M Galveston in their Maritime School. He mentioned that one of the local newspapers had done a feature article on  he and his dad within the past couple of weeks.

Over the years, I have seen a cornucopia of watercraft on White Rock. Today, was a first to see a boat under steam power sailing up and down the shoreline. The fact that White Rock continues to peg the needle of unique places to visit in Dallas moved the needle farther to the right today.

Dean Smith is standing.

The Sights and  Sounds of Mark Twain's River Adventures Have Arrived at White Rock Lake.

A Big Boy sits;Two poodles get a boat ride and a Mixed Lab poses.

Got up early yesterday morning. Headed out to Fair Park. The "confirmed" move on the museum's face book linked page on Twitter said today was the day. The Union Pacific Big Boy 4018 steam locomotive was scheduled to move to its new home in Frisco,Texas. After two hours of waiting with several dozen people, railroad workers and a few wannabe hotshots , the Union Pacific main line would not permit the move over their tracks. The dead rail siding out of Fair Park must interchange with the UP before being transferred to the Burlington Northern Tracks. After 14-months of observations, one would tend to piece together a little undercover political maneuvering being displayed between a couple of factions involved between the railroads and jurisdictions. That is my observation based on prior knowledge of the situation. It goes without saying that burning bridges is never a good thing.Having said that, the bottom line is many people with interest in railroading  had that precious Sunday off wasted;some being very hurt, not once but several times, during the course of this move to Frisco. Another thing struck me as being odd. An old Wichita Falls REA rusted truck was missing from Fair Park's fenced in area for the former museum. Not a word was said about that. HUM? File that one under, "Keep an eye on that",Casey Jones.

While switching was about to begin to jockey things around, the railroad was going to exercise their muscle under the color of "safety". It was time to get out of that mess and find a source for my special project this summer: "Seniors and Retirees and their Pets at the lake". It didn't take me long, either. I stopped at McDonald's and got lunch to go, drove over to Dryfuss Club and sat on the hilltop watching the TOP O' TEXAS ride at Fair Park cycle up and cycle down  while I ate my lunch. Afterwards, it was time to get some great animal shots. Over by the marina area, it was quick to book up the afternoon with three great dogs. Two were poodles belonging to a couple and a Lab mix that loved his tennis balls and the water.

People have fun with their animals at the lake and spend a lot of time and money to keep those pets safe and happy. Enjoy a few choice shots.

The F-7A

Captain Greg his wife and their two poodles go Hobie Kayaking

Ace, a mixed Lab loves the water and the two tennis balls in his mouth!

 

In Texas, When It's Miller TIme, You Stop!

Where else can you find a cooler, a tent and orange cones in the middle of 16-lanes but in Texas.

Blueprints and a blueprint reader for this project

It's Miller Time!

Perception is everything so when I came across a second tent in the HOV lanes there was something strikingly different with the white tent.

 

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A couple of days ago while running errands, I came across a construction crew working on LBJ 635 in the High 5 area.A couple of images were posted (Color on the High 5,posted July 9).

Yesterday,the crew was still working and it was a Saturday.It was also 100-degrees. The frame work is so complicated that it takes a set of blueprints and a blueprint reader to walk the crew through the installation of this fiber technology. Talk about being frustrated with toy instructions, this would drive you mad.

 The fun part was down the road about 50 yards and a comic like Jay Leno or Dave Letterman would have a field day with potential one-liners. The white tent must be different than the blue tent that was still up from a couple of days ago. Note the orange cooler sitting in the center with four orange cones surrounding it! That cooler has got to have a six-pack of Millers! 

Randy Travis Fans

Yesterday afternoon, I went out to The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano to see Randy Travis' Tour Bus. The trip was for me personally. However, after sitting in my car and watching fans come out of nowhere and walk up to the bus, take out their iPhone and snap one,sometimes two, images of the bus,  struck me how  deeply this area cared about the country singer. He  lives on a ranch  a few more miles from the hospital. It was something to witness in person.

The people  of Tioga , about 800 total, are praying for his recovery following the initial heart condition and then stroke that he suffered. So, while I said that my trip was a personal one initially, after witnessing the number of fans that came to photo his bus while I was there, helped to make the decision to take a couple of images and post them  for his fans that could not come in person.

 May the Lord hear the many prayers and help him recover fully from his health issues.

The Tour Bus of Country Singer, Randy Travis.

 The Heart Hospital Baylor Plano  just a few yards west of where Travis' bus is parked.

Color at the High 5

Two new school buses heading to the bus barn to be ready for a new school years in August

Just like their slogan,"We cover the earth", This moving billboard on the 5th level of the Dallas High 5 covers the ad world from the ground up.

A pop-up tent in the middle of 16-lanes is perfect for workers breaks.

Ready for work, parking was not a problem from these gentlemen. Use the closed HOV lanes on the LBJ

Once in a great while, being on foot does have its advantages. While my car was in a 2-hour free parking lot after an errand, it was time to get out my camera and walk an area that is difficult to have access. That too, was the present of a genie and I took advantage of the opportunity. Much to my own surprise, there were some unusual and/or colorful images waiting to become images.

The Circus is Coming

 

The Circus is coming

 

The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming. 

 

 The Circus is coming.   The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.   The Circus is coming.                                                        

The Circus is coming.



 

 The Circus is coming.The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming. 

                                                           The Circus is coming. 

The Circus is coming.

                                                           The Circus is coming.

The Circus is coming.The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming. 

 

The Circus is coming to town July 31 thru August 16.

                                                                            The Circus is coming. The Circus is coming.

 



The Circus is coming.   The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.                                                                          
The Circus is coming to town The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming. 
 The Circus is coming. The Circus is coming.
The Circus is coming.    The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.                                                        
The Circus is coming. The Circus is coming.   The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.                                                         
The Circus is coming.The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming. 

                                                              The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.         The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.                                                    The Circus is coming.The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming. 
The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming. 
The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming. 
 The Circus is coming. The Circus is coming. The Circus is coming.The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming. 
                                                           The Circus is coming. The Circus is comingThe Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming. 
                                                           The Circus is coming.The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming. 

The Circus is coming to town July 31 thru August 16. The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming. 

 The Circus is coming. The Circus is coming.      The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.  The Circus is coming.                                                     The Circus is coming. The Circus is coming.

Squirrel for Lunch

An amazing 40 minutes watching the hawk eat. I was photographing the Robinson-Ransbottom pottery piece and I heard this screeching call. I found this very large hawk in the tree. As I got a bit closer, the hawk launched into a long silent glide across a soccer field to a small grove  of trees. Between the trees and the street, there was the hawk on the ground with a fresh kill at about 30 yards. Patiently, and about 40 minutes later, the hawk let me get within 5-yards while eating. Not wanting to drive this beautiful bird off its kill, I turned away and walked back to the car. As I drove by where I had been, the hawk was still eating. There was another hawk in the area calling out but this hawk payed no mind to the other's pleas.