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What Day Is It?

It's Saturday, the Holy Day of Obligation. GO BLUE!     Update:  Michigan lost. College   Football has changed.

Monk Parots

More Monk Parots

American White Pelicans stop from their nesting grounds in Montana on their way to Central and South America. They don't fly over open ocean, however.

Still Shooting Leaves

Although some of the trees are now devoid of leaves, it was a driving force to continued to shoot fall leaves with such amazing colors. The weather up until today has been awesome and perfect to be out walking with camera in-hand.

Thanksgiving, however was a day of rest and cooking. Yes, my chef skills still manage to cook a full Thanksgiving meal. Turkey, dressing and the sides. The cranberry sauce was passed on this year. It was more difficult to find fresh cranberries and cranberry from a can is a cardinal sin. So, with the dressing and turkey, the condiment was huckleberry preserves this year and it was just fine; might have re-kindled an old tradition again.

So, Wednesday, seems to be the very last day to shoot leaves this season. With the strong winds and soaking rains the leaves are pretty much coming down with this round of weather-induced  conditions. Over the past week alone, over a thousand images have been cataloged for this season of color in the Dallas area. The focus has been on sycamore trees until Wednesday when I found some oaks that were orange and red. And, there was a discovery of a totally new stand of sycamore trees that produced excellent results.

It is to be hoped that y'all all had a wonderful Thanksgiving in whatever way was meaningful to each of you. Here are a few of those images from Wednesday. It seems that there might be a second posting just to include the full range. Right now, it's all depends on who much time can be mustered away from editing to actually do the post.

Seldom seen in Texas. It reminds me of the Maples in the Great Lakes area. The reds have always been a favorite.

The textures and colors are amazing

The new stand of Sycamores found

A Performance of Note

Camille Saint Saens and his Carnival of Animals

George Frideric Handel's Water Music

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's  Swan Lake Ballet

 Today's guest performers were Pelecaniformers under the baton of Maestro Pelecanus erythrohynchos

The Big One!

Most of the past few months has been focused on the subject matter of  leaves. In fact, there were a few post  written about it on this blog. It's not an exciting subject to some, but overall, it is key subject matter from the most basic definition of landscapes.

With the flooding rains in May, it was just a give me that the foliage was going to be super this fall and it was hoped  that the colors would survive the later returning drought after the flooding rains of the spring. One never knows what will developed. All one can do is to base future events outcomes  on past events of weather during a season based on  seasonal averages. Sometimes it works. Other times, the odds favor the house (mother nature).

While last week was pretty much the end of leaf hunting, Murphy's Law always plays its hand late. Today, the king of leaves turned up almost right under my foot. Guessing, it had to be 8 1/2 inches across and 6-inches in the stem to tip width. When I had put the tape measure to it, it turned out the be 11 1/2 inches across and 7-inches stem to tip. It sure was the largest sycamore tree leaf that I have ever found.

With 2-4 inches of rain, wind and another cold front due from Thanksgiving thru Saturday,  Most likely, the colors will fall for sure with this weather system. Some of the bright colors have already dimmed a bit since the last threat following last Monday's rain and wind. This bout will surely bring the leaves down and the color will be gone for another season.

I've made a third trip to one tree to capture the most unusual bark that I have seen. Today, I had just shot a couple of images  to see how the lighting was going to come out, but I have decided that it's not the lighting so much or all the normal things that jinks an image in a technical way. This trouble in capturing the bark as it really looks is in the tree. The tree is not ready to reveal its true beauty just yet. So, if I have to go back four time or five or even six times, As a photographer, it's worth that effort to catch the true beauty of another living thing--the subject tree.

While I almost forgot to shoot the tree that produced the massive leaf, It is within itself an unusual tree that I had not noticed until today. It's a sycamore that was hiding right in the middle of the ring of sycamores that I had been shooting this month. I'm always amazed at nature.

11 1/2 inches by 7-inches

The tallest tree is the sycamore that has been hiding in plain sight and produced the massive leaf.

Katie, the Mute Swan at White Rock Lake, that was so sick, seems to be enjoying her normal quality of life once again.

Bullet Trains

Having traveled both The Lake Shore Limited between Boston and Chicago along the Great Lakes and The California Zephyr between Chicago and Emeryville, California  about three decades ago, I became a fan of Amtrak as a passenger rail service immediately. Since then, I have wanted to ride the rails again. I love riding the TRE and DART but not to the extent a high-speed trip would be like. Given the choice of going by plane or by train, the choice will always be rail over plane today.

Recently, it was announced that the TRE, or Trinity Railways Express, would be busy putting a TRE-type train into Terminal A or B at DFW International. The switch off the Dart light rail line is already in place on the way into terminal A. It will connect Ft. Worth to DFW via the TRE directly as DART has done already with Terminal A in connecting Dallas with DFW with light rail.

In the meantime, The FEC or Florida East Coast Industries, the parent of Florida East Coast Railroads announced that with state and private money, they would begin building a high-speed train between Miami and Orlando, running between 79 and 125 MPH over upgraded tracks the FEC already owns, operates and manages. It must be pointed out here, as well, that Florida Power and Light already owns and runs the largest windmill farm in the US here in Texas. In short, the energy derived from Texas wind is controlled by Florida Power and/or the biforcated-biforcated businesses that fall under that umbrella. Soon, they will top us as a high-speed rail route in their state while Texans are still discussing the ins and outs of why not to go ahead with the project.

That brings me to the crux of this post. Texas has been planning and talking about the Bullet Train between Houston and Dallas that would truly be a bullet train--the same as the Japanese shinkansen that runs between Tokyo and Kyoto currently at about 215 MPH.  No more than 24 hours after the media aired the story, fellow Texans against the train were stirring the pot with all kinds of negative instruments laid out ready to cut the threads the Train planners were holding up to be another economic boom for Texas.

First and foremost, these Texans, as loyal as they are, need to put the state as a whole above their self-centered interest and get this train built. Already Texas is looking to be number three behind Florida and California instead of being the leader of high speed rail for the next generation of Texans.Which ironically would be the grandchildren of those that want to stop the progress.

Florida, on the All aboard Florida website have already posted that  their service begins in 2017. And least we forget that the original high speed is the east coast route of Amtrak's Acela, which FEC plans to equal in their Miami to Orlando run.

And, as Vice-President Biden just stated on his trip to Dallas, that you can do all you can do to get new business growth brought to Texas but once they are here, if you don't have the things like a high-speed rail, you are not going to keep those businesses here in the state of Texas.  He is soooooo right!

The TRE inbound to Irving Station

TRE on its way to Ft. Worth. Seeing this at DFW Terminal A or B will absolutely get the word out to the rest of the world that Dallas means business in a First Class Way

You want to see an economic engine at work, just imagine a 215 MPH bullet train from Houston pulling into South Side on Lamar Station by 2018 tops!

Frost on the Pumpkin Sunday

It looks like Sunday morning will be a time to get up early and go looking for that first frost. It's one of those things that can be a boon or a bust. Still, making the effort must be made if any shots are obtained at all.

In the mean while,  today was to end the hunt for those magical leaves of distinction. Most of the big ones have now fallen long ago and been crushed by foot traffic or bike traffic or tires pressed up against the curbs. There isn't much in open fields as the wind this past Sunday night pretty much carried those miles and miles away. There was some luck finding a few nice ones, however. I started around the first of September so the hunt has been on-going until today. Besides--it's Michigan/Ohio State weekend coming up next weekend  and the camera will be in the bag that day for sure. This coming weekend before Thanksgiving will be pretty much an indoor kitchen event. The day after Thanksgiving will be slow, but then....as broadcaster Bob Ufer has said for years: "Michigan football is a religion  and Saturday is the Holy Day of Obligation".

A silhouette of a crow. Note the absence of leaves!

The Peak Colors Stand

Well, even with the heavy rains overnight and gale winds at times, the colors at White Rock withstood the night. Although there was evidence of standing water in the low areas and leaves everywhere, the colors were full and bright.

It took a search for where the birds had gone. A few mallards were found swimming in the standing water at Preservation Grove and the stone tables. The pelicans were up at a fairly good altitude riding the wind currents.

There were more people at the spillway for obvious reasons. The waters were in a mad rush over the upper spillway. Down the spillway run and into all three channels in the flood basin continued to carry water where it rushed over  the step down spillways nearly as fast as the upper spillway rush. White Rock Creek on its way to meet the Trinity was full and the currents were swift.

All in all, nature gave us a few more days to observe the beautiful colors over the upcoming weekend before the growing season gets stopped with the first frost maybe next week. In the meantime, here are a couple of shots from the afternoon beauty.

The White Rock Mist

Even the beaver was packing away twigs for food later.

At times it really got misty. It looked like smoke a couple of times.

Plenty of colors left.

Peak Colors Might Get Wiped Out

Peak colors are here if the wind and rain doesn't strip the trees come Monday. In that case peak color week was yesterday!

The past week has been some of the best fall weather that I have seen in years. The progression of the fall color change starts in Canada and moves south about 20 miles per day. By the time it hits Texas it's usually--yep! November-- and with drought years, it just isn't like it is up north. Still, in years where rain falls at the right time, even in drought years, the colors have a chance to shine.

As most already know, it's been an exceptional year for rain. Even if we get our normal rain fall in November and December, we will break a record for yearly rain fall. Crazy! But, we needed the rain with the drought. My trees on the porch were highly stressed and I still water them a gallon of water a day. But, come spring, one will see the trees that really stressed because of the drought when they produce no new buds and are standing firewood.

In the past week alone, my camera counter has wracked up a total of some 500 images taken.This year's focus was on leaves. Like the old basketball cliche: nothing but net, pretty much, my mantra has been nothing but leaves. Well, 95 percent leaves. There are a few pelicans in there; a business fire in Garland, a train or two and some lens adjustments (those don't count). Live news feeds always take top priority. A doctor's appointment and a few trips to the drugstore and grocery and gas rounded out the week.

Yesterday was just that perfect day. Some of the test areas were revisited and nice clean shots came about from the initial ones that were a bit out of focus. Going back to re shoot what I have done already from my projects list isn't something I like to do as a general rule. It cost the same to get a the shot but that cost is doubled from the first trip. So even if you do sell an image as stock, you can wipe out income from stock very quickly. It takes a long time for most to realize that it's all about numbers. As much as you want the numbers to roll in-- if the numbers are not there, there is no number at all. It's negative numbers and those are not good, even as a hobby. You have to learn to say "no" and to know when to cave in to sitting at the desk editing old images a second time or even a third thing to squeeze all you can get out of them. That---is where the money is if there is any money at all!

You may have read my article about  selling an image for $0.27, but by listing it on some of the art sites and sites like Zazzle, or Cafe Press, you can sell the item for $2.00 royalty rather than the $0.27. but when you sell it for $2.00 and you sell it for $0.27, Look at the difference. Yes, my friends, it's all a numbers game.

But, like anything else, you must add those numbers into the mixing bowl where common sense and moderation and ethics are blended into the mix--your mix--that is where the happiness at doing what you love appears. My twitter friend, Patrick, the anthropologist at U Mass posted today on his blog a quote that just really defines that last statement about mixing things.

             "When we are bad, we are worse than any primate that I know. And when we are good, we are actually better and more 

altruistic than any primate that I know." 

~~Frans de Waal

 So, here are a few shots to sum up the week beyond what I have posted already this past week. 

Colors are so pretty this year

I use a company that looks for my images on line to detect copyright infringement.

This one is really being watched! Because it's been made into a greeting card.

These are live news coverage editorial images. They watch for these as well!

Generally duck pictures are a 'I don't mind kind of thing'. However, these two pelican images are on the watch list too!.

Parking Lot Delights!

1] Now look at the third shot.

2] The white balance was changed to bring out the gold color.

3.]Now, the gold turns golden brown and the grass becomes greener/lighter

This time of year is always enjoyable. Cooler temperatures. Fall colors in the trees. Smells you haven't enjoyed for months. But, for a photographer, it's also the light. Beautiful, low angle, light from our sun makes this time of year a true bonus. This afternoon while waiting for one of my doctors, the ole camera came out of the bag and took focus on some parking lot delights!

This is the same as No.1

Which one do you like?

Friends Share A Log

Who says that the animal kingdom doesn't have friends withing their world. We've all seen stories of animals that team up with unlikely species. Just the last couple of days, a Great Pyrenees sat along the side of the road keeping watch over another dog that had been hit by a car and had died. And, the story about the blind donkey being befriended by a goat that walked the donkey to the pasture every day. Then, at the end of the day walk the blind donkey back to the barn for the night.

Today, it was interesting to spot two turtles on a log--one on each end--with several mallard ducks within inches of the turtle. In fact, the turtle stretched out his hind leg, The turtle was either staking his claim on the spot or just so at peace with the ducks so close it didn't matter if he leg-invaded some territory of the duck. It was an interesting observation to see how this friendship played out. Good. As it turned out.

See the turtle on the right end of the log? Then look at the turtle's hind leg and duck's web foot in proximity.

Delightful Day

North Texas was handed the most amazing fall day that I can remember for at least 10 years past today. It started out at 46 and headed up to the 60s,capping out at 67-degrees F. with winds light 6-14 mph from the east and northeast. It was mostly sunny late morning to late afternoon. Yesterday was sweater day and today was sweater day. While there was a light jacket in the car, it wasn't needed.
In fact, it was so perfect, focusing on my camera setting was not only a pleasant task, it was even fun. Somehow, my preset setting got out of whack and the past week or so has been making the adjustments needed to bring the focus back to where it needs to be. It's still off a bit, but not as bad as it was and hopefully,  it won't have to go in for repairs.

In the meanwhile, even with the focal points off a bit, some pretty neat pictures are still usable.They just can not be used for some applications where fine tuning is not only needed, but expected. So, we will see how things turn out. Making some progress is far better than sitting along side the road waiting for the road service type if you will make the association in that context..
Enjoy some old barns south a few miles. In one of the shots, you can see the Bank of America building top in the background. If you can still see downtown, it's still urban, folks!! Although, this is about as far south as one can get before it really becomes farmland and rural.

One of the buildings had the old asphalt shingle siding under the planks. Those shingles were popular in the 40s. 

This might have been an old equipment barn for tractors and plows, although I don't know that.

Look at the power poles. To the left you can see the top of Bank of Americas top 20 floors or so.The other 50 are below the horizon!

Blue Bell Is Back

Many years ago I tasted ice cream from the Franklin Dairy Stores.  Their brand was my favorite for many years. Then, I went East and tasted ice cream from the Friendly's chain in Boston . They had a double chocolate that was like fire works to the palate. When they expanded West, it caused me to defect from Franklin's and eating Friendly's for many more years became normal.  Then Braum's  became the taste bud's choice in Texas. My first trip to Braum's this year was in early March. Double dip of chocolate in a waffle cone was the standard fare. But the take- home choice was found at Kroger's. Their Death by Chocolate would jump into my cart every time I pushed the cart down the freezer section isle. So when the scandal at Blue Bell turned Texans upside down not knowing what they were going to do with no Blue Bell during the summer there was a report about what made ice cream really good in the first place. At Walmart, their SAM'S label sold at Walmart is made with all the natural ingrediants and I discovered it tasted just like the old Franklin's Ice Cream and Friendly's. Rich, creamy, and just plain old-fashioned to the 'T'.

When I finished shooting fall scenes that some of my web designers like to use when they do web pages, I headed to Kroger's to get a couple of fill-in items. As I went past the freezer's,  people were lined up putting Blue Bell in their carts--and then going back to get a second half-gallon and some ever got three!! All I could do was to chuckle. I'm so ice-creamed out right now!

While people were having Blue Bell withdrawals this summer, I was content with Braum's and Kroger's Select Death by Chocolate or Sam's French Vanilla (which to me taste just like taking the crank off the cylinder and pulling out the blades so you could scoop that first big spoonful of home made ice cream.

Here's a few shots from this afternoon.

While this is most likely one of the old buzzards at the lake, it has some tell-tale signs of being a juvenile bald eagle with the white feathers beginning to show on the head, the wings and tail.

seed pods and leaves changing made for a nice contrast

That look of leather on this solo leaf  is just plain pretty.

07Nov2015: edit to correct a typo and misspell.